The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony of Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane
Reflections for each Hail, Mary:
- Jesus comes with his disciples to Gethsemani: "Stay here, while I go yonder and pray."
- Entering the garden with Peter, James, and John, Jesus prays, "My soul is sorrowful unto death."
- Jesus sees the sins of all mankind, whose guilt He has taken upon Himself.
- He sees the wrath of the Father which His sufferings must appease.
- So great is his anguish that His sweat becomes as drops of blood falling to the ground.
- An angel appears to Him from heaven to strengthen Him.
- "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet, not My will but Yours be done."
- Finding the disciples asleep: "Could you not watch one hour with me?"
- Jesus is betrayed by Judas, cruelly bound and led away.
- Father, by the merits of the agony of Jesus in the Garden, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Hail Mary...(ten times)
Glory be...
O, my Jesus...
The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Flagellation of Our Lord
Reflections for each Hail, Mary:
- Jesus is taken before the High Priest where He is falsely accused, buffeted and insulted.
- The Jewish leaders take Jesus before Pilate, for only he can impose the death penalty.
- The robber, Barabbas, is preferred to Jesus.
- Pilate can "find no cause in Him", yet to appease the Jews, he orders Jesus to be scourged.
- The scourge is made of leather thongs to which are attached small sharp bones.
- Jesus is bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged until His whole body is covered with deep wounds.
- The Lamb of God offers His suffering for the sins of mankind.
- Jesus suffers so much in His sacred flesh to satisfy, especially, for sins of the flesh.
- The prophesy of Isiah is fulfilled: "He was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for our sins."
- Father, by the merits of Jesus in this painful scourging, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Hail Mary...(ten times)
Glory be...
O, my Jesus...