The Deacon's Dialogue

On the occasion of the celebration of 24 years as Pope, John Paul II wrote a Pastoral Letter ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE; The Rosary Of The Virgin Mary. In the introduction to his letter, the pope, stating that he has set his Pontificate "within the daily rhythm of the Rosary," declared the year from October 2002 to October 2003 as the Year of the Rosary. Calling the Rosary "an exquisitely contemplative prayer," the Holy Father urges all the faithful to pray to Christ with Mary by daily praying the Rosary. Calling the Rosary a "prayer for peace" he also insists the Rosary is a "prayer of and for the family." Recognizing the special difficulties families are struggling though in the twenty-first century, the Pope urges families to come together in the age old tradition of praying the Rosary. Through the Rosary, families are strengthened and learn again to communicate with each other. "Individual family members, in turning their eyes towards Jesus, also regain the ability to look one another in the eye, to communicate, to show solidarity, to forgive one another and to see their covenant of love renewed in the Spirit of God.

Calling the Rosary a "contemplative prayer," the Pope gives a lesson on the proper way to pray the Rosary, calling on those praying the Rosary to allow for silence as they begin each mystery, "to pause and focus one’s attention for a suitable period of time on the mystery concerned, before moving into vocal prayer." Through the Rosary we learn Christ from Mary by sharing in the memories of Jesus that Mary kept in her heart. She was certainly most present in the events of the Joyful Mysteries, (the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel, the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, and the finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple when He was twelve.) She cared for and watch the young Jesus grow into adulthood. She suffered with Christ as he underwent His Passion which we meditate on in the Sorrowful mysteries. (The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowning with Thorns, The Carrying of the Cross, The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.) And she was certainly present with her resurrected Son and His Church as the Glorious Mysteries of God’s grace unfold. (The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Coming of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption of Mary, The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.)

The Pope took this occasion to open up new mysteries for those who pray the Rosary. He has added the key events of Jesus’ public ministry as a new set of Mysteries he calls The Mysteries of Light. (The Luminous Mysteries) These Mysteries reveal the Kingdom Of God in the person of Jesus. They show His divine nature in His actions and Words. In these Mysteries, Jesus is revealed as the Light of the World that dispels all our darkness. The five Luminous Mysteries are; The Baptism in the Jordan, The Manifestation of Jesus at the Wedding in Cana, His Proclamation of the Kingdom of God with His Call to Conversion, The Transfiguration, and The Institution of the Eucharist. The Holy Father calls on the faithful to pray these Mysteries on Thursdays, moving the tradition Thursday Mysteries, the Joyful Mysteries, to Saturday. Thus, in praying the Rosary daily one will pray the Joyful Mysteries on Mondays and Saturdays, the Luminous Mysteries on Thursdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The Rosary begins with the Apostles’ Creed, followed by an Our Father, then three Hail Mary’s for an increase in faith, hope, and charity. This is the introduction to the Rosary. It is followed by the five mysteries of the day, one for each decade (set of ten beads) of the Rosary. Before each decade the Mystery is called to mind and a moment of contemplation is followed by an Our Father and ten Hail Mary’s. Each decade concludes with the Glory Be To The Father... The Rosary is concluded by praying the Hail Holy Queen, or another suitable Marian prayer such as the Litany of Loreto.

The Pope concludes his letter by calling on those who lead the faithful in the Church to pray the Rosary and to promote it with conviction. To all the faithful he invites us to "rediscovery the Rosary in the light of the Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives.