"She reacheth therefore from end to end mightily, and ordereth all
things sweetly."--Wisdom viii, 1.
The disposition of the heart is in prayer of more consequence than the
manner of expression. Yet an appropriate form of prayer is helpful in
avoiding distraction and in inducing devotion. Our Divine Saviour
taught His disciples to make use of a special form of prayer, the "Our
Father."
The form of the Rosary helps appreciably in rendering the Rosary the
great prayer it is. The Rosary has been aptly called the "lay
breviary." For many centuries the faithful joined in the reciting of
the breviary. As late as in the eleventh century St. Peter Damian
urgently exhorted the faithful to participate in the ecclesiastical
"hours" of prayer. And when gradually participation in the
ecclesiastical prayer ceased, Divine Providence supplied the Rosary to
take for the laity the place of the breviary. It may thus properly be
called the "lay breviary." In fact it reminds of the breviary of
priests, for it contains verbal prayer and meditation, and the hundred
and fifty "Hail Marys" of the Rosary correspond to the hundred and
fifty psalms of the breviary.
Let us now consider how appropriate the form of the Rosary is, and how
it renders the Rosary a perfect prayer.
The form makes the Rosary both an excellent devotion and a perfect
prayer. Prayer is the first duty of all men. It is an article of faith
that no man can work out his salvation without prayer. The real essence
of prayer consists in the union of vocal prayer with meditation, or
interior prayer. The true prayer is a conversation, or intercourse, of
man with God. The combination of meditating with vocal prayer is an
excellent means of participating in Divine grace. Meditation makes us
realize our needs, the faults which we should lay aside, and the
virtues which we must acquire. Sin makes man blind, meditation opens
his eyes. Vocal prayer alone is not of itself a protection from sin,
daily experience teaches this. There are many who say vocal prayers and
yet fall into grievous sin and remain in that state. The reason is
because they omit the contemplative prayer. Those who combine vocal
prayer with meditation do not easily incur God's disfavor, or if they
do they at once resolve to amend and they lose no time in returning to
God. A combination of meditation and vocal prayer is therefore
calculated to preserve us from sin, and to rescue us from that state,
if unfortunately we find ourselves in it. It is also the most effective
means for us to reach Christian perfection and eternal salvation.
We should therefore combine with vocal prayers proper meditation if we
desire our prayers to be more perfect. When we say the "Our Father," or
the "Hail Mary," we should not merely utter the words with our lips,
but should contemplate the purport of the words, lifting the mind to
God, to whom we are praying, otherwise our prayer will be merely a
prayer of the lips. Remember the words of our Divine Saviour: "These
people glorify Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."
In saying the Rosary we combine vocal prayer with meditation upon the
Sacred Mysteries. Where there is time for it a longer meditation is
very beneficial and of great spiritual advantage. But if time is
lacking, or when the Rosary is said in common with others, one should
at least at every decade briefly put the mystery before the mind.
Pondering upon the mysteries whilst saying the prayers is ordinarily
requisite to gain the indulgences attached to the Rosary.
The Rosary in its union of vocal prayer and meditation is a perfect
prayer. The parts of the Rosary so appropriately succeed one another as
to form a beautiful chain of prayers. We begin the prayers of the
Rosary with the sign of the Cross, with which the Church commences all
her prayers. This sign reminds us of the Most Holy Trinity in whose
Name we were baptized, and to whom we belong absolutely, through
creation, redemption, and sanctification. By making the sign of the
Cross we place ourselves vividly in the presence of God, to whom we are
praying, and awaken within us acts of faith, reverence, love, and
confidence. Through the sign of the Cross there are dedicated to God in
prayer the thoughts of the mind, the words of our lips, and the
sentiments and feelings of the heart. Most assuredly the devout signing
ourselves with the Cross is an excellent introduction and preparation
for prayer.
Then follows most appropriately the Apostle's Creed. It declares more
fully that which the sign of the Cross indicates. The twelve articles
of the Creed contain that which we must firmly believe if we would be
saved.
The Creed most properly opens the Rosary because it is the basis of our
faith. The Joyful Rosary expounds the article of faith: "Conceived by
the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary." The Sorrowful Rosary is a
commemoration of the article: "Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, died and was buried." The glorious is founded upon the
article: "Rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven and sitteth at
the right hand of God." Thus the entire Rosary is in truth a prayer of
faith, and draws from the faith its force and efficacy.
After the Creed follows "Glory be to the Father," which is repeated at
every decade of the Rosary as it is also said in the ecclesiastical
"hours" after every Psalm. To give glory to God is our chief duty, it
must be our intention in all our words and works. To give glory to God
must also be our principal intention in saying the Rosary. As we repeat
this doxology at the end of each decade, we should again raise up our
mind and heart to God with fresh sentiments of faith, love, and
confidence. This preserves us from distraction and gives new zeal to
our prayers.
After the first "Glory be to God" we say one Our Father and three Hail
Marys for the increase of the three divine virtues. The three divine
virtues are the foundation of the right disposition which we must have,
in order truly and worthily to honor God. St. Augustine says: "God is
to be glorified through faith, hope, and charity. They are the corner-
stone of the Christian life." And the Apostle says: "The just man
liveth by faith" (Heb. x, 38), meaning that man lays the foundation for
his justification through faith, receives the life of justification
from faith, perseveres in this just life through faith, perfects this
life through the light and the power of faith whence hope and charity
proceed.
To promote this kind of life is the aim of the devotion of the Rosary.
The more pious and virtuous we become, the more we glorify God and
assure our temporal and eternal happiness.
These prayers are the introduction and preparation to the prayer of the
Rosary, which combines meditation of the Mysteries with the recital of
the Our Fathers and Hail Marys. The Rosary is a prayer indeed for the
glory of God and for honoring and invoking Mary the Mother of God. The
Mysteries of the Rosary contain that which God has done in order to
glorify Himself and to redeem, sanctify, and save mankind. At the same
time these mysteries from the lives of Jesus and Mary are fraught with
touching examples for our own lives. In the devout contemplation of
these mysteries, and in the application of the same to our own
religious moral life, lie the gist of the prayers of the Rosary and the
chief fruits which we should draw from this saving devotion.
Certain critics of the Rosary cannot understand why the Hail Mary is so
frequently repeated. But in the repetition lies the strength of the
prayer, for holy perseverance is expressed by this repetition. The
psalmist in the one hundredth and thirty-fifth Psalm repeats twenty-six
times the words: "For his mercy endureth forever." And the heavenly
hosts proclaim their "Thrice Holy" for ever and ever.
We are perfectly right, therefore, in declaring that the Rosary is a
thoroughly practical prayer, corresponding exactly to the necessities
and peculiarities of our minds and hearts.
We might challenge the world to name a more beautiful, a more excellent
prayer. The Church therefore numbers the Rosary amongst her most
efficacious prayers, and she has endowed it richly with indulgences to
induce the faithful to say it frequently.
XI. THE EXCELLENCE OF THE ROSARY ON ACCOUNT OF THE MYSTERIES
COMMEMORATED
"Unless thy law had been my meditation, I had then perhaps perished in
my abjection."--Ps. cxviii, 92.
Dear Brethren: In our former considerations of the Rosary we have
discussed the prayers of which the Rosary is composed. The second chief
part of the Rosary is the fifteen Mysteries. They are called Mysteries
because the truths which they contain are hidden and cannot be
comprehended except by Divine revelation. These Mysteries and their
significance will be the subject of our discourse to-day. It is the
spirit and intention of the Church that these Mysteries be properly
meditated upon while saying the Rosary. This we do by reflecting upon
them, by applying to ourselves the lesson drawn! from them, and by
resolving to amend our life or to perfect it according to this lesson.
I. The consideration of the Divine truths of salvation is absolutely
necessary for all mankind, for no one can be saved who is not mindful
of his salvation. We cannot attain happiness without serving and loving
God. Yet he knows not God who does not give any thought to things
divine. In order to learn to know God and to make progress in this
knowledge we must contemplate the Divine attributes and perfections,
and the works which proclaim them. The whole universe is preaching to
us God's omnipotence, wisdom, and love. The heavens tell of God's
glory, and the firmament proclaims the works of His hands. The tiny
flowers in field and meadow, the birds in the tree, the stars in the
sky, they all remind us of God and of His Omnipotence and Goodness. We
ought not regard these things thoughtlessly, they give us food for
salutary thought and meditation. They exhort us to show love and
gratitude towards God, the merciful Father who has created all these
things for us.
God so loved the world as to sacrifice for it His only begotten Son.
The Son so loved Mankind that He became Man, suffered for us and died
upon the Cross, in order to ransom us from sin and ruin. We learn to
know not only the malice, horror, and guilt of sin, but also the
infinite mercy and love of God by pondering on the works of God.
In the work of sanctification, specially ascribed to the Holy Ghost, we
perceive fresh wonders of God's love. The Holy Ghost cleanses us from
our sins and transforms us into children of God. He consoles us with
heavenly consolation, and leads us with His hand, conducting us to
Christian perfection and to life eternal. By considering these divine
works, often and earnestly, we learn to know God, and become desirous
of loving Him and serving Him faithfully. To make progress in the
knowledge of these divine things is the sacred duty of a Christian. But
in order to be saved it is not sufficient to know God; we must also
know ourselves. For this reason St. Augustine besought God: "Let me
know myself, and let me know Thee." We must learn to know our faults in
order to correct them, and our evil inclinations so as to fight against
them. We must ascertain what virtues we are lacking in so that we may
strive to acquire them. We must understand the gravity of our sins to
repent of them sincerely. Finally, we must understand our inability to
acquire merit, so that we may seek from God grace, strength, and help.
It is necessary also that we understand clearly the duties which we
have to perform.
If we were profoundly impressed by the excellence of the Divine Laws,
of the magnificent rewards that will be the share of those who observe
the Commandments, and of the terrible chastisement awaiting the
transgressor, who would ever presume to transgress these Divine
Commandments? And what is calculated to impress us with these truths if
not serious reflection upon them?
The royal Prophet exclaims: "Blessed are they that search his
testimonies; that seek him with their whole heart" (Ps. cxviii, 2).
Meditation has drawn numberless sinners from the depths of sin and
protected untold numbers against sin. It is also, as St. Ignatius
remarks, the shortest way to Christian perfection. Hence St. Teresa
implores those who have not yet begun this meditative prayer, to do so
in the name of God, and through the love of Christ, and no longer
deprive themselves of this most precious and necessary good.
Objection may be made by some that they cannot meditate, that they have
not the ability to do so. The reply is that for meditation no skill or
science is required. When you reflect upon an article of faith, upon a
commandment of God, upon sin or virtue, upon God, your duties, and then
awaken acts of faith, hope and charity, contrition, and thanksgiving,
followed by resolutions of amendment, petitions to God for His grace
and assistance to keep these resolutions, you have made a very good
meditation. This much any one can do.
Another objection may be advanced, that one has no time for it. A man
living in the world has many business cares, but then the salvation of
the soul is the chief business of man. Our Divine Saviour has said that
one thing only is necessary, and this one thing is solicitude for the
soul's welfare. David had the cares of governing a great kingdom, and
yet he said: "O how have I loved thy law, O Lord, it is my meditation
all the day." (Ps. cxviii, 97.) No, my brethren, time and ability are
not lacking. If anything is lacking, it is the good will. Therefore let
us all make the firm resolution to give in the future due consideration
to Christian meditation so as to place our soul's welfare in safety.
II. The Mysteries of the Rosary offer us an easy method and material
for our meditation. They give us a brief sketch of the life, passion,
and death of Jesus Christ and the sorrows and joys of our Mother Mary.
The fifteen Mysteries are divided into three parts: the Joyful, the
Sorrowful, and the Glorious Mysteries.
The joyful Mysteries of the Rosary contain events from the youthful
life of Jesus. These are the Annunciation, the Visitation of Mary, the
Nativity of Christ, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, and the
Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. These five Mysteries comprise
the foundation of the work of the redemption. With all of them is
intimately connected Mary, the Blessed Mother of the Redeemer.
These five Mysteries set before us the example of Jesus and Mary. To
make of us children of God, the Son of God became incarnate, and He is
for us the model of a child of God. Mary, His holy Mother, is in all
things His faithful likeness and thus the model for us in the imitation
of Christ.
The sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary remind us of the work of
redemption, through the passion and death of Jesus Christ. He begins
His passion in the garden of Olives in an agony of sorrow. By the
scourging He did penance for our sins of the flesh, and by the crowning
with thorns, for our sins of the mind. Then He bore His Cross to the
place of execution, and with it the sins of the world, in order to
efface our debt upon this Cross. These Mysteries teach us how to
partake of the merits of the redemption. The consideration of our sins,
of their malice and guilt, and a sincere contrition for them is the
first step. The second is the discipline of our flesh and its evil
desires by temperance, chastity, and mortification. The third step is
the discipline of the spirit by humble obedience towards God and His
holy law. The fourth is the patient bearing of our cross, and the last
is that we die completely to sin, and live only for Christ.
The glorious Mysteries of the Rosary tell us of the glorious fruits of
the redemption. These are a new life of grace, resurrection from the
dead, and admittance into heaven. They speak to us also of the mission
of the Holy Ghost, whose work is to sanctify us. In Mary's assumption
into Heaven we behold the most sublime work of the Holy Spirit, _viz_.,
her holy life here upon earth and her coronation in Heaven, the reward
of this holy life for all eternity. All these things are calculated to
induce in us a devout Christian life. We behold what God has prepared
for those who love Him, who live for Him, who work and suffer and die
in His grace and love.
Thus the fifteen Mysteries give us a short summary of the lives of
Jesus and Mary. The events selected are best calculated to awaken our
faith, to strengthen our hope, to inflame our hearts with love for
Jesus and Mary, and to animate us to imitate the lives of Jesus and
Mary.
These Mysteries thus offer most excellent material for our meditations.
They are so simple that every believing Christian may understand them,
yet so profound and full of meaning that those most learned and
advanced in the spiritual life may find therein ample food for
edification. The public life of Jesus and Mary pass, as it were, before
our eyes.
How fortunate did the Apostles esteem themselves to have known Jesus by
sight, to have listened to the teachings from His own lips, to have
gazed and meditated upon His holy life! We may draw the same profit
from the diligent and devout meditation of the Mysteries of the Rosary.
If we daily say the Rosary, and picture the mysteries to ourselves,
what advantage may we not draw from them for our life! It will be for
us a daily intercourse and association with Jesus and Mary that will
enlighten our minds, elevate and ennoble our hearts, and powerfully
invite our will to a true life of virtue. The Rosary is, therefore, an
admirable means to lead a truly Christian life, and an admirable
means, consequently to attain eternal salvation. Let us all be zealous
to avail ourselves of it and the Rosary will become a bond uniting us
intimately with Jesus and Mary, and conducting us to the participation
of their glory and happiness for all eternity. Amen.