The Joyful Mysteries
Rosary Meditation: The First Joyful Mystery
Last modified on 2008-12-17 05:14:01 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Today’s rosary meditation is the first Joyful Mystery — The Annunciation. This is when the angel Gabriel told Mary, a mere teenager, that she was to be the mother of God. Now think about that for a while. What would you do if you found out that God chose you to bring His son into this world? Would you run outside rejoicing as if you just won the lottery? Would you turn pale, pass out, and then hope that it was all just a dream? Would you calmly tell the angel Gabriel that you are not ready and there are others who will be a much better choice? I do not think becoming the Mother of God is something that any of us are exactly prepared for.
But God has only asked one person in the history of the world to be the mother of Jesus Christ so that is not something He will likely ask of us. When compared to our Mother Mary, God asks so little of us in comparison to her great responsibility. For many of us, just making it to Mass on time or taking a few minutes out of our day for prayer are responsibilities where we fall short.
Why are we not prepared for the times when God asks something of us? After all, He asks something of us every day. He asks us to be faithful, to follow His laws, and put Him first in our lives. God speaks to us every day through the Pope, the Church, our priests, the Bible, saints, angels, and others to follow Him and to do His will. Do we ignore all these messengers? How many times have you not followed His will only to plead ignorance that you just did not know or that it is just too hard? When He asks, do we tell Him that we do not think we are ready and He should ask us at a more convenient time? Or do we tell Him, “YES!”, only to follow another road besides the one He lays out for us? God asks us to follow Him more times than we think and we often tell Him “no” through our words, our thoughts, or our actions.
So let us recognize that God calls on us every day to follow Him. Let us imitate our mother, Mary, and tell him “Thy will be done.” Mary put her faith in God knowing that He never gives us more than we can handle. Let us put our faith in Him that His plan for us is the best path and the only true path to eternal happiness. Mary was made pure by the Holy Spirit to carry the heavy burden of bearing the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We are strengthened by the same Holy Spirit to accept God’s will in our own lives. With the Holy Spirit, the Church, and our Mother Mary as our guides we are more than prepared to follow His path. Let us pray that when God asks us to follow Him we can confidently say, “Thy will be done.”
Rosary Meditation: The Second Joyful Mystery
Last modified on 2009-07-09 04:33:16 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
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Today’s rosary meditation is the Second Joyful Mystery — The Visitation. After accepting God’s will in the Annunciation, Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. Mary came with this message, “My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior. For He has looked upon His servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed” (Lk 1:46-48, emphasis mine). She stayed with Elizabeth for three months presumably offering a helping hand whenever needed.
This mystery is one of the best examples of using God’s grace to help others. Keep in mind that traveling to see relatives in the time of the Roman Empire was no easy task. It would take weeks, if not months, to travel between villages. Traveling was a challenge and dangerous for the very strong let alone a pregnant teenager. Despite the hardship, Mary made the journey in order to share the good news with her cousin and help in any way she could. As the Mother of God she chose to use God’s grace to serve others and not to be served. As she said in Luke’s Gospel, God’s greatness is found in His lowly servants doing His will, not those who try to be masters. We see this same theme through Jesus who is King of Heaven and yet came into this world as a humble servant.
When I meditate on this mystery I’m often reminded about the difference between acquiring God’s grace and using it. I know that prayer, fasting, and receiving the Sacraments (particularly washing away sin during Confession) all help me achieve God’s grace. However, I often fail in using grace to help others in need. I could help others more whether it be donating some of my time for charitable causes to just making myself available when friends or family need me. I’m sure I miss great opportunities to actually put my faith into practice all the time. Ask yourself, are you using all of your God-given gifts to their full potential? Are you choosing to serve others as Mary did or are you expecting to be served?
The lesson behind The Visitation is that God calls on us all to put our faith into action. Yes, our faith is something that is deeply personal. But it is also something that should be very public. God gives us grace not only for our own sake, but to also help others in their conversion towards God’s love and their ultimate salvation. I’m reminded of the saying, “actions speak louder than words.” Let us remember that about prayer. Let us not just pay lip service to God, but actually put into action what we believe. Prayer is good and necessary, but it is the foundation for good works and not an end in itself.
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Rosary Meditation: The Third Joyful Mystery
Last modified on 2008-12-30 05:11:59 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Today’s rosary meditation is the Third Joyful Mystery — The Nativity. We reflect and pray on Jesus’ humble birth in a stable. This is an important mystery to focus on, not just during the Christmas season, but throughout the year. The nature of Jesus’ birth sets the stage for how He lived His life and provides a foundation for His teachings. The Nativity provides us a clear picture on how Jesus calls us to live.
When I think of this mystery the first word that comes to my mind is “humility.” Jesus came into this world in the humblest of surroundings. Hundreds of miles away from Rome, the seat of power in this world, the true king of kings was born. He was born without money, riches, or any earthly power. He was born surrounded by peasant shepherds, not a royal court. This humble birth was no accident as it showed from the very beginning that Jesus’ ways were not the world’s ways. His mission was not one of earthly conquest and accumulation of power nor was it to bring the Jews out of the submission of the Romans. Instead, He showed us the living a humble and meek life was His way and the only path to His Heavenly kingdom.
I think Jesus’ humble birth contrasts nicely with another word usually associated with Christmas — “trappings.” The dictionary defines that word as “outward decoration or dress; ornamental equipment.” I see the trappings of Christmas all over in the amount of money spent on presents, decorations, clothes, and food. But it’s not only Christmas were we seem to put a premium on the trappings of life. Many of us tend to focus all year long on living in a nice home, driving a fancy car, and having that dream job. While none of that is bad in itself, when we start to put the comforts of this world above the rewards of the next we move away from how Jesus lived His life and how He calls us to live ours. The trappings of this life literally trap us into living only for this world which amount to absolutely nothing in Jesus’ Heavenly kingdom.
So let us pray that we have the strength to live as Jesus did — humbling and meekly. Let us pray for the strength to not put our earthly desires ahead of our Heavenly needs. In the end God will not judge us based on the cars we drive, the value of our stock portfolio, or what position we held at our jobs. Those are just the trappings of this world, the ornamental decorations, while how well you followed Jesus’ path is the real substance. Let us meditate and pray this mystery of the rosary that we can embrace Jesus’ ways as manifested in the Nativity.
Rosary Meditation — The Fourth Joyful Mystery
Last modified on 2010-01-11 01:14:57 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
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This rosary meditation focuses on The Fourth Joyful Mystery — The Presentation of our Lord. In this mystery we see Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple as was the Jewish tradition. They encountered a man named Simeon whom the Holy Spirit said would not experience death until he had seen the Anointed One. Upon seeing Jesus, Simeon said “Now Master, You can dismiss Your servant in peace; You have fulfilled Your word” (Luke 2:29). Simeon is an example on how our faith requires patience, endurance, and moral fortitude. While there are times when we may not feel God’s presence in our lives our faith tells us that He is always near and always hears our prayers.
I sometimes come across postings on the Catholic Answers web forums from people who feel discouraged since they do not feel close to Jesus. They talk about how they pray, go to Mass, fast, and read the Bible and yet they do not feel the Lord’s grace. I think we can all look to Simeon as an example that even the most just and pious need to be patient and have faith that the Lord will present Himself in the way that will ultimately lead us to Him. However, while God desires all of us to be in His heavenly kingdom, the road is a long one fraught with temptation and sin. But if we can hold on and remain faithful, even when it seems like God does not hear our prayers or notices our good deeds, we will be rewarded with the eternal happiness of Heaven.
Why must our faith be difficult to live at times? Why don’t we get direct answers to our prayers from a thundering voice in the clouds? Why must we endure such hardship and struggle? I think Mother Teresa can help us find an answer. In her private letters to Rev. Michael Van Der Peet she once said (as reported in this Time article):
Jesus has a very special love for you,” she assured Van der Peet. “[But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — Listen and do not hear — the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak … I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have [a] free hand.
Here was a woman who embodied everything great about the Catholic faith and yet at times she felt distant from God’s love. She, like Simeon, was just and pious and yet she endured periods of time when she felt a great emptiness in her heart. Kolodiejchuk, a senior Missionaries of Charity member, explains that perhaps that emptiness is what drove her to do such great work. She never felt like her job was done or that God was prematurely rewarding her when there was still so much for her to do. Perhaps this was God’s way of making sure that pride did not hinder her important work. Mother Teresa still continued to do the Lord’s work and even put up a good face to others (the statements about her spiritual difficulties were not known until after her death). And, like Simeon, her patience paid off as she is now closer to Jesus than any of us ever can be in this world.
When we meditate on the Fourth Joyful Mystery let us remember Simeon and how his faith and patience was ultimately rewarded. We must pray for those who have fallen on the long and difficult road of faith that they get back up and have the strength to live as Jesus calls them. Remember, God has a plan for each of us and that plan will ultimately lead us to His heavenly kingdom. We just need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, especially in those times when it feels like God is the most distant from us. It is those times of great hardship when Jesus presents Himself to us although it may not be in the way we expect or we may not be listening. Remember in your prayers to not only speak to the Lord, but also allow Him to respond for He will show you the way to Him.
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Rosary Meditation — The Fifth Joyful Mystery
Last modified on 2009-11-14 03:58:00 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
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Today’s rosary meditation focuses on The Fifth Joyful Mystery — The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. When returning from a festival in Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph noticed that Jesus was not in the caravan. They went back to Jerusalem and searched for Jesus for three days before finding Him in the temple talking to the elders. When Mary said that she and Joseph had been searching for Him in sorrow, Jesus responded, “Why did you search for me? Did you not know I had to be in My Father’s house?” (Lk. 2:49).
Mary and Joseph traveled for a day before noticing that Jesus was missing from the caravan. They assumed He was somewhere else in the party. How far do we sometimes travel in life before we notice that Jesus is missing? How many days do we sometimes go without praying, reflecting on our sins, or thanking God for all the blessings He gives us? How many people do you know who are moving away from God’s graces by sinning but just assume God is “cool” with everything they are doing? Like Mary and Joseph assuming that Jesus was still in the caravan, many times we assume that we are much closer to the Lord than we really are. Many times we willfully go against Church teaching and sin and yet still think we are in God’s graces. It takes a lot of strength and courage to really examine ourselves, admit when we have moved away from the way God calls us to live, and then turn back and rediscover Jesus. We reconnect with Jesus through the sacrament of Reconciliation, prayer, reading the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Basically, we find Jesus in His “Father’s house” when we act in accordance with His Church’s teachings.
Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus for three days before finding Him. I think this is an important aspect of this mystery. It shows us that sometimes, even when we commit ourselves to finding Jesus in our lives, it can still be a long and difficult journey. We don’t always instantly feel God’s graces when we choose to reject sin and follow Jesus. I’ve heard many times of people feeling frustrated, depressed, or angry with God because they do not feel His presence although they are constantly looking for Him through prayer, fasting, and not sinning. But this mystery teaches us that we must not give up. We must constantly be looking for Jesus like a parent would look for a lost child. Mary and Joseph did not give up their search and neither should we. The Gospel describes that Mary and Joseph searched “in sorrow.” Our path to Jesus might not be easy and there will probably be setbacks, dead ends, relapses, and disappointment. But this is one search that we must never call off because our very souls are at stake.
Let us meditate and pray for all of those who are moving away from God. We should pray especially for those whose pride has blinded them to the truth of God’s Word. We must pray for those who twist the Church’s teachings to try to justify sinful behavior. And we ask God for the strength to always turn towards Him and return to His Father’s house when we stray. For it doesn’t matter how far off track we are, either with a single sin or a lifetime of sinful behavior, we can always turn around and find God’s mercy.
Rosary Meditation — Fifth Joyful Mystery, Part 2
Last modified on 2010-01-02 17:26:36 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
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Last Sunday was the feast of the Holy Family. The Gospel reading was the Fifth Joyful Mystery about finding Jesus in the temple. I wrote a rosary meditation on this mystery earlier, but I had another thought as I was listening to the Gospel at Mass that I wanted to share.
In Luke’s Gospel, after finding Jesus in the temple, Jesus said that He had to be in His Father’s house. The Gospel then says that Mary and Joseph, “did not grasp what He said to them” (Luke 2:50). I have a hard time understanding why Mary and Joseph were so confused by Jesus’ words. After all, He was immaculately conceived. An angel came to Mary saying that she was going to be the mother of God. Choirs of angels sang at His birth. Three wise men sought him out and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Those aren’t events that just happen to any regular human being. So why were Mary and Joseph so confused despite the fact that they understood that Jesus was God made man?
I now realize that Mary and Joseph’s confusion is no different, in some respects, to our confusion of Jesus’ message today. How many times does Jesus speak to us through the Mass, prayer, the Bible, and the teachings of the Church? He may not physically appear to us, but that does not diminish His message of love, peace, and faith. And yet, we still do not understand His teachings and struggle to live according to His will. We still fall into temptation and sin. We still choose to live for this earthly world and not His kingdom. We even have the advantage of knowing of His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven and yet our actions reflect a confusion and sometimes a total lack of understanding of Jesus’ teachings. So when the Gospel writers talk of Mary’s confusion of Jesus’ words, perhaps they are commenting more on our human condition of not understanding Jesus’ nature.
As we enter a new decade may we make a resolution to better understand Jesus’ teachings. Let us also resolve to live and treat each other as Jesus tells us. May we have the courage to let the Holy Spirit lead us through life’s difficult situations. As Mary asks us repeatedly, may we make room in our hearts for Jesus through prayer, meditation, and fasting. Finally, may this be a new decade of decades (rosary decades that is) as we resolve to pray the rosary more than ever. Happy 2010 everyone!
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February 16 2009 10:29 pm
