The Little Rosary: A Short Prayer for Everyone!

[thesmellypocket 1859]

THE CHAPLET OF THE TEN VIRTUES

OR; the LITTLE ROSARY of OUR BLESSED LADY.

 

 

Julius Rosarii, Sacristan.

 

Necessity of This Devotion

 

Our Blessed Lady is an inexhaustible treasure that, whilst always recognised in principle, is only now being fully realised - and dug up - by the children of Holy Mother Church. Her Rosary, given to the most holy Kristoff, is the slayer of daemons, the crusher of heresies and the gardener of Virtue, watering those little acorns of divine grace, and allowing them to spring into a beautiful and mighty oak in our hearts. I delight wholeheartedly to call her the Gardener of Grace and Guardian of Virtue! Julia’s heart is so tender and motherly that she never ceases to excite and renew devotion to her Almighty Master. 

 

In the Proverbs, Our Lady identifies herself as the “handmaid of the Lord.” However, as Cardinal Humbert pointed out, this is a sanitised translation for the benefit of modern readers. A better translation might render it ‘slave’ - that is, Julia belongs entirely to God and has consecrated herself as a Slave of Love. Hence that she so completely belongs to God that she no longer lives in herself, but God lives and reigns in her. (Maxims, 5.16) This is why she is so utterly powerful.

 

This same Cardinal identified ten virtues which most especially shine in Our Lady, and preached their imitation. These are: “angelic sweetness, ardent charity, blind obedience, constant mental prayer, sublime purity, divine wisdom, heroic patience, lively faith, profound humility, and mortification in all things.” (Maxims, 1.10) How are we to imitate these virtues?

 

The answer, it seems to me, is to beg of she who practised them, to teach us the way. She who taught and mothered the latter Prophets can do the same for us. We can become as virtuous as the Exalted themselves through her intercession! Hence this chaplet. It is to implore our Lady’s help in imitating these ten virtues. 

 

This prayer is excellent, for it can be prayed at all times. It is quick. It can be prayed before a battle, whilst waiting to be served in a public house, before bed and when rising, and, most blessedly, as a family. Anywhere and at any time. It is, I think, a wonderful little devotion given me by our Lady. All the credit is her’s.

 

The Chaplet Itself

 

The Chaplet should be ten beads, or can be 5, 10 or 15 sets of ten. A set of ten is called a Chaplet or a decade. Fingers will do, though. 

 

We begin by saying:

 

V: “O Lord, Thou wilt open my lips.”

R: “And my mouth shall spew forth thy praise.”

V: “O Lord, come to my assistance.” (Crossing thyself)

R:  “O Lord, make haste to help me.” 

V: “Glory be to the Father, and to Horen, and to all the Saints!”

R: “As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.”

 

We say the “Sub Tuum” or Julia prayer on each bead, announcing the virtue and begging Our Lady pray for us to acquire it.

 

“The first virtue: angelic sweetness.

 

 We fly to thy protection, O holy Mother of Prophets. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Lady.

 

The second virtue: ardent charity.

 

We fly to thy protection…”

 

And likewise, until all ten virtues are finished. 

 

We finish:

 

V: “Let us pray. Defend, O Lord, we beseech Thee, this Thy family from all adversity, and by the intercession of the Blessed Julia most faithful, mercifully protect us who prostrate ourselves before Thee with all our hearts from the snares of the Enemy.”

 

R: “Amen.”

 

V: “Let us bless the Lord.”

R: “Thanks be to God!”

V: (Crossing thyself): “May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”

R: “Amen!”

V: (Crossing thyself): “May the Almighty and Merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution and remission of our sins.”

R: “Amen.”

 

Appendix I: The Virtues Listed.

 

Angelic sweetness, 

Ardent charity, 

Blind obedience, 

Constant mental prayer,

Sublime purity,

Divine wisdom, 

Heroic patience, 

Lively faith,

Profound humility;

Mortification in all things.

 

Appendix II: The Little Rosary in Flexio. 

 

Opening Prayers:

 

V: “Domine, labia mea aperies.”

R: “Et os meum annuntiabit laudem Tuam.”

V: “Deus, in adjutorium meum intende.”

R: “Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.”

V: “Gloria Patri, et Horeno, et Omnibus Sanctis!”

R: “Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen!”

 

Sub Tuum:

 

“Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Mater Prophetarum. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus nostris, sed a periculis cunctis, libera nos semper, Femina gloriosa et benedicta.”

 

The Closing Prayers:

 

V: “Oremus. Defende, quaesumus Domine, familia Tua ab omnibus malis, et ex intercessione Beatae Juliae Fidelissimae, praeside clementer qua veneramur Te cum cordibus nostro ex laqueis Inimici.”

 

R: “Amen.”

 

V: “Benedicamus Domino.”

R: “Deo gratias!”

V: “Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace.”

R: “Amen.”

V: “Indulgentiam, absolutionem et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum, tribuat nobis et misericors Dominus.”

R: “Amen.”

[Axelu 4333]

The young Elizaveta Ruthern reads over the collection of prayers,  lauding the church for its efforts to revitalize religion!