Week Beginning May 26, 2024
The Glorious Mysteries
The Glorious Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays outside of the seasons of Advent and Lent. These mysteries conclude the earthly journey of Jesus and Mary and introduce the continuation of their mission through the work of the Church.
Throughout the Glorious Mysteries, heaven and earth converge as the promises of God are fulfilled. Our Rosary story ends with the hope of glory, not the despair of sorrow. It is revealed that when we die with Christ, we also rise with him to a new and everlasting life. Pope Saint John Paul II explains that “No matter how much the world may weigh upon us, no matter how much evil, sin, and suffering it may hold, the gaze of faith, fixed on the Mother of God, always discovers in her the ‘dawn of a better world.’”
Saint Louis de Montfort elaborates that these five miraculous events: “are called the Glorious Mysteries because when we say them we meditate on Jesus and Mary in their triumph and glory. The first is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; the second, His Ascension into Heaven; the third, the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles; the fourth, Our Lady’s glorious Assumption into Heaven; and the fifth, her Crowning in Heaven.”
As you meditate upon the Glorious Mysteries this week, consider your unique role in salvation history. What lessons from Our Blessed Mother can help you awaken to that dawn of a better world?
THE RESURRECTION
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-18
Luke 24:1-49
John 20:1-31; 21:1-25
Supplemental Scripture:
John 12:24
1 Corinthians 15:1-58
1 Peter 1:18-20
Isaiah 25:8-9
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Fruit: Faith
Quotes for Reflection:
“The grave is the place where no one who enters ever leaves. But Jesus emerged for us; He rose for us, to bring life where there was death, to begin a new story in the very place where a stone had been placed. He, who rolled away the stone that sealed the entrance of the tomb, can also remove the stones in our hearts. So, let us not give in to resignation; let us not place a stone before hope. We can and must hope, because God is faithful. He did not abandon us; He visited us and entered into our situations of pain, anguish and death. His light dispelled the darkness of the tomb: today He wants that light to penetrate even to the darkest corners of our lives. Dear sister, dear brother, even if in your heart you have buried hope, do not give up: God is greater. Darkness and death do not have the last word. Be strong, for with God nothing is lost!” ~ Pope Francis
“Oh Risen One, Oh gentle door-keeper, Oh humble lamb, you are the gardener who, having opened the gates of the heavenly garden, that is paradise, you offer us the flowers and the fruits of the eternal Deity. And now I know for certain that you have spoken the truth…When you appeared as a traveler to two of your disciples and told them that the Christ must suffer and that it was by way of the Cross that he enters into his glory…And what was your Glory, oh sweet and loving Word? It was Yourself and it was necessary for you to suffer in order to enter into your Glory.” ~ Saint Catherine of Siena
“Easter Sunday was not within three days of the Transfiguration, but within three days of Good Friday. Love is not to be measured by the joys and pleasures which it gives, but by the ability to draw joy out of sorrow, a resurrection out of a crucifixion, and life out of death. Unless there is a Cross in our life, there will never be an empty tomb; unless there is the crown of thorns, there will never be the halo of light: ‘O, Death, where is thy victory? O, grave where is thy sting?’” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“Tis the spring of souls today: Christ hath burst His prison; and from three days’ sleep in death as a Sun hath risen. All the winter of our sins, long and dark, is flying from His light, to whom we give laud and praise undying. Now the queen of seasons, bright with the day of splendor, with the royal feast of feasts comes its joy to render!” ~ Saint John of Damascus
“Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us–you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honor our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died.” ~ Saint Gregory the Theologian
“Jesus Christ made [the] journey to the ends of the universe for our sake. In the impenetrable gloom of death Christ came like light–the night became as bright as day and the darkness became as light. And so the Church can rightly consider these words of thanksgiving and trust as words spoken by the Risen Lord to His Father: ‘Yes, I have journeyed to the uttermost depths of the earth, to the abyss of death, and brought them light; now I have risen and I am upheld for ever by Your hands.’ But these words of the Risen Christ to the Father have also become words which the Lord speaks to us: ‘I arose and now I am still with you,’ He says to each of us. My hand upholds you. Wherever you may fall, you will always fall into my hands. I am present even at the door of death. Where no one can accompany you further, and where you can bring nothing, even there I am waiting for you, and for you I will change darkness into light.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
THE ASCENSION
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 28:16-20
Mark 16:14-20
Luke 24:50-53
Acts 1:6-11
Supplemental Scripture:
John 14:27-29; 16:27-28
Ephesians 1:17-23
Hebrews 12:1-2
Psalm 47
Psalm 68:32-35
Fruit: Hope
Quotes for Reflection:
“First of all, he ascended because the glorious kingdom of the highest heavens, not the obscure abode of this earth, presented a suitable dwelling place for him whose body, rising from the tomb, was clothed with the glory of immortality. He ascended, however, not only to possess the throne of glory and the kingdom which he had merited by his blood, but also to attend to whatever regards our salvation. Again, he ascended to prove thereby that his kingdom is not of this world.” ~ Pope Saint Pius V
“From that time onward, He was to remain at the Father’s Right Hand, until the completion of the period, ordained by God, for the Church’s children to increase and multiply, after which, in the same Body with which He ascended, He will come again to judge the living and the dead. And so, our Redeemer’s Visible Presence has passed into the Sacraments. Our faith is nobler and stronger because, empirical sight has been replaced by a reliable teaching, whose authority is accepted by believing hearts, enlightened from on high.” ~ Pope Saint Leo I
“Jesus departs in the act of blessing. He goes while blessing, and He remains in that gesture of blessing. His hands remain stretched out over this world. The blessing hands of Christ are like a roof that protects us. But at the same time, they are a gesture of opening up, tearing the world open so that heaven may enter in, may become ‘present’ within it. The gesture of hands outstretched in blessing expresses Jesus’ continuing relationship to His disciples, to the world. In departing, He comes to us, in order to raise us up above ourselves and to open up the world to God. That is why the disciples could return home from Bethany rejoicing. In faith we know that Jesus holds His hands stretched out in blessing over us. That is the lasting motive of Christian joy.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“O memorable day! The Apostles feel it to be so, now that it is come, though they felt so differently before it came. When it was coming they dreaded it. They could not think but it would be a great bereavement; but now, as we read, they returned to Jerusalem ‘with great joy.’ O what a time of triumph! They understood it now. They understood how weak it had been in them to grudge their Lord and Master, the glorious Captain of their salvation, the Champion and First fruits of the human family, this crown of His great work. It was the triumph of redeemed man. It is the completion of his redemption. It was the last act, making the whole sure, for now man is actually in heaven. He has entered into possession of his inheritance. The sinful race has now one of its own children there, its own flesh and blood, in the person of the Eternal Son. O what a wonderful marriage between heaven and earth! It began in sorrow; but now the long travail of that mysterious wedding day is over; the marriage feast is begun; marriage and birth have gone together; man is new born when Emmanuel enters heaven.” ~ Saint John Henry Newman
“The Ascension exhorts us to lift our gaze toward heaven, in order to return it immediately to the earth, to implement the tasks that the Risen Lord entrusts to us…It is a boundless mission–that is, literally without boundaries–which surpasses human strength. Jesus says, in fact: ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation’ (Mark 16:15). The task which Jesus entrusts to a small group of common men lacking great intellectual capacity seems truly too bold! Yet this small company, insignificant compared to the great powers of the world, is sent to bring the message of Jesus’ love and mercy to every corner of the earth. But this plan of God can be accomplished only with the strength that God himself grants to the Apostles.” ~ Pope Francis
“Perhaps, the Blessed Mother, was the last to take her eyes off the disappearing cloud which had removed Jesus from view. Her human eyes never saw again, the beloved figure of her Divine Son but, in her soul, she saw Him entering triumphantly into Heaven among choirs of Angels and sitting at the right hand of the Eternal Father. She saw and thought with infinite yearning, of the not too distant day, when she would have passed from mortal exile, into the everlasting happiness of Heaven, where she would embrace her Divine Son again, in an ecstasy of love. We have all been called to ascend to Heaven with Jesus and Mary. Let us remember, however, that only the innocent and the repentant can be admitted into Paradise!” ~ His Eminence Antonio Bacci
THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Primary Scripture:
Acts 1:1-4; 2:1-41
John 20:19-23
Supplemental Scripture:
John 14:22-25; 16:4-15
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34
Galatians 5:16-25
Exodus 24:12, 15-17
Fruit: Wisdom
Quotes for Reflection:
“In the Annunciation we pass from the holiness of the Old Testament to the holiness of Christ. At Pentecost we pass from the holiness of the Historical Christ to the holiness of the Mystical Christ or His Body, which is the Church. Mary here receives the Spirit for a second time. The first overshadowing was to give birth to the Head of the Church; this second overshadowing is to give birth to His Body as she is in the midst of the Apostles abiding in prayer…As the Son of God in the Incarnation took upon Himself a human body from the womb of the Blessed Mother overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, so now on Pentecost He takes from the womb of humanity a Mystical Body, as the Holy Spirit overshadowed the twelve Apostles with ‘Mary in the midst of them abiding in prayer.’ The Mystical Body is the Church; He is the Invisible Head; Peter and his successors, the Visible Head; we, the members, and the Holy Spirit its soul. As He once taught, governed, and sanctified through His human nature, so now He teaches, governs, and sanctifies through other human natures compacted into His Mystical Body, the Church. We can never thank God enough for making us members of His One-Fold and one Shepherd.” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended with power upon the Apostles; thus began the mission of the Church in the world. Jesus himself prepared the Eleven for this mission, appearing to them on many occasions after His Resurrection. Prior to the Ascension into Heaven, He ordered them ‘not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father;’ that is, He asked them to stay together to prepare themselves to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And they gathered in prayer with Mary in the Upper Room, awaiting the promised event. To stay together was the condition laid down by Jesus in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; the premise of their harmony was prolonged prayer. The Lord certainly does ask for our collaboration, but before any other response His initiative is necessary: His Spirit is the true protagonist of the Church.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“Let us go back to the origin of the Church, to the day of Pentecost. Let us look at the Apostles: some of them were fishermen, simple people accustomed to living by the work of their hands, but there were others, like Matthew, who was an educated tax collector. They were from different backgrounds and social contexts. Some were meek and others were excitable; they all had different ideas and sensibilities. They were all different. Jesus did not change them; He did not make them into a set of pre-packaged models. No. He left their differences and now He unites them by anointing them with the Holy Spirit. With the anointing comes their union–union in diversity. At Pentecost, the Apostles understand the unifying power of the Spirit. They see it with their own eyes when everyone, though speaking in different languages, comes together as one people: the people of God, shaped by the Spirit, who weaves unity from diversity and bestows harmony because in the Spirit there is harmony. He Himself is harmony. In the Church of today, we can ask ourselves: “What is it that unites us, what is the basis of our unity?” We too have our differences. We might think that what unite us are our beliefs and our morality. But there is much more: our principle of unity is the Holy Spirit. He reminds us that first of all we are God’s beloved children; all equal, in this respect, and all different. The Spirit comes to us, in our differences and difficulties, to tell us that we have one Lord–Jesus–and one Father, and that for this reason we are brothers and sisters! Let us begin anew from here; let us look at the Church with the eyes of the Spirit and not as the world does. The world sees us only as on the right or left, with one ideology or the other; the Spirit sees us as sons and daughters of the Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus. The Spirit loves us and knows everyone’s place in the grand scheme of things: for Him, we are not bits of confetti blown about by the wind, rather we are irreplaceable fragments in His mosaic.” ~ Pope Francis
“Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Thus [the Church] says over and over in every corner of the earth, her fervor unchanged, firmly aware that she must remain in the Upper Room, always awaiting the Spirit. At the same time, she knows that she must leave the Upper Room and travel the world’s roads, with the ever new task of bearing witness to the mystery of the Spirit.” ~ Pope Saint John Paul II
“A fiery sword, barred of old, the gates of Paradise, a fiery tongue, which brought salvation, restored the gift.” ~ Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
“May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with us! Holy Spirit, you inspired the prophets so that they could proclaim in advance the wonders of the Messiah. You purified the Apostles so that they could carry the message of Christ to the whole world. Your breath enabled human beings to become spiritual. You bring together in one widely different languages and customs. With your heavenly touch, you have taught the saints in all centuries. You have yourself today endowed the Apostles of Christ with the most extraordinary and hitherto unknown gifts. You have made glorious this day of Pentecost. Amen. Alleluia!” ~ Blessed Humbert of Romans
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Primary Scripture:
Luke 1:28, 38, 41-42
Genesis 3:15
Supplemental Scripture:
Luke 1:46-56; 2:19, 34-35
John 19:25-27
Psalm 45:10-12, 16
1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Revelation 12:1
Ephesians 2:6
Fruit: Devotion to Mary
Quotes for Reflection:
“Mary was not a rose in which Divinity reposed for a time; she was the canal through which God came to us. Mary could no longer live without the Dream she brought forth, nor could the Dream live without her, body and soul. Her love of God bore her upward; His love of His Mother lifted her upward. Our Lord could not forget the cradle in which He lay. In the Annunciation, the angel said: ‘The Lord is with Thee.’ In the Assumption: ‘Mary is with the Lord.’ Her Assumption is the guarantee that one’s prayers to her will be answered. The Son is on the right Hand of the Father; she is on the right Hand of the Son.” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“It was fitting that she, who had kept her virginity in childbirth, should keep her own body free from all corruption even after death. It was fitting that she, who had carried the Creator as a child at her breast, should dwell in the divine tabernacles…it was fitting that God’s Mother should possess what belongs to her Son and that she should be honored by every creature as the Mother and the Handmaid of God.” ~ Saint John Damascene
“She who is the mother of the Eucharist, escapes the decomposition of death. Mary becomes the first human person to realize the historical destiny of the faithful as members of Christ’s mystical Body, beyond time, beyond death, and beyond judgment. By her Assumption she goes ahead like her Son to prepare a place for us. Mary always seems to be the Advent of what is in store for man. She anticipates Christ for nine months, as she bears Heaven within her; she anticipates His Passion at Cana and His Church at Pentecost. Now in the last great Doctrine of the Assumption, she anticipates heavenly glory, and the definition comes at a time when men think of it least.” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“The…Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary…is an opportunity to rise with Mary to the heights of the spirit where one breathes the pure air of supernatural life and contemplates the most authentic beauty, the beauty of holiness. Mary is indeed the first fruit of the new humanity, the creature in whom the mystery of Christ–His Incarnation, Death, Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven–has already fully taken effect, redeeming her from death and conveying her, body and soul, to the Kingdom of immortal life. The Virgin Mary is a sign of certain hope and comfort to us. [We] lift our gaze to Heaven; not to a heaven consisting of abstract ideas or even an imaginary heaven created by art, but the Heaven of true reality which is God himself. God is Heaven. He is our destination, the destination and the eternal dwelling place from which we come and for which we are striving.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“And with regard to ourselves, how deservedly do we keep the Feast of the Assumption with all solemnity. What reasons for rejoicing, what motives for exultation have we on this most beautiful day! The presence of Mary illumines the entire world so that even the holy city above has now a more dazzling splendor from the light of this virginal Lamp. With good reason, thanksgiving and the voice of praise, resound today throughout the courts of Heaven…let us not complain, for here we do not have a lasting city but we seek one that is to come, the same which the blessed Mary entered today.” ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
“When man set foot on the moon, he said a phrase that became famous: ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ In essence, humanity had reached a historical goal. But in Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, we celebrate an infinitely greater conquest. The Madonna has set foot in paradise: she went there not only in spirit, but with her body as well, with all of herself. This step of the lowly Virgin of Nazareth was the huge leap forward for humanity. Going to the moon serves us little if we do not live as brothers and sisters on Earth. But that one of us dwells in the flesh in Heaven gives us hope: we understand that we are precious, destined to rise again. God does not allow our bodies to vanish into nothing. With God, nothing is lost! In Mary, the goal has been reached and we have before our eyes the reasons why we journey: not to gain the things here below, which vanish, but to achieve the homeland above, which is forever. And Our Lady is the star that guides us. She went there first. She, as the Council teaches, shines ‘as a sign of sure hope and solace to the People of God during its sojourn on earth.’” ~ Pope Francis
THE CORONATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Primary Scripture:
Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10, 17
Supplemental Scripture:
Matthew 2:9-12
1 Kings 1:16, 2:13-21
Luke 1:48-49
Fruit: Grace of a Happy Death
Quotes for Reflection:
“Mary has the authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth and hell, willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs.” ~ Saint Louis de Montfort
“This is why the Blessed Virgin is called Powerful–nay, sometimes, All-powerful, because she has, more than anyone else, more than all Angels and Saints, this great, prevailing gift of prayer. No one has access to the Almighty as His Mother has; none has merit such as hers. Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks; and herein lies her power. While she defends the Church, neither height nor depth, neither men nor evil spirits, neither great monarchs, nor craft of man, nor popular violence, can avail to harm us; for human life is short, but Mary reigns above, a Queen for ever.” ~ Saint John Henry Newman
“From the earliest ages of the catholic church a Christian people, whether in time of triumph or more especially in time of crisis, has addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven. And never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother’s solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen.” ~ Venerable Pope Pius XII
“Let all the children of the Catholic Church, who are so very dear to us, hear these words of ours. With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love, let them continue to venerate, invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin. Let them fly with utter confidence to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears. Under her guidance, under her patronage, under her kindness and protection, nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless. Because, while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection and having in her care, the work of our salvation, she is solicitous about the whole human race. And since, she has been appointed by God, to be the Queen of heaven and earth and is exalted above all the choirs of angels and saints and, even stands at the right hand, of her only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner. What she asks, she obtains. Her pleas can never be unheard!” ~ Pope Blessed Pius IX
“Mary shows us that, if we want our life to be happy, we must place God first, because He alone is great. Mary invites us to look upwards at the ‘great things’ that the Lord has accomplished in her. Even in us, in all of us, the Lord accomplishes so many great things. He wants us to recognize that and to rejoice and magnify Him, for the things that He does in and with us. Mary is assumed into heaven: small and humble, she is the first to receive the highest glory. She, who is a human being, one of us, reaches eternity in body and soul. And there she waits for us, just like a mother waits for her children to come home. We look to Mary and see the finish line. We see that a creature has been assumed to the glory of the risen Christ, and that creature could only be her, the mother of the Redeemer. We see that in heaven, together with Christ, the new Adam, there’s also her, Mary, the new Eve, and this gives us comfort and hope in our pilgrimage here on Earth. Let us look upwards, because on the threshold of heaven there is a mother who awaits us and is our mother. She loves us, smiles at us and helps us with care. Like every mother she wants the best for her children and says to us: ‘You are precious in the eyes of God; you’re not made for little satisfactions of the world, but for the great joys of heaven.’ Yes, because God is joy, not boredom. God is joy. Let us allow ourselves to be taken by Mary’s hand. Every time we take the Rosary in our hands and pray to her we take a step forward toward the great goal of our life.” ~ Pope Francis
“As Queen of Heaven, Our Lord comes back to us again through Mary, passing His Life and His blessing through her hands as the Mediatrix of all graces. He came through her in Bethlehem; through her, we go back to Him and through her He comes back again to us.” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“Our Lady, Mary, clothed with the sun, that is, with God, totally; Mary who lives totally in God, surrounded and penetrated by God’s light. Surrounded by the twelve stars, that is, by the twelve tribes of Israel, by the whole People of God, by the whole Communion of Saints; and at her feet, the moon, the image of death and mortality. Mary has left death behind her; she is totally clothed in life, she is taken up body and soul into God’s glory and thus, placed in glory after overcoming death, she says to us: Take heart, it is love that wins in the end!” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
Week Beginning May 19, 2024
The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays during the season of Lent. They focus on the critical events that span a time period of less than 24 hours, beginning after the Last Supper and culminating with the death of Jesus on the cross. Meditating upon these mysteries allows us to appreciate the intensity of Our Lord’s and Our Lady’s obedience to the will of God, suffering in response to our sins, and sacrifice for our salvation. The Sorrowful Mysteries are absolute proof of their boundless love.
Saint Louis de Montfort explains that these mysteries “show us Our Lord weighed down with sadness, covered with wounds, laden with insults, sufferings and torments. The first of these mysteries is Jesus’ Prayer and Agony in the Garden of Olives; the second, His Scourging; the third, His Crowning with Thorns; the fourth, Jesus carrying His Cross; and the fifth, His Crucifixion and Death on Mount Calvary.” Pope Saint John Paul II notes that “The sorrowful mysteries help the believer to relive the death of Jesus, to stand at the foot of the Cross beside Mary, to enter with her into the depths of God’s love for man and to experience all its life-giving power.”
Start this week experiencing the Sorrowful Mysteries as a sinner. Reflect on how our ills contribute to every insult, every betrayal, every injustice, every scourge, and every torment that Our Lord withstands. Despite our shortcomings, Jesus responds to us with an outpouring of his infinite charity and divine mercy. Partake in the Passion through your personal sacrifices and through the Sacrifice of the Mass. Console his heart. Trust in God’s plan. Persevere in your struggles. The Venerable Fulton Sheen suggests: “The ideal is to reach a point in practice, where, like Our Lord on the cross, we witness to God even amidst abandonment and the agony of a crucifixion.” At the close of the week, return to the Sorrowful Mysteries as a redeemed child of God. We suffer and die with Him so that we may also rise with Him to new life. “O happy fault!”
THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 26:36-57
Mark 14:32-52
Luke 22:39-54
Supplemental Scripture:
John 3:16; 17:1-26; 18:1-16; 19:41
Matthew 26:69-75
Mark 14:66-72
Luke 22:54-62
Romans 13:11-14
Ephesians 5:19-20
1 Thessalonians 5:6-11
2 Samuel 15:7-14, 24-30; 16:5-13
Genesis 3:23-24
Fruit: Obedience to God’s Will
Quotes for Reflection:
“It was here that Jesus experienced that final loneliness, the whole anguish of the human condition. Here the abyss of sin and evil penetrated deep within his soul. Here he was to quake with foreboding of his imminent death. Here he was kissed by the betrayer. Here he was abandoned by all the disciples. Here he wrestled with his destiny for my sake…This same highly evocative word [garden] comes back at the end of the Passion narrative: ‘In the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid’ (John 19:41). John’s use of the word ‘garden’ is an unmistakable reference to the story of Paradise and the Fall. That story, he tells us, is being resumed here. It is in the ‘garden’ that Jesus is betrayed, but the garden is also the place of the Resurrection. It was in the garden that Jesus fully accepted the Father’s will, made it his own, and thus changed the course of history.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“He says not, Let this cup pass away from Me, for that would be the speech of one who feared it; but He prays that it may pass not so as that He should be passed over, but that when it has passed from Him, it may go to another. His whole fear then is for those who were to suffer, and therefore He prays for those who were to suffer after Him, saying, ‘Let this cup pass from me,’ i.e. as it is drunk by Me, so let it be drunk by these, without mistrust, without sense of pain, without fear of death. He says, ‘If it be possible,’ because flesh and blood shrink from these things, and it is hard for human bodies not to sink beneath their infliction. That He says, ‘Not as I will, but as Thou wilt,’ He would fain indeed that they should not suffer, lest their faith should fail in their sufferings, if indeed we might attain to the glory of our joint inheritance with Him without the hardship of sharing in His Passion. He says, ‘Not as I will, but as Thou wilt,’ because it is the Father’s will that strength to drink of the cup should pass from Him to them, that the devil might be vanquished not so much by Christ as by His disciples also. When then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping, He rebukes Peter, ‘Could ye not watch one hour with me?’ He addresses Peter rather than the rest, because he had most loudly boasted that he would not be offended. And why He thus encouraged them to pray that they might not enter into temptation, He adds, ‘For the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak;’ this He says not of Himself, but addresses them. Otherwise, He bare in His own body all the infirmities of us His disciples who should suffer, and nailed to His cross all wherein we are distressed; and therefore that cup cannot pass from Him, unless He drink it, because we cannot suffer, except by His passion.” ~ Saint Hilary of Poitiers
“All our sins with their entire ugliness parade before Him in every detail. He sees all the meanness and the malice of creatures in committing them. He knows to what extent these sins offend and outrage the Majesty of God. He sees all the infamies, immodesties, blasphemies which proceed from the lips of creatures accompanied by the malice of their hearts, of those hearts and those lips which were created to bring forth hymns of praise and benediction to the Creator. He sees the sacrileges with which priests and faithful defile themselves, not caring about those Sacraments instituted for our salvation as necessary means for it; now, instead, made an occasion of sin and damnation of souls. He wears all our sins. He must clothe Himself with this entire unclean mass of human corruption and present Himself before the sanctity of His Father, to expiate everything with individual pains, to render Him all that glory of which they have robbed Him.” ~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
“In that hour, Jesus felt the need to pray and to have with him his disciples, his friends, those who had followed him and shared most closely in his mission. But here, at Gethsemane, following him became difficult and uncertain; they were overcome by doubt, weariness and fright. As the events of Jesus’ passion rapidly unfolded, the disciples would adopt different attitudes before the Master: closeness, distance, hesitation. Here, in this place, each of us–bishops, priests, consecrated persons, and seminarians–might do well to ask: Who am I, before the sufferings of my Lord? Am I among those who, when Jesus asks them to keep watch with him, fall asleep instead, and rather than praying, seek to escape, refusing to face reality? Do I see myself in those who fled out of fear, who abandoned the Master at the most tragic hour in his earthly life? Is there perhaps duplicity in me, like that of the one who sold our Lord for thirty pieces of silver, who was once called Jesus’ ‘friend,’ and yet ended up by betraying him? Do I see myself in those who drew back and denied him, like Peter? Shortly before, he had promised Jesus that he would follow him even unto death (cf. Luke 22:33); but then, put to the test and assailed by fear, he swore he did not know him. Am I like those who began planning to go about their lives without him, like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, foolish and slow of heart to believe the words of the prophets (cf. Luke 24:25)? Or, thanks be to God, do I find myself among those who remained faithful to the end, like the Virgin Mary and the Apostle John? On Golgotha, when everything seemed bleak and all hope seemed pointless, only love proved stronger than death. The love of the Mother and the beloved disciple made them stay at the foot of the Cross, sharing in the pain of Jesus, to the very end. Do I recognize myself in those who imitated their Master and Lord to the point of martyrdom, testifying that he was everything to them, the incomparable strength sustaining their mission and the ultimate horizon of their lives?” ~ Pope Francis
THE SCOURGING
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 27:24-26
Mark 15:6-15
John 19:1
Luke 23:14-22
Supplemental Scripture:
Isaiah 50:6; 53:1-12
John 15:18-16:4a
Jeremiah 38:13-16
Wisdom 2:12-20
Fruit: Mortification
Quotes for Reflection:
“Over seven hundred years before, Isaiah prophesied the laceration of Our Lord’s Sacred Body, ‘Here is one despised, left out of all human reckoning, bowed with misery, and no stranger to weakness; how should we recognize that face?’ Great souls are like great mountains; they always attract the storms. Upon their bodies break the thunders and lightnings of evil men to whom purity and goodness is a reproach. In reparation for all the sins of the flesh, and in anticipated encouragement to the martyrs who would be beaten by Communists and their progenitors, He delivers His Sacred Body to the lash until ‘His bones could be numbered,’ and His flesh hung from Him like purple rags.” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“They cover him with wounds and tear his flesh with blows. One can see only bruises, wounds, holes. Reflect that he endures this frightful torment without a murmur, or complaint, so burning is his love. Sinners, it is our offences that are causing such suffering to this object of pity. Come to be healed in the blood from his veins, and do not add to his suffering by persisting in your passion. O beautiful Savior, by this body bruised with blows, cool your anger and forgive us all!” ~ Saint Louis de Montfort
“Taking not only the form of a slave, that He might submit, but even of a bad slave, that He might be beaten and suffer the punishment of the slave of sin.” ~ Saint Bernard
“‘Ecce homo’–the expression spontaneously takes on a depth of meaning that reaches far beyond this moment in history. In Jesus, it is man himself that is manifested. In him is displayed the suffering of all who are subjected to violence, all the downtrodden. His suffering mirrors the inhumanity of worldly power, which so ruthlessly crushes the powerless. In him is reflected what we call ‘sin’: this is what happens when man turns his back upon God and takes control over the world into his own hands. There is another side to all this, though: Jesus’ innermost dignity cannot be taken from him. The hidden God remains present within him. Even the man subjected to violence and vilification remains the image of God. Ever since Jesus submitted to violence, it has been the wounded, the victims of violence, who have been the image of the God who chose to suffer for us. So Jesus in the throes of his Passion is an image of hope: God is on the side of those who suffer.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“You are in the midst of tribulations? Invite all the faculties of your soul to come and take a sip from the chalice as you follow the scourged Jesus. Be at peace, in the simplicity of spirit which ignores all pointless reflection on the reason for these tribulations, how long they will last, how to get rid of them, and in a humble confidence. It is dark night? You are as it were a missionary who is lost in the middle of the forest where wild beasts are roaming and roaring…Up in a tree, he feigns death…When day dawns, the animals return to their lairs and the man of God continues on his way to save souls.” ~ Blessed Hyacinthe-Marie Cormier
THE CROWNING WITH THORNS
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 27:22-31
Luke 23:11
Mark 15:16-20
John 19:2-15
Supplemental Scripture:
John 18:28-39
2 Kings 24:8-14
Isaiah 63:2
Psalm 7:14-16
Psalm 102:8-11
Fruit: Courage
Quotes for Reflection:
“Jesus had been stripped of his garments. As he believed he was a king, they put on him a soldier’s red mantle [to serve] as a purple cloak; they wove into a crown a bundle of thorns used to make the fire blaze up, and put into his hand a reed to serve as a sceptre. Bowing the knee before him with gales of laughter, the soldiers hailed him as king of the Jews and beat him on the head with the reed. Their homage took the form of blows and spittle…But Jesus was indeed the king of the Jews: what a stroke of luck for the Roman soldiers, scornful of kings and despising the Jews!” ~ The Reverend Marie-Joseph Lagrange, O.P.
“We must keep grief for our sins in our soul because, in order to deliver us from their sharp points, Jesus Christ willed to suffer the pain of the sharpest thorns in his sacred head, to quote the Venerable Bede. The thorns symbolize sin because the first man who sinned was told that ‘the earth would bring forth thorns and thistles for him.’ This was because our tainted nature would produce the sins, acute remorse for which pierces the conscience like the sharpest thorns.” ~ Ludolph the Carthusian
“The Savior of the world is made a puppet for those who play the fool: The King of Kings is mocked by those who will have ‘no King but Caesar.’ Thorns were part of the original curse upon the earth. Even nature, through sinful men, rebels against God. If Christ wears a crown of thorns, shall we covet a crown of laurel?” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“’We do not want this king,’ is what they mean. They would like a different solution to the problem. Again and again, mankind will be faced with this same choice: to say yes to God who works only through the power of truth and love, or to build on something tangible and concrete‐on violence.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“By the Crowning with Thorns, Jesus wished to make special reparation for sins of thought–thoughts of impurity and of hatred, thoughts of ambition, of anger and revenge and, thoughts of despair. The evil thought is often the beginning of the greatest sins. It is essential to resist immediately and resolutely–before the thought takes hold of us and arouses our evil instincts and desires. When we are tormented by bad thoughts, let us look at Jesus, Crowned with Thorns and ask Him for the grace to resist generously and successfully.” ~ His Eminence Antonio Bacci
THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 27:31-33
Mark 15:21-22
Luke 23:26-31
John 19:16-22
Supplemental Scripture:
John 16:20-22
Psalm 38:4
Matthew 11:28-30; 16:24
Luke 9:22-26; 14:27
Genesis 22:6-10
Isaiah 53:4-6
Fruit: Patience
Quotes for Reflection:
“Jesus came on earth in order to be a perfect example for us to imitate. With this end in view, he began by taking the cross on his shoulders, then he wanted Simon of Cyrene to carry it after him; hence the fact that he did not say to us in the Gospel to go ahead of him, but to follow him, carrying our cross. He wanted to carry the trophy himself before anyone else put a hand on it. Afterwards, he left his cross to perfect souls, to those who were willing to obey the good will of his Father.” ~ The Reverend Louis Chardon, O.P.
“The suffering Christ still dwells among the men and women of today. In order to reveal his power, God has come to share our deepest misery. In every person who is afflicted, beaten, mistreated, rejected, we can discover the Lord who travels the paths of humanity bearing his cross. Dear friends, the Crucified One is ever with you, by the side of those who toil, who suffer, who die. All of you who toil and labor under your burden, come to where Christ dwells, carry your cross with him, present him the offering of your lives, and he will give you rest (cf. Mt 11:28).” ~ Pope Saint John Paul II
“You yourself must decide of your own free will to take up the cross; otherwise, your tongue may say that you are imitating Christ, but your actions will belie your words. That way, you will never get to know the Master intimately, or love him truly. It is really important that we Christians convince ourselves of this. We are not walking with our Lord unless we are spontaneously depriving ourselves of many things that our whims, vanity, pleasure, or self-interest clamor for.” ~ Saint Josemaría Escrivá
“Many a cross we bear is of our own manufacture; we made it by our sins. But the Cross which the Savior carried was not His, but ours. One beam in contradiction to another beam was the symbol of our will in contradiction to His own. To the pious women who met Him on the roadway, He said; ‘Weep not for Me.’ To shed tears for the dying Savior is to lament the remedy; it was wiser to lament the sin that caused it. If Innocence itself took a Cross, then how shall we, who are guilty, complain against it?” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“Impiety looks on and laughs at a king bearing, instead of a scepter, the wood of his punishment; piety looks on and sees the King bearing that cross for himself to be fixed on, a cross which would thereafter shine on the brows of kings; an object of contempt in the eyes of the impious, but something in which hereafter the hearts of the saints should glorify, as Saint Paul would later say: ‘But God forbid that I should glory; save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.’” ~ Saint Augustine
THE CRUCIFIXION
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 27:33-66
Mark 15:22-47
Luke 23:32-56
John 19:17-42
Supplemental Scripture:
John 2:13-25; 3:13-17; 10:17; 14:6
Philippians 2:5-11
Colossians 1:15-24
Matthew 24:13
Luke 6:27-35
Psalm 21:2, 9-19
Psalm 22
Psalm 31:5
Psalm 34:20
Psalm 69:21
Psalm 109:25
Exodus 12:1-13, 46; 26:31-35
Numbers 21:4-9
Zechariah 12:10-13:1
Acts 7:59-60
Fruit: Sorrow for Our Sins
Quotes for Reflection:
“Once nailed to the Cross and ‘lifted up to draw all men to Himself, He is taunted: ‘Others He saved, Himself He cannot save.’ Of course not! This is not weakness, but obedience to the law of sacrifice. A mother cannot save herself, if she would raise her child; the rain cannot save itself, if it would bud the greenery; a soldier cannot save himself, if he would save his country; and neither will Christ save Himself, since He came to save us. What heart can conceive the misery of humankind, if the Son of God had saved Himself from suffering, and left a fallen world to the wrath of God?” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“Mount Calvary is the mount of lovers. All love that does not take its origin from the Savior’s passion is foolish and perilous. Unhappy is love without the Savior’s death. Love and death are so mingled in the Savior’s passion that we cannot have one in our hearts without the other. Upon Calvary, we cannot have life without love, or love without the Redeemer’s death.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales
“Jesus Christ, my crucified Savior, Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, open your eyes and look at me as you looked from the cross at your beloved Mother, filled with sorrow. Jesus Christ, my crucified Savior, Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, open your mouth and speak to me as you spoke to Saint John when you gave him to be a son of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ, my crucified Savior, Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, open your sacred arms and embrace me, as you opened them on the Cross in order to embrace the whole human race.” ~ Pope Saint Pius V
“As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul.” ~ Saint Augustine
“If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a Crucifix, and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him, and not only forgave His enemies, but even prayed His Heavenly Father to forgive them also. Let him remember that when he says the ‘Our Father,’ every day, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down vengeance on himself.” ~ Saint Philip Neri
“How precious the gift of the cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise: it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This tree does not cast us out of paradise, but opens the way for our return.” ~ Saint Theodore the Studite
“There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us. And on the far side of every cross we find the newness of life in the Holy Spirit, that new life which will reach its fulfillment in the resurrection. This is our faith. This is our witness before the world.” ~ Pope Saint John Paul II
Week Beginning May 12, 2024
The Luminous Mysteries
The Luminous Mysteries, also known as the Mysteries of Light, are traditionally prayed on Thursdays. These significant moments in Christ’s public ministry are introduced by Pope Saint John Paul II in 2002 to fill the gap in the Gospel where the Joyful Mysteries end and the Sorrowful Mysteries begin.
These mysteries reveal Jesus as “the light of the world” (John 9:5). They illuminate the tremendous effort he makes to establish the Church during his time on earth, and they disclose how that work continues today for the salvation of mankind through the sacraments he establishes. Pope Saint John Paul II explains:
“Each of these mysteries is a revelation of the Kingdom now present in the very person of Jesus. The Baptism in the Jordan is first of all a mystery of light. Here, as Christ descends into the waters, the innocent one who became ‘sin’ for our sake (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21), the heavens open wide and the voice of the Father declares him the beloved Son (cf. Matthew 3:17 and parallels), while the Spirit descends on him to invest him with the mission which he is to carry out. Another mystery of light is the first of the signs, given at Cana (cf. John 2:1-12), when Christ changes water into wine and opens the hearts of the disciples to faith, thanks to the intervention of Mary, the first among believers. Another mystery of light is the preaching by which Jesus proclaims the coming of the Kingdom of God, calls to conversion (cf. Mark 1:15) and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him in humble trust (cf. Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48): the inauguration of that ministry of mercy which he continues to exercise until the end of the world, particularly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation which he has entrusted to his Church (cf. John 20:22-23). The mystery of light par excellence is the Transfiguration, traditionally believed to have taken place on Mount Tabor. The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ as the Father commands the astonished Apostles to ‘listen to him’ (cf. Luke 9:35 and parallels) and to prepare to experience with him the agony of the Passion, so as to come with him to the joy of the Resurrection and a life transfigured by the Holy Spirit. A final mystery of light is the institution of the Eucharist, in which Christ offers his body and blood as food under the signs of bread and wine, and testifies ‘to the end’ his love for humanity (John 13:1), for whose salvation he will offer himself in sacrifice.”
This week, let the Luminous Mysteries shine upon you. Bask in the light of Christ, listen to him, and do whatever he tells you. Put your faith in the Lord, and trust that his generosity knows no bounds.
THE BAPTISM IN THE JORDAN
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 3:13-17
Mark 1:1-11
Luke 3:21-22
John 1:19-34
Supplemental Scripture:
2 Corinthians 5:21
Joshua 3:1-17
2 Kings 2:1-14
Matthew 3:7-12; 11:14; 28:19
Malachi 4:5
Mark 10:35-45
Romans 6:1-14; 8:14-17
Psalm 51:10
Fruit: Openness to the Holy Spirit
Quotes for Reflection:
“The Holy Spirit kept John the Baptist out in the desert so that he would not know Christ and would not see him, in view of the importance of the witness that John was to give later, namely that he had never seen Jesus until he saw him at the Jordan…It was there that the Father’s voice was heard, proclaiming him his Son. It was there that the Holy Spirit bestowed so many virtues on him [John]–humility, meekness and the rest, so that he emerged from the desert transformed into salt to preserve people from corruption, light to give light to the blind, and a fortified town as a place of refuge for the holy and virtuous.” ~ Saint Louis Bertrand
“The Baptism marks the beginning of Jesus’ public life. It reveals his nature, his divine role, his entire destiny and the power that will be his. The enemies of the personal intervention of God will never be able to penetrate his depths; the entire Gospel account will remain for them a closed book. From this point onwards, Jesus is no longer the carpenter from Galilee. The veil which concealed him from the multitude has been torn apart: he appears as he is, the Christ, the Son of God. However, he will retain, in his divine greatness, a fragile nature open to suffering and to death.” ~ The Reverend Henry Louis Rémy Didon, O.P.
“Our Lord was baptized because He wished, not to be cleansed, but to cleanse the waters, that, being purified by the flesh of Christ that knew no sin, they might have the virtue of baptism…that He might bequeath the sanctified waters to those who were to be baptized afterwards.” ~ Saint John Chrysostom
“Looking at the events [of Christ’s baptism] in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realized what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon his shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners…The baptism is an acceptance of death for the sins of humanity, and the voice that calls out ‘This is my beloved Son’ over the baptismal waters is an anticipatory reference to the Resurrection.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
THE WEDDING FEAST AT CANA
Primary Scripture:
John 2:1-12
Supplemental Scripture:
Revelation 19:5-101
Kings 2:13-21
John 6:4-14; John 13:1
Matthew 26:26-28
Genesis 2:18-24
Fruit: To Jesus through Mary
Quotes for Reflection:
“Observe the solicitude and diligence of the Virgin Mary. She did not wait to mention their needs until extreme necessity demanded, but ‘as the wine was failing,’ she took occasion to mention the fact to her Divine Son, to relieve the marriage guests from an evident embarrassment. She realized that the ‘Lord is become a refuge for the poor, a helper in due time, in tribulation’ (Psalm 9:10).” ~ The Reverend E. C. McEniry, O.P.
“Let us reflect on the reverential love Mary had for Christ. In the respectful love we ourselves have for God, all we need to do is to show Him our need, Lord, all my longing is known to thee. It is not for us to know quite how the Lord will come to our aid, because we do not know what to ask for when we pray. That is why the Mother of Jesus simply pointed out the need of others to him when she said: ‘They have no wine.’” ~ Saint Thomas Aquinas
“Few are the mothers who send their sons to battlefields; but here was one who was actually hastening the hour of her Son’s mortal conflict with the forces of evil. If He agreed to her request, He would be beginning His hour of death and glorification. To the Cross He would go with double commission, one from His Father in heaven, the other from His mother on earth.” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
“Among creatures no one knows Christ better than Mary; no one can introduce us to a profound knowledge of his mystery better than his Mother. The first of the ‘signs’ worked by Jesus–the changing of water into wine at the marriage in Cana–clearly presents Mary in the guise of a teacher, as she urges the servants to do what Jesus commands (John 2:5). We can imagine that she would have done likewise for the disciples after Jesus’ Ascension, when she joined them in awaiting the Holy Spirit and supported them in their first mission.” ~ Pope Saint John Paul II
“Mary having co-operated in our redemption with so much glory to God and so much love for us, Our Lord ordained that no one shall obtain salvation except through her intercession.” ~ Saint Alphonsus Liguori
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM
Primary Scripture:
Mark 1:14-15
Luke 4:16-19, 31-44
Supplemental Scripture:
Matthew 5:1-12; 6:27-34; 7:21; 16:15-19
Luke 7:20-23, 27-28, 47- 48; 9:57-62; 12:22-34; 13:18-20; 17:20-21
Mark 2:3-13; 10:13-16
John 17:20-26; 20:21-23
2 Timothy 4:2
Fruit: Conversion
Quotes for Reflection:
“Christ acts like a loving mother. To induce us to follow Him, He gives us Himself as an example and promises us a reward in His kingdom.” ~ Saint Anthony of Padua
“I preached myself, the scholars came and praised me. I preached Christ, the sinners came and thanked me.” ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
“When some children are dancing and others are singing a dirge, their purpose does not agree. Both sides find fault with their friends for not being in harmony with them. So the Jews underwent such an experience when they accepted neither the gloominess of John the Baptist nor the freedom of Christ. They did not receive help one way or another. It was fitting for John as a lowly servant, to deaden the passions of the body through very hardy training and for Christ, by the power of his Godhead, freely to mortify the sensations of the body and the innate practice of the flesh and to do so, without reliance on strenuous ascetic labors. Nevertheless John, ‘while he was preaching the baptism of repentance,’ offered himself as a model for those who were obliged to lament, whereas the Lord ‘who was preaching the kingdom of heaven’ similarly displayed radiant freedom in Himself. In this way Jesus outlined for the faithful indescribable joy and an untroubled life. The sweetness of the kingdom of heaven is like a flute. The pain of Gehenna is like a dirge.” ~ Origen
“Everyone is called to enter the kingdom. First announced to the children of Israel, this messianic kingdom is intended to accept men of all nations. To enter it, one must first accept Jesus’ word: The word of the Lord is compared to a seed which is sown in a field; those who hear it with faith and are numbered among the little flock of Christ have truly received the kingdom. Then, by its own power, the seed sprouts and grows until the harvest.” ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church 543
“[The Kingdom of God] is within you. That is, it depends on your own wills and is in your own power, whether or not you receive it. Everyone, that has attained to justification, by means of faith in Christ and decorated by every virtue, is counted worthy, of the kingdom of heaven.” ~ Saint Cyril of Alexandria
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD
Primary Scripture:
Luke 9:28-36
Matthew 17:1-8
Mark 9:2-10
Supplemental Scripture:
2 Peter 1:17-18
Exodus 24:9-18; 34:29-30
Deuteronomy 18:15-18
Malachi 4:4-5
Fruit: Desire for Holiness
Quotes for Reflection:
“Six days after Peter’s confession of faith, there took place an extraordinary scene which has no parallel in the life of Jesus, unless, perhaps, his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is its antithesis. In both cases, Jesus had taken Peter, James and John apart; in both cases the disciples were overcome with sleep, and in both cases Jesus received a visitor from heaven. But the transfiguration is a definite pledge of the glory of Jesus, whereas the scene in Gethsemane shows him at the point of his deepest abasement.” ~ The Reverend Marie-Joseph Lagrange, O.P.
“By His loving foresight, He allowed them to taste for a short time, the contemplation of eternal joy, so that they might bear persecution bravely.” ~ Saint Bede the Venerable
“Thus, those who wish to know God must contemplate the face of Jesus, his face transfigured: Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father’s holiness and mercy. Let us also remember that on Mount Sinai Moses also received the revelation of God’s will: the Ten Commandments. And, again, it was on the mountain that Elijah received from God the divine Revelation of a mission he was to undertake. Jesus, on the contrary, did not receive the revelation of what he was to do: he already knew it. Rather it was the Apostles who heard God’s voice in the cloud, commanding: ‘Listen to him.’ God’s will was fully revealed in the Person of Jesus. Anyone who wants to live in accordance with God’s will must follow Jesus, listen to him and accept his words, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, acquire a deep knowledge of them.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“For the pages of both covenants corroborate each other, and He Whom under the veil of mysteries the types that went before had promised, is displayed clearly and conspicuously by the splendor of the present glory. Because, as says the blessed John, ‘the law was given through Moses: but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ,’ in Whom is fulfilled both the promise of prophetic figures and the purpose of the legal ordinances: for He both teaches the truth of prophecy by His presence, and renders the commands possible through grace.” ~ Pope Saint Leo the Great
“Upon Mount Tabor, Jesus revealed to his disciples a heavenly mystery. While living among them he had spoken of the kingdom and of his second coming in glory, but to banish from their hearts any possible doubt concerning the kingdom and to confirm their faith in what lay in the future by its prefiguration in the present, he gave them on Mount Tabor a wonderful vision of his glory, a foreshadowing of the kingdom of heaven.
These are the divine wonders we celebrate today; this is the saving revelation given us upon the mountain; this is the festival of Christ that has drawn us here. Let us listen, then, to the sacred voice of God so compellingly calling us from on high, from the summit of the mountain, so that with the Lord’s chosen disciples we may penetrate the deep meaning of these holy mysteries, so far beyond our capacity to express. Jesus goes before us to show us the way, both up the mountain and into heaven, and–I speak boldly–it is for us now to follow him with all speed, yearning for the heavenly vision that will give us a share in his radiance, renew our spiritual nature and transform us into his own likeness, making us for ever sharers in his Godhead and raising us to heights as yet undreamed of.
Let us run with confidence and joy to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah, or like James and John. Let us be caught up like Peter to behold the divine vision and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration. Let us retire from the world, stand aloof from the earth, rise above the body, detach ourselves from creatures and turn to the creator, to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed: Lord, it is good for us to be here.
Therefore, since each of us possesses God in his heart and is being transformed into his divine image, we also should cry out with joy: It is good for us to be here–here where all things shine with divine radiance, where there is joy and gladness and exultation; where there is nothing in our hearts but peace, serenity and stillness; where God is seen.” ~ Saint Anastasius of Sinai
THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 26:17-29
Mark 14:12-25
Luke 22:1-23
John 13:1-20
Supplemental Scripture:
John 6:25-71
1 Corinthians 5:7-8; 11:23-34
Exodus 12:1-30; 24:1-11
Genesis 14:17-20
Fruit: Adoration
Quotes for Reflection:
“The Eucharist is the sacrament of love: It signifies love, it produces love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.” ~ Saint Thomas Aquinas
“Eternal wisdom, in order to come as close to men and women as possible and to show them his love in the clearest possible way, went as far as to become man…Wishing on the one hand to show his love for men and women to the point of dying in their stead in order to save them, and on the other hand being unable simply to leave them to their fate, He found an astonishing secret enabling him to die and to live at the same time, and to be with men until the end of time, namely the loving means of the Eucharist. Moreover, in order thus to satisfy his love in this mystery, He did not hesitate to change and overturn the whole of nature.” ~ Saint Louis de Montfort
“When the bee has gathered the dew of heaven and the earth’s sweetest nectar from the flowers, it turns it into honey, then hastens to its hive. In the same way, the priest, having taken from the altar the Son of God (who is as the dew from heaven, and true son of Mary, flower of our humanity), gives him to you as delicious food.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales
“The divine Eucharist is a consuming fire, capable of setting the most tepid hearts alight. Let anyone who feels full of weakness and imperfection have recourse to Holy Communion. It is the bread of the strong, the milk of the weak, the cure for the sick, the energy of the traveler who is scaling the paths of perfection leading to the mountain of God. Are you feeling unduly attached to yourself and to the things of this world? The Eucharist will instill in us all a great detachment and a steadily increasing yearning for eternal life.” ~ Blessed Hyacinthe-Marie Cormier
“If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: holy Communion.” ~ Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Week Beginning May 5, 2024
The Joyful Mysteries
The Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the season of Advent. They celebrate the radiating joy experienced by humanity at the focal point of all history, when the Son of God comes to us as the Son of Man for our redemption and the salvation of the whole world.
Pope Saint John Paul II explains: “To meditate upon the joyful mysteries is to enter into the ultimate causes and the deepest meaning of Christian joy. It is to focus on the realism of the mystery of the Incarnation and on the obscure foreshadowing of the mystery of the saving Passion. Mary leads us to discover the secret of Christian joy, reminding us that Christianity is, first and foremost, evangelization, ‘good news,’ which has as its heart and its whole content the person of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the one Savior of the world.” Saint Louis de Montfort elaborates that “These are called the Joyful Mysteries because of the joy which they gave to the whole universe. Our Lady and the Angels were overwhelmed with joy the moment when the Son of God was incarnate. Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist were filled with joy by the visit of Jesus and Mary. Heaven and earth rejoiced at the birth of Our Savior. Holy Simeon felt great consolation and was filled with joy when he took the Holy Child in his arms. The doctors were lost in admiration and wonderment at the answers which Jesus gave–and how could anyone describe the joy of Mary and Joseph when they found the Child Jesus after He had been lost for three days?”
This week, take some time to enter into this joy through these five blessed moments.
THE ANNUNCIATION
Primary Scripture:
Luke 1:26-38
Matthew 1:18-25
Supplemental Scripture:
Luke 1:5-25
John 1:14
Zephaniah 3:14-17
Daniel 2:43-45
2 Samuel 7:14
Fruit: Humility
Quotes for Reflection:
“Mary was full of grace with regard to the overflow of the grace of the soul into the body…and with regard to the overflow of this grace on all men. It is a great thing for a saint to have enough grace for his own salvation, even greater for him to have enough for the salvation of many; but the supreme greatness is to have so much that it suffices for all men: and this was the case with Christ and with the Blessed Virgin Mary.” ~ Saint Thomas Aquinas
“[Zechariah doubted]: he could no longer hope for a son. Mary, on the other hand, does not doubt. She asks not whether, but how the promise is to be fulfilled, as she cannot recognize any way it could happen: ‘How shall this be, since I have no husband?’” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“In the expression ‘handmaid of the Lord,’ one senses Mary’s complete awareness of being a creature of God. The word ‘handmaid,’ near the end of the Annunciation dialogue, is inscribed throughout the whole history of the Mother and Son. In fact, this Son, who is the true and consubstantial ‘Son of the Most High,’ will often say of himself, especially at the culminating moment of his mission: ‘The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.’” ~ Pope Saint John Paul II
“O Mary, temple of the Trinity, bearer of fire, dispenser of mercy, Mary, who made the divine fruit sprout!…You are the new tree who bore the fragrant flower of the Word, the only Son of God. In you, O rich soil, the Word was planted. You are both soil and tree. O Mary, blessed among all women, you gave us bread from your flour: divinity was so strongly united and kneaded together with humanity that nothing to come, neither death nor our ingratitude, could break the union.” ~ Saint Catherine of Sienna
THE VISITATION
Primary Scripture:
Luke 1:39-56
Supplemental Scripture:
Luke 1:57-80
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Fruit: Love of Neighbor
Quotes for Reflection:
“Moved by charity, therefore, Mary goes to the house of her kinswoman…While every word of Elizabeth’s is filled with meaning, her final words would seem to have a fundamental importance: ‘And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her from the Lord’ (Luke 1:45). These words can be linked with the title ‘full of grace’ of the angel’s greeting. Both of these texts reveal an essential Mariological content, namely the truth about Mary, who has become really present in the mystery of Christ precisely because she ‘has believed.’ The fullness of grace announced by the angel means the gift of God himself. Mary’s faith, proclaimed by Elizabeth at the visitation, indicates how the Virgin of Nazareth responded to this gift.” ~ Pope St. John Paul II
“See how new and wonderful this mystery is. He has not yet left the womb but he speaks by leaping; he is not yet allowed to cry out but he makes himself heard by his actions; he has not yet seen the light but he points out the Sun; he has not yet been born and he is keen to act as Precursor. The Lord is present, so he cannot contain himself or wait for nature to run its course: he wants to break out of the prison of his mother’s womb and he makes sure he witnesses to the fact that the Savior is about to come.” ~ Saint John Chrysostom
“Elizabeth is the first to hear Mary’s voice, but John is the first to be aware of grace. She hears with the ears of the body, but he leaps for joy at the meaning of the mystery. She is aware of Mary’s presence, but he is aware of the Lord’s: a woman aware of a woman’s presence, the forerunner aware of the pledge of our salvation. The women speak of the grace they have received while the children are active in secret, unfolding the mystery of love with the help of their mothers, who prophesy by the spirit of their sons.” ~ Saint Ambrose of Milan
THE NATIVITY
Primary Scripture:
Matthew 2:1-12
Luke 2:1-21
Supplemental Scripture:
Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13-23
Fruit: Poverty
Quotes for Reflection:
“The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy, because through the Mother of God, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy.” ~ Saint John Damascene
“Blessed are Mary’s most holy arms that so often embrace this child who holds the world in the hollow of his hand! And what should be said of Mary’s womb? Its blessedness is unrivalled! Listen, I beg you: it received the God-Man. Conception beyond nature and reason! This womb warmed the source and principle of heat. It brought to term him who makes every harvest and fruit grow…It enclosed him who formed light and the forms and who is larger than the firmament…It engendered its own Creator, the Creator of every being.” ~ Saint Albert the Great
“The setting of Christ’s birth points us to the Eucharist. Since through sin man becomes like the beasts, Christ lies in the trough where animals feed, offering them, not hay, but his own body as life-giving bread.” ~ Saint Cyril of Alexandria
“From the moment of his birth, he belongs outside the realm of what is important and powerful in worldly terms. Yet it is this unimportant and powerless child that proves to be the truly powerful one, the one on whom ultimately everything depends. So one aspect of becoming a Christian is having to leave behind what everyone else thinks and wants, the prevailing standards, in order to enter the light of the truth of our being.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“Let us remain in adoration; and to him, who, in order to save us, humbled himself to such a degree of poverty as to take our flesh, let us offer him not only incense, gold, and myrrh (the first as God, the second as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake), but also spiritual gifts, more sublime than those which can be seen with the eyes.” ~ Saint Gregory of Nazianzus
“During Christmas time, Jesus wants a wretched and poor shelter; he wants our heart, purified, poor and empty of earthly affections, filled and adorned with virtues. He wants to find there only his most holy mother, ark and temple of every virtue; the ox that always ruminates on heavenly things; the donkey of our bodies, humble and subject to reason. May he deign to rest on the hay of our desires and make of them a yielding and fragrant hay, on which he delights to take his rest.” ~ Saint Catherine of Ricci
THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS
Primary Scripture:
Luke 2:22-38
Supplemental Scripture:
Leviticus 12:2-8
1 Samuel 1:19-28
Fruit: Purity of Heart and Body
Quotes for Reflection:
“How great was the poverty in which Jesus Christ wished to be born, since his Mother, on the day of her purification, did not even have the means to obtain a lamb that she could offer. He also chose all the other such things in the state of poverty he embraced: he is in very poor accommodations, in a poor family, and from a poor mother; he wished to be presented to his Father in the Temple as a poor person, and, to honor poverty in the course of his life, he chose poor disciples.” ~ Venerable Louis of Grenada
“Mary, in the temple in Jerusalem, was the first to carry out this offering of Christ to the Father. By this action she acknowledged in one act that the child she held in her arms belongs first and foremost to his Father and not to her, but also by offering him with all that would be his life, she offers us who are members of Christ, she offers herself and prays for all of humanity. We also in our prayer can offer the Christ to God for the salvation of the world by offering ourselves with all the joyful or sorrowful stages of our journey.” ~ Reverend Doctor Johannes Tauler, O.P.
“Evidently Luke intends to say that instead of being ‘redeemed’ and restored to his parents, this child was personally handed over to God in the Temple, given over completely to God…Luke has nothing to say regarding the act of ‘redemption’ prescribed by the law. In its place we find the exact opposite: the child is handed over to God, and from now on belongs to him completely.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“[The] Christian faith holds up the God who suffers with men, and thereby draws us into his ‘compassion’… [Mary] whose heart is pierced by a sword, is an iconic image of this fundamental attitude of Christian faith.” ~ Pope Benedict XV
THE FINDING OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
Primary Scripture:
Luke 2:41-52
Supplemental Scripture:
Isaiah 7:10-15; 11:1-10
Fruit: Devotion to Jesus
Quotes for Reflection:
“It was only when they reached their starting point, the Temple, that they found him. In the same way, if you need to find the divine birth in yourself, you have to leave the whole crowd and go back to the origin and, basically, to where you came from. All the powers of the soul and all their operations: all this is the crowd. You have to leave it all behind: sense experience, the imagination, and everything in which you find or seek yourself interiorly. Only then can you find this birth.” ~ The Reverend Eckhart von Hochheim, O.P.
“He does not upbraid them–Mary and Joseph–for searching for their son, but he raises the eyes of their souls to appreciate what he owes him whose Eternal Son he is.” ~ Saint Bede the Venerable
“[By this episode of the finding of Jesus in the midst of the teachers], Saint Luke wished to make it understood how Jesus, at the age of twelve, had a clear consciousness of his divine origin, a consciousness that the evangelists did not attribute either to a revelation or to a progression, and that must rather be reconnected to that immediate, original vision, which alone was of a nature to make his intellect penetrate the distinction between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the heart of the ineffable Trinity.” ~ The Reverend Marie-Joseph Lagrange, O.P.
“The three days may be explained in quite practical terms: Mary and Joseph had spent one day traveling north, a further day was needed to retrace their steps, and on the third day they eventually found Jesus. While the three days are thus a perfectly plausible chronological indication…[there is nevertheless] a silent reference to the three days between Cross and resurrection. These are days spent suffering the absence of Jesus, days of darkness, whose heaviness can be sensed in the mother’s words: ‘Child, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously’ (Luke 2:48). Thus an arc extends from this first Passover of Jesus to his last, the Passover of the Cross.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
“As she became the Refuge of Sinners by knowing what it is to lose God and then find Him, so He became the Redeemer of sinners by knowing the deliberateness, the willfulness, the resoluteness of those who wound the ones they love! She felt the creature losing the Creator; He felt the Creator losing the creature. Mary lost Jesus only in mystical darkness of the soul, not in the moral blackness of an evil heart. Her loss was a veiling of His Face, not a flight. But she does teach us that, when we lose God, we must not wait for Him to come back. We must go out in search of Him; and, to the joy of every sinner, she knows where He can be found!” ~ Venerable Fulton Sheen
