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The Most Holy Rosary
How to Pray the Rosary
Beginning with the Rosary's Cross: Begin as with all prayers with the Sign of the Cross. While making the Sign of the Cross, say, "In the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
On the single bead just above the cross, pray the Apostles' Creed.
The next cluster of beads are 3 beads. The Hail Mary prayer is said on each of these. You pray the 3 Hail Mary's while meditating on the three divine virtues of faith, hope and love/charity. You then follow with the Glory Be to the Father prayer.
On the next bead, which is a single bead, you announce the first divine mystery of contemplation. For example, if you were focusing on the Joyful Mysteries, you would announce (to yourself or to a group) "The first Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation." Then you would pray the Our Father prayer.
Now this brings you to the first decade, or set of 10 beads of the Rosary. You will then pray 10 Hail Marys while contemplating the first mystery.
After the 10th Hail Mary you will have completed the first of 5 decades which make up a Chaplet of the Rosary. You now come to another single bead. At this point, you pray the Glory Be to the Father prayer, and then (on the same bead) pray the O My Jesus prayer. Then announce the next Mystery (in this case, "The second Joyful Mystery, the Visitation." At this point you pray the Our Father.
You will now come to the second decade or group of 10 beads. You will now pray 10 Hail Mary's while contemplating the appropriate mystery. You continue to pray the rosary the same way throughout. If your intention is to pray a Chaplet (a single set of mysteries), at the end of the 5th mystery you will come back to the joiner, this is where all the decades join with the lower part of the rosary, which contains the cross. When you come to the joiner, you decide whether you wish to say another Chaplet or end. If you decide to say another Chaplet you simply announce the next mystery and continue. If you wish to end, you simply say the Glory Be to the Father, and the O My Jesus. Then you end the rosary with the Hail Holy Queen prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
Prayers of the Most Holy Rosary
THE APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
THE OUR FATHER
GLORY BE TO THE FATHER
HAIL MARY
O MY JESUS
HAIL HOLY QUEEN
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
The
Joyful Mysteries are marked by the joy radiating from the event of the
Incarnation. To meditate upon the Joyful
Mysteries is to enter into the ultimate causes and the deepest meaning of
Christian joy. It is to focus on the
realism of the mystery of the Incarnation and on the obscure foreshadowing of
the mystery of the saving Passion. Mary
leads us to discover the secret of Christian
joy, reminding us that Christianity is, first and foremost, evangelizing,
“good news,” which has as its heart and its whole content the person of Jesus
Christ, the Word made flesh, the one Savior of the world.
First Joyful Mystery
Annunciation
The Annunciation (Humility)
... Jesus, the Word Made Flesh ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
... Jesus, the Word Made Flesh ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this first Decade how the Angel Gabriel saluted our Blessed Lady with the title, Full of Grace, and declared unto her the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Angel Gabriel tells Mary that God wishes her to be the mother of God but not until she has given her consent. Submissive to the Divine Will, she replies: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word." This is Mary's consent to the Divine plan of redemption. At that moment the Divine Word becomes man in Mary: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be. May the grace and Mystery of the Incarnation come down into my soul and make me truly humble.
Luke 1: 26-38.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from god to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him to the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
And Mary said to the Angel, "How can this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."
And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Second Joyful Mystery
Visitation
The Visitation (Fraternal Charity)
... Jesus, Affirmed ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
... Jesus, Affirmed ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this Second Decade how the Blessed Virgin Mary, understanding from the Angel that her cousin, Elizabeth, had conceived, went with haste into the mountains of Judah to visit her and remained with her for about three months.
In the Second Joyful Mystery - the Visitation - Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth and is praised by her as "Blessed among women." The Holy Spirit greets Mary through Elizabeth. "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." From the moment of the Incarnation the Virgin Mother sings a poem of love and gratitude (the Magnificat) to praise God for having chosen her from among all women for all time to be the Mother of God.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Visitation come down into my soul and make me truly charitable.
Luke 1: 39-56.
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to the city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her form the Lord."
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."
And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Third Joyful Mystery
Nativity of Christ
The Nativity (Spirit of Poverty)
... Jesus, born ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this Third Decade how the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the time of delivery had come, brought forth our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, at midnight, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inns of Bethlehem.
In the Third Joyful Mystery the Blessed Virgin gives birth to Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem. Mary shows us the perfect harmony of her adoration of God and a mother's love of her only son.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Nativity come down into my soul and make me truly poor in spirit.
Luke 2: 1-15.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment when Quirnius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased."
Fourth Joyful Mystery
Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
The Presentation (Obedience)
... Jesus, Presented ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
... Jesus, Presented ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this Fourth Decade, how the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the day of her Purification, presented the child Jesus in the Temple, where holy Simeon, giving thanks to God with great devotion, received Him into his arms.
In this Fourth Joyful Mystery Mary and Joseph journey to Jerusalem to present the infant Jesus to God. Forty days after the birth of Jesus the time came for the purification of Mary and for Mary and Joseph to present Jesus to His heavenly Father in the temple. Just as Mary had given her consent in the name of all humanity when the angel announced the mystery of the Incarnation, so also on this day Mary offers Jesus to the Father in the name of the whole human race.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Presentation come down into my soul and make me truly wise.
Luke 2: 22-35, 39-40.
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons."
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolidation of Israel, and the Holy spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him, and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."
. . . And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Fifth Joyful Mystery
Finding the Christ Child in the Temple
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
... Jesus, Discovered ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
... Jesus, Discovered ...
... Holy Mary, Joyful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this Fifth Decade, how the Blessed Virgin Mary, after having lost her beloved son in Jerusalem, sought him for the space of three days; and at length found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the Doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions.
In this Fifth Joyful Mystery, after searching for three days, Mary and Joseph experience the joy of finding the 12-year old Jesus sitting in the Temple discussing law with the learned doctors. Here Jesus sums up his whole person, life and mission. He reveals his divine nature and supernatural mission.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple come down into my soul and fill me with a love of study.
Luke 2: 41-52.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.
His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinfolk and acquaintances. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed by his understanding and his answers.
And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."
And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them, and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.
THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
The Luminous Mysteries transport us from the infancy and the hidden life in Nazareth to the public life of Jesus. Our contemplation brings us to those mysteries which may be called the “mysteries of light.” Certainly the whole mystery of Christ is a mystery of light. He is the “light of the world.” Yet this truth emerges in a special way during the years of his public life, when he proclaims the Gospel of the Kingdom. Each of these mysteries is a revelation of the Kingdom now present in the very person of Jesus.
First Luminous Mystery
Baptism of Jesus
The Baptism of Our Lord - Humility
... Jesus, the Lamb of God ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this the Sixth Decade, and how our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself to be baptized by John, thus inviting the Father and the Holy Spirit to show His divine nature to all creation.
In this First Luminous Mystery, John the Baptist was conferring a baptism of repentance for conversion and the forgiveness of sins. He announced, "After me comes one who is mightier than I. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and the heaven opened for Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to him.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Baptism of Jesus come down into my soul and make me regain my baptismal purity.
John 1: 19-28
And
this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from
Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, he did
not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What
then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.” they said to him then, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent
us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the
prophet Isaiah said.”
Now they had been sent from the
Pharisees. They asked him, “Then
why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the
prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with
water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after
me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” this took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John
was baptizing.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him,
and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world. This is he of whom I said, ‘After
me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but for this I
came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit
descend as a dove from heaven and remain on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me
to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and
remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and borne witness to this the
Son of God.”
Second Luminous Mystery
Wedding Feast at Cana
The Wedding Feast at Cana - Charity and Faith
... Jesus, Commissioned ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this Seventh Decade how our Lord Jesus acted out of concern for the newly-married couple and obedience to his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, causing His disciples to believe in him. Note that Jesus pushed back a little on his mother by asking her if she knew what she was asking, that is, the start of his ministry and the road to his crucifixion and death. Mary knew well what she was initiating and commissioned her Son with the words "Do whatever he tells you."
In the Second Luminous Mystery we have the self manifestation of Jesus at the wedding feast at Cana. When the wine ran short Mary said, "They have no wine." Jesus answered, "Woman, ["woman" used here to be in accord with the passage in in Revelation "I will put enmity between you and the woman!"] how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." Mary told the server, "Do whatever he tells you."
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the self-manifestation of Jesus at the wedding feast of Cana come down into my soul and cause me to do whatever He tells me.
John 2: 1-12.
On
the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus
was there. Jesus was also invited to the
marriage, with his disciples. When the
wine had failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They
have no wine.”
And Jesus said to
her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do
whatever he tells you.”
Now six stone jars were standing there, for
the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them,
“Fill the jars with water.” And they filled the m
up to the brim. He said to them, “Now
draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” so they took it.
When the steward of the feast tasted the water
now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who
had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and
said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have
drunk freely, then the poor wine. But
you have kept the good wine until now.”
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at
Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in
him. After this he went down to
Capernaum with his mother and his brethren and his disciples; and they stayed
for a few days.
Third Luminous Mystery
Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
and Call to Repentance - Repentance & Trust
and Call to Repentance - Repentance & Trust
... Jesus, the Word Proclaimed ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate in this 8th Decade how Our Lord Jesus preached the good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind.
In the Third Luminous Mystery, after John the Baptist had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming "This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel." God is the only judge of who gets into heaven. However, in describing the kingdom of heaven in parables Jesus clearly indicates that one must love God and keep his commandments. It is likely that there are eternal consequences for failure to keep them.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of Christ's proclamation of the kingdom of God come down into my soul and take away my sins.
Matthew.
From
the beginning of His public life, Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of Heaven is
at hand. In his Sermon on the Mount He
promulgates the charter of this kingdom, and in parables He speaks of its
nature and conditions.
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven.” (M 5:20)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven. (M 7:21)
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a
man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men were sleeping, his enemy
came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.” (M 13:24)
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of
mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field, it is the smallest of all
seeds but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so
that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (M 13:31)
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden
in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells
all he has and buys that field.” (M
13:44)
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and
become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
(M 18:4)
“The kingdom of heaven is like a householder
who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard . . .” (M 20:1)
“The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to
ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were
wise. . . .” (M25: 1)
“Come, O blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in
prison and you came to me. . . . Then he will say to those on his left hand,
‘Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me
no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not
clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. . . . ‘Truly, I say to
you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Fourth Luminous Mystery
Transfiguration of Christ
The Transfiguration of Our Lord - Listening to God
... Jesus, Revealed ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 9th Decade how our Lord Jesus took His three closest apostles to the mountain top and showed them how Moses and Elijah - the Law and the Prophets - all pointed to Him in His divine glory.
In this Fourth Luminous Mystery, while Jesus was praying on the mountain top His face was changed in appearance and his clothes became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared and conversed with him. The Transfiguration marks a decisive moment in the ministry of Jesus. It is a revelatory event which strengthens the faith in the disciples' hearts, prepares them for the tragedy of the cross, and prefigures the glory of the Resurrection. They then, as we now, contemplate the transfigured face of Christ in order to be confirmed in faith and surrounded in light.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Transfiguration come down into my soul and make me a new person in Christ.
Mark 9: 1-8
This
miracle is unique among other miracles that appear in the Canonical gospels, in
that the miracle happens to Jesus himself.
Thomas Aquinas considered the Transfiguration “the greatest miracle” in
that it complemented baptism and showed the perfection of life in Heaven. The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the settling on
the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets god: the meeting place for the temporal and the
eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge
between heaven and earth.
The Transfiguration not only supports the
identity of Jesus as the Son of God, but the statement “listen
to him” identifies him as the
messenger and mouth-piece of God.
“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter
and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he
was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely
white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
and there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to
Jesus.
“And Peter said to Jesus, “Master,
it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for
Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know
what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid.
And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved son.
Listen to him.”
And suddenly looking around they no longer saw
any one with them but Jesus only.”
Fifth Luminous Mystery
Institution of the Holy Eucharist
The Institution of the Holy Eucharist - Love of God
... Jesus, the Bread of Life ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Luminous Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 10th Decade how our Lord Jesus gave the world, through the Twelve, His own pure body and precious blood to demonstrate His Divine Promise not to leave us, but to be with us until the end of the age.
The Fifth Luminous Mystery causes us to contemplate the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The other Sacraments give us grace. The Holy Eucharist gives us not only grace but also Jesus Himself - His Real Presence, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, under the appearance of bread and wine. At the Last Supper Jesus "took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them: Take! This is my body." In John, Jesus said, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you will not have life in you." This change is called "Transubstantiation" - change of substance. The Council of Trent in 1551 defined that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Transfiguration come down into my soul and make me a new person in Christ.
Matthew12: 26-35
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a chalice, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Luke 22: 14-23
And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a chalice, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” and he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” and likewise the chalice after supper, saying, “This chalice which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
John 6: 35, 51
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall not thirst.”
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
The
Sorrowful Mysteries allow us to stand beneath the Cross of Jesus, coming face to
face with the truth of his insistence that the Christ must suffer and die. No matter that we long to cry out, if only we
had been there; we still encounter the reality of our human position and the
truth that is Our Lord’s. We sense the
sword piercing the heart of his Mother, and pray that it may open our whole
being to the agony and the power that the infinite love of Jesus in his Passion
chose and endured for us.
First Sorrowful Mystery
Agony in the Garden
The Agony in the Garden - Power of Prayer
... Jesus, in Prayer ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 11th Decade how our Lord Jesus was so afflicted for us in the Garden of Gethsemane that His body was bathed in bloody sweat, which ran down in great drops to the ground.
In this First Sorrowful Mystery we discern that it is for the love of His Father above all else that Jesus willed to undergo his Passion. Behold Jesus in agony. For three long hours, weariness, grief, fear and anguish swept His soul like a torrent. The thought of our sins and His coming suffering caused the agonizing Savior to sweat blood. But he places the will of His Father above all else.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Agony in the Garden come down into my soul and make me fervent in my prayer.
Mark 14: 32-52
And they went to a place that was called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.” and going a little further, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; remove this chalice from me; yet not what I will, but what you will.” and he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eye were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come; the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going, see, my betrayer is at hand.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him and lead him away safely.” And when he came, he went up to him at once, and said, “Master!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all deserted him and fled.
And a young man followed him with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
In this First Sorrowful Mystery we discern that it is for the love of His Father above all else that Jesus willed to undergo his Passion. Behold Jesus in agony. For three long hours, weariness, grief, fear and anguish swept His soul like a torrent. The thought of our sins and His coming suffering caused the agonizing Savior to sweat blood. But he places the will of His Father above all else.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Agony in the Garden come down into my soul and make me fervent in my prayer.
Mark 14: 32-52
And they went to a place that was called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.” and going a little further, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; remove this chalice from me; yet not what I will, but what you will.” and he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eye were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come; the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going, see, my betrayer is at hand.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him and lead him away safely.” And when he came, he went up to him at once, and said, “Master!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all deserted him and fled.
And a young man followed him with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
Second Sorrowful Mystery
Scourging at the Pillar
Scourging at the Pillar - Mortification
... Jesus, Scourged ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 12th Decade how our Lord Jesus was cruelly scourged in the house of Pilate.
We see in this Second Sorrowful Mystery how Jesus substituted Himself voluntarily for us as a sacrificial victim without blemish in order to pay our debt, and, by the expiration and the satisfaction which he made for us, to restore the Divine life to us. This was the mission which Christ came to fulfill, the course which He had to run. He was stripped and unmercifully scourged until His body was one mass of bloody wounds.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar come down into my soul and make me appreciate and endure mortification.
John 18: 33-40
Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
We see in this Second Sorrowful Mystery how Jesus substituted Himself voluntarily for us as a sacrificial victim without blemish in order to pay our debt, and, by the expiration and the satisfaction which he made for us, to restore the Divine life to us. This was the mission which Christ came to fulfill, the course which He had to run. He was stripped and unmercifully scourged until His body was one mass of bloody wounds.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar come down into my soul and make me appreciate and endure mortification.
John 18: 33-40
Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went out to the
Jews again, and told them, “I find no crime in him. But you have a custom that I should release
one man for you at the Passover; will
you have me release for you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but
Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.
Third Sorrowful Mystery
Crowning with Thorns
Crowning with Thorns - Christian Courage
... Jesus, Condemned ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 13th Decade how the cruel ministers of Satan plaited a crown of thorns, and cruelly pressed it on the sacred head of our Lord Jesus.
We see in this Third Sorrowful Mystery how Jesus becomes an object of derision, humiliation and insults. Behold Him, the all-powerful God, struck by sharp blows. His face is covered with spittle. A crown of thorns is forced down upon his head. A purple robe is placed on His shoulders as a mock of derision. A reed is thrust into His hand. They genuflect insolently before him in mockery. What humiliation and disgrace for the One before whom the angels tremble.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Crowning with Thorns come down into my soul and fill me with Christian courage to act in the clear direction of what I know to be the right and just course of action.
Matthew 17: 27-31
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
John 19: 1-18
Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was even more afraid. He entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the power to release you, and the power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.”
We see in this Third Sorrowful Mystery how Jesus becomes an object of derision, humiliation and insults. Behold Him, the all-powerful God, struck by sharp blows. His face is covered with spittle. A crown of thorns is forced down upon his head. A purple robe is placed on His shoulders as a mock of derision. A reed is thrust into His hand. They genuflect insolently before him in mockery. What humiliation and disgrace for the One before whom the angels tremble.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Crowning with Thorns come down into my soul and fill me with Christian courage to act in the clear direction of what I know to be the right and just course of action.
Matthew 17: 27-31
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
John 19: 1-18
Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was even more afraid. He entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the power to release you, and the power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.”
Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS
The Carrying of the Cross - Patience and Resignation
... Jesus, the Way ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 14th Decade how our Lord Jesus, being sentenced to die, bore, with most amazing patience, the cross which was laid upon Him for His greater torment and ignominy.
In this Fourth Sorrowful Mystery we find the Roman guards fearing that Jesus will not reach the place of crucifixion alive. As a remedy they force Simon of Cyrene to help Him carry His cross. In this Simon represents all of us. As members of the Mystical Body of Christ, we should all help Jesus carry his cross. This is the one sure sign that we belong to Christ - if we carry our cross with Him. It is His love for His Father which impels Christ to accept the suffering of His Passion, but it is also the love which He bears us.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Carrying of the Cross come down into my soul and fill me with Christian patience and resignation.
Luke 23: 26-49
And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ for if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Jesus goes out toward Calvary, a place that in Hebrew is called Golgotha. The prophesy of Isaiah has been fulfilled: cum sceleratis reputatus est (He was counted among the wicked) for two others were led with him to be put to death.
Jesus is exhausted. His footsteps become more and more unsteady, and the soldiers are in a hurry to be finished. So, when they are going out of the city through the Judgment Gate, they take hold of a man who was coming in from a farm, a man called Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, and they force him to carry the cross of Jesus.
In the whole context of the Passion this help does not add up to very much. But for Jesus, a smile, a word, a gesture is enough for him to pour out his grace bountifully on the soul of his friend. Jesus gave himself up in a holocaust of love. What about us? No matter what situation we may find ourselves in, we can never allow ourselves to behave in a way that is selfish, materialistic, comfort-loving, dissipated. Only those who travel the rugged path of tribulation may enter the city of the saints and there to rest for eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In this Fourth Sorrowful Mystery we find the Roman guards fearing that Jesus will not reach the place of crucifixion alive. As a remedy they force Simon of Cyrene to help Him carry His cross. In this Simon represents all of us. As members of the Mystical Body of Christ, we should all help Jesus carry his cross. This is the one sure sign that we belong to Christ - if we carry our cross with Him. It is His love for His Father which impels Christ to accept the suffering of His Passion, but it is also the love which He bears us.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Carrying of the Cross come down into my soul and fill me with Christian patience and resignation.
Luke 23: 26-49
And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ for if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Jesus goes out toward Calvary, a place that in Hebrew is called Golgotha. The prophesy of Isaiah has been fulfilled: cum sceleratis reputatus est (He was counted among the wicked) for two others were led with him to be put to death.
Jesus is exhausted. His footsteps become more and more unsteady, and the soldiers are in a hurry to be finished. So, when they are going out of the city through the Judgment Gate, they take hold of a man who was coming in from a farm, a man called Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, and they force him to carry the cross of Jesus.
In the whole context of the Passion this help does not add up to very much. But for Jesus, a smile, a word, a gesture is enough for him to pour out his grace bountifully on the soul of his friend. Jesus gave himself up in a holocaust of love. What about us? No matter what situation we may find ourselves in, we can never allow ourselves to behave in a way that is selfish, materialistic, comfort-loving, dissipated. Only those who travel the rugged path of tribulation may enter the city of the saints and there to rest for eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
Crucifixion and Death of Jesus - Spirit of Self-Sacrifice
... Jesus, the Good Shepherd ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Sorrowful Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 15th Decade how our Lord Jesus, having come to Mount Calvary, was stripped of His clothes, His hands and feet were cruelly nailed to the cross, in the presence of His most afflicted Mother.
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery describes how Jesus was nailed to the cross and dies after three hours of agony witnessed by his mother. At the Last Supper, Christ said to His Apostles, "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends." And this is the love, surpassing all loves, which Jesus shows us. Hence the Apostle Paul declares without ceasing that "because he loved us, Christ delivered Himself up for us."
The Good Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason theFather loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10: 14-21)
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus come down into my soul and fill me with the Christian spirit of self-sacrifice.
Luke 23: 26-49
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place which is called The SKULL, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of god, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done no wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingly power.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things.
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery describes how Jesus was nailed to the cross and dies after three hours of agony witnessed by his mother. At the Last Supper, Christ said to His Apostles, "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends." And this is the love, surpassing all loves, which Jesus shows us. Hence the Apostle Paul declares without ceasing that "because he loved us, Christ delivered Himself up for us."
The Good Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason theFather loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10: 14-21)
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus come down into my soul and fill me with the Christian spirit of self-sacrifice.
Luke 23: 26-49
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place which is called The SKULL, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of god, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done no wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingly power.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things.
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
The
Glorious Mysteries reveal the mediation of the great Virgin, still more abundant in
fruitfulness. She rejoices in heart over
the glory of her Son triumphant over death, and follows him with a mother’s
love in his Ascension to his eternal kingdom.
But, though worthy of heaven, she abides a while on earth, so that the
infant Church may be directed and comforted by her “who penetrated, beyond all
belief, into the deep secrets of Divine wisdom.
The First Glorious Mystery
Resurrection of Jesus
The Resurrection - Faith and New Life in Christ
... Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 16th Decade how our Lord Jesus, triumphing gloriously over death, rose again the third day, immortal and impassible.
In this First Glorious Mystery we celebrate that we Catholic Christians are "Easter People." The Resurrection is the foundation of Christ's presence on earth and of our Faith. On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead - glorious and immortal, as he predicted. Here is the first element of the sanctity represented by the risen Christ: the elimination of everything that is corruptible, everything that is earthly and created; freedom from all defects, all infirmities, all capacity for suffering.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Resurrection come down into my soul and fill me with renewed and limitless faith and a new life in Christ.
Matthew 28: 1-10, 16-20
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Behold, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
. . . Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountains to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
John 20: 21-23
Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. . . . Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
In this First Glorious Mystery we celebrate that we Catholic Christians are "Easter People." The Resurrection is the foundation of Christ's presence on earth and of our Faith. On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead - glorious and immortal, as he predicted. Here is the first element of the sanctity represented by the risen Christ: the elimination of everything that is corruptible, everything that is earthly and created; freedom from all defects, all infirmities, all capacity for suffering.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Resurrection come down into my soul and fill me with renewed and limitless faith and a new life in Christ.
Matthew 28: 1-10, 16-20
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Behold, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
. . . Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountains to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
John 20: 21-23
Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. . . . Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Second Glorious Mystery
Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
The Ascension - Hope and Desire of Heaven
... Jesus, Ascended to the Father ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 17th Decade how our Lord Jesus, forty days after His Resurrection, ascended into heaven, attended by angels, in the sight of His most holy Mother and His holy apostles and disciples to sit at the right hand of His Father.
The Second Glorious Mystery reveals that as He ascended Jesus said to His Apostles, "If you love Me, you would indeed rejoice that I am going to the Father." He ascends into heaven only to precede us. He does not separate Himself from us. He enters the Kingdom of Heaven to prepare a place for us. He promises to return one day to take us with Him so that, as He said, where He is we also may be.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Ascension come down into my soul and fill me with hope and a strong desire for heaven.
Mark 16: 15-20
And Jesus said to His Apostles: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.
Acts of the Apostles 1: 6-11
So, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”
And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
The Second Glorious Mystery reveals that as He ascended Jesus said to His Apostles, "If you love Me, you would indeed rejoice that I am going to the Father." He ascends into heaven only to precede us. He does not separate Himself from us. He enters the Kingdom of Heaven to prepare a place for us. He promises to return one day to take us with Him so that, as He said, where He is we also may be.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Ascension come down into my soul and fill me with hope and a strong desire for heaven.
Mark 16: 15-20
And Jesus said to His Apostles: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.
Acts of the Apostles 1: 6-11
So, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”
And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Third Glorious Mystery
Descent of the Holy Spirit
Descent of Holy Spirit - Zeal for Souls
... Jesus, Fulfilled ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 18th Decade how our Lord Jesus, being seated at the right hand of God, sent, as He had promised, the Holy Spirit upon His apostles and His mother, who, after He had ascended, returned to Jerusalem, and continued in prayer and supplication, waiting for the fulfillment of His promise.
In this 3rd Glorious Mystery we find the Holy Spirit appearing under the form of tongues of fire in order to fill the Apostles with truth and to prepare them to bear witness to Jesus and fill their hearts with love. On the day of Pentecost the Divine Spirit communicated such an abundance of life to the whole Church that to symbolize it, "there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, and filled the whole house."
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit come down into my soul and fill me with zeal for souls.
Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-13
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondering, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? . . . We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
In this 3rd Glorious Mystery we find the Holy Spirit appearing under the form of tongues of fire in order to fill the Apostles with truth and to prepare them to bear witness to Jesus and fill their hearts with love. On the day of Pentecost the Divine Spirit communicated such an abundance of life to the whole Church that to symbolize it, "there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, and filled the whole house."
Pentecost
is the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit breathes His own life into
the Body of and all the members. The
descent of the Holy Spirit marks one of
the ways in which Christ is faithful to His promise that He would be “with us
always.”
In the words of St. Augustine: “There is no gift of God more excellent than
this. It alone distinguishes the sons of
the eternal kingdom and the sons of eternal perdition." Other gifts, too, are given by the Holy
Spirit, but without love they profit nothing.
Unless, therefore, the Holy Spirit is so far imparted to each, as to
make him one who loves God and his neighbor, he is not removed from the left
hand to the right. Nor is the Spirit
specially called the Gift, unless on account of love. And he who has not this love, though he speak
with the tongues of men and angels, is sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal;
and though he have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all
knowledge, and though he have all faith, so that he can remove mountains, he is
nothing; and though he bestow all his goods to feed the poor, and though he
give his body to be burned, it profit him nothing.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit come down into my soul and fill me with zeal for souls.
Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-13
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondering, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? . . . We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Fourth Glorious Mystery
Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary
The Assumption - Filial Devotion to Mary
... Jesus, is Love ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God ...
Let us contemplate during this 19th Decade how the glorious Virgin, having completed the course of her earthly existence, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
In this 4th Glorious Mystery, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Mary's soul returns to God and her glorified body is taken up into heaven and reunited with her Son. The Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all satin of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished was taken up and exalted by the Lord as the Queen of all things, so that she might be more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord Jesus.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Assumption come down into my soul and fill me with filial devotion to Mary.
The Assumption
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians. If anyone has “followed Christ” to the utmost, without the least failing, it is Mary. How, then, could He not but gather her with Him, body and soul, to the glory to which the Cross is the way and the portal?
Yet this personal culmination of Mary’s experience is at the same time a new beginning. Mary is now in eternal life. This means the joy and blessedness that comes from loving and beholding the God who is Light, Life and Love. It also means the fullness of communion with all who love God, with all whom God loves. And God loves everything he has made, creation being the effect of his love. But though the blessedness of eternal life is true of all elect in heaven, it is true of Mary in a very special way, not only by reason of the perfection of her glory, but also because her Assumption enables her even now to live her blessedness in the fullness of her glorified humanity.
And so, Mary becomes the Mother of the New World, and in an even deeper sense, the mother of the fullness of times making, according to John Paul II, “the moment when, with the entrance of the eternal into time, time itself is redeemed, and being filled with the mystery of Christ becomes definitely salvation time. . . . The Church’s often rugged journey happens and evolves, in the fullness of time. She proceeds along the path already trodden by the Virgin Mary, who advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and loyally preserved in her union with her son unto the cross and beyond. The ‘fullness of time’ exorcises the many doomsday scenarios of the day, and we can be sure, that where Mary proceeds, there is safe conduct for the pilgrim humanity.”
Fifth Glorious Mystery
Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven
Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven - Perseverance
... Jesus is God ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God, Queen of Heaven ...
... Holy Mary, Glorious Mother of God, Queen of Heaven ...
Let us contemplate during this 20th Decade how the glorious Virgin Mary was, to the great jubilee and exultation of the whole heavenly Court, crowned by her Son with the brightest glory as Queen of Heaven.
In this Fifth and closing Glorious Mystery, the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven, we find a summary of all the Marian Mysteries. All the previous nineteen Mysteries deal with events in the life of Jesus and Mary that took place on earth. But Mary's coronation took place in heaven. The Catholic teaching is expressed in the Papal Encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam, issued by Pope Pius XII. The Title, "Queen of Heaven" has been a Catholic tradition long before being given a dogmatic definition status by the Church.
Pray: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be. May the grace of the Mystery of the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven come down into my soul and fill me with heavenly perseverance.
The Coronation of Mary
Of
the four titles Pius XII gave for her Queenship, the first two are closely
parallel to those of Jesus.
(1) He is king by nature, as God; she is Queen
by “divine relationship” (i.e., by being the Mother of God). In fact her
relation to her Son is greater than that of ordinary Mothers of Kings. For she
is the Mother of Him who is King by very nature, from all eternity, and the
relationship is exclusive, for He had no human father.
(2) He is king by right of conquest. She too
is Queen by right of conquest. This title for Him means that He redeemed us
from the captivity of Satan. She shared in the struggle and victory. Since the
Pius XII expressed her dependence on Him in a threefold, then it is clear that
he did not have in mind any other restriction which he did not express. So,
maintaining this subordination, “by right of conquest” means the same for her
as it does for Him.
(3) She
is Queen by grace. She is full of grace, the highest in the category of grace
besides her Son.
(4) She is Queen by singular choice of the
Father. A mere human can become King or Queen by choice of the people. How much
greater a title is the choice of the Father Himself! Pius
XII added that “nothing is excluded from her dominion.” As Mediatrix of all
graces, who shared in earning all graces, she is, as Benedict XV said,
“Suppliant omnipotence”: she, united with her Son, can obtain by her
intercession anything that the all-powerful God can do by His own inherent
power.
In the Old Testament, under some Davidic
kings, the gebirah, the “Great Lady”,
usually the Mother of the King, held great power as advocate with the king. Cf.
1 Kings 2:20, where Solomon said to his Mother Bathsheba, seated on a throne at
his right: “Make your request, Mother, for I will not refuse you.” Here is a
sort of type of Our Lady.
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