Over the past several months, I’ve rediscovered a real love for the Holy Rosary. It’s sometimes written off as rote prayer — something mechanical, a prayer without heart. But that couldn’t be further from what it’s meant to be. The Rosary actually weaves together vocal, mental, and contemplative prayer in a way that’s both incredibly simple and surprisingly profound.

My friend Mark Hart said something about the Rosary that really stuck with me: “It’s a Bible study on beads.” And he’s right. With every decade, you’re walking through the life of Our Lord Jesus and His Blessed Mother, meditating on their joys, sorrows, and triumphs. It’s become a beautiful, daily way to step out of the noise, slow down, and refocus my attention on the Word of God and the presence of God.

With that in mind, I scoured the internet (and a few dusty bookshelves) to find 10 incredible quotes from the saintsabout the power and beauty of the Rosary. My hope is that these will inspire you to pick up the beads again if you’ve fallen out of the habit — or maybe just reignite your devotion if you’ve been coasting a bit.

1. St. Louis de Montfort

"If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory. Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul if — and mark well what I say — if you say the Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins."

2. St. Padre Pio

"Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother. You must always hold fast to the Rosary. When you do so, the Blessed Mother will wrap you in her mantle and draw you closer to the Sacred Heart of her Son."

3. St. John Paul II

"The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and are led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer."

4. St. Dominic

"One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world. The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, our Redeemer, who loves His Mother. If you wish to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Rosary. My dear children, let your heart hold fast to this gift of Our Lady. By this devotion, you shall conquer the enemies of God and draw down abundant graces for the conversion of sinners."

5. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)

"Cling to the Rosary as the creeper clings to the tree — for without Our Lady we cannot stand. The family that prays together, stays together, and if you want peace in your heart and your home, pray the Rosary every day. Our Lady has never refused me anything I have asked through the Rosary. She is our tender Mother, eager to grant all we need if only we will come to her with trust and love."

Recently, as you probably know, Pope Francis was hospitalized in Rome after a severe bout of bronchitis that led to double pneumonia and a polymicrobial infection. Currently he’s in critical condition. I'll be praying for him in my rosary tonight, and I hope you’ll join me in keeping him in your prayers. With so much buzz online about the possibility of a new pope emerging in the not so distant future, I thought I’d break down, in six quick points, what actually happens when a pope dies and a conclave is called.

1. Sede Vacante and the Camerlengo’s Role

When the pope passes away, the Church enters a phase known as sede vacante—or “the seat being vacant” (and we’ll finally have something in common with Sedevacantists (inside joke. Not funny. Moving on.) Right away, the Camerlengo (currently Kevin Joseph Cardinal Farrell) steps in. His job is to confirm the pope’s death and manage the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pontiff is elected.

2. Official Announcement and Mourning

Once the pope’s death is confirmed, the Vatican makes a formal announcement to Catholics around the world. This is typically followed by a period of mourning—usually around nine days—giving the faithful time to grieve, pray, and spiritually prepare for the transition.

3. The Gathering of the College of Cardinals

During sede vacante, the College of Cardinals gathers in Rome to deliberate on the future of the Church. According to a quick Google search, there are around 252 cardinals worldwide. However, only those under the age of 80—roughly 120 electors, according to another quick Google search—are eligible to participate in the conclave.

4. The Conclave: Seclusion, Voting, and Symbolism

The new pope is chosen during the conclave, a sequestered setting designed for undistracted, prayerful reflection. The cardinals cast secret ballots over several rounds. You might have seen photos or videos of the Sistine Chapel—the famous smoke signals come from there: black smoke means no decision has been reached yet, and white smoke signals that a new pope has been elected.

5. Divine Guidance: Does God Choose the Pope?

A few times over the past month, I’ve said things I’ve regretted. Probably more than a few times, I’ve said things I should regret but don’t—either because I haven’t realized they were regrettable or because I’ve already forgotten them.

And when you have a large YouTube channel like I do, those regrets can feel all the more magnified. It’s one thing to say something thoughtless or stupid in a private conversation, but it’s another to have your words out there permanently for thousands—sometimes millions—of people to hear. I also am embarrassed to admit—despite the countless teachings of the saints, which we’ll get into below—that I don’t often reflect on just how powerful speech really is. Fr. Basil Nortz, says, “speech is one of the noble prerogatives of our human nature. It is a great dignity, and like all great dignities, it carries a great responsibility.” But that, right there. That sentiment? I almost never think about that.

I know, in principle, that words shape reality, relationships, and even our own souls. But I don’t think I’ve ever, for a sustained period, deliberately refrained from speaking while around other people. The idea of choosing silence—of being intentional about when to speak and when not to—often feels foreign to me. Mea culpa.

I want to get better at this.

St. James, in one of the most striking passages in the New Testament, warns:

"If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body... The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness... It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:2, 6, 8)

Or what about this from our Blessed Lord:

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)

Nervous yet?

Our speech can build up or destroy, lead others to truth or error, and even shape the kind of people we become. The saints, in their wisdom, saw both the necessity of guarding our tongues and the spiritual power of silence. Their words challenge us to rethink how we use speech and to embrace silence as a means of growing in virtue.

Here are ten insights from the saints on the importance of guarding our tongues and cultivating holy silence. Let me know which one struck you below.

1. St. John of the Cross: “What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language he best hears is silent love.” (Sayings of Light and Love, n. 132)

2. St. Faustina: “In order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one's soul and to keep silence; not a gloomy silence but an interior silence; that is to say, recollection in God.” (Diary of St. Faustina, n. 118)

3. St. Benedict: “Speaking and teaching are the master's task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.” (Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 6, "Restraint of Speech")

4. St. Francis de Sales: “Speak only when it is more beneficial than silence.” (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part III, Ch. 30)

5. St. Augustine: “The tongue should be restrained, like steam in a pot, so that words do not boil over rashly.” (Exposition on Psalm 39)

6. St. Thomas Aquinas: “A man’s speech is good insofar as it is ordered to good.” (Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 110, a. 1)

7. St. Teresa of Ávila: “I could not understand what good it did to keep filling the world with words.” (The Way of Perfection, Ch. 20)

8. St. Arsenius the Great: “I have often regretted the words I have spoken, but I have never regretted my silence.” (Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Arsenius 13)

9. St. Isaac the Syrian: “Love silence above all things, because it brings you near to fruit that the tongue cannot express.” (Ascetical Homilies, Homily 64)

10. St. Basil the Great: “Speech is the organ of this present world, but silence is the mystery of the world to come.” (Homily on Psalm 28)

Okay. Now I’m going to go inside (I’m writing this out on my porch) and try to implement point number 4. Pray for me, please. And I’ll pray my rosary tonight for all who will read this.