The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
Prompts for Meditation
The Resurrection
- Imagine the stone rolling away. What did it sound like?
- Did light emanate from the opening? Or was it dark until the figure of Jesus stood in the opening?
- Did the soldiers see the resurrection? Were they slain in the Spirit before, during, or after?
- The Blessed Mother did not go to the tomb with the others? Why? Had she already seen the resurrected Jesus? Some, including St. John Paul II, have proposed that Mary may have seen Jesus before anyone else. What would that meeting have been like?
- Imagine the Apostles’ reaction as Jesus entered the upper room even though the door was locked.
- Did Jesus ask for something to eat to break the awkward silence? Did he want to demonstrate he was not a ghost? Or maybe he was actually very hungry!
- Was he smiling at them the entire time? A kind, gentle smile perhaps?
- On the Road to Emmaus why did the Apostles not recognize Jesus? Jesus can assume any disguise he would like.
- Did he want to show them and us that he would sometimes speak to us through other people (in disguise)?
- Jesus appeared to the Apostles many times and even to some 500 people at once. Who were they? Maybe people who had previously listened to him preach?
The Ascension
- “And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (Mt 28: 20) How comforting these words must have been to the followers of Jesus. How comforting to us as well.
- “Then he led them out near Bethany, and with hands upraised, blessed them. As he blessed, he left them, and was taken up to heaven.” (Luke 24:50-51)
- Did the Apostles see Jesus disappear into the clouds? Did he ascend rapidly? Slowly?
- After the Ascension “They fell down to do him reverence, then returned to Jerusalem filled with joy.” (Luke 24:52)
- “Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you;” (John 14: 27)
- “Do not be distressed or fearful. You have heard me say, ‘I go away for a while. And I come back to you.’”(John 14: 28) If they had heard it before, then Jesus had told them ahead of time that he would be leaving them.
- Did the Apostles dread the day they would see Jesus for the last time? Perhaps this is why Jesus told them more than once. Maybe he was trying to prepare them?
- “If you truly loved me you would rejoice to have me go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (John 14: 28) Did Jesus say this because the Apostles were clearly distressed that he would leave? If we had seen Jesus in the flesh and had been his close friend on Earth, we too would have dreaded his leaving.
- “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places; otherwise, how could I have told you that I was going to prepare a place for you.” (John 14: 2) What kind of dwelling places are there in heaven? Is he going to prepare a place for us too?
- “It is much better for you that I go. If I fail to go, the Paraclete will never come to you, whereas if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16: 7)
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Why did Jesus need to leave Earth in order for the Paraclete to come to the Apostles? Surely they wondered why too.
- Jesus even said that it was better for them to receive the Paraclete than for Jesus himself to stay with them. Surely they wondered why this would be.
- “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
- The Apostles were staying in the upper room together with some women, including the mother of Jesus. “Together they devoted themselves to constant prayer.” (Acts 1: 14). Constant prayer!
- The Holy Spirit first manifested by a “strong, driving wind.” Imagine the sound. Crowds in Jerusalem assembled because of the sound. Somehow the sound of the wind could clearly be perceived as only blowing around that structure.
- There were Jews “from every nation under heaven” in Jerusalem at the time. Each heard the Apostles in his own language. They must have looked at each other, wondering how the others were understanding. Imagine the confusion.
- Some scoffed that the Apostles were drunk. How would that have explained anything? Just as today, it would seem that some will use any excuse not to believe. There were cynics then, just as now.
- Some say that the Holy Spirit first descended above Mary and that the other tongues emanated from there. Imagine the surprise of the Apostles to see fire hovering in the air. Did they look up at the tongue above each of their heads?
- Was there a physical sensation of the Holy Spirit rushing into them? What were they feeling? Awe? Joy? Euphoria? Courage? Love? That and more?
- Peter, the fisherman(!), gives an eloquent speech in which he quotes Old Testament prophecies and some three thousand people are baptized! Imagine the scene. Mass conversion. Someone must go get water for baptisms. And somehow the church begins here. There are no parishes to send people off to. No catechisms. By word of mouth the believers come together to form a community and the Body of Christ comes into being!!!
The Assumption
- “All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold. (Ps. 45:14)
- Mary dies and is put into a tomb. How the Apostles must have grieved the loss of the mother whom Jesus had given to them.
- The tomb is, for some reason, opened later. Perhaps someone had not been there at her death and wanted to gaze upon her again?
- The tomb no longer contained the body of Mary. Were there roses there instead? Did the fragrance of roses come to them before they even realized her body was no longer there? Just a thought.
- The Assumption is the oldest Marian feast. Protestants question it. But we know that the tomb was empty. Catholic have always honored and sought the relics of the saints. No relics of the Blessed Mother were ever obtained. If there had been any, they would have been the most sought after ever. The Queen of All Saints bodily left this Earth.
- Did Jesus come and take her by the hand, bringing her to life and then escorting her to heaven?
- Or did she go up to heaven with clouds and angels under her feet as artists have often depicted?
- Who would have greeted her at the gates of heaven? All three persons of the Holy Trinity—Her father and creator, Her spouse and sanctifier, Her son and Messiah?
- Surely Joseph greeted her as well, together with Anne and Joachim, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and all the apostles and friends who had gone before her.
- Imagine the joy in heaven as the queen arrives and assumes her throne!
The Coronation
- Mary is the Queen of Heaven, Queen of all Saints, Queen of the Angels, Queen of Apostles, Queen of the May, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Queen of Peace
- It is difficult to imagine how glorious the crowning of such a queen would be.
- Mary is said to wear all gold on her feast days. Surely she was all in gold on the day of her coronation as queen of heaven.
- Imagine the depictions of God the Father and God the Son holding the crown over Mary’s head while God the Holy Spirit hovers above her head in the form of a dove.
- How heaven must have rejoiced. Surely there was music of such beauty we cannot even imagine.
- “Fairer in beauty are you than the sons of men; grace is poured out upon your lips; thus God has blessed you forever. (Ps 45:3)
- A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the son, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rv 12:1)
- “…who is this that comes forth like the dawn, as beautiful as the moon, as resplendent as the sun,….” (Song 6:10)
- What does Mary’s crown look like? Surely, it surpasses in beauty any crown we can imagine.
- Mary, the model of humility, becomes the most exalted woman who ever lived, Queen of Heaven itself!!
All glory and honor are yours, Oh Lord, Jesus Christ!!