What is the Rosary?
Catholics around the world believe that the concept of the rosary was something that was given to Dominic of Osma during an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1214. Through this apparition, Mary received the title of Our Lady of the Rosary. Today, Catholics take the time each day to pray the rosary as a way to show a special dedication to the Virgin Mary and develop a prayer request. When it comes to how to pray the rosary, there is no special formula to it. You simply have to set aside time to go through the prayers with your heart and soul open to the message that God is trying to give you.
How Do You Pray the Rosary Step By Step?
When it comes to how to pray the rosary, it’s important to remember that these prayers are meant to be more of a meditation. You should plan to set aside at least a half hour to pray the rosary depending on which mystery that you’re focusing on and a Catholic prayer request that you may have associated with your prayers.
You begin to pray the rosary by starting off with the sign of the cross. From there, you say an Our Father on the large bead followed by three Hail Mary’s on the smaller beads. You then pray one Glory Be before you begin your next Our Father around the rosary loop.
Overall, you will repeat the pattern of saying one Our Father and ten Hail Mary’s five times throughout the course of the time that you’re saying the rosary.
What are the Mysteries of the Rosary?
There are four types of mysteries of the rosary, joyful, sorrowful, glorious, and luminous. The mysteries are meditations based on the life and death of Jesus Christ and each type of mystery covers five distinct stages of Jesus’ life. In many cases, a spiritual fruit is associated with each mystery.
As you pray, meditate on the mysteries of the rosary.
Joyful Mysteries
- The Annunciation
- The Visitation
- The Nativity
- The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
- The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Sorrowful Mysteries
- The Agony in the Garden
- The Scourging at the Pillar
- The Crowning with Thorns
- The Carrying of the Cross
- The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord
Glorious Mysteries
- The Resurrection
- The Ascension
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit
- The Assumption of Mary
- The Coronation of the Virgin
Luminous Mysteries (This was added in 2002 by Pope John Paul II)
- The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
- The Wedding at Cana
- Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
- The Transfiguration
- The Institution of the Eucharist
What Prayers Do You Pray in the Rosary?
There are four main prayers that are associated with praying a rosary. They are as follows:
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again 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 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.
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 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.
When Can You Pray the Rosary?
One of the beautiful things about the rosary is the fact that you can say one any time at any point throughout your day. You can take the time during your lunch break to pray the rosary or you can set aside time in the morning for you to say these special prayers.
What Do You Need to Pray the Rosary?
Although you can say a rosary at any point during your day, there are many Catholics who find it helpful to invest in a pair of rosary beads or a rosary bracelet. The reason behind this is that it will help you to keep track of which prayer you are on and how many of them you have said. Holy Land Prayer offers a beautiful homemade Jerusalem olive wood rosary bracelet. This bracelet features ten small beads around the wrist which will help you to keep track of your Hail Mary’s as well as one bead which will help you to remember to recite the Our Father. Remember, if you need help remembering these prayers, you may want to print them out ahead of the time that you plan to say your rosary.
