Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries invites us to reflect on the early life of Jesus. These five events bring joy and grace to our spiritual journey. These mysteries are prayed on Monday and Saturdays.

I hope you will be inspired as you to go deeper into Mary and Jesus's life. There is no direct way, just open your hearts and your mind to the possibilities. Before you know it one day you notice something has changed within yourself.

The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity
The Presentation in the Temple
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

Each of these Mysteries offers insights and lessons that can enrich our faith and spiritual growth.

Studying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary can take you on your faith journey in so many interesting directions. Those directions are to be discovered uniquely by you. Take time to work with each individual fruit of the mysteries and see how they relate. I have shared some statements below as I walk the narrow path of this spiritual journey.

And the Journey begins and don't forget Mary our mother will guide and intercede for us along the way. Pray and meditate on the Joyful Rosary once again.

Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary Events

The joyful mysteries descriptions are used from the little scriptural book below. The scripture used in this book depicts Mary and Jesus's life. Meditate and contemplate the joyful mysteries slowly. I'm sure you will find your own personal story that relates these joyful events and that is the mystery. The book continues the scriptural story for each decade of the Rosary.

(Permission was given by the author for use, below it is listed with the book)

Mystery

Reflection

The Annunciation
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a virgin and the virgin's name was Mary. Rejoice so highly favored, 'The Lord is with you'. She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean. But the angel said to her, 'do not be afraid, God has found favor with you'. Listen! 'You are to conceive and bear a son and name him Jesus'. 'I am the handmaid of the Lord', said Mary, 'let what you have said be done'...

Taking the time to meditate on the Annunciation, it's important to remember the "yes". As Mary said yes to God so must we say yes to God's plans for us. Even when it is unexpected and especially challenging. Mary's example encourages us to trust in God's wisdom and to embrace His will with an open heart.

When I made the decision to jump the corporate ladder with both hands and feet letting go, I chose to trust God and his plans for me.

The Visitation
Mary set out at that time and went to the hill country. And she went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.'...

Here we learn the value of community and service. Mary's journey to help Elizabeth is to remind us to reach out to others. We may not realize when someone needs us, because they may not ask. It's also important to recognize God in other people's lives.

I didn't realize God gave me time with my mother during her last year of her life. I didn't realize it was the last chance I would have to share with her. If I didn't listen to God telling me to go visit mom as much as possible, I would have lost out.

The Nativity
Now while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem the time came for her to have her child. And she gave birth to a son, her firstborn, and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes. And she laid him in a manager because there was no room for them at the inn...

This reflection is on the simplicity and humility of Jesus' birth. We should be encouraged to find joy in the small and simple moments of life. It also calls us to welcome Jesus in our hearts with the same openness and love that Mary and Joseph showed. It's also important to recognize God's presence in our everyday experiences.

The Presentation
Observing the Law of Moses, they took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout Man. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord...

This highlights dedication and obedience to God's commandments. It should encourage us to offer our lives to God, trusting in His promises and seeking His guidance. Our lives are so much fuller when we have a dedicated life to God's service.

Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you.

Finding Jesus in the Temple
When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When they were on their way home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. Three days later, they found him in the Temple...

Teaches us the importance of seeking and finding God in our lives. It encourages us to pursue a deeper relationship with Him through prayer, meditation, journaling and contemplation. Especially now in our times when there is so much confusiion and distractions, God is always present, guiding us back to Him.

Always keep your eyes on Him, look up often or should I say within, right behind your heart. Look there!

Deepen our Joy with the Joyful Mysteries

Does meditating of these particular joyful mysteries help change our lives?

This website is created on the mere fact of discovery, meditation and contemplation with God. The Holy Spirit guides and directs us to where we need to be or what we need to do. Including reading and writing and creating. The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary offer us a rich tapestry of events that deepen our understanding of Jesus' early life and the joy that comes from embracing God's will. As we take time to meditate or journal our profound thoughts we will grow in faith, hope and love and the three beads on the beginning of the Rosary suggests. By this we grow closer to God and to one another.

Meditation is a practice of being still and slowing down the hundreds of thoughts that move through our minds.

Practice mindfulness, awareness, stillness, quietness
Discover the mystery of the Joyful Mysteries

We don't have to speak or have an answer for everything. We have had the opportunity to stop everything recently. We may have not noticed in a few days or weeks. But eventually after your longest vacation period, the stillness of peace was there.

Did we feel or see it, or did we miss it altogether?

Joyful Mysteries Fruit

Humility
The Annunciation

Charity
The Visitation

Detachment from the World
The Nativity

Purity
The Presentation

Obedience to the Will of God
The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

Humility
Mary heard what the angel's message was, but she didn't run to tell her husband Joseph what just happened. Mary didn't become all proud because she was going to be the mother of God. Mary didn't even talk about the angel's message or the miraculous appearance with Elizabeth over a cup of coffee. How many of us would have made a phone call to a friend to tell of this?
Humility is the first virtue and the foundation to all virtues. It is beautifully illustrated in the first scene on Mary, how she humbly accepted God's plan for her, despite the uncertainty.

Mary left it to God to reveal the secret when it was the
right time for His Glory. Not ours.

Charity
Practicing Selflessness
Mary goes to help Elizabeth with her birth of John the Baptist. Mary doesn't worry about how far she must travel to get to Elizabeth or how long she will stay. She doesn't bring up the fact that this spectacular news could keep her home.

There was a year I was gifted to spend with my mother. I didn't know it would be her last year, I saw some clues but just kept them close at heart. It turned out this was the best year I had with my mother. Our relationship wasn't coming to an end, it was just beginning to grow. It was a healing year for both of us.

Detachment from the World
This virtue is a difficult one for many. Why? Are you ready to give up anything that is not of God and is from this world?

Every now and then I realize I am attached to something I can't give up doing, like for instant a game on my computer. I sit for hours doing this senseless act and don't have a minute to pray. This is why I have so much work to do yet.

No one said this road was easy, one seed at a time and you will grow.
I Trust in you God

Purity
I have to admit, the closest thing I can think of for this virtue is my baptism as a baby and sacrament of reconciliation

The Virtue of Purity is essential for our Spiritual life and understanding. It brings immense rewards, inner peace, stronger relationships, and spiritual fulfillment. We can grow closer to God and experience the fullness of His Love and Grace.

Obedience to the Will of God
All things whatsoever that they command you,
observe and do. Matt. 23:3

This virtue is where it all began for me.

It's easy to do something that someone you know or like commands of you, it's another when it's not. Maybe it's your supervisor/boss and you don't like them so much. And you find yourself averting their commands. Maybe it's how they ask or tell you.
What will, will you follow?

These are my parents, Nicholas and Angela. Using my dad's words, he would say, 'I am just a simple guy doing the best I can'. He came over from Sicily as a soldier to fight in WWII. My mom's parents came from Italy owned a butcher shop, that mom worked at. They believed in God, church and a good Sunday dinner with family.

I had the privilege and honor of being by their sides upon their passing. With that experience I grew to understand the simplicity my dad spoke about. I believe they watch over me and my siblings. I share this personal story of my parents, because the Rosary was expressed to me from my dad's mom, my grandma in a dream. The message was real to me and changed my life.

I spent many hours praying the Joyful Mysteries and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. I believe I am still learning from these mysteries today. I don't think it ever comes to an end, it's a slow peeling away of an onion affect.

It gave me the strength to continue on without them
It helped me to understand more deeply what Jesus did for me
It taught me to pray and find different methods to prayer
It helped me to understand how I lost God and how he found me again
It taught me to give myself fully to another in need

Taking the real Scriptural Journey

Christianica (America)
1807 Prairie Street
P.O. Box 685
Glenview, IL 60025

Scriptural Rosary Book
is one of my favorites. Using this book to learn to pray the Rosary was so helpful learning the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It helped me memorize the mysteries fast because of the short story it told. It also made me feel as if I was right there alongside each of them.

Susan Tassone
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division
Huntington, Indiana 46750

Holy Souls in Purgatory
this book came to much later as I understood using the Rosary to pray for people. It brought me comfort to know that my prayers are helping Souls shorten their time in Purgatory and move on to heaven quicker.

These two little books are very big in so many ways. The writers of both these books captured the Joy in the Joyful Mysteries. May God Bless them for sharing their talents to select these particular scriptures for us to hold in our minds as we read and pray our Rosaries.

See what you discover and don't forget to share
Both these books can be purchased at any Catholic Book Store.

To the top 'Eyes always on God'