The Glorious Mysteries

(Wednesdays & Sundays)

1. The Resurrection
(Faith)

[Mark 16:1-14] 1: And when the sabbath was past, Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salo'me, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2: And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3: And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" 4: And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; -- it was very large. 5: And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. 6: And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. 7: But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." 8: And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid. 9: Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10: She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11: But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. 12: After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13: And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 14: Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.

[John 20:1-31] 1: Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2: So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3: Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4: They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5: and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6: Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7: and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8: Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9: for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10: Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11: But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12: and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13: They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14: Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15: Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16: Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17: Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." 18: Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. 19: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20: When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21: Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." 22: And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 24: Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25: So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26: Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 27: Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." 28: Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29: Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." 30: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31: but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

2. The Ascension
(Hope)

[Mark 16:15-20] 15: And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16: He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17: And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18: they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19: So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20: And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

[Luke 24:33-53] 33: And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, 34: who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35: Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. 36: As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them. 37: But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. 38: And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? 39: See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." 41: And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" 42: They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43: and he took it and ate before them. 44: Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45: Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46: and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47: and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48: You are witnesses of these things. 49: And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high." 50: Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51: While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. 52: And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53: and were continually in the temple blessing God.

[Acts 1:3-11] 3: To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. 4: And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, 5: for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6: So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7: He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8: But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to the end of the earth." 9: And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10: And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11: and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
(Love of God)

[Acts 2:1-47] 1: When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2: And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3: And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. 4: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5: Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6: And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7: And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8: And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9: Par'thians and Medes and E'lamites and residents of Mesopota'mia, Judea and Cappado'cia, Pontus and Asia, 10: Phryg'ia and Pamphyl'ia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyre'ne, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11: Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." 12: And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13: But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine." 14: But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15: For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day; 16: but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17: `And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18: yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19: And I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20: the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. 21: And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' 22: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know -- 23: this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24: But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25: For David says concerning him, `I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26: therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. 27: For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. 28: Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.' 29: "Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30: Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, 31: he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32: This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33: Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear. 34: For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says, `The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 35: till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.' 36: Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37: Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38: And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39: For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40: And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." 41: So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42: And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43: And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44: And all who believed were together and had all things in common; 45: and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. 46: And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, 47: praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

4. The Assumption
(Happy Death)

[1 Thessalonians 4:13-18] 13: But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14: For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15: For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17: then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18: Therefore comfort one another with these words.

[Revelation 12:1-17] 1: And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2: she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery. 3: And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. 4: His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; 5: she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6: and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7: Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8: but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9: And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10: And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11: And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12: Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" 13: And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child. 14: But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15: The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. 16: But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17: Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

[Revelation 21:1-5] 1: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2: And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; 3: and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; 4: he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." 5: And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."

5. The Coronation
(Confidence in Mary's Intercession)

[See Revelation 12 & 21 again]

[Judith 13:17-20] 17: All the people were greatly astonished, and bowed down and worshiped God, and said with one accord, "Blessed art thou, our God, who hast brought into contempt this day the enemies of thy people." 18: And Uzziah said to her, "O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High God above all women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth, who has guided you to strike the head of the leader of our enemies. 19: Your hope will never depart from the hearts of men, as they remember the power of God. 20: May God grant this to be a perpetual honor to you, and may he visit you with blessings, because you did not spare your own life when our nation was brought low, but have avenged our ruin, walking in the straight path before our God." And all the people said, "So be it, so be it!"