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Pope To Add New Mysteries to the Rosary
Catholic World News (Via Diocese Report) ^ | October 14, 2002 | Staff

Posted on 10/14/2002 9:50:58 AM PDT by Loyalist

POPE TO ADD NEW MYSTERIES TO THE ROSARY

VATICAN, Oct 16, 02 (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II will release an apostolic letter on devotion to the Virgin Mary on October 16-- the anniversary of his election to the pontificate-- according to informed Vatican sources.

Leaks from the Vatican, in anticipation of the document's release, suggest that the Pope will introduce five new mysteries to the Rosary. The five new mysteries, the "luminous mysteries," will focus on the public life of Jesus Christ, Vatican sources say. They will be: the Baptism in the Jordan, the temptation in the desert, the proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfigurations, and the entry into Jerusalem.

The Rosary is a traditional Marian devotion, popularized at first by St. Bernard, later by the Dominican order, and still later by St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort. The Rosary is composed of five joyful mysteries (which are recited on Mondays and Thursdays), five sorrowful mysteries (recited on Tuesdays and Saturdays), and five glorious mysteries (Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.) The five new mysteries would reportedly be used on Saturdays.

posted by Brian Barcaro 10/14/2002 08:31:16 AM


TOPICS: Catholic; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholiclist; rosary
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To: Loyalist
Let me ask a question.

I know the Catholic Church goes by the Bible and tradition.

Is it possible to have traditions come about in the future.

The tradition part as I understand it is based on apostolic tradition. This to me would mean the traditions as practiced by the apostles.

Are all the traditions practiced by the Catholic Church today also practiced by the apostles?

101 posted on 10/14/2002 5:06:10 PM PDT by PFKEY
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To: biblewonk
Just to be clear about what the Rosary is, for those who are not Catholic... the actual prayer known as the Hail Mary goes as follows... it begins with a Bible verse from when the angel came to Mary, "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with Thee." That's a Bible verse we are reciting.

It continues, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb," which is what Elizabeth said to Mary which is in the Bible, both Catholic versions, and Protestant versions. Again, we are reciting a Bible verse... wonder why God had that put in the Bible? It's there, must be there for a reason... I'll return to that... but, we add the word, "Jesus" at this point, because Elizabeth, when she said, "blessed is the fruit of your womb," that was Jesus she was referring to, so we add his name there to make things clear... we are remembering the fact that Mary was (is) the mother of Jesus.

Finally, just as I might ask you to pray for me or you might ask me to pray for you (probably not, but I would) we ask Mary, since she is now in heaven, where we hope we will all be one day... we ask her, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, PRAY FOR US SINNERS... now and at the hour of our death, Amen. We are remembering what the Bible says about her and asking her to pray for us. Pray is from an old English word meaning to ask... To a Catholic, when we "pray" to a saint or to Mary, we are asking them to pray for us, not honoring them with the worship that is due to God alone.

I know there is a place in the Old Testament where Solomon specially honors his mother, gives her a seat at his right hand, and so on...I'm sorry I don't recall the chapter and verse... but it has been pointed out, that if Solomon loved and honored his mother, would Jesus want to do less for his mom? So, it's there in the Bible, and we remember in this prayer...

The other thing that people lose sight of, is that when the title Mother of God came into acceptance by the Church, my understanding is that it was at a time when some people where asserting that Jesus was truly God but not man... he only seemed to die, he was God and did not really die. Fact is, I believe he is "true God and true man," hard to understand, but what the Church has taught from the beginning, and reaffirmed when it declared Mary to be the Mother of God. That "Mother of God" title does NOT mean she is the mother of God the Father or greater than God Himself... but that she is the mother of Jesus, who is God... she is not just mother of a human son, but Mother of God. Like it or not, believe it or not, that is how I was taught in a graduate theology program at a Catholic university, and I believe it. Mother of God is not intended to be about Mary being greater than God or equal to God, but to say something essential about Jesus, which is why or at least part of why God Himself had the bits about mary put in the Bible... he could have left that out entirely... who needs Mary? Well, God did... God needed Mary in order for Jesus to be born as a human baby, both God and man, and in order for God to save the world in the way that he willed... he needed Mary in that way and he put her in the Bible. The Catholics didn't make up those verses to justify the rosary. (Not that God "needs" any of us, since I believe he is perfect and perfectly happy without us, but in his great love he wanted to save us just as he did, and to do that, for Jesus to be born as a baby, he needed a mom for Jesus... and he picked Mary. In that sense, he needed her, and needed her cooperation. He could have not saved us, or he could have saved us some other way, but this was his plan, to use a humble woman who ... perhaps in some way can be an example to us in her "yes" to God's will and in her humble service... )

Anyway, the point of the rosary is NOT actually just to say the words, but actually, the point is to keep your mind focused on the "mysteries," the things we can learn from the Scripture stories related to Jesus and/or Mary or the time of the apostles (such as the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

When I first started praying the rosary, I used to look up the scripture verses, like, for the First Joyful Mystery, I would look up the verses in the Bible about the angel coming to Mary, and read it, and picture it in my mind while I said the first ten Hail Mary's... think about what that would be like to say "yes" to God when asked to do something difficult that I didn't fully understand, like Mary... and like me... not that I am giving birth to Jesus the way Mary was, not physically, but aren't we ALL supposed to let Jesus be present to others through us... how do we carry Jesus into the world for others.. so you can spend time "pondering these things in your heart," as they say Mary pondered...

But, then there is another mystery... The Visitation, Mary going to visit Elizabeth. Well, she wasn't just going to the beach or to a picnic, Elizabeth was pregnant, a little farther along than Mary, and she was old. She may have needed some help. I might look up those verses, and think about it for a minute, and then keep that in mind while I say the next ten Hail Mary's, and really, you can think about asking Mary to pray for us, but also to think about that mystery... Mary going to visit, to serve Elizabeth, as we are called to serve others, sometimes in the little ways that are behind the scenes and humble, like women's housework... but Mary was carrying Jesus with her in her womb... and John recognized that, leapt for joy. Do we carry Jesus with us when we go to serve others, or do we serve people at work with an attitude? Do we carry Jesus to other people on the internet... You see how you can think about it and ponder... why DID God put this story in the Bible, and what can I learn from it. What does God want to speak to me about this story today?

Granted, a lot of Catholics don't get out the Bible every time they pray the Rosary, but many of us have many times, and we are taught those stories as children and I certainly go back and reread them periodically.

But I don't have to reread them every time to remember the stories and think about them. While I'm driving, or while I'm waiting for a bunch of photocopies to be run off, or doing busy work, it's easy to pray at least part of a rosary, a little here, a little there, and repeating the words helps to focus one's mind, so that I'm not thinking about distractions or annoyances, the words help one to focus on prayer, and then you can think about the mysteries, these events that Jesus intended to speak to all of us, as we ask Mary to pray with us and for us.

For every ten Hail Mary's, there is also a prayer of praise to God, "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen, and each decade of the rosary also starts with the Our Father (Lord's prayer) which is also from the Bible. The "Fatima prayer" is one many people add at the end of each decade, which I think someone quoted, I don't know if I say the same words, but "O Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to you in heaven, especially those who most need Thy Mercy." So we are praying for ourselves and others, praying to Jesus every time we finish a decade. I think most people do, I was taught that prayer as a child many years ago.

And of course, the rosary starts with the Apostles Creed, which many churches accept. My husband is not Catholic, but the reformed church his parents attend have this in their prayer book and recite that every Sunday...

As for the repetive nature of the rosary... children's lullaby's are repetitive but comforting as every mother knows and some fathers. As some have pointed out, some of the prayers within the Bible have repetiions, some of the psalms and other parts of the Bible... the Canticle of the Three Young Men (in the fiery furnace) comes to mind, with all the "praise and exalt him forever"s... The Repitition is not for GOd but for us... When I am making a gazillion different photocopies of pages for school children, or standing to wait for my washing machine to be ready for the blue stuff to be added... I might have repetitive bad thoughts, or just plain repetitive boring busy work, but I choose to use my mind by repeating prayer that keeps Jesus in my thoughts... not always the rosary, because I like to listen to and sing hymns, including Catholic and Protestant praise and worship music, which of course have repeated refrains and choruses... it all helps to keep one's mind focused on Jesus.

I am glad to know about the new mysteries, and look forward to the announcement... a good idea to think about these other important events in Jesus' life, to reflect on and ponder.

MarthaB
102 posted on 10/14/2002 5:13:56 PM PDT by MarthaB
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To: Siobhan
Thanks.

And the comment that I responded to certainly makes God weak.
103 posted on 10/14/2002 5:14:35 PM PDT by Wrigley
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To: biblewonk
More Mary worship. Good job mr pope!

Take your swill elsewhere, harpie.
104 posted on 10/14/2002 5:18:00 PM PDT by Conservative til I die
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To: biblewonk
Sorry my entire being doesn't scream at RC's anymore, I'm used to the false doctrines and only seek to lay them open

The arrogance is hilarious. This, from a guy who's most likely against "Luminous" because it's too big a word and makes his brain hurt. Plus, it's not one of those simple Bah-bul only words like "Jeebus"
105 posted on 10/14/2002 5:19:40 PM PDT by Conservative til I die
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Comment #106 Removed by Moderator

To: CdMGuy; Desdemona
153 [Hail Mary's] in the full recitation

I think you meant to say 159 Hail Marys. There are 3 sets of 5 decades, so that is 50 per or a total of 150. Then at the start is the Apostles Creed plus 3 Hail Marys and a Glory be. So that would be 9 more Hail Marys for a grand total of 159 for all 15 Mysteries.

How to Pray a 15 Decade Rosary

107 posted on 10/14/2002 5:29:20 PM PDT by ELS
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To: drstevej; RnMomof7
This could be interesting. TULIP is pretty straight forward. Don't let me down.
108 posted on 10/14/2002 5:31:27 PM PDT by Wrigley
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To: sandyeggo
***the rosary is the circle above the cross***

And the circle around that circle is the ring around the rosary!

***sorry, just had to use that phrase***

109 posted on 10/14/2002 5:33:37 PM PDT by drstevej
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To: sandyeggo
Must be why there are so many Hail Mary's and so few
Our Father's -- right?
110 posted on 10/14/2002 5:34:09 PM PDT by Woodkirk
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To: RnMomof7
Good information. It'll be scoffed at. But when you don't want to see the Truth...
111 posted on 10/14/2002 5:34:13 PM PDT by Wrigley
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To: Junior
placemarker
112 posted on 10/14/2002 5:34:20 PM PDT by Junior
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To: Pyro7480
The Rosary has been called Mary's Psalter.
113 posted on 10/14/2002 5:36:33 PM PDT by ELS
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To: PFKEY
As to new traditions... or going by Bible and tradition. Actually, Catholics would understand this to be about 2 different things.

There are "man-made traditions" with a small "t" which could be customs we develop that are nice and not wrong but not "necessary" for our salvation. Having Easter lilies at Easter and certain songs might be a tradition, but we don't have to have lilies.

But the "Bible and Tradition," here Catholics use a Captital "T" and mean something different. We are recognizing that before there ever was a written Bible, the apostles were already teaching, preaching, making converts, making decisions, and handing on the Truth that is now contained in the Bible. There was a Church before there was a book, before there was a written Bible. And, the Church with God's guidance made the decision about what books even went into the Bible... the Gospel of Thomas didn't make it, wasn't believed to be authentic. Rather than starting from the Bible, we start with the premise that Jesus authorized his apostles to carry on his mission, and then sent the Holy Spirit to empower and guide them. The apostles had all the truth before there was a written Bible. (Of course there was the Old Testament already, but not the New, not yet.)

Now, we see God's Revelation as being in two strands, that "everything that God handed on to the apostles," comes down to us either through Tradition, what was handed down by teaching from the time of the apostles, and the Bible itself. There can not be new revelation from God that is necessary for our salvation... Catholics don't beleive that an angel will come with a Koran or BOok of Mormon or some new teaching that will ever supercede what God has given us in Jesus Christ... the important things are already there in Tradition or in the Bible, and Tradition would never contradict the Bible... a Protestant may look at a teaching and think so, but I believe and the Church teaches, that they support each other. Things like even the teaching that Jesus Christ is true God and true man... at times, some people questioned if Jesus was really God, others questioned if Jesus was really man, but the early Church resolved this early on by confirming in a Council that Jesus is "true God and true man." The Bible may not say it in those words, but if you search the Bible, I think most Christians say that threads of this teaching can be found there even if not in those words. This is an example of Tradition making more explicit something that is at least implicit in Scripture, not contradicting.

There cannot be a new Tradition that would be separate from the Bible or opposed to the Bible, and no new public revelation at all. So no Korans or Book of Mormon. If an angel came to someone, even if an investigation did not prove it false, Catholics would not be rquired to believe it, because what God has already given us in Tradition and the Bible is complete, however, if an angel said to someone to pray and keep the commandments, and it couldn't be proved that the person was lying ... people would have the option to believe and to act on what was allegedly said, but ... if the "angel" contradicted Scripture or Tradition, forget it, that would be said to be heresy, and a real angel wouldn't contradict Scripture.

Teachings that are today articulated more fully, like the teaching on abortion, have been present from Day One, in that in the Didache, the teaching of the 12 apostles, abortion is forbidden in that first century document, and then you can find Scripture passages that go along with this, such as Jesus, while in his mother's womb, causing John to leap for joy, suggesting personhood of fetuses (the word brephos is used) and then Jesus using the same word brephos to say, let the little children come to me, and saying, whoever welcomes a child welcomes me, also there are passages about God calling some of the prophets and naming them within their mother's wombs. So even though today we have new teachings for new times, the Scriptures tend to support this, while Tradition from the time of the apostles says that abortion is forbidden.

If you don't accept the early Tradition on this, then Scripture may not seem as clear, especially if you are looking hard to take the pro-choice side as some churches have. I use this an example and hope that it does not offend. But it is one where you see how this plays out, that there is nothing absolutely clear about abortion in the Bible, but a lot to give one pause in reflecting on God's will for children... but then the Tradition from apostolic times, which the Catholic Church accepts (and which too many Catholics haven't heard of) says that it is forbidden to slay the unborn child...

So, for new situtions, we have to go back to Tradition and Scripture and try to see what God has been saying all along that applies to our present situation.

As for the new Rosary mysteries that have been announced, as much as many Catholics like the rosary, I believe one cn be a good Catholic without the Rosary, and that the Rosary per se as a prayer form is not necessary for our salvation. However, all the individual truths that we reflect on, such as, thinking about the angel coming to Mary, thinking about the Holy Spirit coming to the apostles, etc. ... all of these are very explicitly from the Bible except perhaps the last two Glorious Mysteries which are more from Tradition... But as far as using the beads and praying this sequence of prayers... a Catholic is not "saved" by praying the rosary and one might consider it a "tradition" with a lower case, a customary way of prayer which is officially recognized and approved by the Church thought not required actually. The proclamation of the new mysteries will invite us, but not require us, to think about these other areas of Jesus' life and to pray about them... the mysteries themselves are from the Bible, but there is no new requirement that we have to pray about them in this way. Or so I would understand it.
114 posted on 10/14/2002 5:41:49 PM PDT by MarthaB
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To: biblewonk
***"...a chant is a chant..."***
__________________________________________________
Hi, wonk . What is your definition of "chant" ?
In my experience , chant is the Psalms set to music . that is, a sort of singing of Scripture in tones set centuries ago .
I see nothing particularly vain about that ,even repeating John 3:16
Could you perhaps be thinking "Mantra" , like the Budhists use ?
115 posted on 10/14/2002 5:42:37 PM PDT by dadwags
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To: MarthaB
Thank you for your excellent replies.
116 posted on 10/14/2002 5:46:43 PM PDT by ELS
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To: Loyalist; Desdemona; Polycarp; Salvation; Irisshlass; Catholicguy; american colleen; eastsider; ...
While we're waiting, this might be useful background material...

MAGNAE DEI MATRIS
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII
on the Rosary

117 posted on 10/14/2002 6:00:14 PM PDT by ELS
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To: MarthaB
A very excellent reply.

Thanks for the time and effort you put into this.

118 posted on 10/14/2002 6:00:45 PM PDT by PFKEY
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To: Wrigley
And the comment that I responded to certainly makes God weak.

Christmas can't come too soon for you.

119 posted on 10/14/2002 6:01:34 PM PDT by Siobhan
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To: RnMomof7
Hey, Mom7, are ALL repititions Vain?
Could there possibly be Some repititions that are not vain ?
120 posted on 10/14/2002 6:02:47 PM PDT by dadwags
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