3ème Rose — L'excellence du saint rosaire dans son origine et son nom
The Divine Origin of the Rosary
Saint Dominic is established as the divinely inspired preacher of the holy Rosary.
12. This miraculous founding of the holy Rosary, which bears some likeness to the way God gave his law to the world on Mount Sinai, clearly shows the excellence of this divine practice. Inspired by the Holy Spirit and taught by the Blessed Virgin and his own experience, Saint Dominic preached the holy Rosary for the rest of his life, both by example and by word of mouth, in towns and the countryside, before the great and the small, the learned and the unlearned, and before Catholics and heretics alike. The holy Rosary, which he prayed every day, was his preparation before preaching and his appointed return after preaching.1
The Sermon from Heaven
The Blessed Virgin appears to Saint Dominic at Notre-Dame, providing him with a superior sermon based on the Angelic Salutation.
13. One day, on the feast of Saint John the Evangelist, while the saint was at Notre-Dame in Paris, behind the high altar in a chapel, preparing to preach by reciting the holy Rosary, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and said: “Dominic, though what you have prepared to preach is good, here nonetheless is a much better sermon that I am bringing you.” Saint Dominic receives from her hands the book in which that sermon was written; he reads it, savors it, and understands it, and gives thanks to the Blessed Virgin for it.2 When the hour for the sermon came, he went up into the pulpit and, after saying nothing more in praise of Saint John the Evangelist than that he had been worthy to become the guardian of the Queen of heaven, he told the whole assembly of great men and doctors who had come to hear him—men used to hearing only clever and polished discourses—that for his part he would not speak in the learned words of human wisdom, but in the simplicity and power of the Holy Spirit.3 Then Saint Dominic preached the holy Rosary to them and explained the Angelic Salutation word by word, as if to children, using the simple comparisons he had read on the paper the Blessed Virgin had given him.4 14. These are the words of the learned Cartagena, which he drew in part from the book by Blessed Alain de la Roche titled De Dignitate Psalterii: "B.5 Alanus testifies that holy Father Dominic said these things to him in a revelation: “You preach, my son, but so that you take care not to seek human praise rather than the fruit of souls, listen to what happened to me in Paris. I had to preach in the great church of Blessed Mary, and I wanted to do it in a polished, ingenious way—not out of vanity, but because of the ability and dignity of those present.6 So then, as was my custom, when for nearly an hour before the sermon I was praying on my psalter (he means the Rosary) in a certain chapel behind the high altar, I was suddenly caught up in a rapture and saw my beloved friend, the Mother of God, bringing me a little book and saying: “Dominic, even if the sermon you have prepared to preach is good, still I have brought you a far better one.”7 Gladly I take the book, read it carefully, find it is as she said, and give thanks; the hour of the sermon is here, the whole University of Paris is here, and a great number of lords. For they had been hearing and seeing the great signs the Lord was working through me; so I go up into the pulpit. It was the feast of Saint John the Evangelist. I will say nothing of him other than that he deserved to be the unique guardian of the Queen of heaven. Then I address my listeners this way: "Most distinguished Lords and Masters, your ears are accustomed to hearing elaborate, carefully crafted sermons."8 But now I will speak not with the learned words of human wisdom, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power." Then, as Cartagena says, following blessed Alain, Dominic stood and explained the Angelic Salutation to them using familiar comparisons and analogies in this way."9 (Blessed Alain affirms that his father Saint Dominic said to him one day in a revelation: "My son, you preach; but so that you don't seek human praise rather than the salvation of souls, listen to what happened to me in Paris." I was to preach in the great church dedicated to the Blessed Mary, and I wanted to do it in an ingenious way—not out of pride, but because of the status and dignity of those present.10 As I was praying in my usual way, reciting my Rosary during the hour before my sermon, I was caught up in a rapture.11 I saw my friend, the Mother of God, bringing me a little book and saying: "Dominic, however good the sermon you have resolved to preach may be, I have brought you a far better one." Full of joy, I take the book, read it through, and just as Mary said, I find what needs to be preached. I thank her for it with all my heart. When it was time for the sermon, I had the entire University of Paris and a great number of lords before me. They heard and saw the great signs the Lord was working through me. I go up into the pulpit.12 It was the feast of Saint John, but regarding that apostle, I content myself with saying only that he deserved to be chosen as the guardian of the Queen of Heaven. Then I spoke to my listeners like this: Distinguished lords and masters, you are used to hearing elegant and learned sermons. As for me, I don't want to address you with the learned words of human wisdom, but to show you the Spirit of God and his power.13 Then, according to Blessed Alain, Cartagena says that Saint Dominic explained the Angelic Salutation to them using familiar comparisons and analogies.14
The Necessity of Prayer Before Preaching
Christ and the Blessed Virgin instruct Saint Dominic that the Rosary must precede the correction of sins to prepare the hearts of the faithful.
15. And Blessed Alan de la Roche, as the same Cartagena says, reports several other apparitions of Our Lord and of the Blessed Virgin to Saint Dominic, to urge him on and stir him more and more to preach the holy Rosary, so as to destroy sin and convert sinners and heretics; he says in one place: «Blessed Alan says that it was revealed to him by the Blessed Virgin that Christ her Son had appeared after her to Saint Dominic and had said to him: "Dominic, I rejoice that you do not trust in your own wisdom, but that with humility you prefer to save souls rather than to please vain people. But many preachers want to attack the gravest sins at once, not realizing that before a strong medicine is given, there must be preparation so the medicine isn't empty and useless. That is why people must first be led to devotion in prayer, especially to my angelic psalter; for if everyone begins to pray this way, there is no doubt that the loving kindness of divine mercy will be with those who persevere.15 So preach my psalter."16 (Blessed Alan says the Blessed Virgin revealed to him that Jesus Christ her Son appeared after her to Saint Dominic and said: "Dominic, I rejoice to see that you don't lean on your own wisdom, and that you work with humility for the salvation of souls, rather than seeking to please vain people. But many preachers want to thunder right away against the gravest sins, not realizing that before you give a hard remedy, you have to prepare the sick person to receive it and benefit from it. That is why they must first urge their hearers to a love of prayer, and especially to my angelic psalter; for if everyone begins to pray this way, there is no doubt that divine clemency will favor those who persevere. So preach my Rosary.") 16. He says in another place: «All who speak and preach to Christians take the Angelic Salutation as their opening in order to obtain grace. The reason for this comes from a revelation given to blessed Dominic, to whom the blessed Virgin said: "Dominic, my son, don't be surprised that you're making so little progress with your preaching." You are, in fact, plowing soil that hasn't been watered by the rain. And know this: when God resolved to renew the world, he first sent the rain of the Angelic Salutation; and so the world itself was reformed for the better.17 Therefore, urge people in your sermons to recite my Rosary, and you will gather a great harvest of souls." Saint Dominic carried this out vigorously, and through his sermons, he brought back an abundant harvest of souls." (All preachers have Christians recite the Angelic Salutation at the beginning of their sermons to obtain divine grace.) The reason for this comes from a revelation the Blessed Virgin made to Saint Dominic. "My son," she said to him, "don't be surprised that you aren't succeeding in your preaching." For you're tilling ground that hasn't been watered by the rain. Know that when God willed to renew the world, he first sent the rain of the Angelic Salutation; and that is how the world was reformed. So, in your sermons, urge people to recite my Rosary, and you'll gather great fruit for souls." When Saint Dominic did this with steadfastness, his preaching met with remarkable success.18
The Fruit of Devotion
The author concludes by emphasizing the historical link between the practice of the Rosary and the flourishing of piety in the Church.
17. I’ve taken pleasure in quoting these Latin passages word for word from these good authors for the benefit of preachers and scholars who might doubt the marvelous power of the holy Rosary. While preachers followed Saint Dominic’s example and preached the devotion of the holy Rosary, piety and fervor flourished in the religious orders that practiced it, as well as in the Christian world; but once people neglected this gift from heaven, nothing was seen everywhere but sins and disorders.
Read the original Latin
12. Cet établissement miraculeux du saint Rosaire, qui a quelque rapport avec la manière dont Dieu donna sa loi au monde sur la montagne de Sinaï, montre évidemment l'excellence de cette divine pratique; aussi saint Dominique, inspiré du Saint-Esprit, instruit par la Sainte Vierge et par sa propre expérience, prêcha tout le reste de sa vie le saint Rosaire par exemple et de vive voix dans les villes et les campagnes, devant les grands et les petits, devant les savants et les ignorants, devant les catholiques et les hérétiques. Le saint Rosaire, qu'il récitait tous les jours, était sa préparation devant la prédication et son rendez-vous après la prédication.
13. Lorsque le saint était, un jour de Saint-Jean l'Évangéliste, à Notre-Dame de Paris, derrière le grand autel, dans une chapelle, pour se préparer à prêcher, en récitant le saint Rosaire, la Sainte Vierge lui apparut et lui dit: «Dominique, quoique ce que tu as préparé pour prêcher soit bon, voici pourtant un sermon bien meilleur que je t'apporte.» Saint Dominique reçoit de ses mains le livre où était ce sermon, le lit, le goûte et le comprend, en rend grâces à la Sainte Vierge. L'heure du sermon arrivée, il monte en chaire et, après n'avoir dit à la louange de saint Jean l'Évangéliste autre chose sinon qu'il avait mérité d'être le gardien de la Reine du ciel, il dit à toute l'assemblée des grands et des docteurs qui étaient venus l'entendre, qui étaient accoutumés à n'entendre que des discours curieux et polis, mais que, pour lui, il ne parlerait point dans les paroles savantes de la sagesse humaine, mais dans la simplicité et la force du Saint-Esprit. Alors saint Dominique leur prêcha le saint Rosaire et leur expliqua mot à mot, comme à des enfants, la Salutation angélique, en se servant des comparaisons fort simples qu'il avait lues dans le papier que lui avait donné la Sainte Vierge.
14. Voici les propres paroles du savant Cartagène qu'il a tirées en partie du livre du bienheureux Alain de la Roche intitulé De Dignitate Psalterii: «B. Alanus Patrem sanctum Dominicum sibi haec in revelatione dixisse testatur: "Tu praedicas, fili, sed uti caveas ne potius laudem humanam quaeras quam animarum fructum, audi quid mihi Parisiis contigit. Debebam in majori ecclesia beatae Mariae praedicare, et volebam curiose non jactantiae causa, sed propter astantium facultatem et dignitatem. Cum igitur more meo per horam fere ante sermonem in psalterio meo (Rosarium intelligit) quadam in capella post altare majus orarem, subito factus in raptum, cernebam amicam meam Dei Genitricem afferentem mihi libellum et dicentem: "Dominice, et si bonum est quod praedicare disposuisti sermonem, tamen longe meliorem attuli." Laetus librum capio, lego constanter, ut dixit, reperio, gratias ago, adest hora sermonis, adest parisiensis Universitas tota, dominorumque numerus magnus. Audiebant quippe et videbant signa magna quae per me Dominus operabatur; itaque ambonem ascendo. Festum erat sancti Joannis Evangelistae.
De eo aliud non dico nisi quod custos singularis esse meruit Reginae coeli. Deinde auditores sic alloquor: Domini et Magistri praestantissimi, aures reverentiae vestrae solitae sunt curiosos audire sermones et auscultare. At nunc ego non in doctis humanae sapientiae verbis, sed in ostensione spiritus et virtutis loquar." Tunc, ait Carthagena post beatum Alanum, stans Dominicus eis explicavit Salutationem angelicam comparationibus et similitudinibus familiaribus hoc modo.» (Le bienheureux Alain affirme que son Père saint Dominique lui dit un jour dans une révélation: "Mon fils, tu prêches; mais pour que tu ne cherches pas plutôt la louange humaine que le salut des âmes, écoute ce qui m'est arrivé à Paris. Je devais prêcher dans la grande église dédiée à la bienheureuse Marie, et je voulais le faire d'une manière ingénieuse, non par orgueil, mais à cause de la puissance et de la dignité des assistants. Comme, selon ma coutume, je priais en récitant mon Rosaire durant l'heure qui précédait mon sermon, j'eus un ravissement. Je voyais mon amie la Mère de Dieu m'apportant un petit livre et me disant: "Dominique, si bon que soit le sermon que tu as résolu de prêcher, je t'en ai apporté un bien meilleur."
Tout joyeux, je prends le livre, je le lis en entier, et, comme Marie l'avait dit, je trouve ce qu'il faut prêcher. Je l'en remercie de tout cœur. L'heure du sermon venue, j'avais devant moi l'Université de Paris tout entière et un grand nombre de seigneurs. Ils entendaient et voyaient les grands signes que le Seigneur opérait par moi. Je monte à l'ambon. C'était la fête de saint Jean, mais de cet apôtre je me contente de dire qu'il mérita d'être choisi pour le gardien de la Reine du ciel. Ensuite je parlai ainsi à mon auditoire: Seigneurs et Maîtres illustres, vous êtes habitués à entendre des sermons élégants et savants. Pour moi, je ne veux pas vous adresser les doctes paroles de la sagesse humaine, mais vous montrer l'Esprit de Dieu et sa vertu."
Et alors, dit Cartagène après le bienheureux Alain, saint Dominique leur expliqua la Salutation angélique par des comparaisons et des similitudes familières.)
15. Et le bienheureux Alain de la Roche, comme dit le même Cartagène, rapporte plusieurs autres apparitions de Notre-Seigneur et de la Sainte Vierge à saint Dominique pour le presser et l'animer de plus en plus à prêcher le saint Rosaire, afin de détruire le péché et de convertir les pécheurs et les hérétiques; il dit en un endroit: «Beatus Alanus dicit sibi a beata Virgine revelatum fuisse Christum Filium suum apparuisse post se sancto Dominico et ipsi dixisse: "Dominice, gaudeo quod non confidas in tua sapientia, sed cum humilitate potius affectas salvare animas quam vanis hominibus placere. Sed multi praedicatores statim volunt contra gravissima peccata instare, ignorantes quod ante gravem medicinam debet fieri praeparatio, ne medicina sit inanis et vacua: quapropter prius homines debent induci ad orationis devotionem et signanter ad psalterium meum angelicum; quoniam, si omnes coeperint hoc orare, non dubium est quin perseverantibus aderit pietas divinae clementiae. Praedica ergo psalterium meum."» (Le bienheureux Alain dit que la Sainte Vierge lui révéla que Jésus-Christ son Fils était apparu après elle à saint Dominique et lui avait dit: "Dominique, je me réjouis de voir que tu ne t'appuies pas sur ta propre sagesse, et que tu travailles avec humilité au salut des âmes, plutôt que de chercher à plaire aux hommes vains. Mais beaucoup de prédicateurs veulent tout de suite tonner contre les péchés les plus graves, ignorant qu'avant de donner un remède pénible, il faut préparer le malade à le recevoir et à en profiter. C'est pourquoi ils doivent d'abord exhorter leurs auditeurs à l'amour de l'oraison, et spécialement à mon angélique psautier; car si tous commencent à prier de la sorte, il n'est pas douteux que la divine clémence ne soit propice à ceux qui persévéreront. Prêche donc mon Rosaire.")
16. Il dit dans un autre endroit: «Omnes sermocinantes et praedicantes christicolis exordium pro gratia impetranda a Salutatione angelica faciunt. Hujus rei ratio sumpta est ex revelatione facta beato Dominico cui beata Virgo dixit: "Dominice, fili, nil mireris quod concionando minime proficias. Enimvero aras solum a pluvia non irrigatum. Scitoque, cum Deus renovare decrevit mundum Salutationis angelicae pluviam praemisit; sicque ipse in melius est reformatus. — Hortare igitur homines in concionibus ad Rosarii mei recitationem, et magnos animarum fructus colliges." Quod sanctus Dominicus strenue executus uberes ex suis concionibus animarum fructus retulit.» (Tous les prédicateurs font dire aux chrétiens la Salutation angélique au commencement de leurs sermons pour obtenir la grâce divine.
La raison en vient d'une révélation faite à saint Dominique par la bienheureuse Vierge. "Mon fils, lui dit-elle, ne t'étonne pas de ne pas réussir en tes prédications. Car tu laboures un sol qui n'a pas été arrosé par la pluie. Sache que, quand Dieu voulut renouveler le monde, il envoya d'abord la pluie de la Salutation angélique; et c'est ainsi que le monde fut réformé. Exhorte donc les hommes dans tes sermons à réciter mon Rosaire et tu en recueilleras de grands fruits pour les âmes." Ce que saint Dominique ayant fait avec constance, ses prédications obtinrent un remarquable succès.)
17. J'ai pris plaisir à rapporter mot à mot ces passages latins de ces bons auteurs en faveur des prédicateurs et personnes savantes qui pourraient révoquer en doute la merveilleuse vertu du saint Rosaire. Pendant qu'à l'exemple de saint Dominique les prédicateurs prêchaient la dévotion du saint Rosaire, la piété et la ferveur fleurissaient dans les ordres religieux qui pratiquaient cette dévotion, et dans le monde chrétien; mais depuis qu'on eut négligé ce présent venu du ciel, on ne vit que péchés et que désordres partout.
Notes
- 1 ↩French rendez-vous here means a fixed appointment or meeting he kept with the Rosary after preaching, not a social gathering; rendered as 'appointed return' to keep that force in plain English.
- 2 ↩«goûte» kept as spiritual savoring/tasting of the content, not mere physical tasting.
- 3 ↩«discours curieux et polis» rendered as “clever and polished discourses” (artful/ingenious and refined speech, not “curious” in the modern sense).
- 4 ↩«Salutation angélique» retained as Angelic Salutation (the Hail Mary); «papier» kept as paper, distinct from the earlier «livre» (book).
- 5 ↩The quotation opens mid-abbreviation with «B.»; with the next sentence (B. Alanus) this almost certainly means Beatus Alanus, “Blessed Alan.” The sectional break is preserved as printed.
- 6 ↩curiose = with studied artfulness / ingenious polish (not mere curiosity). facultatem et dignitatem = the capacity/learning and rank of the hearers; French parallel uses puissance and dignité.
- 7 ↩Parenthetical Rosarium intelligit is an editorial gloss in the Latin source identifying Dominic’s psalter with the Rosary; kept as an aside, not as Dominic’s own wording.
- 8 ↩Latin curiosos sermones means elaborate/ingenious sermons prepared with studied care, not 'curious' in the modern sense of odd.
- 9 ↩Salutationem angelicam is the Hail Mary (the Angelic Salutation).
- 10 ↩French assistants means those present (the audience), not modern 'assistants/helpers'. Puissance reflects rank/capacity more than raw power.
- 11 ↩Ravissement renders mystical rapture/ecstasy (Latin raptum), not mere delight.
- 12 ↩French ambon is the liturgical ambo; rendered as pulpit for modern readability.
- 13 ↩French vertu, in this Pauline echo, is rendered power (not moral virtue).
- 14 ↩Source ends with a lone closing parenthesis, likely closing a parenthetical that opened in an earlier section; retained for structural fidelity.
- 15 ↩Latin pietas divinae clementiae rendered as "the loving kindness of divine mercy"; the French parallel in s7 has "divine clemency will favor those who persevere."
- 16 ↩Latin psalterium meum is the Marian "angelic psalter" (Rosary); the French close in s8 renders the same command as "my Rosary."
- 17 ↩Latin ipse most naturally resumes mundum (the world); rendered as 'the world itself'.
- 18 ↩French closes the parenthetical translation of the preceding Latin citation (opened in SecretRosaire.1.4.8.s8). Absolute construction Ce que… ayant fait rendered as a clear temporal clause.
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