The Sorrowful Mysteries

The second part of the Rosary is about the Sorrowful Mysteries. They tell what happened to Jesus when some people decided to put him to death on a Cross. He really hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, he was always good to people, especially people who were sick or poor. On that day, which is called Good Friday, they did bad things to him, but Jesus knew God was with him. Yes, these stories are sad, but they also tell us that God is with us, even when bad things happen to us.

The First Sorrowful Mystery brings us to the Garden of Gethsemani in Jerusalem. There, Jesus was afraid and prayed for God's help, because he knew what was going to happen to him.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery takes us to the place where the soldiers beat him with whips.

After beating him, the soldiers put a crown of thorns on his head and made fun of him. That's the Third Sorrowful Mystery.

Jesus then was made to carry a heavy cross on his back to Calvary -- the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery.

Finally, Jesus dies on the Cross, which is the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery.

Have you ever been afraid? Have you ever been hurt by someone, or made fun of? Well, then, you know a little bit about what happened to Jesus. Have you ever had to do something very hard or painful? Maybe you were very sick, and it seemed like you were going to be sick forever?

Or maybe it looked like people didn't care what happened to you at all. Then you know a little about what Jesus felt when he carried his Cross.

These stories of Jesus tell us not to give up -- even when things are very bad. God will help us through; God will make us strong enough to go on.

They call Good Friday "good" because God finally brings good to us -- no matter how bad things are.