How To Pray The Roman Catholic Rosary

The Holy Rosary is a very important prayer tool in the catholic world. It is a great guide in keeping track and a memory aid in significant events in the history of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In praying the rosary, one should meditate the twenty mysteries which are grouped into five the Joyful Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries.

In praying the rosary, you can follow the traditional format:

1.) Hold the cruciform and make the Sign of the Cross and 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 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.) Move to the first antiphon bead and recite 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.”

3.) Move to the second antiphon bead and recite the Hail Mary:

“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.”

4.) Move to the third antiphon bead and say 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.”

5.) Move to the first decade and announce the first mystery of the day.

6.) After meditating the first mystery, recite ten Hail Marys

7.) After reciting and meditating the first mystery through the recitation of ten Hail Marys, recite the Glory be to the Father

8.) Repeat Steps 4,5,6 until finished with the rest of the four mysteries.

9.) After each decade, recite 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."

10.) After the five decades recite the 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!
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.