Ascension - Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary

 

Today is the Solemnity of Ascension of Jesus into heaven. This weekend is also Mother’s Day. Today is a good day to preach about the glorious mysteries of the Rosary since the 2^nd mystery is the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.

During the month of May, statues of Virgin Mary are crowned with a wreath of flowers, some parishes will pray an outdoor “Living Rosary”.

Several weeks ago, I gave a talk about the Rosary at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita. I spoke about the power and benefits of the Holy Rosary and the importance of meditating on its mysteries.

In 1208, St. Dominic tried to convert Albigensian heretics, but was very unsuccessful. They believed the body and all physical things were bad, but only spiritual things and the soul was good.

In the year, 1214 Dominic was in anguish and went alone into the forest. He wept and prayed continuously for three days asking God to help him convert the heretics. He flogged his body and scourged his flesh. While in the woods, Dominic and an apparition of the Virgin Mary, who gave him the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the Rosary and asked him to preach it.

Shortly after this apparition, St. Dominic preached the Holy Rosary to the unconverted Albigensian heretics and thousands were converted.

Today, when we pray the Rosary, we should think about the mystery of each decade as we pray the Our Father and Hail Marys. Its a double prayer. We pray the Hail Marys and Our Fathers with our lips and pray in our mind meditating on each mystery as we think about it.

When we pray the Rosary, we spiritually crown Mary with a wreath of roses in heaven. Did you ever wonder why the Rosary is called Rosary? It’s called Rosary because the people call it a “Crown of Roses.”

In 1475, a young Franciscan friar had the habit of saying the Rosary every day before dinner. One day, he did not manage to say it. The bell rang calling the friars to eat. He asked the Superior to allow him to pray the Rosary before eating with the others, and having obtained permission he went to his cell (bedroom) to pray.
After a long time the Superior sent a Friar to fetch him, and he found him in his room bathed in a heavenly light facing Our Lady, who had two Angels with her. Beautiful roses kept coming from his mouth at each Hail Mary; the Angels took roses one by one, placing them on Our Lady's head, and She smilingly accepted them.

When he didn’t return, two other friars were sent to find out what happened, and they also saw Our Lady and the two angels who stayed who didn’t disappear until the whole Rosary was prayed.
The complete Rosary is a large crown of roses and the Rosary of five decades is a little wreath of flowers or a small crown of heavenly roses which we place on the heads of Jesus and Mary.

When we pray the Glorious mysteries of the Rosary, in our mind, we see Jesus come out of the tomb and appear to the Apostles. Thomas, who doubted, touched the wounds of Jesus, saying, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and again on the shore of the lake when they were fishing.

The second mystery, is the Ascension of Jesus. In this mystery, we see the Apostles and the Virgin on top of a mountain and instructing them to make disciples of all nations. He gives His blessing, and suddenly a cloud appears at His feet and He slowly ascend into heaven. The Virgin Mary and the Apostles look on as Jesus is lifted above the earth. After Jesus could no longer be seen, suddenly an angel appears to them saying, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The third glorious mystery is the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. As we pray the Hail Marys, we are now in the upper room and see the descent of the Holy Spirit on Mary and the Apostles. They hear and see the strong driving wind, and tongues of fire appear before their head. They are no longer frightened. With fearless courage, Peter goes outside and gives a sermon so powerful that thousands are converted and baptized.

For the 4th mystery, we are at the tomb of the Virgin Mary. After She said Her good byes to the apostles and promised to pray for them from heaven, She died. And after placed Her in a tomb, suddenly Jesus comes down from heaven and brings Her with Him-- body and soul into paradise.

At the last glorious mystery, we are in heaven. We see a multitude of angels and saints gazing upon the Blessed Trinity-- as the Virgin Mary, is crowned queen of heaven and earth. Her Son takes His Mother by the hand and leads Her to a large throne. She is given a scepter, and given authority to answer prayers interceding to Her Son, Jesus.

My friends, by meditating on the life and Jesus and Mary, we come in contact with the mysteries of our faith. We grow spiritually in faith, hope and love. The Rosary is powerful in gaining access to God and uniting us to God through Mary.

When we pray the Rosary, with our imagination, and by God’s grace, we can make the events of the Rosary come alive and participate in them in our mind as well. When praying the Rosary, our soul is flooded with grace, our heart is filled with love of God and neighbor, and we obtain peace in our heart.

St. Louis de Montfort said that when we pray the Rosary in a group, graces are multiplied. When I gave a talk at the Spiritual Life Center, I asked the group, “Is it possible to pray 50 rosaries in 20 min?” They all looked at me with shock. But then I told them how it can be done.

St. Louis de Montfort said, when we pray the Rosary in a group, its the same as though we pray the number of rosaries of all those who are praying it. For example, if a group of 5 people pray the Rosary, then each person receives the same grace as though he prayed 5 rosaries. So when the group prayed together, we prayed nearly 50 rosaries in 20 min, because there were 50 people praying it. Imagine the power of praying the Rosary at Marian sites like Lourdes, Fatima or Medjugorje, when thousands of people pray the Rosary together before Mass.

Many parishes pray the Rosary before Mass. It is powerful to pray the Rosary every night together as a family. The family is drawn closer to God through the Rosary and closer to each other. We receive graces to endure the difficulties of our life and our family.

If you have cares or concerns and desire your petitions to be heard, pray the Rosary with others, especially your family or at church.

We can experience the love of Jesus when we pray the Rosary. Pray it as family every day. Maybe start out with a decade each night before you go to bed. Then slowly work up to 2 decades, then the whole Rosary.

On this Mother’s Day weekend, let us turn to Mary, our spiritual Mother, trusting that She will multiply the graces we need, when we pray Her Rosary and crown Her with spiritual roses in heaven.