Saturday 30th August - Sunday 7th September 2025
- bostallpark
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TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME– CYCLE C
SUNDAY 31ST AUGUST 2025
ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE BY POPE JOHN PAUL II (part 11)
“FOR ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST”
The Rosary, a way of assimilating the mystery
26. Meditation on the mysteries of Christ is proposed in the Rosary by means of a method designed to assist in their assimilation. It is a method based on repetition. This applies above all to the Hail Mary, repeated ten times in each mystery. If this repetition is considered superficially, there could be a temptation to see the Rosary as a dry and boring exercise. It is quite another thing, however, when the Rosary is thought of as an outpouring of that love which tirelessly returns to the person loved with expressions similar in their content but ever fresh in terms of the feeling pervading them.
In Christ, God has truly assumed a “heart of flesh”. Not only does God have a divine heart, rich in mercy and in forgiveness, but also a human heart, capable of all the stirrings of affection. If we needed evidence for this from the Gospel, we could easily find it in the touching dialogue between Christ and Peter after the Resurrection: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Three times this question is put to Peter, and three times he gives the reply: “Lord, you know that I love you” (cf. Jn 21:15-17). Over and above the specific meaning of this passage, so important for Peter's mission, none can fail to recognize the beauty of this triple repetition, in which the insistent request and the corresponding reply are expressed in terms familiar from the universal experience of human love. To understand the Rosary, one has to enter into the psychological dynamic proper to love.
One thing is clear: although the repeated Hail Mary is addressed directly to Mary, it is to Jesus that the act of love is ultimately directed, with her and through her. The repetition is nourished by the desire to be conformed ever more completely to Christ, the true programme of the Christian life. Saint Paul expressed this project with words of fire: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). And again: “It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). The Rosary helps us to be conformed ever more closely to Christ until we attain true holiness.
A valid method...
27. We should not be surprised that our relationship with Christ makes use of a method. God communicates himself to us respecting our human nature and its vital rhythms. Hence, while Christian spirituality is familiar with the most sublime forms of mystical silence in which images, words and gestures are all, so to speak, superseded by an intense and ineffable union with God, it normally engages the whole person in all his complex psychological, physical and relational reality.
This becomes apparent in the Liturgy. Sacraments and sacramentals are structured as a series of rites which bring into play all the dimensions of the person. The same applies to non-liturgical prayer. This is confirmed by the fact that, in the East, the most characteristic prayer of Christological meditation, centred on the words “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”(34) is traditionally linked to the rhythm of breathing; while this practice favours perseverance in the prayer, it also in some way embodies the desire for Christ to become the breath, the soul and the “all” of one's life.
... which can nevertheless be improved
28. I mentioned in my Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte that the West is now experiencing a renewed demand for meditation, which at times leads to a keen interest in aspects of other religions. (35) Some Christians, limited in their knowledge of the Christian contemplative tradition, are attracted by those forms of prayer. While the latter contain many elements, which are positive and at times compatible with Christian experience, they are often based on ultimately unacceptable premises. Much in vogue among these approaches are methods aimed at attaining a high level of spiritual concentration by using techniques of a psychophysical, repetitive and symbolic nature. The Rosary is situated within this broad gamut of religious phenomena, but it is distinguished by characteristics of its own which correspond to specifically Christian requirements.
In effect, the Rosary is simply a method of contemplation. As a method, it serves as a means to an end and cannot become an end in itself. All the same, as the fruit of centuries of experience, this method should not be undervalued. In its favour one could cite the experience of countless Saints. This is not to say, however, that the method cannot be improved. Such is the intent of the addition of the new series of mysteria lucis to the overall cycle of mysteries and of the few suggestions which I am proposing in this Letter regarding its manner of recitation. These suggestions, while respecting the well-established structure of this prayer, are intended to help the faithful to understand it in the richness of its symbolism and in harmony with the demands of daily life. Otherwise there is a risk that the Rosary would not only fail to produce the intended spiritual effects, but even that the beads, with which it is usually said, could come to be regarded as some kind of amulet or magic object, thereby radically distorting their meaning and function.
Announcing each mystery
29. Announcing each mystery, and perhaps even using a suitable icon to portray it, is as it were to open up a scenario on which to focus our attention. The words direct the imagination and the mind towards a particular episode or moment in the life of Christ. In the Church's traditional spirituality, the veneration of icons and the many devotions appealing to the senses, as well as the method of prayer proposed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises, make use of visual and imaginative elements (the compositio loci), judged to be of great help in concentrating the mind on the particular mystery. This is a methodology, moreover, which corresponds to the inner logic of the Incarnation: in Jesus, God wanted to take on human features. It is through his bodily reality that we are led into contact with the mystery of his divinity.
This need for concreteness finds further expression in the announcement of the various mysteries of the Rosary. Obviously, these mysteries neither replace the Gospel nor exhaust its content. The Rosary, therefore, is no substitute for lectio divina; on the contrary, it presupposes and promotes it. Yet, even though the mysteries contemplated in the Rosary, even with the addition of the mysteria lucis, do no more than outline the fundamental elements of the life of Christ, they easily draw the mind to a more expansive reflection on the rest of the Gospel, especially when the Rosary is prayed in a setting of prolonged recollection.
Listening to the word of God
30. In order to supply a Biblical foundation and greater depth to our meditation, it is helpful to follow the announcement of the mystery with the proclamation of a related Biblical passage, long or short, depending on the circumstances. No other words can ever match the efficacy of the inspired word. As we listen, we are certain that this is the word of God, spoken for today and spoken “for me”.
If received in this way, the word of God can become part of the Rosary's methodology of repetition without giving rise to the ennui derived from the simple recollection of something already well known. It is not a matter of recalling information but of allowing God to speak. In certain solemn communal celebrations, this word can be appropriately illustrated by a brief commentary.
To be continued.
PARISH NOTICES
EVERY LIFE MATTERS. JOIN THE FIGHTBACK.
After this year’s parliamentary votes on abortion & assisted suicide it is clear that life is under attack at every stage. You can join the fightback by joining the March for life on the 6th September in London and/or requesting a SPUC action pack. Please see the posters in the porch for more information and take a postcard to receive your action pack. Please continue to pray for the sanctity of life.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PARISH FAMILY FUN DAY – 14TH SEPTEMBER 2025.
Please save the date.
There will be a BBQ, games, bouncy castle, ice cream truck, stalls and much more for all the family to enjoy. At the end of the day, the parish social club will be open in the hall who will be having a family pub quiz. All are welcome. If you would like to have a stall or can donate cakes and refreshments please email bostallpark@rcaos.org.uk. Donations for raffle prizes, bottles and more can be brought to the house and left with Melissa or the parish priest. If you are able to volunteer in any way, please contact the parish office. Please see the poster in the porch.
DAY FOR READERS & EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST. The day retreat for parish Readers & Eucharistic Ministers is on Saturday 18th October at St. Stephen’s Church, Welling. Please inform the parish office if you are able to attend as soon as possible. Please bring a packed lunch.
PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO ST. JUDE’S SHRINE, FAVERSHAM – 25TH OCTOBER 2025.
The parish is organising a parish pilgrimage to St. Jude’s Shrine in Faversham, Kent on Saturday 25th October. There will be a coach taking pilgrims from the Church which costs £10 per adult & £5 per child under 14 years old. Please speak to the parish priest if you have any questions or can help to sponsor any pilgrims who are unable to finance their pilgrimage
PARISH GROUPS NOTICES
MARIAN MARRIAGE CIRCLE (MMC).
This is a gathering of young Catholic singles eager to learn and develop their love & relationship skills. It’s open to all Catholics of any nationality from 21yrs or working class (at least 18yrs). It aims to create a Christian culture that encourages relationships that lead to marriage & happy family life. Come let us place our relationships at the feet of Mary! To join the WhatsApp, kindly send a text to: +447424269423 (this number does not accept phone calls) The first webinar through Zoom will be on Sunday 7th September at 7:15pm. Meeting ID: 879 7124 6953 Passcode: 585828
Ave Maria!
UCM MEETING.
The next meeting of the UCM will be on Saturday 20th September in the hall.
New members are always welcome.
LUNCH CLUB.
The lunch club are returning on the 4th September at 12.30pm in the hall.
LEGION OF MARY.
Every Monday at 7pm in the porch. New members welcome.
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Saturday 30th August
R Ss. Margaret Clitherow, Anne Line & Margaret Ward
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. Dominick Mancuso TG
G TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
6.30 p.m. Lorraine D’Souza TG
Sunday 31st August G
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Maisy Nunes for her 75th birthday
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Godwin Owoicho Otene RIP
Monday 1st September
G Feria
No Public Mass Today
Tuesday 2nd September
G Feria
7 p.m. Daily Rosary
7.30 p.m. Richard Rideout RIP
Wednesday 3rd September
W St. Gregory the Great
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. Holy Souls
Thursday 4th September
G Feria
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. Priests & Vocations to the Priesthood
Friday 5th September
G Feria
9.30 a.m. Rosary for the Dead
10.00 a.m. Bernadette Fernandes TG & WB
Saturday 6th September
W Memorial of the BVM
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. K. C. George RIP (22nd Ann.)
G TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
6.30 p.m. Holy Souls
Sunday 7th September G
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Christian Pereira TG PI
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Assumpta TG