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The "Pastor's Corner" is a collection of essays written by Father McCreary on a variety of subjects including Church teachings, social issues of the day, and things to think about. They are published weekly in our Church Bulletin. Click on a essay title below to jump to that essay, scroll down to read them all or click on a subject above to view more essays. |
From
the Pastor's Desk  Very Reverend Glenn McCreary, V.F. |
The Rosary, November 13th 2005
The Rosary, November 13th 2005
As we prepare to pray a part of rosary together, as a parish-and as a diocese-perhaps we can take a look at where this prayer comes from. Stained glass windows and holy cards show pictures of Mary appearing in a vision and handing the rosary over to St Dominic. Truth is, neither Dominic nor his original biographers ever mentioned that miraculous event. The Dominicans-the Order of Preacher that Dominic founded--certainly did spread the prayer as a way of combating the confusion that existed among some Christians in the Middle Ages. The best way of combating false teaching-in Dominic's case the strange heresy of the Albigensians-is always to present the truth with clarity.
Some have stressed the connection between the 150 Hail Marys of the
traditional rosary (When Pope John Paul II added more mysteries, he
threw off the symbolic number.) with the 150 Psalms. The rosary was
sometimes seen as a substitution for those who could not read or memorize
the psalms. They could offer their 150 prayers much as monks and nuns
prayed the 150 Psalms each week in the Liturgy of the Hours.
Other forms of the rosary developed through the centuries. Christians
of the East have often paired a set of beads with the "Jesus Prayer"-"Lord
Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner." The Franciscan crown
uses 7 sets of Hail Marys to recall the joys of the Mother of God. Nor
can we miss the fact that people of other religious faiths-as far flung
as Muslims and Buddhists-have employed prayer beads with repeated petitions.
It seems to be a natural part of religious practice to mark out meditation
time with repeated words.
But the Roman Catholic rosary settled into a series of reflections
on the Joyful Mysteries (the Annunciation of Christ's birth by the angel
Gabriel to Mary, Mary's visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, Christ's
Nativity in Bethlehem's stable, Christ's Presentation in the Jerusalem
Temple after his birth, and Mary and Joseph Finding in the Temple their
lost twelve-year old Son.), the Sorrowful Mysteries (Christ's Agony
of prayer in the Garden of Gethsamane, his Scourging by the Roman Soldiers,
his being Crowned with thorns by those same soldiers, his Carrying the
Cross through the streets of Jerusalem, and his Crucifixion) and the
Glorious Mysteries (Jesus' Resurrection, his Ascension, the Descent
of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Mary's Assumption at the end of her
life into heaven, and Mary's Crowning as Queen when she takes her part
in God's kingdom.)
Recently, our late Holy Father John Paul II added a series of Luminous
Mysteries, covering some key events of Christ's ministry, his Baptism
by John in the Jordan, his first miracle at the Wedding of Cana, his
Preaching the Kingdom of God, his Transfiguration before his chosen
apostles, and his Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.