www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Pope to add 'luminous' mysteries to the Rosary

Dear Tasos,

Begging your pardon, are you a great devotee of the Rosary?

I am.

And I've often thought that the Rosary seemed to miss a lot in terms of the public life of Christ.

There is a great emphasis on the mysteries of His hidden life, His Passion and His Resurrection etc.

But, as an example, I and my colleagues who like the Rosary, have shared that we thought more of a segway was needed between the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries.

And I hope you have read the Rosary Letter by the Pope before you decided his move was "egotistical."

I've read many commentaries on the Rosary, St Louis de Montfort, St Bonaventure, St Seraphim of Sarov, Neville Ward, Blessed Alan de la Roche etc.

The Pope's letter outclasses them all and when you've had a chance to read his letter, I think you'll see what a great sense of devotional balance it contains while truly renewing a contemporary evangelical use for the Rosary.

I learned a great deal I did not know before about the Rosary, and questions I've always carried with me were answered.

Perhaps it will even inspire you to take up the private celebration of the Rosary too!

Traditionalists will always criticize this Pope because they feel the Pope should listen to them, rather than they should listen to the Pope.

These "traditionalists" are probably upset by any change, including the change of the seasons. They have a personal insecurity problem, like others, even in the Orthodox Church, who oppose change of any kind.

Is the Patriarch of Constantinople "egotistical" when changes are made, such as Environment Day on September 1st, the new calendar etc.?

If you are saying that a Church leader shouldn't lead, shouldn't make suggestions or improvements, well, I'm sorry, that's not the way it has been in the Church, East and West since the time of our Lord.

Again, if you will just take the time to read the letter, you will, I trust, get a sense of the tremendous devotion to the Incarnation of our Lord that this Pope has.

St Seraphim Zvezdinsky had a great devotion to the 15 decades of the Rosary or Rule of the Mother of God.

And he didn't follow the series of meditations of the West at all!

His series included only one decade to the Passion of Christ etc.

The Rosary confraternities of the 15th and 16th centuries allowed for many other mysteries to be contemplated alongside the 15 accepted ones.

The Franciscans, Servites, Augustinians, Carmelites etc. ALL had different versions of the Rosary for their Order. This is really the Dominican Rosary that has gained asendancy.

As a further example, the Brigittine Rosary, used by the Carmelites has always had 18 decades - they added a decade to the Immaculate Conception to the Joyful Mysteries, one to the Pieta in the Sorrowful Mysteries and one to the Protection of the Mother of God in the Glorious Mysteries.

But we don't have smark-alec traditionalists saying anything about that?

Or that St Louis de Montfort in his True Devotion to Mary, recommended these other rosaries as a matter of personal choice as well?

Friend, don't be quick to agree with the Pope's "traditionalist" critics.

First see if they are consistent and don't have an axe to grind no matter what he says.

Please, do read the letter and please do pray the series His Holiness proposes.

Do it for St Seraphim of Sarov's sake, if not for the Pope's.

Alex

Dear Alex,

You are jumping to all sorts of conclusions. Did I say I was against change of any kind? no.

anastasios

Dear Honourable Seminarian,

Thanks for letting me know!

But I've only jumped to the conclusions that seem evident from your previous post, namely:

1) You haven't yet read the papal letter;

2) You say the Pope is egotistical in this;

3) You don't say the Rosary and haven't the faintest idea why the new set of mysteries is a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say.

If I'm wrong on any of the above, I withdraw!

Alex

Dustin,

If you read the text it is not a mandated change but a proposed suggestion that seems more of insight than of ego. I post the relevant section below.

In addition, a Rosary is a different thing than an Akathist. As Alex points out different meditations were always available and different groups use different versions of the Rosary. Nor is the Akathist of the Annunciation, the one most commonly served, the only Akathist to the Mother of God. Are those who wrote others guilty of an ego trip because they just din't leave well enough alone and pray the common one?

In Christ,
Lance

"A proposed addition to the traditional pattern

19. Of the many mysteries of Christ's life, only a few are indicated by the Rosary in the form that has become generally established with the seal of the Church's approval. The selection was determined by the origin of the prayer, which was based on the number 150, the number of the Psalms in the Psalter.

I believe, however, that to bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the traditional pattern which, while left to the freedom of individuals and communities, could broaden it to include the mysteries of Christ's public ministry between his Baptism and his Passion. In the course of those mysteries we contemplate important aspects of the person of Christ as the definitive revelation of God. Declared the beloved Son of the Father at the Baptism in the Jordan, Christ is the one who announces the coming of the Kingdom, bears witness to it in his works and proclaims its demands. It is during the years of his public ministry that the mystery of Christ is most evidently a mystery of light: “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (Jn 9:5).

Consequently, for the Rosary to become more fully a “compendium of the Gospel”, it is fitting to add, following reflection on the Incarnation and the hidden life of Christ (the joyful mysteries) and before focusing on the sufferings of his Passion (the sorrowful mysteries) and the triumph of his Resurrection (the glorious mysteries), a meditation on certain particularly significant moments in his public ministry (the mysteries of light). This addition of these new mysteries, without prejudice to any essential aspect of the prayer's traditional format, is meant to give it fresh life and to enkindle renewed interest in the Rosary's place within Christian spirituality as a true doorway to the depths of the Heart of Christ, ocean of joy and of light, of suffering and of glory" (Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II).

Dear Lance,

Thanks for setting the record straight on the ego thing.

For a minute there, I thought of maybe going to confession since I wrote an Akathist to Our Lady of Fatima!

But the Pope has, it would seem, mandated the change for the day on which the different mysteries are said - and his new set will be said by Catholics on Thursdays - I've already heard that my local Rosary group will do them on Thursdays and consider what His Holiness said to be a kind of "order."

Again, this is only for those "wimpish" Catholics who can barely manage to do five decades a day .

Veteran beadsmen have no problem with this!

It used to be a term of affection and love to end one's letter by referring to one as another's "beadsman."

The "beadsman," as you know, was someone actually employed to go around with their employer and constantly pray the rosary for that person. It was the lowest rank of employment in the Middle Ages and later.

The term continued as usage for correspondence, indicating a desire to pray the beads for another free of charge . . .

Your humble beadsman,

Alex

Dear Friends,

Just a note to say that my experience of the Rosary has never been better, thanks to the five additional mysteries His Holiness the Pope has proposed to us!

As Lance has said, the mysteries truly complement the others.

I cannot recommend the additional mysteries highly enough. For me, the 20 decades represent the 20 divisions of the Byzantine Psalter, the "Kathismata."

I apologise to anyone I may have given offense to by my comments yesterday, particularly those who feel the new mysteries somehow "tamper" with the historic Rosary.

But I go with the Pope and if what he writes and teaches helps bring the Gospel and devotions into clearer Christocentric and traditional focus, more power to him.

God bless His Holiness and I am grateful to him as a teacher in the school of holiness which is the Rosary.

Alex

Alex! You've just quoted Martha Stewart! You've lost all credibility!! :p

Just kidding, my friend.

Dear Mikey,

You are right!

Quoting her right now is definitely NOT a "good thing!"

God love her - her mother understands Ukrainian!

Alex

Another question -
Orthodox Catholic has pointed out there are devotees of the Rosary and it's variations from Eastern backgrounds, but which Hail Mary or Angelic Salutation prayer is used? Thanks! TG

TG,

I'm sure those in the East generally used "their version" of the Ave whilst praying the Rosary. I myself tend to switch it around, especially if I'm praying more than one set of Mysteries at a time, to stave off the temptation of mechanical prayer. I've even switched languages out every now and then to avoid dryness.

In Christ,
mikey.

Dear TG,

Mike is right . . .

The Latin Church used this form of the Hail Mary which can still, of course, be used:

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus.

The invocation, "Holy Mary . . ." was added much later and was only codified by Pope St Pius V.

I know the Syriac Church has its version of the Hail Mary, but this is the Byzantine one:

"Rejoice, O Theotokos-Virgin Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee, Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, for Thou hast given birth to Christ the Saviour, the Redeemer of our souls.

Some versions end the prayer with just "given birth to the Redeemer of our souls."

The Byzantine version goes back a few centuries and it is beautiful and richly meaningful.

The emphasis is emphatically a Byzantine one, on the Motherhood of Mary, her role in Christ's redemptive plan, from which springs all her glory, honours and gifts of the Spirit.

There is a tradition in the East that the daily recitation of 150 Hail Mary's was revealed to a monk in the Thebaid and, according to the book, Staretz Zechariah: An Early Soviet Saint, this "Rule of prayer of the Mother of God" was once recited daily by all Christians, East and West.

In response to Mike's important observation about dryness and keeping one's focus, I wanted to share a method I use that I learned from the writings of St Louis de Montfort.

One places a few words, in the Byzantine case, between the words "Christ the Savious" and "The Redeemer of our souls" at the end of the Hail Mary to reflect the Mystery one is celebrating with each successive decade.

One create one's own series of words, but here are a few of mine. (Forgive the old English, I pray the Rosary in Ukrainian!)

Annunciation: "For thou hast given birth to Christ the Saviour (Whom thou didst conceive by the Holy Spirit) the Redeemer of our souls.

Visitation: For thou hast given birth to Christ the Saviour (Whom thy soul magnifies) the Redeemer of our souls.

Nativity: (Whom thou didst wrap in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem)

Meeting in the Temple (Presentation): (because of Whom a sword didst pierce thy soul)

Finding in the Temple: (Whom thou didst find teaching the elders in the temple)

Theophany: (Who was baptised in the River Jordan)

Wedding at Cana (Who performed His first miracle at Cana in Galilee)

Public preaching (Who proclaimed His Gospel of the forgiveness of sins)

Transfiguration (Who was transfigured on Mt. Tabor)

Eucharist (Who gave us His Body and Blood in Holy Communion)

Agony (Who sweat great drops of Blood in the garden)

Scourging (by Whose stripes we are healed)

Crowning with Thorns (the King of Glory in Extreme Humility)

Carrying of the Cross (Who bore His Cross willingly)

Crucifixion: (From Whose Side flowed Water and Blood)

Resurrection: (Who rose from the dead on the third day, according to the scriptures)

Ascension: (Who ascended to heaven and sits at the Right Hand of the Father)

Pentecost: (Who sent us the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds from the Father)

Dormition: (Who glorified Thee in His Kingdom)

Protection: (Who crowned Thee as our Holy Protector)

To paraphrase the Psalmic verse: O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His Name together in the Holy Rosary!

One way of using this form of prayer that I find helpful is to add a 21st decade, whatever one wishes, and then to do three decades at a time, seven times a day, "seven times a day do I praise Thee" as a reflection of the Daily Praises.

Alex

Thank you for your replies and suggestions! ...which leads to another question...
Orthodox Catholic - you stated the Byzantine version of the Hail Mary starting with "Rejoice, O Theotokos-Virgin Mary..." I've seen another version starting with "Hail, Mother of God, Virgin Mary..." Is "Rejoice, O Theotokos.." more traditional (or more accurately translated) than "Hail, Mother of God..."? Or is it a matter of preference? TG

Dear TG,

Yes, I've seen both and both are equally valid - your choice.

Again, I use Church Slavonic, Latin and Ukrainian for my Rosary prayers so I'm indifferent - and ignorant - about the English translations.

God bless!

Alex

"19. Of the many mysteries of Christ's life, only a few are indicated by the Rosary in the form that has become generally established with the seal of the Church's approval. The selection was determined by the origin of the prayer, which was based on the number 150, the number of the Psalms in the Psalter.

I believe, however, that to bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the traditional pattern which, while left to the freedom of individuals and communities, could broaden it to include the mysteries of Christ's public ministry between his Baptism and his Passion. In the course of those mysteries we contemplate important aspects of the person of Christ as the definitive revelation of God."

Instead of adding "luminous mysteries" to the rosary, why not make more ado about the feastdays commemorating Christ on their respective days as they are celebrated during the liturgical year?

Our twelve "major" feastdays are biblically-based (including non-canonical texts!) and our found on our iconostasis festive tier. We sing litija hymns and enhance our liturgies.

Why doesn't the Latin Church raise the soteriological Feast of the Transfiguration (read: make it their holy day of "obligation") rather than keep it at a lower rank below the ontological Feast of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception? Be consistent!

Dear Cantor Joseph,

Yes, St Seraphim of Sarov prayed a decade for each of the 12 Great Feasts, plus Pascha etc.

And one is free to use whatever themes one wishes - no problem.

But I think the new mysteries are wonderful.

As for the ranks of the feasts, you could start another thread.

Or you may wish to send along your recommendation to the Vatican.

I'm sure they'll take it under due consideration . . .

I didn't know you were such a promoter of the Rosary/Rule of the Mother of God!

Good for you!

Alex