In this year while celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the women in Opus Dei, the first edition of Holy Rosary by St Josemaría was published in Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City in June 2010.
The book is a collection of short commentaries on the 15 mysteries of the rosary: joyful, sorrowful and glorious. It was first published in Spanish in 1934, entitled Santo Rosario. St. Josemaría wrote it in one sitting one morning of 1931, during his thanksgiving after celebrating Mass for the Augustinian nuns at their convent of Santa Isabel in Madrid. It overflowed from his frequent contemplation of the life of Christ and his child-like devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
“The beginning of the way, at the end of which you will find yourself completely carried away with love for Jesus, is a trusting love for Mary,” he tells us in the preface.
These commentaries in Holy Rosary aim to help the reader enter more deeply into the scenes from the life of our Lord and his Blessed Mother; it leads towards a trusting dialogue with our Lady who brings us to the Blessed Trinity.
From his own experience he advised, “Pause for a few seconds-–three or four–-in silent meditation to consider each mystery before you recite the Our Father and the Hail Marys of that decade. I am sure this practice will increase your recollection and the fruits of your prayer.”
“Today as in other times, the Rosary must be a powerful weapon, to enable us to win in our interior struggle, and to help all souls. Exalt holy Mary with your tongue: God asks you for reparation, and for praise from your lips."
Holy Rosary, written in 1931, naturally contains no reference to the Mysteries of Light added in 2003 by Pope John Paul II to highlight the Christological content of the rosary. However St Josemaría had frequently contemplated and preached on the scenes of the new mysteries. In order to help readers meditate on the complete Rosary, excerpts from his writings that refer to the Mysteries of Light have been included in all subsequent editions.
Holy Rosary is currently published in 25 languages. It has sold over 700,000 copies. This first edition in Vietnamese was made possible through the translation of Monsignor Barnaba Nguyen Van Phuong, and the collaboration of Our Lady of Peace Bookshop and friends from Ho Chi Minh city.
Copies in Vietnamese can be ordered through "Our Lady of Peace Bookshop" (Address: 1 Cong Xa Paris, District 1, HCM City, Vietnam. Tel: (84 8) 38250745) or you could write to www.opusdei.vn/write.php