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Learning How to Pray |
Spiritual Counsels |
Books |
About CSF
Introductory Prayers
| Preliminary Prayers |
The Circlet of Beads |
Optional Concluding Prayers |
Distractions During Prayer |
Scriptural References for Each Mystery
 HE Apostles’s Creed, the Our Father,
and the Hail Mary are the only “official” prayers of the Rosary.
Other prayers may be added according to custom.
Introductory
Prayers
The Sign of the
Cross
 Hold the
crucifix of the Rosary beads in your right hand and make the Sign of the
Cross, touching the crucifix to your forehead, chest, and left and right
shoulders. If you watch people in church, however, you will often see them making the Sign
of the Cross so hastily that they seem to be brushing flies away from their
faces. Make the sign deliberately and with reverence, for, when you do make
the Sign of the Cross, you make an implicit agreement to take up your own
cross by accepting—without protest or
resentment—all suffering for the sake of the
conversion of sinners. Whether you keep that agreement, well, only God knows.
But you will be accountable for it on the day of your judgment. That thought
should give you pause.
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English |
|
Latin |
______________________ |
|
_____________ |
|
|
|
IN the
Name of the Father |
(Forehead) |
IN
nómine Patris |
and of the
Son |
(Mid-chest) |
et
Fílii |
and of the
Holy |
(Left Shoulder) |
et
Spíritus |
Spirit. |
(Right Shoulder) |
Sancti. |
Amen. |
|
Amen. |
|
|
|
Soul of Christ
(Anima Christi)
 |
SOUL
of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malignant enemy defend me.
In the hour of my death call me.
And bid me come to Thee,
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee
For ever and ever.
Amen. |
Preliminary
Prayers
The
Apostles’ Creed
(Credo)
While
still holding the crucifix, pray the Apostles’ Creed.
|
I
BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty
Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again
from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father almighty.
From there He will come 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 life everlasting. Amen. |
The Our Father
(Pater
Noster)
On
the first single bead closest to the crucifix, pray the Our
Father.
|
Be
careful not to slur together the seven petitions of the Our Father
(Matthew 6:9–13) like the “elemeno Ps” of the grammar
school alphabet. Say this prayer slowly, carefully, and
distinctly.
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|
OUR
Father, who art in Heaven, |
|
(1) |
hallowed be thy
Name, |
|
(2) |
thy kingdom
come, |
|
(3) |
thy will be
done, |
|
|
on Earth as it is in
Heaven. |
|
(4) |
Give us this day our
daily bread; |
|
(5) |
and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; |
|
(6) |
And lead us not into
temptation, |
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(7) |
but deliver us from
evil. |
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Amen. |
The Hail Mary
(Ave
María)
On
each of the next three small beads, pray a Hail Mary for an increase in Faith,
Hope, and Charity.
|
HAIL,
Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among 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. Amen. |
The Glory
Be (Glória
Patri)
On the last single bead, pray the Glory Be.
|
GLORY
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. |
The Circlet of
Beads
The traditional Rosary has fifteen
mysteries, and, in his method, Saint Louis Marie de Montfort added a prayer
to Christ for a specific spiritual gift associated with each
mystery.
| • |
On the Medallion, call to mind
the first mystery and its related spiritual gift. Read the related Bible
passage, if you wish—see below. Pray the Our
Father. |
| • |
Pray a Hail Mary on each of the
decade (group of ten) beads while meditating on the mystery. |
| • |
Pray the Glory Be on the
space after the last bead of each decade. (This prayer is optional; Saint
Louie de Montfort is credited with introducing its use in the Rosary.)
|
| • |
Following the Glory Be,
many persons say the prayer given by the Blessed Virgin to the children at
Fátima [1]:
“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of hell.
Please lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy
mercy.” |
| • |
Following the Fátima prayer,
say, according to the method of Saint Louis de Montfort, “May the grace
of the mystery of the [current mystery] come down into our
souls.” |
| • |
On the single bead, call to mind
the next mystery and pray the Our Father. |
| • |
Continue through the remaining
beads. |
The Joyful
Mysteries (Mondays,Thursdays, and
the Sundays of Advent) |
|
The Annunciation |
Profound
Humility |
|
The Visitation |
Charity towards
our neighbor |
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The Nativity |
Detachment from
the things of the world, contempt of riches, and love of poverty |
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The Presentation in the
Temple |
Purity of body
and soul |
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The Finding of Our Lord in the
Temple
|
True
wisdom |
The Sorrowful
Mysteries (Tuesdays, Fridays, and
the Sundays during Lent) |
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The Agony in the
Garden |
Contrition for
our sins |
|
The Scourging |
The grace of
mortifying our senses |
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The Crowning with
Thorns |
Contempt of the
world |
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The Carrying of the
Cross |
Patience in bearing
our crosses |
|
The Crucifixion
|
The conversion
of sinners, the perseverance of the just, and relief of the souls in
purgatory
|
The Glorious
Mysteries (Wednesdays, Saturdays,
and the Sundays outside Advent and Lent) |
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The Resurrection |
Love of God and
fervor in His service |
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The Ascension |
Ardent desire
for heaven, our true home |
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The Descent of the Holy Spirit
(Pentecost) |
The coming of
the Holy Spirit into our souls |
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The Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin into Heaven |
Tender devotion
for so good a mother |
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The Coronation of the Blessed
Virgin as Queen of Heaven |
Perseverance
in grace and a crown of glory hereafter |
The Luminous
Mysteries
In his document
Rosarium
Virginis Mariae (October 2002), Pope John Paul II suggested five
new mysteries. These mysteries are entirely
optional.[2]
If they are used, then the suggested schedule is as follows: The Joyful Mysteries
on Mondays and Saturdays; the Sorrowful Mysteries on
Tuesdays and Fridays; the Luminous Mysteries on
Thursdays; and the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays and
Sundays. |
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The Baptism in the
Jordan |
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The Self-manifestation at the
Wedding of Cana |
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The Proclamation of the Kingdom
of God |
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The Transfiguration |
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The Institution of the
Eucharist
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Optional Concluding
Prayers
Hail, Holy Queen
(Salve Regina) |
|
HAIL,
Holy Queen,
Mother of Mercy;
hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope!
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us:
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary!
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises
of Christ. |
Prayer to
Saint Joseph, during the month of October
In 1889, Pope Leo
XIII wrote in
Quamquam
pluries, “We prescribe that during the whole month of October,
at the recitation of the Rosary, for which We have already legislated, a
prayer to St. Joseph be added, the formula of which will be sent with this
letter, and that this custom should be repeated every year.”
|
|
TO thee,
O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and having implored
the help of thy thrice-holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also.
By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the immaculate Virgin Mother
of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the
Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look
graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His
Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength.
Most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus
Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption;
mercifully assist us from heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict
with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child
Jesus from the supreme peril of His life, so now defend God’s Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all
under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example
and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death,
and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in heaven.
Amen. |
Distractions
During the Rosary
Our minds will always tend to
wander when praying the Rosary. So, when you encounter
distracting thoughts during the meditations,
you can do several things:
• |
First, take a brief mental
“time out” and do what you can to recognize the content of your
“wanderings.” |
• |
Then look at the distractions
psychologically and seek to explain to yourself why they are happening
just at that moment and what they are telling you about the current
difficulties and challenges you face in your life. |
• |
Then look into the mystery of
the Rosary in which these distractions occur for guidance in addressing your
current challenges. |
• |
Finally, say to yourself,
“It’s OK. I don’t have to repeat the prayer until I get it
perfect. My intent is love; I don’t have to be perfect to love, and
I don’t have to be perfect in not having intruding thoughts. So let’s
return to the prayer.” |
Scriptural
References
THE
JOYFUL MYSTERIES
|
The
Annunciation |
Profound
Humility |
Luke
1:26-38
 n the sixth
month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the
virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored
one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was
said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said
to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name
Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and
the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and He will rule
over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no
end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this
be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her
in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the Child to be born will be called
Holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived
a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called
barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid
of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
|
The
Visitation |
Charity towards
our neighbor |
Luke 1:39-45,
56
 uring
those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town
of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and
said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of
your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what
was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” . . . Mary
remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
|
The
Nativity |
Detachment from
the things of the world, contempt of riches, and love of poverty |
Luke
2:1-7
n those days
a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all
went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee
from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called
Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled
with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there, the time came for her
to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn Son. She wrapped Him
in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room
for them in the inn.
|
The Presentation
in the Temple |
Purity of body
and soul |
Luke 2:22,
25-35
 hen the days
were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they
took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the
Lord. . . .
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name
was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of
Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by
the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah
of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents
brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to
Him, he took Him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master,
you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes
have seen Your salvation, which You prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for Your people
Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed
at what was said about Him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His
mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many
in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a
sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed.”
|
The Finding of
Our Lord in the Temple
|
True
wisdom |
Luke
2:41-51
 ach year His
parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when He was twelve
years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed
its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but His parents did not know it. Thinking that He was in the caravan, they
journeyed for a day and looked for Him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for Him.
After three days they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them
questions, and all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and
His answers.
When His parents saw Him, they were astonished,
and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your
father and I have been looking for You with great anxiety.”
And He said to them, “Why were you looking
for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what He said to them. He went down with
them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept
all these things in her heart.
|
THE
LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
|
The Baptism in
the Jordan |
|
Matthew
3:13-17
 hen Jesus
came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried
to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You are
coming to me?”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it
now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then
He allowed him.
After Jesus was baptized, He came up from the
water and behold, the heavens were opened (for Him), and He saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon Him. And a voice came from
the heavens, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased.”
|
The
Self-manifestation at the Wedding of Cana |
|
John
2:1-11
 n the third
day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus
said to Him, “They have no wine." (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman,
how does your concern affect Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother
said to the servers, “Do whatever He tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for
Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus
told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the
brim. Then He told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the
headwaiter.” So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that
had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers
who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said
to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have
drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until
now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of His signs
in Cana in Galilee and so revealed His glory, and His disciples began to
believe in Him.
|
The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of God |
|
Matthew
5:1-12
hen He saw
the crowds, He went up the mountain, and after He had sat down, His disciples
came to Him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind
of evil against you (falsely) because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.”.
|
The
Transfiguration |
|
Matthew
17:1-9
 fter
six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a
high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; His face
shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses
and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with Him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord,
it is good that we are here. If You wish, I will make three tents here, one
for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright
cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to
Him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise,
and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they
saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son
of Man has been raised from the dead.”
|
The Institution
of the Eucharist
|
|
Matthew
26:26-28
hile
they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving
it to His disciples said, “Take and eat; this is My body.” Then
He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from
it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which will be shed
on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”
|
THE
SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
|
The Agony in
the Garden |
Contrition for
our sins |
Mark
14:32-42
hen
they came to a place named Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Sit
here while I pray.” He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began
to be troubled and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is sorrowful
even to death. Remain here and keep watch.”
He advanced a little and fell to the ground
and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by Him; He said,
“Abba, Father, all things are possible to You. Take this cup away from
Me, but not what I will but what You will.”
When He returned He found them asleep. He said
to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but
the flesh is weak.”
Withdrawing again, He prayed, saying the same
thing.
Then He returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer
Him.
He returned a third time and said to them,
“Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour
has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up,
let us go. See, My betrayer is at hand.”.
|
The
Scourging |
The grace of
mortifying our senses |
Mark
15:6-15
 ow
on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom
they requested. A man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rebels
who had committed murder in a rebellion.
The crowd came forward and began to ask him
to do for them as he was accustomed.
Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release
to you the king of the Jews?” For he knew that it was out of envy that
the chief priests had handed Him over.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd
to have him release Barabbas for them instead.
Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then
what (do you want) me to do with (the man you call) the king of the
Jews?”
They shouted again, “Crucify Him.”
Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has
He done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify Him.”
So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released
Barabbas to them and . . . he had Jesus
scourged. . . .
|
The Crowning
with Thorns |
Contempt of the
world |
Matthew
27:27-30
hen
the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered
the whole cohort around Him. They stripped off His clothes and threw a scarlet
military cloak about Him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on
His head, and a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they mocked
Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
They spat upon Him and took the reed and kept
striking Him on the head.
|
The Carrying
of the Cross |
Patience in bearing
our crosses |
John 19:4, 12,
14-17
nce
more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing Him out
to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in
Him.” . . .
[B]ut the Jews cried out, “If you release
Him, you are not a Friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes
Caesar.” . . .
And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your
king!”
They cried out, “Take Him away, take Him
away! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify
your king?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no
king but Caesar.”
Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross Himself He went out to what is
called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.
|
The
Crucifixion
|
The conversion
of sinners, the perseverance of the just, and relief of the souls in
purgatory
|
Isaiah
53:11b-12
hrough
his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
Because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
And he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.
1 Corinthians 1:18-19, 22-25, 27-31
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I
will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will
set aside.” For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we
proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God
and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Rather, God chose
the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the
world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God. It is due to Him that you
are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Whoever
boasts, should boast in the Lord.”
|
THE
GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
|
The
Resurrection |
Love of God and
fervor in His service |
Luke
24:1-8
t
daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but
when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed
their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living
one among the dead? He is not here, but He has been raised. Remember what
He said to you while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be
handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”
And they remembered His words.
|
The
Ascension |
Ardent desire
for heaven, our true home |
Luke
24:46-53
nd
He said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and
rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness
of sins, would be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from
Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And (behold) I am sending the
promise of My Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed
with power from on high.” Then He led them (out) as far as Bethany,
raised His hands, and blessed them.
As He blessed them He parted from them and
was taken up to heaven. They did Him homage and then returned to Jerusalem
with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.
|
The Descent of
the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) |
The coming of
the Holy Spirit into our souls |
Acts 1:13-14,
2:1-4
hen
they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying,
Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these
devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and
Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. . . .
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which
they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and
came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them
to proclaim.
|
The Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven |
Tender devotion
for so good a mother |
Pope Pius XII,
The Apostolic Constitution
Munificentissimus
Deus: 21, 22, 38.
 t.
John Damascene, an outstanding herald of this traditional truth, spoke out
with powerful eloquence when he compared the bodily Assumption of the loving
Mother of God with her other prerogatives and privileges. “It was fitting
that she, who had kept her virginity intact in childbirth, should keep her
own body free from all corruption even after death. It was fitting that she,
who had carried the Creator as a child at her breast, should dwell in the
divine tabernacles. It was fitting that the spouse, whom the Father had taken
to Himself, should live in the divine mansions. It was fitting that she,
who had seen her Son upon the cross and who had thereby received into her
heart the sword of sorrow which she had escaped in the act of giving birth
to Him, should look upon Him as He sits with the Father. It was fitting that
God’s Mother should possess what belongs to her Son, and that she should
be honored by every creature as the Mother and as the handmaid of
God.”
These words of St. John Damascene agree perfectly
with what others have taught on this same subject. Statements no less clear
and accurate are to be found in sermons delivered by Fathers of an earlier
time or of the same period, particularly on the occasion of this
feast. . . .
All these proofs and considerations of the
holy Fathers and the theologians are based upon the Sacred Writings as their
ultimate foundation. These set the loving Mother of God as it were before
our very eyes as most intimately joined to her divine Son and as always sharing
His lot. Consequently it seems impossible to think of her, the one who conceived
Christ, brought Him forth, nursed Him with her milk, held Him in her arms,
and clasped Him to her breast, as being apart from Him in body, even though
not in soul, after this earthly life. Since our Redeemer is the Son of Mary,
He could not do otherwise, as the perfect observer of God’s law, than
to honor, not only His eternal Father, but also His most beloved Mother.
And, since it was within His power to grant her this great honor, to preserve
her from the corruption of the tomb, we must believe that He really acted
in this way.
|
The Coronation
of the Blessed Virgin as Queen of Heaven |
Perseverance
in grace and a crown of glory hereafter |
Pope Pius XII,
The Apostolic Constitution
Munificentissimus
Deus: 41, 42.
 ence
the revered Mother of God, from all eternity joined in a hidden way with
Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination, immaculate in
her conception, a most perfect virgin in her divine motherhood, the noble
associate of the divine Redeemer who has won a complete triumph over sin
and its consequences, finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her
privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the
tomb and that, like her own Son, having overcome death, she might be taken
up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits in splendor
at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages.
And so we may hope that those who meditate
upon the glorious example Mary offers us may be more and more convinced of
the value of a human life entirely devoted to carrying out the heavenly
Father’s will and to bringing good to others. Thus, while the illusory
teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these
teachings threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives
of men by exciting discord among them, in this magnificent way all may see
clearly to what a lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined.
|
Notes.
1. In 1917, the children of Fátima reported
that Our Lady told them to add this prayer to the Rosary, after each decade,
following the Gloria Patri. Here is the Portuguese original:
|
O MEU
Jesus,
perdoai-nos e livrai nos do fogo do inferno;
levai as alminhas todas para o Céu,
principalmente aquelas que mais precisarem. |
And here it
is in Latin:
|
O MI
Jesu,
dimítte nobis débita nostra, líbera nos ab igne
inférni,
conduc in cælum omnes ánimas,
præsértim illas quæ máxime índigent
misericórdia tua. |
2. Nor are they all congruent with the underlying
spiritual focus of the Rosary. The Rosary recounts mysteries with which the
Blessed Virgin was intimately involved. (Even though she was not physically
present with Jesus in His agony in the garden of Gethsemane, tradition has
asserted that she was spiritually united with Him in His sufferings.) In
contrast, at the Baptism of Jesus, God the Father proclaimed to the onlookers
that Jesus is His Son; the Blessed Virgin had no need to hear this, for she
already knew very well by Whom Jesus was conceived. Similarly, Jesus intended
the Transfiguration to be an awesome mystery to which the Apostles could
cling during the emotional devastation of the Crucifixion; the Blessed Virgin
had no need of such reassurance.
Therefore, in place of the Baptism in the Jordan, I
personally meditate on the mystery of the Adoration by the Three Kings,
and in place of the Transfiguration, I meditate on the mystery of the
Raising of Lazarus from the Dead.
Healing
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Gloat
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Anger
&
Forgiveness
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Falling
Families,
Fallen Children
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Disasters
and
trauma
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Psychology
from the
Heart
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Stopping
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Catholic
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A Catholic Perspective
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A Catholic Explanation
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When They Tell You
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Read
an excerpt from a letter by Saint Augustine
