Mysteries of the Rosary

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES

  1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
    When Mary was a young woman, God sent the angel Gabriel, who told Mary that she was filled with  God’s grace and that she would conceive a boy named Jesus, who would rule forever. The angel also explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary and her son would be called the Son of God. Although Mary was frightened, she knew that God wanted this, so she said, “Let it be done to me  according to God’s word.” Then the angel went back to heaven. 

2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56) Because the angel Gabriel told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth, was also going to have a child, (John the  Baptist), Mary visited Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the little baby in her womb leaped up because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she understood that Mary was to be God’s mother.  She said, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb. Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? You are blessed, Mary, because you believed God’s word.” 

3. The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2:1-12) The Roman Emperor demanded a census. So, Joseph and Mary had to travel 90 miles to Bethlehem, to enroll their names. When they arrived, there was no room at the inn where travelers usually stay. Therefore, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger, kept warm by the animals. Also, angels appeared to shepherds telling them to go to Bethlehem. There, they would find the child who was their Lord and Savior. When they came to the manger they told Joseph and Mary what happened. Mary always remembered their words. Later, three wise men came from the east. A star guided them to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem. They gave Jesus their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

4. The Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-35) Forty days after Christmas (February 2) Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in the temple to fulfill the Jewish law. A man named Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit to prophesy that Jesus would be a light to the nations and the glory of Israel. He also told Mary that Jesus would be a sign of contradiction and that her own heart would be pierced with suffering. A woman prophet, Anna, told everyone that the child would bring about the deliverance of Jerusalem.

5. The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) Every year, the Holy Family went to Jerusalem (90 miles from Nazareth) for the Passover feast. When Jesus was 12 years old, he stayed behind in the temple. Soon, Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus was lost, and they returned to Jerusalem. On the third day they found him in the temple, speaking and asking questions. All were amazed at his learning. However, Mary was confused. “Why did you do this to us?” she asked. Jesus replied, “Did you not realize that I had to be in my Father’s house?” answered Jesus. Jesus returned with them to Nazareth. For the next 18 years, Jesus was a carpenter. At 30, he was baptized and began his preaching mission.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46) After the Last Supper, Jesus went with his Apostles to his favorite place of prayer, the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas had left the Last Supper to betray Jesus and to lead the Roman soldiers to the Garden. As Jesus arrived, he told his apostles to pray, but they fell asleep. Jesus began to sweat blood and said,  “O Father, if it is possible, let this suffering pass from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” After three hours, Judas and the soldiers came to capture Jesus. 

2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Mark 15:11-15) Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, could find no reason to put Jesus to death. Yet, the crowds kept shouting, “Crucify him. Crucify him.” In order to keep them quiet, Pilate released Barabbas, a murderer, and gave Jesus to the soldiers to scourge him with painful lashes on his back. 

3. The Crowning of Thorns (Mark 15:1-20) These soldiers took Jesus and put a military cloak on him and placed on his head a crown of thorns.  They made fun of him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews”, striking Jesus on the head and spitting on him. Finally, they again clothed Jesus in his own robe. 

4. The Carrying of the Cross (Mark 15:21-22) When the crowd chose Barabbas, Pilate handed Jesus to the soldiers to lead him to Calvary. The soldiers made Jesus carry his cross. When Jesus grew too weak, they made Simon, the Cyrenean  help him. Many women from Galilee and Jerusalem followed Jesus and wept for him. 

5. Jesus Dies on the Cross (Matthew 27:45-61) Jesus was nailed to the cross from noon until 3:00 PM. During that time he said, “I thirst”. He also told  the Beloved Disciple to care for his mother and he told the Good Thief, “This day you will be with me in Paradise.” Finally, Jesus said, “It is finished” and he gave up his spirit.  His disciples buried him in a new grave owned by a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea. Everyone knew exactly where he was buried because they were eye-witnesses. They buried Jesus quickly because the Sabbath rest began at sundown. 

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

1. The Resurrection (Matthew: 28-1-10) After the Sabbath rest, early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalen and other women went to Jesus’ tomb. However, the stone was rolled away and an angel greeted them. “You are seeking the living among the dead. He is not here.” The women were frightened but filled with joy. As they returned home, Jesus came to them and said, “Go and tell my disciples to meet me in Galilee.” After this, Jesus appeared many times to his disciples, to prove that he was alive and to instruct them about their future work. 

2. Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven (Luke 24:50-53) For the next 40 days, Jesus constantly appeared to his disciples. On one occasion, he came to 500 of them gathered together. He also came to Peter, to the two disciples, to the 11 apostles in the Upper Room, to Thomas (who doubted at first) and to many others. His final appearance came at Bethany. As they looked on, Jesus was taken up to heaven. An angel appeared to the disciples saying, “Why are you still looking up to heaven? Jesus will return to earth the same ways you saw him go up.” They returned to Jerusalem and waited for the Holy Spirit whom Jesus had promised to send. 

3. The Sending of the Spirit (Acts of Apostles 2:1-4) For 9 days, the 120 disciples gathered with Mary, Jesus’ mother, in the Upper Room. On the 10th day,  (Pentecost – 50 days after Easter), there came a noise like a strong driving wind. A fire appeared and it separated into tongues of fire that settled upon the disciples’ heads. They all received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages.  Soon a large crowd gathered. Peter explained to them that the people had made a mistake in crucifying Jesus. However, they could receive Jesus’ Spirit by being sorry for their sins and by being baptized. 3000 people were baptized. On this day, the Catholic Church was born. 

4 The Assumption of Mary  At the cross, Jesus asked the Beloved Disciples to care for his mother. At the end of Mary’s life, she, the  Beloved Disciple, and many others formed a Catholic community in Ephesus. When Mary came to the end of her life, (we are not sure if she died or not), Jesus took her body and  soul directly into heaven. We know the exact house in which this happened (you must visit Ephesus some day).  What Jesus did for Mary, he will also do for you. At the end of the world, He will take you, body and soul, into heaven. 

5 Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth (Revelation 12:1)  Mary is God’s greatest creature. She is even above all the angels. When she got to heaven, she was  made the queen. The Beloved Disciple wrote that she is the “Woman Clothed With the Sun with the moon under her feet and with a crown of twelve stairs.”  As Queen of Heaven and Earth, God gives her all power to help us. That is why we say the Hail Mary.  I hope you enjoyed these 20 mystery stories. Say one mystery before supper and one mystery after supper. 

THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES

  1. The Baptism of Jesus (Matt 3:1-17) John the Baptist preached at the Jordan River, where large crowds came and were baptized. One day,  Jesus came and was baptized by John. At that moment, the clouds opened up. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, came upon Jesus and God the Father said, “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert where he was tempted for forty days. 

2. The Wedding Feast of Cana (John 2:1-12) Mary, Jesus, and Jesus’ disciples were invited to a wedding at Cana, in Galilee. However, a problem arose. They had no more wine. Mary told Jesus about the lack of wine and, then instructed the waiters, “Do whatever he tells you.” Jesus had them fill six large jars with water and take it to the headwaiter. After tasting the miraculous wine, the headwaiter wondered why the groom had kept the best wine until last.  This miracle was Jesus’ first sign and his disciples began to believe in him. 

3 Jesus Preaches and Heals (Mark 1:35-39) Jesus gathered his twelve apostles and his disciples (men and women) and visited all the towns of Galilee. He told everyone to believe in God because the Kingdom of Heaven was coming soon. To prove that the Kingdom was at hand, Jesus healed many people and even raised some from the dead. He drove out demons and told them to be quiet.  The crowds grew larger and the disciples believed more and more. 

4 The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8) One day, Jesus took his three favorite apostles (Peter, James and John) up a high mountain. When they were alone, Jesus clothes became extremely white and his whole body was transfigured and his face shone like the sun.  When Moses and Elijah began speaking to Jesus, Peter wanted to build three tents, one for each of them. A cloud came and God the Father said, “This is my Beloved Son, listen to him.” Jesus told the three apostles not to tell the vision to anyone until he rose from the dead. 

5 The Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-30) On the night before He died, Jesus gathered his apostles in Jerusalem for the Last Supper. During the meal, Jesus took bread, broke it and gave it to his apostles saying, “Take and eat. This is my body.” Then he took the chalice filled with wine and said, “Take and drink. This is the chalice of the blood of the new and eternal covenant which will be shed for the remission of sins. Do this in memory of me.”  This Last Supper was the first mass. The apostles became priests and received their First Communion