Many Christians have questions about Catholic rosary beads. Here, we’ll look at the mysteries Catholic faithful meditate on when using rosary beads.
You may have seen Catholic rosary beads at a Christian gifts shop, or perhaps you have seen them in the hands of a friend. If you’re Catholic, you probably know quite a bit about rosary beads, and perhaps you even use them; if not, you probably wonder what those Catholic rosary beads are for. You’ll find valuable information about Roman Catholic rosaries in other articles; here, we’ll just focus on the traditional meditations Catholics use when praying the rosary. There is a fourth set of mysteries which we’ll look at in another article on Catholic Rosary beads; these are the Luminous mysteries.
The Joyful Mysteries
This set of rosary mysteries comes mostly from Saint Luke’s Gospel, which can be found in the New Testament. If you know the Christmas story, and if you know a bit about Jesus’ childhood, then you’ll probably find that these occasions are familiar. For these and the rest of the mysteries we’ll explore, each mystery counts as a decade on a set of Catholic rosary beads.
- The Annunciation – An angel visits Mary to tell her that Jesus is to be born, and that she has been chosen to carry him in her womb.
- The Visitation – Mary visits her cousin, Elizabeth. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb ( whom we meet later as St. John the Baptist) leaps for joy, recognizing Jesus’ presence even from afar.
- The Nativity – Jesus is born
- The Presentation in the Temple – Jesus is brought to the temple for presentation to God, in accordance with Jewish law.
- Jesus is Found in the Temple – Jesus was thought to be lost; when found, he is preaching to the high priests in the temple.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Even Jesus experienced trouble during his lifetime; he experienced more pain than most of us could ever imagine when he suffered and died. The sorrowful mysteries rosary commemorate his acts of redemption.
- The Agony in the Garden – Jesus prays in anguish, knowing what is about to happen to him. As he prays in the Garden of Olives, he sweats blood.
- The Scourging at the Pillar – Jesus is beaten mercilessly.
- The Crowning of Thorns – Jesus is draped in a purple robe, crowned with thorns, and mocked.
- Jesus Carries his Cross – Battered and bruised, Jesus is forced to carry his cross to Golgatha. He falls along the way.
- The Crucifixion – Jesus dies for the sins of mankind.
The Glorious Mysteries
This series of rosary mysteries celebrates Jesus’ most triumphant moments.
- The Resurrection – Jesus rises from the dead.
- The Ascension – Jesus ascends into heaven.
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit visits Mary and the apostles at the first Pentecost.
- The Assumption – Mary is brought to heaven.
- Mary’s Coronation – Mary is crowned as Queen of Heaven
You can find Catholic rosary beads made from gleaming mother of pearl or precious Holy Land olive wood at HolyLand-Gifts.com, along with many other Catholic and Christian items. We hope you enjoyed this informational article; you’ll find even more information when you visit our blog.