Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.“
How To Pray the Rosary:
While the rosary and the indulgences attached to it by the Church essentially concerns the decades and the meditation upon the mysteries only, the following is a customary way of preparing for the rosary and concluding it.
1. Preparation
Start by making the sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then recite 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 Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and 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 Sprit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
Then say 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys (for the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity) and then 1 Glory Be:
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, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among 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 death. Amen.
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.
2. The Rosary
The Rosary is essentially the decades and their associated mysteries, and only these must be prayed to “pray the rosary”, either in satisfaction of Our Lady’s requests, or, to gain the indulgences attached to praying the rosary.
The traditional Rosary is divided into three parts, each having five mysteries: Glorious, Joyful and Sorrowful. In his apostolic letter The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, Pope John Paul II proposed a new set of mysteries, which he called the Luminous, and which concern the period of the public life of Our Lord. For those who wish to say all 20 decades at once during the course of a day, they may be said in the following order: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious.
Monday: Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday: Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday: Glorious Mysteries
Thursday: Luminous Mysteries
Friday: Sorrowful Mysteries
Saturday: Joyful Mysteries
Sunday: Glorious Mysteries
Joyful Mysteries
- The Annunciation of the Lord to Mary
Mary is chosen to be the mother of Jesus. - The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
Elizabeth recognises Mary as the mother of our Lord. - The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus is born and laid in a manger. - The Presentation of our Lord
Jesus is presented in the Temple of Jerusalem. - Finding Jesus in the Temple
Jesus is found discussing God’s laws in the temple.
Sorrowful Mysteries
- The Agony of Jesus in the Garden
Jesus prays when confronted with the sins of the world. - The Scourging at the Pillar
Jesus is whipped before His execution. - Jesus is Crowned with Thorns
Jesus is mocked with a painful crown of thorns. - Jesus Carried the Cross
Jesus carries the weight of our sins to His crucifixion. - The Crucifixion of our Lord
Jesus Christ dies to save all mankind.
Glorious Mysteries
- The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Jesus rises triumphant over death. - The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
As Jesus ascends, He gives us a special task. - The Descent of the Holy Spirit
At Pentecost the Church is born. - The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
The Virgin Mary is gloriously assumed into heaven. - Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Mary is honored above all creatures.
Luminous Mysteries
- The Baptism in the Jordan
God proclaims Jesus is His Son. - The Wedding Feast at Cana
Jesus performs a surprising miracle at a wedding. - The Proclamation of the Kingdom
Jesus calls us to do something important. - The Transfiguration
Jesus is gloriously transformed. - The Institution of the Eucharist
Jesus shares His Body and Blood for our salvation.
