Tuesday 12/9/14

Last night we had a very abbreviated prayer followed by a wonderful Mass to celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Since I can’t adequately recap the Mass, today will be our second installment of…

Better Know a Prayer

This week we are going to look at a prayer dedicated to Our Lady, the Rosary. “Rosary” comes from the Latin “rosarium” which means crown of roses. Roses have long been a symbol of Mary, and we say she is the Queen of Heaven, so a crown of roses is a very fitting name for her prayer. The Rosary is traditionally said on rosary beads. It is not uncommon to see people wear rosary beads as though they were jewelry. It is important to remember that rosary beads are not jewelry, but rather a devotional object. That means they should never be worn as an accessory, but it is acceptable to wear them so that you will always have a set close enough to pray the rosary. The distinction lies in your intention.

Tradition says that Mary appeared to Saint Dominic in 1214 and gave him the Rosary. Some historians argue that the essential form of the Rosary developed over a long period of time in the hundred or so years leading up to Saint Dominic. Either way, the Rosary is a wonderful form of contemplative prayer, and a great way to honor our Mother.


Start at the Crucifix
At the Crucifix, we begin the prayer with the sign of the cross, followed by the Apostles Creed, listed here:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

First Big Bead
At the first big bead, pray the Our Father.


Next Three Beads
The next three beads represent the three Christian virtues as enumerated by Paul; faith, hope, and charity. Pray a Hail Mary on each.


Next Large Bead
The next large bead gets a Glory Be:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, a world without end. Amen.

After the Glory Be, the “introduction” of the Rosary is complete. Now we are ready to begin the five decades.


The Decades
Each decade of the Rosary consists of one large bead which is sometimes rather ornate, followed by ten smaller beads. At the large bead you announce the mystery (discussed in the next section) then pray an Our Father. For each of the smaller beads you pray a Hail Mary. Once you have finished the tenth Hail Mary, you pray a Glory Be. Some people also add the Fatima Prayer at this time:

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

The Mysteries
There are four sets of five mysteries each. Traditionally, there are different days devoted to each set, but it’s not a hard and fast rule. The four sets are:

The Joyful Mysteries: The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, and The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

The Luminous Mysteries: The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, The Wedding at Cana, Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, The Transfiguration, and The Institution of the Eucharist

The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowning with Thorns, The Carrying of the Cross, and The Crucifixion

The Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption of Mary, The Coronation of the Virgin

Concluding
Once the fifth decade of the Rosary has been completed, you finish with a Hail Holy Queen followed by the sign of the cross:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley, of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

And that’s it! Go pray the Rosary!