The Holy Rosary

The Holy Rosary

“That obviously means a lot to me because I so

admire him. It makes me think about peace
and promoting understanding and ethical
behavior.”
The Holy Rosary
 The Origin of the Holy Rosary
Prayer Beads have been a
counting device for almost
every religion on earth.
Sandstone sculptures of the
Sunga and Kushan period show
Hindu Sages holding Rosaries
(185BC-AD320). Hindus
predate Christians by 9
centuries B.C. and desert
fathers counted with stones,
sticks and notches long before
recorded history.
 The Holy Rosary

Even the term ‘Rosary’ is not

solely Christian nor is the
rose symbol. In Tibet and
India the Sanskrit word mala
means ’garden’, ‘garden of
flowers’, ‘necklace of beads’.
In Hindu, ‘prayer beads’ is
‘japamala’ which translates
‘rose chaplet’. Rosary is to a
rose or flower garden.
 The Holy Rosary
(Knots and Beads)
Early Christians counted 150 beads (150 Psalms). The
Buddhist and Hindu prayer beads have 108 while some
have 66. Muslim or Islam count prayers on 99. Greeks still
use and call their 100 knots on cords ‘Kombologion’.
Historically strung rosaries and chained rosaries have been
around for a long time. Cords and knots developed into
strung beads and from there grew chained rosaries.
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Today, elegant techniques have been developed in the craft
now called 'wire bending' These wire techniques become a
vital part of the design of jewelry and rosaries, many of the
techniques actually creating the bead itself. This craft is not
new as it has its roots in ancient and traditional forms but
new designs have flowed from the old.
 Holy Rosary
(Origin)

Of course, no one really knows the origin of

the Christian prayer beads. Some believe it
was given to the church fathers by the Muslims
or possibly the Buddhist as they migrated or
traveled the trade routes about a thousand
years ago.
We understand the Hebrews had a counting
system that would have naturally been
adopted by the newly formed Christians. Since
the root of our rosary today lies in the
Paternoster and counting of the 150 Psalms
from the Old Testament, also known as the
'Psalter of David' - one has to consider this is
the root and the original source of our rosary
today.
 The Origin of the Holy Rosary
(Paternoster)

(Our Father) To the early monks and

clergy, the most important part of the
liturgical prayer was the 150 Psalms or
Psalter. Many of the Psalms are songs of
praise and thanksgiving. Most of the
laity could not read so they chanted 150
'Our Fathers' instead of the 5 books
which made up the Psalms. This prayer
is said on the 6 large beads of the rosary
and is from Scripture. It has not basically
changed over the centuries although
you will recognize minor differences
used today.
 The Origin of the Holy Rosary
(Ave Maria)
(Hail Mary) Slowly the 150 Paternosters were replaced by 150
Ave's, both of which were totally scriptural in the beginning. The
tradition of the five books of Psalms carried over after a time and
the Ave's were broken up into decades with the Our Father as
dividers. Prayers of the faithful were added creating the petition.
The Hail Mary is broken down into two parts:
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SALUTATION
1. (Gabriel's salutation to Mary at the Annunciation:
(Luke 1:28). Mary was added to identify. The angel called her 'full
of grace'.)
2. Elizabeth's greeting at the Visitation when she sees Mary:
(Luke 1:42).
The addition of the name of Jesus becomes part of the custom
for many from the year 600 and is officially added during the
14th century..
 The Origin of the Holy Rosary
(Sign of the Cross)

Tertullian writes,‘... we mark our

foreheads with the sign of the cross’
“In the name of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit, Amen”
which stems from the Old Testament
(Ezekial 9:4) comments on marking an X
on the foreheads of the innocent
and (Revelations 7:3, 9:4 and 14:1) the
seal on the forehead of the chosen
and is seen as a life giving symbol.
(See Exodus 17:9-14)
 The Holy Rosary
(The Apostles Creed)

Tradition tells us it is the

teaching of the Apostles
themselves and is an
overview of the Christian
faith. It is believed to be part
of the baptismal prayer or rite
of new Christians since the
beginning.
 St. Dominic Guzman
1170-1221 AD – France

According to tradition, The Blessed Lady

appears to St. Dominic Guzman (1170 -
1221) with a Rosary in her hand, in
response to his prayers to her for help
during the Albigensian heresy which is
destroying Christendom in the 12th and
13th centuries. She teaches him how pray
the Rosary. (It is known that Mary`s
Psalter predated St Dominic.) Mary’s
Psalter predated the Spanish Saint but
according to Fr. Ennio Staid a Dominican
Theologian, St Dominic, the founder of
the Dominican Order became its principal
promoter along with his brothers. (See
14c woodcut below)
 The Holy Rosary

October 7, 1571 – Battle of Lepanto

On Oct. 7, 1571, two years after the Vatican urged the Rosary for
universal use, an event took place that caused the devotion to gain
widespread popularity. One of the most famous (and bloodiest) naval
battles in history took place that day on the Bay of Lepanto, off the
coast of Greece. The opposing forces were Christians, made up of an
alliance of fleets from Spain and Italy, against a far superior Turkish
navy. The Muslim force was threatening to take over the
Mediterranean Sea and hence be in a position to attack European
countries. Pope Pius V asked the Christian faithful to pray the Rosary
and seek the intercession of the Blessed Mother to defeat the Muslim
navy. Despite being outnumbered, the Christian fleet prevailed.
Accordingly, Pope Pius established Oct. 7 as a feast day of Our Lady of
Victory, thus perpetually bringing honor to the Blessed Mother for her
assistance. In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII (r. 1572-85) changed the name of
the feast to Our Lady of the Rosary, a feast the Church continues to
celebrate.
 21st Century
~ 2001 ~ USA - The Twin Towers of World Trade Center
(NYC) are hit on September 11th, along with the
Pentagon (DC) in an attempt to take out the financial
and governmental communities of the US. the nation
comes together in prayer. Pope John Paul II calls for
praying the daily rosary for peace during the month of
October.
~ 2002 ~ VATICAN - Pope John Paul II introduces the
fourth Mystery to the prayers of the rosary, the
Mystery of Light or the Luminous Mysteries. It
embraces the public ministry of Christ: 1. Baptism of
Jesus, 2. Wedding at Cana, (first sign of public
ministry) 3. Proclamation of the Kingdom (call for our
conversion), 4. Transfiguration (glory of the Lord) and
5. Eucharist (becoming one body in Christ).
 Mysteries of the Holy Rosary
Joyful Mystery of the Rosary
Monday & Saturday
The Annunciation of the Lord to Mary
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Presentation of our Lord
Finding Jesus in the Temple at age 12
Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary
Tuesday & Friday
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden
The Scourging at the Pillar
Jesus is Crowned with Thorns
Jesus Carried the Cross
The Crucifixion of our Lord
Glorious Mystery of the Rosary
Wednesday & Sunday
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
The Descent of the Holy Ghost
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and
Earth
Luminous Mystery of the Rosary
Thursday
The Baptism in the Jordan
The Wedding at Cana
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist