Lenten Chaplet, and a How to Pray the Rosary Resource

I wrote about a Lenten chaplet that some folks in Venezuela and here in central Minnesota have, yesterday.

The text on that card is a little hard to read in the picture. In case you're interested in the chaplet, here's what it says:

"LENTEN CHAPLET

"Once you have received your cross, go back to your pew and start to pray. The first name that comes to mind is the person you will be praying for a deepening conversion of faith during these 40 days of Lent.

"Each day you will pray:
"Apostles' Creed - knot that ties the cross on the necklace.

"Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be (Around your neck are 21 knots, reperesenting these three prayers to be said seven times).

"Any time after Good Friday, give your Chaplet to the person you have been praying for."

The text on that card assumes that whoever's reading it is in church, at the Ash Wednesday Mass. And, that the person has a necklace that's been made for this chaplet: a crucifix tied to a cord with seven clusters of three knots each. Mine was one of dozens blessed at yesterday's Mass.

As I said yesterday: there's nothing 'magical' about that necklace. The Catholic Church has a word to say about magic and superstition: don't. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2110-2111, 2115-2117)

Lenten chaplet: Same Prayers as the Rosary

The four prayers in the Lenten chaplet are the same ones that make up the bulk of the Rosary. What the Rosary has that this chaplet hasn't got is a Hail, Holy Queen, plus a set dialog and prayer.

Not all Catholics pray the Rosary, and I've heard that quite a few folks who aren't Catholics do. Pray the Rosary, that is. I like the Rosary - but haven't prayed one in quite a while. Maybe that's something else I can put on my Lenten 'to do' list.

Although I've said the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be prayers so often that I'm pretty confident (over-confident?) of remembering them, the Apostles' Creed is one that I tend to get mixed up with other, similar, creeds. Nothing wrong with any of the ones we use at various times - but this chaplet's instructions specify the Apostles' Creed, so that's the one I want to use.

Where was I? Apostles' Creed. Right.

Happily for me, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a page about the Rosary that includes text for all the prayers involved:

• "How to Pray the Rosary"
  USCCB
  • Prayers of the Rosary
    • Apostles' Creed
    • Our Father
    • Hail Mary
    • Glory Be (The Doxology)
    • Hail Holy Queen (The Salve Regina)

"Hail Mary?" "Hail Holy Queen?!"

The Catholic Church thinks Mary is a pretty big deal: but we don't worship her. First Commandment and all that. For Mary and other saints, the attitude is veneration - and I've written about that before. (Exodus 20:2-5, Deuteronomy 5:6-9; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2055, 2083-2086 - for starters)

And I am not going to get started on the First Commandment and the Trinity.

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Ash Wednesday, 2011: Smudge on My Forehead, Chaplet Started"
  (March 9, 2011)
• "Prayer, Rules, a Saint, and Lent"
  (February 25, 2011)
• "Mother Teresa of Calcutta's Sandals; Relics, and Minnesota"
  (July 25, 2010)