Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden
“His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)
Fruit of the Mystery: Sorrow for Sin
Description
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus freely enters into the full weight of human sin and suffering. Fully divine and fully human, He experiences anguish, fear, and abandonment, yet remains obedient to the Father’s will. While His disciples sleep, Christ keeps vigil alone.
Reflection
Christ’s agony reveals the cost of sin—not in abstract terms, but in personal suffering freely accepted. In obedience, Christ atones for our sin. We are invited to remain with Him, awake and faithful, allowing His sorrow to awaken in us true contrition and a deeper trust in the Father’s will.
The Scourging at the Pillar
“Pilate then took Jesus and had Him scourged.” (John 19:1)
Fruit of the Mystery: Purity
Description
Bound to the pillar, Jesus endures brutal scourging without resistance. His body, innocent and undefiled, is subjected to violence and humiliation. He offers this suffering in silence, bearing the consequences of humanity’s disordered desires.
Reflection
In His wounded flesh, Christ redeems our misuse of the body and calls us to purity of heart and life. This mystery teaches us that true purity is not merely restraint, but self-gift—offering our bodies and desires to God in love and obedience.
The Crowning with Thorns
“They wove a crown of thorns and placed it on His head.” (Matthew 27:29)
Fruit of the Mystery: Courage
Description
Jesus is mocked as king, clothed in false splendor, and crowned with thorns. The One who truly reigns is ridiculed, struck, and scorned. He endures humiliation without retaliation, revealing a kingship rooted in sacrificial love.
Reflection
Jesus is quiet and steadfast. He teaches us to endure mockery and injustice without compromise. In this mystery, we learn the strength to remain faithful to truth, even when obedience to God invites rejection or scorn.
The Carrying of the Cross
“Carrying the cross Himself, He went out to Golgotha.” (John 19:17)
Fruit of the Mystery: Patience
Description
Weakened by suffering, Jesus carries the cross through the streets. Each step is deliberate, each fall endured. He accepts the burden freely, uniting human suffering with divine love.
Reflection
This mystery teaches patience not as passive endurance, but as active trust. Christ shows us how to carry our daily crosses with perseverance, accepting trials as paths to redemption rather than obstacles to faith.
The Crucifixion
“Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.” (Luke 23:46)