ROSARY--A PRAYER SO PERFECT

October 7, 2010
FEAST OF MARY— QUEEN OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Luke 1: 26-38

Rosary: The Tradition and Spirituality of the Church

Rosary is one of the greatest spiritual treasures of the Church. Traditionally the rosary—a garland of beads—has been part of the spiritual traditions of all major religions. For the Catholics the Rosary has found its unique role in the life of the Church. Rosary is a living prayer that grows with the Church. The use of the prayer beads and the repeated recitation of prayers to aid meditation were found in the earliest traditions of the Church and have roots in the pre-Christian era. The structure of the rosary as we have it today evolved between the 12th and 15th centuries. Tradition has it that in the early 13th century St Dominic introduced and propagated the Rosary after a vision from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since the 15th Century AD the rosary has gained greater popularity and in the spirituality and life of the Church. The saints and the popes have extolled the efficacy and power of the rosary down through the centuries. Mary herself in many of her apparitions has invited her children to take recourse to the strength and grace of the rosary. Indeed, for many Catholics, Rosary has become the unique sign of their faith and faithfulness, spirituality and tradition. The rosary has gained such a great place in the lives of the believers of all the walks and levels of faith. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, "The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description."

The Four Elements of the Rosary

Indeed, the Rosary as we have it today, is more than a prayer, a garland of prayers. Indeed it is a summary of the entire Christian spirituality. Basically it contains four major elements of the Christian spirituality. These elements are: 1) Biblical spirituality, 2) Christological spirituality, 3) Trinitarian spirituality, and 4) Marian Spirituality.

Biblical:

The rosary is primarily a meditative prayer of the Scripture. It is rooted on the major episodes of the Holy scripture, specifically the Gospels. The rosary contains a remembrance, reflection and meditation on the life and mission of Jesus in his joyous, glorious, sorrowful and luminous mysteries. One who prays the whole rosary is praying the scripture in its entirety. The scripture, when meditated upon, effects a sanctification and purification of the heart of the one who prays the rosary. The entire prayers in the rosary are either directly taken from or greatly inspired by the scripture. Therefore, the rosary is a wonderful prayer with the Bible. In earlier times, the rosary was given as a substitute of "praying the psalms", as many were illiterate and were not able to read through the daily Biblical prayer of the psalms. How beautiful is the prayer of the rosary, as we recite it, we are praying with the hosts of angels, in the hymn of the Holy spirit and entering into the core of the Divine Word!

Christological:

The Rosary is a prayer of and about the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from the meditative prayer on His life and mission, in rosary we pray with the Lord to the Father. When disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, Jesus taught them the prayer “Our Father”, and reminded them this is how they should pray. The Lord’s Prayer is a central element of the rosary. In fact, in the initial stage of the development of the rosary, the string of beads came to be known as “Paternosters”, the Latin for “Our Father”. By repeating the Lord’s Prayer more than five times in the five decades of the rosary, one is joining the Lord in praying the way He prayed, and join with Him in calling on to the heavenly Father.

Trinitarian:

The Mystery of God revealed in the scriptures as One Divinity in three persons is celebrated and lived over as the children of God pray the rosary. In this sense, the Rosary is a Trinitarian prayer, more than anything else. The rosary begins and ends with the invocation of the Holy Trinity; The Holy Trinity is invoked again in the repeated recitation of the Doxology (“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…”), and the role of the Holy Trinity is extolled in the history of salvation as in Mary God has become her beloved Father, cherished son and holy spouse. So profound is the rosary as a prayer and spirituality that through this mediation we enter into the core of the mystery of the Godhead and experience a mystical union with the Divine.

Marian:

Rosary, being the prayer of the Church, is also a prayer with Mary the mother and model of the Church. However, rosary is not invented by Mary, or by any other individual in the Church. As we have already seen, the rosary is scriptural prayer. The “Hail Mary” repeated over fifty times is taken from and inspired by the scripture. The first part of the prayer “Hail Mary” is the salutation of the Angel at the annunciation, and the exaltation of Elizabeth at the visitation of Mary. The second part of the Hail Mary is a prayer through the intercession of Mary for forgiveness and mercy. Mary, as the mother and prototype of the church, continues to journey with the church. By invoking her intercession one is entering into the heart of Jesus, sanctity of the Holy Spirit and the presence of the Father.

Connecting the past, present and the future:
The prayer “Hail Mary” is a connecting prayer. It connects the past, present and the future of humanity in general and the individual follower in particular.

The Past: As I pray, “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners”, I am recalling my state of being sinful, my imperfections, failures and weaknesses of my past life. This becomes a prayer of reconciliation, reparation and repentance. Repentance is made possible by the recollection of the great love and mercy of God revealed in the history of salvation. My past life, therein is surrendered to the mercy and compassion of God.

The Present: “Pray for us sinners, now”. I put my trust in the Lord not only for His forgiveness and mercy, but for His great love and compassion that draws me close to His grace this day. I feel weak in my body, mind and spirit, yet the grace of God envelops me this very moment. This is why, trusting in His word I come to name and ask my needs to the Lord. I have confidence that through the powerful intercession of Mary, God will answer my prayers today. I bring to the Lord all my sorrows (in the sorrowful mysteries), joys (in the joyful mysteries), gratitude (in the glorious mysteries), and doubts, confusions and need for enlightenment (in the luminous mysteries). This way, even as the rosary becomes a profound celebration of the life of Christ in his joys, sorrows, glory and revelations, it also becomes a sacrificial offering of my entire life experiences of joys, sorrows, glory and enlightenment.

The Future: “Pray for us… at the hour of our death”. The recitation of the rosary reminds me repeatedly (over fifty times) of my destiny with God, the fragility of my life on earth, and the need for grace and strength as I will pass from this world at the call of the Lord. What more can we ask, and what more do I need than the assurance of the Heavenly Home at the completion of my earthly sojourn? One of the promises of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her apparitions to those who pray and live the rosary is the assurance of a “blessed death”. They are also promised that they will not suffer eternal damnation. They will not, indeed, because in the rosary they keep reflecting on their past and present life, make promises of atonement and keep praying for a peaceful death and thereafter eternal life with the Lord. This is the beauty and power of the rosary: it sanctifies my past life, strengthens my present life and prepares me for my death and eternal life.

A perfect Prayer:

Rosary, therefore, is a perfect prayer. It is Biblical, Trinitarian, Christological and Marian. It connects my past, present and future life in the world and in the spirit. It encompasses all human experiences of joy, sorrow, success and enlightenment. It invites me to imitate the life of Jesus and Mary and strengthens me to obtain what they promise. So it is my privilege to adorn this garland of prayer, to take recourse to these beads of grace, and to keep praying and celebrating the rosary in the mysteries of my salvation.