Medjugorje

The Most Holy Rosary of The Blessed Virgin Mary

How to pray The Rosary
Prayers of The Rosary

Introduction

The Holy Rosary is one of the greatest, most powerful, most beautiful prayers ever given to humankind.

St. Francis de Sales said that the greatest method of praying (aside from Holy Mass itself) is to pray the Rosary.

St. Padre Pio said: "The Rosary is the weapon" with regards to spiritual protection.

The Garland of Roses

The word rosary comes from Latin and means a garland or crown of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolise the Virgin Mary.

"I am asking for your roses of prayer which need to be acts of love. To my motherly heart these are the dearest prayers. I offer these to my Son Who was born for your sake. He looks at you and hears you. We are always close to you. This is the love which calls, unites, converts, encourages and fulfils. Therefore, my apostles, always love one another and above all, love my Son. This is the only way to salvation, to eternal life. This is my dearest prayer which fills my heart with the most beautiful scent of roses" -2nd January 2017

"And to me, my children, give the gift of the Rosary, the roses which I love so much. My roses are your prayers pronounced with the heart and not only recited with the lips. My roses are your acts of prayer, faith and love. When my Son was little, he said to me that my children would be numerous and that they would bring me many roses. I did not comprehend Him. Now I know that you are those children who are bringing me roses when, above all, you love my Son, when you pray with the heart, when you help the poorest. Those are my roses." -2nd December 2017

The History of the Rosary

In 1215, the Immaculate Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic and asked him, “Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?”

“I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter.”

The “Angelic Salutation” is the “Hail Mary” prayer, and the Psalter is the 150 Psalms. Thus, she wanted 150 Hail Mary’s – which is what the Holy Rosary is.

Over time, the design of the Saint Dominic Rosary as we know it today came into being, with fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, grouped into three sets of five decades each.

The fifteen mysteries in use today were officially established by Pope Pius V in 1569.

In October 2002, Saint John Paul II recommended an additional (and optional) set of Mysteries called the Luminous Mysteries (or the "Mysteries of Light") in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

Saint John Paul II made it clear in this apostolic letter, the inclusion of Luminous Mysteries is to be left to the freedom of individuals and communities to decide for themselves, and that this beautiful, pious and optional devotion is not intended to disrupt the traditional format of the Rosary, but instead as an aid to help complete the meditation on the Gospel and the life of Christ.

The Fifteen Promises of Our Lady to those who recite The Rosary

Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alain de la Roche

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armour against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means!

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, and he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the fullness of His graces, and at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.

12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the Rosary are my beloved children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.

How to Pray the Rosary

1. Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed."

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 arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, and sits 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.

2. Say the "Our Father."

3. Say three "Hail Marys."

4. Say the "Glory be to the Father."

5. Announce the First Mystery; for example, "The First Joyful Mystery is the Annunciation" then say the "Our Father."

6. Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Mystery.

7. Say the "Glory be to the Father."

8. After the Glory be at the end of each decade say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima:

The Fatima Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.

This completes the First Mystery.

9. Announce the Second Mystery; then say the "Our Father." Repeat 6, 7 and 8 and continue with Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner.

After the Rosary say the Salve Regina (The Hail Holy Queen), and the concluding prayers:

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!

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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.

Rosary - Days of the Week

The Mysteries and their fruits

The Joyful Mysteries

First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary - Humility

Meditate on… The humility of the Blessed Virgin when the Angel Gabriel greeted her with these words: “Hail full of grace”. Luke 1:26

Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth - Love of Neighbour

Meditate on… Mary’s charity in visiting her cousin Elizabeth and remaining with her for three months before the birth of John the Baptist. Luke 1:39

Third Joyful Mystery: The Birth of Jesus- Poverty of Spirit, Detachment from the things of this world

Meditate on… The poverty, so lovingly accepted by Mary when she placed the Infant Jesus, our God and Redeemer, in a manger in the stable of Bethlehem. Luke 2:1

Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple - Obedience

Meditate on… Mary’s obedience to the law of God in presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple. Luke 2:22

Fifth Joyful Mystery: Finding Jesus in the Temple - Piety

Meditate on… The deep sorrow with which Mary sought the Child Jesus for three days, and the joy with which she found Him in the midst of the Teachers of the Temple. Luke 2:41

The Sorrowful Mysteries

First Sorrowful Mystery: Agony of Jesus in the Garden - Contrition, Conformity to the Will of God

Meditate on… Our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, suffering a bitter agony for our sins. Matthew 26:36

Second Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar - Purity, Mortification

Meditate on… The cruel scourging at the pillar that our Lord suffered; the heavy blows that tore His flesh. Matthew 27:26

Third Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus is Crowned with Thorns - Moral Courage

Meditate on… The crown of sharp thorns that was forced upon our Lord’s Head and the courage with which He endured the pain for our sins. Matthew 27:27

Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus Carries His Cross - Patience

Meditate on… The heavy Cross, so willingly and patiently carried by our Lord, and ask Him to help you to carry your crosses without complaint. Matthew 27:32

Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion of Jesus - Salvation, forgiveness

Meditate on… The love which filled Christ’s Sacred Heart during His three hours’ agony on the Cross, and ask Him to be with you at the hour of death. Matthew 27:33

The Glorious Mysteries

First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Jesus — Faith

Meditate on… Christ’s glorious triumph when, on the third day after His death, He arose from the tomb and for forty days appeared to His Blessed Mother and to His disciples. John 20:1

Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Jesus - Hope, Desire for Heaven

Meditate on… The Ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven, forty days after His glorious Resurrection, in the presence of Mary and His disciples. Luke 24:36

Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom, Love of God

Meditate on… The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles, under the form of tongues of fire, in fulfilment of Christ’s promise. Acts 2:1

Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary into Heaven - Grace of a Happy Death, and Devotion to Mary

Meditate on… The glorious Assumption of Mary into Heaven, when she was united with her Divine Son. Psalms 131:8, Revelation 11:19

Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth - Eternal Happiness and trust in Our Lady's Intercession

Meditate on… The glorious crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven by her Divine Son, to the great joy of all the Saints. Revelation 12.1–7

The Luminous Mysteries

First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of Jesus — Openness to the Holy Spirit

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

The Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding at Cana — To Jesus through Mary

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. John 2:11

The Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God — Repentance, and Trust in God

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15

The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration of Jesus — Desire for Holiness

And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. Matthew 17:2

The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Last Supper — Eucharistic Adoration

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26