The First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation

The Annunciation which we celebrate this day is the true hinge of history. In truth it deserves a greater feast than Christmas, though its hiddenness is appropriate for what it celebrates. In that crucial moment so often portrayed in art, the realm of the spirit meets with the realm of the flesh, and through Mary's consent the supenatural is infused into the natural, transforming it in a moment and changing the destiny of mankind. O how greatly Mary deserves our love, praise and gratitude!

The fourth joyful mystery - The sorrows of Our Lady prophesied

It may seem curious that this 'joyful' mystery speaks so much of sacrifice and suffering. But such is the Christian way, the joy of the cross! The prophecy of the 'sword' of Mary's sufferings may seem to undermine the joy, but with hindsight we can see that this is a deliberate and merciful action of God to prepare Mary for the sufferings to come, lest they overwhelm her. As so often in the Christian spiritual life, the grace precedes the suffering to come, thus giving a supernatural meaning to it which reduces the mental torment. Christ had to suffer - it was part of God's plan to which Mary had freely submitted her will; so her suffering as the mother witnessing her son's torments was inevitable. God wished to ease her torment by this prophecy, and also to elevate her through this pain she bore to the exalted status she now has for all those who follow Christ in the way of the cross.