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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sunday: Changed the World
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Scripture:
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples
that are not written in this book. But these are written that you
may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
—John 20:30–31
Reflection:
At the crucifixion the apostles feared punishment for being
Jesus’s associates. But after the resurrection and Pentecost, they
boldly proclaimed the truth that He had risen from the dead.
Because of their tireless work to proclaim the gospel, Jesus was
able to change the world.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Your message transformed men’s and women’s
hearts, and that, in turn, changed the world into a much better
place. Thank You, because I am living in a much better world
now than I would have lived in without Your coming. Amen.

Sunday: Pray Unceasingly
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
Scripture:
[The disciples] did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem
with great joy, and they were continually in the temple
praising God.
—Luke 24:52–53
Reflection:
Jesus’s ascension into the cloud of glory in the sky signified that
He was returning to heaven.
Prayer:
Dear Father, I know that this world is an uncertain place and
that the timing of my death and judgment are uncertain too,
so I will strive to pray always. And understanding that I cannot
do anything without You, I ask for Your grace to help me to
pray unceasingly, so that I will be prepared, no matter what
happens. Amen.

Sunday: Mary, Symbol of the Church
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba,
Father!”
—Galatians 4:6
Reflection:
Christian imagery casts Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant,
and the one upon whom Divine Wisdom (Christ) sits enthroned.
Christianity also believes that the Holy Spirit came to live in
Mary in a unique way at Pentecost.
Prayer:
Dear Mother Mary, you are the symbol of the church, and
Pentecost was the church’s day of birth. Watch over your church
and continually guide Her to Christ, through your intercession.
Amen.

Sunday: Jesus Helped
Mary Into Heaven
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
Scripture:
The Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of
an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down
from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we
who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
—1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
Reflection:
Jesus was able to ascend into heaven on His own “power.” Mary
was sinless her whole life, and her soul would have been able to
go to heaven without waiting. But she had to have help from
Jesus to travel to heaven in both soul and body, which we call
her being “assumed.”
Prayer:
Jesus, when my time comes, please give me a peaceful, easy and
happy death, and please help me to attain entrance into heaven
quickly and easily. If I need to be purified in Purgatory, please
make the time short, and sweeten it with the love of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.

Sunday: Mary is the Ark
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its
place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the
holy of holies of the temple. The cherubim had their wings
spread out over the place of the ark, sheltering the ark and its
poles from above.
—1 Kings 8:6–7
Reflection:
In John’s vision of heaven in Revelation, he saw the new temple
in the center of the city, which had as its center the Ark of the
Covenant. Then immediately that vision opened up to the
woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and
on her head a crown of twelve stars. John’s vision of the woman
has been interpreted to be Mary, the New Ark, the Queen of
Heaven, since the earliest days of the church.
Prayer:
I pray, Lord, for the repose of all the holy souls in Purgatory, as
I pray, “Out of the depths I call to you, Lord;/ Lord, hear my
cry!/ May your ears be attentive/ to my cry for mercy” (Psalm
130:1–2). Amen.

Saturday: Yes, to the Angel
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
Let your “Yes” mean “Yes,” and your “No” mean “No.”
—Matthew 5:37
Reflection:
It was fitting that an angel came to Mary to tell her about
the coming of the Messiah, because it was critical that Mary
be given the choice to give her fiat, or to not give it. If God
Himself had appeared to Mary instead, she could hardly have
said no, because God commands, whereas angels ask.
Prayer:
Dearest Mother Mary, Mother and Virgin, thank you for your
“yes” to the angel. Through your intercession, please light my
way so that I can develop a close, personal relationship with
your Son. Amen.

Saturday: The Father Stooped Down
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
O Lord, you are our father;/ we are the clay and you the
potter:/ we are all the work of your hands.
—Isaiah 64:7
Reflection:
Mary had true humility, which means having a correct
assessment of one’s gifts as they truly exist. Her humility was
borne of realizing how vast the chasm was between herself (a
mere creature) and God.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, In Mary’s Magnificat, she marveled that You would
stoop down so low as to overshadow her as You did. Please,
Lord, stoop down to me and make me more perfect, also.
Amen.

Saturday: Jesus is Truth
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for
all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
—Luke 2:20
Reflection:
Divine knowledge comes from above, as it did when the
shepherds heard the message of the angel. And it can also be
found sometimes through human effort, as it was when the
Magi figured out the location of Baby Jesus, probably through
means of star-gazing.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, no matter how I pursue the truth, I know that I will
always end up finding Christ, who is the Way and the Truth
and the Life. Focus my eyes always upon the Truth—upon
Jesus. Amen.

Saturday: Through Mary’s Eyes
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
All will fear and proclaim God’s deed,/ pondering what has
been done./ The just will rejoice and take refuge in the Lord;/
all the upright will glory in their God.
—Psalm 64:10–11
Reflection:
Some translations say that Simeon said to Mary, “A sword shall
pierce your own soul.” These words probably caused Mary to
reflect on his words in her heart long afterwards.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, the reflection that you contemplated in your heart
must have found its way into the formation of the gospels. Assist
me to see Jesus through your eyes every time I pray the Rosary.
Amen.

Saturday: Delayed the Inevitable
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God
almighty and the Lamb.
—Revelation 21:22
Reflection:
Jesus was lost in the temple for three days, which was a
prefigurement of the three days that He was buried before the
resurrection. St. Luke, in his telling of the story, might have
been inferring that Jesus came to the temple as a boy intending
to carry out His Father’s will, right then and there.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Dearest of Mothers, did you delay the inevitable,
by making Jesus come home with you and St. Joseph? Thank
you for being such a loving mother to Him while He was here.
Amen.

Friday: Restoration of Human Race
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying, “The man
I shall kiss is the one; arrest him.” Immediately he went over to
Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and he kissed him. Jesus answered
him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then stepping
forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
—Matthew 26:48–50
Reflection:
At Gethsemane, Jesus grappled with His human nature to
accomplish the most important achievement in mankind’s
history: the restoration of the human race.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, for all that You gained for us at Gethsemane, I praise
You and I bless You. I thank You for being my Forever-Friend.
Amen.

Friday: Not a Roman Citizen
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
But all together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release
Barabbas to us.” (Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a
rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.) Again
Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they
continued their shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate
addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done?
I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have
him flogged and then release him.”
—Luke 23:18–22
Reflection:
Jesus was stripped naked and blindfolded before He was flogged.
There was one soldier on each side of Him, striking Him with
implements of torture that would have caused welts to appear,
and ripped His skin so that it hung in shreds from His bleeding
body. Since He was not a Roman citizen, He was executed by
intense scourging and crucifixion. If He had been a Roman
citizen, He would have been flogged more lightly and then
beheaded.
Prayer:
Dear Father, how terrible for You to behold what happened to
Your Son. Please forgive me for my sins, which contributed to
Jesus’s sufferings. Amen.

Friday: Bled Profusely
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the
praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They
stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about
him. They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking
him on the head.
—Matthew 27:27–28,30
Reflection:
The thorns used were very long and sharp, and the soldiers
probably affixed them to a basket to make a pretend “crown”
that they could put on Jesus’s head and strike, so that the thorns
pierced His skull and forehead. This “crowning with thorns”
must have seriously diminished His strength before carrying
His Cross and being crucified, because scalp tissue is highly
vascularized, and would have bled profusely upon laceration.
Prayer:
Lord, You are the Divine Physician of our souls and bodies.
For those who carry the perennial cross of illness or disability,
please give them relief and solace. Amen.

Friday: Fill the Earth With Love
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after
me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
—Matthew 16:24
Reflection:
Jesus emphasized the importance of carrying one’s cross more
than he emphasized the wonders of heaven. Jewish citizens
of His time would have understood exactly what that meant,
because of all the crucifixions they had witnessed.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, You work in mysterious ways. In place of
our wastelands of hopelessness, please fill the earth with Your
love. Amen.

Friday: Trustworthy Compassion
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema
sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?”
—Mark 15:34
Reflection:
By saying this first line of Psalm 22, Jesus was quoting the
whole psalm, as best He could while being tortured. The psalm
contains many of the events of Jesus’s passion. He was in effect
saying that that scripture was being fulfilled that day.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are Trustworthy Compassion for all those who
are bogged down with grief. Minister and stay close to those
who are troubled by bereavement and sadness. Amen.

Thursday: Be a Lamp
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been
none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he.
—Matthew 11:11
Reflection:
John the Baptist was a very unique man who lived in the
wilderness and ate locusts and wild honey. He was also a
prophet who lived and proclaimed the truth, from every part
of his being.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me to follow in the footsteps of John the
Baptist—to be a lamp that shines the way to You, without
worrying about human respect. Amen.

Thursday: Virtue and Holiness
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
—John 2:3
Reflection:
When Jesus said to His mother, “Woman, how does your
concern affect me?” (John 2:4), He really might have been
informing her that she must be the one to begin His ministry
in the world.
Prayer:
Jesus, take my natural human nature and turn it into virtue and
holiness, just as You turned water into wine. Amen.

Thursday: All Will Be Well
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given you besides.
—Matthew 6:33
Reflection:
Even though people may not want to hear the truth, it is
important to tell them the truth in love, including the truth of
the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and His love for us.
Prayer:
As a disciple of You, Lord, I pray, aid me in finding the Kingdom
of God, and in having faith that all will be well. Amen.

Thursday: Direction and Guidance
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow
over them.
—Matthew 17:5
Reflection:
The disciples wanted the beauty of the bright cloud on the
mountaintop during the transfiguration to last forever. But
they had to descend into the valley and deal with the events of
Jesus’s passion. We must also come down from our mountaintop
experiences in the Holy Spirit, and come back into our everyday
lives.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, Good Shepherd, help me to look only to You for my
direction and guidance, whether I am in the valley or on the
mountaintop; whether I am in consolation or desolation. Amen.

Thursday: More and More Like Jesus
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until
there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
—Luke 22:15–16
Reflection:
Jesus humbled Himself by allowing His glorious substance to be
contained in a little piece of bread, so that we could take Him
inside of ourselves.
Prayer:
The Holy Eucharist makes it possible for us to become more
and more like Jesus every time we partake of it. Heart of Jesus,
Tabernacle of the Most High, spread Your Holy Spirit across the
world through the communion of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Amen.