Thinkingstuff
Active Member
Just a personal note on the Rosary. It began by monks praying the Psalms using knotted rope for each Psalm. It basically was a devotion of discipline to remember the scriptures. Later it developed into the form we have today.
However, its hasn't changed its nature in that it is a discipline. The idea of the decades or 5 sections of 10 beads is that the operator of this tool (which the rosary is) is requesting Mary to pray along with him/her. During this exercise of praying a series of prayers the person recalls the gospel passages about certain aspects of christ life. Therefore as you pray for Mary to pray alone with you your mind recalls 4 sets of 5 gospel events.
1)the Joyful mysteries - events recalling the Announcement by the angel to Mary about the incarnation, Mary's visit with Elizabeth and Johns recation at the near presence of our Lord, the Birth of the Lord and the events around it, the circumcision of Jesus at the Temple and the prophets proclimation about Jesus, and the finding of Jesus in the Temple when he was young about 12-13 years of age.
2) The sorrowful mysteries - events recalling the agony Jesus went through in the garden praying to his father, the pittiful trial he went through before the Sanhedrien, the scorging at the post, the crowning of thorns, the walk through Jerusalem to golgotha, and the crucifixion.
3) The Glorious mysteries - events recalling his resurection, accention, the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on pentecost, the promise of our ressurrection through the already recieved promise to Mary, and the promise of our eternal reward through the reward given to Mary for her obedience.
4) the Luminous mysteries - events recalling Jesus' ministry ie the baptism of Jesus, the wedding feast, the proclimation of the kingdom, Jesus transfiguration, and the last supper.
The idea of this discipline is to consentrate on these gospel items and to align the christians life with that of Jesus all the while asking for the intersession of Mary as a prayer partner. That is how it is meant to be used. Note the final prayer after completing the 5 decades
However, its hasn't changed its nature in that it is a discipline. The idea of the decades or 5 sections of 10 beads is that the operator of this tool (which the rosary is) is requesting Mary to pray along with him/her. During this exercise of praying a series of prayers the person recalls the gospel passages about certain aspects of christ life. Therefore as you pray for Mary to pray alone with you your mind recalls 4 sets of 5 gospel events.
1)the Joyful mysteries - events recalling the Announcement by the angel to Mary about the incarnation, Mary's visit with Elizabeth and Johns recation at the near presence of our Lord, the Birth of the Lord and the events around it, the circumcision of Jesus at the Temple and the prophets proclimation about Jesus, and the finding of Jesus in the Temple when he was young about 12-13 years of age.
2) The sorrowful mysteries - events recalling the agony Jesus went through in the garden praying to his father, the pittiful trial he went through before the Sanhedrien, the scorging at the post, the crowning of thorns, the walk through Jerusalem to golgotha, and the crucifixion.
3) The Glorious mysteries - events recalling his resurection, accention, the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on pentecost, the promise of our ressurrection through the already recieved promise to Mary, and the promise of our eternal reward through the reward given to Mary for her obedience.
4) the Luminous mysteries - events recalling Jesus' ministry ie the baptism of Jesus, the wedding feast, the proclimation of the kingdom, Jesus transfiguration, and the last supper.
The idea of this discipline is to consentrate on these gospel items and to align the christians life with that of Jesus all the while asking for the intersession of Mary as a prayer partner. That is how it is meant to be used. Note the final prayer after completing the 5 decades
O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech Thee, that, meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.