First Joyful Mystery

The Annunciation

And when the angel had come to her, he said, "Hail ! Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among woman".

(Luke 1:28)

Our Blessed mother Mary, must had known as a young child exactly what she wanted when she grew up.

She must have grown up very attached to God. God must have been the true love of her life.

As she walked with God very intimately everyday, she longed never to lose that closeness with God for her whole life.

But her mother had plan for her child, Mary.

As she grew up into young, adolescent, her mother had intended to match her with Joseph. Joseph was a very senior man but Mary was very young.

Joseph was also very attached to God and wished to fulfill God's will. He had a special attachment to Mary.

Mary was a very young beautiful girl. She was very sweet, gentle and humble. Many men would like to choose her as their wife.

But all the men knew that this special sweet little girl is no ordinary girl. She was so devoted to God and would spent all her time doing what is pleasing to God. She prayed most of the time.

Joseph, when seeing Mary, as a little girl would never had any bad intention, other then to 'father' Mary. Joseph was such a senior men, compared to Mary a young little girl.

When Joseph looked straight at Mary's eye, He knew exactly what Mary wants.

She had the 'shine' and 'light' of God. Joseph was so much attracted to her personality. She was full of joy, peace and love. What Joseph knew from his heart that his responsibility was not to possess her as his own but to be a guardian of Mary. To love Mary as his own dear daughter and a sister in the family of God.

Mary never had any sexual desire of which she wished to satisfy. She devoted all her desire of the heart to God. She would never want to satisfy the desire of her flesh but the will of God.

As she was called the 'Immaculate', she was nevertheless like Jesus as Man, but she too was tempted and she could still fall into traps of sin and be caste out of the family of God. But like her Son Jesus, Mary rejected sin and did not fall into the devil's trap.

Though young, sweet and gentle, she was very strong in her will to resist temptation. She, just like her son, triumph through all the test that God allows the devil to put forward to her.

No one is excluded from temptation. All children of God go through this painful path. For us, it is the transformation period. A period of shedding our skin and grew mature.

Before the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary of God's purpose for her, she was ready to be of service to God.

She was preparing to hand herself over to the service of God and for God's people.

She was a very humble child, who loves others more than herself. She was the model of selflessness. But for her selflessness, God had put Mary in His Heart. Mary was always like a little child whom her mother cradles and holds. She was very near to God. She was in the Kingdom of God always.

For anyone of us to consider ourselves a servant of God is already filled and Anointed with the Holy Spirit.

No one dared to consider oneself God's instrument unless called by Him.

Therefore Mary was always filled with the Holy Spirit even at a very young age.

She called herself God's Servant. She would co-operate with God in everything.

Second Joyful Mystery

The Visitation

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice; "Blessed are you among women and Blessed is the fruit of your womb".

(Luke 1:41-42)

The Angel of the Lord, Gabriel, during the Annunciation told Mary that Elizabeth had conceived. Mary did not doubt God and questioned the angel, how is it possible when Elizabeth was old but she believed and was filled with joy and compassion for her. Mary shared the joy of Elizabeth, even as the Angel announced to her. She was so anxious to go and share the joy with Elizabeth. She also knew that Elizabeth was old and therefore needed assistant to go through her pregnancy.

Therefore, not wasting much time, after the Annunciation, Mary seeks the help of her husband and permission from her mother and went to the home of Elizabeth.

When they were both together, they shared the joy and revelation of God to each one of them.

They read the Scripture and knew that they were inside what was written.

The scripture is going to be fulfilled through both of them.

One is the messenger to open the 'Way' for Jesus, the other the Messiah of whom the Jewish people is waiting for.

The three months that Mary spent with Elizabeth was a great experience. By seeing how Elizabeth had gone through the tough time and the joy of pregnancy, she therefore prayed harder for herself too that God would help her through the pregnancy and later child birth.

Third Joyful Mystery

The Birth of Jesus

She gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged.

(Luke 2:7)

Accepting poverty is a great virtue. Through poverty and the acceptance of it, we shall be rich in the Kingdom of God.

Although not all the poor are rich in heaven but those who detach themselves from the riches and material pleasure of this world are pleasing before the 'eye' of God.

Riches that we had in this world are like a store of which food are stored up. These are not merely for us, because we can't consume all of them. So we as a generous child of God are to share the food that God gave to us.

God is the Divine Providence. He provides all that human being needed. He provides the material and the Spirit.

He knew that as He brings us into this world, we need basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, fresh air, water, sunlight, etc.

He will see us all through. But sometimes He wanted to pass more to us, so that we may distribute to those who really need them.

If what we have are supposed to be shared but we keep everything for ourselves is really a selfish act physically and spiritually.

Mary lived a life of detachment from the material of this world.

She was submissive. She trusted God to provide all.

The place and environment of which Jesus was born was very symbolic and a great mystery.

He was laid in a manger. A manger is where the shepherd put food for the sheep, lambs and other animals to feed upon.

Jesus was laid there as food for His lamb and sheep.

In a poor environment, God came down and fully dwell with man.

God who created everything for our own good, would not want to possess them but He was completely independent of the things He created. He is in control of His own need.

Jesus came down in His Divine Nature as Son of God. He Himself is part and parcel of the Godhead. He is the co-creator of all things seen and unseen. But He is not here to take what He created physically for Himself, but for the purpose of the salvation of souls and even bodies. He came down to reveal to mankind the eternal wealth of the Kingdom of God that would never pass away. It is for all mankind to possess and share. He came to show us the way to the Kingdom of God. He is here to reveal the whole truth of which the people could not understand. He had to use parables that apply to their time, situation and condition, etc. Even the disciples who were very close to Him could not grasp what He presented in parables and even common words.

The person that belongs to the Kingdom of God is so different in comparison to the people of this world. The people of this world seek for physical wisdom, value and knowledge. They seek for these in order to better themselves so that they can compete to be the best in the world. Mankind was made to be king of this world. To be the co-steward of God creation on earth. But these lordship and stewardship that were physical and meant for this world were just temporary. Once all physical disappear or failed to function, they cannot be use and it shall be inapplicable. What is meant for this world is temporary but what is meant for the kingdom of God goes beyond the physical. Even spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, like tongue, proclaiming God's Word, interpretation of tongues, vision, etc, gifts of knowledge, wisdom and understanding are temporary. Good only for this life only, but the gift of love is eternal, in this life and after.

Detachment from this world here meant that even if all physical wealth of money, assets, belonging, relationship of which we treasured, power, prestige, name and all earthly pleasures that caused us to stand out before the eye of mankind, are to be withdrawn, we would still stood firm in our faith in God.

Selfless love is a perfect love shown by our Lady. She thinks not for herself only but for the fulfillment of God's will. Taking the cross of the world for herself. She bored it with His Son later on, especially during His passion.

Fourth Joyful Mystery

The Presentation

When the day came to purify them, according to the Law of Moses, the couple brought him up to Jerusalem, so that he could be presented to the Lord, for it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every first born male shall be consecrated to the Lord."

Eventhough Jesus the Son of God is above the Law but as required, He is a Jewish truly 'human' boy. As required by the Law, the first born son shall be consecrated and offered to God so us to share in the priesthood of the Temple.

The Jewish Law was good, if the people had known the spirit of the law. The Law and will of God for all mankind is to share in the essence of His Heart, that is love. Love not of our own interpretation but originated from God. Merely emphasizing on the symbols, sacramental (Sacraments are action of Christ. Sacramental are the matter, object or any other seen things that are being used to expressed the spiritual value), gestures and action that do not reflect the motion of God's Spirit is worthless.

The Ten Commandments and the area they applied are vast, diversify and great.

The Jewish authorities, interpreted the Laws but they were stubborn to the prompting of God's Spirit. Without the working of the Holy Spirit even interpretation that seen easy would be interpreted wrongly. It would indeed be a great sins by leading God's people astray.

They interpreted them very seriously according to their human wisdom and knowledge, which is not pleasing to God.

Therefore, when Jesus came, He harshly condemned the Scribes and Pharisees for putting extra burden on the people.

They made laws for others to follow, but they do not follow the laws. The washing of hands, purification, cleansing before the Sabbath and before dueling with God in any situation that were outwards had a deep mysteries of which they could not understand. It is really hard to reveal to the people straight forward in words and even by earthly gestures, rituals, symbols they hardly can grasp.

If we based our faith merely on signs and symbols and does not grow spiritually is useless.

What signs and symbols needed to reflect the essence of the heart. The gesture of peace must be accompanied by the Spirit of peace from Christ. He is the Prince of peace. It cannot be merely words from our human heart but from the unity of our human hearts with the Sacred Heart of Christ. Since the peace comes from Christ dwelling in our hearts, the gesture should reflect so. Our hands pointing to our hearts and drawing out the grace of God from there and distribute to others.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, abided and obey the Law of Moses to its perfection. Jesus revealed that He had not come to do away with the Law of Moses rather to perfect them. Jesus is the model of the true disciple of the Law of Moses.

Jesus Christ is both truly God and Man.

As God, He had the full power and authority over all things. He was truly united with His Father by the bonding and power of the Holy Spirit.

As Man He is truly like one of us, accept sin. He had the full resemblance of the human flesh, spirit and soul of Mary.

What about us? How is God going to made and form us to be like Christ Jesus in His Human Nature? God is going to transform us so that we had full resemblance of the body, soul and spirit of Mary and Jesus as Man. Not by an ordinary human power but by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is going to penetrate all the systems of our physical bodies, its spirits and finally to dwell in cohesion with the soul.

Therefore for the church as an institute, faith formation must not stop from the sacramental and sacraments but moves to the mysteries guided by the Holy Spirit. Human will and spirit cannot penetrate into the Kingdom of God but only through the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sends from the Day of Pentecost until today.

Fifth Joyful Mystery

Finding of Jesus in the Temple

On the third day they came upon Him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

(Luke 2:46)

The Jewish authorities, teachers of law, elders, chief priests and all educated men were puzzled at the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of Jesus. Jesus as a poor boy in a poor family could not afford to go to the Jewish Religious School for education and religious knowledge.

Jesus was a child of God, trained by God Himself, and taught by God Himself. He is God and He is man.

As God, He created all things seen and unseen, as man, He is just like one of us, except sin.

Jesus was tempted like all human being was tempted. But Jesus as all mankind was given freewill, to choose to obey God or otherwise. But Jesus obeyed God till the end, fulfilling every word that God had prophesized as written in the Old Testament.

He was the right person who never fails God.

As God, He knew everything that was prophesized in the Scripture.

All things whether written or those pass orally.

Because it was He who spoke the Words. He is God, so His memory was perfect. He remembered every word that He had spoken.

He is God therefore, He never lie. Every word, promises that He made shall be fulfilled.

He is God who created all things. All things seen and unseen, is under His command. They would not move or function unless told to do so. So are human beings. We would still be like pieces of earthen figure without life, if God had not given us life.

So Jesus was full of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. These puzzled the Jewish people. But Jesus was the 'Promised of God'. His priority is to reach out to the chief priests, high priests, and teachers of the laws, elders of the Pharisees and Scribes.

Jesus at the age of twelve was ready to fulfill the promised God made to the Jewish people.

He therefore enters into the presence of the religious Jewish people to enlighten them. To teach and change them. To give them hint that He indeed was the Messiah, the Jewish people had long waited for.

But even though deep in their heart, they are going to be extra cautious, because He might be the Messiah or He might be a false prophet.

But physically, they can't accept Him. Because they knew where He came from. The family He was brought up and all their backgrounds. They were no outstanding people.

There was no special sign of God's powerful intervention in their lives. They were simple couples, ordinary, poor with little education, etc . They just can't accept Jesus as Messiah.

First Sorrowful Mystery

The Agony in the Garden

In His anguish, He prayed with all the greater intensity and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. Then He rose from prayer and came to His disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted with grief.

(Luke 22:44-45)

During the final discourse, Jesus revealed to them about the suffering Messiah, suffering servant, He is the 'Lamb of God'. He is now ready to take the cross and die. The cross is the world and its sin of which Jesus carry.

Through and by the cross, Jesus shall be nailed to His death. Because of the world and His love for the whole world, He died, in order that all evil shall have no power, right over God's image and likeness. The souls directly belong to Him. He looked at the world with deep compassion and mercy. He looked at how His own people were torture and many were killed by the devil.

He looked with deep compassion. His heart was deeply pierced. He was very hurt. He cried out to the Father, to allow Him to come down to save the people. When He offered Himself to the Father to be the world's Savior, God the Father was very pleased and He (God) shall receive to Himself whoever Jesus love and wants to save. So all shall enter into God's Kingdom through Jesus' Name.

At the Garden, He was filled to the brim with the sorrow of mankind because of sin. He cried and His sweat was thick. He asked His Father to accept Him as Sacrifice and to set His people free. He pleaded His Father to give Him the strength and ability to persevere until the end.

He pleaded of His Father to bear the pain with Him. All His loved ones on earth, accept only a few had left Him to suffer and even Judas betrayed Jesus.

He had only the Father to give Him power and strength to go through suffering. His very dear disciples, Peter, James and John were all tired and confused. They could not accept God as man having to suffer and dies. He must triumph and to be a great political hero, in order to set them free from the bondage of the Roman.

How can Jesus leave them alone and suffer?

That was the mentality of the disciples. They did not have spiritual insight of Christ. They could not understand Christ. They better take a rest and see what happen. When they rested after a few times Jesus woke them up, it was already too late. It was time for Him to be arrested and to die. They all witness with disbelief at what Jesus allowed them to do to Him.

They knew Jesus was powerful and beyond human controls and power. But now they saw a weak Jesus being easily lead to His own defeat. But they still could not understand. They were too blind to see what God's plan is. So the safest way is to abandon Jesus to go through the pain and suffering and to see what would happen later on.

After the verdict was read, Jesus was actually free from accusation that would bring about His death. But the people rebelled and there would surely be riot in the city of which the Roman Governor was afraid of.

So Pilate washed His hands clean and let the Jewish people take Jesus and the sins would fall on the people instead of Pilate.

Second Sorrowful Mystery

The Scourging at the Pillar

Pilate next move was to take Jesus and have Him scourged.

(John 19:1)

Pilate was surprisingly a coward to have fear to lose his power by not yielding to what the Jewish people wanted. He allowed the crucifixion of Jesus to take place in order to please the Jewish people even though he knew that Jesus was innocence.

This had to happen after all in order to make what prophesized in the scripture to come true. Jesus had to die. Someone must bring about His death.

The few outstanding figures were Pontius Pilate, Judas and the Jewish authority.

Pilate sent Jesus for scourging in order that He might gain the pity of the Jewish people for Jesus.

Pilate was a Roman but Jesus, a Jew.

But the Jewish people show no pity for Jesus, even when He was scourged and mocked by the Roman people.

We may think that we in our presence time had not crucify Jesus but had we?

We, too in our own way bring about the deep sorrow, pain, and agony of His passion when we had rejected His love and mercy.

Third Sorrowful Mystery

Crowning with thorns

They stripped off Jesus clothes and wrapped Him in a scarlet military cloak.

Weaving a crown out of thorns they fixed it on His head, and stuck a reed in His right hand.

(Matthew 27:28-29)

Jesus Christ indeed was a king. The king for the Jewish people spiritually but they rejected Him.

They wanted a real physical king, with true power and authority.

The disciples even hoped to sit on His right or left or to be His ministers.

Yes! Indeed! They were now spiritual ministers in God's Throne, reigning with Jesus and the Trinity God.

They mocked Jesus by crowning Him with thorns and military attire as head and king of them all.

This mockery later returns to them. Whatever they had done to Jesus, they later had to swallow them all. They would be shamed after the triumphant victory of Jesus Christ.

Fourth Sorrowful Mystery

Carrying of the cross.

...carrying the cross by Himself, went out to what is called the Place of the Skull.

(John 19:17)

Jesus Christ carries not His own cross, but the cross of the whole world.

During the fall of Adam and Eve, Satan had gain power to hold mankind bondage. Adam and Eve knowingly allow this to happen.

God must have remind them all over again, not just one time of the disaster of disobedience. But had they not doubted God, they would not have fall. But they listened not only to God but they too wanted to listen to the devil. They thought that they were very strong and wise. But they were foolish, not to have submitted to God and obeyed wholeheartedly.

Where were we? Are we facing this temptation of the serpent, in this presence time?

Yes! Indeed! The serpent is the prince of deceit. There is no truth in their words. What come out from the mouth was evil lies meant to bring about the fall of individual mankind.

Since the Kingdom of God is right in the heart of all individual personally, they therefore attack every single individual.

They wanted to try to spread darkness to the light.

If we do not allow them to enter, they had no right and power to enter.

When we do not allow God to operate fully in our lives, especially in our hearts, there would be dim light of even darkness.

That is the dwelling place of the devil. From there they gain foundation to spread darkness by darkening the mind and heart of mankind. If darkness appear in other areas again, they would win another ground to operate and spread its reign further.

If this is not cleansed and Satan is not delivered from our lives, they bring about inner suffering, sins and pain.

Mankind would be depressed and in bondage. Jesus therefore came and died for us, setting us all free from their bondage.

Now! We have the keys out of the prison's gate, because Jesus won it for us.

Therefore when we carry our own cross, it is just a participation of Jesus heavy cross. Because Jesus carried our cross.

Therefore when crosses are laid forth for us to carry, we must therefore be responsible and take it gratefully for the purification of our souls.

These crosses can be natural suffering, mentally, physically or spiritually. Unless it is brought by our selfishness and sin, which we chose to take, others usually are natural.

What I meant is that, when we go against God's will and ways, we had to suffer the consequence of it all. Even though Jesus too carries these crosses for us, but these are the crosses we invited not willed by God. Carrying these crosses is just accepting the consequence of our willed action, which does not bring about great blessing. But if we carry the crosses of lives, even though we did not invite them, it is a great blessing in disguise. It brings about the purification of our souls. It is most pleasing to God.

For example, we took great care of our bodies by exercising, eating balance diet, cleaning it properly and caring for it as gift from God but still it get sick. These are crosses of purification if we bear the pain and suffering of sickness.

Another example is, although we took great care of our children, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically, yet they grew up differently and brings about torment, suffering to the family, these are crosses of purification too.

First Glorious Mystery

The Resurrection

(Mark 16:6)

"You need not be amazed; You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified. He has been raised up; he is not here. See the place where they laid him."

After Jesus had enter 'Limbo' that is what the church called, to bring about their freedom, Jesus returned to His own physical death body. Once again Jesus' heart began to beat and there was life in that once death body again.

In order that this Jesus' would not be limited by time and space, God had to glorify His Son so that His physical body would never hold Him down. The law of nature would have no power over His physical glorified body. From birth till His death, His human nature had to comply with the law of nature, like gravity, space, time, matter, etc. His soul, spirit and Divine Nature were enclosed inside His Physical body.

After the 40 days on earth of which He dwell in the fullness of God's presence in the Kingdom of His Father, which had spread to the earth. God was actually claiming back the territory that was once fully His. After the fall of mankind, the devil reigns more powerfully. It is just like leasing out to them which was the consequence of the fall. But the time of which God is going to claim back His territory is determined by God alone.

He appeared and disappeared as God led Him.

God is no longer enclosed in the flesh of man but rather flesh of the Son of Man is enclosed in God.

God can allow Jesus to be seen again by enclosing the Divine Nature inside, so revealing the flesh.

When He disappeared into mid-air, His Divine Nature, enclosed the flesh that had been glorified, so mankind could not see Jesus as He used to be.

During the 'Transfiguration' this mystery of Christ resurrected body was being manifested to the three eye witnesses that is Peter, James and John.

He no longer would have to face temptation, weaknesses of the flesh and limitation. We too are looking forward to possessing this magnificent and supernatural body. The challenge is being put forward to all mankind, as Jesus intended to save even our flesh from corruption and decay. Mary had truly lived her life to the fullness in the eye of God. So we too need to ponder on the real meaning of 'Life lived to the fullness' in the eyes of God, not of the world.

Second Glorious Mystery

The Ascension

Then after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into Heaven and took His seat at God's right hand.

(Mark 16:19)

After spending 40 days on earth, His mission to be with the disciples was over.

He had to be united with the Father in order that God's plan of salvation may be fulfilled.

When Jesus was on earth, He was an individual. He cannot be everywhere at the same time. When He appeared to the disciples at that spot, He is only there, not everywhere. Although He can travel anywhere without having to make any movement, as He willed it, there He would be. But still He was an individual.

So He had to return to the Father and together sent forth the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. He speaks, act and move as The Father and Son willed Him. He would not speak much about Himself, but He would give full glory to the Father and the Son.

If we try to study them individually, we would find that each of them is selfless. They each spoke well of each other. They function in full co-ordination and co-operation too.

This Spirit would be everywhere. This is a renewed and victorious Spirit of Christ.

Before Christ Jesus, God's Spirit was also everywhere, sustaining the universe and all seen and unseen things that God had created.

After the fall, darkness engulfed the whole creation, including the unseen. Darkness is the reign of the devil. They would hold us bondage because we had

been defeated. When a country was captured by another, the people would be held bondage. Just like the fall of mankind, all creation was being held bondage and mankind became slave of sin and the devil. From that day onward, mankind was not fully submissive to God because we tend to believe and accept the deceits of the devil. The devil spread lies about God and we believe.

Mankind enclosed themselves from God. This was a great price as the result of the disobedience of mankind.

Even in darkness, God's Spirit awaits mankind invitation, like a mustard seed seeking good soil, so as to grow.

After the fall, Adam and Eve realized that they were naked, hide themselves from God, afraid to hear His voice as God walks through the Garden. God, out of pity and compassion sewed clothes for them to wear. What does all this meant. Adam and Eve living in disobedience, had deserted themselves from God, could not receive any blessing and love from God. Just like a rebellious and disobedience son who decided to leave his wealthy family to start a live of his own. But God out of mercy and compassion still search for the 'lost mankind' in order to provide for them.

God in the beginning of creation had made a covenant with our first parents. 'You shall not eat of the fruit from the Tree in the Middle of the garden. If you eat, you shall surely died'. But 'if you obeyed Me', they shall have paradise for themselves and all their descendents'. But Adam and Eve had traded that precious gift of God for the gift that the devil offered. That is they shall be able to have knowledge of good and bad. Their eyes would be opened and they shall have freedom to make their own choice. They got what they wanted from the devil. But they lost paradise forever, so were all their descendents. Mankind since the beginning had not been able to exercise their freewill to the benefit of the soul. Adam and Eve were given freedom of choice to obey and receive the blessing from God, or to retreat to seclusion and lived a life of their own without God. They had made up their mind and had hunger for more than what God had given. They thought that they are strong and had made the right and smart choice for themselves and their descendent. But had they? We too would have to make our decision wisely personally for our souls. Our choice might had very little effect on our descendent but when we had made the right choice our descendents might benefit spiritually from it. We might once lived like pagan without God, but when we had chose God our future generation would one way or another benefit. As God had promised that if we had done good and pleasing before the 'eye' of God, more of our descendents would be blessed. But if we had done evil, that sins of ours might affect our descendents too. God is not cursing the one who had done evil by passing that sin to innocence descendent of theirs, but this choice of ours affects them very much, But God draft out another covenant.

God foretold that one day the offspring of a woman, would crush the serpent head but the serpent would bite his heel. The woman here is Mary and the offspring is Jesus.

Just like wolves entering into the domain of the sheep's dwelling, what would happen? The shepherd was not around, so the wolves attack and kill the sheep. As the wolves enter, they destroy the plants, trees, and grass as they chased after the lambs and sheep. Similarly when the devil was allowed entry into paradise, they not only destroy mankind but also all creation rebelled. Animals struggle, killed, attacks each other for survival. They were meant to eat grass, fruit and other vegetables but they turned to meat, blood and bones. They once trusted Adam and Eve, were their friend and companion, but they turned and attack them after the fall. Mankind started killing each other. Human sacrifice offered to idols, sin of adultery was a very common sight. Sins of the flesh were very much alive and aggressively consuming the souls of mankind. The Spirit of God was still there but mankind refused to worship and recognized His authority and power.

So when Jesus raised up to heaven, He would send forth His Spirit, renewing the old Spirit that of the Old Testament. Jesus' Spirit is the victorious Spirit that seals and empowers the New and Everlasting Covenant between God and man.

In Jesus Christ the promise of God was fulfilled. The whole creation was renewed through Christ Jesus, in Him and with Him.

Most important of all, He sent forth His Spirit as a 'mustard seed' plant it in the hearts of the Apostles. As the mustard seed grew and matured, it bears plenty of fruit. From the Apostles the Kingdom of God on earth spread all over the world. Kingdom of God on earth means 'God dwell among men in their physical beings, that is in the heart'. Whereas the Kingdom of God in heaven meant the dwelling and Throne of God without the physical, which consisted of those who had died still in the state or stage of cleansing and those purified souls that dwell in God presence. These also include the glorified physical body of our blessed Mother. Those in that state of perfection are not limited and enclosed by time, space, matter or any physical element and the law of nature that governed the earth.

The devil cannot hold whoever God wanted for His own, although they are allowed to try and tempt them, by their deceit. Still they cannot snatch anyone from God's hand. Mankinds are to exercise the gift of freewill positively in order to benefit the soul inside.

Third Glorious Mystery

Descend of the Holy Spirit

All were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them.

After the death of Jesus Christ, the one whom the Apostles and the Jewish people had looked up to as their hero and king to defeat the Roman oppressor, they lived in great fear that they might be executed too. They never know what the Jewish authority might do next. They might pursue the Apostles, in order to destroy their teaching and influence over the people. They dwelled in secret, locked room.

They stayed there and continued to pray as reminded by Jesus. Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit. They continued to pray intensively and on the tenth day, the Holy Spirit came down in the forms of strong wind and tongues of fire. God consecrated their tongues to proclaim the good news of salvation. They shall speak with power and authority as the Spirit of God led and prompted them.

Through the Apostles, the reign of God through Christ's Spirit would be fully established on earth.

Through the Apostles, the light of God would shine in the darkness. Spreading this 'light' to all corner of the world, beginning from Jerusalem to the end of the world. Beginning from Jerusalem means that salvation begins with the Jewish. Through the Jewish people, it shall spread to the whole world.

Fourth Glorious Mystery

The Assumption

A great sign appeared in the sky. A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

Fruit of the Mystery: Grace of a happy death.

Although, there was nothing specifically written about Mary's Assumption into heaven but the church decided to add into its doctrine of faith.

As during the Apostles' time, all tombs of important people were specially marked and remembered from generation to generation until today.

Churches, statues, monuments, etc were built to mark the place of burial, birth and whatever significant events that were written in the scripture took place.

But the tomb of Mary was never found. So from this the people decided that she had entered into heaven with a glorified physical body, soul and spirit. She is the Temple of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. She made God, especially His Son, in His Divine Nature as the master and Lord of her life. Jesus was indeed as man a biological son of Mary but not of Joseph, as it was the Holy Spirit that works in bringing about the formation of fetus of Jesus. In the womb of our Blessed Mother that fetus grew mature and later arrives into this world. She nurtured, love and care for that precious child whom God said would be the Savior of the world. This is a big responsibility for a tiny young lady like Mary. But in the tiny, sweet and gentle lady was a very strong wills that always pleases God.

Mary is a perfect human being as proved by His Son Jesus Christ was also ascended into heaven in His glorified physical human body to heaven. They were both perfect creatures of God as a human being, so as the caused of death is sin, so the reverse is true with Mary and Jesus. There was no sin that would cause them to decay.

Although at the time when both died, their bodies were laid to complete rest for God to judge, while their souls and spirits departed to wonder to places they longed to go. Both of them longed to stay close to the people chosen by God. They therefore enter into the domain of those souls that needed the help and mercy of God most. After God judged the body pure and spotless, the souls and spirits returned once more and dwell in the once death bodies. After God inspection and judgement, their bodies would not be limited by any laws of nature. They obtained a glorified physical bodies that die no more..

What was described in the Book of Revelation to describe Mary after her Assumption was that she was clothed with the sun. Her clothing, that is her body shine so brightly with the glow of God's Spirit, powerfully heating and lighting up the cold and dark world. We usually describe God as the sun, and we the moon. As the moon got its light from the sun, so Mary was the reflection of the Light of God.

She had the moon under her feet and her head a crown of twelve stars.

The moon, stars are wonder of the earth. We looked at them with wonder and awe at the magnificent work of God's creation. These elements light up the darkness of the earth.

This symbolized our Heavenly Mother. She is a model of a true, perfect human being, who truly lived life to the fullness. Fullness of faith and of love. She was most pleasing to God. She was the reflection of Christ's light to the whole world. She was the salt of the earth. All her earthly action reflected the God that was glowing in her. She was the Queen of the twelve Apostles, the twelve tribes of Israel. Twelve tribes of Israel meant not only the Jewish people but also the people whom God wanted to save. Because of Christ death, all people were united into His Mystical Body, with Him and through Him we belonged to the twelve tribes of Israel. The New people of God. The uninvited guest, whom Christ took us His own brothers and sisters.

Therefore the people of the New Testament consisted of all people of nationality and race. In fact God had allowed this to happen, so that not only the Jews shall be save but all mankinds.

Fifth Glorious Mystery

The Coronation

You are the glory of Jerusalem..You are the splendid boast of our people.. God is pleased with what you have wrought. May you be blessed by the Lord, Almighty forever and ever. (Judith 15:9-10)

Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in Mary's intercession.

This praise of the Jewish people given to Judith after destroying their enemy was surely given to Mary too.

Mary was the heroine of the people of God. She had conquered all forms of temptation, like Jesus as Man. Mary is the woman mention in the Book of Genesis, whose Son would crushed the serpent's head.

Through her victory because of God, all mankinds would be able to achieve what she had achieved.

In heaven, she shall be able to powerfully intercede and pray for all who are still pilgrims on earth and those who are on the path to heaven. Heaven is a state of life and being not a place, with its limitation.

We needed to reach the state of complete purity and holiness to be completely one with God. Our bodies in unity with the Glorified Body of Christ, Spirit that of Jesus as a pure human being and souls that of Jesus Christ, unstained and unblemished. The three elements of our pure human nature united in an inseparable bond of Divine Love.

Unless a person had the likeness of Christ, one cannot enjoy the fullness of Christ Jesus victory on the cross.

Under purification the victory of Christ is still not perfectly experience by us.

The 'Light' of the resurrection had shone on all corner of the world. If we had not experience fully the enormous 'Light' of Christ, we are still not fully exposed to it. These needed full deliverance and detachment from sin and the world.

Mary in heaven as the Queen of all angels and saints travel intimately with Jesus as Glorified Son of Man through, with and in the Spirit of God.

On earth she longed to be with her son, but she understood His Son's mission to fulfill the will of His Father. But in heaven both are closer than ever.

What do St. Elizabeth meant when she said, "...the mother of my Lord.."

During that moment when she prophesized the Holy Spirit was empowering her and she was given the knowledge that Jesus whom Mary conceived was the Lord. Although we cannot possibly said that Mary is the Mother of the Divine Nature of Jesus. But the two nature of Jesus dwell as one, of which the Human Nature of Jesus is completely submissive to the Divine Nature. In the Lord's Prayer or Jesus' prayer, which is the prayer of the human Jesus to God the Father, Jesus praise and worship God. The Body, Soul and Spirit of Jesus united with the Spirit of God as Son pleads for Himself as Man and all mankinds.

The church decided that we too should not separate the two Nature of Jesus. Therefore the church decided to call Jesus God, as He rightly is right now.

Therefore calling Mary the Mother of God meant just that.

God the Son brought or introduced the Glorified Body of the Human Jesus into the Godhead. Therefore we now had a representative in heaven who is one of us. He who went through all that human being would had gone through, understood and had compassion on us. Jesus as Man and His Spirit as Son, is the sole mediator, who had every right to plead on behalf of all mankinds. All works of Redemption, Salvation and Sanctification is the work of Christ Jesus' Spirit after He had won the victory.

As Jesus is the sole mediator between God and Man, so Mary joins with her Son as handmaid, co-mediator and servant.

Therefore we too needed to join our hearts, souls and mind with that of Jesus as Man to be Man's mediator.

Mary knew exactly what Jesus Christ wants, for her children. She therefore prays for what is really necessary and needed. Salvation is an urgent mission, Jesus, Mary, all saints and angels knew that so must all of us who are called to join in this great mission.

At the wedding at Cana, Jesus changed water into the best wine as requested by His mother, so too Jesus would change our physical heart into a heart filled with God's love, at the request of His beloved mother, Mary.