The Luminous Mysteries?

Sometimes new things are helpful, sometimes they are not. I usually appreciate anything that helps us to delve deeper into our faith and find a greater love for God. Yet, with that said, I must admit I do not appreciate the Luminous Mysteries being added to the rosary 21 years ago (yes, they are that recent). I do not mean that I do not like the mysteries themselves; those events in the life of Christ are wonderful to reflect on. It is rather that I do not like that they were added to the rosary and how it was done.

Let me explain why. It is mostly an issue of orderliness and calendar patterns. The older form of the mysteries was as follows: the mystery said for Sundays was according to the season. Then the rest of the week was two repetitions of Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and repeat on Thursday, Friday, Saturday). With this pattern there was a consistent chronology through the week, and Sunday had a seasonal focus so that we could remember what was the primary focus of the Church calendar.

Unfortunately, the new addition of the luminous mysteries to the rosary breaks that pattern and is a bit chaotic. It is certainly not chronological. I know that St. Pope John Paul II did not intend chaos; I am just as certain he desired to increase the devotion of the faithful. Yet, the modern Church has quite a bit of chaos, and including this disjointed pattern into the mix only adds to our lack of orderliness.

The modern pattern (with the added luminous mysteries) is somewhat confused with no change in relation to the season, and only a minimal amount of chronological order in the middle of the week [glorious, joyful, sorrowful, glorious, luminous, sorrowful, joyful]. I am not saying that it is wrong to use the luminous mysteries when you say the rosary (that would be insubordinate and prideful). I only am seeking to point out that sometimes there are unseen consequences of decisions that are made.

Thankfully when the Pope gave them, he said clearly that it was optional and not required. I opt not to use them as I enjoy the pattern of the more traditional form. So if you are there when I say the rosary sometime do not be surprised if I do not use the mystery that goes with the modern order. When you say the rosary yourself, whether you use the modern form with the luminous mysteries or not, seek to include order and consistency in your faith.