Praying the Beads

Marian devotion has long been popular, and yet it is peculiar that Mary could play a crucial role in our salvation and in the history of the Church while there are still significant numbers of Christians who largely ignore her. The Catholic community has preserved the place of honor that she assumed in the early Church after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The earliest Christological crises were resolved in part because of her role and participation with her Son in the work of redemption. The title “Mater Dei or Mother of God,” rendered as “Theotokos or God-Bearer” in the East, preserved both the unity in Christ between his human and divine natures as well as the abiding truth that he was the Second (Divine) Person of the Blessed Trinity. He was truly God come down from heaven and Mary, although a mortal creature was the Mother of the whole identity of her Son. He was truly human and had taken his flesh from Mary. The Rosary assists us in meditating upon the great mysteries of Christian faith. Composed largely of Hail, Mary prayers, which can become of type of background mantra to our overall prayer, we find the proclamation of God’s inspired Word and the Church’s response. “Hail, Mary! Full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.” Every time we say this prayer we enter into the great dialogue between heaven and earth. The angel of the Annunciation offers this salutation to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1::28). Elizabeth at the Visitation adds her voice: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1::42). The Church responds with the second half of the Hail, Mary: “Holy Mary (preserved from sin by the anticipatory merits of her Son’s Cross), Mother of God (the title granted against Nestorians that safeguarded the unity and identity of Christ), pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death (if she could move her Son to change water into wine, how much more would she have her Son change sinners into saints?).

The Church is emerging from a terrible time of confusion after Vatican II where many people, including seminarians, clergy and religious, put aside their rosaries. It was almost as if we were ashamed of Mary. I recall faculty in the seminary formation program arguing that it wronged Christ to speak of Mary’s mantle of mercy and protection. And yet, while I would also argue that Jesus and Mary are of one heart and mind about us, their criticism was meant to diminish the role of Christ as Judge and the possibility of punishment. Thankfully, today many of our men discerning a vocation are dedicated to the Eucharist and Rosary. Those who dismissed Mary and her wonderful beads have become only superficially Catholic today or have left ministry and possibly even the Church entirely. The prayers of the Rosary do more than attract us to the Lord and Mary; they also remind us of whom we are as Christians. While I had some differences with elements of the theology of the late Fr. Karl Rahner, it irked the progressive community that he seemed to become more traditional in his old age. Nevertheless, because theological contributions, they gave him a special award dinner honoring him. While they listed their accolades, the elderly man looked at the floor and fingered his Rosary. He would remark that without humility, it is impossible to be a theologian. In other words, when all is said and written, the Catholic submits to God and his Church. It is interesting that a man who was once suspect himself, would just prior to his death, be solicited by the Sacred Congregation for the Faith, to investigate another priest who had written books postulating an incomplete and problematical Christology. Fr. Rahner would later report that despite dialogue, and misdirection, the problems remained. I mention Fr. Rahner because during the 1980’s he had become the world’s most preeminent theologian. And yet, he still said his simple Rosary. We do not have to be professional theologians or read all the religious books available to be good Catholics. The regular recitation of the Rosary can bring us back to the essential mysteries of faith again and again—particularly with the addition of the new Luminous Mysteries.

The structure of the Rosary is not really too difficult. Many of us will kiss the crucifix and make the Sign of the Cross. Many kiss the Rosary after its recitation. Holding the crucifix, we say the Apostle’s Creed. It does not matter which one although many people do an older version than the one in the people’s Sunday liturgical books (it can be substituted at Mass with children who are in catechesis and studying it). Moving to the first bead, we say the Our Father. The next three beads are Hail, Mary’s. The intention for these beads is usually denoted as for faith, hope and charity. At the end we pray the Glory Be. Many people add a prayer called the Fatima Aspiration after the Glory Be. Then the first mystery is announced, the Lord’s Prayer is said on the next bead, and we recite ten Hail, Mary’s and the following beads. We meditate on the given mystery during the recitation of that decade. They are followed again with the Glory Be and maybe the Fatima Aspiration. This pattern is repeated with each decade (ten Hail, Mary beads). The prayer ends with the prayer called the Hail, Holy Queen. There is often a short little prayer appended that closes the Rosary. Today there are even renditions of the Rosary with prefatory prayers and links to liturgical prayers, particular at the conclusion. However, these additions require accompanying booklets. Since the Rosary has become a big pro-life prayer, many also add a prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe at the end. The prayer is in reference to a miraculous image that presents a pregnant Virgin Mary. It was so influential, that it led to the conversion of millions in Mexico and the end of child sacrifice in pagan worship.