|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meditate on the corresponding mystery for each decade (10 Hail Marys)
(First Day)
Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary to Announce that God has chosen her to be the Mother of Jesus. She consents. Second Joyful Mystery - The Visitation Mary leaves her home to go to care for her cousin, Elizabeth, who is soon to be the mother of John the Baptist. The moment she sees Mary, Elizabeth pronounces the famous words, "Blessed art thou among women and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Third Joyful Mystery - The Nativity Mary gives birth to Jesus miraculously yet still remains a virgin. Meditate upon the well-known story of the Birth of Christ. Fourth Joyful Mystery - the Presentation at the Temple Mary and Joseph take their first-born son (as was the custom) to the temple to present Him to God. There, Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and predicts that Mary's heart will be pierced with a sword of sorrow. Fifth Joyful Mystery - The Finding of the child Jesus at the Temple Twelve-year-old Jesus was lost after the annual trip to the Temple in Jerusalem. He was found three days later by His sorrowing parents; He was in the Temple talking to the learned doctors of the church and astounding them with His great knowledge. He said, "Know you not that I must be about my Father's business?" But He went with them and was subject to them. And Jesus grew in stature and in Grace before God. (Note: This is the first third of the
Rosary. It is said by going around the Rosary beads once. [See diagram] After announcing a Mystery,
recite the "Our Father" before the "Hail Mary's" which are counted on the ten beads. On the larger
bead say "Glory be" and the "Angel's Prayer." Announce the next Mystery, recite the "Our Father" all
on the larger bead. Then pray ten "Hail Mary's" on the next ten beads and so on around the Rosary.
Practice until the Meditation becomes a part of the prayer. Meditation is thinking about the events
which are stated in the Mystery.) (The Second Day) Jesus leaves His disciples and enters the Garden of Olives to pray, the night before His death. As He prays, the weight of all the sins of Mankind press heavily upon Him. It is for sin He must die - your sin, too - and the knowledge of His suffering and death, added to the burden of the Sins He would die to atone, brought a bloody sweat which was the outward sign of the Agony within His soul. Second Sorrowful Mystery - The Scourging [Whipping] at the Pillar Pilate decreed that Jesus would be scourged, thinking in this way to appease the crowd's cry for Jesus' death. A Roman soldier whipped Him and stripped the flesh from His back. The Pain was greatly magnified, for Jesus had been up all night in the Agony of prayer. He could have stopped the whipping with a glance, but He bore it for your sins, because He loved you. Third Sorrowful Mystery - The Crowning with Thorns The soldiers put a purple cloak around His shoulders; then plaited a crown of sharp thorns and crushed it down upon his head. They put a reed in His hand, then bowed the knee and mocked Him as "King of the Jews." They spat upon His face. He did not speak out against them. Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - The Carrying of the Cross A heavy wooden cross was placed upon His bruised shoulder and He was forced to carry His own Cross to Calvary. He fell three times beneath its weight. The weight of sins for which He was to die was greater than the weight of the Cross. Fifth Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion Nails were driven through His hands and feet. He lay upon His deathbed, the Crown of Thorns still on His head. He was lifted up and hung for three hours upon the Cross - for your sins - and then Jesus died. Weep for the death of the Sinless Son of God who died that you might live forever in Heaven. (Third day)
On the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The heavy stone was rolled away from the tomb and He came forth gloriously for He had conquered death forever. He had opened the gates of Heaven which had been closed since the fall of Adam and Eve. It is because of His death and resurrection that you have an opportunity to be saved from hell and to enter Heaven where you will live forever. Second Glorious Mystery - The Ascension At last Jesus was reunited with His Father in Heaven, but now He has a human form for He has forever taken the body of Man. His body and soul were both taken into Paradise, and He sits at the right hand of His Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Third Glorious Mystery - The Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles Jesus had promised His disciples that when He went back to Heaven He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them. The Holy Spirit (Ghost) descended upon them and upon His mother in tongues of flames seen above their heads. They were filled with enthusiasm and went about converting many souls. The Holy Spirit has lived upon the earth to give comfort and understanding and help to man, but men have scorned the third Person of the Holy Trinity. Pray to the Holy Spirit in reparation for your neglect of His help. Fourth Glorious Mystery - The Assumption of Mary into Heaven body and Soul Mary's body became glorified after her death. Her soul and body were reunited and she was taken or "assumed" into Heaven because her body had created the body of Christ and it could not be allowed to decay. Nothing of Christ must be destroyed. His Mother is with Him in Heaven, body and soul. Fifth Glorious Mystery - The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, As Christ is King so Mary is Queen, and rules with Him in Heaven. All the Saints and Angels bow before her beauty and she who is dearest to Jesus is also dearest to God and the Holy Spirit. Her power is not her own - It comes from God.
|
|
|
