The Rosary and Orthodoxy

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[Hermann the Cherusker]

The Rosary and Orthodoxy

From The Walsingham Way (Vol. II, No. I, Fall 1999), a newsletter of Western Orthodox spirituality published by the Orthodox Christian Society of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Some people have asked why the Orthodox don’t pray the Rosary as Roman Catholics and some other non-Orthodox do. Others object to Orthodox praying the Rosary since, in their view, this is not an Orthodox devotion, but peculiar to Roman Catholicism.

In hope of shedding some light on the subject, we publish the following letter of Father Alexander Gumanovsky, a spiritual son of Father Zosima, who was himself a spiritual son of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Fr. Alexander begins his letter with a quote from Fr. Zosima:

... I forgot to give you a piece of advice vital for salvation. Say the O Hail, Mother of God and Virgin one hundred and fifty times, and this prayer will lead you on the way to salvation. This rule was given by the Mother of God herself in about the eighth century, and at one time all Christians fulfilled it. We Orthodox have forgotten about it, and St. Seraphim has reminded me of this Rule. In my hands I have a hand-written book from the cell of St. Seraphim, containing a description of the many miracles which took place through praying to the Mother of God and especially through saying one hundred and fifty times the O Hail, Mother of God and Virgin. If, being unaccustomed to it, it is difficult to master one hundred and fifty repetitions daily, say it fifty times at first. After every ten repetitions say the Our Father once and Open unto us the doors of thy loving-kindness1. Whomever he spoke to about this miracle-working Rule remained grateful to him…

The elder Zosima greatly valued and loved Bishop Seraphim Zvezdinsky and always spoke of him as that saintly Bishop. Bishop Seraphim Zvezdinsky performed the Rule of the Mother of God every day, and; when he performed it he prayed for the whole world, embracing in is this Rule whole life of the Queen of Heaven.

He gave one of his spiritual children the task of copying a plan which he included his prayer to the Ever Virgin Mary. Here it is:

First decade: Let us remember the birth of the Mother of God. Let us pray for mothers, fathers, and children.

Second decade: Let us the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God. Let us pray for those who have lost their way and fallen away from the church.

Third decade: Let us remember the Annunciation of the Blessed Mother of God—let us pray for the soothing of sorrows and the consolation of those who grieve.

Fourth decade: Let us remember the meeting of the Blessed Virgin with the righteous Elizabeth. Let us pray for the reunion of the separated, for those whose dear ones or children are living away from them or missing.

Fifth decade: Let us remember the Birth of Christ. Let us pray for the rebirth of souls, for new life in Christ.

Sixth decade: Let us remember the Feast of the Purification of the Lord, and the words uttered by St. Simeon: Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also (Luke 2:35). Let us pray that the Mother of God will meet our souls at the hour of our death, and will contrive that we receive the Holy Sacrament with our last breath, and will lead our souls through the terrible torments.

Seventh decade: Let us remember the flight of the Mother of God with the God-Child into Egypt. Let us pray that the Mother of God will help us avoid temptation in this life and deliver us from misfortunes.

Eighth decade: Let us remember the disappearance of the twelve-year old boy Jesus in Jerusalem and the sorrow of the Mother of God on this account. Let us pray, begging the Mother of God for the constant repetition of the Jesus Prayer.

Ninth decade: Let us remember-the miracle performed in Cana of Galilee, when the Lord turned water into wine at the words of the Mother of God: They have no wine (John 2:3). Let us ask the Mother of God for help in our affairs and deliverance from need.

Tenth decade: Let us remember the Mother of God standing at the Cross of the Lord, when grief pierced through her heart like a sword. Let us pray to the Mother of God for the strengthening of our Souls and the banishment of despondency.

Eleventh decade: Let us remember the Resurrection of Christ and ask the Mother of God in prayer to resurrect our souls and give us a new courage for spiritual feats.

Twelfth decade: Let us remember the Ascension of Christ, at which the Mother of God was present. Let us pray and ask the Queen of Heaven to raise up our souls from earthly and worldly amusements and direct them to striving for higher things.

Thirteenth decade: Let us remember the Upper Room and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Mother of God. Let us pray: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me (Psalm 51).

Fourteenth decade: Let us remember the Assumption of the Blessed Mother of God, and ask for a peaceful and serene end.

Fifteenth decade: Let us remember the glory of the Mother of God, with which the Lord crowned her after her removal from earth to heaven. Let us pray to the Queen of Heaven not to abandon the faithful who are on earth but to defend them from every evil, covering them with her honoring and protecting veil.

After every decade Bishop Seraphim prayed his own prayers, which he revealed to no one, so that only the Lord and the Queen of Heaven knew these prayers.

Thus, we can see that the Rosary is a completely Orthodox form of devotion to our Lady.

Those who follow the Western tradition should follow one of the standard forms, i.e. the opening consisting of the Sign of the Cross followed by the Lord’s Prayer; or O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise and the Glory be… followed by the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Salutation (three times). After this, either five or fifteen decades (each preceded by the appropriate mystery) are recited; and after the decades, the conclusion consisting of the Regina Coeli and the appropriate collect.

Those who follow the Eastern tradition could very easily follow the form cited above, ending with the hymn, It is truly meet to call thee blessed.

What is essential is to daily seek the intercessions of the Mother of God, so that in drawing closer to her, we may be drawn closer to her Son, our Savior, Jesus, with whom she now reigns eternally in Heaven.

1. The Full text of the prayer is: Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, for thou art the salvation of all Christian people.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

This is a fascinating insight into the spirituality of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and also the History of the Most Holy Rosary.

We fly to thy Patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Ping!

[Pyro7480]

We fly to thy Patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

Ping! That is the oldest known prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary (other than the angel Gabriel's)

[wideawake]

Thank you. This is very interesting indeed - the Rosary of Our Lady should be a powerful instrument of reunion.

[Desdemona]

Very interesting and lovely. Thank you.

Maybe by learning each other's traditions, things we didn't know we had more in common than not, a few hatchets can be burried.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Ping!

[drstevej]

***Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, for thou art the salvation of all Christian people.***

Help me see how this isn't blasphemous.

It describes Mary:
[1] ...as the focus of our hope. (compare: Hebrews 11:2 -- Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith)

[2] ...as our deliver and savior. (compare: Mathew 1:21 -- and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.)

[wideawake]

One clue might be the the employment of the word "through" here.

[Destro]

While it is wrong to consider Mary as a co-Christ it is just as wrong to think Mary was just a birth vessel to be ignored.

[Pyro7480]

Would you disagree that Mary participated in Christ's redemptive acts? (in other words, Mary as Co-Redemptrix)

[Hermann the Cherusker]

It describes Mary:
[1] ...as the focus of our hope. (compare: Hebrews 11:2 -- Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith)

Blessed Mary is the "Hope of Christians", because in the ways God has glorified her, we also hope to receive His blessings. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reads in no. 966:

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians: "In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death." (Note 509 - Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion, Feast of the Dormition, August 15th)

[2] ...as our deliver and savior. (compare: Mathew 1:21 -- and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.)

First, because she gave birth to the Divine Son. Second, because she continues to intercede for us in heaven and distributes all of the graces of God. Third, because she is the "Gate of Heaven", just as God became man through Mary, so man becomes god through Mary, to expand on St. Athanasius' famous dictum.

The title is by way of appropriation, and is meant to reflect glory on the Son, by whom Mary has been given such power and exalted so greatly. You cannot rightly praise Mary without praising the Son she bore. If Jesus is the "Sun", with rays of Truth, Love, Mercy, and Justice pulsating outwards, Mary is the "Moon", and reflects all of these uncreated energies of the Most Holy Trinity within herself and to us as habitual sanctifying grace. It is from her prayers to her Son that we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our souls.

Mary is our salvation not because she redeemed us from sin, which Christ did alone, but because she brought us and still brings us grace and truth.

BTW, many of Our Lady's titles may be found here.

[Salvation]

And the Luminous Mysteries? Or Mysteries of Light, as some call them?

[Salvation]

Thank you for that link!

And our Archdiocese has commissioned an icon, Mary, Star of Evangelization!!

[Pyro7480]

As much as I am open to the idea of these mysteries (I meditate on them with my rosary group on Saturdays, during which we meditate on all 4 sets of mysteries - I follow the old pattern usually), with its inclusion of the Wedding at Cana (one of my favorite passages in the Bible), I am wary of the fact that its addition departs from the 150 number, which derives from the 150 Psalms.

[ThomasMore]

Thanks for the wonderful post. Very interesting.

Bookmark bump.

[Salvation]

** I am wary of the fact that its addition departs from the 150 number, which derives from the 150 Psalms.**

Of this, I was not aware!

[FormerLib]

1) The term "focus of our hope" refers to Mary being in the Kingdom of God in her resurrected body as we all hope to be when the time comes. It does not mean that she is the source of that hope.

2) Mary's role in Christ's coming was an important one. While the Orthodox avoid terms such as "Co-Redemptrix" because that could be (possibly mis-) interpreted as meaning that Christ couldn't have done it with her, we do recognize that she was the singlemost important member of all of His chosen.

Neither of these positions is blasphemous, IMHO.

[Pyro7480]

In the article above, the mysteries already differ slightly from the Catholic model. They already include the Wedding at Cana!

[Salvation]

Mary, Star of Evangelization

Looking on the icon of Mary, Star of Evangelization, we see three dominate images Mary, the Star of Bethlehem and the almond shaped background. As one contemplates the icon consider the image from three hills or three levels:

The image is rooted in scripture. In the Gospel of St. Luke, Mary, pregnant with Our Lord “rises and goes to the hill country” (Luke 1:39) to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth. This is the first evangelization journey. Mary brings the Word of God, flesh incarnate, to her cousin. Elizabeth is pregnant with John the Baptist, the one who goes before him. The Stance – Mary stands with her hands in the position of prayer.

The Veil - Traditionally icons clothe Mary in a mulberry, dark red outer garment. That color is not used here, nor is she wearing dark blue. Instead Mary’s garment is a turquoise green. God chose this garment color when He made her appear on the cloak of Guadalupe. In iconography turquoise green is the color of the Holy Spirit, so Mary is veiled in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the principle agent of evangelization.

The Robe - The garment underneath is sort of rose in color, not necessarily red. Icon writers to identify God the Father use the rose color. So Mary also puts on the color of God the Father.

“Mandola” or Almond Shape

This symbolizes the rending of two realities - the spiritual and the corporal- and opens up the heavenly realm. It literally is pulling apart. The background is dark because it represents the uncreated light and the spiritual light that is in the invisible world. The spiritual light is so bright that it is not really perceivable to our eyes – to us it would be darkness. Through Mary’s intercession the uncreated light is becoming visible to our eyes. The blues get lighter.

The Greek letters to the left and right of Mary’s halo proclaim the title used in all traditional Marian icons - Mary, God bearing or Mother of God (Theotocus).

[Pyro7480]

See my post #10. And what do you think of the actual article?