CatholicManiacs 4 Kids

Glorious Mysteries

1. Jesus Rises from the Dead: no explanation needed
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel answered and said unto the women: "Fear not ye! For I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here. For he is risen, as he said". (Mat 28,1-6)

2.Ascension of Jesus into Heaven: Jesus goes to Heave after 50 days
And as they are speaking these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith to them, "Peace to you"; being amazed, and becoming affrighted, they were thinking themselves to see a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are ye troubled? and wherefore do reasonings come up in your hearts? see my hands and my feet, that I am he; handle me and see, because a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me having." And having said this, he shewed to them the hands and the feet. ... "And, lo, I do send the promise of my Father upon you, but ye -- abide ye in the city of Jerusalem till ye be clothed with power from on high." And he led them forth without -- unto Bethany, and having lifted up his hands he did bless them, and it came to pass, in his blessing them, he was parted from them, and was borne up to the heaven. (Luk 24,36-51)

3. Descent of the Holy Ghost (Pentecost): The Holy spirit comes upon the Apostles and Mary
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Act 2,1-4)

4. Assumption of Mary: Mary goes body and Soul into Heaven
Blessed art thou of the most high God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, which hath created the heavens and the earth, which hath directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies. ... Thou hast done all these things by thine hand: thou hast done much good to Israel, and God is pleased therewith: blessed be thou of the Almighty Lord for evermore. And all the people said, So be it. (Jdt 13,18-20; 15,10)

5. Coronation of Mary in Heaven: Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth
There appeared a great sign in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev 12,1)

Sorrowful Mysteries

1. Agony in the Garden: Jesus prays to let God keep Him from being crucified, but only if it be His will
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them: "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me". And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt". (Mat 26,36-39). And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luk 22,44)

2. Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus is whipped and tortured
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying:" Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Mat 27,27-31)

3. Crowning with Thorns: The soldiers put a 'crown' of thorns on Jesus's head.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying:" Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Mat 27,27-31)

4. Carrying of the Cross: Jesus takes up his Cross for us
And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck". ... And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.. (Luk 23,26-32)

5. Crucifixion and Death of Jesus: Jesus dies on the cross for us
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother:" Woman, behold thy son!" Then saith he to the disciple: "Behold thy mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. ( Joh 19,25-27)

Mysteries of Light: Jesus's Ministry

1. Baptism by John in the Jordan: Jesus is Baptized
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. (Mt 3,13-17)

2. Wedding Feast at Cana: Jesus turns water into wine
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. (Jn 2,1-12)

3. Proclomation of the Coming of the Kingdom of God: Jesus proclaims that His Father's kingdom is coming
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mk 1,15)

4. Transfiguration: Jesus changes and Moses and Elijah appear, and talk with Jesus
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.(Luk 9,28-35)

5. Institution of the Eucharist: Christ has the Last Supper with His diciples
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." (Mk 14,22-25)

I said I'd do something on the rosary, so here it is;

Here it is; The big question; Why should we pray the rosary?
Well, here's the truth: There are many reasons to pray the rosary. But here are a couple main ones:

1. Mary especailly reccommended it to us, on a number of occasions. thehlyrosary.org has some awsome explanations for this.

2. The Mysteries are a great way to focus on God by looking at Jesus's life, Death and Resurrection.


Mysteries of the Rosary
The Joyful Mysteries: Jesus's birth and childhood

1. Annunciation to Mary: Mary accepts God's call to be the Mother of God
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said: "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women". And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.And the angel said unto her:" Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest"... And Mary said:" Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word". And the angel departed from her. (Luk 1,26-38)

2. The Visitation: Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth
Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and she spake out with a loud voice, and said: "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb". ... And Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name"...(Luk 1,39-49)

4. Nativity: Jesus is born in a stable at Bethlehem
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger". (Luk 2,6-12)

4. Presentation in the Temple: Jesus is presented to Zachariah at the Temple
Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and she spake out with a loud voice, and said: "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb". ... And Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name"...(Luk 1,39-49)

5. Finding of the Christ Child in the Temple: Jesus is found teaching in the temple after being lost for 3 days
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him: "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing". And he said unto them: "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (Luk 2,41-51)

Lent again. Makes you think of fish and spagetti w/out meatballs, or giving up something *coughsameaslastyearcough*, right? If it is, then you've probably got the wrong idea about lent.

The Teutonic word Lent, which we employ to denote the forty days' fast preceding Easter, originally meant no more than the spring season. Still it has been used from the Anglo-Saxon period to translate the more significant Latin term quadragesima (French carême, Italian quaresima, Spanish cuaresma), meaning the "forty days", or more literally the "fortieth day". This in turn imitated the Greek name for Lent, tessarakoste (fortieth), a word formed on the analogy of Pentecost (pentekoste), which last was in use for the Jewish festival before New Testament times. This etymology, as we shall see, is of some little importance in explaining the early developments of the Easter fast....
But, what more particularly regards Lent, successive indults have been granted by the Holy See allowing meat at the principal meal, first on Sundays, and then on two, three, four, and five weekdays, throughout nearly the whole of Lent. Quite recently, Maundy Thursday, upon which meat was hitherto always forbidden, has come to share in the same indulgence. In the United States, the Holy See grants faculties whereby working men and their families may use flesh meat once a day throughout the year, except Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the vigil of Christmas. The only compensation imposed for all these mitigations is the prohibition during Lent against partaking of both fish and flesh at the same repast.
-- From http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm, an entry in their Catholic Encyclopedia.

Lent's 40 days originally came from the gospel story of Jesus's 40 days' fasting, and being tempted by the devil, or Satan. It used to be that you couldn't eat meat at all during Lent, but after some time it was changed to abstinance on Fridays, the Tridium, and Ash Wednesday. We give up something during this time, because Jesus was tempted to do things in the desert; It is a lot of sybolical things, and makes sense when you think about it logically. Instead of giving up chocolate or sweets this year like you probably do every year, instead, try praying the rosary every day, or reading/studying the bible for a certain amount of time. I am reading my bible, St.Joseph Baltimore Catechism (check this out, it is a wonderful guide) praying/praying the rosary, or something religous that will help me in my religous life. These sorts of things will bring you closer to God, and help you better understand him. I'm not saying you will fully understand him; this is impossible for any human, just things will be a bit easier to understand.