The Sorrowful Mysteries

Prayed on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays during Lent

These mysteries recall the Lord’s Passion and Death and are decidedly marked by a tone of Sorrow- sorrow for what was done to Jesus, and sorrow for our sins. In them, Jesus prays earnestly to the Father to surrender his will and undergo the Crucifixion, where he is scourged, mocked and crowned, forced to carry his own cross, and crucified.

1^st Mystery: The Agony in the Garden

OF: The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward. (Is 50:5)

1. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” (Mt 26:36)

2. And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.” (Mk 14:33-34)

3. And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.” (Lk 22:41-42)

4. And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?”(Mt 26:40)

5. “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:41)

6. Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” (Mt 26:42)

7. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. (Lk 22:44)

8. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer him. (Mk 14:40)

9. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. (Mt 26:44)

10. And he came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come; the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Mk 14:41-42)

2^nd Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

OF: Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. (Wis 2:20)

1. Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. (Jn 19:1)

2. As many were astonished at him- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men… (Is 52:14)

3. Who has believed what we have heard?And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Is 53:1)

4. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and an acquainted with grief… he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is 53:3)

5. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. (Is 53:4)

6. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. (Is 53:5)

7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Is 53:7)

8. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall be see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Is 53:10)

9. He shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. (Is 53:11)

10. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great… because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Is 53:12)

3rd Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

OF: I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Is 50:6)

1. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. (Mt 27:27)

2. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. (Mt 27:28-29a)

3. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. (Jn 19:3)

4. And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. (Mt 27:30)

5. Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” (Jn 19:4)

6. So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” (Jn 19:5)

7. When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” (Jn 19:6a)

8. When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab'batha. (Jn 19:13)

9. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” (Jn 19:14b-15

10. Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. They stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Jn 19:16, Mt 27:31)

4th Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

OF: Guided by your hand, you left to the world the seed of a new generation. For blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes. (Wis 14:7)

1. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Pet 2:24)

2. And Jesus said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)

3. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol'gotha. (Jn 19:17)

4. Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. (Lk 23:32)

5. As they were marching out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross. (Mt 27:32)

6. And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. (Lk 23:27)

7. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. (Lk 23:28)

8. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!’ (Lk 23:29)

9. Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ (Lk 23:30)

10. For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Lk 23:31)

5th Mystery: The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ

OF: I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots. (Ps 22:14, 16b-18)

1. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. (Jn 19:18)

2. And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it. (Mk 15:23)

3. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Mt 27:39-40)

4. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Lk 23:34)

5. And one of the criminals said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:42-43)

6. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple too her to his own home. (Jn 19:26-27)

7. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46)

8. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said, “I thirst.” A bowl of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. (Jn 19:28-29)

9. “When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (Jn 19:30)

10. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Lk 23:46)