The Luminous Mysteries

The traditional rosary is composed of 15 decades , each of which is the contemplation of a mystery of the Gospel. There are three sets of five decades: the joyful, the sorrowful, and the glorious.

Pope John Paul II extended the rosary to include a further 5 decades in which are contemplated the luminous mysteries. They are:

The Baptism of Jesus. Fruit of the Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit
The Wedding at Cana. Fruit of the Mystery: To Jesus through Mary
Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Fruit of the Mystery: Repentance and Trust in God
The Transfiguration. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness
The Institution of the Eucharist. Fruit of the Mystery: Adoration

Days of recitation

Including the Luminous Mysteries
The Joyful Mysteries are recited on Mondays and Saturdays.
The Luminous Mysteries are recited on Thursdays.
The Sorrowful Mysteries, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Glorious Mysteries, on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Addition to the traditional pattern

Of the many mysteries of Christ's life, only a few are indicated by the Rosary in the form that has become generally established with the seal of the Church's approval. The selection was determined by the origin of the prayer, which was based on the number 150, the number of the Psalms in the Psalter.

I believe, however, that to bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the traditional pattern which, while left to the freedom of individuals and communities, could broaden it to include the mysteries of Christ's public ministry between his Baptism and his Passion. In the course of those mysteries we contemplate important aspects of the person of Christ as the definitive revelation of God. Declared the beloved Son of the Father at the Baptism in the Jordan, Christ is the one who announces the coming of the Kingdom, bears witness to it in his works and proclaims its demands. It is during the years of his public ministry that the mystery of Christ is most evidently a mystery of light: “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (Jn 9:5).

Consequently, for the Rosary to become more fully a “compendium of the Gospel”, it is fitting to add, following reflection on the Incarnation and the hidden life of Christ (the joyful mysteries) and before focusing on the sufferings of his Passion (the sorrowful mysteries) and the triumph of his Resurrection (the glorious mysteries), a meditation on certain particularly significant moments in his public ministry (the mysteries of light).

This addition of these new mysteries, without prejudice to any essential aspect of the prayer's traditional format, is meant to give it fresh life and to enkindle renewed interest in the Rosary's place within Christian spirituality as a true doorway to the depths of the Heart of Christ, ocean of joy and of light, of suffering and of glory.

(APOSTOLIC LETTER ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE: From the Vatican, on the 16th day of October in the year 2002, the beginning of the twenty- fifth year of my Pontificate.)