I usually try to pray the full rosary (joyful, luminous, sorrowful, glorious) each day and defend Marian consecration and the rosary when appropriate. After posting a defense of Mary and pro-life defense that urged a person to a stronger value for Mary, an invite for a job that fit within my ideal description was sent to me about a day later. Believing that this was a grace due to Mary, I stopped working on my current job temporarily (even though finances were extremely tight to focus on preparing for the interview). The job was by a company headed by a doctor who served Mother Teresa in India. The job ended up not being appropriate due to work hours as a very part-time position, but it prepared me for the interview in the job that I am in now that has flexible enough hours to eventually still attend daily mass. The two interviews were very similar and - having had the first - the second was aced. Thank you Mary!!
Thank you Mary indeed. I was interested in the fact that you pray the Luminous Mysteries every day. Any thoughts on them?
The Luminous mysteries are my favorite!!! I usually offer the first mystery, the baptism of the Lord, for every baptized Christian walking the earth today, the miracle at the wedding feast for all those preparing for marriage, the proclamation of the good news for all those who preach the gospel, the transfiguration for all those whole-heartedly seeking the Lord to be drawn like magnets to live fully in the Divine Will, and the institution of the Eucharist in profound thanksgiving. I've said before that I believe these mysteries are a gift from St. John Paul II for these times - all those who pray a "complete" rosary give our Lady 4 rosaries instead of 3. Think of what she can do with all those "extra" rosaries1
I am a little behind the time Kathy, I am afraid I never caught up with the Luminous. A pity. I see I missed a lot. One wonderful thing with the rosary is all you need are a pair of fingers and you have yourself a Church, on a plane, in a car, in a prison cell, suddenly all around you is a Church.
The rosary is thought to have been originally developed as a lay version of monastic prayer (from the psalms). The structure changed greatly from 50 mysteries (Carthusian rosary) to that of 5 mysteries and the "Last Judgment" was once a mystery. The rosary was simplified in 1521 by Dominican Alberto da Castello, who was responsible for the first time it appeared in its present form (excluding the luminous mysteries). It is also thought to have been given to St. Dominic by Mary, and Mary at Fatima asked us to say it daily. The addition of the luminous mysteries seems consistent with an earlier period of the Church where the rosary was in a state of change and goes over more of the Life of Christ, so seems consistent with the rosary's purpose as an ever deepening relationship with Christ.
I see Muslims use prayer beads and I believe in the Himmalays they use beads too I think. It must be the oldest prayer form there is, perhaps as old as man himself.
