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This year our Archdiocese will combine the celebration of BIBLE SUNDAY (13 July) and CATECHETICAL SUNDAY (14 September) into BIBLE and CATECHETICAL MONTH in July.
There will be a special month-long programme in all parishes on the Bible and Faith Formation in general. For this occasion, Archbishop John Ha, President of the Regional Biblical Commission (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei), has issued a pastoral letter entitled ‘The Rosary: A Compendium of the Gospel’.
In his Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, dated 16 October 2002, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, declared October 2002 to October 2003 as “The Year of the Rosary”. It is therefore most fitting for us on Bible Sunday this year to focus on the Rosary. And what more relevant theme could we have than what the Pope gives in a subheading in Chapter II of his letter: “The Rosary: ‘A Compendium of the Gospel’.”
Indeed, the mysteries of the Rosary offer in a nutshell Jesus Christ fulfilling God’s plan of salvation for fallen humankind – an event that took place not just in some distant past but also today. Meditating on them brings us deep joy. The Joyful Mysteries recall the Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. They assure us of God’s fidelity to his promise and plan of salvation as he brought it to fulfillment through his Son Jesus Christ. These mysteries also remind us that like Mary and Jesus himself, we have to keep on announcing the Good News to our fellow men and women – through our words and deeds, especially our actions of love and service to others.
Experience tells us that even as we do works of love and service, we often encounter difficulties and obstacles, pain and suffering, and at times, even hostility and rejection. The Sorrowful Mysteries place before our eyes Jesus’ own experience of a mounting opposition and rejection that finally led him to his death on the cross. As his disciples, we are called to carry our cross and follow him.
But Jesus’ death on the cross neither ended nor destroyed his work of salvation. In fact, it led to his resurrection to life. In this way, he conquered sin and death and brought us life – this is salvation. The Risen Lord continues to be present among his disciples through his Spirit and empowers them to continue his work of salvation. Meditating on the Glorious Mysteries, we see the meaning and goal of our Christian mission. We are also sustained in our faith and hope that all our pain and sorrow will end in physical death and that we will rise from the dead to share in his glory on the last day. Mary’s assumption and coronation in glory deepen our faith and strengthen our hope. As our devotion to her, we heed her only wish for all of us: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5) and imitate her example of letting it “be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
In the Luminous Mysteries, which the Pope has introduced, we are reminded that Jesus is the Light of the world. Anointed at his baptism, Jesus came to “change water into wine” – that is, to transform all fallen humankind into children of the Father. For this, humankind ought to “repent and believe the Good New”. In their transformed lives, all Christians share in the life of Jesus “the beloved Son of the Father” and feed on him as the “bread of life”. Sharing in Christ’s life, we are called to be “salt of the earth and light of the world” (Mt 5: 13,14) and to let our light “shine before men, that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
It is very clear that the mysteries of the Rosary are very Christ-centered. Meditating on these mysteries must urge us to want to know Christ more as well as to respond to his word better. In our devotion to her, Mary, our Blessed Mother, continues to tell us, “Do whatever he tells you”.
Mary’s position and role are oriented towards the mission of Jesus Christ, her son. All this means that no devotion to the Rosary and indeed to our Blessed Mother is genuine if it does not create in us a deep thirst for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. To quench this thirst of ours, we need to go to the Scriptures. For, the Scriptures reveal Jesus Christ and his word. The Rosary could never be a “compendium of the Gospel” without the full Gospel. True love for the “Compendium of the Gospel” in the Rosary must necessarily make us thirst for the full Gospel in the Scriptures.
On Bible Sunday in the year dedicated to the Rosary, the point that a genuine Rosary devotion must yield a desire for God’s Word in the Scriptures strikes hard as a criterion to evaluate our attitude towards the Rosary. More positively, our devotion to the Rosary must make us determined to commit ourselves to reading, praying and living out God’s Word faithfully. May Mary, our Blessed Mother, accompany us in this commitment of ours. Through her intercession may our Rosary devotion bring about a true and attentive listening to the Word of God not just in the mysteries we contemplate but also in the entire Scriptures. Like her, may we give a whole-hearted response to this Word of God in life. In this way, may we find ourselves transformed into the “light of the world and salt of the earth” and announce the Good News to others.
Archbishop John Ha
President
Regional Biblical Commission
Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei
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