May/June 2009

COVER: Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in Mexico as the pregnant Mother of God to Saint Juan Diego, a Chicemeca Indian, on December 9, 10, and 12, 1531. She left a miraculous image of her appearance on his cactus fiber cloak, or tilma, which still exists today for all to see in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City.

• The Joyful Mysteries
  The Annunciation
  The Visitation
  The Birth of Jesus
  The Presentation of the Child Jesus
  The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
  


• The Luminous Mysteries
  The Baptism of Jesus
  The Wedding at Cana
  The Preaching of the Reign of God
  The Transfiguration
  The Eucharist
  


• The Sorrowful Mysteries
  The Agony in the Garden
  The Scourging at the Pillar
  The Crowning with Thorns
  The Carrying of the Cross
  The Crucifixion
  


• The Glorious Mysteries
  The Resurrection
  The Ascension
  The Coming of the Holy Spirit
  The Assumption
  The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin
  


• Guest Editorial
  By Ron MacDonnell, S.F.M.

Thank You

Our thanks to Fr. Ron MacDonell for his tremendous work in researching and preparing this special issue on the rosary. Fr. Ron, from Antigonish, NS, joined Scarboro Missions in 1980. He has worked among the Tzotzil in Chiapas, Mexico, and in riverside commu­nities in Itacoatiara Prelacy, Amazonas, Brazil. A professional linguist, he has accompanied the Makuxi and Wapichana peoples of Roraima Diocese since 1993, both in language revitalization and pastoral work.

How to pray the rosary

When praying the rosary, we use a set of beads to guide our prayer. We begin by holding the cross of the rosary and praying the Apostles’ Creed, thus professing our faith in Jesus who through his Cross offers us eternal life in the Resurrection. From the cross, we pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys and one Glory Be on the beads leading to the five decades. At the beginning of each decade, we announce the particular Mystery to be pondered. We could even make a short reflection, or voice our prayer inten­tion. Each decade is comprised of a large bead on which we pray an Our Father, and ten smaller beads on which we pray the Hail Mary; we end each decade by praying the Glory Be. The Joyful Mysteries are prayed on Monday and Saturday; the Luminous Mysteries are prayed on Thursday; the Sorrow­ful Mysteries are prayed on Tuesday and Friday, the day our Lord died; and the Glorious Mysteries are prayed on Wednesday and Sunday, the day of our Lord’s Resurrection.