A Guide to the Rosary: Mary's Psalter

``Where the Bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be;
even as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church'' Ignatius of Antioch, 1st c. A.D

The Rosary:
Mary's Psalter

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A Guide to the Rosary: Mary's Psalter
The 150 Davidic Psalms (the Psalter of David) have always been
prayed by Old Testament Israel, post-Temple Jews, and by Christians
for personal prayer, communal prayer, lamentations, praise,
thanksgiving, and, in the case of Christians, to demonstrate the
fulfillment of prophecy.
They came to form a large part
of the Divine Office sung at the
various canonical hours by
religious. Lay people who
didn't have copies of Scripture
or the Breviary and lay people
and religious who were
illiterate would substitute 150
Pater Nosters (Our Fathers) or
Aves (Hail Marys) in place of
the 150 Psalms they could not
read.
The prayers were originally
counted by transferring
pebbles from one bag to
another, but soon enough
Christians began to tie a rope
with knots on which to count.
This evolved further into using
beads or pieces of wood in
place of the knots, and this
soon came to be called the
"Psalter of the Laity." Around
the end of the first millennium,
Rosaries contained the
present five decades (sets of
ten beads), with the Ave beads
shaped like white lilies for the
purity of the Virgin, and the
Pater beads shaped like red
roses for the wounds and
Passion of Christ.
St. Dominic de Guzman
popularized the Marian Psalter
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Rosary Tips
Have a definite rhythm when
praying so you don't lose count.
Develop a habit of moving to the
next bead only after saying the
"Amen" to each prayer.
When you get a new Rosary,
you should have it blessed by a
priest, thus making it a
sacramental. Note that Rosaries
are not to be worn or used as
jewelry. They can be worn
around the neck or what not if
you are working and it is
incidental, but they are not to
be worn for the purpose of
personal ornamentation.
Some people find it very easy to
pray the Rosary while others
find it difficult. Some find it
difficult to pray alone but easy
to pray with others. If you are
one of these last types, you can
get a free CD or cassette of the
Rosary from the Mary
Foundation (no readings, no
music), using their printable
mail-in form or their online form
(credit card needed for the latter
to handle processing fees).
Some find that visual aids help
them contemplate. Having
pictures depicting the Mysteries
help some people. .
Download Rosary instructions,
A Guide to the Rosary: Mary's Psalter

in the form we have it today with prayers in English, in .doc

(150 Aves with a Pater after format (1 page, 34 KB)
each 10) when Our Lady
Download Rosary instructions,
encouraged him to pray it that with prayers in Latin, in .doc
way in response to the format (1 page, 34 KB)
Albigensian heresy. So
associated with the Rosary is
St. Dominic that the Rosary is
often called the "Dominican What is a "Block
Rosary." Rosary"?
Our Lady also appeared to the
A Block Rosary is the gathering
children at Fatima and asked
of a group of people -- usually a
that the Rosary be prayed group of families who live in the
daily, including the "Fatima same area, hence the name --
Prayer," as part of what must at regular times to pray the
be done in order to prevent Rosary. They usually meet at a
different family's house each
Russia from spreading its
time, gather around an image of
errors throughout the world Our Lady, and pray. "Block
(the other things being the Rosaries" can be as simple or as
faithful wearing of the Brown ritualized as the organizers like,
and can be prayed daily, weekly,
Scapular, the First Five
monthly, or whenever your
Saturdays Devotion, acts of group likes.
reparation and sacrifice, and
the Consecration of Russia to
her Immaculate Heart by the
Pope and all the Bishops in What is the "54-Day
union with him. This last has Rosary Novena"?
not been done).
First read about Novenas here,
The Rosary, thus, has always and then scroll down on that
been a weapon against heresy page to read specifically about
and trouble; in fact, the 7 the 54-Day Rosary Novena.
October 1571 victory of
Christendom over Islamic
warriors at the Battle of
Lepanto -- the first naval
victory against the infidels --
was attributed directly to the
Rosaries prayed by the faithful.

While non-Catholics see the

Rosary as a mindless chant,
what they don't understand is
that the Rosary is a meditation
on the lives of Mary and Jesus.
Each decade (each set of 10

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A Guide to the Rosary: Mary's Psalter

Ave beads in the circular part

of the Rosary beads) "Rosary Rings" or
represents a single Mystery in "Finger Rosaries"
their lives, and as the prayers
are prayed, we contemplate
that particular Mystery. There
are 3 sets of 5 Mysteries -- the
Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious
1
Mysteries.

One set of Mysteries is A "Rosary Ring" or "Finger

traditionally prayed on different Rosary" is worn on the index
days of the week, and one who finger of either hand. The beads
prays a single set (i.e., 50 are counted by the thumb,
Aves) can be said to have which rotates the ring on the
finger during the count. Others
"prayed the Rosary," but, consist of two bands, one which
literally, a complete Psalter rotates while the other remains
consists of all 15 Mysteries stationary. Some are enlarged
(150 Aves, going around the versions meant to be held in one
beads three times + the 3 hand (these are often attached
to keychains). These are nice to
Aves that introduce the keep in your purse or car so you
Rosary). The typical way of can pray while busy about other
Rosary-praying -- i.e., praying tasks, such as driving, without
a third of a Rosary -- is more having to handle many beads.
accurately, but uncommonly, How old Rosary Rings are, I
don't know, but there is an early
called praying a 16th c. one in the Victoria and
"chaplet." (Note that there are Albert Museum.
many, many different kinds of
chaplets -- some to Jesus,
some to the Holy Ghost, some to Mary and the other Saints, etc. --
each with different arrangements of prayers and many having their
own style of beads). Like the Mass, what you take emotionally from the
Rosary is what you bring to it, but in any case, emotional highs aren't
the point of prayer. Prayer is for the glory of God.

The Rosary beads themselves can be made of stone, wood, crystal --

even bakelite or plastic, and they can be of any color (sometimes the
Ave beads will be of one color and the Pater beads of another). They
are often bought according to one's birthstone, but as a general rule,
men prefer black or wood rosaries, and women prefer white or colored
ones. Where the two halves of the Rosary come together is a
centerpiece, usually a medal with a depiction of the Sacred Heart, Our
Lady, and/or a Saint. Most Rosaries are bought pre-made from
Catholic gift shops, but there are also many Rosary makers who can
put together a customized Rosary for you with your choice of beads
and centerpiece.

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A Guide to the Rosary: Mary's Psalter

There are also small 1-decade Rosaries that are meant to be highly
portable. They're called "Pocket Rosaries" (some are sold to be used
in car travel and are sometimes called "Auto Rosaries" or "Car
Rosaries"). There are also 1-decade Rosaries that are worn on the
wrist, and 1-decade "Rosary Rings" (see picture at right) worn on the
index finger during prayer time (i.e., they're not worn as jewelry). All of
these types of Rosaries would be used the same way as ordinary
Rosaries, but one would count the same beads 5 times after the
introductory prayers. There are also very long 15-decade Rosaries so
that one can pray all of the Mysteries, going around the beads only
once; these are mostly for the use of religious.

Indulgences attached to the Rosary

A partial indulgence is gained, under the usual conditions, when

praying a third of the Rosary (5 decades) continuously (i.e., one can't
say a decade, go wash the dishes, and return to say the other
decades).

A plenary indulgence is gained, under the usual conditions, when it is

prayed by a family group or publicly in a church or oratory. The
decades' Mysteries must be announced, and the Mysteries meditated
on.

Odds and Ends

Before we get started, the answer to the commonly asked question,

"how long does it take to pray the Rosary?": around 20 minutes. Of
course, one could feasibly spend much longer if he is in deep
meditation, pausing between the Aves, etc. And to the question, "Does
one have to have beads to pray the Rosary?" the answer is no! You
can count the prayers any way you choose, but the use of the beads is
traditional.

On a cultural note, there is a song, written by Robert Cameron Rogers

and Ethelbert Nevin, called "The Rosary." It has been recorded many
times by many different artists, but most famously by Perry Como. To
listen to a very old mp3 of this song and to read the lyrics, visit this
page.

One final thing before the instructions: a traditional way to keep your
Rosary when not in use is to hang it from two pegs such that the
middle section swoops down, forming a heart shape reminiscent of

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Mary's Immaculate Heart.

OK, on to how to pray the Rosary! The words of the Rosary's prayers
(in English and Latin) and relevant Scripture and Readings for each
Mystery follow the basic instructions below. The meditations on the
Mysteries were written by by Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B. Abbot of
Maredsous, and were given an Imprimatur by John J. Boylan, D.D.
Bishop of Rockford in 1949; Scripture is taken from the Douay-Rheims
translation of the Bible.

How to Pray the Rosary

Before beginning, decide which set of 5 Mysteries you will meditate on

(see chart below). Whichever set of Mysteries would feed your soul
best or complements the day's liturgy are the ones you should pray,
though praying certain Mysteries on certain days of the week or during
certain liturgical seasons is traditional and should be followed as much
as possible. Because the Rosary is often prayed with certain prayer
intentions in mind, many begin by stating their intentions (e.g., "For the
conversion of my friend, for the health of my sister," etc.).

The Mysteries
Joyful Sorrowful Glorious
Mondays; Thursdays;
Tuesdays; Fridays; all the Wednesdays; Saturdays;
Sundays of Advent,
days of Septuagesima & Sundays of Eastertide &
Christmastide & Time After
Lent Time After Pentecost
Epiphany
Annunciation Agony in the Garden Resurrection
Visitation The Scourging Ascension
Nativity Crowning with thorns Pentecost
Presentation Carrying of the Cross Assumption
Finding Jesus in the Temple Crucifixion Crowning of Mary

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A Guide to the Rosary: Mary's Psalter

1. State or mentally form any

intentions
Kiss the Crucifix
Make the Sign of the Cross
Say the Apostles' Creed
2. Say the Pater (Our Father)
3. Say an Ave (Hail Mary) on
each of the three beads
Large, red beads: Say a Gloria (Glory Be)
Say the Fatima Prayer
Announce the relevant
Mystery
Say a Pater
Small black beads: Say an Ave, one on each
bead, while meditating on the
relevant Mystery of the set of
Mysteries you've chosen
(Joyful, Sorrowful, or
Glorious) -- one Mystery for
each set of ten Ave beads

You will end up back at the first large, red bead with
its accompanying prayers.

When prayed in a group, the leader (or half of the group) prays the
first half of each prayer; the rest of the group prays the second half in
response (the breaks in these prayers are indicated by a cross +
below). Always end with the Sign of the Cross.

Variations and Options:

Some people dedicate each of the five Paters of the Rosary (the red
beads in the diagram) to one of the Five Sacred Wounds of Christ
(the wounds in His Hands, Feet, and side), especially when praying
the Sorrowful Mysteries.

Some begin each decade with a plea to God to grant a specific virtue
or gift that is related to each Mystery. They will pray "I desire.." or
"Lord, grant me..." and then name the desired virtues or gifts related
to each Mystery, which are:

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Joyful Mysteries:
1st Mystery: Love of humility
2nd Mystery: Charity toward neighbor
3rd Mystery: Love of God
4th Mystery: Spirit of Sacrifice
5th Mystery: Zeal for the Glory of God

Sorrowful Mysteries:
1st Mystery: True Contrition
2nd Mystery: The Spirit of Mortification
3rd Mystery: Moral Courage
4th Mystery: The Virtue of Patience
5th Mystery: The Grace of Final Perseverance

Glorious Mysteries:
1st Mystery: Strong Faith
2nd Mystery: The Virtue of Hope
3rd Mystery: Zeal for the Glory of God
4th Mystery: The Grace of a Holy Death
5th Mystery: Greater Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary

Some end with the Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen), prayers for the
Holy Father, the Litany of Loreto (the "Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Mary"), and/or the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.

In October: The Prayer to St. Joseph is often added as a

concluding prayer, especially during the month of October (this was
recommended by Pope Leo XIII).

In November and Rosaries for the Dead: The "Eternal Rest"

prayer is often prayed in place of the Fatima Prayer during the month
of November (especially after dusk on All Saints Day and on All Souls
Day) and during Rosaries prayed for the dead, such as at Funeral
Vigils.

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The Rosary's Prayers

When Making The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father [touch forehead], and of the Son [touch
breast], and of the Holy Ghost [touch left shoulder, then right
shoulder]. Amen.

Latin Version: Signum Crucis

In nomine Patris [touch forehead] et Filii [touch breast] et Spiritus
Sancti [touch left shoulder, then right shoulder]. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth,

and in in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by
the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell. On
the third day He rose again. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated
at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to
judge the living and the dead. + I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy
Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Latin Version: Symbolum Apostolorum

Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. Et in
Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus
est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio
Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad inferos, tertia die
resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris
omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. + Credo in
Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam, sanctorum
communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem,
vitam aeternam. Amen.

The Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom
come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. + Give us this
day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. Amen.

Latin Version: Pater Noster (Oratio Dominica)

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Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur Nomen tuum. Adveniat

regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. + Panem
nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in
tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou
amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. + Holy
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of
death. Amen.

Latin Version: Ave Maria (Salutatio Angelica)

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et
benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. + Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora
pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. + As it
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

Latin Version: Doxologia Minor

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.+ Sicut erat in principio, et nunc,
et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Fatima Prayer

O My Jesus, + forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and
lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
Amen.

Latin Version: Oratio Fatimae

Oh mi Jesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra, libera nos ab igne inferni,
conduc in caelum omnes animas, praesertim illas quae maxime
indigent misericordia tua. Amen.

See these other pages for other optional concluding prayers and
litanies.

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Optional:
Scripture and Readings to use in
Announcing and Pondering the Mysteries
Joyful Mysteries

Annunciation: Luke 1:31-32

Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son;
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be
called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob
for ever.

Picture the scene of the Annunciation. God proposes the mystery of

the Incarnation which He will accomplish in the Virgin Mary--but not
until she has given her consent. The accomplishment of the mystery is
held in suspense awaiting the free acceptance of Mary. At this
moment Mary represents all of us in her own person; it is as if God is
waiting for the response of the humanity to which He longs to unite
Himself. What a solemn moment this is! For upon this moment
depends the decision of the most vital mystery of Christianity.

But see how Mary gives her answer. Full of faith and confidence in the
heavenly message and entirely submissive to the Divine Will, the
Virgin Mary replies in a spirit of complete and absolute abandonment:
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to Thy
word." This "Fiat" is Mary's consent to the Divine Plan of Redemption.
It is like an echo of the "Fiat" of the creation of the world. But this is a
new world, a world infinitely superior, a world of grace, which God will
cause to arise in consequence of Mary's consent, for at that moment
the Divine Word, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, becomes
Man in Mary: "And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us."

Visitation : Luke 1:42-45

And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to
me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as
soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in
my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed,
because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee
by the Lord.

See how the Holy Spirit greets the Virgin Mary through the mouth of
Elizabeth: "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb! And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those

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things shall be accomplished that were spoke to thee by the Lord."

Blessed indeed, for by this faith in the word of God the Virgin Mary
became the Mother of Christ.

What finite creature has ever received honor such as this from the
Infinite Being?

Mary gives all the glory to the Lord for the marvelous things which are
accomplished in her. From the moment of the Incarnation the Virgin
Mother sings in her heart a canticle full of love and gratitude.

In the presence of her cousin Elizabeth she allows the most profound
sentiments of her heart to break forth in song; she intones the
"Magnificat" which, in the course of centuries, her children will repeat
with her to praise God for having chosen her among all women:

"My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid... Because
He Who is mighty has done great things for me And holy is His name."

Nativity: Luke 2:6-7

And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were
accomplished, that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her
firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him
in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Virgin Mary sees in the Infant that she has given to the world, a
child in appearance like all other children, the very Son of God. Mary's
soul was filled with an immense faith which welled up in her and
surpassed the faith of all the just men of the Old Testament; this is
why she recognized her God in her own Son.

This faith manifests itself externally by an act of adoration. From her

very first glance at Jesus, the Virgin prostrated herself interiorly in a
spirit of adoration so profound that we can never fathom its depth.

In the heart of Mary are joined in perfect harmony a creature's

adoration of her God and a Mother's love for her only Son.

How inconceivably great the joy in the soul of Jesus must have been
as He experienced this boundless love of His Mother! Between these
two souls took place ceaseless exchanges of love which brought them
into ever closer unity. O wonderful exchange: to Mary Jesus gives the
greatest gifts and graces, and to Jesus Mary gives her fullest
cooperation: after the union of the Divine Persons in the Blessed
Trinity and the hypostatic union of the divine and human natures in the
Incarnation, no more glorious or more profound union can be

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conceived than the union between Jesus and Mary.

Presentation: Luke 2:22-24

And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses,
were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to
the Lord: As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the
womb shall be called holy to the Lord: And to offer a sacrifice,
according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or
two young pigeons...

On the day of the Presentation God received infinitely more glory than
He had hitherto received in the temple from all the sacrifices and all
the holocausts of the Old Testament. On this day it is His own Son
Jesus Who is offered to Him, and Who offers to the Father the infinite
homage of adoration, thanksgiving, expiation and supplication.

This is indeed a gift worthy of God.

And it is from the hands of the Virgin, full of grace, that this offering, so
pleasing to God, is received. Mary's faith is perfect. Filled with the
wisdom of the Holy Spirit, she has a clear understanding of the value
of the offering which she is making to God at this moment; by His
inspirations the Holy Spirit brings her soul into harmony with the
interior dispositions of the heart of her Divine Son.

Just as Mary had given her consent in the name of all humanity when
the angel announced to her the mystery of the Incarnation, so also on
this day Mary offers Jesus to the Father in the name of the whole
human race. For she knows that her Son is "the King of Glory, the new
light enkindled before the dawn, the Master of life and death."

Finding in the Temple: Luke 2:46-47

And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking
them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom
and his answers.

"How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about
My Father's business?" This is the answer that Jesus gave to His
Mother when, after three days' search she had the joy of finding Him in
the Temple.

These are the first words coming from the lips of the Word Incarnate to
be recorded in the Gospel.

In these words Jesus sums up His whole person, His whole life, His
whole mission. They reveal His Divine Sonship; they testify to His
supernatural mission. Christ's whole life will only be a clarifying and

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magnificent exposition of the meaning of these words.

St. Luke goes on to tell us that Mary "did not understand the word that
He spoke." But even if Mary did not grasp the full significance of these
words, she did not doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. This is why
she submitted in silence to that Divine Will which had demanded such
a sacrifice of her love.

"Mary kept these words of Jesus carefully in her heart." She kept them
in her heart, for there was the tabernacle in which she adored the
mystery concealed in the words of he Son, waiting until the full light of
understanding would be granted her.

Sorrowful Mysteries

Agony in the Garden: Matthew 26:36-39

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called
Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder
and pray. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he
began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then he saith to them: My soul
is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me. And
going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My
Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not
as I will, but as thou wilt.

It is for the love of His Father above all else that Jesus willed to
undergo His Passion.

Behold Jesus Christ in His agony. For three long hours weariness,
grief, fear and anguish sweep in upon His soul like a torrent; the
pressure of this interior agony is so immense that blood bursts forth
from His sacred veins. What an abyss of suffering is reached in this
agony! And what does Jesus say to His Father? "Father, if it be
possible, let this chalice pass from Me." Can it be that Jesus no longer
accepts the Will of His Father? Oh! certainly He does. But this prayer
is the cry of the sensitive emotions of poor human nature, crushed by
ignominy and suffering. Now is Jesus truly a "Man of Sorrows." Our
Savior feels the terrible weight of His agony bearing down upon His
shoulders. He wants us to realize this; that is why He utters such a
prayer.

But listen to what He immediately adds: "Nevertheless, Father, not My

will but Thine be done." Here is the triumph of love. Because He loves
His Father, He places the Will of His Father above everything else and
accepts every possible suffering in order to redeem us.

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Scourging at the Pillar: Matthew 27:25-26

And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and our
children. Then he released to them Barabbas, and having scourged
Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified

Christ substituted Himself voluntarily for us as a sacrificial victim

without blemish in order to pay our debt, and, by the expiation and the
satisfaction which He made for us, to restore the Divine life to us. This
was the mission which Christ came to fulfill, the course which He had
to run. "God has placed upon Him"--a man like unto ourselves, of the
race of Adam, but entirely just and innocent and without sin--"the
iniquity of us all."

Since Christ has become, so to speak, a sharer in our nature and

taken upon Himself the debt of our sin, He has merited for us a share
in His justice and holiness. In the forceful words of St. Paul, God, "by
sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin-offering, has
condemned sin in the flesh." And with an impact still more stunning,
the Apostle writes: "For our sakes He (God) made Him (Christ) to be
sin who knew nothing of sin." How startling this expression is: "made
Him to be sin"! The Apostle does not say "sinner," but--what is still
more striking--"sin"!

Let us never forget that "we have been redeemed at great price by the
precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot."

Crowning with Thorns: Matthew 27:28-29

And stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a
crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand.
And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, king
of the Jews.

Christ Jesus becomes an object of derision and insults at the hands of

the temple servants. Behold Him, the all-powerful God, struck by sharp
blows; His adorable face, the joy of the saints, is covered with spittle; a
crown of thorns is forced down upon His head; a purple robe is placed
upon His shoulders as a mock of derision; a reed is thrust into His
hand; the servants genuflect insolently before Him in mockery. What
an abyss of ignominy! What humiliation and disgrace for One before
Whom the angels tremble!

The cowardly Roman governor imagines that the hatred of the Jews
will be satisfied by the sight of Christ in this pitiful state. He shows Him
to the crowd: "Ecce Homo--Behold the Man!"

Let us contemplate our Divine Master at this moment, plunged into the

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abyss of suffering and ignominy, and let us realize that the Father also
presents Him to us and says to us: "Behold My Son, the splendor of
My glory--but bruised for the sins of My people."

Carrying the Cross: John 19:12-18

And from henceforth Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried
out, saying: If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend. For
whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar. Now
when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat
down in the judgment seat, in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and
in Hebrew Gabbatha. And it was the parasceve of the pasch, about
the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews: Behold your king. But they
cried out: Away with him; away with him; crucify him. Pilate saith to
them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have
no king but Caesar. Then therefore he delivered him to them to be
crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him forth. And bearing his own
cross, he went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in
Hebrew Golgotha. Where they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on each side, and Jesus in the midst.

Let us meditate upon Jesus Christ on the way to Calvary laden with
His cross. He falls under the weight of this burden. To expiate sin, He
wills to experience in His own flesh the oppression of sin. Fearing that
Jesus will not reach the place of crucifixion alive, the Jews force
Simon of Cyrene to help Christ to carry His cross, and Jesus accepts
this assistance.

In this Simon represents all of us. As members of the Mystical Body of

Christ, we should all help Jesus to carry His Cross. This is the one
sure sign that we belong to Christ--if we carry our cross with Him.

But while Jesus carried His cross, He merited for us the strength to
bear our trials with generosity. He has placed in His cross a sweetness
which makes ours bearable, for when we carry our cross it is really His
that we receive. For Christ unites with His own the sufferings, sorrows,
pains and burdens which we accept with love from His hand, and by
this union He gives them an inestimable value, and they become a
source of great merit for us.

It is above all His love for His Father which impels Christ to accept the
sufferings of His Passion, but it is also the love which He bears us.

Crucifixion & Death: Luke 23:45-46

And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the
midst. And Jesus crying out with a loud voice, said: Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit. And saying this, he gave up the ghost.

At the Last Supper, when the hour had come to complete His oblation

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of self, what did Christ say to His Apostles who were gathered around
Him? "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life
for his friends." And this is the love, surpassing all loves, which Jesus
shows us; for, as St. Paul says, "It is for us all that He is delivered up."
What greater proof of love could He have given us? None.

Hence the Apostle declares without ceasing that "because He loved

us, Christ delivered Himself up for us," and "because of the love He
bears for me, He gave Himself up for me."

"Delivered," "given"--to what extent? Even to the death on the cross!

What enhances this love immeasurably is the sovereign liberty with

which Christ delivered Himself up: "He offered Himself because He
willed it." These words tell us how spontaneously Jesus accepted His
Passion. This freedom with which Jesus delivered Himself up to death
for us is one of the aspects of His sacrifice which touch our human
hearts most profoundly.

Glorious Mysteries

Resurrection of Our Lord: Matthew 28:5-6

And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you; for I know
that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen,
as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid.

On the day of His Resurrection Jesus Christ left in the tomb the shroud
which is the symbol of our infirmities, our weaknesses, our
imperfections. Christ comes from the tomb triumphant--completely free
of earthly limitation; He is animated with a life that is intense and
perfect, and which vibrates in every fibre of His being. In Him
everything that is mortal has been absorbed by His glorified life.

Here is the first element of the sanctity represented in the risen Christ:
the elimination of everything that is corruptible, everything that is
earthly and created; freedom from all defects, all infirmities, all
capacity for suffering.

But there is also another element of sanctity: union with God, self-
oblation and consecration to God. Only in heaven shall we be able to
understand how completely Jesus lived for His Father during these
blessed days. The life of the risen Christ became an infinite source of
glory for His Father. Not a single effect of His sufferings was left in
Him, for now everything in Him shone with brilliance and beauty and
possessed strength and life; every atom of His being sang an

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unceasing canticle of praise. His holy humanity offered itself in a new

manner to the glory of the Father.

Ascension into Heaven: Luke 24:50-51

And he led them out as far as Bethania: and lifting up his hands, he
blessed them. And it came to pass, whilst he blessed them, he
departed from them, and was carried up to heaven.

Our Lord said to His Apostles before He departed from them: "If you
loved Me, you would indeed rejoice that I am going to the Father." To
us also Christ repeats these words. If we love Him, we shall rejoice in
His glorification; we shall rejoice with Him that, after completing His
course on earth, He ascends to the right hand of His Father, there to
be exalted above all the heavens in infinite glory.

But Jesus goes only to precede us; He does not separate Himself from
us, nor does He separate us from Himself. If He enters into His
glorious kingdom, it is to prepare a place for us there. He promises to
return one day to take us with Him so that, as He says, where He is
we also may be. True, we are already there in the glory and happiness
of Christ, by our title as His heirs; but we shall one day be there in
reality. Has not Christ asked this of His Father? "Father, I will that
where I am, they also whom Thou hast given Me may be with Me."

Let us then say to Christ Jesus: "Draw us into Your triumphal march,
O glorious and all-powerful Conqueror! Make us live in heaven by faith
and hope and love. Help us to detach ourselves from the fleeting
things of earth in order that we may seek the true and lasting goods of
heaven!"

The Pentecost: Acts 2:3-4

And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it
sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the
Holy Ghost gave them to speak.

The Holy Spirit appeared under the form of tongues of fire in order to
fill the Apostles with truth and to prepare them to bear witness to
Jesus. He also come to fill their hearts with love.

He is the Person of Love in the life of God. He is also like a breath, an

aspiration of infinite Love, from which we draw the breath of life.

On the day of Pentecost the Divine Spirit communicated such an

abundance of life to the whole Church that to symbolize it "there came
a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, and it filled the
whole house where they (the Apostles) were sitting."

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But it is also for us that the Holy Spirit has come, for the group in the
Cenacle represented the whole Church. The Holy Spirit came to
remain with the Church forever. This is the promise of Jesus Himself.
He dwells in the Church permanently and unfailingly, performing in it
without ceasing, His action of life-giving and sanctification. He
establishes the Church infallibly in the truth. It is He Who makes the
Church blossom forth with a marvelous supernatural fruitfulness, for
He brings to life and full fruition in Virgins, Martyrs, Confessors, those
heroic virtues which are one of the marks of true sanctity.

Assumption of Mary: Hebrews 11:5

By faith Henoch was translated, that he should not see death; and he
was not found, because God had translated him: for before his
translation he had testimony that he pleased God.

If Christ Jesus wishes us to love all the members of His Mystical Body,
should we not love above all others her who gave Him the very nature
by which He became our Head, the same nature which He uses to
communicate His grace to us? We cannot doubt but that the love
which we show to his Mother is extremely pleasing to Christ.

We shall manifest our love by extolling the sublime privileges which

Jesus has bestowed on His Mother, among which the Assumption is
one of the most glorious. If we wish to please our Lord very much, we
shall admire the wonderful gifts with which He has lovingly adorned
the soul of His Mother. He wishes that we should sing the praises of
the Virgin, who was chosen among all women to give the Savior to the
world.

"Yes, we shall sing your praises, for you alone have delighted the
heart of your God. May you be blessed, for you have believed the
word of God, and in you the eternal promises have been fulfilled."

Coronation of Mary: Apocalypse 11:19-12:1

And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his
testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and
voices, and an earthquake, and great hail. And a great sign appeared
in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her
feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars...

What is the purpose of all the mysteries of Christ? To be the pattern of

our supernatural life, the means of our sanctification, the source of all
our holiness. To create an eternal and glorious society of brethren who
will be like unto Him. For this reason Christ, the new Adam, has
associated with Himself Mary, as the new Eve. But she is, much more
than Eve, "the Mother of all the living," the Mother of those who live in
the grace of her Son.

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And since here below Mary was associated so intimately with all the
mysteries of our salvation, at her Assumption into heaven Jesus
crowned her not only with glory but also with power; He has placed His
Mother on His right hand and has given her the power, in virtue of her
unique title of Mother of God, to distribute the treasures of eternal life.

Let us then, full of confidence, pray with the Church: "Show yourself a
Mother: Mother of Jesus, by your complete faith in Him, our Mother, by
your mercy towards us; ask Christ, Who was born of you, to give us
life; and Who willed to be your Son, to receive our prayers through
you."

Footnote:
1
In October 2002, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, in his Apostolic
Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, recommended "adding" 5 more
Mysteries to the Rosary to be prayed on Thursdays -- the "Luminous
Mysteries" which focus on Jesus' public life. These Mysteries are:

The Baptism in the Jordan

The Marriage Feast at Cana
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist

This novelty does not change the Rosary itself and is merely
presented as an option for Christians. This option, however, is one that
totally disrupts the relationship between the Rosary and the Breviary's
Psalms. Traditional Catholics stick with the classic tried-and-true
Rosary, at least for public Rosaries. To read why, see this page.

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