This Wildflower Rosary is designed for Protestant disciples, with an extended series of mysteries for meditating on the whole mission of Jesus Christ, plus a few of his parables. It is formulated for evangelism and teaching about the life of Jesus to those new to the Gospels. Yet, it is also offered as a engaging way for all devout followers of Jesus to pray without ceasing, or to follow St. Benedict's hours of prayer in a more simple, memorable format. We can meditate on important episodes in our Lord's life and teachings, and reflect on how He has impacted our lives at each step along his courageous journey. Perhaps, it may help the rest of us to become more contemplative, to seek a daily quiet time, and to consciously walk with our best Friend through this world of distractions and challenges.
It is my secondary hope that this Wildflower Rosary might serve to knit back together the disparate members of the Body of Christ. As Protestants, we tend to think of the Rosary as just for Catholics, full of empty repetitive prayers to Mary. But that is just a dismissive stereotype. The mysteries fill the Rosary with opportunities to connect with Jesus. While it is true that most of the prayers were offered to Mary, that is because the Rosary as we know it originated in the visions of St. Dominic, who was a devotee of Mary. Long before that, Christians had been praying simple prayers on a knotted rope with the intent to pray without ceasing.
Many Orthodox Christians, today, still continue that tradition, often with prayers quite similar to the Rosary. Using a specially knotted rope, they have an even simpler prayer than the Hail Mary, the Sinner's prayer, which they repeat over and over, endlessly, throughout the day. As you might imagine, that could become an empty habit, too. We don't want to become too familiar with the prayers, letting them run on too long without having to think about what they mean. As a result, most Protestant sects have given up and ignored our mandate to pray without ceasing, and this has allowed us to drift away from the traditions of the older Church.
That leaves us with only two options, if we want to follow the example of the early Church and try to pray without ceasing. We can try to memorize the entire Book of Psalms, and then say them all every day, as the desert monks did in the 4th and 5th centuries. Or, we can relearn the Rosary in a slightly more challenging form, and direct our prayers to our Lord Jesus, instead of Mary. Jesus asked us to pray always, persistently, for our friends and our own needs, for the conversion of sinners, then for the peace of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Kingdom of God, according to the Father's will. We can dedicate each day's Rosary for any of those concerns.
We don't want to completely forget Mother Mary, however, because of her indispensable contribution to the formation of the Rosary. Plus, as Mother of our Lord and the Queen of Heaven, she deserves at least a few of our prayers. Our primary focus must always be on Jesus, even so, while we nod reverently to our Queen, because He is the only source of our salvation. Let Her recommend us as She will, He is our mediator before the Father, and only his acknowledgement of our faith will open the doors of Heaven.
That is why we need to pray the Rosary, and why I have written out this Wildflower Rosary for our use. As you shall soon see, there has been a little reorganization. I moved some days around and added whole new sets of mysteries, so that the teaching would be more systematic, but I have tried to remain faithful to the intent of the original. Hopefully, the innovations won't be too much of an impediment for those already familiar with the Rosary. I did intend for there to be a degree of flexibility in the choice of prayers, so that any Catholics who want adopt this can continue to say the prayers they prefer.
Some, who already have the habit of saying the whole Rosary every day, might complain that the extension of three more days, with new sets of mysteries to memorize, adds too much burden for us to keep up with in our busy lives. That was also my concern, so I made it easier and quicker to do each decade by suggesting the Sinner's Prayer instead of the Hail Mary. Doing one day's mysteries should be a little quicker now than it was before. And we can still say the whole series simply by breaking up our schedule to match St. Benedict's canonical hours, but without waking in the middle of the night. However, if you do wake up at 3am, you could say Sister Faustina's chaplet of the Divine Mercy.
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So, as we begin, let us carefully examine our conscience, and consider how much we have to repent for. How abundant God's grace is to forgive us and offer us his salvation and eternal life! Then, let us humbly address our devotions to our Lord. We should meditate a few lingering moments on each mystery before concluding with the decade of short prayers. It can be our choice either to read the short Scripture passage corresponding to the mystery, or to visualize the story in a devotional way, imagining how we might feel as a witness. This meditation is what makes the Rosary more than merely repetitive rote prayers.
Monday: The Joyful Mysteries
1. Annunciation of Fulfillment
Luke 1:26-38
2. Visitation of Elisabeth
Luke 1:41-45
3. Nativity of Jesus
Luke 2:4-7
4. Presentation of the Baby
Luke 2:22-35
5. Adoration by the Magi
Matthew 2:1-12
6. Discovery in the Temple
Luke 2:45-49
Parable: The Importuning Friend at Night
Luke 11:5-13
Tuesday: The Luminous Mysteries
1. Baptism of Jesus
Matthew 3:16-17
2. Wedding at Cana
John 2:5-7
3. Proclaiming the Kingdom
Mark 1:14-15
4. Casting out Demons
Mark 9:17-29, Luke 11:14-23
5. Transfiguration of his Appearance
Matthew 17:1-8
6. Feeding the Multitudes
Luke 9:11-17
Parable: Finding Great Treasure
Matthew 13:44-45
Wednesday: The Believing Mysteries
1. Healing the Sick
Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7:1-10, Matthew 8:1-4
2. Including the Despised
John 4:4-26
3. Forgiving the Broken
Matthew 9:2-8
4. Relieving our Blindness
Mark 10:46-52
5. Power over Nature
Matthew 14:22-34
6. Promising Resurrection
John 11:1-44
Parable: The Wheat and the Tares
Matthew 13:24-40
Thursday: The Theological Mysteries
1. Rebirth into the Kingdom
John 3:3-8
2. Foundation of the Church
Matthew 16:13-17
3. Words of Eternal Life
John 6:63-69
4. Revealing his Identity
John 10:22-42
5. Establishing the Eucharist
Luke 22:14-20
6. Abiding with Jesus
John 15:1-10
Parable: The Good Shepherd
John 10:1-18
Friday: The Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
Matthew 26:36-45
2. Scourging at the Pillar
Mark 15:15
3. Crowned with Thorns
John 19:2-3
4. Carrying the Cross
John 19:17
5. Mary is our Mother
John 19:25-27
6. Death by Crucifixion
Luke 23:32-34
Parable: The Vinyard Owner
Matthew 21:33-44
Saturday: The Holiness Mysteries
1. Greatest Commandments
Matthew 22:36-40
2. Kosher Speech
Matthew 15:11,15-20
3. Corporal Works of Mercy
Matthew 25:34-40
4. Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5:43-48
5. Seek First the Kingdom
Matthew 6:19-34
6. Keep my Commandments
John 15:9-17
Parables: The Good Neighbor
Luke 10:25-37
Sunday: The Glorious Mysteries
1. Resurrection of Jesus
Mark 16:5-7
2. The Great Commission
Matthew 28:16-20
3. Ascension into Heaven
Acts 1:9-11
4. Descent of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:1-4
5. Coronation of the Queen
Revelations 12:1
6. The Return of the King
Matthew 24:30, Revelations 1:7
Parable: Light of the World
Matthew 5:14-16
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These are the prayers I use for saying the Wildflower Rosary:
Apostle's Creed
Our Father
Hail Mary (3x)
Glory Be
I have included the prayer added by St. Faustina, as it addresses Our Lord directly, and it was given in a vision of Our Lady at Fatima in Portugal in 1917.
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins! Save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who most need thy mercy."
Beloved Face of Jesus (on the center medal)
"O Holy Lord, my sweet Jesus, living and eternal expression of Divine Love and Compassion, I weep for the terrible painful martyrdom you suffered for the redemption of mankind. I adore Thee and love Thee, my precious Friend. Today and always, I consecrate to Thee my heart and my whole being, offering Thee my prayers and actions, joys and sufferings of the day, and asking only for thy companionship and the promise of thy mercy. If Thou dost will, make of me a fruitful servant, that I may help others to recognize thy Presence in the world. Grant me the humility to accept simplicity and the clarity to express your love to those you lead across my path. Impress your Beloved Face on my heart, Lord, so that I may see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly with each passing day. Amen.
As you begin the cycle of today's mysteries, name each mystery and say the Our Father, followed by the Disciple's Prayer, which I wrote as a counterpoint for the Hail Mary, as follows:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, my wise and wonderful Shepherd, help me to observe thy ways, and lead me to follow thy path. Lord, teach me thy Way of Truth, and let me share thy Life, now and forever. Amen."
Then, read the relevant Scripture and/or meditate on the scene described there. After that, on each of the 10 beads, say the Sinner's Prayer.
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen."
At the end of each decade, we say the Glory Be, and Fatima prayers, and after the last mystery, we return to the central medal and end the Wildflower Rosary with one or more prayers to Mary, as follows, and then the Deo Gratia.
For Transforming Grace (optional)
"O Sweet Mary,
most holy Mother of God,
we seek thy favor.
Pray for us always,
that by the grace of the holy Name,
of your Son, Jesus Christ,
we may find the strength of will,
to follow Him and imitate his example.
Ask that we may be transformed by his life,
saved by his redeeming death,
and raised by the greatest Love
of his infinite Mercy.
Amen."
Hail, Holy Queen (optional)
"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope,
to thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us,
and after this, our exile, show unto us
the blessed fruit of thy 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.
Amen."
Sub Tuum Praesidium (optional)
"Beneath thy merciful compassion we fly for refuge, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our times of great need, but deliver us always from all dangers. O pure, O glorious, O Blessed Virgin Mary, recommend us to your Son as we are in distress. Amen."
Deo Gratia
"O Holy, Compassionate, Merciful God,
It was by the resurrection of thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou brought joy to the world, and we are forever grateful. Grant now, we beseech Thee as we meditate upon these mysteries of his courageous mission through this most holy Rosary, that we may imitate his Life, and be transformed by his Love. Allow, Lord, that we may be saved from sin by his redeeming death, and reprieved from judgment by his Infinite Mercy. We adore thy perfect holiness, and love thy grace and compassion. With great longing, we wish to receive what thy Son has promised. Give ear, Merciful Father, to the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and pour out thy grace upon us, that we might be granted eternal life and come joyfully into thy presence.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen."
Lastly, if you would be entirely consistent, you can say the Disciple's Prayer after every Our Father, including the very first one. That makes for seven times in each day's cycle. Just don't leave out the Hail Marys at the beginning, and be sure to say at least one Marian prayer at the end, to remember her part in the Father's plan of salvation.
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