8ème Rose — L'excellence du saint rosaire dans son origine et son nom
The Blessed Virgin's Favor for the Rosary
Saint Dominic's life and mission demonstrate the profound love the Blessed Virgin holds for those who promote her Rosary.
26. It's impossible to express how highly the Blessed Virgin esteems the Rosary above every other devotion, and how magnificently she rewards those who work to preach it, establish it, and cultivate it; and, on the contrary, how terrible she is toward those who try to oppose it. Throughout his life, Saint Dominic had nothing so much at heart as praising the Blessed Virgin, preaching her greatness, and stirring everyone to honor her through her Rosary. This powerful Queen of heaven never ceased, for her part, to pour out blessings on this saint with both hands; and she crowned his labors with a thousand wonders and miracles. He never asked God for anything that he did not obtain through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin; and, as the crowning favor, she made him victorious over the heresy of the Albigensians and made him father and patriarch of a great order.1
The Life and Mission of Blessed Alain de la Roche
Blessed Alain de la Roche, the restorer of the Rosary, was guided and comforted by the Blessed Virgin throughout his ministry.
27. What can I say about blessed Alain de la Roche, the man who restored this devotion? The Blessed Virgin honored him with her visits several times to instruct him on how to work out his salvation, become a good priest, a perfect religious, and an imitator of Jesus Christ. During the temptations and horrible persecutions of the demons that drove him into extreme sadness and nearly into despair, she comforted him and, through her gentle presence, scattered all those clouds and that darkness. She taught him how to pray the Rosary, explained its excellences and its fruits, and favored him with the glorious dignity of being her new spouse. As a pledge of her chaste love, she placed a ring on his finger, a necklace made of her hair around his neck, and gave him a rosary.2 Abbot Trithemius, the learned Cartagena, the scholarly Martin of Navarre, and others speak of him with praise.3 After drawing more than a hundred thousand souls into the Confraternity of the Rosary, he died at Zwolle, in Flanders, on September 8, 1475.4
Deliverance from Demonic Assault
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Blessed Thomas of Saint John was miraculously healed and protected from the devil's attacks.
28. "The devil, jealous of the great fruit that Blessed Thomas of Saint John, the famous preacher of the holy Rosary, was producing through this practice, reduced him by his cruel mistreatment to a long and grievous illness in which the doctors gave up hope for him. One night when he was sure he was about to die, the devil appeared to him in a terrifying form; but lifting his eyes and heart devoutly toward an image of the Blessed Virgin that stood near his bed, he cried out with all his strength: "Help me, rescue me, O my most gentle Mother!" He had scarcely finished these words when the Blessed Virgin reached out her hand from the holy image, clasped his arm, and said, "Do not be afraid, my son Thomas; I am here to help you. Get up and keep preaching the devotion of my Rosary as you began." I will defend you against all your enemies." At these words from the Blessed Virgin, the devil fled. The sick man rose in perfect health, gave thanks to his good Mother with a torrent of tears, and went on preaching the Rosary with wonderful success" (Mystical Rosebush, 9th decade, ch.5 8).
The King's Conversion and the Power of Example
King Alfonso of León was saved from eternal judgment through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, rewarding his efforts to encourage the Rosary.
29. The Blessed Virgin doesn't just favor those who preach the Rosary; she also rewards those who, by their own example, draw others to this devotion. "Alfonso, king of León and Galicia, wanting all his household to honor the Blessed Virgin through the Rosary, hit on the idea—so as to stir them up by his example—of wearing a large rosary at his side, yet without actually praying it: and that made everyone at his court take up saying it devoutly.6 The king fell deathly ill, and when he was presumed dead, he was caught up in spirit before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.7 He saw the devils accusing him of every crime he had committed, and as the Judge was about to condemn him to eternal punishment, the Blessed Virgin appeared before her Son on his behalf; a scale was brought, all the king's sins were put in one pan, and the Blessed Virgin placed there the large rosary he had worn in her honor, together with those he had led others to pray by his example—and it weighed more than all his sins; then, looking on him with favor, she said to him: "As a reward for the small service you have done me by wearing the rosary, I have obtained from my Son an extension of your life for some years.8 Use them well, and do penance." When the king returned from this vision, he cried out, "O blessed Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, through which I have been delivered from eternal damnation." After he recovered his health, he spent the rest of his life in devotion to the holy Rosary and prayed it every day" (Mystical Rose Garden, 9th decade, ch.9
An Invitation to Eternal Life
The chapter concludes with an exhortation to spread the Rosary, promising eternal life to those who make the Blessed Virgin known.
8). Let those devoted to the Blessed Virgin try to win as many of the faithful as they can to the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, after the example of these saints and of this king; they will have her good graces here below and eternal life. Those who explain me will have eternal life (Sir 24:31).10
Read the original Latin
26. Il n'est pas possible d'exprimer combien la Sainte Vierge estime le Rosaire sur toutes les dévotions et combien elle est magnifique à récompenser ceux qui travaillent à le prêcher, l'établir et le cultiver; et au contraire combien elle est terrible contre ceux qui veulent s'y opposer. Saint Dominique n'a eu rien tant à cœur pendant sa vie que de louer la Sainte Vierge, de prêcher ses grandeurs et d'animer tout le monde à l'honorer par son Rosaire. Cette puissante Reine du ciel n'a cessé aussi de répandre sur ce saint des bénédictions à pleines mains; et elle a couronné ses travaux de mille prodiges et miracles, il n'a jamais rien demandé à Dieu qu'il ne l'ait obtenu par l'intercession de la Sainte Vierge; et, pour comble de faveur, elle l'a rendu victorieux de l'hérésie des Albigeois et fait père et patriarche d'un grand ordre.
27. Que dirai-je du bienheureux Alain de la Roche, réparateur de cette dévotion? La Sainte Vierge l'a honoré plusieurs fois de sa visite pour l'instruire des moyens de faire son salut, de se rendre bon prêtre, parfait religieux et imitateur de Jésus-Christ. Pendant les tentations et les persécutions horribles des démons qui le réduisaient à une extrême tristesse et presque au désespoir, elle le consolait et dissipait par sa douce présence tous ces nuages et ces ténèbres. Elle lui a enseigné la méthode de dire le Rosaire, ses excellences et ses fruits; elle l'a favorisé de la glorieuse qualité de son nouvel époux, et pour gage de ses chastes affections, elle lui a mis une bague au doigt, un collier fait de ses cheveux au col, et lui a donné un rosaire. L'abbé Tritème, le docte Cartagène, le savant Martin Navarre et les autres en parlent avec éloges. Après avoir attiré à la confrérie du Rosaire plus de cent mille âmes, il mourut à Zwolle, en Flandre, le 8 septembre 1475.
28. «Le démon, jaloux des grands fruits que le bienheureux Thomas de Saint-Jean, célèbre prédicateur du saint Rosaire, faisait par cette pratique, le réduisit, par ses mauvais traitements, à une longue et fâcheuse maladie dans laquelle il fut désespéré des médecins. Une nuit qu'il croyait infailliblement mourir, le démon lui apparut sous une figure épouvantable; mais élevant dévotement les yeux et le cœur vers une image de la Sainte Vierge qui était près de son lit, il cria de toutes ses forces: "Aidez-moi, secourez-moi, ô ma très douce Mère!" A peine eut-il achevé ces paroles, que la Sainte Vierge lui tendit la main de la sainte image, lui serra le bras en lui disant: "Ne crains point, mon fils Thomas, me voici à ton secours; lève-toi et continue de prêcher la dévotion de mon Rosaire comme tu as commencé. Je te défendrai contre tous tes ennemis." A ces paroles de la Sainte Vierge, le démon prit la fuite. Le malade se leva en parfaite santé, et il rendit grâces à sa bonne Mère avec un torrent de larmes, et continua de prêcher le Rosaire avec un succès merveilleux» (Rosier mystique, 9ème dizaine, ch. 8).
29. La Sainte Vierge ne favorise pas seulement les prédicateurs du Rosaire, elle récompense aussi glorieusement ceux qui, par leur exemple, attirent les autres à cette dévotion. «Alphonse, roi de Léon et de Galice, désirant que tous ses domestiques honorassent la Sainte Vierge par le Rosaire, s'avisa, pour les y animer par son exemple, de porter un gros rosaire à son côté, mais sans le réciter pourtant: ce qui obligea tous les gens de sa cour à le dire dévotement. Le roi tomba malade à l'extrémité et lorsqu'on le croyait mort, il fut ravi en esprit au tribunal de Jésus-Christ. Il vit les diables qui l'accusaient de tous les crimes qu'il avait commis et le juge étant sur le point de le condamner aux peines éternelles, la Sainte Vierge se présenta en sa faveur devant son Fils; on apporta une balance, on mit tous les péchés du roi dedans un bassin, et la Sainte Vierge mit le gros rosaire qu'il avait porté en son honneur et avec ceux qu'il avait fait dire par son exemple, qui pesa plus que tous ses péchés, et puis, le regardant d'un œil favorable, elle lui dit: "J'ai obtenu de mon Fils, pour récompense du petit service que tu m'as rendu en portant le rosaire, la prolongation de ta vie pour quelques années. Emploie-les bien, et fais pénitence." Le roi, revenu de ce ravissement, s'écria: "O bienheureux Rosaire de la Sainte Vierge, par lequel j'ai été délivré de la damnation éternelle." Après qu'il eut recouvré la santé, il passa le reste de sa vie dans la dévotion du saint Rosaire et le récitait tous les jours» (Rosier mystique, 9ème dizaine, ch.
8). Que les dévots de la Sainte Vierge tâchent de gagner le plus qu'ils pourront de fidèles à la confrérie du saint Rosaire, à l'exemple de ces saints et de ce roi; ils auront ici-bas ses bonnes grâces et la vie éternelle. Qui elucidant me vitam aeternam habebunt (Si 24,31).
Notes
- 1 ↩"pour comble de faveur" rendered as "as the crowning favor" (fullness/culmination of favor), not mere casual "to top it off."
- 2 ↩«qualité de son nouvel époux» rendered as 'the glorious dignity of being her new spouse' (mystical/spiritual nuptial title), not a literal marital claim.
- 3 ↩Proper names kept in conventional English forms: Tritème → Trithemius; Cartagène → Cartagena; Martin Navarre → Martin of Navarre (Doctor Navarrus).
- 4 ↩Source says «en Flandre»; Zwolle is in the Low Countries (modern Netherlands). Translation follows the French reading as given.
- 5 ↩Source title «Rosier mystique» rendered as «Mystical Rosebush»; keep French title if a fixed citation style is preferred.
- 6 ↩domestiques rendered as household (court household/servants); gens de sa cour as people of his court.
- 7 ↩ravi en esprit rendered as caught up in spirit (visionary transport); tribunal as judgment seat.
- 8 ↩ceux qu'il avait fait dire par son exemple taken as the rosaries he caused to be said through his example (not other persons).
- 9 ↩Closing quote and citation continue into the next section (ch. 8), matching the previous section's split citation pattern.
- 10 ↩Latin citation of Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 24:31 (Vulgate): Qui elucidant me vitam aeternam habebunt. Source uses Si 24,31.
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