49. The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the
tradition accepted by our predecessor St. Pius V and authoritatively taught by
him, consists of various elements disposed in an organic fashion:
a) Contemplation in communion with Mary, of a series of mysteries
of salvation, wisely distributed into three cycles. These mysteries express the
joy of the messianic times, the salvific suffering of Christ and the glory of
the Risen Lord which fills the Church. This contemplation by its very nature
encourages practical reflection and provides stimulating norms for living.
b) The Lord's Prayer, or Our Father, which by reason of its
immense value is at the basis of Christian prayer and ennobles that prayer in
its various expressions.
c) The litany-like succession of the Hail Mary, which is made up
of the angel's greeting to the Virgin (cf. Lk. 1;28), and of Elizabeth's
greeting (cf. Lk. 1:42), followed by the ecclesial supplication, Holy Mary. The
continued series of Hail Mary's is the special characteristic of the Rosary, and
their number, in the full and typical number of one hundred and fifty, presents
a certain analogy with the Psalter and is an element that goes back to the very
origin of the exercise of piety. But this number, divided, according to a
well-tried custom, into decades attached to the individual mysteries, is
distributed in the three cycles already mentioned, thus giving rise to the
Rosary of fifty Hail Mary's as we know it. This latter has entered into use as
the normal measure of the pious exercise and as such has been adopted by popular
piety and approved by papal authority, which also enriched it with numerous
indulgences.
d) The doxology Glory be to the Father which, in conformity with
an orientation common to Christian piety concludes the prayer with the
glorifying of God who is one and three, from whom, through whom and in whom all
things have their being (cf. Rom. 11:36).
50. These are the elements of the Rosary. Each has its own
particular character which, wisely understood and appreciated, should be
reflected in the recitation in order that the Rosary may express all its
richness and variety. Thus the recitation will be grave and suppliant during the
Lord's Prayer, lyrical and full of praise during the tranquil succession of Hail
Mary's, contemplative in the recollected meditation on the mysteries and full of
adoration during the doxology. This applies to all the ways in which the Rosary
is usually recited: privately, in intimate recollection with the Lord; in
community, in the family or in groups of the faithful gathered together to
ensure the special presence of the Lord (cf. Mt. 18:20); or publicly, in
assemblies to which the ecclesial community is invited.
51. In recent times certain exercises of piety have been created
which take their inspiration from the Rosary. Among such exercises we wish to
draw attention to and recommend those which insert into the ordinary celebration
of the word of God some elements of the Rosary, such as meditation on the
mysteries and litany-like repetition of the angel's greeting to Mary. In this
way these elements gain in importance, since they are found in the context of
Bible readings, illustrated with a homily, accompanied by silent pauses and
emphasized with song. We are happy to know that such practices have helped to
promote a more complete understanding of the spiritual riches of the Rosary
itself and have served to restore esteem for its recitation among youth
associations and movements.
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