“The common weakness of all human nature, which must often yield to its exhaustion, is by no means incompatible with an ever-watchful heart, whose fulness of love urges it always to listen for the approach of the Beloved, even in the depth of sleep…”  –Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis

Intention: Father, thank You that every part of my day can be exciting when I allow Jesus to step in and be a part of it!

Monday: Mary’s Leading
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered
what sort of greeting this might be.
—Luke 1:29
Reflection:
The Angel Gabriel told Mary that the Lord was with her. This
was to convey the message that she was called to carry out an
important part of God’s plan, which would be possible to do
because of the Lord’s presence.
Prayer:
Mary always leads us to Jesus. She seeks no glory for herself;
only for her Son. Lord, inspire all people and nations to come to
Mary who can understand them, and bring them to true peace
through Jesus Christ and Our Lady of Fatima. Amen.

Monday: New Ark
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come to me?
—Luke 1:43
Reflection:
When the ark came to David, he was so in awe that he said,
“How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Samuel 6:9). His
question was similar to Elizabeth’s when she asked, “How does
this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come
to me?” (Luke 1:43). Thus, we see an example of how the ark
prefigures Mary.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, you are the Ark of the New Covenant. You are
powerful through your intimate connection with Jesus. Please
pray for all those who seek to destroy human life, that they may
forsake violence and seek Jesus, the Prince of Peace, instead.
Amen.

Monday: Gloria
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with
the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the
highest/ and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
—Luke 2:13–14
Reflection:
We echo the angels’ bliss when we sing the “Gloria” at Mass.
Prayer:
Lord, let our praise of You during Mass create a gentle breeze
of peace and love which floats over the entire world, enveloping
it with mercy, and healing all its peoples. Amen.

Monday: Simeon’s Prophecy
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
It had been revealed to him [Simeon] by the holy Spirit that he
should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.
—Luke 2:26
Reflection:
Mary’s faith must have been enormous, because despite Simeon’s
words of warning to her when Jesus was just a Babe, she still
accompanied her Son at the Cross and released Him to the
Father at His crucifixion.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I praise You and bless You, because all Your life
You were being led to the dark and painful Cross, and yet You
still pushed forward with firm resolution and purpose, for all
our sakes. Never let me take Your sacrifice for granted. Amen.

Monday: Absolutely There
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
But they [Jesus’s parents] did not understand what he said to
them.
—Luke 2:50
Reflection:
When we experience spiritual desolation, we go through a
“desert,” not feeling that God is with us, even though we may
be continuing to do our daily prayers and devotions. It is like
we are searching for Jesus, but we can’t seem to find Him.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I look for You in the desert, I believe that
You are absolutely with me all along, assisting me in becoming
stronger and more trusting of You. Draw me to You, as You led
Your parents to find You in the temple. Amen.

“With the experience of God in some mysterious manner, we get a taste of eternity without quite knowing what we are experiencing.  In a brief instant, there is a change in perception, and we begin to sense a purpose in life that extends beyond this life itself.  The passing nature of everything in life may crystallize in an intuition ever so brief and permanently enter our soul’s awareness.”  –Father Donald Haggerty 

Intention:  Lord, please bless all the Jews and Christians in the world, and keep them safe. God bless Jerusalem, and all of Israel! I pray for peace for Jerusalem!

Sunday: Peace
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Scripture:
While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their
midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
—Luke 24:36
Reflection:
Jesus greeted the disciples with peace—not merely a peace of
calmness alone, because one can calmly sin. He gave them the
true peace of order, harmony, and obedience to God the Father.
Prayer:
O Lord, I am so much happier when I am living in right order
to You and my environment. Jesus, I come to be obedient to
You; fill me with Your true peace. Amen.

Sunday: Boundless Mercy
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
Scripture:
And [behold] I am sending the promise of my Father upon you;
but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on
high.
—Luke 24:49
Reflection:
Our Lord told the apostles to go to those who had scourged,
beaten and crucified Him and tell them that they were forgiven
and that He would be their Advocate, just as much as He
would be the Advocate of those who had followed Him. And
He reminded them to go to Jerusalem, where they would be
clothed with power from on high—the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, Master of the Apostles, You offer me endless
forgiveness, unconditional love and the Holy Spirit. Your mercy
and generosity know no bounds. Allow me to serve You with
thanksgiving all the days of my life. Amen.

Sunday: Great Commission
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all
generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.
—James 1:5
Reflection:
The Mystical Body that Christ created in the church was like
an embryonic seed of the Kingdom, growing larger and larger
through the ages, and spreading His Holy Spirit and love
throughout all the world.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please reveal to me how I may do better at living
in the Holy Spirit, spreading Your messages and thus doing my
part in carrying out Your Great Commission. Amen.

Sunday: Mary’s Intercession
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
Scripture:
You are all-beautiful, my beloved,/ and there is no blemish
in you.
—Song of Songs 4:7
Reflection:
Mary is at the forefront of the new life that Jesus Christ was
born to bring into the world. She mothered Him as a Babe; she
mothered the church at Pentecost; and she mothers us even to
this day as she intercedes for us and advocates for us, for Jesus
Christ to prepare a place for us in heaven.
Prayer:
Mother Mary is our mother who was assumed into heaven, and
who sits at Christ’s side, interceding to Him for us. O Blessed
Mother, Model of Motherhood, please pray for me and inspire
me to use the best words at the best time, to minister to others.
Amen.

Sunday: A Beautiful Outcome
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
I will put enmity between you and the woman,/ and between
your offspring and hers;/ He will strike at your head,/ while
you strike at his heel.
—Genesis 3:15
Reflection:
Our Mother Mary is someone who is fully human, yet she
can show us the way to the divine. She crushed the head of
the serpent, not directly, but as a result of the existence of her
Son. She teaches us how our human efforts can be used, by the
divine, to create a beautiful outcome.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, Mother of Divine Grace, lead all teachers by the
hand and show them how to inspire the little ones under their
care in their classrooms. Help these children to grow up to
become the saints of the next generation. Amen.

“I pray to God night and day. It is like a passion in me; all my desire is that people should know him, because once they know him, they will never let him go. And you find him in a very simple way…. The simplest way is this: stillness of body, stillness of heart, stillness of mind, and one thought: ‘Lord, come!’ And you wait…. Your heart is wide open. And suddenly, when you least expect it, he is there! Now you have met, because he met you….”  –Servant of God Catherine de Hueck Doherty (+ 1985)

Intention:   Lord, I thank You that wherever I go this day, You and Your angels will be with me. Thank You, Lord, for the peace, love and security You promise.

Saturday: Woman
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
I rejoice heartily in the Lord,/ in my God is the joy of my soul;/
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,/ and wrapped
me in a mantle of justice,/ Like a bridegroom adorned with a
diadem,/ like a bride bedecked with her jewels./ As the earth
brings forth its plants,/ and a garden makes its growth spring
up,/ So will the Lord God make justice and praise/ spring up
before all the nations.
—Isaiah 61:10–11
Reflection:
Sin was introduced to humanity through the temptations of
our first parents. It is fitting, then, that a woman, the Blessed
Mother, should play a pivotal role in the restoration of God’s
people.
Prayer:
God gave a critically important role in salvation history to a
woman. Dear Blessed Mother, Virgin Rightly Renowned, use
me in your mission to bring peace on earth. Amen.

Saturday: Exaltation of Humble
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
His mercy is from age to age/ to those who fear him./ He has
shown might with his arm,/ dispersed the arrogant of mind
and heart./ He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones/
but lifted up the lowly./ The hungry he has filled with good
things;/ the rich he has sent away empty./ He has helped Israel
his servant,/ remembering his mercy,/ according to his promise
to our fathers,/ to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
—Luke 1:50–55
Reflection:
Mary’s canticle, the Magnificat, predicts that her Son would be
full of justice and truth, and that the lowly would be lifted up,
while the rulers would be thrown down from their thrones.
This is similar to what Jesus said when He proclaimed that the
humble would be exalted, and that the first would be last.
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, I trust that through my littleness on earth, You
will lift me up to the heights in heaven, by (as St. Therese
said) Your heavenly elevator. Mold me into one of Your little,
humble children. Amen.

Saturday: Jesus’s power
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
And the Word became flesh/ and made his dwelling among
us,/ and we saw his glory,/ the glory as of the Father’s only
Son,/ full of grace and truth.
—John 1:14
Reflection:
Jesus’s divine nature entered the human race incorrupt, through
being born of the Immaculate Virgin. He was not tempted by
the evil in the world—not even once. He exists outside of the
evil that exists in our short, earthly lives; therefore, He is all￾powerful against it.
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, I praise You and bless You for being born, and I
ask for Your powerful protection for myself, my family and my
friends. Amen.

Saturday: Accepting Jesus
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
My eyes have seen your salvation,/ which you prepared in sight
of all the peoples,/ a light for revelation to the Gentiles,/ and
glory for your people Israel.
—Luke 2:30–32
Reflection:
The wise old man Simeon, upon holding the Baby Jesus in his
arms, saw ahead to a life that would cause men and women
to either to accept or reject Him. Even though He came to
redeem every person on earth, some would reject Him and all
He stands for.
Prayer:
Jesus asks if I accept Him or reject Him. Heart of Jesus,
Sacred Temple of God, I do choose to accept You wholly and
completely. Remove every part from my being that would seek
to reject You or Your life in me. Amen.

Saturday: Slavery
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother
said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father
and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
—Luke 2:48
Reflection:
The Child Jesus might have seen St. Joseph in the Jerusalem
temple during His childhood, offering the Pascal lamb, and its
being prepared for the sacrifice by running two skewers in the
shape of a cross through its body.
Prayer:
Enslaving a person to another is a form of killing the innocent.
Lord Jesus, I pray for the abolition of all forms of slavery in our
world. Amen.

“We may ask ourselves, how can I love and desire someone I do not know? How can I incarnate Christ’s words Seek ye the kingdom of God and its righteousness when I have no idea what the kingdom of God is?… Why should I seek the kingdom of God first? Why shouldn’t I seek self-fulfillment, money, comfort, security? [And so we] immerse ourselves in our busyness, our daily preoccupations. They are a kind of solace for us, as if by this busyness we would, in some sort of way, make it easier for ourselves to at least half-forget what Christ said. But this forgetfulness so often leads us into deeper failures, and even into sin; and lo and behold, our lives become “old” again instead of being renewed by Christ. We can be just plain selfish, and if you are selfish, what happens? You concentrate on yourself, and life can become awfully dull….”  –Servant of God Catherine de Hueck Doherty (+ 1985)

Intention: Jesus, I trust in You!

Friday: Offering Suffering
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My
Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I
will, but as you will.”
—Matthew 26:39
Reflection:
Jesus Christ’s human nature shrank back from death; yet, His
divine nature was able to overcome His human nature and
accept the bittersweet consolation that, although He was about
to die, in so doing, He would fulfill the will of the Father.
Because He was God (as well as man), His suffering meant
eternal redemption for us all.
Prayer:
Eternal Father, I offer my sufferings and anxieties to You for
peace on earth, and for the salvation of souls. Even if my offering
is only a drop in Your ocean, I give it freely. Amen.

Friday: Destroy the Temple
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in
three days I will raise it up.”
—John 2:19
Reflection:
The witnesses at Jesus’s trial claimed that He said He would
destroy the temple, when, in fact, He said that they would
destroy it. They also claimed that He said that He would build
another temple, when in fact He said that He would raise it up
(meaning His Body).
Prayer:
Lord, help me to understand human frailty and thereby transcend
my limitations. Amen.

Friday: Sorrow for Sins
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered
the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock
crows today, you will deny me three times.” He went out and
began to weep bitterly.
—Luke 22:61–62
Reflection:
Even though Peter denied that he was associated with Christ,
Jesus extended forgiveness and generosity toward him, just as
He did toward those who crucified Him. He made Peter “The
Rock,” even though he was a sinful man, so that later on we
would never despair of Jesus’s love and acceptance of us, no
matter what our sins were.
Prayer:
Sin always wounds people—in small ways and in large ways.
It is the sorrow I feel at my sins because they have wounded
others or myself that is the key to repentance, and the key
to forgiveness also. Jesus, please help me to understand the
healing power of forgiveness for myself and enable me to offer
forgiveness to those who hurt me. Amen.

Friday: Help to Carry
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who
was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and
Rufus, to carry his cross.
—Mark 15:21
Reflection:
It is beautiful to contemplate how Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus
carry His Cross. In fact, it naturally leads to our wanting to
imitate Simon by assisting our neighbors to carry their crosses
of grief or loneliness, if only just to listen to their story a little
while, to help them feel less alone in it.
Prayer:
There but for the grace of God go I; therefore, being conformed
to Christ’s mind, I must help my brothers and sisters in carrying
their crosses. Dear Heavenly Father, make my heart like Jesus’s
heart: full of compassion and love for my neighbor. Amen.

Friday: Ultimate Triumph
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli,
Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?”
—Matthew 27:46
Reflection:
When Jesus quoted this, He was quoting the first line of Psalm
22—that in those days was a way of referring to the entire
psalm—that spoke of many aspects of His passion. And also,
at the end, it spoke of the ultimate triumph of the Lord and
deliverance of the descendants of Israel.
Prayer:
My Father, Who art in heaven, remind me that there is a
purpose in my sufferings, and use them to help to bring about
Your ultimate triumph on earth. Amen.

“The cry of our miseries, and of our dependence on God, blends with our confidence, love, and faith in him, for we know, we are sure that we will never be let down if we really trust in him. Christ says, ‘My grace is enough; my love is enough.'”  — Servant of God Catherine de Hueck Doherty (+ 1985)

Intention:  Lord, I call in healing and righteousness for America. Amen.

Thursday: Christ’s Mind
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me
and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can
do nothing.
—John 15:5
Reflection:
In Christian spirituality, we are called to be grafted onto
Christ’s vine and conform ourselves and our lives to Him more
completely every day. In this way, we clothe ourselves with
Christ (Galatians 3:27), and become members of His Mystical
Body.
Prayer:
O Lord Jesus, Our True Vine, thank you for making me a
part of Your Mystical Body through my baptism. Assist me
to conform my mind to Your mind, and my actions to Your
actions. Help me to bear fruit for the good of souls. Amen.

Thursday: Obedience
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
—John 2:5
Reflection:
In a sense, Mary was a teacher to the servants when she told
them, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). In the Rosary, she
teaches us about Christ by inviting us to peer through her eyes
at the different scenes of His life, doing whatever He tells us.
Prayer:
O Mother Mary, Mother Most Pure, teach me to be obedient to
what Christ tells me to do, a little bit more each day. Through
your intercession, help me to identify my shortcomings and
overcome them. Amen.

Thursday: Asking
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks,
receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who
knocks, the door will be opened.
—Matthew 7:7–8
Reflection:
The reason for Jesus’s confident urging is because of the power
of the Trinity. The Father is loving; Jesus is our advocate (1
John 2:1); and the Holy Spirit intercedes with inexpressible
groanings (Romans 8:26). With God totally on our side, who
can be against us?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I ask You to fill all my needs, both large and
small. Remind me to do my best, and entrust myself to You.
Amen.

Thursday: Christ’s Importance
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen
Son; listen to him.”
—Luke 9:35
Reflection:
The Father exhorted the disciples to “Listen to Him” (Luke
9:35), so that they could come to an understanding of Jesus’s
passion. Then they could experience the gladness of the
resurrection, and ultimately be transformed by the Holy Spirit
at Pentecost.
Prayer:
God the Father commands me to listen to Christ, His Son.
What could possibly give more importance to Christ’s words?
Heart of Jesus, Of Whose Fullness We Have All Received, I
promise to try to talk with You about everything I am going
through today and listen for Your response. Amen.

Thursday: Holy Eucharist
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the
world and he loved them to the end.
—John 13:1
Reflection:
When Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist, He offered His Body
and Blood in the form of bread and wine for the salvation of all
humanity, with whom He promised to be until the end of time.
Prayer:
It is my most sacred honor to partake of the Body and Blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Dearest Jesus,
Our Way and Our Life, I am so blessed by You. Thank you!
Amen.

“Catechetical instruction is that milk which the Apostle Peter wished the faithful to desire in all simplicity like newborn babes…. Catechetical instruction, plain and simple though it be, is the word of which God himself speaks through the lips of the prophet Isaiah: And as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth and water it, and make it to spring and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: so shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it.…”  –Saint Pius X (+ 1914)

Intention:  I have my trust and confidence in Almighty God.  He is my source.

Wednesday: I am Your Sheep
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
—John 20:16
Reflection:
Jesus had once said that He called His sheep by their names.
When He called Mary by her name and she saw the wounds on
His hands and feet, she realized that it was Him.
Prayer:
Jesus, You are my Shepherd, and I am Your sheep. I listen for
You to call my name. Call me to graze in your green pastures
of love, peace and joy. Amen.

Wednesday: Enlighten Me
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
And [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah
would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that
repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his
name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
—Luke 24:46–47
Reflection:
Our Lord, through His resurrection appearances, opened
the minds of the disciples to understand the scriptures. He
was finally able to explain to them that He was the Suffering
Servant spoken about by Isaiah, Who would triumph through
His suffering.
Prayer:
Lord, please enlighten me with Your Holy Spirit, and give me
the gift of understanding when I read the scriptures. Make my
heart burn within me with love for You. Amen.

Wednesday: Fortitude
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do
not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will
send him to you.
—John 16:7
Reflection:
Jesus told the apostles that after He went up to heaven, He
would send them His Holy Spirit to renew and strengthen them
in their knowledge of the Kingdom. He said that they would
experience the same type of opposition as He had faced.
Prayer:
Jesus Christ, I praise You and thank You for making me a part
of Your Mystical Body. Give me the fortitude of the Holy Spirit,
that I can withstand the pressures and temptations of the world,
the flesh and the devil. Amen.

Wednesday: Perfect
Truth and Beauty
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
Arise, Lord, come to your resting place,/ you and your
majestic ark.
—Psalm 132:8
Reflection:
When we behold the majesty of Christ and the special honor
given His blessed Mother, we naturally desire to make the
world a place of perfect truth and beauty. Although perfection
cannot be attained in this physical world, we strive to achieve
better excellence and to leave the world a better place than we
found it.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, Of Infinite Majesty, help me to leave a legacy of
truth, beauty and peace behind when I leave this place to come
home to You. Amen.

Wednesday: Faith, Hope,
Charity and Obedience
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Quote:
“[The Virgin Mary’s] role in relation to the Church and to
all humanity goes still further. ‘In a wholly singular way she
cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity
in the Savior’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For
this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace.’”
—Catechism No. 968
Reflection:
As the foremost member of the church, Mary is also Mother of
the church, thereby providing the perfect role model of faith
as she leads people to Jesus, and confirms her importance as an
intercessor on our behalf.
Prayer:
O Blessed Mother, Queen of the Rosary, please intercede for
me while I pray for the virtues of faith, hope, charity and
obedience. Amen.

“May the Word which could not and had no need to be made in himself deign to be in me, deign to be to be done unto me according to your word. Let it be done for the whole world, but let it be done unto me uniquely, according to your word.”  –Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (+ 1153)

Intention:  Thank You, God, that You’re in control.  Thank You that You’re working behind the scenes.  Thank You that You’re arranging things in our favor.  Thank You that we are full of Your wisdom.  Thank You that we are well able to do what You have called us to do.

Tuesday: Invoke the Blood of Jesus
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat
became like drops of blood falling on the ground.
—Luke 22:44
Reflection:
Men of today shed each other’s blood in war to satisfy their
desire for reparation for sin—both real and imagined. When
someday they learn to invoke, instead, the Blood of Jesus Christ
for forgiveness, they will have no more need for war.
Prayer:
We all have a past that includes memories of things we did
that were less-than-godly. Heart of Jesus, Enriching All Who
Invoke Thee, I invoke Your peace and pardon on me, for what
You shed in Your Agony at Gethsemane. Please cleanse me with
Your Precious Blood. Amen.

Tuesday: Teach Me Silence
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more
afraid, and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
“Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer him.
—John 19:8–9
Reflection:
Pilate asked Jesus where He was from, rather than who He was.
Pilate seemed to perceive that Jesus was different from others
somehow. Jesus might have been silent because He could not
defend Himself, since He was atoning for the sins of mankind.
Prayer:
Sometimes explaining myself to someone would be the
equivalent of casting pearls before swine. Dear Lord, teach
me when silence is the best answer to the accusations of an
unbelieving and judgmental world. Amen.

Tuesday: Suffering Servant
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted/ and opened not
his mouth;/ Like a lamb led to the slaughter/ or a sheep before
the shearers,/ he was silent and opened not his mouth.
—Isaiah 53:7
Reflection:
Jesus was the Suffering Servant—as silent as a lamb being led
to the slaughter—as Isaiah had predicted. He came to His own
people, but they did not recognize Him. He will come again
at the end of days, in faithfulness to us.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, Patient and Most Merciful, I praise You and
all Your suffering martyrs of the 20th century, who were
slaughtered during communism, socialism and fascism. I ask
all Your martyrs to pray for our world. Amen.

Tuesday: Sacrificial Sin-Offering
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, to consecrate
the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the
camp, bearing the reproach that he bore. For here we have no
lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come.
—Hebrews 13:12–14
Reflection:
In ancient times, the scapegoat was a goat that was driven out
of the city to die in the desert. Jesus was crucified outside the
city gates, like the epitome of a sacrificial sin-offering.
Prayer:
Give me encouragement, Lord, while carrying my cross during
this earthly life, and while keeping my eye upon Your everlasting
city above in heaven. Amen.

Tuesday: Ignorance
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what
they do.”] They divided his garments by casting lots.
—Luke 23:34
Reflection:
It was the ignorance of the ones who crucified Christ that
probably saved them, ultimately. For, if they had honestly
understood what they were doing, they might never have been
saved.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, inspire the leaders of all nations to fall to their
knees in sincere and humble prayer to You and ask You for Your
guidance in all their decisions. Help them to be aware of their
spiritual responsibilities as the heads of their countries. Amen.

“When we need a special grace to meet certain circumstances, let us ask our Lord through his most benign heart to grant it to us from his Sacred Heart, our treasure-house.”   –Saint John Eudes  (+ 1680)

Intention: Lord, please bless the world with peace on earth. I expect the earth to be at peace – true peace, like that which we experience on Christmas Day, in Jesus’ name and in His mighty power!  I thank You God ahead of time for this!

Monday: New Type of Humanity
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and
the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and
he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom
there will be no end.
—Luke 1:32–33
Reflection:
Humanity was born of Adam and Eve. But God loved us so
much that in order to redeem us, He asked Mary to consent
to becoming the mother of Our Lord, creating a new type
of humanity—one freed from sin. But Mary had to freely
choose it.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, Abyss of all Virtues, You came to make us part
of Your new humanity, in which sin and death were vanquished
forever. Give parents the inspiration to instruct their children in
the ways of virtue, and so create more human flourishing and
peace in our world. Amen.

Monday: Magnified With Her Soul
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;/
my spirit rejoices in God my savior./ For he has looked upon
his handmaid’s lowliness;/ behold, from now on will all ages
call me blessed.”
—Luke 1:46–48
Reflection:
After Elizabeth greeted Mary, exclaiming that the babe inside
her womb leapt for joy, Mary’s response is called the Magnificat.
In it, she looked backward to the time of Abraham, and also,
she looked forward to the future when all generations would
call her blessed. She magnified the Lord with her human soul.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Tower of David, despite a life of poverty and
suffering, you described yourself as eternally blessed because
you gave birth to the Savior of the World. Please pray for me to
birth Christ in my heart, so that I too may be blessed beyond
my wildest dreams. Amen.

Monday: God Born as Outcast
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in
swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was
no room for them in the inn.
—Luke 2:7
Reflection:
There was no place for them in the inn, but there was just
barely a little room in the stable. The inn represents social
respectability; the stable represents the outcast. God Himself
was born as an outcast. Divinity is often found where we least
expect it.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, provide the poorest of the poor in our world—
the faces of Christ – with their daily bread. Amen.

Monday: First Canticle
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation
of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him.
—Luke 2:25
Reflection:
Simeon’s canticle was the first song to celebrate Christ’s being
born on the earth. He sang that Jesus was a light to reveal God
to the nations, and the glory of the people of Israel.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, Desire of the Everlasting Hills, please heal all
divisions in the Holy Land so that Christians, Jews and Muslims
may live together in blessed accord, and demonstrate peace to
every corner of the world. May the Holy Land become a land
of healing and harmony. Amen.

Monday: What Must I Do?
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents
did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they
journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives
and acquaintances.
—Luke 2:43–44
Reflection:
At twelve years old, Jesus was using the word “must” with
regard to His duty to His Heavenly Father. He was already
steeling Himself in His human nature, to fulfill the “must” of
His divine nature.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, show me what I “must” do to fulfill Your
will, and steel me to do it through my human nature and
through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to endure to
the end. Amen.

“Our most lovable Redeemer has given us his most loving heart to be our treasure. It is an immense and inexhaustible treasure that enriches heaven and earth with infinite blessings.”  –Saint John Eudes (+ 1680)

Intention:  Lord, please make of America a nation that becomes like a shining city on a hill for the rest of the world, and inspires the world to become more just, kind, peaceful, free, and resistant of Communism. I thank You God ahead of time for this.

Sunday: Grasp the Significance
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our
preaching; empty, too, your faith.
—1 Corinthians 15:14
Reflection:
The Rosary proposes that we look past the death and burial of
Our Lord and into His resurrection, to see Him as The Risen
One. It is beneficial to look through the eyes of the apostles and
Mary when seeing Him risen, because then we will grasp the
significance of the resurrection more vividly.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Cause of our Joy, please let me feel a hint of the
joy that you felt when you found out that your Son had been
raised from the dead. It must have been a Hallelujah moment
of wonder! Amen.

Sunday: Right Hand
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he
had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking
about the kingdom of God.
—Acts 1:3
Reflection:
Jesus ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand
of the Father in glory. He lives to intercede for us to the Father
and to thwart the proud demons. He is on our side.
Prayer:
Jesus, I pray for all those who are down and out in the world,
the rejected and those who are alone. Comfort them, and send
loving people to let them feel how valuable and loved they truly
are. Amen.

Sunday: Closeness and Kindness
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
There were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying
in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but
they were confused because each one heard them speaking in
his own language.
—Acts 2:5–6
Reflection:
The apostles and Mary were gathered together to pray, like an
obedient family, in the upper room. Kindness and closeness
flourished in the group. The result was the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This should be a model for all of us in
our gatherings as a church.
Prayer:
Lord, raise up godly men and women to proclaim the love and
joy of the gospel with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and help
them to bring a new Pentecost to the church today. Amen.

Sunday: Most Wonderful
of Life’s Goals
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Quote:
“The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation
in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection
of other Christians.”
—Catechism, No. 966
Reflection:
Mary’s travel into heaven, in glory, was a privilege that all of us
can hope to enjoy, when we leave this earth.
Prayer:
Lord, please motivate me to keep my focus on the most
wonderful of life’s goals: heaven. May it be my guiding star
throughout my life. Amen.

Sunday: Ultimate Glory Attainable
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Quote:
“After speaking of the Church, her origin, mission, and destiny,
we can find no better way to conclude than by looking to
Mary. In her we contemplate what the Church already is in her
mystery on her own ‘pilgrimage of faith,’ and what she will be
in the homeland at the end of her journey. There, ‘in the glory
of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity,’ ‘in the communion
of all the saints,’ the Church is awaited by the one she venerates
as Mother of her Lord and as her own mother.”
—Catechism No. 972
Reflection:
Mary is a symbol for the church of the ultimate glory attainable
for us creatures, and she is our example that we look toward for
the end of times.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Ark of the Covenant, you are my mother and
my model. Send holy angels to protect all those Christians who
are under attack by the forces of intolerance and hatred. Amen.

“[God] assures us repeatedly in the Scriptures what he will do with our sins if we repent. He will throw them into the bottom of the sea, the inspired prophet tells us (Mic 7:19).”  –Mother Mary Francis of Our Lady, P.C.C. (+ 2006)

Intention:  Lord, please give us fair and honest elections.

Saturday: In Favor of God’s Will
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be
done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed
from her.
—Luke 1:38
Reflection:
The Father’s plan of redemption all depended on Christ, and
Christ’s coming to earth all depended on Mary. It was a plan
for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in
heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:10). We can imagine how
all creation was somehow touched in some mysterious way by
Mary’s conceiving Jesus Christ in her womb on the day of the
annunciation.
Prayer:
Mary’s “yes” changed the whole course of humanity in favor of
God’s Will. Dear Mary, Queen of Peace, please keep praying
for peace on our earth, so that all mankind hungers and thirsts
for God’s presence within. Amen.

Saturday: Joy of His Presence
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
—Luke 1:44
Reflection:
Jubilation was the emblem of Mary’s greeting to Elizabeth,
when John in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy, because of the
presence of Our Lord in Mary’s womb.
Prayer:
Like John, the presence of Christ inside of me causes me to leap
for joy. Lord Jesus, please aid all those who are lonely to feel the
joy of Your presence today. Help them to know that they are
not alone, nor have they ever been alone! Amen.

Saturday: Good News
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim
to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For
today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who
is Messiah and Lord.”
—Luke 2:10–11
Reflection:
Happiness and joy filled Bethlehem that night when Jesus was
born, while the angels proclaimed to the shepherds that there
was good news of unending joy.
Prayer:
Jesus was born in a lowly stable, and yet the angel proclaimed
that His birth was wonderful, joyful and desirable news. Lord
Jesus, Joy of the Angels, help me to remember that no matter
what is happening in my earthly life, there is always good news:
You are here with me. Amen.

Saturday: Jesus’s destiny
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation
of Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
(And you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of
many hearts may be revealed.
—Luke 2:35
Reflection:
At the presentation in the temple, both joyful and sorrowful
events unfold. Simeon finally was able to see the Christ Child,
as had been foretold to him so long before. But also, he predicted
that Jesus would be a sign of contradiction and that His mother’s
heart would be pierced.
Prayer:
From the time Jesus was born, His destiny was to die for us
all. Heavenly Father, please make all Christians one, as Jesus
prayed for and dearly wanted so long ago. Help them to focus on
the commonalities between them rather than their differences.
Amen.

Saturday: Living the Virtues
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you
not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did
not understand what he said to them.
—Luke 2:49–50
Reflection:
Happiness and sorrow also mix in the events of the finding of
the Child Jesus in the temple. On the one hand, we see the
miracle of Jesus conversing with the scholars of the law, even
at such a young age. On the other hand, we see Mary’s and
St. Joseph’s worry and concern about their Child’s putting the
Father’s business before all other concerns—even them.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, assist me to follow You by living the virtues of
prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance—even when it is
unpopular to do so, or when others simply wouldn’t understand.
Amen.