Praying with Images: The Sorrowful Mysteries

First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden 

Father David L. Guffey, C.S.C.  is the national director at Family Theater Productions producing television, film, video, and radio content 

Reflection: 

Jesus prays just a few feet away from his closest friends, but he is alone. Alone with the awareness of what lies ahead, alone with the agony that his loved ones would suffer, alone with a sense of abandonment.  James, John, and Peter sleep, oblivious to Jesus’ inner turmoil. Could they not stay awake with him, especially on that night?  

Sometimes a group can be a lonely place, if people do not comprehend our experience:  a spouse who feels underappreciated after an exhausting day of work or care for children; a teen who feels invisible among their peers or unknown to her parents; a person grieving a loss or processing a recent disturbing diagnosis. Even friends or family may not sense the depth of the pain or know how to respond to such suffering. Loneliness is an epidemic today, with people proximate to one another, but nonetheless so distant, like Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane that night.  

Despite the fact that his close friends slept, Jesus ultimately knew that He was not alone. Jesus prayed to the Father, confident of His presence and love. Jesus found strength in the presence of God, and He rose to face the oncoming horde. God’s will be done. 

When feeling alone, know that Jesus experienced something of what you are going through. Jesus bids us join Him in the garden, and to pray, leading us to the heart of the Father, who loves us and is with us, even in difficult moments. Praying the Rosary reminds us of the ways Jesus Christ became incarnate in the human condition and draws us into his heart of hope. Praying together is a way to be present to one another, even if we do not fully understand their struggles— or they ours.  

Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar 

Nicole Johnson is a wife and mother, who advocates for life, adoption, and embracing children with special needs. Visit her blog at www.nicolejenniferjohnson.com   

Reflection: 

I liken the fruits of each Rosary mystery to cliff notes; a map of contemplation, if you will, as you search for a deeper understanding of the life of our Savior. The one exception being that of the second sorrowful mystery — purity. For many years I struggled with reconciling purity in relation to Jesus being so horrifically brutalized, His life and worth so blatantly disregarded.  

At 33 years of age, I was the grateful mother to two amazing sons and the grieving mother to three souls lost to miscarriage. For reasons we couldn’t understand or medically explain, we were now having trouble conceiving.   With every negative pregnancy test, I sat on the bathroom floor and cried, even angry with God that He was not answering our ardent prayer.  

We had undergone every test our doctor ordered and followed all of her advice. I had nothing left to try; there was no “me” left. I felt abandoned by this harsh reality. It was then I realized that purity also involves thoughts and intentions; it was time for me to purify my intentions in our fertility— prayerfully handing God control. Gratefully, and by God’s grace, within two years, we were blessed with a daughter. It was this experience that came to mind as I pondered this relief image of Jesus being scourged. Another fruit of this mystery is mortification of the senses, a purifying of every aspect of our humanity. It is for every sin Jesus died. Wanting to expand our family with another child was a good intention, however, my despair in not accepting God’s plan weakened my relationship with Him. My anger had clouded my ability to trust and believe. Through Jesus’ suffering at the pillar, God purified my intentions and prepared my soul to accept and do His will in my life. 

Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns 

Antony Barone Kolenc is the award-winning author of the inspirational, medieval teen fiction series, "The Harwood Mysteries"--available at www.antonykolenc.com. 

Reflection: 

O Mary, sweetest of mothers, your beloved Son endured not only the physical pain of the vicious thorns piercing His flesh but also the judgment and mockery of those who humiliated Him.  

See the condemning stares on their faces. Their eyes are barren of empathy; their expressions lack all compassion; filled with accusation toward your Son. Yet, He accepts their judgments without raising a hand to defend Himself. And He has asked me to do the same by enduring my own suffering.  

The crown of judgment in the world today inflicts humiliation on those who follow your dear Son. Have I accepted this suffering in my own life, as He did when receiving this thorny crown?  

How have I attempted to shy away from the cruel mockery of others regarding my faith? When have I sought to avoid the condemnation of those who uphold the values of this passing world? How often have I stayed silent or defended my pride to escape the judgment of friends, colleagues, and even strangers who I fear will humiliate me for my beliefs?  

O Mary, my mother, help me to be more like your Son. Help me to never deny what I know to be true—or to keep silent in the face of injustice—for fear of incurring the world’s mockery. Help me to endure the judgment that will inevitably come from my beliefs in a loving Father, the saving work of His divine Son, and the Spirit-inspired teachings of His holy Church. And help me to stand up for the precious lives that your Son cherishes and the values that He upholds, even though I will certainly receive condemning stares from those in this world…even from some in my life whom I dearly love. 

Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross 

Maria Morera Johnson is an author, Hispanic Editor for Catholic Mom; and co-host of both the Catholic Momcast and Prayercast Podcasts.  Her website: MariaMJohnson.com 

Reflection: 

The image of Jesus carrying the cross in the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery erupts with activity. We see the Roman soldier antagonizing Jesus. The Blessed Virgin Mary and the other women crying out to Jesus. And Jesus, himself, reaching out toward his mother. Almost unnoticed is Simon of Cyrene, holding the cross and keeping it from falling on Jesus. 

I have often meditated upon that act of being given the cross. Only now do I see its wider scope. It is essential to meditate upon what Christ must have suffered in that moment for our redemption. 

This image introduces the whole of what it meant to carry that cross, surrounded by the antagonists causing pain, and loved ones on the periphery wanting to help, suffering alongside Jesus. We tend to think only of the moment in which the cross is given to Jesus, but this mystery broadly encompasses the long and painful ordeal of dragging a heavy tree, falling, bleeding, being dragged and humiliated. 

And then there is Simon, his strength evident, fully present. I think of the Simons in my own life, who have helped me bear my sorrows and suffering, and I am grateful for them. My parents, my first helpmates in the world, siblings, and close friends, too, who have stood by me when I felt the most alone. Now, in a marriage of several decades, I know the depth of what it means to have a sacramental marriage, where we are Simon to each other, holding up the other as we move through life, offering encouragement to persevere in our struggles, to help each other get to heaven. 

Simon's example shows us that we can be a source of strength not just for our loved ones, but for those in our path. 

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion 

Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children and Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network and co-founder of www.InspiretheFaith.com.   

Reflection:   
Jesus died for our sins. As we meditate on the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery, our heart aches to see our Lord suffering and dying. Jesus is the Lamb of God and was offered up as a holy Sacrifice for us, as a sin offering so that heaven could be opened to us. Jesus’s death was not an unforeseen accident or twist of fate; He was born as a sacrificial offering so that we could be in heaven with Him for all of eternity.  

As a Catholic mother, I feel it is essential to meditate and reflect on the Blessed Mother and the role she played in Jesus’s crucifixion. She did not place her will above Jesus’s will; in the midst of the unbearable pain and sorrow, she united her will with God the Father. She prayerfully accepted this great mystery by trusting that the good Lord had a plan.  

We can recall that just a few short years before His death, The Blessed Mother was the one who called Jesus into action at His first Miracle at Cana. But at the Crucifixion, she did not call Jesus into action to prevent His death, but she prayerfully consoled Jesus through the grace of God.  The Blessed Mother stood lovingly at the Cross and united her broken heart to His suffering. She reminds us that only through Jesus can we be strong amid our own sufferings and difficult moments. The Blessed Mother was willing to unite her heart with Jesus’s heart. As Simeon predicted, her heart would be “pierced by a sword” and her heart was pierced by a deep sorrow, and yet her faith never wavered.  

Jesus, her beloved Savior, and Son, was mocked, mistreated, abused, stripped of his clothes, and crucified. I can only imagine the injustice and pain that came from knowing He was the son of God and that He was innocent. The blessed Mother, full of Grace, trusted in God, and this reminds us to do the same. Mary stood with Jesus at the foot of the cross, and she held His body after He was taken down. Mary demonstrated the tender and sorrowful love of a mother. May we allow her ways to change our ways, her heart to touch our hearts, and to lead us to a deep faith in Jesus, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.