Shining a light on the new mysteries: the pope's new "luminous mysteries" for the rosary have special significance in these dark times of terrorism and war.

We live in dark times, as terrorists and soldiers arm themselves with weapons of mass destruction. Last year, as the world reached the brink of yet another war, Pope John Paul II startled the church by proclaiming an additional set of five mysteries to the rosary's traditional three sets (15 mysteries).

At first I responded with bewildered silence and then the question: "Why?" With all that is going on in the church and in the world, why would we look for yet another set of mysteries to add to the rosary?

We live in a time that screams for prophetic statements by our hierarchy, that searches for prophets among the laity, that demands all Christians stand up for peace, not a time for new mysteries for a somewhat obsolete prayer form. Yet as the months passed and the danger of war became reality, I spent time with these new mysteries, and I confess they have brought me to a new appreciation of the rosary as a "compendium of the gospel."

The rosary as we know it today is almost 500 years old and is a combination of three prayer forms: 1) the recitation of 150 Our Fathers used in place of the psalms by illiterate Christians; 2) a meditation on the gospel mysteries surrounding the birth, death, and Resurrection of Jesus; and 3) the use of pebbles to count mantras, psalms, and prayers by various religions around the world.

The combination of these three elements helps people enter into the mysteries of Christ through a mantra-like recitation of the Hail Mary, the Our Father, and the Glory Be. Yet many people either wear it around their necks or pray it with a speed that would make Mary's head spin, forgetting that, like the Bible, the rosary is meant to be a means of meditation and reflection on the gospel.

We often forget that it is the mystery, not the number of prayers, that is important. When praying the rosary, the prayers set the tone for entering into reflection on the mystery. For this reason, one should not worry about missing a Hail Mary or two; rather one should concentrate on ruminating over the events of Jesus' life, as Mary did (Luke 2:51). When done well, one tends to forget the beads and simply enjoys the living presence of Jesus.

Through the rosary we are meant to pray with Mary, who challenges believers to live as her son did. Jesus and Mary lived in dark times, and just as Jesus brought new light to his day, his body--the church--can do no less. Which is why the new luminous mysteries make so much sense, for they focus their attention on what Jesus did between his birth and his death and Resurrection.

The new mysteries

1) Jesus is baptized (Matt. 3:17): "He who knew no sin became sin for our sakes" (2 Cor. 5:21). As John washed away people's sins, the water of the Jordan became drenched with sin. It was into these sin-stained waters that Jesus entered, asking to be baptized. And as Jesus stood drenched in sinful waters, the heavens were opened by the voice of God declaring Jesus his beloved son, and the Spirit descended upon him.

We Christians should not run from darkness, but rather enter into the turmoil of our present world and, guided by the Spirit, change it. This can be done by taking time to visit a difficult relative, by reaching out to someone who has been hurtful, of by joining a Christian group dedicated to peace and justice.

2) The wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12): "Joy of heart, good cheer and merriment are wine drunk freely at the proper time" (Sir. 31:28). Thanks to the intervention of Mary (first among believers), Jesus changes water into wine. He takes ordinary water and turns it into this joy-producing drink so that we can look for him in the everyday things of life, and he can give us joy and light.

Jesus teaches us the power of a believer's intercession, assuring us that he will attend to our needs. And so we intercede for the world, believing that through our intercession, Christ might bring it joy-filled light. But our prayer must be joined to concrete actions of taking joy in the ordinary things of life and helping others to delight in the everyday goodness of life as well.

3) Proclaiming the Reign of God, Jesus calls for conversion (Mark 1:15): Jesus was not afraid to speak up for the Reign of God, to challenge the status quo, and to call everyone, great and small, to conversion of heart. He did so at every turn and without fear of persecution. So, too, must his church and every Christian within it be willing to speak up for the way, the truth, and the life that is Jesus.

We should not be afraid to challenge the status quo and to call all people--world leaders, church hierarchy, families, friends, coworkers, and especially ourselves--to conversion.

4) The Transfiguration (Luke 9:35): To the astonishment of his disciples, Jesus was transfigured, revealing the power and beauty of his light. We are commanded by God to listen to God's only son who asked us to turn the other cheek, who told us to love and pray for our enemies and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In his light we are light, and as light we cannot afford to sit quietly.

We must love every country and every people as we love our own. We must work for peaceful solutions to difficult situations at home and abroad. Ours is the task of helping Jesus transfigure our world into the Reign of God.

5) The institution of the Eucharist (John 13:1): All the mysteries of the rosary are meant to remind us of the great mystery of Jesus' true presence in our lives. Jesus loved those who were his own in the world, and loving us to the end, he inaugurated a means of staying ever-present in his flesh and blood as bread and wine.

Once again the ordinary becomes extraordinary by means of thanksgiving and blessing. Yet the Eucharist cannot simply remain on an altar or in a tabernacle. Jesus is present in the sharing of scripture, the ministry of ordained and lay ministers, the faithful soul, and the world around us. With the eyes of faith we must learn to see Jesus in the ordinary things of life and live with a grateful heart.

In these dark times, reflecting on the mysteries of the rosary can teach us that those baptized into Christ, the Prince of Peace, must struggle for peace without violence. The incarnation of the light of the world calls the church and the faithful to take his true presence to the streets of a troubled world, marching for peace, helping the needy, and being Eucharist in a communion that outshines the darkness.

By GILBERTO CAVAZOS-GONZALEZ, OFM, assistant professor of spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and formation director for the Simply Professed Friars of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans).