The First Joyful Mystery,
The Annunciation.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God
unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth,
to a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David;
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her,
and said:
"Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee:
bless-edd art thou among women".
And when she saw him,
she was troubled at his saying,
and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation
this should be.
And the angel said unto her:
"Fear not, Mary:
for thou hast found favor with God.
And, behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great,
and shall be called
the Son of the Highest"
... And Mary said:
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it done unto me according to thy word".
And the angel departed from her.
(Luke 1,26-38)

Oh Mary with Your "yes"
You have opened heaven's ways,
You have achieved the will
of the Father.
You will be blessed for ever:
Your intercession is heard in Heaven,
because You have accepted God's plan.
Let us pray that we can say
"yes" to the Father in every instance
He ask it of us.
Mary help us to be humble and obedient
to God's will.

The Second Joyful Mystery,
The Visitation.

Mary arose in those days,
and went into the hill country
with haste, into a city of Juda.
And entered into the house of Zacharias,
and saluted Elisabeth.
And it came to pass,
that, when Elisabeth
heard the salutation of Mary,
the babe leaped in her womb;
and Elisabeth was filled
with the Holy Ghost
and she spake out with a loud voice,
and said: "Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb".
... And Mary said:
"My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded
the low estate of his handmaiden:
for, behold, from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty
hath done to me great things;
and holy is his name"...
(Luke 1,39-49)

Mary goes to visit Elisabeth:
She carries God to Her cousin,
for the love
of Her brothers and neighbors.

Lord help us to carry Christ to others,
like Mary did.
Let us ask Mary
the gift of burning charity.

The Third Joyful Mystery,
The Nativity

And so it was, that,
while they were there,
the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth
her firstborn son,
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,
and laid him in a manger;
because there was
no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch
over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord
came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them:
"Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day
in the city of David
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger".
(Luke 2 6-12)

Infant Jesus in the manger.
Mary, Joseph and the shepherds
adore Him.
Let us also adore Christ,
the Son of God,
in the silence of our soul
and from the depth of our heart.
Let us ask Mary
to make us love Jesus more, and also
the gift of poverty of spirit.

The Fourth Joyful Mystery,
The Presentation

And when the days of her purification
according to the law of Moses
were accomplished,
they brought him to Jerusalem,
to present him to the Lord;
And to offer a sacrifice
according to that
which is said in the law of the Lord,
A pair of turtledoves,
or two young pigeons.
And, behold, there was a man
in Jerusalem,
whose name was Simeon;
and the same man was just and devout,
waiting
for the consolation of Israel:
and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
...When the parents
brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him
after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms,
and blessed God, and said:
"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace,
according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen
thy salvation...
A light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel."
And Joseph and his mother
marvelled at those things
which were spoken of him.
And Simeon blessed them,
and said unto Mary his mother:
"Behold, this child is set
for the fall and rising again
of many in Israel;
and for a sign
which shall be spoken against;
(Yea, a sword shall pierce
through thy own soul also,)
that the thoughts of many hearts
may be revealed."
(Luke 2,22-35)

We need to pay attention
to the voice of God,
to discern His call
and accept the mission He gave us.
After the Simeon prophecy,
Mary takes into Her Heart
the wound of sorrow,
but in the silence She accepts the
will of Her Father.

The Fifth Joyful Mystery,
The Finding of Our Lord
in the Temple.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem
every year
at the feast of the passover.
And when he was twelve years old,
they went up to Jerusalem
after the custom of the feast.
And when they had fulfilled the days,
as they returned,
the child Jesus
tarried behind in Jerusalem;
and Joseph and his mother
knew not of it.
But they, supposing him
to have been in the company,
went a day's journey;
and they sought him
among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
And when they found him not,
they turned back again to Jerusalem,
seeking him And it came to pass,
that after three days
they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors,
both hearing them,
and asking them questions.
And all that heard him
were astonished at his understanding
and answers.
And when they saw him,
they were amazed:
and his mother said unto him:
"Son,
why hast thou thus dealt with us?
behold, thy father and I
have sought thee sorrowing".
And he said unto them:
"How is it that ye sought me?
wist ye not
that I must be
about my Father's business?"
And they understood not the saying
which he spake unto them.
And he went down with them,
and came to Nazareth,
and was subject unto them:
but his mother
kept all these sayings in her heart.
(Luke 2,41-51)

Let us think of how many times
we have been far from Jesus;
from that Jesus,
who with so much love
has died for us.
Let us meditate
that in the difficulties of life
the only safety is finding Jesus
and never again
leaving his great love.

The First Sorrowful Mystery,
The Agony in the Garden.

Then cometh Jesus with them
unto a place called Gethsemane,
and saith unto the disciples,
Sit ye here,
while I go and pray yonder.
And he took with him
Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to be sorrowful
and very heavy.
Then saith he unto them:
"My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death:
tarry ye here, and watch with me".
And he went a little farther,
and fell on his face,
and prayed, saying:
"O my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will,
but as thou wilt".
(Matthew 26,36-39).
And being in an agony
he prayed more earnestly:
and his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood
falling down to the ground.
(Luke 22,44)
In the forsaking prayer to the Father,
Jesus found strength, trust,
and an angel was sent to comfort Him.
So Jesus
will be our comforting angel.
It's as He said to us:
" Why do you worry
in your difficulties?
Be strong in me; look to your God
in your most troubled hour,
and you will be triumphant."
Let us ask to forsake ourselves to
God, to always do His will.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery,
The Scourging at the Pillar.

When the morning was come,
all the chief priests
and elders of the people
took counsel against Jesus
to put him to death.
And when they had bound him,
they led him away,
and delivered him
to Pontius Pilate the governor.
And Jesus stood
before the governor:
and the governor asked him,
saying:
"Art thou the King of the Jews?"
And Jesus said unto him:
"Thou sayest".
And when he was accused
of the chief priests and elders,
he answered nothing.
Then said Pilate unto him:
"Hearest thou not how many things
they witness against thee?"
And he answered him to never a word Pilate saith unto them:
"What shall I do then with Jesus
which is called Christ?"
They all say unto him:
"Let him be crucified!"
And the governor said:
"Why, what evil hath he done?"
But they cried out the more,
saying: "Let him be crucified!"
(Matthew 27).
And so Pilate,
willing to content the people,
released Barabbas unto them,
and delivered Jesus,
when he had scourged him,
to be crucified.
(Mark 15,15)
How many pains, how many torments,
and how many wounds
on the body of Jesus?
How much blood falls to the ground,
while His tormenters laugh,
insult him, and gather their strength
to hit
the innocent body of Jesus again?
Let us ask to accept
every insult
for the love of our Lord,
and also a true regret for our sins.

The Third Sorrowful Mystery,
The Crowning with Thorns.

Then the soldiers of the governor
took Jesus into the common hall,
and gathered unto him
the whole band of soldiers.
And they stripped him,
and put on him a scarlet robe.
And when they had platted
a crown of thorns,
they put it upon his head,
and a reed in his right hand:
and they bowed the knee before him,
and mocked him, saying:
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
And they spit upon him,
and took the reed,
and smote him on the head.
And after that they had mocked him,
they took the robe off from him,
and put his own raiment on him,
and led him away to crucify him.
(Matthew 27,27-31)
Think of the indignity, outrage, pain,
and humiliation that Jesus suffered.
They striped Him of every dignity,
He was treated as the guilt
of our worst sins.
He seems to say to us:
"Why do you despair when you suffer?
Is that the way you love me?
Meditate about my passions
and find in them great riches."

Let us ask the gift of patience
to accept all humiliations,
thinking of how Jesus suffered for us.

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery,
The Carrying of The Cross.

And as they led him away,
they laid hold upon one Simon,
a Cyrenian,
coming out of the country,
and on him they laid the cross,
that he might bear it after Jesus.
And there followed him
a great company of people,
and of women,
which also bewailed and lamented him.
But Jesus turning unto them said:
"Daughters of Jerusalem,
weep not for me,
but weep for yourselves,
and for your children.
For, behold, the days are coming,
in the which they shall say,
Bless-edd are the barren,
and the wombs that never bare,
and the paps which never gave suck".
... And there were also two other,
malefactors, led with him
to be put to death..
(Luke 23,26-32)

Even if He had suffered just for you,
Jesus would have accepted such pains,
great is His love for you.
Along the road to Calvary
Jesus sees Mary, His Mother.
Can we imagine the moment
when Their eyes met?
Oh how Her Heart must have ached.
Let us pray to Mary for the grace
to always accept our cross,
so that Her and Jesus may bear it.

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery,
The Crucifixion.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus
his mother, and his mother's sister,
Mary the wife of Cleophas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw his mother,
and the disciple standing by,
whom he loved,
he saith unto his mother:
"Woman, behold thy son!"
Then saith he to the disciple:
"Behold thy mother!"
And from that hour
that disciple took her
unto his own home.
(John 19,25-27)

Jesus wishes to see us
close to His Mother;
He wishes that, like children,
we keep our hand in the hand of Mary.
That is what He wants.
He asks us to look
to the heavenly Mother,
that is depend on Her.
He asks that we accept Our Lady
as our true Mother,
who will ignite in us
a fervent love of Her Son.

Mary, we believe
that you are The Mother of God,
we trust in You,
take us and put us
in the refuge
of Your Immaculate Heart,
heal with Your humility our pride,
that so often takes us far from God.

The First Glorious Mystery,
The Resurrection.

In the end of the sabbath,
as it began to dawn
toward the first day of the week,
came Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
And, behold,
there was a great earthquake:
for the angel of the Lord
descended from heaven,
and came and
rolled back the stone from the door,
and sat upon it.
And the angel answered
and said unto the women:
"Fear not ye!
For I know that ye seek Jesus,
which was crucified.
He is not here.
For he is risen, as he said".
(Matthew 28,1-6)

The risen Jesus has proved that man,
together with Him,
can have power over sin
and therefore death.
Jesus, help raise us,
deliver us from sin, from evil,
give us Your light, give us Your joy.
Rekindle inside us the love,
the faith, the hopefulness,
and the gift of prayer.
Let us ask Mary
for the gift of an unshakeable faith.

The Second Glorious Mystery,
The Assension.

And as they are speaking these things,
Jesus himself stood
in the midst of them,
and saith to them,
"Peace to you";
being amazed, and becoming affrighted,
they were thinking themselves
to see a spirit.
And he said to them,
"Why are ye troubled?
and wherefore do reasonings
come up in your hearts?
see my hands and my feet,
that I am he; handle me and see,
because
a spirit hath not flesh and bones,
as ye see me having."
And having said this,
he shewed to them
the hands and the feet. ...
"And, lo, I do send the promise
of my Father upon you,
but ye --
abide ye in the city of Jerusalem
till ye be clothed
with power from on high."
And he led them forth without
-- unto Bethany,
and having lifted up his hands
he did bless them,
and it came to pass,
in his blessing them,
he was parted from them,
and was borne up to the heaven.
(Luke 24,36-51)

Jesus,
You have not
deserted Your apostles in anguish
, but have given them
the joy of
knowing Jesus "glorified"
over 40 days.
After Your Ascension,
You granted to all those who seek You
the gift of
recieving You in the Eucharist.
Through Mary we trust in you.
Mary, give us the gift of hope.

The Third Glorious Mystery,
The Desent of The Holy Ghost.

And when the day of Pentecost
was fully come,
they were all with one accord
in one place.
And suddenly there came
a sound from heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house
where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost,
and began
to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2,1-4)

Jesus, inffuse us with the Comforter,
the Holy Ghost,
enlighten us
with the light of Your Spirit,
with His strength
enter in the deepest parts
of our hearts and heal us.
Deliver us, fill up our hearts
with Your love.
Make us apostles of Yours,
dear Lord.
Let us ask Mary the gift of true love,
the gift of prayer from the heart.

"Come Holy Spirit,
come by means of
the powerful intercession
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Your well-beloved Spouse."

The Fourth Glorious Mystery,
The Assumption.

Bless-edd art thou
of the most high God
above all the women upon the earth;
and blessed be the Lord God,
which hath created
the heavens and the earth,
which hath directed thee
to the cutting off of the head
of the chief of our enemies.
... Thou hast done all these things
by thine hand:
thou hast done much good to Israel,
and God is pleased therewith:
Bless-edd be thou
of the Almighty Lord for evermore.
And all the people said,
So be it.
(Judith 13,18-20; 15,10)

Now that Mary is raised into heaven,
She prays for Her sons and daughters,
those sons and daughters
Jesus left Her
when He was on the cross.
Mary, pray for us,
You know our fears,
take us into Your Heart,
the Heart of a Mother.
Help us now
and in the time of our death
to be with You in Heaven.
We ask of you a devotion
to Your Immaculate Heart,
where we may take refuge
in times of trouble.

The Fifth Glorious Mystery,
The Coronation.

There appeared a great sign in heaven:
a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head
a crown of twelve stars.
(Rev 12,1)

Let us trust in Mary,
Let us call to Her,
let us love Her,
let us confide in Her,
because She gives Her all to us.
We have a Mother in Heaven
who is also a Queen;
thus we need to turn to Her
with full faith and hopefulness.
If we ask for something
while praying the Holy Rosary,
it will be granted to us.
Ask Her for the gift of prayer,
a prayer of the heart,
said only for love,
a love for Her and Jesus.
Let us also ask for
a consistency of prayer,
to always be joined to Her Heart,
and therefore to the Heart of Jesus.

ST. CHARLES BORROMEO

St. Charles Borromeo (1538�1584) was born into an ancient and wealthy family in Lombardy, Italy. When his uncle became Pope Pius IV, Charles was brought to Rome to take over several important assignments connected with the Vatican. He was ordained to Holy Orders at the age of 25 and was later made Archbishop of Milan, a position of high influence in the Church, and Cardinal.

He rectified abuses and maintained the integrity of the Church's internal structure, all for which he encountered strong opposition and threats against his life. He also established hospitals, seminaries, orphanages, and the first Sunday School classes. He was a key player in the Council of Trent and kept it going when it was in danger of breaking up. He was a prominent defender of Church teaching in the Counter-Reformation and helped produce an official catechism. His counsel was widely sought, especially by the Catholic kings and queens of Europe and the popes under whom he served, and his virtue was evident to all. Throughout his life he held his rank and authority with humility, living austerely and constantly striving for sanctity. When plague and famine hit Milan in 1576, Charles stayed in the city to care for those in need and borrowed large sums of money to feed tens of thousands of people each day. Exhausted from his reforming labors, he died at the age of 46. St. Charles Borromeo is the patron of catechists, catechumens, seminarians, spiritual directors, and bishops. His feast day is November 4th.