Our Family Prayers

Mary and the Rosary

PDF: How to Pray the Rosary with Prayers and Mysteries

  1. About Mary
  2. About the Rosary
  3. How to Pray the Rosary
  4. Mysteries of the Rosary
  5. The Rosary Prayers
  6. A Personal Rosary
  7. A Simple Rosary for Children

About Mary

When the Angel Gabriel greeted Mary he said “Hail, full of grace.” She was filled with the presence of God, chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Pregnancy out of wedlock meant punishment by death, however, Mary trusted in the Lord and said, “let it be done to me according to your word.”

Mary devoted her life to Jesus. She held him as a baby in the stable, and she held his body at the foot of the Cross. The Bible says Mary is the mother of our Lord and blessed among women for all generations. It is fitting for us to honor Mary.

Over the centuries Mary has appeared to people all over the world where she encouraged various forms of prayer and devotion to her Son, including the Rosary. Through these apparitions, millions of people have come to know Jesus.

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About the Rosary

Pebbles, knotted strings, beads, and other devices have been used for thousands of years by many religions to help people keep track of their prayers.

Jesus said we are to pray constantly. As early as the 3rd century, monks would pray all 150 Psalms every day. The common person who could not read, would recite 150 Our Fathers using pebbles or a knotted string.

Over the centuries, the format and prayers of this spiritual practice has evolved into the Rosary.

The repetition of Rosary prayers has many benefits. It helps us calm our mind and focus our attention. It helps us enter the silence of our hearts. It helps us meditate on the life of Jesus.

While there are variations around the world, the next section is a common Rosary format.

Video: Why Pray the Rosary with Bishop Barron
Video: How to Pray the Rosary with Bishop Barron
Video: The Easy Way to Pray the Rosary with Fr. Mike
Videos: The Rosary Playlist

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How to Pray the Rosary

1. Make and say the Sign of the Cross.

2. Say the Apostles’ Creed holding the Crucifix.

3. Say the Our Father on the first bead.

4. Say the Hail Mary on the next three beads.

5. Say the Glory Be, no bead.
Next are the five decades. These decades focus on a set of events, mysteries, of the life of Jesus. Choose any set of mysteries, or follow the pattern outlined.

6. Announce the first mystery then say the Our Father on the next bead, before the medallion.
Next, skip over the medallion to the first set of 10 beads.

7. While saying 10 Hail Marys, one on each bead, meditate on the first mystery.

8. Say the Glory Be and the O My Jesus, no bead.

9. thru 12. Repeat 6, 7, and 8 for the next four mysteries.

13. Say the Hail Holy Queen and the Rosary Closing Prayer on the medallion.

14. Make and say the Sign of the Cross.

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Mysteries of the Rosary

Joyful (Monday and Saturday)

  1. The Annunciation
  2. The Visitation
  3. The Birth of Jesus
  4. The Presentation
  5. The Finding in the Temple

Luminous (Thursday)

  1. The Baptism of Jesus
  2. The Wedding at Cana
  3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
  4. The Transfiguration
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist

Sorrowful (Tuesday and Friday)

  1. The Agony in the Garden
  2. The Crowning of Thorns
  3. The Scourging at the Pillar
  4. The Carrying of the Cross
  5. The Crucifixion

Glorious (Wednesday and Sunday)

  1. The Resurrection
  2. The Ascension
  3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
  4. The Assumption
  5. The Coronation
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The Rosary Prayers

Hail Mary

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.

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.
Lead all souls to heaven,
especially those in most need of your mercy.

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.

V: Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
R: that we may be worthy
of the promises of Christ.

Rosary Closing Prayer

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 while meditating on these mysteries
of the most 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.

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A Personal Rosary

A variation of the Rosary that we like to pray is where we focus on a different person, group, or cause, for each Hail Mary prayer, instead of focusing on a Mystery. For example:

For my mom,
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,
and pray for my mom,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

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A Simple Rosary for Children

  1. Make and say the Sign of the Cross.
  2. Say the Our Father.
  3. Say the Hail Mary 10 times.
    They can use their fingers to keep track, pebbles or other objects, or have them make a string with 10 beads.
  4. Make and say the Sign of the Cross.
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