I Shall Not Walk Alone
In the recent open forum (That's still open, by the way!) many Protestants (among them a minister) made the point that Jesus is the main thing for us as Christians. And they are absolutely right. In fact, the aim of the Open Forum was intended to demonstrate that everything that we believe as Catholics focusses on and orbits around Jesus, as the earth orbits the sun.
Focused on Christ
We must remain focused on Christ, and remain in Christ. He is our Salvation. Last Sunday, there was a large rally at St. Joseph's here in Oakville, and the different youth groups from the different Catholic parishes in and around Oakville came out to worship Jesus (with the kickin' music ministry of Critical Mass!). The theme was about coming together to worship Christ--and in fact, we got the opportunity to meet with Him in a powerful way, for those who took the opportunity for the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. For an hour in the Church, we had a time of quiet to come and pray before the altar, on which the Eucharist was displayed, so that we could spend time with Jesus, and meet with Him.
After that, we had Mass, where we had the opportunity to actually have Communion with Jesus, to receive Him, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, into ourselves in the Eucharist!
Experiencing the Presence of Christ again at that rally really reminded me that He is Present in His Church, and He is our ultimate and absolute focus!
Mary leads us to Christ
But there are many, many doctrines in the Church, and not all of them obviously teach about Christ at first glance. Among those doctrines are the Church's beliefs about His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Open Forum (which seems to have petered out at 180 comments), the first half of the discussion is focussed on Mary, and her role in the Church. For many, especially Protestants, she seems to be a stumbling block and a hinderance to a full relationship with Jesus Christ. But this is not the truth!
Christ has given us His Mother as our Mother (John 19:26-27; Revelation 12:17). She helps us to know Christ even more intimately. And through her prayers for us, we can find strength in Christ to live for Him. For her whole raison d'?tre is to give glory to God, and to bring people to her Son, Jesus Christ (Luke 1:46-47; John 2:5).
I have a cd by the Blind Boys of Alabama, called Higher Ground. On it they sing a song called "I Shall Not Walk Alone", that talks about how this relationship with Mary strengthens us in our pilgrimage on earth.
The Rosary
This issue of Marian beliefs and Marian devotion was one that I struggled with right up until even shortly after I became a Catholic. I couldn't understand, as many Protestants can't, how she leads us to Christ without somehow getting in the way. Since becoming a Catholic, I have begun to understand her better, and certainly to love her more. This really began when I took up what is possibly the most famous Catholic devotion: The Rosary. In this series of prayers and meditations, John Paul the Great tells us, "We meditate with Mary on the life of her Son." We ponder with Mary the mysteries of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and come to a fuller and greater understanding of Him--and at the same time, pray perseveringly for our needs and the needs of others!
John Paul 2, on March 8th, 2003, said to us,
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Rosary, here is a simple guide for praying it:
How to Pray the Rosary
The Rosary beads are a chain of many beads that form a loop. Trailing from the loop is a small stretch of 5 beads ending with a Crucifix. Where the tail connects to the loop, there is a medal, usually of Mary, or Jesus, or a saint. The one hanging from my rearview mirror has the Eucharistic Chalice with a Host above it. From the medal are ten beads, a slight space, a single bead, another space, ten more beads, etc. In all, there are five groups of ten beads, with a single bead between each group of ten, making four (plus the medal).
Beginning with the Crucifix, we pray the Apostles' Creed (See the prayers below). Then, while fingering the first of the five beads, we pray the Our Father. For the next three beads, we pray a Hail Mary each. On the fifth bead, we pray a Glory Be.
When we get to the medal, we announce the first mystery that we intend to meditate on (the mysteries will be explained below as well). Then we pray another Our Father. For the next 10 beads we pray a Hail Mary each, while meditating and praying about the mystery that we have just announced. When we come to the space between the tenth bead and the single bead, we pray a Glory Be, and then a Fatima Prayer. At the single bead, we announce the next mystery, and start the process over. This continues until all five mysteries are prayed through and meditated upon, and we arrive at the medal again. In the space after the final tenth bead and the medal, we again pray a Glory Be, and a Fatima Prayer, as we have done. Then, at the Medal, we pray a Marian prayer such as the Hail, Holy Queen (which is my preference) or another prayer to Mary of our choice. Then we cross ourselves and go on our way, knowing that we are not walking alone!
The Prayers of the Rosary
The Apostles' Creed
This prayer is a brief summary of our beliefs. It is called "The Apostles' Creed" because it was a summary of their teachings, passed on by the early Church.
The Our Father
This is the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, when they asked Him how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13.
The Hail Mary
This prayer is also taken from Scripture--at least the first half. The first two lines are Gabriel's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28, and the second two are Elizabeth's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:42. The second half is a simple prayer asking Mary to pray for us.
The Glory Be
This is a simple doxology glorifying the Trinity.
The Fatima Prayer
This prayer was given to the three children of Fatima, Portugal, when Mary appeared to them in a series of visions. She asked them to pray it when they prayed the Rosary. In my mind, it proves the desire of Mary to lead us to Jesus:
The Hail, Holy Queen
This poetic prayer to Mary can cause concern to Protestants, but we must understand that everything that we hold in this prayer is only because of Jesus, and because she brought Jesus into the world in order to be our salvation.
Those are the prayers of the Rosary. Many Protestants claim that the Rosary violates Jesus' condemnation of "vain repetition" in our prayers, since we repeat each prayer several times (Matthew 6:7-8). However, it is important to understand two things here:
1. Not all repetition is vain. Otherwise, many of the Psalms would fall under Jesus' condemnation, making Jesus a contradiction, since the Psalms are the inspired word of God. See, for example, Psalm 136, where the second line of each of its 26 verses is "For His faithful love endures forever." Now that's repetitious!
2. The focus of the prayer isn't on the words being said. They form a prayerful backdrop for the key part of the prayer--meditating on the life of Christ with Mary. Without this exercise of meditating on Christ, then yes, the Rosary would be vain repetition! The mysteries are the entire point of the Rosary! So what are they?
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By "mystery" it is meant an aspect of our faith that is miraculous, that we cannot comprehend. When it comes to the life of Christ, we will never comprehend how the Infinite, Almighty God could become a Man and live among us. Thus, everything that Christ did is a "mystery". In the Rosary, there are 20 mysteries, divided into four sets of five. One "rosary" is the praying of a set of 5, thus going around the loop.
The mysteries focus on Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection. When we meditate on each mystery, it is important to focus on it as if we ourselves were there, witnessing the event. How would we have felt, or reacted, in that situation? When we do this, we go right into the pages of the Gospels with Mary, as she shows us her Son more clearly. As such, it is important that we read and learn the stories from the Bible itself. Therefore, I will include the place in the Bible where the story is found.
When we undertake to meditate on a mystery, it is helpful to offer a prayer intention. One will be suggested for furthering virtues in your life, as we discussed in the Seven Deadlies post.
Let us look at each mystery.
The Joyful Mysteries
These five mysteries focus on Jesus' birth and early childhood.
The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary--Luke 1:26-38
Intention: When meditating on this mystery, pray for the humility of Mary when she responded to God's plan, saying, "You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38).
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth--Luke 1:39-56
Intention: When meditating on this mystery, pray that you would have a greater love for your neighbour (Matthew 22:39). Think of Mary, visiting her pregnant cousin, and helping her to keep house, while she herself is pregnant with the Saviour!
The Nativity of Jesus--Luke 2:1-21
Intention: Pray that Jesus would help you to be poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), as He Himself was: The King of the Universe born in a barnyard feeding trough! If He would do this for us, what should we do for Him?
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple--Luke 2:22-38
Intention: The Jewish people had to offer sacrifices of purification for every first-born child. When Mary and Joseph went to offer these sacrifices, two prophets, Simeon and Anna, give testimony to who Jesus is. If Mary and Joseph had not been obedient to even the seemingly minor points of the Law, Simeon would never have seen the Lord's promise fulfilled (Luke 2:26). Let us then pray for willingness to be obedient to Christ's laws.
Finding Jesus in the Temple at the age of 12--Luke 2:41-50
Intention: Jesus' parents lose track of Him on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. In their worry they look everywhere, and finally find Him, a 12-year-old, teaching scribes and teachers of the Law! When they find Him, Mary and Joseph are filled with joy and relief. Let us pray that we would also be filled with joy at finding Christ working in our own lives--even in the places we least expect to see Him!
The Luminous Mysteries
These new mysteries, given by Pope John Paul 2 in 2002, highlight key events in the life and ministry of Jesus.
Jesus' Baptism--Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-22; John 1:29-34
Intention: At His baptism, the heavens were opened, and God proclaimed His love for Jesus, and sent the Holy Spirit to empower His ministry. Let us pray that we would have a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Jesus Turning Water into Wine at the Wedding in Cana--John 2:1-12
Intention: In this story, we see Mary bringing the servants to Jesus so that He could meet their need, and she tells them the most important piece of advice ever: "Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:5). Let us pray and ask Mary to lead us into a deeper relationship with her Son.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God--Matthew 4:23; 5:1-7:29
Intention: Let us pray that we would be willing to proclaim Jesus' Kingdom as He sends us out. Let us pray that we are never too worried about what others think that we would deny Jesus!
The Transfiguration of Jesus--Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8
Intention: When Jesus was transfigured, He displayed His true glory for a moment, to Peter, James and John. Let us pray that He would reveal His glory in our own lives.
The Last Supper--Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:7-20
Intention: Let us pray that we would come to know Jesus truly as He gives Himself to us in the Eucharist.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
These mysteries focus on Jesus' suffering and death, which brings us forgiveness for our sins.
Jesus' Agony in the Garden--Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus praying and sweating blood for us, let us pray for true sorrow and true repentance for our sins which brought Him here.
Jesus' Arrest and Scourging--Matthew 26:47-27:26; Mark 14:43-15:15; Luke 22:47-23:25; John 18:1-19:16
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' suffering, let us realise that it brought us our redemption: "He was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us fell on Him, and we have been healed by His bruises" (Isaiah 53:5). Let us pray and thank Him for His salvation, and pray that we would understand the value of suffering in our own lives.
The Crowning with Thorns--Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20
Intention: Let us pray, as we meditate on Jesus' humiliation, that we will have the strength to stand up for Him, even in the face of ridicule and death.
Jesus' Carrying His Cross--Matthew 27:32-33; Mark 15:20-22; Luke 23:26-32; John 19:17-18
Intention: As we meditate on Christ carrying His Cross, let us pray for the patience that He had in enduring this torture.
Jesus' Crucifixion and Death--Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:23-39; Luke 23:33-49; John 19:18-37
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' death, let us reflect on the care He had for those around Him, even in His agony. Let us pray that we would persevere in our walk with Him always, so that we would inherit the crown of life.
The Glorious Mysteries
These mysteries focus on Jesus' resurrection and His power in the Church
The Resurrection--Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-42; John 20:1-21:25
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' Resurrection, pray that He would increase our faith in Him.
The Ascension--Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' Ascension into heaven, let us pray that He would fill us with hope in the angels' words, "Why are you...standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you will come back in the same way as you have seen Him go to heaven" (Acts 1:11).
The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost--Acts 2:1-36
Intention: As we meditate, let us pray that the Holy Spirit would fill us with a greater love and zeal for God.
Mary's Assumption into Heaven--Revelation 11:19-12:1
Intention: At the end of her life, Mary was assumed bodily into Jesus' presence in heaven so that she who had been graced to be without sin, would not suffer the unltimate consiquence of sin: death. Let us pray for the desire to join Mary and her Son, Jesus, in heaven, so that we would not stray from following Him here on earth.
Mary's Coronation as Queen of Heaven--Revelation 12:1
Intention: Let us pray and ask Mary to increase our trust in her intercession for us, and for the entire Church, of which she is the Mother (Revelation 12:17).
These mysteries of the Rosary, when we pray them, and meditate on them, will lead us to a greater knowledge of Christ, and a deeper relationship with Him. Let us take our cue from Mary herself, and ponder all these things in our hearts (Luke 2:51).
God bless!
Focused on Christ
We must remain focused on Christ, and remain in Christ. He is our Salvation. Last Sunday, there was a large rally at St. Joseph's here in Oakville, and the different youth groups from the different Catholic parishes in and around Oakville came out to worship Jesus (with the kickin' music ministry of Critical Mass!). The theme was about coming together to worship Christ--and in fact, we got the opportunity to meet with Him in a powerful way, for those who took the opportunity for the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. For an hour in the Church, we had a time of quiet to come and pray before the altar, on which the Eucharist was displayed, so that we could spend time with Jesus, and meet with Him.
After that, we had Mass, where we had the opportunity to actually have Communion with Jesus, to receive Him, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, into ourselves in the Eucharist!
Experiencing the Presence of Christ again at that rally really reminded me that He is Present in His Church, and He is our ultimate and absolute focus!
Mary leads us to Christ
But there are many, many doctrines in the Church, and not all of them obviously teach about Christ at first glance. Among those doctrines are the Church's beliefs about His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Open Forum (which seems to have petered out at 180 comments), the first half of the discussion is focussed on Mary, and her role in the Church. For many, especially Protestants, she seems to be a stumbling block and a hinderance to a full relationship with Jesus Christ. But this is not the truth!
Christ has given us His Mother as our Mother (John 19:26-27; Revelation 12:17). She helps us to know Christ even more intimately. And through her prayers for us, we can find strength in Christ to live for Him. For her whole raison d'?tre is to give glory to God, and to bring people to her Son, Jesus Christ (Luke 1:46-47; John 2:5).
I have a cd by the Blind Boys of Alabama, called Higher Ground. On it they sing a song called "I Shall Not Walk Alone", that talks about how this relationship with Mary strengthens us in our pilgrimage on earth.
I Shall Not Walk AloneJust as you or I might pray for each other, in the hard times, when we don't know how to continue, our Mother, who loves us, prays for us and brings us to Christ, her Son and our Older Brother, who walks with us. We truly will never walk alone!
Ben Harper
Battered and torn still I can see the light
Tattered and worn but I must kneel to fight
Friend of mine what can't you spare
I know sometimes it gets cold in there
When my legs no longer carry
and the cold wind chills my bones
I just reach for Mother Mary
and I shall not walk alone
Hope is alive while we're apart
Only tears speak from my heart
Break the chains that hold us down
And we shall be forever bound
When I'm tired and weary
and a long, long way from home
I reach for Mother Mary
and I shall not walk alone
Beauty that we left behind
How shall we tomorrow find
Set aside our weight in sin
So that we can live again
When my legs no longer carry
and the cold wind chills my bones
I reach for Mother Mary
and I shall not walk alone
The Rosary
This issue of Marian beliefs and Marian devotion was one that I struggled with right up until even shortly after I became a Catholic. I couldn't understand, as many Protestants can't, how she leads us to Christ without somehow getting in the way. Since becoming a Catholic, I have begun to understand her better, and certainly to love her more. This really began when I took up what is possibly the most famous Catholic devotion: The Rosary. In this series of prayers and meditations, John Paul the Great tells us, "We meditate with Mary on the life of her Son." We ponder with Mary the mysteries of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and come to a fuller and greater understanding of Him--and at the same time, pray perseveringly for our needs and the needs of others!
John Paul 2, on March 8th, 2003, said to us,
My Dear Young People! Today, I am handing you the Rosary beads. Through prayer and meditation on the mysteries, Mary leads you safely towards her Son! Do not be ashamed to recite the Rosary alone, while you walk along the streets to school, to the university, or to work, or as you commute by public transport. Adopt the habit of reciting it among yourselves, in your groups, movements and associations.With these words from our late Holy Father in mind, we will begin to do just that at our Sunday meetings starting this fall, as our group switches over to a drama team. So come prepared!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Rosary, here is a simple guide for praying it:
How to Pray the Rosary
The Rosary beads are a chain of many beads that form a loop. Trailing from the loop is a small stretch of 5 beads ending with a Crucifix. Where the tail connects to the loop, there is a medal, usually of Mary, or Jesus, or a saint. The one hanging from my rearview mirror has the Eucharistic Chalice with a Host above it. From the medal are ten beads, a slight space, a single bead, another space, ten more beads, etc. In all, there are five groups of ten beads, with a single bead between each group of ten, making four (plus the medal).
Beginning with the Crucifix, we pray the Apostles' Creed (See the prayers below). Then, while fingering the first of the five beads, we pray the Our Father. For the next three beads, we pray a Hail Mary each. On the fifth bead, we pray a Glory Be.
When we get to the medal, we announce the first mystery that we intend to meditate on (the mysteries will be explained below as well). Then we pray another Our Father. For the next 10 beads we pray a Hail Mary each, while meditating and praying about the mystery that we have just announced. When we come to the space between the tenth bead and the single bead, we pray a Glory Be, and then a Fatima Prayer. At the single bead, we announce the next mystery, and start the process over. This continues until all five mysteries are prayed through and meditated upon, and we arrive at the medal again. In the space after the final tenth bead and the medal, we again pray a Glory Be, and a Fatima Prayer, as we have done. Then, at the Medal, we pray a Marian prayer such as the Hail, Holy Queen (which is my preference) or another prayer to Mary of our choice. Then we cross ourselves and go on our way, knowing that we are not walking alone!
The Prayers of the Rosary
The Apostles' Creed
This prayer is a brief summary of our beliefs. It is called "The Apostles' Creed" because it was a summary of their teachings, passed on by the early Church.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into Heaven.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Our Father
This is the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, when they asked Him how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13.
Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed by Thy Name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
The Hail Mary
This prayer is also taken from Scripture--at least the first half. The first two lines are Gabriel's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28, and the second two are Elizabeth's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:42. The second half is a simple prayer asking Mary to pray for us.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us sinners,
Now, and at the hour of our death.
The Glory Be
This is a simple doxology glorifying the Trinity.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and forever will be,
World without end. Amen.
The Fatima Prayer
This prayer was given to the three children of Fatima, Portugal, when Mary appeared to them in a series of visions. She asked them to pray it when they prayed the Rosary. In my mind, it proves the desire of Mary to lead us to Jesus:
O my Jesus,
Forgive us our sins,
Save us from the fires of hell,
And lead all souls to heaven--
Especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
Amen.
The Hail, Holy Queen
This poetic prayer to Mary can cause concern to Protestants, but we must understand that everything that we hold in this prayer is only because of Jesus, and because she brought Jesus into the world in order to be our salvation.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
Our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee we lift up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us,
And show unto us the Most Blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus--
O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, most holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.
Those are the prayers of the Rosary. Many Protestants claim that the Rosary violates Jesus' condemnation of "vain repetition" in our prayers, since we repeat each prayer several times (Matthew 6:7-8). However, it is important to understand two things here:
1. Not all repetition is vain. Otherwise, many of the Psalms would fall under Jesus' condemnation, making Jesus a contradiction, since the Psalms are the inspired word of God. See, for example, Psalm 136, where the second line of each of its 26 verses is "For His faithful love endures forever." Now that's repetitious!
2. The focus of the prayer isn't on the words being said. They form a prayerful backdrop for the key part of the prayer--meditating on the life of Christ with Mary. Without this exercise of meditating on Christ, then yes, the Rosary would be vain repetition! The mysteries are the entire point of the Rosary! So what are they?
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By "mystery" it is meant an aspect of our faith that is miraculous, that we cannot comprehend. When it comes to the life of Christ, we will never comprehend how the Infinite, Almighty God could become a Man and live among us. Thus, everything that Christ did is a "mystery". In the Rosary, there are 20 mysteries, divided into four sets of five. One "rosary" is the praying of a set of 5, thus going around the loop.
The mysteries focus on Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection. When we meditate on each mystery, it is important to focus on it as if we ourselves were there, witnessing the event. How would we have felt, or reacted, in that situation? When we do this, we go right into the pages of the Gospels with Mary, as she shows us her Son more clearly. As such, it is important that we read and learn the stories from the Bible itself. Therefore, I will include the place in the Bible where the story is found.
When we undertake to meditate on a mystery, it is helpful to offer a prayer intention. One will be suggested for furthering virtues in your life, as we discussed in the Seven Deadlies post.
Let us look at each mystery.
The Joyful Mysteries
These five mysteries focus on Jesus' birth and early childhood.
The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary--Luke 1:26-38
Intention: When meditating on this mystery, pray for the humility of Mary when she responded to God's plan, saying, "You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38).
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth--Luke 1:39-56
Intention: When meditating on this mystery, pray that you would have a greater love for your neighbour (Matthew 22:39). Think of Mary, visiting her pregnant cousin, and helping her to keep house, while she herself is pregnant with the Saviour!
The Nativity of Jesus--Luke 2:1-21
Intention: Pray that Jesus would help you to be poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), as He Himself was: The King of the Universe born in a barnyard feeding trough! If He would do this for us, what should we do for Him?
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple--Luke 2:22-38
Intention: The Jewish people had to offer sacrifices of purification for every first-born child. When Mary and Joseph went to offer these sacrifices, two prophets, Simeon and Anna, give testimony to who Jesus is. If Mary and Joseph had not been obedient to even the seemingly minor points of the Law, Simeon would never have seen the Lord's promise fulfilled (Luke 2:26). Let us then pray for willingness to be obedient to Christ's laws.
Finding Jesus in the Temple at the age of 12--Luke 2:41-50
Intention: Jesus' parents lose track of Him on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. In their worry they look everywhere, and finally find Him, a 12-year-old, teaching scribes and teachers of the Law! When they find Him, Mary and Joseph are filled with joy and relief. Let us pray that we would also be filled with joy at finding Christ working in our own lives--even in the places we least expect to see Him!
The Luminous Mysteries
These new mysteries, given by Pope John Paul 2 in 2002, highlight key events in the life and ministry of Jesus.
Jesus' Baptism--Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-22; John 1:29-34
Intention: At His baptism, the heavens were opened, and God proclaimed His love for Jesus, and sent the Holy Spirit to empower His ministry. Let us pray that we would have a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Jesus Turning Water into Wine at the Wedding in Cana--John 2:1-12
Intention: In this story, we see Mary bringing the servants to Jesus so that He could meet their need, and she tells them the most important piece of advice ever: "Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:5). Let us pray and ask Mary to lead us into a deeper relationship with her Son.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God--Matthew 4:23; 5:1-7:29
Intention: Let us pray that we would be willing to proclaim Jesus' Kingdom as He sends us out. Let us pray that we are never too worried about what others think that we would deny Jesus!
The Transfiguration of Jesus--Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8
Intention: When Jesus was transfigured, He displayed His true glory for a moment, to Peter, James and John. Let us pray that He would reveal His glory in our own lives.
The Last Supper--Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:7-20
Intention: Let us pray that we would come to know Jesus truly as He gives Himself to us in the Eucharist.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
These mysteries focus on Jesus' suffering and death, which brings us forgiveness for our sins.
Jesus' Agony in the Garden--Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus praying and sweating blood for us, let us pray for true sorrow and true repentance for our sins which brought Him here.
Jesus' Arrest and Scourging--Matthew 26:47-27:26; Mark 14:43-15:15; Luke 22:47-23:25; John 18:1-19:16
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' suffering, let us realise that it brought us our redemption: "He was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us fell on Him, and we have been healed by His bruises" (Isaiah 53:5). Let us pray and thank Him for His salvation, and pray that we would understand the value of suffering in our own lives.
The Crowning with Thorns--Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20
Intention: Let us pray, as we meditate on Jesus' humiliation, that we will have the strength to stand up for Him, even in the face of ridicule and death.
Jesus' Carrying His Cross--Matthew 27:32-33; Mark 15:20-22; Luke 23:26-32; John 19:17-18
Intention: As we meditate on Christ carrying His Cross, let us pray for the patience that He had in enduring this torture.
Jesus' Crucifixion and Death--Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:23-39; Luke 23:33-49; John 19:18-37
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' death, let us reflect on the care He had for those around Him, even in His agony. Let us pray that we would persevere in our walk with Him always, so that we would inherit the crown of life.
The Glorious Mysteries
These mysteries focus on Jesus' resurrection and His power in the Church
The Resurrection--Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-42; John 20:1-21:25
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' Resurrection, pray that He would increase our faith in Him.
The Ascension--Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11
Intention: As we meditate on Jesus' Ascension into heaven, let us pray that He would fill us with hope in the angels' words, "Why are you...standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you will come back in the same way as you have seen Him go to heaven" (Acts 1:11).
The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost--Acts 2:1-36
Intention: As we meditate, let us pray that the Holy Spirit would fill us with a greater love and zeal for God.
Mary's Assumption into Heaven--Revelation 11:19-12:1
Intention: At the end of her life, Mary was assumed bodily into Jesus' presence in heaven so that she who had been graced to be without sin, would not suffer the unltimate consiquence of sin: death. Let us pray for the desire to join Mary and her Son, Jesus, in heaven, so that we would not stray from following Him here on earth.
Mary's Coronation as Queen of Heaven--Revelation 12:1
Intention: Let us pray and ask Mary to increase our trust in her intercession for us, and for the entire Church, of which she is the Mother (Revelation 12:17).
These mysteries of the Rosary, when we pray them, and meditate on them, will lead us to a greater knowledge of Christ, and a deeper relationship with Him. Let us take our cue from Mary herself, and ponder all these things in our hearts (Luke 2:51).
God bless!
Labels: Eucharist, Jesus, Prayer, The Blessed Virgin Mary
posted by Gregory at 1:46 p.m.
18 Comments:
Still no comments? Sheesh. Is there a holiday weekend up there in Canada too that everyone's away for?
I'd have replied sooner myself I wasn't sure exactly what stance to take on these new "luminous" mysteries and didn't want to complicate things especially if this is to serve as an introduction to the rosary for some people.
There's no desperate need to get into that anyway. If it's of any comfort to those who doubt in the power and meaning of the rosary, I can say from personal experience that I once doubted myself but the word "Christ" now means at least a thousand times to me what it did before I had ever prayed my first rosary. And I had believed myself to be very knowledgeable prior to that.
Those who are turned off by what hey see as the Marian principle associated with the rosary can always rest assured that in the unlikely event that we don't need the help of Mary's prayers, there are many people out there who do. Mary holds a shorter, safer ladder to heaven than the one we could climb ourselves, as St. Francis de Sales' vision attests to.
Uhm...Thank you, Claudio. It took me a second to understand that, then I remembered the reference to Fatima above.
God bless, and welcome to the blog!
Hey Blackjack! Thanks for stopping by. I've been rather busy myself this weekend.
On the Luminous mysteries, in my mind I think they're a take them or leave them idea. I prefer to take them because they complete the Gospel story. Also, from personal experience, I've been blessed by meditating on them at least as much as any of the other mysteries -- though the "Sorrowful" are my "favourite" (if you can rightly say to having a favourite bunch of mysteries).
But the Rosary is a method of prayer that has developed many times over the centuries, so I see no reason a priori why this particular development is a bad one.
Thank you for your personal testimony of your deepened understanding and knowledge of Christ through the Rosary. Most Catholics that I've talked to--especially converts, including myself--have said the same.
I remember when I was on the road to Rome, and was discussing Mary with you, and you told me about that vision of St. Francis de Sales. You told me how Mary held the shortest, safest ladder to heaven, and I think I responded with something of an outrage, saying that Jesus should be the one holding the ladder, not Mary! I'll always remember what you told me, and I'll share it for any Protestants who might read this, or any fellow Catholics who might wonder:
Jesus Himself is the ladder, the only ladder, to Heaven. But Mary holds the ladder steady and secure. She keeps us from falling off the ladder that is Jesus through her prayer.
It's really very biblical imagery, Jesus as the ladder. I ended up writing a paper on it in my class on the Gospel of John.
In John 1:51, Jesus tells Nathanael, and the other apostles, "In all truth I tell you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of Man." This passage is a direct reference to Genesis 28:12, when Jacob falls asleep at Bethel: "He had a dream: there was a ladder, planted on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and God's angels were going up and down on it" (emphasis mine).
Jesus is declaring that He is the ladder that Jacob saw. He is our way to heaven. And Mary, our Mother, holds it steady for us.
When Mary appeared at Fatima, she told us to pray the rosary. Had the rosary been in any way imperfect or incomplete at that time, I'm think she would have brought this to our attention.
That being said, I laud John Paul II's intentions in that (as far as I know) he wanted to honor the rosary and encourage its use by adding the luminous mysteries.
Hi Sweetheart! (Melissa's my fiancée, for all of you who don't know!)
I don't think it's wrong to pray the rosary the way you describe, but technically, it wouldn't really be praying the rosary. However, it is always more than right to pray for others!
With the Rosary, though, it's not meditate on the mysteries or pray for intentions, but as we meditate on the mysteries, we should be offering our intentions. I like to offer the intention during the announcing of the mystery, personally, saying something to the effect of "Mother Mary, as I meditate on [X mystery] pray for [Y intention]."
It can be hard to remember all the mysteries, and all the prayers, and everything. But that's why the rosary is a spiritual discipline as much as a devotion. The more we do it, the more familiar it becomes. And the more familiar the mysteries of Christ's life become to us, the more we will come to really know Him intimately--especially as Mary herself guides us.
So, as honourable and great as it is to use it to pray for your students (which I am all for--when I was at the Drop-In, I prayed the rosary for the kids there, and now I do for the kids here at St. Andrew's), I really believe the meditative aspect of the rosary is the key, the indispensible element.
I hope that helps :)
How does Mary guide us? Because that's a totally different thing than intercession for us. Now she's in communication back to us? Do Elijah, Moses, and the other host of saints do more than intercede for us by actually communicating (guiding) back to us?
Thank you for your posts at my blogsite, Gregory; I'll be sure to respond to them soon.
Cheers!
Christopher J. Freeman
Hey Chris! No prob. I enjoy your blog immensely, and have really liked the series on Gnosticism. I know too many people that are into the neo-gnostic movement, so it's a helpful resource.
I hope you enjoyed my description of our first meeting :D
Anyway, as to your question, I'm not sure how best to answer it without falling back into some "Pentecostal-ese". It seems in my mind to be a fairly subjective thing. Basically, I take the idea from Pope John Paul's words that "In the Rosary we meditate with Mary on the life of Christ."
Now, I'm not trying to suggest that Mary talks to us in the Rosary like Moses and Elijah spoke with the transfigured Christ, or like a medium chanelling a spirit. I simply mean that in the act of praying to her, asking for her prayers, part of that is asking for her prayers that we would understand Christ better.
Beyond that, I'm not sure I could describe Mary's objective action in guiding us. However, Moses' and Elijah's appearance to Christ, and the many Marian apparitions throughout history indicate that there are and have been times when they have been sent with messages.
Of course, you (and anyone else, Catholics included) are free to disbelieve in Marian Apparitions, since they are "Private Revelation" and not binding on the Church as a matter of faith.
I hope that makes a whit of sense. Maybe another Catholic reading, like Blackjack or Randy (if Randy's still around?) would better be able to address it.
God bless!
I'm pretty sure Gregory meant that Mary guides us through her intercession. We cannot know Christ except through God's grace, Mary wants more than anything else for us to know Christ, and Mary's prayers are very powerful in obtaining grace on our behalf. Other than that, Mary, like all saints, is an example of true faith that we would all do well to follow.
I'm not sure what to say about apparitions here except that the rosary is not a means of divination and the Church has repeatedly warned against the use of any kind of divination.
Dave = Supreme
~Dave~
Hey Grgory,
Thanks for stopping by my site. Yeah, I realize that though I'm for exposition in sermons this site of mine is certainly a topical one. As I believe I mentioned in that article I do think one up-side of doing topical messages is being able to cover a wider variety of subjects in a shorter amount of time.
My blog is really just meant to be a look into my mind and what I think about different theological and scriptural issues, but not in expositional form.
This style of "Lectionary" is a new thing to me. It sound's interesting. Do you think that it sometimes can be an over-load of information all at once, or not? I'm not sure just how that would play out. I'll certainly look into it more.
I see that you are a recent convert to the Catholic church from a charismatic denomination. Is that right? What prompted the switch? How do you view Justification? Just curious. Thanks for your interesting comment!
In Christ -Jacob
Hi Jacob! Thanks for stopping by!
I realise that your blog wasn't necessarily reflective of your preaching style, but I just enjoy irony whenever I see it :)
As for the Lectionary, the readings are generally short enough, and related enough, that, provided the priest is a good and able homilist, information overload is seldom the problem (too often, I would complain that information underload is the worse situation).
For an example of the readings at a mass, I'll give the readings that will be used this Sunday (no psalm, though. The Lector book I have doesn't provide them unfortunately).
A Reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah (55:6-9)
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
call upon Him while He is near;
let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord,
that He may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.
The word of the Lord.
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians (1:20-24, 27)
My brothers and sisters:
It is my eager expectation and hope
that I will not be put to shame in any way,
but that by my speaking with all boldness,
Christ will be exalted now as always in my body,
whether by life of by death.
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.
If I am to live in the flesh,
that means fruitful labour for me;
and I do not know which I prefer.
I am hard pressed between the two:
My desire is to depart and be with Christ,
for that is far better;
but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.
Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,
so that, whether I come and see you
or am absent and hear about you,
I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit,
striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.
The word of the Lord
A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew (20:1-16)
Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples.
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out early in the morning
to hire labourers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
When he went out about nine o'clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace;
and he said to them,
'You also go into the vineyard,
and I will pay you whatever is right.'
So they went.
"When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock,
he did the same.
And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around;
and he said to them,
'Why are you standing here idle all day?'
They said to him,
'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them,
'You also go into the vineyard.'
"When evening came,
the owner of the vineyard said to his manager,
'Call the labourers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and then going to the first.'
When those hired around five o'clock came,
each of them received the usual daily wage.
Now when the first came,
they thought they would receive more;
but each of them also received the usual daily wage.
And when they received it,
they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us
who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'
But he replied to one of them,
'Friend, I am doing you no wrong;
did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what belongs to you and go;
I choose to give this last the same as I give to you.
Am I not allowed to do what I choose
with what belongs to me?
Or are you envious that I am generous?'
"So the last will be first,
and the first will be last."
The Gospel of the Lord.
(I find it a rather wonderful display of God's timing that the second reading is the very one from which you take the name of your blog! God is like that so often.)
From these texts, the priest would find the link between them and the point of each, and craft his homily.
As for your other questions about myself personally, I would direct you to the links to key articles on this blog (the last set of links under the title "Make sure you read these posts:"
The second link, titled "Stand up and Testify" is my own personal testimony of my faith from my birth until the present day (at least, the present day as of April 10th, 2005).
As for my view of Justification, that's a longer topic, much of which is covered in a post here entitled "Reflections on Snow" which appears between "Why did Jesus Die?" and "Sin and Satan" in the Passion of the Christ series. It's in the March archives.
A few posts below this one on Mary and the Rosary is an Open Q&A forum (which is also the final link in the "Make sure you read these" section). I'd be happy to go into further detail, though I think the topic came up there a few times already.
In a nutshell, I believe that Justification is a complete gift of the Grace of God through Christ's atoning death on the Cross. I believe that it is an intrinsic thing, synonymous with sanctification, rather than simply a formal, legal declaration. Christ literally infuses us with His righteousness, rather than simply imputing it to us. This infusion is an ongoing process in the life of the Christian, to which he responds in faith and works, and not simply faith alone.
Any further questions (and I'd love to hear them!) unless they are related to the topic of this thread (again, Mary and the Rosary, and how they bring us closer to Christ), I would rather answer in the Open Q&A.
Thanks for stopping by!
God bless!
Gregory
Wow Gregory... quite the explanation on the rosary. A very good read. Your insights are interesting and I am impressed with your Q&A skills. Good job explaining things in a fun way.
"Mother Mary, as I meditate on [X mystery] pray for [Y intention]."
Right on.
Keep in touch,
Scott
Hey Scott!
Thanks for stopping by, and for your encouragement! I'll definitely be keeping in touch!
God bless
Gregory
Greetings Gregory it's rather cold here today, but summer is comming to our part of the world soon. I was looking for the latest most up to date information on prayer and I landed on your page. Although this post is not an exact match I can see why I ended up here while looking for prayer Great stuff thanks for the read.....now where did I put that surf board !
Hi There Gregory how you going? I was sufing blogs for information on prayer and I came across yours. while this post wasn't exactly what I was looking for, It was most interesting. I can see why I found your page when I was looking for prayer stuff. Thanks for the read!
Well Gregory certainly interesting stuff. I love surfing Blogs! I was looking for christian stuff and I landed on your page. I was looking more for christian
info, but was interested in your posts. Keep it up Take care.
'information underload'...GAH!!!!
I hate it, I really do. Too many times I end up ignoring repetitious, low-infor sermons and end up reading the context for the one or two Biblical references given for the duration. I'm nto saying that reading the Bible is bad - far from - but I wish the sermons I hear tended towards the other end of the scale.
Hmmmm...on the other end, maybe that is why the info-dense responses and resources you have given me have been quite (and rapidly) effective. (BTW, I got several more chapters into 'Where We Got the Bible' last night.)
I still have the other Mary post to read, so I'll comment on this issue at the other one.
~The Hidden One~
Well, Hidden One, if information underload during Sunday Worship is something you hope to avoid, you most likely won't at Mass, if you try to get all your information from the homily.
In Mass, the homily isn't the main thing, like it is in the Protestant service. A Catholic homily should ideally be only 15 minutes, rather than the standard half hour or more! The main thing is to offer commentary and application to the readings, where needed. The readings themselves are for the information. As well as the rest of the Mass--the prayers, etc.
I think failing to understand that point, that the homily isn't the sole source of teaching in Mass, is why many former Catholics complained that they never "heard the Gospel" in the Catholic Church. They just weren't listening.
On the other hand, as I've shown you, there is a lot of 'info-dense' teaching available in the Catholic Church, outside of Mass. After 2000 years, that should be expected, I'd think.
Anyway, I'd forgotten that I was so detailed in this post about the Rosary. I don't know if I'll write a new one on it after all! I might just adjust this for my YG talk tonight.
God bless.
Gregory
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