Written by Benoît Santos - Updated on Oct 26, 2024
The rosary is a repetition of prayer (orations) during which we meditate on the life of Jesus and his mother the Virgin Mary (the mysteries). This deep and authentic prayer allows us to refocus on the mysteries of God that nourish our faith and our life. It is a prayer of devotion to the Virgin to solicit her precious intercession.
The prayer of the rosary is undeniably powerful. This has been proven by the graces that have been obtained. It is the vital link that binds us to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit through the Blessed Virgin.
Praying the Rosary with faith and love brings peace, reconciliation, healing into our lives. In silence, we open our hearts to receive God through the Spirit of Christ.
What does it mean to pray the Rosary?
During the Rosary, meditation on the mysteries is an important step because we rediscover the true meaning of the great events of the Gospels. During this time of reflection, we are then invited to fill our hearts with the fruits of the four mysteries: joyful mystery, sorrowful mystery, glorious mystery and luminous mystery.
The month of October is dedicated to praying the Rosary, but it can be practiced at any time of the day and throughout the year. We can make a rosary for a particular intention.
How to practice the prayers of the rosary?
To pray the rosary, we must equip ourselves with a rosary. Here are the steps to follow:
- Unroll the rosary
- Make the sign of the cross
- On the cross of the rosary , recite the creed (Apostles' 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, was buried, descended into Hell; the third day rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from there he will come 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 life everlasting."
- On the first bead , recite the Our Father prayer: “ Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
let your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.”
Amen
- On the three beads , recite the “ Hail Mary ” followed by the “ glory be to the Father ” and the “ prayer of Fatima ”: “Hail Mary, full of grace;
The Lord is with you.
You are blessed among all women.
And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us poor sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death." Amen
Glory to the Father : “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
now and always,
for ever and ever.
Amen."
Fatima Prayer : “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love you! I ask your forgiveness for those who do not believe, who do not adore, who do not hope, who do not love you.
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly, and I offer you the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the earth, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which he himself is offended. By the infinite merits of his most Holy Heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask you for the conversion of poor sinners.
- On the next grain : announce the first mystery then say the Our Father
- Then on the ten beads , recite “Hail Mary ” on each of the
- At the end of each decade , say the glory to the father and the prayer of Fatima
- On the isolated grain , announce the second mystery then the Our Father
- repeat the ten “Hail Marys” and as a precedent, then announce the following mystery and so on
- At the end of the last decade , say the glory to the father and the prayer of Fatima
- And finally, recite the “Hail, O Queen ”: HAIL, O QUEEN, Mother of Mercy:
our life, our sweetness and our hope, salvation!
Children of Eve, unfortunate exiles,
we raise our cries to you;
we sigh towards you,
moaning and weeping in this vale of tears.
O our advocate, turn your merciful gaze towards us;
and when we come out of this exile, show us Jesus,
the blessed fruit of your womb,
O merciful, O charitable, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, holy Mother of God, that we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Prayers to the Virgin Mary
Consecration to Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy
O Virgin Mary, Mother of all love and compassion,
Mother and Queen of Mercy,
I dedicate myself entirely to you today and always.
I am at your service, here I am, send me.
Come live in me, love in me, console in me.
Let my thoughts be your thoughts; my hands, your hands; my words, your words.
O Mary, you are the queen of the universe, be also the queen of my heart.
Prayer to Mary, Queen of the Rosary
When the time comes for us to make a decision
Mary of the Annunciation,
help us say "yes"
When the time comes for us to leave
Mary of Egypt, wife of Joseph,
ignite Hope in us
When the hour of incomprehension comes to us
Mary of Jerusalem,
digs patience in us
When the time comes for us to intervene
Mary of Cana,
give us the courage of humble speech
When the hour of suffering comes for us
Mary of Golgotha,
make us remain at the feet of those in whom your Son suffers
When the hour of waiting comes for us
Mary of the Cenacle,
inspire us to a common prayer
And every day,
when the joyful hour of service rings for us
Mary of Nazareth,
Mary of the Mountains of Judah,
put your servant's heart in us
Until the day when, taking your hand,
Mary of the Assumption,
we will fall asleep,
waiting for the day of our resurrection.
Jean-Paul Hoch
When to pray the rosary?
It must be recognized that this beautiful prayer is long and that we are not always available. It is possible to meditate on the mysteries of the day:
- Joyful Mysteries : Monday, Saturday, Sundays of Advent
- Luminous Mysteries : Thursday
- Sorrowful Mysteries : Tuesday, Friday, Sundays of Lent
- Glorious Mysteries : Wednesday, Sunday
The different mysteries of the rosary and their fruits
Let us welcome within ourselves the graces emanating from these mysteries:
The 5 Joyful Mysteries:
Meditation: “be joyful and glad” Mt 5:12 – birth and childhood of Jesus.
- 1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation. This mystery calls us to humility . And like the Virgin Mary, we must learn to say “yes”. (Lk 1:26-38) –(Mt 1:18-25)
- 2nd joyful mystery: the visitation . Fruits of this mystery: charity, welcome, love of neighbor. (Lk 1, 39-56)
- 3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity . This mystery reminds us of the spirit of poverty. (Mt 2, 1-12) – (Lk 2, 1-20)
- 4th joyful mystery: the presentation of Jesus in the temple . The fruits of this mystery are purity and the spirit of obedience. (Lk 2, 22-40)
- 5th joyful mystery: the finding of Jesus in the temple. This mystery invites us to seek God in all things (Lk 2:41-52)
The 5 Luminous Mysteries
Meditation: “I am the light of the world.
He who follows me will not walk in darkness,
he will have the light of life.” John 8:12 – The wonderful moments of Jesus’ life.
- 1st luminous mystery: the baptism of Jesus . Fruits of this mystery: the state of baptismal grace (Mt 3, 1-17), (Mk 1, 1-11), (Lk 3, 1-22).
- 2nd luminous mystery: the wedding at Cana. Fruits of this mystery : trust in the will of God (Jn 2, 1-11).
- 3rd luminous mystery: the proclamation of the Kingdom of God . Fruit of this mystery: conversion (Mt 4, 12-17), (Mt 5), (Mc 1, 14-15), (Lc 4, 14-15), Lc 6, 20-49) (Jn 3, 11-21)
- 4th luminous mystery: the transfiguration . Fruit of this mystery: the grace of an interior life, contemplation (Lk 9, 28-35).
- 5th Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist . Fruit of this mystery: The practice and love of the Eucharist (1 Cor 11:23-29), (Jn 13), (Mk 14:22-25)
The 5 painful mysteries
Meditation: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 – invites us to immerse ourselves in the passion of Jesus.
- 1st Sorrowful Mystery: the agony of Christ in the Garden of Olives. Fruit of this mystery: contrition, regret for our sins (Mt 26:36-46), (Jn 18:1-11),
- 2nd painful mystery: the flagellation of Jesus . Fruit of this mystery: mortification. This mystery teaches us the mastery of our senses. (Lk 23, 13-16).
- 3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns. Fruit of this mystery: Driving out pride, mortification of the mind and heart (Mk 15:16-20)
- 4th Sorrowful Mystery: Carrying the Cross. Fruit of this mystery: Patience in trials (Lk 23:26-31)
- 5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus on the Cross. Fruit of this mystery: the greatness of God's love and the salvation of souls (Lk 23:32-47)
The 5 Glorious Mysteries
Meditation: “If Christ has not been raised, our faith is empty” Saint Paul
(1 Corinthians 15:14). We contemplate Jesus' triumph over death.
- 1st glorious mystery: the resurrection of Jesus . Fruit of this mystery: faith and conversion (Jn 20, 1-18)
- 2nd glorious mystery: the Ascension. Fruit of the mystery: the desire for heaven, hope (Acts 1:9-11)
- 3rd glorious mystery: Pentecost. Fruit of the mystery: the descent of the Holy Spirit, charity (Acts 2:1-4).
- 4th glorious mystery: the Assumption. Fruit of the mystery: devotion to Mary and a good death (Lk 1, 48-49)
- 5th glorious mystery: the coronation of Mary in heaven. Fruit of the mystery : trust and devotion to Mary (Rev 12:1).
The rosary can end with a prayer addressed to each person of the Holy Family: Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary and Jesus:
Prayers to Saint Joseph
REMEMBER SAINT JOSEPH, PRAYER of POPE PIUS IX, 1863
Remember, O most chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary,
O my loving protector, Saint Joseph,
that we have never heard of anyone invoking your protection
and asked for your help without having been consoled.
Animated by such confidence
I come to you and I recommend myself to you with all the fervor of my soul.
Do not reject my prayer, O You, who are called the Father of the Redeemer,
but deign to welcome him with kindness.
So be it.
MORNING PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH:
GLORIOUS Saint Joseph, almighty over the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, grant us your protection on the threshold of this day, so that, when evening comes, we may address with a pure soul our thanksgiving to the divine Majesty.
Remember that you were on earth the head of the Holy Family, obtain bread for those who are hungry, a roof for those who have none, peace and prosperity for those who claim you.
Remember also that you are the Patron of the Catholic Church. May through your intercession our Pope, our cardinals, our bishops and all those who serve the cause of Peter, benefit from the graces they need in the accomplishment of their mission.
So be it.
Prayers to Jesus, Our Savior
Jesus, our Savior and our brother,
Our strength and our light,
Give us by your life, death and resurrection,
To feel the world your way.
That the Holy Spirit received at baptism
Animates our eyes, ears, mouth and hands.
Be our humility and our charity
By the salvation that you want to give us,
Dwell in us through your Word of Life,
Be our joy and our hope,
Increase in us faith and trust,
And give a mission to all of us, sons and daughters,
To form a unique family with you
In God, eternal Love, our Father.
Veronique Belen
December 1999
We will close this article with the call of our Lord: “ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (Jn 15:7).
By praying the rosary and meditating on the different mysteries we seal our life to that of Jesus and Mary. In all, the rosary is a message of Peace! It is advisable to recite it as soon as we can.
If you would like to discover other prayer articles, here is a link to our prayer to the three archangels .
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