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.