Shalom!

For millennia, music has transcended cultural barriers to touch souls worldwide. Today, there is an unprecedented ability to instantly connect with billions of people. These factors present an exciting opportunity for the Rosary for World Peace (RWP) to advance the message of God's Way of Peace.

A response of love and beauty to the hatred and terror of our generation, the RWP’s sacred music will flow throughout the world as a healing recollection of our common humanity and shared mission to restore stability and purpose to our existence, as human beings made in the image and likeness of God.

An artistic work of interfaith and intercultural diplomacy, the RWP offers a unique vehicle for dialog, especially among the Abrahamic faith traditions. St. Luke wrote that Jesus said,           These are the Words which I spoke to you,                                     while I was yet with you, that all things must need be fulfilled, which are written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me (Lk 24:44).     St. Luke then states, Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures (Lk 24:45).

The RWP interweaves the Hebrew Scriptures, the Psalms, and New Testament Scriptures into an easily comprehensible understanding of Jesus's teaching of the Way of Peace.           Over 1800 Scripture verses are arranged in a musical drama, portraying important events in the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Twenty world languages are integrated throughout.

Four orchestra/choral presentations, The Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, are envisioned, which could premiere as a consecutive series. Using leading edge, theatrical technologies, audiences will be immersed in a cathartic, participatory, multi-media performance of sound, light, and ancient iconic imagery contrasted with contemporary themes conveying the essence of the Christian message of the Way of Peace. As each concert is created, it can be performed in venues throughout the world. Broadcasts, recordings, and DVDs could reach millions more.

In part,  the RWP was inspired by the collaboration of librettist Charles Jennens, an Anglican, and composer George Frederic Handel, a Lutheran, in their beloved Scripture-based oratorio "Messiah." Throughout its development, many talented people of various faiths and cultures have shared their perspectives to ensure that the RWP will appeal to a wide audience. Their warm encouragement and enthusiasm have been uplifting.

People of Anglican, Baptist, Buddhist, Methodist, Russian Orthodox, Pentecostal, and Native American traditions reviewed initial imaging designs to ensure that the RWP will appeal to a broad audience. Rev. Rimon R. Said, St. Elias Christian Church, and Lutheran pastor, provided the Arabic translation of the Ave Maria prayer. Bishop Paulus Benjamin, Assyrian Church of the East, provided the Aramaic translation.

Members of several religious orders have provided assistance and prayers, including representatives of the Society of Jesus, the Servants of Mary, the Order of Friars Preachers, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Miles Jesus, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Sisters of Divine Providence, and priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Rev. Louis-Marie Arino-Durand, Promoter Generalis Pro Rosario, Order of Friars Preachers, has promoted the RWP on the Dominican website. Marian theologians Rev. Thomas A. Thompson, S.M., and Rev. Bertrand Buby, S.M., of the The Marian Library: International Marian Research Institute, University of Dayton, have favorably reviewed the RWP libretto and accepted the libretto for the library's collection.

Our creative production group includes participants from the United States, England, Canada, Croatia, and Italy. People of Polish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Italian, Russian, Greek, Gaelic, Hindi, English, French, Mexican, Filipino, Kenyan, Syrian, Israeli, Lebanese, and Congolese cultural heritages provided imaging insights, language review, and support. People from over 140 countries have visited the website.

We look forward to the contributions of others we have yet to encounter. Clearly the RWP, even in its early development stage, is bridging between cultures worldwide.

Together, we can promote a better understanding of God's beauty, truth, goodness, and love.

Please join us as we work to bring the message of God's Way of Peace to the world.

 

Be part of the PEACE!

The Rosary for World Peace

Become a Patron . . . be part of the PEACE!

You can become a patron of the Rosary for World Peace (RWP) and help bring the Way of Peace to the world. The first performance of this four-part, concert series will be the RWP Act I: The Joyful Mysteries. Patrons can sponsor a single song, a movement, or the entire performance. Tax-deductible donations will be accepted by the New York Foundation for the Arts. By contributing to the RWP, you will help to create a beautiful treasure of sacred music that will touch hearts worldwide.

Original, neoromantic music will be composed and orchestrated. Once this development phase is complete, the music will be recorded and performed by a professional orchestra and choir. Patrons will be invited to attend the recording sessions and the performances to observe the music coming to life. As elements are created, they will be used to promote awareness of the RWP and the world premiere.  

The RWP Act I: The Joyful Mysteries unfolds the drama of the early years of Jesus Christ and His Mother, Mary, in five movements (decades), from the time of Mary's miraculous conception of Jesus to when He was about twelve-years of age, and discovered teaching in the Temple of Jerusalem.

A precept of Christianity is that the Hebrew Scriptures prefigure the New Testament Scriptures. In the RWP Act I: The Joyful Mysteries, New Testament characters will sing Hebrew Scripture mini-dramas, in English, to prefigure each of the five movement (decades).

Each movement commences with the Angels of God chorus, singing the Our Father prayer followed by ten, professionally narrated New Testament verses, in the manner of a Scriptural Rosary. Each verse is followed by the first part of the Ave Maria prayer, in one of twenty representative world languages, with the second part of the prayer sung by the Community of Saints chorus.

The sequence is concluded by the Glory Be, sung by the Angels of God chorus. The sequence of sung Hebrew Scripture mini-dramas, spoken New Testaments Scriptures, and Ave Maria prayers will repeat in all five movements.

In addition to the traditional elements of the Rosary prayer, the Symbolum Apostolorum (Apostles's Creed), the Oratio Dominica (Lord's Prayer), Ave Maria (Hail Mary), and Doxologia Minor (Lesser Doxology ), a Sanctus ( Holy) will commence the performance, and a Litaniae ad Pacem (Litany for Peace) will close the performance.

Funds of about $250,000 (USD) are needed for the original composition and orchestration, or, $50,000 for each of the five movements. Alternatively, individual musical elements can be commissioned. Once the the music is composed, it can be recorded and performed worldwide. Currently, we are in special need of funding to create a demo composition, orchestration, and recording.

If you are interested in becoming a patron, please contact us or the New York Foundation for the Arts Fiscal Sponsorship program, by emailing sponsorship@nyfa.org, or calling 212.366.6900, between 9:30-5:30, EST.

Following is a list of the musical elements of the RWP Act I: The Joyful Mysteries:

 

MOVEMENTS 1-5 

Traditional Prayers:

Symbolum Apostolorum (Apostle's Creed)

Oratio Dominica (Lord's Prayer)

Ave Maria (Hail Mary)

Doxologia Minor (Lesser Doxology)

 

Additional Prayers:

Sanctus (Holy)

Litane ad Pacem (Litany for Peace)

 

Movement 1: The First Joyful Mystery

The Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary

 

Arias:

I have Not Forsaken Them

Light is Risen to the Just

I will Espouse Thee to Me

I have found Grace in Thy Eyes

Duets:

The Way of the Lord we have Not Known

My Tabernacle shall be Them

Choruses:

The Hope of the Wicked is as Dust

Thy Kingdom is a Kingdom for All Ages

Let Thy Name Remain and be Magnified Forever

Movement 2: The Second Joyful Mystery

The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

Arias:

Sing Praise and Rejoice

Let Israel Rejoice in Him

Bless The Lord, O My Soul

Duets:

O Magnify The Lord with Me

Choruses:

He Cometh to Judge the Earth

The Lord will Sit King Forever

Movement 3: The Third Joyful Mystery

The Birth of Jesus of Bethlehem

Arias:

Give Praise O Daughter Sion

Let Thy Father and Mother be Joyful

Every Knee Shall be Bowed to Me

Duets:

Arise O Jerusalem

The Stars have given Light in their Watches

Trio:

He Shone as the Morning Star

Quintet:

A Child is Born to Us

Choruses:

Holy, Holy, Holy

O Ye Angels of The Lord

Movement 4: The Fourth Joyful Mystery

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

Arias:

He Shall Speak Peace

We have Received Thy Mercy, O God

Every Knee shall be Bowed to Me

Duets:

This is Our God

Choruses:

All Nations will Serve Him

Is He Amongst Us?

Let Him Make Haste

Movement 5: The Fifth Joyful Mystery

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

Arias:

The Lord will Not Cause They Teacher to Fly Away

In the Churches I will Bless Thee, O God

The Heavens shall Confess Thy Wonders

These Things Please Me

Blessed is the Man who Heareth Me

I Saw in a Dream

Trios:

I Am The Lord

Thou Art Mighty O Lord

I will Dwell in the Midst of Thee

Choruses:

The Heavens shall Confess Thy Wonders O Lord

He will Teach Us His Ways

I will Not Serve

They that Love Him

 

 

Shalom!

The Crucifixion of Jesus the Christ has presented a contradiction to humankind for over two thousand years. According to Christia n Tradition, Jesus Christ, under the Authority of God the Father, chose to accept tortuous death by crucifixion to bring to fulfillment the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures. Through this self-sacrificial, Divine Rite of atonement, Jesus provided a means for reconciling all people to God. 

Jesus's sacrificial, bodily death on the Cross initiated a mystical, eternal offering that transmutes sin through God's healing Light and Love. Through Jesus, all people for all time can receive Salvation, Peace, and Eternal Life. With Jesus, the ancient practice of offering animal sacrifices to atone for sin was ended. A new era of continuous spiritual cleansing, living sacrifice, and holy redemption was begun.

This great turning in world history originated on the day before Passover, the traditional day of remembrance of the terrible persecution of the Jewish people by Pharaoh. In the Rite of Passover, each family partakes in the consumption of a perfect lamb they have chosen to sacrifice in atonemen t for their sins and as a thanksgiving offering to God.

 

A noted a nd increasingly beloved prophet and healer, Jesus was proclaimed "Lamb of God" by His followers. With l ove and understanding of His predestined sacred role, Jesus courageously chose to beco me both the physical and mystical Sacrificial Lamb for all people, at this miraculous time of s piritual awakening of humankind.  

In Jerusalem, Jesus was initially an unknown outsider, a Nazarean from the Judean outskirts of Galilee. He preached a message of repentance, coupled with a call for people to choose of their own free w ill to turn from selfish, sinful ways and earthly attachments –– which caused harm to themselves and to others –– to more perfectly follow God's Way of Peace. 

Jesus changed the concept of the "other," “Goy,” or "Gentile,"–– the non-Israelites. T o the Israelites, Gentiles were denigrated because they were believed to not follow the Law of Moses and to practice idolatry. Although there was an acknowledgment of the “righteous” Gentiles, who strove to follow the Way of God, the Israelites generally separated themselves from Gentiles.

 

Jesus penetrated the core principle of this belief system by identifying the “Gentile” within each individual and within all people, including His ow n people, the Israelites. He redefined the concept of "other" in terms of the quality of the relationship of the individual with God and emphasized the need to live a life of mutual, sacrificial service to one another. Jesus taught that all those who rebelliously chose not to follow God's Way of Peace and who stubbornly failed to return to God to ask for His merciful forgiveness were the "other."

This new definition o f "other" could include members of one's own family and culture who disobeyed God's Laws. He empowered people to freely recognize the goodness they found in those who desired to follow the Way of God. Spiritual brothers and sisters could be members of other families and cultures, Israelites and non-Israelites alike, who more closely followed God's Way of Peace and Love.

Jesus proclaimed a more refined, loving, and demanding interpretation of the Law of Moses. The Good Shepherd and Divine Protector, He called on His followers to abandon the values and the way of the world to lead sanctified lives, rejecting ways of life that turn one away from perfect union with God. His teachings liberated people to fulfill their potential as individuals made in the image and likeness of God.

Through Jesus, God's people were able to personally experience the Divinity of God in a human nature and aspire to God's call to holiness. His message broke through centuries of rigid cultural customs, unjust laws, and parochial social values, which interfered with the ability of individuals to achieve oneness with each other and with God. He chastised cultural practices that sanctioned unjust persecution and inhumane treatment as contrary to God's merciful Law of Love.

Thousands throughout Judea and Galilee welcomed Jesus and declared Him the Messiah. The Temple officials also sensed Jesus's supernatural nature. There was disagreement among them, as to whether Jesus’s powers were from God or from Beelzebub, a demon. Jesus was certainly not the Messiah they were expecting.

 

Even though the people of Jerusalem and the Temple leaders had been praying for centuries for the coming of the great liber ator, the Messiah, they were not expecting their liberation to be in the form of personal liberation and empowerment to choose to more perfectly transform themselves as God’s representatives. Nor did they expect the Messiah to come in the form of a humble, Divine God-man, who refined the Law of Moses and extended God's offer for redemption to all humankind. Jesus’s words resonated beyond the walls of Jerusalem to welcome the world to learn the Way of God’s Peace. 

 

 

While some Temple officials were interested in Jesus’s teachings, others were overcome by feelings of hateful revulsion. They recogni zed their lives would have to radically change if they accepted Jesus’s Divine Nature and Message.

 

To His adversaries, Jesus represented a mere man, who they thought they could dominate and subjugate to their terrors. Eventually, overwhelmed by murderous rage, the chief priest and his officials chose not only wanted to remove Jesus from their midst, but they also desired the complete destruction of His Name and Person––His Body and Soul––which they tried to achieve through the denigrating death sentence of crucifixion.

 

However, they would discover that Jesus, their despised scapegoat, was their Divine Adversary and the world's salvation. Jesus's mission would be completed in His victory not only over them, but also over the powers and principalities of darkness for all time. They did not realize that through Jesus they would access the source of the cure for their own limitations, in God's Divine Power. 

This epic exchange between the powers of darkness and light is featured in the Rosary for World Peace's Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion. 

The Holy Spirit proclaims, The Kings of the Earth would not have believed, that the Adversary shoul d enter in by the gates of Jerusalem, for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her (La 4:12-13). The Angel of the Lord announces, He s hall die that you may take away the evil out of the midst of you (Dt 21:21).

With Pontius Pilate's consent, Jesus’s adversaries had gotten their wish. Jesus would act as their scapegoat and suffer the infliction of their deepest rage until He died, to satisfy their blood lust. Jesus's apostles lament, He was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: by his bruises we are healed (Isa 53:5). Jesus's friend, Pharisee Nicodemus, who recognized Jesus's Divine Nature attests, He will put away our iniquities: He will cast all of our sins into the bottom of the sea (Mich 7:19).

Mea nwhile, one of Jesus's apostles, Judas Iscariot, who was paid to turn His master over to the authorities for persecution, is overwhelmed with despair. Hearing o f Jesus's death sentence, Judas is now devastated by his betrayal of Jesus and fearful of the personal repercussions he would face for his actions.

A consummate manipulator, Judas had used his relationship with Jesus to gain social status, as one of Jesus’s chosen apostles. When the Temp le officials turned against Jesus, Judas came to view his relationship with Jesus as a personal liability and sought to rid himself of Him. By betraying Jesus, he attempted to ingratiate himself with the powerful Temple officials, but they clearly saw the treachery of Judas's nature.

Instead of repenting, Judas remains self-absorbed and wildly rages against God, Why did thou bring me out of the womb? (Job 10:8). I have slain a man to the wounding of myself (Gen 4:23). I am like a night raven in the house (Job 10:7). Thou wilt frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, so that my soul rather chooseth hanging, and my bones death (Job 7:14-15). 

Despite Judas's evil act of betraying His beloved Son Jesus, God The Father tries to encourage Judas to turn to Him for forgiveness, No, it shall not be so (Gen 4:15). My mercy I will not take away (Ps 88:34). I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live (Ex 33:1). The Holy Spirit also gently tries to direct Judas to seek God,  A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit, a contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou will not despise (Ps 50:19). 

Judas will not listen and chooses to offend God once again, by defying God's authority over him and taking his own life, I have done w i th ho pe. I shall live no longer (Job 7:16). Behold now I shall sleep in the dust: if Thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be ( Job 7:21).

Satan and the Reb ellious Angels gloat over their victory of Judas's body and soul, The wicked shall not be (Ps 36:10). The seed of the wicked shall perish (Ps 36:28).  As a cloud is consumed and passeth away: so he that shall go down in to hell shall not come up. Neither shall his place know him anymore (Job 7:9-10).

In contrast, Jesus accepts God the Father's authority over Him and, though innocent, accepts His d eath sentence at the hands of evil men, to fulfill His Divine Purpose. Uniting with God, Jesus says, With thee I was wounded in the house of them that loved me (Za 13:6). I will go to the altar of God (Ps 42:4). I will cleanse their blood which I had not cleansed: The Lord will dwell in Zion (Joel 3:21).

Jesus accepts the Cross as the sacred altar of His bodily sacrifice for the sins of others. Through His tortuous suffering, Jesus would transmute hatred into a cure for all humankind.

Knowing Jesus's Divine Powers, Satan is outraged by Jesus's cooperation with God, and mocks Him, Thou that destroyest thy soul in thy fury, shall the earth be fors aken for thee? Shall rocks be removed out of their place? (Job 18:4).  

The Archangel Michael rebukes Satan, Why dost thou glory in malice, thou that are mighty in iniquity? Thou hast loved all the words of ruin, O deceitful tongue. Therefore will God destroy thee forever: he will pluck thee out, and remove thee from thy dwelling place: and thy root out of the land of the living (Ps 51:3, 6-7). 

God the Father also rebukes Satan and reaffirms Jesus's Divine Authority and Divine Purpose, Is there no strength in me to deliver? (Isa 50:2). That which was taken by the mighty shall be delivered (Isa 49: 24-25). There is no power on earth that can be compared to him who was made to fear no one (Job 41:24). He is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people I have struck him (Isa 53:8).

Jesus is then crucified. Nailed onto a cross and raised between two thiev es, the paradox between individual good and evil and "the other" continues.

The thief on His left mocks Jesus, Rise up, call upon thy God, so he will think well of u s , that we may not perish (Job 1:6). The thief on His right, the "Good Thief," recognizes Jesus's Sanctity and humbly requests, According to thy mercy remember thou me: for thy goodness sake, O Lord (Ps 24:7).

Although approachi ng earthly death, Jesus responds with Divine Authority, The fear of the Lord is like a paradise of blessing (Ecclus 40:17). I am, I am He that blot out th y iniquities for my own sake, I will not remember thy sins (Isa 43:25).

Below Himself, Jesus observes the spiritual darkness and lightness interplay. Jesus takes pity on His enemies, who sat and watched him (Mt 27:36).

He prays Father, forgive them for they kno w not what they do (Lk 23:34). His enemies deride Him even more. A Temple scribe sneers, Who ever perished being innocent? (Job 4:7). A chief priest rebukes Jesus, He hoped in the Lord: Let him deliver him (Ps 21:9). The Rebellious Angels taunt, Where is thy God? (Ps 41:4). 

One senses in their challenge a germ of doubt. Like Satan, having witnessed Jesus's Divine Power, they are confounded why Jesus willingly cooperated with their plan to torture Him an d nail Him to a cross. They did not understand that their cross had been transformed into the spiritual altar of Jesus's Divine Sacrifice. Through their evil actions, Jesus the Christ had become God's mystical, sacrificial Lamb. 

The Cross would become a universal sign of Jesus's Eternal Intercession for the sins of all humankind, which had merited suffering and death from the beginning of the fall of Adam to the last return of Christ. Through His suffering on the Cross, Jesus would transmute their hatred for Him into a cure for all humankind, as a Divine Testament of th e God's Power of good over evil. Through the Cross, Satan's power to cause the death of humankind would be extinguished. In their most heinous act of evil, they would encounter God. 

Sorrowful and suffering the effects of the tortuous abuse, Jesus is overcome with grief. His human nature pleads to God, O God, my God : Wh y h ast thou forsaken me? (Ps 21:2; Mk 15:34). Jesus then turns to gaze down at His devoted mother, Mary, and the disciple who believed in His Love, who stan d with Him under the shelter of His Cross.

Jesus entrusts them to each other as mother and son, forming a new, spiritual family rooted in Him, Woman behold they son, and, Behold thy mother (Jn 19: 26-27). Lastly after Jesus says, It is finished (Jn 19:30), He commends His spirit to God The Father, Into Thy hands I commend my spirit (Ps 30:6; Lk 23:46). 

His enemies claim victory and gloat, Well done, well done, our eyes have seen it. (Ps 34:21). We have swallowed Him up (Ps 34:25). Alive like Hell, whole as one that goeth down into the Pit. (Prov 1:12). Distraught, the good Pharisee Nicodemus cries, Ye men of blood depart from me (Ps 138:19). The Just that is dead condementh the wicked that are living (Wis 4:16).

To prove that Jesus had died, a Roman Centurion, a representative of the "other" in all aspects, because he is part of the despised foreign Roman conquest forces, pierces Jesus's side. Jesus's Divine Heart is revealed and out gushes Blood and Water.

God’s Power suddenly manifests: the sun darkens in mid-day, the earth quakes, and the heavy veil in the Temple of Jerusalem is violently tears apart, exposing the secret, inner sanctum. Jesus's enemies flee in fear. The Centurion proclaims, Indeed this man was the Son of God (Mk 15:39).  During these holy hours, through Jesus, the means of Holy Redemption is made apparent: the sinner and the stranger are enlightened and redeemed.

The Archangel Michael claims God's victory, Thou struckest the head of the house of the w icked: thou has laid bare his foundation (Hab 3:13). God The Father mightily proclaims, I am the Lord that save Thee, Thy Redeemer (Isa 49:26) All the work of the tabernacle was finished (Ex 39:31). It hath been done that the rite of the sacrifice might be accomplished (Lev 8:34). He shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he delivered his soul from death, and was reputed with the wicked: he that borne the sins of many, had prayed for the transgressors (Isa 53:12). The Angels of God sing, Bless be the Name of  His Majesty forever (Ps 71:19).

With Jesus's death on the Cross, the Scriptures are fulfilled and the eternal contradiction of the Cross established. The majesty of God is revealed in His Unity with the Person of a mere man, His Divine Son, Jesus the Christ. Through the Cross, Jesus died to sin and eternally united with God the Father. Jesus lost nothing and in Him we gained everything. 

Over two thousand y ears have passed and still we are confronted with the contradiction of the Cross. In this ancient mirror, we can see ourselves in the various postures of "the other." Who woul d we be, at this most
terrible of moments? 

Are we like Judas, selfishly overwhelmed by the effects of our sins and refusing the healing Mercy of God? Do we defensively isolate ourselves in our agonized torment, believing we can never be restored to oneness with God? Or, are we like the corrupt Pharisees and timid apostles, who flee from God, when it begins to cost us, when we encounter terrible sufferings for following God’s Way, when we have to change our relationships, entrenched behaviors, and our very souls to move toward closer unity with God?

Are we like the mocking thief and those of self-defined social status who deride the idea of God, arrogantly insisting that God prove His existence to us? Do we justify our destructive, selfish actions by the human-made philosophies and ethics of our time, choosing to rationalize our behavior and remain distant from God, even unto death? Are we the unholy, contemporary, Gentiles, who put our pleasures and pursuits before our responsibilities, subordinating God’s Will for us to our own willfulness?

Or, are we like the fair and true Pharisee Nicodemus, who had the courage to separate from his peers, putti ng his privileges at risk , to attest to the Presence of God in Jesus? Do we have the humility of the Good Thief, who merely asks to be remembered by God, or, are we like Jesus's steadfast apostle and mother, Mary, who lovingly stood under the shelter of the Cross with Jesus until the end, no matter the grief, hu miliation, and personal consequences, and accept Jesus's direction to form a new family rooted in Jesus’s Love ? Do we have the h onesty of the Roman Centurion, who had the courage to recognize the truth of Jesus's Divine Nature, even though Jesus was of another culture and foreign to his own way of life? 

All of th e people who participated in the crucifixion of Jesus were on their personal soul journeys. May we be given the grace to recognize and conquer the "other" within our own souls, ridding our lives of anything opposing God's Will for us. By choosing to accept Jesus's grace of liberati on and joyfully discovering our true selves, may we gain in spiritual strength and offer our lives in the service to God, whatever the suffering of our crosses presents. 

As we travel through this world at this time and space, may we, too, be given the spiritual vision to recognize God in those different from ours e l ves and rejoice when we meet those who have also chosen to pick-up their crosses and struggle on to bring God's healing Light and Love to oth ers. Together, we can choose to lovingly, patiently, and faithfully follow the W ay of the Cross, God's Way of sacrificial Peace, bringing peace to this world, until we are joined in unity with God through Jesus and with each other for all eternity.

 

 

Be part of the PEACE!  

 

The Rosary for World Peace

*All Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible: Douay Rheims version. www.drbo.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2016 Exposition Management International 

 

The Fruit of the Cross

Shalom!

There are times in our lives when we can enter into a period of terrible suffering. This descent into the powers of darkness creates spiritual trials, in which our minds, hearts, and souls are crushed against the interior will to relieve our suffering. Yet despite our resistance, the suffering can continue seemingly without end. It is in this crucible of prolonged suffering that we are challenged to constantly choose to surrender to God's Will, softening our minds, hearts, and souls to come into alignment with the pulse of God's Eternal Universal Love. Resisting the suffering will only cause more distress and turbulence, through increased anger, fear, and anxiety.

While suffering takes many forms, one of the deepest and most intimate forms of suffering is to choose to suffer for the benefit of others; one's own suffering can be offered as a sublime sacrifice to God to serve as spiritual restitution for the injustice, hatred, cruelty and rebellion of others. This principle of transcendent suffering can have powerful, transformative effects, both for the soul who suffers and the soul who inflicts the suffering. This aspect of the mystery of self-sacrificial suffering is revealed in the Rosary for World Peace (RWP) Act III, The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Carrying of the Cross.

In the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery, Pontius Pilate, the local Roman ruler in Jerusalem has capitulated to the demands of a corrupt group of Temple officials and their followers and has ordered that Jesus be crucified. Already badly scourged and evidently experiencing weakness, pain, and immense discomfort, Jesus takes up His heavy cross, the instrument of torture that will serve as His enemies's final, lethal assault on Him. He begins the labor of carrying the cross to Golgotha, the place for state executions of criminals, just outside of the walls of Jerusalem.

A clamorous, jeering crowd follows Him, as His beloved friends watch their spiritual leader being besieged. At only thirty-three-years of age, in the height of His ministry, Jesus is about to die. In the RWP, Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy and respected follower of Jesus, observes what God has permitted, Thou has shortened the days of his time: thou has covered him in confusion (Ps 88:46).

From an earthly perspective, the world had viciously turned against Jesus. All seems to be lost: the civil authorities, the Temple authorities, and some of the local people have turned to be His enemies. In the RWP, the Pharisee Nicodemus, Jesus's friend, laments, The Law is torn in Pieces, Judgment cometh not to the End: Because The Wicked prevaileth against The Just, therefore Wrong Judgment goeth forth (Hab 1:4). The Chief Priests, other Pharisees, and Scribes who oppose Jesus, delight in His suffering. The Chief Priests shout, Let the Memory of Him Perish from the Earth (Job 18:17). They all exclaim, Depart from us! (job 22:17). Satan and the Rebellious Angels gloat, Well done, well done, our eyes have seen it (Ps 34:21). They perceive victory in Jesus's imminent death.

Jesus acknowledges the seeming advantage His enemies have over Him and the price He is about to pay for following the Spiritual Law: All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head (Ps 21:8). They have cast me forth, now they have surrounded me (Ps 16:11). The cords of The Wicked have compassed me: But I have not forgotten Thy Law (Ps 118:61). Jesus endures the increasing physical suffering, but, internally, He is a peace. He does not resist the assaults of His enemies.

Though it is an agony of body and soul, Jesus has accepted God's Will for Him, God hath shut me up and hath delivered me into the hands of the wicked (Job 16:12). He hath set me up to be his mark (Job 16:13). He hath compassed me round about with his lances, he hath wounded my loins (Job 16:14). These things I have suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God (Job 16:18). Jesus knows that God is in charge of the proceedings and is aware of the shift in power that is about to take place, They surrounded me like bees, and burned like fire among thorns: In the name of The Lord I was revenged on them (Ps 117:12).

For there is another dynamic in play, which His enemies do not perceive: by accepting His Cross, God The Father is permitting Jesus to become a perpetual, sacrificial victim to atone not only for the sins of His persecutors, but also for all the sins of humanity for eternity. Jesus's suffering will act as a transformative agent for all time. While His enemies were unjust in their persecution of Jesus, Jesus's response is a divine act of Justice and supreme Love. He accepts the greater role God has destined for Him and transcends the power of His enemies.

God The Father knows the eternal purpose Jesus's life on earth is to achieve, By his knowledge shall this my just servant, justify many (Isa 53:11). Thou shalt offer him as a holocaust (Gen 22:2). He shall bear their iniquities (Isa 53:11). I will shew him my salvation (Ps 90:16). God The Father commands Jesus, I am almighty God: walk before me and be perfect (Gen 17:1) In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou has obeyed my voice (Gen 22:18).

Mary, Jesus's mother, encourages Jesus, Direct thy way and trust in him (Ecclus 2:6). Take all that shall be brought upon thee (Ecclus 2:4). In thy sorrow endure (Ecclus 2:4). In thy humiliation keep patience (Ecclus 2:4). The Angels of God sing with assurance, He that hath been humbled, shall be in glory (Job 22:29).

Jesus proceeds in following the Way of God, even though it leads to the place of His crucifixion, My foot hath followed his steps (Job 23:11). This is my own evil, I will bear it (Jer 10:19). He knows that through His death, God will conquer the power of death and restore His Creation. Mary and the Archangel Michael witness the beginning of the transformation of the ultimate power of Jesus over the power of Satan, Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people (Hab 3:15). His brightness shall be as the light. Horns are in his hands. Death shall go before his face. The devil shall go forth before his feet (Hab 3:4-5). Jesus is confident of His ultimate victory, God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell (Ps 48:16).

Jesus stops on His path and turns to address the weeping women of Jerusalem. He warns them of the effects of choosing to worship earthly kings and idols over God, The high places of the idol, the sin of Israel shall be destroyed: the bur and thistle shall grow up over their altars: they shall say to the mountains; Cover us; and to the hills: fall upon us (Osee 10:8). You shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves. The Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king (1 Kgs 8:18). Jesus struggles to carry the Cross further, followed by His enemies, who continue to assault Him, and His friends, who bewail His suffering, but proclaim, We will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever (Mich 4:5).

Jesus, the Son of God, trusts fully that God The Father will justify His suffering, Thou wilt bring me out of this snare (Ps 30:5). The Lord will reward me according to my justice (Ps 7:25) For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me (Ps 22:4). Thou art my protector, my refuge: my God, in him will I trust (Ps 90:2). Open ye to me the gates of justice: I will go in to them, and give praise to the Lord (Ps 117:19). God the Father proclaims, I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him (Ps 90:15). Thy redeemer, the holy one of Israel, shall be called the God of all the Earth (Isa 54:5).

We live in a time when the existence of the spiritual law is often denied and its power ignored. It is self-evident that when humanity chooses to act outside the spiritual laws suffering will ensue and peace cannot be realized. Like the people of Jerusalem in Jesus's time, we can choose to follow the Way of God, which is a pathway to peace. Like Jesus, we can choose to endure and accept suffering that may be unjustly inflicted on us by those who choose to deny, or delight in being rebellious to, God's Ways. We can be confident knowing our suffering will bear fruit. God may use our suffering to perfect our souls, while transmuting the powers of darkness and transforming others to be in Unity with God.

All change has a point of beginning that resonates eternally. As we pick up our crosses of suffering, we can begin to pray without ceasing, continually breathing in God's Peace and breathing out anguish, pain, and fear. We can choose to transcend the devious traps of anger and passions for control, domination, and vengeance that can impede our progress to Unity with God. As we join our souls together and align more closely with God, His Power will work through us to increase peace within ourselves and in the world.

 

The Rosary for World Peace
 
 . . . be part of the PEACE!

 

 

 

 

 

*All Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible: Douay Rheims version. www.drbo.org

© 2016 Exposition Management International 

 

 

Shalom!

The Rosary for World Peace Oratorio uses the template of the traditional Rosary prayer for arranging the Old Testament (Hebrew) and New Testament Scripture quotations. The traditional Rosary prayer does not include Scriptural citations, but offers a simple format featuring four Rosary Mysteries, each focusing on a different spiritual tonality. This provides for a rich meditative landscape to explore over and over again to contemplate the Mystery of God. 

Depending on our own changing life experiences, world events, the liturgical season, the seasons of our lives, and our intercessory prayer focus, the process of praying the Rosary can quickly progress from the simple recitation of prayers to following a meditative lead line in a continuous spiritual journey. As we enter into the Rosary prayer journey, numerous contemplative experiences can unfold.

Through the recitation of the prayers, a spiritual space opens, leading to a more sensitive awareness of the Presence of God. The quieting of the chatter of the mind allows the soul to delve into a quiet pool of contemplation. It is in this space that the gentle transformation of one's soul can occur: through a greater awareness that may cause a shift in attitudes and perspectives; the entering of God's healing compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and love; and the acceptance of one's roles, responsibilities, and purpose in His unique plan for us and others.

As with any instrument, the more one prays the Rosary, the higher one's sensitivity will become to the ever-changing landscape of our unique spiritual journey. When we gain greater insight into ourselves, we also gain greater insight into the struggles of others and the challenges of the world in which we live together.

As we journey through this lifetime on earth together, growing in awareness of how we live every moment in the Presence of God, we can become more attuned to the impact of our own words, thoughts, and actions and those of others, and choose to become more committed to following God's Way of Peace. Gradually, we can begin to grow in the virtues exhibited by Jesus and His mother, Mary, reflected to us in their journeys, as portrayed in  the Rosary Mysteries, and emerge from our prayer journey with them, filled with a deeper understanding and compassion of ourselves and others. 

The Rosary prayer sequence provides time for contemplation in a measured manner. The spiritual prayer journey leads one's soul through a range of thoughts and opportunities for contemplation to better understand the Mystery of God, as it unfolds through the remembrance of events in Life of Christ and His Mother Mary. It may take a few attempts to master each Mystery sequence, but once it is mastered, one will be able to meditate more deeply on each of the Mysteries that are featured in each decade. 

The Four Rosary Mysteries:

There are four master Rosary Mystery sets. Typically, one Rosary Mystery is said each day of the week, although the Rosary Mysteries can be prayed in a single prayer session or throughout the day. The four master Rosary Mysteries are: 

• The Joyful Mysteries
• The Luminous Mysteries
• The Sorrowful Mysteries
• The Glorious Mysteries

Each major Rosary Mystery follows the same format: an Introductory Sequence followed by five significant events/mysteries, or five 'decades'. 

Introductory Sequence: The introductory sequence to the Rosary includes four different prayers: The Apostles' Creed, said on the crucifix, followed by The Lord's Prayer, three Hail Mary prayers, and one Glory Be.

The Decades: Each decade begins with the announcement of the Mystery, followed by The Lord's Prayer and ten Hail Mary prayers. The decade is concluded with the Glory Be. It is customary in some Rosary prayer groups to add 'trimmings' or additional devotional prayers after the Glory Be.

 

 

 

The Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries include the time of Jesus's conception to when He was found teaching in the Temple at the age of twelve.

1. The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation of The Archangel Gabriel to Mary

2. The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

3. The Third Joyful Mystery: The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem

4. The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

 5. The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

 

 

 

 

The Luminous Mysteries:

The Luminous Mysteries commence at the time of Jesus's Baptism by St. John the Baptist and conclude on the eve of Jesus's Passion, when He instituted the Holy Eucharist. This encompasses the time of Jesus's public ministry, from the age of about thirty to thirty-three years of age. 

1. The First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of Jesus

2. The Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding in Cana

3. The Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

4. The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration of Jesus

5. The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries begin the night before Jesus's Passion in the Garden of Gethsemane and end the next day at the time of His crucifixion. 

1. The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden

2. The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

3. The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

4. The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

5. The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion of Jesus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Glorious Mysteries:

The Glorious Mysteries commence with Jesus's Resurrection and follow His Ascension, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The death and assumption of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and her coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth, conclude the Glorious Mysteries.

1. The First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Jesus

2. The Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Jesus

3. The Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

4. The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

5. The Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Rosary is a beautiful Tradition of the ages, a common, beaded prayer thread of sacred Mysteries that leads to the experience of the Mystery of God. The Rosary has been a favorite prayer meditation for Popes, saints, saints-in-the-making, the poor and rich alike, from all cultures: it is a prayer for all the people of the world. 

 

The Rosary for World Peace 

 . . . be part of the PEACE!

 

*Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible: Douay Rheims version. www.drbo.org

© 2013 Exposition Management International 

 

Shalom!

The Presence of God in the world has been recognized throughout the generations by people of all cultures. For many people, the Word of God is expressed in written form in the Hebrew Scriptures, known to most Christians as the Old Testament. For Christians, the Word of God is also expressed in the New Testament. In the Christian Tradition, the Hebrew Scriptures are mirrored in the New Testament Scripture. In The Rosary for World Peace, particular Hebrew Scripture verses were specifically chosen and arranged to illustrate the Christian Tradition of the prefiguration of the New Testament Scriptures, throughout each of the four master Mystery sets.

The New Testament begins just before Mary's miraculous conception of Jesus, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce God's will for her to bear His Son, Jesus. In The Rosary for World Peace, this event is remembered in The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation. The first public acknowledgment of God's Presence in the world through the person of Jesus occurred when Mary, bearing Jesus, visited her older cousin, Elizabeth, bearing John. This event is the focus of The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation.

Earlier, the  Archangel Gabriel had announced to Elizabeth's husband, Zachary, a priest of the Temple, that his long barren wife would conceive a son: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John: And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity. For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God (Lk 1: 13-16).* Three months later, Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her she had been chosen to conceive a son, through the power of the Holy Spirit, who she would name Jesus. 

There are several aspects of The Mystery of the Visitation that can be contemplated. First, the two women witness to each other of their miraculous conceptions and share a solidarity of faith in God's will for them. Elizabeth and Mary have different life experiences of God, but respond faithfully in the same way. The barren, faithfully expectant, older Elizabeth, who had persisted in asking God to conceive, finally does conceive; the unmarried, young Mary is unexpecting, but steadfast in faith, and conceives. With humility, they both relinquish to God's will, unique timing, and plan for them and for the lives of their sons for the benefit of others.

The encounter was an ecstatic celebration. Elizabeth and her unborn child John were given the spiritual intelligence to recognize the Presence of God in Jesus. Upon seeing Mary, Elizabeth cried out: Blessed art thou among Women, and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy (Lk 1:43-44). It is this transition point that marks the first public acknowledgement of the Divine Presence of Jesus in the world.

Elizabeth was graced with the foreknowledge that an event of immense importance was taking place: Blessed art thou who hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished in thee by the Lord (Lk 1:45). Mary affirmed Elizabeth's thoughts with the foreknowledge that future generations will be affected by what is occurring in her: My soul doth magnify the Lord. My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid, all generations shall call me blessed (Lk 1: 46-48). Because he that is mighty hath done great things in me: and holy is his name. His mercy is from generation to generations, to them that fear him (Lk 1:49-50). 

Mary continues and refers to the Hebrew Scriptures, linking her miraculous conception of Jesus as complementary with God's promises to her ancestral fathers, Abraham, and to his future generations: He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy. As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and in his seed forever (Lk 1:54-55). Like, Mary, we, too, are part of the continuum of 'generation to generations' . . . the 'forever' of God.  We, too, are part of the unfolding of God's plan in our world for a unique time, place, and purpose. 

A second point of contemplation is the experience of barrenness. While Elizabeth endured a physical barrenness for decades, we later learn there was a purpose in the timing of the births of her son, John, and Mary's son, Jesus. As an adult, John will become known as the prophet John the Baptist, who will publicly proclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God. It is John who initiates the beginning of Jesus's pubic ministry, through the rite of baptism. What was experienced as barrenness was transformed into God's designed plan for fruitfulness.

Like Elizabeth, there can be long periods in our own lives where we experience barrenness in a variety of ways: in faith, in our relations, in work, and in our unfulfilled dreams. These are the times that despite our efforts, nothing fruitful manifests: we are confronted with the desert of our souls. We may question if God has heard our prayers. We may struggle with impatience. We may focus on our own concerns and not comprehend the hidden plan of God for us and for others. 

We can choose to surrender to anxiety, fear, bitterness, and despair, or, like Elizabeth, we can choose to faithfully endure and surrender with docility to wait patiently for God's perfect timing and plan for us to be revealed. It may be necessary for transformations to first occur in our own souls, or in other people's lives, or in the society in which we live at this time, before God chooses to manifest His will for us in a more apparent way. It may take decades, or even centuries, to understand the purpose of God's predestination of events. 

A third point of contemplation is to consider how the old gives way to the new. Mary, bearing Jesus, selflessly spent the first trimester of her pregnancy assisting Elizabeth, bearing John, in her last three months of pregnancy, to bring him to term. Six months after John's birth, Jesus will be born and God revealed. Elizabeth recognizes in young Mary the potentiality of God's plan: Blessed art thou who hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished in thee by the Lord (Lk 1:45) Like Mary and Elizabeth, we can be open to the Presence of God in new ways in our lives. If we are willing, we too can become God's vessels to transform our world according to His plan. By letting go of patterns and expectations that restrain us from breaking through the barrenness of mind, heart, and spirit, we can become fruitful bearers of God's love and peace and witnesses to His purpose.

In The Rosary for World Peace, the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament are beautifully intertwined: the Word of God written in the Hebrew Scriptures foretells the coming of Christ, revealed in the New Testament Scriptures. When the Hebrew and New Testament Scriptures are juxtaposed, the unfathomable intelligence of God comes to the fore and is made more clear to us. The Mystery of the Visitation is a time of joyful anticipation. In the New Testament, God's Presence is revealed through the Person of Jesus in a manner that will change the world 'forever'. Let us join Elizabeth and Mary in their exultant praise of God's Presence in our lives and joyfully take our place in His unfolding plan through us and before us.

 

O Magnify The Lord with me;

Let us Extol His Name Together (Ps 33:4)

Generation and Generation shall Praise thy Works:

They shall Declare Thy Power (Ps 144:4).

 (Duet: Mary and Elizabeth, The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation, The Rosary for World Peace)

 

The Rosary for World Peace 

 . . . be part of the PEACE!

 

*Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible: Douay Rheims version. www.drbo.org

© 2013 Exposition Management International 

 

                           The Annunciation, Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) 

 

Shalom!

For centuries, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, and Muslims have used prayer beads as a physical mechanism to anchor prayer meditations. The Rosary is a simple method of prayer meditation, which, when threaded through experienced hands and accompanied by an open spirit to God, leads to ever deeper contemplation and peace.

The traditional Rosary consists of four prayers: the Apostle's Creed, Our Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. Fifty-nine beads plus the Crucifix, guide the prayer sequence, for a total of sixty prayers. Like a runner breaking into stride, once the prayers and the sequence are mastered, deeper contemplation opens up parallel to the saying of the prayers. It is in this meditation space, that one encounters the divine richness of the Rosary.

In addition to the prayer beads accompanied by the prayers, the Rosary is arranged into a reflection of pivotal events in the Life of Christ and His Mother Mary, called Mysteries. Like the prayer sequence, once the order of the Mysteries is mastered, it is possible to enter into additional levels of introspection. The Mysteries are organized into four master sets, each focusing on a different tonality and range of Christ's mission and ministry: The Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. Simply, each master set of Mysteries contains five progressive segments, each pertaining to events described in the New Testament Scripture.  

For example, The Joyful Mysteries include The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, The Presentation, and The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. Each of the Mysteries offers several levels for examination, as each Mystery refers to a particular story. The deeper one's understanding of Scripture, the deeper the level of one's corporeal sense of each Mystery and aspects of opportunities for spiritual progression. 

In The Mystery of The Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel visits Mary, a young virgin woman, and proclaims Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women (Lk 1:28)*. He proceeds to tell Mary that she has been chosen to conceive a son: Fear not, Mary, for thou has found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; who thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shalt be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; . . . His kingdom will be without end (Lk 1:30-33)*. Mary is overwhelmed and does not understand how she can conceive, How shalt this be done, because I know not man (Lk 1:34)*. Archangel Gabriel explains that she will experience a mystical conception: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Lk 1:35*). Mary gracefully accepts the will of God for her, responding, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her (Lk 1:38)*. 

One level of meditation is to consider how Mary, with humility, accepted the will of God for her, not fully understanding what it implied: she trusted God implicitly. Another level of meditation is to consider the many instances in our own lives where we have been confronted with news, not of our choosing, and, through the power of God's grace, have accepted or refused His grace to consent to receive this information, knowing that it will lead to significant changes in our lives. An additional level of meditation and contemplation is to desire to emulate Mary's humility by surrendering with love our will to the will of God for us, thus embracing a posture of indissoluble unity with Him. 

Like a prism, there are many other aspects for contemplating The Mystery of The Annunciation. Reflecting on events in our daily lives, the life challenges of family and friends, and of the greater world community all pertain to unexpected encounters of God and the graceful acceptance of the will of God for us, as we witness the personal mystery of our lives unfolding at this particular place and time. We can consider that we are not alone in our suffering or joy, but are an integral part of the greater, universal experience of God's creation that continues for ever and ever: we belong to God and the physical and mystical community of His creation. How each of us reacts to His will for us will affect the lives of others and all of His creation. Our peaceful acceptance of His will, will resonate throughout the world . . . and beyond.

 

The Rosary for World Peace 

 . . . be part of the PEACE!

 

*Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible: Douay Rheims version. www.drbo.org

© 2013 Exposition Management International 

 

          The Annunciation - Fra Angelico (Cortona), 1433-1434

 

Shalom!

The Rosary for World Peace Oratorio features prayers representing world cultures integrated into one universal prayer for peace. The beautiful diverse rhythms of twenty world languages are woven together: the ancient tongues of Aramaic, Greek, Latin, and Arabic encounter the romance languages of French, Italian, and Spanish and the singsong Asian expressions of Chinese, Korean, and Tagalog; bridged by Hindu and softened by Gaelic, Igbo and Swahili, the counterpoint tones of German, Russian, Ukrainian, and Croatian, add a sharp distinction to the global prayer, sound tapestry.

The languages in The Rosary for World Peace Oratorio are assigned to represent regions of the world, as the four major Rosary Mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous, and Glorious) progress. Each major Mystery sequence spans the globe, featuring five different languages: one for each decade of the Rosary. As each tongue is heard, uttering the words of Archangel Gabriel and Elizabeth to Mary, in the first part of each Hail Mary prayer, the people of those regions are brought to mind: their struggles, their triumphs, and their unique part in the unfolding, universal sacred journey to God. The response in Latin, by the choir of the Community of Saints, represents all souls, the living and the 'living' dead, who are joined in their praise of God on earth and in heaven. This template provides for a unifying structure throughout the work.  

The different language sounds are united too in the ancient words of the Hail Mary prayer. Just as the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that God had chosen her to conceive His Son Jesus, it is with the same words that the Presence of God is again proclaimed: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women (Lk 1:28).  The prayer continues on to echo Elizabeth's words across the millennium, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus (Lk 1:42).  

Through the Holy Spirit's words in the Hail Mary prayer, spoken in the proclamations of Archangel Gabriel and Elizabeth, the incoherent cacophony of the languages of Babel are summoned into a New Pentecost expressed in a single, coherent, harmonious, unified prayer for peace. Different tongues utter the same praise, who, like Archangel Gabriel and Elizabeth, acknowledge the Presence of God in our world . . . the God of All Nations. With the knowledge that people of All Nations can be joined together through the Spirit of God, each individual prayer is empowered to reach souls near and far.   

Through prayer, the Word of God can reach all people, because the Word's Truth transcends the barriers of geography, class structures, political parties, race, age, sex, and economic status. Souls that are united in prayer can draw all souls into the heartbeat of God and His perfect Way of Peace.

The Rosary for World Peace Oratorio is inclusive in its appeal to people worldwide. For example, in The Third Joyful Mystery: The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the Hail Mary prayer begins in Russian and the choir of the Community of Saints responds in Latin:

Hail Mary

Speaker – Russian
Радуйся, Мария, благодатная!
Господь с Тобою;
благословенна Ты между женами,
и благословен плод чрева Твоего Иисус.

Community of Saints
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.

The Mysteries are assigned to languages as follows: 

The Joyful Mysteries

The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation of Archangel Gabriel to Mary - Aramaic

The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth - Korean 

The Third Joyful Mystery: The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem - Russian

The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple - German

The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple - Hebrew

 

The Luminous Mysteries

The First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of Jesus - Greek 

The Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding in Cana - Italian 

The Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God - Gaelic (Irish) 

The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration of Jesus - Polish

The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist - Hindi

 

The Sorrowful Mysteries 

The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden - French

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar - Chinese 

The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns - Kiswahili

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross - Spanish 

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion of Jesus - Latin

 

The Glorious Mysteries

The First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Jesus - Tagalog (Filipino)

The Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Jesus - English

The Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Igbo (African) 

The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary into Heaven - Arabic 

The Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth - Croatian

Through prayer, we can choose to become part of the PEACE!

The Rosary for World Peace 

 . . . be part of the PEACE!

 

*Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible: Douay Rheims version. www.drbo.org

© 2013 Exposition Management International 

                                                The Presentation in the Temple                           

    (The Menologion of Basil II, Illuminated Manuscript, Eastern Orthodox, circa 1000 AD)

 

Shalom!

We perceive the world through our senses. Generally, it is recognized that human beings have been naturally endowed with the five senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. These ways of perceiving offer tangible experiences, or "proofs", of reality and through these perceptions, we can become firm witnesses to these experiences.

Throughout the Scriptures, there are many instances where God's Presence became known in a manner that could be perceived through the natural senses. For example, spontaneous physical cures, the sudden appearance of foods, and abrupt changes in nature timed with special circumstances are often attributed to God's Presence.

The occurrence of these notable events were undeniable to normal human experience and to those who witnessed them. Deeply affected, some of these witnesses went on to change the course of their lives and courageously testify to others about the power of God's Presence.

As God's creatures, we are formed completely in mind, heart, and spirit. In addition to the physical senses, there are other ways of perceiving, too. Emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual ways of perceiving enable human beings to experience supra-relational events and gain the understanding to choose to activate our wills and take action to achieve common-unity and one spiritual union.

For example, the biblical prophets were especially gifted with powers of spiritual seeing and the ability to accurately foretell future events. This fore-knowledge was attributed to their special relationships with God. 

In the Christian Tradition, the prophecies of the prophets of the Old Testament are believed to prefigure the events of the New Testament, even though they were proclaimed hundreds of years before. This continuity of God's Presence, through time and space, rooted in the ancient Scriptures, permits: in the dispensation of the fulness of time, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him (Eph 1:10).

In The Rosary for World Peace Oratorio, in The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, this gift of foretelling is presented through the persons of Simeon and Anna: two holy people of the Temple in Jerusalem.

In the introduction to the Mystery, God The Father proclaims:

Behold I send my angel before my face. Presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the Angel of the testament, you desire, shall come to his temple (Mal 3:1).                  

In reference to Jesus, God The Father continues:

He shall humble the oppressor (Ps 71:4). He shall deliver the poor from the mighty and the needy that had no helper (Ps 71:2). He shall redeem their souls from usaries and iniquity: Their names shall be honorable in his sight (Ps 71:14). To him shall be given the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: They shall bless him all the day (Ps 71:15). In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations magnify him (Ps 71:17).

More specifically, He announces:

The child shall be a Nazarite of God from his infancy  from his mother's womb until the day of his death  (Judg 13:7).

In the New Testament Scripture, it is written that Joseph and Mary came to the Temple to present their child Jesus, in accordance with the Laws of the Temple: After the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord: As it is written in the law of the Lord: every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord (Lk 2:22-23).

In the Temple was a just and devout man, named Simeon, who had been waiting for years to see the promised Messiah: He had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord (Lk 2:23). Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon came into the Temple and saw Joseph, Mary, and their child, Jesus. Immediately, Simeon spiritually sees God's Presence in Jesus: He also took him into his arms and blessed God and said, Now thou doest dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel (Lk 2:27-31).

Simeon is not only given the gift of seeing the Presence of God in Jesus, but he is also instantly given the gift of knowing what is in store for both Jesus and Mary and other people in the future: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted. Thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed (Lk 2:35).

As often occurs in important biblical events, there are two witnesses. Anna, a widow, who spent her days and nights in the Temple praying and fasting, enters and also sees the God's Presence in Jesus: And she at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord: And spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel (Lk 2:38).

In The Rosary for World Peace Oratorio, Anna and Simeon join in a duet, drawing on Old Testament Scripture:

Lo this is our God, we have waited for him; he shall save us: this is the Lord, we have patiently waited for him, we shall rejoice and be joyful in his salvation (Isa 25:9.)

We can only wonder at Mary's and Joseph's reaction to Simeon's and Anna's proclamations. Two elderly, holy people of the Temple affirm what was told to Mary by Archangel Gabriel: He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High . . . of his kingdom there will be no end (Lk 1:32-33) and by Mary's cousin Elizabeth: Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord has come to me? (Lk 1:43); and what was told to the shepherds by the angel in Bethlehem: This day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord (Lk 2:11). 

Now Mary learns, from two more people, with the gifts of spiritual seeing and prophecy, that her beloved Son will be the cause for upheaval throughout the land. Many people will be affected. As His Mother, she will be a witness to these events, and, with Him, she will suffer for the benefit of the people.

Mary hears God's call to self-sacrifice to act as a change agent for the divine transformation of others. Throughout her life, she will be the preeminent witness to the emergence of Jesus as the redemptive, suffering Servant King of the World, manifesting God's Presence among us. By embracing God's Will for Jesus, she embraces God's Will for herself and begins the journey set before her.

In the Rosary for World Peace Oratorio, she sings, with poignant courage:

In God will I praise the word, In the Lord will I praise his speech. In God have I hoped, I will not fear what man can do to me (Ps 55:11). In me, O God, are vows to thee, which I will pay, praise to thee: because thou hast delivered my soul from death, my feet from failing: that I may please in the sight of God, in the light of the living (Ps 55:12-13).

Beautifully, Mary accepts her merciful role of mutual suffering love, as a helper to her Son, Jesus, and to us. May we be blessed with the courage to witness to God's Presence in Jesus by mercifully suffering for the benefit of others: and through Him, to reconcile all things unto Himself, making peace by the blood of His Cross, both as to the things that are of earth and are of heaven (Col 1:20).

The Rosary for World Peace

 . . . . be part of the PEACE!

 

*Scripture verses: The Holy Bible: The Douay-Rheims Version. www.drbo.org

 

 © 2013 Exposition Management International

 

              Baptism of Christ (Pietro Perugino, 15th Century, Sistine Chapel)

 

Shalom!

The people of our world represent thousands of cultures and customs, with various outward appearances, from dressing styles to a beautiful range of skin-colored hues. We all are human beings, the 'five-fingered' people, and all part of God's glorious creation. Each of us entered the world as the fruit of a specific family tree, rooted in the souls of our ancestors, and specific to a place and culture. Frequently the roots of our ancestry are intertwined with those of other cultures: through our ancestors, we often are connected to others from different regions of the globe. 

It was into a similar world, that Jesus was born, but with the distinction of a hereditary line that reached through his ancestry to the Tribe of Juda.The Tribe of Juda is one of the twelve tribes of ancient Israel, renowned for an ancestry rooted in the kingship of David. As a human being, Jesus was the fruit of Mary, his mother, who was descended from a shepherd who became king, King David, who wrote the Psalms. Jesus's father was God the Father, because Mary conceived Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of God. This unique aspect of Jesus's being was not noticeable to most of the people around him.

When Jesus, at about the age of thirty, visited John the Baptist, a renowned holy man of the day, he was not in outward appearance distinguishable among the others, who had come to hear John preach.The people, who came to hear John preach likely represented a cross-section of society: the rich and poor, the learned and uneducated, the cynical and curious, and those who were truly seeking to learn how to enter the Kingdom of God. John admonished all of them: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 3:2)*. For those who repented, John baptized them, in a rite of purification.

The priests and the Levites did not notice Jesus's presence either. They were curious about John and asked him, What art thou? (Jn 1:19). John responded: I am not the Christ (Jn 1:20). The Pharisees asked John: Why dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? (Mt 1:25). John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not (Jn 1:104). I indeed baptize you in water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire (Mt 3:11). 

When Jesus approached, John immediately discerned Jesus's spiritual presence. John said: This is he, of whom I said: after me cometh a man, who is preferred before me: because he was before me. And I knew him not, but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water (Jn 1:30-31). This event is memorialized in the First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. 

When Jesus asked John to baptize Him, like the others, John at first resisted saying with humility: I ought to be baptized by thee (Mt 3:14). Jesus responded: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfil all justice (Mt 3:15), and John obeyed Jesus's direction. Afterwards, John observed Jesus, as He came out of the water: the heavens were opened to him : and he saw the spirit of God descending as a dove and coming upon him (Mt 3:16). And behold a voice from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased (Mt 3:17). The next day, when John saw Jesus walking, he proclaimed: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29).

Jesus then went into the desert to be tempted by Satan. After He had fasted forty days and forty nights, Satan appeared to challenge Jesus's powers as the Son of God. First Satan tempted Jesus to use His spiritual powers to satisfy His own physical needs, as He was famished from His fast.

Satan focused on the simple practicality of satisfying His hunger, seemingly a beneficial, immediate result. He said to Jesus: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread (Mt 4:3). Jesus, in answering, cut to the hidden purpose of Satan's cynical challenge to his spiritual powers, by addressing the core issue of the true source of man's sustenance. Jesus responded: Not in bread alone does man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God (Mt 4:4).

Next Satan challenged the depth of God's love for His Son, Jesus, and Jesus's trust of God, His Father. He took Jesus to the top of the pinnacle of the Temple and said: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: that he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone (Mt 4:5-6). Again, Jesus quickly revealed the root of Satan's impudent test to His spiritual authority that would have put God to the test. He rebukes him: It is written again: thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Mt 4:7).

But Satan brazenly tempted Jesus a third time, arrogantly offering Him the possibility of acquiring immense earthly powers, if only He will simply switch His allegiance from God to him: The devil took him up into a very high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And said to him: all these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me (Mt 3:8-9).

Again Jesus exposed the underlying issue of obedience and adoration of God alone: Begone Satan: for it is written, the Lord thy God shall thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve (Mt 4:10). Satan could not surmount Jesus's spiritual clarity, power and authority: Then the devil left him. And behold angels came and ministered to him. (Mt 4:10-11).

Jesus, the unassuming man, the proclaimed Lamb of God, emanated God's power and Satan could not bear to stay in His presence: Satan surrendered to Jesus's authority and command.  Jesus's Kingship was from within and expressed in His relationship with the external world.
In His interaction with Satan, Jesus immediately marked the contrast between Satan's petty worldly temptations and Jesus's universal spiritual strength.

In The Rosary for World Peace Oratorio, Satan and the Rebellious Angels portray a common mind set of our own time. Satan sings a beguiling proposition: Our time is as the passing of a shadow, and there is no getting back of our end. For it is fast sealed and no man will return. Come let us enjoy the good things that are present, let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ornaments: let not the flower of our time pass by us. Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they be withered, let no meadow escape our riot, let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of our joy: for this is our portion and our lot. Let us oppress the poor man, and not spare the widow, nor honour the ancient grey hairs of the aged. Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be worth nothing. (Wis 2:5-11). The Rebellious Angels reinforce Satan's ploy and sing soothingly: You will have peace no evil will come to you (Jer 23:17).

Jesus rebukes them by singing:  Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes and prudent in your own conceits (Isa 5:21). Woe to you who call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Isa 5:20). Woe to him that saith to his father, why begetted thou? And to the woman, why doest thou bring forth? (Isa 45:10). Ask of me of things to come concerning my children. Give ye charge to me (Isa 45:11). The Angels of God boldly warn: Your league with death shall be abolished,  your covenant with hell shall not stand (Isa 28:18).

As God's children, we are challenged to grow God's Kingdom within ourselves and express it in our relationships with the external world. Our allegiance defines who we are and our spiritual attributes. In the beautiful language of Scripture, spiritual groups are identified: The Children of Pride (Job 41:25), The Just (Gn 18:25), The Unjust (Ps 5:6), The Sheep (Mt 25:32), The Flock (Ez 34:10), The Wicked (Gn 18:23), The Mighty (Job 6:23), The Strong (Ex 15:11), The Children of Men (Ps 11:2), and even Them that Hate Me (Ex 20:5) and Them that Love Me (Ex 20:6), in reference to the internal disposition of the soul to God.

Spiritually, one's place of origin, race and culture, education, work, and economic or social status is not as important as one's internal choice of orientation toward God or away from Him: the spiritual closeness or distance the soul has chosen in its relationship with God and with the external world. 

Like Jesus in the crowd, we are not at first distinguishable in the sea of humanity, but we can choose to grow the Kingdom of God within us. And like Jesus, when He was tempted by Satan, we can choose to consistently align with God's authority and loving precepts and reject the harsh values of the world.

Baptized into God's Kingdom, we can allow the Kingdom of God to flourish in our own souls: we can learn to look beyond external attributes to discern the spiritual presence of the Kingdom of God in others. With our souls rooted in God and with His Kingdom growing within us, as surely as the tender tendrils of a root unfurl, we will grow in Jesus's Way of Peace, intertwined together, as one global community, actualizing God's Kingdom come to earth.

 

The Rosary for World Peace

 . . . be part of the PEACE!

 

*All Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible: Douay Rheims version. www.drbo.org

© 2013 Exposition Management International