Catholic Bible 101

When we say the Rosary, it is necessary for us to meditate on the Biblical mysteries for each decade that we say, all the while praying out loud the Hail Mary (It isn't so important to concentrate on the words of the Hail Mary while saying the Rosary - It is more important to meditate on the mysteries). The silent meditations are the soul of the rosary, and the out-loud Hail Marys are the body of the Rosary.  When we say the Rosary properly, we are using our lips, our minds, and our bodies to give glory to God by invoking the prayers of His mother. The purpose of this page is to go one step beyond meditation on the events of Jesus and Mary in the Bible, and to get you to put yourself into the meditation. In other words, how do the mysteries apply to you personally?  There are many ways one can contemplate this, but here are just a few for you to think about while you are chasing satan away by saying the Rosary.

  The Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus to Mary

Virtue to pray for - More humility

Think of Mary's choice here. She could have said no to Gabriel.  Eve said yes to lucifer.  You have to decide in your own life, everyday, if you will imitate Mary and say yes to God in your home life, your work life, your play life.  Mary said yes, and the whole world was changed as a result.  When we say yes to God, our whole world will change also.  Saying yes to lucifer in any area of our life will lead to misery.  

The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

Virtue to pray for - More charity

Mary and Joseph traveled many miles over desert country to see her cousin Elizabeth.   Do we go the extra mile for our relatives and friends?  Do we offer our support to them when they are sick or are going through a rough time?  Do we even pick up the phone and call them to talk to them occasionally? John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth's womb at sound of Mary's voice, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Luke 1:15.  This is a direct parallel to David dancing in front of the Ark of the Covenant in 2 Samuel 6:14.  We too should rejoice at the sound of Mary's voice, because she is the New Testament Ark of the Covenant, who contained the Word of God (made flesh) inside of her for 9 months, just like the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant contained the Word of God (in stone).

The Birth of Jesus

Virtue to pray for - More love of God

Jesus was born in poverty, but yet was worshiped by angels, shepherds, and wisemen from the East. When we close our eyes to pray, do we transport ourselves mentally and spiritually back to this scene and worship the baby Jesus along with the angels, shepherds, and wisemen?  Do we realize that when we go to Eucharistic Adoration that we are imitating the three wisemen in adoring the body and blood of our Savior? Do we realize that Mary was holding the baby Jesus during the Adoration of the three wisemen? Do we recognize the fact that Jesus is as much the Son of Mary as He is the Son of God Our Father?  Do we realize that if we want Jesus for our brother, then that means that Mary is our mother too?  Does the fact that Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem (a name which means "House of Bread") and placed in a feeding trough (a manger) indicate to us that He is indeed the Living Bread come down from heaven?

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

Virtue to pray for -To sacrifice for others

Jesus was presented to the Lord by his parents in the Temple.  Are we trying to achieve holiness so that Mary can also present us to God, like she did with Jesus?  Also, a lot of the kids that were presented to God at that time were later slain by Herod, who killed the Holy Innocents when he learned that the wisemen tricked him.  Do we fight abortion that also kills holy innocents?  Do we realize that the prophecy of Simeon that a sword shall pierce the soul of Mary (so that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed) was fulfilled by the Roman soldier when he thrust his lance into the side of Jesus, which spilled his holy blood (representing the Eucharist) and water from his side (representing Baptism) onto the earth?  While Jesus died a physical death, Mary united her sorrows and suffering with his, and died a spiritual death.

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

Virtue to pray for - More zeal for God's glory

Jesus was lost for three days, and was finally found in the Temple by his parents.  When we are lost, do we seek out Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in every Catholic Church in the world?  He's there waiting for you now to come and see Him, so that He can give you His graces and teach you, just like he taught the elders of His time on earth.  Do we realize that this episode in the life of Christ is a biblical type of what was to come later on in Jesus' life (after being crucified, Jesus was nowhere to be found for 3 days, while he was preaching to the spirits in prison, or hades, 1 Peter 3:19). Do we understand that since Mary is our Mother too (Revelation 12:17), that she will ALWAYS seek us out to find us and bring us back to Jesus?

 The Luminous Mysteries

The Baptism of Jesus

Virtue to pray for - To live out my baptismal promises

Jesus was sinless, and yet was baptized (which removes original sin) with water in the presence of the Holy Spirit in order to sanctify the rite for us, for all time.  Our Father said "This is my beloved Son, in whom I AM well pleased".  Do we honor our baptismal promises at ALL times, so that Jesus can utter the same words about us? Do we realize that God, the Spirit, and water were also present in the creation of the world in Genesis 1, and that Baptism creates a new person out of the old?

The Wedding Feast at Cana

Virtue to pray for - To do the will of Jesus

Jesus performed His first public miracle at this wedding, at the behest of His Mother Mary, on the 7th day of John's Gospel. Do we also ask Mary to intercede for us with her Son, like she did at Cana? Do we realize that both Genesis and the Gospel of John start out with the words 'In the beginning", a huge hint that Jesus is the new creation?

The Proclamation of the Kingdom

Virtue to pray for - To seek God's forgiveness

Jesus initiated His heavenly Kingdom on earth by giving Peter the keys to the Kingdom, and stating that upon Peter HE would build HIS CHURCH.   Do we obey the Kingdom of God on earth, the Church, in all of her teachings, whether or not we like them or understand them?

The Transfiguration of Jesus

Virtue to pray for -To become a new person in Christ

Jesus was transfigured into dazzling brilliance on a mountain, where Moses, whose face also glowed in Exodus 34:29, and Elijah appeared to Him, talking to Jesus about his exodus from earth. Do we imitate Jesus and also talk to the saints concerning our future?  Do we realize that this is the only time before Jesus was crucified that he appeared to man as God, and that the Eucharist we consume at Mass is also Jesus, and does not appear to be glorified to the human eye, just like Jesus appeared to be an ordinary man, except during the Transfiguration?

The Institution of the Eucharist

Virtue to pray for - To more fully participate in the Mass

Jesus initiated the sacrament of the Eucharist by transforming ordinary bread and wine into His Body and Blood at the Last Supper. In the Our Father, we pray to "give us this day our daily bread".  Do we attend weekday Mass as often as possible, in addition to Sunday Mass?  Do we receive the Eucharist in the state of grace?  Do we think of many other things during Mass besides the Real Presence of Jesus that we will be ingesting shortly?  Do we realize that we, like Mary, will be living tabernacles of God after Communion?  Do we realize that the Eucharist overcomes satan's two lies to Adam and Eve concerning the forbidden fruit - "You will not die," said satan, while Jesus said in John 6:54 that if you eat his flesh you shall live forever.  "You will be as gods," said satan, while Jesus said if you eat his flesh and drink His blood, He abides in you, and you in Him (John 6:56).

The Sorrowful Mysteries

The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Virtue to pray for - To have true repentance for my sins

Jesus sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane while thinking about His future crucifixion, as well as all of the souls that would refuse His graces and go to hell.  When we are worried and anxious about anything, do we keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, rather than on the problem,  and do we trust in His mercy TOTALLY to save us from whatever is worrying us?  Is Jesus Christ the absolute Lord of our life, or not?

The Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar

Virtue to pray for - To have self mortification

Jesus took many a whiplash for our sins. When we are thinking about sinning, do we look back at the brutal whipping Jesus took for sin?  Do we worry that this  potential sin of ours may have added to his misery at that time?

The Crowning of Thorns

Virtue to pray for - To have moral courage

Jesus wore His earthy crown of thorns and was blinded by dripping blood and sweat into His eyes.  Do we realize that sin has a blinding effect for us too?  Sin keeps us from seeing The Truth of God's Holy Word, and also blinds us to a future fate of misery on earth, as well as in hell. The Roman soldiers spit on Jesus;  do we know that when we sin, we figuratively spit on Jesus too, making the devil happy?

The Carrying of the Cross

Virtue to pray for - To have more patience

Jesus bore His cross to Calvary and fell three times, getting up each time. When we sin, do we immediately get up and go to Confession, so that we can arise again spiritually, or do we just stay down in sin?

The Crucifixion of Jesus

Virtue to pray for - For the grace of final perseverance

Jesus bore the nails in his flesh on the cross, being murdered by the tools of His own trade as a carpenter - a hammer, wood, and nails.  Are we willing to give up the priorities of our own lives for the lives of others, or do we do what we want to do every day, in spite of our family needs?  Does our own work and the pursuit of money kill us spiritually?  Jesus not only died for the salvation of his killers, he also forgave them unconditionally, from the cross.  Could we do the same for people who have wronged us?  Do we consider that the nails going into his body were caused by our sins?

The Glorious Mysteries

The Resurrection of Jesus

Virtue to pray for - For a stronger faith in Jesus

Jesus rose from the dead, in a foretaste of what awaits us all one day, after we die.  If we died today, would we rise to eternal life, or to eternal damnation? While he was dead, he preached to spirits in prison.  Do we pray for poor souls in purgatory?

The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

Virtue to pray for - To obtain the grace of hope

Jesus arose bodily into heaven, in a foretaste of what awaits the people who are alive at the Second Coming.  If the Second Coming happened today, would we be caught up in the air with Jesus, or would we go to hell instead?

The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

Virtue to pray for - For my body to become a true temple to the Holy Spirit

God appeared to Mary and the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, after 9 days of prayer and fasting.  Do we ever say a novena, or fast for the Lord, so that the Holy Spirit will also come to us? Do we ever seek out a Life in the Spirit Seminar so that we can receive the Baptism of the Spirit?

The Assumption of Mary

Virtue to pray for - For the grace of the sacraments at the hour of my death

Mary, like Jesus was sinless, and like Jesus, arose into heaven, by the power of Jesus. Do we seek to be holy like Mary, or do we just go about our business every day and NEVER think about achieving holiness?

The Coronation of Mary

Virtue to pray for - For the world to fully acknowledge the Blessed Virgin Mary as its mother

Mary wears a crown in heaven, per Revelation 12.  Paul says that a crown awaits us all who go to heaven, in 2 Timothy 4:8.  Are we bearing good fruit here on earth now (Colossians 1:10), so that we will one day get this crown in heaven?  Or do we seek a crown on earth instead?