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Rejoicing at the Good News.
What could be a source of greater joy than the birth of our savior, the long-awaited Messiah? As we meditate on the joyful Mysteries of our faith, we join the angels in eternal jubilation.
Jesus is the Good News. His coming into this world is the Good News. His message of repentance and salvation is the Good News. The gathering of His flock among people of all nations is the Good News.
Meditating on the Mysteries of our faith through the Holy Rosary with intention helps us pause and ponder more deeply on the events and stories surrounding Jesus’ life.
In the case of the Joyful Mysteries, we are led through familiar scenes we’ve seen depicted countless times in art, shows, movies, and the walls of our parish:
1. The angel Gabriel, kneeling in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary, announces the will of God to be accomplished through her. Her complete fiat, her generous yes, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. Mary, in her role as the new ark of the covenant, is going to Judea to see Elizabeth and share with her the presence of God within her, and the blessing that was gifted to them as instruments of His ultimate plan.
3. The birth of Jesus, the first moments of His earthly life. Incarnate in a fragile human body, in the most humble of settings, our Lord began His earthly journey abounding in extraordinary Love.
4. Mary and Joseph’s complete obedience to the law of God, and the offering of their firstborn child as a sacrifice.
5. Mary and Joseph’s frantic search for the child Jesus in Jerusalem. The anguish of desperate parents feeling the weight of their responsibility, and the impact of Jesus’ words, His identity, and His mission.
“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
We ought to rejoice. The birth of Jesus was a gift to the world. His early life, though mostly hidden, should be remembered as a time when His humanity was formed by Mary and Joseph.
Jesus came into a human family, emphasizing the role of the family in the covenant between God and His people. Through baptism, we join God’s family, we become sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.
The Annunciation
“And 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 call his name Jesus.’”
Luke 1:30-31
The Mystery of the Annunciation invites us to ask for the virtue of Humility, as a remedy for pride.
With the Annunciation, Mary was receiving a great blessing from God, the gift of bearing the Second Person of the Trinity.
At this unexpected announcement, Mary responded with humility.
The Annunciation was a pivotal moment in salvation history. It all hinged on the generous yes of a young woman; a yes to uncertainty, to many unknowns, struggles, and dangers.
But this young woman was full of grace. She knew God and trusted Him completely. She placed herself in God’s hands and let events unfold according to His will.
I’m sure young Mary had plans for herself, even if they were the simple, ordinary plans of a woman of her time and means. I’m sure her greatest aspiration was to serve God, and she did, as no other woman had done or would ever do.
Are you getting in the way of God’s will for your life? Are you relying fully on yourself and what you can do? Do you believe you know what’s best for you? Are you striving for what you want, or what the world is saying you should want?
The Visitation
“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechari′ah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 1:39-41
The Mystery of the Visitation invites us to meditate on the virtue of charity or love toward our neighbor.
The typological reading of the Visitation understands the pregnant Virgin Mary as a type of the Ark of the Covenant. She is the Ark of the New Covenant, or Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
As the Ark of the Old Covenant was taken up to Jerusalem by King David, so too, Mary was taking herself up as the New Ark. And the presence of the Lord in her womb was a source of great joy.
The journey must have been long, uncomfortable, and quite dangerous for the Blessed Virgin Mary, yet she did it out of love for Elizabeth, to show empathy, compassion, and support.
Are we filled with joy every time we enter the Church and approach the Tabernacle? Are we letting the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with happiness and peace?
Joyful hearts are open hearts, and open hearts are willing to show love, be kind, compassionate, and charitable toward those around us, in thought, word, and deed.
The Nativity
“And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:6-7
The Mystery of the Nativity invites us to meditate on the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth.
The King of the Universe came to us as a delicate and defenseless baby, completely dependent on His earthly parents and heavenly Father. And He came to experience from the very beginning poverty, hardship, and persecution.
A host of angels announced His birth to the shepherds in the hills of Bethlehem, calling to mind King David and his town, the “house of bread.” Later, foreigners would come, following a star, to bring gifts that would mark Him as king, priest, and sacrifice.
The nativity scene is one of great hope, a celebration shared by all, earthly creatures and heavenly beings alike.
Are we moved to rejoice and give thanks for this wonderful event in salvation history? Are we moved by the material poverty that our Lord accepted as a condition of His human existence?
Their poverty was plain and dire, yet Mary and Joseph were able to hold, and actually adore God incarnate, a little bundle of pure, perfect, and infinite Love.
The Presentation of the Child Jesus
“And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the LORD (as it is written in the law of the LORD, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the LORD, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’”
Luke 2:22-24
The Mystery of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple invites us to desire a spirit of obedience and sacrifice.
Mary and Joseph were law-abiding Jews. They were people of God and knew what was expected of them from Him and the traditions of their faith.
There was no purification needed from either mother or child. But as Jesus clearly stated to His disciples years later, He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
In fulfilling the law of Moses and submitting to the customs of their day, their Tradition, they were showing the appropriate respect for God and remaining faithful to the Passover promise.
As a firstborn son, the child Jesus was offered back to God in thanksgiving. This act of sacrifice during the early days of His earthly life foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
When we gather at Mass, we unite ourselves to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We become part of the offering.
Are we willing to offer ourselves to God along with the act of thanksgiving, which is the Eucharist? Are we willing to surrender our plans and our will in humble sacrifice for the greater good? Do we really mean the words when we say “Thy Will be done“?
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
“After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days, they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”
Luke 12:43-46
The Mystery of the Finding of Jesus in the Temple invites us to seek the presence of God in our hearts.
Jesus didn’t get lost. He knew exactly where He was. And He knew exactly what He was doing: the work of His Father.
Young Jesus was eager to ask, listen, teach, and be in the Temple. Unbeknownst to the teachers and leaders the presence of God was among them, and they missed Him.
(When I meditate on this Mystery, I always ask myself, Am I missing the presence of the LORD in the temple of my heart?)
As baptized Christians, we are temples of the LORD. Through the pouring of the Holy Spirit, God dwells in us.
Do we live our lives with this awareness? Are we taking the presence of God in our hearts for granted? Are we looking for Jesus all over the city when He’s waiting for us in the temple of our hearts?
Jesus is there, ready to engage with us, ask us deep and powerful questions, listen with compassion, teach us with authority, and show us the way.
My friend, rejoice at the Good News, and sow the seeds of joy with your thoughts, words, and deeds.
If you like to ponder these subjects, join us as we tend and grow these humble mustard seeds. We hope you’ll be inspired to sow your own. Come back weekly, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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