:: Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary ::

Pray the Rosary :: Mysteries of the Rosary :: Rosary links

The Rosary is based on Holy Scripture, a type of Compendium of the Gospel, and is prayed in unity with other believers, often for prayer intentions. Each Mystery (or sub-part) of the Rosary, which is Marian and centered around Christ, relates to a special event in the Life of Jesus and the life of Mary.

As Pope John Paul the Great observed in his Apostolic Letter on the "Rosary of the Virgin Mary:"

The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness. It blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian life, which, after two thousand years, has lost none of the freshness of its beginnings and feels drawn by the Spirit of God to “set out into the deep” (duc in altum!) in order once more to proclaim, and even cry out, before the world that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, “the way, and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6), “the goal of human history and the point on which the desires of history and civilization turn”.

The Christian praying the Rosary announces each Mystery before praying the corresponding decade, and reflects upon it, in addition to focusing on the individual prayers of the Rosary themselves (such as the Our Father and Hail Mary), as well as focusing on the people for whom, and intentions for which, one is praying the Rosary. One is seeking God's Blessing and the Blessed Mother's intercession, just as she interceded at the Wedding Feast of Cana, reminding Jesus of the need that existed and instructing the stewards "Do whatever He tells you."

The Rosary beads consist largely of a circle of five decades, ten beads each plus an additional separate bead, plus an additional string of five beads with a Crucifix at the end, attached to the circle. (One variation is the Rosary Ring, a ring with a Cross and raised bumps in place of beads, enough to correspond to a decade. Another variation is the Franciscan Rosary, with seven decades.)

Praying the Rosary

Crucifix
+ Sign of the Cross (with the Crucifix)
+ Apostles Creed

First five beads
+ Our Father (large bead)
+ Hail Mary (three times, three small beads)
+ Glory Be

Each decade (each Mystery)
+ Our Father (large bead)
+ Hail Mary (10 times, on the 10 small beads)
+ Glory Be (large bead, the same one used for the Our Father at the start of the next decade)
+ "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all Souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy Mercy." (prayer taught to the children at Fatima by the Holy Angel)

Concluding prayers:
+ Hail Holy Queen

[optional:]

+ "Oh 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 by meditating upon 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."

+ "May the Divine's Assistance remain always with us, and may the Souls of the Faithful Departed, through the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace [and Live in Peace] and may Perpetual Light be upon them, Amen."

+ Memorare: "Remember, O most gracious (compassionate) Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, Our Mother. To you we come, before you we kneel, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despite not our petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer them. Amen."

+ Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer

Mysteries of the Rosary

With one Mystery of the Rosary for each Decade of the Rosary (corresponding to each ten beads), there are 15 traditional Mysteries of the Rosary -- the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, as well as five newer Luminous Mysteries set out by Pope John the Great. It is possible to pray all 15 traditional Mysteries together, all 20 together, or a set of five at a time, with customs about which five to pray on a particular day or time of year. See below for more information.

Joyful Mysteries (traditional)

1 - The Annunciation (The Archangel Gabriel visits the Blessed Mother)
2 - The Visitation (The Blessed Mother visits her cousin Saint Elizabeth)
3 - The Nativity (The Birth of Christ)
4 - The Presentation (of the Infant Jesus in the Temple)
5 - The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

Luminous Mysteries (newer)

1 - The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John
2 - The Wedding Feast of Cana
3 - Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of God
4 - The Transfiguration on Mount Tabor
5 - The Institution of the Eucharist

Sorrowful Mysteries (traditional)

1 - The Agony in the Garden
2 - The Scourging at the Pillar
3 - The Crowning with Thorns
4 - Jesus Carries His Cross
5 - Jesus Dies on The Cross

Glorious Mysteries (traditional)

1 - The Resurrection (Jesus Rises from the Dead)
2 - The Ascension (Jesus Ascends into Heaven)
3 - The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Upon the Blessed Mother and the Apostles in the Upper Room)
4 - The Assumption (of the Blessed Mother bodily into Heaven)
5 - The Blessed Mother Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven

It has been permissible to pray for guidance to pray additional Mysteries, especially focusing upon Jesus' Ministry, the time of his life when he was an adult before his Passion. Pope John Paul spoke definitively to the matter by formally recognizing an additional set of five Luminous Mysteries, or Mysteries of Light, focusing on key turning points during Jesus' three years of public ministry.

There also is a Franciscan Rosary, with seven mysteries, and 72 beads to correspond with what is believed to have been the number of years the Blessed Mother lived on earth before her death and Assumption.

The author of this webpage, at one time, began developing 21 Mysteries of the Rosary. They included the 15 traditional Mysteries, plus 5 Pastoral Mysteries in between the Joyful and Sorrowful. The 5 Pastoral Mysteries included themes more than events, with the possibility of multiple possible examples to exemplify each theme. The 5 Pastoral Mysteries were: (1) Jesus Provides; (2) Jesus Heals the Sick, Casts out demons and Raises from the Dead; (3) Jesus Forgives Our Sins; (4) Jesus Teaches; and (5) Jesus Guides. In addition, the 21st Mystery, coming at the end, was to be (21) The Second Coming of Christ.

Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation

The Archangel Gabriel visits Saint Mary to invite her to be the Mother of God, Mary declares herself the handmaid of the Lord and accepts, and Jesus becomes Incaranate in her Womb as the Blessed Mother conceives through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

The Visitation

Now pregnant with the Incarnate Jesus in her womb, Mary makes off in haste to the hill country of Judea to visit -- and help -- her cousin Saint Elizabeth, already six months pregnant in her old age with Saint John the Baptist. At the sound of Mary's greeting, the infant in Elizabeth's womb stirs for joy, which Elizabeth, and the Holy Spirit speaking through, announces, referring to the prenatal John as an infant, the prenatal Jesus as Lord, and calling Mary "the Mother of my Lord." At the threshold of Elizabeth's home Mary proclaims the Magnifact, a lengthy prayer and proclamation of God's Saving Power that begins "My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior ..."

The Nativity

When Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem for the census, Mary gives birth to Jesus, wraps Him in swaddling clothes, and lays him in a manger, because there is no room for them in the inn. Holy Angels appear to shepherds keeping the night watch telling them a Savior has been born, and the shepherds go to see the Baby Jesus and pay him homage. The Magi likewise, following the Star of Bethlehem, come to pay homage.

The Presentation of the Infant Jesus

In accordance with the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the temple to be presented to God the Father. Simeon and Anna both bear witness to Jesus being Messiah.

Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

When Jesus is twelve, the Holy Family visit Jerusalem. On the way back, Joseph and Mary, traveling separately (as was the custom for men and women in large traveling parties) each think Jesus is with the other. When they discover He is missing, they go back and, after three days, find Jesus in the temple discussing and teaching. He asks, where else would He be, but in His Father's House, but goes back with Joseph and Mary and respects them as his earthly (in Joseph's case, adopted) parents.

check back for the Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries ... and perhaps the Pastoral Mysteries as well ....

Days on which to pray the Mysteries:

One can pray the entire Rosary on any time, or any particular decade or set of Mysteries on any day, but if one is only going to pray five Mysteries, it is traditional to pray in the following order:

Sunday - Glorious Mysteries
Monday - Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday - Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday - Glorious Mysteries
Thursday - Luminous Mysteries
Friday - Sorrowful Mysteries
Saturday - Joyful Mysteries