These are the opening words of the Apostolic Letter of John Paul II on the 24th anniversary of his election as Pope on October 16, 1978. What the Pope has in mind with this Apostolic Letter is to appeal to all faithful to realise that the Holy Rosary is a simple yet profound prayer, even at the dawn of the third millennium, a prayer of great significance "destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness".
Indeed, the Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is in itself a Christocentric prayer. As Pope Paul VI says in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus (February 2, 1974): "In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium."
In his Apostolic Letter, Pope John Paul takes us back to his renowned speech on October 29, 1978, just two weeks after his election to the See of Peter, on the Holy Rosary: "The Rosary is my favourite prayer. A marvellous prayer! Marvellous in its simplicity and its depth... It can be said that the Rosary is, in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution Lumen Gentium, a chapter which discusses the wondrous presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church."
Twenty-four years ago, John Paul set the first year of his Pontificate within the daily rhythm of the Rosary. These days, at the beginning of his 25th year as the Successor of Peter, he wants to lift his endless thanks to the Lord in the words of his Most Holy Mother, under whose protection he has placed his papal ministry: Totus tuus!
In his Apostolic Letter of October 16, he manifests his desire "that during the course of this year the Rosary should be especially emphasised and promoted in the various Christian communities. I therefore proclaim the year from October 2002 to October 2003 the Year of the Rosary."
We very much hope the faithful, and the Maltese in particular, will accept wholeheartedly John Paul II's ardent appeal to return to the Holy Rosary and find time to contemplate on this Christocentric prayer. As Pope Paul VI says in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus (1974):
"Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: 'In praying do not keep up the empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words' (Mt. 6: 7)."
Paul VI goes on: "By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of their mysteries are disclosed."
Priests and laity should pause to consider this very profound insight of Paul VI to bring out certain aspects of the Rosary which show that it is really a form of Christocentric contemplation.
In his Apostolic Letter this month John Paul added to the Rosary five new mysteries for our contemplation: the mysteries of light. These are meant "to give fresh life" in the Rosary: (1) Christ's Baptism in the Garden; (2) his self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana; (3) his proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with his call to conversion; (4) his Transfiguration; and finally (5) his institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery.
The Pope puts the question: "Where might the 'mysteries of light' be inserted?" He promptly answers: "If we consider that the 'glorious mysteries' are said on both Saturday and Sunday, and that Saturday has always has a special Marian flavour, the second weekly meditation on the 'joyful mysteries' could be moved to Saturday. Thursday would then be free for meditating on the 'mysteries of light'."
A Christian Outlook is hopeful these new mysteries will help the faithful rediscover the Rosary in the context of our daily lives.