📿 Pray the Rosary • December 29, 2025 • Joyful Mysteries

Monday – Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas On this fifth day of the Christmas Octave, we pray the Joyful Mysteries. These mysteries the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation, and Finding of Jesus in the Temple invite us to meditate on the profound joy of the Incarnation and the hidden, humble beginnings of our Savior's life on earth. 📖 Gospel (Luke 2:22–35) According to the Lectionary for December 29, 2025: “When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,’ and to offer the sacrifice of ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in his regard, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: ‘Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.’ The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’” 🙏 Reflection: Today's Gospel perfectly aligns with the Fourth Joyful Mystery: the Presentation of the Lord. We witness the quiet obedience of Mary and Joseph as they fulfill the law, presenting the source of all law to the Temple. Simeon’s joy-filled prayer reveals Jesus as the long-awaited salvation for all nations. Yet, amid this joy, his prophecy to Mary introduces a note of future sorrow, reminding us that Christ's life, and ours, intertwines joy and sacrifice. The Joyful Mysteries teach us to find God in the humble, ordinary moments and to hold onto joy even when shadows of the cross appear on the horizon. 🙏 If today’s Rosary helped you find joy in obedience to God and ponder the light Christ brings to the world, please like, share, and leave your prayer intentions or simply write “Amen” in the comments below.