“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” 

Luke 2:35

Jesus.

God made man, a child, presented in a temple followed by a prophesy that Mary’s heart would be pierced.

At first glance, the only joyful part of this mystery seems to be Simeon proclaiming he can at last die with joy and peace that he has met the Saviour.

Upon second glance we realise that every one of the Joyful mysteries are not without room for suffering of some kind.

The Annunciation could have been a place of fear, yet there was courage; the Visitation a place for jealousy and comparison, yet there was delight in another; the Birth of our Lord, a place of despair fleeing from their home and having no place to stay, yet there was immense hope; The Presentation a place of pride yet there was humility, and the Finding of the Child Jesus  a time of sheer panic and anger, yet there was mission and obedience.

In each Mystery, joy is not what is first seen on the surface but instead sits
much deeper than this.

Mary and Joseph did not consider themselves above the Law. Mary, having conceived and given birth to Jesus, the Saviour, whilst remaining a virgin, was not deemed impure and yet she submits herself to this purification ritual, and presents her firstborn son to God as was the law.

They were well aware who Jesus was, and yet they brought Him forward as the law states and presented him in the Temple before God. Such humility.
They were poor in earthly riches and could only offer 2 young pigeons.
Yet, only heaven knew just how rich they were as mother and foster father of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. A voluntary offering of Himself but presented by his mother.

There in lies the Joy.

The very fact that our God, would become as vulnerable as a child, born and raised by a fully human woman because He deemed us worthy of doing so, makes this a joyful mystery.  

We then hear Simeon say that this is THE child, the child that will be the Saviour but not without suffering. ‘This child is set for the fall and the rising of many’ and proceeds to tell them that Our Lady’s heart will also be pierced. How painful this must have been to hear. The last thing a mother and father want to hear is that their precious child will suffer in some way .

As well as this, Our Lady is told she too will suffer with him. She knows the desperation of earth, the need for a Saviour, the need for Him to redeem fallen humanity, and she is told she will journey that with Him. She will always be able to be there for Him, as any mother would want to. She is gifted more than a mere womb to carry Jesus into the world, more than mere arms to carry him into a temple for presentation, but her very heart, where he first entered, that is where she would carry Him, and that is why His suffering would also see her pierced, as we ‘pondered these things in her heart’.

The two people throughout the mysteries that remain constant, Our Lord and Our Lady. Always journeying together, bringing about complete joy even when at first glance it may appear to be a cross or a suffering. Despite sufferings, consistently placing trust in God, and his goodness brings about the greatest of joys that underlies each of the Mysteries, the life of Christ, and indeed of every faithful Christian.

~ Stina Constantine

Stina has a bachelor in Psychology and a Masters in Social Work. By day she works with separated families and their children in one job, and supports families with children diagnosed with cancer and other life threatening illnesses in another. By night she’s a ballroom dance instructor. She was also the 2019 Miss Wagga Wagga title holder.

Being passionate about human growth and goodness, she is also the founder and managing director of a Christian Ministry, Virtue Ministry, travelling to schools, retreats, and conferences speaking with young people and young adults about self-knowledge, human excellence, goodness, and healthy relationships to become all that we were made to be.