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A Detailed Guide to
Our Lady's Rosary
by Zoltan Abraham
Copyright, 1994
Last Revised, February, 1998
Introduction:
I wrote this article in 1994 in response to a
request posted to a discussion group. Since then,
I've seen it in various places around the Net.
This version is essentially the same as the
earlier, but with more reflections on the role of
the Rosary, and with the major exception that
I've eliminated the graphics, to make the text
more easily manageable. Please feel free to copy
and reproduce this article if you wish, but I ask
that the text be presented without change, in its
entirety, including the title, the authorship,
and the copyright notice. I also ask to be
notified when the text is reproduced.
What is the Rosary?
Praying the Rosary is very simple. At first it
will probably seem complicated, but after you
pray it a couple of times, it becomes like second
nature. In fact, it's much more complicated to
talk about it than to pray it.
The word Rosary has two main meanings: the
physical object, comprised of a string of beads,
a medal, and a cross; and the prayer for which
this physical object is used as a guide. You
don't need the object to pray the Rosary, but the
beads will help you keep track of where you are
as you pray. Moreover, the Rosary, as a physical
object, is a sacred object, the presence of which
in your home or pocket is, in a certain sense, a
constant prayer offered to God, through Mary.
When we pray the Rosary, we start with the cross,
say a prayer, then move on to the first bead and
say a prayer, then move to the second bead and
say a prayer, and continue in this manner until
all of the beads are covered. (Whether we go from
left to right, or from right to left probably
makes no difference.) (Note: You will find all of
the prayers at the end of this article.)
The basic configuration of the prayer is simple:
the Rosary consists of a Cross, a medal,
individual beads, and consecutive beads. For the
cross, we pray the Apostles' Creed; for the
individual beads, the Our Father, and for the
consecutive beads, the Hail Mary. After all of
the beads have been covered, it is customary to
say some concluding prayers (see below),
including petitions (if the petitions have not
already been stated), which can be understood to
correspond to the medal. (Otherwise, the medal
has no corresponding prayers.)
The Rosary can be divided into three parts: the
introduction, the five decades, and the
conclusion. The introduction consists of the
cross and the four beads following it, which
together mean the Apostles' Creed, one Our
Father, and three Hail Marys. The five decades
each consist of one individual bead and ten
consecutive beads -- that is of one Our Father,
and ten Hail Marys. The concluding prayers can be
any Marian prayer, related prayers, and the
petitions for which the Rosary is prayed (if the
petitions have not already been stated). (See the
end of the article for some sample concluding
prayers.)
Each decade is devoted to a particular event in
the life of Jesus or of the Virgin Mary. For the
purposes of the Rosary, these are called
mysteries. The focus is always on Jesus. But
since the Virgin Mary, as the Mother of Jesus,
had (and continues to have) a special
relationship with Christ, the Rosary is designed
to help us contemplate Christ and His love for
humanity through His Mother -- and Our Mother --
on whom He has lavished so much love.
Since the Rosary has five decades, each of which
corresponds to one mystery, there are five
mysteries for each Rosary. Finally, there are
three sets of five mysteries: 1) the Joyful
Mysteries, 2) the Sorrowful Mysteries, and 3) the
Glorious Mysteries.
The mysteries are the following:
(The custom is to pray each set of mysteries on
the days of the week indicated -- but that is
just a custom.)
The Joyful Mysteries:
(Monday and Thursday; and the Sundays from 1st
Sunday of Advent until Lent.)
1. The Annunciation to Mary
2. The Visitation of Mary
3. The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the
Temple
5. The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries:
(Tuesday and Friday; and the Sundays of Lent.)
1. The Agony of Christ in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord on the
Cross
Glorious Mysteries:
(Wednesday and Saturday; and the Sundays from
Easter until Advent.)
1. The Resurrection of Our Lord
2. The Ascension of Our Lord
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
Apostles
4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into
Heaven
5. The Coronation of Our Lady as Queen of Heaven
and Earth
When we pray the Joyful Mysteries, the first
decade corresponds to the Annunciation, the
second decade to the Visitation, the third, to
the Birth of Our Lord, the fourth, to the
Presentation at the Temple, and the fifth, to the
Finding in the Temple.
When we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries, the first
decade corresponds to the Agony of Christ in the
Garden, the second, to Scourging of Christ, the
third, to the Crowning with Thorns, the fourth,
to the Carrying of the Cross, and the fifth, to
the Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord.
When we pray the Glorious Mysteries, the first
decade corresponds to the Resurrection of Our
Lord, the second, to the Ascension of Our Lord,
the third, to the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon
the Apostles, the fourth, to the Assumption of
the Virgin Mary, and the fifth, to the Coronation
of the Virgin Mary.
Putting It All Together
Now we can look at how all of this is put
together. Two different basic approaches have
developed, both of which will be covered. Both
approaches are equally acceptable, but specific
indulgences for the Rosary may require that we
follow the local custom.
The First Method
The Introduction:
-- kiss the cross, and make the sign of the cross
-- at the cross -- say the Apostles' Creed
-- at the first individual bead -- say one Our
Father
-- at each of the three consecutive beads -- say
one Hail Mary
The First Mystery:
-- state the First Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this
mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say
one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My Jesus
The Second Mystery:
-- state the Second Mystery,
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this
mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say
one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My Jesus
The Third Mystery:
-- state the Third Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this
mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say
one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My Jesus
The Fourth Mystery:
-- state the Fourth Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this
mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say
one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My Jesus
The Fifth Mystery:
-- state the Fifth Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this
mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say
one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My Jesus
Conclusion:
-- a Marian prayer
-- if desired, a general prayer, such as a prayer
to the Holy Spirit
-- statement of intentions, if not made earlier
(the intentions could also be stated at the very
beginning)
Note: The usual concluding prayer in the United
States appears to be the Hail, Holy Queen, but
other prayers, like the Mamorare of St. Bernard,
are just as suitable. (See the end of the article
for sample prayers.)
-- finally, make the sign of the cross, and the
kiss the cross on the Rosary
The Second Method
This method is the same as the first one, with
one major exception. Here the mysteries are not
announced before each decade but are inserted
into every Hail Mary. This is done in the
following manner:
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with
you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
Fruit of your womb, Jesus.
[The mystery is stated.]
Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen."
The advantage of this method is that the mystery
is stated ten times during the decade, and not
just once before it. In this way, it is easier to
focus on the mystery to which the decade is
dedicated, and it is easier to reflect on it
while praying the decade.
In the second method, every Hail Mary has a
mystery inserted in the middle, even the three
Hail Mary's in the introduction.
The mysteries are phrased with a view to
incorporating them into the Hail Mary. They are
the following:
The First Three Mysteries of the Introduction:
1. Who increases our faith.
2. Who strengthens our hope.
3. Who perfects our love.
The Joyful Mysteries:
1. Whom you conceived by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
2. Whom you carried in your womb, visiting St.
Elizabeth.
3. Who was born of you in Bethlehem.
4. Whom you presented in the Temple.
5. Whom you found in the Temple.
The Sorrowful Mysteries:
1. Who sweated blood for us sinners.
2. Who was scourged for us sinners.
3. Who was crowned with thorns for us sinners.
4. Who carried the cross for us sinners.
5. Who was crucified for us sinners.
The Glorious Mystery:
1. Who resurrected from the dead.
2. Who ascended into Heaven.
3. Who sent us the Holy Spirit.
4. Who raised you, Blessed Virgin, up into
Heaven.
5. Who crowned you, Blessed Virgin, in Heaven.
If, for example, we are praying the first decade
of Joyful Mysteries according to this method, we
insert the first mystery in the middle of every
one of the ten Hail Marys.
Once again, this is done following way:
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with
you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
Fruit of your womb, Jesus,
*Whom you conceived by the power of the Holy
Spirit.*
Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen"
When praying the second decade of the Joyful
Mysteries according to this method, we insert the
second mystery in the middle of every one of the
ten Hail Marys -- and every decade is prayed
likewise.
Also, the First Three Mysteries of the
introduction correspond to each of the three Hail
Marys of the introduction respectively, and not
to the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries.
Thus, all three of these of introductory
mysteries are said at the beginning of each of
the three sets of five mysteries.
Some Reflections on the Spirit of Praying the
Rosary
The above is an explanation of the Rosary from a
technical standpoint, but it is equally important
to consider the spirit with which the Rosary
should be prayed.
We should always keep in mind that the goal of
the Rosary is Christ. When we pray the Rosary, we
approach Christ through Mary -- His Mother and
our Mother -- because of her special connection
with Him and with us. It is beyond the scope of
this article to explore all the reasons for
devotion to Mary, but volumes could be written on
this subject, as well as on the biblical
foundations of Marian devotion.
Suffice it to say here that Mary is the Mother of
Christ, and therefore is also our Mother, because
we are a part of Christ. A family has to be very
dysfunctional when the children do not want to
honor their mother. In a very real sense, when we
honor Mary, we do what the Fourth Commandment
expects of us. Also, it was God Himself who kept
Mary free from all stain of sin, made her His own
Mother, raised her into Heaven after the
completion of her earthly life, crowned her Queen
of Heaven, and made her the mediator of grace
between Christ and humanity. If God Himself has
seen fit to honor Mary so abundantly, we do only
what God Himself does when we too honor Mary. But
we do not honor Mary for her own sake -- we honor
her to glorify God, whose work she is.
Since Mary was always free from sin, her whole
life was always centered on God. When we turn to
her in prayer, she will immediately guide us to
Christ, because she has never had a thought that
was not an act of worship for God. Her whole
being has always been defined by complete worship
of God; she has never experienced another mode of
existence. When we open our souls to her, she
molds them to dispose them for the perfect love
and worship of God.
After the human nature of Christ, Mary is the
creature closest to God. Moreover, while Christ
is the mediator of all grace between God and
creation, Mary is the mediator of all grace
between Christ and humanity. Consequently, Mary
is a powerful intercessor for all who turn to
her. God usually works through His creatures --
the Gospel is preached by people, Bibles are
printed and distributed by people, churches are
built by people. In the same way, many things
will not happen unless people pray for them. That
is why people need to pray for each other. If we
believe that our prayers help each other in this
life, why should we doubt that the prayers of
those who have reached Heaven can also help us.
If a person's prayer is efficacious while they
are still in this world, why should their prayer
not be even more efficacious when they are face
to face with God, in eternal glory?
The history of the Church attests that the
intercessions of Our Lady do not fail. When we
pray to her, we can be sure that our prayers will
be answered. Perhaps the answer will not come
exactly in the form that we would like -- but in
the end we will find ourselves more blest than
ever, and we will find ourselves drawing closer
and closer to God in worship and in love.
As we pray the individual prayers in the Rosary,
we should say them slowly, either concentrating
on the meaning of the words themselves, or
meditating on the mystery of the decade. We
should take great care not to allow praying the
Rosary to degenerate into a mere habit, done
fast, without much attention. Prayer is not
magic. The words will do nothing for us if we do
not pray them from the heart. A Rosary said
hurriedly, with little attention, will have
almost no benefit for us. But a Rosary said
sincerely, with genuine devotion, will leave a
lasting mark on our spiritual development.
If possible, we should meditate on each mystery
either before, or after praying the decade,
pausing for a minute or so, in order to reflect
on meaning of the mystery.
Finally, whenever we pray the Rosary, we should
make sure to state our petitions at some point,
so that we know what we are praying for, and so
that we can respond to Our Lady's desire to grant
us more and more graces through the Rosary.
Further Reading
Many books have been written on the Blessed
Virgin Mary. One of the best explorations of
devotion to Our Lady through the Rosary is The
Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort
(available through Tan Publishers). St. Louis de
Montfort is know as the great Marian saint of the
modern era. Though the style of his writings has
not aged well, his message of Marian devotion has
endured the test of time, and he continues to be
one of the foremost authorities on devotion to
the Virgin Mary. His book Devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mary is also one of the great spiritual
classics of the Church.
The Prayers
The Apostle's 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 was 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 life everlasting.
Amen.
Our Father:
Our Father, Who are in Heaven; hallowed be Your
name; Your kingdom come; Your 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.
Hail Mary:
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of
God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
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.
O My Jesus:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the
fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those in most need of Your Mercy.
Amen.
(Note: According to the testimony of the Fatima
visionaries, Our Lady herself had requested in
one of her apparitions that we pray the O My
Jesus prayer at the end of each decade. The
apparent universal willingness of the Catholic
faithful around the world to comply with this
wish is a living testimony to the authenticity of
the visionaries' claim.)
Hail, Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our
sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor
banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up
our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of
tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine
eyes of mercy towards us. And after this our
exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy
womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin
Mary.
- Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
- 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 meditating upon these Mysteries
of the 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.
The Memorare of St. Bernard:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never
was it known that any one who fled to thy
protection, implored thy help, and sought thy
intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with
this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of
virgins, my Mother; to thee I come; before thee I
stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word
Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in thy
mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.
Creator Christ
(by Zoltan Abraham)
Creator Christ, through whom and in whom we are
and have our being, we worship You, we give You
thanks, and we praise You for Your infinite
glory. Together with the angels and saints, and
through the Immaculate Heart of our Holy Mother,
we consecrate ourselves wholly to Your Sacred
Heart, and to the Holy Trinity. [We are not able
to partake of Your most Sacred Body and most
Precious Blood today, but] we beseech you to fill
us with the boundless grace that You give us in
Holy Communion. Lead us, through the Virgin Mary
and Your Real Presence in the Eucharist, to
Divine Life in the Holy Trinity, now and for all
eternity. Amen.
Other Prayers:
Consecration to the Virgin Mary:
Hail Mary, etc.
My Queen! my Mother! I give you all of myself,
and, to show my devotion to you, I consecrate to
you my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my
entire self. Therefore, O loving Mother, as I am
your own, keep me, defend me, as your property
and possession.
From the Act of Consecration of the United States
to Our Blessed Mother:
Mary, Immaculate Virgin, our Mother, Patroness of
our land, we praise you and honor you and give
ourselves to you. Protect us from every harm.
Pray for us that, acting always according to your
will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live
and die pleasing to God.
Prayers taken from the Byzantine Catholic
Liturgy:
Remembering our most holy, most pure, most
blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and
Ever-Virgin Mary with all the Saints, let us
commend ourselves and one another, and our whole
life to Christ our God.
O gentle Protectress of Christians, unfailing
Mediatrix before the Creator, do not despise the
prayerful voices of sinners; but, in your
goodness, hasten to assist us, who trustfully cry
out to you: "Inspire us to prayer, and
hasten to hear our supplication. Intercede
always, Mother of God, in behalf of those who
honor you."
Mothers cannot be virgins, nor virgins be
mothers; but in you, O Mother of God, both
virginity and motherhood were present. Therefore,
all the people of the earth unceasingly extol
you.
Today the Virgin is present in the Church and
with the armies of Saints invisibly prays to God
for us. The Angels worship with the Archangels
and the Apostles rejoice with the Prophets,
because in our behalf, the Mother of God prays to
the Eternal God.
It is truly right to call you blessed, O
Theotokos: you are ever-blessed and all-blameless
and the Mother of our God. Higher in honor than
the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare
than the Seraphim, you gave birth to God the Word
in virginity. You are truly Mother of God: you do
we exalt.
The Fifteen Promises of the Virgin Mary to those
who recite the Rosary
(Revealed to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan):
1) Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the
recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal
graces.
2) I promise my special protection and the
greatest graces to all those who shall recite the
Rosary.
3) The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against
hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and
defeat heresies.
4) It will cause virtue and good works to
flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant
mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of
people from the love of the world and its
vanities, and will lift them to the desire of
eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify
themselves by this means.
5) The soul which recommends itself to me by the
recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6) Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly,
applying themselves to the consideration of its
Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by
misfortune. God will not chastise them in His
justice, they shall not perish by an unprovided
death; if they be just, they shall remain in the
grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7) Whoever shall have a true devotion for the
Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of
the Church.
8) Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary
shall have during their life and at their death
the light of God and the plentitude of His
graces; at the moment of death they shall
participate in the merits of the Saints in
Paradise.
9) I shall deliver from purgatory those who have
been devoted to the Rosary.
10) The faithful children of the Rosary shall
merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11) You shall obtain all you ask of me by the
recitation of the Rosary.
12) All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall
be aided by me in their necessities.
13) I have obtained from my Divine Son that all
the advocates of the Rosary shall have for
intercessors the entire celestial court during
their life and at the hour of death.
14) All who recite the Rosary are my children,
and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus
Christ.
15) Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of
predestination.
"Say the Rosary every day, to obtain peace
for the world." -- Our Lady of Fatima, 1917
Copyright 1994 by Zoltan Abraham. Please feel
free to copy and reproduce this article if you
wish, but I ask that the text be presented
without change, in its entirety, including the
title, the authorship, and this copyright notice.
I also ask to be notified when the text is
reproduced.
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