Novena to the Virgin Mary

Why a Novena to the Virgin Mary?

In the Bible nine days are, for the disciples and the Virgin Mary, a period of waiting lived in prayer. "They all persevered in prayer with one mind." Acts 1: 14. At the end of which they received the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we too can live the Novena as a time of prayer in expectation of a grace.

There are many novenas that we can make to go to the Virgin Mary. Some of them are:

  • Novena to the Virgin of Carmen.
  • Novena to Our Lady of Fatima.
  •  Novena to the Immaculate Conception.
  •  Novena to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which is the one we will see below.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Church commemorates the day of the birth of the Virgin Mary, called the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, every September 8. The Gospel does not give us data of Mary's birth, but there are several traditions. It was fixed on September 8, the opening day of the Byzantine liturgical year, which closes with the Dormition, in August. In the West it was introduced around the 7th century, and was celebrated with a procession-letany that ended in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Novena to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

This novena to the Virgin Mary can be made as many times as you wish, especially in the days before her feast. It consists of a common prayer that is repeated every day, both at the beginning and at the end, and a brief daily meditation that will help you at the moment of prayer.

Who could be a better teacher of love for God than this Queen, this Lady, this Mother, who has the most intimate relationship with the Trinity: Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, Spouse of God the Holy Spirit, and who is at the same time our Mother?

-Go personally to his intercession.

Forge, 555, St. Josemaría Escrivá.

Prayer to begin the Novena to Our Lady each day

Virgin Mary, Mother of God, my Queen and my Mother, I come to You, full of trust and love. I believe that it is through You that Jesus, true Son of God and true son of Yours, has wanted, wants and will want until the end of time, to shower upon me, a sinner, all the graces, goods and infinite mercy that He keeps in His Divine Heart.

For this I beseech Thee, Mother of Goodness and Mercy, to obtain for me from Jesus, conversion of heart, forgiveness of my sins, remedy for my needs, strength in my trials and sufferings, consolation in my sorrows, especially the salvation of my soul.

What I ask of You in this Novena is, according to the Will of God the Father, for His greater Glory, Your praise and the good of souls and of my soul.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain through this Novena to the Virgin Mary.

Prayer to end the Novena to Our Lady each day

I beseech you, Lord and my God, to listen to your Mother and grant me the graces that she asks of you on my behalf; to 'feel' her, to love her, and to serve her with your same love, and to always count on her 'almighty' intercession before your Heart.

So that guided, accompanied and defended by Her, and following Her example, I may love and serve You in this life and enjoy with Her, and with all the Angels and Saints, the love of the Most Holy Trinity for all eternity.

Ask it for me and in Your Name to God the Father, with whom You live and reign in unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

First day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, Blessed art Thou among women!

You who were predestined from all eternity, and chosen among all women, to be the Mother of the Son of God, for which God infused into your soul all the virtues and the Holy Spirit filled you with all his gifts and inflamed your heart with the love of God.

I beg You to enrich my soul with the love, virtues and fruits that I need, so that my life may be worthy of a child of God and a child of Yours, so that in imitating You, I may unite my will more and more closely to the Will of God. And just as with your "Yes" to His Will He began the History of Salvation, may I also make of my life a "yes", and may I employ my life in the love and service of Him and of the Church, becoming an instrument of salvation for others.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Second day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, ever immaculate, "Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb".

You who from the first moment of your conception were preserved by God from every stain of sin and full of grace, so that, when the "Fullness of time" came, his Divine Son would be incarnated in you by the work of the Holy Spirit, and you were already introduced from that first announcement into the Mystery of Christ your Son forever, I beseech Thee by Thy Immaculate Conception to grant me Thy help so that I may always keep my soul clean of sin, and the Holy Spirit may form Jesus in my heart with Thee and in Thee, and filled with His gifts as Thou art, be a worthy dwelling place of the Most Holy Trinity.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Third day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, model of humility and obedience to the Will of God.

You who called yourself "handmaid of the Lord," who consecrated yourself totally to the saving work of Jesus, making your life not only a continual song of love, praise and gratitude to God, but also a continual act of service, I beseech you to obtain for me from the Lord that, filled with this love, full of faith and with a humble and generous heart, I may, after Your example, be able to follow Your example, thus cooperating in the redemption with humility and fidelity, I beseech you to obtain for me from the Lord that filled with this love, full of faith and with a humble and generous heart, I may, after your example, make of my life a continuous act of service to God and his saving mission. May I be an instrument of salvation in His hands for others and for the Church in the world. So that one day with You I may proclaim God's greatness and sing forever of His mercies.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Fourth day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, teacher of prayer and silence, first listener and disciple of Jesus.

You who knew and lived the Mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption, who kept in your Heart with faith the words spoken by God; You who lived the events that constituted the Mysteries of the infancy and life of Jesus, discovering little by little through all this the designs of God the Father for the salvation of mankind, I beg you to obtain for me from God that strong, firm and indestructible faith, that hope against all despair and that love that you keep in your Heart. That I may always accept in my life the mysterious designs of God's Will and see in everything His Providence which desires only my good. I ask you to be for others a witness of faith and hope.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Fifth day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, Mother, help, health, refuge, consolation, succor, advocate of all those who need You and come to You with trust and love.

Mary, you who went to visit your holy cousin Elizabeth and then at the Wedding at Cana, gave me an example of love, generosity and solidarity with my neighbor. Elizabeth and then at the Wedding at Cana, You gave me an example of love, generosity and solidarity with my neighbor, manifesting in both moments through You, the Divinity and power of Jesus, teach me to have that spirit of generosity and solidarity with all those who are part of my life, with all those who in some way need my help, especially with the poorest. May I, like you and with your help, take Jesus wherever I go, so that they may discover through me the power and mercy of Jesus, and like you, in my prayer, may I always and unceasingly present to God the Father for the needs of men and of the world.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Sixth day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgen Santísima de los Dolores.

You who like no one else lived, "felt" and suffered in your Mother's Heart the most painful Passion and Death that Jesus suffered for our salvation, obtain for me from the Holy Spirit the faith, love and gift of fortitude that filled your Heart in those moments, so that I too may accept with love, and unite the sufferings of my life to those of Jesus and Yours, to complete in my flesh - as St. Paul said - what is lacking in his Passion for the good of the Church and for the salvation of souls.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Seventh day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of all men.

Mary, you who accompanied Jesus nailed to the Cross, and undoubtedly associated yourself as Mother to his sacrifice and offered yourself with him to the Father for the salvation of all men, defend our cause with your maternal protection and your 'omnipotent' intercession before God. Give us, who love and follow Jesus, the unceasing help of your grace so that we may remain faithful to the demands and commitments of our Baptism. And since you are the Mother of Goodness and Mercy, pray unceasingly for so many men who live in sin. Mother of sinners and Mother of Life, pray for us.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Eighth day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, Mother and Model of the Church.

You who, united as one more disciple with the Apostles and disciples in the Cenacle, prayed and invoked without ceasing the gift of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus before his Ascension into Heaven, that in the Church, united in prayer, a New Pentecost may take place. I pray that God may unite her in peace and love; and that He may renew and transform the hearts of all Christians, so that filled with His gifts our lives may be a testimony of faith, hope and love like yours.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Ninth day of meditation for the Novena to the Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, Queen and Lady of the Angels.

You who were assumed body and soul into Heaven, and crowned as Queen and Lady of heaven and earth, and already enjoy seated at the right hand of Jesus of the Union, of the eternal Glory and Love of the Most Holy Trinity, guide me and protect me in my pilgrimage of faith towards eternal life, so that I may not stray from Jesus, the only true Way to the Father, and at the hour of death I may experience your powerful intercession and maternal protection. And so with You I may praise, adore and enjoy God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit for all eternity.

Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and Glory Be.

Bibliography

Opusdei.org.
Aciprensa.
En.catholic.net.

The 5 Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries deal with the Incarnation and infancy of Jesus. They are also prayed, the Luminous Mysteries of the public life of Christ, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Passion of our Lord and the Glorious Mysteries of the events that occurred after the Resurrection.

"The recitation of the Holy Rosary, with the consideration of the mysteries, the repetition of the Our Father and the Hail Mary, the praises of the Blessed Trinity and the constant invocation of the Mother of God,
is a continuous act of faith, of hope and love, of adoration and reparation."
Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer.

In the first of the Joyful Mysteries we remember The Incarnation

In the first of the Joyful Mysteries we recall the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary and the Incarnation of the Word.

  • Luke 1:26-27: "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the seed of David; the virgin's name was Mary."
    The Angel greets her, "Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with you."

Mary icon of obedient faith

Benedict XVI says: "In the angel's greeting to the Virgin Mary, he finds in her an attitude of trust, even in difficult moments. A capacity to consider events in the light of faith; a humility that knows how to listen and respond to God with dedication.

With this, the Pope points out, the reason for Mary's rejoicing is reaffirmed: "Joy comes from grace, that is, from communion with God, from having such a vital connection with Him, from being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, totally shaped by God's action."

Mary gives herself with complete trust to the word announced to her by God's messenger and becomes the model and mother of all believers. Faith is, therefore, trust, but it also implies a certain degree of obscurity. Mary opens herself totally to God, she succeeds in accepting the divine will, even if it is mysterious, even if it often does not correspond to her own will and is a sword that pierces the soul."

Benedict XVI points out, "He does not consider it superficially, but pauses and allows it to penetrate his mind and heart in order to understand what the Lord wants of it, the meaning of the proclamation.

In the second of the Joyful Mysteries, we recall the Visitation of Our Lady to her cousin St. Elizabeth.

  • Luke 1:39-42 In those days Mary set out and went in haste into the hill country to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, that the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; and she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

Mary is an example of love and humility

The humility of the Virgin Mary, says St. Bernard, is the foundation and guardian of all the virtues. And rightly so, for without humility no virtue is possible in the soul.

All virtues vanish if humility disappears. On the contrary, said St. Francis de Sales, God is such a friend of humility that he immediately goes wherever he sees it.

Misterios gozosos santo rosario

In the third of the Joyful Mysteries we remember the Birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem.

  • Luke 2:1-7: It happened that in those days an edict went out from Caesar Augustus ordering that the whole world should be registered. This first census took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
    And they went every one to register, every man to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to register with Mary his wife, who was with child.
  • And it came to pass, while they were there, that the days of her childbearing were fulfilled, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because they had no room in the inn. Jesus was born in the humility of a stable to a poor family.
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church, 525: Those simple shepherds are the first witnesses of the event. In this poverty the glory of heaven is manifested.

Mary at the service of others

The same attitude is seen in Virgin Virgin Mary after the worship of the shepherds: "he kept all these things, pondering them in his heart."

"It is the profound humility of Mary's obedient faith, who accepts in herself even what she does not understand of God's work, leaving it to God to open her mind and heart". Hence Elizabeth can say: "Blessed is she who has believed in the fulfillment of the word of the Lord." (Lk 1:45)and that is why it will be called that way for all generations.

Faith tells us, then, that the helpless power of that Child in the end overcomes the rumor of the powers of the world."

misterios gozosos

In the fourth of the Joyful Mysteries we remember the Presentation of Jesus and the Purification of Mary.

In the fourth of the Joyful Mysteries we recall The Presentation in the Temple

Purifying Mary

Mary no longer appears as impure. She does not go up to the temple to purify herself, but to share in the redemptive journey of Jesus. Mary appears as a collaborator of Jesus, sharing his journey in the service of God's people. She is not an impure woman but a purifier.

In the fifth of the Joyful Mysteries we remember the Child lost and found in the Temple.

  • Luke 2:41-47: "His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up as usual to the feast, and when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, his parents did not know it.
    And it came to pass at the end of three days, that they found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his intelligence and his answers.
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church, 534: "The finding of Jesus in the Temple is the only event that breaks the silence of the Gospels on the hidden years of Jesus. Jesus lets us glimpse in it the mystery of his total consecration to a mission derived from his divine filiation: "Did you not know that I owe myself to my Father's business?".

Mary listens, also in the dark

Mary's faith, Benedict XVI points out, lives from the joy of the Annunciation, but passes through the mist of her Son's crucifixion, in order to reach the light of the Resurrection.

Therefore, the path of our faith is not substantially different from that of Mary: "We find moments of light, but we also find passages in which God seems absent".

The solution is clear: "The more we open ourselves to God, accept the gift of faith, place our trust totally in Him, as Mary did, the more He enables us, by His presence, to live all situations of life in peace and in the certainty of His fidelity and of His

However, this means going out of ourselves and our own projects, so that the Word of God may be the lamp that guides our thoughts and actions.

When they find the Child in the temple, after three days of searching, he answers them mysteriously: "Why were you looking for me, did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?

So, observes the Pope, "Mary must renew the deep faith with which she said 'yes' at the annunciation; she must accept that precedence belongs to the true and proper Father; she must know how to set free the Son she has begotten to follow his.

Prayer at the end of the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

My friend: if you want to be big, make yourself small.
To be small requires believing as children believe, loving as children love, abandoning oneself as children abandon themselves, praying as children pray.
And all this together is necessary to put into practice what I am going to discover in these lines:
The beginning of the journey, which ends in complete madness for Jesus, is a trusting love for Mary Most Holy.
-Do you want to love Our Lady? -Well, treat her! How? - By praying Our Lady's Rosary well.
But in the Rosary... we always say the same thing! -And don't those who love each other always say the same thing to each other? Is there not monotony in your Rosary, because instead of uttering words like a man, you utter sounds like an animal, your thoughts being far away from God? -And look: before each decade, the mystery to be contemplated is indicated.
-Have you... have you ever contemplated these mysteries?
Make yourself small. Come with me and - this is the nerve of my confidence - we will live the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

St. Josemaría Escrivá.

With the collaboration of:

OpusDei.org
Meditations on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Pope Francis.

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."

En el primero de los Misterios Luminosos: El bautismo del Señor en el Jordán

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. 

En el segundo de los Misterios Luminosos contemplamos el primer milagro de Jesús en las Bodas de Cana

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.

En el tercero de los Misterios Luminosos del Santo Rosario contemplamos el anuncio del Reino de Dios

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.

En el cuarto de los Misterios Luminosos contemplamos la transfiguración del Señor

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.

En el quinto de los Misterios Luminosos del Santo Rosario contemplamos la institución de la Eucaristía

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.

With the collaboration of:
OpusDei.com
Meditations on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Pope Francis.