A Rosary Litany
Fr. Edward Looney
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
Huntington, Indiana 46750
Nihil Obstat
Fr. John W. Girotti
Imprimatur
Bishop of Green Bay
January 25, 2016
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Copyright © 2018 by Edward Lee Looney
First edition published by Flores Mariae Publishing in 2016.
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ISBN: 978-1-68192-337-6 (Inventory No. T2019)
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LCCN: 2018950686
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Contents
The Rationale Behind A Rosary Litany
1. Annunciation
2. Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
3. Birth of Jesus
4. Presentation in the Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
1. Baptism in the River Jordan
2. Wedding Feast at Cana
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. Transfiguration
5. Institution of the Holy Eucharist
1. Agony in the Garden
2. Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowning with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. Crucifixion
1. Resurrection
2. Ascension
3. Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
5. Coronation of Mary
The Rationale Behind A Rosary Litany
The Rosary, popularized by the sons of Saint Dominic, has been a devotion of the Christian faithful for centuries. Unfortunately, in the third millennium, many people have become dissatisfied with the Rosary as a form of meditation and prayer, viewing it as old-fashioned and outdated.
The Rosary itself is scriptural by nature, containing the Our Father and the angelic salutation (Hail Mary), in addition to the mysteries rooted in sacred Scripture. Moreover, the Rosary has been called a compendium to the Gospels as it leads us through the life of Jesus and Mary. In it, Mary leads us to reflect on the life of the Savior, from his birth through his public ministry, to his passion, death, and resurrection.
The rhythm of the Rosary is not repetitive as some may contend; rather, the repetition lends itself to meditation. As we pray each of the decades, we get lost in the reflection of the mystery. Thus the repetition of the Hail Mary allows the mystery to consume the devotee.
Perhaps in our technological era, which is consumed by noise, people are no longer able to be still for twenty minutes to bring themselves into the presence of God and reflect. It has become difficult to meditate on one thing for a short amount of time because our thoughts are fleeting and the worries of life distract us. That is why, in recent years, Rosary devotional books have been written — to assist in the meditative and contemplative aspect of the Rosary.
This small devotional book, A Rosary Litany, reintroduces the Christian faithful to an old custom of praying the Rosary. Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, in The Secret of the Rosary, proposed for devotional purposes the addition of a meditative element to the Hail Mary prayer.
Popes Paul VI, in Marialis Cultus, and John Paul II, in Rosarium Virginis Mariae, also encouraged this devotion. These additional phrases guide and focus the meditation of the mystery within the context of the Hail Mary.
In each decade of A Rosary Litany, the de Montfort suggestion is provided, in addition to several other invocations that could be inserted after the name of Jesus or Mary. When prayed in succession, the Rosary becomes like a litany, on account of the varied invocations.
How to Use A Rosary Litany
Saint Louis de Montfort encouraged the addition of one phrase, which is listed separately from the ten other phrases proposed by this book for directed meditation. If one would like to use the Saint Louis de Montfort suggestion, simply omit one of the ten listed. Also, it should be noted that the Luminous Mysteries were added by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002, so there is no suggested phrase from Saint Louis de Montfort. Some mysteries contain alternative invocations which could be substituted for those enumerated.
Some invocations are written in the style using the word “who.” These