The Rosary: Mysteries of our Faith
These pictures are reproduced as a set of 20 ROSARY POSTCARDS. 15 of the pictures are also reproduced in the book THE BEAUTY OF THE ROSARY. These images were exhibited in the French Church, Leicester Sq, London in Spring 2003, during the Year of the Rosary. Most of them are oil paintings which were painted in the 1990’s, but some of them are more recent watercolour paintings, painted during the Year of the Rosary in 2003. To see larger versions of each picture, click on the thumbnail picture within an exhibition.
 | The Annunciation Mary was chosen and prepared by God so that, at her consent, she would conceive and bear the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. ‘Then Mary said: Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word’ (Lk 1:38). (Rosary 1) |
 | The Visitation Mary embraces Elizabeth as they reflect together on how the Lord plans to help the whole world through their children. ‘And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb’ (Lk 1:41-42). (Rosary 2) |
 | The Birth of Jesus St Joseph gazes in wonder at the Blessed Virgin Mary and at the glorious infant Jesus. God has now entrusted both of them to St Joseph’s care. ‘Joseph…the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins’ (Mt 1:20-21). (Rosary 3) |
 | The Presentation Mary and Joseph take the Divine child to the Temple, to present him to the Lord, in fulfilment of the Law. They are greeted by the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna. ‘Simeon said: My eyes have seen your salvation…a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel’ (Lk 2:30-32). (Rosary 4) |
 | The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple When Mary and Joseph find Jesus, he replies to his mother’s questions by explaining the whole purpose of his life. ‘Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s interests?’ (Lk 2:49). (Rosary 5) |
 | The Baptism in the Jordan When Jesus was baptised in the Jordan, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God came down and rested on him. ‘The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord’ (Is 11:2). (Rosary 6) |
 | The Miracle at Cana With calm authority Jesus changed water into wine. This miracle was a sign of his Divine power, and of his identity as God’s own Son. ‘He revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him’ (Jn 2:11). (Rosary 7) |
 | The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the Call to Conversion Jesus spoke urgently about the Kingdom of God, about repentance, and about our need to follow him to the Father. ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (Jn 14:6). (Rosary 8) |
 | The Transfiguration On the mountain, Jesus revealed to his friends a brief glimpse of the Divine glory which he had kept hidden, yet which he always shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit. ‘He was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white’ (Mt 17:2). (Rosary 9) |
 | The Institution of the Eucharist At the Last Supper Jesus gave to his Church the sacred rite of the Eucharist, through which his once-for-all sacrifice on Calvary could be re-presented and offered for sinners through all ages to come. ‘It is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all’ (Heb 10:10). (Rosary 10) |
 | The Agony in the Garden When Jesus was about to be arrested, he pictured the horrors which awaited him, and prayed in torment to his Heavenly Father. ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done’ (Lk 22:42). (Rosary 11) |
 | The Scourging at the Pillar Jesus received a cruel flogging when Pilate had finished questioning him, yet he endured it willingly, in expiation for our sins. ‘So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified’ (Mk 15:15). (Rosary 12) |
 | The Crowning with Thorns Not content with beating Jesus, the soldiers mocked him, dressed him as a King in a royal robe, and placed on his head a crown of thorns. ‘After twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him…They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him’ (Mk 15:17-19). (Rosary 13) |
 | The Carrying of the Cross The weak and wounded Christ staggers to the place of crucifixion, to fulfil the Father’s plan to redeem a sinful world. People look on – some with love and devotion, some curious, some hostile. ‘Then they led him out to crucify him…and brought him to the place called Golgotha’ (Mk 15:20-22). (Rosary 14) |
 | The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord Each of us can lean on the cross, heartbroken over the sufferings of Christ and the sin that caused it, yet drawing hope from this loving sacrifice that saves us. ‘Jesus said: It is finished. Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit’ (Jn 19:30). (Rosary 15) |
 | The Resurrection Radiant and joyful, Jesus rose from the grave to a new and everlasting life: a life of bliss and glory which he shares with all who persevere to the end. ‘Jesus came and stood among them and said: Peace be with you…The Disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord’ (Jn 20:19-20). (Rosary 16) |
 | The Ascension The Father holds open the door of Heaven to his Son, through the power of the Spirit which flows beside them. With his wounded hand, Jesus indicates the great number of selfless souls who will follow in his way to glory. ‘Then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God’ (Mk 16:19) (Rosary 17) |
 | The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost Jesus had said: I have come to cast fire upon the earth. At Pentecost his fiery Spirit of Love came down upon his followers, to make them joyful, eloquent, peaceful and unafraid. ‘Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind…Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them’ (Acts 2:2-3). (Rosary 18) |
 | The Assumption At the end of her earthly life the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven, body and soul, by the power of the Spirit. She now enjoys the resurrection life at the heart of the Holy Trinity, which Jesus invites us all to share. ‘For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ’ (I Cor 15:22). (Rosary 19) |
 | The Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven and the Glory of all the Saints Christ our High Priest and King of Heaven crowns his mother as Queen of Heaven. He shares his glory with her, and with all the saints and angels. Our communion with them is seen most clearly at the Eucharist, when heaven and earth meet. ‘You have come to…the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven…’ (Heb 12:22-23). (Rosary 20) |