1. Meditations on the Annuncation
Recommendation: Please read the contents of one
of the 20 mysteries meditations before you start your
prayer with the video. Some of these presentations
(e.g. The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion)
contains over 60 slides. With so much spiritual food
that it is best to read and contemplate on a few of
the slides each time.
We welcome biblical scholars, theologians,
lecturers and professors of theological institutions
and seminaries and lay people around the world to
contribute precious pictures and words (three
classes of words as indicated below) to accompany
specific scenes in the Rosary in Visual Art. You can
contribute through the BLOG on our website.
2. First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation
and when the angel had come to her,
he said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is
with thee. Blessed art thou among
women.”
Fruit of the Mystery: Humility
3. 1. “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
“Do you know why God did this? Because I had
believed in Him and because I had humbled myself.”
---The blessed Virgin spoke to St. Elizabeth of Schoenau.
Leonardo Da Vinci. 1452-1519. The Annunciation. Uffizi. Florence. Italy
4. 1A. “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
“Honour the angels. Pray to them often, live always
with them, and accept their guidance.” (Gobbi)
Leonardo Da Vinci. 1452-1519. The Annunciation. Uffizi. Florence. Italy
5. According to John Paul, the Mother of the Redeemer, has
a precise place in the plan of salvation:
The Church teaches that Mary appeared on the horizon of
salvation history before Christ.[97]
If the greeting and the name "full of grace" say all this, in the
context of the angel's announcement they refer first of all to the
election of Mary as Mother of the Son of God. But at the same
time the "fullness of grace" indicates all the supernatural
munificence from which Mary benefits by being chosen and
destined to be the Mother of Christ. If this election is
fundamental for the accomplishment of God's salvific designs
for humanity, and if the eternal choice in Christ and the
vocation to the dignity of adopted children is the destiny of
everyone, then the election of Mary is wholly exceptional and
unique. Hence also the singularity and uniqueness of her place
in the mystery of Christ.[98]
It is precisely in this ecclesial journey or pilgrimage through
space and time, and even more through the history of souls,
that Mary is present, as the one who is "blessed because she
believed", as the one who advanced on the pilgrimage of faith,
sharing unlike any other creature in the mystery of Christ.[99]
6. 2.
The blessed
virgin is often
depicted as
fetching water
with a pitcher, as
she prepares
herself to be the
“container” of
Jesus.
Water plays a
powerful symbolic
role. Jesus said
“Those who drink
the living waters
will never suffer
spiritual thirst.”
Twelve century mosaic, Basilica of San Marco. Venice.
7. 3.** Trust in Mary
The Church has great
The archangel holds a lily trust in her. For it must
which signifies Mary’s
virginity. be recognized that
before anyone else it
was God himself, the
Eternal Father who
entrusted himself to
the Virgin of Nazareth,
giving her His own Son
The Madonna bows her in the mystery of the
head and places a hand
on her chest, a gesture of
Incarnation.
submission. (Pope John Paul II)
Master of St. Verdiana, The Annunciation, 1410. Paul Getty Museum. Los Angeles.
8. 3A. Trust in Mary “From my childhood. I
offered myself completely
to the Lord, putting myself
The archangel holds a lily as a slave at his service.
which signifies Mary’s My life was formed in
virginity.
detachment from all
creatures.
You too should learn
always to say yes to
whatever the Lord now
asks of you through the
The Madonna bows her
voice that comes to you
head and places a hand from the Immaculate
on her chest, a gesture of
submission.
Heart of your heavenly
Mother.” (Gobbi)
Master of St. Verdiana, The Annunciation, 1410. Paul Getty Museum. Los Angeles.
9. 3B. Gate of Heaven “I am the Gate of Heaven
through which Jesus passes
to come to you. I am the
Gate which opens upon your
salvation. My Son Jesus has
constituted me true Mother
of all humanity. In my
maternal estate, Jesus
communicates to you with
his grace.
I am the Gate which opens
upon the new era. I am
called to be the Mother of
the Second Advent.” (Gobbi)
Master of St. Verdiana, The Annunciation, 1410. Paul Getty Museum. Los Angeles.
11. 4.*** Seek the will of God
“Happy is the soul, to
which the Most High
manifests his holy and
perfect will; but more
happy and blessed is
he, who puts into
execution, what he
has learned.”
(Mary of Agreda)
Francesco Alberni. Annunciation..
Hermitage museum. St. Petersburg.
12. 4A. Seek the will of God My children, be always
“
open to seek the will of God
in your life. God’s will
always contain suffering
but God’s will also bring
peace and joy.
Place yourself at God’s
disposal and He will do
great things for you.”
“The divine will is that you
become holy. I help you to
walk along the road of
holiness.” (Gobbi)
13. Words of the Queen on Seeking and doing the will of God.
“My dearest daughter, many times I have confided and
manifested to thee the love burning within my bosom: for I
wish that it should be ardently re-enkindled within thy
own, and that thou profit from the instruction, which I
give thee. Happy is the soul, to which the Most High
manifests his holy and perfect will; but more happy and
blessed is he, who puts into execution, what he has
learned. In many ways God shows to mortals the highways
and pathways of eternal life: by the Gospels, by the
Sacraments and laws of the holy Church, by the writings
and examples of the saints, and by the obedience due to
the guidances of its ministers, of whom his Majesty said :
"Whoever hears you, hears Me;" for obeying them is the
same as obeying the Lord himself. Whenever by any of
these means thou hast come to the knowledge of the will of
God, I desire thee to assume the wings of humility and
obedience, and, as if in ethereal flight or like the quickest
sunbeam, hasten to execute it and thereby fulfill the divine
14. Besides these means of instruction, the Most High has still
others in order to direct the soul; namely, He intimates his
perfect will to them in a supernatural manner, and reveals
to them many sacraments. This kind of instruction is of
many and different degrees; not all of them are common
or ordinary to all souls; for the Lord dispenses his light in
measure and weight (Wis. 11, 21). Sometimes He speaks to
the heart and the interior feelings in commands; at others,
in correction, advising or instructing: sometimes He
moves the heart to ask Him; at other times He proposes
clearly what He desires, in order that the soul may be
moved to fulfill it; again He manifests, as in a clear
mirror, great mysteries, in order that they may be seen and
recognized by the intellect and loved by the will. But this
great and infinite God is always sweet in commanding,
powerful in giving the necessary help for obedience, just
in his commands, quick in disposing circumstances so that
He can be obeyed, notwithstanding all the impediments
which hinder the fulfillment of his most holy will.
15. In receiving this divine light, my daughter. I wish to see thee very
attentive, and very quick and diligent in following it up in deed. In
order to hear this most delicate and spiritual voice of the Lord it is
necessary, that the faculties of the soul be purged from earthly
grossness and that the creature live entirely according to the spirit;
for the animal man does not perceive the elevated things of the
Divinity (I Cor. 2, 14). Be attentive then to his secrets (Is. 34, 16)
and forget all that is of the outside; listen, my daughter, and incline
thy ear; free thyself from all visible things (Ps. 44, 11). And in order
that thou mayest be diligent, cultivate love; for love is a fire, which
does not have its effect until the material is prepared; therefore let
thy heart always be disposed and prepared. Whenever the Most High
bids thee or communicates to thee anything for the welfare of souls,
or especially for their eternal salvation, devote thyself to it entirely;
for they are bought at the inestimable price of the blood of the Lamb
and of divine love. Do not allow thyself to be hindered in this matter
by thy own lowliness and bashfulness; but overcome the fear which
restrains thee, for if thou thyself art of small value and usefulness,
the Most High is rich (I Pet. 1, 18), powerful, great, and by Himself
performs all things (Rom. 10, 12). Thy promptness and affection
will not go without its reward, although I wish thee rather to be
moved entirely by the pleasure of thy Lord. (Mary of Agreda. The
Mystical city of God)
17. 5.**** Hear the word of God
“The will of God is your
sanctification.
Let the word of God be
your daily food.
Savour all the beauty in
the Gospel of my son
Jesus.” (Gobbi)
Rubens, The Annunciation, Rubens House. Antwerp
18. 5A. Hear the word of God
“The will of God is your
sanctification. The will of God is
that in your lives, you walk along
the road of an ever more perfect
knowledge of Him. Let the word
of God be your daily food. Savour
all the beauty in the Gospel of my
son Jesus.
Through the wisdom which I am
giving you, I am leading you to
understand more profoundly the
secret of Holy Scripture. Jesus
must be much more loved,
listened to, and followed by you.”
Rubens, The Annunciation, Rubens House. Antwerp (Gobbi)
19. 5B. Hear the word of God
“I wish to see thee very attentive,
and very quick and diligent in
following it up in deed. In order to
hear this most delicate and
spiritual voice of the Lord it is
necessary, that the faculties of the
soul be purged from earthly
grossness and that the creature
live entirely according to the
spirit. Be attentive then to his
secrets (Is. 34, 16) and forget all
that is of the outside; listen, my
daughter, and incline thy ear; free
thyself from all visible things.”
Rubens, The Annunciation, Rubens House. Antwerp
(Mary of Agreda)
20. 5C. Hear the word of God
What blind faith this act
called for! What generosity of
heart and spirit Mary had!
While we meditate on this
event, let us ask and pray for
a similar generosity.
We too, must hear the
word of God coming to us
each day and we must accept
it and live it as Mary did.
Rubens, The Annunciation, Rubens House. Antwerp
21. 5D. Hear the wordOnly God of Catholics read
of a minorìty
the Bible regularly. The lack of
Scriptural formation is an area in
need of revitalization. Reading and
living the words of the Scripture
are fundamental to the faith life of
Christians. Without that, the
Church`s great works in the
modern age, which includes
evangelization and ecumenism,
are bound to stall. The people of
God (The Church ) is the living
subject of the Scripture. What is
important is to read the Bible
regularly, to let it keep us company
and guide us. (Pope Benedict XVI)
Rubens, The Annunciation, Rubens House. Antwerp
23. 6.*** Say “Yes” to God
“In many ways God shows
to mortals the highways
and pathways of eternal
life: by the Gospels, by the
Sacraments and laws of the
holy Church, by the
writings and examples of
the saints, and by the
obedience due its ministers.
Whenever by any of these
means thou hast come to
the knowledge of the will
of God, I desire thee to
assume the wings of
humility and obedience,
and, hasten to execute it.”
(Mary of Agreda)
24. 6.*** Say “Yes” to God
“I am your true Mother.
The first thing that I ask
of you is your
unconditional ‘yes’ to
entrust to me.”
“Say it with me, this
‘yes’ of yours to the will
of the Father.”
(Gobbi)
25. 6A. Say “Yes” to God
“My ‘yes’ blossomed in my
soul as a fruit of much
silence. My yes blossomed
from my heart as the fruit
of much prayer. My yes
was also a complete assent
to suffer.” (Gobbi)
Help us to say “yes” to
God. May I never forget
your lesson of prompt
availability to our Father’s
will.
26. 6B. Say “Yes” to God
“Say it with me, my beloved
sons, this ‘yes’ of yours to
the will of the Father. Your
‘yes’ has enable me to add
strength to my maternal
intercession on your
behalf.”
There is another thing I
ask of you: the gift of your
very lives. Thus my own life
will increase in you and
you will spread my light all
about you.” (Gobbi)
27. 6C. Say “Yes” to God
“You are also called to repeat
it now that the designs of the
Father for you may be
fulfilled. This yes must come to
blossom in you as the fruit of
much silence. You do this by
your prayer, which brings you
to communicate with God. You
are able to become, today, the
very voice of God, his word
lived out.
Pronounce with me your yes to
the cross, because for you the
hours of the passion and of
Calvary have come.” (Gobbi)
28. Words of the Queen on
My duty as Mother
Your Plan of life: Sanctity
29. 7. Mother of Jesus and yours
“I will form you in a very
particular and personal way.
I will lead you to sanctity.”
“I am training all my
children to observe the Ten
Commandments, to live the
Gospel to the letter, to make
frequent use of the
sacraments, to practice the
virtues vigorously, to walk
always along the path of
goodness, of love, of purity
and of holiness.” (Gobbi)
Vasari, The Annunciation.
30. Words of the Queen on----- My Duty as Your Mother
“I am the Mother of God because I was chosen to bring
God to men. I am therefore the true Mother of Jesus and
your true Mother as well.
The first thing that I ask of you is your unconditional ‘yes’,
to entrust to me with the greatest confidence and most
complete abandonment.”
“It is my duty as Mother to form you in a very particular
and personal way, to make each one of you just what my
Son Jesus desires you to be. Your life will be transformed by
Me as gently and firmly I lead you to sanctity.”
“I became truly the Mother of Jesus and your true
Mother. Because I am truly your Mother, Jesus has
entrusted to me the mission of begetting you constantly into
his likeness, by leading you along the road of love, grace,
prayer, penance and your interior conversion.”
31. • “At the same instant in which the Word became
incarnate in my virginal womb, there spring into
being the real and practical possibility that each of
you might become true sons of God and brother of
Jesus. At that very moment of the Incarnation, I
became for all of you a true Mother in the
supernatural order, Mother of your divine life.”
(Gobbi)
32. Words of the Queen on Your plan of life---Sanctity
• “On the plan for the life of each one of you it is written:
‘Behold, I come to do your will, O Lord.’ Your heavenly
Mother wants to help you fulfill well the divine will. This
is the will of God: your sanctification! By the gift of
your sanctity, you place on the altar of the Lord a
powerful force of intercession and reparation. For how
many evils, how many sins reparation is offered each day
on the part of my beloved sons.
“Many new buds of life and salvation are sprouting. These
are the lives of all those children whom I lead, each day,
along the road to sanctity. Let your YES to the will of the
Father be realized in your daily effort to shun and to free
yourselves from sin, to live in grace and in the fullness of
love, in the intimacy of prayer and of life with Jesus.
Yes, Father, your will alone be done.”
33. “The will of God is carried out through you only
by your following, with love and complete trust, my
Son Jesus. Jesus must be much more loved,
listened to and followed by you.
When discouragement takes hold of you the bond
with Him which is established in prayer and
especially in the Eucharist will give you strength
and infuse you with new energy for good. Then
you too will carry out the divine will, which is that
of living to know, love and serve the Father, in a
profound intimacy of life with the Son.” (Gobbi)
36. 8. The Holy Spirit will come upon thee
The Rosary is genuine “training in holiness” in the “School of Mary”. She
teaches by obtaining for us the gifts of the Holy Spirit.---Pope John Paul II
“I teach you
how to live; I
form you in a
practical way
to live with me.
Live in daily
communion of
life and of love
with me.”
(Gobbi)
Nicolas Poussin 1657. National Gallery. London.
37. 9. “Let it be to me….”
Mary’s words “Let it be to
me” indicates not a
passive acceptance but an
active embracing and a
desire for God’s will in her
life. His plan for our lives is
always the best for us, and
corresponds to our heart’s
deepest longings.
Mary’s “Yes” serves as a
model of faith for all
believers. (Pope John Paul II)
Orazio Gentileschi. Annunciation
1623. Turin Galleria Sabanda.
38. 9A.* Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
“Beloved children, say
your Yes to the will of
the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Announce the Gospel
of Jesus to the letter.
Live it to the letter.”
(Gobbi)
Orazio Gentileschi. Annunciation
1623. Turin Galleria Sabanda.
39. 9B. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
“Beloved children, say your yes
to the will of the Father; your
yes to the Gospel of the Son;
your yes to the love of the Holy
Spirit.
Give your full ascent to all that
is said in the Gospel of Jesus.
Announce it to the letter, live it
to the letter.
Say it with me, my beloved
sons, this yes of yours to the
will of the Father. Your yes
and your complete availability
Orazio Gentileschi. Annunciation
will allow your Mother to act.”
1623. Turin Galleria Sabanda. (Gobbi)
40. 9. As obedient
servant
Mary, in your humility
you saw yourself as
the servant of the
Lord, willing to do
whatever He asked of
you, no matter how
strange or frightening
His request.
Pray for us that we
may take your
example to heart and
follow you in your
42. 10.** An angel appear to St. Joseph in a
dream “I invite you to strengthen
your bonds with your
guardian angels. They
have the tasks of being a
light upon your path,
a defence for your life,
and of waging together
with you the same battle.”
(Gobbi)
Saints intercede. Angels intervene.
Gian Giacomo Barbelli, Joseph’s Dream. 1660.
43. 10A. The Angel appeared to “You should always
St. Joseph in a dream. live in the company
of the angels.
To St. Gabriel has
been given the task of
clothing you with the
strength of God.
To St. Raphael is
given the task of
pouring balm upon
your wounds.
To St. Michael is
given the task of
defending you from
the frightful attacks
of Satan.”
(Gobbi)
The Children’s Illustrated Bible, by Parker & Dyson. Hermes House.
44. Words of the Queen on Bonds with your
angels (Gobbi)
•“I invite you to strengthen your bonds with your
guardian angels. The guardian angels have the task
of being a light upon your path. Secondly, they have
the task of being a defence for your life. How
numerous and subtle are the snares which the
wicked spirits set each day for you. Lastly they have
the task of waging together with you one and the
same battle. It is a battle which is being waged above
all at the level of the spirits. And so you must be
particularly close to those who are close to you in the
great encounter. Deepen your affection for these
angels of light.
45. “Today you are celebrating the feast of the Archangels
Gabriel, Raphael and Michael. They are the Angels of
your time. To them befalls the task of saving the people of
God, of gathering from every part of the earth those who
are being called to form part of the little remnant which
will remain faithful in the safe refuge of my Immaculate
Heart.
To the Archangel Michael is entrusted the task of leading
the cohorts of the Angels and of my faithful children into
the battle against the trained and well equipped armies of
Satan. St. Michael will intervene to fight against the
ancient enemy, Lucifer. His is the task of fighting against
him and of conquering him , of driving him out into his
reign of darkness and fire, offering to your heavenly
Mother the chain with which she will bind him and the key
to lock the door of the abyss, from which he will not be
able to come out to harm the world. (To the priests. Gobbi)
46. “To the Archangel Raphael is entrusted the mission of
taking part as a heavenly physician in the great struggle,
in order to help you and to heal those who are stricken
and wounded. As he restored sight to Tobit, so too will he
give vision to millions of my poor children, who have been
made blind by sins, by errors and by the great darkness of
your days, so that they may once again believe and
contemplate the divine splendor of the Truth.
To the Archangel Gabriel is entrusted the great mission of
announcing the return of Jesus in glory, to restore his
reign in the world.
I invite you today to honour, to pray, and to invoke the
protection of these three Archangels, to bring you into the
heart of the final events, through which you are now being
called to live with confidence and with great hope.”
47. “Honour them, call upon them follow them, live always
with them, they who have been given to you by the
Heavenly Father as your guardians and protectors.
You have entered into the most painful and difficult phase
of the battle between the Spirits of Good and the Spirits of
Evil, between the angels and the demons. It is a terrible
struggle which is taking place around you and above you.
You are involved in this great struggle, which is
immensely above and beyond you. And so you must be
particularly close to those who are close to you in the great
encounter. I urge you to be more assiduous in prayer,
stronger in you bond of unity and deeper in you affection
to these angels of light who are being given to you by the
Lord as your guardians and protectors.
I urge you today to be particularly united with your
guardian angels in prayer, in accepting their guidance.”
Pray to them often, listen to them with docility, follow
them at every moment.. (Gobbi)
48. “I am intervening in order to shorten the times of the
great trial which is so painful for you.
The great struggle which is waged between God and his
Adversary is above all at the level of spirits and is taking
place above you. This terrible battle is taking place
between the heavenly spirits and the infernal spirits,
between the angels of the Lord and the demons, between
the powers of heaven and the powers of hell.
In this great struggle, a special task has been entrusted to
the Archangel Gabriel, who clothes you in the very
strength of God, to the Archangel Raphael, who pours a
healing balm on each of your wounds, and to the
Archangel Michael, who leads all the angelic cohorts to
the complete victory over the infernal cohorts.
For this reason, I entrust you to the powerful protection of
these Archangels and of your Guardian Angels, so that
you may be guided and defended in the struggle.
49. “The angels of the Lord are placing themselves
each day at the side of each one of you, to
guide you, to protect you and to comfort you.
Pray more to your guardian angels. Live in
intimacy and familiarity with your guardian
angels. They must form one single entity with
you.”
50. The ( National ) Rosary For the Evangelization of
(Nations)
1. Fatima Prayer: To Eucharistic Jesus, source of all
evangelization.
“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of
hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in
most need of thy mercy.”
2. Invocation of the Holy Spirit: Principal agent of
evangelization.
“Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of the (National) people
and enkindle in them the fire of your love! Come by means
of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, your well-beloved Spouse.”
3. Prayer to Our Lady of ( Nation ): Star of the new
evangelization.
“Hail Holy Queen, Mother of (Nation), come and present the
(National) people to Jesus, the fruit of thy womb.
Look upon them continually with mercy and through your