Newton Stewart, Wigtown and Whithorn RC Churches

Catholic Churches in the Machars of Galloway

The Mysteries of Light or The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary

THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT, or the LUMINOUS MYSTERIES of the ROSARY

 

I just want to remind us all of these relatively “new” mysteries of the Rosary which were introduced by Pope John Paul II a few years ago. They fill a “gap” in the traditional mysteries because before there were no mediations on the public life of Jesus before His passion. We used to move straight from the Joyful to the Sorrowful.

Before listing these mysteries, I want to emphasize to everyone, especially to our younger parishioners, that the Rosary is not so much a prayer to Our Lady as it is a meditation with Her on the person and on the life of Jesus. By taking Mary’s hand, as it were, in the Rosary, She leads us to a deeper love and understanding of Jesus. That’s only logical – and for two reasons. The first is that, humanly speaking, She knew Him intimately and loved Him deeply, something which She can share with us. The second is that, because of Her own holiness, She is like Him in a way that no other human being ever can or could be. Her whole life is geared towards drawing us to Him so that we can find the Truth, peace and everlasting joy.

I admit that the Rosary is a difficult prayer – all those Hail Mary’s! But, let me put it this way. The main thing is not to concentrate on every last word of every last Hail Mary, but to place ourselves in the presence of Jesus in whatever mystery we are saying. The Hail Mary’s are like wings which carry us there. Or they are like wheels which help us move along the roads of time to each place where Jesus lived through the mystery in consideration. I often ask Mary to help me see and understand with my heart what She sees and understands with Her heart about a given mystery in the life of Jesus. I ask for a “Marian mentality” towards Jesus, one which Jesus himself would love all of us to have.

Another thought is this. If your mind is like mine, it can be distracted in a thousand things throughout the day. Many of the things we think of are not worth it. Many other things are worth it, but we get drawn into them in a way that can harm us – e.g. if I think of a loved one’s suffering all the time, I can get depressed about it. So, what I often do is ask myself, “Well, what is worth thinking about all the time, in a way that will be useful for me and for others?” My answer is, “Christ.” Even for my loved ones, I can think of Christ and as Him to help them. If I have trouble at work or home, I can ask him to give me a hand. Now one of the best ways to keep thinking of Christ is the Rosary. It is Christ who, in the end, is the meaning of our life; He it is who guides us, loves us, disciplines us, enchants us. To Him we can bring every thought, worry or joy. Thus, praying the Rosary is a wonderful way to bring our thoughts and our whole lives to Christ. There is nothing and no-one greater who is worth thinking about. Be it in the car, walking home, waiting on the dentist, etc.. There is no need to bring out the beads –your ten fingers will do!!

Here are the five luminous mysteries:

The Baptism of Jesus. You will find the passages on the Baptism in the early chapters of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). Jesus is not being cleansed of original sin! Rather, this is a symbolic gesture to indicate the “official” start of his public ministry. God the Father confirms him to be “My Son, the Beloved.” The Spirit appears as a dove, although of course the Spirit actually resides in the very being of Jesus. In this mystery we can think of our own baptism, that we too are loved by God and carry within us the Spirit.

The Wedding at Cana. See John’s Gospel, chapter 2. Jesus shows his “glory” to the first disciples so that they can believe in Jesus as Son of God. Jesus also anticipates here the gift o the real wine which he will give, i.e. his own blood, to cleanse us of sin and to give us God’s own joy. We also see Mary’s role of intercession for those in need.

Proclamation of the Kingdom. This mystery asks us to reflect on the time when Jesus actually began to preach, emerging from his silent and hidden life. His preaching is accompanied by the luminous signs of the Kingdom: healing, exorcizing, forgiving sins and raising the dead. Perhaps this mystery challenges us to consider whether or not we have welcomed the Kingdom into our own hearts and lives, our decisions and priorities.

Transfiguration. Here we see the light of Christ’s glory as God shining through his body. It is an anticipation of the Resurrection. Jesus is here shown as the fulfillment of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). He also strengthens the apostles before the scandal of the Cross. The transfiguration of Jesus in his body is what will happen to those who live in love with and for Him.

The Eucharist. Such is his love for us that Jesus desired to remain with us until the end of time. The Eucharist is His way of drawing us into his own life and love. It is celebration, feast, memorial, sacrifice, communion and hope of the future all rolled into one. The Eucharist prepares us for the Resurrection, for our own final and everlasting transfiguration in the Kingdom.