Rosary Mysteries during Advent

[Mattye]

A question came up today in regards to the choice of the rosary mysteries for the weekdays during Advent. I thought I had read somewhere that during Advent, it is permissible to pray the Joyful Mysteries everyday in anticipation of Christ’s birth/return. Does anyone know where I might find published information regarding this tradition?

 

[Gertabelle]

A question came up today in regards to the choice of the rosary mysteries for the weekdays during Advent. I thought I had read somewhere that during Advent, it is permissible to pray the Joyful Mysteries everyday in anticipation of Christ’s birth/return. Does anyone know where I might find published information regarding this tradition?

There is no official Church teaching on which mysteries the faithful must pray on any given day in any given liturgical season. That being said, many people will pray the Joyful mysteries throughout Advent, and the Sorrowful throughout Lent.

As a private devotion, it is permissible to pray the rosary in the way that draws you deeper into the Faith.

 

[pianistclare]

There is no official Church teaching on which mysteries the faithful must pray on any given day in any given liturgical season. That being said, many people will pray the Joyful mysteries throughout Advent, and the Sorrowful throughout Lent.

As a private devotion, it is permissible to pray the rosary in the way that draws you deeper into the Faith.

Yup. That’s what I do.

 

[Todd977]

Though not exactly what you are looking for, Catholicism for Dummies by Rev. John Trijilio, Jr., PhD, ThD, and Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, PhD, on page 271, does say that the Luminous Mysteries may be said during the Advent season and the Joyful Mysteries during the whole Christmas season.

I would not be surprised that, before the introduction of the Luminous Mysteries in 2002, the Joyful Mysteries were said during the Advent season.

 

[SyroMalankara]

A question came up today in regards to the choice of the rosary mysteries for the weekdays during Advent. I thought I had read somewhere that during Advent, it is permissible to pray the Joyful Mysteries everyday in anticipation of Christ’s birth/return. Does anyone know where I might find published information regarding this tradition?

Can I be a bit contrarian and suggest praying the Maronite/Syriac Divine Office in detail, instead of the Rosary for Advent and the especially Great Lent/Holy Week? The Syriac Tradition actually discourages praying to the pure Holy Mother of God and saints during Holy Week to focus on the passion of our Lord. Liturgically, prayers to saints and priestly “peace” is omitted. The little preChristmas Lent is less severe so strictly a private Latin Rosary isn’t verbotten but I’d rather go with the spirit of the Great Lent to less severe degree.

 

[malphono]

Since the Rosary is a private devotion, (particularly so in the Oriental & Eastern Churches), there really are no hard and fast rules.

 

[Vico]

A question came up today in regards to the choice of the rosary mysteries for the weekdays during Advent. I thought I had read somewhere that during Advent, it is permissible to pray the Joyful Mysteries everyday in anticipation of Christ’s birth/return. Does anyone know where I might find published information regarding this tradition?

The Joyful Mystery of the Rosary fit the best here. But it is not so common in Byzantine on Sunday morning because then there may be Matins or Orthros followed by the Proscomedia (Liturgy of Preparation ) and the Divine Liturgy. Many Latin Catholics attend in our Byzantine Catholic parish and some have started the Rosary on occassion.

Rejoice O Virgin Theotokos!
Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb.
For you have borne Christ
The Saviour of our souls.

The Byzantine Cantor Institute has that “the cycle of winter feasts that are sometimes called the “Feasts of Light”. These feasts – the Nativity, Theophany, and Meeting - have a common focus: the coming of the Messiah into the world, and the beginning of His work of redemption.”

Byzantine Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast) begins November 14 evening and is 40 days. Activities in preparation for Nativity are fast and abstinence and perhaps a weekly Emmanual Moleben.

December 20-24 are the hymns of the services sing of the Theotokos as she approaches Bethlehem. December 24 is celebrated as a solemn vigil and singing of the Royal Hours recounting the prophecies of the Messiah and the Gospel accounts of the events surrounding His birth.

Then the public ministry of Jesus is celebrated, which began with his baptism in the Jordan River, and we commemorate it with the feast of Theophany celebrated on January 6. Later we commemorate the first thirty years of the life of our Lord Jesus which were hidden with the feast of the Meeting on February 2.