The Rosary: Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is an apposite day on which to conclude our series on the Rosary. The series has focused on the cycles and prayers of the Rosary in which we have seen the richness and depth of this devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as its ultimate Christological character.

This is a special feast for Dominicans because of the tradition that Our Lady gave the traditional Rosary to St. Dominic. St. Dominic was not the first to use beads as a means of prayer - for example, the practice of saying 150 Our Fathers or the “Paternoster” certainly predated the Rosary. However, the tradition was affirmed by Pope Leo XIII especially and on several occasions, to say nothing of the endorsement of other Popes, besides.

St Dominic de Guzman receiving the Rosary, Federico Barocci, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Given this background, the Dominicans have a special role in promoting this Marian devotion and do so in various ways. One way we promote the Rosary is by personal recitation. After all, it would be useless to promote a devotion that we did not ourselves practise. The Constitutions of the Friars Preachers state "The brothers should recite daily five decades of the rosary in common or in private… This form of prayer leads us to the contemplation of the mystery of salvation in which the Virgin Mary is intimately associated with the work of her Son." [LCO 67]. Of course, we are greatly assisted in this task by the fact that we wear the Rosary as part of our habit! [LCO 50]

Elsewhere in the Constitutions, the importance and value of our devotion to the rosary and its implications is underscored: "The Rosary as a way of contemplating the mysteries of Christ, is a school for developing evangelical life. As such, it is a form of preaching particularly appropriate to our Order, in which the truths of faith are proposed in the light of the blessed Virgin Mary’s participation in the mystery of Christ and the Church. Since the Rosary is a characteristically Dominican devotion, the brothers should fervently preach it, so that it may flourish, and they should promote its societies.” [LCO 129].

Further reading on the meaning and value of the Rosary, together with advice on the way to say it can be found in various Papal documents, including Adiutricem (Leo XIII) , Marialis Cultus (Paul VI), and Rosarium Virginis Mariae (St. John Paul II).

In writing this series, we hope that we have been true to our Dominican heritage and mission, and that some encouragement has been provided to our readers to dedicate themselves to this wonderful devotion.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God – that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

The Rosary: O My Jesus

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

The ‘Fatima Prayer’ given by Our Lady to three young visionaries at Fatima, Portugal, has been included in the recitation of the Rosary since those visions in the early 1900s. Though the entire Rosary is a meditation upon the life of Christ this is the only prayer directed expressly towards him.

Each mystery of the Rosary unfolds the glories, joys and sorrows of Christ’s life. But more than this, through meditation the Christian soul is raised up into that Divine Life. It becomes an actual witness, seeing through the eyes of faith, to those miraculous things which happened long ago or beyond this world.

However, this lofty engagement is not always achieved. Sometimes the Christian uses spirituality as escapism from the world because it is a difficult place to be. This ‘failed’ spirituality feeds the image of the spiritual person as someone slightly ethereal someone who appears rather untenable. Spirituality, in this later sense, becomes less about God and more about us.

The Fatima Prayer can head off this false spirituality of escapism by appeal to the personal encounter with Jesus, the Word-Made-Flesh. When we speak to Jesus we speak to the one who bears his own wounds. How then can we try to hide ours? In speaking to Jesus we find that it is not just necessary, but good, to acknowledge the world around us and all its trials. In Jesus we see the immense importance the Father has placed on the world, which is the road we walk back to him.

Solemnity of The Annunciation of the Lord

The encounter between the Angel Gabriel and the Blessed Virgin Mary changed human history forever. It provides the setting of the Incarnation, when “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14).. The sheer profundity of this meeting taxes superlatives both with respect to the remarkable circumstances in which the event took place, and the seminal significance of the Incarnation and what it meant for human history.

The circumstances are familiar to us, not least through our recitation of the Angelus: the Archangel Gabriel, sent as God’s messenger, appears to Mary, a young Israelite girl, living in the seemingly obscure, small town of Nazareth. These humble circumstances befit the immeasurably humble act of God becoming man.  

Fra Angelico's "Annunciation", North Corridor, San Marco

The  Angel greets her, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28) - familiar words that we echo every time we pray the “Hail Mary”. Now familiarity of the event and the words spoken is no bad thing, but there is a danger that in being so familiar, we somehow overlook, or remain in some way unmoved, by the jaw-dropping situation. 

Certainly, even Mary initially was “greatly troubled” by the angel’s greeting. Then, understandably enough, she was puzzled by the revelation that despite having no husband, she would conceive and bear a son. 

“How can this be?” she asked. Even in her puzzlement, there is a sense of restraint; who amongst us would have asked only one question?

The angel told her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit, and that her barren cousin, Elizabeth would have a son, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” 

Mary’s response is one of humble submission: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” She accepted everything in perfect faith, hope and charity.

The potency of this account might lie partly in its provenance. We learn of this event through St. Luke’s Gospel alone. But how did St. Luke learn of it? Luke’s source, whether directly or indirectly, must surely have been Mary herself. Who other than Our Lady herself could have provided the original account of what happened during those remarkable moments? Who else could have described how she felt and what was said to her?

St. Bernard reflects upon the seminal significance of the event for the salvation of humanity, and made this most powerful scene his prayer: “You heard the annunciation, Blessed Virgin, that you would conceive and bear a son - not by knowing man, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Look, the angel awaits your response... We took, condemned to death by divine judgment, live in hope of hearing a word of mercy. The cost of our salvation is in your hands. If you say yes, we will be set free... because the consolation of the sorrowful, the liberation of slaves an prisoners, the redemption of all the children of Adam, your lineage, depends on your response... Open your heart to faith, your mouth to consent, and your chaste body to the Creator” (Laudes Mariae, Sermo 4, 8-9).

Let us celebrate Our Lady’s role in our salvation and entrust ourselves to her peerless intercession, today and always.

Ave Regina Caelorum, the traditional hymn to Our Lady in Lent,

set for 8 voices by de Victoria, sung by The Sixteen

God Matters: Role of the Virgin Mary

Fr. Richard Conrad OP continued our "God Matters" series last Tuesday with a talk on, "The role of the Virgin Mary". As on previous occasions, Godzdogz feature the video of the talk, below:

Fr. Richard uses art to explore Our Lady's role and there is a very comprehensive handout, which can be downloaded by clicking here: "Handout".

Tomorrow sees the final event in this year's series. There will be a panel of this year's speakers to answers questions and draw together recurring themes over the course of the talks. As before, all are welcome to come and participate at Blackfriars Priory Church at 8pm. Bring a friend or three!

Mother of God, Queen of Peace

Today we invoke the prayers of Our Lady under the title “Mother of God”. It seems fitting that Our Lady should have a feast in the Christmas Octave given her fundamental role in the events of Christ’s birth, and indeed the history of salvation. During this season we sing the Alma Redemptoris mater in which we pray, Tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem, Virgo prius ac posterius - 'You, in the wonder of all creation, have brought forth your Creator, Mother ever-Virgin'.

We recall that Our Lady gave birth to Jesus Christ, our God, whilst she was a virgin. This miracle is the greatest honour ever bestowed upon a human being by God throughout history. By this act, she was marked out forever. This act was an awesome responsibility, one that would daunt any person. But God gave her the grace to do it; He showed her favour. Saint Augustine wrote, "The divine motherhood would have been of no value to her had Christ not borne her in his heart, with a destiny more fortunate than the moment when she conceived him in the flesh" (De Sancta Virginitate, 3, 3).

It is especially apt that on the day we remember Our Lady’s motherhood of the Prince of Peace, we also turn our thoughts to the conflicts which ravage the earth, and pray for peace.  

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Pray for Us.

Sassoferrato

Fourth Sunday of Advent: St. Joseph

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we read St. Matthew’s Gospel in which the role of St. Joseph is brought into focus. In order to understand the situation in which Joseph found himself, a little background is needed. He was betrothed (in Hebrew, ‘qiddushin’ meaning consecrations) to Mary, Our Lady. In Jewish culture at that time, this had a greater significance than the modern day equivalent of an engagement because it carried with it the legal and moral effects of marriage itself. During this time of betrothal the bride-to-be lived with her parents - in Mary’s case with Saints Joachim and Anne. It was only at the celebration of the wedding that the wife would be led in procession to her husband’s house after which time they “came together” [RSV Mt 1:18].

We are not told in Matthew’s Gospel or any other for that matter, how Joseph discovered Mary was “with child”. Perhaps Mary told him and tried to explain; perhaps it was through an intermediary; perhaps he realised it by himself? Regardless, the situation no doubt appeared bleak initially. There were - seemingly - two possibilities to explain Mary’s pregnancy: either Joseph had lacked the self-control to remain chaste before the wedding, or Mary had been unfaithful. The former would have been a cause of shame and reproach on both Mary and Joseph; the latter was more serious still for the penalty for a “betrothed virgin” lying with another man was death by stoning [Deut 22:23-24].  The stakes were very high indeed.

How does Joseph navigate this crisis? As a “just man”, he decides he will end the relationship discreetly by divorcing Mary. He did not seek the retribution for which the law provided - being “unwilling to put her to shame” - but, in the midst of this dramatic scene, he displayed a kindly disposition. St. Thomas Aquinas and others have interpreted this disposition as a sign that he realised that somehow God was behind all of this - perhaps there was a third possibility after all?

Even so, “Why me?” “Why would it have to be my wife who became pregnant, and leave me in this quandry?” I suspect Joseph uttered such words or words to a similar effect. The answer, of course - as Joseph discovered by the message of angel in a dream - is that it was God’s plan. It was God’s plan that Joseph, the “son of David”, the heir to the Davidic promise, would be the Father of Jesus. It was God’s plan that Mary who had already been conceived without original sin would be His Mother. It was God’s plan that His son would be named “Jesus” (Jeshua) meaning “the Lord saves”. It was God’s plan that He would save His people from their sins. And all this was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s oracle, God’s plan foretold.

As if Joseph wasn’t bewildered enough by Mary’s pregnancy, he now learns that the Father of Mary’s child is God Himself, and that he, Joseph, is to be guardian. The human mind boggles at such an awesome message, a breathtaking responsibility. Certainly, it was not for nothing that the angel said to him, “do not fear”.

Joseph’s example is a remarkable one. He was, in every sense but biological, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and husband of Our Lady. In the remaining days of Advent, in our contemplation of how our Saviour came to be born, all of us might reflect on Joseph’s witness and role in the history of salvation. Pope Benedict XVI encouraged this devotion: "meditation on the human and spiritual journey of Saint Joseph invites us to ponder his vocation in all its richness, and to see him as a constant model for all those who have devoted their lives to Christ in the priesthood, in the consecrated life or in the different forms of lay engagement.”

Sancte Joseph, ora pro nobis.

Joseph's Dream, Gaetano Gandolfi (c.1790)

The Blessing of Roses

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. At Blackfriars, Oxford we followed the beautiful Dominican tradition of blessing and handing out roses at Mass on this day.

In his homily, the Prior, Fr John O'Connor OP, highlighted the 'simple and simplifying' nature of the Rosary as a form of prayer. It is a way of praying that maintains a delicate balance between gentle activity (the words, the beads) and receptive contemplation; between the repetition of the prayers and our ever-deepening meditation on the mysteries of our redemption in Christ.

The words of blessing spoken by the priest over the roses are a lovely evocation of the grace we have received in Christ, whom the Blessed Virgin brought into the world, and run as follows:

Blessing of Roses

For the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary

From the Dominican Breviary

O God, Creator and Preserver of the human race, who grant us the Holy Spirit with His seven-fold gifts, and who generously bestow eternal salvation:

Sanctify, we pray, and bless these roses.

We present them before You today, and seek Your blessing upon them, to express our thanks to You, and our devotion towards the blessed Ever-Virgin Mary and her Rosary.

You created these roses as a source of pleasant fragrance and gave them to us to lift our spirits. Then through the power of the holy Cross pour out upon them Your heavenly + blessing.

Signed by the holy + Cross may they receive so powerful a blessing that in the houses and hospitals where they are taken the sick may be healed. From the places where they are kept may the powers of evil flee in fear and terror, nor may they presume again to disturb Your servants.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Virgin will Conceive ...

Isa 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 1:26-38. Also Mt 1:18-25.

It is interesting that the liturgy places the reading of Isaiah’s prophecy that ‘a young woman / virgin is with child and will bear a son’ with Luke’s account of the annunciation to Mary of the conception of Jesus. Luke’s text makes clear that Mary is a virgin, and, interestingly in view of her impending marriage to Joseph, that she sees her virginity as a problem to the fulfilment of the promise of motherhood of the messiah made her by the angel (v 32-34). Luke’s account goes on to make clear that it is God himself who will directly bring about the conception of the child in her womb, without the intervention of a man, God’s action described in terms taken from the way God visits and fills his temple with his presence (v 35). The child will thus be holy in a special way and called Son of God. (Overtones of the language of the act of divine creation may be present as well.) But commentators in general do not think that Luke is actively drawing on Isaiah for his account. It is Matthew that makes explicit and very significant use of it, seeing the text as referring both to the virginal conception of Jesus by Mary and the fact that the child is properly called or at least described as Emmanuel, God-with-us’ (Mt 1:18-25).

Why does Luke seem to omit it but Matthew use it? The decision of both authors may be based on a similar knowledge of the linguistic detail and history of the Isaian text. Their respective choices may well highlight important but different features of the nativity events. The Hebrew version of Isaiah uses the word ‘‘almah’ which in the Old Testament refers to a young woman who has reached puberty and thus is ready for marriage. The stress does not fall on her virginity though that would be expected or hoped for in such societies. The Greek Septuagint (LXX), a later translation but in common use at the time of Jesus, in Isa 7:14 uses ‘parthenos’ in Isa 7, a term that means a (young) woman of marriageable age but it has far more stress on virginity. The Hebrew text does not explicitly speak of or point to a virginal conception since a natural conception could be a sign of divine blessing. The LXX allows for a more supernatural interpretation of the sign of ‘the virgin who will conceive’, but does not linguistically demand it.

But there was no clear expectation of such a supernatural conception of the Messiah, nor of a divine incarnation, at the time of Mary. These were new actions of God in history, unprecedented. Certainly in the light of them it was possible to read the Jewish Scriptures in a new and truer way – the true way – and see the prediction of Jesus in Jewish prophecy, symbol, divine action and liturgical rite. But that interpretation was undertaken precisely in the light of this new and direct and decisive act of God. (As St Paul put it, for example in Eph 1, Jesus was the mystery, hidden from the beginning, if then prepared for, but only made known in his own day.) Jesus unlocks the secret and obscure meaning of the Scriptures that precede him.

It is because of this newness that in Luke’s account Mary legitimately questions God (v 34): she is not expecting a virginal conception. And it is her simple but committed acceptance of its announcement to her, an act without precedent in Jewish history, that points to the greatness of her faith (v 38). Luke’s ‘non-use’ of the Isaian text emphasises this point.

Matthew does things differently. In the light of the fact of the Virgin Birth he uses the providential creation of the LXX as God’s way of furnishing, or at least flagging up, a prophecy about the virginal conception and Incarnation and thus of showing that they did fulfil Scripture. In this way he commends them for belief to Jewish and other audiences.

But let us focus on Luke’s text, which is today’s gospel reading, and on the extraordinary faith of Mary. It is a faith born of and sustained by divine grace. It was God’s gift to her but was also really her own, risk-filled, but loving response. She is stepping out boldly in faith, believing God can bring about her pregnancy and make the child the saviour of Israel, the fulfilment in person of the temple and its liturgy. As such she accepts and commits herself to this new and decisive act of God in history which is the Incarnation.

We are called to enter into the faith of Mary, so that Jesus may be formed in us, born of us (as we have first been born of him), so that we may show him, he who is God-among-us, to the world of today. Like Mary we are directly reliant on grace for this: the flesh cannot instigate it (cf Jn 1:13). In this all Christians are called to be virgins, but ones that bring forth Jesus. May we bring forth Jesus and show him to others this Christmas!

Our Lady of Walsingham

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. Walsingham is known as 'England's Nazareth', a place of pilgrimage for almost a thousand years, ever since the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Richeldis de Faverches in the eleventh century. So, Our Lady of Walsingham carries a special significance to the Christians of our land. The National Shrine reminds us of the ancient faith we hold, which has shaped our culture and graced our people over the centuries. Walsingham remains a beautiful witness to the Annunciation at Nazareth, when God 'pitched his tent among us', taking our human flesh to himself in Jesus Christ.

Every year in May, the English Dominicans organise a pilgrimage to Walsingham. If you missed this year's pilgrimage, watch this space for the next!

Walsingham is also a place where English Christians seek unity. It is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics, Anglicans and Orthodox alike. Though the Anglican Church holds this feast on 15 October, as we celebrate this day let us continue to pray for Christian unity. Last year, the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham was established to allow Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while retaining many of their distinctive traditions.

During his visit to the UK in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said the Ordinariate 'should be seen as a prophetic gesture that can contribute positively to the developing relations between Anglicans and Catholics. It helps us to set our sights on the ultimate goal of all ecumenical activity: the restoration of full ecclesial communion in the context of which the mutual exchange of gifts from our respective spiritual patrimonies serves as an enrichment to us all'.

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us.