THE HOLY ROSARY

This Catholic stained glass window is centered on the Holy Rosary. The rosary probably began as a practice by the laity to imitate the monastic Divine Office (Breviary or Liturgy of the Hours), during the course of which the monks daily prayed the 150 Psalms. The laity, many of whom could not read, substituted 50, or even 150, Ave Marias (Hail Marys) for the Psalms. This prayer, at least the first half of it so directly biblically, seems to date from as early as the 2nd century, as ancient graffiti at Christian sites has suggested. Sometimes a cord with knots on it was used to keep an accurate count of the Aves.

The first clear historical reference to the rosary, however, is from the life of St. Dominic (died in 1221), the founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans. He preached a form of the rosary in France at the time that the Albigensian heresy was devastating the Faith there. Tradition has it that the Blessed Mother herself asked for the practice as an antidote for heresy and sin.

Many Popes and saints have written about the Rosary Here are a few of their quotes: "Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary" (Pope Pius IX),"Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world" (Our Lady of Fátima),"There is no surer means of calling down God's blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the Rosary" (Pope Pius XII), "The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world" (Pope John XXIII),"The Rosary is the compendium of the entire Gospel" (Pope Paul VI quoting Pope Pius XII). Pope John Paul II has called the Rosary his "favorite prayer," after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.

      At the top of the window is a dove surrounded by tongues of fire. The dove represents the Holy Spirit and the tongues of fire represent the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. Below the central image are three ovals. The one on the left contains the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The one on the right contains the Book of the Gospels, which as Pope Paul said is a compendium of the entire Gospel. The central oval contains and ancient symbol of Mary. On top of the outer frame are seven fire-like winged shapes that represent the seven spirits (angels) of God that surround his throne in the book of Revelation.  The twenty light blue circles in the border around the window represent the twenty mysteries of the rosary, which is a contemplative prayer of the life of Jesus, Mary. The eighteen yellow, orange, red diamond like shapes in between the rosary beads represent the angels who rejoice in the devout recitation

of the Rosary.