From the October AD 1997
Our Lady of the Rosary
Parish BulletinOn this page:
Dom Guéranger, On the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin
Meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary
Pope Pius XI, Quas primas, On the Kingship of Christ
The Communion of Sints
Bible: "Like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old"Apropos
Selections from the Scripture, the Fathers,
Doctors, Popes, and other great spiritual writers appropriate to the Church in our time.Dom Prosper Guéranger, O.S.B.[1]
The Liturgical Year,
Vol XIV, pp. 296-298
On the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin MaryIn its present form, the rosary was made known to the world by St. Dominic at the time of the struggles with the Albigensians, that social war of such ill-omen for the Church. The rosary was then of more avail than armed forces against the power of Satan; it is now the Church's last resource. It would seem that, the ancient forms of social prayer being no longer relished by the people, the Holy Ghost has willed by this easy and ready summary of the liturgy to maintain, in the isolated devotion of these unhappy times, the essential of that life of prayer, faith, and Christian virtue, which the public celebration of the Divine Office formerly kept up among the nations. Before the thirteenth century, popular piety was already familiar with what was called the psalter of the laity, that is the angelical salutation repeated one hundred and fifty times; it was the distribution of these Hail Marys into decades, each devoted to the consideration of a particular mystery, that constituted the rosary. Such was the divine expedient, simple as the eternal Wisdom that conceived it, and far reaching in its effects; for while it led wandering man to the Queen of Mercy, it obviated ignorance which is the food of heresy, and taught him to find once more "the paths consecrated by the Blood of the Man-God, and by the tears of His Mother." (Leo XIII, Magnæ Dei Matris, 8 September 1892)
Thus speaks the great Pontiff who, in the universal sorrow of these days, has again pointed out the means of salvation more than once experienced by our fathers. Leo XIII, in his encyclicals, has consecrated the present month [of October] to this devotion so dear to heaven; he has honored our Lady in her litanies with a new title, Queen of the most holy rosary (Letter "Salutaris," 24 December 1883); and he has given the final development to the solemnity of this day, by raising it to the rank of a second class feast, and by enriching it with a proper office explaining its permanent object. (Decrees of 11 September 1887 and 5 August 1888.) Beside all this the feast is a memorial of glorious victories, which do honor to the Christian name.
Soliman II, the greatest of the Sultans, taking advantage of the confusion caused in the west by Luther, had filled the sixteenth century with terror by his exploits. He left to his son, Selim II, the prospect of being able at length to carry out the ambition of his race: to subjugate Rome and Vienna, the Pope and the Emperor, to the power of the crescent. The Turkish fleet had already mastered the greater part of the Mediterranean, and was threatening Italy when, on October 7, 1571, it came into action, in the Gulf of Lepanto,[2] with the pontifical galleys supported by the fleets of Spain and Venice. It was Sunday; throughout the world the confraternities of the rosary were engaged in their work of intercession. Supernaturally enlightened, St. Pius V watched from the Vatican the battle undertaken by the leader he had chosen, Don John of Austria, against the three hundred vessels of Islam. The illustrious Pontiff, whose life work was now completed, did not survive to celebrate the anniversary of the triumph; but he perpetuated the memory of it by an annual commemoration of our Lady of Victory. His successor, Gregory XIII, altered this title to our Lady of the rosary, and appointed the first Sunday of October for the new feast, authorizing its celebration in those churches which possessed and altar under that invocation. A century and a half later, this limited concession was made general. As Innocent XI, in memory of the deliverance of Vienna [from the Moslems] by [the Polish general, John] Sobieski, had extended the feast of the most holy name of Mary to the whole Church; so in 1716, Clement XI inscribed the feast of the rosary on the universal calendar, in gratitude for the victory gained by Prince Eugene at Peterwardein, on August 5, under the auspices of our Lady of the snow. This victory was followed by the raising of the siege of Corfu, and completed a year later by the taking of Belgrade.
NOTES:
Meditating On The Mysteries
In Dom Guéranger's article (above) the great Pope Leo XIII speaks of the Rosary as helping us to find once more "the paths consecrated by the Blood of the Man-God, and by the tears of His Mother." In the Abbot's own words, each of the decades is "devoted to the consideration of a particular mystery" and it is that consideration "that constitute[s] the rosary." More than just a number of Hail Mary's the Rosary is meditation on the lives of our Lord and Lady. In order to pray the Rosary properly we must be prepared to meditate. Like all meditative prayer, it requires that we be acquainted with our subject matter and be prepared to call the points of meditation easily to mind.
There are many good sources of Rosary meditation. The daily missal is a good place to begin— most of them have a section on the Rosary with something to say about each mystery, and perhaps, a particular virtue to strive for in light of the meditation. Yet there is probably no substitute for being familiar with the accounts of the fifteen events as they are found in Sacred Scripture. The following is a list of the more obvious biblical references, but a regular reading of the Sacred texts will enable you to find more and to better appreciate the ones you already know.
Feel free to consider the mysteries in their wider sense. For example, in the first mystery there is some insight to be gained in reading Matthew 1 (which applies more directly to Saint Joseph) as well as in reading Luke 1—and Genesis 3 wouldn't hurt at all—nor John 1....
The Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation:
For the love of humility
Gabriel informs Mary that she has been chosen Mother of God. The Incarnation: Luke 1, Matthew 1, John 1.The Visitation:
For charity towards neighbors
Mary visits Elizabeth, pregnant in her old age with John the Baptist: Luke 1.The Nativity:
For the spirit of poverty
The birth of our Lord at Bethlehem: Luke 2, Matthew 1 & 2, John 1, Psalm 2.Presentation in the Temple:
For the virtue of obedience
Jesus is take to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the Mosaic Law. Luke 2, Exodus 13, Leviticus 12.Finding in the Temple:
For the virtue of piety
At twelve years old, "I must be about My Father's business." Luke 2.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Agony in the Garden:
For true contrition
Our Lord prays over His imminent crucifixion: Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22.Scourging at the Pillar:
For the virtue of purity
Our Lord is beaten with leaded whips by the Romans: Matthew 27, Mark 15, John 19, Isaias 53.Crowning with Thorns:
For moral courage
He is crowned in mockery of His kingship. Matthew 27, Mark 15, John 19.Carrying the Cross:
For the virtue of patience
He carries the instrument of His own execution, and our salvation: Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23.Agony and Death on the Cross:
For final perseverance
The unique Sacrifice of the New Testament: Matthew 27, Markÿ15, Luke 23, John 19, Hebrews 9-10, Psalm 21, Zacharia 12-13.
The Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection:
For the virtue of faith
On the third day He rose again from the dead: Matthew 28, Luke 7, John 11, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21.The Ascension:
For the virtue of hope
Ascending into heaven, He sits at the right hand of the Father: Mark 16, Luke 24, Acts 1.Descent of the Holy Ghost:
For the love of God
The apostles were all filled with the Holy Ghost: Acts 2, Joel 2.The Assumption:
For devotion to Mary
Sinless Mary is taken to heaven, body and soul: Not mentioned in scripture, but Cf. Proverbs 8, Psalm 15, Luke 1, Apocalypse 12.Coronation of Mary:
For eternal happiness
Mary reigns in heaven as Queen; spouse of the Holy Ghost, mother of Christ the King: Not mentioned in scripture, but Cf. Judith 13, Ecclesiasticus 24, Apocalypse 12.Prayer:
O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, His death, and His resurrection, has purchased for us the reward of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries in the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pope Pius XI
Quas primas—11 December 1925
On the Kingship of Christ
[LINK to Complete Text}[16] It would be a grave error, on the other hand, to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs, since, by virtue of his absolute empire over all creatures committed to Him by the Father, all things are in His power. Nevertheless, during His life on earth, He refrained from the exercise of such authority and, although He himself disdained to possess or to care for earthly goods, He did not, nor does He today, interfere with those who possess them. "No earthly crown comes He to take, who heavenly kingdoms doth bestow" (Hymn from Matins on the feast of the Epiphany).
[17] Thus the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men. To use the words of our immortal predecessor, Leo XIII: "His empire includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons who, though of right belonging to the Church, have been led astray by error, or have been cut off from her by schism, but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ" (Annum sacrum, 25 May 1899). Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether individually or collectively, are under the dominion of Christ. In Him is the salvation of the individual, in Him is the salvation of Society. "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv: 12). He is the author of happiness and true prosperity for every man and for every nation. "For a nation is happy when its citizens are happy. What else is a nation but a number of men living in concord?" (St. Augustine, Epistle ad Macedonium, c.3, n.9). If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their people, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ. What we said at the beginning of Our pontificate concerning the decline of public authority, and the lack of respect for the same is equally true at the present day. "With God and Jesus Christ," We said, "excluded from political life, with authority derived not from God but from man, the very basis of that authority has been taken away, because the chief reason for the distinction between ruler and subject has been eliminated. The result is that human society is tottering to its fall because it has no longer a secure and solid foundation" (Ubi arcano Dei, 23 December 1922).
[18] When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessing of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace, and harmony. Our Lord's regal office invests the authority of princes and rulers with a religious significance; it ennobles the citizen's duty of obedience. It is for this reason that St. Paul, while bidding wives revere Christ in their husbands, and slaves respect Christ in their masters, warns them not to give obedience to them not as men, but as the vicegerents of Christ; for it is not meet that men redeemed by Christ should serve their fellow men. "You are bought with a price, not to be the bond-slaves of men" (1 Cor. vii: 23). If princes and magistrates are filled with the persuasion that they rule, not by their own right, but by the mandate and in the place of the Divine King, they will exercise their authority piously and wisely; they will make laws and administer them having in view the common good and also the human dignity of their subjects. The result will be order, peace, and tranquility, for there will be no longer any cause for discontent. Men will see in their king or in their rulers men like themselves, perhaps unworthy or open to criticism, but they will not on that account refuse obedience if they see reflected in them the authority of Christ, God, and Man. Peace and harmony, too, will result, for with the spread and the universal extension of the kingdom of Christ men will become more and more conscious of the link that binds them together, and thus many conflicts will either be prevented entirely or at least their bitterness will be diminished.
[19] If the kingdom of Christ, then, receives, as it should, all nations under its sway, there seems no reason why we should despair of seeing that peace which the King of Peace came to bring on earth—He who came to reconcile all things; who came not to be ministered unto but to minister; who, though Lord of all, gave Himself to us as a model of humility, and with His principal law united the precept of charity, who said also: "My yoke is sweet and My burden light." O what happiness would be ours if all men, individuals, families, and nations would but let themselves be governed by Christ! "Then at length," to use the words of Our predecessor, Leo XIII, twenty-five years ago to the Bishops of the Universal Church, "will many ills be cured; then will the law regain its former authority; peace with all its blessings will be restored. Men will sheathe their swords and lay down their arms when all freely acknowledge and obey the authority of Christ, and every tongue confesses that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father" (Annum sacrum, 25 May 1899).
Q. & A.Question: What do we mean by "the Communion of Saints" in the Apostles Creed?
Answer: The Roman Catechism reminds us that "the Communion of Saints" serves as "a sort of explanation of the preceding part, which regards the unity, holiness, and universality of the Church."[1] It is the Catholic Church that is the Communion of Saints. Sometimes we divide the Church into three parts to help us understand the relationship of Its members; we can speak of "the Church Militant" here on earth, "the Church Suffering" in Purgatory, and "the Church Triumphant" in Heaven.
In the Church Militant, the baptized on earth share in each other's prayers and good works, in the offering of Mass and the Sacraments, and in other gifts given to individual members for the common good. We can pray and do good things for one another; and everyone benefits from the public worship of the Church. Participation in the Mass and Sacraments is a visible sign of this unity. We have a particular duty to pray for the departed souls who make up the Church Suffering in Purgatory. While we remain in this life, our prayers and good works can benefit those who can only suffer for themselves.
The Church Suffering consists of all those who have died in the state of grace but who have yet to pay the just penalties associated with the sins they committed in life. These penalties are expiated in Purgatory, a place of suffering mixed with joy, for the souls there know that one day they will certainly be united with God in the glory of Heaven. As the "elect" of God, they can pray for our needs, even while being powerless to reduce their own penalty.
The Church Triumphant consists of those who died in the state of grace and who have accomplished any needed purification from the punishment due to sin. The baptized in heaven see God, as it were, face to face, and enjoy the company of each other in the presence of God. Having loved God on earth, they continue to love Him in an ever more profound way in heaven. They can add their prayers to ours, presenting them before the throne of God, perhaps adding prayers for things that we don't know that we need, or for which we might hesitate to ask.
The doctrine of Indulgences is closely tied to that of the Communion of Saints. The Church has jurisdiction over the living, and can apply the merits It gains, and the merits of our Lord and the saints, toward the pardon of the punishments due Its subjects. "Whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."[2] This pardon or "indulgence" may forgive all or part of the penalty--it is said to be either "plenary" or "partial."
We are freely allowed to gain indulgences for the souls in Purgatory. But we should understand that the jurisdiction of the Church extends only to the living. God in His wisdom might allow a plenary indulgence to be applied to a soul in Purgatory in only a partial manner. That is why we continue to pray, have Masses offered, and gain indulgences for those in Purgatory, even though we may have done these things in the past.
"Behold, how good it is, and how pleasant, where brethren dwell at one! For there the Lord has pronounced His blessing, life forever."[3]
Question: In the Gospel of some Masses we hear that "the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea ... they gathered the good fish into vessels , but threw away the bad." What was our Lord talking about when He ended with the statement that "every Scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old"?[4]
Answer: The phrase in question concludes a much longer string of parables. They have been directed to the crowd, but also to the Apostles. In fact, our Lord is recorded explaining His public words privately to the Apostles. They are the "Scribes" of the New Testament. He asks, first of all, if they understand the parables, and then reminds them that prudent people do not throw away things simply because they have acquired something newer. They may have, for example, a presentable old suit in their closet alongside a new suit. He is saying that they are to retain the still serviceable instructions of the Old Testament, to be used along with those of the New in instructing the faithful. "Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets ... "Anyone who does away with one of these least commandments, and so teaches men, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven."[5]
NOTES:
1. Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part I, art. 10, no. 24.
2. Matthew xvi: 19.
3. Ps. cxxxii: 1, 4.
4. Matthew xiii: 44-52 (In the common Mass of Virgin-Martyrs).
5. Matthew v: 13-19 (In the common Mass of Doctors).
