The Sorrowful Mysteries
1st - The Agony of Jesus
in the garden
 
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place
called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go
and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them: "My
soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch
with me". And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed,
saying: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt". (Mat 26,36-39). And
being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luk 22,44)
In the forsaking prayer to the Father, Jesus found strength, trust,
and an angel was sent to comfort Him. So Jesus will be our comforting
angel. It's as He said to us: " Why do you worry in your difficulties? Be
strong in me; look to your God in your most troubled hour, and you will be
triumphant." Let us ask to forsake ourselves to God, to always do His
will.
2nd -The scourging of Jesus
at the pillar
When the morning was come, all the chief
priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to
death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him
to Pontius Pilate the governor. And Jesus stood before the governor: and
the governor asked him, saying: "Art thou the King of the Jews?" And Jesus
said unto him: "Thou sayest". And when he was accused of the chief priests
and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him:" Hearest thou
not how many things they witness against thee?" And he answered him to
never a word Pilate saith unto them: "What shall I do then with Jesus
which is called Christ?" They all say unto him: "Let him be crucified!"
And the governor said:" Why, what evil hath he done?" But they cried out
the more, saying: "Let him be crucified!" (Mat 27). And so Pilate,
willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered
Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. (Mar 15,15)
How many pains, how many torments, and how many wounds on the body
of Jesus? How much blood falls to the ground, while His tormenters laugh,
insult him, and gather their strength to hit the innocent body of Jesus
again? Let us ask to accept every insult for the love of our Lord, and
also a true regret for our sins.
3rd - The Crowning with
Thorns
Then the soldiers of the governor took
Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of
soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when
they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed
in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him,
saying:" Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit upon him, and took the
reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they
took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him
away to crucify him. (Mat 27,27-31)
Think of the indignity, outrage, pain, and humiliation that Jesus
suffered. They striped Him of every dignity, He was treated as the guilt
of our worst sins. He seems to say to us: " Why do you despair when you
suffer? Is that the way you love me? Meditate about my passions and find
in them great riches." Let us ask the gift of patience to accept all
humiliations, thinking of how Jesus suffered for us.
4th - The Carrying of the
Cross
And as they led him away, they laid hold
upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they
laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him
a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented
him. But Jesus turning unto them said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not
for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the
days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and
the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck". ... And
there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to
death. . (Luk 23,26-32)
Even if He had suffered just for you, Jesus would have accepted such
pains, great is His love for you. Along the road to Calvary Jesus sees
Mary, His Mother. Can we imagine the moment when Their eyes met? Oh how
Her Heart must have ached. Let us pray to Mary for the grace to always
accept our cross, so that Her and Jesus may bear it.
5th - The crucifixion and
death of Jesus
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his
mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary
Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing
by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother:" Woman, behold thy son!" Then
saith he to the disciple: "Behold thy mother!" And from that hour that
disciple took her unto his own home. ( Joh 19,25-27)
Jesus wishes to see us close to His Mother; He wishes that, like
children, we keep our hand in the hand of Mary. That is what He wants. He
asks us to look to the heavenly Mother, that is depend on Her. He asks
that we accept Our Lady as our true Mother, who will ignite in us a
fervent love of Her Son. Mary, we trust in You, take us and put us in the
refuge of Your Immaculate Heart, heal with Your humility our pride, that
so often takes us far from God.
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