Dear friend:

We start a series of newsletters written to illustrate briefly - throughout the year - the Mysteries of the Rosary: ​​they are star moments - "flashes" - of the Lord's passage through this world. Beatus Pope Paul VI defined them as "a compendium of the life of Christ."

We begin with the Luminous Mysteries; as of December, the Joyful; between Lent and Holy Week, the Sorrowful Mysteries; and finally, at Easter, the Glorious. We add some links to extend these reflections optionally (through comments from evangeli.net).

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Luminous Mysteries

"The Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River" marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus Christ. We highlight 3 considerations:

1st) "Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John" (Mt 3,13). Jesus is God and wants to "be baptized". Surprise! Could it be that we need to "be baptized," that is, be forgiven and helped by God again and again? Maybe we are too used to "go by ourselves", as if we don’t need anything or anyone. The Christian does not remain alone, isolated: each Christian is "accompanied by" others and, at the same time, "accompanies" others. Christ never walked alone! Not for nothing He founded his family, his community (the Church).

2nd) "After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened" (Mt 3,16). So much were opened that "a voice from heaven..." (Lk 3,22) was heard: the Father speaks. God has always wanted to establish a dialogue with men. But at that moment - when " the heavens opened " - a "direct link" with God was opened: heaven is getting closer and closer to us, since we are already children of God.

« When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the stars that you set in place: What is man that you are mindful of him?» (Ps 8,4-5). Good question! It is estimated that there are between 100 and 200 billion galaxies in the universe, each of them containing hundreds of billions of stars ... In short, we are nothing! And yet, a single human thought is worth more than the entire material cosmos ... Not to mention if it is a thought addressed to the Father of heaven. The prayer of the son of God is the most precious; Nothing is worth more than knowing we are sons of God!

3rd) "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1,29): this are the words which John the Baptist said to introduce Jesus Christ. How many lambs had Israel sacrificed to atone for sins? Countless! (between David and Solomon were already counted by thousands). But not a single one served to remove the sin of the world. Other people had even sacrificed human beings to appease the wrath of God. Maybe countless also! But none of these immolations served to save humanity, much less to satisfy God. Man can not take away the sin of the world: those who have tried "devious methods of self-redemption" have ended up being genocidal assassins. Or, to say in a more stylish way: "A world that has to create its own justice is a world without hope" (Benedict XVI). Moreover: "It is not science that redeems man; man is redeemed by love ", by Love in capital letter!

Fr. Antoni Carol i Hostench

(General Coordinator of evangeli.net)