by Don Harrington

The Rosary - Homily 10/26/97

As we near the end of the month dedicated to the Rosary we should take time to reflect on this precious gift we have been given. This ultimate prayer to Our Lady. The Rosary is certainly one of the great Sacramentals in the practice of our Catholic faith. Again and again down through the centuries Catholics have been urged to pray the Rosary.

The practice of using a string of beads as an aid to meditation and prayer is an ancient one. Even today it crosses many cultures. We find them, for example among Brahmins, Buddhists, and Moslems. And even in the Greek so called: "worry beads".

Early monks in the Christian church wishing to say a certain number of prayers counted them by moving small pebbles or stones from one container to another. In the Eastern church they wove cords of knots and this is the form that still prevails among Byzantine Christians. Later, strings of beads were used for the counting. In fact the word bead comes from the Old English word "bede" which originally was a word meaning prayer. Before the thirteenth century literate monks and nuns chanted their 150 Psalms daily; and devout, but illiterate lay people recited 150 Paternosters...Our Fathers.......... on their strings of beads. Gradually, the Hail Mary began to replace the Our Fathers.

During the middle ages the Rosary, which we know today as the Dominican Rosary, evolved. Its name is from the Latin, Rosarium, or rose Garden. It's traditionally held that Our Lady gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic Guzman in 1206 as a form of Gospel preaching and popular prayer, although history seems to belie that tradition. Nevertheless, for more than seven centuries, saying the Rosary has been one of the most popular devotional practices in the church. Its combination of vocal and mental prayer have made it a prime tool for contemplation

Of course in Dominic's time only the first half of the Hail Mary was said; and it was called: "The Angelic Salutation" i.e.: the "Hail Mary". The words the Angel Gabriel used when he announced that Mary would become, by the grace of God, and the action of the Holy Spirit, the Mother of Jesus; and the words of Elizabeth at the Visitation. Both taken from the gospel of Luke chapter 1, verses 28 and 42. The last half of the prayer didn't come into use until the Reformation when St. Bernardine of Sienna introduced the devotional words seeking Mary's intercession. So the first half is a prayer of praise, the second half a prayer of Petition.

Although prayer beads had been popular before Dominic's time, he and his friars quickly adopted the rosary as an excellent way to teach the mysteries of Christianity to a largely illiterate European population. In 1470 Blessed Alan of Rupe founded the first Rosary confraternity and really launched the Dominican order as the foremost missionaries of the Rosary.

But the Rosary is more than just saying the prayers. It is also, and most importantly, a means of meditating on the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious mysteries. The meditations on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary serve as reminders of incidents in the lives of Jesus and Mary. And they contain not only the obvious title, but deeper lessons for the Christian life. Lessons which need to be rediscovered and reabsorbed over and over, for a more perfect imitation of Jesus and Mary. Thirteen of the mysteries come from incidents in the new testament. One, the Assumption of Mary into heaven, comes from sacred tradition. The fifteenth, the crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven, is thought to be derived from images in the book of Revelation.

Popes throughout history have loved the Rosary. Not a single Pope in the last four hundred years has failed to urge devotion to the Rosary. Pius XI dedicated the entire month of October to the Rosary. And this is why we have the banner on our altar during this month. His predecessor, Pope St. Pius the X said: "Of all the prayers ... the Rosary is the most beautiful in Graces; of all the prayers, it is the one most pleasing to the Virgin Mary."

Here at St. Cecilia's we have one group that is devoted to the Rosary in a very special way. They are the Rosary makers, six or eight people who come together to construct Rosaries. They make them for missions in Africa and Mexico. They are given to street people in Seattle through places like Matt Talbot and the Lazarus Center. And they've been sent to our troops in Bosnia. How many have they made?  Over one thousand. This is a busy group. And they are starting again in about two weeks. If you are interested in helping, give Adele Peterson a call.

We're all familiar with the traditional Rosary, but there are many different kinds. Here's a Ring Rosary. It has a cross, and ten little raised dots denoting one decade of Hail Marys. You can wear it and turn it as you count the prayers.

This is a replica of an Irish Penal Rosary. It was used during the dark years of Irish history when religious objects were forbidden to Catholics. It's single decade could be better hidden from the occupying British.

At Lourdes, Our Lady told St. Bernadette to pray many Rosaries. At Fatima, Mary told the children to pray the Rosary often. And since Fatima the prayer taught by Mary to the children has increasingly been added to each decade. It reads simply: "Oh, my Jesus forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in greatest need."

Mary has made fifteen promises to those who are devoted to her special prayer. Among them: "The soul who has recourse to me through the Rosary shall not perish"; another: "True servants of my Rosary shall enjoy great glory in Heaven"; and: "whatever you shall ask through the Rosary, you shall obtain." And there are twelve more.

Because of the intercession of Virgin Mary, we have an undeniable incentive to pray the Rosary. The Rosary nourishes our Faith, it fosters Hope, and it increases our Love--love for Our Lord, and for his Blessed Mother.