Rosary Beads

When reciting the Five Mysteries, Catholic faithful’s use rosary beads, which serve as an important part of keeping count of the number of Hail Mary's that they should recite. While saying their Prayers, their fingers are moved along the beads and this is supposed to free the mind so that they should concentrate and meditate on the mysteries of the rosaries.

So we can deduce that the main purpose of the Catholic rosary is to assist in the memorizing certain key events or mysteries in the history or genealogy of our salvation, and to give praises and thanks to God for them. Originally, there were twenty mysteries of the rosary until the year 2002 when Pope John Paul II added the New Mysteries of Light (Luminous Mysteries) in his Apostolic letter "Rosarium Virginis Mariae” and thus resulting to the increase and became 20 in total, they are; The five JOYFUL MYSTERIES, the five LUMINOUS MYSTERIES, the five SORROWFUL MYSTERIES, the five GLORIOUS MYSTERIES, 

There are many different types of Rosary beads, each used in its unique way when reciting the Mysteries of the Rosary. The most commonly found Rosary beads are the Single Decade Rosaries, whereby The devotee counts the same the same ring of ten beads repeatedly for every decade, The Hail Mary is usually said on the tenth bead within a decade, while the Our Father prayer is then said on the large bead before each decade.

New Mysteries are then meditated upon at each of the large beads. Another types of Rosary Beads, which is typically used by religious orders, have 15 decades which correspond to the traditional 15 Mysteries of the rosary. With the introduction of the Luminous Mysteries, Five decade Rosaries are then used in conjunction with the 15 decade rosaries to total to the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary.

The Facts about Jesus Christ

The story of Christ is very common to many people nowadays, Christians and non-Christians alike. With nativity scenes and plays done on most churches worldwide and shown on most television stations during the Christmas festivities. The story of the birth of Jesus, his teachings, the words of Jesus and even his crucifixion is all included in these productions which are aimed to show the Passion of Jesus towards mankind.

Even though the Christmas story from the Bible is widely known, the facts about Jesus and the truth about Jesus and his reason to come down to Earth sometimes eludes most of the Christians. With very any translations of the Bible, time has proven the the Christmas stories and the history of Christ has served and will continue to serve the later generations with the truth.

The constant facts revolving around all the various translations of the Bible on the coming of Christ is that he was as a manifestation of Gods love of his creation. We can see in the olden days, the Jewish people of the Old Testament being manipulated by the Clergymen and priests. Constantly being misled and God usually came to their aid. Several times they came to near extinctions or nearly wiped out by their enemies, but due to God's covenant with Israel he always came to save them.

Now, according to my understanding of the scriptures, Jesus came to renew the contract with his people to include all the other nations of the World. With his humble birth, it symbolizes that to God all of us are equal, Class, race, place of birth really has no meaning in the eyes of the Lord.

Throughout his life, Jesus Christ did his things in a timely and orderly manner. If you read through the gospel of Jesus, You will realize that all he did was predetermined beforehand, or  before his coming. Even the miracles of Jesus Christ were all done with a timely fashion, don't get me wrong, I am trying to put the point that Jesus was the begotten son of God and what should be realized is that God is the master planner and always keeps time in all his deeds and actions.

A clear-cut case in point is his first miracles, he never wanted other people to know, however, to drive my point with clarity. We can see the death of his long time friend Lazarus, he refused to heal him at first and instead he visited his sisters after three days from the time Lazarus was buried. This was so that he was to resurrect him even though people thought that he had neglected to heal his friends but he had always healed strangers on his travels.

With this we can see that through out the ministry of Jesus Christ, all that he did was with respect to exalting the name of his father. Another case in point is during his last days on Earth, he hinted severally to his followers that it was not time to go to Jerusalem, and before he entered he told his disciples of his impending demise. If we carefully scrutinize these actions you would see that his mission was great and carefully planned. Many people still ask themselves is Jesus Christ is the son of God, and the answer is plain, YES, for if he was not he could not accept death. You can see with all the cultists and fake messiahs, Death is not the option they would freely take. if Jesus was to rise and call to arms all his followers of that time he could have even overpowered all nations but because he was the ultimate sacrifice, he had to do as God commanded him. These are just some of the facts about Jesus and I shall take you through more in the coming posts about the Gospel of Jesus Christ..

The Mysteries of Light

The Mysteries of the Light (or Luminous Mysteries) are the latest of the Mysteries of the Catholic Rosary. The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary were introduced by His Holiness John Paul II, on 16th October 2002, during his 25th Anniversary of his Pontificate. In his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (RVM), he inaugurated the Year of the Rosary which lasted from October 2002 til October 2003. Furthermore, he introduced the five new Mysteries of the Rosary which were included to the traditional ones. These Mysteries came to be referred to as the Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light which celebrated the public life of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The five new Mysteries of the light, Luminous Mysteries are as listed below:

• The Baptism of Christ
• The wedding at Cana
• The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
• The Transfiguration
• The Institution of the Eucharist

The Baptism of Christ

During this Mystery of the Catholic Rosary, we see the period in the public life of Our Lord Jesus Christ when he went to be baptized. Before this happened, many thought that John the Baptist was the prophesied Messiah who would deliver the Jews. But as Jesus went into the water, they were surprised to see John the Baptist humbled by this man. Then John said to Jesus, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?", and Jesus responded, " Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." (Matt. 3:14-16), John consented with the request. When John had finished baptizing Jesus, the heavens tore open and the spirit of God came in the form of a dove and alighted on him, suddenly a voice came from heaven saying "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased"(Matt. 3:17)

This was the investment of his mission on earth, Jesus was given clearance to start what he came to do. When you pray the rosary, we acknowledge this call to arms so that we may start the mission of every christian on earth. The spiritual fruit for this Mystery is Gratitude for the Gift of Faith.

The wedding at Cana

The Five Mysteries of the Light (Luminous Mysteries)

In the wedding at Cana, the wine was finished and we see Our Holy Mother Mary the mother of Jesus going to him and telling him that the wine was finished, she then instructed the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to. He then instructed them to bring the six water-pots which were nearby and fill water in them. After they finished he then instructed one to fetch the water and take it to the master of the feast, when he tasted he confessed to the groom that, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." (John 2:1-10), This was the first of the miracles that Jesus did (turning water to wine).When praying we are reminded of his glory and might. The spiritual fruit for this mystery is Fidelity, because of his presence he elevated the christian marriage to the dignity of a sacrament.

The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

This refers us to the point when Jesus was building his ministry on earth, it was a time period when John the Baptist was captured and beheaded, Jesus had gone to the wilderness for forty days and faced temptations from the devil. When he returned he started preaching about the Kingdom of God saying "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15). He then proceeded to choose his disciples one by one , this was a call to conversion for all mankind. the spiritual fruit for this rosary Mystery of the Light is Desire for Holiness.

The Transfiguration

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray with his disciples Peter, James and John, He was transfigured before their eyes and his cloths became a radiant light and his face was as dazzling as the sun. this was so that they should be renewed in faith and in preparation for the forthcoming trials and tribulations. With all that transpired on the days that followed this event we Christians are reminded and required to be courageous in spirit, thus the spiritual fruit for this Mystery of Light is Spiritual Courage.

The Institution of the Eucharist

This is the last of the New Mysteries of the Catholic Rosary Mysteries. The Luminous or Mysteries of Light basically shows us the final events of Our Lord Jesus Christ on earth. when he shared bread (which symbolizes his body) and wine (which symbolizes the blood of Christ) with his disciples during the last supper. At the last supper Jesus celebrated the first mass with his disciples and this shows us the Love of our Eucharistic Lord which is also the fruit of this Mystery..

The Sorrowful Mysteries

In the Sorrowful Mysteries, we come face to face with the realization that Jesus had to suffer for us. He had to undergo persecution, hardships in the hands of the Romans and Church elders so that we may be saved. The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary is usually said on Tuesdays, Fridays, and may also be said on Sundays of Lent in place of the Glorious Mysteries.

Just like the other Mysteries of the rosary, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Catholic Rosary is divided into five groups. These different groups takes us through the various key events and stages of persecutions that Jesus Christ faced so that he may fulfill his purpose on Earth. These are;

• The Agony at the Garden
• The Scourging at the Pillar
• The Crowning with Thorns
• The Carrying of the Cross
• The Crucifixion and Death

The Agony at the Garden

In this Sorrowful Mystery of Sorrow, we are reminded of when Jesus Christ went with his disciples to the mountain in Gethsemane. He prayed to God asking for his burden to be lifted from him, but as it was written so it came to pass. When he prayed to his father in heaven an angel came to him and comforted him. This shows us the immense love that God has over us, that he should send his son Jesus Christ to suffer persecution and rejection so that we may be saved. This Rosary mystery teaches us sorrow for sin and repentance, which are also the spiritual fruits for it.

The Scourging at the Pillar

In this, we are reminded of how Jesus Christ suffered in the hands of the priests, when they captured him and delivered him to Pilate, he was tried and found innocent. Pilate wanted to release him but the people, who were incited by the priests and the clergymen, refused any advances of their ruler. They opted to release Barabbas who was a murderer. Then Pilate, who wanted to appease the masses, decided to scourge Jesus and then crowned him with thorns. This was significant in many ways, whereby, Jesus came to this world with a mission and purpose, and this was just a fulfillment of this, for he showed that he was human and his body after the scourging was weak and broken.  The spiritual fruit for this Mystery of the Rosary is Purity and Mortification.

The Crowning with Thorns

When Pilate had finished scourging Jesus the masses still unsatisfied with it went to the governor, he then heard their plea and found no fault with Jesus. But the people wanted him punished so they stripped him off his cloths and put a scarlet robe on him before a battalion which had gathered to see him, The King of Jews, they then plaited a crown of thorns and placed it on his head, placed a reed in his hand and continued with the mocking, bowing down to him and saying "Hail the king of Jews". With this Jesus ridiculed, the governor thought that the Jews would find pity for him in the sorrowful state, but they still wanted more. so he released Jesus to them. The spiritual fruit for this mystery is Courage.

The Carrying of the Cross

In this Mystery of the Rosary, it takes us to the point where the Jewish people, under the influence of the priests, had been granted their wish to crucify Jesus. He was then forced to carry the cross which he would finally be placed on to the place named Golgotha (place of skull). With this, Catholic faithfuls are reminded that we should carry our burdens. 
On the way, a roman soldier feared that Jesus would not make it to the destination and orders Simon of Cyrene  to help him. This shows us that God will always provide help to us in time of need. The spiritual fruit for this Mystery of the Rosary is Patience

The Crucifixion and Death

This was his final mission on this world, that he would die for our sins. Jesus came to this world with a purpose and with his death, his reason for coming would be realized. He had done all that had brought him, which was to show Gods greatness and grace for his people, also his mercies and a final sacrifice. For he sacrificed himself that all that accept him need not to go to the altar for any other sacrifices in the name of penance. The spiritual fruit for this Mystery is perseverance. For if we take a look at his life Jesus had to endure a lot of ridicule and torture but his last words was a prayer of forgiveness to all mankind.

The Glorious Mysteries

The Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosaries reminds the catholic faithful's of the triumphs of Jesus Christ over death. They dwell on the period of his death and Resurrection. In this mystery, Catholics find the joy of the realization that Jesus is the true messiah and  the son of God, He rose from his grave and conquered death making us heirs in heaven. These prayers are said on Wednesdays, Sundays and during Easter to Sunday before advent Easter.

Like the other Catholic Rosary Mysteries, the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary is further divided into five groups of prayers. These groups or categories mark immediate key events in the period during and after the death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ the son of God. These are as named below;

• The Resurrection.

• The Ascension. 

• The Descent of the Holy Spirit.

• The Assumption of Mary. 

• The Coronation of the Virgin. 

The Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is first of the Glorious Mysteries which takes us to Jesus' grave where he was buried after dying on the cross, and on the morning of Easter Sunday his friends find the tomb door open and his body was not there for he had supernaturally resurrected as they were told by an angel who they saw. Jesus then appeared to them and assured them that they too will rise from death and join him in paradise.The spiritual fruit of this Mystery is Faith, the faith that Jesus rose up from the grave and lives on forever.

The Ascension

The second Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary is the ascension of Jesus Christ. In this, we see Jesus after resurrecting, he appeared to his disciples and gave them assurances of paradise and gave them the great commandment "To spread the good news to all mankind", then he ascends up to the heavens.The spiritual fruit of this is Christian hope and desire to ascend to the heaven after death.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit

Before he ascended to the heavens, Jesus promised to send a helper to his disciples. This helper would help them in all their endeavors and would be with them, so on the day of Pentecost the holy spirit came down and this is what we see in the third Glorious mysteries. The love that God has for us to send us the Holy Spirit and we thank him for that, the spiritual fruit for this Mystery is the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Assumption of Mary

This is said with respect to Mary the mother of Jesus, it is believed that he dearly loved her that she was assumed (brought up) to heaven when she died, so that she could be with Jesus, her son. The spiritual fruit of this Mystery is Grace and happy devotion and true devotion to Mary.

The Coronation of the Virgin

When she died, it is believed that Mary, who was the mother of Jesus on Earth, was crowned as Queen of the angels and saints on heaven because of her immense faith and dedication to God. The spiritual fruit for this Glorious Mystery is Grace of final perseverance and trust in Mary's intersession.

The Joyful Mysteries

The Joyful Mysteries are coined from the gospel according to St. Luke which is in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. This involves the Joyful moments in the life of Jesus Christ's childhood, the incarnation, or when God became man and walked among us is considered the most Joyful moments in human history.

The Joyful Mysteries is subdivided into five groups and they are to celebrate the announcement of the coming of Jesus Christ, his birth and also his childhood years in this world. The rosary beads (Prayer beads) serve as a reminder during these Mysteries to be thankful to God for all that he brought to us through his son Jesus.The five groups of the Joyful Mysteries are as follows;

The Annunciation of the Angel to Mary

In the sixth month of the Jewish calendar, God sent his angel Gabriel as a messenger to go to Nazareth to a Virgin woman named Mary, who was betrothed to the carpenter Joseph. He was to deliver the good news of the coming of the messiah through her. The spiritual fruit of this first celebration of the Joyful Mysteries is Humility.

The visitation of Mary to Saint Elizabeth

During the visitation by the angel Gabriel, Mary is also told about the pregnancy of her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was much older than Mary and many had considered her to be barren, this shows that with God all things are possible and also teaches us the love of our neighbor which is the spiritual fruit of this Mystery.

The nativity of Jesus in Bethlehem

This is the birth of Jesus Christ, the messiah, which was foretold by all the great prophets. This was at a time of census and all were required to register at their home district, so Mary and her husband look for shelter but all that is availed to them is a stable and therefore Jesus is born and laid in a manger, as it is usually depicted in the nativity scenes which celebrate this event,. The spiritual fruit of this Mystery is Poverty of spirit.

The presentation of Jesus to the Temple

According to the Jewish laws, the male children were to be presented before the altar of God and a sacrifice was to be made on their behalf. This was done as a fulfillment if the Jewish customs thus the spiritual fruit of this is the purity of mind and body.

The finding of Jesus in the Temple

The gospel according to St. Luke tells us of a time Jesus was separated from his parents who thought that he was with the other only to find him later in the temple with the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people. Obedience (the spiritual fruit of this Mystery), is what is leaned from this event in Biblical history.

The Mystery of the Rosary

The Mysteries of the Rosary (prayer beads) can be traced back to some pivotal events in the Biblical life of Jesus Christ.

There are fifteen traditional mysteries which have come about on the matter of rosaries in the Catholic Church. These Mysteries are further divided into the groups of five, they are:

• Joyful mysteries - These were said during Mondays and Thursdays,
• Sorrowful mysteries - These were on Tuesdays and Fridays and daily during the month of Lent, and
• Glorious mysteries - These were said on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The fourth groups of these mysteries is the new mysteries of light (also known as the luminous mysteries), this is based on the outlook of the life of Jesus Christ. These mysteries usually falls in between the Joyful and Sorrowful mysteries, it was once suggested by Pope John Paul II, in a letter, that the Mystery of Light should be prayed on Thursdays and the second meditation of the Joyful Mysteries to be moved to Saturdays, However, he showed respect to the rightful freedom for personal and community prayers. The traditional Mysteries are usually prayed on Mondays to Saturdays whereas the new Mysteries of Light are said on Sundays. Some faithful’s opt to say the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary at one sitting, Going through the Rosary beads about three times, saying 3 of the 4 Mystery groups.