Meditations on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary with References to Adam and Eve.

We can start the Rosary by reciting the “Apostles Creed” followed by the “Our Father”, three “Hail Mary’s” and the “Glory Be”.

Click here to see these opening prayers or here to hear them.
Click here to hear five Glorious mysteries

The 5 Glorious Mysteries

The Resurrection of our Lord from the dead Mathew 28;1- 20 Feast day; Easter Sunday (See also Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20)

A ) Let there be Light

Audio of the “Resurrection of Jesus” decade of the Rosary

On Good Friday the Body of Jesus is buried in a new Tomb belonging to the rich man Joseph of Arimathea and a large rock is rolled in front of the door to secure it. As the Sabbath day began at six pm on Friday His body had to be placed in the Tomb before that time, as the Jews were not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath. This Tomb was in a Garden near Calvary and so it reminds us of the Garden of Eden which was in Paradise because that Tomb is our Back Door to Paradise Jesus the God-man rested in the sleep of death in the tomb on the Sabbath day after finishing His work of our salvation just as Genesis (2; 2- 3) says, “God rested on the seventh (Sabbath) day from all the work He had done”. God’s first words when He began creating the world on the “first day” were “Let there be Light”. The Soul of Jesus is reunited to His body in the early hours of Sunday morning, which was the “first day” of the week. Jesus said (John 8; 12) “I am the Light of the world” and His day of resurrection is the “First Day” of Spiritual Light for the world because now men if they wish are freed from the darkness of sin and Death. This is why Jesus rose from the dead on the “first day” of the week.

Sal Solo: Why do you look surprised

B ) Angels on duty at the Gates of Paradise

Audio of the “Resurrection of Jesus” decade of the Rosary

In the early hours of Easter Sunday morning Jesus supernaturally leaves the tomb in His glorified Body even before the powerful Angel descends to remove the large stone in front of the door. This Angel terrifies the Roman soldiers who were guarding the Tomb and they pass out. This powerful Angel opens the Tomb of Jesus for the holy women. The Tomb of Jesus is the new and only Gate to Paradise. Paradise itself was guarded and kept closed by the two powerful Cherub Angels who held the “Flashing Fiery Sword” of Divine Justice in their hands after the expulsion of Adam and Eve. After the “Fall” of Adam and Eve the front door to Paradise was blocked by the Angels of Divine Justice but now Jesus has endured that sword and He has opened the Back Door of Divine Mercy into Heaven for us. This powerful Angel opens the door to paradise for Magdalen who symbolises the sinful Eve and he keeps guard for a short time. The death or Tomb of Jesus is our door of Divine Mercy into Heaven. No one deserves to get into Heaven, all the angels and saints are there because of God’s Mercy. Two other angels remain in the open and empty tomb and they too are there to help the women and they are not there with the fiery sword of divine justice to guard off or dispel them because that sword has been extinguished in the soul of Jesus on the Cross when He felt rejected by the Father on our behalf and then died. The holy women arrive with spices to anoint the Body of Jesus but are frightened by the presence of the soldiers who are lying unconscious on the ground. These soldiers were on Guard at the tomb but they were frightened by the powerful Angel. Only Mary Magdalene has the courage to venture forth to look into the Tomb for the Body of her beloved Jesus. The Angels tell her that “He is Risen” and to go and also tell the Apostles. She does that but returns again to the Tomb and Garden.

Sal Solo: Why do you look surprised

C ) Eve and Magdalen

Audio of the “Resurrection of Jesus” decade of the Rosary

In the Garden near the Tomb Mary Magdalen who was once a great sinner starts to look for the Body of Jesus, which she feels, has been stolen or moved. Perhaps Mary feels that the Body of Jesus (the Divine Fruit) has been stolen! which seems to echo Eve stealing the fruit. The Angels ask her “Woman ,why are you weeping?” and this question can bring us back to Eve who must have wept outside the gates of Paradise at the sight of the two Angels on guard. But now the Gates of Paradise have been opened by His death and resurrection from the tomb. Jesus soon discretely appears to her looking like the Gardener and repeats the same words of the Angels “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” It is as if He is saying those words to the children of Eve. He calls her “Woman” which seems to echo Eve the first “Woman”. Perhaps Jesus is showing now that there is no more need for tears because He the New Adam has redeemed mankind. Perhaps Magdalene from whom Jesus cast out seven devils is a symbol of the sinful Eve weeping at the Gates of Paradise. Jesus is using her to speak to us her sinful children. Jesus gently appears to her looking like the Gardener. As Adam was the gardener in paradise Jesus is showing us again that He is the New Adam and as such he is the Head of the human race.

Sal Solo: Why do you look surprised

D ) The Church

Audio of the “Resurrection of Jesus” decade of the Rosary

Jesus is especially the Head of the Church, which is His Mystical body. The Church is also called a “New Eve” and the “Bride of Christ” and He is the Head and Mary His Mother is the only other perfect sinless member and the rest of the His Body the “Church” is made of sinners. The Virgin Mary is regarded as the neck of the Church because she is the “Mediatrix of all Graces” from Jesus the Head to the rest of the Body the Church. (As Eve was the channel of the first sin so Mary became the Mediatrix of all Graces.) Satan thought He was clever using the woman Eve to overcome Adam but God has turned his victory on his head by using Mary the human New Eve as the Mediatrix of all the graces which we sinners need to overcome sin. He wants us all to become members of His Church (the new Eve). Jesus is also the same God who went searching for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after the “fall” and now He inspires Mary Magdalene to search for Him after His victory over Sin and death because He wants to be the Spouse of her soul. Mary Magdalene is a symbol of the sinful but repentant Church (the New Eve) seeking and finding her Heavenly Spouse Jesus (the New Adam). This reunion of Jesus and Mary Magdalen is symbolic of the great reunion of all God’s people with God, which Jesus has just now made possible. He is the Spouse of the Church and every member in it and every member of the Church is a small version of the New Eve. Jesus makes Magdalen who is like the first Eve the first messenger of the Resurrection, and similarily He has made the Church (New Eve) the Messenger of the Resurrection throughout History. The Virgin Mary is the greatest member of the Church which itself is a divinised New Eve. The Church is called the “People of God” and at the end of time she will be reunited together with Jesus her Spouse in Paradise.

Sal Solo: Why do you look surprised

The Ascension of our Lord into Heaven Acts of the Apostles 1;9 Feast day; Ascension Thursday (See also Mark 16;19, Luke 24;50- 53 and John 21;22)

Audio of the “Ascension of Jesus into Heaven” decade of the Rosary

During the time of Moses God kept the people of Israel in the Wilderness for forty years before they entered the Promised Land and after His Resurrection Jesus appeared to His Apostles and Disciples on many occasions over a period of forty days and then He ascended into the real “Promised Land” of Heaven. It seems probable that He brought His followers to Galilee so that the Jews could less trouble them and that He could train and instruck them about the New Covenant which included the seven Sacraments of the Church. He proved that there really is Eternal Life after death if we want it. As God was teaching the people of Israel for forty years in the Desert before they could receive the “Promised Land” so now Jesus teaches His new “People of God” for forty days before they can receive the Promised Spirit. We can assume that He taught them about the Scriptures and the Sacraments of the Church. He told them in Galilee to “Go make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” He brought about five hundred of His followers to the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem and told them that He would Send them the Holy Spirit in a few days. He then ascends into Heaven on a cloud and two men then appear and tell the onlookers that Jesus will return one day in the same way as He left and we know that Day will be for Him to judge the World at the end of Time. Perhaps these two men are the same Cherubim Angels who up until Good Friday guarded the Gates of Paradise with the “Flashing fiery Sword” of Divine justice. There is a hint of Divine Justice in their message for all the people who will reject Jesus the “Divine Mercy” of God by not repenting of their sins. The Ascension of our Lord into Heaven reaffirms for us that the gates of Paradise are now open for all who are prepared to enter.

Sal Solo: I will be with you

The Descent of the Holy Spirit on Mary and the Apostles. Acts of the Apostles 2;1- 4 Feast day; Pentecost Sunday

A ) The birth of the Church

Audio of the “Descent of the Holy Spirit” decade of the Rosary

For ten days after Jesus had ascended into Heaven Mary His Mother and 120 of His followers (including the 11 Apostles) prayed in the Upper room for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit both of Jesus the New Adam and the Spirit of the Father. Jesus said that a man and woman become “one flesh” when they get married but Jesus the New Adam wants to become one Spirit with us the Church (or the New Eve). So in order to make Himself one Spirit with the Church He sent His Spirit down into her members on the day of Pentecost. At Baptism we receive the Holy Spirit and become Children of God. The sending of the Holy Spirit makes us members of the New Eve the Church. The Holy Spirit is the Bond of Love between the Father and the Son; He is the Fire in the Heart of Jesus for the Eternal Father. He is the Spirit of Wisdom who can teach us how to be good like Jesus. He purifies us so that Jesus can increase more and more in our heart and then we will Love the Father more and more with the Love that Jesus has for Him. He is the Spirit of the Father who can strengthen our free will to help us make good choices. Jesus received the fullness of the Holy Spirit at His Baptism in the Jordan river and then He was tested and tempted by the evil Spirit in the desert. The Holy Spirit can strengthen all the different faculties of our soul and can inspire good thoughts in our mind. Bishop Fulton Sheen said that Adam and Eve by their disobedience lost the grace of the Holy Spirit and it was then that they realised they were naked. They were physically naked all the time but after their sin they were Spiritually naked of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Jesus by His prayers and suffering merited the gift of the Holy Spirit for mankind but we have to pray and ask for Him to come as Mary and the disciples did for ten days from Ascension Thursday to Pentecost Sunday. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit or Soul of the Church which is the Mystical Body of Christ. God wants all mankind to enter the Church and that is why the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles the gift of tongues so that everyone could understand the Good News about Jesus and become Catholics. The Holy Spirit gave the Seven Sacraments to the Church so that mankind could be cleansed of Sin and moulded into replicas of Jesus and so become members of His Mystical Body. The evil spirit could not destroy the soul of Christ nor can he destroy the Church because Christ has promised the Church His Holy Spirit till the End of Time.

Sal Solo: Holy Spirit

B ) A pattern by the Holy Spirit

Audio of the “Descent of the Holy Spirit” decade of the Rosary

We can see a pattern in the sense that the Holy Spirit first descended on Mary the New Eve and formed the physical Body of Christ in her, then later Christ changed water into wine at Cana and multiplied the bread for the five thousand by the power of the Holy Spirit and again at the Last Supper the Holy Spirit changed the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and now at Pentecost He starts changing the disciples into members of Christ’s Body the Church. We see that Mary as the New Eve is an image of the Church the New Eve; Mary like the Church is both Virgin and Mother. The Holy Spirit first formed Jesus the Head of His Mystical Body in Mary the New Eve and He continues to form the rest of the Mystical Body of Christ in the Church the New Eve by the “graces” of the seven Sacraments. We can be members of that Body of Christ by receiving these “Graces”. The Mass and Pentecost are similar and both of them occurred in the same upper room. Pentecost Sunday is the birthday of the Church because on that day the early Church received the Holy Spirit who is her Breath of Life.

Sal Solo: Holy Spirit

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven. Feast Day ; August the 15th. Based on Church Teaching (see 1 Timothy3; 15) and deduced from Scripture.

Audio of the “Assumption of the Mother of Jesus into Heaven” decade of the Rosary

In this Mystery of the Rosary we celebrate the day Mary died and was taken up to Heaven body and soul. Mary by her total co-operation with the grace of God throughout her entire life never committed a single sin in thought, word or action. She received the grace of God and was saved like the rest of mankind only through the merits of her Son Jesus Christ. She gladly admits this herself in her Magnificat (Luke 1; 47) when she said, “My spirit rejoices in God My Saviour”. The evil one never had one tiny victory over her because she always humbled herself and did God's will. She is the Immaculate Sinless Virgin Mary who always remained “Full of Grace” and always used her free will to obey God in every thought, word and action. She and Jesus were conceived immaculate without sin and never sinned in their lives even though they were tempted like us. But Adam and Eve were also created immaculate but they used their free will to commit sin. Adam and Eve had to die because of their sin and their bodies “returned to the dust” but Jesus and Mary never sinned so their bodies were sinless and could not decay after their death so they could both go straight to Heaven when God called them. Jesus the “God-Man” who is our Saviour opened the Gates of Heaven and Mary His Mother is the first to share in His Resurrection by being “Assumed” there after her death. Adam and Eve could not choose to escape death but Jesus and Mary did choose to accept death, Jesus the Son of God died to “Redeem” all and Mary suffered and died to obtain graces from Him for the Church. Mary’s assumption into Heaven gives us the hope that we also will be assumed there “body and soul” on the “Last Day”.

Sal Solo: Look at Christ

Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth Feast day 22nd of August, Based on Church Teaching deduced from Scripture.

A ) The Most Humble Queen

Audio of the “Coronation as Queen of the Mother of Jesus in Heaven” decade of the Rosary

After Mary was assumed into Heaven she was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth by the Most Holy Trinity. Mary is the Mother of God the Son, the most perfect Daughter of God the Father and she is the Spouse of God the Holy Spirit who formed Christ in her womb. She is crowned Queen of Heaven because she never sinned and she suffered more than anyone else. She was made the Mother of Jesus and He has given her dominion over all that belongs to Him including all the Angels and Saints. She is Queen of all on Earth too for the same reason but also because she alone as the New Eve helped her Son the New Adam to save all of Mankind and she alone was united most to Him in His sufferings. His sufferings were too great for any creature to bear. She holds authority over the demons in the sense that they fear and obey her because they never defeated her. Satan the prince of demons never had one single victory over her in her life even though he was a supernatural being. She always obeyed God and humbled herself before Him so she received Graces to overcome the tempter. At the Annunciation Mary agreed to receive Jesus who is the Mercy and the Grace of God for all mankind. So now under the guidance of the Trinity she is the distributor of all Grace. God has turned Satan’s victory over Eve on his head so that now every single victory over sin is due to her intercession because she is the Mediatrix of all Graces. Eve because she helped Adam to sin became the mediatrix of all sin from Adam and Mary is now crowned as the Mediatrix of all Graces from Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve had been King and Queen in Paradise and they are the physical father and mother of the whole Human race, but Jesus and Mary are now King and Queen in Heaven for Eternity and they are the Spiritual father and mother of all the children of God. Jesus is the Divine New Adam and King who has come to bring the Kingdom of God on earth.

Sal Solo: Who is she

B ) Queen Mother

Audio of the “Coronation as Queen of the Mother of Jesus in Heaven” decade of the Rosary

If we consecrate ourselves to Jesus through Mary she will help us make better use of the graces we receive and make us better members of His Body the Church. She gave birth to Christ the Head of the Church and now her role is to give birth to us His members. As Eve who was a creature was conquered by the Serpent angel so now Mary also a creature and the New Eve helps us to conquer the same Serpent angel in our lives. Mary is pictured as the New Eve on the Miraculous Medal, which she revealed to Saint Catherine Labore in 1830 in Paris. On the medal she is standing on the head of the Serpent as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Genesis 3;15 “I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel”. Mary as the New Eve is the Mediatrix of all graces and she conquers the Devil for us by these graces she obtains for us from her Divine Son. The Devil has great power in the world but Mary exercises the power of God in her genuine apparitions through history around the world. In them she usually calls us to conversion of Heart and in some of them like Fatima she appeared over a tree to show that she is the New Eve. She asks us to consecrate ourselves to her because when we do she can obtain greater graces from the Holy Spirit and her Son to mould us into the image of her Son.

Sal Solo: Who is she

The Concluding prayers

We conclude these five Decades of the Rosary by saying the “Hail Holy Queen” prayer and the short concluding prayer.

Audio of Concluding prayers

Hail Holy Queen

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our life , our sweetness and our Hope. To thee do we cry poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate your eyes of mercy towards us and after this our Exile show to us the Blessed Fruit of thy womb; Jesus. Oh clement, Oh loving, Oh sweet Virgin Mary, pray for us O Holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ

Let us pray;

O God whose only begotten Son by His Life, Death and Resurrection has purchased for us the Reward of Eternal Life, Grant we beseech you that meditating on these Mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary we Imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Hail Holy Queen prayer is a very appropriate prayer to say at the end of the Rosary because it seems to address Mary in the sense of the New Eve. Then in the concluding prayer we pray that we may be made worthy of the promise of Eternal Life by the “life, death and resurrection” of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

The Opening prayers of the Rosary.

The Sign of the Cross

We begin and end these prayers by making the sign of the Cross with our right hand on ourselves from our forehead to our belly button and from left shoulder to right shoulder while saying “In the name of the Father (touch forehead) and of the Son (touch belly button) and of the Holy (touch left shoulder) Spirit (touch right shoulder) Amen.” We then usually say the “Apostles Creed” followed by the “Our Father”, three “Hail mary’s” and the “Glory be”. We can then begin the Joyful, Light, Sorrowful, or Glorious Mysteries. Each group of Mysteries takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to recite.

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again, from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the Resurrection of the body
and Life Everlasting. Amen.

The Our Father

Our Father,
Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with you,
Blessed are you among women,
and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb, Jesus,
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death. Amen.

There may be a Trinity aspect to the Hail Mary prayer because the first three lines of the Hail Mary were addressed to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel who was sent by the Father in Heaven, the second two lines were said by Elizabeth who was inspired by the Holy Spirit and the last four lines were inspired by the Church which although sinful is called to be the Mystical body of Jesus Christ.

The Glory be

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning is now
and ever shall be
World without end. Amen.

Short prayer Our Lady at Fatima in 1917 asked to be said after each Decade of the Rosary

Oh my Jesus,
Forgive us our sins,
Save us from the fires of hell,
and lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those who are in most need of your Mercy. Amen.

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