What Is the Rosary?

The Rosary is a devotion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary that allows contemplative meditation on the grace of God. Each of the four Rosary Mysteries—the Joyful Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries—is devoted to the retelling of events in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

The word “rosary” comes from the Latin rosarium, meaning “garland of roses,” and as the rose is the symbol of Blessed Virgin Mary, it is understandable that the Hail Mary is the most used devotional in praying the Rosary. Each Mystery consists of five events on which to reflect, and within each event is a decade in which ten Hail Marys are said. The full recitation of the Rosary also includes the following prayers: Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, Glory Be to the Father, Fatima Prayer, and Hail Holy Queen.

As Pope John II stated in his 2002 apostolic letter, “the Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer…. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love.” The Rosary, therefore, is the means for the faithful to receive grace, with Mary as the Intercessor.

One note regarding the use of the word “Mystery”: When we speak of a Mystery regarding the life of Jesus, we do not interpret “Mystery” as a thing beyond comprehension or left unknown to rational thinking. Instead, in this instance, “Mystery” refers to a significant moment in the life of Mary or Jesus, such as the Annunciation or the Crucifixion, that reaffirms the Gospel message. It is an important distinction to make here as the Rosary is not a collection of repetitious prayers on unexplained events; instead, praying the Rosary provides meditative revelation on the story of Salvation and brings forth, as Pope John Paul II noted, “a harvest of holiness.”

THE ROSARY MYSTERIES

Originally, there were three Rosary Mysteries—Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious—each containing five meditations. However, in his 2002 apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae Pope, John Paul II proffered five more meditations, called the Luminous Mysteries, bringing the current total of twenty meditations.

HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY

The Rosary is intended to inspire thoughtful meditation on each of the Mysteries; hence, repetition of prayers is an integral part. The Rosary can be prayed privately or with a group. When praying the Rosary, use the following sequence.

1. Make the Sign of the Cross.
2. Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles Creed.
3. On the first bead, say an Our Father.
4. Say one Hail Mary on each of the next three beads.
5. Say the Glory Be to the Father on the chain and then the Fatima Prayer.
6. On the single bead, announce the First Mystery and then say the Our Father.
7. For each bead of the decade, say a Hail Mary while meditating on the Mystery.
8. Say the Glory Be to the Father on the chain and then the Fatima Prayer.
9. On the single bead, announce the Second Mystery and then say the Our Father.
10. For each bead of the decade, say a Hail Mary while meditating on the Mystery.
11. Say the Glory Be to the Father on the chain and then the Fatima Prayer.
12. On the single bead, announce the Third Mystery and then say the Our Father.
13. For each bead of the decade, say a Hail Mary while meditating on the Mystery.
14. Say the Glory Be to the Father on the chain and then the Fatima Prayer.
15. On the single bead, announce the Fourth Mystery and then say the Our Father.
16. For each bead of the decade, say a Hail Mary while meditating on the Mystery.
17. Say the Glory Be to the Father on the chain and then the Fatima Prayer.
18. On the single bead, announce the Fifth Mystery and then say the Our Father.
19. For each bead of the decade, say a Hail Mary while meditating on the Mystery.
20. Say the Glory Be to the Father on the chain and then the Fatima Prayer.
21. Say the Hail, Holy Queen on the medal.