“During the infamous trial of Jesus Christ, Pontius Pilate asked what was, is, and ever shall be a topical question: What is truth?  For a Christian the answer is fairly simple.  It was given to us by the same Christ when he described himself saying: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  It follows that Christ is Truth and everything he revealed is equally Truth.”  –Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko (+ 1984)

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.

Saturday: God’s Call
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son
of God.”
—Luke 1:35
Reflection:
Mary found grace, which enabled her to say “yes” to God’s
request, and to go forward without fearing the things that
would normally have made her fearful. We, too, must say “yes”
to God’s call, and let faith help us to go forward without any
fear of the future, with full confidence that God will arrange
things to turn out in the best way possible.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Faithful Virgin, intercede for those who suffer
from anxiety or mental illness, so that they may feel sure in
going forward on the path that God’s will calls them to follow.
Amen.

Saturday: The Magnificat
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
The Mighty One has done great things for me,/ and holy is
his name.
—Luke 1:49
Reflection:
The Magnificat is the amazing prayer that Mary sings to God
after Elizabeth greets her. In it, Mary teaches us to praise God
above all else, for His compassion for us, for saving us, for
providing for us and for fulfilling His covenant of love toward us.
Prayer:
Father, You inspired Mary to sing Your praises in the Magnificat.
Stir within all the brokenhearted and lonely a song to lift their
hearts and souls up to You, also. Amen.

Saturday: Jesus Came to Save
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
But the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This
man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
—Luke 15:2
Reflection:
The meaning of Christmas is that Jesus became incarnate for
the sake of illuminating humanity and redeeming every single
person. He did not come to accuse sinners but to save them –
to save us.
Prayer:
Jesus, I appreciate that You did not come to denounce me for
my sins but to rescue me from them, and to be with me forever.
Touch the hearts of all non-believers at Christmastime, bring
them to Your church and give them the joy of community
worship and fellowship. Amen.

Saturday: Jesus’s Light
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
He [Simeon] came in the Spirit into the temple; and when
the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom
of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and
blessed God.
—Luke 2:27–28
Reflection:
Simeon prophesied that Jesus would be a sign that would be
contradicted, and so He was. He was so opposed that powerful
men sought to kill Him, to try to put out the light that He
brought.
Prayer:
Jesus, Simeon’s prophecy about You was indeed borne out to
be correct. But Your death did not put out Your light on earth.
No, it continues on in all of us, through Your Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah! Amen.

Saturday: Peace in the Family
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was
obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her
heart. And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before
God and man.
—Luke 2:51–52
Reflection:
Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and yet most of His life on
earth, He spent in relative obscurity in obedience to Mary and
St. Joseph in Nazareth.
Prayer:
Jesus, You lived in peace with Your mother and father for a long
time. Assist me in creating peace in my family, which is a sign
that the joy and love of the Holy Spirit is present. Amen.

“Those Christians are mistaken who think that religion consists in saving their souls in the sense of simply frequenting the sacraments and saying their daily prayers while they pay very little or no attention to their duties toward their neighbor.  They have to learn that to be a good father, mother, spouse, son, daughter, citizen, worker, or official is an essential part of what it means to be a good Christian.”  –Francis Cardinal Arinze

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

Friday: Jesus Had No Sin
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
[And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.]
— Luke 22:43
Reflection:
Not even Jesus Christ could be spared by the Father His terrible
suffering in order to achieve our salvation.
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, I know that God made You to be sin, although
You had no sin, for my sake, and I am so grateful. Please
straighten me out in all the ways I need to be straightened
out, and make me the righteousness of God in You (see 2
Corinthians 5:21). Amen.

Friday: By His Stripes
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
But he was pierced for our offenses,/ crushed for our sins,/
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,/ by his
stripes we were healed.
—Isaiah 53:5
Reflection:
Jesus proclaimed the gospel of God’s love and forgiveness, and
mercifully healed many people with His divine power. Yet
when the time came for His confrontation with the powers that
wanted Him dead, there was no goodwill to be found; most of
His friends even deserted Him, too.
Prayer:
Jesus, Isaiah prophesized accurately when hundreds of years
earlier he said about You, “By his stripes we were healed”
(Isaiah 53:5). Heal me of all greed, and make me impervious to
even the temptation to be greedy. Amen.

Friday: Jesus’s Touch
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
I gave my back to those who beat me,/ my cheeks to those who
plucked my beard;/ My face I did not shield/ from buffets and
spitting.
—Isaiah 50:6
Reflection:
Sin and death—the cause of evil in mankind—were dealt a
triumphant blow with Jesus’s sacrifice, that only He could
make, because He was consubstantial with the Father.
Prayer:
Jesus Christ, lovingly touch those who are homeless and hungry,
and inspire many to care for them and provide for their needs.
Let this world become a place of sharing and caring for all.
Amen.

Friday: The Cross is the Door
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated
Place of the Skull).
—Mark 15:22
Reflection:
God came to humanity through Christ’s Cross, and the
martyrdom of the cross is still with us today, especially in our
inhumanity to one another.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I recognize that the cross is the door by which
You come into my life. Help me to accept my cross, and make
me more compassionate, patient and loving through it. Amen.

Friday: Heavy Hearts
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it [in] clean linen and laid it
in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled
a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. But
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there,
facing the tomb.
—Matthew 27:59–61
Reflection:
Jesus’s death on Good Friday deeply affected all of Jerusalem,
especially His disciples and His Blessed Mother. A kind of hush
fell on the whole city that night and the following day.
Prayer:
Jesus, the heavy stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb
was like the weight of the crucifixion, that crushed the heavy
hearts of the women who prayed outside. Bring all the dead
into heaven, into the light of Your face, to see the twinkle in
Your eye. Amen.

“I can always rejoice in the face of any suffering, humiliation, trial, interior or exterior pain, by reflecting that you, O Jesus, do me the honor of inviting me to participate in your Passion, in your redemptive work for souls.  Therefore, far from considering these sorrows as evils, teach me to embrace them and to welcome them as favors and precious means for my sanctification, vivifying them through love and a peaceful, total adherence to your will.”  –Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D. (+ 1949)

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

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.

“Oh Lord, I wish to draw down your mercy on this poor world, not only by the generosity of my sacrifice and my detachment, but also by the generosity of my confidence.  I want to believe against all evidence, hope against all hope; I want to believe with unshakable confidence, even when things seem to become ever more painful and difficult to resolve.  I want to touch your heart, O Lord, by the firmness and generosity of my confidence!”  –Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D (+ 1949)

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: 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.

“Love of our neighbors is the greatest act of gratitude that we can show God for his love.”  –Blessed Franz Jagerstatter (+ 1943)

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

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.

“Why has God created us?  That we might serve him, love him, and worship him in order to become eternally happy.  Is God pleased when we meditate frequently on eternal happiness?  It would very much displease God if we were to reflect only a little on heaven.  Eternal joy, eternal delight, light without darkness, and everything eternal without end.  If we meditate often on all of this, then sacrifice in our lives will become easier.”  –Blessed Franz Jagerstatter (+ 1943)

Intention:  Lord, thank You for blessing America.  Thank You for blessing America!

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.

“The apostles, privileged to witness the Transfiguration, certainly knew our Lord better as a result.  The human veil over his divinity was for a moment lifted, and they beheld his heavenly splendor…  They also beheld the ‘upward call’ of every Christian…  Saint Augustine says that the transfigured Christ reveals what his Body is to become.  We are to be transfigured as well.”  –Father Paul Scalia

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!

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.

“All are created in the image of God and called to be part of his family and enjoy the same glory.  Therefore, it is clear that we ought to love those also who are naturally indifferent to us, and even our enemies, because they do not cease by this reason from being sons of God or at least called to be such.”  –Father Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange, O.P. (+ 1964)

Intention:  Lord, please bless all the Jews and Christians in the world, and keep them safe.

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 allpowerful 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.

“To love our neighbor in a supernatural way it is sufficient to look at him with the eyes of faith and to remember that, though he differs from us in condition and character, he is still born, like us, not only of flesh, of blood, and of the will of man, but of God (Jn 1:13).  Or at least he is called to be born to the life of God, to participate in the divine nature and eternal beatitude.  Hence both of us belong to the same family of God.”  –Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (+ 1964)

Intention:   Lord, I praise You that You’re greater than any trouble I might encounter in life; you are bigger than any problem I could possibly have.  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.

“Now, he who has raised him from the dead will raise us also, provided we do his will, make his commandments our rule of life, and love what he loves; if we abstain from every kind of wrongdoing, avarice, love of money, slander, and false testimony; if we do not repay wrong with wrong, abuse with abuse, blow with blow, curse with curse, but, on the contrary, bear in mind what the Lord taught when he said: Do not judge, that you may not be judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven; show mercy, that you may have mercy shown you; the measure you use in measuring will be used in measuring out your share; and Blessed are the humble souls and those that are persecuted for conscience’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”  –Saint Polycarp (+ 156)

Intention:   Lord, I call in healing and righteousness for America. In Jesus’ name, 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.