THE REMNANT ROSARY
Jesus your life is living in me.
©Remnant/Jesus Life Rosary, 2005 NHA, All Rights Reserved
The Third Strand of the Nazareth Prayer Rope is The Remnant Rosary, praying the Life of Christ. This Rosary came into being during an all night prayer vigil in a Northern woods, September 1970. The verses of focus for that vigil were Col. 1:24 and Col. 1:27.
“Jesus your life is living in me.”
“The Remnant Rosary is praying the Life of Jesus in union with Mary who said yes to that Life (Lk. 1:29, 38; 2:19, 51; Jn. 2:1,5; 19:25-27; Acts 1:14). The Mysteries are the inner room of meeting (Mt. 6:6), a storeroom where new and old treasures are brought forth (Mt. 13:52): The Rosary is a window through which I can look out and see God’s view of things. The Blessed Mother, Mary Messenger of Peace is loved in my life; the Remnant Rosary has given to this love that form and expression which is most beautiful and desirable.”
“I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries. Even so then at the present time also there is a remnant.” -Jer. 23:3; Rom. 11:5
A Rosary Cosmology
A Rosary Cosmology is the spiritual discipline that seeks to understand the origin, evolution and structure of the rosary and the spiritual laws that keep it in order.
“If you want to get back to the source of the Rosary, to its origins we would need to open the Scriptures. That is why I like to bring together the Bible and the Beads, the two together.” —Fr. Gabriel Harty, O.P
“If you want to understand the Rosary its praying the Life of Jesus. If you want to understand Mary, it’s saying yes to that Life. Therefore the Rosary is praying the Life of Jesus in union with Mary who said yes to that Life.” —Seraphim
“The Rosary (as vocation) is four prayers orchestrated by four sets of Mysteries celebrated in four Rosaries combating the four evils of our day* in the Hour that our Lord asks for.” (Could you not watch with me one hour?”) Mat. 26:40 —Seraphim
The Two Sections of the Remnant Rosary
The Remnant Rosary is divided into two parts, two sections signifying that the Rosarian, like the Remnant Rosary, is rent in two – separated from the world. These sections also represent the Two Natures of Christ, the Old and New Testaments, this life and the next; and our life and Jesus’ Life.
The First Section is composed of 33 beads for the 33 years of Jesus (the years He lived on the earth) and for the 33 ‘IAMs’ of Jesus. Thirty beads and three beads: 30 for the hidden years of Jesus’ life and 3 for His public years.
The Second Section is made up of 27 beads representing the 27 Books of the New Testament from which we receive our teaching on the 33 years of Jesus Life and beyond. The Number 27 represents the Trinity: 3x3x3=27 and it denotes the 27 generations from David to Christ in Matthew 1:1-17.
The two sections of the Remnant Rosary together equals 60 (33 + 27). Sixty is the number of minutes in the Hour that Jesus asks for in Matthew 26:40. It is also the time needed to pray the full Remnant Rosary.
The two sections of the Remnant Rosary also personify our prayer being sent out as Jesus sent his disciples, “two by two” (Mark 6:7). Other symbolizations of the Two Sections are the promise of His presence (Mt. 18:20); the two witnesses in which the matter is settled (Dt. 19:15); Two Commandments (Mk. 12:29-31); Two men (Lk. 18:10); Two sons (Lk.15:11); Agreement (Amos 3:3) and union with Christ and His Church (Mt. 18:20; Eph 5:31b,32; Jn. 15:1-17).
The Trinity Bead – The Crossroads of the Rosary
The large bead at the Cross is the Trinity Bead representing the Trinitarian bond. The Father – Source of our union, The Son – Object of our union and The Holy Spirit – bond of our union.
We consider this bead the “Crossroads” of our Rosary.
“Stand at the Crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, “We will not walk in it.” -Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV).
To us at St. Simeon Skete the above verse is the most hopeful in Bible …and the saddest because of the ending.
“…this Trinity Bead is indeed the center: the whole weight of the Rosary hangs upon the three cords at their juncture points, hidden within the Trinity Bead. So each time I come to the Rosary, I come to this center, this doorway into the cycle of meditation. Jesus is this “gate of Heaven” that is everywhere…” -Seraphim
Summary of the Construction of the Remnant Rosary
There are two sections. The First section has 33 beads and are concerned with the Life of Jesus . The Second Section has 27 beads revealing Jesus life in us (Col. 1:27). The amount of beads in these two sections add up to 60, the six decades of the Remnant Rosary.
The Introit Beads that are normally found between the Cross and the Trinity bead of the standard rosary have been moved in the Remnant Rosary to mark the sections of the 33 beads and the 27 beads. The standard rosary can be used to pray the Remnant Rosary. For the 6th Decade you simply repeat a the fifth decade of beads.
The Six Decades of the Remnant Rosary – Six are the days of Creation and Re-creation into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), as found and facilitated in the Six decades. These recreating decades are our Galilee where we go to see our Lord Jesus (Mt. 28:10).
Finally, the two sections represent the two rails, the two natures of Christ, who is the ladder on which the angels go up and down (Jn. 1:51), the same ladder that Jacob experienced in his sleeping and in his waking.
May we say with Jacob:
“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place (rosary); and I knew it not…. this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of Heaven.” -Gen. 28:16-17
The Three Verities of Nazareth House Apostolate: The Bible, The Beads and The Bowl