The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-09-18
The Rosary.

been rightly termed by holy ascetic, who
mingled them with every devotion, and
thought no prayer complete which had not
for it's ending the simple but beautiful Ate.
Links of love which has no counterpart,
even amid the very warmest OF the atfec-
tions of this world, and which, with sweet
devices, seeks to draw us to its own tender
clasp. Mary, by reason of her own human
suffering, comprehends the anguish which
fills, and fill living hearts to the end of
time, and she bends lovingly, enthroned,
anxious only that those suffering ones may
seek her intercession, and avail themselves
of her tender sympathy. For this pur-
pose we have a prayer which addresses it
self to the heart even when other beautiful
forms of words have lost their wonted
power; so old, yet ever new, each time the
Hail and Holy Mary are said with thought
and devotion, they strike us, with the
beautiful simplicity of their words ; they
touch us with the depth of their glorious
meaning.
The sublime grandeur of the Catholic
Church, yet this simplicity of its solemn
rites, the rigid discipline of its practices,
yet the wonderful hold which it possesses
on human hearts are facts which even bias
ed writer's of other creeds admit, and not
the less so, must they credit the Church
with the admirable provision which she
has made for the humblest and most luke
warm in her fold Has negligence or out
the requirement of even the rudiments OF
education ? they have in their beads form
of devotion which will reach Gods ear as
quickly as eloquently- worded prayers read
from velvet-Oound book. Does the heart,
distracted from worldly cares, and very
weary with fruitless grasping after roses
that have no thorns, turn impatiently from
the printed word Zone devout recounting
of the decades will bring peace.
Chateaubriand says that men were wont
to like to utter prayers in Latin as if the
vagueness of such prayers were their charm,
that " the disquieted soul, little acqnaint-
ed with its own desires, delights in offering
up prayers mysterious as are its own
wants."
The rosary, though not uttered in Ian
guage which is little understood, has like
charm for disquieted soul-a charm that
consists in the very repetition of those APP
peaIs to Heavens Queen, and a charm
whose efficacy is apparent i'll the humble,
holy aspect Of those who are devoutly re-
citing it.
We pass with snbdued air near the aged
man OF woman between whose trembling
fingers we see the time stained beads, but
we look with envy and admiration when
we behold in the hands of the young Il
rosary, know that they have laid aside the
gilt-closped prayer book, and are reciting
their beads.
For, to the shame of some young Ca
tholics be it spoken, they fear to let. their
rosaries be seen in public-consider it a
sort of degradation to be "telling their
beads" at any ceremony of the Church.
Ashamed of the devotion which belongs to
the Mother of God, and which, being ad-
dressed through her to her Son, seldom
fails to win His attention. All beautiful
mediator! who ungrateful that they
could be ashamed of devotion to thee 2 who
so cold that they could be Indifferent to the
sorrows thou hast endured
The rosary is devotion so beautiful in
it's form and so efficacious in effect, that
it cannot be placed too early in the hands
of the young; and it lies with parents to
do this, to create n love for it in the hands
of their children which shall make the
young man or woman unhesitatingly draw
forth their beads though a thousand wan
dering eyes looked on, and a thousand
elegantly arrayed forms knelt only to utter
the printed words of prayer.
And let those of us who may be so blessed
with Gods grace as to have made the
rosary a dear and frequent form of devo-
ton, offer it often during this holy season,
for the benefit of others who are ashamed
i" to regard the beads" And the Mother of
God will bless our efforts, and with the
spreading of devotion to her, there will
come among the members of our faith
heartier zeal and a deeper charity.