Rosary Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Catechist's Journey

Annunciation - Detail from "The Fifteen Mysteries and the Virgin of the Rosary" by Netherlandish Painter (possibly Goswijn van der Weyden, active by 1491, died after 1538), ca. 1515–20, public domain via The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Joyful Mysteries: The Annunciation and Encountering Mystery

It’s not uncommon for contemporary people, when reading stories such as the Annunciation (the angel appearing to Mary, Luke 1:26–38), to comment along the lines of, “Well, I’d have a much easier time making decisions if an angel appeared to me and told me God’s plan!” Ah, be careful what you wish for! The truth is, whenever people in Scripture—including Mary—are confronted by an angel, they react with great fear. As a result, the first […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Calming Effect of Praying the Rosary

Joe Paprocki

Many contemplative practices involve the use of a mantra, or the repetitive uttering of a sacred word or group of words (or sometimes a sound) in order to deepen one’s focus, avoid distractions, and create a sense of calm that permits one to enter into an “altered state.” Too often, Catholics are suspicious of such practices, thinking of them as foreign to our tradition. Nothing could be further from the truth! One of the best examples […]

The Fifth Glorious Mystery - The Coronation of Mary - image by Fr. James Bradley from Southampton, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Coronation of Mary and Conversion

Bob Burnham

As the Blessed Virgin Mary was near and dear to St. Francis of Assisi, he wrote a Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer comes to mind when I ponder Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven. In the salutation, Francis uses several titles for Mary that are familiar to us, such as Mother of God. He also uses titles that may sound unfamiliar: Palace, Tabernacle, Robe. Yet, it is not the titles of Mary […]

The Fourth Glorious Mystery - The Assumption of Mary - image by Fr. James Bradley from Southampton, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Assumption of Mary

Julianne Stanz

One of my favorite stained-glass windows is in St. Nicholas Cathedral in County Galway, Ireland and echoes the words of Pope John Paul II, who declared that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family” (On the Family, 86). Entitled The Window of the Holy Family, it beautifully depicts Jesus, Joseph, and Mary in a very ordinary way. Joseph is depicted as a strong protector working on a carpentry project in the background […]

The Third Glorious Mystery - The Coming of the Holy Spirit - image by Fr. James Bradley from Southampton, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Darcy Osby

Imagine telling all your family and friends that the only thing you wanted for Christmas was a particular gift. You drop hints in every conversation to make sure that someone will get this perfect gift for you. When Christmas morning arrives, you race to the Christmas tree and dig through all the presents until you find that perfectly shaped box. You tear open the paper and there it is! You’ve received the perfect gift! Quickly, […]

The Second Glorious Mystery - The Ascension - image by Fr. James Bradley from Southampton, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Ascension and Accompaniment

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

Have you ever stared at something or someone in wondrous awe? Or felt unprepared to take on a profoundly important mission? Each time I contemplate the Second Glorious Mystery, the Ascension of our Lord, I realize how much Jesus had prepared the disciples for the evangelizing mission that lay ahead and for the time when his work on earth would come to completion. Yet as they stood in our Lord’s glorified presence upon that mountain […]

The First Glorious Mystery - The Resurrection - image by Fr. James Bradley from Southampton, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection and Hope in the Darkness

Cindy Coleman

One way of praying that has been very fruitful for me is Ignatian contemplation, which is a way of praying with my imagination. I envision myself as being present inside a story from Scripture, participating in it as it unfolds. When I contemplate the Resurrection, there are so many different scenes and people that fill my mind. Jesus’ Resurrection remains the focus, of course, like a sun bursting and radiating light in all directions. Who […]

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion - image by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Crucifixion and a Curtain Torn from Top to Bottom

Joe Paprocki

We pause to reflect on the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary: the Crucifixion. Growing up in a very Catholic family, in a very Catholic neighborhood in Chicago, and attending a Catholic school ensured that I was in church every Friday afternoon of Lent for the Stations of the Cross and on Good Friday for services that included the reading of Jesus’ Passion. Among the many things that I recall from those experiences is the fact […]

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - The Carrying of the Cross - image by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Carrying of the Cross and the Heaviness of Discipleship

Joe Paprocki

Let’s reflect on the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: the Carrying of the Cross. When Jesus was sentenced to death by Pilate, he was made to carry his Cross—most likely a wooden crossbeam weighing about 75–100 pounds, which would then be attached to a wooden pole already in the ground on Calvary. The Gospels and the Stations of the Cross remind us that, under this burden, Jesus, in his weakened condition, stumbled and fell several times. The […]

The Third Sorrowful Mystery - The Crowning With Thorns - image by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Crowning with Thorns and a Different Kind of King

Joe Paprocki

We pause to reflect on the Third Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary: the Crowning with Thorns. According to the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ Passion, Jesus was mocked by the Roman soldiers. One of these acts of mockery was to place a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head to ridicule the king of the Jews. This mockery went further with the placing of a purple robe on Jesus’ wounded body and a sign placed above his […]