The Joyful Mysteries - Meditations by Fr. Dominik Chmielewski
The Annunciation
In this mystery, repeat to God in the depths of your heart: Yes, Father, just as You will, Your will be done. I agree to everything You do with my life. Through several Hail Marys, we observe this scene with the eyes of our heart, as if looking through the eyes and heart of Mary. And then we receive the grace associated with this mystery to say yes to God for everything He wants to do in our lives.
The essence of this decade is that I agree, God, for You to enter my life and-if You so choose-turn everything upside down for me. Jesus, do with me whatever You wish.
The Visitation
The Visitation of St. Elizabeth tells us that if you truly have an experience of Jesus, you cannot keep it to yourself. The very first procession with the Blessed Sacrament, which is Mary carrying Jesus, goes to St. Elizabeth.
Mary is the first Evangelizer, carrying Jesus to another human being. Let us ask Her: ”Give me the joy of carrying Jesus within me in such a way that I will radiate it to everyone I meet today. Give me such an ability to carry Jesus within me that I may have the words, the affection, and the heart to always know what, to whom, and how to speak of Jesus.”
The Nativity of Jesus
The mystery of the Nativity is the beginning of humanity's rejection of God. In the prologue of the Gospel of John we read: He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him (Jn 1:11).
The phenomenon of Christianity is that where you hate yourself the most, where you reject yourself and do not want to know yourself because you are so terribly ashamed of yourself-that is exactly where Jesus wants to be born. He wants to come not to judge or condemn you, but to reveal Himself to you as the Infant Jesus. He wants to stroke your cheek with His tiny hand, wipe away your tears, smile at you, and tell you how much He loves you-but not in Herod's palace, rather in a stable, among animals.
Ask: ”Holy Spirit, pour out your joy upon me and heal my rejection.”
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
The fourth mystery is associated with a very difficult situation, when we have to offer to God something that is most precious to us. For Mary, Jesus was the most precious thing in the world. She then heard very difficult words: A sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed (Lk 2:35). It certainly is not pleasant to hear something like that, and yet it is a joyful mystery. The joy of suffering for God, a joy that is not of this world.
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Mary and Joseph lost Jesus… It seems improbable, but it happened.
The fifth mystery is the joy of finding God in my life. But to find Him, one first had to lose Him. How many times did God have to take away something that seemed important to us so that we could find Him, who truly is the most important? Many of us do not even know that we have lost Him, having stopped at the level of external religious practices.