Scripture and Catholic tradition are certainly rich enough. In reflecting recently on St Thomas Aquinas, my parish’s patron saint, I was pondering what a new set of Rosary mysteries would look like if they were based on the theme of wisdom. What about these?
- Wisdom Rejoices in Creation (Proverbs 8:22-31)
- The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
- Jesus Preaches the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)
- Jesus Teaches Wisdom in Parables (Luke 10:25-37)
- Jesus Offers His Easy Yoke (Matthew 11:28-30)
Once I got thinking about this, it was hard to limit it to only five. I thought about using exclusive Wisdom passages from the Old Testament, the prologue of John’s Gospel, something from the Passion, something from the Last Supper, something from the Book of Revelation. Maybe five mysteries are insufficient.
Which Scripture passages would you recommend for a Rosary meditation on Wisdom?
2 March 2012 at 10:34 am
Well, this kinda turns out the customary three-level nature of the Rosary meditation:
First level – the recited prayer
Second level – the New Testament or traditional Marian scene that we are invited to enter into
Third level – a virtue associated with that scene (admittedly, a lot of people today are less aware of this customary third level) – i.e.,:
Annunciation: humility
Visitation: charity
Nativity: poverty
Presentation: obedience
Finding in the Temple: piety
Agony: Repentance
Scourging: Mortification/reparation
Crowning: Moral courage (I’ve always taken this one to be ideally suited to those who feel they are mocked by life)
Way of the Cross: Patience
Passion & Death: Final Perseverance
Resurrection: Faith
Ascension: Hope
Pentecost: Love
Assumption: Eternal Life
Crowning of the BVM: Devotion to the Mother of our Lord
So your idea is all about one virtue, rather than 5, as it were.
Anyway, given your concept, I would recommend being sure to choose a scene that people can enter into. And I would stick to the NT: the Rosary is supposed to meditate on scenes from the life of Jesus and his mother, as were, though I have one twist to offer on that:
1. The Annunciation to Joseph (Matthew): Often neglected, this passage in Matthew is can be viewed as using the dream-trope of Jewish tales of wise patriarchs and prophets.
2. The Homage of the Magi (Matthew): Showing how the worldly wise may recognize Godly wisdom
3. The Beatitudes (Matthew) – the Law and Wisdom of the new creation
4. The Lord’s Invocation of Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Easter Sunday (John) – the Johannine parallel to The Pentecost
5. The Appointment of The First Deacons for Service (Acts) – Where the Lord’s apostles make wisdom one of the cornerstones for service in the Lord’s name.
2 March 2012 at 11:19 am
Ah, I like these. I considered your #4. #5 is great but perhaps better for another set of mysteries. I have another idea or two brewing on that.
Since JPII felt free to take an explicit Mary off the page with a few luminous mysteries, I thought I could take it a step further with that delightful Proverbs passage and open up the Old Testament, as it were.
I pondered some balance between all four Gospels by considering Mark 3:31-35, Jesus Affirms His True Family. But maybe not …
2 March 2012 at 11:46 am
I think the best way to bring in the Hebrew Scriptures would be to create parallel scenes for NT scenes as an additional second-layer of meditation.
For example:
Resurrection: The passage dry-shod across the Jordan River into the Promised Land
Ascension: The ascension of Elijah
Pentecost: The Giving of the Law at Sinai
et cet.