📿 Pray the Rosary • January 2, 2026 • Sorrowful Mysteries

Friday – Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen On this Friday, we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries, remembering Christ's Passion and death. Today the Church also honors two great friends and defenders of the faith, Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen. They were brilliant theologians who endured great trials and opposition to defend the truth of Christ's divinity. The Sorrowful Mysteries remind us of the price of our salvation and call us to unite our own sufferings with those of Jesus. 📖 Gospel (John 1:19-28) According to the Lectionary for January 2, 2026: “This is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, ‘I am not the Christ.’ So they asked him, ‘What are you then? Are you Elijah?’ And he said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?’ He said: ‘I am “the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as Isaiah the prophet said.’” 🙏 Reflection: John the Baptist’s profound humility points us directly to Jesus. He diminishes himself so that Christ may be known. In the same way, Saints Basil and Gregory dedicated their lives to pointing others to the truth of Christ, often at great personal cost. The Sorrowful Mysteries the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion show us the ultimate example of this self-emptying love. As we pray today, let us ask for the grace to imitate the humility of John the Baptist and the courage of Saints Basil and Gregory, always pointing others to Jesus, the source of our hope and salvation. 🙏 If today's Rosary has inspired you to bear witness to Christ in your own life, please like, share, and leave your prayer intentions or simply write “Amen” in the comments below.