Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

These Mysteries of Light were added to the Holy Rosary at the initiative of Pope St. John Paul II in 2002. The Luminous Mysteries are prayed on Thursdays and are the third part of the four series of five mysteries that make up the Rosary. They are also prayed on Joyful Mysteries which deal with the Incarnation and infancy of Jesus, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Passion of our Lord and the Glorious Mysteries of the events following the Resurrection.

St. John Paul II meditated on the Luminous Mysteries and explained that "let shine forth the splendor of the divine nature of God in Jesus Christ" "the time in which Jesus, with the power of word and deed, fully reveals the 'face' of the heavenly Father, inaugurating his Kingdom of love, justice and peace".

The Pope also explains in 2003 the Mary's presence in these mysteries, which in this case is generally found in the background, except for the wedding at Cana

In the first of the Luminous Mysteries we contemplate The Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan

• Jesus is baptized (Matthew 3, 13-17) At that time Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to where John was, so that John might baptize him. At first John resisted, saying to him:
  -I should be baptized by you, and you come to me?
  Jesus answered him:
  -Let it be so for the present, for it is expedient that we should do all that is right in the sight of God.s
  Then John consented. Jesus, having been baptized, came up out of the water. At this the heavens were opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. And a voice was heard from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, whom I have chosen."

Baptism and the presence of the Holy Spirit

In this Gospel we are taught that by uniting ourselves to Jesus we unite ourselves to the Father through the Holy Spirit, an inexplicable mystery of faith. John the Baptist leaves us the testimony of having seen the Spirit of God in the form of a dove alighting on Jesus and having heard the voice of a pleased Father.

"In the Sacrament of Baptism, Our Father God has taken possession of our lives, has placed in your soul an indelible seal. Through Baptism he has incorporated us into Christ's and sent us the Holy Spirit. God's strength and power illuminate the face of the earth. Are you not aflame with desire to make everyone love him?" Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

Jesus shows us his humility because even though he was the Son of God, he had himself baptized in front of so many people. It allows us to understand almost the importance of the Sacrament of Baptism. Baptism in our lives.

"If you want your children to become authentic Christians, help them to grow up "immersed" in the Holy Spirit, that is, in the warmth of God's love, in the light of his Word. Therefore, do not forget to invoke the Holy Spirit frequently, every day."

"It is very important to pray to the Holy Spirit, because He teaches us to carry forward the family, the children, for these children to grow up in the atmosphere of the Holy Trinity. It is precisely the Spirit who carries them forward. That is why do not forget to invoke the Holy Spirit often, every day.

"When you say this prayer, you feel the maternal presence of the Virgin Mary. She teaches us to invoke the Holy Spiritand to live according to the Spirit, like Jesus." Meditations on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Pope Francis.

In the second of the Luminous Mysteries we contemplate the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding feast of Cana.

• A wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-12) On the third day there was a wedding in Cana, a town in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 At this the wine ran out, and Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine.
  Jesus answered her, "Woman, why do you say this to me? My hour has not yet come.
  She said to those who were serving, "Do whatever he tells you.
  There were six stone jars there, for the water used by the Jews in their purification ceremonies. Each jar held between fifty and seventy liters.
  Then Jesus said to the servants: Fill these jars with water.
  They filled them up to the top, and he said to them, "Now take some out and take it to the manager of the feast. So they did, and the keeper of the feast tasted the water turned into wine, not knowing where it had come from. Only the servants who had drawn the water knew. So the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, Everyone serves the best wine first, and when the guests have drunk enough, he serves the ordinary wine. But you have kept the best until now.
  This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. With it he showed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. 

Mary is Mother, she is in the details and intercedes for us.

The Gospel of Luke tells us that Mary was with Jesus. She is watching over the needs of others and is concerned about the welfare of all her children. The Blessed Virgin Mary is with Him to tell Him, they have no wine, no health, no work, no life, no hope, no faith..., there is our Mother trying to collaborate in the affairs of Jesus, and with her humble words she asks us simply "Do whatever He tells you.", He tells us to trust, do not lose hope, surrender to Him and listen to Him!

"It is proper for a woman, and for an attentive housewife, to notice an oversight, to be in those small details that make human existence pleasant: and this is how Mary acted. If our faith is weak, let us turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Mother always intercedes before her Son so that He may attend to us and show Himself to us, so that we may confess: You are the Son of God.." Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

"Maria is simply a mother, she has already left the problem in God's hands! Her rush for the needs of others hastens the "hour" of Jesus. And Mary is part of that hour, from the manger to the cross. (...) The best wine is yet to come. And whisper it to the desperate or the loveless. Have Patience, have hope, Do like Mary, pray, act, open your heart, because the best wine will come.  Meditations on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Pope Francis.

In the third of the Luminous Mysteries we contemplate the proclamation of the Kingdom of God

• Jesus reveals who he is and calls four fishermen (Mark 1:14-18). After John was put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee to announce the good news from God. He said, "The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Turn to God and accept in faith his good news."
  Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee when he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were fishermen, casting their nets into the water. Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
  At once they left their nets and went with him.

Jesus invites us to conversion and to join in God's mission

Jesus, in this Gospel, invites us to the conversion. To convert is to place God at the center of our lives and to love him with sincerity. To be converted, it is necessary to leave our whole being, body and soul, in God's hands. And to give ourselves and serve others, to be a missionary of the Lord.

"How naturally Jesus gets into the boat of each one of us! When you approach the Lord, think that he is always very close to you, in you.: "regnum meum intra vos est" (Lk 17:21).. You will find it in your heart. Christ must reign first of all in our soul. For Him to reign in me, I need His abundant grace (...)". Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

"Jesus is not an isolated missionary; he does not want to carry out his mission alone, but involves his disciples.(...) This is very beautiful! Jesus does not want to work alone, he came to bring the love of God to the world and he wants to spread it with the style of communion, with the style of fraternity (...) The purpose is to announce the Kingdom of God, and this is urgent! It is also urgent today. There is no time to lose in idle chatter (...) How many missionaries do this! They sow life, health and consolation in the peripheries of the world. How beautiful this is! Not to live for oneself, not to live for oneself, but to live to go and do good. There are so many young people today in the Square: think about this, ask yourselves: (...)  Are you courageous for this, do you have the courage to listen to the voice of Jesus? It is beautiful to be missionaries! Ah, you are doing well! I like this! (...) Everyone should be a missionary, everyone can hear the call of Jesus and go ahead and announce the Kingdom."  Meditations on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Pope Francis.

In the fourth of the Luminous Mysteries we contemplate the transfiguration of the Lord.

• Jesus reveals his face (Matthew 17:1-9)  Six days later, Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart. There, in their presence, Jesus' appearance changed. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. At this they saw Moses and Elijah talking with him.
  Peter said to Jesus: Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three huts: one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
  While Peter was speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them. And out of the cloud came a voice, saying, "This is my beloved Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to him."
  When the disciples heard this, they bowed down to the ground in fear.
  Jesus came to them, touched them and said: Arise, do not be afraid.
  Then they raised their eyes and saw no one but Jesus.
  As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them: Tell this vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.

Jesus invites us to pray and to love one another

In this Gospel Jesus teaches us that there is a much better place than this place where we live.We are often confused by suffering. Tribulations and human noise distract us from our true Christian mission. And material needs empty our spirit and harden our heart.

"Vultum tuum, Domine, requiram" (Ps. 26:8)., I will seek, Lord, your face. I look forward to closing my eyes and thinking that the time will come, when God wills it, when I will be able to see you.not as in a mirror, and under dark images... but face to face... (I Cor. 13:12). Yes, my heart thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and see the face of God? (Ps. 41,3) Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

"From this episode of the Transfiguration, I would like to point out two significant elements, which I summarize in two words: ascent and descent.. We need to withdraw into a space of silence (to go up the mountain) in order to find ourselves again and to better perceive the voice of the Lord. But we cannot stay there! The encounter with God in the prayer It urges us once again to come down from the mountain and return down to the plain, where we meet many brothers and sisters overwhelmed by hardship, injustice, material and spiritual poverty. To these brothers and sisters of ours who are in difficulty, we are called to offer them the fruits of the experience we have had with God, sharing with them the treasures of the grace we have received.."

"This mission concerns the whole Church and it is primarily the responsibility of the Pastors (bishops and priests) who are called to immerse themselves in the midst of the needs of the People of God, approaching with affection and tenderness, especially the weakest and the least, the last. But in order to fulfill this pastoral work with joy and availability, Bishops and priests need the prayers of the whole Christian community."  Meditations on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Pope Francis.

In the fifth of the Luminous Mysteries we contemplate the institution of the Eucharist.

• The Lord's Supper (Luke 22:14-20) When the hour came, Jesus and the apostles sat down at table.
  He said to them, "How I longed to celebrate this Passover meal with you before I died! For I tell you, I will not celebrate it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
  Then he took a cup in his hands, and when he had given thanks to God, he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.
  Then he took bread in his hands, and when he had given thanks to God, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given to death for your sake. Do this in remembrance of me.
  He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant confirmed by my blood, which is shed on your behalf.

Jesus stays with us

We can imagine the disciples around Jesus, listening to his words. They had received the grace that only comes from God and is received only by those of humble heart. "who believe without having seen". 

"Night was falling on the world, because the old rites, the ancient signs of God's infinite mercy towards humanity were going to be fully realized, opening the way to a true dawn: the new Easter. The Eucharist was instituted during the night, preparing in advance the morning of the Resurrection.

Jesus stayed in the Eucharist out of love..., for you. He stayed, knowing how men would receive him... and how you receive him." Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

"Christ shed his Blood as a price and as a sacred bath that washes us, so that we might be purified from all sins: so as not to dissolve us, looking at it, satiating ourselves from its source, so as to be preserved from the risk of corruption. And then we will experience the grace of a transformation: we will always remain poor sinners, but the Blood of Christ will free us from our sins and restore our dignity. He will free us from corruption. Without merit of our own, with sincere humility, we will be able to bring the love of our Lord and Savior to our brothers and sisters. We will be his eyes that look for Zacchaeus and the Magdalene; we will be his hand that helps those in need. patients of body and spirit; we will be his heart that loves those in need of reconciliation, mercy and understanding.

In this way the Eucharist actualizes the Covenant that sanctifies us, purifies us and unites us in admirable communion with God. Thus we learn that the Eucharist is not a reward for the good, but the strength for the weak, for sinners, it is forgiveness, the viaticum that helps us to walk, to walk."  Meditations on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Pope Francis.

The Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

They illuminate a path that begins from the moment we are baptized, then leads us to understand the weakness of Jesus before the love of his Mother; showing us the power of Mary's intercession as our advocate.

Further on, he invites us to convert with sincerity and to believe in the Gospel in order to take it precisely where the priests cannot reach. But for this Jesus asks us to have a humble heart, a spirit transfigured in His and calls us to imitate Him in prayer.

Then the apostles illustrate Jesus in his divine glory, describe a place more beautiful than this world and encourage us to understand that suffering is the hope of our salvation. And in this last mystery Jesus reveals to us that he remains with us in the Eucharistic Bread and asks us to "eat and drink of it for this is my Body". Jesus tells us clearly "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day".

In this Gospel Jesus also institutes the Priestly Order, since he asks his Apostles to "Do this in memory of me", to repeat what he did at the Last Supper. The Apostles of Jesus have not failed to fulfill this command, because their successors have left everything to follow him and these are our holy priests.