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Introduction
 The
Rosary is divided into five decades. Each decade represents a mystery or event
in the life of Jesus. These five decades and five mysteries then comprise one of
the four "Mysteries of the Rosary" (Joyful,
Luminous,
Sorrowful, and
Glorious). These four "Mysteries of the
Rosary" therefore contain, a total of twenty mysteries. The Joyful, Luminous,
Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries are then said on specific days of the week
During private recitation of the Rosary, each decade requires devout meditation
on a specific mystery. Public recitation of the Rosary (two or more people),
requires a leader to announce each of the mysteries before the decade, and start
each prayer.
The Apostle's
Creed is said on the Crucifix (1); the
Our Father is said on each of the Large Beads (2)
(5) (8), etc.; the Hail Mary is said on each of
the Small Beads (3) (6); the Glory Be
after the three Hail Mary's at the beginning of the Rosary, and after each
decade of Small Beads (4) (7). In June 13, 1917, Our Lady asked that an
additional prayer be added after each decade of the Rosary. It is
a prayer of forgiveness to Jesus and is said following the Glory Be after
each decade only.
Religious devotion, public or private, for the
duration of nine days to gain special graces, is called a Novena. Those who
perform it with a lively hope of having their request granted, and with perfect
faith and resignation if it be refused, may be assured that Christ will grant
some grace or blessing. This requires an understanding that in His infinite
wisdom and mercy, He may refuse the particular favor which is requested.
Novenas originated in imitation of the Apostles
who were gathered together in prayer for nine days from the time of Our Lord's
Ascension (to Heaven) until Pentecost Sunday (the descent of the Holy Spirit).
This practice of saying the Rosary nine times in
the form of the Rosary Novena in petition or thanksgiving, is another way
of heeding Our Lady's request to Pray the Rosary.
The 54 Day Novena Devotion which originated in
1884 at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, consists of the
daily recitation of five decades of the Rosary (one complete Mystery: Joyful,
Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious) for twenty-seven days in petition and
five decades for twenty-seven additional days in thanksgiving. You will
actually be making three Novenas in petition for a particular favor and
three Novenas in thanksgiving for a particular favor.
1st day say the 5 Joyful Mysteries
2nd day say the 5 Luminous
3rd day say the 5 Sorrowful Mysteries
4th day say the 5 Glorious Mysteries
5th day begin again the 5 Joyful Mysteries, etc.
The Family That Prays Together... Stays
Together.
The family Rosary is the Rosary recited aloud
together, by as many of the family and their friends as can be present. Any
family (two or more people) may say the Family Rosary in any suitable place and
at any time.
A leader says aloud the first part of each
prayer; a second person or group of persons answers aloud the second part of the
prayer.
To begin the Family Rosary, all hold the
Crucifix of their Rosary in the right hand and make the Sign of the Cross.
The leader begins the Apostles' Creed and
proceeds through the rest of the Rosary. The leader announces the Mystery
before each decade. Five decades (one complete Mystery: Joyful, Luminous,
Sorrowful, or Glorious) should be recited each day.
Mary's Great Promise at Fatima -
The Five First Saturdays are intended to honor
and to make reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for all the blasphemes
and ingratitude of men.
This devotion and the wonderful promises
connected with it were revealed by the Blessed Virgin at Fatima, a small village
in Portugal. Our lady appeared to three children there in 1917, and one of the
little girls, Lucy, tells us that Our Lady said:
I promise to help at the hour of death, with
the graces needed for salvation, whoever on the First Saturday of five
consecutive months shall:
- 1. Confess and Receive Communion.
- 2. Recite five decades of the Rosary
(Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous or Glorious Mysteries)
- 3. Keep me company for fifteen minutes while
meditating on the twenty Mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making
reparation to me.
[The
Joyful Mysteries] [The Luminous Mysteries]
[The Sorrowful Mysteries]
[The Glorious Mysteries] [Prayers
of the Rosary]
-
 (Said
on Mondays, Thursdays, the Sundays of Advent, and Sundays from Epiphany until
Lent)
The Joyful Mysteries are
marked by the joy radiating from the event of the Incarnation. This is
clear from the very first mystery., the Annunciation, where Gabriel's greeting
to the Virgin of Nazareth is linked to an invitation to messianic joy: "Rejoice
Mary ." The whole of salvation ... had led up to this greeting.
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The Annunciation - First Joyful Mystery
Desire the Love Of Humility
Think of...
The humility of the Blessed Virgin when the Angel Gabriel greeted her with these
words: "Hail full of grace". |
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The Visitation - Second Joyful Mystery
Desire Charity Toward My Neighbor
Think of...
Mary's charity in visiting her cousin Elizabeth and remaining with her for three
months before the birth of John the Baptist. |
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The Nativity - Third Joyful Mystery
Desire the Love of God
Think of...
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. |
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The Presentation - Fourth Joyful Mystery
Desire a Spirit of Sacrifice
Think of...
Mary's obedience to the law of God in presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple. |
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Finding in the Temple - Fifth Joyful Mystery
Desire Zeal For The Glory Of God
Think of...
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. |
[The
Joyful Mysteries] [The Luminous Mysteries]
[The Sorrowful Mysteries]
[The Glorious Mysteries] [Prayers
of the Rosary]
-
(Said
on Thursdays throughout the year)
-
The Luminous Mysteries:
Moving on from the infancy and the hidden life in Nazareth to the public life of
Jesus, our contemplation brings us to those mysteries which may be called in a
special way "mysteries of light." Certainly, the whole mystery of Christ
is a mystery of light. He is the "Light of the world" (John 8:12).
Yet this truth emerges in a special way during the years of His public life.
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First Luminous Mystery - The Baptism of
Jesus in the River Jordan
Desire Openness to the Holy Spirit
Think of...
And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I
am well pleased." Matthew 3:17 |
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The Second Luminous Mystery - The Wedding at
Cana, Christ Manifested
Desire coming to Jesus through Mary
Think of...
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 |
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The Third Luminous Mystery - the
Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Desire Repentance and trust in God
Think of...
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of
fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mark 1:15 |
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The Fourth Luminous Mystery - The
Transfiguration of Jesus
Desire holiness
Think of...
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes
became white as light. Matthew 17:2 |
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The Fifth Luminous Mystery - The Last
Supper, the Holy Eucharist
Desire participation in Adoration
Think of...
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 |
[The
Joyful Mysteries] [The Luminous Mysteries]
[The Sorrowful Mysteries]
[The Glorious Mysteries] [Prayers
of the Rosary]
-
(Said
on Tuesdays, Fridays throughout the year, and daily from Ash Wednesday until
Easter Sunday)
The Sorrowful Mysteries:
The Gospels give great prominence to the Sorrowful Mysteries of Christ.
From the beginning, Christian piety, especially during the Lenten devotion of
the Way of the Cross, has focused on the individual moments of the Passion,
realizing that here is found the culmination of the revelation of God's love and
the source of our salvation.
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Agony in the Garden - First Sorrowful
Mystery
Desire True Repentance for My Sins
Think of...
Our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, suffering a bitter agony for our
sins. |
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Scourging at the Pillar - Second Sorrowful
Mystery
Desire a Spirit of Mortification
Think of...
The cruel scourging at the pillar that our Lord suffered; the heavy blows that
tore His flesh. |
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Crowning of Thorns - Third Sorrowful Mystery
Desire Moral Courage.
Think of...
The crown of sharp thorns that was forced upon our Lord's Head and the patience
with which He endured the pain for our sins. |
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Carrying of the Cross - Fourth Sorrowful
Mystery
Desire the Virtue of Patience
Think of...
The heavy Cross, so willingly carried by our Lord, and ask Him to help you to
carry your crosses without complaint. |
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The Crucifixion - Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
Desire the Grace of Final Perseverance
Think of...
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. |
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[The
Joyful Mysteries] [The Luminous Mysteries]
[The Sorrowful Mysteries]
[The Glorious Mysteries] [Prayers
of the Rosary]
-
(Said
on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year)
-
The Glorious Mysteries:
"The contemplation of Christ's face cannot stop at the image of the Crucified
One. He is the Risen One!" The Rosary has always expressed this
knowledge born of faith and invited the believer to pass beyond the darkness of
the Passion in order to gaze upon Christ's glory in the Resurrection and
Ascension. ... Mary herself would be raised to that same glory in the
Assumption.
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The Resurrection - First Glorious Mystery
Desire a Strong Faith
Think of...
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. |
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The Ascension - Second Glorious Mystery
Desire the Virtue of Hope
Think of...
The Ascension of Jesus Christ, forty days after His glorious Resurrection, in
the presence of Mary and His disciples. |
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The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Third
Glorious Mystery
Desire Zeal for the Glory of God
Think of...
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles, under the form of
tongues of fire, in fulfillment of Christ's promise. |
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The Assumption - Fourth Glorious Mystery
Desire the Grace of a Holy Death
Think of...
The glorious Assumption of Mary into Heaven, when she was united with her Divine
Son. |
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The Coronation of the B. V. M. - Fifth
Glorious Mystery
Desire a Greater Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary
Think of...
The glorious crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven by her Divine Son, to the great
joy of all the Saints. |
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[The
Glorious Mysteries] [The Luminous
Mysteries] [The Joyful
Mysteries] [The Sorrowful
Mysteries]
Prayer Before The Rosary
Queen of the Holy Rosary, you have designed to
come to Fatima and Medjugorje, to reveal to the three shepherd children and six
visionaries, the treasures of grace hidden in the Rosary. Inspire my heart with
a sincere love of this devotion, in order that by meditating on the Mysteries of
our Redemption which are recalled in it, I may obtain peace for the world, the
conversion of sinners, and the favor which I ask of you in this Rosary (Mention
your request). I ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor,
and for the good of souls, especially for my own. Amen.
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.
The Hail Mary:
Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee;
blessed are 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.
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.
Prayer to Jesus Requested By Our Lady
O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from
the fires of hell, take all souls to Heaven, and help especially those most in
need of Your mercy.
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 is seated 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.
Hail Holy Queen:
Hail! Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our
sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you
do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn
then, O most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us; and after this
our exile, show unto is the blessed fruit of your 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.
Prayer
After The Rosary
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. |
