In the 2024 Catholic Media Association Book Awards, the Rosary Book placed in the following categories:
For information on how to obtain a hardcopy of the Rosary book, please visit the Contact page.
Copyright © 2023 by Monica Shia Amparo
All Rights Reserved
Nihil Obstat:
+ Michael F. Burbidge
Censor Deputatus
Imprimatur:
+ Michael F. Burbidge
Bishop of Arlington
December 22, 2023
The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are an official declaration that a book, pamphlet, or prayer is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Book cover: Alston Taggart, Emily Capps
Cover icon: Vivian Imbruglia, Pilgrim Virgin Icon of Our Lady of Fatima, 2018. See Notes section for more detail on this icon.
Title page image: Kevin Sample, Emily Capps
Scripture translation: The default translation is New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE), supplemented by Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) where indicated. NRSV-CE Copyright 1965, 1966 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved.
Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given, please notify Eastern Christian Publications in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.
Printed in the United States of America.
December 26, 2023
Eastern Christian Publications
www.ecpubs.com
info@ecpubs.com
ISBN: 978-1-940219-67-7
Contributors:
Msgr. Raymond G. East
Archdiocese of Washington
Fr. Peter J. Klink, S.J.
Diocese of Rapid City
Deacon Rolando Lujan
Diocese of San Diego
Tatiana Nikolova-Houston, Ph.D.
Sacred Illuminations
Priya L. Quinn-Suku
Poetry
Virginia C. Raguin, Ph.D.
College of the Holy Cross
Taras Tymo, Ph.D.
Ukrainian Catholic University
Fr. Martin Vu, C.S.Sp.
Diocese of Arlington
Introduction
The Rosary As Presented in This Book
The Rosary mysteries are recounted by the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These events in the lives of Jesus and his mother Mary teach us about God’s love for us and how we are to love each other. My pastor, Fr. Timothy Hickey, C.S.Sp. always reminds us that “you are deeply and passionately loved by God just as you are” and that our discipleship calls us to “embrace and welcome the differences of others.” St. Louis de Montfort in The Secret of the Rosary explains that “the works of Our Lord and of his Blessed Mother can be rightly called mysteries because they are so full of wonders and all kinds of perfections and deep and sublime truths which the Holy Spirit reveals to the humble and simple souls … their perfume and beauty can only be understood by those who study them carefully …” (Twenty-first Rose).This scriptural meditation on the Rosary features:
1) Selected Scripture In this book, each mystery is explained through ten carefully chosen scriptures drawn from a variety of books in the Bible. The first scripture for a mystery is often from the Old Testament. The next eight scriptures are primarily from the Gospels. The tenth scripture offers a teaching from or summary of that mystery. Step by step, these ten scriptures explain and develop what is happening in each mystery.
Praying the Rosary with scripture has a long history dating back to Saint Dominic of Prussia, a Carthusian hermit. During the period 1410–1439, he proposed to the faithful the practice of using scripture to enhance the meditation of the Rosary mysteries.
2) Sacred Art From Around the World In 1521, a lavishly illustrated Rosary book appeared in Italy, Rosario Della Gloriofa Vergine Maria, edited by Dominican friar Alberto Da Castello. The book (shown on the following page) enjoyed great success, and approximately 40 editions were printed during the century.1
1 Erminia Ardissino, Literary and Visual Forms of a Domestic Devotion: The Rosary in Renaissance Italy, published 2018 https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004375871/BP000028.xml
Five hundred years later, sacred art in the Rosary books continues to be from Italy and Western Europe. This tradition endures despite the fact that the Church of the 21st century is a universal church with members on all continents, as shown below.
In this book, we present a wide variety of art from the various continents to illustrate each group of Mysteries:
Joyful Mysteries (Childhood of Jesus):
Museum Paintings that strive to be historically accurate;
Luminous Mysteries (Public ministry of Jesus)
Stained glass windows from different Catholic Churches;
Sorrowful Mysteries (Passion and Death of Jesus):
Paintings from around the world; and
Glorious Mysteries (Resurrection and Divine Life):
Various media such as wood, parchment, ivory, and oil on copper.
In order to provide a contemplative space around each image, we have limited the captions in the main text to the bare essentials. To learn more about an image, please refer to the detailed Notes on the Sacred Art and the Rosary at the back of the book. Consider this book as a guide to accompany you through many seasons of praying the Rosary.
3) Broader Content and Context Than Typically Seen
Just as this book uses a flexible spine for greater ease in praying, I have added certain “Visio Divina” or Sacred Contemplation pages before each group of Mysteries (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious) to enhance the contemplation of the five mysteries in that group. For example, in the Sorrowful Mysteries, we highlight a selection of martyrs from various continents. For the Glorious Mysteries, we highlight the communion of saints from around the world.
As an additional aid for prayer and reflection, the four sets of Mysteries are accompanied by a traditional poem (“Sequence”) pertinent to that Mystery. As a complement to the Sequences, we offer Priya L. Quinn-Suku’s contemporary poems, which were commissioned for this book.
The very last section of the prayer book entitled “Mary and the World Religions” showcases the connection that Mary has with the world religions. In addition, no matter the place, all faiths recognize that the human family is bound together by ties of love.
The First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary
Our Father
1. The Lord himself shall give you a sign. A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and his name shall be Emmanuel.
(Isa. 7:14) Hail Mary
2. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to
Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was
Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27)
Hail Mary
3. [T]he angel . . . said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is
with thee: blessed art thou among women. (DRA, Luke 1:28)
Hail Mary
4. She was much perplexed by his words and pondered what
sort of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:29) Hail Mary
5. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God. You will conceive and bear a son and
you will call him Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31) Hail Mary
6. Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a
virgin?” (Luke 1:34) Hail Mary
7. The angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you…”
(Luke 1:35) Hail Mary
8. “Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived[m] a son in
her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was
called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
(Luke 1: 36-37) Hail Mary
9. Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to
me according to thy word.” And the angel departed from
her. (DRA, Luke 1:38) Hail Mary
10. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…
(DRA, John 1:14) Hail Mary, Glory Be, O My Jesus
The Fifth Luminous Mystery
The Institution of the Eucharist
Our Father
1. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
(Ps. 23:5) Hail Mary
2. Jesus sent out Peter and John, instructing them, “Go and
make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” (Luke 22:8)
Hail Mary
3. When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with
the apostles. He said, “I have eagerly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:14-15)
Hail Mary
4. He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to
them saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you;
do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19) Hail Mary
5. Jesus took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, “Drink
from it, all of you; this is the blood of the covenant which
will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”
(Matt. 26:27-28) Hail Mary
6. “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that
endures for eternal life…” (John 6:27) Hail Mary
7. “I am the bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go
hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
(John 6:35) Hail Mary
8. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This
teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” (John 6:60)
Hail Mary
9. Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining…
said to them “Does this offend you?…It is the spirit that
gives life; the flesh is useless. (John 6:61-62) Hail Mary
10. I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me…I live by faith in
the son of God who has loved me and given himself up for
me. (Gal. 2:20) Hail Mary, Glory Be, O My Jesus
Closing Prayers
The Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to you we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this, our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
The Crucifixion
Our Father
1. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering,
knowing pain… We thought of him as stricken, struck down
by God and afflicted. (Isa. 53:3-4) Hail Mary
2. When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified
Jesus, and the criminals there… Jesus said, “Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:33-34)
Hail Mary
3. One of the criminals reviled Jesus “Save yourself and us.”
The other rebuking him, said…“Jesus, remember me when
you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus replied…“Today you
will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39, 42-43)
Hail Mary
4. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple there whom
he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
Then he said to his disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From
that hour on, he took her into his home. (John 19:26-27)
Hail Mary
5. At three o’clock, Jesus cried out…“My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) Hail Mary
6. After this Jesus said “I thirst.” So they put a sponge soaked
in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.
(John 19:28-29) Hail Mary
7. Then…Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your
hands I commend my spirit” and when he said this he
breathed his last. (Luke 23:45-46) Hail Mary
8. At that moment, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two…
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened and
the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
(Matt. 27:51-52) Hail Mary
9. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding
Jesus saw the earthquake… they…exclaimed, “Surely he was
the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54) Hail Mary
10. God proves his love for us in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)
Hail Mary, Glory Be, O My Jesus
The First Glorious Mystery
The Resurrection
Our Father
1. My heart is glad and my soul rejoices; my body also rests
secure. For you do not … let your faithful one see the Pit.
(Ps. 16:9-10) Hail Mary
2. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they might
go and anoint him. (Mark 16:1) Hail Mary
3. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when
they went in, they did not find the body. (Luke 24:2-3)
Hail Mary
4. They saw a young man dressed in a white robe…He said to
them… “You are looking for Jesus…He has been raised, he
is not here.” (Mark 16:5-6) Hail Mary
5. So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and
ran to tell his disciples. (Matt. 28:8) Hail Mary
6. These words seemed to them [disciples] an idle tale, and
they did not believe them [the women]. (Luke 24:11)
Hail Mary
7. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the
disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to
them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.
(John 21:4-5) Hail Mary
8. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and
you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to
haul the net in because of the large number. (John 21: 6)
Hail Mary
9. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the
Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him …. he…jumped
into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat.
(John 21: 7-8) Hail Mary
10. Christ has been raised from the dead…. For as all die in
Adam so all will be made alive in Christ.
(1 Cor. 15:20-22) Hail Mary, Glory Be, O My Jesus
The True Peace
– By Nicholas Black Elk
The first peace, which is the most important, is that which
comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells
Wakan-Tanka (the Great Spirit), and that this center is really
everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this.
The second peace is that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which is made between two nations.
But above all you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.
Our Lady with Saints of the Early Church:
Eastern Perspective
Our Lady with Saints from 14th century – Present:
Western Perspective
Gather Your Children
Priya L. Quinn-Suku
Oh Blessed Mother,
Gather your children,
Every one under your protection,
Your maternal love and care.
You who have appeared
Over all the world
Have honored us with your presence,
And hallowed the ground your children tread.
You look upon your tapestry, beautifully woven.
Decked with a myriad of colors,
That grace our eyes with new vision
Infusing within us the delicacy of love;
One for another.
Oh Blessed Mother,
Let not the shadows of the past
And the brokenness of our lives,
Cause us anger, hatred, and despair.
Take our hands and guide us
To the summit of holiness of life,
Found in you, through and in Jesus
Your only son.
Oh Blessed Mother,
Draw us onwards to heaven’s gate,
There to be united with you; Jesus our redeemer.
With all the Saints of every race and creed.
Chosen Mother,
Crowned Queen of heaven and earth
May we sing your praises,
A triumphant hymn of thanksgiving.
Oh Blessed Mother
Reign forever in our hearts.
Heaven delights in you
For your life gives glory to God.
Through all the ages; now and forever…
Mary and the World Religions
All Faiths, One Family
United by the law of love.
A Selection of Religions
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Pet 4:8-9)
Come to the Table
Afterword
The biblical story The Road to Emmaus occurs only in Luke’s gospel. As two disciples were walking toward Emmaus, Jesus drew near to them and walked with them but they did not recognize him. They were grieving, confused and utterly distraught —they thought Jesus was the Messiah—yet no one had seen him since he had been crucified three days earlier. 5 They began conversing with their walking companion [Jesus] and he interpreted all the stories in the Scriptures pertaining to him.
Later, while sharing the evening meal with them, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. Then “their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” (Luke 24:30).
In locating sacred art for this book, I spent two years researching high and low, and I corresponded and spoke with many people. One morning while lying in bed, an inspired thought struck me quite palpably. I had been diligently searching “out there” for worldwide scared art when in fact every person walking the face of the earth is living sacred art ! Whether dressed in rags, riches or somewhere in between, we are each made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).
The Emmaus story, as well my story, mirrors the experience of what happens when we meditate on God’s word. We learn to listen to and for God’s voice. In doing so, our vision broadens. Jesus, the icon of the invisible God (Col. 1:15),6 and “the Word,” teaches us about who God is, what He can do, and how to love Him. We also learn how to treat each other. We recognize God’s presence in everyone. This makes us fully alive and authentic. As
Aidan Hart has noted, “If we want change, we must change the way we see, because we act as we see.”7 In order to change the way we see, we must change what we look at. Meditating on the mysteries using worldwide sacred art enlightens our perspective of God and our brothers and sisters.
5 The story takes place the day of the Resurrection as the disciples tell Jesus “some women of our group …were at the tomb early this morning.” Luke 24:22
6 The original Greek has ‘eikon of the invisible God’, so the verse can be translated as icon as well as image, since the English word icon means precisely an image.
7 Aidan Hart, Liturgical Art as Prophecy and Priesthood: Sacred Art and the Restoration of Human Dignity.
Parishioners of Saint Ambrose Catholic Church in Annandale, Virginia collected these stones from Holy Land sites, many of which correspond to locations pertaining to the Mysteries of the Rosary. (The Christians in the Holy Land are referrered to as “living stones.”).
These stones are buried underneath the center aisle of the church and are marked with a numbered tile.
This plaque lists the sites from which the stones were collected and correlates with the numbered tiles on the floor.
