The Rosary with Pope Francis edited by Alessandro Saraco
All booklets are published thanks to the generous support of the members of the Catholic Truth Society
CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY
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publishers to the holy see
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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Plenary Indulgence connected to saying the Rosary of the Vigin Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Mary’s Fifteen Promises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 How to Pray the Rosary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Joyful Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20 Luminous Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-26 Sorrowful Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-32 Glorious Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-39 Concluding Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Other Prayers to Mary by Pope Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
All rights reserved. First published 2014 by The Incorporated Catholic Truth Society, 40-46 Harleyford Road London SE11 5AY Tel: 020 7640 0042 Fax: 020 7640 0046. © 2014 Libreria Editrice Vaticana. This edition © 2014 The Incorporated Catholic Truth Society.
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— Introduction —
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azing at Jesus through the eyes of Mary: this is the interior experience of one who prays the Rosary. Accompanied and guided by her who, as Mother, loves her Son more than anyone else, who knows him better than any other human being does, and who listened to every one of his words and kept them in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19), a person who contemplates the salient moments of Our Lord's life penetrates deeply into the whole Gospel message, assimilates it, and meditates upon it to the point of “putting on Christ” (cf. Rm 13:14). Through the prayer of the Rosary, it is as if Mary is telling the story of who Jesus is, of his life, his words, his actions. And in this way she invites us to know him, to follow him, to love him, to conform ourselves to him, becoming like her: “wholly of God,” given over to his will. Through the Virgin of Nazareth, the Christian learns what he is and what he must be. She is the model of every Christian, the perfect measure of his being, because she is entirely defined by God, “entirely inhabited” by him. Through the prayer of the Rosary, Mary, full of grace, prepares our hearts to welcome the grace of God and teaches us to pronounce like her our “fiat,” to deliver ourselves without fear into the hands of
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God, allowing him to guide our steps along the path of evangelical perfection. The prayer of the Rosary, day after day, makes our life a true “Magnificat.” What this means is that we do not want to make ourselves (our name and our ego) great, but want only to make room for God, to glorify his name, to make him present in our life and, through us, in the life of the world. Yes, the Rosary truly does “set the rhythm of human life” in time with the rhythm of the divine life, in joyful communion with the Holy Trinity, the destiny and longing of our existence (cf. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, no. 25).
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Alessandro Saraco
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— The grant of a plenary — indulgence connected to saying the Rosary of the Virgin Mary1 What is an indulgence? n indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. An indulgence is partial or plenary insofar as it partially or totally frees from the temporal punishment due to sins. Any member of the faithful can gain partial or plenary indulgences for himself or herself, or may apply them to the dead by way of suffrage.2
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Cf. Manual of Indulgences. Norms and concessions, LEV, Vatican City 2012, pp. 67-68. 2 Code of Canon Law, 992-994. 1
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Who can acquire an indulgence? To be capable of gaining indulgences, a person must be baptised, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace at least at the end of the prescribed works.3 How and under what conditions? In order to obtain a plenary indulgence, in addition to the exclusion of any attachment to sin, even venial, it is necessary to perform the indulgenced work and fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and praying for the intentions of the supreme pontiff. The three conditions can be fulfilled several days before or after having done the work prescribed; but in any event it is fitting that the communion and praying for the intentions of the supreme pontiff be made on the day on which the work is performed. The condition of praying for the intentions of the supreme pontiff is completely fulfilled by reciting, for his intentions, an Our Father and a Hail Mary; it is however left to the freedom of the individual to recite any other prayer according to his or her piety and devotion.4 Code of Canon Law, 996 ยง1. Cf. Manual of Indulgences. Norms and concessions, LEV, Vatican City 2012, pp. 27-28.
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The grant of a plenary indulgence
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Grant of a plenary indulgence to the faithful who recite the Rosary of the Virgin Mary A plenary indulgence is granted to any of the faithful who: •
devoutly recite the Marian Rosary in a church or oratory, or in the family, in a religious community, in an association of the faithful or generally speaking when two or more of the faithful meet for an honest purpose;
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devoutly join in reciting this prayer when it is made by the supreme pontiff and broadcast by television or radio.
The Rosary is a practice of piety in which saying the Hail Mary, divided into decades and preceded by the Our Father, is combined with pious meditation on the mysteries of our redemption. For the plenary indulgence connected with saying the Marian Rosary, the following norms have been established: (a) saying five decades is sufficient, but they must be said without interruption; (b) vocal prayer must be combined with pious meditation on the mysteries;
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(c) in public recitation, the mysteries must be enunciated according to the approved local custom; but in private recitation it is sufficient that the faithful combine vocal prayer with meditation on the mysteries.5
Cf. Manual of Indulgences. Norms and concessions, LEV, Vatican City 2012, pp. 67-68. 5
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—The 15 Promises that the — Blessed Mother revealed to Blessed Alain de la Roche (1428-1475) (1) To all those who devoutly recite my Rosary, I promise my special protection and the greatest graces. (2) He who perseveres in the recitation of my Rosary will receive an extraordinary grace. (3) The Rosary will be a most powerful defence against hell; it will destroy vices, grant freedom from sin, dispel heresies. (4) The Rosary will make virtues and good works blossom, and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies; it will put the love of God into hearts in place of love of the world, elevating them to the desire for heavenly and eternal goods. How many souls will be sanctified by this means! (5) He who entrusts himself to me with the Rosary will not perish.
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(6) He who devoutly recites my Rosary, meditating on its mysteries, will not be oppressed by disgrace. If a sinner, he will be converted; if just, he will grow in grace and will become worthy of eternal life. (7) The true devotees of my Rosary will not die without the sacraments of the Church. (8) Those who recite my Rosary will find during their life and at their death the light of God, the fulness of his graces, and will participate in the merits of the blessed. (9) I will set free from purgatory very quickly the souls devoted to my Rosary. (10) The true children of my Rosary will enjoy great glory in heaven. (11) Whatever you ask for with my Rosary, you will obtain it. (12) Those who spread my Rosary will be assisted by me in all their necessities. (13) I have obtained from my Son that all members of the Confraternity of the Rosary should have as brothers during their life and at the hour of their death the saints of heaven.
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The 15 Promises
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(14) Those who faithfully recite my Rosary are all my most beloved children, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. (15) Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
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— How to Pray the Rosary— of the Virgin Mary
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n the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Initial invocation: God, come to my aid. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
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• Announcement of the mystery; • Reading of a biblical passage; • Reflection by Pope Francis; • Our Father; • 10 Hail Marys; • Glory be to the Father . . . At the end of the contemplation of the five mysteries, the Hail Holy Queen, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and an Our Father and Hail Mary are said for the intentions of the Holy Father so as to obtain a plenary indulgence.
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— Joyful Mysteries— (Monday and Saturday) The annunciation (Lk 1:30-33, 38) he angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” . . . And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
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We must let God surprise us At the message of the angel, [Mary] does not hide her surprise. It is the astonishment of realising that God, to become man, had chosen her, a simple maid of Nazareth. Not someone who lived in a palace amid power and riches, or one who had done extraordinary things, but simply someone who was open to God and put her trust in him, even without understanding everything:
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“Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). That was her answer. God constantly surprises us, he bursts our categories, he wreaks havoc with our plans. And he tells us: Trust me, do not be afraid, let yourself be surprised, leave yourself behind and follow me! Today let us all ask ourselves whether we are afraid of what God might ask, or of what he does ask. Do I let myself be surprised by God, as Mary was, or do I remain caught up in my own safety zone: in forms of material, intellectual or ideological security, taking refuge in my own projects and plans? Do I truly let God into my life? How do I answer him? Let us invoke Mary’s intercession. May she help us to be open to God’s surprises, to be faithful to him each and every day, and to praise and thank him, for he is our strength. Amen. (Pope Francis, Homily of 13th October 2013) The visitation (Lk 1:39-47) n those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in
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her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.” All is gift After the Annunciation, [Mary’s] first act is one of charity towards her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth. Her first words are: “My soul magnifies the Lord”, in other words, a song of praise and thanksgiving to God not only for what he did for her, but for what he had done throughout the history of salvation. Everything is his gift. If we can realise that everything is God’s gift, how happy will our hearts be! Everything is his gift. He is our strength! (Pope Francis, Homily of 13th October 2013)
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The birth of Jesus (Lk 2:6-12) nd while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.�
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Love made flesh The grace which was revealed in our world is Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, true man and true God. He has entered our history; he has shared our journey. He came to free us from darkness and to grant us light. In him was revealed the grace, the mercy, and the tender love of the Father: Jesus is Love incarnate. He is not simply a teacher of wisdom, he is not an ideal for which we strive
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while knowing that we are hopelessly distant from it. He is the meaning of life and history, who has pitched his tent in our midst. The shepherds were the first to see this “tent”, to receive the news of Jesus’s birth. They were the first because they were among the last, the outcast. And they were the first because they were awake, keeping watch in the night, guarding their flocks. The pilgrim is bound by duty to keep watch and the shepherds did just that. Together with them, let us pause before the Child, let us pause in silence. Together with them, let us thank the Lord for having given Jesus to us, and with them let us raise from the depths of our hearts the praises of his fidelity: We bless you, Lord God most high, who lowered yourself for our sake. You are immense, and you made yourself small; you are rich and you made yourself poor; you are all-powerful and you made yourself vulnerable. (Pope Francis, Homily of 24th December 2013) The presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Lk 2:22-23, 25-28, 33-34) nd when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb
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shall be called holy to the Lord”)…Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel….And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God…And his father and his mother marvelled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also).” Mary, hope for suffering peoples [Mary] is the woman whose heart was pierced by a sword and who understands all our pain. As mother of all, she is a sign of hope for peoples suffering the birth pangs of justice. She is the missionary who draws near to us and accompanies us throughout life, opening our hearts to faith by her maternal love. As a true mother, she walks at our side, she shares our struggles and she constantly surrounds us with God’s love….As she did with Juan Diego, Mary offers them maternal comfort and love, and whispers in their ear: “Let your heart not be troubled…Am I not here, who am your Mother?” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, no. 286)
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The disappearance and finding of Jesus in the temple (Lk 2:43, 46, 48-50) he boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it…After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions…And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.
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Mother of God Mary has always been present in the hearts, the piety and above all the pilgrimage of faith of the Christian people. “The Church journeys through time… and on this journey she proceeds along the path already trodden by the Virgin Mary” (Redemptoris Mater, 2). Our journey of faith is the same as that of Mary, and so we feel that she is particularly close to us. As far as faith, the hinge of the Christian life, is concerned, the Mother of God shared our condition. She had to take the same path as ourselves, a path which is sometimes difficult and obscure. She had to advance in the “pilgrimage of faith” (Lumen Gentium, 58)…
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The Mother of the Redeemer goes before us and continually strengthens us in faith, in our vocation and in our mission. By her example of humility and openness to God’s will she helps us to transmit our faith in a joyful proclamation of the Gospel to all, without reservation. In this way our mission will be fruitful, because it is modelled on the motherhood of Mary. To her let us entrust our journey of faith, the desires of our heart, our needs and the needs of the whole world, especially of those who hunger and thirst for justice and peace, and for God. Let us then together invoke her, and I invite you to invoke her three times, following the example of those brothers and sisters of Ephesus: Mother of God! Mother of God! Mother of God! Amen. (Pope Francis, Homily of 1st January 2014)
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