THY KINGDOM COME!

There is one prayer that every Christian knows by heart and that is the Lord’s Prayer. The center of this prayer is the concept of the Kingdom. For example, when we pray the Lord’s prayer, we say, “Thy Kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Today as we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King, it is quite fitting to reflect on the meaning and implication of Jesus’ Kingdom and His Kingship. (Evidently, king and kingship is not an attractive terms in this age of democracy. As people become more and more focused on individual independence, the term kingship does not have any fascination at all. For many people the word King is a synonym for tyranny and subjugation.)

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD? It is very different from our popular understanding. The petition “Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven” gives sufficient insights to this question. Kingdom of God is equivalent to heavenly life. Heavenly life is life in the presence of the Lord. This was the life style of the paradise which we lost by human defiance. Therefore, Jesus said to the penitent thief, “You will be with me in Paradise.”

When we are in the Kingdom, we are in the presence of God. This does not mean the disappearance of pain and struggle. The presence of God in our life, however, gives us a new way of seeing things. We are able to see things from the perspective of God. This makes a difference in life. For instance, forgiveness, sacrifice, love and sharing find new values. This is exactly what happened to the ‘good thief’. In the presence of Jesus, he discovered himself in a new way. He brought heaven to the Earth. Therefore, Kingdom of God is not a place or an institution, it is a situation where I allow God to take over my life and replace my plan with God’s plan. It is living as Jesus lived.

WHY IS JESUS THE KING? The Kingdom of God became a complete reality in the person of Jesus. Jesus submitted His life to His Father and consequently He mirrored God in His life. The result was that Jesus and God, the Father became one. Jesus became the way to God, the Father. As far as Jesus is the Way, He is our King.

Jesus was not an oppressive king. His was shepherding. In Jesus’ presence, everyone experienced freedom, life and joy. For Jesus the king the lost sheep never lost His attention. For Jesus neither the prodigal son nor the women caught in adultery was a hopeless case.

PARAMETERS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

REGENERATION: According to Jesus, what we need is not merely a good example or new teaching but regeneration (conversion). He said to Nicodemus, “Except one is born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3-7). Continuous openness to growth, profound desire to confirm after the image of Jesus and courageous acts to accomplish it, is the principal mark of a person in the Kingdom of God.

EXTRA MILE MORALITY: Jesus said : Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and Scribes, you will not enter the Kingdom of God. Sermon on the Mount explains this new code of conduct. This is a total reversal of secular values. According to this new approach, greatness comes through service and love, not by power and might. “Great people show their strength through forgiveness where as the weak prove their strength through fight under the façade of ‘justice.’

CENTRALITY OF HUMAN PERSON: In the Kingdom of God, we grow from rituals to relationship. Jesus said, “Sabbath is for man and man is not for Sabbath”. Man/woman and his/her needs determine the course of action. Remember how Jesus appreciated the act of the Good Samaritan. (The priest and the Levite ignore the wounded man in view of offering sacrifice with cleanliness.) It is sad to see how these days cats and dogs take the place of human beings!

SHARING AND CARING: “If you want to follow me, sell your possessions, distribute it with the poor and then follow me”, Jesus said to the young man. He returned home sad since he had a lot of wealth. God punished the Rich Man not because he was wealthy but because of his reluctance to share his blessing with Lazarus, the hungry. Zacchaeus found salvation when he decided to share his wealth with others. The criterion for the last judgment is ‘nothing but our willingness to reach out to each other with a sharing and caring hand.” The road to the Kingdom passes through the neighbors’ house.

COSMETIC LIVING TO COSMIC EXISTENCE

33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“When you have my funeral procession, keep both my hands opened in the open casket। Let the people know that their king is not carrying anything with him when finally he leaves this world” ,Alexander the Great told his friends. Alexander conquered more than two third of the world. Towards the end of his life, he realized the truth. Nothing in the world has real worth in the final analyses. They are just fleeting bubbles. Jesus tried to communicate the same message when He made this comment about the temple. “All that you see here- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down” (Lk 21 :5-19). Three things are important.

WORK FOR WHAT REALLY MATTERS!

People live in one of the following three levels:- Appearance level, Having level and being level.
The first group’s main concern is accidentals. They are shallow minded people. They are living in the cosmetic world. The second category is crazy after possessions. Like Alexander the Great, they believe that piling up worldly things create heaven for them. Unfortunately, appearance will disappear and possessions will perish. People living at the being level are the real people. Their focus is substance rather than accidentals। All the saints belong to this rank.

CHALLENGES OF LIVING THE TRUTH!

Many people these days live in denial। They pretend things are great and try to create this impression. The fear of losing security is behind this deceptive mode of living. To live an authentic life in this social milieu is tough. The challenges are colossal. Jesus himself warned against these challenges. There will be false prophets. These ‘prophets’ can be people from our own faith community who spread false teaching which has an easy appeal. There will be war and insurrection. This can be our own personal conflicts between ‘narrow gates and wider gates’. One may experience earthquake and famine. In other words, in the midst of confusion and chaos, one may be scared of losing one’s ground of faith. The holy people faced similar experiences. They, however, faithfully stood with truth and thus their life became a living testimony of what really matters. They became a model for us in faith.

PROMISE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE!

Remember the comforting and encouraging words of our Lord: “I myself will give you the wisdom to make your adversaries powerless…You will be hated by all because of my name but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.” We hear the same message from Malachi: “For you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Malachi 3:20). Therefore let us ‘stand erect and raise our heads’ and by our perseverance we will secure our lives.

Work for things that you can carry with you when you leave this world। What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

ANGELIC EXISTENCE
32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

We know the story of St. Maximillian Kolbe. He willingly took the place of a stranger who was unjustly condemned to death. Kolbe was a man of consideration and boundless love. Clearly, there was greater reason than this behind this ultimate sacrifice. Evidently, this was his faith in the continuity of life after death.

There is no doubt about the doctrine of life after death. Every religion, barring one or two shares the same view. This belief encouraged the seven brothers to prefer death to pagan religious practices. We have this story in the first reading, this Sunday (2 Maccabees 7:1-14).

The question is not whether there is a resurrection but what is going to be the mode this new life. According to our faith, after death a person continues to live with a transfigured, elevated and spiritualized body through the love of God. The resurrected life is not like life in the world. It is not returning to the ordinary life. While responding to the question of (Lk 20:27-38) Sadducees, Jesus said ‘they will be like angels.’ This statement gives a valuable insight. Angels are spiritual being. They have no bodies. In other words, they are independent of physical / worldly needs as needs emerge from material existence. Death is the cessation of bodily existence. The end of bodily existence ceases the bodily needs. The spiritualization of the body freed the person from needs. Jesus explains this truth using the example of marriage. Marriage has two-fold purposes: perpetuation of life through procreation, and completion of love through mutual giving. Our human existence is saddled with mortality. We carry on life through children. Heavenly life is not saddled with mortality. It is clothed with immortality. Therefore, we do not need to carry on life through children. Secondly, God is the fullness of love. In his presence, we have the fullness of love. We do not need to take any effort from our parts to complete the love. In death, we are losing our last name. We will become children of God in the truest sense.

The lesson for us is this: Live and shape our life in view of our eternal life. Detach from worldly needs and greed. We have started this process at baptism by our partaking in the Pascal event; the dying and rising process of Jesus.

THE POWER OF INVITATION
31 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

One day, after the Morning Prayer I approached a Lady and said, “Would you like to be a Lector.” I thought she had a beautiful voice, clear and distinct. She reluctantly agreed. She is an excellent lector today. Recently she told me, “Father, thank you for inviting me to be a lector. I really wanted to do some ministry but I was not sure about my ability. Your invitation was timely and that gave me a lot of self-confidence and affirmation.”

A simple invitation and a loving word of affirmation can do wonders in the life of people. The best example is the story of Zacchaeus (LK18:9-14). Zacchaeus was not a bad person. (Our general impression about Zacchaeus is that he was a sinner) The gospel does not label him as a sinner. Zacchaeus did not confess any sin. Instead what he said was: “If I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.”

Zacchaeus’ problem was social stigma. People labeled Tax Collectors as sinners. The society could not see him differently because of his profession. Actually, Zacchaeus wanted to follow Jesus. He wanted to share his blessings for the good of others. His dilemma was twofold. On the one hand, there was social prejudice against his profession and on the other hand, his fear of societal rejection. As a result he did not make his desire public. Jesus, however, saw his heart. Jesus could see him independent of his profession. Jesus saw his desire. Jesus found in him a suitable companion. Jesus found his home a suitable resting place for him. Jesus made his opinion public. This acknowledgment and public recognition made a big difference in his life. He was even willing to share his own property with others.

There are high spots in all of our lives, and most of them have come about through encouragement from someone else. Some are victims of prejudices. Some are victims of fear. They have a lot to offer. They want to be part of the main stream. Can I help them to come out of their shackles of bondage? Do I have the courage to act like Jesus? People criticized Jesus. They may not spare you either. Do not crowd let dictate our behavior!

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Sandhill cranes are large birds who fly great distance across continents. They have three remarkable qualities. First, they rotate leadership. No one bird stay in front all the time. Second, they choose leaders they can handle turbulence. Thirdly, all during the time one bird is leading, the rest are honking their affirmation. (Bruce Larson)

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TRUSTING PRAYER, NOT TESTING PRAYER
29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

A clergyman observed a poor man breaking stones, and kneeling so that he could do it more effectively। The clergy man remarked,” I wish I could break the stony hearts of my parishioners as easily as you are breaking these stones।” “Yes you can,, if you work on your knees” ,he replied.

EFFECTIVENESS OF PRAYER

Prayer is effective if it is said with proper disposition and passion. The readings for the twenty-ninth Sunday in ordinary time (Exodus 17:8-13, Lk 18:1-8) explain this fact. After explaining the story of the dishonest judge and the poor widow Jesus said, “Will not God then secure the right of his chosen ones who call out to Him day and night?” As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel was winning. God answers our prayers.

Very often, our prayer seems to be ineffective. This may be due to the following reasons. We are not persistent in our approach. Our prayers are not trusting prayer but testing prayer. Our prayer seldom accompanies sacrifice. Our prayers lack the element of commitment. Finally, we wrongly identify prayer with prayer programs. There is only one way to grow in prayer that is by praying. Reading hundred of volumes on prayer and attending a million seminars on prayer will not make anyone a disciple of Jesus. A minister was talking to a woman on an airplane flight. The flight got very bumpy. The woman said: You are a minister! Can’t you do something about this storm?” Oh…! I am in sales not in management.” He replied.

DISTRACTIONS IN PRAYER

As in other areas of life, in prayer life also at times we experience weariness and lack of interest. Human tendency is that we easily give up our efforts. Moses let his hands rest when he experienced weariness. The result was immediate. His enemy started winning the war. Distraction in prayer is not anything new. “We cannot stop birds from flying over our heads. We can prevent them from making nests on our head.” Apart from maintaining a spirit of prayer "always" and "without ceasing," we need to resort a number of precautions to re-energize our lost spirit in prayer.
1. Preparation for prayer. As someone said, “To pray for five minutes effectively one needs ten minutes of preparation.”
2. Choose the time for prayer when you are fresh. Prayer involves mind, spirit, soul and all. Jesus often chose the early hours of the day for His secret communion with the Father.
3. Focus in prayer. When there is no focus in prayer, your mind will begin to wander. Be definite and specific about your requests. Keeping a prayer list and praying over the items one by one is helpful.
THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY IN PRAYER EFFECTIVENESS


When Moses was tired, Aaron and Hur helped him to remain in prayer until sunset. We are not lone travelers but pilgrims. We journey together. We are here for each other. This is especially true with regard to our spiritual journey. There are number of incidents in the Bible that substantiate this truth. For instance, remember the scene where four men brought a paralyzed man to Jesus (Lk5:17-21). Seeing their faith Jesus healed the paralytic. Our faith can do miracle for others. Many people have spiritual paralysis. How do we lift them up as Aaron and Hur supported Moses? On another vocation disciples came to Jesus and said: Lord, teach us pray just as john taught his disciples (Lk 11:1).. The prayer of John’s disciples inspired them to know more about prayer. Be part of a worshiping community. We will remain faithful in our faith until sunset.


NOT SELF-TAK, BUT GOD TALK
30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

A rich man came to the church to pray. He prayed, “Lord I have a business deal. I need two million dollars right now. Help me.” Then he saw another man praying standing next to him. He was a poor man. He prayed, “Lord, I have not eaten anything for two days. Please give me hundred dollars.” The rich man was distracted by his prayer. He pulled out a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and gave to the poor man. The poor man was very happy. He ran out of the church, thanking and praising God. Immediately the rich man looked at Jesus and said,” Lord the distraction is gone now. Now give me your full attention.”

The focus of this Sunday’s readings (Lk 18:9-14; Sirach 35:12-18; 2Timothy 4:6-18)) is prayer. It is about the right attitude/disposition in prayer. According to the parable, two men went to pray; a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee was a practicing Jew and the Tax Collector was a public sinner. However, the Pharisee returned home humiliated where as the tax collector went back home justified. What was gone wrong with the Pharisee? What did go right with the Tax Collector? Two things are important here!

1. While praying, the Pharisee stood before the tax collector. When he stood before the tax collector, the Pharisee looked better. Prayer is not comparing oneself with one another and making oneself look better before God. It is standing before the Lord with humility and honesty. It is seeing oneself as God sees. The Tax Collector precisely did that.
2. Prayer is not self-talk. It is God-talk. The Pharisee talked to himself. He made claims before God, explaining to Him all the marvelous things he did for God. Prayer is not talking about me rather it is recognizing and acknowledging the mercy of God. It is not about what I am doing for God but what God is doing for me.

Prayer is effective if it is offered in humility and honesty. As we read in the Book of Sirach, the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest until it reaches its goal.

THINK AND THANK
28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 10,2010

“Thank you”, “Well done”, “Good job”. We often hear these words of appreciation. This is one of the greatness of American culture. This is biblical too. All our readings for the 28th Sunday express this view. Naman came back to Elisha to show his gratitude. Our responsorial Psalms says, “Praise the Lord for He has done wonderful things for us.” The Gospel reading tells us how Jesus appreciated the Samaritan leper for his gesture of gratefulness.

THANKSGIVING IS AN EXPRESSION OF FAITH

As St. Paul rightly put it, ‘We do not have anything that is not coming from God’. A sense of gratefulness naturally flows from the gifted nature of life. The only value of our life is that it is a gift of God (Thomas Merton). Thinking of one’s blessings should stir one to thankfulness. Hence, Mary said, “My soul glorifies the greatness of the Lord.”

GRATITUDE IS OUR EXPRESSION OF OTHER-CENTEREDNESS

An egocentric person cannot appreciate the goodness in others. They feel threatened by the good of others. People of gratitude reaffirm the fact that ‘I am not the center of the world.” When I acknowledge some one’s contribution, we profess the communal nature of our human existence. “God always uses the man closest to him.”

THANKSGIVING IN ACTION

A Gratitude that is not translated into action is fake, not real. The full expression of thankfulness is commitment. Naaman said to Elisha: “ I will no longer offer sacrifices to any other God except to the Lord.” The leaper not only returned to Jesus but also expressed his willingness to follow Jesus. How do we show our gratitude?

EUCHARIST IS THE CELEBERATION OF THANKSGIVING

The word Eucharist means thanksgiving. When we gather every Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist, we are giving thanks to God through Jesus for the gift of salvation. All the Eucharist prayers and prefaces begin with prayer of thanksgiving. For example, the second Eucharistic prayer begins “Father it is our duty and salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks through your beloved son Jesus Christ.”

Let us try to be people of gratitude. A four year-old boy said he was thankful for his glasses. “Why?” someone asked him. “Because it keeps the boys from hitting me- and the girls from kissing me.”

ROSARY DEVOTIONS AND SPIRITUALITY

Devotion to the rosary is one of the most notable features of popular Catholic spirituality. Pope John Paul II placed rosary devotions at the very center of Christian spirituality and called them "among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation." In his 2002 encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II wrote: The final goal of Christian life is to be transformed, or "transfigured", into Christ he stated that the rosary helps believers come closer to Christ by contemplating Christ. He stated that the rosary unites us with Mary's own prayer, who, in the presence of God, prays with us and for us . He characterized the contemplative aspects of the rosary as follow: "To recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ." And quoting Pope Paul VI he reiterated the importance of contemplation, and stated that without contemplation, the rosary is "a body without soul".

HISTORY OF THE ROSARY

There are differing views on the origin of the rosary, with some traditions attributing it to Saint Dominic while others suggest a more gradual and organic development। However, it is clear that by the middle of the 15th century the Dominican priest Blessed Alanus de Rupe, had spent significant effort to spread the devotion in France and the Netherlands, founding his first brotherhood for praying his Psalter in Douai in 1470. The practice of meditation during the praying of repeated ‘Hail Mary’ started in the 15th century in Germany by the Carthusian monk Dominic of Prussia who died in 1461. By the 16th century the practice of meditation during the rosary had spread across Europe. For instance, Bartolomeo Scalvo's Meditationi del Rosario della Gloriosa Maria Virgine (i.e. Meditations on the Rosary of the Glorious Virgin Mary) printed in 1569 for the rosary confraternity of Milan provided an individual meditation to accompany each bead or prayer.

In 1569 Pope Pius V, a Dominican himself, officially established the devotion to the rosary in the Catholic Church with the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices and in 1571 he called for all of Europe to pray the rosary for victory at the Battle of Lepanto। According to Pope Leo XIII (often called the Rosary Pope), re-Christianization is not possible without Mary. Therefore, Leo XIII promulgated Marian devotions via ten encyclicals on the rosary and instituted the Catholic custom of daily rosary prayer during the month of October. In 1883, he also created the Feast of Queen of the Holy Rosary. Pope Pius XII, often called the "most Marian pope", emphasized the benefits of rosary meditations in his encyclical Ingruentium Malorum . The popes of the 19th and 20th centuries, up to Paul IV had stressed the Mariological aspects of the rosary, however, in 1974 in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus, Pope Paul VI emphasized the Christocentric nature of the rosary and stated: "The rosary is therefore a prayer with a clearly Christological orientation."

TEACHINGS OF THE SAINTS

In the sixteenth century, Saint Peter Canisius, a Doctor of the Church, who is credited with adding to the Hail Mary the sentence "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners", was an ardent advocate of the rosary and its confraternities। Saint Louis de Montfort, one of the early proponents of the field of Mariology, was a strong believer in the power of the rosary. He joined the Third Order of the Dominicans in 1710, soon after being ordained a priest, in order to preach the rosary. His books Secret of the Rosary and True Devotion to Mary influenced the Mariological views of several popes. In Secret of the Rosary, he taught how "focus, respect, reverence and purity of intention" are essential in praying the rosary. He stated that it is not the length of a prayer that matters, but the fervor, purity and respect with which it is said. Later in the eighteenth century, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, a Doctor of the Church, also emphasized the need for reverence and devotion when praying the rosary. In The Glories of Mary he wrote that the Virgin Mary would be more pleased with five decades of the rosary said slowly with devotion than with fifteen said in a hurry and with little devotion. He recommended that the rosary should be said kneeling before an image of the Virgin Mary and before each decade to make an act of love to Jesus and Mary and ask them for a particular grace. Saint Padre Pio, who died with a rosary in his hand, reportedly said 35 rosaries a day.

MARIAN APPARITIONS AND ROSARY

References to the rosary have been part of a number of reported Marian Apparitions spanning two centuries। The reported messages from these apparitions have influenced the spread of rosary devotions worldwide.

Saint Bernadette Soubirous stated that in the first apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1858, the Virgin Mary had a rosary with her and that Bernadette prayed the rosary in her presence। In the subsequent apparitions, Bernadette stated that she often continued to pray the rosary in the Virgin Mary's presence. The Rosary Basilica was built at that site in Lourdes in 1899.

The rosary was prominently featured in the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima reported by three Portuguese children in 1917। The reported Fatima messages place a strong emphasis on the Rosary and in them the Virgin Mary is identified as The Lady of the Rosary. According to Lucia Santos (one of the three children), in one of the apparitions the Virgin Mary has a rosary in one hand and a Brown scapular in the other hand. Reports of the Fatima apparitions helped spread rosary devotions and a Fatima prayer is now often added to the end of rosary recitations. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Fatima was built at that site in 1953 and has fifteen altars, each dedicated to a mystery of the rosary.

In January 1933, an eleven year old peasant girl called Mariette Beco reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Banneux, Belgium which became known as the Virgin of the Poor. Mariette reported seeing the Virgin Mary with a rosary in hand. Mariette reported that the apparition repeated three days later after she went outside her house and prayed the rosary. The reports of this apparition, also known as Our Lady of Banneux, was approved by the Holy See in 1949.
In the reported messages of Our Lady of Akita, Sister Agnes Sasagawa stated that in 1973 she was told by the Virgin Mary: "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach." In 1988 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger ( Pope Benedict XVI) gave definitive judgment on Our Lady of Akita messages as reliable and worthy of belief.

THE FIRST MIRACLE

The first major Rosary miracle, and one of the most impressive, is the one that occurred at the Battle of Lepanto। In 1571 the Christian army, after intense devotion with the Rosary, succeeded in one of the greatest naval victories in the Battle of Lepanto against the powerful Turks. The sixty-five thousand men prayed the Rosary for three hours. Finally, after these devotions, the men were given absolution. The Turks had nearly three times more troops. The winds were against the Christians and the conditions were poor, but after the devotions ended, the winds, at the very start of battle, aided the Christians to a colossal victory against the Turks. This was one of the greatest naval upsets in history, from this, the Turks never fully recovered and their threat in the Mediterranean Sea ended. Following this victory, Pope Pius V established the Feast of Our Lady of Victories on October 7th. The name was later changed to its present form - the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

PRAY ROSARY

Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC believed in the slogan “The Family That Prays Together Stays Together। ” Families that come together to pray the Rosary encourage each other to live in truth, to trust each other and to communicate. Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter on the Most Holy Rosary (Rosarium Virginis Mariae) stated, “The Holy Rosary, by age-old tradition, has shown itself particularly effective as a prayer which brings the family together. The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the center, they share his joys and sorrows, they place their needs and their plans in his hands, they draw from him the hope and the strength to go on.” From these words of Pope John Paul II families can be encouraged to gather to pray the Rosary as it will be a source of enormous strength for individuals as well as families to live in truth, trust and honesty।

Families can gather together in their living rooms or around their dining room tables to pray the Rosary. Each member of the family can take a turn to lead the Rosary. They can share their concerns before beginning to pray the Mysteries of the Rosary and they can discuss how their lived experiences relate to the Mysteries of the Rosary. There are various and creative ways families can gather to pray the Rosary। Families may want to begin by praying one decade a day or week and increase to praying the entire set of the Mysteries of the Rosary.

IT IS IMPORTANT

 Be persistent: Do not get discouraged; keep trying. Find a time or place that works for your family and stick to it.
 Be prudent: Be reasonable about your family's capacity. Do not overload them.
 Be flexible: Be creative about where and when to pray the Rosary। Try to pray in the car, or a single decade as part of evening prayers, or a five-decade Rosary first thing in the morning.

THE MYSTERIES

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
(Said on Mondays, Saturdays, Sundays of Advent, and Sundays from Epiphany until Lent)

First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary
I Desire the Love Of Humility
Think of... The humility of the Blessed Virgin when the Angel Gabriel greeted her with these words: "Hail full of grace".

Second Joyful Mystery - The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
I Desire Charity Toward My नेइघ्बोर।
Think of... Mary's charity in visiting her cousin Elizabeth and remaining with her for three months before the birth of John the Baptist.

Third Joyful Mystery - The Birth of Jesus
I Desire the Love of God
Think of...The poverty, so lovingly accepted by Mary when she placed the Infant Jesus, our God and Redeemer, in a manger in the stable of Bethlehem.

Fourth Joyful Mystery - The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
I Desire a Spirit of Sacrifice
Think of... Mary's obedience to the law of God in presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple।

Fifth Joyful Mystery - Finding Jesus in the Temple
I desire Zeal For The Glory Of God
Think of... The deep sorrow with which Mary sought the Child Jesus for three days, and the joy with which she found Him in the midst of the Teachers of the Temple.

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
(Said on Tuesdays, Fridays, and daily from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday)

First Sorrowful Mystery - Agony of Jesus in the Garden
I Desire True Repentance for My Sins
Think of॥Our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani, suffering a bitter agony for our sins।

Second Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar
I Desire a Spirit of Mortification .Think of... The cruel scourging at the pillar that our Lord suffered; the heavy blows that tore His flesh.

Third Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus is Crowned With Thorns
I Desire Moral Courage.
Think of... The crown of sharp thorns that was forced upon our Lord's Head and the patience with which He endured the pain for our sins।

Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus Carries His Cross
I Desire the Virtue of Patience
Think of... The heavy Cross, so willingly carried by our Lord, and ask Him to help you to carry your crosses without complaint। Matthew 27:32

Fifth Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion of Jesus
I Desire the Grace of Final Perseverance
Think of... The love, which filled Christ,’s Sacred Heart during His three hours' agony on the Cross-, and ask Him to be with you at the hour of death।

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
(Said on Wednesdays, and Sundays throughout the year)

First Glorious Mystery - The Resurrection of Jesus
I Desire a Strong Faith
Think of... Christ's glorious triumph when, on the third day after His death, He arose from the tomb and for forty days appeared to His Blessed Mother and to His disciples।

Second Glorious Mystery - The Ascension of Jesus
I Desire the Virtue of Hope
Think of... The Ascension of Jesus Christ, forty days after His glorious Resurrection, in the presence of Mary and His disciples।

Third Glorious Mystery - The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
I Desire Zeal for the Glory of God
Think of... The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles, under the form of tongues of fire, in fulfillment of Christ's promise.

Fourth Glorious Mystery - The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
I Desire the Grace of a Holy Death
Think of...
The glorious Assumption of Mary into Heaven, when she was united with her Divine Son.

Fifth Glorious Mystery - The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
I Desire a Greater Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary
Think of... The glorious crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven by her Divine Son, to the great joy of all the Saints.

THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
(Said on Thursdays throughout the year)

First Luminous Mystery - The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

The Second Luminous Mystery - The Wedding at Cana, Christ Manifested
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

The Third Luminous Mystery - the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

The Fourth Luminous Mystery - The Transfiguration of Jesus
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

The Fifth Luminous Mystery - The Last Supper, the Holy Eucharist
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26
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