Catholic Caucus: The Holy Rosary

EWTN.com ^ | 5-04-03 | EWTN.com

[Salvation]

In Sacred Scripture How To Pray The Mysteries: Joyful Luminous Sorrowful Glorious Home

The Holy Rosary  The rosary probably began as a practice by the laity to imitate the monastic Divine Office (Breviary or Liturgy of the Hours), during the course of which the monks daily prayed the 150 Psalms. The laity, many of whom could not read, substituted 50, or even 150, Ave Marias (Hail Marys) for the Psalms. This prayer, at least the first half of it so directly biblically, seems to date from as early as the 2nd century, as ancient graffiti at Christian sites has suggested. Sometimes a cord with knots on it was used to keep an accurate count of the Aves.  The first clear historical reference to the rosary, however, is from the life of St. Dominic (died in 1221), the founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans. He preached a form of the rosary in France at the time that the Albigensian heresy was devastating the Faith there. Tradition has it that the Blessed Mother herself asked for the practice as an antidote for heresy and sin. One of Dominic's future disciples, Alain de Roche, began to establish Rosary Confraternities to promote the praying of the rosary. The form of the rosary we have today is believed to date from his time. Over the centuries the saints and popes have highly recommended the rosary, the greatest prayer in the Church after the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. Not surprisingly, it's most active promoters have been Dominicans. Rosary means a crown of roses, a spiritual bouquet given to the Blessed Mother. It is sometimes called the Dominican Rosary, to distinguish it from other rosary-like prayers (e.g. the Franciscan Rosary of the Seven Joys or Franciscan Crown, the Servite Rosary of the Seven Sorrows). It is also, in a general sense, a form of chaplet or corona (crown), of which there are many varieties in the Church. Finally, in English it has been called "Our Lady's Psalter" or "the beads." This last derives from an Old English word for prayers (bede) and to request (biddan or bid). The rosary has been called the preparation for contemplation and the prayer of saints. While the hands and lips are occupied with the prayers (it can and should be prayed silently when necessary so as not to disturb others), the mind meditates on the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption represented by the decades. Meditation is the form of prayer by which the one who prays uses the mind and imagination to consider a truth and uses the will to love it and form resolutions to live it. In this way the heart, mind, and soul of the Christian is formed according to the Gospel examples of the Savior and His First Disciple, His Mother. In God's own time, when this purification of the heart, mind, and soul has advanced sufficiently the Lord may give the grace of contemplative prayer, that special divine insight into the truth which human effort cannot achieve  on its own. Why pray the Rosary today? Certainly, to grow in holiness and in one's prayer life. The following are a few others reasons why the rosary should be prayed often, even daily: "Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary" (Pope Pius IX). "Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world" (Our Lady of Fátima). "There is no surer means of calling down God's blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the Rosary" (Pope Pius XII). "We do not hesitate to affirm again publicly that we put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times" (Pope Pius XII). "No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary" (Bishop Hugh Doyle). "The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world" (Pope John XXIII). "The Rosary is the compendium of the entire Gospel" (Pope Paul VI quoting Pope Pius XII). "Meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary . . . can be an excellent preparation for the celebration of those same mysteries in the liturgical actions [i.e. the Mass] and can also become a continuing echo thereof" (Pope Paul VI). "My impression is that the Rosary is of the greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady at Fátima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God" (Sister Lucia, one of the seers of Fátima). "How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening" (Pope John Paul II). Pope John Paul II has called the Rosary his "favorite prayer," after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. St. Louis de Montfort warns us against both the ignorant and scholars who regard the Rosary as something of little importance..."the Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God." The Rosary and the Sacred Scriptures Pray The Rosary

[Salvation]

You are so welcome!

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Steve, I think you are misunderstanding this. These are not promises "from" Mary per se. These are graces God has graced Mary with and distributes through her. Does He need to distribute His grace through anyone? No, but we know sometimes He chooses to. There are plenty of people alive in this world who have been found worthy and been given the fruits of the Holy Spirit; the ability to heal, preach the Word, exorcise demons, etc. Catholics believe that individuals who attain a very high level of spiritual development, as Mary undoubtedly did, are graced with fruits of the Spirit. What begins in this world carries over into the next for we live forever in Christ. Mary had the ultimate born again experience. She has received far more graces than anyone of us can imagine by virtue of her experience.

Mary in many ways is considered Christ's first evangelist. Catholics believe that Christ is ever present with us in the Eucharist (as He promised He would be) and Mary continues to spread belief in Him through her apparitions. The fruits of these in the laity are always increased devotion and vocation. Her greatest appearance of the last century was at Fatima, Portugal in 1917 where the miracle of the sun was witnessed by 10,000 people and has been recorded as an historical event. The conversions which occur as a result of these appearances go to Christ, not Mary. She is his biggest cheerleader. The Spirit goes where it will.

[Codie]

Fine.Then shut your mouth.We will sort this out on our own.

[Salvation]

They have been there for many years. It has been a while since I have read them too.

Holy Tradition as well as Holy Scripture. I guess Catholics just have more to ponder.

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[fatima]

Fatima Bump.

[Desdemona]

BUMP

Don't forget the Luminous Myteries.

[It's me]

Well now, that wasn't very nice, was it? Don't let "them" get to you. :o)

[Blzbba]

For Protestants, if it's not in the Bible verbatim, it's irrelevant to any of their beliefs. So if the Bible doesn't make an exact, specific reference to the rosary, it's therefore going to be ignored by Protestants.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Interpreting the Bible verbatim presents its own set of problems, particularly when one gets to the parables of Christ. If Jesus meant for us to be literalists He would not have spoken as vaguely and mysteriously as He often did. There are many verses throughout all four Gospels which tell us His own disciples did not always comprehend His teachings.

Mark 9:32 "Though they failed to understand his words, they were afraid to question Him."

The "Trinity" is not explicitly taught in the Bible, yet Christians believe it. As Catholics we understand that Scripture both implicitly and explicitly teaches Christian doctrine. Can you find me any verse in the Bible which explicitly teaches the doctrine of the Trinity?

[Blzbba]

Sorry, Deborah, but I'm in agreement with you. I was raised Catholic by pre-Vatican II parents and, growing up in the Deep South, encountered all sorts of interesting Protestant ignorance and bigotry towards Catholocism.

I was just trying to save you some time from debating the rosary with a Protestant, for they just don't give anything that's not explicitly listed in the Bible any credibility whatsoever. Gosh, I've even met a number of self-righteous, "saved" Protestants who claim that, according to their warped version of Revelations, the Roman Cath. Church is the "whore of Babylon". But hey - they're "saved" and no longer have to really live a life according to Jesus' teachings because, hey - they're saved.

Apologies for the bitterness - it's not directed towards you!

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Ping!

[Salvation]

Beautiful picture.

[Pyro7480]

Thanks. :-) I'm actually eventually going to get a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. I've been drawn to the devotion to her recently, though I didn't get through saying the novena all nine days. But I have been trying to say the Rosary everyday, even in a hard-to-concentrate state on the Metro.

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Rosary search--Our Lady of the Rosary Memorial

[Salvation]

BTTT on the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, 10-07-06!

[Salvation]

 

Pray the Rosary. 

Pray without ceasing.