The Rosary - Michaelmas 2011

The feast of the Holy Rosary was established by Pope Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto, October 7, 1571. The victory was attributed to the help of the Mother of God whose aid was invoked by praying the Rosary.

Thus the month of October is called the month of the Rosary, as Pope Benedict XVI recalled in his Angelus message October 10, 2010.

“We are thus invited”, Pope Benedict said, “to let ourselves be guided by Mary in this ancient and ever new prayer, which is especially dear to her because it leads directly to Jesus, contemplated in His mysteries of salvation: joyous, luminous, sorrowful and glorious”. He stressed that “the Rosary is a biblical prayer, completely interwoven with Sacred Scripture. It is a prayer of the heart in which the repetition of the ‘Hail Mary’ orients one’s thoughts and affections to Christ…. It is a prayer that helps us to meditate on the Word of God, and to assimilate Eucharistic Communion, modeling ourselves on Mary, who cherished in her heart all Jesus did and said and His presence itself”.

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these mysteries during the prayers of the Rosary on certain days. The Mysteries of the Rosary below, with biblical references and spiritual fruits listed, are from the WFF Rosary site: wf-f.org/Rosary.html).

The Mysteries of the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of Mind & Body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience]

The Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light (Thursdays)
1. Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the Gift of Faith]
2. Jesus’ self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus’ Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, I Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Our Eucharistic Lord]

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God’s Will Be Done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the Senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in Our Heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient Bearing of Trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays)
1. The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]