Ethan Walker
The Rosary is a meditative and Scripture-based Catholic prayer that centres on the events of Christ's life. It is a way to seek closeness with Jesus by contemplating His life, death, and resurrection. The Rosary can be recited privately or with a group. Recitation involves twenty mysteries, divided into five Joyful Mysteries, five Luminous Mysteries, five Sorrowful Mysteries, and five Glorious Mysteries. Each mystery is accompanied by a set of ten beads, amounting to fifty beads in total. The Rosary begins with the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed, followed by the Our Father prayer, and the Hail Mary prayer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To help keep in memory certain principal events in the history of salvation |
| Number of Mysteries | 20 |
| Types of Mysteries | Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous |
| Days to Pray the Joyful Mysteries | Monday, Saturday, and Sundays during Advent |
| Days to Pray the Luminous Mysteries | Thursday |
| Days to Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries | Tuesday, Friday, and Sundays during Lent |
| Days to Pray the Glorious Mysteries | Wednesday, Sunday |
| Number of Decades | 5 |
| Number of Beads in Each Decade | 10 |
| Number of Hail Mary Prayers in Each Decade | 10 |
| Total Number of Hail Mary Prayers | 50 |
| First Prayer | Apostles' Creed |
| Second Prayer | Our Father |
| Third Prayer | Hail Mary |
| Conclusion | Sign of the Cross |
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What You'll Learn
Begin with the Sign of the Cross
To begin reciting the Catholic Rosary, start with the Sign of the Cross. This is done by tracing the shape of a cross in the air with your right hand, and saying: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
The Sign of the Cross is a sacred and ancient gesture in the Catholic Church, and it is used to bless oneself. It is also used as a way to show respect and reverence before beginning prayer or other sacred activities. The Sign of the Cross is often said at the beginning of other Catholic prayers, such as the Hail Mary and the Our Father, which are also part of the Rosary.
After making the Sign of the Cross, you can then continue with the Rosary by praying the Apostles' Creed while holding the crucifix. The Apostles' Creed is a statement of faith that summarises the core beliefs of the Catholic Church. It is said as follows: "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 Ghost, 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 sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall 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 Rosary is a meditative prayer based on Scripture, and it is used to help Catholics grow closer to Jesus by contemplating His life, death, and Resurrection through the intercession of His mother, Mary. The Rosary is made up of five decades (sets of 10 beads), and on each decade, you pray and meditate on one of the twenty mysteries of the Rosary, which are events from the life of Jesus and Mary.
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Recite the Apostles' Creed
Reciting the Apostles' Creed is the first step in praying the Rosary. The Rosary is a meditative, Scripture-based prayer that begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarises the central mysteries of the Catholic faith.
To begin, make the Sign of the Cross and hold the Crucifix. Then, 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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall 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 the life everlasting. Amen.
The words of the Apostles' Creed come from various books of Scripture, including the Gospels, 1 Peter, 1 Corinthians, and Acts. This creed is an affirmation of core beliefs for Catholics, and it is a fitting way to start the Rosary, which is a contemplation of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
After reciting the Apostles' Creed, you can continue with the Rosary by announcing the Mystery and saying an Our Father on the first bead.
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Pray the Our Father
The Lord's Prayer, also known as the 'Our Father', is one of the most popular Christian prayers. It is a perfect model of how to pray, what to pray for, and in what order. It is a summary of the whole gospel.
The prayer is as follows:
> 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.
The prayer is addressed to God as 'Our Father', which indicates that it is a prayer of a group of people who consider themselves children of God. 'In heaven' signifies that God is distinct from human fathers on earth.
The prayer is comprised of seven lines, often called the Seven Petitions. The first three petitions praise God and draw us towards his glory, while the last four ask for His help and forgiveness. 'Our daily bread' refers to the necessities of life we need each day, as well as the supernatural gift of His body in the Holy Eucharist. Asking for 'daily bread' teaches us to trust in God to provide for us, just as he provided for the Israelites in the desert.
The 'Our Father' is a foundational prayer, and it is said first before other prayers. It is a template for how we can talk with God about anything.
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Pray the Hail Mary
The Hail Mary is a prayer in the Rosary that combines the angel's words announcing Christ's birth with Elizabeth's greeting to Mary. Here is how you can pray the 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.
The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer that can be said privately or with a group. It is a form of contemplative prayer that uses gentle repetition to lead one into a restful and meditative state.
When praying the Rosary, you will pray ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery for each decade. The five decades correspond to the five sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous.
The Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the season of Advent. They reflect on the events surrounding Christ's birth, including the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary and her journey to visit Elizabeth.
The Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries complete the Rosary, each focusing on different aspects of Christ's life and ministry.
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Conclude with the Hail, Holy Queen
The Rosary is a meditative and Scripture-based prayer. It is based on the events of Christ's life and is usually recited privately or with a group. After the completion of the five mysteries (5 decades), the Hail, Holy Queen is recited 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, Your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of Your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
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.
The Rosary is concluded with the Sign of the Cross: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
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Frequently asked questions
The Rosary is a meditative Scripture-based prayer that helps keep in memory certain principal events in the history of salvation.
You begin with the Sign of the Cross: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
After making the Sign of the Cross, you 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."
After the Apostles' Creed, you pray the Our Father, which introduces each mystery and is from the Gospels: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..."
