Before turning to the Mysteries themselves, there is one last prayer to consider: the Closing Prayer of the Rosary. Most common in English-speaking traditions, it follows the Salve Regina and serves as something of an “addendum.”

Where the Salve Regina grounds us in Mary’s intercession and maternal care, the Closing Prayer directs us back to God in our own petitions. It reminds us that praying the Rosary does not complete our task — it begins it. The Rosary is a foundation, a springboard into life as an act of faith.

The prayer begins by proclaiming the very centre of Christian belief: “O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life.” These words root us once more in the Paschal Mystery — the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ — and affirm that our salvation flows from these saving events. From beginning to end, the Rosary is anchored in this truth.

Having recalled it, the prayer shifts to petition: “Grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise.” Here lies the heart of the Closing Prayer. It is not enough to recite the prayers or to meditate on the Mysteries; the Rosary calls us to transformation. To imitate in order to obtain. Having contemplated Christ’s life, we are now sent to live it — to bring the Kingdom nearer through our own actions, words, and choices. Eternal life is not only a distant hope; it begins now, in daily faithfulness, in each thought and deed aligned to Christ.

This prayer leaves us no room for complacency. Faith is not something half-hearted. I often say that I cannot understand “lukewarmness” in faith — though I know I am guilty of it often enough. But the truth remains: faith is either everything or it is nothing. If God is real, if Jesus is truly who the Gospels proclaim Him to be, then it is all that matters. The Closing Prayer of the Rosary drives this point home: prayer must become life, meditation must become imitation, and the mysteries we ponder must take root in how we live.

Pause. Pray. Pass it on.