How to pray the rosary?
Praying the rosary is an act of faith that puts us in communication with God from the purest and most sincere love, praying it is not directly related to learning it or not by heart, there are those who may never manage to learn all the content but the important thing is the demonstration of faith, sacrifice and love that man is capable of giving as a Christian.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was able to give his life for us and in this his message is more than clear, however many times it is necessary to refresh his sacrifice and praying the rosary is a good way to do it; by performing the prayer step by step you will be able to understand its true dimension.
When praying the rosary you make a great prayer where the energy and will of the Lord is interpreted, it is one of the best ways for Christians to find the impulse they need to not faint in their journey along the path of good.
It may seem a bit drastic but trust that the darkness will move away from your environment and peace will guide your walk through life when praying the rosary. Raising prayer is one of the best tools to strengthen your faith and live true love for God, through the protection that a mother has with her child.
In the practice of praying the rosary, you approach the Lord from love and he relieves any suffocation that disturbs your heart. The holy rosary becomes a balm to relieve pain and helps you get through difficult times, you can also pray the rosary to thank God for the joys in your life.
When you spend time praying the rosary you pay homage to the 20 mysteries of the life of Jesus, the prayer confers a chain of prayers that are linked with an Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory be to the Father after making the announcement of each of the mysteries .
By praying the rosary we are instruments of the word that the Virgin Mary herself placed in the hands of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in 1214 during an apparition. According to history, holy writing was what should be used against heretics and sinners, so it turns out that the holy rosary has been a tool to ward off evil since 800 AD.
The power of the Holy Rosary is in the great reflection that it implies on the life of Jesus Christ and Holy Mary, when you prepare to pray the rosary in each mystery, you offer a prayer to communicate with God, alone or accompanied, no matter where you are. It is a beautiful way to ask the Holy Virgin Mary for peace and wisdom to overcome any situation, no matter how complicated it may seem.
Among the tasks entrusted by the Virgin was that of spreading prayer among believers so that each one assumed the commitment to share it, when you prepare to pray the rosary you strengthen faith.
The process to follow when praying the complete holy rosary responds to tradition depending on where you are, in some countries the enunciation of each mystery is associated with other prayers that can be litanies or ejaculatory prayers; These do not change the structure of the rosary but are significant according to believers.
When praying the rosary you can omit the litanies if you wish, but it is not bad to do them, they are simply optional prayers that may or may not be in our rosary.
For those who do not know or do not yet know how to pray the rosary , the process is not difficult as long as you practice it and open your heart to God's call to converse with him, from prayers we can build a bridge to connect with the creator.
If you don't know how to pray the rosary , the word of Santo Domingo and the gospels clearly explain how to do it. In the next lines we will help you to develop the complete holy rosary and we will explain the reason for each mystery .
How to pray the entire rosary?
In each region there are different ways of praying the rosary , the variations respond to cultural events that often have a marked influence on the expressions of faith of each people. But there are general characteristics that define a traditional way of making the complete rosary .
We are going to detail step by step how to pray the rosary , taking as a reference the classic way of doing it. Surely in any case the instructions that we will give you will allow you to communicate with God the father and understand each stage of his sacrifice.
Sign of the Cross
Before beginning to pray the rosary, take it in your hands and make the sign of the holy cross on your forehead, mouth and chest. Then he performs the prayer of the apostles' creed taking the cross of the rosary.
rosary beads
The first bead of the rosary corresponds to an Our Father, this is followed by three beads that represent three Hail Marys, at the end you must pray a Glory Be. Then it is time to announce the first of the mysteries.
Later we will detail the meaning of the mysteries but each one is surrounded by a lot of solemnity, since they are the reason for being of the holy rosary and by announcing them the person in charge of the prayer will be remembering part of the sacrifice of God our Lord.
Once the mystery has been revealed as appropriate, a meditation is carried out. When praying the rosary, not everything is learned nor is it about memorized and repeated chain prayers, everything has a reason for being and in this section it is possible to reflect.
The mysteries are part of the life of Jesus Christ and it is always important to give an account of the moment, especially if it is a question of praying the rosary in a group. It is also convenient to thank and pray for the Virgin to intercede for us and answer our prayers.
After announcing each of the mysteries, it is time to pray an Our Father, to continue with the 10 Hail Marys and a Glory Be. Between each mystery there is an Jaculatory prayer that you can omit if you wish.
closing sentence
Once you have announced the fifth and last of the mysteries , the rosary is finished with the Hail prayer, this prayer is done charged with sensitivity and understanding that it is a time to thank the Holy Mother. From the moment the Salve is prayed, litanies can be added.
How to pray the short rosary?
Sometimes praying the complete rosary with all the mysteries and litanies can take a long time, it may happen that you are in the middle of learning and pray a short rosary frequently. Sometimes it is recommended to pray the rosary with 5 mysteries and omit the litanies.
In each case it will depend on the time you can have for your prayers, the important thing is to be able to use that beautiful rosary that you have hanging in some corner of the house.
Chaplets are prayers that are prayed with the help of a rosary and they work very well to make a short rosary or daily prayer when you are at home and need to connect with Jesus Christ; You will see that praying the rosary does not have to be endless.
Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
The sorrowful mysteries evoke the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ to give his life for us, to wash away our sins and deliver the greatest example of sacrifice and humility. These mysteries are used when praying the rosary on Tuesdays and Fridays, representing love and gratitude.
In some places they are also called mysteries of pain , they refer to the physical pain to which Jesus was subjected by non-believers, who took it upon themselves to judge him without doing any harm.
In a way, these mysteries show the patience of Jesus to accept the will of God and really feel all his love and regenerating strength. When praying the rosary and enunciating the sorrowful mysteries, carry out a deep meditation and pray with true Christian faith.
The sorrowful mysteries are represented by:
1. The Prayer of Our Lord in the Garden
Jesus suffered the anguish that disturbs those who will face a great change, he sensed that he was going to be delivered into the hands of sinners and wisely prayed to ask his father that his will be done.
2. The Flagellation of the Lord
This mystery deals with the moment when Jesus was handed over and Pilate, who put him on trial so that the people could decide what to do with him. The crowd asked for the blood of the messiah and freedom for Barabbas, after washing his hands Pilate gives the order for Jesus to be crucified.
3. The Crowning with Thorns
Without committing any crime and because of the accusations that belittled his word, Jesus suffered the worst mistreatment at the hands of the soldiers. A purple robe and a crown of thorns were placed on him. They hit him on the head with a cane and mocked him, calling him King of the Jews!
4. The Way of Mount Calvary
From the pain but still with strength this mystery points out the journey with the cross on his back that Jesus made to the outskirts of the city to reach the place where "The Skull" would be crucified.
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord
This can be considered the most moving of the sorrowful mysteries . Christ already on the cross and suffering inclement pain, was mocked by those who saw him and shouted at him to ask his God to save him. In a desperate act, Jesus exclaimed loudly "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" and gave his soul.
These mysteries represent moments of maximum suffering for our Lord during the Passion and culminate in relief and the departure of his body from the physical plane.
As Catholics , praying the rosary on the days in which it is appropriate to announce the painful mysteries becomes a moment of deep sensitivity, the right thing to do is to do it with the consideration and respect that the physical departure of our savior deserves.
Thanks to the sorrowful mysteries we can understand the love of Our Lord towards man and feel the deep pain that filled the heart of Mary. The recitation of these mysteries implies a profound reflection on the message that relives the death of Jesus under the cross and with his mother.
Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
The glorious mysteries are the reference to the wonderful facts that Christianity gives us after Jesus has been crucified. The glory of Jesus does not end with his death after his ascension there is much more for those who have faith, these mysteries exalt the ability of the Christian to overcome darkness and celebrate the glory of our Lord.
When praying the rosary, the glorious mysteries focus on the resurrection of the Lord, a reason that renews the Christian faith and demonstrates the infinite and renewing power of God. In announcing these mysteries, he concentrates all his spiritual strength on Mary's joy at feeling the return of her son.
Keep in mind that praying the rosary is more than disciplinedly repeating the prayer and learning its formal structure, it is about living through the mysteries every moment in the life of Our Lord and his mother. It is propitious to understand that praying a complete rosary is a moment of dedication and reflection.
The glorious mysteries must be announced when praying the rosary on Wednesdays and Sundays. These days are very special because they revive the happiness and joy of those who trusted in God and received his infinite mercy. For believers, these mysteries represent a path that is filled with blessings, no matter how hard it is to travel.
Below we detail the 5 glorious mysteries that you must announce when praying the complete holy rosary:
1. The Resurrection of Our Lord
In view of the guardians who awaited the death of Jesus he descended from heaven and landed on the stone. He was made an angel, on a mission to announce to those who prayed for him that he had risen by the grace of God.
2. The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven
In this mystery it is related that Jesus Christ already on earth again, raised his hands to offer his blessing to everyone and in his walk he moved away from the crowd to ascend to heaven. Those present returned to Jerusalem with the greatest joy and in total adoration of the Lord.
3. The Coming of the Holy Spirit
This third mystery brings us closer to the search for the annunciation made by the spirit of Our Lord to his apostles on the day of Pentecost. They were gathered there and turned into a gust of wind that blew from heaven, Jesus placed tongues of fire on each disciple and each one received the blessing of the Holy Spirit.
4. The Assumption of Our Mother into Heaven
Once Mary, mother of God, reaches the end of her life on earth, she was taken body and soul with her son. This mystery reflects in Mary the wonder of the creation that God made in her, she is the mother of God who helps and participates in his life and resurrection.
5. The Coronation of Mary
To announce this mystery , it is convenient to feel what an ordinary and mundane being would feel when seeing that a signal arrives from heaven. A woman illuminated by the sun and with the moon under her feet and crowned with 12 stars is observed.
It is about the Immaculate Virgin Mary, free from all sin, who after her earthly life reaches the glory of the universe to be with her son "Lord of lords and of sin and death, victor".
Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary
The joyful mysteries are those that allude to the reasons for Christian joy, by praying the rosary we can reach the deepest root of the incarnation, according to the words of the Virgin Mother. During these mysteries, the character of the gospel as "good news" and the need to make it an action in the exercise of Christianity are accentuated.
The joyful mysteries are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays, announcing them leads us to review what life was like before the arrival of Our Lord and part of his first years of life.
In the complete holy rosary these mysteries, like the rest, are 5, when you pray the rosary it is not imposed, memorize the content of each mystery you can make an interpretation of it without modifying the essential message.
The joyful mysteries have the power to draw us closer to Mary and recognize her in her infinite goodness to accept the Will of God. Our Mother never lost her faith and despite her fear, she always knew that what God does, He does out of love.
As a Christian, when praying the rosary, you will obtain in the joyful mysteries the strength that leads you to take the hand of God and let him be the one who guides your steps. These mysteries are the sample of the infinite love that God distributes over his children and that will always find the way and the way to save us.
The joyful mysteries are the opportunity that the Lord gives you to show him that his sacrifice was worth it and that through the complete holy rosary you are willing to thank him. It is a prayer of faith and deep love as we thank you for your work so that we lack nothing.
In these mysteries , the main teaching is not to stop longing for God's mercy, even when we feel lost. Remember that God always has the perfect plan for each of his children and rewards those who obey his designs.
We will leave you with an introduction to each of these mysteries so that you can announce them during your rosary and there is no possibility of confusing them. Meditation is still part of the essence of our complete holy rosary , so the connection when praying is what will materialize your Christian faith.
1. The Incarnation of the Son of God
It evokes one of the most revealing moments of the Christian faith, the arrival of the messiah. The angel announced to Mary that she would raise a son in her womb and that she should call him Jesus, she accepted the grace and served her body to the Lord. Mary was not afraid and became a deer to the word of God.
2. The Visitation of Our Lady to Saint Elizabeth
This mystery revives the connection from love, when Elizabeth hears Mary's greeting the child in her womb jumped for joy. Elizabeth exclaimed Blessed be among all women and blessed be the fruit of your womb! And filled with the holy spirit, she joyfully accepted the visit of the mother of the Lord.
3. Birth of the Son of God
The delivery arrives, in Belén María feels that the time has come to bring her son into the world, because there was no space in the place he was born in a manger and right there she wrapped him with a blanket to protect him.
4. The Purification of the Blessed Virgin
As one of the most inspiring mysteries, it is time to announce the birth of the baby Jesus and present him before the Lord. This is done at the end of the days of Purification of the Virgin.
5. Jesus Lost and Found in the Temple
In this mystery Jesus proves to be the son of God when at the age of 12 he visits Jerusalem for the Easter holidays and disappeared from the sight of his parents. Three days later he was found in the temple surrounded by elders and teachers who were surprised by his intelligence and the wisdom of his answers.
Litanies of the Holy Rosary, Litanies of the Virgin
The litanies are prayers in the form of supplication that constitute invocations to the Virgin Mary, they are usually named when praying the complete rosary once the mysteries are finished. The litanies do require to be memorized or you can take them written with you during the prayer.
To the ear, the litanies function as a constant praise composed of short phases, usually large in quantity but flowing very quickly. The litanies consist of two parts, the first of praise and the second of supplication.
As an invocation to the Holy Trinity, the litanies must be performed in order and when praying the rosary they are announced with pause. This prayer has an intrinsic rogatory where the intermediaries will be the Virgin, Jesus and the saints.
Although they are not considered essential, it is usual that the litanies are used in the complete rosary and more appropriate if the prayer is done in a group. In the short rosary they are not usually used.
There are various types of litanies, although the oldest are the litanies of Our Lady, also called litanies of the Virgin or Lauretan litanies, approved by Sixtus V in 1587.
Here we leave you the litanies of the Virgin so that you can include them in your complete rosary, each supplication is arranged in dark letters so that you can pronounce it after performing the praise.
Lord have mercy / Christ have mercy / Lord have mercy. / Christ, hear us. / Christ, hear us. / God, heavenly Father, / have mercy on us. / God, Son, Redeemer of the world / God, Holy Spirit / Holy Trinity, one God / Holy Mary, / Pray for us. / Holy Mother of God / Holy Virgin of Virgins, / Mother of Christ / Mother of the Church / Mother of divine grace / Most pure Mother / Most chaste Mother / Mother always Virgin / Immaculate Mother / Kind Mother / Admirable Mother / Mother of good council / Mother of the Creator / Mother of the Savior / Mother of mercy / Most prudent Virgin / Virgin worthy of veneration / Virgin worthy of praise / Powerful Virgin / Merciful Virgin / Faithful Virgin / Mirror of justice / Throne of wisdom / Cause of our joy / Spiritual Vessel / Vessel Worthy of Honor / Vessel of Fabulous Devotion / Mystic Rose / Tower of David / Tower of Ivory / House of Gold / Ark of the Covenant / Gate of Heaven / Morning Star / Health of the Sick / Refuge of the sinners / Comforter of the afflicted / Help of Christians / Queen of Angels / Queen of Patriarchs / Queen of Prophets / Queen of Apostles / Queen of Martyrs / Queen of Confessors / Queen of Virgins / Queen of all Saints / Queen conceived without original sin / Queen assumed into Heaven / Queen of the Most Holy Rosary / Queen of the family / Queen of peace / Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, / forgive us, Lord. / Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, / hear us, Lord. / Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, / have mercy on us. / Pray for us, Holy Mother of God. / So that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
Other litanies of Jesus, the Virgin and the Saints
There are also litanies dedicated to other biblical themes such as:
- Litanies of Our Lady of Lourdes
- Litanies to the Good Shepherd
- Reparative litanies to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Litany of the Precious Blood
- Litany to the Sweet Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
- Litanies of Saint Joseph
- Litanies of the will of God
- Litanies to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Litany of the Guardian Angels
ejaculatory
The ejaculatory prayers are a type of prayer that is used when praying the rosary to make invocations addressed to the Virgin. They can also be defined as rogatives or prayers; These are small phrases that are announced repeatedly during the entire rosary as a prayer from the believer.
Although they resemble the litanies, the ejaculatory prayers are not defined, it is more of a desire that comes from the heart and that with the utmost fervor is raised in prayer so that Our Lord listens and attends to it.
Of course, there are very popular aspirations that have been used for a long time, such as: “Ave María Purísima” or “Heart of Jesus, I trust in you”. They have the same structure of praise and prayer.
The purpose of the ejaculatory prayers is to pronounce easy and short prayers that keep us close to God the Father and the Virgin Mary at any time. They are included when praying the rosary after the litanies, although they are not essential.
Many believers consider that ejaculatory prayers are a means of prayer to thank Our Lord for the favors received and to ask for his forgiveness for any failure or sin committed.
The ejaculatory prayers function as an outlet, they are a window close to our heart where we can express our own feelings about the mysteries of the life of Jesus. It is useful to resort to ejaculatory prayers to exalt the divine presence in our daily life, many consider them powerful.
With them we raise our requests to heaven, we thank and ask for redemption; Little more can be asked for in such a healing act as prayer, especially if it is done after praying the entire rosary.
Types of Holy Rosary
When praying the rosary we are always accompanied by its representation as an object of prayer, the purpose of the object is to count the prayers and be able to have an order without forgetting the repetitions of each one. Although most rosaries have the same shape, there are some variations that can make it more practical.
Some people mistakenly use rosaries hanging around the neck as a garment, this should be avoided, the rosary should only remain in our hands while we pray.
Depending on the occasion, there are several types of rosaries, but it is important to use them appropriately and keep them visible only in moments of recollection and expression of our faith. Let's review the different types:
Five Decade Rosary
It is the most common and well-known, it is used to pray the entire rosary. At its end it has a crucifix and then it has 5 groups of 10 beads each and has 5 beads that separate the crucifix from the medal, which represents each mystery.
wedding rosary
It is a rosary used for weddings, it is shaped like a bow and is joined with a single crucifix. The few are more spaced than in the rosaries of 5 decades but equal in number.
Its use is symbolic and must remain during the ceremony on the shoulder of the spouses, it is assumed that they will pray together for life.
First Communion Rosary
The First Communion rosary is the first rosary that a Catholic receives after receiving communion before God for the first time and receiving the body of Christ. They are white and are accompanied by a miniature prayer book for children to start and learn to pray the rosary.
Rosaries of a decade (decenarios)
They are small rosaries. Its use is less widespread than five-bead rosaries. In recent years its use has become very popular due to its small size. Each turn with them represents a segment of the complete rosary.
The most used are the decenarios and bracelet rosaries, to hang from the wrist.
Finger rosary (decenario rings)
They are rosaries of a decade that have the shape of a ring and are placed like a ring on the finger. Each bead is represented by spheres that protrude from the piece.
They have become very practical for praying because you can separate each prayer by turning the ring with the thumb of the same hand or using the index finger of your other hand.
rosary to the holy spirit
The rosary to the holy spirit is a different prayer that is made by counting linked prayers but with another content that is not related to that of the Holy Rosary. This prayer can be considered a short rosary in honor of the Holy Spirit.
It should begin with the creed and an Our Father, each large bead should be accompanied by a prayer to the Holy Spirit , followed by a meditation on the corresponding gift. In each small bead it is repeated "Come Holy Spirit with your gift of (...)".
Then a Gloria is prayed and again the prayer of the Holy Spirit , to continue with the next gift. The Jaculatory is performed on the last large account. Upon reaching the last three small beads, the following invocations are performed:
1. Come Holy Spirit, increase our Faith.
2. Come Holy Spirit, increase our Hope.
3. Come Holy Spirit, increase our Charity.
Here we give you the order in which you should pray each Gift and its content:
The gift of the fear of God
This gift promotes respect for God and the fear of sinning or offending him, this fear offers a feeling of reverence to Our Lord that distances man from worldly feelings that separate him from the peace of God.
The gift of piety
This gift promotes the joy of serving God as the loving father and therefore raises the feeling of respect and love towards the things that are consecrated to him. The gift of piety confers on this short rosary the task of practicing religion as a rewarding action and not as a drudgery.
The Gift of Strength
When the road is hard, this gift offers the drive and energy to endure and reach the end, it is a prayer where the strength of the soul overcomes fear. This gift empowers the believer to face dangers and overcome difficult tasks, the one who perseveres will be saved.
The gift of Knowledge
This gift promotes the real use of created things for the benefit of life, it connects you in prayer with the ability to recognize the true purpose of creatures that is at the service of God. When praying this short rosary, the prayer is raised to ask Jesus for the favor of guiding man to establish priorities and thank the Lord for his goodness.
The gift of advice
God is asked to fill the soul of his children with prudence to make the right decisions in difficult situations. This gift opens the way for the understanding of the obligations we have with friends, parents, children and other family members. The rogation demands superior common sense from the Blessed Sacrament.
The gift of understanding
This gift promotes an active faith where the knowledge of God represents the tool to reach an understanding of our religion. We pray to convert our experience into testimony of faith and grow in the knowledge of Our Lord.
The gift of Wisdom
Represents in this short rosary the strengthening of faith, hope and charity. Prayer awakens the ability to decide and appreciate in its fair measure the things that God puts in our way.
Chaplet or rosary to Divine Mercy
The devotion to divine mercy was born from Saint Faustina Kowalska, who assured that Jesus promised before her that mercy would accompany whoever prays the chaplet .
Begin by making the sign of the Cross and then pray the prayer of mercy:
“You expired, Jesus; but the source of life welled up for souls, and the sea of mercy opened up for the whole world. O source of life, unfathomable divine mercy, embrace the entire world and pour yourself out on us.”
Once you finish the opening sentence, repeat three times:
"Oh, blood and water that flowed from the heart of Jesus, as a source of mercy for us, in You I trust!"
Then pray an Our Father and a Hail Mary, to close with a creed. From that moment, as when you are going to pray the rosary, you will make the tens and at the beginning of each one repeat this prayer:
"Eternal Father, I offer you the body, blood, soul and divinity of your beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as propitiation for our sins and those of the whole world."
At the end of each one you will repeat ten times,
"For his painful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
To finish, you use a prayer imploring mercy for your sins. This corinilla does not mention the mysteries that are made when praying the rosary , but it represents an act of constriction before actions of sin in which man eventually falls. Closing sentence:
“Holy God, holy strong, holy immortal, have mercy on us and on the whole world, O eternal God!, in whom mercy is infinite and the treasure of compassion inexhaustible. Turn to us your kind look, and increase your mercy in us. So that, in difficult moments, we do not despair or become discouraged; but, with great confidence, we submit to your holy will. Amen".
Other types of rosaries
Rosary of Our Lady of Fatima
Rosary of the Virgin of Carmen
Rosary of Saint Anthony