Dear friends,
The rosary is an ancient mantra type prayer in the Roman Catholic tradition.
I don't see this prayer among the many offerings here on Insight Timer and I think having it here would be a useful aid for people practicing in that tradition,
Especially if they are in a situation where they might be saying the prayer alone.
This introductory talk will I hope be a useful reminder and an encouragement for people who are already familiar with the prayer and it might be a helpful instruction for people who might like to be introduced to this prayer in which events of the life of Jesus are contemplated.
Many people who do not accept the idea of the divinity of Jesus will still readily agree the importance of his teachings.
We can all see how this world would be a better place if we could all manage to follow these origins of Jesus,
The Buddha and so many other inspired people who've shared their thoughts about life with us over the centuries.
The prayers of the rosary are arranged in sets or groups,
Each known as a decade of the rosary.
Each decade comprises the Our Father,
The Hail Mary repeated 10 times followed by the Gloria.
During the recitation of each decade,
The person praying is urged not so much to concentrate on the words being said as to contemplate one of the events in the life of Jesus or Mary his mother.
The repeated words form a familiar mantra which facilitates the contemplation of the particular event.
The decades can be counted on the fingers but the recitation of the prayer is aided by the use of a set of beads known as rosary beads.
For over 400 years the decades of the rosary have been organised in three sets of five.
These sets are known as the Joyful,
The Sorrowful and the Glorious Mysteries.
In 2002,
Pope John Paul II was appointed to the rosary in the United States.
He was the first to be added to the ancient number.
These are called the Luminous Mysteries.
By tradition,
The Joyful Mysteries are contemplated on Mondays and Saturdays,
The Sorrowful on Tuesdays and Fridays,
The Glorious on Sundays and Wednesdays and now the Luminous on Thursdays.
The Joyful Mysteries allow the person praying to contemplate these five events in turn.
The Annunciation,
The angel announcing to Mary that she was to become the mother of Jesus.
The Visitation,
Mary visiting Saint Elizabeth.
This visitation is the event which gives rise to the first half of the prayer known as the Hail Mary.
The Third,
The Bert of Jesus.
Next,
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem.
And the Fifth,
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple,
He having been lost for three days.
The Sorrowful Mysteries allow for the contemplation of the following events.
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden at Gethsemane.
The Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar following His trial.
The Crowning of Jesus with Thorns.
Jesus carrying His cross.
And finally the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.
In reciting the Glorious Mysteries the following events are contemplated.
The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit.
The Assumption of Mary the Mother of Jesus to Heaven.
And finally the Coronation of the Virgin Mary.
Lastly the recently added Luminous Mysteries allow for the contemplation of these five events.
The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.
The Wedding Feast at Cana where Jesus performs His first miracle.
Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
Fourth,
The Transfiguration of Jesus on a mountaintop.
And finally the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
The recitation of the Rosary begins with an opening prayer and it ends with the Salve Regina.
Many Christian mystics have found inspiration by looking to the meditation techniques found in the East.
I hope that this introduction to the rosary in the Western tradition will be an inspiration to people looking in the other direction.
We can all learn so much from one another and we can all continue to encourage one another as we navigate our way through this mysterious and wonderful life.
Namaste.
