Rosary Meditations for Parents and Children

Rosary Meditations for
Parents and Children

~ from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary ~

Rita Ring

Shepherds of Christ Publications
P.O. Box 627
Madison, Indiana 47250

This book is published by Shepherds of Christ Publications, a subsidiary of Shepherds of Christ Ministries, a tax exempt religious public charitable association organized to foster devotion to the Two Hearts, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

For additional copies, contact us:

Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P.O. Box 193
Morrow, OH 45152-0193

(toll free number) 1-888-211-3041

(phone) 1-513-932-4451

(fax) 1-513-932-6791

http://www.SofC.org

Nihil Obstat:
    Rev Daniel J. Mahan, S.T.L.
    Censor Librorum
    Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Imprimatur:
Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B.
Archbishop of Indianapolis

First Printing: November, 1998

Dedication

I dedicate this book to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and to Fr. Edward J. Carter. Most grateful thanks to our President, John Weickert, our Editor, Cathy Ring, and our Apostle Telephone Coordinator, Melanie Noe.

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the use of excerpts from the following materials:

Scripture texts used in this work are taken from The New Jerusalem Bible, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1990.

Fr. Edward J. Carter, S. J., The Spirituality of Fatima and Medjugorje, Madison, Indiana: Shepherds of Christ Publication, 1994.

Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven, TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., Rockford, Illinois.

Table of Contents

TO THE READER
SPECIAL THANKS
PART ONE (taken from The Spirituality of Fatima and Medjugorje)
ABOUT THE ROSARY

ROSARY MEDITATIONS
SHORT MEDITATIONS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

December 25, 1994, Joyful Mysteries on Christmas
Unknown Date, Joyful Mysteries
Unknown Date, Sorrowful Mysteries
Unknown Date, Glorious Mysteries

ROSARY MEDITATIONS
FROM JUNIOR SHEPHERDS OF CHRIST ASSOCIATE MEETINGS

November 2, 1995, Sorrowful Mysteries
November 19, 1995, Glorious Mysteries
November 30, 1995, Joyful Mysteries
December 7, 1995, Joyful Mysteries
December 28, 1995, Joyful Mysteries
January 11, 1996, Sorrowful Mysteries
January 18, 1996, Sorrowful Mysteries
January 25, 1996, Sorrowful Mysteries
February 1, 1996, Sorrowful Mysteries
February 8, 1996, Sorrowful Mysteries
February 15, 1996, Glorious Mysteries
February 22, 1996, Glorious Mysteries
February 24, 1996, Sorrowful Mysteries
February 29, 1996, Joyful Mysteries
March 14, 1996, Sorrowful Mysteries
March 28, 1996, Joyful Mysteries

ROSARY MEDITATIONS
ADVANCED MEDITATIONS WITH GREATER CONTENT

February 1, 1995, Joyful Mysteries
January 26, 1995, Sorrowful Mysteries
February 22, 1995, Glorious Mysteries

ROSARY MEDITATIONS
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS

April 26, 1995, Glorious Mysteries
July 15, 1995, Glorious Mysteries
April 25, 1996, Glorious Mysteries
March 20, 1997, Joyful Mysteries

ROSARY CHAPEL WINDOWS

THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

SONGS

NOTES

HANDBOOK PRAYERS

OTHER PRAYERS

PRAYERS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

PRAYERS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

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To the Reader

Mary appeared at Fatima. She told us that we are offending God. She told us what we must do. This is Mary's peace plan:

Until a sufficient number of people have consecrated their hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we will not have peace in the world.
Mary has requested all to pray the daily rosary.
We must observe the First Saturday devotion:
- Communion, confession (within 8 days before or after the Saturday), recital of the rosary, and meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the rosary. All this is to be done in a spirit of reparation.
We must make reparation to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

We are disobeying our Mother's requests at Fatima.

This book is to help the reader grow in their love of the rosary. It is to help them to grow in their love of the Eucharist. May they go deeper and deeper into the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. May they obey Mary's peace plan given at Fatima so there will be peace in the world.

I love you,

Rita

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Special Thanks to:

Fr. Edward J. Carter
John Weickert
Cathy Ring and John Lipps
Melanie Noe
Ellen Sartori
Emily Lehrter
Marian Mackey
Chris Finkbone
Harold Kellner
Debby Kellner
Andrew Weber
Rosella Robinson
Joe Lee
Tom and Mike Arlinghaus
The youth of Junior Shepherds of Christ Associates
Mary Rettig (our School Rosary Coordinator)

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one

Fatima: The Setting

On October 13, 1917, there were more than 70,000 people gathered in the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal. They had come to observe a miracle which had been foretold by the Blessed Virgin to three young visionaries: Lucia dos Santos, and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. ¹ Shortly after noon, Our Lady appeared to the three visionaries:

As the Lady was about to leave, she pointed to the sun. Lucy excitedly repeated the gesture, and the people looked into the sky. The rain had ceased, the clouds parted, and the sun shone forth, but not in its usual brilliance. Instead, it appeared like a silver disc, pale as the moon, at which all could gaze without straining their eyes. Suddenly, impelled by some mysterious force, the disc began to whirl in the sky, casting off great shafts of multicolored light. Red, green, blue, yellow, violet--the enormous rays shot across the sky at all angles, lighting up the entire countryside for many miles around, but particularly the upturned faces of those 70,000 spellbound people.

After a few moments the wonder stopped, but resumed again a second and a third time--three times in all--within about 12 minutes. It seemed that the whole world was on fire, with the sun spinning at a greater speed each time.

Then a gasp of terror rose from the crowd, for the sun seemed to tear itself from the heavens and come crashing down upon the horrified multitude.... Just when it seemed that the ball of fire would fall upon and destroy them, the miracle ceased, and the sun resumed its normal place in the sky, shining forth as peacefully as ever.

When the people arose from the ground, cries of astonishment were heard on all sides. Their clothes, which had been soaking wet and muddy, now were clean and dry. Many of the sick and crippled had been cured of their afflictions. ²

The above describes the great miracle which brought to conclusion the series of apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima which took place six times, from May to October 1917. The Miracle of the Sun was the sign God gave to the world in proof of the authenticity of the apparitions. The event was reported in newspapers around the world.

With one exception, Mary always appeared on the 13^th of the month, above an holm oak tree in the valley named Cova da Iria. The only deviation from the 13th was the August apparition. During this particular month, Mary appeared to the children near the village of Valinhos on August 19. The children were in jail on the 13^th of that particular month. The mayor, in an attempt to stop the events, had had the young visionaries kidnapped and imprisoned, but fearing violence on the part of the people, he soon released them.

Since the apparitions of 1917, millions of pilgrims have come to Fatima. Fatima is a small, rural town about 90 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal. It is situated within hilly terrain which is lined with numerous cedar trees. The Cova da Iria--grazing ground at the time of the apparitions--now appears as a huge, paved area which lies in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima. About 50 yards in front of the Basilica, and to the left as one faces the Basilica, is the Chapel of Apparitions. Here, within the sanctuary, is a glass-enclosed statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The statue is situated on the spot of the holm oak tree over which Our Lady appeared to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco.

In the middle of the great square, one sees a large statue of the Sacred Heart. The arms of Christ are outstretched, welcoming all to come to the refuge of His Heart. Above the entrance of the Basilica is a statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These two statues vividly remind us of the alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. As we shall soon see, this union of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart forms the very core of the Fatima message.

As is to be expected, the largest crowds of pilgrims gather on the 13th of the month from May through October.

I was privileged to be present at Fatima on a very special day, October 13, 1992. This date marked the 75^th anniversary of the final apparition. It was, indeed, a most memorable occasion. On the evening of the 12th, there was the usual Rosary procession. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were present on this brisk October night. Pilgrims holding lighted candles, the praying of the Rosary, the procession with the Our Lady of Fatima statue--all this made for a very impressive and moving occasion.

The next day, the 13th, was obviously a very, very special time. The day was bright and sunny with an almost completely blue sky. It seemed no accident. It was a gift of Our Lady, the Woman Clothed with the Sun: Now a great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown (Rev. 12:1). We see, then, how fitting it was that the great miracle of Fatima described above was one involving the sun.

There were about a million people gathered in the huge square for this 75th anniversary occasion. The center of attraction was the Mass at the outdoor altar situated on the Basilica steps. Before and after the Mass, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was marched in procession. The pilgrims waved their white handkerchiefs at the statue, a time-honored custom at Fatima. The entire ceremony took over three hours, yet there was a pervasive silence throughout the gathering of pilgrims, which numbered about one million. Their deep devotion was obvious. It was one of the most impressive and moving scenes I have ever witnessed.

During a stay at Fatima, one can always observe pilgrims visiting the Apparitions Chapel for Masses and adoration visits. Leading down to the Chapel is a special walkway which stretches back about 100 yards into the great square. This path is used by many pilgrims who, in an act of sacrifice, walk on their knees the length of the walkway, ending their journey at the Chapel itself. The atmosphere at the Chapel is one of deep peace and devotion, a common trait at Marian shrines.

Pilgrims are also constantly entering the Basilica for Masses and visits. At the front of the Basilica lie the remains of two of the Fatima visionaries. Jacinta's crypt is to the left, and Francisco's is to the right. Pilgrims stop briefly and pray at the crypts in a spirit of deep devotion. As one prays at these crypts, it is easy to recall the words of Jesus: I bless you, Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children (Matt. 11:25).

Central to the pilgrimage activities at Fatima are the many Masses which take place at the Chapel of Apparitions and the Basilica church. This, again, is a common occurrence at Marian shrines. Mary always leads to the Eucharistic Christ.

two

Fatima: The Message

Before receiving the six apparitions of Our Lady, May through October of 1917, the three Fatima visionaries were visited by an angel on three different occasions during the preceding year. He appeared to them in the spring, summer, and fall. Lucia (now Sr. Lucia) describes the springtime apparition of the angel:

On reaching us, he said: "Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."

Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until his forehead touched the ground and made us repeat these words three times: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You."

Then, rising he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."

His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them. ³

During the summer of 1916, the angel again appeared to the three visionaries. He said to them:

Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way.... I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you. ⁴

In the fall of the same year, the angel visited the visionaries a final time:

The angel came...bearing a golden chalice in one hand and a Host above it in the other. The amazed children noticed that drops of blood were falling from the Host into the chalice. Presently, the angel left both suspended in mid-air and prostrated himself on the ground, saying this beautiful prayer: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and [the intercession of] the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners." ⁵

Sr. Lucia relates how the angel gave them Communion:

Then, rising, he took the chalice and the Host in his hand. He gave the Sacred Host to me and shared the Blood from the chalice between Jacinta and Francisco, saying as he did so:

"Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men! Make reparation for their crimes and console your God." ⁶

Reflecting upon these messages of the angel, we see how much they contain for our spiritual instruction.

First of all, we notice the distinctive Trinitarian nature of the messages. We are instructed that, in our Christian existence, we must express the greatest reverence for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as we serve them through the virtues of faith, hope, and love. These three virtues are at the heart of our life of grace.

We are reminded of the ugly reality of sin and of our duty to make reparation for it. We are reminded that reparation is due Christ in His Eucharistic presence. And, as we shall soon see, Our Lady calls for a specific act of reparation--the five first Saturdays. Reparation is a foundation of the Fatima messages.

The angel also tells us that we must not only love God; we must also love our neighbor. We are to pray and make sacrifices for others.

In telling us to "Pray a great deal," and "Make everything you do a sacrifice," the angel reminds us that we are to live a deep spirituality. We are to be united with God throughout the day in as conscious a manner as possible. Regarding the angel's call to prayer, we shall soon hear of Mary's special request concerning the daily Rosary. It is a request that reminds us that God has sent Our Blessed Mother to call us back to Jesus, and to a closer union with Him. The Fatima message indeed reminds us that Mary is our spiritual Mother, that she is our mediatrix with Christ.

The angel specified a need to help others by our sacrifices, and to accept the sufferings God sends. It is a confirmation of Christ's paschal mystery of death-resurrection. The cross leads to life. We live the cross for the purpose of growing in grace ourselves, and in order to help channel grace to others.

The Angel also reminded us that the Eucharist is at the center of the Church's life. And, very importantly, in each of his three messages, the Angel drew attention to the critical role which the Hearts of Jesus and Mary play in our Christian lives:

Another remarkable fact is that in each of the three apparitions, the Angel already mentions the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, as though linked to one another by an indissoluble union. The account of the first apparition even presents a striking phrase which seems to have been hardly noticed. After having taught this completely God-centered prayer, "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love you," the Angel added: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications." We pray to God, and it is the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary that hear and answer our prayers! How could it better express the truth that we can only go to God and please Him by this unique and universal mediation?

Similarly, in the summer of 1916, when the Angel announces to the three seers their future vocations, it is the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary that appear in the foreground as the inseparable mediators of the "Father of Mercies." "The Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary," he tells them, "have designs of mercy on you."

Finally, the third time, in the prayer of Eucharistic offering, it is by "the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and [the intercession of] the Immaculate Heart of Mary," that the Angel begs "the conversion of poor sinners" of the Trinity.

With this constant thought of the mediation of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we are already at the very center of the Message of Fatima. ⁷

The Angel's three messages contain an amazing spiritual doctrine. The Angel gives the outline of the spiritual life within the framework of devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Behold, the spirituality of Fatima!

The Angel's instruction to the three children admirably prepared them for Our Lady's apparitions. Mary's messages presume, and build upon, the spiritual doctrine which the Angel gave to the three young visionaries--and to us.

May 13, 1917, marks the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. On this occasion, she said to the visionaries:

Do not be afraid, I will do you no harm..... I am from Heaven.

I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession, on the 13th day, at the same hour. Later on, I will tell you who I am and what I want

Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners?

Pray the Rosary every day in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war. ⁸

To the end of each decade of the Rosary, she added the Fatima prayer, "0 my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy. " ⁹

In Mary's first message, we immediately see two aspects of the Fatima message--prayer (especially the Rosary) and reparation.

On June 13, the Blessed Virgin again appeared to the three children:

There were about 70 people present, though only the children could see the apparition. She told the youngsters that many souls go to Hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them. She said Francisco and Jacinta would soon leave the world for Heaven. Holding out her heart, surrounded by thorns which pierced it from all sides, Our Lady told Lucy: "God wishes you to remain in the world for some time because He wants to use you to establish in the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart. I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and their souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by myself to adorn His throne." ¹⁰

This shows how devotion to the Immaculate Heart is central to the Fatima message. Subsequent events reemphasize the importance of Our Lady teaching this devotion at Fatima.

In her July apparition, Our Lady further revealed her plan to the children and to the world:

During her appearance in July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucia's plea, promised that in October she would work a great miracle so that all might believe and know who she was. Again, the Mother of God told the children to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to say many times, especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer: "0 my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." ¹¹

During this same July apparition, Mary showed the three children a vision of Hell. She told them:

You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.

The war (World War I, then raging) is going to end. But if people do not stop offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of Pius XI. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown light [January 2, 1938], know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. ¹²

To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the five first Saturdays. If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. if not, she will scatter her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed....

But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world. ¹³

In the above, Mary speaks of the five first Saturdays. Here is what the practice involves:

Go to confession, which may be done from eight days before to eight days after the first Saturday. Of course, if a person is in the state of serious sin, the confession must be made before receiving communion.
Receive Holy Communion.
Recite five decades of the Rosary.
Meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.

All of the above (except confession) must be done on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart. For those who make the five first Saturdays, Our Lady of Fatima has promised to assist them at the hour of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation. ¹⁴

Because of the excitement caused by the apparitions, the civil authorities were so alarmed that they kidnapped the three young visionaries and put them in jail. The incarceration period included the day of August 13. Consequently, Our Lady did not appear to the children on this particular 13th.

The authorities, fearing reaction on the part of the people, quickly released the children. Mary appeared to them on August 19 near Valinhos:

She told them she was greatly displeased by the action of the mayor. As a result, the miracle promised for October would not be as impressive as originally planned. ¹⁵

Next came the September appearance of Our Lady:

More than 30,000 people were present in September, and saw a shower of mysterious white petals fall to within 10 feet of the ground before dissolving into the air. Many also saw the globe of light bearing the Lady come to rest atop the tree, and the branches bend as though someone were standing on them. Later, they saw the cloud depart into the east, from whence it had come.¹⁶

The October 13 vision was accompanied by the great Miracle of the Sun described in the previous chapter. In her message that day, Our Blessed Mother told the children:

I am the Lady of the Rosary. I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and to ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day.¹⁷

While the people in attendance were beholding the great Miracle of the Sun, the three young visionaries, and they alone, were privileged to see striking visions in the heavens:

As Our Lady had promised, St. Joseph had come with the Holy Family and had blessed the world. Then, Our Lady appeared as the Mother of Sorrows, accompanied by her Divine Son, Who also blessed the world. Finally, Lucy had seen the Blessed Virgin, dressed in the brown robes of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth, holding a brown Scapular in her hand, with her infant Son upon her knee. However, in none of these visions had any of the figures spoken to the children.¹⁸

Besides the messages associated with the major Fatima apparitions, there were other revelations given by Our Lady. Before Jacinta died, she told of other messages given her (during her illness) by Mary:

More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason.

Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much.

Many marriages are not good; they do not please Our Lord and are not of God.

Priests must be pure, very pure. They should not busy themselves with anything except what concerns the Church and souls. The disobedience of priests, to their superiors and to the Holy Father, is very displeasing to Our Lord.

I can no longer restrain the hand of my Divine Son from striking the world with just punishments for its many crimes.

If the government of a country leaves the Church in peace and gives liberty to our Holy Religion, it will be blessed by God.

Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask grace from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her. ¹⁹

This last message offers us an excellent opportunity to summarize the Fatima message. It tells us "that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

At the center of the veneration for which Our Lord calls is the act of consecration to His Sacred Heart and to Mary's Immaculate Heart. As we shall see in Part II of this book, this consecration calls for a total gift of ourselves to Jesus and Mary. Such a gift, obviously, includes a willingness to incorporate into our lives the other Fatima teachings and requests. As such, consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary summarizes the Fatima message.

Some seem to think the message of Fatima is no longer relevant to today's world. The words of Pope John Paul II tell us how wrong they are. Referring to a pilgrimage he made in 1982, he says:

Last week, I myself went on pilgrimage to Portugal, especially to Fatima, in order to give thanks that the mercy of God and the protection of the Mother of Christ had saved my life last year. The message of Fatima is a call to conversion and penance, the first and most basic call of the Gospel. Today, it is more urgent than ever, when evil is threatening us through errors based on denial of God. The message of Fatima puts us on our guard. It also invites us to approach anew the Fountain of Mercy by an act of consecration. Mary wishes us to draw near it: each one of us, each nation, and the whole world. ²⁰

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About the Rosary

Background

The word rosary comes from the Latin word rosarius which means crown of roses. It is a form of prayer to give love and praise to God while meditating on the lives of Jesus and Mary.

A complete rosary consists of a series of 150 beads divided into 15 groups or decades of ten beads each. Decades are usually separated by one larger bead connected on a string or chain. Extending from this string are five other beads, two large and three small, and a crucifix. Most rosaries consist of five decades. Some rosaries may consist of all fifteen decades.

Certain prayers are said at each bead of a rosary, a Hail Mary on each small bead, an Our Father on each large bead, and a Glory Be and O My Jesus prayer following each decade. The 15 decades are divided into three sets of five. Each set tells about the mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary. They are the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries. While praying the Hail Marys, we meditate on the particular mystery.

Enclosed in this book are meditations that are read during the rosary. Reading a meditation before each Hail Mary, helps us to concentrate and keep our minds focused. Occasionally there is a special meditation before the Glory Be or the Hail Holy Queen.

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
Said on Mondays and Thursdays and on Sundays from the First Sunday of Advent until Lent

1. The Annunciation to Mary
2. The Visitation of Mary
3. The Nativity of Our Lord
4. The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
Said on Tuesdays and Fridays and on the Sundays of Lent

1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord on the Cross

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
Said on Wednesdays and Saturdays and on Sundays from Easter to Advent

1. The Resurrection of Our Lord
2. The Ascension of Our Lord
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and Mary
4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
5. The Crowning of Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth

How to Say the Rosary

Rosary Image

Make the Sign of the Cross and say the Apostles' Creed.
Say the Our Father.
Say 3 Hail Marys.
Say the Glory Be to the Father.
Announce the First Mystery, then say the Our Father.
Say 10 Hail Marys.
Say the Glory Be to the Father.
Say the O My Jesus.
Announce the Second Mystery, then say the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be and O My Jesus.
Announce the Third Mystery, then say the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be and O My Jesus.
Announce the Fourth Mystery, then say the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be and O My Jesus.
Announce the Fifth Mystery, then say the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be and O My Jesus.
Conclude by saying the Hail Holy Queen.
Make the Sign of the Cross.

THE ROSARY PRAYERS

The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven; sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. * I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. * Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. * Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. * As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O My Jesus

O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Note: When the rosary is said aloud by two or more persons, one person is the leader. He says the first part of the prayer (up to the asterisk *). Everyone else answers by saying the remainder of the prayer. The O My Jesus and the Hail, Holy Queen are said by all together.

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Rosary Meditations
Short Meditations for School Children

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THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
DECEMBER 25, 1994

The Annunciation

The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and asked Mary to be the Mother of Jesus.
Mary always complied with the will of the Father. She said "yes" to the angel.
She was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Word was made flesh.
Song: Come Holy Ghost
There was such intimacy between Mary and Jesus from the first moment of conception.
She felt the life of the Child Jesus grow within her womb.
It was in her womb that the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was formed through the Holy Spirit.
It is in realizing this connection between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary that we will grow in greater union with God.
The Holy Spirit forever transforms us more and more into the image of Jesus.
The womb of the Virgin Mary is the holy dwelling place of our beloved Savior.

The Visitation

Mary, being pregnant herself, heard through the angel that Elizabeth had conceived a child in her old age. She made haste to the hill country to be with her cousin, Elizabeth.
When she arrived, the child in Elizabeth's womb leapt for joy.
Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice the Magnificat.
Mary said, " ...'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;' " (Lk. 1:46-47)
"...because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed," (Lk. 1:48)
"for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name," (Lk. 1:49)
Jesus is no less present this day in the Eucharist than He was in Mary's womb.
How He waits and yearns for us to come and to be with Him because He loves us so much!
If we realized how much He loves us, we would never fear.
Song: "O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you O Israel."

The Birth of Jesus

Think of the glorious night when Jesus was born in a stable. The angels sang and the shepherds watched.
The cows and the sheep were there to keep them warm.
This is truly Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.
Song: "Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains. And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains."
Song: "Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo."
Song: "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where He lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay."
Song: "O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."
Song: "What child is this who lay to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthem sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping."
See Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the stable. See the tenderness in the eyes of Mary as she gazes on her newborn baby child, Who is truly God!
The birth of Jesus is at the heart of salvation history.

The Presentation in the Temple

Mary and Joseph took the Child Jesus to the Temple.
While they were there, the prophet Simeon prophesied the sufferings of Jesus and Mary to come.
Simeon said to Mary, "and a sword will pierce your soul too-so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare." (Lk. 2:35)
As he prophesied the sufferings of Jesus and Mary, he also prophesied how many souls would be saved through Jesus.
Mary gazes so tenderly on her precious child. From this moment on, every time she looked at Jesus, she remembered the prophesy of Simeon.
She had a constant ache in her heart since the prophecy of Simeon.
Song: See the Eyes that Look at Mary
She looked at the Baby Jesus. She held Him in her arms. All through their life together, she knew His Heart. There was such love from the moment of conception between her and her Son. There was such intimacy between the Heart of Jesus and the heart of Mary.
Dear Mary, you knew the Heart of your beloved Son Jesus. Please lead us to closer intimacy with Him. It is in loving Him through your pure and tender heart that I too will love Him more tenderly.
Let us love, through your heart, our beloved Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

How the heart of Mary knew the Heart of Jesus! How the heart of Mary suffered at every sorrow. How she suffered when they lost the Child Jesus in the temple.
Mary wants us to pray for her little lost children of the world.
"It happened that, three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies." (Lk. 2:46-47)
When His parents saw Him "...his mother said to him, 'My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.'" (Lk. 2:48)
"He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart." (Lk. 2:51)
She was His Mother. She took care of Him. She knew Him with a deep, motherly love in her heart.
We must pray to the Child Jesus. He will answer our prayers.
She begs us to pray for her lost children so that they will not be condemned to hell for their sinfulness and willfulness. Mary says at Fatima,

"I am the Lady of the Rosary. I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and to ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day." ²¹

We must spread the love of Jesus to the world and help spread the rosaries about the Hearts of Jesus and Mary to the children and the adults.
Hail Mary...

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JOYFUL MYSTERIES
DATE UNKNOWN

The Annunciation

The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and asked her to be the Mother of God.
She said "yes". Mary had such faith! She always complied with the Father's will.
She was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
There was such a bond between Jesus and Mary from the very moment of conception!
She felt His life grow within her womb. His Most Sacred Heart was formed in her womb through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus wants to be alive in our hearts. We should carry His life with great joy in our being.
The Spirit wants to be alive in our very being with the fire of His love.
We are children of God. Mary mothers us as she mothered Jesus.
It is through Mary that we are led to intense love in His most precious Heart.
It is truly the love of these Two Hearts that will lead us to union with God.

The Visitation

Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth.
When she arrived, the child in Elizabeth's womb leapt for joy at the presence of Mary with Jesus in her womb.
Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out, with a loud voice, the Magnificat.
"And Mary said: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;" (Lk. 1:46-47)
"because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed," (Lk. 1:48)
"for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name," (Lk. 1:49)
Jesus is no less present in our hearts after Communion than He was in Mary's womb.
Should we not jump up and cry out that we truly receive the one, true God in our hearts?
Are we open to the Holy Spirit to fill us with the love of the one, true God and Mary in our hearts?
It is through her pure and tender heart that we will love God more closely.

The Birth of Jesus

Joseph was filled with joy to see the splendor of the night, but with sorrow to see Jesus born in such poverty.
Not a place for Jesus to lay His head-in a manger at birth, His head on a cross at His death-both bare wood.
He showed us the way, in total submission to the will of the Father. He loved us so much that He was born a human, God-made-man.
What the birth of this baby, the Child Jesus, did to change the world for all time!
This is Jesus, the Son of God, come to free the world of its sins.
He came as a little baby. He was born of Mary in the little town of Bethlehem.
This is how it is with Jesus today: there is no blare of trumpets, no roll of drums. Jesus comes quietly at every Mass.
The only blare of trumpets and roll of drums are in our hearts.
If you are not aware of Christ truly present in the Eucharist, you miss the big event.
Jesus, the same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, comes to us in our hearts.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

Mary took Jesus to the Temple to be presented to the Father.
Simeon told Mary of the future sufferings of Jesus and Mary.
Joseph, in his sorrow at hearing of the sufferings, was comforted by the joy that so many souls would be redeemed.
They returned to Galilee to the town of Nazareth and Jesus grew in wisdom and strength.
Mary, with such love, beheld her precious Son!
She gazed into His precious baby eyes.
Simeon predicted that her heart would be pierced with a sword.
Her heart would be pierced with a sword for, just as she held His baby body at birth, she would hold his lifeless body under the cross.
How well Mary would know the Heart of Jesus! She would ponder all the events of His life in her heart.
It is through her most loving heart that we grow in fervent love for His Heart.

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

When Jesus was twelve years old, the Holy Family went to Jerusalem for Passover.
When it was over Mary and Joseph had traveled a day's journey before they realized Jesus was not with them.
With sorrow in their hearts they returned to Jerusalem to find Him.
After searching for Him for three days, they found Him in the Temple talking to the doctors.
The doctors were astounded at His wisdom.
He said He had to be about His Father's business.
Jesus teaches us today through His Word.
"He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart." (Lk. 2:51-52)
Mary, if we ever lose Jesus, lead us back to His tender Heart.
Jesus, help us to love Mary more.

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SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
DATE UNKNOWN

The Agony in the Garden

Be with Jesus in the garden. Kneel beside Him and feel the pain in His Heart.
How tenderly He loves us, that God came to this earth and gave Himself for love of us.
Jesus is a Person. He loves each one of us with a most personal love.
He is a Divine Person. He loves us more than any human person could love us.
Jesus saw before Him all His suffering.
He knew the sins of all men from all time.
Because of His great love for us and for all men, His Heart was in such pain.
He knows and loves us more than we know and love ourselves.
He is alive this day and He lives in our hearts.
He wants us to love Him at every moment. He is forgotten and ignored and He is God.

The Scourging at the Pillar

Jesus saw in the garden all the events that would happen and He suffered so He sweat blood.
They led Jesus away as a criminal and they tied Him to a pillar.
At any moment Jesus could have stopped the men, but, because of His great love for us, He allowed them to whip Him.
Jesus did this, allowed them to whip Him, for me.
Hail Mary...
Many times, when others are cruel to us, we feel alone and very hurt.
Many times, when we pray and talk about God in the world today, others treat us cruelly.
God is almighty; He controls everything. Our every breath and heartbeat depend on God.
God first loved us and commands us to love Him.
The greatest commandment of all is to love God with our whole hearts, our whole souls, and our whole minds.

The Crowning with Thorns

God commands us to love Him first and to love our neighbors.
He suffered for us and paid for our sins with the price of His blood.
Why are men so willful, so full of pride that they ignore the Almighty God, Who gives them their very breath?
Look at Jesus, crowned with thorns, His face covered with blood. He suffered because He loves me.
God is offended by the willfulness of men today.
Whether we go to heaven or hell depends on whether we love God and love one another.
Jesus shows us how to love by giving Himself for love of us.
Jesus was crowned with thorns. He was whipped. His body was torn. He suffered this that we would share in His life and go to heaven some day.
Our life here will end soon and we will be somewhere forever and ever. Let us love God and love one another that we will share in the great gift He gives us, the gift of eternal life in heaven.
Think of the men that whipped Jesus and crowned Him with thorns. Think how cold their hearts were.

The Carrying of the Cross

They stood around Jesus and they hollered at Him, "...'Crucify him!'" (Mk. 15:13)
They gave to Jesus a heavy cross, laden with all the sins from all time, and they put it on His shoulder and made Him carry the cross.
It was so heavy that Jesus could not carry it any longer. He collapsed and fell to the ground.
He got up and tried to move. He saw the tear covered face of His beloved Mother.
She looked into His tender, gentle eyes covered with blood.
This was the little baby that she carried and now she saw Him covered with blood and wounds.
Mary loves Jesus with the most tender love.
It is in going to the heart of Mary that we will learn to love our beloved Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is the Spouse of Mary.
The Holy Spirit works within the heart of Mary to make us more holy, more like our beloved Jesus.

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

Jesus was nailed to the cross.
Jesus hung on the cross for three hours.
His Mother, in excruciating pain, stood beneath the cross and watched, watched her Son die.
Before He died He gave His Mother, Mary, to us as our Mother.
Our Mother, Mary, loves us.
She saw Jesus hang and die on the cross. She knows the great love that Jesus has for us.
She wants to mother us and help us to love Jesus so much more.
As her little children, it is important that we give ourselves to her and her motherly care.
If we want peace and joy in our life, we must give ourselves to Mary and to her Son.
Mary said at Fatima that she wants us to give our hearts to her and to the Heart of her Son. She also said at Fatima that she wants us to pray the rosary everyday. If we do this, we will have peace in the world.

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THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
DATE UNKNOWN

The Resurrection

On the third day He arose as He foretold.
When Mary Magdalene and some other women arrived at the tomb, they saw that the entry stone had been rolled away.
There appeared two men in dazzling garments where Jesus had been laid.
The two angels told the women He had risen as He had foretold.
He went to Emmaus and accounted for them all the scriptures, from Moses through the prophets, which referred to Him.
When He had seated Himself with them to eat, He took bread, pronounced the blessing, then broke the bread and began to distribute it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, whereupon He vanished from their sight.
He appeared several times to the Apostles over the course of 40 days and gave them the power to baptize and forgive sins.
Christ died to bring us to new life.
He came that we might have life to the full.
The good news is that Jesus has died and that He has risen.

The Ascension

They went out of the town of Bethany and Jesus gave them his final blessing.
He raised His arms and ascended into heaven.
They stood below in utter amazement at what had happened.
Think of what it would be like to see Jesus ascend bodily into heaven.
Imagine the grief in Mary's and the Apostles' hearts to see Him go!
Jesus has not left. He remains with us in His divinity and humanity in the Eucharist today.
He longs for us to come and receive Him. He waits for us to come and be with Him in front of the tabernacle.
He gave Himself on the cross. He gives Himself this very day in the Eucharist.
He loved us so much He died for us. He rose to give us new life. As He ascended into heaven He left behind the most precious gift of all-Himself!
He said, " John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with the Holy Spirit." (Ac. 1:5)

The Descent of the Holy Spirit

The Apostles were full of fear and locked themselves in the upper room.
When the Holy Spirit descended on Mary and the Apostles, what joy for Mary's heart!
Jesus had promised to send the Holy Spirit. A great wind blew and over their heads appeared parted tongues of fire.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues.
What joy for Mary to see the Apostles transformed from fear to fearlessness!
Oh, Holy Spirit, come to us and fill our hearts with the fire of Your love.
Where we are full of fear, make us fearless.
We long to have the courage to do all God asks of us. Oh, Holy Spirit, give us this courage.
Holy Spirit, lead us to intimate oneness with You, the Father, the Son, and Mary.
Oh, Holy Spirit, set us on fire for love of God.

The Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven

Many years after Jesus' death Mary was taken up to heaven.
Imagine her delight to be forever united with her most precious Son.
Imagine her joy to be united with the Father and the Holy Spirit. She beheld the face of God.
She had lived her whole life in service of Him. Now she was taken up to her eternal dwelling place.
Mary has not left. She remains forever with us. She is wherever Jesus is. She is our spiritual Mother. She is forever by our sides. She loves us. She mothers us with such motherly love!
Who are we to have Mary as our Mother?
Mary watched it all. A young Mary, an older Mary, a sad Mary, a joyful Mary-Mary, the reflection of Christ's life!
To know Christ is to see Him through Mary's eyes, to feel Him through Mary's motherhood, to love Him through Mary's heart.
She forever intercedes for her beloved children. She cares for our every need.
Heaven is our true home.

The Coronation of Our Lady

"Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Rv. 12:1)
Mary was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth. Our most beloved Mother now reigns in the courts of heaven!
Imagine her joy to hear the choirs of angelic voices! Imagine her joy to see the angels and saints praising God!
She-who carried the baby Jesus in her womb, who held Him in her arms, who walked by His side during the Passion, who stood under His cross, who held His lifeless body and watched Him locked in the tomb-was now crowned Queen of Heaven, forever to reign in the courts of heaven with her beloved Son.
If we remain faithful to the Lord until death, we too will receive a crown of life. In heaven shall be found every good.
Such treasures for us in heaven! The eye has not seen, the ear has not heard the glories that await him who serves the Lord!
Heaven is the Kingdom of God. We are His heirs.
There is no more thirsting for union with God, no more longing for Him. We will experience such intense union with Him forever.
We will never want for love again. We will know His love.
We will see the face of God and live.

Rosary Meditations
From Junior Shepherds of Christ Associate Meetings

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SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
NOVEMBER 2, 1995

The Agony in the Garden

Let us put ourselves in the presence of God and put aside all the distractions that are in our minds and think only of Jesus.
Kneel with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and feel the pain that He suffered, the pain and the anguish that He suffered for all of the sins of all men for all time.
Jesus and Mary are calling us to come to Their Hearts. Their Hearts are filled with love for us.
Buckled over in pain in the garden, we cannot even imagine the anguish in the Heart of Jesus. God is Love.
Look at your world this day. See the murder of the little babies in the womb of their mothers. See how many in America have forgotten that God even exists. Our every breath and our every heartbeat depend on Him.
Out of greatest love for man, Jesus came into this world a little baby in the womb of Mary. He suffered so, all through His Passion. He loves man so much.
Think of how it is when you love someone so much and you are rejected by the person you love. Jesus loved us so much that He came into this world. He suffered all through the Passion. He gave His life on the cross. He is rejected by many of the souls that He came to save.
He is alive this day and He gives Himself to us with such love. He is treated with such indifference and such hatred.
Let us ask God for the grace to know and love Him more. For to know God is to love Him.
Let us pray for the youth of this world, the little children whose hearts have turned to stone at such an early age. Jesus loves them. Even in this dark world, His love is present. He is always with us.

The Scourging at the Pillar

They led Him away as a common criminal and they tied Him securely to the pillar.
They took harsh instruments and they began to beat His body with such instruments that tore His flesh.
See as vividly as you can at the scourged body of Jesus. See Him with the big patches of skin that have been torn from His body. Think of the love that He has for us. He withstood this treatment for love of us.
He loves the children of this world. Let the little children come to Him. He wants them to come to Mass, to the Eucharist, and to be so close to Him.
We go to the Eucharist and we receive Jesus. Let us open up our hearts and tell Him how much we love Him. We need Him in this world that is so dark. We need His light to shine in our hearts and to shine in our world today.
We will be the children of light that shine in this dark world today if we live in Him.
Look into the eyes of the scourged Jesus. See His body covered with wounds and blood. See His face covered with scratches and deep wounds. As we look into His beloved, tender eyes, surrounded by the wounds, do we know a little more of His immense love that He has for us?
Mary loves the little children of this world. She wants us to come to her. She will lead us closer to her beloved Son.
It is in meditating on these Sorrowful Mysteries and thinking about the love that Jesus has for us, that we will realize more and more, how much He truly loves us.
We must come to Him and He will give us His abundant love.

The Crowning with Thorns

Jesus sat on a mock throne and they pounded into His head a sharp crown of piercing thorns.
Think of the wounds of Jesus, all over His body. Now they have wounded His most precious head. Blood ran down His face and into His eyes and into His ears.
The blood ran from His mouth from the blows they gave Him to His head.
It is hard to be in this world today. Many in the world have turned to sin.
Children are laughed at for praying and for saying grace. Many children showing kindness and being nice to each other are made fun of. God wants us to be loving.
Jesus wants us to be tender, kind, and loving. The only way to heaven is to love God and to love one another.
How cold the world is this day. In order to survive, children are being taught to be cold in their hearts. Children's prayers are so powerful. We join together as children in the Shepherds of Christ Movement. We are praying for special graces from God. We want to be closer to Him. We want to be children of the light. We want to shine in the darkness in the schools. We want to tell the children of America about the God we love.
Let us look at the crowned head of Jesus and the face covered with wounds. See His blood. Look at His body, bloodied and bruised. When we are ridiculed and treated unkindly, we must go to His Heart. We must pray for the person that is treating us with cruelty.
We have a loving Mother that is forever with us. We are never alone, not for one moment. Jesus is with us. He is guarding our ways and Mary is guarding her little children of light.
Song: Little Child

Jesus Carries His Cross

A good way to meditate on the Passion is to make the Stations of the Cross. As we stand at the first station, we see how the men around Jesus shouted ugly words at Jesus. They cried out, "'Crucify him!'" (Mk. 15:13) We are ridiculed today for being close to Jesus. Jesus stood. He took all the torture. He is the Almighty God. He suffered for love of us.
Jesus is God. He is love. They gave Him a heavy cross that they put on His back.
He fell to the ground. His head hit the ground. The cross was on His back. Many times we have to suffer. It is in suffering that we are drawn closer to Jesus.
See Jesus and Mary as They look into each other's faces on the way to Calvary. His eyes met her eyes. He saw her sad face covered with tears. She saw His bruised face covered with blood. Jesus and Mary love us so much. They walked this brutal walk to the Crucifixion. They walk with us today. We are never alone. They are always with us. Their Hearts are filled with love.
When we are ridiculed, let us remember how Jesus was treated.
The world tells us that we should look for pleasure. They tell us to put down our crosses. The world says we should not suffer, that we should get rid of our suffering. Jesus came and He walked the walk on the way to Calvary. It is in the sufferings that we receive greater life in Him.
Let us carry the crosses that we are given this day and offer them up to the Father. Many souls will be lost and condemned forever to hell. Jesus and Mary want us to pray very hard for all of our brothers that are suffering and in sin.
Jesus walked the way to Calvary. The women wept over Him. He said to them, "...Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children." (Lk. 23:28) Today we should weep for the children of this world, for they are suffering so much. They are not being told about how much God really loves them.
Our prayers as youth are so powerful. Our prayers in this movement are so powerful. Jesus will give us graces when we pray. Jesus loves the children. Jesus and Mary want children to pray. Mary told us at Fatima we must pray the rosary.
Let us thank Jesus for the great gift that He gives to us. He has given us a sharing in His life. He gives Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist. We must treasure each moment that we spend with Him after Communion at Mass.

Jesus Is Crucified and Dies on the Cross

The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are the Two Hearts of greatest love. Mary's heart was invisibly pierced with a sword as she watched them nail her Son's hands and feet to the cross.
Think of how it would be to have your whole body covered with wounds, and your head crowned with thorns, and then to have nails pounded all the way through your hands and your feet.
Jesus held nothing back. He spread His arms. He gave His all that we would know how much He loves us.
As He gave Himself on the cross, He gave His all. He gives Himself to us this day in the Eucharist. The Son of God comes to us and enters our bodies. He is as present as He was the day Mary carried Him in her womb.
Do we realize how much God loves us, that He gives Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist?
Mary stood beneath the cross and watched her Son. He died before her eyes. She saw Him covered with blood and wounded. She stands by us this day and watches us when we are ridiculed for loving God. She wants us to be the children of the light. She wants us to pray to her Spouse, the Holy Spirit. We must pray for the strength to stand up for our belief in God. So many in the world today have forgotten God exists.
At every Mass, let us pray for the grace to unite with Jesus and offer ourselves to the Father. We must try to do whatever He wants us to do. It is in doing His will that we will be happy in our lives today.
Jesus hung on the cross. His body was withered. He gave the last beat of His Heart for love of us.
His last thoughts were for us. He gave us His loving Mother. She is our Mother. She will help us to follow the way of Jesus. She will help us to get to heaven.
He gave Himself. He gives us Himself this day and He gives us His Mother to guide us on our way to everlasting happiness.

Thoughts before the Hail Holy Queen:

Mary loves us with the tenderest motherly love. Many children this day are suffering and are in sin. Some children may go to hell if they continue sinning. Children are being taught such vileness at such an early age. We must pray as we have never prayed before for the children of America. Many do not know of the love of Jesus, her Son. She wants the children to pray. So many children could go to hell if they die today. At Fatima on July 13, 1917, she showed the three children a vision of hell. She told them:

You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.²²

We must realize that hell is forever. Some children are sinning and do not even care that they sin. Some children's hearts have turned to stone. She wants us, as our Mother, to pray. Children of America, we must pray. On October 13, 1917, Mary appeared to the children, and she said:

I am the Lady of the Rosary. I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and to ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day.²³

Please help us circulate these rosaries to the schools. We must reach the children with the rosary and the consecration.

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GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
NOVEMBER 19, 1995

The Resurrection of Our Lord from the Dead

Walk with the women as they walked to the tomb and feel how they felt when they saw the stone had been rolled back outside of the tomb.
Jesus told them many things, but they did not understand.
Mary Magdalene was crying. She saw a man that she thought was the gardener. It was Jesus. She was so overjoyed to see her beloved Jesus.
Jesus is alive this day and He is with us. He is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. He dwells within our hearts in a special way when we are in the state of grace.
Picture in your mind the glorified body of Jesus. See His glorified wounds. See Him, glistening in white, and surrounded in light.
Look into His face and see His love. See the light surrounding Him. See the tenderness in the face of Jesus.
In all of the struggles, in all of the darkness in the world this day, Jesus is alive. If we focus on Him, we can feel His presence within us, for He never leaves us.
Picture the body of Jesus hanging on the cross. Think about Him being locked in the tomb. On the third day He rose victorious. Death has no power over Jesus.
He came to this earth. He suffered and He died that we would share in His divine life. He came to give us His life. We become partakers in His life.
Our humanity is raised to such heights when we share in His divine life.

The Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave to them the power to baptize and to forgive sins.
He promised to send the Holy Spirit to descend upon the Apostles and to fill them with all of the courage that they needed to go out to spread the Gospel.
"Then he took them out as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and raising his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven." (Lk. 24:50-51)
Stand in the field below with the Apostles and the Virgin Mary and feel in your heart the excitement, the awe, the confusion to see Jesus as He ascends into the clouds.
He lives this day and He wants us to know His burning love. He came to this earth. He put on a human body because He loves us.
The Apostles were a sorry lot. They were filled with fear. They did not understand the words of Jesus. They were filled with self. They were always worrying who would be first. Jesus ascended into heaven and promised to send them the Holy Spirit to fill their hearts with the fire of God's love.
He no longer walks the earth, but this day He lives in this world in the Holy Eucharist and He is truly present. He lives in our hearts.
He tells us not to fear for He is here in our every breath and our every heartbeat. He is guarding us, for He loves us so much that He gave us His life that we would share in His divine life.
We are His apostles today. We must spread His love to this world.
We are doing His work. He wants us to be one in Him. He wants to act in us. We must put aside our selfish ways and be like Him. He wants us to give love to all.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary

The Apostles were afraid and they had locked themselves in the upper room. There was a gigantic wind. There appeared over their heads parted tongues of fire. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak.
When we are in the state of grace, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwell within our hearts in a very, very special way.
It is the Holy Spirit that transforms us more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus.
It is the Holy Spirit alive within us that is constantly leading us on our way to be closer and closer to God. He is in our hearts when we are in the state of grace. He wants us to tell Him of our love for Him.
The more that we tell the Holy Spirit how much we love Him, the more our hearts will burn within us for love of the Son and the Father.
Holy Spirit, alive in our hearts at this moment, how we love You. We want to be close to You. Fill us with the burning fire of God's love in our hearts.
It is in the pure and tender heart of Mary that we will love Jesus ever more. Holy Spirit, mold us in the heart of Mary to be more and more like Jesus.
The Apostles were so filled with the Holy Spirit that they went out and so many were converted. They were locked in prison and they got out of prison singing songs of great joy, for their hearts were filled with the fire of God's love.
Let us experience the life and vibrancy of God's love within us. As Satan tempts us and tries to drag us down, let the Holy Spirit lift us up for we will be propelled by the love of God.
Song: Come Holy Spirit

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

Jesus gave to us His Mother under the cross. Mary guards us and protects us in everything that we do. She loves us with the tenderest motherly love, with a personal motherly love.
She loves us and wants to lead us to the Heart of her Son through her heart.
How close Mary is to the Heart of her Son. She lived with Him. She cared for Him. She carried Him in her womb. She gave Him His life through her milk. She watched Him as He walked His way to Calvary. She stood under the cross. She watched Him as He ascended into heaven. It is through her heart that we will know the Heart of Jesus more and more.
Mary's heart is sinless. Mary is conceived without sin. Mary loves the Father with the deepest love. She loves her Son, Jesus. She loves her Spouse, the Holy Spirit. It is in going to the heart of Mary, loving the Father, loving the Son, and loving the Holy Spirit through her heart that we join ever closer to the Almighty God.
How Mary waits for us, stands by us, stands by our beds as we sleep, as a loving Mother caring at every moment about our life in God.
We are never alone for Jesus and Mary are with us, guarding us and caring for us. She cares for her little children in this world.
The angel appeared to Mary and asked her to be the Mother of God. She always did the Father's will and she was taken into heaven. The Father has a plan for us. If we follow His will, we too will go to heaven someday.
Mary is the highest human person. In recognizing the great love that Jesus has for His Mother, we realize the love that He has for us.
He loves His Mother so much that He wants His Heart venerated next to her heart.
Mary is our spiritual Mother. She loves us more than any earthly mother.

Mary Is Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth

Heaven may seem so far away for children in this world, but Mary wants us to always have pure hearts and always be ready to meet our Almighty God.
Do we realize, children, that one mortal sin can keep us from heaven forever and ever?
We must be ready at all times to die and we must remain in the state of grace. Sin offends God Who loves us so much.
We think that God is so far away and He is so close. We look at the sunlit day and the star filled night and we see the wonders of the Almighty God. He is present this day and in our midst.
He has all the power. Our every breath depends on Him. At any moment, we could be taken from this world. We must be ready to meet God. If we love and serve God and keep His commandments, we will be in heaven forever and ever.
At the Holy Spirit Center, in Norwood, Ohio, the beautiful stained glass windows depict Mary as she is crowned by Jesus. The Father and the Holy Spirit are close by. This is the love that the Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have for Mary. Mary, a human person, is crowned Queen of Heaven and Queen of Earth. We do not realize the immense love that God has for us. We are His creatures.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwell within our hearts in a very special way when we are in the state of grace.
Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, the glory that God has ready for those who love and serve Him.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love each other perfectly. Out of Their great love, They created man. It is so foolish to not love, for God loved man so much that He came to this earth, died, and rose that we would share in His life. No person will get out of this life without dying. It is so foolish to not be prepared to meet our Maker.
We know not the day nor the hour. We are called to purify our hearts. We must give our hearts to Jesus and Mary. Jesus loves us with the most tender love. He wants to be so close to us. We must give ourselves to Mary. Her heart is pure. We are sinners. We can get closer to God through Mary's pure heart. Jesus gave us His Mother to mother us.

Thoughts before the Hail Holy Queen:

Mary will teach us the way to love. She will help us love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We must open our hearts to love. We must love God and one another.

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JOYFUL MYSTERIES
NOVEMBER 30, 1995

The Annunciation

Jesus loves us with a Heart that is filled with burning love. See the picture of Jesus with His white tunic and red robe and the children under His feet. He loves to teach the children about His love. He wants the children close to His Heart. The Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and asked Mary to be the Mother of God.
This is a mystery that the Almighty God came to this earth and was conceived in the womb of a human person. Let us think about this.
The sin of Adam and Eve was passed on to all people for they were our first parents. The Blessed Virgin Mary was born sinless. Jesus was incarnate in her womb through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Baby Jesus was formed in the womb of His Mother. We are formed in the spiritual womb of our Mother Mary. We must pray to the Holy Spirit to change us into the image and likeness of God.
As we mature in our spirituality, we become more and more like God. We were created by the Father in His own image and likeness.
The Child Jesus grew within the womb of Mary. How graced was the womb of Mary? We say in each Hail Mary, "Hail Mary, full of grace." Within her womb, she carried the Son of God.
If we looked at Mary and we saw Mary carrying the Child Jesus in her womb, we would just be in awe. But Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist and we carry this presence within us. He is no less present when we receive Him in the Eucharist than He was in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
He says to us, "Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart," (Mt. 11:29) God came to this earth in the womb of the Virgin Mary and He remains with us this day in the Holy Eucharist. He gives Himself to us.
When we are in the state of grace, He remains with us in His divinity. He lives in our hearts.
Meditate on the Child Jesus being formed within the womb of Mary through the Holy Spirit and think of His Sacred Heart being formed within her womb.

The Visitation

Jesus is a Person and He is alive this day. He wants to be so close to us. He loves us so much. When we are in the state of grace, He lives in our hearts in a very special way.
When we are in the state of grace, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit live within our hearts.
Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. When she arrived, the child in Elizabeth's womb leapt for joy at the presence of Jesus within Mary's womb.
Should we not leap for joy when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion? He is truly present in His divinity and humanity? He is no less present than when Mary carried Him in her womb.
There was such intimacy between Mary and the Child Jesus for Their Hearts both beat in the body of the Virgin Mary. Jesus wants such oneness with us. He wants to be so close to us that all of our actions are performed in union with Him.
Carry His presence in your heart with such joy for we are never alone. The Almighty God is in us, longing and waiting for us to talk to Him.
Do we realize that Jesus is not far off, that Jesus is a Person, that He is with us, that He is alive, and that He is longing for our love?
When we go to Mass, let us meditate on the mystery of God's love for us, that He gave His only Son. He came into this world in the womb of the Virgin Mary, a human person.
Let us meditate on the mystery that God took on flesh.
We are human persons. He elevates us to such heights. Through Baptism, He allows us to share in His divine life. Let us treasure all the gifts that He gives to us. He gives us the gift of grace which is the sharing in His divine life.

The Birth of the Child Jesus in the Stable in Bethlehem

Joseph traveled from house to house to find a place for the Child Jesus and the Virgin Mary. There was not room for them. Jesus was born in a little stable in the town of Bethlehem.
This day Jesus is rejected by so many of the hearts that He loves so much. He stands at the door of our hearts and He knocks. He wants to be so close to us and so many send Him away.
But He waits, and waits, and waits for He wants us to be with Him forever in heaven. Some of His beloved souls ignore Him their whole lives. He still waits because He loves each soul so personally.
If we meditate on this mystery, we see the Child Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger surrounded by cows and sheep. This is the Son of God. He does not come adorned in gold and silver, but He comes in such poverty.
He comes and He is laid on wood in Bethlehem and He dies on a bare wood cross.
How tenderly He loves each one of us and wants us to talk to Him all through the day.
Many mothers abandon their children through abortion in this world today. Jesus promises us that He will never abandon us. "Can a woman forget her baby...Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you." (Is. 49:15)
Let us meditate on the presence of the Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwelling within our hearts at this moment. Think of God within us.
Let us pray to the Holy Spirit. We must talk to Him and tell Him of our love. The more we pray to the Holy Spirit, the more our hearts will burn with the love of God.
The gift to this world from the Father is the gift of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Jesus was taken to the temple by Mary and Joseph to be presented to the Father.
They brought an offering of two turtle doves. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sacrificed on Calvary to the Father. This sacrifice is sacramentally made present at every Mass. What a great gift that the sacrifice of Calvary is sacramentally made present at every moment all over the world. We should unite to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and offer this sacrifice to the Father, for this is the most powerful prayer that we can offer to our Father.
The Holy Spirit led the old man, Simeon, to the Temple and he took the child in his arms and he said, "Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed---" (Lk. 2:34)
And he told Mary that, "...a sword will pierce your soul too-so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare." (Lk. 2:35)
Mary, from this point on, had a constant ache in her heart for she knew of the sufferings to come. She knew that many would be saved through the life of her Son.
It is through His Son that the Father gives us a sharing in His divine life.
It is through His Heart that the sacramental life of the Church is formed.
Jesus' Heart was pierced with a lance and what came forth was blood and water. Water is a symbol of Baptism, our sharing in His life. Blood is the symbol of the Eucharist where by we are fed.
We are given life and we sustain our lives here through our food. We are given a sharing in His divine life in Baptism. We are fed through His Body and Blood. We are given a greater sharing in His life in the sacraments.
Jesus gives us Himself in the Eucharist to feed the life in our souls.

The Finding of the Lord, Jesus, in the Temple

When He was twelve years old, the Child Jesus was taken up to the Temple by Mary and Joseph for the feast of the Passover.
When it was over, Mary and Joseph left with the caravan not realizing that Jesus had been left behind.
When they realized that Jesus was not with them, they returned to Jerusalem in search of Him. Their hearts were in such sorrow for they longed to find the Child Jesus.
After searching for Him several days, they found Jesus in the Temple. He was speaking to the doctors and answering their questions and Mary said to Him, "...'My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.'" (Lk. 2:48)
He told her that He had to be about His Father's business.
Think of the Child Jesus living as a normal little child with Joseph and Mary. Jesus is the Son of God. He humbled Himself. He walked the earth and He lived and grew as a little boy.
It is so powerful to pray to the little Child Jesus especially for health.
There is such suffering and so many illnesses in our world today, spiritual illnesses. We pray to You, little Child Jesus, to come and to heal this world with the gift of Your divine love.
We pray to You, little Child Jesus, to help us to feel Your tender love in our hearts and to know and love You more, to give our love to You freely, and to receive Your love in our hearts, that we may share this love with others in this world.
Many in this world today have lost their way. They have wandered far from their source, which is God. God controls their very breath. Let us pray with all our hearts for our brothers that have wandered from the source, which is God. Let us pray that they will receive a grace, cooperate with the grace, and return to the burning Heart of Jesus. He will bathe them in His tender love.

Let us focus on the presence of Jesus with us and realize that we are never alone. He is a Person that is waiting and longing for us to talk to Him, far more than we realize. He truly listens and cares for our every need.

During this season let us see the Child Jesus in the crib. Let us see the star above His bed. He is the Almighty God. We must stay close to Him. We realize that He is within us. He has all the power. He is with us in our struggles and trials. He is as close as our breath and our heartbeat. He wants to help us. He wants to love us and care for us. When we go to the Eucharist, let us thank Him for the great gift of Himself and outpour our love to Him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

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JOYFUL MYSTERIES
DECEMBER 7, 1995

The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary

Today is the eve of the Immaculate Conception. Mary was sinless. She conceived the Child Jesus. It makes sense that God would come into a virgin that was without sin.
Eve was the first mother of the living. She sinned and now Mary conceives of the Child Jesus. She is the spiritual Mother of all the living.
The angel said, "...'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.'" (Lk. 1:28)
The angel asked Mary to be the Mother of God and Mary complied. She always did the Father's will. "...'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God." (Lk. 1:35) "Mary said, "You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angel left her." (Lk. 1:38)
The Father created us and has such a plan for each one of our lives. It is in living according to the way the Father wants us to live that we will be happy.
Mary wants us to make reparation to her heart:

During her appearance in July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucy's plea, promised that in October she would work a great miracle so that all might believe and know who she was. Again, the Mother of God told the children to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to say many times, especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer: "O my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."²⁴

We tell Mary we are sorry for the disrespectful way some treat her. We tell her we love her.
Hail Mary, full of grace. She is full of grace, for she carried within her the Child Jesus.
The Child Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, and His Heart was formed within her womb.
Let us ask our Mother Mary to help us.

The Visitation

Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who had also conceived a child in her old age.
"...'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Luke 1:42) This was the greeting that Elizabeth gave to Mary when Mary came to visit her.
The child within the womb of Elizabeth jumped for joy at the presence of the Almighty God and the Virgin Mary.
Who are we that God loves us so much that He came to this earth, walked the earth, suffered, and died that we would share in His life?
We are human persons. He is a Divine Person. It is through Baptism that He allows us to share in His divine life.
We are the children of God. Mary is our Mother and we have a most loving Father.
Let us forever be thankful for the visits that God gives to us through His grace.
Mary carried the Child Jesus, the Son of God, within her womb. He gives Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist. He comes to us. He is as present in us in the Holy Eucharist as He was in Mary's womb.
Mary wants us to come to her heart. She will take us to the Heart of her Son. Jesus loves us so much.
How pure and tender is the heart of Mary. How loving, how kind she is. Dwelling in her heart, we will become more pure, more tender, more loving, and more kind. We have a mother when we are born, Mary is the Mother of our spiritual life.

The Child Jesus Is Born in Bethlehem

Dear Jesus, how tenderly we love You and thank You for coming to this earth and for giving us a sharing in Your divine life.
Jesus waits for us to come and to tell Him of our love.
We cannot imagine the beauty of our own soul when we are in the state of grace!
He looks at us and He sees the good in us. Let us always look at our brothers and see the good in them.
Think of the little baby hands and feet of Jesus in the crib. Now think of how Jesus loves us that He allowed them to hammer nails into His hands and feet.
Let us get rid of any hatred that we have toward any of our brothers.
Let us fill our hearts with such love that when we interact with others, we are loving to them.
Jesus is waiting to be so close to us. Many times, we have moments all alone. In these special moments, Jesus would like us to tell Him how much we love Him.
Song: What Child Is This
The shepherds came and they watched the Child Jesus as He lay in the manger. This is the Almighty God, the Savior of the World.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

The Child Jesus was taken to the Temple and presented to the Father.
The old man, Simeon, was waiting to see the Child Jesus and he prophesied of the sufferings to come.
Let us pray to the Blessed Virgin and ask her to help us in everything that we do, for she is our best prayer partner. In uniting with her tender heart, we will become closer to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. She has a pure heart. Her heart is immaculate.
Whenever we are worried, or whenever we do not feel good inside, let us pray for the grace to tell Jesus how much we love Him. We must not waste valuable moments by giving into the thoughts that trouble our hearts.
Satan tries to keep souls away from God. Mary will take us to the Heart of Christ if we pray to her.
From the prophesy of Simeon, Mary knew of the sufferings to come. From this time on, there was a constant ache in her heart.
We are being asked to pray the rosary everyday.
It is up to us to pray from our hearts, not to just say words. We must pray with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole being.
Lord Jesus, little Jesus that was held in the arms of the Virgin Mary, watch over us in every breath that we take.
Jesus wants us to go to our beloved Mother for love and protection.

The Finding in the Temple

When He was a little baby, the Child Jesus was taken up to the Temple. The Child Jesus was also taken up to the Temple when He was twelve years old.
Not much is known about the young life of Jesus. This was the Almighty God Who came to this earth and walked the earth as a little boy. It is important in our daily lives to live our lives and be rooted in God.
Mary and Joseph went ahead and the Child Jesus was left behind. When Mary and Joseph realized this, they returned to Jerusalem with their hearts sorrowing in search of the Child Jesus.
They found Him among the doctors and He was teaching them. They were astonished at His wisdom and His answers.
Let us ask the Child Jesus for all of those things that we hold dear to our hearts, for the Child Jesus will help us.
Mary's heart was torn under the cross for she knew of how many of her precious children would lose their souls for their willfulness and their sins.
Let us pray for this world today, for the sufferings and pain, and for the little lost children of the Virgin Mary.
We are the lights that shine in the dark world.
Let us light up the earth with the fire of God's love.
Hail Mary...

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JOYFUL MYSTERIES
DECEMBER 28, 1995

The Annunciation

The Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and asked Mary to be the Mother of God.
God came into this world and was born in the womb of a human person.
Mary said "yes" to the angel. She always complied to the will of the Father.
Mary was made the Mother of God. Under the cross, Jesus gave us His Mother. She is our Mother this day. As our heavenly Mother, she wants to lead us closer and closer to the Almighty God.
Mary wants us to ask her for her protection. She wants to take care of us. She is our spiritual Mother. We ask Mary, our Mother, to put her protective mantel over us now and to protect us from all of the evil influences that are in our world that lead us away from her Son.
Mary always tried to please her heavenly Father. The Father will tell us more about Himself, the more that we go to Him as a little child. We are dependent on Him for all of our needs.
We see all through the lives of Jesus and Mary how They surrendered to the will of God. As we let go and let God operate in our lives, we will have peace.
We try so hard so many times. It becomes difficult. We feel like saying, "What is the use?" Jesus is close to us even though we do not feel Him close to us. He is there in the most difficult battle.
Jesus wants us to go to His Heart. I envision myself going into the red glowing chamber of His Heart through His pierced wound.
Sometimes we feel discouraged. We see things in this world that are so ugly. We are so busy. We have so much school work. If we ask God, He will help us with all that we have to do.

The Visitation

Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. How many times we wish this day that we would see Mary, that we would see Jesus, that we would know for sure that He is here. He is here with us. He is alive even though we do not see Him. He is present and He is with us. It is in our faith that we will know Him more and more.
During this rosary, let us ask to know more about His life and His Mother's life.
Mary said, "...My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;" (Lk. 1:46-47) Let us have hearts of great joy, for He is with us at this moment.
Mary said, "for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name," (Lk. 1:49) The Almighty has done great things to us. When we were baptized, we received a share in His divine life.
We are human and God raises our nature to a higher level as we share in His divine life.
Let us go to the tabernacle and visit with Jesus. He gives us an abundant sharing in His divine life.
The world sells video games that are so violent and so exciting. Jesus comes and gives to us His peace and His love. This is what our hearts crave the love of the Almighty God. We do not need extra excitement to feel good. It is the peace and love of Jesus that satisfies our souls.
We see Mary visiting her cousin, Elizabeth, and there is such joy.
The world is sick in many of its ways this day. We need to go to Jesus and to the interior calmness of our hearts. We need to encounter Jesus and to be close to Him. God is the source of life.
It is important to interact with others and visit with others. But we must have a quiet place in which we go and talk to Jesus.

The Birth of Jesus

When we follow Jesus in this world today, many times, we will be rejected. At birth, Jesus was rejected. There was not a place for Him to lay His head. He was born in a stable.
We carry out the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in our lives. When we feel rejected by others, we must remember how Jesus was rejected. He is allowing us to share in His suffering and to know Him more deeply.
God so loved this world that He sent His only begotten Son. Jesus came into this world in a human baby body. The Almighty God enters this world in a little body out of greatest love for man.
Many times we feel frightened and we do not know who to turn to. Jesus wants us to go to a quiet room and to talk to Him about our problems. He never leaves us. He is always with us.
Jesus came into this world in such poverty and was laid in a little manger in a stable. If we meditate on Jesus in the stable and lying in the manger, we will realize more His love for us. God comes in such poverty and such humbleness into our world.
We realize how much God loves His creatures, that He comes in the womb of a human person, the Virgin Mary.
Do we realize that God has all the power, that He is magnificent, that He is Almighty, that He created all that exists in this world? Do we realize that He gives life to every baby that comes into this world and that He created all the trees and all the stars in the sky? This Almighty God loved us so much that He came into this world as a little helpless baby.
Mary loves us more than any earthly mother loves her children and she wants to have a personal relationship with us. She wants us to know how she cares for everything that we are doing and that she wants us to talk to her and know that she is forever by our sides.
L