Maybe you don’t know how to pray the rosary, have never prayed the Rosary before, or you’ve heard it prayed but didn’t know how to join in.
Here are all the basics we’ll cover to help you learn about why Catholics pray the Rosary and how to pray it yourself.
- Why Do Catholics Pray the Rosary?
- What Is the Rosary?
- The Mysteries of the Rosary
- Pray With Sr. Maris Stella, S.V. of the Sisters of Life
- Praying the Rosary Step-by-Step
- Further Learning
Why Do Catholics Pray the Rosary?
Praying the Rosary is a deeply spiritual practice that serves as both a meditation on the life of Jesus Christ and a channel for divine intercession. By reciting the Rosary, believers engage with the mysteries of the faith, reflecting on significant events in the lives of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
This form of prayer helps to foster divine intimacy and encourages reflection to bring bring peace of mind. The Rosary can be recited individually or in a group, promoting a contemplative state through its repetitive and restful prayer structure that draws the participants closer to the spiritual presence of Christ in the silence of our hearts.
Downloadable Guides:
How to Pray the Rosary
Mysteries of the Rosary
Rosary Prayers
What Is the Rosary? Understanding the Rosary
Praying the Rosary is a meditative practice grounded in Scripture. It starts with the Apostles’ Creed, outlining the core beliefs of the Catholic faith, followed by the Our Father, taken from the Gospels, to introduce each of the rosary mysteries. The Hail Mary, which starts with words from the angel Gabriel and Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, is said repeatedly through each decade of the Rosary.
This prayer sequence also includes reflection on the life of Christ through four sets of mysteries: the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries, the latter of which Saint John Paul II added in 2002.
A Rosary is made up of 5 decades (a set of 10 beads); each decade allows you to pray and meditate on the corresponding set of 5 rosary mysteries.
Join FOCUS missionaries and benefactors in praying the Rosary this month for the intentions of FOCUS missionaries, college students and campus ministries everywhere. Sign up to join here.
The Mysteries of the Rosary
The rosary mysteries traditionally adhere to certain days of the week, as listed below:
- Monday and Saturday: Joyful
- The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Presentation in the Temple, The Finding in the Temple
- Tuesday and Friday: Sorrowful
- The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowning with Thorns, The Carrying of the Cross, The Crucifixion and Death
- Wednesday and Sunday: Glorious
- The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption, The Coronation of Mary
- Thursday: Luminous
- The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, The Wedding Feast at Cana, Jesus’ Proclamation of the Coming of the Kingdom of God, The Transfiguration, The Institution of the Eucharist
Pray With Sr. Maris Stella, S.V. of the Sisters of Life
Join Sr. Maris Stella, S.V., as she walks through every step of praying the Rosary and prays an example part with you in the video below. You can follow along with the step-by-step breakdown of praying the Rosary listed here.
Loving this Catholic rosary guide? Know others who could use some help with their prayer life? Check out our guides on Ignatian Contemplation, intercessory prayer, the Consecration to St. Joseph, and Lectio Divina.
Praying the Rosary Step-by-Step:
1. Make the Sign of the Cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles’ Creed.
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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall 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 the life everlasting. Amen.
3. On the first bead, say an Our Father.
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. Say one Hail Mary on each of the next three beads.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst 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.
5. Say the Glory Be.
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. For each of the five decades, announce the Mystery (perhaps followed by a brief reading from Scripture) then say the Our Father.
7. While holding each of the ten beads of the decade, next say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be.
After finishing each decade, some say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.
8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for all five decades, announcing each Mystery at the start of each decade.
9. After saying the five decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, followed by this dialogue and prayer:
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 vale 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 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 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.
10. Conclude the Rosary with the Sign of the Cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Additional Resources
It’s holiday season! Discover holiday-themed posts from our blog: 10 Advent Songs to Get You in The Spirit, What is Advent?
For additional prayers to pray with the Rosary and more formative content, see our articles at FOCUS Equip on Why Pray the Rosary, How to Pray the Rosary, Our Lady of Sorrows, and the Consecration to St. Joseph.
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