Meditations on the Joyful Mysteries
I. The Annunciation
God, in Your great wisdom, You incorporate human beings in Your plan of salvation. When You came to save this world, You came through the choice of a mere human being, the girl Mary. Help us to always work your will in our daily lives.
Mary, in your humility you saw yourself as the servant of the Lord, willing do do whatever He asked of you, no matter how strange or frightening His request. Pray for us that we may take your example to heart and follow you in your obedience to God.
Mary, when you said "Yes" to God you were saying "yes" to life for the whole world. Though our choices are not as important as yours, we may never know what effects our actions have on others. Help us to say "Yes" to God and bring life to this world.
II. The Visitation
Mary, the first thing you did when you learned that you would bear Our Lord was to go and help your sister Elizabeth in her own time of need. Though you had reason to be worried for your future, you thought of others rather than yourself. Help us to be selfless, too, and to put our friends' and our family's needs before our own.
God, when the infant John leapt in Elizabeth's womb in recognition of Christ's divinity, You miraculously showed us that the sanctity of life begins before birth. It was an unborn child who first paid homage to Our Lord. Help our society to recognize the sanctity of the lives of unborn children.
Mary, when Elizabeth praised you, calling you "blessed among all women", you turned her praise immediately towards God. In your humility, you saw that you were but a mirror of God's own glory. Mary, point us to God, and help us always to recognize Him as the source of our own gifts and blessings.
III. Nativity of the Lord
Lord Jesus, You loved Your people so much that You were willing to become one of us, to love and suffer with us and for us. Thank you, Lord!
Christ, when You took on a human body, You sanctified all human beings. Help us to see and honor Your presence in all our fellow men.
Mary, you were closer to Our Lord than anyone else. Pray for us that we may draw closer to Him, particularly through the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and that we may love Him as you loved Him.
IV. Presentation
Christ, You were born without flaw or sin, yet You followed the Laws set down for mortal men. Help us to recognize our need to follow Your laws.
Lord, when You were presented in the table, Simeon saw in You the ransom for us all. You are the ultimate offering, the firstborn Whose blood was to be shed not just for Israel, but for all nations. Help us to come to a greater appreciation of Your sacrifice.
Mary, when you brought your only son to the temple to ransom him with two doves, as the Law commanded, did you know that He would be the ransom for the world? When Simeon told you Who this child was, you "pondered these things and kept them in your heart". Help us also to ponder them and to praise God for His greatest gift: Himself.
Mary, your heart too was pierced by a sword. You, too, bore the sorrows of Him who bore away the sins of the world. Pray for all who sorrow in this world, that they may find joy in the next.
V. The Finding in the Temple
Christ, You were always attuned to Your Father's will, and You knew when the time was right for You to go to Your Father's House and begin preaching. Help us to discern God's will for us, and help us to follow it.
Mary, you must have been frightened when your son was missing. We cannot always see why God wills some things, for our ways are not God's ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts. Pray for us, that we may trust God even when we do not understand why He asks what He asks of us.
Mary, you knew the fear of losing a child, and you knew the joy of finding Him again. Pray for all those who are lost, that they may find Christ again and make Him the center of their lives.
