This year most of the meditations will be on the Rosary and its individual mysteries. The Master of the Order has invited us to make 2008 a 'year of the rosary'. It is the first in a novena of years during which the Dominican friars will prepare to celebrate their eighth centenary in 2016. The Dominican nuns have already celebrated their eighth centenary (1206-2006) and the friars have decided to use the years between 2006 and 2016 as 'a time to enter into a serious renewal of our life and mission as preachers'. As a first step, the Master invites us to re-discover the Rosary 'as a means of contemplation and an instrument of prophetic preaching'. Our Lenten meditations are offered in response to his invitation.On the Sundays of Lent there will be reflections on the Mass readings and we will also interrupt the Rosary reflections for other important feasts along the way. We will follow the new arrangement of twenty mysteries, adding to the traditional Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries, the 'Mysteries of Light' identified by John Paul II, in which we meditate on key moments in the preaching ministry of Jesus, his baptism, the sign given at Cana, his preaching work as a whole, his Transfiguration, and his institution of the Eucharist.
Have a serious - but happy - Lent!
We look forward to sharing in the fruits of your contemplation on the Rosary!
ReplyDeleteWhile the nuns have already celebrated the anniversary of our founding we, too, as part of the Order of Preachers are preparing during these next years for the anniversary of the founding of the Order of Preachers in 2016.
Excellent. You promise to keep us crazy people running to and fro between the Oratory and Blackfriars.
ReplyDeleteI look forward here in Kerala South India to a happy blessing through your Lenten mediations.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks.