Calling Rosary Experts -- Need Advice

[RainingRoses]

I pray the Rosary every day, 5 Mysteries per day, and utilize all 20. (So, I follow the Rosarium Virginis Mariae schedule.)

I’ve recently become interested in incorporating both the Seven Sorrows of Mary and the Seven Joys of Mary (Franciscan Crown) into my prayer life – for reasons of tradition and variety, I guess. There’s going to be a large overlap, though, if I continue saying the traditional Rosary – especially with the Joyful Mysteries/Franciscan Crown. So, what to do? Does anyone utilize all three or do something else?

Personally, I kind of like the idea of replacing the traditional 5 Joyful Mysteries with the Franciscans’ 7, especially because the Franciscans leave out the Presentation (which doesn’t seem very “joyful” to me – in fact, with a change of focus, it’s one of the Seven Sorrows).

All advice welcome. Thanks!

 

[Scoobyshme]

I pray the Rosary every day, 5 Mysteries per day, and utilize all 20. (So, I follow the Rosarium Virginis Mariae schedule.)

I’ve recently become interested in incorporating both the Seven Sorrows of Mary and the Seven Joys of Mary (Franciscan Crown) into my prayer life – for reasons of tradition and variety, I guess. There’s going to be a large overlap, though, if I continue saying the traditional Rosary – especially with the Joyful Mysteries/Franciscan Crown. So, what to do? Does anyone utilize all three or do something else?

Personally, I kind of like the idea of replacing the traditional 5 Joyful Mysteries with the Franciscans’ 7, especially because the Franciscans leave out the Presentation (which doesn’t seem very “joyful” to me – in fact, with a change of focus, it’s one of the Seven Sorrows).

All advice welcome. Thanks!

Well, take this for what it’s worth, but here’s my thoughts…

There are no planes in the spiritual life. At any moment, we are either getting better, or we are getting worse. As Bishop Sheen says, we either swim against the current, or we float downstream. Dead bodies float downstream.

Living things were meant to grow. Our soul and our spirituality were meant to grow. And the more we grow, the closer we get to Christ, the more we are willing to give.

So, why limit yourself to just the regular Rosary? Throw the other one in as a bonus! Kind of like lifting weights. The more you life, the stronger you get, the more you can lift. The more faithful you are to your spiritual practices, the more you can do.

And while you’re at it, I would appreciate you keeping me in your prayers, too.

God bless!

 

[HCC]

, especially because the Franciscans leave out the Presentation (which doesn’t seem very “joyful” to me – in fact, with a change of focus, it’s one of the Seven Sorrows).

All advice welcome. Thanks!

Hi RainingRoses,

Just a note to better understand what was going on at the Presentation of Our Lord…according to Jewish Law, the first born male must be set aside, consecrated in a special way to God’s service. This is done the same day as their circumcision, which to us just sounds painful, but to the Orthodox Jewish world (which in Jesus’ time was everyone) nothing is more sacred or joyful. In fact, I recently attended such an event over the summer. The festivities begin the Friday night after the boy is born. The family hosts a lavish dinner, with lots of singing and dancing. Then 8 days after the birth the child is presented to God to be consecrated in a special way to the Lord’s service. The baby was put on a platter with lots of jewels and gold strewn all about him, as offerings from various people to be brought with the child. Then the child was circumcised which was a solemn moment. This was followed by an elaborate, festive lunch, again with lots of singing and all the male members of the family and the rabbi got up to give a little homily on the Torah portion of that week and on the mystery of the occasion. In the Jewish world this is a very great, joyous and festive occasion to present your first born to the Lord.

Also, the prophecy of Simeon is very joyful. It had been promised to him that he wouldn’t die until he saw the long awaited messiah. Yes, he said a sword would pierce Our Lady’s heart, so technically that was a bittersweet occasion, but one could argue all the events in Our Lord’s life were bittersweet.

Just thought that might aid you in your meditating on that mystery. Experiencing it first hand has deepened my appreciation for the 4th Joyful Mystery.

 

[RainingRoses]

Also, the prophecy of Simeon is very joyful. It had been promised to him that he wouldn’t die until he saw the long awaited messiah. Yes, he said a sword would pierce Our Lady’s heart, so technically that was a bittersweet occasion, but one could argue all the events in Our Lord’s life were bittersweet.

Just thought that might aid you in your meditating on that mystery. Experiencing it first hand has deepened my appreciation for the 4th Joyful Mystery.

Thanks for the very colorful description of the ceremony. On that note, having just finished the Holy Father’s book, Jesus of Nazareth, I’ve come to appreciate just how critical it is to see the historical Jesus in the proper context – basically, as a Jew – and how deeply that context influenced the way in which He brought to us the Kingdom of God.

With respect to the portion of your reply that I quote above, I did have a certain understanding of how/why the occasion is considered joyful. (For all the reasons that you describe with much specificity.) But, in my thinking and meditation about it, Simeon’s prophesy has always floated in like a very dark cloud over the whole event – such that I have difficulty considering it, on the whole, at all joyful. Sure, I can certainly imagine how overjoyed Simeon must have been! But, as you describe, this was meant to be a happy occasion – probably infinitely more so for the young Holy Family that I think generally understood (but not too much more) its role in raising our Savior. Wouldn’t the day have been at least highly tarnished, if not utterly ruined, by the prediction of the future rise and fall of many in Israel, the baby Jesus’s ultimate role as a contradiction, and the BVM’s own devastation? It’s very hard for me to believe that a celebration anything like you describe could have followed that news. At the same time, it’s truly wonderful to contemplate the whole event. I do like the term “bittersweet” here. The Mysteries didn’t become the Mysteries just by accident

 

[Wesley7]

Keep a small book or phamplet that has the instructions in it.

 

[HCC]

Thanks for the very colorful description of the ceremony. On that note, having just finished the Holy Father’s book, Jesus of Nazareth, I’ve come to appreciate just how critical it is to see the historical Jesus in the proper context – basically, as a Jew – and how deeply that context influenced the way in which He brought to us the Kingdom of God.

With respect to the portion of your reply that I quote above, I did have a certain understanding of how/why the occasion is considered joyful. (For all the reasons that you describe with much specificity.) But, in my thinking and meditation about it, Simeon’s prophesy has always floated in like a very dark cloud over the whole event – such that I have difficulty considering it, on the whole, at all joyful. Sure, I can certainly imagine how overjoyed Simeon must have been! But, as you describe, this was meant to be a happy occasion – probably infinitely more so for the young Holy Family that I think generally understood (but not too much more) its role in raising our Savior. Wouldn’t the day have been at least highly tarnished, if not utterly ruined, by the prediction of the future rise and fall of many in Israel, the baby Jesus’s ultimate role as a contradiction, and the BVM’s own devastation? It’s very hard for me to believe that a celebration anything like you describe could have followed that news. At the same time, it’s truly wonderful to contemplate the whole event. I do like the term “bittersweet” here. The Mysteries didn’t become the Mysteries just by accident

Well, remember that the people who were present at Our Lord’s Presentation, were on a level of holiness never achieved again, even by the greatest of saints. Their level and depth of understanding of these mysteries is something we cannot comprehend.

A number of years ago, I was driving home after hearing a sermon on suffering. It was a pretty intense sermon about our need to unite with Christ, taking up our cross and that we will suffer in this life. I was a little shaken and pondered all of this as I drove home. Then it dawned on me, how blessed we are that the Church tells us in no uncertain terms that we are meant to suffer in this life. That when suffering, disappointments and sometimes serious tragedy comes we know that in uniting it with the suffering of Our Blessed Lord, we can bring about the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls.

This knowledge makes suffering bearable and even joyful. Our Blessed Mother must have known the beauty of suffering on a very deep level. After all, it doesn’t say, “Mary broke down and wept,” rather it says, “Mary pondered all of these things in her heart.”