Our Lady of Humility Parish

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Our Lady of Humility
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The Rosary
Rosary - Its' History and Development
The Fifteen Promises of Mary to those who Recite the Rosary
Adorations of the Blessed Mary

The Rosary
The Rosary is a certain form of prayer wherein we say fifteen decades or tens of Hail Marys with an Our Father between each ten, while at each of these fifteen decades we recall successively in pious meditation one of the mysteries of our Redemption.

The origin of the name, the word rosarius means a garland or bouquet of roses, and it was not unfrequently used in a figurative sense-- e.g. as the title of a book, to denote an anthology or collection of extracts. An early legend which after traveling all over Europe penetrated even to Abyssinia connected this name with a story of Our Lady, who was seen to take rosebuds from the lips of a young monk when he was reciting Hail Marys and to weave them into a garland which she placed upon her head. A German metrical version of this story is still extant dating from the thirteenth century. The name "Our Lady's Psalter" can also be traced back to the same period. Corona or chaplet suggests the same idea as rosarium. The old English name found in Chaucer and elsewhere was a "pair of beads", in which the word bead (q.v.) originally meant prayers.

That the Rosary is pre-eminently the prayer of the people adapted alike for the use of simple and learned is proved not only by the long series of papal utterances by which it has been commended to the faithful but by the daily experience of all who are familiar with it. The objection so often made against its "vain repetitions" is felt by none but those who have failed to realize how entirely the spirit of the exercise lies in the meditation upon the fundamental mysteries of our faith. To the initiated the words of the angelical salutation form only a sort of half-conscious accompaniment, a bourdon which we may liken to the "Holy, Holy, Holy" of the heavenly choirs and surely not in itself meaningless. Neither can it be necessary to urge that the freest criticism of the historical origin of the devotion, which involves no point of doctrine, is compatible with a full appreciation of the devotional treasures which this pious exercise brings within the reach of all.

The Rosary - Its' History and Development
Legend has it that the Blessed Virgin gave the Rosary to St. Dominic (1170-1221), the founder of the Dominican Order. Charming legend, not so charming history. The story about St. Dominic serves this purpose: It communicates the truths that the Dominicans have been great promoters of the Rosary down through history, and that the Rosary is meant to nourish an authentic spirituality; it's not just a pious doo-dad.

The Rosary as we know it today took several centuries to develop. The ultimate source of the Rosary as a prayer form is the Book of Psalms in the Bible. The Psalms have for centuries been at the heart of the Church's daily recitation of the Divine Office. The practice of praying an Our Father instead of a Psalm caught on in the early medieval period, and in his practice the Rosary began. "In order to keep count of the prayers."

Toward the end of the 12th century, the first half of the Hail Mary, as we know it, began to take on an importance equal to that of the Our Father and the Creed. These were prayers that all Christians should know.

Soon, to each of the 50 Our Fathers people began to add a short phrase about Jesus and Mary. Then, they substituted brief lives of Jesus and Mary that summarized the Gospel from the Annunciation to the Resurrection of Jesus and the Assumption of Mary.

According to Father Jelly, in the early 15th century a Carthusian Monk, Dominic of Prussia, helped to popularize this devotion by linking 50 Hail Marys with 50 phrases about Jesus and Mary. "This is the origin of the word Rosary, since the series of 50 points of meditation was called a Rosarium (rose garden)." The rose, a symbol of joy, referred to Mary, and "Rosary" came to refer to the recitation of 50 Hail Marys.

The Fifteen Promises of Mary to those who Recite the Rosary

Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its' vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its' sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
Those who are faithful to reciting the Rosary shall have during their life, and at their death the light of God, and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits...of the Saints in Paradise.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Mary
Mother of the Church
Mary, Mother of Mankind
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Mary, Mother of Jesus and of the Church
Mary's Role in our Redemption
Decline in honor of Mary?
Is the Rosary a thing of the past?

Mary
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has been an object of veneration in the Christian Church since the apostolic age, and has been a favorite subject in art, music, and literature. Her humility and obedience to the message of God have made her an exemplar for all ages of Christians. Out of the sparse details supplied in the New Testament by the Gospels about the Maid of Galilee, Christian piety and theology have constructed a well-developed picture of Mary that fulfills the prediction ascribed to her in the Magnificat (Luke 1:48): "Henceforth all generations will call me blessed."

Mother of the Church
Never in the history of Christianity has any general council spoken at such length, and with such depth about Mary as the Second Vatican Council. This is not surprising in view of the extraordinary devotion to the Blessed Virgin in our day. What the council did was to place this devotion into focus, and to spell out its' doctrinal foundation. Authentic devotion to Mary "proceeds from true faith by which we are led to know the excellence of the Mother of God, and are moved to filial love toward our Mother, and to the imitation of her virtues” (Constitution on the Church, 67-8). We are told that true devotion to Our Lady is shown in a deep love of her as our Mother, put into practice by the imitation of her virtues--especially her faith, her chastity, and charity. These are the three virtues that the modern world most desperately needs. Like Mary, we need to believe that everything which God has revealed to us will be fulfilled. Like Mary, we need to use our bodily powers to serve their divine purpose no matter what sacrifice of our own pleasure. Like Mary, we are to be always sensitive to the needs of others. Like her, we are to respond to these needs without being asked and, like her, even ask Jesus to work a miracle to benefit those whom we love. No wonder the new Catechism of the Catholic Church makes this astounding profession of faith: "We believe that the most Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven her maternal role toward the members of Christ." It all depends on our faith in her maternal care, and our trust in her influence over the almighty hand of her Son.

Mary, Mother of Mankind
Since the time Jesus offered us His mother, "John, there is your mother" (Jn 19:27) mankind was no longer orphaned. He knew that we needed one who would lead His children to the banquet. If you despair of everything, if you see yourselves weak before the powers of hell, if there is obstinacy everywhere, if even the heavens seem closed to your petitions…nothing is lost. There still remains the last, but certain hope-Mary, our Mother. Why? It is her duty to bring Jesus. Where Mary enters, the Son will follow. When dawn breaks, the sun will soon rise. Jesus is "the flower of the Virgin Mother, the blessed fruit of her womb." Mary is the great Mother: The love of all mothers put together would constitute a great fire, but Mary's love for each of her children exceeds it. Jesus Christ ignited this love from the cross. She is the Cause of our Joy, the Refuge of Sinners, the Comforter of the Afflicted, the Help of Christians, the Seat of Wisdom, the Mother of Good Counsel, the Mother most Amiable. She looks after each and everyone, just as when you enjoy the rays of the sun, you do not take away any from your brethren. "Nothing escapes its' heat" (Ps. 19:7). She can put unhoped - for means into action; her love is boundless, and her power unlimited on the heart of God, and on all creatures.

Our Lady of Guadalupe
In December of 1531, Our Lady appeared to an Aztec farmer named Juan Diego near a native Aztec Shrine in Tepeyac, near present-day Mexico City. She told Juan to go to the Bishop and ask that a Church be built in that place. When the Bishop demanded a sign, Mary instructed Juan to take with him the roses that were blooming there even though it was December. Returning to the Bishop's house, Juan removed his coarse clock and found that the image of Our Lady was emblazoned upon it. She is dressed in a gown used by those expecting a child. The cloak with its' image is still viewed today inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe by pilgrims from around the world. Our Lady of Guadalupe, who was declared "Patroness of the Americas" by Pope Pius XII in 1954 is widely revered throughout our hemisphere and receives special affection from Native American, Hispanic, and those in the pro-life community.

Mary, Mother of Jesus and of the Church
In his book Mary and your Everyday Life, theologian Bernard Haring remarks: "The Second Vatican Council has crowned the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church with a beautiful chapter on Mary, the prototype and model of the Church. The Church cannot come to a full understanding of union with Christ and service to his Gospel without a profound love and knowledge of Mary, the Mother of our Lord and ourselves." With keen insight into the deeply personal nature of salvation, Vatican II focused on Mary's influence in our lives. Because she is the Mother of Jesus, Mary is the Mother of God. As Vatican II puts it: "At the message of the angel, he Virgin Mary received the Word of God in her heart and in her body, and gave Life to the world. Hence, she is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer" As Mother of the Lord, Mary is an entirely unique person. Like her Son, she was conceived as a human being (and lived her whole life) exempt from any trace of original sin. This is called her Immaculate Conception. Before, during, and after the birth of Jesus her Son, Mary remained physically a virgin. At the end of her life, Mary was assumed--that is, taken up--body and soul into heaven. This is called her Assumption. As Mother of the Christ whose life we live, Mary is also the Mother of the whole Church. She is a member of the church, but an altogether unique member. Vatican II expresses her relationship to us as that of a "pre-eminent and altogether singular member of the Church, and as the Church's model...in faith and charity. Taught by the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church honors her with filial affection and piety as a most Beloved Mother" . Like a mother waiting up for her grown children to come home, Mary never stops influencing the course of our lives. Vatican II says: "She conceived, brought forth, and nourished Christ. She presented Him to the Father in the temple, and "as united with Him in suffering as He died on the cross... For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace" (The Church, 61). "By her maternal charity, Mary cares for the brethren of her Son who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led to their blessed home" . This mother, who saw her own flesh-and-blood Son die for the rest of her children, is waiting and preparing your home for you. She is, in the words of Vatican II, your "sign of sure hope and solace" . The Church also honors the other saints who are already with the Lord in heaven. These are people who have served God and their neighbors in so outstanding a way that they have been canonized. That is, the Church has officially declared that they are in heaven, holds them up as heroic models, and encourages us to pray to them, asking their intercession with God for us all.

Mary's Role in our Redemption
Pope John Paul II summarized the importance of Mary's role in our redemption during his first pastoral visit to the United States in October in 1979. He encouraged us to consider that..."Mary says to us today: "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say" Lk 1:38). "And with those words, she expresses what was the fundamental attitude of her life: her faith! Mary believed! She trusted in God's promises and was faithful to His will." For it was that continual trust in the providence of God which most characterized her faith. "All her earthly life was 'a pilgrimage of faith' (Lumen Gentium, 58). For like us she walked n shadows and hoped for things unseen. She knew the contradictions of our earthly life. She was promised that her Son would be given David's throne, but at His birth, there was no room even at the inn. Mary still believed. The angel said her child would be called the Son of God; but she would see him slandered, betrayed, and condemned, and left to die as a thief on the cross. Even yet, Mary 'trusted hat God's words to her would be fulfilled (Lk 1:45), and that 'nothing was impossible with God' (Lk 1:37)." "This woman of faith, Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of God, has been given to us as a model in our pilgrimage of faith. From Mary we learn to surrender to God's will in all things. From Mary, we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary, we learn to love Christ, her Son and the Son of God. For Mary is not only the Mother of God, she is the Mother of the Church as well. In every stage of the march through history, the Church has benefited from the prayer and protection of the Virgin Mary." "I therefore exhort you in Christ Jesus, to continue to look to Mary as the model of the Church, as the best example of lie discipleship of Christ. Learn from her to be always faithful, to trust that God's word to you will be fulfilled, and that nothing is impossible with God. Turn to Mary frequently in your prayer ‘for never was it known that anyone who fled to her protection, implored her help, or sought her intercession was left unaided.’”

Decline in honor of Mary?

Q. Is the Rosary a thing of the past? This past October, no one had a rosary in his hand at church. Don't you think people are losing their devotion to Our Blessed Mother when they don't say the Rosary?
A. People are saying the Rosary a lot less now than they did 20 years ago. However, I'm not at all sure that indicates any less love of Mary, or of Our Lord. We must remember a few things. One is that the Rosary as a popular devotion developed over about 400 years (the 12th to the 16th century) when Catholics were almost completely cut off from any meaningful participation in the liturgy. In fact, the period was one of the low points in seeing the Mass as a community celebration. Because of this, and because most persons couldn't read anyway, many devotions arose as a substitute for taking a more direct part in the liturgy; especially the Eucharist. The 150 Our Fathers (later 150 Hail Marys) were sometimes called the "poor man's breviary" - they matched the 150 psalms said by clerics or by others who could read. Interestingly, saying the Rosary together was one of the first ways, in modern times, that Catholics began to do anything together aloud at Mass, and to see the Mass as something more than just another private prayer, which is about the way some spiritual books described it before the present liturgical renewal. As the Mass and other sacramental ceremonies become more significant liturgical events in our lives, it is understandable that certain devotions which partially substituted for them will decline in use. I really don't believe there is a relatively great loss of honor and love for Mary. She will inevitably hold a high place in any religion that believes her son is God. The Rosary has been and still can be a tremendous help to Christian growth. But I wouldn't identify Our Lady's position in the church with how many Rosaries are said every day.