top of page

Rosary

 

Use the Preamble.

 

This way of prayng the rosary is a combination of two prayer forms: vocal (or recited) prayer and mental prayer (meditation). It consists in meditating on a passage of Scripture (one of the fifteen "mysteries" assigned to the rosary) for the length of one decade (ten beads) of the rosary while saying the words of the Our Father 's and Hail Mary 's as "background music."

 

The particular moment in the life of Our Lord assigned to each decade for meditation gives a special meaning or tone to the words that we say during that decade. For example "Blessed are you among women" has one tone when we speak of Mary with her baby in Bethlehem, and another when we speak to her standing under the cross while her son is dying. And vice-versa: the words that we say help focus our minds on the event we are contemplating.

Listed here are the 15 traditional mysteries of the Rosary:

The Joyful Mysteries

(Mondays, Thursdays, Sundays in Advent & Christmastime)

 

The Annunciation (see Luke 1:26-38)
The Visitation (see Luke 1:39-56)
The Birth of Jesus (see Luke 2:1-20)
The Presentation in the Temple (see Luke 22-40)
The Finding in the Temple (see Luke 41-52)

The Sorrowful Mysteries

(Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays in Lent & Holy Week)

The Agony in the Garden (see Matthew 26:36-46)
The Scourging at the Pillar (see Matthew 27:11-26)
The Crowning with Thorns (see Matthew 27:27-31)
Jesus Carries His Cross (see Matthew 27:32-34)
The Crucifixion (see Matthew 27:35-61)

 

The Glorious Mysteries

(Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays in Easter & Ordinary Time)

 

The Resurrection (see John 20:1-31)
The Ascension (see Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-12)
The Sending of the Holy Spirit (see Acts: 2:1-47)
The Assumption (not recorded in Scripture)
The Crowning of Mary in Heaven (not recorded in Scripture)

 

bottom of page