The importance of the Rosary to Christians

“All generations will call me blessed.”  (Lk 1:48).  The Church rightly honors “the Blessed Virgin with special devotion.  The Blessed Virgin embodies the obedience of faith (CCC 148).  She was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, preserved immune from all stain of original sin (CCC 165).  Mary’s role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it (CCC 969).  The Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix (CCC 969)

Praying the rosary was established during the Middle Ages as a way to honor the Blessed Virgin with the title of ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.  The rosary is a very special devotion.  Praying the rosary differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.  Catholics use the rosary to pray to God through the intercession of Mary.  With the prayers of the rosary, we ask Mary to pray for us and to guide us by the example of her son, Jesus.

Praying the Rosary  

It only takes about 20 minutes to pray the rosary. The rosary has 59 beads, a crucifix, and a medal, with certain prayers for each of these different pieces. The prayers of the rosary can be divided into three categories:

1. Introductory Prayers.
2. The Decades
3. Closing Prayer

That’s it!  Once you know the prayers, you are on the way to finding a beautiful way to reflect on the life of Christ, to better know his mother, Mary, and to lead yourself to peace and to grow your faith.

Fatima Prayer

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.

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.  Pray for us O holy mother of God, * that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

The Mysteries of the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Saturday)

1^st decade:  The Annunciation (Fruit of the Mystery—Humility):  And when the angel had come to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.”  (Luke 1:28) 

2^nd decade:  The Visitation (Fruit of the Mystery—Love of Neighbor):  Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice: “Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb.” (Luke 1:41-42)

3^rd decade:  The Birth of Jesus (Fruit of the Mystery—Poverty):  She gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged. (Luke 2:7)

4^th decade:  The Presentation (Fruit of the Mystery— Obedience):  When the day came to purify them according to the law of Moses, the couple brought Him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every first-born male shall be consecrated to the Lord.” (Luke 2:22-23)

5^th decade:  Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple (Fruit of the Mystery—Joy in Finding Jesus):  On the third day they came upon Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  (Luke 2:46)

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)

1^st decade:  The Agony in the Garden (Fruit of the Mystery—Sorrow for Sin):  In His anguish He prayed with all the greater intensity, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. Then He rose from prayer and came to His disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted with grief.  (Luke 22:44-45)

2^nd decade:  The Scourging at the Pillar (Fruit of the Mystery—Purity):  Pilate’s next move was to take Jesus and have Him scourged.  (John 19:1)

3^rd decade:  Crowning with Thorns (Fruit of the Mystery—Courage):  They stripped off His clothes and wrapped Him in a scarlet military cloak. Weaving a crown out of thorns they fixed it on His head, and stuck a reed in His right hand . . .  (Matthew 27:28-29)

4^th decade:  Carrying of the Cross (Fruit of the Mystery—Patience): . . . carrying the cross by Himself, He went out to what is called the Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).  (John 19:17)

5^th decade:  The Crucifixion (Fruit of the Mystery—Perseverance):  Jesus uttered a loud cry and said, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.” After He said this, He expired.  (Luke 23:46)

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday and Sunday)

1^st decade:  The Resurrection:  You need not be amazed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified. He has been raised up; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him (Mark 16:6).  Fruit of the Mystery—:  Faith.

2^nd decade:  The Ascension:  Then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into Heaven and took His seat at God’s right hand (Mark 16:19).  Fruit of the Mystery—:  Hope.

3^rd decade:  Descent of the Holy Spirit:  All were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them (Acts 2:4).  Fruit of the Mystery—:  Love of God.

4^th decade:  The Assumption:  You are the glory of Jerusalem … you are the splendid boast of our people … God is pleased with what you have wrought. May you be blessed by the Lord Almighty forever and ever (Judith 15:9-10).  Fruit of the Mystery—:  Grace of a Happy Death.

5^th decade:  The Coronation:  A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (Revelation 12:1).  Fruit of the Mystery—:  Trust in Mary’s Intercession.

The Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)

1^st decade:  Baptism of Jesus (Fruit of the Mystery—Openness to the Holy Spirit):  And when Jesus was baptized, … the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him, and lo, a voice from heaven, saying “this is My beloved Son,” with whom I am well pleased. “  (Matthew 3:16-17)

2^nd decade:  Wedding at Cana (Fruit of the Mystery—To Jesus through Mary):  His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” … Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.  (John 2:5-7)

3^rd decade:  Proclaiming the Kingdom (Fruit of the Mystery—Repentance and Trust in God):  “And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay.”  (Matthew 10:7-8)

4^th decade:  The Transfiguration (Fruit of the Mystery—Desire for Holiness):  And as He was praying, the appearance of His countenance was altered, and His raiment become dazzling white.  And a voice came out of the cloud saying, “This is My Son, My chosen; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:29, 35)

5^th decade:  Institution of the Eucharist (Fruit of the Mystery—Adoration):  And He took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you.” . . . and likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood . . .” (Luke 22:19-20)

The Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intentions for 2023

JANUARY:  For educators–We pray that educators may be credible witnesses, teaching fraternity rather than competition and helping the youngest and most vulnerable above all.

FEBRUARY: For parishes–We pray that parishes, placing communion at the centre, may increasingly become communities of faith, fraternity and welcome towards those most in need.

MARCH:  For victims of abuse–We pray for those who have suffered harm from members of the Church; may they find within the Church herself a concrete response to their pain and suffering.

APRIL:  For a culture of peace and non violence–We pray for the spread of peace and non violence, by decreasing the use of weapons by States and citizens.

MAY:  For church movements and groups–We pray that Church movements and groups may rediscover their mission of evangelization each day, placing their own charisms at the service of needs in the world.

JUNE:  For the abolition of torture–We pray that the international community may commit in a concrete way to ensuring the abolition of torture and guarantee support to victims and their families.

JULY:  For a Eucharistic life–We pray that Catholics may place the celebration of the Eucharist at the heart of their lives, transforming human relationships in a very deep way and opening to the encounter with God and all their brothers and sisters.

AUGUST:  For World Youth Day–We pray the World Youth Day in Lisbon will help young people to live and witness the Gospel in their own lives.

SEPTEMBER:  For people living on the margins–We pray for those persons living on the margins of society, in inhumane life conditions; may they not be overlooked by institutions and never considered of lesser importance.

OCTOBER:  For the Synod–We pray for the Church, that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a lifestyle at every level, and allow herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the peripheries of the world.

NOVEMBER:  For the Pope–We pray for the Holy Father; as he fulfills his mission, may he continue to accompany the flock entrusted to him, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

DECEMBER:  For persons with disabilities–We pray that people living with disabilities may be at the centre of attention in society, and that institutions may offer inclusive programs which value their active participation.