“From dawn they come to greet us: our nerves, either too much on edge or too numb…. It is the urge to be silent when we ought to speak; and the urge to speak when we ought to be silent. It is the desire to go out when we have to stay in; and the urge to stay in when we have to go out. It is our disgust with our daily ration of life and the neurotic desire for all that is not ours. This is the way our patiences come, in serried ranks or in single file, and they always forget to remind us of the fact that they are the martyrdom for which we were preparing.” –Venerable Madeleine Delbrêl (+ 1964)
Intention: I pray for Your help, Lord, today, in carrying out the work that You have given me to do.
Wednesday: He is Alive
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
—John 20:20
Reflection:
We can rejoice, because Jesus Christ is alive. Everything is
different now, because He lives, and by this, we are sure that
He is truly the Son of God.
Prayer:
The resurrection shows that Jesus has triumphed over evil and
death, and that I can feel renewed and hopeful in my capacity as
a human being. Lord, for those who renew the hope of others in
the face of difficulties, please reward them for their generosity.
Amen.
Wednesday: Humanity Taken to God
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
Then he led them [out] as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and
blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was
taken up to heaven.
— Luke 24:50–51
Reflection:
The ascension of Jesus shows us that, rather than His being
absent from our lives, He is with us in a new way, to support
our reaching heaven. When He ascended, He took our earthly
humanity with Him up to God, which opened up a pathway
for us to go to God, also.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I recognize that I am never alone, because I always
have You as my Advocate, Who waits for me to safely arrive
home. As I go through my days, help me to remember that I
belong to You, and give me guidance about what to do and to
say. Amen.
Wednesday: Vessel of Light
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three
thousand persons were added that day.
—Acts 2:41
Reflection:
The Holy Spirit prompts us to go out courageously to announce
the gospel’s happy news, to witness to the peace, love and joy
of being close to Jesus and to bring Him to everyone we meet.
Prayer:
The Holy Spirit nudges me to assist some people, and to bring
the witness of Jesus to others. Make me Your vessel of light,
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Wednesday: Connected to Mary
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
Judith urged them with a loud voice: “Praise God, praise him!
Praise God, who has not withdrawn his mercy from the house
of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand this very
night.”
—Judith 13:14
Reflection:
Even though Mary is in the heart of God, that does not mean
that we are somehow separate and apart from her. Actually, we
are intimately connected to her, and God sees us and loves us
just as much as He loves her.
Prayer:
O Blessed Mother, Mother of Chaste Love, as I ponder your
beauty and connection to me, pray for me to recognize that I,
too, was created for perfect love: to give love, and to receive
love, also. Amen.
Wednesday: Church Militant
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end,/ I will give
authority over the nations./ Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I
will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will
give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself
first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.
—Revelation 2:26, 3:20–21
Reflection:
The struggle between the church and evil is represented in
the Book of Revelation by the battle between the woman
and the dragon. Although the church is victorious because
Jesus triumphed over the devil, its members on earth still must
battle with evil as the “church militant.” Even though we must
contend with darkness while we are on this planet, we can be
encouraged by knowing that that is how we win our victory.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, Mother of the church, I know that I must still
grapple with sin and evil while I am here on earth. You,
however, always stand by me as I struggle. Intercede for me to
triumph over my vices, the world’s temptations and the devil’s
snares. Amen.
