Newman’s ‘Mind-Pictures’ Rosary | OLW Ordinariate

https://www.ordinariate.org.uk/news/newmans-mind-pictures-rosary

By Fr Peter Conley

Newman describes how a childhood hand sketch on the cover of his school Latin verse book “almost took my breath away.” He realized, with pleasing astonishment, how far back the roots of his Marian spirituality stretched as he gazed at the pencil drawing of “a set of beads suspended with a little cross attached.” While Newman was unsure why he had produced this art work, it was poignant reminder to him of the ‘trace of Providence’. A few days before the 34th Anniversary of his reception into the Catholic Church, preaching to the boys at Oscott, on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, 5th October 1879, Newman reflects deeply upon how devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary had shaped his journey of faith, hope and love: “Now the great power of the Rosary lies in this, that it makes the creed into a prayer” giving us the great truths of God’s “life  and death to meditate  upon, and brings them nearer to our hearts.” And so, “Our thoughts of Him are mingled thoughts of His Mother, and in the relations between Mother and Son we have set before us the Holy Family, the home in which God lived.” (Sayings of Cardinal Newman). Although not every convert felt as Newman did, they found him to be understanding of their position and pastorally astute in his advice.