The Rosary in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Folks, I found this at the WesternOrthodox.com website I thought it meritorious enough to reproduce here as part of our ongoing conversation cycle on Orthodox-Catholic rapprochement:

From The Walsingham Way (Vol. II, No. I, Fall 1999), a newsletter of Western Orthodox spirituality published by the Orthodox Christian Society of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Some people have asked why the Orthodox don’t pray the Rosary as Roman Catholics and some other non-Orthodox do. Others object to Orthodox praying the Rosary since, in their view, this is not an Orthodox devotion, but peculiar to Roman Catholicism.

In hope of shedding some light on the subject, we publish the following letter of Father Alexander Gumanovsky, a spiritual son of Father Zosima, who was himself a spiritual son of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Fr. Alexander begins his letter with a quote from Fr. Zosima:

…I forgot to give you a piece of advice vital for salvation. Say the 0 Hail, Mother of God and Virgin one hundred and fifty times, and this prayer will lead you on the way to salvation. This rule was given by the Mother of God herself in about the eighth century, and at one time all Christians fulfilled it. We Orthodox have forgotten about it, and St. Seraphim has reminded me of this Rule. In my hands I have a hand-written book from the cell of St. Seraphim, containing a description of the many miracles which took place through praying to the Mother of God and especially through saying one hundred and fifty times the O Hail, Mother of God and Virgin. If, being unaccustomed to it, it is difficult to master one hundred and fifty repetitions daily, say it fifty times at first. After every ten repetitions say the Our Father once and Open unto us the doors of thy loving-kindness¹. Whomever he spoke to about this miracle-working Rule remained grateful to him…

The elder Zosima greatly valued and loved Bishop Seraphim Zvezdinsky and always spoke of him as that saintly Bishop. Bishop Seraphim Zvezdinsky performed the Rule of the Mother of God every day, and; when he performed it he prayed for the whole world, embracing in is this Rule whole life of the Queen of Heaven.

He gave one of his spiritual children the task of copying a plan which he included his prayer to the Ever Virgin Mary. Here it is:

First decade: Let us remember the birth of the Mother of God. Let us pray for mothers, fathers, and children.

Second decade: Let us the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God. Let us pray for those who have lost their way and fallen away from the church.

Third decade: Let us remember the Annunciation of the Blessed Mother of God—let us pray for the soothing of sorrows and the consolation of those who grieve.

Fourth decade: Let us remember the meeting of the Blessed Virgin with the righteous Elizabeth. Let us pray for the reunion of the separated, for those whose dear ones or children are living away from them or missing.

Fifth decade: Let us remember the Birth of Christ. Let us pray for the rebirth of souls, for new life in Christ.

Sixth decade: Let us remember the Feast of the Purification of the Lord, and the words uttered by St. Simeon: Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also (Luke 2:35). Let us pray that the Mother of God will meet our souls at the hour of our death, and will contrive that we receive the Holy Sacrament with our last breath, and will lead our souls through the terrible torments.

Seventh decade: Let us remember the flight of the Mother of God with the God-Child into Egypt. Let us pray that the Mother of God will help us avoid temptation in this life and deliver us from misfortunes.

Eighth decade: Let us remember the disappearance of the twelve-year old boy Jesus in Jerusalem and the sorrow of the Mother of God on this account. Let us pray, begging the Mother of God for the constant repetition of the Jesus Prayer.

Ninth decade: Let us remember-the miracle performed in Cana of Galilee, when the Lord turned water into wine at the words of the Mother of God: They have no wine (John 2:3). Let us ask the Mother of God for help in our affairs and deliverance from need.

Tenth decade: Let us remember the Mother of God standing at the Cross of the Lord, when grief pierced through her heart like a sword. Let us pray to the Mother of God for the strengthening of our Souls and the banishment of despondency.

Eleventh decade: Let us remember the Resurrection of Christ and ask the Mother of God in prayer to resurrect our souls and give us a new courage for spiritual feats.

Twelfth decade: Let us remember the Ascension of Christ, at which the Mother of God was present. Let us pray and ask the Queen of Heaven to raise up our souls from earthly and worldly amusements and direct them to striving for higher things.

Thirteenth decade: Let us remember the Upper Room and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Mother of God. Let us pray: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me (Psalm 51).

Fourteenth decade: Let us remember the Assumption of the Blessed Mother of God, and ask for a peaceful and serene end.

Fifteenth decade: Let us remember the glory of the Mother of God, with which the Lord crowned her after her removal from earth to heaven. Let us pray to the Queen of Heaven not to abandon the faithful who are on earth but to defend them from every evil, covering them with her honoring and protecting veil.

After every decade Bishop Seraphim prayed his own prayers, which he revealed to no one, so that only the Lord and the Queen of Heaven knew these prayers.

Thus, we can see that the Rosary is a completely Orthodox form of devotion to our Lady.

Those who follow the Western tradition should follow one of the standard forms, i.e. the opening consisting of the Sign of the Cross followed by the Lord’s Prayer; or O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise and the Glory be… followed by the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Salutation (three times). After this, either five or fifteen decades (each preceded by the appropriate mystery) are recited; and after the decades, the conclusion consisting of the Regina Coeli and the appropriate collect.

Those who follow the Eastern tradition could very easily follow the form cited above, ending with the hymn, It is truly meet to call thee blessed.

What is essential is to daily seek the intercessions of the Mother of God, so that in drawing closer to her, we may be drawn closer to her Son, our Savior, Jesus, with whom she now reigns eternally in Heaven.

1. The Full text of the prayer is: “Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people.”

Pray a Rosary for the Bishop!

Folks, I signed up at the site Rosary for the Bishop and made a commitment to offer a rosary for my bishop once a week. The system even sends you a reminder on your chosen day so that you don’t forget! Select your bishop from a comprehensive list and select which day of the week you want to pray for him. Check it out!

- Go to Rosary for the Bishop.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s Mass Readings:

• First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8 
• Psalm: Psalm 138:1-5, 7-8
• Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11 
• Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

Is Online Eucharistic Adoration Permissible?

I’ve got this question asked of me today and I must confess that I’ve been thinking about it on my own for a while. In the absence of authoritative teaching, this is my considered answer:

Rendering adoration to the Lord in the Eucharist through an online window is no different than sitting under a tree and making an act of spiritual communion while looking at a holy card of a monstrance. Just as the grace of the sacrament flow freely from contemplating the Mystery, whether we do it verbally or by reflecting on a printed image, so it flows as we keep guard with the Lord through this new “window” provided by new technology.

I think that the sacramental reality of the Church can't be pigeon-holed neatly into certain "forbidden" categories. Or said in another way, we should avoid the false dilemma. Catholic practice does not rule out "the next best thing to" attending Mass or adoration in person. It allows reasonable substitutes for the good of one's soul.

I think we can embrace this new medium without fear of endangering one's soul.

Don’t forget to check out the holy card of a monstrance. It is beautiful.

Tidbits from Hither and Thither

Vivificat’s irregular, random news and commentary roundup

Hi folks. Sorry I haven’t been posting much original contents lately. I research and write a lot on my day-to-day job and when I return home at night I lack the will to write an additional thoughtful sentence. It doesn’t look good next week either so please, bear with me and keep me in your prayers. For the moment, here are some random notes.

1. Online Eucharistic Adoration. The best known site is Savior.org, but I’ve been experiencing a disconnected, empty image window a lot lately. Sometimes I only get half an image. I find it disruptive to my prayer when that happens. Here’s another site based in Louisville, KY. Is not as close as the one in Savior.org but rather a view of the entire front of the chapel. It’s a live webcam shot and sometimes you can see adorers coming and going, giving the whole thing a homey feeling and the sense that you are praying with others. Check it out. RealPresence.org is a good study site about the worship of the Eucharist outside the Mass.

2. Gay “marriage” is frequently “polyamory” study finds. So says the New York Times. Monogamy “is not a central feature” of gay relationships. And yet, supporters of “gay marriage” often portray this pseudoinstitution as better and more stable than traditional, heterosexual marriage – the only kind of valid, binding marriage. And as I’ve often pointed out, polygamy and more flexible marriage laws are next in the agenda of those intent upon destroying the institution of marriage. Thank you Inside Catholic for the heads up.

3. U.S. Sisters in Crisis after Embracing “Secular Culture”: Vatican Cardinal. Cardinal Franc Rodé, the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which is undertaking a review (known as a “visitation”) of the active religious life for women in the U.S., speaking to a conference on religious life sponsored by the Archdiocese of Naples on Wednesday, said that some religious orders in the U.S. and most western countries are in a state of “modern crisis” because the members of the order have embraced “secular culture” and abandoned traditional religious practices. “The secularized culture has penetrated into the minds and hearts of some consecrated persons and some communities, where it is seen as an opening to modernity and a way of approaching the contemporary world,” the cardinal added. He’s right, and the perverse way in which many of these sisters’ congregations have responded to or outright resisted the visitation has been scandalous, sickening, unedifying, and tragic. No one wants to be a vowed social workers or womyn’s rights activist under religious vows. Most women’s vocations are oriented to serving the Lord and the Church which is to say, one another. Religious orders are not to be hiding places for angry feminists. These congregations are aging, not growing, and on the way to extinction. I say: let them die. Thank you Mommy blogger for the heads up.

4. On the so-called “prosperity gospel.” This teaching that we’re called to be rich and prosperous in the name of Jesus is one of the worst falsehoods to come out from contemporary American Protestant evangelicalism. Whoever concocted it was under demonic influence. Here’s a good homily exposing it for what it is. Don’t be deceived by this counterfeit gospel.

5. Good Catholics root for the Saints this Superbowl Sunday. According to the Catholic News Agency, “In recent years, as Mr. Tom Benson has owned the team, the Saints organization has been very involved with the local Catholic Church and Catholic Charities,” Sarah Comiskey McDonald, Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of New Orleans said on Friday. “Mr. Benson is a major donor to our PACE Center (Program for all-inclusive care for the elderly) and our first center was named the Shirley Landry Benson PACE Center at St. Cecilia in memory of his deceased wife.” “His granddaughter, the team’s executive Vice President, chaired the 2009 Archbishop’s Community Appeal to raise funds locally for the work of Catholic Charities,” she added. However, the Colts also have Catholic boosters of their own, including Archbishop Daniel Buechlein of Indianapolis, who called New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond to make a bet about the gridiron match. If the Saints win, Archbishop Aymond will receive southern Indiana pork chops, but if the Colts win Archbishop Buechlein will have gumbo on his dinner table.

On that note, that’s it!

Video: Pange Lingua

Our Everyday Miracles

Father Nicolas Schwizer

There is an ambiguity which characterizes the signs and miracles of Jesus Christ. On the one hand, the Gospels are filled with miracles. The way of Jesus is marked by wondrous happenings: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, and the dead resurrect.

On the other hand, Christ is hesitant with the miracles. He multiplies the signs, but He does not pretend to present Himself as a miracle worker. He comes to bring salvation, not to work miracles. He avoids all sensationalism. He is decidedly against the spectacular.

If we look carefully at the Gospel, we can say that there are two things which are capable of eliciting miracles from Him: the faith of those who ask and the misery of mankind.

1. The faith of the one who asks. A faithful pleading face is a spectacle Christ cannot resist. It is His weak point. He expresses marvelous expressions: “Woman, how great is your faith!”…..and He cannot avoid performing the miracle: “Let it be according to your wishes…..”

2. The human misery. When Jesus encounters misery along the way, He almost feels obligated to grant the miracle. Often it is not even necessary to make an explicit petition. The presence of the pain is enough; for example, the tears of a mother at the tomb of her only child…..and Christ responds immediately. He cannot bear to see people suffer.

As far as we are concerned, there are Christians who want to see miracles at any cost…..as if their faith depended more on the miracles than on the word of God. Their lives develop under the sign of the extraordinary, the exceptional, at times even including the extravagant.

They have not understood that faith is what brings forth the miracle, and not the opposite. They have upset the process of Jesus. In the Gospel, it is clear that the Lord emphasizes freedom…..He leaves the door open, without obligating anyone to enter…..without spectacular motions. He is only conquered by the faith of the people.

But there is also a contrary stance, out of the ordinary. They are Christians who are afraid, Christians who are almost ashamed of the miracle. They pretend to keep God from being God. They would like to advise Him that it is not the opportune time, that it is better to avoid complications…..to leave the area of the physical laws in peace…..as if God was obligated to ask them for advice before manifesting his own omnipotence. They forget that miracles are an expression of the freedom of God.

Our miracles. Beyond these attitudes when facing God’s miracles and signs is the precise obligation for all of us: Christ has left us the slogan for making miracles. It is the “sign” of our faith. Even more so, we must “become” miracles: miracles of coherence, fidelity, mercy, generosity, and understanding.

Once again this “perverse generation asks for a sign.” And it has the right to expect it from us who call ourselves Christians. What sign can we offer them? What miracle can we show them?

A response to the world around us. Our way goes through a world which is hungry, hungry for bread and hungry for love. It is a world sick with disappointments. It is a world blinded by violence. It is a world devastated by egotism. We cannot pass through this world limiting ourselves to telling others about the miracles of Jesus. We cannot count on his miracles. We have to count on our own miracles.

What the people of this world seek are our own everyday miracles: our miracles of faith, love, transformation, and Christian life.

Questions for reflection

1. What miracle of transformation can they see in me?

2. What do I offer those who are seeking something?