The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary focus on the Passion and suffering of Jesus Christ. They are meditated upon while praying five decades of the Rosary.
The five Sorrowful Mysteries are:
- The Agony in the Garden — Jesus prays in Gethsemane, experiencing great anguish as He accepts the Father's will, sweating blood while His disciples sleep.
- The Scourging at the Pillar — Jesus is brutally whipped by Roman soldiers at Pilate's command.
- The Crowning with Thorns — Soldiers mock Jesus as "King of the Jews" by placing a crown of thorns on His head and dressing Him in a purple robe.
- The Carrying of the Cross — Jesus carries His heavy cross to Calvary, falling multiple times along the way, with help from Simon of Cyrene.
- The Crucifixion — Jesus is nailed to the cross, suffers for three hours, forgives His executioners, and dies, with Mary and John at His side.
In the Catholic Church, the Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year, as well as on Sundays during the season of Lent.
