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.

PRAY AS JESUS PRAYS

October 6, 2010
Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 11:1-4

Inspiring to Pray:

Prayer was for Jesus more than food and drink. He gave up food for several days, but not prayer. If His day was full of work, He found night time enough to pray. The disciples noticed Him praying alone in the wilderness no matter how exhausted He was because of the work of the day. They were impressed and inspired by the way Jesus prayed. The prayer of Jesus drew His disciples to Him. And they wanted to pray like Jesus. How about me? Do I inspire others to pray? Do those who are in my household and community ask me to teach them pray the way I pray? How prayerful am I?

The Model Prayer:

The Lord’s Prayer is a model and pattern of all Christian prayers. The prayer Jesus taught His disciples is “how” we need to pray more than “what” we ought to pray. A brief analysis of the Lord’s prayer reveals three elements and two attitudes of prayer. The three elements are: praise, petition and penance. The two attitudes are: Being a child of God and being a brother/sister to the entire human race.

The Three Elements of Prayer:

Praise:
The first part of the Lord’s prayer is about God and His Domain. We call on the Father, praise His name, desire His Kingdom, determine to do His will and lift our hearts to the heavens. Adoration, praise and glory are due to God. It is in this praise that we realize the descent of heaven on earth. Prayer then is an invitation to live in the heavenly abode; a deep longing to make the earth a home of God the Father where His holy will reigns.

Petition:
The second part of the Lord’s prayer is petition, asking the Father in confidence of all my needs—physical, spiritual, relational and emotional. Prayer is naming my needs before God. I become aware of my nothingness, needs and imperfections. I bring them to the Lord in complete trust that He will grand them to me. If not to Him where else shall I go? He is my Father, my creator, my sustainer and my provider. I need to be clear of what I am asking for.

Penance:
Prayer of petition is coupled with the acts of penance. I realize that what I pray for, I need to practice. My needs are connected with the needs of others as well. A prayer without the element of penance is not a farce. Forgiveness is a conditional grace. I forgive others and I am forgiven by the Father. In sharing the blessings I have received from God with others I receive more blessings from God. I cannot stand before God with an unforgiving and selfish heart. This is why prayer is not so much of utterances rather of actions.

The Attitudes of Prayer:

I learn the prayer of Jesus in as much as I realize my identity as a child of God and a member of the human family. Prayer then is about relationships. It is remaining in and deepening the relationship with God the Father and with my brothers and sisters. “Our Father in Heaven” is also Our Father on earth. This attitude brings me not only confidence and trust in the love of God but also a deepening intimate relationship and abiding presence. My awareness of being a child of God makes my prayer a sweet moment of entering the core of the heart of God. If God is my Father what shall I fear and what shall I lack? Yet, how can I call God my Father if I do not consider my brothers and sisters as children of God as well. This is why the Lord ’s Prayer is more of a community prayer than a personal prayer. Jesus reminds us to call God “our Father” and not “my Father”. There is no tint of selfishness or self-centeredness in prayer. It is not about me, but about us, the human family. Even when I pray for my basic needs and personal intentions, I am also praying for my brothers and sisters. No wonder, Jesus reminded us that God will treat us the way we treat our brothers and sisters. As I forgive others I will be forgiven.

Lord, teach me to pray. Help me to praise you with all my being, strength and will. Help me Lord to atone my sins and forgive others their faults. You are my Father; help me to love my brothers and sisters as you love me. Amen!

PRAY LIKE THE CENTURION

September 13, 2010
Monday 24th Week In Ordinary Time – Year II

1corinthians 11:17-26, 33; Luke 7:1-10

The story of the centurion who sought the help of Jesus for the healing of his slave teaches us the three attitudes of prayer: mediation, humility and trust.

Mediation:
The centurion sends a delegation to Jesus to intercede for him. What the centurion would pray for is not a grace for himself, rather for his slave. Pleading for the needs and cause of others is an essential element of Christian prayer. It is a manifestation of love. To pray for others is one of the best gifts we can offer them. Do you want the prayer to be effective, then, pray more for others and less for yourself. This is one lesson I have learned over the years through my experience. This is where intercessory prayers become important in my spiritual practices. Jesus Himself is the mediator par excellence. He intercedes for us with the Father. We have the Blessed Virgin Mary and all other saints on whose intercession we rely for help. The Jews who came to intercede for the cause of the centurion place their petition before the Lord with the logic of the “kindness and generosity” of the centurion—that in spite of his being a non-Jew, he is good to the Jewish community and that he built a synagogue for them. Indeed the best way of praying for the self is to pray through acts of kindness, generosity and love. Jesus gladly listens to the prayer of petition made in generosity and love and offers to go and heal the slave of the centurion. When it comes to generosity and love, nobody can outdo Jesus. If you take one step toward Him, He will take a hundred steps toward you.

Humility:
The centurion is a unusual symbol of humility. He was a man of authority, power and influence. He could have ordered Jesus to come and heal his slave. But, he understands the Divinity of Jesus and he realizes how small he is before the Lord. This awareness is reflected in his declaration: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. “Only say a word and my slave shall be well”. Such was his humility that he does not feel even worthy to stand before the Lord, to see Him face to face. Jesus is moved by such a manifestation of humility, that too, from an unbeliever. True prayer is a reflection of the humble heart. The more I realize the grace of God surround me, I will fall on my knees and fold my hands before the Lord. Our hearts can be raised to the throne of God only on our bended knees, prostrate minds and folded hands. A danger that could happen to me in my journey of faith is that, the more I walk with the Lord, I might presume it is my right that He grants my prayer, that He come to my heart, that He moves with me. This is spiritual pride which would blind my heart to the real nature of my being a creature who only can beg for His mercy. Jesus offers to enter my heart, and stay with me in the Holy Eucharist. How do I welcome Him?

Trust:
Prayer demands trust and faith in the power of God. The centurion expressed his trust in the Almighty and All powerful Lord, in His Word and Presence. God accomplished the creation of the universe with the power of His word, “Let it be”. Jesus worked out miracles, bringing the dead back to life by the power of His Word. His Word has not diminished in power. His word is active and effective as it was in the beginning, as it was 2000 years ago, and it will be powerful till the end of the world. I just need to believe and trust in His power. Prayer involves a two-fold trusting: trusting in the power of God, and trusting in His mercy/love. To believe that Jesus can do a miracle is not enough. The faith that everything is possible with the Lord is just the beginning of trust. I need also to trust in His mercy and love that He will do it for me. The Lord can, and He will! This is what is called “confidence” in prayer.

Today, let me bring before the Lord, in confidence, faith and trust, all the intentions and petitions of my community, especially those who are in need of His healing grace this day. Even as I am most unworthy of His favors, I believe that the Lord will show mercy to those who trust in His Word.