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Jesus in the Mysteries of the Rosary

  1. Mysteries of Light
    1. The institution of the Eucharist

From the Tabor to the Cenacle (from the 4th to the 5th Mysteries of Light). We move from the maximum glorious manifestation of Jesus towards his progressive concealment, both divine and human ("hidden" Divinity; "defeated" Humanity). Indeed, shortly after his Transfiguration, the Lord entered Jerusalem, certainly amid cheers, but sitting on a humble “donkey”.

Afterwards He will hide in the Eucharistic Bread, anticipating and perpetuating His disappearance under the earth (sepulchre). Jesus-God hides Himself and, as the Risen One, will remain with us “hidden” in the Eucharist. Thus, whoever wants to see Him, sees Him ("Whoever wishes to come after me ..." (Mt 16:24). No one is forced to see! Our answer has to be - and must be today and always – of trust and love ... (read more: We are not asked to understand this miracle, but to accept it).

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1º) «I will not leave you orphans» (Jn 14:18); "I am with you always" (Mt 28:20). How do you do that? With the Eucharist: «Take and eat; this is my body» (Mt 26:26). These are His words! There is no room for doubt. He has to be God to dare to do something similar and ... really do it!

 

2º) "This is my body, which will be given for you" (Lk 22:19). It is not only His Body, in any way: it is more specifically His "passionate" body (flogged, insulted, spit upon, crucified ...), dead and risen. But this "Paschal Triduum" (Good Friday; Holy Saturday; Easter Sunday) "is as if it were gathered up, foreshadowed and “concentrated' forever in the gift of the Eucharist" (Saint John Paul II). It is difficult to overcome the description of this holy Pope.

Here is one of the wonders of the Lord: not only does He sacrifice Himself for us ("to death, even death on a cross": Flp 2:8), but He previously offers us this sacrifice  - a gift - so that at all times and everywhere we can feed directly on Him (read more: “Mystery of Transubstantiation”). It's the "self-giving of self-giving"! (read more: He "gives us" the pain of the Cross). In Gethsemane Jesus Christ meditates with the Father on what He is going to do; on Calvary He does it; in the Cenacle He offers it to us (in advance).

Only God can do that! Twenty-one centuries later, the Church continues to live on this Eucharistic gift ("Ecclesia de Eucharistia", "The Church draws her life from the Eucharist", is the title of Pope Wojtyla's last encyclical).

 

3º) «Do this in memory of me» (Lk 22:19). God sacrifices Himself for us; God gives us His sacrifice; God invites us to join in His sacrifice! Yes, God is such a Father that he wants us to be truly His children, which means participating actively and consciously in His great work of redemption. How do you do that? With the Holy Mass, in which we must participate by contributing with the sacrifice of our own life (read more: Missionary zeal). Christ put His Blood; we put our sweat (effort at work; dedication to the family; our joys ...). In fact:   He also sweated, but He sweated His Blood!

Once again, in words of Saint John Paul II: «The Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation (…). Truly this is the mysterium fidei which is accomplished in the Eucharist: the world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ».

 

4º) "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed" (Lk 11:27). She is "Mary the mother of Jesus" (Acts 1:14). It has been said of Her that She is eminently a Eucharistic woman. First of all, because She was the first "tabernacle" of Christianity. Second, because a sword pierced Her soul (cf. Lk 2:35) there, at the foot of the Cross. She did experience the Calvary – as well as the faithful women and the apostle John - (read more: "A sword will pierce your own soul").

After the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, we believe that Her greatest consolation was to attend the Holy Mass and receive the Communion, the Body of Her own Son (probably She could only do it on Sundays). Can you imagine how the Virgin would wait for Sunday Mass? Can you imagine with what devotion and preparation She would receive the Lord’s Body? Even more “paradoxical”, when the Blood of Christ runs over our altars, some of Mary’s blood is also present there! (On Calvary She also sweated: at least an unimaginable anguish).