Happy Feast of St. Francis,

St. Francis' Salutations to the Virgin

Hail, O Lady, 
Mary, holy Mother of God: 
you are the Virgin made Church 
and the one chosen by the
most holy Father in heaven 
whom He consecrated 
with His most holy beloved Son 
and with the Holy Spirit the Paraclete,
in whom there was and is
the fullness of grace and every good

Hail His Palace! 
Hail His Tabernacle! 
Hail His Home! 
Hail His Robe!
Hail His Servant! 
Hail His Mother!

And hail all you holy virtues which through the grace and light of the Holy Spirit are poured into the hearts of the faithful so that from their faithless state you may make them faithful to God.

AMEN

 

The soul that lives by the Rosary makes her way quickly towards a life of union with Christ. And what are, in fact, the mysteries of the Rosary? They are the very mysteries of Jesus, the mysteries of His life, the mysteries of His grace, the mysteries of His love. The Rosary is the soul truly plunged into Jesus Himself. The Rosary is Jesus filling our spirit, our intelligence, our memory, our imagination, our vision. At each instant and in all the mysteries it is always His Person that comes to the fore, but the reality is always unique, always the same: it is Jesus.

Father Marie-Etienne Vayssière, O.P. (1864-1940)

I would like to suggest to everyone to renew the prayer of the Rosary in the upcoming Year of Faith. With the Rosary, we allow ourselves to be guided by Mary, model of faith, in meditating on the mysteries of Christ, and day after day we are helped to assimilate the Gospel, so that it shapes all our lives. I invite you to pray the Rosary personally, in the family and in the community, learning at the school of Mary, which leads us to Christ, the living centre of our faith.
Benedict XVI.

 

October is the traditional month of the Holy Rosary for in this month we celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady Queen of the Rosary on October 10th.

The Church calls us ever afresh to renew our devotion of this wonderful prayer, for in it we see before the life and mystery of Jesus through the eyes of his Mother. Every mystery in which we contemplate and pray is made present in that quiet moment as we slip the beads through our fingers and offer up that great gospel prayer, the words of the Angel Gabriel, “ Hail Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.”

 

Like the Holy Mass which makes present in our time and place, the Sacrifice of Calvary and allows us to share and benefit in its saving mysteries. So too in a differing way, we are allowed to share in every mystery of our Lords life when we recall that saving life upon the Rosary beads. We make present that mystery in our hearts, our minds, our homes and families and by doing so we are allowed to participate and receive the graces and mercy that flow from Jesus. We not only grow in grace, we also grow in knowledge of Christ and his life. This knowledge of Jesus, as Aquinas teaches us, makes us grow in love of him and his mysteries.

 

The Rosary therefore is the gospel on the beads, it is chain of love which unites heaven and earth wherever it is prayed, making present in that place the mystery of Love Incarnate in the presence of Christ's Mother.

Wherever Mary is, there is to be found Christ, wherever Christ is, there his Mother stands interceding.

 

This month of October is a holy month, a month to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ and so it is a time to increase our love for him and experience his love for us.

Throughout Europe Dominicans encourage the faithful to pray the Rosary in groups, for where two are three are gathered the Lord promises to come among us.

Ireland has a long tradition in rural places of local communities coming together during the summer months and celebrating the “Station Mass” in family homes, this traditions stretches back centuries when practicing the faith in public was forbidden.

 

As promoter of the Rosary, I would encourage the faithful in rural areas, towns and cities to set apart one evening a week during this month. Invite your neighbours and friends to come together and say the Rosary in a family home. To pray together for the intentions of the families gathered, for their children, for their sufferings, their sicknesses, for employment and for an increase in faith. All it takes is twenty five minutes, to spent the time as a family, a local community or a gathering of friends and pray together in the presence of the Lord in the company of Mary. No priest or minister is needed, just an open heart and open home to welcome.

 

We are celebrating this year in Ireland what we are calling “The Gathering.” Ireland learned its hospitality from its ancient faith, perhaps we could have a gathering among those closest to us, and invite those whom we know are in any need to come together in a family home, and make present the mysteries of our Salvation there in that very place.

 

Christ longs and thirsts for us to know him and experience his love and mercy. In this holy month of October, may we find him like the Magi in the presence of his Mother in places the world or even ourselves would have ever expected, those places are firstly our homes and hearts, open wide to welcome the Lamb, the true guest of our souls.

 

I had never seen anything so beautiful. Her face exuded an inexpressible kindness and tenderness, but what pierced me to the depths of my soul was the Virgin’s ravishing smile. Then, all my pain vanished, and two great tears fell from my eyes, and flowed silently over my cheeks, but they were tears of unalloyed joy … Ah, I said to myself, the Blessed Virgin has smiled at me. How happy I am! … But I won’t tell anyone, because then my happiness would disappear.

 

 St. Thérèse.

The Dominican Rosary

 

 

The Dominican family follows the medieval custom of beginning the Rosary like the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary—for the Rosary is known as Mary’s prayer.

 

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

V.  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

R.  Blessed art though amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

V.  Lord, open my lips. +

R.  And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

V.  God come to my assistance.

R.  Lord make haste to help me.

V.  Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

R.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

(Alleluia.) (Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of everlasting glory.)

 

Now begin the mysteries of the day. Start each decade by announcing the mystery and directing your imagination and attention towards that particular episode in the life of Christ or Our Lady.

It can be useful to follow the announcement of the mystery with the reading of a related scriptural passage, as indicated below. In this way, the Rosary is not merely a matter of recalling information, but of allowing God to speak to us directly through his word. Ideally this should be followed be a period of silence, in which to reflect upon the scripture passage before moving on to vocal prayer.

Then, proceed to the recitation of the decade. On the large bead say the Our Father. On each of the ten small beads, say a Hail Mary. (Optionally, the appropriate intercessory prayer, provided below, can be added after each Hail Mary, asking for the assistance one of the Dominican members of the communion of Saints to carry our prayers to Mary, our Mother.) Then pray the Glory Be.

Each decade is a contemplation of the life of Our Lord, witnessed by Mary—one aspect of the paschal mystery. In recognition of the connection with Christian life, we should conclude our contemplation of each decade with a prayer for the fruits specific to that particular mystery. Alternatively, a more general prayer may be said according to custom, such as the following:

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, draw all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of your mercy.

Or: Mary, mother of grace, mother of mercy, shield me from the enemy and receive me at the hour of my death. Amen

 

 

Mysteries of the Rosary

Joyful :Mondays and Saturdays

 

 

1.     The Annunciation (Lk 1, 26-38)

2.     The Visitation (Lk 1, 39-56)

3.     The Nativity (Lk 2, 1-20)

4.     The Presentation (Lk 2, 22-28)

5.     The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2, 41-52)

 

Sorrowful: Tuesdays and Fridays

1.     The Agony in the Garden (Mt 26, 36-56)

2.     The Scourging at the Pillar (Is 53, 1-12 / Mk 15, 1-15)

3.     The Crowning with Thorns (Mk 15, 16-20 / Mt 27, 27-31)

4.     The Carrying of the Cross (Lk 23, 26-32 / Mk 10, 17-21)

5.     The Crucifixion (Jn 19, 17-30 / Mt 27, 35-56)

 

Glorious : Wednesdays and Sundays

1.     The Resurrection (Mt 28, 1-15 / Lk 24, 1-49 / Mk 16, 1-18)

2.     The Ascension (Acts 1, 3-11)

3.     The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2, 1-21)

4.     The Assumption (Rev 12, 1)

5.     The Coronation of the Blessed Mother in Heaven (Lk 1, 46-55)

 

Luminous (Mysteries of Light) Thursdays

1.     The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan (Mt 3, 13-17 / Mk 1, 4-11)

2.     The Manifestation of Christ at the wedding of Cana (Jn 2, 1-11)

3.     The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with his call to conversion (Mt 4, 12-25 / Mk 1, 15       and 2, 3-13 / Lk 7, 47-48 / Jn 20, 22-23)

4.     The Transfiguration (Mt 17, 1-9 / Lk 9, 28-36)

5.     The Institutionalization of the Holy Eucharist (Lk 22, 14-20 / Jn 13, 1)

 

Conclusion of the Holy Rosary

 

Hail, holy queen, Mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.

To thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving,

O sweet virgin Mary.

V.  Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.

R.  That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

 

Let us pray.— O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased do us the rewards of eternal life; grant we beseech thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord.

R.  Amen.

V.  May the divine + assistance remain always with us.

R.  Amen.

V.  May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R.  Amen.

     

"The Lady looked at me. She smiled at me and said: Come closer."

St. Bernadette of Lourdes.

 

Draw close to the Mother for there is where we shall find the Son.