How to Pray The Rosary

You do not have to be Catholic to pray the Rosary. Many Christian’s fear praying the Rosary, some even believe it’s a sin. As with all things, you as a Christian should bring your concern about praying the Rosary to God. By the way, it’s also not a sin to not pray the Rosary. 

Catholics dedicate October to the Rosary. Including the Feast of the Lady of the Rosary on October 7th. Did you know, the Rosary can be a powerful prayer for world peace? As World War I was raging, on October 13, 1917, Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. In this apparition Mary identified herself as the Lady of the Rosary. 

What is the Rosary?

Originally, the Rosary was a way to teach illiterate people about Jesus. In a time when most households were unable to even afford a Bible!

The word Rosary means “crown of roses.” Every completed Rosary, places a crown of roses on the heads of Jesus and Mary.

A Rosary is 3 sets of 5 decades, resulting in praying a total of 16 Lord’s Prayers and 153 Hail Marys! Each decade is comprised of 1 Our Father and 10 Hail Marys. 

The Rosary is a Catholic prayer practice that combines both vocal and mental prayer. It’s vocal prayer in that we repeat prescribed prayers such as the Our Father and Hail Mary. The mental prayer aspect means we meditate or a better word is imagine ourselves in a gospel scene with Christ. Mental prayer is also commonly referred to as “contemplative prayer,” it was practiced by St. Teresa of Avila and St. Pope John Paul II.

“Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: ‘In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words’ (Mt 6:7)… .” (Marialis Cultus 47, qtd in RVM 12).

Mysteries or Rosary Meditations

Jesus sacrificed himself for the forgiveness of our sins (our salvation). The act of praying a Rosary is literally devoting our time and minds to meditating on the life, death and glory of Jesus and Mary (aka the mysteries). There are 20 mysteries to meditate on: Beginning with the annunciation by Angel Gabriel to Mary, and ending with the coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Why Pray the Rosary?

1. It’s a form of sacrifice for God: Your Rosary prayers show God your personal gratitude for Jesus’s act of love, and is a gift of your time and attention. Praying a Rosary is a sign to God that you are seeking him and asking The Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for you, to be drawn closer to her son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

2. It’s a foolproof prayer when you don’t know what to pray but want to stay in communion with God. It’s made up of the Lords’s Prayer or the Our Father which is exactly how Jesus directed his followers to pray. That prayer tells God that his will be done, it’s a form of surrender to God the Father. Second, is the Hail Mary which is again scriptural: the Angel Gabriel’s words at the Annunciation to Mary where she accepted God’s will for her, Elizabeth’s greeting at the visitation, and a request that she act as an intercessor for us by praying for us. That’s why Mary is called a Mediatrix. 

3. It will help transform you to who God intended you to be. If you want Jesus to truly do and created a new thing in you then pray a Rosary. You don’t even have to be Catholic to pray the Rosary. A perfect way to meditate and put your mind on Jesus. It truly is a powerful way to connect with Jesus. It combines both vocal (repeating Jesus words back to him) and mental prayer (using your imagination to see or meditate on a gospel scene to better understand Jesus). 

4. Because I want Signal Graces. That is just one of 15 benefits The B.V.M, told St. Dominic would accompany praying the Rosary daily. 

5. Some very holy people prayed and recommended the Rosary: 

• Pope John Paul II
• St. Therese of Lisieux
• St. Teresa of Avila
• St. Maximillian Kolbe
• Padre Pio
• St. Dominic
• St. Alphonso Liguori

According to St. Louis de Montfort’s, Secrets of the Rosary: You can say a rosary a day, week, or year. It’s up to you and of course only say a rosary as long as it doesn’t interfere with your duties. 

To pray the Rosary you need to have your prayers handy (conveniently included in this post for you!). 

Rosary beads can help focus your mind, but are not necessary. However, it’s so easy to lose count without a good rosary. I love a good paracord rosary as it’s sturdy and less like key to break than a chain Rosary. My favorite paracord rosaries are from The Catholic Company. Personally, in addition to praying with my paracord wooden rosary, I often ask my guardian angel to help me keep count and stay devoted to saying my Rosary. 

See: The 15 Promises of The Rosary According To The Virgin Mary

Prayer Before The Rosary

Queen of the Holy Rosary, you have deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three Sheppard children the treasures of grace hidden in the Rosary. Inspire my heart with a sincere love of this devotion, in order that by meditating on the mysteries of our Redemption which are recalled in it, I may be enriched with its fruits and obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners, and the favor which I ask of you in this Rosary. [Here mention your request] I ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of souls, especially for my own.

Amen.

How to Pray The Rosary

Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

*praying the Oh My Jesus is optional after each decade. 

1. Make the Sign of the Cross 
2. Holding the cross, pray the Apostle's Creed;
3. On the first bead, pray the Our Father;
4. 3 Hail Marys;
5. Follow by the Glory Be;
6. Announce and meditate on First Mystery  and pray the Our Father  
7. Pray 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be + *Oh My Jesus;
8. Announce/ meditate on Second Mystery + Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be + *Oh My Jesus;
9. Announce/ mediate on Third Mystery + Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be + *Oh My Jesus;
10. Announce/ mediate on Fourth Mystery + Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be + *Oh My Jesus;
11. Announce/ mediate on Fifth Mystery + Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be + *Oh My Jesus;
12. Hail Holy Queen prayer.
13. Say: V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
    R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ
14. Prayer for after the Rosary. 

Rosary Prayers

 

Mysteries of the Rosary

It is a common misconception that you have to say the mysteries associated with the days of the week. You can actually choose any mystery set you want to meditate on. For example if you are suffering it may be comforting to pray and meditate on Christ’s suffering (sorrowful mysteries), regardless of which day it is. 

The Five Joyful Mysteries

Mondays and Saturdays (except, during Lent), and the Sundays from Advent to Lent.

1. The Annunciation-Lk 1:28
2. The Visitation-Lk 1:42
3. The Nativity-Lk 2:7
4. The Presentation-Lk 2:28
5. Finding in the Temple-Lk2:45

The Five Luminous Mysteries 

Thursdays (except during Lent).

1. The Baptism of Jesus-Mt 3:13-17.
2. The Wedding at Cana-Jn 2:1-11.
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom-Mk 1:15; Mt 5:1-11. 
4. The Transfiguration-Mt 17:1-8.
5. Institution of the Eucharist-Mt 26:26-30.

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries

Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year, and every day from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday.

1. Agony in the Garden-Mk 14:35.

2. Scourging at the Pillar-Mk 15:15.

3. Crowning with Thorns-Mk 15:17

4. Carrying the Cross-Jn 19:17

5. The Crucifixion-Lk 23:33.

The Five Glorious Mysteries

Wednesdays, (except during Lent), and the Sundays from Easter to Advent.

1. The Resurrection-Mk16:6.

2. The Ascension-Mk16:9.

3. Descent of the Holy Spirit-Acts 2:4.

4. Assumption of the B.V.M.Qn 3:15.

5. Crowning of the B.V.M.-Rv12:1.

Prayer After The Rosary

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ

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, 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.

V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.

V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the

mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen.

Alternate Prayers for After the Rosary

After the prayers of the final decade, conclude with these additional prayers:  

• Hail, Holy Queen
• St. Michael, the Archangel
• Angel of God, my guardian dear  

And this final acclamation:  

“Christ conquers! Christ reigns! Christ rules!”

On September 29, 2019, on the feast day of St.

Michael the Archangel, Pope Francis asked all Catholics, to recite the rosary, then a Sub tum praesidium and the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. Here is the prayer Sub Tuum:

“We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen.”