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THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES:

(recited on Mondays & Saturdays; & on Sundays, from the First Sunday of Advent until Baptism of The Lord)

The Rosary is made up of praying twenty decades (groups of ten) of Hail Marys, each introduced by the Lord's Prayer and finished with the doxology (Glory Be and O My Jesus).                                                                                                 (Read "Hail Holy Queen" only once, At the Conclusion of the Rosary & End with Closing Prayers).

Each decade is connected with a mystery, a meditation on an important event or moment in the life of Jesus or Mary.

 These reflections are divided into four groups of five mysteries. The first contains joyful mysteries (recited on Mondays and Saturdays); the second, the mysteries of light or luminous mysteries (Thursdays); the third, the sorrowful mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays); and the fourth, the glorious mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays). To help memory, the prayers are usually counted on a string of beads.

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The Joyful Mysteries +

 

I: The Annunciation: A reading from the Gospel According to Luke:

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, "Hail, highly favored one! The Lord is with you."

 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

 The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God."

 And Mary said, "Behold, the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

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II: The Visitation: A reading from the Gospel According to Luke:

 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped within her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she cried out with a loud voice saying,

 

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it possible that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, my baby leaped within my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.

 

III: The Nativity of Jesus: A reading from the Gospel According to Luke:

 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

 

IV: The Presentation: A reading from the Gospel According to Luke:

 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

 And when the days for their purification according to the instruction of Moses were completed, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
    

"Now Lord, may Your servant depart in peace according to Your word;
    For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
    Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
    a light of revelation for the Gentiles,
         And the glory of Your people Israel."

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 V: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple: A reading from the Gospel According to Luke:

Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.

 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him,

 "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You."

 And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?"

 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. So He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and among the people.

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