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#86991 11/08/04 04:12 PM
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Note: This is not urging Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christians to �latinize� (adopt customs from another Church when they didn�t use them before). However, the Rosary remains a part of us who have come from a tradition where it is common: a veritable school of prayer. For those of us, then, here is a version of this practice nicely adapted to the Byzantine tradition, based on a version devised by Ukrainian Catholic priests of the Basilian Order in the 1950s.


Some background: Besides the obvious parallel of the Rosary to the prayer beads used by Orthodox monks and nuns, there were Russian adaptations of the Rosary in the 1700s and 1800s. St Seraphim of Sarov is said to have had one. The Russian �Rule of the Mother of God� consists of praying 150 �Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God� prayers (Hail Marys) a day. Some of the mysteries here are the same as the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church (Annunciation, Nativity, Ascension, Dormition) while others, especially the Sorrowful Mysteries, have a more Latin emphasis.



You might want to compare this Rosary to the Rule of the Mother of God of St Seraphim (Zvezdinsky), an Orthodox bishop killed by the Soviets in 1937.



About the Rosary in general: St Dominic is said to have introduced it to the Roman Catholic Church. The Revd S.C. Hughson, Order of the Holy Cross (Anglican), wrote in 1918:

�Almost any encyclop�dia will inform the reader that the use of beads in prayer is far older than Christianity itself and belongs to almost every race which has any highly developed system of prayer.



�It will be a surprise to many, no doubt, to know that our common English word bead is derived from the Saxon word bid, to pray, the derivation arising from the fact that our ancestors made common use of perforated pebbles, or beads, upon which to count their prayers. It will be news even to most Catholics to learn that instead of their Rosaries being spoken of as beads because of a resemblance to the common ornament of the name, the ornament takes its name from the Rosary.�



X = Make the sign of the cross.




Start at the crucifix:

X In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come dwell within us, cleanse us from all our sins and save our souls, O gracious Lord.



From Easter until Ascension leave out Glory to Thee and Heavenly King and instead say three times Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. From Ascension until Pentecost, simply make the sign of the cross � In the Name of the Father � before continuing as usual with:



X Holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Thy Name�s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.



Then at the first large bead on the pendant:

X Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.



Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have no defence: this prayer do we as sinners offer Thee as Master, have mercy on us.
X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have hoped in Thee. Be not angry with us greatly nor remember our iniquities, but have mercy on us now for Thou art compassionate and deliver us from our enemies. For Thou art our God and we Thy people; all are the works of Thy hands and we call upon Thy name.
Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Open unto us the doors of compassion, O holy Mother of God, for hoping in thee we will not perish, but through thee will we be delivered from all adversities, for thou art the salvation of Christians.



Lord, have mercy. (12 times)

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

X O come, let us worship God our King.
X O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our King and our God.
X O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.




Then you may say Psalm 50 (51), Have mercy on me, O God � or another appropriate psalm � and the Nicene Creed, I believe in one God, the Father almighty.



Then at the first small bead on the pendant:

X Glory to the Father, who hast made us, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.



Then at the second small bead on the pendant:

X Glory to the Son, who hast redeemed us, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God...



Then at the third small bead on the pendant:

X Glory to the Holy Spirit, who hast enlightened us, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God...

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.



The decades or mysteries are as in the Latin (Dominican) Rosary, with an Our Father, 10 �Rejoice O Virgin Mother of God� (Hail Mary) prayers and the �Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit�. After each decade one may say the F�tima prayer: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.



The mysteries are:

JOYFUL: Annunciation, Visitation of Our Lady to St Elisabeth, Nativity of Christ, Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, Finding of the Boy Jesus in the Temple.

SORROWFUL: Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning with Thorns, Jesus Carries the Cross, Crucifixion.

GLORIOUS: Resurrection, Ascension, Descent of the Holy Spirit, Dormition/Assumption and Crowning of Our Lady in Glory in Heaven.

Traditionally you pray the Joyful Mysteries Mondays and Thursdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Glorious Mysteries Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.



In 2002 the Pope added another set of mysteries that may be prayed Thursdays, changing Saturday�s set to another round of the Joyful ones.

LUMINOUS: Baptism of Christ in the Jordan (Theophany, Богоявление), the Wedding at Cana, Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom, the Transfiguration (Преображение) and the Institution of the Eucharist.



Closing Prayer

JOYFUL MYSTERIES: It is truly proper to glorify thee, who hast borne God, the ever-blessed and immaculate and the Mother of our God! More honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim art thou, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word. Thou truly the Mother of God, we magnify!

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our prayers in our necessities but deliver us from all danger, O glorious and ever-blessed Virgin.

X Most holy Mother of God, save us. (Three times with bows)

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: To thee, the Champion Leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanksgiving as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Mother of God: but as one with invincible might, from all dangers deliver us that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride!

Her devoted servant,
+Father Gregory


+Father Archimandrite Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!
#86992 11/08/04 04:22 PM
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Fr Gregory,

Bless!

I have seen the Bogorodichnoe Pravilo in more than one Orthodox prayer book from Russia and Ukraine. Yet, I have a few questions about it.

It does not seem to contain the mysteries that the Rosary does. Also, I haven't seen any reference to using the Latin-style Rosary (beads) to pray the Bogorodichnoe Pravilo.

Further, its use seems restricted to the areas of Russia and Ukraine, do you know if it is used by any others?

Where it is used does it play the role the Rosary does in the West of a sort of all-purpose para-liturgical prayer used before Liturgy, at a funeral home, etc?

I would appreciate it if you comment on this please.

Tony

#86993 11/08/04 04:48 PM
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I have no objection whatsoever to those who want to pray the Latin Rite, or Dominican, rosary as a private devotion. But some of the claims made are a bit of a stretch. Yes, I understand St. Seraphim of Sarov said 150 hail Marys. But it would have been his hymn to the Theotokos, not the Latin Rite Hail Mary. As I understand it, he didn't meditate on the 15 (now 20) mysteries, and didn't say the Fatima prayers between decades. I am willing to admit he said Eastern hail Marys, but it's a real stretch to extend that and claim he said the rosary. I am afraid that some claims made by rosary proponents often approach Al Gore's claims of inventing the Internet in terms of being believable - whether Gore actually said that or not is unclear. Proponents of that devotion do go a bit far at times and I think they connect unrelated happenings to reinforce the legitimacy of the devotion. Keep in mind, I said I have no objection to the rosary, just to some of the unprovable hype for it.

#86994 11/08/04 04:52 PM
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Dear Tony,

Don't you just LOVE Father Gregory? smile smile

There are several Orthodox versions of the Rule - St Seraphim's had no mysteries, but special prayers at the end of each "desiatnitsa" or decade.

St Seraphim Zvezdinsky did have mysteries.

The Nuns of Diveyevo still pray the Rule as St Seraphim instructed them, walking around the ditch around their monastery.

The Jordanville book that outlines Monastic Rules of prayer mentions that on Mount Athos the younger monastics especially are urged to say up to 150 Hail Mary's daily, with a prostration at the end of each - and 150 Our Father's as well.

The Rule was always a private devotion and was never, in the East, intended as a parliturgical devotion before the Liturgy etc.

However, in this Rule to the Nuns of Diveyevo, St Seraphim DID insist that they sing the Paraclisis to the Theotokos before the Sunday Liturgy as a "must" and also the daily Akathist to the Mother of God.

St Seraphim Zvezdinsky appears to have recited the Rule of the Mother of God in Church with the rule of the Jesus Prayer with monastics . . .

Alex

#86995 11/08/04 04:54 PM
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Basically we agree...my sole point is that prayer is prayer is prayer---etc. etc. And as for the 'Fatima Prayer' between the decades, there is nothing dogmatically wrong with it: O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those who have most need of Your mercy! I say: Good prayer...and I like it!

In His Holy Name,
+Father Gregory


+Father Archimandrite Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!
#86996 11/08/04 04:59 PM
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P.S. I'll go further...(after being Orthodox for almost 30 years!)...I say the Rosary every single day (the Scriptural Rosary) and I have a priestmonk-friend from the Synod Abroad who does the same thing. Again: Prayer is prayer is prayer is prayer, etc...just as long as there is nothing dogmatically wrong with the form---I'd venture to say, stop talking about prayer---and PRAY! wink

Her Devoted servant,
+Father Gregory


+Father Archimandrite Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!
#86997 11/08/04 05:00 PM
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Dear Charles,

The fact is that St Seraphim Zvezdinsky and others mentioned in "Staretz Zechariah: An early Soviet Saint" (I didn't know the Soviets had saints! wink ), did recite their decades to mysteries.

And Zvezdinsky's mysteries had a much more Marian bent than anything the RC Church came up with!

There were also some Russian Monastic Saints who ONLY said the "Hail Mary" in the Eastern version, of course INSTEAD of the Jesus Prayer!

AND St Seraphim of Sarov used to say that the daily Rule of 150 "Rejoice O Theotokos Virgin" is MORE IMPORTANT for the procuring of the blessing of the Mother of God on our lives than even the akathist!

He insisted that his spiritual children recite it daily, as a "must."

One need not use the Fatima prayer or any other Western augmentation of the Rosary.

I say the Fatima decade prayer only because . . . I always have.

I've tried to say the Rule without it, I really have, please believe me . . .

But I'm weak, truly weak . . . my mouth just forms the words to that prayer . . . I guess it's just bigger than me.

I just gave up trying to say the Rule without the Fatima decade prayer.

I can't do it, there's something possessing me to keep on saying it.

Pray for me, brother Charles! wink

Alex

#86998 11/08/04 05:02 PM
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Bless, Father Gregory,

The Russian Orthodox in Russia are DEEPLY devoted to the Ros. . . er, Rule of the Mother of God!

And why aren't you signing yourself as "Archimandrite?"

IF it's any of my business . . .

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I use the Stations of the Cross as mysteries for my Ros . . Rule of the Mother of God.

And, to make up the 20 mysteries, I include a decade for each of the Seven Words of Christ on the Cross (following the 11th Station of the Nailing of Christ to the Precious Cross).

The Rosary/Rule is miracle-working and it protected me from an attack by would-be terrorist assailants last year - I can speak to you further about this in private.

I salute you, Holy Father, as a true child of St Seraphim of Sarov and servant of the Most Holy Theotokos!

Alex

#86999 11/08/04 05:21 PM
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My spiritual father is a Dominican (Biritual), and I sorta kinda took up the Rosary a couple years ago in deference to that fact.

I've seen a lot of TV ads these days about the cargo hauling capacity of various overpriced trucks and SUVs. Huh. Those hunks of scrap metal don't hold a candle to the cargo-hauling capacity of that little string o' beads...........


Sharon

#87000 11/08/04 05:28 PM
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As I said, I have no objection if anyone wants to say the rosary as a private devotion. When you have dealt with Latinized BCs who want to say it before Divine Liturgy, it kind of sours things. Some of the more extreme proponents of that devotion can get a little overbearing with it and make outlandish claims for it.

#87001 11/08/04 05:35 PM
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Dear Charles,

Yes, you are right.

Those people who are always talking about the rosary and urging others to say it all the time.

They can be a bit much . . . wink

Alex

#87002 11/08/04 05:37 PM
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Dear Mother Sharon,

(And this is my LAST post for the day, lest I give the Administrator ulcers!)

You remind me of the time Saint Dominic was accosted by a possessed man during his sermons.

St Dominic threw his long rosary over the man and held him at bay until the demons left him.

St Louis de Montfort compares it to a "new sling" of David by which we fell the spiritual "Goliath . . ."

I like that, don't you?

Alex

#87003 11/08/04 05:41 PM
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Quote
Originally posted by Orthodox Catholic:
Dear Charles,

Yes, you are right.

Those people who are always talking about the rosary and urging others to say it all the time.

They can be a bit much . . . wink

Alex
Alex, as I have said before, it's a good private devotion. But those beads do not have magical powers - idolatry - and it is never a valid substitution for prescribed liturgical practices.

#87004 11/08/04 05:57 PM
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Dear Alex, +May HE Who is Risen bless you! It's really between me and my confessor/spiritual father? But since you asked, it's for the same reason that Archbishop Andrew of Nova Diveevo made his cell-attendent shave off his beard: to war better with pride.

In His Holy Name,
+Father Gregory


+Father Archimandrite Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!
#87005 11/08/04 06:07 PM
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Bless, Father Gregory!

So I guess it's like the Administrator recommending that I limit my posting here? wink

To war better with pride and with a few more other vices . . .

You are and always will be our spiritual Archimandrite!!

Alex

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