Rosary #54 Mary and the Resurrection!

ROSARY #54

"Regina Caeli, laetare. Alleluia!" "Queen of heaven, rejoice. Alleluia!". Thus it recalls Mary's joy at Jesus' Resurrection, prolonging in time the "rejoice" that the Angel addressed to her at the Annunciation, so that she might become a cause of "great joy" for all people.^[1]

Pray for the intentions of the General Assembly 2009 for the Apostolic Oblates to be held in Rome on July 15!

FIRST MYSTERY: After Jesus had been laid in the tomb, Mary "alone remains to keep alive the flame of faith, preparing to receive the joyful and astonishing announcement of the Resurrection" (Address at the General Audience, 3 April 1996; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 10 April 1996, p. 7).

SECOND READING: The expectation felt on Holy Saturday is one of the loftiest moments of faith for the Mother of the Lord: in the darkness that envelops the world, she entrusts herself fully to the God of life, and thinking back to the words of her Son, she hopes in the fulfilment of the divine promises.

THIRD MYSTERY: …the unique and special character of the Blessed Virgin's presence at Calvary and her perfect union with the Son in his suffering on the Cross seem to postulate a very particular sharing on her part in the mystery of the Resurrection.

FOURTH MYSTERY: It seems reasonable to think that Mary, as the image and model of the Church which waits for the Risen One and meets him in the group of disciples during his Easter appearances, had had a personal contact with her risen Son, so that she too could delight in the fullness of paschal joy.

FIFTH MYSTERY: Present at Calvary on Good Friday (cf. Jn 19:25) and in the Upper Room on Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:14), the Blessed Virgin too was probably a privileged witness of Christ's Resurrection, completing in this way her participation in all the essential moments of the paschal mystery.

Closing Reflection by Bishop G. Giaquinta:

For Mary the future was an adventure in the Spirit. She generally knew what was going on, but not in details, yet she accepted everything. We too must be open to the work of the Spirit, ready to accept the risk, the pain, as well as the JOY of our adventure in the Spirit.

Closing Prayer: We come to you, holy Mary, Mother of us who yet are not holy, so that you can give us love for your Son, the joy of the Spirit, a longing for the perfection of the Father, and the hope of reaching you---some day---in the land of the saints

(G. Giaquinta).

^[1] All reflections are by Pope John Paul II, April 1996