Living Out the Joyful Mysteries
On a recent evening walk, I was praying through the joyful mysteries. Oftentimes I have the privilege of sitting with each story in my mind and getting to be present there. However, sometimes the Holy Spirit has other thoughts on the mysteries. Letting the Lord lead me through the story, He points out new things I didn’t see before and new applications for life. This time I experienced an eye opening revelation of His desire for moms to live out these mysteries. Not only in the literal sense of conceiving, bearing, and raising children, but in how we can better evangelize one another so that we can experience the breakthrough the Lord has for each of us. There is a spiritual process the Lord is inviting us into in order to bring about the Kingdom in a feasible way while in the throes of raising kids. Walking with each of these mysteries one by one, we will see a path the Lord has left us for sharing the good news with our friends and family no matter where they’re at.
The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
This mystery follows the apparition of Gabriel the Archangel to Mary announcing that God has called her to be the Mother of the Savior. She responds, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word.” She receives the Holy Spirit and conceives Jesus. In a similar way, the Lord comes to us in all parts of our days, inviting us to come deeper into relationship with Him. He sends messages, consolations, challenges, and deep compassion for each of us. Within our gifts, He empowers us to take our unique message to those around us. Each is equipped within the calling on their life to bring Jesus to others. Whether through a life of private, contemplative prayer or through worldwide evangelization God has placed us in this time and place to bring Jesus to the world too. We have been given the Holy Spirit through whose inspiration we invite new life and new ministries to spring forth from our womb.
The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Here we reflect on the time Mary spends with her cousin Elizabeth in preparation for the birth of John the Baptist after the Annunciation. How quick are we to run and share the good news of motherhood and ministry with those we love? How many of us even realize that a result of intimacy with the Lord is a tangible reality of Him in our own lives and hearts? Elizabeth recognized in Mary that her countenance had changed. Not only did she respond to Mary’s tangible intimacy with God, but so did the child in her womb. When we walk with the Lord in true relationship, others begin to recognize the Lord’s presence within us. This brings fruits of encouragement, ministry, and powerful encounters with God. Jesus begins to visit others bringing about His work in new places when we come together in community to share God’s movement in our lives.
The Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
The birth of Jesus was a supernatural event. The Son of God, fully human and fully divine came down from Heaven to become a baby. A baby that would one day redeem the world. This mystery is not only impactful on a practical level, but it brings volumes of encouragement to those of us who feel called to greatness while deeply feeling its elusiveness. He reminds us that no matter how humble our beginnings, He will do all that He plans to with our individual missions. Through motherhood we begin to re-orient ourselves to Him through the sanctifying labor of raising children. He then helps us give birth to the calling within our calls. Through proper discernment we come to see the new life we are bringing into the world spiritually.
The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation of Jesus
As we begin to present our newfound gifts to the world, we find ourselves faced with hearts that will be pierced with sorrow. As prophesied by Simeon, Mary found herself faced with a new understanding of her calling. We too in our daily life are pierced by swords. We will find rejection, obstacles, and people who stand against us in all areas of our lives. We can take heart knowing that God has foreseen all of it and has given us the tools we need so that we can grow spiritually in the resistance we experience. In fact, this resistance serves to draw us closer to the Lord. As we learn to lay down our lives for those we love, we find God supporting us in our weakness and giving us strength to carry on. Beyond the resistance is breakthrough into new areas of wisdom, understanding, and virtue.
The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
The last Joyful mystery recounts the time that the Holy Family traveled to Jerusalem and unintentionally left Jesus behind. After searching for three days they found Him teaching in the temple. He had gone to His Father’s house to do His will. We fall often, but this story reminds us that we can always be found in our Father’s house. We can always be found hidden in the Heart of Christ. As we minister first to our domestic church and then outward into other spaces, we will all struggle. We will not get everything perfectly, but as long as we always retreat back to the Temple in order to be transformed by our relationship with God, we will be found right where we belong. Doing what we can to bring the Kingdom earthside through the heart of motherhood.
These mysteries invite us to allow God to engage us in new ways, to go deeper into His love for us. When we are open and receptive to the new life He yearns to give us (physically and spiritually), He is manifested in our physical space. We are to bring the Good News to those we are asked to. As we allow God to radiate through us, He can do His work simply through our friendships and connections with one another. These testimonies challenge us to grow in community, giving birth to new ideas, gifts, or ministries. We find at the heart of each encounter, our Heavenly Father. The idea that we have a call within our calling to motherhood is exhilarating to some and overwhelming to others. However, we have been placed here in this time for a reason. God is calling a new generation of mothers to see beyond the ordinary; to embrace new levels of compassion and humble obedience. He is waiting for us to radically surrender so that He can show us new leves of intimacy. He is drawing us closer to His heart so that we can be transformed while giving others hope in the testimony we share.
