Grata Recordatio is an encyclical from John XIII subtitled On the Rosary: Prayer for the Church missions, international and social problems. It was Pope John’s third encyclical. John begins by reflecting on how Pope Leo XIII would write something about praying the Rosary in October for they were very wise and vibrant and directed the faithful to the practice of the Christian life. “In strong and persuasive terms they exhorted Catholic to pray to God in a spirit of faith through the intercession of Mary, His Virgin Mother, by reciting the holy rosary.”
The next seven sections John says that “he wants to declare in complete frankness and simplicity that the years have made Mary’s rosary all the dearer to Us.” John XXIII then reflects on how over the past year he became Pope with the death of Pius XII and with the anniversary of his death coming up we should pray for him and his lowly successor. It is a great pleasure for John to echo the words of his predecessor repeating from Ingruentium Malorum ” Turn in spirit with ever greater confidence to the Virgin Mother of God, the constant refuge of Christians in adversity, since she has been made a source of salvation for the human race.” So John XXIII wants us to pray the Rosary.
The encyclical then changes and the Pope talks about missions asking that those missionaries and those studying at the North American College to motivate those to contribute with a selfless and dynamic will to mutual respect, the fraternal union of mankind and solid peace. Here, John XXIII says that he has hope for the future because of these individuals. The prays then move on to rulers with John XXIII wanting all rulers to know that War has only one result ruin. Then he moves on to false philosophers who have philosophies that do not sync up with Christian thought that they can turn back to the Lord.
John then concludes the Encyclical by pointing towards the coming of the Kingdom of God and hopes that the upcoming Roman synod of 1960 as well as the Vatican II council “will add wondrous growth to the universal Church; and that the renewed vigor of all the Christian virtues which We hope this Council will produce will also serve as an invitation and incentive to reunion for Our Brethren and children who are separated from this Apostolic See.”
Deep in the well 