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MEDITATIONS ON THE ROSARY
The
Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation
The angel Gabriel
came to Mary, a young girl, 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 to him 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 shall 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 to me according to
your word." (Luke 1:30-38)
The Visitation
In those days Mary
arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she
entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary, the babe 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 babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is
she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her
from 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.
(Luke 1:39-49)
The Nativity
...Joseph 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 in the census. Mary, his betrothed, 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 cloths, 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 watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared
to them, and the glory of the Lord shone 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 a 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.
(Luke 2:4-11)
The Presentation
And inspired by the
Spirit Simeon 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 lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light
for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy 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 there was a prophetess, Anna, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having
lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till
she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with
fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave
thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption
of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of
the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
(Luke 2:27-39)
Finding of Jesus
in the Temple
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the 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 kinsfolk
and acquaintances; and 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 at 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. (Luke 2:41-51)
The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the
Garden
Then Jesus went with
them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here,
while I go yonder and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of
Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My
soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And
going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, "My Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass
from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." And he came to the
disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not
watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into
temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again, for
the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass
unless I drink it, thy will be done." And again he came and found them
sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away
and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the
disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands
of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."
(Matthew 26:36-46)
The Scourging at
the Pillar
Pilate said to them,
"Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let
him be crucified." And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they
shouted all the more, "Let him be
crucified." So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that
a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd,
saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." And all
the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then he
released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be
crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the
praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
(Matthew 27:22-26)
The Crowning with
Thorns
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. (Matthew 27:28-31)
The Carrying of the Cross
...They compelled a
passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father
of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the
place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered
him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him,
and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what
each should take. (Mark 15:21-24)
The Crucifixion
They crucified
Him...
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth
hour. And about the ninth
hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is,
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And some of the bystanders
hearing it said, "This man is calling Elijah." And one of them at once ran
and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it
to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will
come to save him." And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up
his spirit. (Matthew 27:46-50)
The Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection
And when the sabbath
was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought
spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first
day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were
saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of
the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; -- it
was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the
right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to
them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He
has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell
his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you
will see him, as he told you." (Mark 16:1-7)
The Ascension
"In the Ascension,
Christ was raised in glory to the right hand of the Father, while Mary
herself would be raised to that same glory in the Assumption, enjoying
beforehand, by a unique privelege, the destiny reserved for all the just at
the Resurrection of the dead." (Apostolic Letter Rosarium
Virginis Mariae, 23)
The Coming of the
Holy Spirit
When the day of
Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a
sound came
from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as 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 in 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.
(Acts 2:1-6)
The Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary
Let us consider how
Our Lord Jesus Christ took his Mother up into Heaven in Body and Soul. She
is the
Immaculate Conception. That she possessed absolute purity is
prophesied in the Book of Genesis: "I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and
you shall bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15) St.
Augustine declares that all the just have truly known of sin "except the
Holy Virgin Mary, of whom, for the honor of the Lord, I will have no
question whatever where sin is concerned" (De naturā et
gratiā 36).
The Coronation of
Mary in Heaven
And a great portent
appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her
feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars... (Rev. 12:1)
The feast of the Queenship of Mary was established in 1954 by Pope
Pius XII. Let us ask Mary, Queen of Heaven, to intercede for us as we pray
to her Son, Jesus.
The Luminous Mysteries
Baptism in the
Jordan
Then Jesus came from
Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have
prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to
me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for
us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus was
baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens
were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved
Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:13-17)
The Marriage
Feast of Cana
On the third day
there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine
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 them 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 Caper'na-um, with his
mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few
days. (John 2:1-12)
Proclamation of
the Kingdom
And Jesus returned
in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went
out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues,
being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought
up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And
he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet
Isaiah. He
opened the book and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight
to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord." And he closed the book, and gave it back to
the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed
on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the
gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this
Joseph's son?" (Luke 4:14-22)
Transfiguration
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." (Mark 9:2-7)
Institution of
the Eucharist
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
cup, 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 cup
after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new
covenant in my blood. (Luke 22:15-20)
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