ROSARIUM

SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE

ROSARIUM

(Rose Garden)

Scrutatio 

for the 

 THE 20^th SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME/KINGDOMTIDE/TIME OF THE CHURCH 

Readings from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer
Exodus 22:21-27 / Psalm 1 / I Thessalonians 2:1-8 / Matthew 22:34-46

  

Readings for the Pauline/Vatican II Rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Exodus  22:20-26 / Psalm 18:2-3a, 3b-4 and 47+51 / I Thessalonians  1:5c-10 / Matthew 22:34-40

FOR THE TRIDENTINE/EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF 

THE  FEAST OF JESUS CHRIST THE SOVEREIGN KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

Introit: Revelations 5:12 and Psalm 72:1

Epistle: Colossians 1:12-20

Gradual and Alleluia: Psalm 89:26-29 and Daniel 7:14

Gospel 

John 18:33-37

Offertory: Psalm 2:8

Communion Antiphon: Psalm 29:10

The month of October is both the month of the Holy Rosary and the month of CHRIST THE KING for our beloved brothers and sisters who are enriched by the Extraordinary Form (a.k.a. Tridentine Rite) of the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Divine Liturgy of the Most Sublime Sacrifice of the Mass.

For today’s scrutatio, I would like us to look at the beauty of this prayer, dubbed as the “breviary of the peasants” and the “divine office of the laity”, the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Blessed Lord and Sovereign Redeemer.

Though some of our friends would vehemently condemn this prayer by misquoting Matthew 6:7, they tend to forget that what JESUS was actually saying here is to not babble in prayer, and this is what we see in the original Koine Greek text of this same verse:

Προσευχόμενοι δὲ μὴ βατταλογήσητε, ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί; δοκοῦσιν γὰρ ὅτι ἐν τῇ πολυλογίᾳ αὐτῶν v

Proseuchomenoi de mē battalogēsēte, hōsper hoi ethnikoi; dokousin gar hoti en tē polylogia autōn eisakousthēsontai.

And when you are praying, do not babble as the pagans do; for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

We repeat the words of our prayers, not because we GOD can’t hear us, but rather we repeat the same words over and over again so that we may contemplate in our hearts and minds the beauty of HIS BOUNDLESS AND UNENDING LOVE AND MERCY, celebrating what HE HAS DONE FOR US, just like what we read in Psalm 136, that we may be reminded of HIS HOLINESS as we read in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8, and that we may be assured of HIS HELP AND GUIDANCE during our most difficult  and trying times, just like JESUS himself in Matthew 26:36-44.

In each LORD’S PRAYER/”OUR FATHER”, in each ANGELIC SALUTATION/”HAIL MARY” and in each DOXOLOGY/”GLORY BE”, in each MYSTERY OF OUR LORD’S LIFE, MINISTRY, SALVIFIC DEATH AND RESURRECTION as witnessed by OUR LADY, HIS VERY FIRST AND PERFECT DISCIPLE (Luke 2:19 and 51), we SAVOR GOD’S AWESOME WORK in the life of each and every one of us!

This is the ROSARY!

This is what we meditate upon and celebrate in our day to day lives!

And this is our own Catholic way of proclaiming, just like what the Psalmist would usually repeat over and over again in his 136^th Psalm:

“HIS LOVINGKINDNESS IS EVERLASTING!”

May this prayer not only be a mere empty reminder, but rather let it be a LIVING REMINISCING of JESUS' LIFE IN YOUR LIFE AND MINE!  

PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER S.J.

My God, I love thee; 

not because I hope for heaven thereby, 

nor yet because who love thee not are lost eternally. 

Thou, O my Jesus, 

thou didst me upon the cross embrace; 

for me didst bear the nails and spear, 

and manifold disgrace. 

And griefs and torments numberless and sweat of agony; 

even death itself, 

and all for one Who was thine enemy. 

Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ 

should I not love thee well? 

not for the hope of winning heaven, 

or of escaping hell. 

not with the hope of gaining aught, 

nor seeking a reward, 

but as thyself has lovèd me, 

O ever-loving Lord! 

Even so I love thee, and will love 

and in thy praise will sing, 

solely because thou art my God, 

and my eternal king.