Rachel Evans
The Rosary is a Catholic devotion that uses a string of beads to keep track of an individual's progress through a series of prayers. The Rosary is a meditative and Scripture-based prayer that reflects on twenty mysteries from the lives of Jesus and Mary. The mysteries are divided into four sets of five: the Joyful Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. Each mystery contains five events from the lives of Jesus and Mary. The Rosary can be prayed privately or with a group and is a means for people to seek assistance from the Virgin Mary and grow closer to God.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To help keep in memory certain principal events in the history of salvation |
| Number of Mysteries | 20 |
| Mystery Sets | Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous |
| Days for Joyful Mysteries | Monday, Saturday, and Sundays during Advent and Christmas |
| Days for Sorrowful Mysteries | Tuesday, Friday, and Sundays during Lent |
| Days for Glorious Mysteries | Wednesday, Sunday |
| Days for Luminous Mysteries | Thursday |
| Number of Decades | 5 |
| Beads per Decade | 10 |
| Prayer Beads | Rosary beads are not necessary but can be used to guide prayer |
| Prayer Order | Sign of the Cross, Apostles' Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, O My Jesus, Hail Holy Queen, Final Prayer |
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What You'll Learn
Begin with the Sign of the Cross
The Rosary is a Christ-centred prayer, rooted in Sacred Scripture, that helps one meditate on the lives of Jesus and Mary. The Rosary is a Catholic devotion in which one asks for the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, in drawing closer to her divine Son, Jesus. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group.
To begin the Rosary, start with the Sign of the Cross. Trace the cross with your right hand from forehead to chest to left shoulder to right shoulder, and say: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
After making the Sign of the Cross, hold the crucifix and pray the Apostles' Creed: "I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come 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 life everlasting. Amen."
The Apostles' Creed summarises the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. Each line comes from different books of Scripture, including the Gospels, 1 Peter, 1 Corinthians, and Acts.
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Pray the Apostles' Creed
The Rosary is a Christ-centred prayer, rooted in Sacred Scripture, that helps one meditate on the lives of Jesus and Mary. The Rosary is a Catholic devotion in which one asks for the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, in drawing closer to her divine Son, Jesus. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group.
To pray the Rosary, one must begin with the Sign of the Cross. Holding the crucifix, pray the Apostles' Creed:
> I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come 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 life everlasting.
The Apostles' Creed summarises the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. Each line comes from different books of Scripture, including the Gospels, 1 Peter, 1 Corinthians, Acts, and more.
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Pray the Our Father
The Rosary is a Christ-centred prayer, rooted in Sacred Scripture, that helps one meditate on the lives of Jesus and Mary. The Rosary is divided into four sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous. Each set contains five events from the life of Jesus and Mary.
The Rosary begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarises the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The "Our Father", which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels.
> 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.
In the "Our Father", or the Lord's Prayer, one first praises God and expresses the desire for His glory and will. Then, one prays for the things needed to glorify Him and be united with Him. One then acknowledges their sins and the sins of others against them, and asks for forgiveness. Finally, one asks for help in overcoming temptation and evil.
After praying the "Our Father", one announces the next mystery and repeats the above steps as one continues through the remaining mysteries.
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Pray the Hail Mary
The Rosary is a Christ-centred prayer, rooted in Sacred Scripture, that helps one meditate on the lives of Jesus and Mary. The Hail Mary is a key component of the Rosary and is traditionally prayed by Catholics, but many people, both Christian and non-Christian, feel drawn to Mary and seek her aid.
The Hail Mary is as follows:
> 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.
The Hail Mary is a Scripture-based prayer, with the initial lines taken directly from the Gospel of Luke. The prayer begins with the Angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary, and continues with Elizabeth's greeting to her. The second part of the prayer is an entreaty to Mary to intercede for us and bring us closer to her Son, Jesus.
The Hail Mary can be prayed at any time, for a specific intention or reason, or simply when one feels like praying it. It can be prayed as part of the Rosary, or on its own. There is no wrong way to pray the Hail Mary.
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Conclude with the Hail, Holy Queen
The Rosary is a Christ-centred prayer, rooted in Sacred Scripture, that helps one meditate on the lives of Jesus and Mary. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group. It is a Catholic devotion in which one asks for the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, in drawing closer to her divine Son, Jesus.
The Rosary ends with a powerful prayer, which comes from the ancient tradition of monks concluding their communal prayer with the Salve Regina (a Latin chant of the Hail, Holy Queen). The Hail, Holy Queen is said after the completion of five mysteries (or five decades), or 15 or 20. The Hail, Holy Queen is as follows:
> 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.
After the above, the following dialogue and prayer are said:
> V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
> R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
> Let us pray: 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 while 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.
A prayer to St. Joseph may also follow. The Rosary is then concluded with the Sign of the Cross.
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Frequently asked questions
The rosary is a Christ-centred prayer based on Sacred Scripture. It is used to help keep in memory certain principal events in the history of salvation. It is also used to ask for the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, in drawing closer to her divine Son, Jesus.
The rosary is often prayed with rosary beads to keep track of your progress through the prayers. It begins with the Sign of the Cross, followed by the Apostles' Creed. Then, you announce the first mystery and pray the "Our Father". You then pray ten "Hail Marys" while meditating on the mystery. This is followed by the Glory Be and the O My Jesus prayer. You then announce the second mystery and pray the "Our Father" again. You repeat these steps as you continue through the remaining mysteries. The rosary ends with the closing prayers: the Hail Holy Queen and Final Prayer.
There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the rosary, divided into four sets of five: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, the Glorious Mysteries, and the Luminous Mysteries. Each mystery corresponds to a set of ten beads on the rosary.
