“Father, said Christ at the moment of his supreme agony in the garden, not my will but thine be done. Yet God will not, has not, asked us to bear any more than he himself has borne in his Incarnation and suffering and death.”  –Servant of God Walter J. Ciszek, S.J. (+ 1984)

Intention: Lord, please bless us with a society that seeks Your face and prays to You earnestly. I thank You God ahead of time for this.

Thursday: The Strong Man
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he
takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the
spoils.
—Luke 11:22
Reflection:
In Jesus’s baptism, He descended into the dwelling of Satan and
fought with the “strong man” spoken of in Luke 11:21-22. Jesus
was stronger than Satan and was able to take our sins upon His
shoulders and release us from the power of Satan.
Prayer:
Jesus was baptized in order to demonstrate that we start our
Christian journey through baptism. As part of my baptismal
promises, I reject Satan and all his works and empty promises.
Amen.

Thursday: Jesus’s Abundant Giving
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial
washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
—John 2:6
Reflection:
Jesus generously turned the water to fine wine at the wedding
feast at Cana. This was a sign that God’s feast table was spread,
to begin sharing the abundance of blessings that Jesus had to
give us.
Prayer:
The messianic time, when God’s wedding celebration began,
started with Your coming, dear Jesus. Please give me an
awareness of Your abundance of blessings and help me to be
grateful always. Amen.

Thursday: Communion With Jesus
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
Through him was life,/ and this life was the light of the human
race;/ the light shines in the darkness,/ and the darkness has
not overcome it.
—John 1:4–5
Reflection:
This new Kingdom of which Jesus spoke is so near to us because
it is located in Jesus Himself, and Jesus is with us. It can be found
in the here-and-now of time and space; that is always where
God operates. Now that Jesus has come, God can function in
the world in a whole new way.
Prayer:
Communion with Jesus is the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lord Jesus, Son of the Living God, help me to keep my focus in
the light of the here-and-now, where You reside. I know that
my relationship with You is the most important relationship of
my life. Amen.

Thursday: Light-being
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not
be afraid.”
—Matthew 17:7
Reflection:
The transfiguration vividly showed the disciples what transpired
when Jesus prayed to His Father: His face changed and His
clothes became dazzling white. It was as if He became light
itself.
Prayer:
Jesus, after Peter confessed that You were “the Son of the
living God” (Matthew 16:16), You showed him Your “Light-Being” (Matthew 17:1–8). Please give me a little glimpse of
Your “Light-Being,” also. Amen.

Thursday: Total Gift of Himself
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
When the hour came, he took his place at table with the apostles.
—Luke 22:14
Reflection:
Jesus gave His total self – His Body, His Blood – for the
atonement of all sin, for all time. However, beforehand, He
instituted the Holy Eucharist, instructing His disciples at the
Last Supper to “do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19).
Prayer:
We, the many, partake of Christ’s Body and His Blood, as the
Sacrament that is the source and summit of our faith. Heavenly
Father, help me to be truly grateful for the Blessed Sacrament,
which is Jesus’s Body and Blood. Amen.

“Man wants to build heaven on his own…. He must remember that he is a creature, that all life for him is only God, and when he attempts to separate from God and act outside of him, everything collapses.”  –Canon Jacques Leclercq (+ 1971)

Intention:  Lord, please help us to resist communism and totalitarianism. I thank You God ahead of time for this.

Wednesday: New Kind of Existence
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
And behold, Jesus met them [the women] on their way and
greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did
him homage.
—Matthew 28:9
Reflection:
Jesus’s resurrection was more than just an isolated event that
happened long ago in human history. It was an event that points
to a possibility of a new way of life – a life not subject only to
birth, life and death, but one that extends into eternity with
the Lord. It opened up a new kind of existence for all mankind.
Prayer:
Oh, dear Jesus, help me to understand the significance of Your
resurrection, as the institution of a new kind of transforming
reality for all mankind – that we have immortal lives to lead
after this journey here is over. Amen.

Wednesday: Ever-present
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
You heard me tell you, “I am going away and I will come back
to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to
the Father; for the Father is greater than I.
—John 14:28
Reflection:
Jesus has gone to the Father, and thus is closer to us now than
when He was in the world. This is because He is not in any
one particular place anymore (as when He walked the world),
but is now side by side with the Father, and present in all time
and space, in power. This is why we should rejoice that Jesus
has ascended.
Prayer:
Jesus, I am sure that I can reach out to You in my prayers, talk to
You about my life and concerns and ask You for Your assistance,
because You are ever-present to me where You exist with the
Father. I thank You, I praise You, and I bless You. Amen.

Wednesday: Footsteps of Jesus
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together
with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his
brothers.
—Acts 1:14
Reflection:
Our Blessed Mother kept the faith all through the passion and
resurrection, and then in the midst of the disciples when they all
prayed for the Holy Spirit to come to them. She was a spiritual
Mother to the disciples then and to us now.
Prayer:
Dear Mother Mary, pray for me to have faith, to love like you
love and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday: Love and Peace
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
“There is one small favor I would ask of you,” she said. “Do
not refuse me.” “Ask it, my mother,” the king said to her, “for
I will not refuse you.”
—1 Kings 2:20
Reflection:
Jesus will always give His fiat to the requests of Mary, His
mother. It seems as though the woman of Revelation Chapter
12, seen as an image of the Blessed Mother, is defenseless
compared to the dragon, who is so strong and vicious. But
the woman has God on her side, and God is stronger than the
dragon. God is love in the world. Love seems defenseless, and
yet it is love that wins in the end.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to let love and peace have their way with me
today, through the intercession of Mary, who is the Queen of
Peace, and who dwells in heaven. Amen.

Wednesday: Closer to Jesus
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
Nations shall behold your vindication,/ and all kings your
glory;/ You shall be called by a new name/ pronounced by the
mouth of the Lord./ You shall be a glorious crown in the hand
of the Lord,/ a royal diadem held by your God.
—Isaiah 62:2–3
Reflection:
Mary is a mother to us because she is kind, she has a sympathetic
and loving nature and she is always interested in helping to
fulfill the needs of her children. This is why we call her our
Advocate. We can always ask for her intercession.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Queen of Apostles and Martyrs, I entrust my
guidance to you, and I know that I am never alone. Pray for me
to become closer to Jesus. Amen.

“Let us do God’s will and see God and God’s judgment while travelling to eternity. Then we need not fear that only fleeting clouds will remain in our thoughts, words, and actions. All these will be laid up in heaven as a treasure that will not fade….”  –Saint Katherine Drexel (+ 1955)

Intention:  In Jesus’ name, please bless America with a moral, law-abiding, and God-honoring society, so that we are worthy of self-governance.

Tuesday: Drowsy Disciple
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be
troubled and distressed. Then he said to them, “My soul is
sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.”
—Mark 14:33–34
Reflection:
Jesus called His disciples to be vigilant in the face of the evil
coming on the evening of Holy Thursday. But instead, they
succumbed to their drowsiness. Down through the centuries, it
has been the drowsiness of man that has allowed evil to thrive,
while man sleeps unaware.
Prayer:
Human beings would rather tell themselves that some things
cannot be as evil as they appear to be, which is one way of
remaining drowsy. Jesus, please prevent me from becoming a
drowsy disciple. Amen.

Tuesday: Barbaric Punishment
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
—John 19:1
Reflection:
Scourging was a penalty that usually accompanied a death
sentence, but could also be a tool for law enforcement, as was
Jesus’s case. It was a barbaric punishment, allowing the ones who
did the scourging to continue until they grew tired themselves,
and the victim’s flesh was hanging down in shreds.
Prayer:
Dearest Lord Jesus, the fact that Simon of Cyrene had to help
You carry Your Cross, and the fact that You died so quickly on
the Cross, may be indications of how extreme the torture of the
scourging was for You. Send Your holy angels to watch over all
the soldiers in the world and keep them safe. Amen.

Tuesday: Son of Man
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Jesus said to him in reply, “You have said so. But I tell you: From
now on you will see ‘the Son of Man/ seated at the right hand
of the Power’/ and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’”
—Matthew 26:64
Reflection:
Those who mocked and beat Jesus felt invincible, because they
had Him in their power. It did not occur to them that with every
blow and every hateful derision, they were actually helping to
fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant and Daniel’s
prophecy of the Kingdom of the Son of Man.
Prayer:
My precious Jesus, there is a striking juxtaposition between
Your suffering when You were crowned with thorns, and the
Kingdom of God You were creating simultaneously for our
benefit. Help me to understand the mystery of this. Amen.

Tuesday: Take Up the Cross
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I
give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can
take them out of my hand.
—John 10:27–28
Reflection:
Mary gave her fiat to God to do what He willed. Likewise, we
must recognize that God has mysteriously linked the Way of
the Cross to our salvation, and give Him our fiat as well. If and
when the cross comes our way, we strive to accept it as best we
can, knowing that no one can take us out of Jesus’s hand.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, Virgin Gentle in Mercy, please pray for me to take
up my cross daily and follow Jesus, with obedience and with
love. Amen.

Tuesday: Psalm 22
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
Then I will proclaim your name to the assembly;/ in the
community I will praise you:/ “You who fear the Lord, give
praise!/ All descendants of Jacob, give honor;/ show reverence,
all descendants of Israel!/ For God has not spurned or disdained/
the misery of this poor wretch,/ Did not turn away from me,/
but heard me when I cried out./ I will offer praise in the great
assembly;/ my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.
The poor will eat their fill;/ those who seek the Lord will offer
praise./ May your hearts enjoy life forever!”/ All the ends of the
earth/ will worship and turn to the Lord;/ All the families of
nations/ will bow low before you.
—Psalm 22:23–28
Reflection:
Psalm 22, written long before Jesus’s passion, prophesied so much
of what happened to Jesus: the scorn and mockery, the piercing
of His hands and feet, the thirst, the dividing up of His garments.
Yet when He quoted the first verse of Psalm 22, He was actually
referring to the entire psalm including the ending, where the
prayer would be answered, the great assembly would be restored
and all the ends of the earth would worship and turn to the Lord.
Prayer:
Jesus, please bless all those who practice Judaism, as people of
the covenant. Amen.

“The moment that man perceives both his misery and his greatness, the consciousness that he is loved brings him such overwhelming joy that, appropriately, he prefers to be nothing because the one who loves him and whom he has learned to love is everything.”  –.Alice von Hildebrand (+ 2022)

Intention: Dear Heavenly Father, I ask You to please bless all my friends and relatives with good health, financial stability and uplifting relationships with their friends and family.  Please bless them with peace, love, joy, happiness and harmony, and please, when their time comes, give them each a peaceful, easy and happy death, and bring them into heaven to be with you forever and ever.

Monday: Kingdom Without End
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
—1 Timothy 1:17
Reflection:
The Angel Gabriel told Mary about Jesus, “Of his kingdom,
there will be no end” (Luke 1:33). Jesus’s Kingdom is created
through trust and love rather than earthly power. It is a Kingdom
that will have no end, because it is based upon God’s eternal
power pouring forth into our world.
Prayer:
The Angel Gabriel’s promise to Mary is sure: Jesus’s Kingdom
shall never end. Jesus was, is and always will be my King. Lord,
give me confidence about my future, knowing that in the end,
because of You, I have nothing to fear. Amen.

Monday: Hidden Hero
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
The Lord goes forth like a hero,/ like a warrior he stirs up his
ardor;/ He shouts out his battle cry,/ against his enemies he
shows his might.
—Isaiah 42:13
Reflection:
Humble Mary, while still probably amazed by what the angel
told her, hastily traveled to the house of Elizabeth to aid her in
her time of need. Jesus was the hidden hero on the day that His
Mother Mary greeted Elizabeth, because He was concealed in
her womb. Elizabeth and John were the first people He ever
visited, to bring them the gifts of the Lord.
Prayer:
Lord, visit all police officers and firefighters with the gifts of
the Holy Spirit today and keep them safe from harm. Amen.

Monday: Counter-cultural
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the
infant lying in the manger.
—Luke 2:16
Reflection:
Just as Jesus was crucified outside of the city, so He was born
outside of the city as well. This was an indication that from the
time He was born, He belonged to the realm of that which is
unimportant in a worldly sense. However, He ended up being
much more important to the world than anyone else ever has
been, or ever will be.
Prayer:
Father, I understand that in becoming a true Christian and
following Jesus, I must sometimes veer off the course of the
prevailing social norms. Instead, help me to follow the Truth
of Jesus’s light. Please give me the strength to live this counter-cultural mission. Amen.

Monday: Mary’s Role
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now,
Master, you may let your servant go/ in peace, according to
your word.”
—Luke 2:28–29
Reflection:
Simeon said that Mary, herself, would be pierced with a sword,
indicating that her role in the gospel story did not end at Jesus’s
birth, but rather that it would continue on to include her
participation in her Son’s passion and resurrection.
Prayer:
Dearest Mother Mary, Help of Christians, your role in the
gospel story included not only the beginning of Jesus’s life but
also its end. Be with all those who will die today, to comfort
them and lead them to their eternal reward. Amen.

Monday: Pondering
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
I am a sojourner in the land;/ do not hide your commands
from me./ At all times my soul is stirred/ with longing for your
edicts.
—Psalm 119:19–20
Reflection:
Mary and St. Joseph did not understand what Jesus said to them.
Mary had to keep all these things in her heart and ponder them.
Even the extraordinary faith of Mary was a faith that matured
over time—and through darkness—as she was a sojourner in
the land like us, too.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, just as you may not immediately have understood
Jesus, but pondered what He said in your heart until you
eventually did understand, help me, also, to ponder Jesus’s
sayings and grasp the fullest meaning out of them. Amen.

“Saint Augustine tells us that he found some admirable virtues among pagans (let us think of Socrates), but that never, absolutely never, did he find a pagan who possessed the virtue of humility. The reason is that this virtue is possible only on the supernatural plane; it is therefore not accessible to those whose outlook is limited to natural ethics.”  –Alice von Hildebrand (+ 2022)

Intention:  I pray for Your help, Lord, today in carrying out the work that You have given me to do.

Sunday: Jesus’s Peace
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Scripture:
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors
were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace
be with you.”
—John 20:19
Reflection:
Once one is informed of the story of Jesus—how meek He
was and how He was unjustly accused, condemned, scourged,
mocked and crucified—one can’t help but respond with gladness
to what happens next in the story: Jesus was risen and came to
the anguished disciples and said, “Peace be with you” (Luke
24:36). What a victory for righteousness!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, what would we do as a human race without Your
teachings of love, peace, kindness and forgiveness? Where
would we be without them? Please create more peace among
all nations and tribes. Amen.

Sunday: Ruler of the Universe
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
Scripture:
And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea
and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
—Acts 1:8
Reflection:
When we say that Jesus went up into heaven to sit at the Father’s
right hand, we mean that He has entered fully into the Father’s
life of creation, as Ruler of the Universe.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your Son, Jesus Christ, is King of the Universe,
and nothing transpires without His creating it or allowing it.
His intentions for me are all benevolent. Make me more faithful
in return. Amen.

Sunday: Gifts and Fruits
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of
you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. For the promise
is made to you and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
—Acts 2:38–39
Reflection:
Saint Paul said that the fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22). Isaiah said that the gifts of the Spirit
are: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel
and of strength and a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord
(see Isaiah 11:2). We who have been baptized can lay claim to
all these fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, as God sees fit to
give them to us.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, I know that You are inside of me and that You want
to benefit me. Shower me with your gifts and fruits today as I
navigate all of today’s challenges and joys. Amen.

Sunday: Mary’s Faith
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
Scripture:
At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in
marriage but are like the angels in heaven. And concerning the
resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you
by God, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob”? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.
—Matthew 22:30–32
Reflection:
In the Magnificat, Mary sang, “He has helped Israel his
servant,/ remembering his mercy,/ according to his promise to
our fathers,/ to Abraham and to his descendants forever” (Luke
1:54-55). The Magnificat is a song of praise to God for all that
He has done for us—including Mary’s assumption—and for all
that He will do in the future.
Prayer:
Our lives are filled with periods of stress, sadness and darkness.
Our lives also contain moments of tranquility, joy and light.
Lord Jesus, Author of Life, please give me Mary’s deep faith in
all circumstances, which can lessen the suffering of my own
death to come someday. Amen.

Sunday: Mary’s Immaculate Heart
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he
loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then
he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that
hour the disciple took her into his home.
—John 19:26–27
Reflection:
Mary’s Immaculate Heart was open to taking us as her children;
it was open to giving up Jesus on the Cross; and, it was (and is)
open to love for all mankind, as Jesus was in love with mankind.
Mary followed in Jesus’s footsteps. That is why consecration
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary necessitates carrying one’s
cross – to follow Jesus.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, Morning Star, your Immaculate Heart knows that
the world, the flesh and the devil are no match for the power
of Jesus’s salvific action on the Cross. Thank you for beckoning
to me to come nearer to you, so that you can show me the way
to Jesus. Thank you for coming close to me in the prayer of the
Rosary. Amen.

“We could not by ourselves invent the truth that God is love, nor devise the Church as the invention of love. Yet, when it is revealed to us, we can see how it corresponds to the deepest secret desires kindled in every heart by the fleeting intimations given in genuine human love.”  –Ronda Chervin

Intention:   I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.

Saturday: God’s Call
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son
of God.”
—Luke 1:35
Reflection:
Mary found grace, which enabled her to say “yes” to God’s
request, and to go forward without fearing the things that
would normally have made her fearful. We, too, must say “yes”
to God’s call, and let faith help us to go forward without any
fear of the future, with full confidence that God will arrange
things to turn out in the best way possible.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Faithful Virgin, intercede for those who suffer
from anxiety or mental illness, so that they may feel sure in
going forward on the path that God’s will calls them to follow.
Amen.

Saturday: The Magnificat
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
The Mighty One has done great things for me,/ and holy is
his name.
—Luke 1:49
Reflection:
The Magnificat is the amazing prayer that Mary sings to God
after Elizabeth greets her. In it, Mary teaches us to praise God
above all else, for His compassion for us, for saving us, for
providing for us and for fulfilling His covenant of love toward us.
Prayer:
Father, You inspired Mary to sing Your praises in the Magnificat.
Stir within all the brokenhearted and lonely a song to lift their
hearts and souls up to You, also. Amen.

Saturday: Jesus Came to Save
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
But the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This
man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
—Luke 15:2
Reflection:
The meaning of Christmas is that Jesus became incarnate for
the sake of illuminating humanity and redeeming every single
person. He did not come to accuse sinners but to save them –
to save us.
Prayer:
Jesus, I appreciate that You did not come to denounce me for
my sins but to rescue me from them, and to be with me forever.
Touch the hearts of all non-believers at Christmastime, bring
them to Your church and give them the joy of community
worship and fellowship. Amen.

Saturday: Jesus’s Light
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
He [Simeon] came in the Spirit into the temple; and when
the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom
of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and
blessed God.
—Luke 2:27–28
Reflection:
Simeon prophesied that Jesus would be a sign that would be
contradicted, and so He was. He was so opposed that powerful
men sought to kill Him, to try to put out the light that He
brought.
Prayer:
Jesus, Simeon’s prophecy about You was indeed borne out to
be correct. But Your death did not put out Your light on earth.
No, it continues on in all of us, through Your Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah! Amen.

Saturday: Peace in the Family
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was
obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her
heart. And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before
God and man.
—Luke 2:51–52
Reflection:
Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and yet most of His life on
earth, He spent in relative obscurity in obedience to Mary and
St. Joseph in Nazareth.
Prayer:
Jesus, You lived in peace with Your mother and father for a long
time. Assist me in creating peace in my family, which is a sign
that the joy and love of the Holy Spirit is present. Amen.

“We cannot have our own life and God’s life at the same time. The ultimate relinquishing of our own life takes place at death, but death will only be death in Jesus in the measure that we have already yielded up our life to him, handed it over, allowed him to bring us to a new birth, clothed head to foot in Christ. Faith is that movement whereby we accept God’s nearness, and his nearness must always mean the death of the ego.”  –Sister Ruth Burrows, O.C.D. (+ 2023)

Intention: Lord, thank You for blessing America.  Thank You for blessing America!

Thursday: Adopted Child
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan
Scripture:
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be
baptized by him.
—Matthew 3:13
Reflection:
Jesus was already being called “the Lamb of God” by John
the Baptist, at His baptism. He participated in baptism to be
in solidarity with all of us, that when He went through His
passion, death and resurrection, He would carry us along with
Him, as well.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, thank You for empowering me at my baptism, and
making me an adopted child of God. Amen.

Thursday: New Eve
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture:
[And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect
me? My hour has not yet come.”
—John 2:4
Reflection:
Since the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have believed
that Mary was “the new Eve.” Eve was led to sin through
arrogance. Mary helped to bring about our redemption.
Prayer:
Mary said, “Do what He tells you,” which is a command for
me to follow in the present time. Lord Jesus, Zealous for Souls,
make everything happen for my well-being and for the well-being of others. Amen.

Thursday: Anxiety
3rd Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation
of the Kingdom of Heaven
Scripture:
So do not worry and say, “What are we to eat?” or “What
are we to drink?” or “What are we to wear?” All these things
the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need
them all.
—Matthew 6:31–32
Reflection:
If we are feeling anxiety and angst in our lives, it is a sign that
we are not putting God’s will first in our minds. When we
do put God’s will first, we can be assured that the outcome of
events will be the best one.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to live according to Your will, in confidence
and trust in Your Providence. Amen.

Thursday: Radiating the Spirit
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Scripture:
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing
with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good
that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one
for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
—Matthew 17:3–4
Reflection:
The transfiguration of Jesus was prefigured by the Exodus story
of Moses, when he went up Mount Sinai with three of his
closest friends, who were in awe over his glowing face.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, aid me in radiating the Holy Spirit’s fruits of love,
joy and peace, and thereby enable me to be transformed. Amen.

Thursday: Memorial
5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution
of the Holy Eucharist
Scripture:
When the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, the day
for sacrificing the Passover lamb, he sent out Peter and John,
instructing them, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the
Passover.”
— Luke 22:7–8
Reflection:
Jesus made Himself the Passover Lamb at the Last Supper, by
sacrificing His Body and Blood for all mankind. He commanded
the apostles to commemorate this in the Holy Eucharist, as a
memorial of His suffering, death and resurrection. In the Jewish
sense, this memorial is a way of making it present again. We
speak of the Mass as a sacrifice, because it is making present the
one sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, forever.
Prayer:
Father, spread Your healing love across the world through the
Holy Eucharist, to put an end to all strife and division. Amen.

“Faith knows how much we are loved: our minds know only that we are loved. Only by prayer do we cling to what faith knows.”  –Venerable Madeleine Delbrêl (+ 1964)

Intention:  Father, thank You that every part of my day can be exciting when I allow Jesus to step in and be a part of it!

Wednesday: Restores Us to New Life
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in
dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and
bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do
you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he
has been raised.”
—Luke 24:4–6
Reflection:
Jesus finds us at our lowest point of existence, in all our
brokenness and suffering, and restores us to new life in Christ
as He raises us up with Him in His resurrection.
Prayer:
Lord, You are the True Vine, and I am the branch. Let Your
Holy Spirit flow through me today, influence all that I do and
produce fruit for the Kingdom. Amen.

Wednesday: Spread God’s Love
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are
you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He
answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.”
—Acts 1:6–7
Reflection:
As Jesus rises up to the Father in glory, He fulfills Daniel’s
vision of the Son of Man being given an eternal Kingdom. The
Kingdom has been won through Jesus Christ, but it is up to the
apostles to spread it to the farthest corners of the earth.
Prayer:
Just as the apostles needed to start evangelizing where they were,
in Jerusalem, so I need to evangelize wherever I am planted.
Jesus, please help me to spread the blessed news of God’s love
in my social circle, work circle and home circle. Amen.

Wednesday: Transform My Heart
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
[Peter said,] “This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says,/ ‘that I will
pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh./ Your sons and
daughters shall prophesy,/ your young men shall see visions,/
your old men shall dream dreams.’”
—Acts 2:16–17
Reflection:
Because the Holy Spirit has written His Law on our hearts, we
are able to love all our neighbors – our co-workers, our friends,
our relatives – with a supernatural love, a transforming love,
that surpasses our own selfish interests.
Prayer:
O Lord, please transform my heart, and develop in me more
selflessness and generosity—particularly towards the poor and
deprived. Amen.

Wednesday: Attaining Heaven
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
Who is this that comes forth like the dawn,/ as beautiful as the
moon, as resplendent as the sun,/ as awe-inspiring as bannered
troops?
—Song of Songs 6:10
Reflection:
Mary was assumed into heaven to be the first to experience the
resurrection that Jesus offers us, because she was the mother
of the Son of God, and the first and best disciple of Jesus. She
gives us hope that we, too, may follow in her footsteps to the
resurrection, if we continue to live Jesus’s teachings.
Prayer:
Lord, encourage me to lean on You, follow Your teachings and
pray for the attainment of heaven, and the resurrection on the
last day. Amen.

Wednesday: Queen Mother
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
Like cinnamon, or fragrant balm, or precious myrrh,/ I give
forth perfume;/ Like galbanum and onycha and sweet spices,/
like the odor of incense in the holy place.
—Sirach 24:15
Reflection:
Mary is so sweet that she exudes an intoxicating fragrance of the
Spirit, for us. Revelation Chapter 12 shows her with a crown
of twelve stars, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the
twelve apostles. Thus, she symbolizes the church.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, Mother of our Creator, you are the Queen
Mother, who has the ear of the King. Give me confidence that
all my needs will be met, as I ask you to pray for me. Amen.

“The meekness of our Lord is wholly supernatural. It ­derives from his zeal for the salvation of souls…. To Saint Peter, Jesus replies that it is necessary to pardon not only seven times, but seventy times seven—that is, always.”  –Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (+ 1964)

Intention: Lord, please bless all the Jews and Christians in the world, and keep them safe.  God bless Jerusalem, and all of Israel!  I pray for peace for Jerusalem!

Tuesday: Accepting Suffering
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he
found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, “Why are you
sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”
—Luke 22:45–46
Reflection:
Jesus is not like us; He takes His suffering head-on, accepting it
for the sake of our salvation, and for the sake of His Father’s will.
Prayer:
Jesus, You took on Your suffering willingly, accepting it for the
benefit of our purification, and in accord with Your Father’s
will. Comfort and encourage those who are suffering in any
way, by giving them tangible consolations. Amen.

Tuesday: The Right Thing
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot
was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands
in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s
blood. Look to it yourselves.”
—Matthew 27:24
Reflection:
Jesus’s Roman scourging was intended to be long and harsh,
so that the soldiers would be able to kill Him more quickly in
the crucifixion.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, we say in the Creed that You suffered under Pontius
Pilate, were crucified, and that You died and were buried, to
recall Pilate’s fear and inability to do the right thing. Please
enable me to do the right thing when I am confronted with
difficult situations. Amen.

Tuesday: Jesus’s Triumph
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and
a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked
him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
—Matthew 27:29
Reflection:
Even though the soldiers were mocking Jesus when they said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!” they were also unknowingly helping
to reveal that Jesus was indeed King and was performing a
Kingly action on the Cross.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, in Your suffering, death and resurrection, You
triumphed over evil for the salvation of us all. Guide me to
also conquer the temptations and evils that have been sent to
destroy me. Amen.

Tuesday: Following Jesus
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Happy are those who find refuge in you,/ whose hearts are set
on pilgrim roads./ As they pass through the Baca valley,/ they
find spring water to drink./ Also from pools the Lord provides
water/ for those who lose their way./ They pass through outer
and inner wall/ and see the God of gods on Zion.
—Psalm 84:6–8
Reflection:
Simon was forced by the Roman soldiers to support Jesus in
carrying His Cross. Just as Jesus had said that we must take up
our cross and follow Him, Simon helped to carry Jesus’s Cross
behind Him.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, My Teacher, instruct me to live Your teachings and
carry my cross daily, so that I may become a better follower of
You. Amen.

Tuesday: Praying for Enemies
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is
the law and the prophets.
—Matthew 7:12
Reflection:
Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”
(Luke 6:27–28). In forgiving His enemies while on the Cross,
He gave us a concrete example of how to treat our enemies.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, Spirit of Peace and Patience, by Your kindness I
can follow Jesus in praying for my enemies and doing altruistic
works for them. Please provide me the grace to be able to do
this, always. Amen.

“It is precisely he [Our Lord], the man greatest in mind and heart, who wishes to be the standard, the exemplar of ­humility: Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. To make up for our pride and our rebellious wills, our Lord abased himself before his Father, accepting every kind of humiliation from his judges, from Pilate, and from Herod. He voluntarily took the role of the ­representative of sinners, yet he was Sanctity itself….”  –Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (+ 1964) 

Intention:  Lord, I thank You that wherever I go this day, You and Your angels will be with me. Thank You, Lord, for the peace, love and security You promise.

Monday: Mary’s Leading
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered
what sort of greeting this might be.
—Luke 1:29
Reflection:
The Angel Gabriel told Mary that the Lord was with her. This
was to convey the message that she was called to carry out an
important part of God’s plan, which would be possible to do
because of the Lord’s presence.
Prayer:
Mary always leads us to Jesus. She seeks no glory for herself;
only for her Son. Lord, inspire all people and nations to come to
Mary who can understand them, and bring them to true peace
through Jesus Christ and Our Lady of Fatima. Amen.

Monday: New Ark
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come to me?
—Luke 1:43
Reflection:
When the ark came to David, he was so in awe that he said,
“How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Samuel 6:9). His
question was similar to Elizabeth’s when she asked, “How does
this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come
to me?” (Luke 1:43). Thus, we see an example of how the ark
prefigures Mary.
Prayer:
Mother Mary, you are the Ark of the New Covenant. You are
powerful through your intimate connection with Jesus. Please
pray for all those who seek to destroy human life, that they may
forsake violence and seek Jesus, the Prince of Peace, instead.
Amen.

Monday: Gloria
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with
the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the
highest/ and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
—Luke 2:13–14
Reflection:
We echo the angels’ bliss when we sing the “Gloria” at Mass.
Prayer:
Lord, let our praise of You during Mass create a gentle breeze
of peace and love which floats over the entire world, enveloping
it with mercy, and healing all its peoples. Amen.

Monday: Simeon’s Prophecy
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
It had been revealed to him [Simeon] by the holy Spirit that he
should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.
—Luke 2:26
Reflection:
Mary’s faith must have been enormous, because despite Simeon’s
words of warning to her when Jesus was just a Babe, she still
accompanied her Son at the Cross and released Him to the
Father at His crucifixion.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I praise You and bless You, because all Your life
You were being led to the dark and painful Cross, and yet You
still pushed forward with firm resolution and purpose, for all
our sakes. Never let me take Your sacrifice for granted. Amen.

Monday: Absolutely There
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
But they [Jesus’s parents] did not understand what he said to
them.
—Luke 2:50
Reflection:
When we experience spiritual desolation, we go through a
“desert,” not feeling that God is with us, even though we may
be continuing to do our daily prayers and devotions. It is like
we are searching for Jesus, but we can’t seem to find Him.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I look for You in the desert, I believe that
You are absolutely with me all along, assisting me in becoming
stronger and more trusting of You. Draw me to You, as You led
Your parents to find You in the temple. Amen.