Veritas et Lux

The Glorious Mysteries focus on the events following Jesus’ Resurrection, highlighting His triumph over death and the glory of Mary. Traditionally, these mysteries are prayed on Sundays and Wednesdays.

1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection

• This mystery celebrates Jesus’ victory over death and sin, offering hope for our own resurrection and eternal life.
• Mary Magdalene and other women went to the tomb and found it empty. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, and later to other disciples, showing them the wounds in his hands and sides to prove that it was truly him.
• Think about what it would feel like to see Jesus after you knew He died.
• The spiritual fruit for this mystery is faith.
• Luke 24:6-7 –> “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners, and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”

2nd Glorious Mystery: Jesus Ascends into Heaven

• This mystery commemorates Jesus’ ascension into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the Father. It fills us with hope that we too will one day share in His glory.
• Forty days after His Resurrection, Jesus led his disciples to the Mount of Olives. There, He gave them final instructions, promising that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. As they watched, He was taken up into heaven, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. This marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the beginning of His reign in heaven.
• Think about being briefed by Jesus with instructions on how to carry His glory on after He leaves to return a heaven.
• The spiritual fruit for this mystery is hope.
• Luke 24:50-51 –> “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.”

3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

• This mystery celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, empowering them to preach the Gospel and spread the love of God.
• On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were gathered in the Upper Room when suddenly a sound like a rushing wind filled the house. Tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. This moment is significant since it marks the birth of the Church and the empowerment of the apostles to carry out their mission.
• Think about being filled with the Holy Spirit and then being motivated to preach to all you see about the Gospel, and what you experienced with Jesus.
• The spiritual fruit of this mystery is love of God/wisdom/divine charity.
• Acts 2:2-4 –> “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”

4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary

• This mystery commemorates Mary’s assumption into heaven, body and soul. It is a sign of hope for all believers, as it shows that we too can share in the glory of heaven.
• The Assumption is the belief that at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven. This was a unique privilege granted to Mary because of her Immaculate Conception and her role as the Mother of God.
• Think about Mary’s unique role in salvation history as the Mother of God.
• The spiritual fruit for this mystery is union with Christ/eternal happiness.
• While the Assumption of Mary is not explicitly stated in Scripture, the Church teaches it as a truth deeply rooted in both Sacred Tradition and biblical reflection. Mary, as the sinless Mother of God and Ark of the New Covenant, was assumed body and soul into Heaven as a fitting end to her earthly life. This belief, held by Christians since the early centuries, was formally defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950. *I will make posts about Marian Dogmas in the future!

5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

• This mystery celebrates Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth. It recognizes her unique role in salvation history and her powerful intercession for us.
• Having completed her earthly journey and been assumed into Heaven, Mary is now exalted and crowned with glory. She reigns as a loving Mother and intercessor, always pointing souls towards her Son.
• Think about witnessing Mary being crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth by her Son.
• The spiritual fruit for this mystery is perseverance/filial devotion to Mary
• While not described in a single Bible verse, this mystery is supported by Scripture and Tradition. In the Old Testament, the mother of the king held a place of honor, and in Revelation 12:1, we see “a woman clothed with the sun… and on her head a crown of twelves stars.”. Mary’s queenship naturally flows from her Assumption, and the Church celebrates her as Queen not by her own power, but by the grace of her Son.

When praying these mysteries, try and envision yourself present in each scene. Meditate on the importance of each event, and what it means for us as Christians.