Pray the Holy Rosary

The following will show you how to pray the Holy Rosary step by step:

Step One – Make the Sign of the Cross

Start by making the Sign of the Cross and say:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

While holding the Crucifix, recite the Apostles’ 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 Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and 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 life everlasting.  Amen.

Step Two - Pray “The Lord’s Prayer”

On the first bead recite “The Lord’s Prayer,” also known as the “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.

Step Three - Pray the “Hail Mary”

On the next three beads recite the “Hail Mary” in order to obtain the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.  Say one “Hail Mary” for each of the three beads:

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.

Step Four - Pray the “Glory Be to the Father”

On the next bead recite the “Glory Be to the Father”:

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.

Step Five - The Twenty Mysteries

The Rosary is composed of twenty mysteries (also called decades.)  Each mystery is an event in Our Lord’s life that we meditate on when we pray the Rosary.  When we do that, we are honoring Jesus through His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.  It is customary to recite five decades at a time while praying the Rosary.

The Joyful mysteries are said on Monday and Saturday, the Luminous mysteries are said on Thursday, the Sorrowful mysteries on Tuesday and Friday and the Glorious mysteries on Wednesday and Sunday.  (The exception to this is: Sundays of Christmas season – the Joyful mysteries and Sundays of Lent - the Sorrowful mysteries.)

Step Six - Meditate on the Mysteries

After announcing the first mystery, recite the “Our Father” on the fourth bead, followed by “Hail Mary” for the next ten beads.  Recite one “Hail Mary” for each bead.  While reciting these prayers, meditate on the mystery.  “Meditate” simply means to think about the particular event in the life of Jesus that the mystery represents.

Step Seven - Pray the “Glory Be to the Father”

Recite the “Glory Be to the Father” as shown in Step Four.

Step Eight - Pray the “Fatima Prayer”

After each decade, (following the “Glory Be to the Father”) recite the prayer that The Blessed Virgin Mary requested be prayed by the children of Fatima:

“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.”

Step Nine - Pray the “Hail, Holy Queen”

At the end of the rosary (after the fifth mystery) say the following  “Hail, Holy Queen” prayer:

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.

Step Ten - End of Rosary Prayers

The last prayer of the Rosary is known to be the “Breviary Prayer” and it is said after the “Hail, Holy Queen”:

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 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.

You may also choose to add this:

May the Divine assistance always remain with us.  And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

Pray the Holy Rosary for Peace

Now more than ever the world is desperately in need of peace.  Unfortunately, in some instances the word “peace” has taken on a meaning all of its own.  There is much inconsistency and even hypocrisy surrounding what it has come to symbolize in our modern day society.  It’s sad and disturbing that some of the very people who supposedly promote it are the same people who destroy it.  In a previous post I said, “Peace is not a symbol from an old Grateful Dead album, nor is it a reason to justify one form of killing, only to promote another.  (More about this in future posts.)  Peace is the interior joy and feeling of serenity that can only come from the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary and a total giving over of our will to Jesus Christ.”  The Blessed Virgin Mary has said that if we desire peace in our hearts we should pray the Holy Rosary.  If peace doesn’t start from within our own hearts, how can we possibly expect it to pervade society and change the world for the better?

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