Visual Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries
Visual Rosary
Sorrowful Mysteries
The Visual Rosary (Sorrowful Mysteries) is on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can follow along with classic paintings. Bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes are in drop-down menus.
The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
THE FIRST SORROWFUL MYSTERY
The Agony in the Garden
FRUIT OF THE MYSTERY:
SORROW FOR SIN
LUKE 22: 41-44
Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw away, knelt, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling on the ground.
CCC 2822, 2824, 2826
God our Father desires that all of humanity be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. His commandment is that “you love one another as I have loved you”. (John 15:12) This commandment summarizes all the others and expresses his entire will. In the prayer of his agony, Jesus consented totally to this will: “not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) By this prayer we can discern what is the will of God and obtain the endurance to do it.
THE SECOND SORROWFUL MYSTERY
The Scourging at the Pillar
FRUIT OF THE MYSTERY:
PURITY
JOHN 19:1
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
CCC 609, 615
By embracing in his human heart, the Father’s love for all, Jesus loves us to the end, for “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. (John 15:13) In suffering and death, his humanity became the free and perfect instrument of his divine love which desires the salvation of all. Out of his love for the Father and for humanity (whom the Father wants to save), Jesus freely accepted his passion and death.
THE THIRD SORROWFUL MYSTERY
The Crowning with Thorns
FRUIT OF THE MYSTERY:
COURAGE
JOHN 19:2-4
And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.”
CCC 1851
It was precisely in the Passion when the mercy of Christ was about to vanquish it, that sin most clearly manifested its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate’s cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas’ betrayal… so bitter to Jesus… Peter’s denial and the disciples’ flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ secretly became the source from which the forgiveness of our sins would pour forth inexhaustibly.
THE FOURTH SORROWFUL MYSTERY
Jesus Carries His Cross
FRUIT OF THE MYSTERY:
PATIENCE
John 19:17; Luke 23: 26-27
And carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
CCC 618, 964, 2013, 2015, 2029-2030
The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the “one mediator between God and humanity.” (1 Timothy 2:5) “Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24). The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. All Christians are called to holiness as can be seen in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints. The all-holy Virgin Mary, who faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, is the model and source of our example of holiness.
THE FIFTH SORROWFUL MYSTERY
The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord
FRUIT OF THE MYSTERY:
PERSEVERANCE
John 19: 18-19, 28-30
There they crucified him and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty”. A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished”. Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
CCC 618, 964, 2013, 2015, 2029-2030
The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the “one mediator between God and humanity.” (1 Timothy 2:5) “Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24). The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. All Christians are called to holiness as can clearly be seen in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints. The all-holy Virgin Mary, who faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, is the model and source of our example of holiness.
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CREDITS
The LOGO image of Our Lady of Grace is original artwork by Martin Lariviere, 2009. We have the artist’s permission (my son). It is our exclusive trademark logo image.
A beautifully photographed sky by Donald Tong inspired the website’s colour scheme. Cropped portions of it are the background for the footer Bible verse. He shared it as a free download on pexels.com.
The source of the Bible passages is the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version.
The references to CCC (The Catechism of the Catholic Church) are in the 1994 edition. However, there are re-ordered sentences from the various sections as well as minor edits for easier reading. Please refer to the general sections for the complete, original text.
The fruits of the Rosary Mysteries have many different versions. We chose the ones from Calloway, Donald H., MIC, Champions of the Rosary, Stockbridge MA: Marian Press, 2016.
Our information is from general knowledge, experience, and shared internet sources. We’d like you to use it as a starting point for your research to verify facts and build a reference list.
Art
Heinrich Hofmann painted Christ in Gethsemane in 1886.
Peter Paul Rubens painted The Flagellation of Christ circa 1577-1640.
Carl Heinrich Bloch painted Christ with Thorns circa before 1890.
Raphael painted Christ Falling on the Way to Calvary circa 1516.
Circa 1677, Bartolome Esteban Murillo painted Mount Calvary and Christ Crucified.
Raphael painted The Sistine Madonna circa (1513-1514). We made circular cut-outs from the original image.