Patrick Peyton - Father Peytons Rosary Prayer Book

FATHER PEYTONS
ROSARY PRAYER BOOK

Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC

The family that prays together
stays together

IGNATIUS PRESS SAN FRANCISCO

Original edition 1953, 1954, 1980,
1991, 1996, 2000 and 2001
by The Family Rosary, Inc.
All rights reserved

Original edition published by
Holy Cross Family Ministries
518 Washington Street
North Easton, MA 02356-1200
800-299-PRAY

Cover design by The Family Rosary, Inc.
2003 The Family Rosary, Inc.
Revised 2005
Published in 2003 Ignatius Press, San Francisco
ISBN 978-0-89870-982-7
ISBN 0-89870-982-2
Printed in Canada

In Memory of the work
of the Rosary Priest
19091992

Declaration

The decree of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, A.A.S. 58, 1186 (approved by Pope Paul VI on 14 October 1966) states that the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are no longer required on publications that deal with private revelations, provided that they contain nothing contrary to faith or morals. The author wishes to manifest unconditional submission to the final and official judgment of the Magisterium of the Church in matters of faith and morals.

Contents

Foreword
Father John Phalen, CSC

The History of the Rosary
Father Richard Gribble, CSC

Preface

The Rosary is not merely a series of prayers to be recited; it is a series of thoughts to be dwelt on, to be turned over in the mind, to be applied in daily life. To say the Rosary well demands that it show results, that those who have prayed their beads get up from their knees and live different lives. For years Ive hoped for a book on the Rosary that would be practical in the sense Ive just described, but also beautiful. The beautiful Mother of God, the central figure in the Rosary, deserves the finest literary treatment accorded to any creature. We have penetrated into the recesses of heaven, it seems, to capture some of the sublime beauty of Mary, the Mother of God. But we have also been able, in a way that seems to me to be unequaled, to show the relevance of each mystery to todays work-a-day world. These thoughts, from the heart, are both lofty and down-to-earth. And I am happy to present them to all who love Mary and her Rosary. May all learn, through this exquisite little book, more of her and of her Divine Son.

Servant of God

Father Patrick Peyton, CSC

( 1909-1992 )

Foreword

Just as the origins and development of the Rosary consisted of an evolutionary process, this book, Father Peytons Rosary Prayer Book , has also evolved through the years to the form in which we present it to you today.

When Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, began work on this book of reflections in 1951, his original thought was to put something small and compact into the hands of servicemen. Acting on the suggestion of U.S. Navy Chief of Chaplains Edward J. Hemphill, he wanted something that the servicemen as a group could use to guide or channel their prayers.

These reflections were created with the help of Father M. Charles Fiddler, OCSO, a Trappist monk of Spencer, Massachusetts, for what was known then as the Family Rosary Crusade. The texts of Scripture now come from the New American Bible.

Scripture tells us time and again that the most important thing is what is in our hearts. A persons heart is most revealed in their day-today actions.

It is in the gospel narratives that we come closest to understanding the true person of Jesus and Mary. It is in reflecting on humble and faithful incidents of the life of Jesus and Mary that we find a model of Christian living.

In our Holy Fathers Apostolic Letter entitled, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, dated October 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II stated, The family that prays together stays together. The Holy Rosary, by age-old tradition, has shown itself particularly effective as a prayer which brings the family together. Individual family members, in turning their eyes towards Jesus, also regain the ability to look one another in the eye, to communicate, to show solidarity, to forgive one another and to see their covenant of love renewed in the Spirit of God.

Holy Cross Family Ministries embraces these Mysteries of Light and hopes that they will bring a deeper understanding for you of the Lords public life. Keeping true to Father Peytons reflections, we have decided to add the reflections on the Mysteries of Light in the same style as the original reflections.

It is our hope that through the use of this prayer book two things will happen. First, may you be confirmed in the fact that you are already on the road to Christian living; and second, may you be further challenged to action through the example of the Mother of Jesus.

To those who already pray the Rosary with strong faith and devotion, I offer this invitation: Please reflect on the commentaries as a way of slowing down and savoring the various mysteries of the Rosary which tell so well the story of our redemption as a people of God, a family of families.

To those for whom the Rosary is a new and different way to pray I say: Let this meditative way of praying the Rosary help you appreciate the depth of Gods love for us all. May Mary, the handmaid of the Lord who kept so much in her heart, touch our hearts and help us all respond to God with a simple yes after her example.

In Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary,

Father John Phalen, CSC

President, Holy Cross Family Ministries

The Story of Father Peyton
and Family Rosary

The life and work of Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, reached millions. He shared and preached his incredible love, affection, and devotion to our God and Mary, holding out a promise of peace and blessing through family prayer, especially the Rosary.

Father Peyton was born on January 9, 1909, the sixth of nine children in the rural town of Carracastle located on the western coast of County Mayo, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States in 1928.

While working in the cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he heard the call of God to the priesthood and entered the seminary of the Congregation of Holy Cross at Notre Dame, Indiana. While he was in the seminary, he was diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis and little hope was given for his recovery. Father began to pray to God through the intercession of Mary. He was cured.

Newly ordained and burning with determination to spend his life in the service of our Blessed Mother, Father Peyton knew exactly what to do. In gratitude to Mary for his remarkable recovery, he would devote his life and priesthood to proclaiming the value and necessity of family prayer, especially the daily family Rosary. He knew its value for as a child the family Rosary filled his familys home and hearts each day with the most challenging words that one can speak: I believe in God... Our Father... Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

In 1942 he shared this message of love with churches, schools, and religious institutions in the United States. So great was the response and enthusiasm for the appeal that the effects were soon felt on three other continents. Recognizing the need for the message to be heard by all, Father Peyton turned to the power of mass media.

In 1947 Father Peytons Family Theater made its debut on radio. He engaged listeners by offering stories that taught moral values. Leading Hollywood figures recognized the importance of this work and wanted to be a part of it.