Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

Lectionary: 463

“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

 

I have been enjoying the luxury of a 750-page biography of Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890). Born to the Anglican religion, as a lad he came to the Lord in the “evangelical” movement. Well educated to read Greek and Latin, he studied the Fathers of the Church and then rejected both Evangelicalism and Protestantism in favor of the substantial Catholic tradition. He saw the Reformation as inevitably leading to individualistic religion (which is an oxymoron) that must finally collapse into secular atheism. 

As an ordained theologian at Oxford, he strove mightily to describe and define a middle way (via media) between Protestantism and Catholicism for the Church of England. But under withering criticism from his own church, he finally abandoned the effort and joined the Catholic Church. A church defined by what it doesn't believe destroys its own roots. 

Already well known as a creative theologian, he was “reordained” as a Catholic priest and died as a cardinal in the Church. 

Before his conversion Newman had avoided too much direct contact with Catholicism. He did not explore its churches or attends its rituals and devotions. He didn’t want to arouse more suspicion among his Anglican colleagues that he had secretly crossed over. When he finally made the leap, he was gratified to discover a real religion which practiced elaborate liturgies and devotions unapologetically, and without self-conscious ostentation. He immediately shed his Protestant suspicions and accepted Catholic teachings like the Eucharist, Immaculate Conception, devotions to the saints, and papal infallibility, everything that had galled him when he was Episcopal! 

I feel gratified, reassured, and challenged by his story. I recall G.K. Chesterton’s quip: “The United States is a very Protestant country. In America even the Catholics are Protestant.” Saint John Newman has invited me to drop the skepticism and embrace the traditions and practices of our faith.

And so, today’s memorial! The Rosary remains popular and ubiquitous in the Catholic world. After the Second Vatican Council, a half-century ago, many Americans supposed Marian devotions must disappear. Hadn’t Mary always been the friendly, maternal image of God? We should not need her once we cast aside our fear of God and warmed to his embrace. 

So they said. They also supposed that we worship images of God, or Mary, or the Saints. We worship God, we love Mary, we enjoy communion with saints. We use images. They did not understand because they did not pray at all. 

Without popular devotions we could not be a religion. A religious organization that has only an official liturgy which finds no resonance in our homes could not be called a religion. Catholics are known by the sign of the cross, Hail Marys and “Bless us Oh Lord.…” I have only to intone with my cathedral voice, “In the name of the Father…” to discover who in this group is Catholic; and who, Protestant. We don't leave our religion in church. 

As I visit Catholic Veterans in the hospital, I offer each one a rosary and a how-to brochure. They're usually happy to receive this tactile reminder of our ancient tradition; I hope many do more than put it around their necks. 

There are two kinds of Catholic prayer: liturgy and devotion. And both are essential:

Liturgy is the official prayer of the entire church, which is one world-wide Congregation. Every Sunday, for instance, the Catholic Church throughout the world, hears in many languages the same scriptural readings from our universal Lectionary. The English-speaking world hears the same translation of the Eucharistic Prayers. And then we share in One Communion, the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

Devotions like the rosary, on the other hand, are subject to cultural difference and personal choice. You may on a Friday recall the Sorrowful Mysteries; but if you've just had a baby you might opt for the Joyful Mysteries. 

We bring to our liturgy the enthusiasm we've cultivated by our devotions; we bring to devotions the guiding moral and religous principles of the liturgy. We call to mind our sins during the Mass as we do each night at home. The rosary helps us meditate on the great mysteries of our faith, which we celebrate with the liturgical cycles of Christmas and Easter. 

If you practice no personal devotions, your attendance at Mass will be listless at best. If you never attend Mass your personal devotions will drift into idolatry of your own personal idea of god, whom you like to call "Jesus." 

On this October 7, we thank God for the rosary, which may be Catholicism's most popular devotion. We dare not carry the Eucharist with us day and night; but we can carry and recite the rosary anywhere, anytime. While driving I have found it's an especially good inoculation against the road rage. 

We meet Jesus face to face during the Mass; we hold hands with Our Mother Mary during the Rosary. How blest we are!