“By their eloquent and attractive ­example of a life completely transfigured by the splendor of ­moral truth, the martyrs and, in general, all the Church’s saints, light up every period of history by reawakening its moral sense.”  –Saint John Paul II (+ 2005)

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

Wednesday: All Things
Work for Good
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
—Romans 8:28
Reflection:
Jesus died on the Cross. Then afterward, on the third day, He
rose again in bodily form. Just as He came back to life, we will
also rise again in physical form, on the last day.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I understand that everything I experience can work
for good if I love You and try my best to do Your will. Speak to
me Your heavenly words of love and wisdom, that I may hear
them above the din of the busy world. Amen.

Wednesday: Suffering Will End
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man,
from heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly
one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
—1 Corinthians 15:47,49
Reflection:
Jesus appeared to the disciples for forty days after the resurrection,
and then He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for them. “If
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take
you to myself, so that where I am you also may be” (John 14:3).
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, when Jesus died, He stopped suffering.
My suffering will end with my death also, because if I obey
Jesus’s commands, I will go to heaven, to a place prepared by
Him. I pray to live a virtuous life as best as I can, and to come
to You in heaven when I die. Amen.

Wednesday: Direction and Guidance
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle
you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I
have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.
—Ezekiel 37:14
Reflection:
“…Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as
once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost.” (Catechism
of the Catholic Church #1302.)
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, reveal to me Your direction and guidance all
the days of my life. Show me the way in which I should go –
to the right or to the left, straight ahead or backwards. Amen.

Wednesday: Following
Mary’s Example
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out
and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the
breasts at which you nursed.”
—Luke 11:27
Reflection:
Our Blessed Mother was blessed with the gift of being received
into heaven body and soul, where all souls are eternally happy.
Thus, she is an excellent example to follow, if we want to be
blessed like she was.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, Burning Furnace of Charity, inspire us to do
small works of pure love in the world—following Mary’s
example—creating a covering of true sanctity around the whole
church. Amen.

Wednesday: Asking for Prayers
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
We do not cease praying for you and asking that you may
be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual
wisdom and understanding.
—Colossians 1:9
Reflection:
Jesus is called a King in the book of Revelation in the Bible.
Mary was crowned as a Queen in heaven because she is Jesus’s
mother, who reflects the brilliant light of her Son. We are
taught by the church to honor and venerate her, but never to
worship her (because she is a creature like ourselves).
Prayer:
Guardian Angel, as I ask my relatives and friends to pray for me,
I also ask you, Our Lady and the other saints, to pray for me
as well – for my good health, financial stability and uplifting
relationships with all my friends and family members. Amen.

“How do we attain to intimacy with God? Or, rather, how do we enter into the intimacy offered? We must be certain that no wooing is necessary. We do not have to find ways of attracting the divine partner, of getting him to notice us. Here is someone who is love itself, the very fount of our existence, enfolding us, inviting us to receive him, drawing us to his heart…”  –Sister Ruth Burrows, O.C.D. (+ 2023)

Intention:   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: Offer to God
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said
to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit
is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
—Matthew 26:40–41
Reflection:
Jesus became acutely aware of the torture He was about to
undergo while He was alone in the garden. And so, He prayed
to His Father to take the cup of suffering away from Him, but
also that not His will, but that His Father’s will, be done. He
understood that God would work everything out for the good,
if He loved Him and was called according to His purposes (see
Romans 8:28).
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, Splendor of the Father, Your sacrifice was the
most valuable example ever of submission to God’s will and the
offering up of suffering. Lord, I offer the following suffering of
mine up to You: ___________________. Amen.

Tuesday: Made up for Sin
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain
false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but
they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally, two came forward who stated, “This man said, ‘I can
destroy the temple of God and within three days rebuild it.’”
The high priest rose and addressed him, “Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?” But Jesus was silent.
—Matthew 26:59–63
Reflection:
Jesus suffered terribly when He was scourged at the pillar,
because of the false testimony against Him. But in His suffering,
He made up for the sins of all people since the beginning of
time. Sin is such a terrible thing, in God’s order, that Jesus had
to undergo excruciating agony to atone for it.
Prayer:
Perjury is a terrible sin because it kills a person’s good name.
Lord Jesus, please reveal the truth about every person who has
been hurt by false testimony. Amen.

Tuesday: Pray for the Cruel
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who
persecute you.
—Matthew 5:44
Reflection:
Jesus also suffered when He was crowned with thorns, because
the soldiers treated Him with the terrible cruelty of ridicule,
shouting taunts and scornful barbs at him, in addition to beating
Him. However, He prayed for them—returning blessing for
evil—as He had taught His disciples to do.
Prayer:
Guardian Angel, pray for me to pray for those who have been
cruel in my life, even though it may feel unnatural to do so.
Guide me, until I learn how to do this better on my own.
Amen.

Tuesday: Offer Up the Cross
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow me.
—Luke 9:23
Reflection:
Jesus carried His Cross on the way to Calvary. He fell down
under the weight of His Cross three times, and so we can
deduce that it was very heavy, and that He was very weak.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus offered up to You the suffering
of carrying the heavy Cross to Calvary. Motivate me to make
a morning offering every day, to offer up my cross to You as well.  Amen.

Tuesday: Cover Any Sin
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order
that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”
—John 19:28
Reflection:
Jesus was crucified and died as a sacrifice to compensate for our
sins, because He loves us very much and thirsts for us to love
Him and to go to heaven with Him. His offering is so powerful
that it can cover any sin we have committed, no matter how
terrible – if we repent.
Prayer:
Jesus, I appreciate that You want to forgive me and that you
want me to accept Your blessing. Please bring to mind the
sins and vices that I need to confess at my next Sacrament of
Reconciliation. Amen.

“Whereas even the richest human friendship, even that which has truly made one flesh of two, is only part of an existence and life, our relationship with God is our very meaning as human beings. The human creature is, by definition, a relation to God. We become human, become what we are meant to be, in the measure that, like Enoch of old (Gn 5:24), we are lost to ourselves and taken up into him. Prayer, on our side, is a conscious affirmation of this truth….”  –Sister Ruth Burrows, O.C.D. (+ 2023)

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: Yes, to God
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin
shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
—Isaiah 7:14
Reflection:
As prophesied by Isaiah, the Virgin Mary did indeed deliver a
Son, Who was Jesus Christ, the Son of God—the second Person
of the Trinity.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Mary was given the gift of becoming the
mother of God because she loved You so much and because she
said “yes” to You. Hear my prayer as I say “yes” to You with
all my love, also. Amen.

Monday: As I Would Be Treated
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
—Luke 6:31
Reflection:
Mary made the trek to Zachariah’s house to visit Elizabeth,
who was going to have a baby in her old age—a baby boy, John,
who would grow up to become John the Baptist. Mary went
out of deep charity to help her.
Prayer:
Dearest Holy Spirit, Spirit of Holiness and Justice, mirror back
to me how well I treat others as I would want to be treated, how
well I forgive others when they have harmed me and how I can
improve on these intentions, in the future. Amen.

Monday: Clothe with love
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of
a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption.
—Galatians 4:4–5
Reflection:
Jesus was born as a human being, yet He was also the Son of
God. Being the Son of God, He was able to ransom us from
sin’s bondage and be with us always, even to the end of time.
Prayer:
Jesus, I recognize that You are right beside me and that I can
talk to You anytime. Please clothe me with Your love. Amen.

Monday: Obeying Authorities
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
Lo, I am sending my messenger/ to prepare the way before
me;/ And suddenly there will come to the temple/ the Lord
whom you seek,/ And the messenger of the covenant whom
you desire.
—Malachi 3:1
Reflection:
Simeon waited a long time for the Lord to come to the temple,
and finally, He did come when Simeon was a very old man.
Mother Mary and St. Joseph presented Jesus there because
they were following the laws of that time; they were obeying
authority.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven, please assist
me to obey the authorities in my life with cooperation and
willingness. Amen.

Monday: Relate to Father
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
O God, within your temple/ we ponder your steadfast love.
—Psalm 48:10
Reflection:
Jesus was twelve years old when He stayed in the temple for
three days to talk with the doctors there about God’s teachings
for us. He called the temple His Father’s house, because He was
speaking of His Father in heaven as His real Father, meaning
that He was God’s Son.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your Son taught us to call You “Father,” as
we do when we pray the “Our Father” prayer. Please show me
how I can relate to You better, as my dear Abba—my Papa, my
Daddy. Amen.

“On one occasion Jesus said to Peter: When you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go (Jn 21:18). In a sense we cannot fulfill our calling as followers of Jesus without learning to go where we would rather not go.” –Sister Mary David Totah, O.S.B. (+ 2017)

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: New Life of Glory
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Scripture:
I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even
if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me
will never die.
—John 11:25–26
Reflection:
In Jesus’s resurrection, we see that sin and death do not have
the final word anymore. We see the stunning possibility of a
new life of glory, and of our preciousness in the sight of God.
Because of Jesus’s resurrection, we will never die, but, please
God, we will have everlasting friendship with Him and all His
angels and saints in heaven.
Prayer:
Lord, in place of my egocentricities, fill me with Your love for
all creation, Your joy and Your peace. Amen.

Sunday: Reconciliation
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
Scripture:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.
—Hebrews 4:14
Reflection:
When Jesus Christ ascended, the Father exalted Him in heaven,
in grandeur and glory. At the same time, He gave us the honor
of participating in Jesus’s work of reconciliation.
Prayer:
Jesus, when you ascended, You gave us the responsibility of
spreading Your gospel, in word and deed, thus aiding You in
redeeming all peoples of the world. Show me how to do Your
work of reconciliation. Amen.

Sunday: Live in Spirit
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids/ I will pour out
a portion of my spirit in those days,/ and they shall prophesy.
—Acts 2:18
Reflection:
The church is the vehicle that the Holy Spirit uses to anoint and
transform all believers, and to help transform the world into a
blissful place of peace and justice, love and truth.
Prayer:
Lord, support me in learning to live in the Holy Spirit and
express love to others, as I become transformed through the
same Spirit, Who operates through the church’s Sacraments.
Amen.

Sunday: Holiness and Virtue
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
Scripture:
If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if
the root is holy, so are the branches.
—Romans 11:16
Reflection:
Because she said “yes” to God in such a complete and holy way
throughout her life, Our Blessed Mother Mary was allowed the
honor of being assumed into heaven by the power of Christ.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, Sinless Mother, you experienced the restoration
of your body and soul in the assumption; I pray, with your
intercession, to follow your example of holiness and virtue and
to be close to Jesus in heaven, someday. Amen.

Sunday: Lord Shining
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
Rise up in splendor! Your light has come,/ the glory of the Lord
shines upon you.
—Isaiah 60:1
Reflection:
Mary was subjected to her own type of injustice and hatred as
Jesus was, although it was mostly through having to watch Him
suffer so. But she absorbed it all into her Immaculate Heart
instead of seeking revenge, and thus allowed humility to be
victorious within her.
Prayer:
I honor you Mary, Glory of Israel, because by your exemplary
humility and submission to God’s will, you will always have
the glory of the Lord shining on you in an unmatchable and
effective way. Through your intercession, please comfort all
those who suffer humiliation and degradation. Amen.

“Moments in the Gospel occur in moments of people’s life now and throw a light upon the whole meaning of that life for us.”  –Caryll Houselander (+ 1954)

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

Saturday: Trust the Lord’s Call
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
I wait for you, O Lord;/ I lift up my soul/ to my God./ In you
I trust; do not let me be disgraced.
—Psalm 25:1–2
Reflection:
Mary was the only human person who cooperated with God’s
plan so fully and completely. Her cooperation was vital in
allowing God’s plan to come forth. She lifted up her soul to
God, and God responded with a calling for her. She trusted
that God’s plan was best and that there was nothing to fear in it.
Prayer:
Dear Blessed Mother, Tower of Ivory, through your intercession,
assist me in following in your footsteps, lifting my soul up to
God and trusting in His call for me, too. Amen.

Saturday: Bear Fruit
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed
you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you
ask the Father in my name he may give you.
—John 15:16
Reflection:
In the visitation, we see that Mary hurries to share her love and
charity with Elizabeth, because her holiness calls her to do so.
True love always involves an action of loving someone else, to
witness to our brothers and sisters the love and kindness that
God has shown to us.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, I may never see what the results of my loving
actions will be. Help me to bear fruit that will transform the
world somehow, even just a tiny bit. Amen.

Saturday: Everyone Helps Jesus
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,/ and from
his roots a bud shall blossom./ The spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon him:/ a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,/ A spirit
of counsel and of strength,/ a spirit of knowledge and of fear
of the Lord.
—Isaiah 11:1–2
Reflection:
When Jesus was born, God granted the human race the
wondrous honor of participating it its own redemption, through
its cooperation in God’s plan. Jesus was the promised One
foretold by Isaiah, who would make all this possible.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, every human baby born on earth has a vocation:
following in Your footsteps, to help You with Your ongoing
work of redemption of the entire world. Please lead me so that
I may do my part. Amen.

Saturday: Produce Blessed Fruit
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
The Lord has made his victory known;/ has revealed his
triumph for the nations to see,/ Has remembered faithful love/
toward the house of Israel./ All the ends of the earth have seen/
the victory of our God.
—Psalm 98:2–3
Reflection:
St. Joseph and Mother Mary exemplify submission to God’s
laws in their presentation of Jesus at the temple. As a result of
their sincere obedience, Christ was consecrated to God in Israel,
making possible His victory to all the ends of the earth.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, everyone who yields to the laws of God, and
practices their faith in the church to the best of their ability,
will produce blessed fruit on the earth. Please breathe Your
holy breath across the land to all peoples, to inspire them to do
this. Amen.

Saturday: Unique Calling
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner
worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and
gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through
love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the
bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called
to the one hope of your call.
—Ephesians 4:1–4
Reflection:
Mother Mary and St. Joseph demonstrate that children should
be loved unconditionally and guided gently, but also that parents
should give them up to God’s purposes in their unique lives.
The life of the Child Jesus shows that children have a special
call from God that parents need to honor and nurture as they
grow and as they learn.
Prayer:
Lord, whether we are parents, friends or acquaintances, we
must remember to honor each other’s unique calling on our
lives. Keep me from ever dishonoring another’s special vocation
from You. Amen.

“I understand very well that nobody can worthily love God, but when a person does all he can himself and trusts in the divine mercy, why should Jesus reject one who is seeking him like this? Has he not commanded us to love God with all the strength we have? Well, then, if you have given and consecrated everything you have to God, why are you afraid? Isn’t it a real waste of time to dwell on it, a plot prepared by the enemy of our salvation?”  –Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (+ 1968)

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: Embraced Our Humanity
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front
was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus
to kiss him. Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son
of Man with a kiss?”
—Luke 22:47–48
Reflection:
When Jesus was in His agony, He confronted the powers of
darkness, and the human tendencies to do evil such as lying,
cheating, betraying pure love, lusting after others and other
tendencies of the “all me” ego. Against all this, He stood up for
Our Father’s practice of honoring the little one, and of forgiving
and loving unconditionally.
Prayer:
Jesus Christ, You suffered the betrayal of one of Your most
trusted disciples. In Your heart, You embraced our entire
humanity—including our tendency toward evil, that it would
always and forever be altered by Your divine love. Please assist
all policemen and policewomen to do their jobs well, stay safe
and keep the peace. Please send angels to protect them. Amen.

Friday: Scapegoat
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
Laying both hands on [the scapegoat’s] head, he shall confess
over it all the sinful faults and transgressions of the Israelites,
and so put them on the goat’s head. He shall then have it led
into the desert by an attendant.
—Leviticus 16:21
Reflection:
Jesus was scourged as a scapegoat, Who replaced us in all
our evils: original sin, detraction, theft, violence, torture,
adultery, etc.
Prayer:
Jesus Christ, You are the innocent victim who was accused
of our crimes and scourged for our sins, in order that “by his
stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5). In place of our deserts of
hate, fill the world with Your love. Amen.

Friday: Suffer in Solidarity
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, “Prophesy!
Who is it that struck you?” And they reviled him in saying
many other things against him.
—Luke 22:64–65
Reflection:
Christ witnessed to the truth, and said, “I am the way and the
truth and the life” (John 14:6). He received a crown of thorns
as He became the victim for all those who would lie against
the truth. All those who suffer ridicule, torture and murder for
witnessing to the truth suffer in solidarity with Him.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Sun of Justice, You promised everlasting life to
everyone who witnesses to Your truth and stands with You. I
pray to be one of those. Amen.

Friday: Expressway to
Father’s Blessing
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Even when I walk through a dark valley,/ I fear no harm for
you are at my side;/ your rod and staff give me courage.
—Psalm 23:4
Reflection:
In His journey to carry all our sins to the Cross, Jesus was
crushed by the weight of the Cross and fell several times, just
as He was crushed by the weight of our sins. But He kept
getting back up and moving toward His final goal—despite
the weight, despite the ridicule of the crowd—so determined
was He to save us from our sins. He could tell that the Father
was with Him.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, You changed the Way of the Cross into an
expressway to the Father’s blessing. Assist me to remember the
extraordinary value in carrying my cross, and to learn to even
cherish it. Amen.

Friday: God-shaped Hole
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to
myself.
—John 12:32
Reflection:
Because of original sin, we lost the bliss of solidarity with the
Father, creating a God-shaped hole inside of us. This hole
causes us to betray and abandon one another habitually. Jesus
filled up this hole, soothed our feelings of abandonment and
unworthiness and transformed it all on the Cross.
Prayer:
For our sake, Dear Jesus, You absorbed all our sufferings, even
to the point of feeling disconnected from the Father’s love while
You were on the Cross. In so doing, You drew us upward to
the Father with You, when You died. Help me to understand
this awe-inspiring mystery. Amen.

“If the longing to love God seems to you not to be satisfied, or…if it seems to you that you always desire without ever arriving at the possession of perfect love, all this means that your soul must never say it has enough, it means that we cannot and must not stop on the path to divine love and holy perfection. Saint Augustine says very aptly: ‘Our heart is not at rest till it rests in the object of its love.’… The object of this love will only be possessed when we shall see him as he is, not through a veil but face to face, as Saint Paul says (1 Cor 13:12), when we shall know him as we know ourselves, and all this cannot happen until the doors of our prison are opened….” –Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (+ 1968)

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.

Thursday: Receive Me
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
—Romans 6:4
Reflection:
In our baptism, we have been plunged into the waters of the
death of Christ, so that we are no longer in the grip of sin, but
are alive in Christ Jesus, as a new human being.
Prayer:
Jesus, as You died and rose again, our gift of eternal life was
realized through You. Our Risen Savior, bring me to everlasting
life as I ask You to receive me. Amen.

Thursday: Aim for Harmony
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them
to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take
it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.
—John 2:7–8
Reflection:
In marriage or any other type of human relationship, the key is
not to attain a certain amount of materiality, or a certain level
of comfort, but to have a deep and abiding harmony with each
other. This is the presence of the Holy Spirit at work between
and within each of us.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, encourage me to aim for the harmony that includes
patience and love for others, whether we agree or disagree.
Amen.

Thursday: Fringes of Society
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
Then Jesus straightened up and said to [the woman caught in
adultery], “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned
you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do
I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”
—John 8:10–11
Reflection:
Jesus brings us the gospel of the love of God for all human
beings, no matter what their race, religion, political affiliation,
financial status, social status or gender. No one is denied the
salvation of God.
Prayer:
Jesus, I understand that I am called to reach out to the fringes of
society with the gospel message of love and forgiveness. Please
show me how I can do this, given my vocation and state in life.
Amen.

Thursday: Becoming Transfigured
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
“Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man
will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory
of the Father and of the holy angels. Truly I say to you, there
are some standing here who will not taste death until they see
the kingdom of God.” About eight days after he said this, he
took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his
clothing became dazzling white.
—Luke 9:26–29
Reflection:
We follow in Jesus’s footsteps by becoming transfigured gradually
throughout our lives through the Sacraments. Consuming the
Holy Eucharist, for example, transforms us to be more and more
like Jesus each time we partake of It. Because of this, we will
rise with and through Him, and our bodies will be transformed
into glorified bodies, also.
Prayer:
O Lord, You are Friendship, Unity and Love. In countries
ripped apart by war, bring Your healing balm of peace. Amen.

Thursday: Foretaste of
the Heavenly Banquet
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
“Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the
Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because
of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike
your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread
will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the
synagogue in Capernaum.
—John 6:57–59
Reflection:
Each time we partake of the Blessed Sacrament, we have new
life—the mercy and love of Jesus poured out upon us as His
Body and Blood, given for our sake. This new life renews our
lives and helps us to relate better with our brothers and sisters.
Prayer:
Dearest Father, I understand that the reason we call receiving
the Holy Eucharist “receiving Communion” is that, with the
Holy Spirit’s action within us, it is a foretaste of the heavenly
banquet—where we will love God and all our brothers and
sisters, face to face. For their faithfulness, generosity, self-sacrifice
and genuine spirituality, please reward all priests. Amen.

“From dawn they come to greet us: our nerves, either too much on edge or too numb…. It is the urge to be silent when we ought to speak; and the urge to speak when we ought to be silent. It is the desire to go out when we have to stay in; and the urge to stay in when we have to go out. It is our disgust with our daily ration of life and the neurotic desire for all that is not ours.  This is the way our patiences come, in serried ranks or in single file, and they always forget to remind us of the fact that they are the martyrdom for which we were preparing.”  –Venerable Madeleine Delbrêl (+ 1964)

Intention:  I pray for Your help, Lord, today, in carrying out the work that You have given me to do.

Wednesday: He is Alive
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
—John 20:20
Reflection:
We can rejoice, because Jesus Christ is alive. Everything is
different now, because He lives, and by this, we are sure that
He is truly the Son of God.
Prayer:
The resurrection shows that Jesus has triumphed over evil and
death, and that I can feel renewed and hopeful in my capacity as
a human being. Lord, for those who renew the hope of others in
the face of difficulties, please reward them for their generosity.
Amen.

Wednesday: Humanity Taken to God
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
Then he led them [out] as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and
blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was
taken up to heaven.
— Luke 24:50–51
Reflection:
The ascension of Jesus shows us that, rather than His being
absent from our lives, He is with us in a new way, to support
our reaching heaven. When He ascended, He took our earthly
humanity with Him up to God, which opened up a pathway
for us to go to God, also.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I recognize that I am never alone, because I always
have You as my Advocate, Who waits for me to safely arrive
home. As I go through my days, help me to remember that I
belong to You, and give me guidance about what to do and to
say. Amen.

Wednesday: Vessel of Light
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three
thousand persons were added that day.
—Acts 2:41
Reflection:
The Holy Spirit prompts us to go out courageously to announce
the gospel’s happy news, to witness to the peace, love and joy
of being close to Jesus and to bring Him to everyone we meet.
Prayer:
The Holy Spirit nudges me to assist some people, and to bring
the witness of Jesus to others. Make me Your vessel of light,
Holy Spirit. Amen.

Wednesday: Connected to Mary
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
Judith urged them with a loud voice: “Praise God, praise him!
Praise God, who has not withdrawn his mercy from the house
of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand this very
night.”
—Judith 13:14
Reflection:
Even though Mary is in the heart of God, that does not mean
that we are somehow separate and apart from her. Actually, we
are intimately connected to her, and God sees us and loves us
just as much as He loves her.
Prayer:
O Blessed Mother, Mother of Chaste Love, as I ponder your
beauty and connection to me, pray for me to recognize that I,
too, was created for perfect love: to give love, and to receive
love, also. Amen.

Wednesday: Church Militant
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end,/ I will give
authority over the nations./ Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I
will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will
give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself
first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.
—Revelation 2:26, 3:20–21
Reflection:
The struggle between the church and evil is represented in
the Book of Revelation by the battle between the woman
and the dragon. Although the church is victorious because
Jesus triumphed over the devil, its members on earth still must
battle with evil as the “church militant.” Even though we must
contend with darkness while we are on this planet, we can be
encouraged by knowing that that is how we win our victory.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, Mother of the church, I know that I must still
grapple with sin and evil while I am here on earth. You,
however, always stand by me as I struggle. Intercede for me to
triumph over my vices, the world’s temptations and the devil’s
snares. Amen.

“The passion, our passion, sure we are waiting for it. We know it must come and of course we intend to live it with a certain grandeur. We are waiting for the bell to ring that will inform us that the time has come for us to sacrifice ourselves. Like a log in the fireplace, we know that we have to be consumed. Like a piece of wool cut with scissors, we have to be separated. Like young animals that are sent to slaughter, we have to be destroyed.  We are waiting for our passion but it does not come. In its place there come small patiences.  Patiences, those small pieces of the passion whose job it is to kill us gently for your glory, to kill us without our getting the glory.”  –Venerable Madeleine Delbrêl (+ 1964)

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

Tuesday: Benefit in the End
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
Even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed
are you.
—1 Peter 3:14
Reflection:
Although suffering cannot be erased from human existence, it
does have meaning when it is offered up to God and is placed
in His loving hands. God has the ability to write straight with
crooked lines. Just look at Jesus’s story.
Prayer:
Dear God, I have learned that You accompany me in a very
close and special way when I suffer. Give me Your divine
strength when my suffering becomes too much to bear in my
human nature and make benefit come out of it, in the end.
Amen.

Tuesday: Suffering Servant
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
Because [Jesus] himself was tested through what he suffered, he
is able to help those who are being tested.
—Hebrews 2:18
Reflection:
During Jesus’s trial, scourging, crowning with thorns and
crucifixion, He offered no protest, but laid His life down for
us as the Suffering Servant predicted in Isaiah, to manifest God’s
love for us.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Strength of Martyrs, through Your passion and
Cross, bring to fulfillment the salvation of all Your people.
Amen.

Tuesday: Heavenly King
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the
cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to
crucify him.
—Matthew 27:31
Reflection:
Jesus did not come into Jerusalem to be crowned an earthly
king; in stark contrast, He was mocked and abused in many
ways, and died as a criminal on the Cross. However, it was
through what He suffered on that Cross that His Kingdom
shines most brightly.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, You are a Heavenly King who teaches me by
example how to live a life filled with love and service. Help
me to remember the importance of this when I am confronted
with the values of the world. Amen.

Tuesday: Reasoning of the Cross
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
He [the Lord] reached out from on high and grasped me;/ he
drew me out of the deep waters.
—2 Samuel 22:17
Reflection:
When we follow in the footsteps of Christ, our King, we learn
to step out of our comfort zones and reach out to our brothers
and sisters who are in deep waters, vulnerable and in need.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, the reasoning of the cross is less about pain
and death, and more about self-sacrificial love. Inspire me with
the words and deeds that will be most helpful to others. Amen.

Tuesday: God Judges by Loving Us
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
He replied to [the criminal], “Amen, I say to you, today you
will be with me in Paradise.”
—Luke 23:43
Reflection:
The way God judges us is to love us; then, if we accept His love,
we are saved. If we reject His love, we are condemned. God’s
only action is to love and redeem us.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, the Way of the Cross is the journey of
acceptance and forgiveness, and receiving Jesus’s gracious, grand
and glorious love. Help me to feel worthy to accept Jesus’s love.
Amen.

“The Christian does not start off as a saint; he becomes so little by little. But he is a man whose eyes are opened to a new dimension, someone who is born for another world: the present world, seen under a new light which is the most real and most concrete of all.”  –Father Bernard Bro, O.P. (+ 2018)

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

Monday: Nothing Impossible for God
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in
her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called
barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.
—Luke 1:36–37
Reflection:
Humble Mary was very surprised at the angel’s message, because
she was just a simple girl, living a simple life. But she trusted
deeply in God, although she did not understand His ways.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, You tell me to trust You, and not to be afraid,
because nothing is impossible for You. For all migrants and
refugees, please give them secure homes in their new countries.
Amen.

Monday: Everything is God’s Gift
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
From [God] and through him and for him are all things. To
him be glory forever.
—Romans 11:36
Reflection:
Mary’s Magnificat is a canticle of worship to God to praise
Him for His history of salvation for all peoples, as well as for
how He had blessed her personally. She saw all of it as God’s
glorious gift to us.
Prayer:
By accepting everything that comes to us as a gift from God,
it frees us up from a lot of resistance in our lives. Dear Lord, I
thank You for all of Your gifts. Please show me how to use them
for the greater good of all the world. Amen.

Monday: Jesus Lowered Himself
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds
said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this
thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known
to us.”
—Luke 2:15
Reflection:
Jesus came down from heaven to be with us, and to show us that
the Father loves us tenderly, passionately and unconditionally.
The shepherds were the first to see Him, because they were
counted as the outcasts of Judea. “Many who are first will be
last, and the last will be first” (Matthew 19:30).
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, You lowered Yourself down to our level for a
time, for the sake of giving us Your many blessings. Please raise
me up to heaven when I die, to be with You. Amen.

Monday: Mary Walks by Our Side
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
If we walk in the light as he [God] is in the light, then we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus
cleanses us from all sin.
—1 John 1:7
Reflection:
Our Blessed Mother understands our suffering, having had her
heart pierced, as Simeon said it would be. She walks with us
hand in hand, bringing us closer to Jesus, the light of all nations.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Comfort of the Troubled, you told Juan Diego
(the visionary who talked with Our Lady of Guadalupe), “Let
your heart not be troubled. Am I not here, who am your
mother?” Through your intercession, please walk by the side
of all our faithfully departed brothers and sisters, giving them
your sweetness and consolation. Amen.

Monday: Faith Walk
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to
festival custom.
—Luke 2:42
Reflection:
Mary had to make the same kind of pilgrimage of faith as we
do—for example, when Jesus was lost in the temple for three
days, and she couldn’t find Him. The course of her faith was
often confusing and difficult, as is ours.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Most Honored of Virgins, the path of my faith’s
development is often not clear or easy. Please pray for me to
have guidance and clarity when I feel lost or confused in my
faith walk. Amen.