Praying the Rosary

Rosary of Mary, Queen of Scots c. 1568

Instruction:

1. Sign of the Cross

2. Introductory Prayer
3. Announce the First Mystery; then say the "Our Father."
4. Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Mystery.
5. Say the "Glory be to the Father."
6. Announce the Second Mystery; then say the "Our Father." Repeat 4 and 5 and continue with Third,
Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner.
7. Hail Holy Queen
8. Concluding prayer
9. Sign of the Cross.

Prayers of the Rosary:

1. Sign of the Cross

Using your right hand, touch your forehead at the mention of the Father; the middle of your chest at the
mention of the Son; and the left shoulder on the word "Holy" and the right shoulder on the word "Spirit."

V. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.

2. Introductory Prayer
V. Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you.
R. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
V. O Lord, ☩ open my lips. (☩ - Trace a cross over your lips)
R. And my mouth shall declare Your praise.
V. O God, ☩ come to my assistance. (☩ - Make the sign of the Cross gesture)
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
R. as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Alleluia. (From Septuagesima to Lent instead of the “Alleluia”, say: “Praise to You, o Lord, King of eternal
glory”)

3. The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)

V. Our Father, in heaven, holy be Your name; Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven.
R. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; do not
bring us to the test; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. Hail Mary
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit
of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

5. Glory Be to the Father

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

During the Sacred Triduum, the Glory Be is replaced by the following:

a. On Maundy Thursday:
V: Christ was made obedient for us.
R: Unto death.

b. On Good Friday:
V: Christ was made obedient for us unto death.
R: Even to the death of the cross.

c. On Holy Saturday:
V: Christ was made obedient for us unto death, even to the death of the cross.
R: For which cause God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which is above all
names.

6. Hail Holy Queen

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; Hail our Life, our Sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor
banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, O 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.

7. Concluding Prayer
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 You, that by 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.

V. May the Divine ☩ assistance remain always with us. (☩ - Make the sign of the Cross gesture)
R. Amen
V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen

The Mysteries of the Rosary:

Day of With the Luminous

Standard / Traditional
praying Mysteries (Optional)
During Advent, Christmas, and Time After Epiphany: The
Joyful Mysteries
Sunday During Septuagesima and Lent: The Sorrowful Mysteries The Glorious Mysteries
During Easter and Time After Pentecost: The Glorious
Mysteries
Monday The Joyful Mysteries The Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday The Sorrowful Mysteries The Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday The Glorious Mysteries The Glorious Mysteries
Thursday The Joyful Mysteries The Luminous Mysteries
Friday The Sorrowful Mysteries The Sorrowful Mysteries
Saturday The Glorious Mysteries The Joyful Mysteries

I. The Joyful Mysteries

1. The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Spiritual Fruit: Humility
2. The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Spiritual Fruit: Love of Neighbor
3. The Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Spiritual Fruit: Poverty of Spirit
4. The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation
Spiritual Fruit: Purity of mind and body
5. The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple
 Spiritual Fruit: Obedience

II. The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Spiritual Fruit: God's Will be done
2. The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Spiritual Fruit: Mortification of the senses
3. The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns
Spiritual Fruit: Reign of Christ in our heart
4. The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Spiritual Fruit: Patient bearing of trials
5. The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Spiritual Fruit: Pardoning of Injuries

III. The Glorious Mysteries

1. The First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Spiritual Fruit: Faith
2. The Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
Spiritual Fruit: Christian Hope
3. The Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Spiritual Fruit: Gifts of the Holy Spirit
4. The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
Spiritual Fruit: To Jesus through Mary
5. The Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation
Spiritual Fruit: Grace of Final Perseverance

IV. The Luminous Mysteries

St. John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (October 2002), recommended an
additional set called the Luminous Mysteries which focus on Jesus' public life. These new Mysteries are
optional; the decision regarding whether to include them or not is "left to the freedom of individuals and
communities". (See Par. 19, Rosarium Virginis Mariae).

1. The First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism at Jordan

Spiritual Fruit: Gratitude for the gift of Faith
2. The Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Spiritual Fruit: Fidelity
3. The Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom
Spiritual Fruit: Desire for Holiness
4. The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Spiritual Fruit: Spiritual Courage
5. The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist
Spiritual Fruit: Love of our Eucharistic Lord
Note:
 The "introductory prayer" in this instruction is what the Dominican Order used when praying the
Rosary. It mirrors the opening of the Liturgy of the Hours, based on the idea that the Rosary is
the layperson's breviary. The preliminary Apostles' Creed, Our Father, three Hail Marys and
Glory be, which are represented by the pendent beads, are not said. The original Dominican
Rosary beads do not have pendent beads, it was added later (along with the prayers associated
with it) due to the influence of Brigittine Rosary which rivaled its popularity in the early 18th
century.
 The vocal prayers are sometimes called the body of the Rosary, while the mental prayer is its
soul. While the lips are uttering the words of the Hail Marys, the mind dwells on the mysteries
of the Jesus’ life as seen through the eyes of His mother who was closest to Him. We are not
meant to focus our attention on the Hail Marys. The ten Hail Marys function as a measuring
device to determine the length of time to reflect on the Mysteries. Verses from the Scriptures or
Icons may be used as aid in meditation.
 When praying in group, the lead (V. or first part of prayer) of the prayers for each decade
alternates between the leader and congregation, or between two groups.
 The rosary is usually prayed five decade a day in accordance with the mystery assigned in each
day of the week. Some people who pray the rosary throughout the day do one decade at a time,
while others pray the full rosary every day; either by praying three (or four) separate rosaries in
the morning, midday, afternoon and or evening; or all fifteen (or twenty) Mysteries at one time
(in this case it is not necessary to repeat the opening and closing prayers between the three or
four sets of Mysteries).
 Praying the Rosary is also considered an offering, likened to a garland of roses, to the Blessed
Virgin Mary. In exchange for such offering some people include, though optional, their
intentions or prayers of supplication. Some announce their intentions before or after praying
the Rosary or before or after each decade.
 The Rosary is a private devotion, whose method of practice is subject to a wide range of
personal choice. However, the Church does set minimal standards as to what constitutes a
Rosary. It defines a Rosary as the praying of 15 Our Fathers and 150 Hail Marys while meditating
upon the 15 Sacred Mysteries. If you leave out any of the above, you are not praying an actual
Rosary as defined by the Church. Other prayers and meditations can be added to those
mentioned above, according to local custom or personal choice, but such additions are
considered optional.

Posture and gesture

1. Kneeling - an expression of reverence and submission.

2. Praying hands -The hands are clasped together and held before the heart; it is a symbol of submission,
sincerity, fidelity and loyalty.
“I would like to add that the Rosary ought to be said reverently—that is to say it ought to be said, as far
as possible, kneeling, with the hands joined and clasping the Rosary. However, if people are ill they can
of course say it in bed or if they are traveling it can be said on foot—and if infirmity prevents people
kneeling it can be said seated or standing.”
- St. Louis de Montfort

"I want you to know that, although there are numerous indulgences already attached to the recitation of
my Rosary, I shall add many more to every five decades for those, who free from serious sin, say them
with devotion, on their knees."
- Our Lady to Blessed Alanus de Rupe

“Without thinking of what I was doing I took my Rosary in my hands and went on my knees. The Lady
made with her head a sign of approval..."
- St. Bernadette Soubirous

“Some irresistible force drew me towards her. She motioned to me to kneel down and when I did so, she
seemed to approve. Though she never said a word, I understood her perfectly.”
- Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne, N.D.S.

Singing the Rosary

The Rosary was at one time commonly chanted in choir – and that is why even now, when it is said in a
group, the prayers are divided with one section praying the first part, and the other completing it,
chorus contra chorum. The symbols for versicle (℣ ) and response (℟ ) are used to indicate this. Saints,
from earliest times, have taught that singing a prayer is more powerful than speaking it.

"I feel that our souls are moved to the ardor of piety by the sacred words more piously and powerfully
when these words are sung than when they are not sung, and that all the affections of our soul in their
variety have modes of their own in song and chant by which they are stirred up by an indescribable and
secret sympathy."
-Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book X, chap. 33, MPL, XXXII, 799ff.

“When the words come, they are merely empty shells without the music. They live as they are sung, for
the words are the body and the music the spirit.”
- St. Hildegard of Bingen

The Church teaches that Gregorian chant is a form of music “specially suited to the Roman liturgy“.
Gregorian chant is the traditional liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church. It has been used for
centuries to sing the Mass and for other types of worship services. While the Rosary is not a public
liturgy, but rather a private devotion, many of its prayers are identical with those used in the Mass.
Indeed, Pope John Paul II called the Rosary, “a faithful echo of the Liturgy“. Gregorian chant therefore
seems well-suited for singing the Rosary.

"As regards music, let the clear and guiding norms of the Apostolic See be scrupulously observed.
Gregorian chant, which the Roman Church considers her own as handed down from antiquity and kept
under her close tutelage, is proposed to the faithful as belonging to them also. In certain parts of the
liturgy the Church definitely prescribes it;[171] it makes the celebration of the sacred mysteries not only
more dignified and solemn but helps very much to increase the faith and devotion of the congregation.
For this reason, Our predecessors of immortal memory, Pius X and Pius XI, decree -- and We are happy to
confirm with Our authority the norms laid down by them -- that in seminaries and religious institutes,
Gregorian chant be diligently and zealously promoted, and moreover that the old Scholae Cantorum be
restored, at least in the principal churches. This has already been done with happy results in not a few
places."
-Venerable Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei #191, November 20, 1947

Benefits of Praying the Rosary in Group according to St. Louis Marie de Montfort

1. Normally, our minds are far more alert during public prayer than when we pray alone.
2. When we pray in common, the prayer of each one belongs to all. We make one great prayer
together, so that if one person is not praying well, someone else in the same gathering who
prays better may make up for his deficiency. In this way, those who are strong uphold the weak.
Those who are fervent inspire the lukewarm.
3. One who says his Rosary alone only gains the merit of that one Rosary. But if he says it together
with others, he gains the merit of each Rosary. This is the law of public prayer.
4. Public prayer is far more powerful than private prayer, to appease the anger of God, and to call
down His mercy. Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, has always advocated public
prayer in times of public tragedy and suffering.
5. If the faithful pray five decades of the Rosary in company with others, whether in public or
private, they may gain an indulgence of ten years, once a day. A plenary indulgence can be
gained on the last Sunday of the month – with the addition of detachment from venial sin,
confession, Communion, a visit to the church and prayers for the intentions of the Pope – if they
perform such recitation at least three times in any of the preceding weeks.

Supplication Prayers:
A good method of praying the rosary includes asking for a special grace. One of De Montfort’s retorts: a
“big fault a lot of people make when saying the Holy Rosary is to have no intention other than that of
getting it over as quickly as possible.”

1. Supplication to St. Joseph

Pope Leo XIII attached to his encyclical, Quamquam Pluries, this special prayer to St. Joseph ordering that
it be added to the recitation of the rosary every year in perpetuity, during the month of October.
“To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most
holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also. Through that charity which bound you to the
Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child
Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his
Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities. O most watchful guardian of the
Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every
contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from
heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness. As once you rescued the Child Jesus from
deadly peril, so now protect God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity;
shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your
aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.”

2. The Fatima Supplication

This prayer was revealed by the Blessed Virgin on July 13, 1917 to three shepherd children in Fatima,
Portugal. They were asked to recite this prayer at the end of each decade of the rosary. This prayer was
approved for public use in 1930.

“O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially
those in most need of your mercy.”

3. Eternal Rest Prayer

This short prayer is a simple invocation for the dead, often prayed when passing cemeteries, and on All
Souls Day (during the period of eight days from All Souls Day, Catholics who visit a cemetery and pray for
the dead may gain a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, on each day of the Octave,
applicable only to the dead). This prayer is also inserted after each decade of the Rosary (replacing the
Fatima Prayer) during the month of November, which is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is
used in the Rosary, too, during the Vigil of a Catholic funeral.

“Eternal rest grant unto him/her (them), O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him/her (them). May
he/she (they) rest in peace. Amen.”

4. Rosary Supplications of Blessed Bartolo Longo

I. Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation.
O Mary, immaculate lily, through the joy you felt when at the Angel's message you became the Mother
of God: obtain for me the virtue of purity and of humility, that I may become your worthy son
(daughter) and the brother (sister) of Jesus.
2. The Visitation.
O Mary, Mother of grace and of charity, through the joy you felt when, upon visiting Elizabeth, you
brought joy to the home of Zechariah and the Baptist was sanctified at the sound of your voice: visit my
soul, let it hear your Motherly voice, and fill it with love of God and love of neighbour.
3. The Birth of Jesus.
O Mary, mirror of humility and of poverty, through the joy you felt when, turned away by the
inhabitants of Bethlehem and forced to take refuge in a stable from the cold and darkness, you gave
birth to the Divine Redeemer: grant that by accepting scorn and poverty I remain faithful to grace and
gain the reward of eternal salvation by means of good works.
4. The Presentation.
O Mary, the perfect model of obedience and of sacrifice, you who offered Jesus to the Eternal Father on
our behalf: place your Child upon my bosom, that, together with you, I may offer him the sacrifice of my
passions and of my whole being.
5. The Finding in the Temple.
O Mary, a shining example of patience, through the joy you felt when, after three days of anxiously
searching, you found Jesus in the Temple: grant that I too, seeking Jesus with love in every moment of
my life in imitation of you, may find him at last in your arms at the hour of my death, never to lose him
again.

II. Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden.
O Grieving Virgin, through the anguish of that saddest of nights in which Jesus in agony in the garden
sweat blood at the sight of my sins, and, betrayed, was tied as a criminal: obtain for me the perfect
sorrow of my sins and perseverance in prayer, that I may never again betray his most loving Heart.
2. The Scourging at the Pillar.
O most grieving Mother, through the pain you felt in knowing that your innocent and holy Son had been
publicly stripped and bloodily scourged with biting whips: obtain for me the spirit of true repentance
and the virtue of chastity and of the mortification of the senses.
3. The Crowning with Thorns.
O Mother of sorrows, through the atrocious torment which pierced your heart when you saw Jesus, the
King of glory, then become the King of suffering, crowned with thorns and shame, with a reed in his
hands, derided by the crowd: ah!, encircle my intellect and my heart with these very thorns, that I may
never offend him again with evil thoughts and sentiments; and obtain for me pureness in my thoughts
and the right intentions in my actions.
4. The Carrying of the Cross.
O grieving Mother, through the martyrdom of your heart, when you met your Son weighed down
beneath the heavy cross, staining the road to Calvary with his blood: grant that I, clinging to Jesus' cross,
follow behind, daily carrying the cross of my troubles with meekness and with perfect conformity to the
will of God.
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord.
O Queen of the Martyrs, through the extreme spasm of your heart when you witnessed Jesus dying on
the cross in the midst of a thousand torments, forsaken and without comfort: grant that I die to myself,
to the world and to sin, and live in the heart of Jesus alone, having abandoned myself in his most holy
arms.

III. Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection.
O Most Holy Mother of God, through the joy you felt in seeing Jesus risen from the dead and
surrounded in glory: obtain for me that I too rise from the death of sin to a life of grace and of faith, and
may persevere in it till my very last breath.
2. The Ascension.
O Queen of the Heavens, through the joy you experienced in seeing Jesus rising to Heaven triumphant
as King of the Universe and as our Advocate by his Father: obtain his blessing for me also, so that I be
changed by him from a sinner into a saint; moreover, by separating me from all earthly affection,
through the virtue of hope may he kindle in me the desire of paradise.
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit.
O Queen of the Universe, through the joy you felt when the Holy Spirit descended on you and on the
Apostles: grant that he come into my soul and fill it with his holy gifts and the heavenly fruits of charity,
of joy, of patience and of peace.
4. The Assumption.
O Queen, Lady of the Angels, through the joy you experienced when you were taken into heaven body
and soul: come with Jesus to assist me at the hour of my death, and lead me with you to everlasting
happiness.
5. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
O Queen of all the Saints, and the honour and delight of humankind, through the joy you felt when the
Most Holy Trinity crowned you as Queen of Heaven and Earth: inflame me with your love and with the
love of God, that I may love and serve you on earth, and glorify you, O Queen of my heart, in heaven.