Rosaries of Divine Union

8/8/2019 Rosaries of Divine Union

1/129

Rosaries for theContemplative Dimension

of PrayerFr. Michael Adams

Rosaries ofDivine Union

Third Edition

Copyright 2001, Fr. Michael Adams and Rosaries of Divine Union


2/129

Rosaries of Divine Union, Third EditionTable of Contents

Introduction to the Rosaries of Divine Union, Third Edition..... ...... ..... ..... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ...... . 1

About These Rosaries............ ........................................................ ............................................5

General Instructions................................................... ........................................................ .......6

The Joyous Mysteries ................................................. ........................................................ ...... 11

The Glorious Mysteries...................................... ....................................................... ............... 18The Divine Heart of God........................................................................................... .............. 24

The Mysteries of the Holy Spirit..................................................... .......................................... 31

Divine Healing...................... ........................................................ .......................................... 38

The Holy Names of God........................................................................................... ...............49

A Litany of Mary......... ....................................................... .................................................... 56

The Rosary of The Living Parables....... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... .. 61

The Kingdom of God is LikeMore Parables for Contemplation................................................69

The Rosary of Beginnings..................................................... ................................................... 80

The Union of Saint Symeon........................................................... .......................................... 87

The Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ..... ...... ..... .... 93

A Rosary Litany of the Divine Mother Mary as Mother of Mothers...........................................100

A Rosary of Saint Michael and the Archangels........ ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ... 106

The Method of Centering Prayer.............................................................................................112

Centering Prayer and the Transformation of Divine Love ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... 120

Centering Prayer New Testament Scriptural and Theological Inspirations. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . 123

The Active Prayer................................................................ .................................................. 125

Copyright 2001, Fr. Michael Adams and Living Rosaries


3/129


4/129

Rosaries of Divine Union 1

Introduction to the Rosaries of Divine Union, Third Edition

The root of prayer is interior silence. We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings

expressed in words, but this is only one expression. Deep prayer is the laying aside of

thoughts. It is the opening of mind and heart, body and feelingsour whole beingto

God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond words, thought, and emotions. We do not resist

them or suppress them. We accept them as they are and go beyond them, not by effort,

but by letting them all go by. We open our awareness to the Ultimate Mystery whom

we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than

choosing -- closer then consciousness itself. The Ultimate Mystery is the ground in

which our being is rooted, the Source from whom our life emerges at every moment.

Fr. Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart

This third edition of the Rosaries of Divine Union is the result of more inspiration and theaddition of more Rosaries, as well as information about Centering Prayer, the contemplativemeditation method popularized by Fr. Thomas Keating and the Contemplative Outreach.The practice of Centering Prayer is one of the most important rediscoveries of the Western

Contemplative Tradition in many centuries, and the addition of the these techniquesintegrated with the Rosary provides another opportunity to experience ourselves in the

simplest form of our awareness of ourselves in God.

Three years have passed since the first edition was published, and many hundreds of people

across America have been actively engaged in using these Rosaries, and have offered muchfeedback about them.

During this time I have been astonished at the support and comments made by a wide varietyof people from Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Old and Independent Catholics as

well as Orthodox. Since they have appeared on the Internet, the Rosaries of Divine Unionhave been seen by over 110,000 people, and are now finding usage by organized Rosarygroups in Roman Catholic, Old/Independent Catholic and Episcopal churches in the United

States. It is important to remember that the original intention of these Rosaries was not toreplace the traditional Latin mysteriesthe Joyful, Glorious and Sorrowful, but to augment

and supplement them with an eye to their use as contemplative and meditative tools. TheseRosaries have reintroduced to thousands of people the concept that prayer is both anintercessory as well as contemplative and meditative experience.

These Rosaries became popular though the use of the Internet as a medium to make themavailable, and they can also be found at www.livingrosaries.org, where the latest additions tothe collection of Rosaries are being posted regularly. They are free to download and print foryour use. I am simply glad to be able to offer them in such a manner. Originally, I had the

idea that once the original seven Rosaries had written themselves that the project was overand that nothing further would be needed. Lately, however, new Rosaries have introduced

themselves to me and in fact many more seem lined up to make myand your


5/129

Rosaries of Divine Union, Page 2

acquaintance. The Internet web site now seems more important than ever to make these newRosaries available to all in a timely and cost-free manner.

The Rosary is both old and new. It is as old as the traditions of the Church, perhaps growing

and evolving from prayers used shortly after the beginning of the Christian era. It is as new

as each individual who begins using it either for the first time, or for the first time in manyyears.

As people grow and change, so does their appreciation for that which is inward and spiritual.

Sacrament is often defined as an inward and spiritual grace drawn from an outward andphysical act. The Rosary offers an experience of grace that derives from an outward actwhich then becomes an inward movement, which then becomes a silence. In this silence lies

the power of the presence of God, who from that silence speaks to us inwardlyan act ofGrace, a Sacrament of Love.

What makes the Rosary so appealing is that, once understood, it is not understood

intellectually by analyzing its structure, or its effects. It is not grasped along sectarian linesand relegated only to Catholics. Many people are today discovering and rediscovering thepower of the Rosary to lead them into a richly rewarding experience of their birthrighttheir

relationship with God and with all that is Divine. Protestants, Catholics, non-sectarianChristians as well as non-Christians have found common ground in exploring the mysteriesof life that are revealed to us through the Rosaries. The Rosary does not teach directly, it

allows teaching to reach us. It helps create an open and receptive heart, which then in turnlearns to see God in life, and our lives in God.

Those who are Catholic (Roman, Anglican, Old and others) and Orthodox (Eastern, Western,Greek, and others) have grown up with liturgy as the basic expression of faith. In these

traditions, Mary is venerated in various ways, all beautiful in concept and respectful of herunique position. Mary is venerated and acknowledged in these liturgies in ways which

reflect an ongoing and engaging relationship with who she is or what she represents. EachCatholic and Orthodox tradition sees Mary as having a special place and a special symbolismin our lives. Yet what makes the Rosary so universal in its nature is not confined to

definition from a few traditions. Protestants as well as those of no particular faith take up theRosary to discover that when it comes to the spiritual life of mankind, no label is adequate to

encompass the richness and expansive nature of God, whose creative play is beyond allattempts to define.

What is most beautiful about the Rosary is that such appeal comes not from definition, butfrom experience. It comes from the heart as we surrender our hearts to the heart of God.

Many theologies exist in the world today, and many explain Mary differently. Who is Mary?Why Mary? Ask two people; two answers will emerge. Who is our Mother? What doesMother mean to us? Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus Christ, and thus worthy of love,

respect and admiration. She is also in a larger and more universal sense the symbol andtouchstone for Motherhood itself, as if by exploring the surfaces of this touchstone we are

transported into the idea of Mother, into the heart of birthing and nurturance. As we wereborn and cradled, as Jesus was born and cradled, so must Christ be born and cradled within


6/129


us. Mother is compassion, Mother is Love. Mother is forgiveness, Mother is expectancy.Mother sees flowers where others see stones. Mother embraces. Mother unifies. Mother

becomes a force for unconditional love and unconditional commitment.

Todays world is a world in need of Mother, and many people look and seek for the birthing

of a spiritual life, of Divinity within themselves. As Mary birthed Divinity within herself,she stands as Universal Motherready to assist all who come to her in birthing Christ within

themselves. The Rosary is a powerful tool to aid this birthing process.

The need of our time is for people to gain an authentic experience of spirituality which isboth transforming and authentic, yet consistent with the familiar cultural traditions of thewest.. The Rosary does not require the learning of a world-view or theological conception; it

does not require a change of lifestyle simply to do it (although ones life may well changeafter doing it for a while). It does not require an investment in the views of others. It does

not even require that one knows anything about it. What is does require is simple enoughitrequires a commitment to the practice, and a degree of faith that this practice may bring

results beyond our expectations. It also requires what the theater calls suspension ofdisbeliefan attitude of neutrality that does not expect anything in particular nor discountsanything that happens.

These Rosaries are both traditional and non-traditional in content. Yet each one bears aflavor of the quality of life that is focused upon by its use. They are collectively called

Rosaries of Divine Union precisely because of their nature, which acts as a mechanism ortool for allowing one to come to rest in restful prayer, in silent prayer, in communion with

the deepest Mystery of our Source. As Father Keating so eloquently stated at the beginningof this introduction, the Source of our lives is a continuously refreshing fountain of life,pouring forth moment to moment and bathing us in its mystery and glory. As we wash

ourselves clean in this fountain, we leave our worries, our doubts, our anxieties, ourimperfections and frailties with God. We also leave our intentions. In so doing we lay aside

the divisions of our life: work, play, family, friends, emotions and worries, obligations andduties, and gain both a greater spiritual vision of God and of ourselves. We drop ourconflicted sense of who we are and begin to see and feel ourselves a part of the larger play of

life as connected to and through the Divine with all of life. We move from our heads to ourhearts; we become somebody, then nobody, then everybody.

These Rosaries are designed and intended to facilitate not only the mystery of intercessionalprayer, but the mystery of transcendence as well. Our intentions lead us to silence, from

which we are born anew each time we sit with the Rosaries. It is difficult to suggest whatoutcomes each may experience as there are as many outcomes as there are people. Yet one

thing is clear: spending time with the deepest part of ourselvesthe part of us that belongsto God alone, is transforming. We emerge different people to a world made different by ourprayer.

The practice of these Rosaries includes several aspects that draw together our minds and

hearts in devotion. The first is Lectio Divina. The second is the practice of silence, andthe third is the letting go of our thoughts and intentions in that silence.


7/129


8/129


Each of us is a continuation of Christ's incarnation insofar as we are living Christ's life in our own

lives - or rather, instead of our own lives. The Eucharist is the summary of all creation coming

together in a single hymn of praise and thanksgiving. In the Eucharist all creation is transformed into

the body of Christ, united with his divine Person, and thrust into the depths of the Father for ever and

ever. Even material creation has become divine in him. "For the creation," says Paul, "waits with

eager longing for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God" (Rom. 8:19).

It is here that the transformative part of the Rosary, like the Eucharist, becomes part of us in a

deep and abiding fashion: we become wedded to the life of Christ in the most fundamentalact of lifethe joining of God and man. This is both spiritual and religious. For the roots of

the word religion mean to bind oneself back to somethingthe source of life itself.Spirituality is the seeing and sensing and breathing of life in the joyous understandingonemay even say experiencethat all things are connected in a deeply authentic and satisfying

way. Or it may simply be an amazement and awe at the complex dance of life itself.

Either way, we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, and our birthright is that wehave the capacity to unite ourselves to the deepest aspects of our being in God. These

Rosaries, and their practice, are one way to help bring this about.

About These Rosaries

One of the oldest prayers to Mary is the following prayer, found in several places and dating

from a young church under Roman persecution around 235 CE:

We fly to your patronage,

O Holy Mother of God;

despise not our petitions

in our necessities,

but deliver us always from all danger,O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

While there is no evidence to suggest that the above prayer was a part of an early litany orRosary, it does show that prayer to Mary was accepted and practiced very early in church

history. Most people are familiar with the five-decade Rosary, commonly called theDominican Rosary. The five decade Rosary was named in honor of St. Dominic, to whom

Mary appeared in the early 1200s. According to legend she gave the Rosary to him withinstructions for its use and the words this is the precious gift I leave you with. St. Dominicthen devoted his life to the teaching of the Rosary and accomplished much in encouraging its

use among his followers and among the faithful. This is the Rosary that is most commonlyused in the West and understood to be the standard Rosary. Yet it was not the first.

The modern Rosary can be traced back to the Dark Ages of ninth century Ireland. During thattime, the one hundred fifty Psalms of David were one of the most important forms of

monastic prayer. Monks recited the Psalms day-after-day as a major source of inspiration.Monks also chanted or prayed the offices each day, and lay people who lived near the

monasteries were so impressed with the beauty and inspiration of their prayers that they


9/129


eventually developed their own form of repetitive prayers through the help of these Irishmonks.

The oldest Rosaries, used by Irish herdsmen, were rocks used to count prayers. A rock

was tossed for each prayer recited. The inconvenience of this was obvious, and later Rosaries

consisted of knotted leather strings upon which people either counted the Our father orlater, the Hail Mary, as well as psalms and prayers of litany. With the passage of time and

the spread of the practice, many variations of the basic Rosary came into use. Many weremade of seeds and stones, leather and lace, clay and wood, and even rose petals formed into a

hard-baked paste. Many Eastern Orthodox variations used ten decades while some WesternLatin variations used fifteen.

It may come as a surprise to many people to discover that the traditional and popular five-decade Latin Rosariesthe Joyous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteriesare not the only

ones. Historically, there are many variations of prayers used in Rosaries around the world,and new ones are added frequently. The Franciscan Crown Rosary is the model upon which

the contents of this book are loosely based and consist of seven decades, having the originalfive Joyous Mysteries plus two mysteries devoted specifically to Our Lady: the Coronationand the Assumption. Other Rosaries were written that took advantage of the seven-decade

structure of this Rosary.

Why use the seven decade Rosary? Experience revealed that seven decades were long

enough to provide thirty minutes to an hours worth of prayer timelong enough for ameditative, contemplative and intercessory experience, yet short enough to be manageable

for most peoples time budgets. Seven decade Rosaries tend to be difficult to find, however.If you want one, you can make one yourself or have one made for you by a person whomakes them. What you make it from is completely a matter of personal taste. If you dont

have one, use any standard five decade Rosary. During the prayers, simply back up twodecades and continue to the end.

General Instructions

Practice of the Rosary can be done anywhere, anytime, alone or with a group. If done in agroup, several people gathered provide both incentive for doing the practice as well as peopleto share it with. The power of several people together praying these Rosaries is a wonderful

thing to experience, and many people prefer to do the Rosary in a group.

Doing the Rosary alone is an opportunity available to us whenever we feel the need. It is awonderful and amazing experience that allows one to go deeply into the silence for as long as

one wishes. If done in a group, choose one leader who will read everything for that session.In that way, others may sink into the silence and cadence of the practice with a minimum ofdistractions. For private use it is preferred to say the prayers slowly and barely audibly or

better yet, silently. Silence and mental repetition of prayer alternate to help the mind settleand the awareness sink into the silence that denotes the presence of God, the active and alertsilence where Divine Union begins.


10/129


It cannot be overemphasized that a key element to this practice is that the prayers should bedone slowly and with deliberate pace. Mary, appearing to the visionaries at Medjugorje, has

often emphasized the need to pray the Rosary slowly and with feeling.

At the end of each decade and before the next mystery is announced, there should be a

leisurely time of silence as the outward expression of prayer gives way to the inwardawareness of stillness. There is no hurry; the effectiveness of this rosary as a meditative

experience depends upon the ease with which all of the prayers are said. The effectiveness ofthis rosary as an intercessory experience is also enhanced when it is done with deliberate yet

relaxed intention. The length of the silent period is left to the discretion of the leader and canvary from decade to decade. Certainly one to two minutes is adequate as a minimum and alonger period of silence may be observed if the group or individual feels it appropriate and

desirable. At least one groupwhile on retreatchose to allow 10 minutes betweendecades.

There are two essential ways to do these Rosaries: with and without commentary. Some

groups or individuals may find that simply reading the scripture (or Saints words)surrounding each mystery is enough before going on to the prayers, and this method providesa form of Lectio Divina along with the experience of prayer. Others may find that reading

the commentary in addition to the scripture is preferred. This is a function both of time andof temperament. Some find that the commentary takes time away from the experience oftranscendence. Some find that it becomes a catalyst for insight. Experience is the best

teacher in this regard: choose according to your mood and inclination. If the practice is donein a group, there is another way to approach the commentary. At the end of the prayer

session a discussion may be started regarding the commentaryit could be read, thusforming a starting point for discussion which could bring in personal experiences that peoplemay find enriching. One comment each week could provide a starting point for a discussion

that could take as much time as people would like to allow. This is just one possibilitypeople may enjoy writing their own comments and sharing them with each other. After all,

the Rosary is more than an experience of prayer: it brings people together on many levels,allowing people to grow and share of themselves with each other in a natural and easymanner.

Each Rosary is written as a complete and separate document, containing all the prayers,

comments and instructions necessary for its use. This was done deliberately so that one mayopen the book to any of the Rosaries and have everything needed for that Rosary organizedin one easy to read chapter. In this manner, some text is repeated from Rosary to Rosary,

and since it was anticipated that this book would be used with a small group, it becomes easyto change readers from time to time if the group feels the urge to do so.

PLEASE NOTE

These Rosaries are not the standard Rosaries familiar to all Catholics. Some are quitefamiliarthe Joyous and Glorious mysteries which have been adapted for seven-decadeusagebut they have been changed and amended with a particular purpose in mind, and

these amendments should be clearly noted.


11/129


When possible, the earliest versions of the prayers have been used. The Rosary hasevolved over a period of time stretching back over fifteen hundred or more years. Many

changes have taken place in the wording of the prayers, and a deliberate choice was made inthe selection of a form of Hail Mary. This version of the Hail Mary, used as early as the

fourth century CE, is the oldest and is taken from the angel Gabriels greeting to Mary in

Luke 1:28, as well as the several sentences surrounding Elizabeths greeting to Mary in Luke1:42. With the passage of time came changes, and by the sixteenth century, the current

version of this prayer was more formally adopted. Although the current popular version ofthe Hail Mary is beautiful and enduring, it was felt that the qualities of praise, beauty and

faith contained in the oldest versions of the prayer (as well as the scripture) were bothuplifting and joyful and were more fit vehicles for the expression of Love and the experienceof the richness of transcendent Divinity in a practice that sought Contemplative

transcendence as well as intercessory prayer.

A second and alternate wording is offered as a translation of the traditional Our

Father. This translation is admittedly not cannonical in the sense that it derives directly

from the Synoptic Gospels, which were found in Greek and translated from Greek. Thisversion has been taken from the translations from the Gospel of Matthew contained in theSyriac Aramaic language, the language of Jesus and his contemporaries. While there is

debate as to whether the Aramaic version of the Peshitta was indeed the first version and waslater translated into Greek, it is clear that such a gospel would have been written for theAramaic speakers of the early Jerusalem Church.

The Jerusalem Church, under the leadership of James the Just (known as the Brother of the

Lord) may well have been the audience for which this Gospel was written. These wereAramaic and Hebrew speakers from different sects, including Essenes and Pharisees. Greek,while widely used as the intellectual language (much as French was the court language

during the 17th and 18th centuries), was not known to be used commonly as a templelanguage nor was it in use by the average Aramaic or Hebrew speaking citizen of the years

35-100 CE in Palestine.

The translations of the Aramaic text for the Our Father are rich in symbolism and varied in

meanings. More than one meaning can be given to each word or syllable in the text. It istherefore a surprise to most people to come to understand that Aramaic refers to God as

possessing both male and female qualities, as opposed to the more masculine qualitiesassociated with the then-contemporary Hebrew conception of God as a just and stern tribalgod. Jesus referred to God the Father as Abba, a rather specific term of endearment that

actually encompassed the Father-Mother image.

In similar fashion the rest of the prayer was translated to give a feeling of the meaning theprayer could have beyond the direct translation, or perhaps the nuances of the prayer that cancome as a result of looking at the root syllables. What can result is startling in its beauty and

import:

O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, focus your light within usmake it useful. Create your

reign of unity now; Your one desire acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Grant what we need

each day in bread and insight. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strand we


12/129


hold of others guilt. Dont let surface things delude us, but free us from what holds us back. From

you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the song that beautifies all; from age to age it

renews. Amen.

This is just one possible translation, and many others are possible. This is offered to

illustrate that meaning is often very much a product of culture and language, and that

richness can be lost through translation. Although not intended to replace the Our Fatherwe all know and love, it helps us to think a little differently about the Author of the prayer aswell as its meaning for us personally.

Two Rosaries in this book use translations derived from interpretations of the Aramaicwording of Matthew: The Rosary of the Divine Heart of God and the Rosary of the Holy

Spirit. Both of these Rosaries were inspired from Prayers of the Cosmos: Meditations on theAramaic Words of Jesus. Published by HarperSanFancisco in 1990, this fascinating work byAramaic Scholar Neil Douglas-Klotz provides a rather different look at many of the standard

prayers that we know from Matthew, including the Our Father, the Beatitudes and others.Regardless of the accuracy of the translations on a direct word-for-word basis, the subtlety of

meaning that emerges is thought provoking and worthy of attention.

Similarly, other prayers were used to celebrate our relationship with God as a people

inheriting our rightful place in lifea place at the table of Divinity, where our deepest coreof being is united with God. In such a place, in such a view, there is no room for declarations

of sinfulness, inadequacy and unworthiness. God accepts us as we are. Is it not time that wedo as well? These Rosaries are intended to encourage and stimulate the feeling that we areGods children, and that our birthright is to discover Gods presence as our inmost being. In

this practice, we choose to emphasize not our inadequacies, failings, faults and frailties.While we may all possess all of these in abundance, in this practice we choose to emphasize

our birthright as children of God seeking rest in the arms of God. God already knows of our

sufferings, failings, problems and needs. Most of us are hard enough on ourselves anyway,so for the time that it takes us to practice these Rosaries, we choose to emphasize Love,

Compassion, Celebration, Giving, Joy and the freedom that God offers us when we simplylet go of our concepts of who we think we are.

This is the most essential point of this practice: we let go of our concepts, we let go of ourthoughts, we let go of our concerns, our worries, our needs and our pain. We even let go of

our joys and our happiness, offering only to sit and be filled as God chooses to fill usoremptied as God chooses to empty us. In giving up both our joy and our pain we begin to

realize in a very tangible way that we are not our emotions, we are not our bodies, we are notour feelingswe are so much more. We are images of Divinity awaiting birth. These

Rosaries help us birth that birthright into our lives and into our awareness, there to be sharedwith everyone we meet. In birth there is both joy and pain, but after both come and go whatgrows is love. As Mother Teresa has said: Prayer enlarges the heart that it may contain

Gods Love.


13/129


Centering Prayer

Also contained in this book are instructions and information about Centering Prayer, a formof Contemplative prayer that brings one to the place where we are deeply open to God,

deeply open to the Divine life. As Fr. Thomas Keating observes:

The ultimate purpose of every kind of prayer is to give ourselves to God, and to make it possible forGod to do what he always wanted to do in the first place, which is to give us the divine life. Deep

prayer is the condition that God is waiting for in order to communicate his divine life and holiness tous. Such is the purpose of our creation in the first place.

Centering Prayer allows us to open ourselves in silence to that deepest Mystery in which wegive ourselves to God so completely that even thought itself is abandoned and all is offered

to God. Both practicesCentering Prayer and the Rosaryare complementary and mutuallybeneficial to one another. More information on Centering Prayer can be found in Open

Heart, Open Mindby Fr. Thomas Keating, OCSO.

The Rosary is a treasure given to all people and this book is written for everyone regardlessof spiritual experience or religious identity, in the hopes that the uplifting tone and themystical perspective will prove a wonderful aid to the exploration of the inner life.

May this book, and the Rosaries contained herein, inspire you to practice the Rosary andexperience for yourself the depth, the richness, and the joy of our inner lifea reflection of

the Divine Life. May you melt in Love and be cast strong in Devotion! I leave you with thewords of the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing when he writes:

My dear friend, I bid you farewell now with Gods blessing and mine. May God give youand all who love him true peace, wise counsel, and his own interior joy in the fullness of

grace. Amen.

Fr. Michael Adams,Trinity Sunday, 2001


14/129


Rosaries of Divine UnionThe Joyous Mysteries


Begin by having an intention in mind for the rosary. This intention may be stated as part ofthe following prayer.

Prayer of Intention

We who gather to pray this rosary do have in our minds and hearts the following intentions:(Here a few moments of silence allow all to clarify their intentions). We ask that these

intentions may bring forth the results desired, according to Your will. Amen.

1. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), with the rest of the rosary in the lefthand, bless yourself with the Invocation:

? In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

2. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), and with the rest of the rosarydraped across the left hand, begin with this prayer of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; wherethere is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there

is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much

seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive, it is pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in complete

surrender that we are born to eternal life. Amen. ?

3. On the first bead after the cross say the Our Father:

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 aswe forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from

evil. Amen.

Alternate Our Father translated from the Aramaic (see introduction)

O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, focus your light within usmake it useful. Create

your reign of unity now; Your one desire acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Grant

what we need each day in bread and insight. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as werelease the strand we hold of others guilt. Dont let surface things delude us, but free us

from what holds us back. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the

song that beautifies all; from age to age it renews. Amen.

4. On the next three beads say the AVE MARIA:


15/129


Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed

is the fruit of thy womb. Amen.

5. After the third AVE MARIA hold the chain and say the GLORIA PATRI:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, ishow and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Name the mystery, and if desired read the thoughts. Then read the prayer. Begin with

the OUR FATHER on the bead just before the medal and the AVE MARIA on the nextten beads following the medal. On the chain following these ten beads, say the GLORIAPATRI.

7. Then, name the next mystery and proceed exactly as above until all the mysteries have

been saidthat is say the OUR FATHER on the single bead, then the ten AVE MARIAs,then on the chain the GLORIA PATRI, then the next mystery.

First Joyous Mystery

The Annunciation

Mary said I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say. Luke 1:38.

Thoughts

In the Gospel of Luke, when Mary received the news that she was to be the bearer of Christ,her first reaction was of surprise. Doubting the message, asking Why me and Really,Me? are the expressions that she may have used when contemplating this extraordinary

event. She must have felt such love from this understanding! When Mary accepted hercondition, she surrendered to the will of the Divine. This reaction illustrates something

important about our own relationship with our deepest being in God. When she understoodthat she carried divinity within her, she was changed in a fundamental way so that she couldnever really look at life, even common events, without making reference to the deepest

values and depths of her beinga reflection of the joy she contained in her womb. In thisway, we too react in much the same way when we are presented with the same kind of

reality: that we are carrying divinity inside of our awareness, at the deepest level of ourbeing. We too ask Really, me? and we too are given to remember that we have arelationship with that aspect of Christ in us, a relationship with the wholeness of life that is

encompassed thereby. Like Mary, we are called to surrender to the Divine.

Marys responsibility became different at that point: for in conceiving and nurturing thedivinity within, her relationship to all of Life became her focus, her reason for living. Forher, nurturance would give way to birth. Like Mary, it is our responsibility to feel within

ourselves the divinity that both gives and seeks nurturance. This recognition begins with thequestion Really, Me?, and the growth process from nurturing to birth is the focus of this

joyous Mystery as we say let thy will be done.


16/129


Prayer:O Heavenly Mother, who responded to the call with Love and commitment, we ask you for

your blessings that we may respond to our call to interior life with the same Love andcommitment. May we, with your aid and compassion, experience the depths of conception

and nurturance as you did, and may we answer our own call to divinity with the development

of nurturance for all of life. Amen.

Second Joyous Mystery

The Visitation

Mary set out proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered

Zechariahs house and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1:39

ThoughtsMarys visit to Elizabeths house was the scene for the recognition of the importance of what

she carried within her. For as Elizabeth heard the voice of Mary, her own baby- in-the-wombreacted to the sound and Elizabeth was overcome with joy in the Holy Spirit. Our task, likethat of Mary and Elizabeth, is to recognize the joy of God within us, not as an abstract

concept, but as a living reality. As it says in the next part of the narrative, in the passagegiving rise to the Magnificat, My soul doth magnify the Lord. These are words that weneed to contemplate in our hearts, words that Mary spoke from joy and love, words that

reflected her own recognition of the Divinity growing inside of her. We are made to magnifythe Lord, to bring to life the qualities of Love and Joy.

PrayerO Heavenly Mother, who was recognized as blessed among women, and who recognized and

accepted the work of God within you, so bless us with your prayers, your love, and your helpthat we may experience the Joy of the Gods work within us and recognize the same in all of

life. Amen.

Third Joyous Mystery

The Nativity

She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a

manger. Luke 2:7

ThoughtsAll people are mothers. All of life is a giving birtha birthing process that creates andsparks new places and times for love to manifest, for ideas to emerge, for Christ to be born in

our lives and in the lives of others. We must nurture Christ within us and give birth to Christwithin us and give birth to Christ in others. Mary gave birth to both a son of man as well as

a son of God. The fruit of her surrender to God was the birth of God, the birth of the Princeof Peace.


17/129


Prayer

O Queen of Peace, help us to surrender to the process of the birth of life within us; bless uswith the strength and the courage to give birth to Christ in ourselves, our lives and our world.

Amen.

Fourth Joyous Mystery

The Presentation

When the day came to purify them according to the law of Moses, the couple brought him up

to Jerusalem so that he could be presented to the Lord. Luke 2:22

ThoughtsWhen the time came to bring the baby to the Temple for his day of blessing by the Temple

priests, Mary was treated to the sight of a holy man who held Jesus and exclaimed Him to bethe salvation not only of Israel, but of the Gentiles as well. Mary had seen the beginning ofdivinity within herself, the nurturance and birthing of that Divinity and now she was witness

to the recognition of that divinity by others. She, who was holy, was thus offering that whichwas Holy to the world. By His consecration in this mystery, all peoples are thus consecratedto work for the good of all life, for the evolution of all people to God.

Prayer

O Queen of our hearts, who offered yourself in consecration to the service of God, bless usthat we may so consecrate our lives to His service that we may ever serve Him joyfully in allthat we do. Amen.

Fifth Joyous Mystery

The finding of Jesus in the Temple

Son, why have you done this to us? You see that your father and I have been searching foryou in sorrow. Luke 2:48

ThoughtsMary and Joseph had been searching for their son. He was not in any of the usual places, so

they retraced their steps back to Jerusalem and found Him in the temple. While searching,they felt abandoned and alone. They were relieved and joyed to find him, and were amazed

at the depth and profound nature of His knowledge as He discoursed with the temple priests.Like the Holy Family, we too must search for Christ, and must look for Him in our temple,the temple of the soul. Once finding Him, we can say with Mary, I have found you! The

search is through retracing our own stepsour own steps away from God around us and Godwithin us. Our steps, taken in prayer and contemplation, take us back to the Temple where

He awaits us.


18/129


PrayerO Mother of Divine Grace, hear us in our search for the temple. Bless us with your guidance

and inspiration that we may always find the temple, and become reunited with He whodwells therein. Amen.

Sixth Joyous Mystery

The resurrection

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they hadprepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when

they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about

this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In theirfright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why

do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he

told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: `The Son of Man must be delivered into thehands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" Then they

remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the

Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,

and the others with them who told this to the apostles. Luke 24:1-10

Thoughts

The word Resurrection has many meanings, among them is renewal. A renewal of heart,of purpose, of Love, of Grace in our lives is a resurrection of spirit. Mary and the disciples

witnessed the ultimate act of creation in the resurrection: God renewing Himself throughHimself as Christ Risen. This demonstration was the living Spirit of Love that promised thesame to all: renewal of heart and transformation of Being in Christ. In a very real sense we

experience Christ when the tomb is empty: when we are so empty of our ourselves that weare ready to be filled with God and the work of God in us.

PrayerO Heavenly Mother, wrap us in your Love and bring us to the place where our renewal is the

Work of God within us: help us experience the joy of resurrection even as you did. Amen.

Seventh Joyous Mystery

The Assumption and Coronation of Our Lady

A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with themoon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. Revelation 12:1

ThoughtsIn her role as the Divine Mother, Mary through her Assumption becomes accessible to all,pointing the way to Christ. She is the embodiment of unconditional Love, of nurturance, of

patience, and of compassion. Her promise is the promise of discovering Christ withinourselves, even as she discovered the Divine Son.


19/129


Prayer

O Heavenly Mother, bring to us the compassion of service, the joy of surrender, and the loveof Christ as we seek Him in all things. Amen


20/129


After the last decade has been said, and the connecting medal has been reached, thefollowing prayer is said:

I give myself this day to the strong power of Love

To the obedience of Angels, the faith of confessors, the preaching of Apostles, to the purity

of simple souls.

I give myself this day to the virtues of the starlit heavens, the brightness of the sun, thewhiteness of the moon, the flashing of lightening, the restlessness of wind, the stability of

earth, and the deepness of the sea.

I give unto myself this day the power of God to lead me, His eye to watch over me, His hand

to guide me, His Word to give me speech.

Christ with me, Christ beside me,Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me,Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up,

Christ in the heart of every person who may think of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who may speak of me,Christ in the eye of everyone who may look on me,

Christ in the ear of everyone who may hear me.

I give myself this day to the strong power of Love. Amen.


21/129


Rosaries of Divine UnionThe Glorious Mysteries

Begin by having an intention in mind for the rosary. This intention may be stated as part of

the following prayer.

Prayer of Intention

We who gather to pray this rosary do have in our minds and hearts the following intentions:

(Here a few moments of silence allow all to clarify their intentions). We ask that theseintentions may bring forth the results desired, according to Your will. Amen.


1. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), with the rest of the rosary in the lefthand, bless yourself with the Invocation:


2. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), and with the rest of the rosarydraped across the left hand, begin with the Prayer of Saint Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; wherethere is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there





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 trespassesas we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from

evil. Amen.

Alternate Our Father translated from the Aramaic (see introduction)

O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, focus your light within usmake it useful. Create

your reign of unity now; Your one desire acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Grant

what we need each day in bread and insight. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as werelease the strand we hold of others guilt. Dont let surface things delude us, but free us

from what holds us back. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the

song that beautifies all; from age to age it renews. Amen.



22/129





Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, ishow and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Name the mystery and read the thoughts and prayer that follow each one. Begin with the

OUR FATHER on the bead just before the medal and the AVE MARIA on the next tenbeads following the medal. On the chain following these ten beads, say the GLORIAPATRI.



First Glorious Mystery

The Changing of Water into Wine

Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water, and they filled them to the brim.

Now draw some off, he ordered, and take it to the steward of the feast; and they did so.

The steward tasted the water now turned into wine, not knowing its sourcehe hailed thebridegroom and said, Everyone serves the best wine firstbut you have kept the best wine

till now. John 2:7-10

Thoughts

There is a mystery here: empty clay jars are filled to the brim, then changed from what isordinary to that which is celebratory. Only an empty jar becomes full, and when full it

flowers into fruition and fulfillment. In the same way, when our jars are empty, they canbecome filled with joy, which through Grace turns to Love. When our joy becomes Love we

share the best fruits of life with all at the feast.

Prayer

Holy Mother, may we be made empty that our jars stand open and ready to receive the Grace

of God. By your blessing and Love may we share Love at the feast of life. Amen

Second Glorious Mystery

The Healing of the Leper

And it happened while he was in one of the towns, there was a man with leprosy. Seeing

Jesus, he fell on his face, saying Lord, if you want to, you can heal me. And he reached outhis hand and touched him, saying I do want to. And the leprosy went right out of him.

Luke 5:13


23/129


ThoughtsJust as the Grace of God not only wanted to heal, but did indeed heal the leper, so does that

same Grace want to find us, to heal in us that which makes us separate from our own Divineheritage. Like the leper, we seek to open our hearts to the healing touch of Grace that lives in

us and all around us. It just awaits our open reception.

Prayer:

Heavenly Mother, help us open ourselves to the healing Grace of God, that we may be wholeand one with Him in thought, word and deed.

Third Glorious Mystery

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

Andrew, the brother of Simon, says Theres a child here who has five loaves of bread and

two small fish, but whats that among all these people? Luke 5:13

ThoughtsFrom a few loaves and fishes were many fed, from a few pearls of wisdom, from a few

precious drops of love were many redeemed. So much was left over that it could hardly beaccounted for. Thus it is in our lives when we open to the Grace ever-present around us.Why were they fed? Because they were hungry. How were so many fed? Because the

source of Grace is boundless and without measure. Who can be fed? All who acknowledgetheir readiness to break bread in one life, one love.

Prayer:O Queen of saints, as the many were fed with so much left over, help us to receive the meal

already set for us. Help us to celebrate the Love and Grace that flows through each momentof our lives. Amen.

Fourth Glorious Mystery

The Resurrection

Dont be astonished. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified. Herose up, he is not here. Mark 16:6

Thoughts

Mary Magdalene, and Mary, mother of James, set out to visit the tomb so that they couldproperly prepare the body for burial. They were wondering about how they would be able toroll the stone from the entrance to the burial chamber when they came upon it and noticed

that it was moved. They looked inside and found the tomb empty. Upon hearing the wordsof the Angel, they fled in joy and excitement. Here is an important insight into the nature ofour relationship to the Divine and to the map of our interior life. Christ is risen when the

tomb is empty, and in similar fashion Christ arises in us when we are emptywhen there isspace not taken by our wills and egos, by our fears and stresses, by our smallness of vision.


24/129


When we empty ourselves of everything, there is room for Christ to rise. We, who are full ofourselves, seek to be emptythat we might be full again.

Prayer:

O Queen of Peace, whose emptiness was filled on the day of the resurrection, grant that we

may through Grace so fully empty ourselves of ourselves that we may create a place forChrist to rise in us. Amen.

Fifth Glorious Mystery

The Appearance to the Disciples

Were not our hearts blazing within us as He disclosed the scriptures to us? Luke 24:33

ThoughtsTwo people were walking to Emmaus, near Jerusalem, and a stranger came upon them and

engaged them in conversation. As the conversation continued, the stranger disclosed to thepair deeper and deeper meanings to the scriptures that applied to the events surrounding thecrucifixion. As they broke bread together, they realized that the stranger was none other than

the risen Christ, and he disappeared from their sight. They listened, and as they heard Hismessage, they heard it with their hearts and not their ears. The risen Christ is not an object ofthe senses, but that which is felt and known rather than seen and heard. When we feel deeply

into the stillness of our own hearts, this is the place where we break bread with the Divinityinside of us, where sight and sound disappear to be replaced by the blazing of the Light of

God.

Prayer

O Queen of our hearts, ignite our hearts with the heat of devotion, the flame of love and theLight of God. Amen.

Sixth Glorious Mystery

The Ascension

Lord Jesus was taken up unto heaven. Mark 16:19

Thoughts

Marks description of the return visit of the Lord was made in the context of the elevensitting together, where He appeared unto them. The appearance of Christ in the midst of the

eleven was a shock to them, as they had heard of others seeing the risen Christ, but had notbelieved their stories. This is a key to understanding the dynamics of the inner life: when wedont open ourselves to some possibilities we are closed to many possibilities. This is a

symbolic reason why Christ appears to His disciples in various forms that are physicallyunrecognized by them; they must know Christ inside to be able to recognize Him outside of

their hearts. Upon recognizing Him in our hearts, we too are taken up unto heaven.


25/129


26/129


After the last decade has been said, and the connecting medal has been reached, thefollowing prayer is said:

I give myself this day to the strong power of Love

To the obedience of Angels, the faith of confessors, the preaching of Apostles, to the purity

of simple souls.

I give myself this day to the virtues of the starlit heavens, the brightness of the sun, thewhiteness of the moon, the flashing of lightening, the restlessness of wind, the stability of

earth, and the deepness of the sea.



Christ with me, Christ beside me,Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me,Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up,

Christ in the heart of every person who may think of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who may speak of me,Christ in the eye of everyone who may look on me,

Christ in the ear of everyone who may hear me.



27/129


Rosaries of Divine UnionThe Divine Heart of God

The Lords prayer is perhaps the most well known and oft-repeated prayer of the New

Testament, and is given a central position in Christian life. Yet the importance of this prayer

is often both under appreciated and misunderstood. While biblical scholars acknowledge theredactions to the Bible and the problems involved in source materials, there is great

acceptance among scholars that these words were likely the actual ones spoken by Jesus andwere saved by oral tradition, entering the later written tradition.. Thus it becomes an

interesting and worthwhile undertaking to consider these words in deeper contextsthecontext of mystical language and mystical experience. The typical translations of this prayer,known to all through the King James or Vulgate versions, translate the words in ways that

convey their meaning, but that do not let the original feeling speak to us today .*

The basic theme of this Rosary is the Lords Prayer, taken line by line and explicated fromthe Aramaic language, and mixed with scripture taken mostly from the Gospel of Matthew

surrounding the introduction of this prayer. The reason for this is that Aramaic was (andremains) a language rich in the symbolism of fertility, of planting and harvesting, of seasonand time, of nurturance and blossoming. Examination of the Lords Prayer in the language

of its original presentation enlivens the subtle values and nuances inherent in the prayerwhich in the modern English translations are at best obscured and at worst completely lost.Yet the purpose of the prayer is not to be complete in itself, no matter in what language it is

conveyed, translated or transliterated. For the completion of this prayer can only take placein the depths of the human heart, the stillness of the being where heaven meets earth and both

are full of joy at the mingling.

For this rosary, heavy reliance was made on Aramaic translations (or perhaps more

accurately transliterations) as given by Neil Douglas-Klotz, as well as some of hisinterpretations of those translations. As stated in the Introduction to this book, these

translations are explicated from the syllabic roots of the Aramaic words, and thus arerendered more freely than a word-for-word translation. The result is a richness offeeling thatallows us to go far beyond the mind and into the heart. The intention is that the lectio, or

commentary be a springboard for both contemplative non-discursive meditation as well as fordiscursive musing. Of course, the purpose of contemplative meditation is that the object of

attention is transcended altogether, and the truest hearing of the pure gospel is to be foundin our own awareness reflected in silence. The lectio divina of this rosary is not what isheard in sound, but what is heard in the silence of the heart. Thus, the name of this rosary is

the Rosary of the Divine Heart of God. The Divine Heart of God is a mystery, and the wordsof the Lords Prayer call us to that mystery in a way that is deeply profound and deeply

stilling.

Begin by having an intention in mind for the rosary. This intention may be stated as part of

the following prayer.

*For more information on this fascinating topic, see the introduction to this book. For the source, see Neil

Douglas-Klotz, Prayers of the Cosmos: Meditations on the Aramaic Words of Jesus, HarperSanFancisco, 1990.


28/129


Prayer of Intention




1. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), with the rest of the rosary in the left

hand, bless yourself with the Invocation:


2. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), and with the rest of the rosary

draped across the left hand, begin with the Prayer of Saint Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where

there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there





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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from

evil. Amen.

Alternate Our Father translated from the Aramaic (see introduction)O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, focus your light within usmake it useful. Create

your reign of unity now; Your one desire acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Grantwhat we need each day in bread and insight. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we

release the strand we hold of others guilt. Dont let surface things delude us, but free us

from what holds us back. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, thesong that beautifies all; from age to age it renews. Amen.






29/129


Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is

how and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.


OUR FATHER on the bead just before the medal and the AVE MARIA on the next ten

beads following the medal. On the chain following these ten beads, say the GLORIAPATRI.



First Mystery of the Divine Heart of God

Our Father, who art in heavenAbwoon, dbwashmaya

when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut the door, pray to yourfather who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will

reward you. Matthew 6:7

Thoughts

In Aramaic, the word abba means Father. Yet this translation is incomplete, for the rootab connotes the springing forth of fruit from a single sourcediversity sprung from unity.Abwoon has a similar but more personal meaningthat which is so close to us that it is

dear to us. In giving His instruction Christ revealed the secret to prayer as well as amethodology to prayer. By placing our awareness inward, toward the spark of Divinity that

lies within, we find a place more fulfilling and more pleasant than the world of the senses, forthe light of the soul is more illuminating than the light of the sun. By going deeply within topray, we rest in the Presence of God, and in the silence that is the purest form of prayer, we

need have no words, for the Divine knows our needs before we do. As we rest in the silenceof the Presence of God, our intentions and needs find fulfillment.

Prayer:Heavenly Mary, mother of Life, enfold us in your love and lead us to our secret places,

wherein our Father may be revealed to us in Love. Amen.

Second Mystery of the Divine Heart of God

Hallowed be thy nameNethquadash shmakh

When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases like the Gentiles do; for they think

they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 6:7


30/129


ThoughtsThe translation of the Aramaic phrase nethquadash shmakh (hallowed be thy name)

includes several root words. The root shm from which the Aramaic word shem isderived can mean light, sound, vibration or experience. The root qadash, meaning holy,

has the connotation of having been set apart, as ground cleared and ready to grow something

new. Thus, to hallow the name of the Lord means to see that part of the Lord which is setapart, full of light and sound, from which new things arise. Prayer in this manner is both

silent and active, restful and dynamic. To understand this, it is only necessary that weobserve rather than initiate action in the holy place of the Lord, to receive rather than to

giveto hear with our hearts the Word of God within us, rather than the words of our prayer.Going from the Oneness of Ab to the envelopment of qadash is to open ourselves toGod, and to fall into Gods Presence as an act of sacred surrender.

Prayer:

Heavenly Mother, even as you surrendered to Love, we ask that you help us give up ourwords that we may hallow the name of the Lord both in daily life and in the purest prayer of

silence. Amen.

Third Mystery of the Divine Heart of God

Thy kingdom come

Teytey malkuthakh

The disciples said to Jesus, Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like. He said to them It

is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds. But when it falls on prepared soil, it growsinto a large plant and shelters the birds of the sky Gospel of Thomas, saying 20

ThoughtsThe Aramaic word Teytey means come but has the connotation of mutual desire that

ends in unity. God wants us to live in His Presence even as we want to live in it. God isattracted to us even as we are attracted to the Divine. In truth, the meaning of this phrase is

one of invitationthe bringing together as one two desires for unity. The wordmalkuthakh has the image of a fertile arm of creation, ready to sweep across the land toboth fertilize and grow, thus birthing fruit and greenery. The invitation here is to create

within us the garden from which may flower all of the essence of Divinity. And from thisgarden we may grow, from the smallest of beginnings, greenery that encompasses all of life.

Prayer:

O Mother of Heaven, Shrine of the Spirit, nurture within us the garden of the Divine, that ingrowing we may shelter all the birds of heaven. Amen.


31/129


32/129


Sixth Mystery of the Divine Heart of God

And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtorsWashboqlan khaubayn (wakhtahayn) aykanna daph khnan shbwoqan lkhayyabayn

When you give alms, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, so thatyour alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:2

Thoughts

The Aramaic word washboqlan has several meanings that go beyond forgive. One suchmeaning entails the idea of return to its original state and another embrace with

emptiness. As the prayer was translated from the Greek version of Matthew, the wordkhaubayn was rendered as debt or offences. The original Aramaic word also connotedones hidden past or secret debt. It could just as easily be rendered as failures or

mistakes. The Lord in this part of the prayer seeks to remind us of our natural heritage,one of fully being present in the present momentthe moment of God This is the day the

lord hath made; rejoice and be glad in it! This part of prayer is the giving up of what holdsus back, of what our minds grasp for and hold fast to, of releasing everything that binds us injoy and freedomincluding what we have done to others and what others have done to us. It

is thus that we return to our original stateembraced by the emptiness that allows theFullness of the Presence of God to express through us. By surrendering to the Presence inthe present moment, we act without the need to think, and thus our left hands know not what

our right hands are doingwe act fully awake to the moment in God, and that is in itself thereward!

PrayerO Mother of Divine Grace, give us your heavenly aid that we may open ourselves to the

Presence of God within and in living in that Presence, fully express it. Amen.

Seventh Mystery of the Divine Heart of God

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evilWela tahlan lnesyna. Ela patzan min bisha

ThoughtsA better and more fitting translation of these words reveal from the Aramaic meanings well

beyond what is represented in the Greek. Wela tahlan is better rendered as dont allow usto be deceived , and nesyuna contains the idea of being diverted from our purpose in life.The last part of the phrase is better translated as but break the seal that binds us to error. In

this phrase we are asking to be kept from delusion, from the binding influence of our likesand dislikes, our mistakes as well as our successes. In terms of the Divine, what is evil inreference to us? That which allows us or encourages us to believe that we are separate from

God, that we are far from our Divine roots.


33/129


PrayerHoly Mother, help us to see more and more of our true nature in Divinity, revealing Christ to

us moment by moment. Amen

After the last decade has been said, and the connecting medal has been reached, the

following prayer is said:

I give myself this day to the strong power of LoveTo the obedience of Angels, the faith of confessors, the preaching of Apostles, to the purity

of simple souls.

I give myself this day to the virtues of the starlit heavens, the brightness of the sun, the

whiteness of the moon, the flashing of lightening, the restlessness of wind, the stability ofearth, and the deepness of the sea.



Christ with me, Christ beside me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me,

Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up,Christ in the heart of every person who may think of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who may speak of me,Christ in the eye of everyone who may look on me,Christ in the ear of everyone who may hear me.



34/129


Rosaries of Divine UnionThe Mysteries of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

The Beatitudes rank as some of the most beautiful poetry in the English language; they alsorank as some of the most profound aphorisms in sacred scripture. The typical translations

from the Greek provide for the readers of the King James, Vulgate or other versions of the

Bible a very limited sense of the original depth and profound nature of these short wisdom

sayings.

Biblical scholars tend to agree that it is likely that these words are indeed the original words

of Jesus, and that they were saved in oral tradition before being committed to writing. Thebeauty of these translations, taken from the Aramaic (the language of Jesus) is that the

choices available for translations are great indeed, and are full of the imagery of the cycles ofnature: planting and harvesting, rains and water, growth and nurturance, flowering and

fruiting, waiting and watching.

The typical translations do not give the reader the sense of one extremely important insight

that is available to these translationsthe sense of evolving in God. This senseof growthin God by nurturance of Divine love, is recovered as a process that is recognized as a seriesof steps of growth, of evolution. Yet the sense of these translations does not indicate that

these steps or phases must be in a particular order: they simply reflect an understanding ofbeingness or of perception. Thus we can recover a sense of the deeply mystical and deeply

unfathomable and deeply unutterable experience that accompanies the journey of growth inthe Divine. That is, after all, what an aphorism does: it points to a more expanded version ofitself that is available to understanding only in the heart of man as that heart melts into the

Divine Heart of God. The link in this process is the Holy Spirit, and the Beatitudes reflectthe gifts of the Spirit in the process of melting the heart of man into the Heart of God.

This Rosary relies on Aramaic translations (or perhaps more accurately transliterations) asgiven by Aramaic Scholar Neil Douglas-Klotz, as well as some of his interpretations of those

translations. As stated in the Introduction to this book, these translations are explicated fromthe syllabic roots of the Aramaic words, and thus are rendered more freely than a word-for-

word translation. The result is a richness offeeling that allows us to go far beyond the mindand into the heart. The intention is that the lectio, or commentary be a springboard for bothcontemplative non-discursive meditation as well as for discursive musing. Of course, the

purpose of contemplative meditation is that the object of attention is transcended altogether,and the truest hearing of the pure gospel is to be found in our own awareness reflected in

silence. The lectio divina of this rosary is not what is heard in sound, but what is heard in thesilence of the heart. Thus, the name of this rosary is the Rosary of the Holy Spirit. The HolySpirit is a mystery beyond the minds ability to describe, and the words of the Beatitudes call

us to that mystery in a way that is deeply profound and deeply moving.

Begin by having an intention in mind for the rosary. This intention may be stated as part ofthe following prayer.


35/129


Prayer of Intention




1. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), with the rest of the rosary in the left

hand, bless yourself with the Invocation:


2. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), and with the rest of the rosary

draped across the left hand, begin with this Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart with your holy gift, the gift of love. Fill my mind with your

holy gift, the gift of discernment. Fill my eyes that I may see your works in me and all

around me. Fill my ears that I may hear your works in the world and in the lives of others.

Fill my hands that they may do the work of Love without thinking; fill my feet that they maycarry me in faith and knowledge. Fill my soul with the gift of light, that it may shine with

Love eternal. Amen.?


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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from

evil. Amen.

Alternate Our Father translated from the Aramaic (see introduction)O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, focus your light within usmake it useful. Create

your reign of unity now; Your one desire acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Grantwhat we need each day in bread and insight. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we

release the strand we hold of others guilt. Dont let surface things delude us, but free us

from what holds us back. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, thesong that beautifies all; from age to age it renews. Amen.






36/129


Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is

how and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.


OUR FATHER on the bead just before the medal and the AVE MARIA on the next ten

beads following the medal. On the chain following these ten beads, say the GLORIAPATRI.



First Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Tuned to the Source are those who live by breathing Unity, their I can is included in

Gods.

ThoughtsTo be poor in spirit is to be without pretension, without ego, without self- inflation. To bepoor in spirit recognizes that ones focus in the Divine focus rather than the personal focus.

The meaning of the Aramaic translation as well as the New American Standard translationshow a state of being already accomplished. One breathes Unity when one dissolves notions

of what I want and what I need, by surrendering to the Divine which pulls us ever closerin Love. God is the source, the path, the goal and the life of all beings in the Unity of DivineLove. The Grace of the Pentecost affirms the Presence of the Holy Spirit as an active part of

God, present and working in all of us as that which prompts us in the subtle regions of ourown heartstickling and charming our awareness with the awareness of Divine life.

Prayer:Heavenly Mother, who so exemplified life in the Holy Spirit, grant us the grace to seek and

discover the Holy Spirit as our Spirit, our life and our companion. Help us to live and grow inthe gifts of the Spirit, that we may share them with all of life.


37/129


Second Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted

Blessed are those in emotional turmoil; they shall be united inside by love

Thoughts

The mind is always in motionone time dwelling on one thing, another time dwelling onanother. It never seems to stay in the same place. Emotions come one after another, often in

response to everyday things in our lives. When emotional turmoil seems to abate, or in themiddle of such turmoil, we find a silence. In this silence, the Holy Spirit draws us deeperthan our emotions, and invites us to dwell in the place where the warmth of the Spirit leads

us to still waters, to the stillness of the Presence of God. It is there each moment, in thesilences between our thoughts and laying under each emotion. It sings to us each night as we

fall asleep and greets us each morning as we awaken. In love we are united with each otherand with the Divine God who creates, sustains, and receives us.

Prayer:O Mother of Divine Grace, fill us with Grace, that we may allow the Holy Spirit to work in

us and through us, bringing us to Unity with all of life in Love. Amen.

Third Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth

Healthy are those who have softened what is rigid within; they shall receive vigor and

strength from the universe.

Thoughts

The Lord here points out a very profound truth: that we are to be molded by the Holy Spirit,and one of the gifts of the Spirit is to melt us so that the Divine can remake us as a perfect

vehicle for the perfect expression of Himself in the world. The meek are not the weak; theyare the yielding, the flexible, the bending. As the grass bends in the wind, so the meekrespond to God: they say Not my will, Lord, but yours through me. Make me an

instrument of thy will. This gift of the Spirit is the gift of humility born of amazement; bornof recognition of the vastness of Gods Love in all of life. In bending, we are strengthened.

In melting, we are cast strong. In getting out of our own way, we make room for God tomanifest through us, using us as hollow and empty vessels pouring forth the strength of the

universe. In humility, we gain the strength of creation, and in our yielding to the Divine ourbirthright becomes our inheritance: we stand in Unity with Life.

Prayer:Mother of Compassion, melt us in your love and cast us in the light of the Divine. Amen.


38/129


Fourth Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy

Healthy are those who extend grace; they shall find their own prayers answered.

Thoughts

The traditional rendering of this phrase implies that those who display mercy will receivemercy. While this may be true at one level, there is more than the Golden Rule at work.

Compassion is understanding and caring for life. Compassion is love in motion, life flowingin oneness. Compassion links us directly to our core, which is Love. The deep expression ofcompassion is more than a practice, it is a way of life that allows us to touch ever more

tenderly the light of God within us, as our flame enkindles the flame of others. The more wepractice compassion, the more Love we can reveal. It is truly the way of life that what we

practice, we become. We manifest the Love of the Divine as we do so, and in return weexperience the richness of life in Love. The Lord here gives a simple formula for achieving

Unity: Love others as you love the Divine and the Holy Spirits gift of grace and compassionis returned in the Unity of God. Our prayers become the prayers of the Divine: we breaththe fire of grace.

PrayerMother of Grace, open within us the compassion we share with God; birth within us the

Grace to share it with the world. Amen.

Fifth Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

Aligned with the One are those whose lives radiate from a core of love; they shall see God

everywhere

Thoughts

Love is not an emotionit is your very existence! The pure in heart are blessed with thisliving truth, and shine more brilliantly than a thousand suns. The pure in heart know that

emotions come and go, that thoughts come and go, that feelings come and go, but whatremains is pure and unbroken by the storms of life. In love are we created, in love are wesustained, in love are we destined to ascend. The pure in heart see God everywhere because

in the purity of our core lies the shining effulgence of God, and as we find that core and livefrom that core, we see God inside and outside so that there are no boundaries between us and

others; no inside and no outside. The pure in heart see only Divinity flowing in all forms, inall creatures. This gift of the Holy Spirit is a sublime gift that is already ours to claimwelook for it beyond our thoughts and feelings in the depths of our heart.

Prayer

Mother of Love, join our hearts together, that we may grow in purity of heart and see Godshining in all of creation. Amen.


39/129


Sixth Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Blessed are the Peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God

Aligned with the One are those who prepare the ground for all tranquil gatherings; they

shall become the fountains of Livingness.

ThoughtsThe Aramaic translation offered above says it allyet how can we prepare the ground for

tranquil gatherings? We prepare it by using it. We become that which we do. Bysurrendering our actions to the Divine, we eventually see that effulgence of Divinity whichdissolves the boundaries between inside and outside. As we do so, we flow with

Divinity as God desires, becoming fountains of Life and watering all of the fertile fields oflife, thus preparing them for tranquil gatherings. This gift of the Holy Spirit is meant to be

shared, is meant to be spread as the Gift of Union. Blessed indeed are the peacemakers!

Prayer

O Mother of Light, wellspring of Love, we surrender our actions, our thoughts and ourfeelings to the sacred heart of God. Help us continue to do so every moment of every day,

that we may become fountains of life. Amen.

Seventh Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Rejo

Rosaries of Divine Union

Documents

Transcript of Rosaries of Divine Union