Prayed on Tuesday and Friday

The Passion of Christ in five scenes, from the garden to the cross.

The Sorrowful Mysteries walk through the last hours of Christ’s life. They are prayed on the days the Church remembers the Passion, and in Lent they become the ordinary Rosary. They are not meant to be dwelt on morbidly, but faced honestly: this is what love cost.

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden

In Gethsemane, Jesus sweats blood and prays, "Not my will, but yours be done," while His friends sleep (Luke 22:39-46). Fruit of the mystery: sorrow for sin.

2. The Scourging at the Pillar

Pilate has Jesus scourged, though he has found no case against Him (John 19:1). Fruit of the mystery: purity.

3. The Crowning with Thorns

The soldiers plait a crown of thorns, dress Him in purple, and mock Him as king (Matthew 27:27-31). Fruit of the mystery: courage.

4. The Carrying of the Cross

Jesus carries His cross to Golgotha, falling under its weight, met on the way by His Mother and by the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:26-32). Fruit of the mystery: patience.

5. The Crucifixion

Jesus is nailed to the cross, gives His Mother to the beloved disciple, and dies after three hours (John 19:17-30). Fruit of the mystery: perseverance.

About These Mysteries

These are the mysteries the sick and the grieving return to, because they place suffering inside the suffering of Christ rather than alongside it. Many Catholics pray them on Fridays throughout the year, and daily through Lent and Holy Week.