Our Fathers, Hail Marys, Glory Bes, etc. are “background music”?

The famous Dominican theologian, Fr. Schillebeeckx, O.P., used to say that while meditation on the mysteries is the essence of the Holy Rosary prayer, the recitation of many Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory bes serves as a background music to the meditator.

At first I did not know what the Dutch or German Dominican meant by “background music”. If a Filipino priest, Dominican or not, or any Filipino rosary devotee, said it, I could immediately understand. Our elderly Nanays and Lolas, as many of us know, say those prayers in a musical monotone mumbling and droning the words. But Fr. Schillebeeckx is either Dutch or German. So I did a little research. I was happily surprised and grateful.

The paragraph of Fr. Jàger is quite long. So ìt will be for next week’s Shalom.