“God’s plan is that our lives bring him glory. He has chosen us, in love, to be a living reflection of him. Part of our response to him is our vocation, a particular way of service that allows us to grow in holiness and become more like him.”  –Kimberly Hahn

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

Saturday: Faith
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
Your faith has saved you; go in peace.
—Luke 7:50
Reflection:
The angel announced to Mary that the Baby she was to conceive
by the power of God would be called the Son of the Most High
(thus, divine). She had tremendous faith; thank God she did not
succumb to the devil’s temptation to say “no” to the mission
out of fear.
Prayer:
I pray for the virtue of faith, which allows me to reject the
temptations of the devil, and to have the courage to obey God
in His call to me. Amen.

Saturday: Charity
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall
reap our harvest, if we do not give up.
—Galatians 6:9
Reflection:
When Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord”
(Luke 1:46), she was charitably praising the Lord. In so doing,
her soul was being formed more to the image of the Lord—the
image of Christ.
Prayer:
Because of Mary’s charity, she rushed to aid Elizabeth when
she was with child. All the other virtues rest upon the virtue of
charity (i.e., love). Lord, I pray for the virtue of charity, which
is a cornerstone virtue. Amen.

Saturday: Humility
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,/ for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
—Matthew 5:3
Reflection:
Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Bethlehem means “House
of Bread.” He humbly came down to become the Living Bread
descended from heaven.
Prayer:
Jesus was the ultimate example of humility, emptying Himself
and taking on the form of a man. Dear Lord, I pray for the
virtue of humility, which is also known as being poor in spirit.
Amen.

Saturday: Justice
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
—Matthew 5:17
Reflection:
Our Blessed Mother offered the Baby Jesus as an oblation to
God, as was considered appropriate under the Law. But this was
also an expression of Mother Mary’s and St. Joseph’s gratitude
to God for the gift that was given to them.
Prayer:
I pray for the virtue of justice, of which the Ten Commandments
and the Beatitudes are expressions. Amen.

Saturday: Prudence
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,/ for
they will be satisfied.
—Matthew 5:6
Reflection:
We should always be seeking Jesus Christ because He is Life.
He is Life because He causes us to live righteously on earth and
live in eternity with God.
Prayer:
I pray for the virtue of prudence, which means to reason rightly
about one’s actions in the present moment—to live those actions
righteously, and to create a happy, pleasant future. Amen.

“God created you and me for a purpose. Our destiny is not based on our talents, skills, abilities, gifts, education, wealth, or health, though these may be useful. God’s plan for our lives is based on God’s grace and our response to him.  All that we have is a gift from God.  What we are is a gift back to him.”  –Kimberly Hahn 

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!

Friday: Reverence, Worship and Faith
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
Lord, I call to you;/ come quickly to help me;/ listen to my plea
when I call./ Let my prayer be incense before you;/ my uplifted
hands an evening sacrifice.
—Psalm 141:1–2
Reflection:
When Jesus prayed “Our Father…” He gave us an excellent
example of how to pray devotionally, with love for God, and
with faith that God would listen to Him and be with Him.”
Prayer:
O Lord, reach down to me as I reach up to You. I pray for
reverence, worship and faith in God. Amen.

Friday: Temperance
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
I trust in you, Lord;/ I say, “You are my God.”/ My times are
in your hands;/ rescue me from my enemies,/ from the hands
of my pursuers./ Let your face shine on your servant;/ save me
in your kindness.
—Psalm 31:15–17
Reflection:
Some theologians think that the reason Pilate had Jesus scourged
was so that the crowd of people would be swayed to feeling
compassion and kindness for Him once they saw Him after the
scourging, and decide not to put Him to death. However, that
was not what happened.
Prayer:
I pray for the virtue of temperance, which is to take the physical
objects of pleasure in this world, and use them only so much as
is needed to maintain health and be responsible to one’s state
in life. Amen.

Friday: Love of Enemies
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Again Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer? See how
many things they accuse you of.” Jesus gave him no further
answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
—Mark 15:4–5
Reflection:
Because Mary was there to see Jesus’s crown of thorns, she
shared in His suffering of humiliation, and so also in His
redemptive action. Mary’s humility, coming as it did from a
human creature, devastated the proud demons because it helped
create the victory over them.
Prayer:
I pray for the virtue of love of my enemies, which involves the
recognition that all of them are children of God, whom God
loves unconditionally. Lord, please bless my enemies. Amen.

Friday: Fortitude
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of
Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice
exultantly.
—1 Peter 4:13
Reflection:
When a cross comes into our life, it is wise to think of it as
having coming from Jesus—as if He had come to us and asked
us if we would assist Him to carry His Cross. This is because
Jesus seeks to purify us through our crosses and make us more
humble. It is His will that we become holy; that we become
saints.
Prayer:
I pray for the virtue of fortitude, which is courage in adversity.
It applies when there is a risk of death, but it also applies when
one is being challenged or ridiculed. Lord, please give me the
gift of fortitude. Amen.

Friday: Mercy
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
Blessed are the merciful,/ for they will be shown mercy.
—Matthew 5:7
Reflection:
Christ Jesus prayed for His enemies at the time they were
crucifying Him. This is a remarkable achievement of love and
mercy. Yet with Christ’s help, we too can pray for our enemies,
even while they are doing or saying whatever is making us
suffer.
Prayer:
I pray for the virtue of mercy, unconditional love and
forgiveness—that involves being generous to others even when
they are not being generous back to me. Heart of Jesus, Source
of all Consolation, please give me the gift of mercy. Amen.

“We thank you [Almighty, most high and sovereign God] because your Son is to come again in majesty to judge those who have refused to repent and acknow­ledge you; while to all who have acknowledged you, worshiped you, and served you in penitence, he will say: Come, you blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.”–Saint Francis of Assisi (+ 1226)

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!

Thursday: Holiness
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn
open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
—Mark 1:10
Reflection:
When Jesus rose up from the water in His baptism, it was as
if the sun rose with Him—so bright was His luminosity and
the radiance of the Holy Spirit. It is a joy-filled event for us to
ponder, because the Son of God was now truly united with us,
after our long night as a human race.
Prayer:
The saints reflect Christ’s light in their holiness; I pray to
become like them in my holiness. O Lord, grant that all the
virtues might live inside of me in an easy and effortless way.
Amen.

Thursday: Divine Design
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
Let us rejoice and be glad/ and give him glory./ For the wedding
day of the Lamb has come,/ his bride has made herself ready.
—Revelation 19:7
Reflection:
Jesus showed a love and generosity at the wedding at Cana that
showered divine light and favor upon the wedding party there.
Prayer:
Jesus’s presence at this wedding gives marriage a purpose that is
by divine design. I pray for married couples—that Jesus would
be present as a “third person,” in all their marriages. Amen.

Thursday: Heal Our Souls
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage,
child, your sins are forgiven.”
—Matthew 9:2
Reflection:
Christ came to heal people’s physical illnesses and maladies,
but also to heal their souls – as when, for example, He forgave
their sins.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, people’s faith was an important factor in whether or
not You could perform miracles for them. I have faith in You!
Please reach out to me with Your healing hand when I suffer.
Amen.

Thursday: Illuminate Me
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but
becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men
standing with him.
—Luke 9:32
Reflection:
Jesus was an ordinary human being to His disciples; He walked
the dusty roads, He healed the sick, and He became tired and
hungry every day as they did. Then one day, up on a mountain,
He showed them His true glory: He became filled with light
and radiated the Holy Spirit in a supreme and brilliant way.
Prayer:
If God’s light were shining in me luminously, would I see the
pride and egocentricities that still linger inside? Lord Jesus,
Brightness of Eternal Light, please illuminate me so that I may
see myself objectively, and help me to make corrections. Amen.

Thursday: Jesus’s Presence
in the World
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
With bread from heaven he filled them.
—Psalm 105:40
Reflection:
The Blessed Sacrament’s residence in all our Catholic Churches
gives the world little bits of Jesus’s presence in the world—
Bread from Heaven—keeping the world from descending into
degeneration, disaster and war. Thank God!
Prayer:
Millions of people celebrate Mass every day and receive the
Blessed Sacrament, spreading Jesus’s presence across the world,
and creating unity amongst the members of the church. Lord,
bring new members into Your church, and so increase Your
presence here. Amen.

“In the morning say in your heart: ‘O my God, here is another day given me to love and serve you.’ Be glad of it. Offer him all your actions, your temptations, you little humiliations—everything, and then go to your duties with cheerfulness.”  –Saint Theodora Guerin (+ 1856)

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.

Wednesday: Clean New Start
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
Then they [Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and
Salome] went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling
and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were
afraid.
—Mark 16:8
Reflection:
Mary Magdalene was freed from seven demons during Jesus’s
earthly ministry. When the oppression of those demons let go of
her, she became a fresh, new, innocent woman again. This was
a kind of resurrection for her—a little echo of the resurrection
of Our Lord on Easter Sunday.
Prayer:
Jesus gives us all a fresh, clean, new start in life every time we
reach out to Him. Jesus, I am grateful to You for:
____________________. Amen.

Wednesday: Purification
of Egocentricities
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet
ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and
your God.’”
—John 20:17
Reflection:
It must have been awe-inspiring for the apostles to watch Jesus
ascending into heaven. But the angels told them to get back to
work here on earth because there was much to be done. They
were instructed to evangelize others, certainly. But also, part
of their personal work was to achieve a purification on earth
that could be achieved faster while here—using the gifts of the
Holy Spirit—than after their deaths.
Prayer:
Jesus, with You in heaven interceding for me, I can work on
the purification of my egocentricities now, while I’m still
alive. Please assist me in working on my dominant fault:
__________________. Amen.

Wednesday: What is Important in Life
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been
poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been
given to us.
—Romans 5:5
Reflection:
The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles at Pentecost like
a firestorm, totally altering the beliefs and priorities of their
lives. All of a sudden, the earthly things that they had once
talked and worried about seemed no longer the priorities that
they once were.
Prayer:
I pray for the Holy Spirit to quicken in my life, and give me the
anointing of the new eyes of the Holy Spirit, to see that what is
really most important in my life is Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday: More Dominant
Soul and Spirit
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
See, darkness covers the earth,/ and thick clouds cover the
peoples;/ But upon you the Lord shines,/ and over you appears
his glory.
—Isaiah 60:2
Reflection:
Mary’s life was sinless, and her assumption into heaven was
another example of God’s glorious grace in her life; it was the
ultimate example of that grace’s victory. We are called to follow
in her way of life, too, through the goodness and love of God
and our identification with the Mystical Body of Christ.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, In Whom Dwells the Fullness of Divinity, please
make my soul and spirit become more dominant in my life as
I follow You, as I lead a life dedicated more to the service of
others, and to my transformation by the Spirit of God. Amen.

Wednesday: Heaven
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
She will put on your head a graceful diadem;/ a glorious crown
will she bestow upon you.
—Proverbs 4:9
Reflection:
Our Blessed Mother is a symbol for the church, and so when
she was crowned Queen of Heaven, in a way, the church was
crowned also – meaning each of us, after we go to heaven
(please God). This is because we are adopted sons and daughters
of the Father, which means that we are princes and princesses,
also, because He is King.
Prayer:
Dear God, make my purity complete, that I, too, will be in
heaven. And, if You are willing, let me receive a crown of
glory, so that I can be of more service to others while in heaven.
Amen.

“Continue, my truly dear child, to walk in the presence of God, to do your actions solely to please him, and to bear courageously all the trials which he may permit you to have. Let the evil one make all the noise he wishes around you. Do not mind him, but put yourself entirely beyond the reach of his malice by keeping close to our Lord.”  –Saint Theodora Guerin (+ 1856)

Intention:  Lord, I call in healing and righteousness for America.  Thank You, Jesus!

Tuesday: Devil’s Trap of Suffering
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did
not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of
darkness.
—Luke 22:53
Reflection:
When we contemplate the mystery of Jesus’s agony in
Gethsemane, we enter into meditation on the very center of darkness. Jesus agonized there because He was in the grip of
the devil’s trap of suffering.
Prayer:
I have seen all too well the devil’s snare of suffering, Lord,
as I watch what persecuted Christians in the world are going
through: verbal attacks, discrimination and even downright
physical attacks. Please free the world from these evils. Amen.

Tuesday: Prisoners
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests
and the elders and the scribes came together. Peter followed him
at a distance into the high priest’s courtyard and was seated with
the guards, warming himself at the fire. The chief priests and
the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain testimony against
Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none.
—Mark 14:53–55
Reflection:
Jesus endured gruesome torture when He was flogged by the
soldiers, and then was crucified. But He did this so that He
could descend into the realm of the dead and save those brothers
and sisters who lived there.
Prayer:
Dear Father, I bring to mind all prisoners, and I ask You to
bless them with repentance, consolation and humane treatment.
Please release them from prison, also, if they are there for an
unjust reason. Amen.

Tuesday: Reputation Destroyed
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Pilate asked [Jesus], “Are you the king of the Jews?” He said
to him in reply, “You say so.” Pilate then addressed the chief
priests and the crowds, “I find this man not guilty.” But they
were adamant and said, “He is inciting the people with his
teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began
even to here.”
—Luke 23:3–5
Reflection:
Jesus’s respectable reputation and distinction as a holy man
were ripped away from Him as He was ridiculed, beaten and
humiliated, during the crowning with thorns.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, Most Worthy of all Praise, Your blameless name,
reputation and dignity were all destroyed so that ours could
be renewed. I pray for all those who have been the victims of
slander. Amen.

Tuesday: Simon
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service to carry his cross.
—Matthew 27:32
Reflection:
Jesus had to slowly drag His Cross through the streets of
Jerusalem, bruised and wounded, with the angry and cruel
mob of people on both sides of Him, taunting Him and jeering
at Him. He accepted all this suffering. And then came Simon
of Cyrene, who assisted Him in carrying His Cross.
Prayer:
I imagine myself as Simon of Cyrene, helping Jesus to carry
His Cross, when I look at my own cross in life. I realize that I
am doing it for the sake of all sinners – including myself—and
for the sake of peace in the world. Give me the strength, Holy
Spirit, to keep carrying my cross until I come home to the
Lord. Amen.

Tuesday: Bravest Warrior
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and
put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
—John 19:29–30
Reflection:
Jesus endured not only physical torment on the Cross, but also
the spiritual torment of feeling cut off from the Father. But after
He had breathed His last, He went down into the realm of death
to battle the forces of destruction and darkness who lived there,
and to liberate the righteous souls there.
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, You are the bravest warrior who ever lived,
because You battled and defeated Satan himself. Deliver us from
any demonic influences that may be responsible for instigating
violence, hatred or envy in our world. Amen.

“Illumination of man’s mind is the most direct and most constant effect of the angelic tutelage; according to Saint Thomas Aquinas, it is not too much to say that the human race is kept in mental equilibrium through the unceasing watchfulness of the good spirits…. Then there is that extremely important office of the protecting angels to ward off the darkening influence of evil spirits…. The spirits fight for us to a great extent without our knowledge, their mission is essentially one of guardianship of a lower being…. Man’s destiny being eternal happiness, it is not too much that it should be watched over by one whose nature is unchangeably great.”  –Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B. (+ 1938)

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.

Monday: Godly Values and Virtues
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,/ shout for joy, O daughter
Jerusalem!/ See, your king shall come to you.
—Zechariah 9:9
Reflection:
Imagine the beauty and innocence of the Blessed Virgin Mary
as she said “yes” to the angel. What a gift from God she is to
us—this angelic girl who is so full of love and joy, and was
willing to give herself to us in this way!
Prayer:
Dear Blessed Mary, Virgin Rightly Praised, if you were so
full of the love and joy of the Holy Spirit when you were alive
on earth, I can hardly imagine how powerful you must be in
heaven, acting on our behalf! Please pray for all writers, artists,
musicians, producers, directors and actors, that they would
produce art that reflects godly values and virtues. Amen.

Monday: Powerfully Helpful
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
I trust in your faithfulness./ Grant my heart joy in your help,/
That I may sing of the Lord,/ “How good our God has been
to me!”
—Psalm 13:6
Reflection:
The two women, Mary and Elizabeth, must have been so
radiant to watch when they met—both carrying very blessed
children in their wombs, both quietly aware that they were
participating in God’s divine plan in a glorious way and both
trusting in His plan.
Prayer:
Dear Blessed Mother, Queen of Confessors and Virgins, you
were not only graced with the love and joy of the Holy Spirit
but also with the desire to share what little you had with others,
as evidenced by your hurrying to go and assist Elizabeth. Again,
I imagine how powerfully helpful you must be in our world,
right now! Please pray for many young men and women to have
vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and to act on those
vocations. Amen.

Monday: Heavenly Events
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
You formed my inmost being;/ you knit me in my mother’s
womb.
—Psalm 139:13
Reflection:
The birth of Jesus reveals to us that the conception of a child
is not just a physical event. It reaches into the dimensions of
the divine, with God showering the soul with goodness and
blessings.
Prayer:
Dear Guardian Angel, I understand that my own birth was
a heavenly event, as well as a physical one. Please pray for all
lawmakers to remember the sanctity of human life, in their
lawmaking efforts. Amen.

Monday: Godly Upbringing
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
Train a boy in the way he should go;/ even when he is old, he
will not swerve from it.
—Proverbs 22:6
Reflection:
Jesus was presented in the temple as a normal babe, and yet
He was the King of kings. He was consecrated to God there.
Afterward, He grew up with an extended family of St. Joseph
and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and also probably many aunts and
uncles—as mother and father figures. He also had many cousins
whom the gospels record as His brothers and sisters (there was
no word for “cousin” in Jesus’s time).
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, between Your consecration to God as a Babe,
and how You grew up in Your village surrounded by relatives,
You were given a loving, well-rounded, faith-filled—albeit
poor—upbringing. Help me to be a loving influence on all the
children in my life. Amen.

Monday: Enthusiasm
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for
although you have hidden these things from the wise and the
learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father,
such has been your gracious will.
—Matthew 11:25–26
Reflection:
Jesus was probably a teenager who was handsome, confident,
enthusiastic and intelligent, with a funny sense of humor. The
other boys and girls in His village probably loved being around
Him, because He was so full of life and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Most Amiable, through Your assistance help me to
become more uplifting, honest and enthusiastic with others.
Amen.

“Angelic guardianship is something natural, something normal, as normal as the great powers of the physical cosmos. The spirits have not received a mission to interfere with man’s free action; they have received a mission to save man from the results of his own evil deeds as far as is compatible with the higher dictates of God’s justice. When an angel shows his protecting power manifestly, as when he delivered Peter from the prison (Acts 12:3-19), you have a miraculous intervention that ought not be taken as the criterion of the ordinary working of spirit tutelage. There can be miracles of angelic intervention, as there can be miracles of divine intervention; but they are exceptions; God and his angels work unceasingly for man’s welfare…”  –Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B. (+ 1938)

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!

Sunday: Belief in Resurrection
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Scripture:
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you
have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have
believed.”
—John 20:28–29
Reflection:
The resurrection of Jesus is mysterious in such a deep and
profound way that we cannot really fathom it with the mind;
we have to ponder it from the heart.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to believe fully in the resurrection,
though I may not understand the entire mystery of it. Amen.

Sunday: Eternal Destiny
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
Scripture:
We too believe and therefore speak, knowing that the one who
raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us
with you in his presence.
—2 Corinthians 4:13–14
Reflection:
If we are faithful, we are destined to follow Jesus after our death,
and arise into heaven to experience new life there, through
Jesus’s power. Although we are supposed to focus our attention
on loving God and our neighbor while we are here on earth,
it is important to also remember that our ultimate destiny is
for a grand place beyond space and time, where we will be one
with God.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, please show me how can I attend to my
responsibilities, and to loving God and my neighbors, but not
get so caught up in daily life that I forget my eternal destiny in
heaven. Teach me to be more detached. Amen.

Sunday: Positivity out of Negativity
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all
things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance
for every good work.
—2 Corinthians 9:8
Reflection:
The apostles shared an intense experience in the upper room,
one that ignited their faith into a flame, and encouraged them
to want to proclaim Jesus Christ to the whole world, for the
rest of their lives. This intense faith-experience was an action
of God working through them: the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, In Whom Are All Treasures of Wisdom and
Knowledge, whenever I am faced with a difficult situation in
my life, help me to assure others that I have faith that God will
make something positive come out of my negative situation.
That is one of the most compelling ways that I can witness to
my faith. Amen.

Sunday: Long-time Tradition
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
Scripture:
When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the
earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male
child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great
eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where,
far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two
years, and a half-year. The serpent, however, spewed a torrent
of water out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away
with the current. But the earth helped the woman and opened
its mouth and swallowed the flood that the dragon spewed out
of its mouth.
—Revelation 12:13–16
Reflection:
Belief in the assumption of Mary started in apostolic times
and was passed down as oral tradition. St. Thomas Aquinas,
in the 13th century, declared it to be a valid tenet of the faith.
The Orthodox Church has also always believed in Mary’s
assumption. Consequently, when Pope Pius XII declared the
dogma of her assumption in 1950, it had actually been part of
the Tradition of the church for a very long time.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to believe in the dogma of the assumption,
despite those voices who would dispute it. Lord, I do believe;
help my unbelief. Amen.

Sunday: Dignity and Sacrifice
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
The king loved Esther more than all other women, and of all
the virgins she won his favor and benevolence. So he placed the
royal diadem on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
—Esther 2:17
Reflection:
The coronation of Mary has been contained in church documents
for centuries also. Prefigured by the experience of women like
Esther, this mystery reminds us of Mary’s stateliness, splendor
and majesty.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, You are celebrated as the King of Heaven, and so
Mary, being Your Mother, is acknowledged as the Queen of
Heaven. Please convey to her how much I honor her for her
dignity and her sacrifice. Amen.

“Before dying by the sword, let us die by pinpricks. Do you understand? Dear Céline, one day we shall go to heaven forever, and then there will no longer be day or night as there is on earth. Oh what a joy! Let us walk in peace, looking at heaven, the only goal of our works.”  –Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (+ 1897)

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.

Saturday: Move Forward
in God’s Will
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell
among you, says the Lord.
—Zechariah 2:14
Reflection:
Mary had doubts about how Jesus’s conception would take place
after the angel announced it, and so she asked how. This was not
an indication that her faith was in any weak, but just something
that faith-filled people do because they are careful and diligent.
The angel’s answer was simply that God would handle it, and
so Mary agreed to go ahead, despite her doubts.
Prayer:
Dearest Mother, Virgin Most Wise, please encourage me to
follow your example of moving forward in God’s will for my
life—in spite of my doubts and insecurities—aware that if I do,
God can do beneficial things through me. Amen.

Saturday: Love of God and Neighbor
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all
your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with
all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” [Jesus] replied to
him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
—Luke 10:27–28
Reflection:
This mystery makes us reflect on the importance to Mary of
her loved ones—her family members, such as Elizabeth—even
though she had just had the most amazing personal experience
of her young life (in the annunciation).
Prayer:
Blessed Mother, Mother of our Savior, you are an example of
someone who always loved God and neighbor in a deep and
abiding way, which was the central message that your Son
grew up to declare, to the ends of the earth. Help me, by your
intercession, to follow your example. Amen.

Saturday: Ponder the Mysteries
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.
—Luke 2:19
Reflection:
Jesus was born in poverty, totally unacknowledged as the King
of the world. How Mary must have pondered the curiosity of
her Baby, who would have the throne of David, being born in
a lowly stable with nothing. God is such a mystery!
Prayer:
Dear Father, as I ponder the mysteries in my life, such as why
I was born into a particular family rather than another family,
please assist me in trusting in Your divine plan for my salvation
and the salvation of others. Amen.

Saturday: Leads Me to Christ
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
Many nations shall come, and say,/ “Come, let us climb the
mount of the Lord,/ to the house of the God of Jacob,/ That he
may instruct us in his ways,/ that we may walk in his paths.”/
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,/ and the word of the
Lord from Jerusalem.
—Micah 4:2
Reflection:
The most important aspect of the presentation in the temple
are the words of Simeon when he looked at the Baby Jesus and
said, “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).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, the Blessed Mother continually leads me to
Christ, who presents me to You—just as she offered Jesus to
You in the temple so long ago. I thank You for the blessing of
her intercession, and for Your watching over me and shielding
me from harm. Amen.

Saturday: Balance Responsibilities
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
I rejoiced when they said to me,/ “Let us go to the house of
the Lord.”/ And now our feet are standing/ within your gates,
Jerusalem.
—Psalm 122:1–2
Reflection:
Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph did not understand Jesus’s
response to them about why He had stayed behind in the
temple. Perhaps they thought that He was being disrespectful
or thoughtless about their feelings. To us in hindsight, it simply
seems that He wanted to be in the house of the Lord, because of
the high calling on His life. However, He obediently returned
home with His parents, after they found Him.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, assist me to find a balance between my everyday
responsibilities and my life of prayer, service and devotion to
God. Amen.

“Love leads to communion, and communion allows everyone to move forward in harmony. Communion is not a happiness passively enjoyed, but it struggles to maintain a fraternal spirit and to open the doors of this fraternity to all people. By nature, love propagates itself; it is contagious, communicates to others, and draws everyone toward communion.”  –Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyên Văn Thuân (+ 2002)

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

Friday: Jesus is Model
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, “My Father, if it
is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your
will be done!” Then he returned once more and found them
asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open.
—Matthew 26:42–43
Reflection:
The gospel writers make it clear that Jesus experienced enormous
emotional pain while praying in Gethsemane. However, He
bravely told the Father that He preferred the Father’s will over
His own will, trusting that the Father would look after Him
no matter what.
Prayer:
Jesus is my model of how to deal with difficult situations.
Father, I trust You to take care of these concerns and anxieties
that I have in my life today: _______________. Amen.

Friday: Jesus’s Severe Torture
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!
What further need have we of witnesses? You have now heard
the blasphemy; what is your opinion?” They said in reply, “He
deserves to die!” Then they spat in his face and struck him,
while some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy for us, Messiah:
who is it that struck you?”
—Matthew 26:65–68
Reflection:
The gospels make no mention of a pillar with regard to Jesus’s
scourging; however, artists back through history have painted
this mystery with Jesus being tied to a pillar, and so it has
become recognized as the Scourging at the Pillar.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, the Scourging at the Pillar is separated from the
Crowning with Thorns in the Rosary to help us to recognize
the genuine physical torture that You received at the hands
of those who scourged You. Help me to remember that You
suffered before me when I face the challenge of illness or pain.
Amen.

Friday: Emotional and
Mental Suffering
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption by his blood, the
forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his
grace that he lavished upon us.
—Ephesians 1:7–8
Reflection:
The torture that Jesus experienced while being crowned with
thorns was not just physical; it was also emotional and mental.
Our emotional and mental sufferings can also be offered up as
redemptive suffering, in union with Jesus’s suffering, during this
third sorrowful mystery.
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, I offer up to You this emotional or mental
suffering that I have experienced, in union with Your sufferings:
___________________. Amen.

Friday: Keep Moving
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling
around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers
throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God
of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ
[Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish
you after you have suffered a little.
—1 Peter 5:8–10
Reflection:
Jesus offers us an example of how to undergo suffering in
this mystery by continuing to move forward, no matter how
painfully, no matter how slowly, resisting the devil, while
having faith in the Father’s love for Him.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I am steadfast in the faith that You are loving me
through whatever situation I am in at the moment – even if
I cannot feel Your love. I will keep moving and resisting the
devil’s temptations, and keep uniting my cross to the Cross of
Christ. Amen.

Friday: Painkiller
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means
Place of the Skull), they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with
gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
—Matthew 27:33–34
Reflection:
In the Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus was offered a mild
painkiller, a mixture of wine and myrrh; we don’t know if
perhaps this was some small move of compassion by the soldiers
or not. However, He refused the concoction.
Prayer:
Lord, I sometimes resort to unhealthy habits to numb my senses
when I am suffering. Grant that I might be strengthened and
delivered from these temptations. Amen.

“Indeed, faced with the many difficulties that fidelity to the moral order can demand, even in the most ordinary circumstances, the Christian is called, with the grace of God invoked in prayer, to a sometimes heroic commitment.”  –Saint John Paul II (+ 2005)

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: Renewal of
Baptismal Promises
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
Jesus said to [John the Baptist] in reply, “Allow it now, for thus
it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
—Matthew 3:15
Reflection:
The Bible says that we should be baptized just as Jesus was and
that we would receive the Holy Spirit and sanctifying grace in
baptism.
Prayer (Renewal of Baptismal Promises):
I reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises. I
believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and
earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who
was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was
buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand
of the Father. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic
Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body and life everlasting. God, the all￾powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has given us a new
birth by water and the Holy Spirit and forgiven all our sins.
May He also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ forever
and ever. Amen.

Thursday: Into Jesus’s Hands
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of
things not seen.
—Hebrews 11:1
Reflection:
Jesus revealed that He was the Son of God by bringing forth
miracles that people could see, to increase their faith in Him.
In this first miracle at Cana, Mary did not direct Jesus to do
anything; she merely told Him what the problem was, and left
Him to decide what to do and how to do it, while telling the
servers to “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).
Prayer:
Blessed Mother, House of Gold, I have faith in Jesus. Please put
the following petition into His gentle hands, so that He can
decide what to do with it: ______________. Amen.

Thursday: Reading Scripture
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my
Father in heaven.
—Matthew 7:21
Reflection:
Jesus traveled around the Holy Land for three years teaching
the disciples. It is important to study the teachings of Jesus and
to do our best to follow in His footsteps.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, please guide me in reading and contemplating the
scriptures. Help me to get the deeper meaning out of them.
Amen.

Thursday: Put Jesus First
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
Whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss
because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything
as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus
my Lord.
—Philippians 3:7–8
Reflection:
When Jesus Christ showed Himself in transfigured glory to
Peter, James and John, He was showing them that He was not
only a human man, but that He was also the Son of God.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, King of Glory, I know that You are the Son of God.
Grant me the grace that I would always put You first in my life,
above all other people and things. Amen.

Thursday: Attending Mass
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the
desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from
heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
—John 6:48–50
Reflection:
Jesus told the disciples to take bread and wine and consecrate
them so that we could receive Him (Body, Blood, Soul and
Divinity) in Communion. He said to do this in remembrance
of Him. The consecration of the Holy Eucharist is a miracle in
which we can participate at every Mass.
Prayer:
Father, I am certain that Jesus is the Bread of Life. I know that
partaking of the Blessed Sacrament is healing and helpful for
me. Help me to be diligent about attending Mass and receiving
Communion as often as possible. Amen.