What is the Rosary?

The Rosary is a prayer made of two parts: mental prayer and vocal prayer. The mental prayer is nothing more than meditation on the chief mysteries of the life, death, and glory of Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. The vocal prayer consists of saying fifteen decades of the Hail Mary, with each decade preceeded by one Our Father, while at the same time meditating and contemplating on one of the fifteen principal virtues which Jesus and Mary practiced in the fifteen mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The mysteries are broken down into three sets of five each: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. One complete set is usually said at a time, and it is not necessary to say all three sets a day, although there is no harm in doing so if one wishes to. The Joyful Mysteries are usually said on Mondays and Thursdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries are usually said on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Glorious Mysteries are usually said on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

The prayers of the Rosary date back possibly to the time of the Apostles. The early Christians had a practice of reciting the 150 psalms from the Bible, either daily or weekly, as a way of prayer. Those who were unable to recite the psalms began to recite other prayers, mainly the Our Father, 150 times, often using small stones or beads to count the prayers. By medieval times the custom of saying "Paternoster" beads (latin for Our Father) was common in many European countries. It was also customary to meditate on the mysteries of the life of Jesus, from his birth to his resurrection, while saying the beads.

The present form of the Rosary was received by Holy Mother Church in 1214. It was given to the Church by St. Dominic, who, in a vision, had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a powerful means of converting the Albigensians and other sinners. Meditation on the mysteries is the most important part of the Rosary. Put yourself in the Place of Jesus or Mary and live the mysteries with them.

The first five mysteries are called the Joyful Mysteries. They consist of: The Annunciation, where the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary she is to be the Mother of God(Luke 1:30-31); The Visition, where Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is also with child (Luke 1:42-43); The Nativity, the birth of Our Saviour (Luke 2:7); The Presentation, where Our Saviour is presented and given the name Jesus (Luke 2:34-35); The Finding in the Temple, where Jesus is found in the Temple after being lost for three days (Luke 2:51-52).

The second set of mysteries are called the Sorrowful Mysteries. They consist of: The Agony in the Garden (Mark 14:36); The Scourging (Mark 15:15); The Crowning with Thorns (Mark 15:17-18); The Carrying of the Cross (John 19:17); The Crucifixion (Luke 23:46).

The third set of mysteries are called the Glorious Mysteries. They consist of: The Resurrection (Matthew 28:5-6); The Ascension (Acts 1:9, 11); The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2, 4); The Assumption, where Mary, the Mother of God is assumed into Heaven; The Coronation, where Our Lady is crowned Queen of Heaven and earth (Revelation 12:1).

The fourth, and newest, set of mysteries are called the Luminous Mysteries. They were added by Pope John Paul II on October 16, 2002. They consist of: The Baptism of Christ (Matthew 3:16-17); The Wedding at Cana (John 2:11); The Preaching of Christ on the Kingdom, conversion, and reconciliation (Mark 1:14-15); The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3); The Last Supper and the Institution of the Eucharist (Matthew 26:26-28).

It is customary to say the Joyful Mysteries on Mondays and Saturdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays and Sundays, and the Luminous Mysteries on Thursdays, with the following exceptions: On Sundays during Lent the Sorrowful Mysteries are said, and on Sundays during Advent the Joyful Mysteries are said.

Through the centuries, saints like St. Dominic, many of the popes, as well as countless ordinary Christians, have found the rosary to be a school of prayer and a source of spiritual blessing. It is both simple and profound, and it is not beyond anyone's reach. Its repeated words bring peace to the soul and the mysteries of joy, sorrow, and glory recalled from Jesus' life are meant to be repeated in our own. Through these mysteries we hope to "imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise." From its long experience of this powerful prayer the Church today recommends the rosary to all men and women.


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