The Traditional Rosary

Mary Prays
13 may
7 min de lectura

The prayer that has sustained the Church for eight hundred years.

TLDR

The Rosary is a meditative prayer that walks you through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ through the heart of His Mother. It consists of twenty decades, organized into four sets of mysteries: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious. Our Lady has asked for the Rosary at virtually every apparition in history, calling it the most powerful weapon against evil and the prayer that can stop wars and suspend the laws of nature.

History

The Rosary as we know it traces its origins to the thirteenth century, when tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic de Guzmán during a period of crisis in the Church. The Albigensian heresy was spreading through southern France, and St. Dominic had been preaching against it with little success. Our Lady appeared to him and placed the Rosary in his hands, teaching him to pray it and to spread the devotion as a remedy for the errors of the time.

Over the centuries that followed, the Rosary became the most widely prayed devotion in the Catholic Church. Popes promoted it. Saints built their lives around it. Armies prayed it before battle. At Lepanto in 1571, Pope Pius V asked all of Christendom to pray the Rosary for victory against the Ottoman fleet. The Christians won against overwhelming odds, and the Pope attributed the victory entirely to the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary. He established the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7 in thanksgiving.

But it was in the age of apparitions that the Rosary took on a new urgency. At every major apparition, Our Lady has asked for it:

At Lourdes (1858), she appeared holding a rosary of white beads on a golden chain and prayed it with Bernadette at every visit.

At Fatima (1917), she said, "Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war."

At Gietrzwałd (1877), her very last words were, "Pray the Rosary zealously!"

At Akita (1973), she said, "The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son."

At Cuapa (1980), she showed Bernardo a vision of how the Rosary began: saints dressed in white, walking in procession, meditating on Scripture as they prayed.

At Medjugorje (1981-present), she said, "Let the Rosary always be in your hands as a sign to Satan that you belong to me."

At San Nicolás (1983), she said plainly, "The weapon that has the greatest influence on evil is to say the Rosary."

In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries to the traditional fifteen decades, bringing the total to twenty and completing the meditation on Christ's life to include his public ministry. The Rosary now covers the full arc of the Gospel, from the Annunciation to the Coronation of Mary in heaven.

Promises

The fifteen promises of the Rosary are traditionally attributed to Our Lady's words to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche. Among them:

Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.

I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.

Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune.

Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces.

Beyond the traditional promises, Our Lady's words at Medjugorje add this:

"Through fasting and prayer, one can stop wars, one can suspend the laws of nature." And at Fatima: "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

The Rosary is not a passive prayer. It is the instrument through which she accomplishes her promises.

How To Pray

The Rosary is simple enough for a child and deep enough for a saint. Here is how to pray it:

Opening: Make the Sign of the Cross. Pray the Apostles' Creed. On the first large bead, pray one Our Father. On the next three small beads, pray three Hail Marys (for faith, hope, and charity). Pray one Glory Be.

The Decades: Each decade consists of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. While praying each decade, meditate on the corresponding mystery.

Joyful Mysteries (Monday, Saturday):

The Annunciation — The angel Gabriel tells Mary she will bear the Son of God. She says yes.
The Visitation — Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is carrying John the Baptist.
The Nativity — Jesus is born in Bethlehem.
The Presentation — Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus in the Temple.
The Finding in the Temple — The boy Jesus is found teaching in the Temple after three days.

Luminous Mysteries (Thursday):

The Baptism in the Jordan — Jesus is baptized and the Father's voice declares, "This is my beloved Son."
The Wedding at Cana — At Mary's request, Jesus performs His first miracle.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom — Jesus preaches repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God.
The Transfiguration — Jesus reveals His glory to Peter, James, and John on the mountain.
The Institution of the Eucharist — At the Last Supper, Jesus gives us His body and blood.

Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday, Friday):

The Agony in the Garden — Jesus prays in Gethsemane and sweats blood.
The Scourging at the Pillar — Jesus is beaten and whipped.
The Crowning with Thorns — A crown of thorns is pressed onto His head.
The Carrying of the Cross — Jesus carries the cross to Calvary.
The Crucifixion — Jesus dies on the cross for the salvation of the world.

Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday, Sunday):

The Resurrection — Jesus rises from the dead on the third day.
The Ascension — Jesus ascends into heaven.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit — The Holy Spirit comes upon the Apostles at Pentecost.
The Assumption — Mary is taken body and soul into heaven.
The Coronation — Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Closing: After the final decade, pray the Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina) and the closing prayer.

How she wants it prayed: At Cuapa, Our Lady showed Bernardo a vision of the Rosary prayed slowly, meditatively, with Scripture. She said, "Pray the Rosary. Meditate on the mysteries. Listen to the Word of God spoken in them. Put into practice the Word of God." At Medjugorje, she said, "Pray with the heart. In prayer you shall perceive the greatest joy." The Rosary is not meant to be rushed. It is a conversation. Slow down. Let each mystery settle into your heart. And then live what you have prayed.

Get Started

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

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

2. Pray the 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, and was buried;

He descended into hell;

on the third day He rose again from the dead;

He 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. Amen.

3. Pray 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.

4. Pray 3 Hail Marys

These are traditionally offered for an increase in faith, hope, and charity.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou among 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.

Repeat 3 times.

5. Pray 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.

6. Pray the Mysteries

For each mystery:

Announce and meditate on the mystery.
- Monday and Saturday: Joyful Mysteries
- Tuesday and Friday: Sorrowful Mysteries
- Wednesday and Sunday: Glorious Mysteries
- Thursday: Luminous Mysteries
Place yourself in the scene (you may read the scripture passage associated with the mystery)
Pray the Our Father
Pray the Hail Mary, repeat 10 times
- Meditate on the mystery while praying.
Pray the Glory Be
Pray the Fatima Prayer
- O my Jesus,forgive us our sins,save us from the fires of hell,lead all souls to Heaven,especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.
Repeat this pattern for all 5 decades.

7. After the Fifth Decade, Pray the 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 toward 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.

5. Final Prayer

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 Thee,that meditating upon these mysteriesof the most holy Rosaryof the Blessed Virgin Mary,we may imitate what they containand obtain what they promise,through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.