THE P RTAL
January 2013 Page 12
“ A Living Rosary ”
Will Burton has an idea ...
“ For me , prayer is an aspiration of the heart , it is a simple glance directed to heaven , it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy ; finally , it is something great , supernatural , which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus .”
So wrote Saint Thérèse of Lisieux . They are wise and wonderful words . As an aspiration of the heart , prayer brings us close to God our Heavenly Father .
Of course there is the old adage ACTS , where each letter stands for a part of prayer . A = Adoration : C = Confession : T = Thanksgiving : and S = Supplication .
We all pray . Every Sunday and Holy Day we gather around the Altar to assist in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice . Every day , we say our own private prayers , we read the Holy Scriptures , we meditate .
so popular in Catholic circles
Yet somehow the most commonplace prayer among Catholics combines the private and the public . This is The Rosary . The Rosary incorporates all four of these parts of prayer which is , perhaps , why it is so popular in Catholic circles .
prayer changes things
Prayer is important . It is a strange , but true , fact about Catholic Christianity that prayer changes things . Quite how this works I have no idea ! I know God has everything in His charge . I know He listens to us . Yet I know He does not dance to our tune . So I have no idea how prayer works , but I know it does .
Who prays for the Ordinariate ?
Contemplating these momentous and wonderful facts one day , I thought about the Ordinariate . Who prays for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham ? Who prays for the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter ? Who prays for the Ordinariate of the Southern Cross ? I suppose the honest answer is that many people do , both Ordinariate members and non-members .
How powerful a prayer would it be if many people prayed together every day for the Ordinariates ? This prayer would be private , yet public : In private and at the same time in common with others .
the whole Rosary would be offered each and every day
The Rosary would be the perfect choice . Many people could pray one mystery each day , and in the usual order of those mysteries . Then the whole Rosary would be offered each and every day without it becoming a burden on any one individual .
join us in this wave of prayer
If you would care to join us at The Portal in this wave of prayer , just send us an e-mail to editors @ portalmag . co . uk , or write to :
The Portal Magazine , 56 Woodlands Farm Road , Pype Hayes , Birmingham , B24 0PG
Tell us who you are and where you live . We will allocate you a mystery .
Just one mystery a day
You pray this mystery on the 1 st day of the month . Then you proceed through the other mysteries , in turn , on the remaining days of the month . Just one mystery a day , and we all start in a different place , so the whole Rosary is prayed each and every day !
a list of intentions
To add to the meaning of this great prayer , we will send you a list of intentions - just two or three each day . You offer your mystery for each days ’ intention . In this way , every Group will be prayed for by name every month , as will our Ordinary and his Assistants .
Let us surround the Ordinariate with this wave of prayer , a truly Living Rosary .