Changes

When the [[Dominican]] Alan of Rupe, ''Alain de Roche'', a disciple of [[Saint Dominic]], founded the first Rosary Confraternity, he also instituted the more modern form of the rosary. With that he launched the Dominican Order as being the foremost of preachers and missionaries of the Rosary, during the [[Albigensians|Albigensian Crusade]] in Europe against the [[Cathar]]s. The form he favored was to refer a special thought for each bead of the Rosary, in preference to a single meditative thought for the whole, which he called the "old" Rosary. The prayer form of 150 special thoughts for the 150 "Hail Mary"s spread rapidly throughout Western Christendom.<ref>In Eastern Christendom, among the Orthodox faithful, another form of prayer with a string of beads became widespread, ''The Jesus Prayer'' from the [http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Philokalia.pdf ''Philokalia'']. This particular repeated devotional-prayer of petition, also using an implement of (usually) 100 beads similar but not identical in form to the western Rosary implement, says, "'''Oh, my Lord Jesus Christ, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.''" Hindus and Moslems have copied this form of prayer-tool also using beads of varying numbers up to 99 or more.</ref> This form of meditation, with 150 different thoughts, one for each bead, was gradually abandoned as the Christian world transitioned to the [[Renaissance]].

When the [[Dominican]] Alan of Rupe, ''Alain de Roche'', a disciple of [[Saint Dominic]], founded the first Rosary Confraternity, he also instituted the more modern form of the rosary. With that he launched the Dominican Order as being the foremost of preachers and missionaries of the Rosary, during the [[Albigensians|Albigensian Crusade]] in Europe against the [[Cathar]]s. The form he favored was to refer a special thought for each bead of the Rosary, in preference to a single meditative thought for the whole, which he called the "old" Rosary. The prayer form of 150 special thoughts for the 150 "Hail Mary"s spread rapidly throughout Western Christendom.<ref>In Eastern Christendom, among the Orthodox faithful, another form of prayer with a string of beads became widespread, ''The Jesus Prayer'' from the [http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Philokalia.pdf ''Philokalia'']. This particular repeated devotional-prayer of petition, also using an implement of (usually) 100 beads similar but not identical in form to the western Rosary implement, says, "'''Oh, my Lord Jesus Christ, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.''" Hindus and Moslems have copied this form of prayer-tool also using beads of varying numbers up to 99 or more.</ref> This form of meditation, with 150 different thoughts, one for each bead, was gradually abandoned as the Christian world transitioned to the [[Renaissance]].

In 1500 for the first time, inexpensive woodblock prints could be made of pictures of the events meditated upon in praying the Rosary. Since the vast majority of the common people were still illiterate these picture rosaries were immensely popular, as a form of directed meditation on the events of our salvation, much easier than attempting to memorize them. But it was difficult and expensive to draw and then print reproductions of 150 different pictures for each of the 150 Hail Marys for each new edition. The ten pictures for each of the ten thoughts in each decade were printed around the words and picture of the Our Father at the beginning of each decade. This was the time of the printing of the [[Gutenberg Bible]] and the beginning of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. It was also the century of the reported 1531 apparition in Mexico of [[Our Lady of Guadalupe]]. But gradually, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the use of 150 distinct meditative thoughts gradually died out, and only the 15 brief Our Father thoughts, one for each entire decade of 10 Hail Marys, were printed in the picture rosaries. These fifteen became known as the mysteries of the rosary, because they directly represent the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption in the lives of Jesus and Mary for our salvation. A Christian mystery is a reality that is not against the human understanding, or violates human intelligence, but it also surpasses and is above it.<ref>There are many things in [[science]] too which are known, but which have not been fully explained, and remain mysterious. See for example [[Mind/Body]] and [[Gravitation]].</ref>

In 1500 for the first time, inexpensive woodblock prints could be made of pictures of the events meditated upon in praying the Rosary. Since the vast majority of the common people were still illiterate these picture rosaries were immensely popular, as a form of directed meditation on the events of our salvation, much easier than attempting to memorize them. But it was difficult and expensive to draw and then print reproductions of 150 different pictures for each of the 150 Hail Marys for each new edition. The ten pictures for each of the ten thoughts in each decade were printed around the words and picture of the Our Father at the beginning of each decade. This was the time of the printing of the [[Gutenberg Bible]] and the beginning of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. It was also the century of the reported 1531 apparition in Mexico of [[Our Lady of Guadalupe]]. But gradually, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the use of 150 distinct meditative thoughts gradually died out, and only the 15 brief Our Father thoughts, one for each entire decade of 10 Hail Marys, were printed in the picture rosaries. These fifteen became known as the mysteries of the rosary, because they directly represent the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption in the lives of Jesus and Mary for our salvation. A Christian mystery is a reality that is not against the human understanding, or violates human intelligence, but it also surpasses and is above it.<ref>There are many things in [[science]] too which are known, but which have not been fully explained, and remain mysterious. See for example [http://listverse.com/2013/02/28/10-unsolved-mysteries-of-science/ 10 Unsolved Mysteries of Science] and [[Gravitation]].</ref>

The [[Sign of the Cross]] and the [[Apostles' Creed]] were added to the beginning of the rosary by the authority of the [[Magisterium]] of the Church, as an affirmation of the fullness of the orthodox and [[catholic]] Christian faith and to prevent superstitious abuse of a sacramental<ref>"superstitious abuse of a sacramental". The added emphasis on orienting the recitation of the Rosary to orthodox Christian doctrine in the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed at the very beginning of the prayer, was pastorally mandated as a counter to any tendency on the part of ignorant people to turn it into a [[Superstition|superstitious]] [[Magic|talisman]] divorced and separated from God, the uttering of [[magic]]al words, apart from Christ and the Church, and to remind them of the faith in God they should always profess and give witness to. A sacramental is devotional practice or a religious object blessed in the name of God, officially approved by the Magisterium which predisposes the individual who uses it properly to live a life of grace, as does reverent Bible-reading and other acts of [[piety]].</ref>. The addition of the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed along with three Hail Mary prayers, one each for an increase of [[Faith]], an increase of [[Hope]], and an increase of [[Charity]], in the world and in one's own life as a Christian, as a preparatory introduction before beginning the series of 5 or 15 decades, and a "Glory Be" at the end of each decade—  

The [[Sign of the Cross]] and the [[Apostles' Creed]] were added to the beginning of the rosary by the authority of the [[Magisterium]] of the Church, as an affirmation of the fullness of the orthodox and [[catholic]] Christian faith and to prevent superstitious abuse of a sacramental<ref>"superstitious abuse of a sacramental". The added emphasis on orienting the recitation of the Rosary to orthodox Christian doctrine in the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed at the very beginning of the prayer, was pastorally mandated as a counter to any tendency on the part of ignorant people to turn it into a [[Superstition|superstitious]] [[Magic|talisman]] divorced and separated from God, the uttering of [[magic]]al words, apart from Christ and the Church, and to remind them of the faith in God they should always profess and give witness to. A sacramental is devotional practice or a religious object blessed in the name of God, officially approved by the Magisterium which predisposes the individual who uses it properly to live a life of grace, as does reverent Bible-reading and other acts of [[piety]].</ref>. The addition of the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed along with three Hail Mary prayers, one each for an increase of [[Faith]], an increase of [[Hope]], and an increase of [[Charity]], in the world and in one's own life as a Christian, as a preparatory introduction before beginning the series of 5 or 15 decades, and a "Glory Be" at the end of each decade—