The Rosary in former times was understood as a Proclamation of the Gospel. Lacordaire, the famous French Dominican Preacher spoke of the Rosary as L’evangile a genoux,-- The Gospel on its knees!
Up to the reform of the Liturgy that went with Vatican 2, the Dominican Missal had a special Votive Mass text, known as The Privileged Mass of the Rosary. The particular Gospel for that Mass seemed at the time, perplexing to some. They would have thought it should have been the Annunciation story or something like that. As is being stressed once again in these days, the mysteries of the Rosary are scripturally based and are the seeds that produce a harvest, one hundred fold.
Commenting on the Gospel text, Jesus addresses his disciples in these words: "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven…” Dominican friars known as the Order of Preachers, would have been mindful of this text as they used the mysteries of the Rosary as a means of proclaiming the Gospel.
Any authentic Rosary apostolate should lay claim to the old adage: The Rosary is a method of preaching as well as form of prayer. The Latin phrase to be found in older works is delightfully precise: Rosarium magis est modus praedicandi quam orandi. Little wonder that a Dominican at profession is solemnly clothed with the beads and reminded in the words of Our Lady to St.Dominic: Go, preach my rosary.
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