The Joyful Mysteries

Joyful Mysteries remind the faithful of Christ’s birth:

• The Annunciation
  Humility is the foundation of prayer. It means seeing ourselves as God sees us: knowing every good we have comes from Him as a pure gift.
  Luke 1:26-38; John 1:14
• The Visitation
  Charity is that virtue which disposes us to love God above all for Himself and to love ourselves and our neighbors for the His sake.
  Luke 1:39-56
• The Nativity
  Spirit of Poverty invites us to detach ourselves from our many possessions and things of this world. It is the promise made to God of a constant renunciation of temporal goods, in order to follow Christ.
  Luke 2:6-20; Matthew 1:18-25
• The Presentation
  Obedience is when we subjugate our own will to that of our Heavenly Father. It is that voluntary submission which we vow to God in order to be directed by Him in the ways of His perfection.
  Luke 2:22-39
• The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
  Piety The truest, purest spiritual joy flows from the spiritual discovery of Jesus Christ and the devotional practice to him.
  Luke 2:41-51

Prayed on Mondays and Saturdays and on Sundays during the season of Advent.

The Luminous Mysteries

The Luminous Mysteries refer to the public life of Christ:

• The Baptism of Jesus
  Openness to the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness for all previous sins through the Sacrament of Baptism.
  Matthew 3:11-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:15-22; John 1:26-34
• The Wedding Feast at Cana
  To Jesus through Mary:  Mary is always pointing us to her Son and interceding with him on our behalf. She is always telling us “Do as He says!”.
  John 2:1-12
• The Proclamation of the Kingdom
  Repentance and the call of Conversion to the Messiah:  Sorrow for our sins. Jesus spent the active years of his ministry preaching and performing miracles to verify his purview to proclaim the Kingdom of God.
  Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 5:1-16; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 7:21
• The Transfiguration
  Desire for Holiness to become a new person in Christ and to ultimately live in glory in heaven.
  Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36
• The Institution of the Eucharist
  Adoration and love for the Holy Eucharist and active participation at Mass. The union of our hearts with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
  Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; John 6:33-59

Prayed on Thursdays.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

The Sorrowful Mysteries recall Jesus’ passion and death:

• The Agony in the Garden
  Trust in God and Obedience to Gods Will – Jesus begged His Father to spare him, but submitted Himself fully to His will. Christ invites us to unite our suffering with His Passion and that, when we do this, our suffering takes on redemptive power.
  Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46
• The Scourging at the Pillar
  Penance, Contrition, Purity and the Mortification of our bodies and our pride:  We are called to make sacrifices small or great (e.g. fasting, abstinence) and offering them up to the Lord.
  Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:16-22; John 19:1
• The Crowning of Thorns
  Moral Courage – Fortitude: We must have the strength of character to stand up for our Catholic Faith even when we are being persecuted.
  Matthew 27:29-30; Mark 15:16-20; John 19: 2-3
• The Carrying of the Cross
  Perseverance and Patience in Trials and Tribulations:  Jesus demonstrated this as he carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem on the way to his Crucifixion.
  Luke 23: 26-32; Matthew 27:31-32; Mark 15:21
• The Crucifixion
  Forgiveness of others, Mercy and the Redemption of souls:  We look to the cross for the example of total self-giving. Christ gave Himself for the restoration of man from the bondage of sin to the liberty of the children of God.
  Luke 23: 33-46; Matthew 27: 33-54; Mark 15: 22-39; John 19:17-37

Prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays and Sundays during the season of Lent.

The Glorious Mysteries

These Mysteries focus on the resurrection of Jesus and the glories of heaven:

• The Resurrection
  Faith: we believe in God and believe all that He has said and revealed to us by the Holy Spirit through Scripture and the dogma of His Church.
  Matthew 28: 1-10; Mark 16: 1-18; Luke 24: 1-49; John 20:1-29
• The Ascension
  Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
  Mark: 16: 19-20; Luke 24: 50-51; Acts 1: 6-11
• The Descent of the Holy Spirit
  Gifts of the Holy Spirit which are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These are supernatural gifts provided by God to help us in the process of our perfection.
  Acts 2:1-41
• The Assumption
  Grace of a Happy Death We pray for a death while in good moral and religious circumstances after living a life of loving service to God, to Jesus, to Mary and to our neighbors.
  Munificentissimus Deus #44
• The Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
  True Devotion to Mary for She is the Queen of Heaven, enjoying forever her rightful place next to her Son as the Mother of God. Through devotion to her we pray that we may one day share in her eternal happiness and a complete union with the Blessed Trinity.
  Revelation 12:1

Prayed on Wednesdays and on Sundays outside the seasons of Advent and Lent.