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THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
The Annunciation:
The Annunciation is a symbol of humility, of submission to the
will of God. As Mary must have struggled with her own puzzlement at the
angel's annunciation, her response melted into total acceptance of God's
will, through her prayer. Through her acceptance on earth, in this century,
is she proclaiming our own annunciation? She asks for our submission to
God.
SUGGESTED READING:
Luke 1:26-38
MARY'S MESSAGE:
God so loved you that for your sake He willed His Father's will.
Christ came to earth to redeem you, and to show you the path to heaven.
In this mystery Jesus teaches you to love God effectively by doing His
will.
PRAYER:
Dear Blessed Mother, you replied to God's angel: "I am the servant
of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." Simply and humbly, you made
yourself available for the service God required. May I never forget your
lesson of prompt availability to our Father's will. Amen.
Now Pray the Decade
The Visitation:
Mary came to Elizabeth, to visit with her relative. She came with
a stirring message concerning the nearness of Our Saviour. The Incarnation
of the Word was upon us. Is she visiting with us again? Giving us the same
message? She, along with her Son, and her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, visit
with us everyday. Do we respond as she did, by opening our hearts, our
wills, to God? Listen to Mary's prayer of praise to God, "The Magnificat."
SUGGESTED READING:
Luke 1:39-58
MARY'S MESSAGE
Christ had hardly taken flesh and already He wanted to be shared;
He longed to give Zachary, Elizabeth, and the unborn John the joy of His
presence. In this mystery Jesus invites you to share Him with your fellowmen:
"Freely you have received, freely give."
PRAYER:
Dear Blessed Mother, your example of charity and apostolic zeal
is a precious lesson. Make me understand how to preserve the faith by sharing
Christ with others less privileged spiritually. Whenever I keep my faith
in Christ to myself, please remind me to care and share, at least through
the charity of prayer. Amen
Now Pray the Decade
The Nativity
He is with us. the word was made flesh and now Jesus Christ is
with us. What impact does that have on us today? He came not as a king,
or a ruler, but as a poor infant, humble beginnings, every knee must bend.
What gifts do we bring? He is still with us, in all things, in all lives,
the Prince of Peace. What gifts do we give? Bring joy, bring love and praise.
Give our your heart. Give your trust as Joseph did.
SUGGESTED READING
Luke 2:1-20
MARY'S MESSAGE:
At Bethlehem the kindness and graciousness of God our Savior appeared
to invite a sin-saddened world to rejoice. The herald angels greeted Christ's
birth as good news of great joy. You believe in Christ. So be full of the
joy He gives you as a pledge of endless bliss in His presence.
PRAYER:
Dear Blesses Mother, help me to serve the Lord with gladness. May
I put away all gloom and sadness to look like a Christian firmly convinced
of God's loving-kindness and mercy. Let me be glad in Him and joyful because
of His spirit. Then like you I can be a cause of joy to all around me.
Amen.
Now Pray the decade
The Presentation
Mary and Joseph, in compliance with the laws of their land, brought
the infant Jesus to the temple for cencecration to God the Father. She
is still presenting Him to us, everyday. Offering her Son every day to
us, through the Mass, through His graces, His blessings. She also attempts
to present us to God everyday; to dress in holiness, goodness, obedience
and humility for presentation of her Son. All of her appearances on earth
have attempted to do just that. In this decade Mary's coming sorrows are
revealed; for her Son, Jesus, and now for us.
SUGGESTED READING:
Luke 2:22-35
MARY'S MESSAGE:
When you were baptised, you were presented to the Lord in His temple.
You then agreed to serve Him faithfully on earth that you might worship
Him and be His forever. May this Rosary mystery always recall your baptisimal
promises and inspire you to live up to them.
PRAYER:
Thank you, dear Blesses Mother, for turning my thoughts to my first
meeting with Christ at the baptisimal font. In joining His company I rejected
evil and sin by pledging lifelong fidelity to Christ. Virgin most faithful,
please pray to the Lord for me that I may remain totally and generously
dedicated to Him and keep my baptisimal promises. Amen.
Now Pray the decade
The Finding of the Temple
Mary and Joseph searched in sorrow for three days before they experienced
the joy of finding Jesus. What anguish there must have been over the lost
child, over what might have happened to Him. She is still searching today
for all of her lost children. Do we see in this event, an example of the
constant need to search for the lost?
SUGGESTED READING:
Luke 2:41-52
MARY'S MESSAGE:
In your life also there will be strange divine doings to puzzle
you. You may wonder in dismay what God wants to accomplish. You may wish
to probe in prayer to discover Hid hidden reasons. God does not ask you
to understand His doings fully, but rather to align your will with His
in complete filial trust.
PRAYER:
Dear Blessed Mother, the thousand "whys" on my lips are not always
the best responce to God. MAy His Holy Spirit teach me, as taught you,
to accept His ways without always asking God to prove again His care of
me. May I always reverence His presence within me as another living temple
of His glory. Amen.
Now pray the decade.
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THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
The Agony in the Garden
Jesus prayed with great intensity and anguish over His impending
death. His agong, perhaps, was an inner one; a distress and sadness that
the death He was about to undergo, would be suffered in vain for many.
Like Jesus, we also face crucial decisions, stress and difficulty, and
pain in our daily lives. In our trials and misery, will we be loyal? If
we can kneel with Jesus in His agony, He will be there in ours.
SUGGESTED READING:
Luke 22:39-44
MARY'S MESSAGE:
"In His anguish He prayed with all the greater intensity." In this
sorrowful episode Jesus shows you why, the greater your physical or emotional
distress, the more earnest should be your prayer. God will not guarantee
to remove your burden, but He will surely grant you at least the comfort,
courage, and strangth to endure.
PRAYER:
Dear Blessed Mother, kindly teach me to give prayer a major place
in my life. Guide me in the ways of that humble, confident, perservering
prayer that links God's strength to my weakness. May I translate my belief
into action, and pray with greater fervor when my days are beset with difficulties.
Amen.
Now pray the decade
The Scourging:
Pilate, disturbed at the meek majesty of his prisoner had him scourged
at the pillar, though he could not find any fault in him. Perhaps he simply
resented the fact that Jesus had no use for this world, Pilate's world,
and spoke so overwhelmingly for the next world. Which way do we view this
world? Are we willing to give all, only for this life? Or can we offer
and accept His life for us?
SUGGESTED READING:
Mark 15:1-5
MARY'S MESSAGE
With His mental anguish Jesus knew agony also in the flesh. His
scourging reminds us of the excruciatingly painful blows inflicted upon
His body. By those stripes sinners are healed for it was sin that caused
His scourging at the pillar.
PRAYER:
Dear Blesses Mother, in Baptism I died to sin and rose with Christ
to a new life. It was a beautiful beginning but I grieve at the many times
sin has since gained the upper hand over me. Mother of Sorrows, please
obtain for me the grace to be truly sorry for all my sins. By the stripes
of Christ my Savior may I be healed and made holy. Amen.
Now Pray the Decade
The Crowning With Thorns
The soronation, offered to Jesus by the world, was a crown of thorns.
How do we crown Him now? Do we deny Him, or somply show indifference? Do
we truly seek Him out? The mockery of this pain inflicting crowning, asks
us how we crown Our Saviour.
SUGGESTED READING:
Matt. 27:27-31
MARY'S MESSAGE
In this sorrowful mystery Christ's Mystical Body acquired a thorn-crowned
Head. Let the pain and shame of this mock crowning be an unforgettable
lesson lesson for you. If you accept the kingship of your blessed Redeemer
you must let Him reign and truly rule in every area of your life.
PRAYER:
Dear Mother of my Lord and King,intercede for me in His presence.
Pray that He may reign ever more completely in my mind, my will, my heart,
and in all the members of my body. May His kingdom come more fully in my
life, in all the lives that touch mine, and in all hearts the world over.
Amen.
Now Pray the decade
The Carrying of the Cross
The Son of God carries the instrument of His death to the hill
of Calvary. Jesus' carrying of the cross was a fulfillment of His
earlier words, Let all who believe in me, take up their cross and follow
me. A cross he didn't have to carry. Neither do we, unless we choose Jesus
over Satan and sin. MAry, His Mother states that, Through the cross, God
is being glorified in every person. Do not be afraid to carry it. My Son
is with you and He will help you. Let us find, through the steps to Calvary,
the roadway of our own lives.
SUGGESTED READING:
Mark 15:20-25
MARY'S MESSAGE
Rise and fall, rise and fall: that was the pattern for the MAster.
It remains the same for all His disciples and for you! When you fall, you
must rise again and keep going forward as Jesus did. Keep moving ahead
with Him, and the cruel cross on your shoulders will be a little lighter.
PRAYER:
Dear Mother Mary, Jesus wants me to take up my cross daily and
go forward with Him. When you see me dragging my burden, please remind
me that there is a better and more Christlike way to bear it. Pray for
me now that I may carry today's cross with love. Pray for me daily that
I may rise with courage after each fall. Amen.
The Crucifixion
Jesus died on the cross. With it came our redemption, our salvation.
Before His final breath, He gave the world His Mother, and gave her a role
in the salvation of all mankind by making us all, her children. Just as
she was there, at the foot of the cross, she asks us to pray at the foot
of the cross. Our forgiveness is there. Great graces are there. Love the
cross. In this meditation, is our salvation.
SUGGESTED READING:
Mark 15:29-41
MARY'S MESSAGE
Jesus died on the cross for you. Now He wants you to live no longer
for yourself, but for Him. Whether you live or whether you die, you belong
to Him. He redeemed you; you were concecrated to Him in baptism. Lift up
your heart, then! Beyond your personal Good Friday there awaits a radiant
Easter. Your Easter!
PRAYER:
Dear Blesses Mother, strengthen my faith that the cross and the
tomb were not the beginning of something great and glorious, the necessary
preludes to His magnificent Easter victory. MAy I always see death in the
perspective of resurrection and new life in His heavenly kingdom. Amen
Now pray the decade
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GLORIOUS MYSTERIES:
The Resurrection:
JEsus rose from the dead. With it He conquered death, defeated
Satan, sin, and the world, and gave new life to mankind. The joy of the
risen Christ is greater than pain. The hope that comes from His resurrection
is the victory over our fear of dying. We follow Jesus; follow His steps
through this world, and into the next.
SUGGESTED READING:
Matt. 28:1-15
MARY'S MESSAGE:
You are a sign that God is alive. You must stand before the world
as a witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and a sign that God
lives. In His infinite mercy and love God made you one of His "Easter People"
in holy baptism. Ask yourself this question, Does Jesus Christ risen form
the dead make all the difference in my life?
PRAYER:
Queen of heaven, rejoyce, because your Son has risen as He foretold.
May the Risen Jesus be the light of my life, the joy of my heart, my constant
intercessor at the Father's right hand. MAy I be willing to suffer with
Christ that I may be glorified with Him. Amen
Now pray the decade.
The Ascension:
He goes to prepare a place for us, and has returned to The Father,
in heaven. And He has promised: Where I am, you can be too. Through His
ascension, He has shown us a preview of our life hereafter. The Good Shepherd
guides us through the valley of darkness. We are constantly tempted, distracted,
disillusioned by here-and-now needs. It is MAry who assists, frequently
trying to lift us up, trying to prepare us for her Son, asking that we
make Jesus the first priority in our life. You cannot serve two masters.
You cannot serve God and the money of the world. Seek first the Kingdom
of God.
SUGGESTED READING:
Acts 1:1-14
MARY'S MESSAGE
The people of God are like the men of Galilee who stood looking
up to heaven. His people know that heaven is the holy city to which they
journey as pilgrims. May all advance in joyful hope, and confident that
God will keep His word and glorify them for all eternity.
PRAYER:
Dear Blessed Mother. O know by faith that Christ has opened the
gates of heaven. He is even now preparing a place for each of His servants.
Help us always with your maternal and merciful aid, dear Mother of God,
that we may be faithful until we come to the glory of His presence. Amen.
Now Pray the Decade.
The Decent of the Holy Spirit
Before His Ascension, Jesus had said, Becasue I go, the Paraclete
will come. The Spirit of God decended upon the apostles. They were empowered
with the special gifts of God, to carry on the Lord's work of redemption.
With them, was MAry, and the other women, praying with the infant Church.
She has never ceased to pray for us and the Church, asking her Spouce,
the Holy Spirit, to again touch hearts. She has told us to pray to the
Holy Spirit; that those who have the gifts of the Holy Spirit have everything.
SUGGESTED READING:
Acts 2:2-41
MARY'S MESSAGE
There is a sense in which Pentecost is an ongoing miracle. Christ
is continually sending His Spirit to make Hillowers better Christians,
more effective witness, more authentic lovers of God and of God's children.
The more receptive you are, the more the Holy Spirit will work in you and
through you for God's honor and glory.
PRAYER:
Dear Blessed Mother, it was after the Holy Spirit first came upon
you that the Son of the Most High took flesh and form within your chaste
body. May I remember always that it is with your cooperation, together
with the same Blessed Spirit, that Christ wills to be formed in me. Amen.
Now Pray the Decade.
The Assumption
Mary is assumed, body and soul into heaven. Reunited with her Son,
Jesus. Through her assumption, Mary became the reflection of her risen
Son. She is also the model of the perfection to which we are called. She
represents total submission to the will of God. Mary, as Mother of the
Church, protect the Mystical Body of your Son, and our Saviour.
SUGGESTED READING:
Judith 13:17-20
MARY'S MESSAGE:
As your thoughts turn heavenward, consider a few statements of
the saints: St. Bonaventure: "The gates of heaven will open to all who
confide in Mary's protection." St. Fulgentius: "Confidence in Mary is a
ladder uniting heaven and earth." St. John Damascene: "To serve the Queen
of heaven is already to reign there."
PRAYER:
Dear Blessed Mother, enthroned in the Father's kingdom, you reign
gloriously with your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Pray for us that we
may believe more firmly in the reality of heaven and desire it more earnestly.
In death's hour welcome us with your Son as that we may dwell with Him
forever. Amen.
Now recite the decade
The Coronation of Mary
Mary is crowned Queen of the angels and saints in heaven. Queen
of the Holy Rosary, Queen of Peace, Queen of the Apostles, Queen of Prophets.
How many titles have been given to the Mother of the Incarnation of the
Word! Not only is she proclaimed as the New Eve, and Mother of the Church,
she is also given a prominent position in the salvation and redemption
of the world. Her soul magnifies the Lord, all nations shall call her blesses.
Her glorious coronation in heaven, is our hope.
SUGGESTED READING::
1 Pet. 1:3-9
MARY'S MESSAGE:
You have "cause for rejoicing" -- cause for "inexpressible joy
touched with glory," as St. Peter said. An imperishable inheritance is
kept in heaven for you. A crown of glory awaite you. Every Day bring you
closer to your inheritance in the everlasting kingdom.
PRAYER:
Queen of heaven and earth, teach me how to apply the lessons of
the Rosary mysteries to my life. When my last Rosary on this earth is prayed,
assist me with your maternal protection. May I safely reach the paradise
where you reign with God forever. Please grant the same loving help to
all those for whom our Blessed Redeemer purchased the rewards of eternal
life. Amen.
Now Pray the Decade.
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