And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God hath enlightened it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof. And the nations shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. There shall not enter into it any thing defiled, or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb. -Revelation 21:2,23-27
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| The Glory of God - what it's all about. |
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| And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen. -Mark 13:2-6 |
How fitting that the most central point in human history - the conquering of death by Jesus Christ - is the lead-off for the glorious mysteries. This is the event that the Gospels, that the prophets, have propelled us toward. This is the conquering of sin and death, the redemption on mankind, the freeing us from the bondage of sin, the entire reason Christ endured the Sorrowful Mysteries.
This is the event like no other. Ever.
I mean, we're all Christians here, so I don't need to go into too much detail. Suffice to say, the Resurrection itself is covered in at least 68 verses of Scripture (Isaiah 53:8-10, Matthew 12:40, 20:17-19 & 28:1-15, Mark 16:1-13, Luke 24:1-12, John 2:19-21 & 20:1-18).
The Second Glorious Mystery, the Ascension, is a meditation on the risen Christ's return to the glory of heaven.
The ascension is the rising of Jesus up to heaven, by His own divine power, upon completing His mission after the Resurrection. Again, not much elaboration is needed here. The Scriptures are pretty clear on this event: Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, and Acts 1:9-11 all chronicle the Ascension, while the entire book of Revelation talks about Christ seated on His throne in Heaven. 8 verses explicitly state this event, while many, many more elaborate of the glory of Jesus. 'Nuff said.
The Third Glorious Mystery, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, is the next event in the Bible we meditate upon.
After Christ’s Ascension into heaven, the apostles prayed together in a locked room. The Holy Spirit descended on them, as Jesus promised, filling them and presenting tongues of fire above each of their heads. We follow Acts 2:1 and call this event Pentecost.
Note in particular Acts 1:14, which tells us that Mary was present at Pentecost and received the Holy Spirit. John, taking Christ's direction from the cross, carries out his duty her, including Mary in Pentecost:
When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. -John 19:26-27
All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. -Acts 1:14
Luke 3:16, John 14:26, and Acts 2:1-41 all detail the event of Pentecost: 43 verses.
This takes us to the Fourth Glorious Mystery, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"Ah HA!" you say. "NOW I've got you, Bubs! That is NOT in the Bible. There is nowhere in Scripture that says 'Mary went to heaven body and soul.' It was invented by your Popes in the 1800's!"
To which I say, "It is not explicitly stated. But then again, neither is the Trinity, and all Christians believe in a triune God." Allow me to elaborate with some related Bible verses - again, Genesis through Revelation (notice a pattern on using the WHOLE Bible?), stopping hither and yon in the meantime. Never hurts to read more Bible, does it? ;)
And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and the beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. -Genesis 3:14-15
God puts enmity, or hatred, between the serpent and "the woman." Who is "the woman?" It is not Eve, since God would not speak to Eve in the future tense of an event He is performing now. Jesus, later, tells us:
And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. -John 2:3-4
When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. -John 19:26-27
Why would Jesus call his mother "Woman?" Does't that violate the commandment to honor His father and his His mother? No - because in fact by calling here "woman," he IS honoring her:
And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. -Revelation 12:1-2
Jesus connects the dots by linking His mother, Mary, to be the woman from Genesis and revelation. Later, we see this same woman to be the object of the hatred of the devil:
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man child. And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. -Revelation 12:13,17
So we can clearly see that "the woman" is, by Christ's own words, His mother. The devil hates the Mother of Jesus, persecuting her and making war against her and her offspring - her "seed" being those who keep the commandments in Jesus.
"OK, fine," you say. "I can see that. But body and soul into Heaven? C'mon." OK, back to the Bible:
For when you were the servants of sin, you were free men to justice. What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting. For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 6:20-23
But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow. Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. -James 4:6-10
And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. -Luke 1:28-30
Mary is hailed by the angel as "full" of grace - full of life everlasting. James tells us that God exalts those who are humbled, and by extension, receive grace from God. Mary, therefore, being "full of grace," has no sin. Since the wages of sin are death, Mary suffers no death. Likewsie, Mary, being absent of sin and full of grace, is granted Heaven:
There shall not enter into it any thing defiled, or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb. -Revelation 21:27
Being "full of grace," Mary has no defilement - thus she enters Heaven without paying the wage of sin.
We see more of this in Genesis 5:24, 2 Kings 2:11, Psalm 15 (16):10, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, Jude 1:9, Revelation 2:11 & 12:1-5. Genesis 5, 2 Kings, and 1 Thessalonians mention Enoch, Moses, and Elijah as predecessors of Mary taken into Heaven, body and soul - the precedent is in the Old Testament. We see Moses and Elijah especially in the Transfiguration:
AND after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them. And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. -Mark 9:2-4
All in all, over 34 verses in the Bible discuss the circumstances and the nature of Mary in her being free from sin, full of grace, and taken to Heaven.
Therefore, it's easy to see the next mystery, The Fifth Glorious Mystery, the Crowning of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth.
"So we have Mary taken to Heaven. Now we're gonna crown her? Isn't Christ the King of Heaven?" Of course:
And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. -Matthew 25:31
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. -Revelation 21:4-5
If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new. -2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence. -John 18:36
Christ is absolutely King. But wait:
So Bethsabee went in to the king [David] into the chamber: now the king was very old, and Abisag the Sunamitess ministered to him. Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will? -1 Kings 1:15-16
Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand. -1 King 2:19
In the Davidic reign (i.e., descended from David), the Queen is the mother of the king.
Christ is clearly a Davidic king,as Matthew 1, Matthew 25, Revelation 21, and John 18 lay out for us. So it follows, given ...
Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men. -Luke 2:52
... that Jesus followed the commandments. We also see in Luke 2 that His parents followed the prescriptions of Moses - i.e., the entire Law - the same one David, Solomon, and Bethsabee followed.
Jesus, as Davidic king, honors His mother - meaning, since Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18) that His queen must also not be of this world. Who else, but "the woman," the one full of grace, whose soul magnifies the Lord (Luke 1:46)?
Why do honor Mary thus? Because Jesus did. And, because:
Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. -Luke 1:46-48
Mary speaks of the same humility that, as James says, "will exalt you." God regards the humility of the Queen-Mother, Mary, the Blessed Virgin, and exalts her, crowning she that received the Holy Spirit with a crown of twelve stars.
In addition to these verses mentioned, Isaiah 7:14, Jeremiah 13:18, Judith 15:10-12, Revelation 2:10, 12:1-5,17 & 21:9-10, 2 Timothy 4:8 & 2:12, James 1:12, and 1 Peter 5:4 all speak, in some form, to the Queenship of Mary. You do the math.
So there they are - the Glorious Mysteries.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:31
------
Go on to Part 5: the Luminous Mysteries.
Missed a previous installment? Start at Part 1.
The Second Glorious Mystery, the Ascension, is a meditation on the risen Christ's return to the glory of heaven.
 |
| And he led them out as far as Bethania: and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And it came to pass, whilst he blessed them, he departed from them, and was carried up to heaven. And they adoring went back into Jerusalem with great joy. And they were always in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. -Luke 24:50-53 |
The Third Glorious Mystery, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, is the next event in the Bible we meditate upon.
 |
| AND when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. -Acts 2:1-4 |
After Christ’s Ascension into heaven, the apostles prayed together in a locked room. The Holy Spirit descended on them, as Jesus promised, filling them and presenting tongues of fire above each of their heads. We follow Acts 2:1 and call this event Pentecost.
Note in particular Acts 1:14, which tells us that Mary was present at Pentecost and received the Holy Spirit. John, taking Christ's direction from the cross, carries out his duty her, including Mary in Pentecost:
When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. -John 19:26-27
All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. -Acts 1:14
Luke 3:16, John 14:26, and Acts 2:1-41 all detail the event of Pentecost: 43 verses.
This takes us to the Fourth Glorious Mystery, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 |
| And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. -Revelation 12:1-2 |
"Ah HA!" you say. "NOW I've got you, Bubs! That is NOT in the Bible. There is nowhere in Scripture that says 'Mary went to heaven body and soul.' It was invented by your Popes in the 1800's!"
To which I say, "It is not explicitly stated. But then again, neither is the Trinity, and all Christians believe in a triune God." Allow me to elaborate with some related Bible verses - again, Genesis through Revelation (notice a pattern on using the WHOLE Bible?), stopping hither and yon in the meantime. Never hurts to read more Bible, does it? ;)
And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and the beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. -Genesis 3:14-15
God puts enmity, or hatred, between the serpent and "the woman." Who is "the woman?" It is not Eve, since God would not speak to Eve in the future tense of an event He is performing now. Jesus, later, tells us:
And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. -John 2:3-4
When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. -John 19:26-27
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| All that has been revealed points us to Christ. |
And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. -Revelation 12:1-2
Jesus connects the dots by linking His mother, Mary, to be the woman from Genesis and revelation. Later, we see this same woman to be the object of the hatred of the devil:
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man child. And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. -Revelation 12:13,17
So we can clearly see that "the woman" is, by Christ's own words, His mother. The devil hates the Mother of Jesus, persecuting her and making war against her and her offspring - her "seed" being those who keep the commandments in Jesus.
"OK, fine," you say. "I can see that. But body and soul into Heaven? C'mon." OK, back to the Bible:
 |
| "Peter, I'm tellin' ya - the wages of sin is death! So then, those with no sin don't die. Get it?" -Paul |
But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow. Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. -James 4:6-10
And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. -Luke 1:28-30
 |
| "Y'all - I said FULL of grace. Not having kinda sorta a lot of it. FULL. Like 100%. Totally grace." -Gabriel |
Mary is hailed by the angel as "full" of grace - full of life everlasting. James tells us that God exalts those who are humbled, and by extension, receive grace from God. Mary, therefore, being "full of grace," has no sin. Since the wages of sin are death, Mary suffers no death. Likewsie, Mary, being absent of sin and full of grace, is granted Heaven:
There shall not enter into it any thing defiled, or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb. -Revelation 21:27
Being "full of grace," Mary has no defilement - thus she enters Heaven without paying the wage of sin.
We see more of this in Genesis 5:24, 2 Kings 2:11, Psalm 15 (16):10, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, Jude 1:9, Revelation 2:11 & 12:1-5. Genesis 5, 2 Kings, and 1 Thessalonians mention Enoch, Moses, and Elijah as predecessors of Mary taken into Heaven, body and soul - the precedent is in the Old Testament. We see Moses and Elijah especially in the Transfiguration:
AND after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them. And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. -Mark 9:2-4
All in all, over 34 verses in the Bible discuss the circumstances and the nature of Mary in her being free from sin, full of grace, and taken to Heaven.
Therefore, it's easy to see the next mystery, The Fifth Glorious Mystery, the Crowning of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth.
 |
| And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. -Revelation 12:1 |
"So we have Mary taken to Heaven. Now we're gonna crown her? Isn't Christ the King of Heaven?" Of course:
And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. -Matthew 25:31
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. -Revelation 21:4-5
If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new. -2 Corinthians 5:17
 |
| "Nah, my kingdom isn't of this world. So my queen wouldn't be either." |
Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence. -John 18:36
Christ is absolutely King. But wait:
So Bethsabee went in to the king [David] into the chamber: now the king was very old, and Abisag the Sunamitess ministered to him. Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will? -1 Kings 1:15-16
Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand. -1 King 2:19
In the Davidic reign (i.e., descended from David), the Queen is the mother of the king.
Christ is clearly a Davidic king,as Matthew 1, Matthew 25, Revelation 21, and John 18 lay out for us. So it follows, given ...
Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men. -Luke 2:52
... that Jesus followed the commandments. We also see in Luke 2 that His parents followed the prescriptions of Moses - i.e., the entire Law - the same one David, Solomon, and Bethsabee followed.
Jesus, as Davidic king, honors His mother - meaning, since Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18) that His queen must also not be of this world. Who else, but "the woman," the one full of grace, whose soul magnifies the Lord (Luke 1:46)?
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Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. -Luke 1:46-48
Mary speaks of the same humility that, as James says, "will exalt you." God regards the humility of the Queen-Mother, Mary, the Blessed Virgin, and exalts her, crowning she that received the Holy Spirit with a crown of twelve stars.
In addition to these verses mentioned, Isaiah 7:14, Jeremiah 13:18, Judith 15:10-12, Revelation 2:10, 12:1-5,17 & 21:9-10, 2 Timothy 4:8 & 2:12, James 1:12, and 1 Peter 5:4 all speak, in some form, to the Queenship of Mary. You do the math.
So there they are - the Glorious Mysteries.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:31
------
Go on to Part 5: the Luminous Mysteries.
Missed a previous installment? Start at Part 1.
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