Should they, together with the Holy Rosary, be discarded simply because
they are of relatively recent composition?
What is important is whether the doctrines contained in the prayers of the
Holy Rosary are found in or are consistent with the Bible. In general,
mainstream Protestants would have no objection to the contents of the
Apostles’ Creed, which is the first prayer of the Rosary. Nor would any
reasonable Protestant object to the Lord’s Prayer, the Trinitarian Doxology
(the Glory Be)² or the contents of the ‘O my Jesus’ prayer³. The only real
problems for Protestants are the prayers commonly known as the ‘Hail
Mary’ and the ‘Hail, Holy Queen.’ Protestant objection to the Holy Rosary
is essentially tied up with Protestant objection to Marian devotion in
general. This is not the place to give a detailed defense of Marian devotion.
All that needs to be said is that the Hail Mary and the Hail Holy Queen are
simply intercessory prayers, having their foundation and legitimacy in the
doctrine of the Communion of Saints (1 Cor. 12:26-27; St. Luke 15:10;
Heb. 12:1).
Second objection: “Catholics think that counting beads is going to get
them to heaven!”
Those who do not know what the Holy Rosary is often dismiss it as
“counting beads.” The Holy Rosary is a prayer primarily to the Virgin
Mary that is both oral and mental. The Holy Rosary in its entirety recalls
twenty events (otherwise known as “mysteries” because of their sublimity)
in the lives of Jesus and Mary that each teach a lesson in faith and virtue.
These mysteries are divided into four groups of five. The first group is
called the Joyful Mysteries (because of their joyous nature), the second the
Luminous Mysteries (because they commemorate Christ’s revealing of
Himself and the announcement of His Kingdom), the third the Sorrowful
Mysteries (because they commemorate Our Lord in His passion and death)
and the fourth the Glorious Mysteries (because they commemorate the
2
“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it
was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.”
3
“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to
heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.”
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