Wednesday, October 21, 2020 –
And now we come to our last set of Mysteries…
The First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Easter: on the third day, Christ rose from the dead
OUR BLESSED LORD compared Himself to a seed, saying that unless the seed fell to the ground and died, it would not spring forth to life. He now by the power of God rises with the flowers of springtime in the newness of life, and gives to the earth the only serious wound it ever received the irreparable wound of an empty grave.
The birth of the Son of God in the form of man was announced to a Virgin; the first announcement of His Resurrection was made to a repentant sinner, Magdalen, that none of us would be without hope. Thomas the Apostle would not believe until he had put his hand into His side, and his fingers into our Lord’s hands. Thus do we know that our Lord kept not His wounds but His scars as proof of His love: “With these was I wounded in the house of those who love Me.”
The Resurrection begins to affect our lives the day of Baptism. When baptised, we are plunged into the waters as if “buried in the sepulchre to sin and death; emerging from the waters clothed with grace as the principle of Divine Love, we are like the Christ rising from the tomb in the glory of the Resurrection.”
Though we are risen in spirit with Christ, so that “our conversation is in heaven,” our bodies will not share that glory until our own final resurrection. In the meantime our body must be crucified with Christ’s that we may rise with Christ.
On the road to Emmaus on Easter Sunday, our Lord said to His disciples, “Was it not to be expected that the Christ should undergo these sufferings, and enter so into His glory?”
But if that be the law of Innocence, then how shall we, the guilty, hope to escape from it?
For each bead (1-10) in the decade, meditate (think) on the list below:
- The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb on the evening of Good Friday.
- His soul descends into the realm of the dead to announce to the Just the tidings of their redemption.
- Fearing the body of Jesus will be taken, the chief priests place guards at the tomb.
- On the third day Jesus rises from the dead, glorious and immortal.
- The earth quakes as the angel rolls back the stone, the guards flee in terror.
- The holy women coming to anoint the body of Jesus are amazed and frightened to find the tomb open.
- An angel calms their fears: “He is not here. He has risen as He said.”
- Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen and Peter and two disciples on the way to Emmaus.
- That evening He appears to the apostles behind locked doors: “Peace be unto you… do not be afraid.”
- Jesus breathes on them and gives them the power to forgive sin.
Spiritual Fruit of the Mystery: Faith
Queen of martyrs, pray for us!
NOTE: These meditations are a compilation of several different sources that I have found helpful over the years:
- Meditations on the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary by Fulton Sheen
- Praying the Rosary without Distractions from The Rosary Center and Confraternity
- Pray the Rosary Daily from Marian Press
- Quick Meditations on Every Mystery of the Rosary by Ascension Press
