The Rosary Mysteries—Part 4

This week I’ll finish up the rosary series since next Sunday starts Advent and a whole new source of posts.


The final set of mysteries is the Glorious Mysteries, which shows us the time from Jesus’ resurrection onward.

The first glorious mystery is the Resurrection. This is the moment when Jesus rose from the dead. This mystery gives us proof of the hope we have in a future life after death, where we will be reunited with our loved ones in heaven in the presence of God. Scripture verses are Mt 28, Mk 16:1-18, Lk 24:1-49, Jn 20.

The second is the Ascension. This is the time when Jesus, after spending time with the apostles after rising from the dead, rose to Heaven to reign as King. Lk 24:50-53, Mk 16:19-20, Acts 1:8-11.

The third mystery is the Descent of the Holy Spirit. This is the time when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and Mary who were waiting and praying in the upper room on Pentecost. As Jesus had told them, the Father would send another advocate after he had risen to Heaven. The Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to boldly preach the truth of Jesus to all. Acts 1:8-2:47.

The last two Glorious Mysteries come to us from Tradition. They are the Assumption and the Coronation.

The fourth mystery is the Assumption of Mary. Catholic Tradition holds that after her death, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was raised to Heaven body and soul. The Eastern Churches call this the Dormition, and hold that Mary did not die. This concept prepares us for what will happen on the final day—we will all be raised body and soul and go to our eternal home, which will hopefully be Heaven. This mystery gives us hope for the future. We can meditate on how we can change our lives to be more like Mary in her faith, trust and obedience to God.

The final Glorious Mystery (and final mystery of the entire Rosary) is the Coronation of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth. This is also sourced from Tradition, and is something that causes much difficulty for non-Catholics and some Catholics. Since we believe that Jesus is King of the universe, Mary, as his mother would be the Queen. This comes from both Biblical and non-Biblical reasoning. In a Monarchy, the mother of the King is revered as Queen Mother. This is true also in the heavenly Kingdom where we, the subjects of Jesus, revere his mother as our Queen. It also stems from the commandment to honor our father and mother. What better way for Jesus to honor his mother than to make her queen of the universe. In this mystery we can meditate on how we honor our own parents and on how we can hope to enter heaven after death.

Now we have lots of information and scriptures to use in our meditations while praying the rosary. Next I will discuss the virtues associated with the mysteries.