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| One of my many rosaries. :) |
Monday: Joyful
Tuesday: Sorrowful
Wednesday: Glorious
Thursday: Joyful
Friday: Sorrowful
Saturday: Glorious
Sunday: Glorious
The first time I pray it in the original order, it was when I attended my first young adult group meeting in mid-October and the FSSP priest (who is the group's spiritual adviser) led us in praying the Glorious mysteries on a Saturday. Then I did the entire 54-day Rosary novena with only these three mysteries from All Saints' Day through Christmas Eve. Once the novena ended, I was torn about adding the Luminous mysteries back. I think I did for a week or two afterwards but then I began praying the Rosary in the traditional order.
This big change was very hard at first. No, correction: it's still hard. I spent the first 10 years of my reversion praying the Rosary with the Luminous mysteries so this change has been a constant struggle and I sometimes consider adding them Luminous mysteries back into the rotation.
If you're wondering why I made this change, it's very simple: I had such an amazing experience praying the 54-day Rosary novena that I wanted to continue it, in a way. I liked the order of the mysteries. Though I like the Luminous mysteries, and I understand why Pope St. JP II added them, I sometimes struggle with them. I can focus on the importance of the Sacraments of the Church (which the Luminous mysteries represent) and I like that but I like focusing on the life of Christ more. Not to say that the Luminous mysteries don't; it's just a bit different.
As I said, I still struggle with the change. Sometimes I consider praying the Luminous mysteries in addition to the Joyful mysteries on Thursday but have yet to actually do it, though that's mostly because I've had lousy time management skills lately. I don't know if I'll continue praying the Rosary with the traditional (original) mysteries or if I'll occasionally add the Luminous mysteries but it's been quite a challenge for me.
Question time: do any of you pray the Rosary in the traditional form? Have any of you switched from one to the other, specifically from having the Luminous mysteries to omitting them? Was it hard? Did it take some getting used to? Anyone have any tips for me regarding the change?
Anyway, this was just a short blog post to share this new change and, I guess, ask for a bit of help because I'm quite torn between continuing as I have since All Saints' Day and reverting to the order I had used for the first 10 years of my reversion.
I hope y'all are having a lovely start of the week!
As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D
6 comments:
This is so interesting! I've never really thought much about the change that happened when the Luminous Mysteries were added. At first, they didn't really strike me that deeply, but over time, I've really grown to love the Luminous Mysteries more-like today, as I prayed the 3rd mystery, I got really caught up in all of the amazing works of Jesus' public ministry as He proclaimed the kingdom.
The Luminous Mysteries are beautiful which is why I continue to be torn between adding them back and keeping my Rosary prayers in the original order.
I used to pray luminous but after I learned more about the rosary/history and Marian apparitions, I don’t pray them. Mary gave special instructions on how to win salvation and conversion of all sinners- my goal.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
I don't pray the Luminous Mysteries on the Rosary itself, but on Thursday read them afterward, because I just can't make myself feel right incorporating them into the Marian Psalter.
When the Luminous Mysteries was first introduced, I tried praying them. However, it didn't feel right. Maybe that is just a mental thing due to years (53 years so far on this earth) of growing up praying the Rosary as was taught by Mother Mary herself.
For quite some time, I was at conflict within myself over this. After the Luminous Mysteries was introduced, I researched the Internet on how to pray the Rosary. Every single modern version of praying the Rosary included the Luminous Mysteries to be prayed on Thursday as if it was required to do so. This went against my instincts.
Later, as I dug deeper I came across literature that quoted the Pope himself. John Paul II himself said that praying the Luminous Mysteries was not a mandate but an option. Whew! That made me feel better and relieved me of my inner conflict. Occasionally, I pray the Luminous Mysteries when I have extra time or just get the urge to. The events of the Luminous Mysteries are wonderful to reflect upon. They can certainly enrich our understanding of Jesus and scripture.
My two cents is that if you are feeling conflicted in any way then just realize that praying the Luminous Mysteries on Thursday is optional. The Pope gave us the privilege to pray them or not according to our own free will. I wish that the websites that have instructions on how to pray the Rosary would mention this fact but so far I haven't found any that do.
If one likes the Luminous Mysteries (and there's nothing wrong with that), then create a separate chaplet (like the Divine Mercy chaplet) for them and pray that in addition unto themselves on Thursday, but do not add them to the rosary proper.
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