Then the inspiration hit...could we transfer one shield design to the other and have a heraldry-inspired rosary?
Luckily I happened to have a few different color beads on hand, including the right ones for the coat of arms of my childhood archdiocese of Philadelphia:
In case you want to try designing your own heraldic rosaries, here is a full-page template that you can print out and color. I've left the crucifix/medal out so you can draw that in yourself.
A revision was definitely necessary. The old version manufactures a precision which is neither in the Biblical text itself nor in the chronographers’ interpretations thereof. Anyone who has worked with Biblical chronology knows well how murky it can be--mainly because the Bible does not give us a solid chronology but merely implies one. Actually, the Bible actually implies several chronologies, as the Septuagint, Masoretic, and Samaritan recensions differ, often substantially.
Yet I don't think the revised Christmas Proclamation has quite solved the problem. In fact, it has imposed novelties of its own. Instead of exaggerated precision, it imposes an exaggerated ambiguity which seems completely divorced from Scripture: "unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth", and "several thousand years after the flood". Whatever we may think of the improved scientific accuracy behind the new Proclamation, we cannot lose sight of its liturgical purpose, which is to recap the whole of salvation history that has led us to the singular event of the Incarnation. Salvation history, of course, belongs more to the domain of Scripture than science, so it is rather odd in a liturgical context to suddenly throw the Scriptural text overboard and insert the language of cosmology.
There is, I think, a better way to revise the traditional Proclamation.
First, the Creation has to be dated not according to shaky chronologies cobbled together from the ages of the Patriarchs, but according to the same time scale that is operative in Genesis 1: the Six Days of Creation. A reader may take these days as either six 24-hour periods or unfathomably long ages--"days of the Lord"--but for the purposes of the Proclamation it is immaterial. The point is that they mean in the Martyrology the same thing they mean in Genesis, and that the Incarnation can be pinpointed to that seventh day--or age--when the Lord rested after he had created and adorned the Universe.
The second problem is the dating of the Deluge. Modern attempts to date the Flood range all over prehistory, which is why the new Proclamation is so vague on the point: "several thousand years". But these alternative theories, though intriguing and suitably cataclysmic, have no obvious connection to the Genesis account. It seems better to simply bring in the Deluge accounts of Mesopotamia, which almost everyone admits are closely related traditions that the Hebrews would have been familiar with and perhaps made use of in compiling Genesis. If the Scripture and the Mesopotamian texts indeed refer to the same event, then the Martyrology’s dating and the archaeology of Shuruppak (where the Sumerian flood legendarily occurred) are in agreement: 3000-2900 B.C. The flood at Shuruppak may not be the universal cataclysm we expect, but it is worth remembering that it was cataclysmic enough to be remembered and sung about for thousands of years. Until the matter is settled, I see no compelling reason to depart from the date as given.
From Abraham on, the problems of dating become much less pronounced. The chronographers may be off by a hundred years in any direction, but the approximate time periods are fairly well established, and the revisers of the Proclamation no doubt felt comfortable with them. Abraham, Moses, and David can be associated with dates around 2000, 1500, and 1000 B.C. respectively. The new Proclamation uses the term "centuries" rather than "years", which is not a bad solution, though the same ends could probably be achieved by simply reducing the significant figures in the traditional Proclamation: 2000 years, 1500 years, and 1000 years. Either solution is satisfactory, though the latter retains more of the traditional language.
After citing the prophetic weeks of Daniel, even the new Proclamation becomes very specific, with exact years being cited. But here, unlike previously, we have a good idea of the dates from non-Biblical sources. It seems best to simply leave the text as is. For instance, it is unclear when Rome was actually founded, but 753 BC was the traditional date as it was understood in antiquity.
Applying these principles, here is a proposed revision of the Christmas Proclamation of the Roman Martyrology:
In the seventh day of the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created heaven and earth; three thousand years from the flood; two thousand years from the birth of Abraham; one thousand five hundred years from Moses and the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt; one thousand years from the anointing of King David; in the sixty-fifth week, according to the prophecy of Daniel; in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; in the year seven hundred and fifty-two from the founding of the city of Rome; in the forty-second year of the empire of Octavian Augustus, when the whole earth was at peace, in the sixth age of the world, Jesus Christ, eternal God, and Son of the eternal Father, desirous to sanctify the world by His most merciful coming, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and nine months having elapsed since His conception, is born in Bethlehem of Juda, having become man of the Virgin Mary.—THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH.
Each of the eight triads begins with its own catechetical text to meditate on and consider prayerfully.
HOW TO PRAY THE CHAPLET
On the cross, make the Sign of the Cross.
On the bead before each triad, say the appropriate Meditation (see below), then the following prayers:
On the first bead of each triad say the Our Father.
On the second bead of each triad say the Hail Mary.
On the third bead of each triad say the Glory Be.
End each triad with an invocation of one of the martyrs.
MEDITATIONS
The First Triad: the Ten Commandments
1. I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before
me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness
of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor
of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt
not adore them, nor serve them.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor thy father and thy mother.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. Jean de Brébeuf, pray for us.
The Second Triad: The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Our Father….
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. Isaac Jogues, pray for us.
The Third Triad: The Theological Virtues
1. Faith, the Divine virtue by which we firmly believe the truths which God has revealed.
2. Hope, the Divine virtue by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal life and the means to obtain it.
3. Charity, the Divine virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
Our Father….
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. Gabriel Lalemant, pray for us.
The Fourth Triad: The Four Last Things
1. Death, the separation of the soul from the body.
2. Judgment, in which Christ will judge us immediately after our death, and on the last day.
3. Hell, the state to which the wicked are condemned, and in which they are deprived of the sight of God for all eternity, and are in dreadful torments.
4. Heaven, the state of everlasting life in which we see God face to face, are made like unto Him in glory, and enjoy eternal happiness.
Our Father….
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. Anthony Daniel, pray for us.
The Fifth Triad: The Precepts of the Church
1. To hear Mass on Sundays and holydays of obligation.
2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed.
3. To confess at least once a year.
4. To receive the Holy Eucharist during the Easter time.
5. To contribute to the support of our pastors.
Our Father….
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. Charles Garnier, pray for us.
The Sixth Triad: The Capital Sins and their Opposing Virtues
1. Pride, the excessive love of our own ability.
2. Covetousness, the excessive desire for worldly things.
3. Lust, the excessive desire for the sinful pleasures forbidden by the Sixth Commandment.
4. Anger, an excessive emotion of the mind excited against any person or thing, or an excessive desire for revenge.
5. Gluttony, the excessive desire for food or drink.
6. Envy, the feeling of sorrow at another's good fortune and joy at the evil which befalls him.
7. Sloth, a laziness of the mind and body, through which we neglect our duties.
Humility is opposed to pride; generosity to covetousness; chastity to lust; meekness to anger; temperance to gluttony; brotherly love to envy, and diligence to sloth.
Our Father….
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. Noël Chabanel, pray for us.
The Seventh Triad: The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
1. To feed the hungry
2. to give drink to the thirsty
3. to clothe the naked
4. to ransom the captive
5. to shelter the homeless
6. to visit the sick,
7. and to bury the dead.
1. To admonish the sinner
2. to instruct the ignorant
3. to counsel the doubtful
4. to comfort the sorrowful
5. to bear wrongs patiently
6. to forgive all injuries
7. and to pray for the living and the dead.
Our Father….
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. René Goupil, pray for us.
The Eighth Triad: The Beatitudes
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.
3. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
8. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Our Father….
Hail Mary…
Glory Be...
St. John de la Lande, pray for us.
When all the triads are concluded, recite the Collect of the North American Martyrs:
O God, who didst consecrate the first-fruits of the faith in the northern regions of America by the preaching and blood of Thy blessed martyrs John, Isaac and their companions: vouchsafe unto us, we beseech Thee, that through their intercession the fruitful harvest of Christians may everywhere daily receive an increase. Amen.
Notes
A prominent example of the kinds of prayers and catechesis used by the Canadian missionaries is found in the Ledesma Catechism translated into Huron by St. Jean de Brebeuf. The Jesuit Relations often mentions such prayers and texts three of the most typical are the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Creed. We also have a set of Piscataway prayers from the Maryland mission, written by the English Jesuit Andrew White.
The catechetical texts in this chaplet are taken from the Baltimore Catechism, with the occasional emendation. I have included the Beatitudes as a meditation, although they so not seem to have been commonly taught by the Jesuit missionaries, because they are more appropriate as devotions for the praying Catholic than, say, a factual list for catechumens such as the Seven Sacraments.
"Raising her hands and eyes to heaven in a spirit of the most humble submission to the decrees of Providence, she repeated the words, "May the most just, the most high, and the most amiable will of God be accomplished forever !" She then requested one of her attendants to recite for her the favorite prayer, "Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me," &c. ; but the sister, overpowered by her grief, not being able to proceed, Mother Seton continued the prayer herself. Her last words were the sacred names of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, to whom she yielded her heart, her spirit, her life, to whose care she committed her last agony, and in whose blessed company she hoped to repose forever." - Charles I. White, "Life of Mrs. Eliza A Seton…"The overall theme for this chaplet is resignation to the will of God. In the arrangement of beads, I have chosen 5 sets of 10 beads, thus matching the Dominican rosary. Here, though, the symbolism is of St. Elizabeth's motherhood: the number of decades recall her 5 natural children, and the total number of beads in those decades recall the approximately 50 Sisters of Charity at the time of her death.
On the cross is said the Creed.
On the first bead is said the Our Father.
On each of the three following beads is said the Hail Mary.
On the next single bead is said the Glory Be.
Before each decade is said the Anima Christi:
O Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water of the side of Christ, purify me.
Passion of Christ, comfort me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy sacred wounds shelter me.
Never suffer me to be separated from Thee.
From the malice of my enemies defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me.
Command me to come to Thee,
That with Thy saints,
I may praise Thee forever and ever.
Amen.
On each of the 10 small beads of the decade is recited either:
May the most just, the most high, and the most amiable will of God be accomplished forever!After each decade is said:
--or-- May the most just, the most high, and the most amiable will of God be in all things fulfilled, praised, and exalted above all, forever.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart, my soul, and my life.At the end of the chaplet is said the Collect for her feast day:St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
O God, who crowned with the gift of true faith Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's burning zeal to find Thee, grant by her intercession and example that we may always seek Thee with diligent love and find Thee in daily service with sincere faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.Notes
The English text of the Anima Christi is taken from St. Vincent's Manual, a prayer book for the Sisters of Charity. However, another version of the Anima Christi (really Anima Jesu "Soul of Jesus") is said to have been authored by St. Elizabeth for Corpus Christi in 1816. A prayer very like it is found in an Ursuline devotional book from 1830, and similar aspirations are found in St. Vincent's Manual as well (see the above link, under "Other devout aspirations"). It can be used as a variant.
The prayer of resignation to the Will of God, originally authored by Pius VII, appears in virtually every biography of St. Elizabeth in the short form cited above. But a letter written by Bruté to Elizabeth's daughter cites the full prayer as one of her favorites: "May the most just, the most high, and the most amiable will of God be in all things fulfilled, praised, and exalted above all, forever." (Fiat, laudetur, atque in aeternum superexaltetur justissima, altissima, et amabilissima voluntas Dei in omnibus.) Personally, I prefer the fuller form for the chaplet, but as the shorter version seems to have a strong tradition of its own in the Setonian literature, it seems best to include it.
The third prayer is suggested in White's description but not quoted directly. However, it is quoted directly in St. Elizabeth's account of her daughter Annina's death.
