“Dear Alex:
What invaluable piece of advice would I pass along to my moderately normal son, if I were restricted to only one? Pray the Rosary!
 
You see, so many things that people think are important are really of little value. Not in the grand scheme of things. Your home, your occupation, your income, your clothes, your car. They serve a purpose, but in the final analysis, they are just things. In time, they run to ashes. Even your impressively sculpted, taller-than-me body will turn to ashes. What is important, above all else, is your immortal soul.

The state of your immortal soul matters more than any of the trivial items listed above.
 
Whether you’re aware of it or not, a great battle rages all around you. It is heaven’s intention that you love and serve God with all your heart, mind, and
soul, and that you spend eternity with Him in unspeakable happiness.
It is Satan’s intention that you be dragged into hell to suffer for all eternity. What’s it going to be?
 
Since you are in a war, you have to arm yourself for battle, and a great weapon is the Rosary. Know that your Mother Mary is fighting on your side.
If anyone ever says, “Your mother wears combat boots!”, they are correct. Your Mother is with you in battle. Remember what Jesus said as he was hanging on the cross. “John, behold your Mother.” “Woman, behold your son.” Your mother Mary desires your presence in heaven as much as her son does, and everything she does is designed to increase your appreciation and love for Him. Meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary is done with the intention of bringing you closer to Jesus.
 
Some people believe that the Rosary is just mindless “Hail Mary” repetition. These people miss the point of the devotion.
 
I cannot remember the name of the saint, who sat down one day at a desk, with the intention of composing a new prayer to Mary. She appeared to him, and thanked him for his thoughtfulness, but advised him that no prayer brought more joy to her heart than the Hail Mary.
 
But more to the point, the key to the Rosary is the meditation on the Mysteries. The Hail Mary’s are really just a timing device. By spending fifteen or twenty minutes meditating on the Mysteries, you join with Jesus and his Mother in the most meaningful events of their lives. And doing so brings you closer to Jesus. There are so many lessons to be learned. About faith, humility,
obedience, & trust in God. And the grace that flows from this meditation is invaluable.
 
And a side benefit. While immersed in the Rosary, you escape, for a while, the problems of this world. You lose yourself in the Mysteries. And spend some time contemplating higher matters.
 
If you never pay attention to anything else that I ever say to you, at least grasp this, and hang onto it. It will lead you to heaven.
 
Dad”