The Pondering Heart

8/3/2019 The Pondering Heart

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THE PONDERING HEARTA ROSARY FOR ALL CHRISTIANS

COMPILED BY

Samuel L. Edwards, M.Div


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Creed

Our Father

Hail, Mary

(3x)

Trisagion &Our Father

Hail, Mary

(10x)

Glory be .

Fatima Prayer

CollectResponsory

Concluding

Devotions

Glory be

Fatima Prayer

Collect

Responsory

The Rosary


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THE PONDERING HEARTA Rosary for all Christians

COMPILERS PREFACE

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered

them in her heart. [Luke 2:19]

There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of rosary manuals in print and in

use today, so the question might naturally arise, Who needs one more? It is

not my purpose to supply some perceived deficiency in any of these other

manuals. Rather, this work comes as an offering out of my own experience

in the use of this ancient method of prayer that may be of help to other

Christians, particularly in the promotion of the perfect unity of the Church

outward and visible as well as inward and spiritual for which our Lord

prays (cf. John 17). In the end, common prayer is the most effective way of

participating in the accomplishment of that divine imperative.

Additionally, this work is presented as an example of how the Anglican

Patrimony (referred to by Pope Benedict XVI in his landmark 2009

Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus) might be incorporated into

the devotional treasury of the Catholic Church.

In my younger days, before it became so abundantly evident that the

Anglican heritage has little hope of survival and vitality while it maintains its

separation from the spring of life that proceeds from the rock from which it

was hewn, I was much taken with my mentor Bishop Robert Terwilligers

description of the Anglican Church as an ecumenical movement in

miniature. For all the nearly four decades that elapsed from my departure

from Methodism until my reception into full communion with the Catholic

Church, I identified with the high church wing of that tradition. It has been

a notable characteristic of that variety of Anglicanism that it frequently has

enriched its own incomparable literary, musical, artistic, pastoral and

liturgical tradition which includes the Authorized Version of the Bible and

The Book of Common Prayer with material drawn from Christian traditionsother than the Anglican. These have ranged from Reformed and Lutheran

hymnody to Orthodox iconography to Wesleyan homiletic and Pentecostal

fervor, all modified and disciplined to the extent necessary to preserve

doctrinal integrity, ensure decency and good order, and guarantee that in allthings Christ be glorified which (and notincidentally) are concerns which

have directed and dominated the universal pastorates both of Pope Benedict

and of his immediate predecessor Blessed John Paul II.

This manual is intended for use both in corporate settings where a

number of Christians are praying the rosary together and in private


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devotions. To give it the widest appeal, it includes some material designed

to enable full participation by Christians of good will who nevertheless may

not as yet be persuaded of the full practical implications asserted by

Catholics concerning the doctrine of the Church as the Communion of Saints

which they all confess be they Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, Reformed,

and/or Pentecostal.

An Introduction to the Rosary

Although both Eastern Christianity and non-Christian religions have

methods of prayer that use knotted ropes or chains of beads, the exact origins

of the Western rosary devotion are lost to history. Its most common and

widely-known form dates at least as far back as the high Middle Ages

(roughly the 12th through the 14th centuries).

In that time as well as in succeeding ages, the rosary provided its users,

both great and small, and especially the lay people, with a means not only of

internalizing the substance of the faith through prayerful reflection on its

central mysteries, but of participating in the daily prayer of the church. In

Western Europe at the time of its emergence, this participation had becomedifficult for all but a few. This was due not only to the complexity of the

monastic office and the general incomprehensibility of the Latin tongue to

those outside the clerical estate, but also to the time-consuming demands ofdaily subsistence.

The rosary gave the ordinary devout layman a way to practice the

presence of God, to fortify his awareness of his own membership in the

communion of saints, and to approach the fulfillment of the apostolic

counsel of constant prayer. It still does.

The term rosary itself is used to refer both to a set of beads used in a

method of prayer that involves the whole person body, mind, spirit and tothe form of prayer itself. The person using this devotion simultaneouslyhandles the beads, articulates the words of the prayers, meditates on the

mysteries, and offers to God his hearts aspirations (and those of the others

for whom he prays).

Technically speaking, the rosary is a sacramental. This means that it is

a material item which, depending on the interior disposition of the person

who makes use of it and Gods assessment of that persons particular needs,

may serve as a channel of divine grace of Gods sharing his life with us.

That the rosary remains in widespread use after centuries is testimony

enough that it is a sacramental upon which the Lord has chosen to confer a

notable efficacy. (A sacramental should be distinguished from a sacrament

proper: While a sacramental may be a means of grace, a sacrament

unfailingly brings the divine life to the recipient. Whether he receives it to


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his benefit or to his hurt depends on his hearts disposition; thathe receives

it is an objective fact.)

The standard rosary (sometimes called the Dominican rosary, after Saint

Dominic, and illustrated on page 4) consists of a crucifix, a medallion, andfifty-nine beads on a chain or cord. These items are arranged and normally

used as follows:

v First, (following the invocation of the Holy Trinity whichproperly begins all acts of prayer) on the crucifix, the Apostles

Creed is said.

v Then comes a solitary bead, on which the Lords Prayer (Paternoster) is recited.

v After this are three beads, on each of which the Hail Mary (AveMaria) prayer is said.

v On the chain between the third bead and the next solitary beadis said the lesser Doxology (Gloria Patri Glory be to the

Father, etc.) It is quite common nowadays for this to be

followed by the so-called Fatima Prayer, about which more

later. (This first exercise functions as a sort of primer for the

work ahead, and need not be repeated if any or all of the othersets of mysteries are to be used in the same session.)

v After this, the name of the first mystery to be meditated on isdeclared. This is followed by another Our Father on the

solitary bead, then ten Hail Marys (whence comes the term

decade in reference to the rosary), the Gloria Patri, and the

Fatima prayer This pattern is repeated for the remaining

mysteries.

After meditation on the mysteries is completed, a final act of prayer andpraise may be made while holding the medallion, or the first solitary bead in

the pendant chain after the medallion. Probably the most common of theseamong Roman Catholics and Anglicans who use the rosary is the hymn

Salve Regina, Mater misericordia (Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy).

Frequently, as well, an additional Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria Patri

are said on the three small beads of the pendant chain for the intentions of

the Pope, and all is concluded with an Act of Contrition on the solitary bead

above the crucifix. In other places, it is customary to recite a litany (mostcommonly the Litany of Loretto) at the conclusion of the recitation.

However, as is true of other details of this form of prayer, there is no strict

requirement that these items, or indeed any other, be used at this point.

During its history, there have been as many as fifty mysteries proposed

for contemplation using the standard rosary. Until recently, by long-standing


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custom the number had been fixed at fifteen, organized in three sets of five:

Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious. In his 2002 Apostolic LetterRosarium

Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II proposed the addition of an additional set

of five mysteries focusing on the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ

and called the Luminous Mysteries, and that recommendation has been

quickly and widely implemented.

The pattern for this manual

What is offered for use here is based on the classical standard rosary, but

incorporates a number of enhancements. The first of these is the preference

for the use of the Ecumenical Creed (more commonly called the Nicene

Creed) in place of the Apostles Creed. It seemed to me that it would be

appropriate in a rosary devotion aimed at drawing Christians into prayerfulunity to use the only creed which is common to classical Christians, East and

West. The text used is essentially the English translation ofThe Book of

Common Prayer, with three small differences: (1) the phrase, was

incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary is replaced with, was

incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, which is a more literaltranslation of the Greek original; (2) the Western insertion and the Son in

reference to the procession of the Holy Ghost (the so-called fil ioque) is

included parenthetically since its inclusion lacks the consent of those EasternChristian Churches not at present in communion with the Holy See; and (3)

the word holy in reference to the Church (which had been omitted due to

one of the few scholarly errors committed by the compilers of the Anglican

Prayer Book) is restored to its ancient place.

Another practice followed here, and noted as early as 1974, is the

practice of insertion between the two halves of the Ave Maria prayer a

reference to the mystery being contemplated in a given decade. [cf. Pope

Paul VI, Apostolic ExhortationMarialis Cultus, section 46.] Those offeredhere are suggestions and I in no way represent them as definitive. It is also

worth noting that some who pray the Rosary using the insertions add the

second half of theAve prayer only after the tenth bead in the decade.

A notable variation used here involves the provision for substituting for

the words of the second half of theAve Maria (Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death) the words, Son of

Mary, Son of the living God, have mercy upon us sinners, now and in the

hour of our death.

This modification, originally suggested by the great Anglican theologian

Austin Farrer in his booklet on the rosary [The Rosary, (London: The

Church Literature Association, 1958), p. 9.], is useful not only to make this

form of prayer more accessible to persons who may have conscientiousscruples about invoking the prayers of the saints (which Dr Farrer says that


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no Christian is obliged to do), but more importantly to emphasize the

role of Mary as one whose ministry above all is to present Christ to the

world whose sovereign Redeemer he is: In her own words which are the

last of her words Scripture records Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it

[John 2:5].

When combined with the reference specific to the mystery underconsideration, this form of the Ave Maria sets up a kind of continuous

rhythm (what might be called an ascetical ostinato) in which the focus of

the prayer is persistently shifted from the Handmaid of the Lord to the

Lord himself, which is exactly the pattern we see in the Virgins own life,

notably in the account of the wedding-feast at Cana (John 2:1-11).

It is also noteworthy that Dr Farrers suggested modification is clearly,and I suspect intentionally, reminiscent of the Jesus Prayer that is such a

characteristic component of Eastern Orthodox devotional life a fact which

further emphasizes the ecumenical aspirations connected with this present

undertaking.

Again in the interest of bringing Christians together in prayer, I have

provided (on pages 61 and 63) alternatives for the last two Glorious

Mysteries in the classical rosary. This is done so that Christians who, for

whatever reason, have some difficulty affirming the mysteries to which theyrefer (the doctrine of our Ladys bodily Assumption and the idea of her

being crowned by her Son as Queen of Heaven) may in good conscience

affirm the essential revealed truth represented by each of them: Namely,

Gods gathering of his Church to himself and his awarding of the crown of

life to all those who have fought the good fight, finished their course, and

kept the faith. It is especially incumbent upon any person organizing or

leading a corporate recitation of the Rosary using this Manual to remember

and observe the rule of charity here, as in all things.

I have taken the liberty of inserting the Trisagion a commonTrinitarian invocation in the Eastern Orthodox tradition at the beginning of

each mystery. This has no authority other than my own experience: I offer

it because I have found it helpful in refocusing on the central Mystery of

Communion which is the context in which all Christians pray and because I

think others might also find it so.

Suggested passages of Holy Scripture related to the mystery being

contemplated are included for optional use before each decade of Hail

Marys, as is Saint Catherine LaBoures prayer to Mary Immaculate (also

known as the Miraculous Medal prayer).


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This manual follows the practice of inserting the previously mentioned

Fatima prayer after each Gloria Patri. This is the prayer that was given by

the Lady of the Rosary to the three Portuguese children who testified to

having multiple visions of the Virgin in 1917 in the fields outside their

village of Fatima. Its content ought to be wholly unobjectionable to any

believer.

At the end of each mystery, I have included a collect that seems

appropriately to sum up the preceding meditation. Of the twenty-two

collects used, twelve are from the 1928 American Edition of The Book of

Common Prayer, two (one of which I have somewhat revised) are from the

1963 edition ofLesser Feasts and Fasts, four (one of which I have

augmented) are from The American Missal (1951), one is a conservatively

augmented version of a prayer of Episcopal Bishop Charles Henry Brent(which was also used in the 1979 revision of the American Book of Common

Prayer), and three are of my own composition. Also included at the end of

each mystery is a responsory appropriate to the set of mysteries being

contemplated.

For the concluding devotions on the medallion, I have given a choice ofcanticles and antiphons drawn from Scripture and the Churchs liturgical

tradition, which may be used as seems best.

Throughout, the classical English idiom is used. This means that the

Deity and his saints are addressed using the second person familiar forms

(thou, thee, and thine) rather than those second person formal forms

(you, you, yours) which, with the significant exception of love poetry,

have completely conquered modern English usage. In the context of prayer

amongst the members of the Christian family, a return to the older and more

intimate forms seems especially appropriate.

A personal postscript

The reader should understand that, while I have now entered into full

communion with the Roman Catholic Church, I learned the basics of the

Catholic and Christian Faith within the Anglican (which includes the

Methodist) tradition. This traditions nearly five centuries of structural

separation from the main body of Western Christians has been an

impoverishment to all parties, but I believe that even now this is in the

process of healing, thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit expressed in the

vision of a goodly number of leading Anglicans and the practical andprincipled generosity of the two most recent Bishops of Rome.

It is my hope that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is at the center of all these

mysteries, may richly bless each and all who, like his Virgin Mother, keep


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and ponder them in their hearts. If this work proves to be of help to that end,

then its compilers hopes for it will stand fulfilled.

Samuel L. Edwards

Waynesville, North Carolina

Feast of the Christ the King, [email protected]

http://ThePonderingHeart.net

ORGANIZING A CORPORATE ROSARY

As with any act of worship, it is important that the participants in a

corporate offering of the Rosary have a clear understanding of how it will bedone. The less the participant has to ask, What do I do next? the more

likely he is to enter into the spirit of worship and thus to be able to receive

the whatever blessing the Lord wishes to confer on him through the act.

The primary responsibility for making clear the pattern of the corporate

Rosary belongs to the person who organizes and (usually) leads it, subject to

the pastoral authority under whom he or she does so. The leader must planand make clearbefore this act of worship begins which options are going to

be used. While this is true of any corporate Rosary, it is especially important

when using The Pondering Heart, since this particular Rosary is aimed at

uniting in prayer Christians of diverse confessional traditions and allows for

a good number of options.

The first thing a leader must do is to accurately assess the general

character of the assembly which will gather for the Rosary. A group

composed entirely of Catholics (perhaps also including high-church

Anglicans and Methodists) will need to be planned for differently than oneincluding a wide range and representation of other confessional traditions.The aim is to foster the total unity of the Church, and this will be advanced

better by allowing for confessional sensitivities that do not involve the denial

of such foundational truths of the Faith as the Trinity and the Incarnation.

The principle that there should be unity in things essential, liberty in things

doubtful, and charity in all things should govern here as elsewhere.

As a guide to leaders, I here offer a list more or less sequential of the

decisions that will need to be made in planning for a corporate offering of

the Rosary using The Pondering Heart:

1. Intentions: If announced, decide whether the announcement is to bemade before the offering of the Rosary begins or after the

Preparatory Prayers. If particular intentions are to be offered in


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connection with individual mysteries, these should be announced at

the same point in each mystery, preferably immediately following

the announcement of the name of the mystery. (For example, The

Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar. Let us pray

for all who suffer injustice at the hands of those who are charged

with the administration of justice.)2. Decide which Creed is to be used: While TPHrecommends the

Nicene Creed, some groups may be better served by the Apostles

Creed.

3. Decide whether the Miraculous Medal prayer is to be used.4. Decide what form of the Hail Mary is to be used after the

insertion: (a.) traditional version (Holy Mary pray for us

sinners ), (b.) Austin Farrer version (Son of Mary) or (c.)early medieval version (nothing following the insertion, perhaps

with a. or b. after the last iteration).

5. Decide whether the insertion proper to the Mystery beingcontemplated is to be said by the leader alone or by the group as a

whole. If the latter, it will be best to have a printed copy of the

insertions available to the participants.

6. Decide whether the recommended Scripture passage for eachMystery is to be used and, if so, who is to read it. (If there is to be a

meditation, it is recommended that this either follow the Scripturereading or precede the Collect.)

7. Decide if the collects and the closing responsory are to be used.8. Concluding Devotions: Choose which canticle is to be used, if any,

and whether the Salve Regina will be used in addition to (or instead

of) the canticle.

9. Decide whether the concluding Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloriawill be used, and whether the Act of Contrition will follow.

If practicable, these decisions should be committed to paper for the

convenience of the other participants. In any case, they should be clearly

communicated in speech prior to the beginning of the offering of the Rosary.

Remember, not everyone is a visual learner: The faculty of hearing is at

least as important as that of sight, if not more so.

If the corporate offering of the Rosary is to become a regular feature of

the common worship of any given community of Christians, it should have a

predictable and regular format. Initially, it may be necessary to beta testvarious formats, but once the community is content with the form, it should

not be changed often nor without compelling cause. The reason for having

set forms of prayer is to enable people, having become familiar with them, to

get behind them, as it were, and enter into the richness of divine encounter

that they both signify and facilitate.


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THE PREPARATORY PRAYERSIf the recitation of the Rosary is made as an act of prayer for specific objects, these

may be declared here or before the collect that concludes the Preparatory Prayers.All make the Sign of the Cross with the crucifix, as the Leader begins,

In the Name of the FaXther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.

All say,

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heavenand earth, And of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of

Light, Very God of very God, Begotten, not made; Being of one

substance with the Father; By whom all things were made; Who for

us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was

incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, And was made

man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He

suffered and was buried; And the third day he rose again according

to the Scriptures: And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the

right hand of the Father; And he shall come again, with glory, to

judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no

end.And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and giver of Life,

Who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son]; Who with the

Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake

by the prophets. And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic

Church; I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; And I

look for the Resurrection of the dead; And the Life of the world to

come. Amen.

[On the first solitary bead, all pray:]

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily

bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass

against us. And lead us not into temptation, XBut deliver us from evil. For

thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

[On the first of the trio of beads is prayed, the Leader beginning,]

Hail Mary, full of grace: The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among

women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,

who giveth us faith.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Son of Mary, Son of the living God,

us sinners, now and in the hour of have mercy upon us sinners, now

our death. Amen. and in the hour of our death. Amen.


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[On the second bead:]



who is our hope.




[On the third bead:]



who loveth us with an everlasting love.




[On the chain:]

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: As it was in

the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O, my Jesus,forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell; and bring all

souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy. Amen.

Let us pray. O God, whose only-begotten Son, by his life, death, and

resurrection, hath purchased unto us the rewards of life eternal: Grant, we

beseech thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the faith, we [together

with those on behalf of whom we shall do so] may both imitate what they

contain and obtain what they promise, through the same thy Son, JesusChrist our Lord. Amen.

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE

HOLY ROSARY:

JOYFUL

LUMINOUS

SORROWFUL

GLORIOUS


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THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES

I. The Annunciation to our Lady

Holy God, Holy and Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One:

Have mercy upon us.

Luke 1:26-38

[On the first bead, all pray,]

Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]

O Mary, conceived without sin: Pray for us who haverecourse unto thee.

[On each of the following ten beads:]

Hail Mary, full of grace: The Lord is with thee. Blessed artthou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,

who took our flesh of thee.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into ourhearts: that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus

Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passionwe may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through

the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And the Word was made flesh :And dwelt among us.


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II. The Visitation of our Lady to Elizabeth

Holy God, Holy and Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One:Have mercy upon us.

Luke 1:39-56


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]

O Mary, conceived without sin: Pray for us who have

recourse unto thee.


Hail Mary, full of grace: The Lord is with thee. Blessed art

thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,

whose saints rejoice at his coming.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Son of Mary, Son of the living God,us sinners, now and in the hour of have mercy upon us sinners, now


[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. O Christ, our God Incarnate, whose virgin Motherwas blessed in bearing thee, but still more blessed in keeping

thy word: Grant us, who honour the exaltation of her lowliness,to follow the example of her devotion to thy will; who livest

and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost ever, one God,world without end. Amen.

And the Word was made flesh :

And dwelt among us.


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III. The Nativity of the Lord


Have mercy upon us.

Luke 2:1-21


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]


recourse unto thee.



who assumed our humanity

that we might share his divinity.



[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. Almighty God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a

pure virgin: Grant that we being regenerate, and made thychildren by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy

Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who livethand reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, worldwithout end. Amen.

And the Word was made flesh :And dwelt among us.


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IV. The Presentation in the Temple


Luke 2:22-40


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]





the light of the nations and the glory of his people Israel.



[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. Almighty and everliving God, we humbly beseechthy Majesty, that, as thy only-begotten Son was presented in the

temple in substance of our flesh, so we may be presented untothee with pure and clean hearts, by the same thy Son Jesus

Christ our Lord. Amen.


And dwelt among us.


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V. The Finding in the Temple


Have mercy upon us.

Luke 2:41-52


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]





who teacheth his elders wisdom.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, who art the power of God and

the wisdom of God: Grant that, whensoever we are bereft of thesense of thine abiding Presence, we may seek thee first in the

midst of thy holy Temple, and there receive the words of life forthy glory, our comfort, and the good of all thy holy Church;

who in unity with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest andreignest God, world without end. Amen.


And dwelt among us.

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THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES

I. The Baptism of the Lord


Have mercy upon us.

Matthew 3:13-17


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]

O Mary, conceived without sin: Pray for us who have recourseunto thee.



who fulfilleth all righteousness.




[On the chain:]


Let us pray. Almighty God, who at the baptism of thy blessed

Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan didst manifest his gloriousGodhead: Grant, we beseech thee, that the brightness of his

presence may shine in our hearts, and his glory be set forth in

our lives; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Light shineth in the darkness :

And the darkness hath not overcome it.


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II. The Wedding at Cana


John 2:1-11


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]





who rejoiceth both bridegroom and bride.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. Almighty and everliving God, whose Son JesusChrist is the first-fruits of the new creation: Grant that we,

being obedient to his word, may find in him the fulfillment ofall our occasions and so be fitted to share the wedding-feast of

his glorious kingdom; who liveth and reigneth with thee and theHoly Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Light shineth in the darkness :

And the darkness hath not overcome it.


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III. The Proclamation of the KingdomHoly God, Holy and Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One:

Have mercy upon us.

Matthew 7:24-29; 5:1-11; or 13:44-50


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]O Mary, conceived without sin: Pray for us who haverecourse unto thee.




who hath the words of eternal life.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, who hast exaltedthy beloved Son to be King over all worlds, and hast willed in

him to make all things new: Mercifully grant that the kindredsof the earth which are wounded and dispersed by sin may

speedily be knit together under his gracious sovereignty; wholiveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God,

world without end. Amen.

The Light shineth in the darkness :And the darkness hath not overcome it.


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IV. The Transfiguration of the Lord


Mark 9:2-8


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]





who fulfilleth the Law and the Prophets.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. O God, who on the mount didst reveal to chosenwitnesses thine only-begotten Son wonderfully transfigured, in

raiment white and glistering: Mercifully grant that we, beingdelivered from the disquietude of this world, may be permitted

to behold the King in his beauty, who with thee, O Father, andthee, O Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world

without end. Amen.



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V. The Institution of the Eucharist


Have mercy upon us.

1 Corinthians 11:-23-29


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]




whose flesh is food indeed

and whose blood is drink indeed.


us sinners, now and in the hour of have mercy upon us sinners, nowour death. Amen. and in the hour of our death. Amen.

[On the chain:]


Let us pray. Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night

before he suffered, did institute the Sacrament of his Body andBlood: Mercifully grant that we may thankfully receive the

same in remembrance of him, who in these holy mysteriesgiveth us a pledge of life eternal; the same thy Son Jesus Christ

our Lord, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the HolySpirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.


x


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THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES

I. The Agony in the GardenHoly God, Holy and Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One:

Have mercy upon us.

Mark 14:32-42


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]O Mary, conceived without sin: Pray for us who have

recourse unto thee.




who for us drank the bitter cup.Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Son of Mary, Son of the living God,



[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. O God, by whom the meek are guided injudgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant

us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask whatthou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of Wisdom may

save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may seelight, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus

Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Bloodhast redeemed us :

Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.


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II. The Scourging at the Pillar


Have mercy upon us.

Matthew 27:20-26


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]


recourse unto thee.



by whose stripes we are healed.



[On the chain:]


Let us pray. O Lord God, whose blessed Son, our Saviour, gavehis back to the smiters and hid not his face from shame: Grantus grace to take joyfully the sufferings of the present time, in

full assurance of the glory that shall be revealed; through thesame thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood

hast redeemed us :Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.


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III. The Crowning with Thorns


Matthew 27:27-31


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]





who endured a crown of thorns

to win for us a crown of glory.Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Son of Mary, Son of the living God,



[On the chain:]


Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who for our salvation didst

lay aside thy crown of glory to accept a crown of thorns:Mercifully grant that we may so live by the grace thy suffering

hath secured that, when thou comest to be our Judge, we may beplaced on thy right hand and receive the crown of life that

fadeth not away; who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livestand reignest one God, world without end. Amen.




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IV. The Bearing of the CrossHoly God, Holy and Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One:

Have mercy upon us.

Hebrews 12:1-4


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]O Mary, conceived without sin: Pray for us who haverecourse unto thee.




who for us endured the cross, despising the shame.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not upto joy but first he suffered pain and entered not into glory before

he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we walking in the wayof the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and

peace; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Bloodhast redeemed us :Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.


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V. The Crucifixion of the Lord


Have mercy upon us.

John 19:17-30 orPhilippians 2:5-11


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]




who for us became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.


us sinners, now and in the hour of have mercy upon us sinners, nowour death. Amen. and in the hour of our death. Amen.

[On the chain:]


Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, who didst stretch out thine arms

of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might comewithin reach of thy saving embrace: so clothe us in thy Spiritthat we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who

do not know thee to the knowledge and love of thee; for thehonor of thy Name, who livest and reignest with the Father and

the same Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.



x


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THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

I. The Resurrection of the Lord


Have mercy upon us.

Matthew 28:1-10


Our Father, .[Here may be said:]





who hath overthrown sin, hell, and death.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. O God, who for our redemption didst give thineonly-begotten Son to the death of the Cross, and by his glorious

resurrection hast delivered us from the power of our enemy:Grant us so to die daily from sin, that we may evermore live

with him in the joy of his resurrection; through the same thySon Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ hath conquered; Christ now reigneth;

Christ doth command.


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II. The Ascension of the Lord


Acts:1:1-14


Our Father, .[Here may be said:]


recourse unto thee.



who ascended on high that he might fill all things.




[On the chain:]


Let us pray. Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Saviour

Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill allthings: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that according to his

promise he abideth with his Church on earth, even unto the endof the world; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ hath conquered; Christ now reigneth;Christ doth command.


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III. The Descent of the Holy Ghost


Acts 2:1-21


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]





who through the Holy Ghost abideth with his Church

for ever.Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Son of Mary, Son of the living God,



[On the chain:]


Let us pray. O God, who didst teach the hearts of thy faithful

people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grantus by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and

evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits ofChrist Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in

the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end.Amen.



[Note: Alternative forms of the last two Mysteries are found on page 61.]


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IV. The Assumption of our Lady


Song of Songs 2:10-14


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]





who hath taken thee to himself.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, ..

Let us pray. O God, who hast taken to thyself the blessed VirginMary, mother of thine only-begotten Son: Grant that we who,

with her, have been redeemed by his blood may share with herthe glory of thine eternal kingdom; through the same Jesus

Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the HolyGhost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.




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V. The Coronation of our Lady


Have mercy upon us.

Revelation 21:1-7


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]


recourse unto thee.



who doth crown thee with glory and honor.



[On the chain:]

Glory be .O, my Jesus, ..

Let us pray. O Almighty God, who didst endue with singulargrace the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord:Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to hallow our bodies in purity, and

our souls in humility and love, that we, with her, may receivefrom thy Son the crown of life which fadeth not away; through

the same our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.


x


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ALTERNATIVE FORMS FOR THE CONCLUDING

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

IV. The Ingathering of the Saints


Have mercy upon us.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]




thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,who doth gather his saints to himself.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .Let us pray. O Almighty God, who hast knit together thineelect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of

thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant us grace so to follow thyblessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may

come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared forthem that unfeignedly love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.



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V. The Crown of Life


1 Corinthians 9:24-25


Our Father, .

[Here may be said:]


recourse unto thee.



thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,who crowneth them with life that honor him.




[On the chain:]

Glory be .

O, my Jesus, .

Let us pray. O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee

such good things as pass mans understanding: Pour into ourhearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all

things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we candesire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



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THE CONCLUDING DEVOTIONS

While holding the medal (or the large bead), the following canticle Magnificat anima

mea (Luke 1:46-55) is said. Other canticles which may be used in this place are

found on pages 66 and 67:

(Antiphon.) We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ therighteous; * And he is the propitiation for our sins.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, *

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour;

For he hath regarded *

The lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth *

All generations shall call me blessed.For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *

And holy is his name;

And his mercy is on them that fear him *

Throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm, *

He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts;

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, *And hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things, *

And the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *

As he promised to our forefathers,

Abraham and his seed for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, *

and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *

world without end. Amen.(Antiphon.) We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ therighteous; * And he is the propitiation for our sins.

xThe following Antiphon of our Lady may be said here in addition to, or in place of,

the foregoing Canticle or either of its substitutes:

Salve Reginaand Collect

Mary we hail thee, Mother and Queen compassionate;

Mary our comfort, life, and hope, we hail thee.To thee we exiles, children of Eve, lift our crying;


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To thee we are sighing as, mournful and weeping, we pass through

this vale of sorrow.

Turn thou therefore, O our intercessor, those thine eyes of pity and

loving-kindness upon us sinners,

Hereafter, when our earthly exile shall be ended, show us Jesus,

the blessed fruit of thy womb,O gentle, O tender, O gracious Virgin Mary

Leader Pray for us, O holy Mother of God;

People That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, who by the co-operation of the

Holy Ghost didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin MotherMary to become a habitation meet for thy Son: Grant that as we rejoice in

her commemoration, we may be delivered by her loving intercession from

our present evils and from eternal death; through the same Christ our Lord.

Amen.[Translation from the Latin by Canon Winifred Douglas]

Here, on the three small beads, may be said an Our Father, a Hail Mary, anda Glory be for the intentions of the Holy Father. An Act of Contrition may

also be added

xLeader Lord, hear our prayer;

People And let our cry come unto thee.

Let us pray. Almighty God, who hast promised to hear the petitions of those

who ask in thy Sons Name: We beseech thee mercifully to incline thine

ears to us who have now made our prayers and supplications unto thee; andgrant that those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy will,

may effectually be obtained, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting

forth of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[Book of Common Prayer(1928), page 50]

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship

of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.[2 Corinthians 13:14]

x


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ADDITIONAL CANTICLESWHICH MAY BE USED IN THE CONCLUDING DEVOTIONS

GLORIA IN EXCELSISDEO

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will

towards men.

We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we

glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy greatglory,

O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest

away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our

prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, havemercy upon us.

For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, thou only,

O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the

glory of God the Father. Amen.


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DIGNUS ES, DOMINE

Revelation 4:11; 5:12, 9b-10, 13b

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and

power, * for thou hast created all things, and for thy

pleasure they are and were created.

For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thyblood * out of every kindred and tongue and nation,

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; * And

we shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, * to receive power andriches and wisdom and strength, and honor and glory

and blessing!

Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that

sitteth upon the throne, * And unto the Lamb for ever

and ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy

Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *world without end. Amen.


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COMPILERS POSTSCRIPT

A note on repetitive prayers

A question that often arises in connection with the rosary and relatedprayers, such as the Jesus Prayer, concerns whether the method of their use

does not violate a condemnation of repetitive prayer by the Lord Jesus. I

think not, for it seems clear that the command under consideration (Matthew

6:7) does not condemn repetitive prayeras such, but the false notion that the

more we repeat the prayer the more likely it is that we shall be heard: But

when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that

they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Vain repetition (that which is empty, mindless, and lackingmeaningful content) is what is condemned, and it is condemned because of

an attitude foreign both to Christianity and the faith of Israel that we can

by any act of ours impose a claim of necessity on God. When we pray a

prayer repetitively, it is as a means of allowing God to move us more closely

into his will, not the other way around.

A further note on theAve Maria

I have already addressed the rationale for providing here an optionalmodification of the most familiar form of this prayer, but there are several

other things relating to the Ave Maria that might be fruitfully considered by

the reader.

First, a historical note is in order: It appears that when this prayer first

came into widespread use, it consisted simply of the combination of the

Angelic Salutation to the Virgin (Luke 1:28) and Elizabeths greeting to her

on the occasion of the Visitation (Luke 1:42), which now comprise the first

part of the prayer.1

The latter portion, which invokes the Virgins prayers,did not come into widespread use until the late Middle Ages, which was

notable for the increasingly florid nature of its popular Marian piety.

The reality of (and the lawfulness of invoking) the intercession of the

Virgin Mary, or indeed that of any saint, is not one of those things that is so

patent in Scripture that belief in it is obligatory on that basis alone. However,

it needs to be noted that it is not contrary to Scripture, it is rooted in the

Scriptural doctrine of the Church as the one Body of Christ, and it has been a

part of Christian tradition for so long that its historical origins cannot be

1For what it is worth, the present compiler sees nothing especially objectionable about

individuals or groups reverting to the use of this primitive form of the prayer in preference to

either the high medieval or Dr Farrers substitute. After all, it seems to have been good enough

for the likes of Saints Dominic, Francis, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure.


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traced to their root. As Dr Farrer writes, no Christian is obliged to invoke

the prayers of any saint, and that includes those now living among us as

well as those departed to be with the Lord. However, assuming that the

suppliant recognizes that every grace comes from the Father through the Son

in the Holy Ghost, there is no harm in invoking the prayers of the saints who

have gone before us.

The trouble starts when one goes from saying that he is not comfortable

with doing this himself to making the positive assertion that it is something

no Christian ought to do. At this point he enters dangerous territory where,

if he is to be logically consistent, he must finally deny either the essential

unity of the Church as a communion of believers in Christ or the lawfulness

of its members asking one anothers prayers.

In this context it is perhaps not very helpful that the longstanding

custom in the West of referring to the Church as Militant (here on earth),

Expectant (in paradise), and Triumphant (in heaven) can easily lead people

who have not been adequately instructed to think that there are three distinct

Churches when in fact there is only one Church that has three inseparable

aspects. If there is only one Church, then any argument against asking theprayers of any of its members who happen no longer to be living in this

world can logically if absurdly be pursued to the conclusion that it is

impious to ask the prayers of any who are still living in it.

The excuse that the prohibition of the invocation of the saints prayers is

necessary to prevent idolatry in the end makes no more sense than the

assertion that the sale and use of alcohol must be prohibited to prevent

alcoholism. The capacity of any thing to be abused cannot legitimately be

used as an argument against its use: The primary problem is not with the

thing abused, but with the intelligent entity who abuses it.

x


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Sources for the Collects:

Joyful Mysteries

I.

The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for the AnnunciationII. Lesser Feasts and Fasts (1963), Collect for the VisitationIII. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), First Collect for ChristmasDayIV. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect of the PresentationV. Samuel L. Edwards, 2010

Luminous Mysteries

I. The American Missal, p. 41II. Samuel L. Edwards, 2010III. The Anglican Missal, Collect for the Feast of Christ the KingIV. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for the

TransfigurationV. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for Maundy ThursdaySorrowful Mysteries

I. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), p. 595II. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for the Tuesday beforeEasterIII. Samuel L. Edwards, 2007IV. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for the Monday before

EasterV. adapted from Charles Henry Brent, With God in Prayer(1907), pp.40-41.

Glorious Mysteries

I. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Second Collect for Easter DayII. The American Missal, p. 370III. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for WhitsundayIV. adapted fromLesser Feasts and Fasts, (1963) Collect for SaintMary the VirginV. adapted from The American Missal, p. 463

(alternative Glorious Mysteries)

IV. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for All Saints DayV. The Book of Common Prayer(1928), Collect for 6th Sunday afterTrinity


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Sources for the Illustrations:

Note: Those items for which permissions are not listed are believed to be in the

public domain. If we are in error concerning any of these, please notify us so that the

necessary permission may be secured and published in future editions.

Front and Back Covers and Title page:Madone assise, William-Adolphe

Bouguereau (1825-1905), Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.

Page 6: Courtesy of the Diocese of the Eastern United States, Anglican

Church in America. (Labels by the compiler.)

Page 14: La Vierge au lys, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905),

private collection.

Joyful Mysteries:

I. Annunciation, Harry Osawa Tanner (1859-1937), PhiladelphiaMuseum of Art.II. The Visitation, Giacopo Pontormo (1494-1557), Church of SanFrancesco e Michele, Carmignano.III. The Nativity, Fra Angelico (1395-1455), Museo di San Marco, Firenze.IV. The Presentation, Altarpiece by Michael Pacher, 1481, St WolfgangParish Church, Salzkammergut, Upper Austria. (Photograph byWolfgang Sauber, 2009)V. Christ among the Doctors, Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337), LowerChurch, San Francesco, Assisi, Italy.

Luminous Mysteries:

I. The Baptism of Christ, Fra Angelico (1395-1455), Museo di SanMarco, Firenze.

II. The Wedding Feast at Cana in Galilee, icon written by Igor Stoyanov,nd.III. Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea, James Joseph Jacques Tissot(1836-1902), Brooklyn Museum.IV. Transfiguration of the Lord, Nikolai Andreevich Koshelev (1840-1918).V. Institution of the Eucharist, Sasseta (Stefano di Giovanni di Consolo diCortona, ca. 1395-1450), Siena, Florenz, Borgo Sansepolcro.

Sorrowful Mysteries:I. Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Giovanni di Paolo (ca. 1403-1482), Vatican Pinacoteca.II. The Scourging (Front), James Joseph Jacques Tissot (1836-1902),Brooklyn Museum.


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III. Ecce Homo, Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674), Muse National desGranges de Port-Royal, Port-Royal-des-Champs, France.IV. Christ Bearing the Cross, Alvise Vivarini (1444-1505), Basilica deiSanti Giovannie e Paolo, Venezia, Italy.

V. Cristo crucificado, Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), Museo del Prado,Madrid.

Glorious Mysteries:

I. The Resurrection, Mathias Gothart Grnewald (ca. 1480-1528), panelfrom Isenheim Altarpiece, Unterlinden Museum, Colmar, Alsace,

France.II. The Ascension, Benjamin West (1738-1820), Berger Collection,Denver Art Museum, Colorado.III. Retable of the Pentecost [detail], Alvise Vivarini (1444-1505), Bode-Museum, Berlin, Germany.IV. The Assumption of the Virgin, Michael Sittow (c. 1459-1525), NationalGallery of Art, Washington, DC.V. The Coronation of the Virgin [detail], Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (1483-1561), Muse du Louvre, Paris, France.

Alternative Glorious Mysteries:

The Last Judgment[detail], Fra Angelico (1395-1455), Museo di San Marco,Firenze, Italy.

The Assumption of the Virgin [detail], Francesco Botticini (1446-1497),

National Gallery, London.

Page 64: The Nativity fromLes Trs Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Folio

44v, Limbourg brothers (early 15th

century), Muse Cond, Chantilly,

France.

Page 65: The Adoration of the Lamb (detail from Altarpiece), Jan van Eyck(ca. 1395-1441), St Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium.


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The Pondering Heart