Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION
	Using beads for prayer and meditation is an ancient custom, found in many cultures and religions. The Christian rosary dates from the twelfth century, when it provided a way for ordinary Christians to learn about the lives of Jesus and Mary. Alan de la Roche, a fifteenth-century Dominican, preferred “Psalter of Our Lady” to “rosary.” This fitting name recalls an explanation of the devotion’s origin. Unable to read the one hundred fifty psalms that formed the Church’s “official” daily prayer, medieval Christians substituted first one hundred fifty Pater Nosters, and later one hundred fifty Ave Marias. By meditating on the various mysteries of the rosary while repeating these simple prayers, the faithful could immerse themselves in the whole mystery of the Incarnation and the Resurrection.
	The dedication of October to the Blessed Virgin Mary is an appropriate reminder of this venerable form of prayer. Faithful Christians everywhere continue to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary, praying in groups or alone. Why not take advantage of this season to renew your acquaintance with the rosary?
—Rev. James Field