More Rosary Stuff (Rosary 4)
The Luminous Mysteries
My apologies to folks for not getting this out earlier. I am going to do two things today ... a) talk about the Luminous Mysteries and b) use an LJ cut.
Intro to the Luminous Mysteries
The Luminous Mysteries, or Mysteries of Light, are the newest Mysteries to be added to the rosary. His Holiness, Pope John Paul II proposed them about two years back.
When I first heard about them from my from my friend Chuck, I was thrilled. Although no prayer, as I have written before, touched me so deeply, I always felt it a curious anamoly that the rosary seemed to skip all of Christ's public ministry. Now, of course, there is a certain logic here. As I have implied before, the rosary has a very lovely structure of building up to a moment and then reacting to it. Under the old system, the early life of Christ was an introduction to his passion and death, and then the glorious mysteries were the reaction of glory to that. But I still felt that some mention of the life of Christ while he was conducting his public ministry was in order.
The First Mystery - Christ's Baptism in the Jordan
Just as Baptism is the doorway through which we must walk to get to the other sacraments, Christ's baptism was the first act of His ministry. In Matthew, Christ's response to John has always struck me. John protests to Christ that he is unworthy to baptise the Saviour. Christ replies that however true that might be, it must be done to "fulfil all righteousness." Again, as with the Joyful Mysteries, Christ felt compelled to experience a sacrament He himself would institute. For John came to baptise with water only, but Christ's baptism would be of the Spirit. But this just isn't sacramental either ... it is also a kingly anointing. Using David's words, the Father anoints the Son with the water and Spirit, and announces the Son's kingship.
The Second Mystery - The Wedding at Cana (Christ's Self-Manifestation at the Wedding of Cana)
I use the full title for a reason, because it is important to understanding the mystery, one of my favourites. This mystery does not fall into how we understand how the miracles fit into the scheme. It seems out of place, and this is why Christ tells his mother it is not yet time. The miracles come later, attached to lessons, or become lessons. But here, there is no lesson for the guests, for it is kept secret to all but the servants. She is asking him to make himself known before the "Eternal Logic" would have had it. But Mary is not, as we have discussed, a theologian. She trusts so utterly in her son. She believes that he can do something, and so tells him to do it. When he objects that this miracle does not fit the "Eternal Logic" she continues to trust that He will do what he ought, and instead she tells the servants to obey his every word. They do, and the water is turned into wine. Christ is made manifest to any who would see him. And Mary will not be seen in Scripture again until the Cross.
The Third Mystery - The Proclamation of the Kingdom
Again, as with the Joyful Mysteries, this set works up to Christ's public ministry. But to what can we distill the essential "kernel of truth" of this public ministry? Simple, it was to make known to the world that a new messianic kingdom was at hand. It was no longer something dreamed of by prophets and psalmist. No, now it was upon us, and this kingdom would be unlike any seen yet. This is one of the more interesting mysteries to prepare for when I meditate, because there are such rich passages in Scripture about the kingdom. Christ speaks in parables and in interesting lessons, and of course there are the Beatitudes which also describe what a citizen-subject of this Kingdom must be like.
The Fourth Mystery - The Transfiguration
There are two distinct things that never fail to strike me about this mystery. First, the "why." Christ becomes transfigured to reassure his closest disciples, and to give them the briefest of glances of the reward that is only possible by passing through the trials and tribulations of the passion and death. For without the passion and death there can be no resurrection, and this is an important lesson Christ intends for his disciples. However, I too easily identify with Peter. So much of this beautiful Faith still has me babbling incoherently, not quite fully grasping its magnitude. How I long to experience God as Aquinas did when he stopped writing his Summa.
The second thing about the Mystery is the "what." Aside from the glimpse into the future glorified body, there is something else going on very similar to what occurred in the river Jordan. Here, Moses and Elijah stand with Christ and look to him. Why? Because all of the law (Moses) and all of the prophets (Elijah) look to Christ. He is the culmination of their deepest desires and hopes for the People of God. And the message? That culmination will be fully expressed when Christ has undergone his Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
The Fifth Mystery - The Institution of the Eucharist
Like the Sorrowful Mysteries, the fifth Mystery is the greatest of all of the five. It seems, therefore, to break down my little pattern (intro, high point, reaction). But if we think about it. What is the ultimate culmination of the Kingdom of God? That Christ will be with us always, present in all the tabernacles of all the world, present each time the sacrament is confected. Thus, he is a King who is never far from his subjects, never aloof from them, never in Heaven only. But it doesn't stop there, as the king is a member of his people's body politic, so are we, the people, members of Christ's body. No other king has such a relationship with his people. Therefore, the greatest gift Christ could give us is an excellent way to punctuate the Mysteries and to underscore them. But, it would have no power but for the next set of Mysteries, the Sorrowful.
I hope these have been of some use. Keep praying for the Pope, who seems to be recovering, by the grace of God.
My apologies to folks for not getting this out earlier. I am going to do two things today ... a) talk about the Luminous Mysteries and b) use an LJ cut.
Intro to the Luminous Mysteries
The Luminous Mysteries, or Mysteries of Light, are the newest Mysteries to be added to the rosary. His Holiness, Pope John Paul II proposed them about two years back.
When I first heard about them from my from my friend Chuck, I was thrilled. Although no prayer, as I have written before, touched me so deeply, I always felt it a curious anamoly that the rosary seemed to skip all of Christ's public ministry. Now, of course, there is a certain logic here. As I have implied before, the rosary has a very lovely structure of building up to a moment and then reacting to it. Under the old system, the early life of Christ was an introduction to his passion and death, and then the glorious mysteries were the reaction of glory to that. But I still felt that some mention of the life of Christ while he was conducting his public ministry was in order.
The First Mystery - Christ's Baptism in the Jordan
Just as Baptism is the doorway through which we must walk to get to the other sacraments, Christ's baptism was the first act of His ministry. In Matthew, Christ's response to John has always struck me. John protests to Christ that he is unworthy to baptise the Saviour. Christ replies that however true that might be, it must be done to "fulfil all righteousness." Again, as with the Joyful Mysteries, Christ felt compelled to experience a sacrament He himself would institute. For John came to baptise with water only, but Christ's baptism would be of the Spirit. But this just isn't sacramental either ... it is also a kingly anointing. Using David's words, the Father anoints the Son with the water and Spirit, and announces the Son's kingship.
The Second Mystery - The Wedding at Cana (Christ's Self-Manifestation at the Wedding of Cana)
I use the full title for a reason, because it is important to understanding the mystery, one of my favourites. This mystery does not fall into how we understand how the miracles fit into the scheme. It seems out of place, and this is why Christ tells his mother it is not yet time. The miracles come later, attached to lessons, or become lessons. But here, there is no lesson for the guests, for it is kept secret to all but the servants. She is asking him to make himself known before the "Eternal Logic" would have had it. But Mary is not, as we have discussed, a theologian. She trusts so utterly in her son. She believes that he can do something, and so tells him to do it. When he objects that this miracle does not fit the "Eternal Logic" she continues to trust that He will do what he ought, and instead she tells the servants to obey his every word. They do, and the water is turned into wine. Christ is made manifest to any who would see him. And Mary will not be seen in Scripture again until the Cross.
The Third Mystery - The Proclamation of the Kingdom
Again, as with the Joyful Mysteries, this set works up to Christ's public ministry. But to what can we distill the essential "kernel of truth" of this public ministry? Simple, it was to make known to the world that a new messianic kingdom was at hand. It was no longer something dreamed of by prophets and psalmist. No, now it was upon us, and this kingdom would be unlike any seen yet. This is one of the more interesting mysteries to prepare for when I meditate, because there are such rich passages in Scripture about the kingdom. Christ speaks in parables and in interesting lessons, and of course there are the Beatitudes which also describe what a citizen-subject of this Kingdom must be like.
The Fourth Mystery - The Transfiguration
There are two distinct things that never fail to strike me about this mystery. First, the "why." Christ becomes transfigured to reassure his closest disciples, and to give them the briefest of glances of the reward that is only possible by passing through the trials and tribulations of the passion and death. For without the passion and death there can be no resurrection, and this is an important lesson Christ intends for his disciples. However, I too easily identify with Peter. So much of this beautiful Faith still has me babbling incoherently, not quite fully grasping its magnitude. How I long to experience God as Aquinas did when he stopped writing his Summa.
The second thing about the Mystery is the "what." Aside from the glimpse into the future glorified body, there is something else going on very similar to what occurred in the river Jordan. Here, Moses and Elijah stand with Christ and look to him. Why? Because all of the law (Moses) and all of the prophets (Elijah) look to Christ. He is the culmination of their deepest desires and hopes for the People of God. And the message? That culmination will be fully expressed when Christ has undergone his Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
The Fifth Mystery - The Institution of the Eucharist
Like the Sorrowful Mysteries, the fifth Mystery is the greatest of all of the five. It seems, therefore, to break down my little pattern (intro, high point, reaction). But if we think about it. What is the ultimate culmination of the Kingdom of God? That Christ will be with us always, present in all the tabernacles of all the world, present each time the sacrament is confected. Thus, he is a King who is never far from his subjects, never aloof from them, never in Heaven only. But it doesn't stop there, as the king is a member of his people's body politic, so are we, the people, members of Christ's body. No other king has such a relationship with his people. Therefore, the greatest gift Christ could give us is an excellent way to punctuate the Mysteries and to underscore them. But, it would have no power but for the next set of Mysteries, the Sorrowful.
I hope these have been of some use. Keep praying for the Pope, who seems to be recovering, by the grace of God.