Opening Prayer
Hail Mary, full of grace, we come before you with humble hearts and seeking souls. We place this surgery and all who will be part of it under your loving maternal care and protection. May Jesus Christ, the Divine Physician, guide the hands of those who will heal, and may we trust in His mercy and healing power through your intercession.
The Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation
Scripture Reference: Luke 1:26-38
Meditation: When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she heard news that changed everything. She was asked to carry new life within her, to trust in God’s plan even when her understanding was limited. In this moment of the Annunciation, we see how God invites us to participate in His healing work. Just as Mary said “yes” to God’s purpose for her, we too are called to trust in His plan for healing and wholeness, even when we face uncertainty and fear about what lies ahead.
Prayer: O Mary, you who said “yes” to God’s perfect plan, help us to surrender our fears and doubts to His care. We ask for the grace of trust as we face this surgery, knowing that God’s purposes are always directed toward our healing and peace. Help us to believe, as you did, that nothing is impossible with God. May we accept His will with quiet strength and confidence in His love for us.
Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in God’s providential care
The Visitation
Scripture Reference: Luke 1:39-56
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Meditation: Mary went with haste to her cousin Elizabeth, carrying the joy of new life within her. She did not go alone, but carried the strength and presence of Jesus with her. When we face heart surgery, we do not travel this road in isolation. Like Mary, we carry Christ’s presence within us through prayer and faith, and we are surrounded by the love of family, friends, and the communion of saints who pray with us and for us during this time.
Prayer: Mother of God, you who traveled to bring blessing and comfort to Elizabeth, stay close to us during this time of trial. Help us to recognize the gifts of those around us who support and care for us. May we find strength in the communion of the faithful who stand with us in prayer. Grant us the grace to share our burdens with others and to receive their love as a sign of Christ’s presence.
Fruit of the Mystery: Community and mutual support in faith
The Nativity
Scripture Reference: Luke 2:1-20
Meditation: In the stable at Bethlehem, new life came into the world in the darkest and most humble circumstances. Jesus was born in weakness and vulnerability, stripped of worldly power and comfort. Yet this birth was the beginning of all healing and redemption. As we face surgery, we too enter a time of vulnerability and physical weakness. In this mystery, we learn that God’s greatest power often works through our weakest moments, and that new birth and healing often come through the darkness of suffering.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You who were born in such humble circumstances and knew vulnerability from Your first breath, be with us during this surgery. Help us to accept our weakness and dependence upon others as an opportunity for grace. May we trust that through this time of physical trial, You are working new life and health within us. Give us the courage to surrender to Your healing power, and help us to see in our suffering a path toward wholeness.
Fruit of the Mystery: Acceptance of dependence and trust in God’s strength through weakness
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
Scripture Reference: Luke 2:22-40
Meditation: Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord. Simeon, moved by the Holy Spirit, recognized the child as the promised Messiah and took Him in his arms. Yet Simeon spoke words of sorrow to Mary, telling her that a sword would pierce her heart. In presenting our hearts to God through this surgery, we too must be willing to present them to the will of God, trusting that even through pain and difficulty, His purposes are being fulfilled. Like Mary, we learn to unite our suffering to Christ’s redemptive work.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, grant us the grace of the Presentation as we offer our hearts—literally and spiritually—to God’s healing hands. Help us to recognize this surgery as an opportunity to present ourselves more fully to Christ. May we accept whatever suffering may come as a participation in Christ’s redemptive love. Give us courage to face what lies ahead, knowing that God receives all we offer and transforms it into grace.
Fruit of the Mystery: Surrender of self to God’s perfect will
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Scripture Reference: Luke 2:41-52
Meditation: After losing Jesus in the crowds of Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph searched for three days in great sorrow. Finally, they found Him in the temple, teaching the teachers. Jesus said, “Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?” Sometimes we lose sight of Jesus in our fear and confusion. Heart surgery can shake our sense of security and leave us feeling lost. This mystery reminds us that Jesus is always to be found in our Father’s house, in prayer, in the sacraments, and in the love of God’s people. He has not abandoned us; we must simply seek Him.
Prayer: Jesus, You who were lost and found, help us to find You in this time of uncertainty and fear. When we feel anxiety about the surgery ahead, lead us to seek You in prayer and in the sacraments. Help us to remember that You are always present to us in our Father’s house, in the Church and in the hearts of those who love You. Give us the grace to trust that no matter what we face, You are guiding us toward healing and peace.
Fruit of the Mystery: Faith that Christ never abandons us
The Luminous Mysteries
The Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan
Scripture Reference: Matthew 3:13-17
Meditation: At the River Jordan, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, and the heavens opened. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and God the Father’s voice spoke: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus underwent baptism not because He needed forgiveness, but to show us the power of water, prayer, and the Holy Spirit to transform and purify. Before surgery, we too need purification and blessing. Through prayer and the sacraments, particularly Confession and the Eucharist, we invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse and strengthen our hearts.
Prayer: O Father, as You spoke over Jesus at His baptism, speak over us words of love and affirmation. May we hear Your voice saying that we are Your beloved children, precious in Your sight. Send Your Holy Spirit to cleanse and strengthen our hearts before this surgery. Help us to receive the grace of the sacraments as a baptismal blessing that prepares us for healing. Give us peace as we trust in Your love for us and Your desire for our wholeness.
Fruit of the Mystery: Assurance of God’s love and the Holy Spirit’s strength
The Wedding Feast at Cana
Scripture Reference: John 2:1-12
Meditation: At the wedding in Cana, Mary was present when the wine ran out. She turned to Jesus with a simple request: “They have no wine.” Jesus responded to her intercession and performed His first miracle, transforming water into wine. This mystery shows us that Mary’s prayer is powerful and that Jesus responds to her requests. During heart surgery, we need the wine of healing, the transformation of our suffering into grace, the changing of our weakness into strength. Mary stands ready to present our needs to Jesus, and He, moved by her intercession and our faith, works miracles of healing.
Prayer: Blessed Mother, as you interceded for the guests at Cana, intercede for us before your Son. Bring our need before Jesus and ask Him to work His miracle of healing in our hearts. May He transform our fear into faith, our weakness into strength, our suffering into grace. Just as Jesus responded to your request at Cana, respond to our prayers now. Help us to trust in His power to heal and to give us the peace we need as we face this surgery.
Fruit of the Mystery: Confidence in Mary’s intercession and Christ’s miraculous healing
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Scripture Reference: Mark 1:14-20
Meditation: Jesus came proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand, calling people to repent and believe the Good News. He invited His disciples to follow Him, and they left their nets immediately. The Kingdom of God is a reality where God’s will is done, where healing flows from His mercy, and where we are made whole through our relationship with Christ. As we face heart surgery, we are being called deeper into the Kingdom, to trust more fully in God’s reign and power, to leave behind our doubts and fears, and to follow Jesus toward healing and new life.
Prayer: Jesus, You who proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is at hand, help us to enter more deeply into that Kingdom. May we turn away from fear and doubt and turn toward You with our whole hearts. Help us to believe the Good News that healing is possible, that restoration is real, and that Your Kingdom is active and powerful in our lives. Give us the grace to follow You faithfully through this surgery and beyond, knowing that we are claimed by Your Kingdom and protected by Your reign.
Fruit of the Mystery: Repentance and renewed faith in God’s Kingdom
The Transfiguration of Jesus
Scripture Reference: Matthew 17:1-8
Meditation: Jesus led Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, His clothes became white as light, and Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him. A cloud covered them, and God the Father’s voice spoke: “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” The disciples were terrified, but Jesus told them not to be afraid. Through surgery, we may feel stripped of our ordinary identity, vulnerable and exposed. Yet this mystery reveals that beneath our physical form is the eternal light of God’s image. Surgery may transform our bodies, but our true identity—as beloved children of God—remains constant and radiant.
Prayer: Transfigured Christ, help us to see past our fear of surgery to the light of Your glory that shines within us. May we understand that beneath what we see with human eyes, Your light dwells in our hearts. Help us, like the disciples, to hear the Father’s voice saying we are beloved and to trust that word. Give us courage to face the changes surgery may bring, knowing that our true self is hidden with Christ in God, eternal and unchanged. May we be transformed not by the surgeon’s blade, but by Your grace.
Fruit of the Mystery: Vision of God’s transforming light within us
The Institution of the Eucharist
Scripture Reference: Matthew 26:26-29
Meditation: On the night before His Passion, Jesus took bread and wine and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. This is my blood, which is poured out for you.” In the Eucharist, Jesus gives us His body and blood as true spiritual food and drink. He nourishes us with His own life and joins us to Himself and to one another in the most intimate way possible. Before heart surgery, the Eucharist becomes a particular source of strength. As we receive the body and blood of Christ, we are united to His healing power, strengthened by His presence, and joined to the great communion of saints who have passed through suffering to resurrection.
Prayer: Jesus, in the Eucharist, You give us Your very self. As we approach this surgery, may we receive Your body and blood with deepened faith and gratitude. May the Eucharist be a source of profound healing, not only for our bodies but for our souls and spirits. Unite us to Your sacrificial love, and help us to offer our surgery and recovery as a participation in Your Paschal mystery. Give us the grace to recognize Christ’s presence in this sacred food, and let it sustain us through all that lies ahead.
Fruit of the Mystery: Union with Christ through the Eucharist and participation in His redemptive love
The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden
Scripture Reference: Matthew 26:36-46
Meditation: In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus fell upon His face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” Jesus experienced profound fear and sorrow as He faced His Passion. He knew what lay ahead, and He asked His Father if there was another way. Yet He ultimately submitted His will to the Father’s. We, too, may experience fear and sorrow as we face heart surgery. We may cry out to God asking if the cup can pass. This mystery teaches us that such feelings are not sinful, but rather an opportunity to surrender our will to God’s, trusting that His way is best.
Prayer: Jesus, in Your agony, You showed us that it is human and holy to bring our fears and sorrows to the Father. Help us to cry out to God with complete honesty about our fears regarding this surgery. Yet like You, help us to say to the Father: “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Grant us the grace of surrender, the peace that comes from trusting in God’s wisdom even when we do not understand His plan. May we find in our acceptance of this surgery a participation in Your redemptive suffering.
Fruit of the Mystery: Honest prayer and surrender to God’s will
The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:26
Meditation: Jesus was scourged without mercy, His flesh torn and bleeding, His body wracked with pain. He who knew no sin bore the punishment for our sins. His physical suffering was real and severe. In heart surgery, our bodies too will experience pain and trauma, though hopefully in a healing context. This mystery asks us to unite our physical suffering to Christ’s. When we experience pain before, during, or after surgery, we can offer it to Jesus, recognizing that our suffering, joined to His, participates in the redemption of the world and the healing of our own souls.
Prayer: Jesus, scourged for our healing, I unite my physical suffering to Yours. I offer the pain of surgery, the trauma to my body, and any suffering that comes as a participation in Your redemptive work. Help me to see that even difficult physical experiences can be transformed by grace into occasions for prayer and transformation. Give me strength to bear what must be borne, and help me to trust that through Your stripes we are healed. May I never forget that You have already carried my suffering in Your own body.
Fruit of the Mystery: Union of our suffering with Christ’s redemptive work
The Crowning with Thorns
Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:29-30
Meditation: Jesus was mocked and crowned with a crown of thorns. The soldiers bowed before Him in mockery, calling Him king. Yet He was indeed a king—the King of Kings—though His kingship was not the kind the world recognizes or respects. He wore His crown of thorns with dignity and love. In facing heart surgery, we too may feel mocked by our vulnerability, our dependence on others, our fear. We may feel stripped of the things that usually make us feel powerful or in control. Yet this mystery reminds us that true kingship, true power, lies in love and trust in God. Our weakness and vulnerability, united to Christ’s, reveal the deepest kind of strength.
Prayer: Jesus, crowned with thorns, give me the grace to wear my vulnerability with dignity. Help me to accept the mocking reality of my physical weakness without shame. Teach me that true power lies not in physical strength but in love, faith, and trust in God. Let me be crowned, like You, with thorns that become occasions for grace. Help me to see myself as the beloved king or queen of God’s Kingdom, precious in His sight, worth the suffering and sacrifice of His Son.
Fruit of the Mystery: Dignity and spiritual strength in physical weakness
The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:31-34
Meditation: Jesus carried His cross to Golgotha, stumbling beneath its weight, helped by Simon of Cyrene. The road was long, painful, and filled with suffering. Women wept for Him, and He spoke to them words of compassion and prophecy. The cross is the symbol of suffering, burden, and death—but in Christ’s hands, it becomes the instrument of salvation. As we carry our cross of heart surgery, we are called to remember that we do not carry it alone. Christ carries it with us; the communion of saints carries it with us. And our cross, united to Christ’s, becomes a means of grace and salvation, not only for ourselves but for others.
Prayer: Jesus, who carried Your cross with such love for me, help me to carry the cross of this surgery with faith and courage. Let me not be afraid of the burdens I must bear, but rather help me to see them as opportunities to grow in trust and love. Send me companions along the way—doctors, nurses, family, friends, and the whole company of saints—to help bear my burden. Grant me the grace to unite my suffering to Yours, and help me to remember that what appears to be the end is actually the beginning of resurrection and new life.
Fruit of the Mystery: Courage and trust in bearing our cross
The Crucifixion
Scripture Reference: John 19:25-30
Meditation: Jesus hung on the cross, His work of salvation accomplished. In His dying, He brought life. He commended His spirit to the Father, and in that surrender, He transformed suffering into redemption. He said, “It is finished”—not as a cry of despair, but as a declaration that His work was complete. Though heart surgery is not crucifixion, we can contemplate this central mystery of our faith as we face our own medical crisis. Christ’s death opened the way to healing and eternal life. Our surgery, though it involves death to our old sense of self and body, opens the way to physical healing and renewed life.
Prayer: Jesus, hanging on the cross for my salvation, I stand beneath You and receive the fruits of Your sacrifice. I thank You for Your love that endured such agony for my sake. As I face this surgery, help me to understand that I am bought with a price, that my life is precious because You gave Your life for me. Give me faith to trust that through this trial, as through Your Passion, comes life and healing. May I surrender my fear and my suffering into Your hands, knowing that You have already overcome death and that through You I too shall be made whole.
Fruit of the Mystery: Redemption through suffering and faith in Christ’s victory over death
The Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection
Scripture Reference: Matthew 28:1-10
Meditation: On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. His body, which had been broken and dead, was now alive and transformed. His disciples, who had been terrified and hiding, were given courage and hope. The Resurrection is the foundation of Christian faith and the promise of healing and wholeness. It tells us that death is not the final word, that transformation is possible, that what seems ended can be made new. After heart surgery, whether the recovery is swift or challenging, the Resurrection assures us that healing is possible, that our bodies can be restored to wholeness, and that through Christ’s resurrection power, we too can rise to new life.
Prayer: Risen Christ, You who conquered death and rose on the third day, breathe Your life into my heart. Just as You rose with a transformed but glorified body, help my heart to be healed and restored to wholeness. Give me faith to believe in resurrection and healing, not only in the life to come but in this life. Take away my fear of death and surgery, and replace it with hope in Your victory. May I experience in my own recovery a foretaste of the ultimate healing that awaits all who believe in You.
Fruit of the Mystery: Hope in resurrection and physical healing
The Ascension
Scripture Reference: Acts 1:9-11
Meditation: Jesus ascended into heaven, His work of redemption accomplished, His disciples commissioned to continue His work in the world. He left them not orphaned, but with the promise that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. The Ascension reminds us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, preparing a place for us, and pouring out His grace through the Holy Spirit. As we face heart surgery, we need to remember that Christ is not distant from us, but is present through the Holy Spirit. Though He ascended into heaven, He is more present to us now than He was even to His disciples on earth, for He is present in every heart that believes in Him.
Prayer: Ascended Lord Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father, I trust in Your continued care for me. Though You have ascended into heaven, You are closer to me than my own heart. Intercede for me before the Father, and pour out Your Holy Spirit upon me. Help me to remember that this surgery and my recovery are held in Your hands, and that nothing can separate me from Your love. Give me the grace to remain connected to You through prayer and faith as I undergo this trial. May I feel Your presence sustaining me every moment.
Fruit of the Mystery: Assurance of Christ’s constant intercession and presence
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Scripture Reference: Acts 2:1-4
Meditation: When the day of Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles like a rushing mighty wind. Tongues of fire appeared, and they were filled with courage and power. They went out into the streets, no longer afraid, and proclaimed the Good News boldly. The Holy Spirit transforms us, gives us courage, and empowers us for whatever lies ahead. Before heart surgery, and throughout the recovery process, we need the power of the Holy Spirit. We need courage, wisdom, patience, and the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to those who ask.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, come upon me with Your transforming power and presence. Fill me with courage to face this surgery with faith and trust. Give me the gifts I need: wisdom to make good decisions about my health, patience to endure the recovery process, peace that surpasses all understanding, and hope that does not fail. Help me to surrender my will to Yours and to become an instrument of Your healing grace. Let the wind of Your presence blow through my life, clearing away fear and filling me with joy and trust.
Fruit of the Mystery: Courage and gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Assumption of Mary
Scripture Reference: Revelation 12:1
Meditation: Mary was assumed into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life. She was taken up to be with her Son, crowned as Queen of Heaven. The Assumption tells us that our bodies matter to God, that they are not meant to remain in corruption but to be transformed and taken into heaven. Mary, who bore Christ in her body and nursed Him at her breast, is honored in her body and in her very person in heaven. This mystery gives us great comfort as we face heart surgery and physical healing. It assures us that God cares about our bodies, that they are instruments of grace, and that one day our bodies too will be transformed and glorified.
Prayer: Assumed Mother, taken into heaven body and soul, intercede for me before your Son. Just as God honored your body and took you into His presence, help me to honor my body and to care for it as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Guide this surgery and this recovery, that my body may be healed and that I may continue to serve God with renewed strength. Show me the way to wholeness and healing, and help me to remember always that my body, like yours, is precious to God. When my life on earth is complete, may I too be taken into your Son’s presence, body and soul made perfect and glorified.
Fruit of the Mystery: Reverence for the body and hope in bodily resurrection
The Coronation of Mary
Scripture Reference: Revelation 12:1
Meditation: Mary was crowned as Queen of Heaven by her Son, Jesus Christ. She sits in glory at His right hand, interceding for all who call upon her. She is our advocate, our protector, our mother in heaven. As Queen, she has power and authority to help those who seek her intercession. She is not distant or cold, but a warm and loving mother who cares deeply for each of her children. As we face heart surgery, we can approach her as children approach a loving and powerful mother, asking for her prayer, her protection, and her care. Her queenship is a queenship of mercy, compassion, and maternal love.
Prayer: Crowned Queen of Heaven, you who sit in glory at the right hand of your Son, I humbly ask for your maternal care and protection. Rule over this surgery and this recovery with your royal authority. Protect my heart, not only the physical organ that the surgeons will heal, but my spiritual heart, my soul, my whole self. Help me to trust in your Son’s healing power, and let your maternal love surround me and sustain me through every moment. When I am afraid, remind me that I am your beloved child, always in your heart, always under your protective care. Thank you for your queenly intercession on my behalf.
Fruit of the Mystery: Maternal intercession and protection under Mary’s queenship
Closing Prayer
Blessed Mother, I thank you for walking with me through these twenty mysteries, for holding my hand and my heart throughout this prayer. I entrust to you this surgery and all my anxieties about it. Carry my fears to your Son and ask Him on my behalf for healing, strength, and peace. Help me to live out the lessons of each mystery: the trust of Mary at the Annunciation, the faith of the disciples who followed Jesus, the surrender Jesus showed in the Garden, and the hope that flows from His Resurrection. May the grace won through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of your Son flow through me and restore me to wholeness. Keep me safe through this trial, and help me to emerge healed in body and strengthened in spirit. I give you all the days of my recovery, all my pain and weakness, all my fears and doubts. Transform them through your intercession into opportunities for grace and growth in faith. And when I am healed, help me to use my restored health to serve God and others with renewed gratitude and love. Amen.