Meditations on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary
The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Lk. 3, 22)
The Father speaks. He speaks truth, He pronounces a profound blessing over Jesus – a blessing that reveals His identity. Dearest Mother, how many times did Jesus hear those words from you? Did you whisper them in His ear when you kissed Him goodnight? Did you welcome Him home with that blessing when He returned from the Synagogue with St. Joseph? We do not know if you were there on that day at the banks of the river Jordan, but even if you were not physically present, you were at every moment united with Jesus in your heart. And we can be certain that you knew the voice of the Father well – that voice that spoke every day in the depths of your own heart – “You are My beloved daughter.”
The Miracle of the Wedding feast at Cana
“Do whatever He tells you.” (Jn. 2, 5)
Mary, you saw the need and knew exactly Who to go to with it. Neither the solution nor the outcome concerned you, because you had full confidence that He would do something. Your trust is the door to His heart. Your trust doesn’t grasp at a “plan b” or any effort to fix the situation on your own. No, you abide in confident trust, and by that trust, you take me to the same place where I no longer have to do things my way or provide for myself. “Do whatever He tells you”. There is no need to doubt or even to ask questions, the knowledge of His goodness and His love is enough for you – He is faithful, so He will do it.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11, 28-29)
You know the kingdom so well, dearest Mother. Not only did you hear Jesus speak about it, but more than that, you lived the life of the Kingdom of God for many years in your home in Nazareth with Jesus and Joseph. How many times were you left speechless as you beheld the mysteries of the kingdom in your beloved Son? How often did you listen to Him when He would share deeply with you about the things that are important to Him? You have lived at His side for thirty years, day in and day out. Now He goes to invite all mankind – to invite me – to live in that kingdom, and I want to respond with a generous heart as you did.
The Transfiguration
“Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And He was transfigured before them and His face shone like the sun.” (Mt. 17, 1-2)
Mary, I imagine the moment after the Resurrection when John came up to you and shared with you what happened there on Mt. Tabor. Your face is radiant with joy and gratitude, and in your heart you thank God for the graces He has bestowed on His dear friends. He allowed them to see a glimpse of what was constantly before them – the glory of Jesus that was always radiant but veiled from their eyes. You think back to the moment when you first beheld His beautiful face on the night when He was born. You remember His smile and His kind gaze that would rest on you. You remember His disfigured face on Calvary. His wounds and His bruises that made it hard to even recognize Him. And you smile even more when you think of His face after He rose from the dead, the peace and the power that was radiating from His countenance.
The Institution of the Holy Eucharist
“Jesus, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Take this, all of you and eat of it, for this is My body which will be given up for you. Take this, all of you and drink from it for this is the chalice of My blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant which will be poured out for you.” (Jn. 13, 1; Mt. 26, 26-28)
Mary, your whole life was truly Eucharistic – a life of thanksgiving, a life of total self-gift. You held nothing back and so received our Lord totally. Jesus didn’t guard or protect His heart when He gave Himself on the night before He was to suffer and neither does He protect Himself now when He gives Himself to us totally in each Mass. You didn’t protect yourself either, dearest Mother; you didn’t close your heart from suffering or hardship and so you could be filled with His love and joy. And this love and joy now overflows from your Immaculate Heart over all of us throughout the centuries.
Sr. Fidelis, CFR