Strategems for the Rose Crown

I'm not one for strategy games. My friends and siblings, however, love the thrill of a plan perfectly executed. My younger brother once explained his fascination with a trading card game. He told me that when you get the right setup, you trigger an effect that’s powerful—in his words, “truly unique”. When you understand the cards and combine their abilities just right, the play becomes unbeatable. I think it was that proud twinkle in his eye that etched the moment into my memory. And that same twinkle returned to me later while I was reflecting on the Rosary. I believe certain elements of our faith, when aligned right, can reveal the Rosary as a “truly unique” prayer, like a perfect play in a strategy game. Just as a player must analyze every card in his deck, we’ll have to study each of these spiritual elements and how they work together. It takes patience and practice, but bear with me. The result is worth far more than any winning hand at cards.

We might compare our first play to a “hero card”, a special character from our deck and a strong opening to the game. That card, of course, is the humble maiden of Nazareth, Mary herself. There is so much that could be said about this “Lily of the Valley” (Song 2:1), this “Heavenly Princess” (St. Louis de Montfort). For our purposes, we’ll focus on one aspect, one “ability”, if you will. And that’s her pride of place as intercessor. In this vein, St. John Eudes says, “O Mary, you are the treasury of all graces! What we ask from you is never refused, because God is infinitely pleased with your petitions.” What she asks is never refused. This is a considerable perk for a “hero card”. Now we’re ready for our second card, played directly on this theme of petition.

And number two is the “Hail Mary”, the little prayer repeated fifty times in the Rosary. There are many ways to pray the Rosary. One common way is to contemplate the Gospel mysteries while the repeated words drift quietly in the background. Here, however, we’ll focus on the words of the Ave Maria itself. The prayer begins with praise for our Mother and for her Son, Jesus. Then it moves to the petition, “pray for us sinners.” That’s all, and she’s happy to do it. Now, what grace will she ask for us sinners? Tradition invites us to offer an intention. We place our needs in her hands, and she carries them to God who, remember, is “infinitely pleased” with her petitions. Often we pray for personal needs such as the healing of a loved one or growth in virtue. But there is something else we can also ask for, something that pleases her heart very much. The next “card” is probably the main strategic twist proposed in this reflection.

The next card, adding nuance to our strategy, is to pray for the intentions of her Immaculate Heart. St. Louis de Montfort writes, “Give yourself entirely to Mary; place all your interests in her hands; do not ask for this or that, but allow her to dispose of all as she pleases. What she does for you will be better than what you would have obtained by yourself.” St. John Eudes offers similar counsel: “Make your requests to the Heart of Mary as if to a loving mother: give her everything, and she will know best how to provide for you.” I do want to clarify that this attitude doesn’t exclude personal intentions. Catholicism is a religion of “et-et” (Latin for “both-and”). While we pray for individual needs, we can also pray for the intentions most present and pressing in Mary’s Heart. In the end, if I offer myself with abandon to care for Mary and her concerns, she will care for my own far better than I ever could.

But it doesn’t end there. The consequences of that last card are powerful. What is the first intention always on the mind and heart of our Blessed Mother? Of course, to make God happy and glorify him. “My soul magnifies the Lord.” (Luke 1:46) She offers our prayers to bring him joy and let all be done according to his will (Luke 1:38). We follow this chain to the next question. What is this will that must be done? What is the desire of God? And now we pull the ultimate “hero card” of the deck, the very love of God.

“The glory of God is man fully alive.” (St. Irenaeus) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) What does God’s heart most desire? He was willing to offer his own Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, for the salvation of mankind. God wants salvation, a renewed relationship with each of us. He wants to love us and be loved in return. Returning to our thread, God’s “intention” is to love man and be loved, to envelop every person in his mercy. What we know about Jesus echoes the same sentiment. Those who knew him well, the Saints, tell us about the desires of his Heart:

“Behold this Heart which has so loved men and is so little loved. I desire that men acknowledge the greatness of My love and accept it.” (Diary of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque)

“The Heart of God is filled with so much love for men that it desires to lavish Himself upon them, to give them all His treasures, if only they would open themselves to receive Him.” (St. John Eudes)

“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for those who do not resist My grace. I desire to pour out all the treasures of My love upon them.” (Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska)

It seems that, as much as Jesus wants us to love him, he is even more excited to pour his love upon us. This love of God isn’t a mere sentiment. It’s an effective and transformative force. To ask him to pour his love upon us is to ask for true change, to ask for a world centered on his Heart according to his perfect providence.

If we reconstruct the “Rosary play” we’ve built, we see how perfectly it all falls together. We take up the beads and begin to ask Mary, our star intercessor, to “pray for us sinners”. Among our petitions, we pray for the intentions of her Immaculate Heart. Her heart desires what God’s heart desires, and God is most pleased when he pours his love and mercy upon us and the whole world. We recognize a powerful chain to please God and quench his thirst to love. We call upon our dear Mother, and her Son unlocks the floodgates, unleashing the Ocean of Mercy.

The effect is similar to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, flowing through Christ to the Father’s mercy. We involve Mary not to convolute the process, but rather to add allure to our petition. God loves to hear the sweet petitions of his sweet Mother. Through this way of praying the Rosary, we’re saying, “Mother, ask Jesus to please himself by pouring out his mercy upon us.” Or simpler still, “Mother, may God love us.” Can a better Marian petition exist?

Card 1: Mary, our irresistible intercessor

Card 2: Choosing an intention

Card 3: Praying for the intentions of the Immaculate Heart

Card 4: Mary’s intention is the will of God

Card 5: The will of God is to love and lavish his grace upon man

Of course, prayer is not a strategy game, nor do we “win” God’s favor by finding the right combination of concepts, words, or devotions. The analogy falls short there. Grace is always a gift, freely given. The point is not to manipulate God, but to recognize how beautifully the elements of our faith harmonize when we pray with love and understanding. The cards fall together just right, and we’ve discovered in Mary’s Heart, in our Mystical Rose, something “truly unique”. I wrote a few lines about a year ago, when I first prayed the Rosary in this way. Maybe it will help clarify and summarize what we’ve seen here in a simple prayer.

“You walk with me most silently

With your hand in the crook of my arm,

And together we pray for the heart of the world

To slake the thirst of your Son’s lovable Heart.”

(John Sester, LC, "Strategems for the Rose Crown", digital painting, October 2025)