Praying the Rosary

Contents of this page:

1. The Mysteries of the Rosary

2. How to Pray the Rosary

3. An Audio-Visual Rosary

4. The Rosary for Children

5. Your Rosary on the Go!

6. Common Rosary Prayers

1. The Mysteries of the Rosary

A YouTube video explaining the Rosary: The Mystery of the Rosary - A Short Documentary on the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries

(Said on Mondays and Saturdays, the Sundays of Advent, and Sundays from Epiphany until Lent)

1. The Annunciation (Humility)	2. The Visitation (Fraternal Charity)	3. The Nativity (Love of God)	4. The Presentation (Spirit of Sacrifice)	5. Finding in the Temple (Zeal)

The Luminous Mysteries

(Said on Thursdays)

1. The Baptism of the Lord (Sacrament of Baptism)	2. The Wedding of Cana (Fidelity)		3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom (Desire for Holiness)
4. The Transfiguration  (Spiritual Courage)		5. The Institution of the Eucharist  (Love of Our Eucharistic Lord)

The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Said on Tuesdays, Fridays throughout the year;  and daily from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday)

1. Agony in the Garden (True Repentance)	2. Scourging at the Pillar (Mortification)	3. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage)	4. Carrying the Cross (Patience)	5. The Crucifixion (Final Perseverance)

The Glorious Mysteries
(Said on Wednesdays and the Sundays from Easter until Advent)

1. The Resurrection (Faith)	2. The Ascension (Hope)	3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Zeal)	4. The Assumption (Happy Death)	5. The Coronation of B.V.M.(Love for Mary)

(Rosary pictures are from "Pray the Rosary Daily" pamphlet. Courtesy of Association of Marian Helpers. www.marian.org)

2. How to Pray the Rosary

• Begin by holding the crucifix, saying "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (making the sign of the Cross while doing that), then say the Apostles Creed.

• On the single bead just above the cross, pray the "Our Father." This and all prayers of the rosary are meditative prayers. 

• The next cluster has 3 beads. The "Hail Mary" prayer is said on these three beads. You pray the 3 Hail Marys while meditating on or parying for the Pope's intentions for that month.

• On the chain or cord after the three beads, say the "Glory be..." 

• On the next bead, which is a single bead, you announce the first divine mystery of contemplation.  For example, if it were a Monday, you would say the first Joyful Mystery is "The Annunciation", at this point you pray the "Our Father" prayer. 

• Now this will bring you to the first decade, or set of 10 beads of the Rosary.  You will then pray 10 Hail Marys while contemplating the first mystery, example: The Annunciation. 

• After the 10th Hail Mary you will have completed the first of 5 decades which make up a Chaplet of the Rosary. You now come to another single bead, at this point, you pray the... Glory be to the Father... then (on the same bead) pray the O My Jesus... then (on the same bead) announce the next or second mystery. For example: if its Monday and your praying the Joyful Mysteries, the second Joyful Mystery is The Visitation.   At this point you pray the Our Father....

• You will now come to the second decade or group of 10 beads, you will now pray the 10 Hail Marys while contemplating the appropriate mystery.

• You continue to pray the rosary the same way throughout. If your intention is to pray a Chaplet (a single set of mysteries) at the end of the fifth mystery you will come back to the joiner, this is where the decades all join with the lower part of the rosary which contains the cross.  When you come to the joiner, you decide whether or not you wish to say another Chaplet or end.  If you decide to say another Chaplet you simply announce the next mystery and continue. If you wish to end, you simply say the Glory Be To The Father, the O My Jesus, The Our Father and end the rosary with the Hail Holy Queen and the sign of the Cross........

  Courtesy of www.familyrosary.org, you can find an interactive guide to praying the Rosary here: Interactive Guide

3. An Audio-Visual Rosary

ComePrayTheRosary.org allows Catholics worldwide to join together in praying the Rosary or to pray the Rosary individually. The video accompanying the audio can be chosen by you to be either the priest and his congregation or images from the Holy Land.

To join in prayer with this community, click here: ComePrayTheRosary

4. The Rosary for Children

“As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. At one time this prayer was particularly dear to Christian families, and it certainly brought them closer together. It is important not to lose this precious inheritance. We need to return to the practice of family prayer and prayer for families, continuing to use the Rosary” (Pope John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 41 (2002)).

From osvparish.com (adapted):

Teaching children how to pray the Rosary can be one of the most influential and long-lasting things you do for them all year. Below are some ideas for incorporating the Rosary and the life of Mary into the lives of your family.

With younger children it is helpful to make a picture, gluing beans or dots or anything round to construction paper as you teach about the prayers and the mysteries.

Another hands-on method is to thread actual beads on a string and make a rosary as you teach and practice it.

Using a coloring page, coloring the beads as you go over the prayers, is yet another way to present the decades. 

With older children, you can go into more detail about the mysteries and a short explanation of the stories with each decade. Be sure and include the Luminous Mysteries with your teaching. Many of your older booklets will not have these. You can find them on many sites but this one goes into good detail. Here is a site that goes into more detail.

Older children also like to take turns leading in the Rosary. It makes it more real to them and keeps them involved.

A scriptural Rosary can connect the prayers very directly to the Gospel. Here is a website that can be of great help with a scriptural rosary.

A Living Rosary can be done several ways and have a powerful effect. Each person in a large group can represent a bead and say the prayer for that part of the rosary as it goes around the circle.

However you present the Rosary, do it with enthusiasm and creativity. Being a rote prayer it can easily seem “boring” to this over-entertained generation of future saints. It is our awesome tasks as Catholic parents to see that this age-honored prayer remains an exciting part of our worship.

Our Imperfect Family Rosary: Read about it here!

How to Make a Rosary with Your Children: Learn here!

Free Rosary Colouring Sheets: Find them here!

 5. Your Rosary on the Go!

Sitting in traffic or waiting in line? Wasted time or prayer time? Your call. 

With Family Rosary’s Mobile Rosary it’s prayer time with Mary. A traditional Rosary with soothing audio and the text of each prayer. 

The Mobile Rosary allows you to dedicate each Rosary to a cause or intention. You can share your prayer intention on Facebook or Twitter, so your friends and family know you are praying for them. Also, we include an inspirational Prayer of the Day to keep you going. 

If you are learning the Rosary, there is no easier way than Family Rosary’s Mobile Rosary. Those who pray the Rosary regularly will love how the audio guides you through the prayers.

For more information, click here.

Or online for your smartphone here.

 6. Common Rosary Prayers

 THE APOSTLE'S 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.

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 of 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.

Disclaimer: The resources above are provided to help you pray the Rosary and are copyright of their respective creators. The parish is not responsible for the content of external sites (including but not limited to advertisements). No copyright infringement is intended.