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Rosary: Seven Beginningsby Fr. Michael Adams (Rosaries of Divine Union) | Meditation Rosary Franciscan-style Aramaic |
People often pray for new beginnings, to be lightened of a burden, to be given another opportunity to learn or to grow. Looking at the first of the two creation stories in Genesis (whose translation is “beginnings”) by itself reveals a tremendously simple and beautiful description of the creation of the earth and the beauty in it. The words are unspeakably profound, for they are as well a description of the process of creation within each of us as we give birth to new ideas, new insight and new directions for our own lives.
Often we are undecided about something: we don’t know which choice is best or that we have more than one choice. We are aware of conflicting ideas, loyalties, desires and directions. The process of giving birth to insight is remarkably similar to the creation story in Genesis in that somewhere deep in our awareness we may appreciate the swirling energies of the mind wherein ideas are given form from the deep, yet that form is not yet concrete enough for us to differentiate as a distinct idea. We are, at that stage, only aware of its subtle existence. At some other stage of the process the idea seems separate and illumined from the deeper aspects of the mind and being lit with it’s own illumination we recognize it as a subtle thought, gaining in form and having unique properties of its own, and in it’s turn spawning new ideas and new thoughts...a form of blossoming and greening. If we are listening close enough, perhaps this thought gives us insight into a problem or desire, and gives us a direction or a solution. If we are strong enough, and have enough faith, this insight may lead us to further growth. Insight can come quietly and warmly and without fanfare, or can burst through our awareness with a piercing suddenness that takes our breath away.
Insight is powerful because it can allow us to make new beginnings...to do something we always wanted to do, to drop the fear that keeps us from our dreams or from the work that God gives us to do. New beginnings are blessings in that we are energized for the work at hand, whatever it may be. New beginnings allow us to forgive, accept forgiveness, dare to love, and dare to accept love. The energy of Genesis is the energy of growth, of potential being realized, of the Divine coursing in and through itself and expressing itself. It is the budding of dormant winter plants, the blossoming of spring buds. It is the greening of the leaf and the growth of the acorn. It is the surrender of the seed to the ground and the reaching of roots to soil. It is the rest of winter and the cycle of life.
Our Holy Mother is a Mother of birth, of beginnings and of fruitfulness, of Wisdom and of Life. She is the leaf, the tree, the seed and the soil. She is the ground in which we grow. This rosary is a celebration of beginning, of insight, of Wisdom, of new resolve, of letting go and surrender, of reaching roots to the soil of love and the fruit of it’s vitality. It is a rosary in praise of creation, in praise of God and in praise of the Wisdom that deepens our experience of God in our lives, and our lives in God.
This Rosary uses Genesis, Chapters 1 and 2 (up to verse 4) from the New Jerusalem Bible.
General Instructions
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 these intentions may bring forth the results desired, according to Your will. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Lord, we pray that the spirit of Wisdom come to us, that we may say with the ancient author “I esteemed her more than scepters and thrones; compared with her, I held riches as nothing. I reckoned no precious stone to be her equal, for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand, and beside her, silver ranks as mud. I loved her more than health or beauty, preferred her to the light, since her radiance never sleeps. In her company all good things came to me, and at her hands incalculable wealth.” We pray this day for Wisdom, that she may come to us and guide us to the wealth of God in creation. Amen.D
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:
O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, focus your light within us—make 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 hold of others’ guilt. Don’t 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Amen.
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.
First Mystery of Beginnings: The Light
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God's spirit hovered over the water.
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness. God called light "day," and darkness he called "night." Evening came and morning came: the first day.
Prayer:
Mother of the uncreated Light, we pray for light that we may see clearly, know confidently and act divinely as we undertake each new day, giving ourselves to God in each moment experiencing Divine Love in all of the dualities of life...light and dark, warm and cold, near and far. Amen.
Second Mystery of Beginnings: The Heavens
God said, "Let there be a vault in the waters to divide the waters in two." And so it was. God made the vault, and divided the waters above the vault from the waters under the vault. God called the vault "heaven." Evening came and morning came: the second day.
Prayer:
Mother of Heaven, Vault of Wisdom, give us your Grace that we may see heaven on earth: in everybody we meet, in every breath we take, in every joyous action. Amen.
Third Mystery of Beginnings: The Good Earth
God said, "Let the water under heaven come together into a single mass, and let dry land appear." And so it was. God called the dry land "earth" and the mass of waters "seas," and God saw that it was good.
God said, "Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees bearing fruit with their seed inside, on the earth.” And so it was. The earth produced vegetation: plants bearing seed in their several kinds, and trees bearing fruit with their seed inside in their several kinds. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the third day.
Prayer:
Mother of the Earth, illumine our souls with grace that we may become wet with dew, and verdant with growth. May we sprout with joy, blossom in Love, and may the seeds of our joy spread throughout creation and help the greening of the Earth. Amen.
Fourth Mystery of Beginnings: The Stars, Brother Sun and Sister Moon
God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night, and let them indicate festivals, days and years. Let them be lights in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth." And so it was. God made the two great lights: the greater light to govern the day, the smaller light to govern the night, and the stars. God set them in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth, to govern the day and the night and to divide light from darkness. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the fourth day.
Prayer:
Mother of Love, Queen of Heaven, be for us a moon, immaculate, shining in the hearts of mankind, spreading the light of the sun. Illuminate our hearts and minds that we may know the work of God, and give to us the strength to do the work of God in creation. Amen.
Fifth Mystery of Beginnings: The Fruit of the Earth
God said, "Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth within the vault of heaven." And so it was. God created great sea serpents and every kind of living creature with which the waters teem, and every kind of winged creature. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply upon the earth." Evening came and morning came: the fifth day.
Prayer:
Mother of Life, Queen of the Sea, fill us with Grace that our Joy may be fruitful and multiply, filling creation with Love. As the sea enfolds and nurtures so many creatures, each appointed to its rightful place, so may our lives be nurtured by God, that Wisdom and truth bless us and all of the Earth. Amen.
Sixth Mystery of Beginnings: The Prophets
God said, "Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.
God created man in the image of himself.
In the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth." God said, "See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food. To all wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food." And so it was. God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day.
Prayer:
Mother of the Son of Man, Queen of Hearts, fill us with wisdom that we may see our place in creation as brothers and sisters to all of the life that comes forth from the mind of God. Inspire us to serve that life as God serves us: with unconditional Love and infinite compassion . Amen.
Seventh Mystery of Beginnings: Rest
Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day he had rested after all his work of creating.
Such were the origins of heaven and earth when they were created (Gen 1:1-2:4).
Prayer:
Mother of Bliss, Queen of the seasons, we praise your fruitfulness which fills our Earth and our hearts with Love, as God made and filled the Universe. We pray that our hearts and bodies may rest in Love, that we may look upon creation with balance and harmony, that we may gain the Wisdom to serve God in and through each other, in the wonderful beauty of nature, and to be in gratitude for our many blessings. We desire to live God’s perfect love in our lives, and to reflect Wisdom’s perfection in our actions. Amen.
Closing
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 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, the whiteness 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
This document is part of The Global Library,
from the The Southern Province USA of the North American Old Catholic Church.
Additional funding provided by The Wynn and Rick Wagner Foundation.