“[Mary] is Mother to all of us, and to us all is given the tremendous privilege of calling on her for help in this valley of tears.” –Sister Mary Jean Dorcy, O.P. (+ 1988)
Intention: Lord, I thank You that wherever I go this day, You and Your angels will be with me.
Thursday: Be a Lamp
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been
none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he.
—Matthew 11:11
Reflection:
John the Baptist was a very unique man who lived in the
wilderness and ate locusts and wild honey. He was also a
prophet who lived and proclaimed the truth, from every part
of his being.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me to follow in the footsteps of John the
Baptist—to be a lamp that shines the way to You, without
worrying about human respect. Amen.
Thursday: Virtue and Holiness
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
—John 2:3
Reflection:
When Jesus said to His mother, “Woman, how does your
concern affect me?” (John 2:4), He really might have been
informing her that she must be the one to begin His ministry
in the world.
Prayer:
Jesus, take my natural human nature and turn it into virtue and
holiness, just as You turned water into wine. Amen.
Thursday: All Will Be Well
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given you besides.
—Matthew 6:33
Reflection:
Even though people may not want to hear the truth, it is
important to tell them the truth in love, including the truth of
the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and His love for us.
Prayer:
As a disciple of You, Lord, I pray, aid me in finding the Kingdom
of God, and in having faith that all will be well. Amen.
Thursday: Direction and Guidance
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow
over them.
—Matthew 17:5
Reflection:
The disciples wanted the beauty of the bright cloud on the
mountaintop during the transfiguration to last forever. But
they had to descend into the valley and deal with the events of
Jesus’s passion. We must also come down from our mountaintop
experiences in the Holy Spirit, and come back into our everyday
lives.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, Good Shepherd, help me to look only to You for my
direction and guidance, whether I am in the valley or on the
mountaintop; whether I am in consolation or desolation. Amen.
Thursday: More and More Like Jesus
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until
there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
—Luke 22:15–16
Reflection:
Jesus humbled Himself by allowing His glorious substance to be
contained in a little piece of bread, so that we could take Him
inside of ourselves.
Prayer:
The Holy Eucharist makes it possible for us to become more
and more like Jesus every time we partake of it. Heart of Jesus,
Tabernacle of the Most High, spread Your Holy Spirit across the
world through the communion of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Amen.
