Praying the Rosary

INTRODUCTION

A classical Rosary consists of a circle of 54 beads, 5 decades of 10 beads with a single bead between two decades., a string of five beads (a group of three beads between two single beads), a crucifix, and a center.

Each bead represents a prayer to either God the Father or Our Lady.

HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

2. Say the Apostles' Creed.

3. Pray one Our Father, Three Hail Mary's, and a Glory Be

4. Meditate on the First Mystery. Pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, and one Prayer of Fatima.

5. Meditate on the Second Mystery. Pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, and one Prayer of Fatima.

6. Meditate on the Third Mystery. Pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, and one Prayer of Fatima.

7. Meditate on the Fourth Mystery. Pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, and one Prayer of Fatima.

8. Meditate on the Fifth Mystery. Pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, and one Prayer of Fatima.

9. Pray a Hail Holy Queen.

10. End with the Sign of the Cross.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

What are the Mysteries of the Rosary?

The Mysteries of the Rosary are four sets of five events in the life of the Virgin Mary that help us direct our attention and our prayer to Our Lord through our devotion to His Holy Mother. There are five Joyful Mysteries, five Sorrowful Mysteries, five Glorious Mysteries, and five Luminous Mysteries. Originally, only three sets of Mysteries existed, linking the 150 Hail Marys it takes to pray the full set of 15 Mysteries to the 150 psalms of the monastic liturgy. Pope John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary, using five events of the active ministry of Our Lord and thus bridging the gap between the events of Our Lord's childhood in the Joyful Mysteries and his passion and death at the cross in the Sorrowful Mysteries.

The Joyful Mysteries (on Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays during Advent)

1. First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation

Fruit of the mystery: Humility

2. Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Fruit of the mystery: Love of neighbor

3. Third Joyful Mystery : The Nativity
Fruit of the mystery: Detachment, a Spirit of Poverty

4. Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation at the Temple
Fruit of the mystery: Obedience

5. Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of Jesus at the Temple
Fruit of the mystery: Perseverance

The Sorrowful Mysteries (on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays in Lent)

1. First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in Garden
Fruit of the mystery: Obedience to God's will

2. Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Fruit of the mystery: Mortification, Purity

3. Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns
Fruit of the mystery; Courage, Reign of Christ in our Hearts

4. Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Fruit of the mystery: Patience, Patient bearing of Trials

5. Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion and the Death of Jesus on the Cross
Fruit of the mystery: Sorrow for our Sins, Pardoning of Injuries

The Glorious Mysteries (on Wednesdays and Sundays)

1. First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection
Fruit of the mystery: Faith

2. Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
Fruit of the mystery: Christian Hope

3. Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Fruit of the mystery: Wisdom, Love of God, Gifts of the Holy Spirit

4. Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Our Lady
Fruit of the mystery: Grace of a Happy Death, Desire for Heaven

5. Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven
Fruit of the mystery: Trust in Mary's Intercession, Devotion to Mary, Grace of Final Perseverance

The Luminous Mysteries (on Thursdays)

1. First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of Our Lord
Fruit of the mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit

2. Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding at Cana
Fruit of the mystery: To Jesus through Mary

3. Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven
Fruit of the mystery: Christian Witness and Conversion, Repentance and Trust in God

4. Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Fruit of the mystery: Spiritual Courage, Desire for Holiness

5. Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist
Fruit of the mystery: Adoration, Love of our Eucharistic Lord.

Praying the Rosary in Latin

WHY LATIN?

There are multiple reasons why someone could choose to pray the Rosary in Latin.

First, Latin is the official language of the Roman Catholic Church, and until the liturgical reforms of 1969 all forms of liturgy were celebrated in this language.

Second, Latin is often regarded as a sacred language by clerics and faithful, since it was one of the three languages Pontius Pilate wrote on the tab he had fixed to Our Lord Jesus Christ's cross.

Then Pilate also wrote a title, and he set it above the cross. And it was written: JESUS THE NAZARENE, KING OF THE JEWS. Therefore, many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was close to the city. And it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin. Then the high priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Do not write, 'King of the Jews,' but that he said, 'I am King of the Jews.' Pilate responded, "What I have written, I have written."
(Joh. 19 : 19-22)

Third, because of its status as a sacred language, many priests say that praying in Latin is more efficient than praying in the vernacular. Exorcists often state that the devil hates Latin. Since it is commonly known that the Rosary is an extremely powerful weapon against the infernal enemy, praying it in Latin makes it even more powerful.

Fourth, praying in a language different from your mother tongue enhances your attention and your concentration.

Last but not least, in a world that is becoming ever more globalized and local parishes often contain a multilingual community of faithful, praying in a common language makes it easier for people with different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds to come together and become a strong group of prayer warriors.

THE ROSARY IN LATIN
1. The Sign of the Cross and Opening Prayers

In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

Domine, labia mea aperies. (Make the sign of a cross on your lips.)
Et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.

Domine, in adiutorium meum intende. (Make the sign of the Cross)
Deus, ad adiuvandum me festina.

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto,
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

2. Pray the Apostles' Creed

Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem,
Creatorem caeli et terrae
Et in Jesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum,
Qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto,
Natus ex Maria Virgine,
Passus sub Pontio Pilato,
Crucifixus, mortuus et sepultus,
Descendit ad inferos,
Tertia die resurrexit a mortuis,
Ascendit ad caelos,
Sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis,
Inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum,
Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam,
Sanctorum Communionem,
Remissionem peccatorum,
Carnis resurrectionem,
Vitam aeternam.
Amen.

3. Pray an Our Father, three Hail Marys, and a Glory Be.

Pater noster qui es in caelis.
Sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
Et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
Sed libera nos a malo.
Amen.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.