THOUGHTS ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES

 My thoughts on these mysteries are of a different nature than those for the other mysteries.

While praying the Joyful Mysteries one night it seemed as though the Holy Ghost was "speaking" to me as I meditated.  I could almost "hear" my name as I was asked the following three questions.  There followed a different way of responding to the last two mysteries.

THE FIRST JOYFUL MYSTERY  --  THE ANNUNCIATION / THE INCARNATION
"Will you allow Jesus to be conceived in YOUR heart and mind?"

THE SECOND JOYFUL MYSTERY  --  THE VISITATION
"Will you carry the Holy Ghost with you to everyone I send you to?"
When the Blessed Virgin visited St. Elizabeth she not only carried the Second Person of the Holy Trinity in her womb, but she brought the Holy Ghost to St. Elizabeth so that St. John the Baptist could receive the Holy Ghost and be born without original sin.

THE THIRD JOYFUL MYSTERY  --  THE NATIVITY
"Will you allow Jesus to be born within you ... in the very temple of the Holy Ghost?"

THE FORTH JOYFUL MYSTERY  --  THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
In this mystery I felt that while meditating on the events of The Presentation I realized that I could  present Jesus in my own temple, by body, the temple of the Holy Ghost.

THE FIFTH JOYFUL MYSTERY  --  THE FINDING IN THE TEMPLE
This has become a very significant mystery to me.  I always pray to find Jesus alive within the temple of the Holy Ghost, my body.  As Mary and Joseph search for Our Lord I ask for their help in finding Him alive within me.

It has been a blessing to contemplate the events of the early life of Jesus along with my current life here and now.

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES

 "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." 

The Sorrowful Mysteries are always the most poignant of the three sets of Mysteries.

Just think of what we have done.

We are ALL responsible for:

- The Agony in the Garden

- The Scourging at the Pillar

- The Crowning with Thorns

- Christ carrying the Cross

- Jesus' crucifixion and death on the Cross

It is profound to ponder how I am responsible for Christ's sufferings all through His holy Passion.

Not only are we guilty of Original Sin, we are also guilty of each and every actual sin committed throughout the course of our lives after we reach the age of reason.  (This, as a rule, happens at the age of seven, or thereabouts.)  Just imagine the agony Our Lord suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane:  Not only was He agonizing over the physical torture He knew the Father was asking Him to undergo for our salvation, He was also aware that He would be mocked for His submission, not only the following day (Good Friday) but also down through the ages as each of us willingly sin in spite of God's Grace.

We are responsible for the Agony in the Garden, for the Scourging at the Pillar, for mocking Him with our sins and crowning Him with the thorns of our sins, for making Him carry His deathbed when we had already mocked him.  Finally, we are each responsible for Jesus allowing Himself to suffer and die on the Cross.

Asking Mary to pray for us really brings out a special meaning during the Sorrowful Mysteries.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae, Amen.

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

Here the things that really bothered me are made right.
Our Lord suffered terribly.
He was mocked and tormented.  What did He do about it?  NOTHING.
They (we) said to Him "If you are the Son of God come down from the cross and save Yourself!"
Jesus bested them.  He would not succumb to these mockeries.  He beat Satan by remaining silent and finally giving up His earthly life.
BUT:
On the third day He did something far more amazing than coming down from the cross.  He rose from the dead in His resurrected body!