The Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation: 2/18/26
Mary is confronted by the angel Gabriel, and completely taken by surprise. She hears that God has favor with her, and she says, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy word. This complete trust in God is amazing, and often hard to replicate. An example of me trusting in God today was knowing that He would give me the strength, though fasting, to get through my basketball practice. An example of me not saying yes to God is all the times today when I chose to treat his sons and daughters with derision or indifference. Mary's complete trust in God is a great example for us to follow.

The Visitation: 2/19/26
One of the things I think is very underappreciated is the simple prayer of thanks to God. In the examen, it invites us to name each blessing of the day, and every one. I fell that this is very powerful, because we need to give thanks to God more. We often accept things for granted and forget that each and every breath we take is a blessing. One of the greatest blessings that Mary and Elizabeth received was the presence of Jesus in their lives. The joy brought by recognizing these blessings also is amazing. I invite us as humans to praise God more and thank Him more and be a conduit of His joy.

The Nativity: 2/20/26
This mystery is simply mind blowing. God, the greatest being on earth, came to the earth to save us... as a mighty king? No. As a rich and powerful warlord? No. He came as a newborn, an infant, to save us. He humbled himself so greatly that He came as the poorest of the poor, the weakest of the weak, and a helpless baby. Think of this great love. And, He became a human! Experienced the pains and joys of being a human! All while remaining part of the Trinity. And He is our savior, and people knew it. The shepherds and the wise men, they recognized their savior when they saw him. 

The Presentation: 2/21/26
This mystery is great for me because it teaches obedience and faith. Mary, being the perfect woman, had no need to go the the temple to present Jesus, because the idea was the presentation was to cleanse the baby of his mother's sin. But in accordance with the law and accordance with faith. This obedience is a powerful sign that all should follow the law, but remember: If the law goes against God's Law, we must challenge that law.