# The Luminous Mysteries and the legacy of St. Pope John Paul II
*2015-10-22*

> Bill Young leads a special Rosary focusing on the Luminous Mysteries to honor the feast day of St. Pope John Paul II, who introduced these mysteries to the Church in 2000.

## Honoring St. Pope John Paul II

Good evening. This is Bill Young, and welcome to the Prayer N Lunch podcast. Tonight, we are praying a special Rosary—the Luminous Rosary—in honor of St. Pope John Paul II. He added the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary for Thursdays, which is today, and it also happens to be his feast day.

## The Mysteries of Light

We begin with the Luminous Mysteries, also known as the Mysteries of Light. The first mystery is the Baptism in the Jordan, recalling when the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove, with the Father proclaiming Jesus as His beloved Son. The second mystery is the Wedding at Cana, where Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine at the request of His mother.

The third mystery is the Proclamation of the Kingdom, where Jesus announced that the time of fulfillment had come and called all to repent and believe in the Gospel. The fourth mystery is the Transfiguration, where Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His face shining like the sun and His clothes becoming white as light, while Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him. Finally, the fifth mystery is the Institution of the Eucharist, when Jesus took bread, blessed it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, 'This is my body.'

## Intercessions for the Needy

Throughout this prayer, I want to ask for the intercession of St. Pope John Paul II and our Mother Mary. We pray specifically for those in need and the homeless. I lift up a homeless woman whose daughter is battling cancer; may she be guided and helped. We pray for all the poor and needy in our community, especially children suffering from cancer and their parents. For those who have no home or apartment and are sleeping in their cars, we ask the Lord to provide them with a place to live.

## Closing Prayers

As we conclude this Rosary on the feast day of St. Pope John Paul II, we remember the Virgin Mary, the mother of all and mother of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and resurrected on the third day for our sins. We pray for the homeless, the near-homeless, and children with diseases. May God bless you all, and may God bless Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, and our holy fathers.

*Through the Luminous Mysteries and the intercession of St. Pope John Paul II, we bring the needs of the homeless and the sick before the Lord.*