Glorious Mystery of the Rosary

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

1st Glorious Mystery

At dawn of the first day of the week, I was with John and Peter. I was in my room alone: John and Peter were in the next room. I woke up. There was a light: it was all over the room. There was my Son: He came forward, He said to me, "Come, for you are the one worthy to be the first to see My risen body." The Lord permitted me to kiss His hand and to be embraced. The Lord in His glorified body in which He had the scars of the nail prints in His hands and feet and the scar of the lance in His side, was no longer the bleeding Son I saw on the way to Calvary: His body was full of light, a light that was emanating from His body. Jesus then said to me , "Do not, My mother, tell My disciples until I have sent Mary Magdelene because it is all in the plan of the Father. They will come to faith by seeing and touching. I have come to you because you have faith. Pray that My disciples will accept Me risen from the dead." Then He went away to appear to Mary Magdelene, to the women, and then to His disciples.

My children, the most precious gift you have is your faith. Your faith must not be hidden: your faith must be your main motivation in your life. Cast away all doubt by prayer: give yourselves totally to Jesus Who will illuminate your mind and heart through the power of the resurrection.

The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven

2nd Glorious Mystery

After forty days when Jesus appeared to His disciples, Jesus led us to the outskirts of Bethany to the mount of Olives: that mount where He was transfigured in the sight of Peter, James and John. Jesus took us to the mount of Olives and He lifted up His arms and He blessed His apostles and He blessed His disciples. He blessed the holy women and He blessed me, His mother. He said to His apostles, "Go to the whole world and preach the good news to every creature. Teach all that I have commanded you. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. I am with you always even to the end of time." Then He said to them, "Go to Jerusalem and stay there until My Father has sent you the promise: then when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will have power to be My witnesses: you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea,

and even to the ends of the earth." As Jesus was saying this, He was lifted up before our eyes. I longed to go with Him but Jesus said to me. "Woman, these are your children. It is not time for you to go now: stay, I will call you when it is the proper time. Stay and pray with My disciples." He went up into Heaven when finally a cloud came and took Him from our sight and we saw Him no more. Then I saw two men dressed in white. They were angels and said to the apostles, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking up into the heavens. This Jesus who you saw go up into heaven will come again as He went." Then we went to Jerusalem to the upper room where Jesus had changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. There we stayed to pray.

My children, learn from this mystery: learn that Jesus is Lord of Heaven and earth and all authority belongs to Him. There is no authority permitted without my Son's consent. Pray for those in authority: for government leaders that they be submissive to the authority of Jesus. Pray for missionaries: that they will be faithful in teaching the gospel of Jesus and will teach people the means of salvation. Pray for holy patience: pray that you will wait upon the Lord and wait till He tells you what to do and when to do it. Be disposed to listen to the voice of God and to obey the voice of God. My children, finally be alert in prayer and be united in prayer: prayer is the means that God wishes to use to bring the Church together. I am among you even now in prayer asking the Lord to bless you.

The Descent of the Holy Ghost

3rd Glorious Mystery

It was the day of Pentecost: the city of Jerusalem was crowded. Every people from every known nation of the world who were of the Jewish faith came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Booths. The disciples and the relatives of my Son and I were still in the upper room, when suddenly we heard a rushing wind: In the room we could feel wind on our faces and then we saw fire right in the midst of us: a fire that was not of this world but a fire that came upon our heads and as it touched us we were filled with the immense power of God. We felt joy and peace: we felt love. All our fear was gone: we no longer had a fear of who came to the door. The disciple John came to me and said , "Mother we are free! We are free!" Peter came to me, "My Lady, look the promise of your Son is here." I said to Peter, "This must not be kept to yourself: go and tell everyone about Jesus." The apostle Peter took the lead and opened the door of the upper room and the apostles and the disciples went out. There were people from every nation, from every language, and yet every one was understanding Peter's sermon. Everyone was understanding the message of salvation. Peter said, "We are not drunk. This is the fulfillment of what was said by the prophet Joel: the Spirit of the Lord will come down on all flesh. Save yourselves," he said, "Repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and you too will receive the Holy Ghost." On that day three thousand entered the Church of my Son. I was still in the room listening to Peter and seeing the apostles baptizing those who came forward. Jesus again fulfilled His words: the power of the Spirit was upon His disciples who bore witness to Him.

My children, pray to the Heavenly Father in this mystery for the power of the Holy Ghost to fill you with love and with boldness. Pray to the Father that the fire of the Spirit will purify you from all trace of sin. My children, if you are in sin, go and seek forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation and then pray to my Son that the Holy Ghost will fill your soul with every grace necessary for your salvation and for the salvation of others. Also, my children, share the good news that Jesus is the Savior of the world and there is no other Savior but Jesus. I will pray that the Lord will use you in power and by the grace of the Holy Ghost you will be transformed into witnesses for Jesus.

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

4th Glorious Mystery

I knew that my last days were to come. After Pentecost, John and I went to Ephesus and we lived there for thirty years. I told John, "My days on earth are coming to an end. I wish to go back to Jerusalem and to be with all the apostles and to say farewell. " John complied and we went to Jerusalem. I asked once we arrived in Jerusalem to send for the apostles. This was before James was executed by Herod. They all met with me except Thomas. I told the apostles, "It is time for me to leave you, my sons. I must go to be with Jesus but I am not leaving you orphans like my Son did not leave you orphans. Now that I am going to be with Jesus I will pray for you and I will be concerned with your welfare." Peter came to me and said, "Mother, when you see Him, tell Him I love Him." I told Peter, "He knows that you love Him, by you feeding His sheep." I laid back and I fell asleep. With great sorrow, my sons, the apostles, laid me in a tomb. No sooner that they closed the door of the tomb I heard my Son's voice, "Come, My beloved mother. Awake, I have come for you." My eyes opened and Jesus in all glory came for me and angels were attending Him. "Come, My beloved Mother," He said, "Come, and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you by My Father." The angels lifted me up in their hands and I went and followed my Son into Heaven. I heard the choirs of angels and the choirs of the Just as they sang a hymn of praise to the most Holy Trinity. They said, "Blessed are you oh God of host: You in Your greatness have exulted Your handmaid. For the one who bore Your Son, the spotless Virgin Mary, has been made worthy to sit at His right hand. Welcome, oh daughter of God. Welcome oh Mother of the Savior. Oh welcome, bride of the Holy Spirit. Welcome, handmaid and Queen."

My children, in this mystery ask the heavenly Father for an intense desire to be with Jesus. My children, the things of this world are temporary. Nothing in this world will satisfy the longing of your hearts. Only Jesus, my Son will satisfy you. Only Jesus, my Son, can fill the void in your hearts and make you happy. Let your satisfaction be in Jesus. My children, I wish for you to do deeds of mercy and love for the honor of Jesus and when you pray, my children, pray that your hearts will be filled with only one thing: JESUS.

Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth

5th Glorious Mystery

When I arrived in Heaven, the angels quickly put a robe of gold upon me. Then they put a mantle full of jewels and then I was led to the throne of the Trinity. God the Father said to me, "Oh My daughter you have been faithful as My instrument. You have brought up my Son in dignity and goodness. You have been faithful as My servant and as My daughter. You have kept your soul spotless by being faithful to My grace which I have given to you since you were conceived in your mother's womb. Welcome, My daughter into Our presence: come closer, you merit the crown of Our favor." I approached the throne of the Trinity and then God the Father, Jesus my Son, and the Holy Spirit Who is God, crowned me with a crown of gold and jewels. There was great rejoicing in Heaven: the angels began to sing, "Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God!" and the saints began to sing "Blessed are You, oh God most high, for You have exalted Your servant Mary to be Queen: to be honored above all creatures." And the angels also joined in the praises by saying, "Blessed are You, oh God of host, for You have thought it worthy to exalt and crown the lowly creature Mary as Queen of the universe." My Son took me by the hand and led me to the throne prepared for me. "Sit here, My Mother," He said, "This throne is yours. I have prepared it for you. It is here that you will rule with Me for all eternity: it is here that you will intercede for the world and I will hear whatever you say for I love you and I wish to honor you." I said, "Oh my Son, it is good for me to be here but I also pray that soon Your apostles, Your disciples, and all Your people will be here with us to praise You, to love You for all eternity." "Yes My Mother," He said to me, "I will give to you whatever your heart desires and from now on all men that acknowledge Me as their King must also acknowledge you as their Queen and Mother."

My children, I come to pray for you and to ask Jesus' blessing upon you. Give yourselves to me, my children. Entrust yourselves to my prayers. Jesus is always ready to respond to my prayers: give yourselves to me, my children, and your prayers will be answered by my Son. Children, come to me in prayer and I will whisper in your hearts. Obey me, your mother, and it will go well with you and I will intercede for you and you will gain favor from the Lord and yes my children pray for the grace to become totally holy in the eyes of God and I will be waiting for you my children until we are together to praise the Lord for all eternity.

Joyful Mystery of the Rosary

Monday & Saturday

I. The Annunciation of the Lord to Mary II. The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

III. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ IV. The Presentation of our Lord V. Finding Jesus in the Temple at age 12

Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary

Tuesday & Friday

I. The Agony of Jesus in the Garden II. The Scourging at the Pillar

III. Jesus is Crowned with Thorns IV. Jesus Carried the Cross V. The Crucifixion of our Lord

Glorious Mystery of the Rosary

Wednesday & Sunday

I. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ II. The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven

III. The Descent of the Holy Ghost IV. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven V. Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth

Luminous Mystery of the Rosary

Thursday

I. The Baptism in the Jordan II. The Wedding at Cana

III. The Proclamation of the Kingdom IV. The Transfiguration V. The Institution of the Eucharist

A Guide for Confession

The basic requirement for a good confession is to have the intention of returning to God like the "prodigal son" and to acknowledge our sins with true sorrow before the priest.

Sin in my Life

Modern society has lost a sense of sin. As a Catholic follower of Christ, I must make an effort to recognize sin in my daily actions, words and omissions.

The Gospels show how important is the forgiveness of our sins. Lives of saints prove that the person who grows in holiness has a stronger sense of sin, sorrow for sins, and a need for the Sacrament of Penance or Confession.

The Differences in Sins

As a result of Original Sin, human nature is weakened. Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, takes away Original Sin, and turns us back toward God. The consequences of this weakness and the inclination to evil persist, and we often commit personal or actual sin.

Actual sin is sin which people commit. There are two kinds of actual sin, mortal and venial.

Mortal sin is a deadly offense against God, so horrible that it destroys the life of grace in the soul. Three simultaneous conditions must be fulfilled for a mortal sin: 1) the act must be something very serious; 2) the person must have sufficient understanding of what is being done; 3) the person must have sufficient freedom of the will.

Remember

If you need help–especially if you have been away for some time–simply ask the priest and he will help you by "walking" you through the steps to make a good confession.

Before Confession

Be truly sorry for your sins. The essential act of Penance, on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sin committed, together with a resolution not to commit it again, out of the love one has for God and which is reborn with repentance. The resolution to avoid committing these sins in the future (amendment) is a sure sign that your sorrow is genuine and authentic. This does not mean that a promise never to fall again into sin is necessary. A resolution to try to avoid the near occasions of sin suffices for true repentance. God's grace in cooperation with the intention to rectify your life will give you the strength to resist and overcome temptation in the future.

Examination of Conscience

Before going to Confession you should make a review of mortal and venial sins since your last sacramental confession, and should express sorrow for sins, hatred for sins and a firm resolution not to sin again.

A helpful pattern for examination of conscience is to review the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church:

1. Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in Christ been the goal of my life? Have I denied my faith? Have I placed my trust in false teachings or substitutes for God? Did I despair of God's mercy?

2. Have I avoided the profane use of God's name in my speech? Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?

3. Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding unnecessary work, celebrating the Mass (also holydays)? Was I inattentive at, or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early? Have I neglected prayer for a long time?

4. Have I shown Christlike respect to parents, spouse, and family members, legitimate authorities? Have I been attentive to the religious education and formation of my children?

5. Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and all others? Did I abuse drugs or alcohol? Have I supported in any way abortion, "mercy killing," or suicide?

6. Was I impatient, angry, envious, proud, jealous, revengeful, lazy? Have I forgiven others?

7. Have I been just in my responsibilities to employer and employees? Have I discriminated against others because of race or other reasons?

8. Have I been chaste in thought and word? Have I used sex only within marriage and while open to procreating life? Have I given myself sexual gratification? Did I deliberately look at impure TV, pictures, reading?

9. Have I stolen anything from another, from my employer, from government? If so, am I ready to repay it? Did I fulfill my contracts? Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?

10. Have I spoken ill of any other person? Have I always told the truth? Have I kept secrets and confidences?

11. Have I permitted sexual thoughts about someone to whom I am not married?

12. Have I desired what belongs to other people? Have I wished ill on another?

13. Have I been faithful to sacramental living (Holy Communion and Penance)?

14. Have I helped make my parish community stronger and holier? Have I contributed to the support of the Church?

15. Have I done penance by abstaining and fasting on obligatory days? Have I fasted before receiving communion?

16. Have I been mindful of the poor? Do I accept God's will for me?

During Confession

After examining your conscience and telling God of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.

Begin your confession with the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _______ weeks (months, years) ago."

The priest may read a passage from holy Scripture.

Say the sins that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."

Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. When invited, express some prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition such as:

An Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all because I have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.

At the End of Confession

Listen to the words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained priest.

As you listen to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest. If he closes by saying, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good," answer, "For His mercy endures forever."

After Confession

Give thanks to God for forgiving you again. If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess it in your next Confession.

Do your assigned Penance.

Resolve to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. We Catholics are fortunate to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our sins forgiven. This sacrament is a powerful help to get rid of our weaknesses, grow in holiness, and lead a balanced and virtuous life.

Understanding Catholic Devotion to Mary

By: Thomas Merton

This is often forgotten by Catholics themselves, and therefore it is not surprising that those who are not Catholic often have a completely wrong conception of Catholic devotion to the Mother of God. They imagine, and sometimes we can understand their reasons for doing so, that Catholics treat the Blessed Virgin as an almost divine being in her own right, as if she had some glory, some power, some majesty of her own that placed her on a level with Christ Himself. They regard the Assumption of Mary into heaven as a kind of apotheosis placed in the Redemption would seem to be equal to that of her Son. +++ But this is all completely contrary to the true mind of the Catholic Church.+++ It forgets that Mary's chief glory is in her nothingness, in the fact of being the "Handmaid of the Lord," as one who in becoming the Mother of God acted simply in loving submission to His command, in the pure obedience of faith. She is blessed not because of some mythical pseudo-divine prerogative, but in all her human and womanly limitations as one who has believed. It is the faith and the fidelity of this humble handmaid, "full of grace" that enables her to be the perfect instrument of God, and nothing else but His instrument. The work that was done in her purely the work of God. "He that is mighty hath done great things in me." The glory of Mary is purely and simply the glory of God in her. and she, like anyone else, can say that she has nothing that she has not received from Him through Christ.

As a matter of fact, this is precisely her greatest glory: that having nothing of her own, retaining nothing of a "self" that could glory in any- thing for her own sake, she placed no obstacle to the mercy of God and in no way resisted His love and His will. Hence she received more from Him than any other saint. he was able to accomplish His will perfectly in her, and His liberty was in no way hindered or turned from its purpose by the presence of an egotistical self in Mary. She was and is in the highest sense a person precisely because, being "immaculate," she was free from every taint of selfishness that might obscure God's light in her being. She was then a freedom that obeyed Him perfectly and in this obedience found the fulfill- ment of perfect love.

The genuine significance of Catholic devotion to Mary is to be seen in the light of the Incarnation itself. The Church cannot separate the Son and the Mother. Because the Church conceived of the Incarnation as God's descent into flesh and into time, and His great gift of Himself to His creatures, she also believes that the one who was closest to Him in this great mystery was the one who participated most perfectly in the gift. When a room is heated by an open flame, surely there is nothing strange in the fact that those who stand closest to the fireplace are the ones who are warmest. And when God comes into the world through the instrumentality of one of His servants, then there is nothing surprising about the fact that His chosen instrument should have the greatest and most intimate share in the divine gift.

Mary, who was empty of all egotism, free from all sin, was as pure as the glass of a very clean window that has no other function than to admit the light of the sun (Son). If we rejoice in that light, we implicitly praise the cleanness of the window. And of course it might be argued that in such a case we might well forget the window altogether. This is true. And yet the Son of God, in emptying Himself of His majestic power, having become a child, abandoning Himself in complete dependence to the loving care of a human Mother, in a certain sense draws our attention once again to her. The Light has wished to remind us of the window, because He is grateful to her and because He has an infinitely tender love, it is certainly a great grace and a privilege, and one of the most important aspects of this privilege is that it enables us to some extent to appreciate the mystery of God's great love and respect for His creatures.

That God should assume Mary into heaven is not just a glorification of a "Mother Goddess." Quite the contrary, it is the expression of the divine love for humanity, and a very special manifestation of God's respect for His creatures, His desire to do honor to the beings He has made in His own image, and most particularly His respect for the body which was destined to be the temple of His glory. If Mary is believed to be assumed into heaven, it is because we too are one day, by the grace of God, to dwell where she is. If human nature is glorified in her, it is because God desires it to be glorified in us too, and it is for this reason that His Son, taking flesh, came into the world.

In all the great mystery of Mary, then, one thing remains most clear: that of herself she is nothing, and that God has for our sakes delighted to manifest His glory and His love in her.

It is because she is, of all the saints, the most perfectly poor and the most perfectly hidden, the one who has absolutely nothing whatever that she attempts to possess as her own, that she can most fully communicate to the rest of us the grace of the infinitely selfless God. And we will most truly possess Him when we have emptied ourselves and become poor and hidden as she is, resembling Him by resembling her.

And all our sanctity depends on her maternal love. The ones she desires to share the joy of her own poverty and simplicity, the ones whom she wills to be hidden as she is hidden, are the ones who share her closeness to God.