Monday, August 07, 2006

Rosary of the Blessed Name of Jesus

Many Western Rite parishes today are commemorating the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. In that spirit, I've reproduced one popular devotion, which struck me by the remarkable overlap this (presumably post-Schism) Western devotion has with both the Rosary of St. Seraphim of Sarov and of the standard Byzantine practice of the Jesus Prayer. As our Roman Catholic friends celebrated the "Feast of St. Dominic" Friday, and one writer has stated, "I believe this Rosary is sometimes called the Old Dominican Rosary," this devotion would take on added significance to our RCC readers:

Rosary of the Blessed Name of Jesus
What is most significant about this rosary, in addition to a few different mysteries, is that it employs entirely different prayers. Instead of alternating Paters and Aves, one prays:

Joyful: O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Sorrowful: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us.
Glorious: Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.

Joyful Mysteries:
1. Incarnation.
2. Birth of Jesus.
3. Circumcision.
4. Finding in the Temple.
5. Baptism of Jesus.

Sorrowful Mysteries:
1. Washing the Feet of the Disciple.
2., Prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gesthsemene.
3. Our Saviour is Apprehended or Arrested.
4. Our Saviour Carries His Cross.
5. Descent of Our Saviour into Hell.

Glorious Mysteries:
1. Resurrection.
2. Ascension.
3. Our Lord Jesus Sends Down His Holy Ghost.
4. Our Lord Jesus Crowning the Blessed Virgin Mary and All the Saints.
5. Our Lord Jesus Christ Coming to Judge Mankind.

(Incidentally, I'm not sure about the Dominican origins of this devotion; does anyone know for certain?)

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posted by Ben Johnson at 2:03 PM

2 Comments:

Blogger Jon Marc said...

Forgive my ignorance, but would these prayers be prayed using a normal Rosary with its opening and closing prayers or would they be prayed alone with a distinct Rosary without the intermediate beads for the Our Father and Glory and the beginning beads for the Creed and three Aves?

11:08 AM  
Blogger Alan said...

Very little on the Web concerning this Rosary of the Blessed Name of Jesus.

I have it in "The Catholic Manual" buy the Rev. J. S. Leger, R.C. Chaplain of Dum-Dum, published at Calcutta, MDCCXXXVII (1837).

It is structured under the same headings but filled out with Meditations and Prayers.

I too would be interested in the origin of this form of devotion.

2:22 PM  

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