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A rosary is a series of prayers, linked like a crown of roses, sent heavenward. While praying these soothing, rhythmic gospel-based prayer sets in the background, reflect on the mysteries and miracles of God's life on earth.
Find out more about these intimate prayers and mysteries below...
They're a gift to you from the Madonna herself.
The Prayers of the Rosary
The prayers of the rosary are meant to bring peace to each soul, offering us the words to reach deeper into mysteries of God's love for us, magnifying this love in our lives, exponentially. See life back then as well as your own life today through Jesus' eyes, his Mother's eyes, and your own eyes.
The Rosary Prayer Beads Chain
The traditional rosary, the chain of prayer beads in which Ghirelli specializes, is composed of 59 beads, a joiner medal, and a crucifix, with specific prayers prayed on each of these components (the prayers are included below). Rosaries can be blessed, and bring grace into our lives if we pray them with faith.
The rosary is a soothing, rhythmic prayer taken from passages of the bible. Traditionally, the rosary consists of:
1) Introductory PrayersÂ
Begin with a set of 5 introductory prayers: 1 Apostles' Creed, 1 Our Father prayer, 3 Hail Mary prayers, and 1 Glory Be prayer
2) Decades
60 rosary prayers laid out in sets of 10 ("decades") with 1 beginning and 2 ending prayers: 1 Our Father prayer, 10 Hail Mary prayers, 1 Glory Be prayer and 1 Fatima prayer. These prayers are repeated for 5 consecutive times, while praying over specific events of Jesus' life from the bible
3) Closing Prayers
A set of 2 closing prayers: 1 Hail, Holy Queen, 1 Rosary Prayer
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1) Introductory Prayers
The introductory prayers are a preparation for the rest of the rosary. They help enter into prayer with openness, as you begin to pray the decades.
Either before or after the introductory prayers, bring to mind any needs or struggles in your life and bring them to Mary. She cares for you like a loving mother, and wants to take your needs to Jesus. If you are praying with a group, you can say your intentions out loud so the rest of the group can pray for them as well.
Step 1
While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed.
Step 2
On the first large bead, pray the Our Father, for the intentions of the pope.
Step 3
On the next three small beads, pray the Hail Mary. These Hail Marys are prayed for an increase in faith, hope, and love.
Step 4
On the fourth introductory bead, pray the Glory Be.
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2) The Decades
There are five decades, or groups of 10 Hail Mary beads, that make up the main portion of the rosary. Between each decade is one bead by itself, upon which the Our Father and Glory Be will be prayed.
On each decade, a gospel mystery is prayed, a reflection on an event from the life of Jesus and Mary. See these below.
The prayers for each decade are repeated many times, giving time to reflect either on the words being repeated, or the particular Mystery of that decade.
Step 5
On the large bead, pray the Our Father (if this is the first decade, pray the Our Father on the medal).
Step 6
On each small bead in the decade, pray the Hail Mary.
Step 7
On the large bead, pray the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
Repeat steps 5–7 for the remaining four decades. Pray an Our Father on the large bead and a Hail Mary on each of the 10 small beads, followed by the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
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3) Closing Prayers
The closing prayers are prayed on the medal, and they end the rosary.Â
Step 8
Pray the Hail, Holy Queen and the Rosary Prayer.
Step 9
While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross.
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"If you are new to the rosary, take some time to familiarize yourself with the beads themselves. Practice holding the rosary in your hand and feeding the beads between your fingers. See if you can remember which prayers are prayed at each point in the rosary."Â Matthew Kelly, Dynamic Catholic
If you don’t know the prayers listed above, scroll down, where you can find them listed just below The Mysteries of the Rosary.
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Go to Rosaries
One way to pray the rosary is to meditate on meaningful events in the lives of Jesus and Mary, which have been summarized in 20 key moments to pray over, called The Mysteries of the Rosary, and grouped into 4 sets: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious. Each set of mysteries is prayed on a particular day of the week. As you pray, focus less on the verbal prayers and more on the mysteries, putting yourself in the scene and imagining yourself there, opening your heart to what God can reveal to you about his love for you.
If you are praying the rosary in a group, the leader announces the mystery before beginning each decade.
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Joyful Mysteries (prayed on Mondays and Saturdays):
1st Decade:Â The Annunciation
2nd Decade:Â The Visitation
3rd Decade:Â The Birth of Jesus
4th Decade:Â The Presentation
5th Decade:Â The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
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Luminous Mysteries (prayed on Thursdays):
1st Decade:Â The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
2nd Decade:Â The Wedding Feast at Cana
3rd Decade:Â The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
4th Decade:Â The Transfiguration of Jesus
5th Decade:Â The Institution of the Eucharist
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Sorrowful Mysteries (prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays):
1st Decade:Â The Agony in the Garden
2nd Decade:Â The Scourging at the Pillar
3rd Decade:Â The Crowning with Thorns
4th Decade:Â The Carrying of the Cross
5th Decade:Â The Crucifixion
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Glorious Mysteries (prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays):
1st Decade:Â The Resurrection
2nd Decade:Â The Ascension
3rd Decade:Â The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4th Decade:Â The Assumption
5th Decade:Â The Crowning of Mary Queen of Heaven
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The Holy Rosary offers us a summary of the Gospel, and leads us, in an easy and accessible way, to prayer from the heart.
Saint John Paul II
see the collection of mystery rosaries
Each special rosary prayer happens on a unique bead. Use the guide below to learn the prayers. If it’s your first time praying the rosary, feel free to hold the beads in your hands and get a feel for the rosary…and take your time learning each prayer. Soon, the prayers will become easy and natural, and truly comforting.
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 Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will 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 life everlasting. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed is a summary of the core Christian beliefs.
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.
The Our Father is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, and us, in the Gospel, Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4
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.
The Hail Mary, or Ave Maria, is composed of two sections from the gospel of Luke. The first section is taken from a passage when the Angel Gabriel greets Mary, in Luke 1:28. In the second section, Elizabeth also greets Mary in a special way, in Luke 1:42.
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.
The Glory Be is a doxology, or song of praise, to the Trinity, rooted in Matthew 28:19.
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 thy mercy.
The Fatima Prayer was given by Our Lady of Fatima to the children when she appeared to them in 1917. She specifically requested this prayer be prayed in this modern age, needed now more than ever.
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.
Pray for us O holy mother of God, *that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
The Hail, Holy Queen, or Salve Regina, is a song of hope to Mary written in the Middle Ages, asking her to help and guide us with our needs and her prayers in our everyday lives.
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 by meditating upon 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.
The Rosary Prayer is a more recent addition to the rosary, in which we ask the Madonna's help and example in transforming our daily life into one that magnifies love.
