A Reflection on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary

This is in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception this week (well, today, actually!).

Yes, I am aware that this Feast celebrates the conception, birth, and life of Mary. I want to honor her (and Him), by reflecting on the Joyful mysteries.


Have a blessed Feast Day!

Why the Rosary?

The Rosary is a wonderful way of praying. It is physical, mental, and emotional. We finger the beads, we recite the prayers, we reflect on the life of Christ and his mother, Mary. It is so simple, young children can pray along. It is so profound, its richness is never exhausted.

In reciting the rosary, we are to reflect on the life of Christ. His human life began with his mother, Mary. So, we too reflect on this amazing woman who carried the Savior of the world in her body, and who was his first disciple.

The rosary can be recited at home, in the car, while walking or jogging, as a group, alone, and so on. A decade takes only a few minutes. If this is not a part of your prayer time, I urge you to consider it. If saying a whole mystery seems too intimidating, try a decade a day. A decade a week. Just do it.

Parents of young children can find special meaning in the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary. These mysteries follow the conception, birth, and young childhood of Jesus. They offer many meditations on life, parenthood, and the raising of a young child.

The following are a set of meditations of the Joyful Mysteries, as seen through the eyes of a parent with young children. Each mystery is two parts: the first part places us in the mystery itself, as events unfold. It is a reflection on how Mary experienced the beginning of her parenthood, espeically as some of its different revelations opened up to her. The second part briefly examines how each mystery can be understood in our own lives.

The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
The Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation
The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple