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PDF versionTransformation of the Rosary
October is the Month of the Holy Rosary
Oct. 08, 2009
(CNS/Rueters photo)
My fishing buddy’s a Freemason. Who would have thought that he would transform my experience of the Rosary? One day he handed me a box. Someone had given him a set of Rosary beads with instructions how to use them. He figured that I’d know what to do with them.
I’d been praying the Rosary since my father drew me back to it during his terminal illness some 20 years earlier. But the instructions were new.
I’d heard about how John Paul II introduced five new mysteries, but I was quite content with the traditional fifteen. My buddy’s instruction sheet included the new ones. That’s where the transformation started.
Comfort
I’d taken great comfort from the Rosary. I loved how the daily prayers joined a set of five “mysteries” of redemption, and the way each one of the three sets of the mysteries matched its given day of the week. I felt that “new” mysteries would be an irritation but, I looked into them.
Ironically, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (RVM), the Apostolic Letter that introduced them, helped me grasp better the reasons for my comfort at the same time it increased my irritation.
John Paul II re-affirmed the traditional approach I’d been using. In fact, he believes that by keying the sets of mysteries into the days of the week the “Rosary marks the rhythm of human life.”(RVM, Section 2) It was as I thought. And to me this meant that on Sunday we pray the glorious, on Monday the joyful, on Tuesday the sorrowful, on Wednesday the glorious. The pattern repeats and then ends on Saturday with the glorious mysteries. The week begins and ends in glory. And what is life but joys and sorrows? You bring them to the Rosary, and it comforts you with the message that they are taken up into God’s glory.
Still, there was something missing in my comfort. That’s why I was open to the irritation.
Irritation and Transformation
The five new mysteries broke my comfort by telling me exactly what was missing.
The traditional fifteen mysteries tell us nothing about Jesus’ life, his public ministry. The new ones are all about it.
But here’s the real irritation. If the Rosary marks the rhythm of human life, Jesus breaks it!
John Paul introduces them simply enough. “Consequently, for the Rosary to become more fully a ‘compendium of the Gospel’, it is fitting to add . . .a meditation on certain particularly significant moments in his public ministry (the mysteries of light).” (RVM, Section 19)“ I think the following can be singled out: (1) his Baptism in the Jordan, ( 2) his self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana, (3) his proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with his call to conversion, (4) his Transfiguration, and finally, (5), his institution of the Eucharist”(RVM, Section 20). John Paul hoped that his proposal would give the Rosary “fresh life” and bring out more fully its “Christological depth.”(RVM, Section 19)
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The problem is that when they expose its Christological depth more fully the new mysteries hit the nerve of Jesus. His words and actions explode convention. And worse yet, they come as commands.
The Sermon on the Mount begins conventionally enough but it rises to commands
to turn the other cheek and to love one’s enemy. And things get worse! Take Jesus’ claim that he comes to bring division not peace and his command that the dead should bury the dead.
Try as you might to make sense of them, you cannot. And just like his disciples, you miss the point. But what if, like his disciples, you try to do what Mary told the steward to do at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you!” People followed Jesus not because they understood him, or, even because he comforted them. They followed him because he replaced their shattered assumptions with the power to heal, feed, clothe, and forgive. And he let them share in the joy of being with him.
Here’s where the new mysteries move from irritation to transformation. John Paul proposes we pray them on Thursday. This changes how the week ends. It’s all the same from Sunday to Wednesday, and Friday is still the sorrowful. But the week ends in joy!
The new week mirrors the path of discipleship and clears a way to live out the very tension at the heart of our faith.
The disciples somehow believe they’re with the messiah. Even Peter understood it once. But while they sometimes succeed, they mostly stumble when trying to do the one thing Jesus commands: Follow me. But they don’t stop trying. And Jesus rewards them with the joy of his constant company.
So it is with us. We believe that our life’s sorrows and joys are wrapped in God’s glory. But lest we hear the irritating words of Jesus, lest we try and fail to follow him here and now, we will never know the earthly joy of his company. Adding the new and “irritating” mysteries to the Rosary can make us more open to hear those words, and even in the sorrow of our failures, to taste that joy.
I don't think that there is
I don't think that there is anything wrong with the five mysteries John Paul II introduced. They are indeed very pious things to contemplate, and if people choose to incoporate them into the Rosary that is fine too. However, I still choose only to use the traditional fifteen mysteries, as these are the mysteries the Blessed Virgin gave to St. Dominic, and on a personal level I feel that the structure of the Rosary in it's traditonal fifteen mysteries better reflects the idea that it is Mary's psalter, each Ave Maria representing one of the 150 psalms. But as I say, if one chooses to include the new mysteries, that's fine, as this is a very pious devotion and leads to many graces.
The 7th of October was of course the day on which the Church commemorates the Christian victory at the Battle of Lepanto against the Turk. The victory was attribute dto the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin, as Europe prayed the Rosary, and it is a testament to the Rosary's power.
This is a lovely reflection
This is a lovely reflection on the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I myself go through cycles with this prayer, most o f the time I pray the mysteries on the days proper to them, but sometimes I find myself in a situation in which I need to pray about joy or sorrow or light or glory. The great blessing of the Rosary is that it is truly a prayer that is appropriate at all times of one's life. Pope John Paul II was correct when he said that the Rosary marks the rhythm of life.
Moreover, I find comfort in the Rosary because it reminds me that, no matter my current situation in life, Our Lord and His Blessed Mother understands because they shared in the joys and sorrows, glories, darkness and light of everyday life.
Finally, in the midst of the chaos and noise of today's world, the Rosary offers an oasis of peace. As I pray the Hail Mary over and over, and as I reflect on the mysteries, a place of peace and quiet is opened up in my mind and soul.
The Rosary is a beautiful prayer and I daily thank God and His Blessed Mother for giving it to us.
Until reading Clint Green's
Until reading Clint Green's comments about the Rosary and the new mysteries, I honestly didn't realize that one of the main reasons I pray the Rosary is the solace it brings. We pray for thanksgiving, for guidance, for strength or for forgiveness. Often times, there is a specific reason for saying the Rosary. However, when I pray, especially the Rosary, I am filled with amazing comfort. As Mr. Green mentions, in this chaotic world in which we all live, no matter which mysteries we choose to include or acknowledge, saying the Rosary will definitely bring inner peace.
I especially like the meaning behind saying the Rosary on Thursdays.
this is great and helpful
this is great and helpful realization!
Thank you Mr Rurak for your
Thank you Mr Rurak for your article on the Rosary. The new mysteries added by Pope John Paul II are called the Luminous Mysteries.
The Luminous Mysteries - Mysteries of Light
Now available in printed form.
The First Luminous Mystery
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
1)John is baptizing in the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance.
2)"I am the voice of one crying in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord."
3)"One mightier than I is coming after me."
4)"I have baptized you with water, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
5)Seeing Jesus, John exclaims: "Behold the Lamb of God."
6)After Jesus' baptism a voice from Heaven: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
7)The Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove.
8)In this heavenly manifestation is instituted the sacrament of baptism.
9)The divine Trinity is manifested: the voice of the Father is heard as the Spirit descends upon the Son.
10)Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days.
Spiritual Fruit: Gratitude for the gift of Faith
The Second Luminous Mystery
THE WEDDING FEAST AT CANA
1)Jesus, His Mother and disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana.
2)During the wedding feast the wine ran short.
3)Mary turned to Jesus: "They have no wine."
4)Jesus replied: "What would you have me do? My hour has not yet come."
5)Mary said to the waiters: "Do whatever he tells you."
6)There were six stone water jars, each holding fifteen to twenty gallons.
7)Jesus bids the waiters to fill the jars with water, and then draw some out and take it to the chief steward.
8)The chief steward said to the groom: "Every man serves the good wine first... but you have saved the good wine until now."
9)At Mary’s request, Jesus worked His first miracle.
10)By His presence, Christian marriage was raised to the dignity of a Sacrament.
Spiritual Fruit: Fidelity
The Third Luminous Mystery
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM
1)"Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand."
2)"My kingdom is not of this world."
3)"Unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."
4)"Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter into it."
5)"I have come to call sinners, not the just."
6)"Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you."
7)"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
8)"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied."
9)"Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
10)"You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven."
Spiritual Fruit: Desire for Holiness
The Fourth Luminous Mystery
THE TRANSFIGURATION
1)Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain to pray.
2)Jesus was transfigured before them.
3)"His face became as dazzling as the sun, his clothes as radiant as light."
4)This was to fortify their faith to withstand the coming tragedy of the Passion.
5)Jesus foresaw the 'scandal of the cross,' and prepared them for it by this manifestation of His glory.
6)Moses and Elias (representing the Law and the prophets of the Old Testament) were conversing with Jesus about His passion.
7)"Do not think I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets... but to fulfill them."
8)From a cloud came a voice: "This is my beloved Son, listen to Him."
9)Jesus admonishes them not to tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man rises from the dead.
10)We too will behold the transfigured Jesus on the Last Day.
Spiritual Fruit: Spiritual Courage
The Fifth Luminous Mystery
THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST
1)"I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer".
2)Jesus took bread, blessed it: "Take and eat, this is My Body."
3)Taking the wine: "This cup is the new covenant in my Blood, shed for you."
4)At that eucharistic meal, Jesus celebrated the first Mass.
5)At every Mass the sacrifice of Calvary is made present.
6)At the Last Supper Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Orders to perpetuate this sacrifice.
7)"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."
8)The Eucharist is a sacrifice inasmuch as it is offered up, and a sacrament inasmuch as it is received.
9)In the Mass we offer ourselves to God, and God gives himself to us.
10)The Mass will be fruitful in the measure of our surrender to the Father.
Spiritual Fruit: Love of our Eucharistic Lord
JDS: This is a wonderful
JDS:
This is a wonderful source/print out. What is the source so that we can access it for the other four? Thank you kindly. JP
I have also been transformed
I have also been transformed by the luminous mysteries.After many meditations on the new mysteries I discovered that each mystery could be a reflection on one of the seven sacraments. Example second one, on the wedding feast at Cana===marriage
thanks jds....I am printing
thanks jds....I am printing out the defs of the mysteries...please look up the book Sons of Thunder, the Story of Joe and Paul by me, robert epperly, its a strong catholic, conversion, supernatural, apologetic, teaching nove.
Hey Rurak you missed an
Hey Rurak you missed an opportunity to evangelize your freemason fishing buddy. I would him allowed him to hold to those beads given to him and taught him to prayed the Luminous mysteries...it is no coincidence your friend is in darkness with freemasonry and he receives the updated version who emphasizing the Luminations of Christ for those who do not know Him. Next time you're out there with this friend sharing experinces or starting out: sayNeither do you need to be concerned about somehow the decsion by the Vatican is an evil act. First the Holy Spirit guides the ways of the Church: did not Caiphas, the High Priest, condemn Jesus and plotted against and he was under influence of the Holy Spirit when he said it is better fir one man to die than many...even if it is an evil act as stated did not Jesus himself said the gates of Hell will never prevailed against her: His Church. So you see it is no need to be concern of these matters. No need to loose faith, to good hope, or love or graces that have adorned your holiness and your soul. Even the what the church declare that this an invalid event your testimony of holiness glorifies God still in that he can draw good out of evil. This is a matter for the Church and it's authorities not a matter of the Churches children. a decade. If he brings up a problem with addiction pray the the mystery ofNeither do you need to be concerned about somehow the decsion by the Vatican is an evil act. First the Holy Spirit guides the ways of the Church: did not Caiphas, the High Priest, condemn Jesus and plotted against and he was under influence of the Holy Spirit when he said it is better fir one man to die than many...even if it is an evil act as stated did not Jesus himself said the gates of Hell will never prevailed against her: His Church. So you see it is no need to be concern of these matters. No need to loose faith, to good hope, or love or graces that have adorned your holiness and your soul. Even the what the church declare that this an invalid event your testimony of holiness glorifies God still in that he can draw good out of evil. This is a matter for the Church and it's authorities not a matter of the Churches children. the Transfiguration; someone's getting married or disobedince child pray the Wedding at Cana; boy we're hungry let's cook our catchings and eat you could pray the Institution of the Eucharist; fish ain't biting pray the Baptism of our Lord to send the Holy Spirit to descend in you efforts. Of course you would invite your friend to join, but if he don't pray that one decade anyway. The rosary can be many things but it shouldn't be irritating...those images are no different than you reviewing family albums at grandma's you do it with a smile inquisitive of the who what when and where and how does this person or event relate to me as a member of this family rediscovering these long forgotten loves of the past...is there anything irritating about reviewing old family albums? No, for someone will recall forgotten detail, a story never knew, a reality relived, a laugh remembered: recollections done in tears smiles hope joy and faith, etc. Keep your Rosaries on you all the time in your pockets, in your baitbox, on your boat, and on the rear view mirror of your car...before long your friend will be asking for those beads back.
Dear Readers of The Forum: I
Dear Readers of The Forum:
I love praying The Luminous Mysteries~Mystires of Light
I feel and Believe JPII had a visions of the coming trails and tribulations for humanity. Amen!
1) The Baptism of The Lord
1a) One must be batised in water and/or spirit to enter The Kingdom.
2) The Wedding Feast at Cana
2a) The presence of the faithful before The Holy Eucharistic sacrifice
3) The Proclamation of The Kingdom
3a) The New Heaven come down on earth.
4) Tansfiguration:
4a) The Vision of The Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
5) The Institution of The Eucharist
5a) The Eucharistic Reign!
The Rosary is the key that
The Rosary is the key that opens Jesus' heart because he loves His mother so.
Otherwise, Christ's heart is
Otherwise, Christ's heart is locked-up?
Hope you pray for your
Hope you pray for your fishing buddy a Freemason - I find it strange that a Freemason would have them in the first place or is this story just a sutle way of try to make the Freemasons more picture religious friendly ??????????????????????????????????????????????
The Power of the Rosary will destroy all EVIL
Suspicious
I have always considered the
I have always considered the Rosary to be a beautiful prayer.It is wonderful to have the Luminous Mysteries added,as in my consideration,there has always been a large gap missing in the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth as prayed by the original Rosary.
A recent article in the K of
A recent article in the K of C magazine suggested transforming the Rosary into a meditation each time it is prayed. I tried this and and have found much satisfaction with the practice....particularly with the mental visualizations attributed to each of the mysteries of the Rosary.
For example, the 5th Sorrowful mystery....the Crucixion(theme)At the half-way mark of the of the Hail Mary...."thy womb. Jesus...I mentally insert the words...."dies on the cross or....is crucified to bring me life everlasting,then continue with the remainder of the Hail Mary for each and every Hail Mary for that particular decade. This can be done with each and every of the twenty decades of the Rosary utilizing the theme of each Mystery. In this way the Rosary becomes alive with Life of Christ one visualizes mentally. The practice allows one to re-live Salvation History to the fullest!!!
I love praying the rosary as
I love praying the rosary as it brings peace and comfort deep inside of me. As I know that the Blessed Mother is not so concern about herself - she always points us to Jesus. Our late Pope John Paul II knows our Blessed Mother desire to bring us all to Jesus. The Luminous mystery is a wonderful addition to the the meditation of the Holy Rosary which truly brings me closer to Jesus which is what our Blessed Mother wants. I hope and pray that it also brings everyone to know Jesus well.
Years ago our priest said
Years ago our priest said that the rosary is the life of Christ on a string.
I was thrilled to have the addition of the Luminous mysteres to cover the
gap in the rosary life of Christ. However, it jarred me to add the Luminous/
Public Life on Thursday, as an afterthought it seems. Privately I say them
on Tuesday so that the chronology stays in order. Pope John Paul II asked that
the Joyful mysteries be said again on Saturday to honor the Blessed Mother.
Thank you for the chance to speak out.
Years ago our priest said the
Years ago our priest said the rosary was the life of Christ on a string. I was
thrilled with the addition of the Luminous mysteries to cover the gap in this
rosary life of Christ. But it jarred me to say them on Thursday, as an
afterthought it seems. So privately I say the Luminous mysteries on Tuesday so
as to preserve the chronology. John Paul asked that we say the Joyful mysteries on Saturday to honor Mary.
i love the luminous
i love the luminous mysteries. the great john paul ii gave many many blessings to the Church. this is one of them. i look forward to praying with the luminous mysteries once a week.
Scandal: I didn't like the
Scandal: I didn't like the article that much!
Even so, the rosary can be excellent for grief, like the Rosary before Funerals. The gentle repetition, with a group, can be super-soothing.
EXCEPT for my relatives who were sexually abused by priests. Catholic stuff freaks them, truthfully.
Catholicism needs to be really changed for the Rosary not to literally bother them. I do not seeing them attending any Rosaries at any Funerals of our relatives. Sadly and truthfully, they may not even be able to bear going to a Catholic Funeral Mass. Folks this is real.
This is from the heart. Please have a heart for this honest situation.
The Rosary is one of those
The Rosary is one of those "fond things" but it is not remotely connected to any practice that Jesus taught. It is especially heretical when those praying the Rosary think of our Lord's mother, as DIVINE. She was not. She was fully HUMAN and subject to sin the same as any other human being. To suggest that you have to go through Our Lord's mother in order to reach Him, is also heretical. The Rosary as a simple means of meditation I have no problem with but there are many aspects of the Rosary that are "misplaced theology" that belongs in fantasyland.
I would have to disagree.
I would have to disagree. While clearly picturing the Blessed Mother as "divine" is clearly incorrect, no Catholic who knows his faith would say this, or that it is absolutely "neccessary" to pray to Jesus through Mary. i don't think these heresies are currently in vogue. What is dangerous is when you say that Mary was "subject to sin." She could certainly be tempted, and she had the free will to hypothetically sin, but Catholic teaching infallibly asserts that she was conceived without original sin, and committed no sin during life. Whether we like it or not, that is what the Catholic Church teaches. Also, in my experience, and the experience of so many others, Mary, and the Rosary, leads one to Christ. This is a practical reality. This is why the Church from the beginning has honored the Blessed Mother. Defining theology concerning her helps to explain the nature of Christ (e.g. the Council of Ephesus proclaimed her Theotokos (God-bearer/Mother of God), to reaffirm that Jesus Christ is true God and true man). The Church also encourages devotion to this very HUMAN carpenter's wife from Nazareth in order that we may be humble, and by this humility come more worthily before her Son. We should therefore fear having too little love for Mary, rather than having too much.
On the contrary, it is
On the contrary, it is dangerous to believe in the Immaculate Conception. St, Thomas didn't believe in it, as many other Saints and Doctors of the Church. Nont many know that a controversy over this dogma raged for centuries.
In any case, I cannot immagine why it would be dangerous for anyone to believe it except for idolatry, and the Church is very idolatrous in many ways. Believe it or not, it is well with my soul. What is dangerous, is the notion that it must be believed, or there may be dire consequences. This is the theology of the devil.
Chris wrote, "The Rosary is
Chris wrote, "The Rosary is one of those "fond things" but it is not remotely connected to any practice that Jesus taught. It is especially heretical when those praying the Rosary think of our Lord's mother, as DIVINE. ... She was fully HUMAN and subject to sin the same as any other human being. To suggest that you have to go through Our Lord's mother in order to reach Him, is also heretical. "
Chris, the Rosary, per se, was not taught by Jesus; however Jesus did many, many times go off to pray by himself, and was a fully observant Jew meaning he went to synagogue and temple as the Jewish customs taught. He was thus supportive of prayer and meditation, and of ceremonial observances in 'Church'. While he did not teach "Rosary", he did teach what Rosary is.
Further, the Church does not teach that Mary is "divine", nor teaches one must go through Mary to reach Jesus. Rather the Church teaches that Mary is especially virtuous, was assumed into Heaven, is worthy of being honored, and that (my words) it's efficacious to ask her for a letter of recommendation.
Obviously what Chris has
Obviously what Chris has written here is the sad result of the lack of religious education provided by the Catholic Church since the late 1960's.
I find the intolerant climate
I find the intolerant climate among many Catholics not good for my mental health. If you want a taste of hell, get ostracized by a conservative group such as CATHOLIC ANSWERS FORUM. The Inquisition is not dead. We have an unbloody version of it today.
I am going to leave the church and become Protestant. I mightfind something to do to help someone else instead of this pious fakery keeping ms so bound up with my own needs I have no time for anyone else.
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