Last year we looked at the history of the rosary and its biblical foundations. By way of reminding ourselves…
We said among other things that, it has a long history associating with St. Dominic de Guzman and Blessed Alan de la Roche. These two were the original promoters of this devotion.
Pope Pius V officially approved this Rosary in 1569. In 1573, he established the FEAST OF THE ROSARY in thanksgiving for the victory of Christian Europe over Muslim forces in the battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571.
The Rosary is a summary of the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as the descent of the Holy Spirit, Assumption of our Lady and Her Coronation in heaven as Queen of Heaven and Earth.
The Rosary is centred on Jesus Christ as revealed in both his humanity and divinity. It is a prayer in honor of Mary as she rightly said “Henceforth all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48)
Structurally, the Rosary is a string of beads or knots constructed so as to guide the holder through praying the Rosary prayer. The loop part has 5 sections, separated by larger beads, each containing 10 small beads. Hanging from the loop is a string of 5 beads and a cross.
The Rosary consists of a set number of specific prayers. First are the introductory prayers: one Apostles’ Creed (Credo) , one Our Father (the Pater Noster or the Lord’s Prayer), three Hail Mary’s ( Ave’s ), one Glory Be (Gloria Patri).
In Sum, the Rosary is a centuries-old way of praying. "Medieval piety in the West developed the prayer of the Rosary as a popular substitute for the Liturgy of the Hours." Although obviously Marian in character, it is Christ-centered in its essentials. It is a meditation on the the lives of both our Lord and the Virgin Mary."
The Rosary is not just a prayer but a meditation on the mysteries of our salvation.
To be Continued…
Mary, Mother of all Christians...Pray for us
Compiled by:
Eric K. Dagbui
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