Praying the Rosary

The purpose of the Rosary is to help keep in memory certain principal events or mysteries in the history of our salvation, and to thank and praise God for them.

Anyone who knows six easy prayers can pray a Rosary; you will also need to know the twenty Mysteries to meditate upon as you pray. If you do not have Rosary beads, it is perfectly okay to count with your fingers. Counting beads merely frees your mind to help you meditate.

Praying the Rosary is very simple. It might seem complicated at first, but after one has prayed it once or twice, it becomes very easy.

When praying the Rosary, we should always keep in mind Our Lady and her desire to help us improve in our love of God, sincerely desiring to deepen our love for God through the Rosary. The individual prayers in the Rosary should be said slowly, either concentrating on the meaning of the words themselves, or meditating on the Mystery of the decade. We should take great care not to allow the praying of the Rosary to become a mere habit, done fast and without much attention.

  • The Order of Prayers

    • When we pray the Rosary, we start with the Cross, say a prayer, then move on to the first bead and say a prayer, then we move to the second bead and say a prayer, and we continue in this manner until all of the beads have been covered.

      The Rosary begins with:

      -  the Apostles' Creed;

      -  one Our Father;

      -  three Hail Marys;

      -  a Glory Be;

      -  and, if desired,
      the Fatima Prayers.

      Next come five mysteries,
      (5 x decades of ten beads)
      each consisting of:

      -  one Our Father;

      -  ten Hail Marys;

      -  a Glory Be;

      -  and, if desired,
      the Fatima Prayers.

      Conclude with the Hail Holy Queen.


      The Full Rosary:       A "full Rosary" consists of saying all twenty decades, that is, all four sets of five Mysteries. A "Rosary" consists of praying five decades of one set of Mysteries. Many people pray a full Rosary every day; either by praying four separate Rosaries in the morning, midday, afternoon, and evening; or all twenty Mysteries at one time (it is not necessary to repeat the preamble - the Apostles Creed, etc. - between the four sets of Mysteries if one is praying a full Rosary. Conclude with Hail Holy Queen after the last of the Glorious Mysteries).

      .

  • The Mysteries

    • Since there are five decades in the Rosary, and there is one Mystery corresponding to each decade, there are five corresponding Mysteries for each Rosary we pray. These five Mysteries, however, are not always the same. In fact there are four sets of five Mysteries. They are: the Joyful Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries.

      These Mysteries are the following:

      The Joyful Mysteries:

    • The Annunciation: Archangel Gabriel "announces" to Mary that she will conceive the Son of God.

    • The Visitation: Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.

    • The Nativity: Jesus is born.

    • The Presentation: Mary and Joseph "present" Jesus in the Temple where they meet Simeon.

    • The Finding in the Temple: After losing Him, Mary and Joseph find young Jesus teaching the Rabbis in the Temple.


      • The Luminous Mysteries       (The Mysteries of Light)

    • The Baptism in the Jordan: The voice of the Father declares Jesus the beloved Son.

    • The Wedding at Cana: Christ changes water into wine, his first public miracle.

    • The Proclamation of the Kingdom: Jesus calls to conversion (cf. Mk 1:15) and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him.

    • The Transfiguration: The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ.

    • The Institution of the Eucharist: Jesus offers the first Mass at the Last Supper with his apostles, establishing the sacramental foundation for all Christian living.


      • The Sorrowful Mysteries:

    • The Agony in the Garden: Jesus sweats water and blood while praying the night before his passion.

    • The Scourging at the Pillar: Pilot has Jesus whipped.

    • The Crowning with Thorns: Roman soldiers crown Jesus' head with thorns.

    • The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus meets His mother and falls three times on the way up Calvary.

    • The Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies watched by His mother and His apostle John.

      • Glorious Mysteries:

    • The Resurrection: Jesus rises from the dead.

    • The Ascension: Jesus leaves the Apostles and bodily "ascends" to heaven.

    • The Descent of the Holy Spirit: The Apostles receive the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire in the upper room with Mary.

    • The Assumption: Mary is --assumed-- taken bodilyinto heaven by God at the end of her life here on earth.

    • The Coronation: Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.


      • Traditionally, many people say the Joyful Mysteries on Monday, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday, the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesday, and start again with the Joyful Mysteries on Thursday, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Friday. The Glorious Mysteries are then prayed on Saturday and Sunday. Now that the Luminous Mysteries have recently been added, the schedule is:

      Monday - Joyful                      Tuesday - Sorrowful

      Wednesday - Glorious           Thursday - Luminous

      Friday - Sorrowful                   Saturday - Joyful

      Sunday - Glorious

      Try to place yourself "into" the scene of the particular mystery as you pray, imagining the sights, smells, sounds, and emotions that Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and other participants experienced during the actual events.

      It is also okay to meditate on the meaning of the words of the prayers as you pray them, or even to meditate on the person for whom you are offering the Rosary.

  • Prayers
    for praying the Rosary

    • The Apostles' Creed

      I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord. 'He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 'He suffered under Pontius Pilate, 'was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, 'the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

       

      Our Father

      Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

       

      Hail Mary

      Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

       

      Glory Be

      Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

       

      Fatima Prayer (Optional)

      O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

      Hail Holy Queen
      Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
      Leader: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
      All: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
      (Optional)
      Leader: Let us pray.
      All: O God whose only begotten Son by his life, death, and Resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant we beseech thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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