Luminous Mysteries
First Luminous Mystery:
The Baptism of Our Lord
Baptism
of Christ - Triptych of Jean Des Trompes (central) -
by DAVID, Gerard - from Groeninge Museum, Bruges
 Reflections
Matthew
3:13-17 - - - Jesus, coming from Galilee, appeared before John at the Jordan to be
baptized by him. John tried to refuse Him with the protest, "I should be baptized by
You, yet You come to me!" Jesus answered, "Give in for now. We must do this if
we would fulfill all of God's demands." So John gave in. After Jesus was baptized, He
came directly out of the water. Suddenly the sky opened and He saw the Spirit of God
descend like a dove and hover over Him. With that, a voice from the heavens said,
"This is My beloved Son. My favor rests on Him."
“For our own
sake He made Him to be sin Who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness
of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“The baptism of
Jesus is on His part the acceptance and inauguration of His mission as God’s
suffering Servant. He allows Himself to be numbered among sinners; He is already ‘the
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.’ Already He is anticipating the
‘baptism’ of His bloody death Already He is coming to ‘fulfill all
righteousness,’ that is, He is submitting Himself entirely to His Father’s will:
out of love He consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins” (CCC
536).
Second Luminous Mystery:
The Wedding at Cana
Reflections
John
2:1-11 - - - -There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and His disciples had likewise been invited to the celebration. At a certain point
the wine ran out, and Jesus' mother told Him, "They have no more wine." Jesus
replied, "Woman, how does this concern of yours involve Me? My hour has not yet
come." His mother instructed those waiting on table, "Do whatever He tells
you."
As prescribed for Jewish ceremonial washings, there were at hand
six stone water jars, each one holding fifteen to twenty-five gallons. "Fill those
jars with water," Jesus ordered, at which they filled them to the brim.
"Now," He said, "draw some out and take it to the waiter in charge."
They did as He instructed them. The waiter in charge tasted the water made wine, without
knowing where it had come from; only the waiters knew, since they had drawn the water.
Then the waiter in charge called the groom over and remarked to him: "People usually
serve the choice wine first; then when the guests have been drinking a while, a lesser
vintage. What you have done is keep the choice wine until now." Jesus performed this
first of his signs at Cana in Galilee. Thus did He reveal His glory, and His disciples
believed in Him.
“The sign of
water turned into wine at Cana already announces the Hour of Jesus’ glorification. It
makes manifest the fulfillment of the wedding feast in the Father’s kingdom, where
the faithful will drink the new wine that has become the Blood of Christ” (CCC 1335).
Third Luminous Mystery:
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
and the Forgiveness of Sins
 |
 |
Proclamation of the Kingdom |
Forgiveness of sins |
Reflections
“This is the
time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel” (Mark 1:15).
When Jesus saw their
faith, He said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark
2:5)
He said to her then,
"Your sins are forgiven," at which His fellow guests began to ask among
themselves, "Who is this that He even forgives sin?" Meanwhile He said to the
woman, "Your faith has been your salvation. Now go in peace." (Luke 7:48-50)
"As the Father
has sent Me, so I send you." Then He breathed on them and said: "Receive the
Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound,
they are held bound." (John 20:22-23)
“Jesus invites
sinners to the table of the kingdom: ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
He invites them to that conversion without which one cannot enter the kingdom, but shows
them in word and deed His Father’s boundless mercy for them and the vast ‘joy in
heaven over one sinner who repents.’ The supreme proof of His love will be the
sacrifice of His own life ‘for the forgiveness of sins’” (CCC 545).
Fourth Luminous Mystery:
The Transfiguration of our Lord
Transfiguration
- by ANGELICO, Fra
from Convento di San Marco, Florence
Reflections
Matthew
17:1-8 - - - - Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them
up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before their eyes. His face
became as dazzling as the sun, His clothes as radiant as light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah
appeared to them conversing with Him. Upon this, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, how good
it is for us to be here! With your permission I will erect three booths here, one for You,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He was still speaking when suddenly a bright
cloud overshadowed them. Out of the cloud came a voice which said, "This is My
beloved Son on Whom My favor rests. Listen to Him." When they heard this the
disciples fell forward on the ground, overcome with fear. Jesus came toward them and
laying His Hand on them, said, "Get up! Do not be afraid." When they looked up
they did not see anyone but Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountainside Jesus commanded them,
"Do not tell anyone of the vision until the Son of Man rises from the dead."
“The
Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorious coming, when He ‘will
change our lowly body to be like His glorious body.’ But it also recalls that
‘it is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God’”
(CCC 556).
Listen to Him!!!
“Then from the
cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is My chosen Son; listen to Him’”
(Luke 9:35).
Out of the cloud came
a voice which said, "This is My beloved Son on Whom My favor rests. Listen to Him."
(Matthew 17:5).
"His mother
instructed those waiting on table, 'Do whatever He tells you.'" (John2:5)
With that, a voice
from the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son. My favor rests on Him."
(Matthew 3:17)
Fifth Luminous Mystery:
The Last Supper/First Eucharist
Reflections
Matthew
26 - - - - On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came up to
Jesus and said, "Where do you wish us to prepare the Passover supper for You?"
He said, "Go to this man in the city and tell him, 'The Teacher says, My appointed
time draws near. I am to celebrate the Passover with My disciples in your house.'"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the
Passover supper.
When it grew dark He reclined at table with the Twelve. In the
course of the meal He said, "I give you My word, one of you is about to betray
Me." Distressed at this, they began to say to Him one after another, "Surely it
is not I, Lord?" He replied: "The man who has dipped his hand into the dish with
Me is the one who will hand Me over. The Son of Man is departing, as Scripture says of
Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Better for him if he had
never been born."
Then Judas, His betrayer, spoke: "Surely it is not I,
Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "It is you who have said it."
During the meal Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave
it to His disciples. "Take this and eat it," He said, "this is My
Body." Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them. "All of you must
drink from it," He said, "for this is My Blood, the blood of the covenant, to be
poured out in behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink
this fruit of the vine from now until the day I drink new wine with you in My Father's
reign." Then, after singing songs of praise, they walked out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus then said to them, 'Tonight your faith in Me will be shaken,
for Scripture has it: 'I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be
dispersed.'
But after I am raised up, I will go to Galilee ahead of you."
Peter responded, 'Though all may have their faith in You shaken, mine will never be
shaken!" Jesus said to him, "I give you My word before the cock crows tonight
you will deny Me three times." Peter replied, "Even though I have to die with
You, I will never disown You." And all the other disciples said the same.
“Before the
feast of Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to pass from this world to the
Father. He loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end” (John 13:1).
“In order to
leave them a pledge of this love, in order never to depart from His own and to make them
sharers in His Passover, He instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of His death and
Resurrection, and commanded His apostles to celebrate it until His return….”
(CCC 1337).
|
