“Live this faith, this hope, and this love.  Live the theological virtues, so named because they lead us to God and unite us to him.  Live this humble confidence and all the rest will be added unto you (Mt 6:33).  It is this which intimately unites the soul to Jesus, which brings us heart to heart with him, which grafts the branch again into the vine which he is.”  –Father Jean du Coeur de Jesus d’Elbee (+ 1982)

Intention:   Lord, please preserve our rights to meaningful representation in government, the right for free speech, the right for freedom of religion, the right for freedom of assembly, the right to bear arms, and having a country with firm borders.

Thursday: Adopted Child
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be
baptized by him.
—Matthew 3:13
Reflection:
Jesus was already being called “the Lamb of God” by John
the Baptist, at His baptism. He participated in baptism to be
in solidarity with all of us, that when He went through His
passion, death and resurrection, He would carry us along with
Him, as well.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, thank You for empowering me at my baptism, and
making me an adopted child of God. Amen.

Thursday: New Eve
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
[And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect
me? My hour has not yet come.”
—John 2:4
Reflection:
Since the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have believed
that Mary was “the new Eve.” Eve was led to sin through
arrogance. Mary helped to bring about our redemption.
Prayer:
Mary said, “Do what He tells you,” which is a command for
me to follow in the present time. Lord Jesus, Zealous for Souls,
make everything happen for my well-being and for the well-being of others. Amen.

Thursday: Anxiety
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
So do not worry and say, “What are we to eat?” or “What
are we to drink?” or “What are we to wear?” All these things
the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need
them all.
—Matthew 6:31–32
Reflection:
If we are feeling anxiety and angst in our lives, it is a sign that
we are not putting God’s will first in our minds. When we
do put God’s will first, we can be assured that the outcome of
events will be the best one.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to live according to Your will, in confidence
and trust in Your Providence. Amen.

Thursday: Radiating the Spirit
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing
with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good
that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one
for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
—Matthew 17:3–4
Reflection:
The transfiguration of Jesus was prefigured by the Exodus story
of Moses, when he went up Mount Sinai with three of his
closest friends, who were in awe over his glowing face.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, aid me in radiating the Holy Spirit’s fruits of love,
joy and peace, and thereby enable me to be transformed. Amen.

Thursday: Memorial
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
When the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, the day
for sacrificing the Passover lamb, he sent out Peter and John,
instructing them, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the
Passover.”
— Luke 22:7–8
Reflection:
Jesus made Himself the Passover Lamb at the Last Supper, by
sacrificing His Body and Blood for all mankind. He commanded
the apostles to commemorate this in the Holy Eucharist, as a
memorial of His suffering, death and resurrection. In the Jewish
sense, this memorial is a way of making it present again. We
speak of the Mass as a sacrifice, because it is making present the
one sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, forever.
Prayer:
Father, spread Your healing love across the world through the
Holy Eucharist, to put an end to all strife and division. Amen.

“Beloved people, though dead bones cannot speak from a sepulcher, nevertheless we may teach ourselves something through them, because we should always remember our passing away and that we will never again go about here in the world.  And thus we may do some good…”  –Anglo-Saxon Spirituality

Intention:   Lord, please give us a population that becomes more religious again, and has a revival. I thank You, God, for the revival that has already started.

Wednesday: Restores Us to New Life
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in
dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and
bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do
you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he
has been raised.”
—Luke 24:4–6
Reflection:
Jesus finds us at our lowest point of existence, in all our
brokenness and suffering, and restores us to new life in Christ
as He raises us up with Him in His resurrection.
Prayer:
Lord, You are the True Vine, and I am the branch. Let Your
Holy Spirit flow through me today, influence all that I do and
produce fruit for the Kingdom. Amen.

Wednesday: Spread God’s Love
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are
you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He
answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.”
—Acts 1:6–7
Reflection:
As Jesus rises up to the Father in glory, He fulfills Daniel’s
vision of the Son of Man being given an eternal Kingdom. The
Kingdom has been won through Jesus Christ, but it is up to the
apostles to spread it to the farthest corners of the earth.
Prayer:
Just as the apostles needed to start evangelizing where they were,
in Jerusalem, so I need to evangelize wherever I am planted.
Jesus, please help me to spread the blessed news of God’s love
in my social circle, work circle and home circle. Amen.

Wednesday: Transform My Heart
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
[Peter said,] “This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says,/ ‘that I will
pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh./ Your sons and
daughters shall prophesy,/ your young men shall see visions,/
your old men shall dream dreams.’”
—Acts 2:16–17
Reflection:
Because the Holy Spirit has written His Law on our hearts, we
are able to love all our neighbors – our co-workers, our friends,
our relatives – with a supernatural love, a transforming love,
that surpasses our own selfish interests.
Prayer:
O Lord, please transform my heart, and develop in me more
selflessness and generosity—particularly towards the poor and
deprived. Amen.

Wednesday: Attaining Heaven
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
Who is this that comes forth like the dawn,/ as beautiful as the
moon, as resplendent as the sun,/ as awe-inspiring as bannered
troops?
—Song of Songs 6:10
Reflection:
Mary was assumed into heaven to be the first to experience the
resurrection that Jesus offers us, because she was the mother
of the Son of God, and the first and best disciple of Jesus. She
gives us hope that we, too, may follow in her footsteps to the
resurrection, if we continue to live Jesus’s teachings.
Prayer:
Lord, encourage me to lean on You, follow Your teachings and
pray for the attainment of heaven, and the resurrection on the
last day. Amen.

Wednesday: Queen Mother
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
Like cinnamon, or fragrant balm, or precious myrrh,/ I give
forth perfume;/ Like galbanum and onycha and sweet spices,/
like the odor of incense in the holy place.
—Sirach 24:15
Reflection:
Mary is so sweet that she exudes an intoxicating fragrance of the
Spirit, for us. Revelation Chapter 12 shows her with a crown
of twelve stars, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the
twelve apostles. Thus, she symbolizes the church.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Mother of our Creator, you are the Queen
Mother, who has the ear of the King. Give me confidence that
all my needs will be met, as I ask you to pray for me. Amen.

“Jesus’ parting words to his disciples are a commission to spread this communion of divine life as widely as possible…  Our triune God shares himself infinitely while remaining undiminished.  That is the mystery of the Trinity.  The desire of God, Father, Son, and Spirit, is to attract all mankind into his current of divine love, which is the source of all life…”  — Bishop Erik Varden, O.C.S.O.

Intention:   Lord, please bless us with a President and Justice Department which are non-partisan in their actions. I thank You God ahead of time for this.

Tuesday: Accepting Suffering
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he
found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, “Why are you
sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”
—Luke 22:45–46
Reflection:
Jesus is not like us; He takes His suffering head-on, accepting it
for the sake of our salvation, and for the sake of His Father’s will.
Prayer:
Jesus, You took on Your suffering willingly, accepting it for the
benefit of our purification, and in accord with Your Father’s
will. Comfort and encourage those who are suffering in any
way, by giving them tangible consolations. Amen.

Tuesday: The Right Thing
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot
was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands
in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s
blood. Look to it yourselves.”
—Matthew 27:24
Reflection:
Jesus’s Roman scourging was intended to be long and harsh,
so that the soldiers would be able to kill Him more quickly in
the crucifixion.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, we say in the Creed that You suffered under Pontius
Pilate, were crucified, and that You died and were buried, to
recall Pilate’s fear and inability to do the right thing. Please
enable me to do the right thing when I am confronted with
difficult situations. Amen.

Tuesday: Jesus’s Triumph
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and
a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked
him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
—Matthew 27:29
Reflection:
Even though the soldiers were mocking Jesus when they said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!” they were also unknowingly helping
to reveal that Jesus was indeed King and was performing a
Kingly action on the Cross.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, in Your suffering, death and resurrection, You
triumphed over evil for the salvation of us all. Guide me to
also conquer the temptations and evils that have been sent to
destroy me. Amen.

Tuesday: Following Jesus
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Happy are those who find refuge in you,/ whose hearts are set
on pilgrim roads./ As they pass through the Baca valley,/ they
find spring water to drink./ Also from pools the Lord provides
water/ for those who lose their way./ They pass through outer
and inner wall/ and see the God of gods on Zion.
—Psalm 84:6–8
Reflection:
Simon was forced by the Roman soldiers to support Jesus in
carrying His Cross. Just as Jesus had said that we must take up
our cross and follow Him, Simon helped to carry Jesus’s Cross
behind Him.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, My Teacher, instruct me to live Your teachings and
carry my cross daily, so that I may become a better follower of
You. Amen.

Tuesday: Praying for Enemies
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is
the law and the prophets.
—Matthew 7:12
Reflection:
Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”
(Luke 6:27–28). In forgiving His enemies while on the Cross,
He gave us a concrete example of how to treat our enemies.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, Spirit of Peace and Patience, by Your kindness I
can follow Jesus in praying for my enemies and doing altruistic
works for them. Please provide me the grace to be able to do
this, always. Amen.

‘

“O Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Word, you infuse yourself into the soul so gently that it does not understand you, and, not being understood, your ineffable gift is esteemed by few.  Yet besides your goodness, you infuse into the soul the power of the Father, and the wisdom of the Son.”  –Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (+ 1607)

Intention:  Lord, please bless us with a Constitution that functions as it was intended to function. I thank You God ahead of time for this.

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.

“Come, come, Holy Spirit!  Come, union of the Father, contentment of  the Word, glory of the angels.  O Spirit of Truth, you are the reward of the saints, the refreshment of souls, light in darkness, wealth of the poor, treasure of those who love, abundance of food for the hungry, comfort of pilgrims, and in a word, the One who contains all treasures.”  –Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (+ 1607)

Intention:   Lord, please bless us with a society that seeks Your face and prays to You earnestly. I thank You God ahead of time for this.

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.

“Love, we know, unites, assimilates, and unifies those who love one another: souls that love Christ are like unto him, a bundle of myrrh; with them as with Christ, fragrance emanates from wounds.”  –Servant of God Luis Maria Martinez (+ 1956)

Intention:   Lord, please help us to resist communism and totalitarianism. I thank You God ahead of time for this.

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.

“Sanctity, which is love, is the fragrance that springs from the Mystical Body of Christ when enemies wound it.”  –Servant of God Luis Maria Martinez (+ 1956)

Intention:   In Jesus’ name, please bless America with a moral, law-abiding, and God-honoring citizenry, so that we are worthy of self-governance.

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 love of Christ flows chiefly from his wounds, from his suffering.  On the cross his love, as a strong and exquisite perfume that escapes from the vessel of alabaster that holds it, was diffused over heaven and earth.”  –Servant of God Luis Maria Martinez (+ 1956)

Intention:  Please bless all my loved ones on the other side with love and joy, and may they rest in peace, and come into heaven to be with You forever and ever, if they’re not already there.

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.

“How does Mary feel towards us?  Our Blessed Mother would take us in her arms and tell us that she loves us more than anyone else because we love her Son.  This is what she wants most — that everyone would love her Son.”  — Servant of God Ida Peterfy (+ 2000)

Intention:   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask You to please bless all my friends and relatives and the people who dislike me with good health, financial stability and uplifting relationships with their friends and family.  Please bless them with peace, love, joy, happiness and harmony, and please, when their time comes, give them each a peaceful, easy and happy death, and bring them into heaven to be with you forever and ever.

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.

“Devotion to our Blessed Mother is a powerful means of grace for us because of her intercession for us and because of the great efficacy of her prayers.”  –Servant of God Ida Peterfy (+ 2000)

Intention:  I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.

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.