The first Sorrowful Mystery The Agony in the Garden
LET US REFLECT: About to be betrayed, Our Lord prays in the Garden of Gethsamene. He sees our sins, which He will die for; He sees those who will be lost, He sweats blood.
"... He went, according to His custom, to the mount of Olives... and kneeling down, He prayed... And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground... And he that was called Judas, ... drew near to Jesus, to kiss Him. And Jesus said to him: Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:39, 41, 44, 47-48)
LET US PRAY: We offer Thee, O Lord Jesus, this decade in honor of Thy mortal Agony in the Garden of Olives and we ask of Thee, through this mystery and through the intercession of Thy Blessed Mother, the grace of perfect sorrow for our sins and the virtue of perfect obedience to Thy Holy Will.
The second Sorrowful Mystery The Scourging at the Pillar
LET US REFLECT: Jesus is bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged for our sins of impurity.
"Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged Him." (John 19:1)
"But He was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His bruises we are healed." (Isaias 53:5)
LET US PRAY: We offer Thee, O Lord Jesus, this decade in honor of Thy bloody Scourging and we ask of Thee, through this mystery and through the intercession of Thy Blessed Mother, the grace to mortify our senses perfectly.
The third Sorrowful Mystery The Crowning with Thorns
LET US REFLECT: Jesus is crowned with thorns and mocked.
"And stripping Him, they put a scarlet cloak about Him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand. And bowing the knee before Him, they mocked Him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. And spitting upon Him, they took the reed, and struck His head. And after they had mocked Him, they took off the cloak from Him and put on Him His own garments, and led Him away to crucify Him." (matt. 27:28-31)
LET US PRAY: We offer Thee, O Lord Jesus, this decade in honor of Thy cruel crowning with thorns, and we ask of Thee, through this mystery and through the intercession of Thy Blessed Mother, the grace of great contempt for the world.
The fourth Sorrowful Mystery The Carrying of the Cross
LET US REFLECT: Jesus, condemned to death, carries the cross to Calvary.
"Pilate said, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Ceaser. Then therefore he delivered Him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led Him forth. And bearing His own cross, He went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew Golgotha" (John 19:15-17)
LET US PRAY: We offer Thee, O Lord Jesus, this decade in honor of Thy carrying Thy cross and we ask of Thee, through this mystery and through the intercession of Thy Blessed Mother, the grace of great patience in carrying our cross in Thy footsteps every day of our life.
The fifth Sorrowful Mystery The Crucifixion and Death
LET US REFLECT: Jesus is crucified and hangs on the cross for three hours, suffering. He dies in order to save us from hell.
"... they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." (John 19:18-19)
"And it was almost the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And Jesus crying with a loud voice, said: Father into Thy hands I commend My spirit. And saying this, He gave up the ghost." (Luke 24:44-46)
LET US PRAY: We offer Thee, O Lord Jesus, this decade in honor of Thy Crucifixion on Mount Calvary, and we ask of Thee, through this mystery and through the intercession of Thy Blessed Mother, the grace of a great horror of sin, a love of the Cross and the grace of a holy death for us and for those who are now in their last agony.
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