Does the Rosary exist without the Bible?

The Rosary and the Bible: The Question of Scriptural Dependence within the Structural Prayer of the RosaryUndoubtedly, every Christian prayer has its center in the Liturgy, the apex of all the Church’s action, the source of all its strength (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 10). Thus, the Christian is aware that the Church’s prayer, constituted by the Eucharistic Liturgy and the Liturgy of the Hours, forms his Christian life and provides him with daily nourishment from the Word and the Eucharist, as reminded by John Paul II, who stated that «the listening to the Word must become a vital encounter, in the ancient and always valid tradition of lectio divina, which perceives in the Sacred Scriptures the living Word that challenges, guides, and shapes existence».Respecting the primacy of the Liturgy, the Christian, in order for the liturgical prayer to continue to be a constant prayer and to develop and refine the art of dialogue with God, may turn to other forms of prayer. As the Sacrosanctum Concilium emphasizes, «the spiritual life is not exhausted by participation in the only Liturgy» (Sacrosanctum Concilium 12). In the Christian tradition, there have been many diverse forms of prayer with which the faithful have renewed and confirmed their communion with the Lord. Among the non-liturgical cultic actions, the Rosary stands out, within the Western tradition of the 2nd millennium.The Rosary as a “Compendium of the Gospel”: John Paul II’s Definition in Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002) §1What is the Rosary? Despite certain prejudices that tend to downplay and even devalue it, the Rosary is a unique reality in the realm of devotion, a form of non-liturgical prayer, distinct in Western spirituality. Cardinal Newman called it a «credo expressed in prayer», emphasizing faith in the mysteries professed in the Creed. John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002), defines it as such, reiterating the words of Pius XII, later echoed by Paul VI: «the Rosary is a “compendium of the Gospel”». We focus on this definition. At the beginning of the Letter, the Pope writes: «in the simplicity of its elements, the Rosary concentrates within itself the depth of the entire evangelical message, of which it is almost a compendium».Rosarium Virginis Mariae 1.) Pope John Paul II, with the gift of the Rosarium Virginis Mariae, sought to lead the Christian to discover it as a precious and salutary exercise of communion with Christ’s mysteries through Mary’s heart. As expression of an intense love that is satisfied only in repetition, as anthropological self-understanding of the Christian. Today, scholars and commentators on the Rosary like to focus on the Rosary/Word of God connection, highlighting its peculiar characteristic as biblical prayer and essentially evangelical.In this spirit, Benedict XVI spoke in Pompeii on October 19, 2008, during the XII Synod of Bishops on The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. The Pope said: “In fact, the Rosary is entirely interwoven with elements taken from Scripture. Firstly, there is the enunciation of the mystery, expressed primarily with words from the Bible. Then comes the Our Father: by giving to prayer this vertical orientation, it opens up the soul of the one who prays the Rosary to a right attitude of filial dependence, as the Lord invites: ‘When you pray, say: Father…’ (Lk 11:2). The first part of the Hail Mary, also taken from the Gospel, makes us hear again the words with which God addressed the Virgin through the Angel, and those of Elizabeth’s blessing.”We find the same biblical orientation in a Synod proposal, n. 21, which states: “The Synod recommends the formation of small ecclesial communities where the Word of God is listened to, studied, and prayed, also in the form of the Rosary as biblical meditation.” The reason why the Rosary is essentially evangelical prayer is not only due to what we have just highlighted. It is also because almost all the “mysteries” derive directly from evangelical pages.Only two mysteries, the 4th and 5th glorious ones, the Assumption and the Coronation of Mary, are not documented by Scripture, but they draw inspiration from it. “Certainly, [the mysteries] do not replace the Gospel, nor do they evoke all its pages. But if those considered in the Rosary are limited to the fundamental lines of Christ’s life, the soul can easily expand from them to the rest of the Gospel” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 29).If the Rosary does not exhaust the Gospel, it does evoke its heart, the essential core, introducing the soul “to the taste of a Christ event that continually draws from the pure source of the Gospel text” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 24). A reference to the fifteen traditional mysteries, which have given the Rosary its unmistakable face until the promulgation of the Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, confirms this evangelical orientation. The “mysteries of joy” have their origin in the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, the accounts of the infancy. The “mysteries of sorrow” are based on the passion episodes recounted by the four Gospels. The “mysteries of glory” reflect the conclusion of the Gospels and their continuation in the new era of the Spirit and the Church.However, if the Rosary has a deeply evangelical nature, as John Paul II keenly observes, the fifteen traditional mysteries propose to the contemplative meditation of the faithful only some events in the life of Christ. The mysteries of joy reach up to the episode of Jesus at twelve in the Temple, the mysteries of sorrow begin with Gethsemane. Between Baptism and Passion, there is no trace of Jesus exercising his ministry during his public life. The fact is that one cannot truly understand Jesus’ death unless it is placed in the context of his life.Jesus was killed precisely for the testimony he gave, with all that he was and all that he accomplished during his ministry. “Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29) is the challenge posed by Jesus of Mark. The answer lies not only in his death, but also in what led him to death. The addition, or enhancement, or insertion by John Paul II of the “mysteries of light” allows for embracing also the mysteries of Jesus’ public life, in which he presents himself as “light of the world” (John 9:5). This integration makes the Rosary a more balanced prayer.In the mysteries of light, baptism, Cana, the announcement of the Kingdom, transfiguration, the Last Supper, Jesus is central. While the presentation by the Gospels reflects the encounter with him risen, he remains firmly the Jesus of Nazareth, who «was born under the law» (Gal 4:4), «one in all things to the brother» (Heb 2:17). This truth, which we wish to emphasize here, is of vital importance for a balanced Christology: the mysteries of light reveal the Light-Christ who is the life of the world, and this is the life of the world. They reveal the Word made flesh.The Rosary is, ultimately, a meditation on the Son of Mary, on he who reveals the face of the Father and his presence in history. Consequently, after having recalled the incarnation and hidden life of Christ (mysteries of joy), and before stopping on the sufferings of the passion (mysteries of sorrow), and the triumph of the resurrection (mysteries of glory), John Paul II invites us to meditate on some particularly significant moments in the public life of Jesus (mysteries of light) (cf. If the Rosary does not exhaust the Gospel, it does evoke its heart, the essential nucleus, introducing the soul «to the taste of an event of Christ who continually draws from the pure fountain of the Gospel text» (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 24).A mention of the fifteen traditional mysteries, which have given the Rosary its unmistakable face until the promulgation of the Rosarium Virginis Mariae document, confirms this evangelical orientation. The «mysteries of joy» have their origins in the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, the accounts of childhood. The «mysteries of sorrow» are based on the passion episodes recounted by the four Gospels. The «mysteries of glory» reflect the conclusion of the Gospels and their continuation in the new era of the Spirit and the Church.The inclusion of the luminous mysteries, on the one hand, confirms the Rosary as a «compendium of the Gospel», on the other, enriches it with spiritual content, as a «true introduction to the depths of Christ’s Heart, an abyss of joy and light, of sorrow and glory» (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 19). Such integration gives the Rosary that «biographical» completeness that makes it extraordinarily suitable not only for contemplation but also for narrating the story of Jesus. It completes with the spoken word what the people of God has learned over the centuries through the painted word, that is, through the image. The life of Jesus, in fact, has been the highest source of inspiration for artists of all centuries and cultures.In Rosarium Virginis Mariae,Pope John Paul II suggests a series of acts that confer dignity and importance to the Rosary. Firstly, the biblical enunciating of the mystery. This can be accompanied by the contemplation of an icon representing it, to immediately focus attention on what is about to be meditated. The Pope does not hesitate to appeal to “sensible elements“, for a theological reason in keeping with the Incarnate Word and our human condition: “it is a methodology that corresponds to the logic of the Incarnation: God willed to assume, in Jesus, human traits. It is through his corporeal reality that we are led to come into contact with his divine mystery” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 29).Even more important is the suggestion to follow the enunciating of the mystery with “a corresponding biblical step“. This step can be “more or less extensive“, thereby acknowledging the primacy and priority of God’s Word, which is alive and effective (cf Hebrews 4:12) and from which the Rosary constitutes a meditation updated. John Paul II states: “Other words, in fact, never attain the effectiveness proper to inspired words. This Word must be heard with the certainty that it is God’s Word, spoken for us and ‘to me’. Thus heard, it enters into the methodology of Rosary repetition without causing the boredom that would be caused by the mere recall of already well-acquired information. It is, therefore, a matter of letting ‘God speak’” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 30).Scripture, in communicating the Lord to us, gives us the possibility of listening to Him, of establishing a dialogue with Him that is revealed, and of giving Him the response He Himself suggests. Prayer develops in response to the penetration of Scripture by the mysterious action of the Spirit who dictated it and guides each disciple of Christ to perfect himself in love. This biblical approach certainly enriches the Rosary, especially when an appropriate commentary explains the contents of individual mysteries and applies them to the situations of individuals and communities.But more than adding human words to God’s Word, it is essential to internalize it. Therefore, it is appropriate that immediately after its proclamation, a moment of “silence” be observed to better fix the gaze on the mystery: “listening and meditation are nourished by silence”. The rediscovery of the value of silence is one of the secrets for practicing contemplation and meditation. In our society, heavily specialized in technological works and mass media, silence is becoming increasingly difficult.Similarly to recommended silences in the Liturgy, a brief pause is also opportune after the listening to God’s Word during the recitation of the Rosary, while the soul fixes on the content of a particular mystery (cf … [unfinished sentence in the original text]).Rosarium Virginis Mariae 31). Here, too, the Pope draws attention to the Word of God to be meditated and interiorly personalized, and to the society of our time, where so many messages overlap, leaving little space for silence. Therefore, it is more than timely to rediscover moments of silence filled with the salvific Word.The Rosary prayer as a breath of the Gospel: biblical basis for the Ave Maria (Lk 1:28, 42) and the Our Father (Mt 6:9-13)The Rosary’s evangelical prayers, as mentioned, both the prayers and the formulation of the Rosary mysteries, are derived from the Gospel.The “Our Father,” due to its immense value, is the foundation of Christian prayer and comes directly from Jesus. Reciting it at the beginning of each mystery places the pray-er in an attitude of filial devotion before the Father, ever present in the mysteries of Christ. “The Father who is in heaven,” we read in Dei Verbum, “meets his children with great tenderness and enters into conversation with them” (Dei Verbum 21).After listening to the Word and focusing on the mystery, it is natural for the soul to ascend to the Father. Jesus, in each of his mysteries, always leads us to the Father, to whom he continually addresses himself, for in his “bosom” (cf. Jn 1:18) he rests (cf. Dei Verbum 32). Christ desires to introduce us into the intimacy of the Father, so that we may repeat with him, “Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15, Gal 4:6). St. Cyprian says: “He who gave us the life of grace as Savior taught us to pray as Master.”Jesus, in the Our Father, reveals the very heart of the Father, making us aware of the requests and feelings He desires from His children. “It is in relation to the Father that he makes us brothers of his, and brothers among ourselves, communicating to us the Spirit that is his and the Father’s at the same time” (Dei Verbum 32).Moreover, it is notable that the Rosary, as an expression of popular piety, does not follow liturgical use but proceeds according to its own nature. While in the liturgical celebration of morning Lauds and evening Vespers, the Our Father is placed at the end of the faithful’s invocations, at the apex of the celebration, here the same prayer is positioned at the foundation of the meditation on the mysteries of salvation, to emphasize that the Father is at the origin of the salvific plan that unfolds throughout the Rosary. “The Our Father, placed almost as a foundation for the Christological-Marian meditation that unfolds through the repetition of the Ave Maria, makes the meditation on the mystery, even when carried out in solitude, an ecclesial experience” (Dei Verbum 32).Rosarium Virginis Mariae 32.) The recitation of the Ave Maria, repeated ten times, makes the Rosary the “prayer par excellence to Mary.” Derived from the words addressed to Mary by the Angel Gabriel and by Elizabeth, the Ave Maria has a strictly biblical character and, therefore, necessarily oriented towards Christ: it is the contemplation of the mystery that takes place in Him. The repetition of the Ave Maria in the Rosary becomes joy, admiration, and recognition of the greatest miracle in history and the fulfillment of Mary’s prophecy: “All generations will call me blessed” (Lk 1:48).When wisely understood and evaluated, one perceives in the Ave Maria that “the Marian character does not oppose the Christological, but sublimates and exalts it” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 33). Furthermore, following a procedure used in the book of Judith, where what comes after is more important than what comes before, Mary’s blessing prepares for Jesus’ blessing, which is the ultimate reason why the Mother is blessed. This is well illustrated by the parallel between the acclaim of Uzziah directed to Judith and that of Elizabeth to Mary: “Blessed art thou among women… blessed be the Lord God who created heaven and earth” (Jdt 13:18). “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Lk 1:42).John Paul II concludes that the Ave Maria is a Marian prayer, but above all a Christological one because its “center” is the name of Jesus. He emphasizes:> “Sometimes, in a hurried recitation, this center escapes, along with the bond to the mystery of Christ that is being contemplated. But it is precisely by emphasizing the name of Jesus and his mystery that a significant and fruitful recitation of the Rosary is distinguished. It expresses with force the Christological faith, applied to the different moments of the Redeemer’s life. It is a profession of faith and, at the same time, an aid to keep meditation alive, allowing one to live the assimilative function inherent in the repetition of the Ave Maria, in relation to the mystery of Christ.”Rosarium Virginis Mariae 33Repeating the name of Jesus is a path of assimilation aimed at drawing us ever deeper into the life of Christ. To emphasize this cristological aspect even more, John Paul II states that it is “a commendable practice, especially in public recitation,” to add to the name of Jesus “a clause evocative of the mystery being meditated upon.” This clause serves to fix the mind on the mystery, preventing the pray-er from becoming distracted.“Glory to the Father,” which concludes each decade of the Hail Mary, is considered the peak of meditation. It develops the Trinitarian formula pronounced by Jesus when sending the disciples into the world: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). John Paul II states:> “The Trinitarian formula is the goal of Christian contemplation. Christ is the way that leads us to the Father in the Spirit. If we follow this way to the end, we continually find ourselves before the mystery of the three divine Persons to praise, to adore, and to give thanks. It is important that the Gloria, the peak of contemplation, be well highlighted in the Rosary. In public recitation, it could be sung […] From Hail to Hail, the Trinitarian glorification in each decade, far from being reduced to a rapid conclusion, takes on its rightful contemplative tone, even causing us to revive, to some extent, the experience of Mount Tabor, a foretaste of future contemplation: ‘It is good for us to be here’ (Luke 9:33).” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 34)The mysteries of light (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, §21): John Paul II 2002 and the biblical foundation for the five new mysteriesBiblical basis for the mysteries of light: references in John 2:1-11, Luke 4:43, Mark 9:2-8, and Matthew 26:26-28.In the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II proposes integrating into meditation the mysteries of Christ’s public life, which he calls “the mysteries of light” because they are moments of luminous revelation of the Kingdom, already present in the very person of Jesus. The Pope identifies five such mysteries:1. Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan. 2. The miracle at Cana in Galilee. 3. The announcement of the Kingdom of God. 4. The Transfiguration. 5. The institution of the Eucharist.In this new series, the biblical-theological character of the Rosary has been enriched in an original way. It is not without significance to consider first the term “mystery”. In common usage, “mystery” means something hidden, to be investigated, not immediately discernible. In past catechesis, “mystery” defined a revealed truth that we cannot comprehend.In biblical usage, and this is what guides us here, mysterion is not something mysterious. A “mystery” is God’s intention or plan, hidden, indeed, in the past but now revealed (cf Rm 11:25-26). The letter of Paul to the Colossians speaks of a “mystery” kept hidden for a long time by God, but now “manifested to His saints” (Col 1:26). Hence, “mystery” is identified with the person of Christ. In summary: it is revelatory.. The mysteries of the Rosary reveal Christ, guiding us to understand Him more deeply. This is what we wish to emphasize, highlighting the biblical character of the “mysteries of light.”The Baptism in the JordanThe passage of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan holds significant importance for all three synoptic gospels, but it gains particular prominence in the Gospel of Mark (Mk 1:9-11), as it marks the beginning of the evangelist’s presentation of Jesus. Mark does not offer a genealogy or accounts of Jesus’ childhood, so the first encounter with Jesus coincides with His visit to the Jordan to be baptized by John.Many gathered to hear the Baptist, who spoke of God’s imminent visit to His people and performed the penitent act of baptism, confessing sins. Among this crowd, a figure stands out: Jesus of Nazareth. He embarks on His “ministry” among sinners and will end His mission crucified between two criminals. “In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (Mk 1:9).By placing Himself among the crowd seeking baptism, Jesus also yearns for God’s visit, invokes forgiveness for Israel, and enters the water, performing the symbolic rite. The Gospel reader is left bewildered by this. The hidden meaning reveals itself when Jesus emerges from the water: the heavens open, the Spirit descends, and a heavenly voice proclaims His love for Him: “You are my beloved Son, in you I am well-pleased” (Mk 1:11).Each of us needs, to live, a love that makes us feel cherished, a recognition that we are “unique” among many. Here, at the Jordan, a voice from God’s heart is heard. It is a manifestation and confirmation of a special relationship already existing between Jesus and the Father. It does not simply state that Jesus is the beloved Son, but that He is beloved in this precise way, that is, in solidarity with His sinful brothers.The Gospel phrase becomes the synthesis of three biblical passages. It evokes, first, the Psalm 2, where God proclaims the power of His Messiah to whom He entrusts the governance of nations, whose sovereignty is affirmed despite grave opposition. The theme of turmoil and death is even more evident in the other biblical reference, the episode of Isaac’s sacrifice, a harsh trial that, according to Judaism, does not concern only Abraham but also his beloved son Isaac. Just as Jesus, Isaac is “beloved, unique Son” (Gen 22:2) and not spared the anguish of violent death (cf. Heb 5:7).The third citation refers to the figure described by Isaiah of the Servant of the Lord, a character imbued with the Spirit and who dies in the service of God’s plan for the salvation of Israel and the whole world.The baptismal encounter with the ineffable paternity of God toward Jesus is, thus, the event of a love that does not exhaust itself in the intimacy between Him and the Father, but seeks to be communicated to every person. “I saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove” (Mk 1:10).The heavens opened presage the veil of the Temple that will be rent at the redemptive death of Jesus, revealing a God who has no more secrets, for His last word is the Crucified (Mk 15:38). The Spirit that descends like a dove recalls the end of the flood and the beginning of a new world, thus, with this Jesus baptized in the Jordan, God’s new creation begins, one that does not die.The miracle at Cana in Galilee“Jesus performed His first sign at Cana in Galilee, manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him” (Jn 2:1-12): thus ends the Johannine narrative of Jesus’ first miracle. For the evangelist, it is the “sign” of divine revelation in Him. The wedding feast that is about to fail for lack of wine represents, first of all, Israel’s hope for liberation, threatened by the denials of history, and second, it is a figure of human life, which begins as a promising feast, but quickly gives way to the harsh, disheartening reality.The fact that Jesus begins with this singular miracle, which concludes the inaugural week of His mission (cf Jn 1:19-2:1), means that the revelation He bears is a new creation and brings humanity an unwavering and complete joy. Cana, therefore, is the presence of Jesus as an epiphany of a new and different God from our expectations. The God that Jesus reveals does not need sacrifices, but lives among humanity to share their joys and concerns.He is the God of the feast, who desires to make humanity participate in His joy: “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you” (Is 62:5). Cana is also the presence of Mary, that is, of a faith that expects the fulfillment of God’s promises and becomes a confident plea, leaving to Him the mode and time of the answer: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Mary is the mother of the people who has this faith, and first and foremost, the disciples of Jesus (Jn 2:11) adhere to it.The Mother of Jesus is the concrete personification of God’s people, who cultivates hope in the promise and faithfully awaits the fulfillment of the Covenant: she exercises her maternal concern, her intercession for these wedding guests. The traditional figure of Mary, as one who continually intercedes for God’s people, has its biblical roots here. Cana is above all the announcement of “the Hour” of Jesus. All of Jesus’ mission is a journey toward the decisive Hour, that of the Cross.There, what is brought to humanity by the new win is vinegar, but there will once again be present the Mother of Jesus, who becomes the mother of the people generated by the cross of the Son. And if He calls her “woman,” it is precisely to point to her as the New Eve, the woman of the new creation. Mary understands Jesus’ response and, in the certainty of the splendor of so much love, that will be revealed in this Hour, she exhorts the servants to obey His command. This is her first and last word in the Gospel of John and her spiritual testament communicated to the disciples of the Son: “Do everything He tells you” (John 2:5).The Announcement of the Kingdom of GodThe third mystery of light invites us to meditate on the first moment of Jesus’ mission, which is summarized in the announcement of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel of Mark synthesizes this moment, introducing Jesus’ activity in Galilee: “After John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God, and saying: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel'” (Mark 1:14-15).Firstly, it is evident that there is a connection between the beginning of Jesus’ mission and John the Baptist’s imprisonment. The biblical text literally reads: “after John was handed over…” This is a biblical way of expressing a mysterious divine intervention in human events. There is, therefore, a divine plan that is fulfilled in John the Baptist’s surrender. God, in His unfathomable will, hands over the righteous John into the hands of the wicked, but even this dramatic “handover” becomes a source of salvation! The powers may imprison the righteous, even eliminate them, but the divine plan for the good of humanity inexorably moves forward.To appreciate what Mark says about Jesus’ preaching, it is good to remember what we know about Jesus up to this point in his Gospel. So far, we have heard two fundamental things about Jesus: at His Baptism in the Jordan, God proclaims Him His beloved Son, and during the subsequent period of trial, that is, the temptations, Jesus remains completely faithful to His identity as the Son. For the Pharisees and Essenes, the coming of the Kingdom depended on their efforts. They believed that it would only come when they had fulfilled their part, that is, observed the whole law. Jesus says the opposite: “The Kingdom has come,” it is already there, among them, regardless of the effort made. When Jesus says: “The Kingdom has come,” He is not saying that it is about to come at that moment, but that it is already present. What everyone was expecting was already present among the people, and they did not know, nor did they realize it (cf. Luke 17:21). Jesus reveals and proclaims to the poor of His land this hidden presence of the Kingdom among the people.To welcome the Kingdom of God present in the world, no superhuman efforts, high moral and religious qualities are required, but a simple decision accessible to all: to believe and convert.Believe: Jesus does not merely ask for belief in His words, but trust in Him with faith, recognizing the announcement of the coming of the Kingdom as truly “good” news for life. The assent of faith is realized by giving a new shape to being and action: this is precisely the “conversion”, the other condition demanded by Jesus for the reception of the Kingdom.The TransfigurationThe Transfiguration is the mystery of light par excellence (Mk 9:2-10). In it, the glory of the Father radiates upon Jesus’ face, while the divine voice confirms him, before the chosen witnesses, as the Beloved Son. The early Christian community would refer to the Transfiguration as a kind of synthesis of Jesus’ public ministry (cf 2 Pet 1:16-19). The Gospel of Mark uses texts from the Old Testament to describe the scene of the Transfiguration.The evangelist situates the event at the beginning of the journey to Jerusalem (Mk 9:2-10) and relates it to a precise escort of Jesus: “He took with him Peter, James, and John and led them up a mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them” (v. 2). “To ascend a mountain” in biblical language is to open one’s heart to the love of that God who on Mount Sinai established the Covenant with his people. In this horizon of faith in the Alliance, the experience of the three disciples with Jesus on the mountain makes sense. In the solitude of the mountain, they see Jesus transfigured, enveloped in a dazzling light. Along with him appear the two greatest authorities of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah: the first represents the law, the other prophecy.The prophet Malachias had announced that Elijah should return to prepare the way for the Messiah (Ml 3:23-24). The same announcement is found in the Book of Ecclesiasticus (Eclo 48:10). So how can Jesus be the Messiah if Elijah has not yet returned? This is the question of the disciples: “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” (Mt 9:11). Jesus’ response is clear: “Elijah has already come, and they have done to him whatever they wanted, as is written about him” (Mt 9:13). Jesus is referring to John the Baptist, assassinated by Herod (Mt 17:13).That Jesus, who is on his way to a death destination and whose appearance will be disfigured by painful passion, suddenly reveals his most secret identity. This is what is granted to the three disciples to intuit for a few moments. Peter’s request to build three tents and thus prolong the spiritual experience of the mountain offers a valuable insight: we must keep the truth about ourselves and God, who in certain moments of listening, of retreat, shone in our hearts, within our daily routine, in the weariness of everyday life.To preserve the memory of the Transfiguration should give the three “privileged” disciples the strength to remain close to Jesus in the most difficult moments, like in Gethsemane. On the mountain, Peter, James, and John are called to discover the meaning of all discipleship as obeying God, listening to Jesus’ Word as his beloved Son, and following him until they conform to the unattainable beauty that shines in his disfigured and transfigured face, the Son of God. Mount Tabor is for the Christian, not so much the place of discovering God through contemplation of nature’s beauty, but the mountain of revelation to which access is only through faith, which becomes prayer and obedience. It is the mountain of the invitation to know how to see God’s plan over history, manifested in Christ, and persevere on that altar of faith.The Institution of the EucharistThe fifth mystery of light is dedicated to the contemplation of the institution of the Eucharist. The biblical texts that speak explicitly about it are the Synoptic Gospels and 1 Cor 10-11. The words of the institution in Mark and Matthew probably reached us through the mediation of the Liturgy of the Church of Jerusalem, while in Luke and Paul, they are mediated by the Liturgy of the community of Antioch.

Mark’s concern is to connect this farewell meal to the Jewish Passover (Mc 14,12-25): in verse 14, he explicitly speaks of a Passover banquet. This means, in his chronology, Jesus dies during the Passover festival. At this point, Mark is followed by Matthew and Luke. The Fourth Gospel affirms with equal clarity that Jesus dies on the eve of Passover (Jo 18,28). In fact, it seems that the Last Supper was a solemn farewell meal, not a traditional Passover meal.

This was the apex of a series of meals shared by Jesus with his disciples. Jesus follows the practice of a Jewish family feast, breaking bread and distributing the pieces. He “took the bread“, “blessed it“, “broke it” and “gave it”: the same gestures and words in both accounts where Jesus feeds the crowds (Mc 6,41.8,6). Undoubtedly, the correspondence is intentional. At that time, the disciples “did not understand the meaning of the bread” (Mc 6,52). Now the mystery is revealed. Jesus is “the sole bread” (Mc 8,14) for Jews and Gentiles, his body is given and his blood is shed for all.

Paul and Luke (1 Cor 11,24-25. Lk 22,19) add the commandment to do in remembrance of what Jesus did that night. The commandment is directed not to individuals, but to the community of disciples, as celebrating the Eucharist is the high point of the community’s encounter and the source of ecclesial life. The Church is aware that the celebration of the Eucharist, seen as the place of sacramental appropriation of Christ’s death and resurrection, constitutes the Church in its essence as “Body of Christ” (1 Cor 10,17) and as a community of the time of salvation called by their Lord as a sign of hope in the world.

Of the five mysteries, only this last one does not, at first glance, seem a luminous event. The Eucharist appears as a mystery of concealment and of kenosis of Christ’s presence under the sacramental signs of bread and wine. But when one considers that the Eucharist announces the death and resurrection of the Lord, it is possible to see, under the simplicity of the sign, the glory of the pascal mystery, with all its burden of grace, love, and hope.

We can truly conclude that the Rosary leaves behind a luminous trail of Gospel, guiding countless multitudes to Jesus Christ and to the holy and adorable Trinity.

Deepen your studies: explore Mariology Theology of MaryMarian apparitions and the Post-Graduate Program in Mariology.Regarding the Rosary and its biblical and mariological foundations, consult the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus by Pope Paul VI.