Fifth Sorrowful mystery-The Crucifixion

The Rosary relates the Christian life to that of Mary. The four great mysteries of the Rosary – the Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Glorious, the Luminous– are the brief description of earthly life contained in the Creed: birth, struggle and victory. The Christian life is inseparable from the joys of birth and youth, the struggles of maturity against the passions and evil, and finally, the hope of glory in Heaven.

Jesus is nailed to the cross and is left to die. Despite the experience of torture and extreme pain at the hands of mortal men, Jesus asks His Father to forgive those who hurt and tortured Him because “they know not what they do.” While on the cross, we see Jesus’ humanity on display. He says “I thirst” and wonders aloud why God has forsaken Him. Even among the pain and jeers from the crowd, Jesus instructs John to look after His mother. After hours of agony, Jesus declares “it is finished” and dies.