This is the last in the series on our Focus of Mary and the Most Holy Rosary and is on the newest of the mysteries - The Luminous Mystery of the Rosary.
All throughout his long history and storied pontificate, Pope Saint John Paul II had an enormous devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 2002 the pope added the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary, and in his apostolic letter "Rosarium Virginis Mariae," explained the fittingness of these mysteries:
"Moving on from the infancy and the hidden life in Nazareth to the public life of Jesus, our contemplation brings us to those mysteries which may be called in a special way 'mysteries of light'. Certainly the whole mystery of Christ is a mystery of light. He is the light of the world" (Jn 8:12). Yet the truth emerges in a special way during the years of his public life, when he proclaimed the Kingdom. In proposing to the Christian community five significant moments - "Luminous" mysteries - during this phase of Christ's life, I think that the following can be fittingly singled out: (1) his Baptism in the Jordan, (2) his self-manifestation at the wedding in Cana, (3) his proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion, (4) his Transfiguration, and (5) his institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery
The First Luminous Mystery - The Baptism of Jesus
in the Jordan River Jesus stood in line with sinners and presented himself to John to be baptized. As he stood in the waters, the heavens opened and God the Father said "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:13-17).
The Second Luminous Mystery - The Wedding in Cana
Our God is a God of abundance. Just as Jesus abundantly supplied wine at the wedding in Cana, when it was in short supply, He wants to provide whatever is in short supply in our lives today.
The Third Luminous Mystery - Proclaiming the Kingdom
When Jesus spoke about the Kingdom, He perplexed people. They had a certain image of God and His ways...and Jesus comes along and turns everything upside and inside out. We too, have our own images of God. If someone were to come up to you and say: "This is the chosen one, the one you have been waiting upon for so long, this is the Messiah, this is the son of God!" How would you respond?
The Fourth Luminous Mystery - The Transfiguration
Jesus wants to show us what is possible. Too often our vision is too earthbound. He wants to open our hearts and minds to all that is possible and beyond our limited thinking. Jesus wants to open our spiritual eyes wider than ever before to see Jesus in all His glory, just as He did the disciples.
The Fifth Luminous Mystery - The Institution of the Eucharist
If asked, of what happened at the Last Supper, most of us would probably recite the historic facts of what took place. But really, what we don't know about the Last Supper dwarfs what we do know. We must deepen our knowledge and love of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, especially when we come forward and receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Christ.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Stay Strong...Stay Safe...and PRAY...Deacon Loris