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How to Pray the Holy Rosary |
How To Pray the Rosary:
While the rosary and the indulgences attached to it by the Church
essentially concerns the decades and the meditation upon the
mysteries only, the following is a customary way of preparing for
the rosary and concluding it.
1. Preparation
Start by making the sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Then recite the Apostle's 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; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sits 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 Sprit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and
life everlasting. Amen.
Then say 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys (for the virtues of Faith, Hope
and Charity) and then 1 Glory Be:
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.
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 death.
Amen.
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.
2. The Rosary Proper
The Rosary is essentially the decades and their associated
mysteries, and only these must be prayed to "pray the rosary",
either in satisfaction of Our Lady's requests, or, to gain the
indulgences attached to praying the rosary.
The traditional Rosary is divided into three parts, each having five
mysteries: Glorious, Joyful and Sorrowful. In his apostolic letter
The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, Pope John Paul II proposed a new set
of mysteries, which he called the Luminous, and which concern the
period of the public life of Our Lord. For those who wish to say all
20 decades at once during the course of a day, they may be said in
the following order: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious.
The Holy Father proposed the following schedule for the daily
recitation of the mysteries of the rosary:
Joyful Mysteries - Monday and Saturday
Sorrowful Mysteries - Tuesday and Friday
Glorious Mysteries- Wednesday and Sunday
Luminous Mysteries- Thursday
While meditating on the Mysteries, recite:
One Our Father (large beads), 10 Hail Marys (small beads) and 1
Glory Be (before the next large bead) to make a complete decade of
the rosary.
After each decade the Fátima Prayer may also be said (Pope Pius
XII).
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.
3. Concluding Prayers
After the completion of five mysteries (5 decades), or 15 or 20, the
following is customarily said:
Hail Holy Queen (or Salve Regina may be sung)
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 us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
(Verse) Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
(Response) That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
4. For the Intentions of the Holy Father
Catholics who say the rosary in a group, or, individually before the
Blessed Sacrament,
may gain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions, which
includes prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.
For the intentions of the Holy Father.
Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
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