The Rosary

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EzraJacob

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I wanted to ask a question about the Rosary. I just read that the Luminous Mysteries are optional. Something I never knew and was never told. That being said, I believe I will be only saying the original three sets, Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious. To keep with tradition and what seems to have more meaning, 150 Ave Maria’s as 150 Psalms.

So I just wanted to know what is your view of the Luminous Mysteries and if you say them or not.
 
I suppose it depends on whose opinions you value most…
how-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com/luminous-mystery-rosary.html

Pope John Paul II felt that it was important to add these mysteries to the history of the rosary because there was a gap between the childhood of Jesus that is meditated upon during the Joyful Mysteries and the suffering and death of Jesus that is meditated upon during the Sorrowful Mysteries. **
** He also added them to revive interest in the Rosary which in his words illustrate an “ocean of joy and of light, of suffering and of glory” in the lives of Jesus and Mary. **
** The Luminous Mystery Rosary is as follows…
 
Yes, I understand this. But why destroy the original way? For centuries is was only the three sets which correlated to the Psalms. It seems to take a bit of meaning out of it. I see the original three to lack nothing. I mean maybe once in awhile Ill say the Luminous Mysteries. But I kind of fancy the traditional way. Especially since lately I have adopted the practice of saying all three sets of mysteries at once.
 
Greetings EzraJacob, et al,

Yes; the Luminous Mysteries are optional and always have been. Do not feel bad for not knowing this; unfortunately, catechesis is not what it used to be. 😦

Personally, I only say the “Classic Three” myself; primarily because three represents the Trinity and because those are the Mysteries Our Lady gave to us herself when she presented the gift of the Rosary to St. Dominic, (as Tradition has it).

Here is an interesting side note: A complete Traditional Rosary, (15 decades) consists of 153 Hail Mary’s.

Where else does the number 153 come up?
  1. JOHN 21- there were 153 fish in the net.
  2. The Hail Mary in Latin is comprised of 153 letters, (and Latin was the Official language of the Church when Our Lady gave us the Rosary, {we had already moved away from Aramaic and Greek}).
  3. In the Four Gospels- Jesus ministered to 153 different individuals.
  4. Fatima- The time between Our Lady’s first appearance on May 13 and the Miracle of the Sun on October 13, 1917, is 153 days.
(Observations #2 through #4 were taken from various internet sources; I have not personally sat down to empirically prove or disprove these observations).

I am not going to say the Luminous Mysteries are bad; however, being a Tridentine RC; I do favor Tradition, so I stick with the Classic Three myself. 🙂

Oremus pro invicem,

Sean C. :knight1:​

**Please recite the Rosary daily. Each bead; devoutly said; is an eternal rose presented to Jesus and Our Blessed Mother.

Be sure to read The Secret of the Rosary by Saint Louis de Montfort. It will change your life.

When you are in a tight spot; pray to St. Jude and have faith. **
 
Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps the Blessed Virgin Mary only gave three of the Mysteries because she foresaw that Pope John Paul II would start the Luminous Mysteries? Not everything in history is fixed in stone.
 
How is adding the luminous mysteries a destruction of anything? Especially since it is optional?

I think if we make it to heaven by the skin of our teeth, we will find out the true genious of the man John Paul II and how blessed we are to have had him as the Holy Father.

-Tim-
 
It’s important to note the the Rosary itself is optional. The idea of “destruction” of it, is kinda naive. I say that in all charity. 🙂

Then it’s important to note that thru history there are many versions of the Rosary, including today.

I would encourage anyone who wants to understand the full history of the Rosary and all of its versions to do a search on JREducation’s posts. He did a comprehensive explanation (probably not exhautive though) on the Rosary.

(edited to add link)

I found the post I was thinking of. Scroll down on the page and find his post. There is the “common” version that most of us are familiar with, but it’s only one version of the Rosary)

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=574379&page=3
 
Marie5890 said:
It’s important to note the the Rosary itself is optional. The idea of “destruction” of it, is kinda naive. I say that in all charity. 🙂

Then it’s important to note that thru history there are many versions of the Rosary, including today.

I would encourage anyone who wants to understand the full history of the Rosary and all of its versions to do a search on JREducation’s posts. He did a comprehensive explanation (probably not exhautive though) on the Rosary.

(edited to add link)

I found the post I was thinking of. Scroll down on the page and find his post. There is the “common” version that most of us are familiar with, but it’s only one version of the Rosary)

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=574379&page=3
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I never knew this thank you. I always like catching post by JR. Always so informative 🙂
 
TimothyH said:
How is adding the luminous mysteries a destruction of anything? Especially since it is optional?

I think if we make it to heaven by the skin of our teeth, we will find out the true genious of the man John Paul II and how blessed we are to have had him as the Holy Father.

-Tim-
Click to expand...
Do not get me wrong. I respect and honor Blessed John Paul II. And I hope to see him become a Saint someday.

I just am not a fan of the Luminous Mysteries.
 
Marie5890 said:
Then it’s important to note that thru history there are many versions of the Rosary, including today.
Click to expand...
Indeed, in fact if you look closely at a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes (an apparition that did a great deal to boost the popularity of the rosary), you will notice her rosary has six decades on it, as was common in that region in St. Bernadette’s time.

Back to the OP’s query, I do pray the luminous mysteries on Thursdays, but I do not consider them part of the ‘official devotion’. This is in harmony with what JPII’s encyclical on the luminous mysteries actually says, and that is why they are optional. If at some point I tire of them, I will stop saying them. But for now, I like how they make the daily cycle align more neatly, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th luminous mysteries in particular are subjects I doubt I’ll ever get tired of meditating.
 
I do not say nor have I ever said the Luminous mysteries. I stick with the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious. Many of my friends say the Luminous and that OK with me but I don’t join them. They respect my position and I respect theirs.
 
TuAutem said:
Back to the OP’s query, I do pray the luminous mysteries on Thursdays, but I do not consider them part of the ‘official devotion’.
Click to expand...
From what I gather, ‘official devotion’ varies greatly. In fact, ‘official’ when regarding the rosary doesn’t really mean anything in terms of the Magesterium, right?
 
The hymnology for vespers in the Eastern Rite are beautiful and rich for the Baptism of Jesus and for the Transfiguration. So much richness, worthy of meditation. Many times before JPll gave us the Luminous Mysteries did I meditate on these events of Christ, with the Rosary. I was delighted and joyful to have this wonderful set of mysteries added to the Rosary!

During Lent, I’ve sat with scripture and started at the Last Supper, saying one line of scripture, one Hail Mary, until my beads were done. Mark the spot with a sticky and continue on from there the next day. Doing that really puts some meat on the bones for my meditations. The betrayal of Judas with a kiss, the denial of Peter, the glance between Christ and Peter where Peter went and sobbed bitterly. Adding scripture is so rich, and I welcome the Luminous Mysteries because it’s my time with Christ on the lap of His Mother, walking through the events of his life. Isn’t that the important part?
 
I_Thirst said:
From what I gather, ‘official devotion’ varies greatly. In fact, ‘official’ when regarding the rosary doesn’t really mean anything in terms of the Magesterium, right?
Click to expand...
True, ‘devotion’ technically means any form of prayer that is not part of the ‘liturgy’, which is the official prayer of the Church. So yes, pretty much by definition, if it’s a devotion, it’s ‘unofficial’ in that sense; it’s not the Divine Office.

But insofar as there have been papal encyclicals dedicated to the rosary, and indulgences granted for its recitation, there is a certain amount of ‘officialness’ about it: There can’t very well be an indulgence for praying the rosary without there being some official definition of what a rosary is, I should think. (That said, it must not be *too *strictly defined, since the Dominicans, who have always been the biggest promoters of the rosary, pray it differently from everyone else.)
 
TuAutem said:
True, ‘devotion’ technically means any form of prayer that is not part of the ‘liturgy’, which is the official prayer of the Church. So yes, pretty much by definition, if it’s a devotion, it’s ‘unofficial’ in that sense; it’s not the Divine Office.

But insofar as there have been papal encyclicals dedicated to the rosary, and indulgences granted for its recitation, there is a certain amount of ‘officialness’ about it: There can’t very well be an indulgence for praying the rosary without there being some official definition of what a rosary is, I should think. (That said, it must not be *too *strictly defined, since the Dominicans, who have always been the biggest promoters of the rosary, pray it differently from everyone else.)
Click to expand...
Thanks for your detailed answer. 🙂
 
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