Easter Didn't Begin With A Rabbit
Join me as I explain the Mysteries and Easter. If you don't know, I'll teach you. Grab a Bible and follow along. I've lived my life hearing these universal stories. Perhaps you have too.
All over the world, people pay attention to certain holidays on account of candy. I favored baskets full of solid white chocolate eggs and chocolate rabbits with long ears for Easter. Colorful jelly beans atop green dyed shredded coconut on cupcakes and creme filled Cadbury eggs rounded out the sweetness.
Truth is Easter has nothing to do with candy. It has everything to do about Jesus’s resurrection after 3 days in Hell. Yes, Jesus was in hell, probably not capitalized but I was surprised the first time I learned read Jesus being in h-e- double toothpicks.
When I was a child, mommy made sure I had a nice dress, shoes and a hat for every Easter service at our Presbyterian Church or sunrise services at the Hollywood Bowl or elsewhere in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Those Easter stories came alive when I started to pray the Rosary around 2021.
Today I’d like to explain the basics of the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Bible. This is why Christians around the world follow Jesus Christ. There’s also the whole metaphysical aspect I can expand upon if requested.
The Holy Rosary is a many layered thing. Basically each bead (and a gap) on the above rosary has a prayer(s) associated with it. [These are detailed in a different newsletter. Tentatively titled, “The First Hail Mary Had Nothing To Do With Football.”] The Glorious Mysteries are prayed every Sunday and Wednesdays.
The Glorious Mysteries and the holy Rosary below.
Glorious Mysteries:
The Resurrection of Christ
Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven
The Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and the Apostles
The Assumption of Mary
The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
The Glorious Mysteries form five parts. Each of the five parts are divided into one decade or 10 Hail Mary beads. Each of the ten beads are meditations on the following 10 parts of each of the 5 mysteries.
Truth is each of the 10 beads’ stories begets another set of stories. All of these stories are documented in The Holy Bible and are layered throughout many cultures in many ways.
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Christ
Fruit of the Mystery: Faith
Jesus’s body is placed in a cave on Good Friday.
His soul descends to hell for 3 days.
Guards stand outside Jesus’s grave.
On the 3rd day, Jesus rose from the dead.
The ground shakes as the stone is rolled from Jesus’s empty tomb.
The holy women find the tomb opened and are frightened.
An angel comes to announce, “He is not here. He has risen as He said.”
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen and Peter on the way to Emmaus.
“Peace be unto you…do not be afraid,” Jesus said to his Apostles.
Jesus breathes on them, giving them the power to forgive sin.
2nd Glorious Mystery: Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven
Fruit of the Mystery: Hope
For 40 days Jesus proves he’s truly risen from the dead by staying on Earth.
He commissions the apostles to preach the gospel
He will not leave them orphans so He sends the Holy Spirit to enlighten and strengthen them.
Jesus, his apostles, disciples and His Mother proceed to Mt. Olivet.
Blessing all by extending his pierced hands over all in a last blessing, He ascends into heaven.
A cloud envelops Him.
Jesus ascends and sits at the right hand of the Father.
Jubilation in heaven at the triumphant entry of Jesus.
His wounds are an endless plea before the Father on our behalf.
The disciples leave Mt. Olivet and ‘return to Jerusalem with great joy.’
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and the Apostles
Fruit of the Mystery: Love of God
The apostles are gathered in the room of the Last Supper.
They are praying with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
The rushing sound of wind from heaven fills the house.
The Holy Spirit descends on each of them in the form of tongues of fire.
Filled with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, they are enlightened and spread the Gospel.
Having lost fear of the Jewish leaders, the apostles boldly preach Christ crucified and risen for our sins.
The public multitudes are confused because every man hears them speak in his own tongue.
The Holy Spirit comes upon the infant Church never to leave it.
Peter preaches and baptizes 3 thousand.
The feast of the Pentecost is the birthday of the Church as that is the day it began to grow.
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary
Fruit of the Mystery: Grace of a Happy Death
The Blessed Mother goes to live with John, the beloved disciple.
Mary lives many years after the death of Christ.
She is a source of comfort, consolation and strength the the apostles.
As she nourished the infant Jesus, Mary spiritually nourishes the infant Church.
Mary dies, not of bodily infirmity, but is overcome in a rapture of divine love.
Her body and soul is taken up to heaven.
The apostles find only fragrant lilies growing in Mary’s tomb.
Jesus doesn’t permit the sinless body of our Blessed Mother’s body to decay in the tomb.
Mary is exempted from corruption of the body as she is exempt from original sin.
Bodies of all mankind, at the last judgment, will be brought back and united again to the soul.
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in Mary’s Intercession
The entire court of heaven greets the arrival of Mary.
She is crowned by her divine Son as Queen of heaven and earth.
Mother and Son rejoice and overflow love at this reunion.
Only in heaven will we know the great majesty of the occasion and of the joy it gave the angels and saints.
All angels along with humans, hail Mary as their Queen.
Mary as mother to Christ shared so fully in His suffering that she shares in the glory of Christ.
Only in heaven will we know how central is the role of Mary in the divine plan of redemption.
The angels and saints longed for the coming of her whose heel crushes the head of the serpent.
She is a powerful Queen and most merciful and loving Mother.
A great sign appeared in heaven; a lady covered with the sun, moon under her feet, and 12 stars in her crown.
If you didn’t know, now you do. If you have another version, please share it!
Remember it’s the exercise of meditating upon virtuous stories of our shared beliefs that creates the practice that becomes peace and all that radiates from that vibration.
Look towards complete compassion and release that which no longer serves you.
May you be blessed with all of your needs met, with grace and ease and all that is good,
Happy Easter or as a friend just said to me, “Happy Resurrection Day Carole!”
He is risen indeed!
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Thanks for the education—a lot to take in on the Rosary. 😊
Re/your early question, I personally capitalize Hell because IMHO it's a proper noun unless it's used in phrase like "That's a hell of a mess." However, in current English, it's considered a common noun which makes no sense because why shouldn't it be like its opposite which can be Heaven or heaven? As a longtime author, I don't mind being an outlier on this style question. :-)