How to Pray the Rosary

Praying is one of the most important things in my life.  I feel deeply lead to prayer and have found that praying the rosary is one of the most powerful prayers that anyone can enter into.  If entered into with an open heart it will lead us directly into the deepest mysteries of our spiritual life in the Lord.  In light of that, I would like very much to write a post explaining how to pray the rosary. It is my hope that non-Catholics who read this will have a better understanding of the rosary and that Catholics my gain deeper insight into the prayers that mean so much to them.

The rosary is not a stagnant, archaic prayer which Catholics pray by rote because they are “supposed” to. Rather it is a dynamic, fluid prayer which brings spiritual life to the person who prays it with an open heart. It is a mediation which is capable of giving deep insights into the life of Our Lord and can deepen our relationship with Him. It is a prayer which evolves and grows to meet the needs of each subsequent generation while, at the same time, remaining anchored in the deepest of church traditions. The mysteries of the rosaries are as relevant to today's needs as they were when they first came into use.

Because the 20 mysteries are the focal point of the rosary, it is important to spend a little time speaking about them before getting into the “How to” of praying the rosary. As a convert to the Roman Catholic faith, I know many Protestants look askance at the rosary and praying to Mary as though it were bordering on idolatry. It isn’t. With the exception of the Apostle’s Creed, which even Protestants pray, and with the exception of the concluding prayer, all of the basic prayers and mysteries of the rosary are deeply rooted in scripture.

The 20 mysteries are broken down into 4 themes or groups consisting of 5 mysteries each. The common practice is to meditate on each of these mysteries, one at a time, while praying the corresponding decade of 10 Hail Marys. I am not going to share any of my insights into the mysteries of the rosary because it is too much information to put into one post.  I hope to be writing about some of my meditations on the rosary in the future so...stay tuned!  :)  Therefore, I am simply going to list the mysteries with the scriptures that they were taken from. This will give a good overview of the scriptural basis of praying the rosary.

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation – Luke 1:26-35, 38
2. The Visitation – Luke 1:39-45, 56
3. The Nativity – Luke 2: 1, 3-20
4. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple – Luke 2:22-35
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple – Luke 2: 41-51

The Luminous Mysteries ~ The Mysteries of Light

1. The Baptism of Jesus – Matthew3:1-2, 5-6, 13-16a; Luke 3:21b-22
2. The Wedding at Cana - John 2:1-11
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God – Matt 4:17; Matt 5:1-16
4. The Transfiguration – Luke 9:28-36
5. The Institution of the Eucharist – Luke 22:14-20

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane – Luke 22:39-36
2. The Scourging at the Pillar – John 19:1
3. The Crowning with Thorns – John 19:2; Mark 15:17-19
4. The Carrying of the Cross - John 19:16-17; Luke 23:26
5. The Crucifixion – Luke 23: 33-49

The Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection – Luke 24:1-12
2. The Ascension – Luke 24:50-52; Mark 16:19
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit – Acts 2:1-13
4. The Assumption of Mary – Rev 12
5. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Rev 12:1

The basic prayers of the rosary are the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer also known as the Pater Noster, the Hail Mary prayer also known as the Avé or the Avé Maria, and the Doxology which many Protestant are familiar with. I have them listed here for people who may not be familiar with them.

The Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again 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 the life everlasting.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

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. Matt 6:9-13

The Hail Mary Prayer

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. 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 death. Amen.

The first part of the prayer: “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you” comes from Luke 1:28, and is a quote of the greeting that the Angel Gabriel gave to Mary during the Annunciation. The next sentence: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb”, quotes part of the greeting that Elizabeth gave to Mary and can be found in Luke 1:42. The rest of the prayer is simply a prayer of petition for Mary pray for us.

Doxology

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 out end. Amen.

There are many other prayers that are traditionally recited as part of the rosary, but they are optional and do not comprise the basic structure of the rosary. One of those prayers is the prayer of Fatima

Prayer of Fatima

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell
And lead also souls to heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy.

The Salve Regina

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,

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

The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Before beginning to pray the rosary, decide which of the 4 groups of Mysteries you wish to meditate on. Then it is common to pick the rosary up, hold the cross in your right hand and the rest of the rosary in your left hand. While making the sign of the cross, the person prays: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”

The traditional form of praying the rosary is as follows:

· Recite the Apostle’s Creed
· Pray an “Our Father” on the first large bead
· Pray one “Hail Mary” on each of the following 3 beads. The first “Hail Mary is for an increase of Faith. The second “Hail Mary” is for an increase of hope. The third “Hail Mary” is for an increase of charity.
· Pray one “Doxology”.
· Pray one “Prayer of Fatima”

· Announce the first Mystery of the group you have chosen.
· Pray an “Our Father” on the next large bead
· Pray one “Hail Mary” on each of the next 10 beads
· Pray one “Doxology”
· Pray one “Prayer of Fatima”

· Announce the second mystery of the group you have chosen
· Pray an “Our Father” on the next large bead
· Pray one “Hail Mary” on each of the next 10 beads.
· Pray one “Doxology”
· Pray one “Prayer of Fatima
· Follow this format until you have finished with the 5th mystery of the group and finished with the last 10 “Hail Mary” prayers.

· Finish with one last recitation of the “Doxology” and one last recitation of the “Prayer of Fatima”

After the last “Prayer of Fatima” most people pray the “Salve Regina” and the “Memorare”

The Forest, The Trees...and well...Everything!

For quite some time now, I’ve felt strongly drawn to prayer.   I don’t know if I would go so far as to say it is a calling from God or just something I feel a need to do.   However, the more I pursue it, the more strongly I feel compelled to pray.

In my own obsessively perfectionistic way I have been very anxious to make sure I do it “right”.  I’ve tried many different forms of prayer.  I’ve read many books on prayer and studied what the saints have written about prayer. Valiantly, I have left no stone unturned.  My pursuit of prayer has even led me to consider seeking the silence and solitude of the eremitical life.   Yep…that’s right…I’m actually thinking about becoming a hermit.  In truth, some of my friends might say that I’m already a hermit…a hermit crab, that is.

During all this studying and looking and trying, a little thought began to insinuate itself into my mind.   “Follow your own path”, it whispered.   It took awhile, but after that thought finally hammered its way thru my thick skull, it took even more time for me to think that it might actually be alright for me to follow my own path.   After all, isn’t it better (which for me is a synonym for safer) to follow the wisdom of those who have gone before?  Who am I to think that my way could be as good as the way of the great heroes of our faith?  It took awhile for all of this to become fully realized, but when it did, it really hit me. 

Suddenly, I felt as though I had been walking in a forest full of beautiful trees, each one different from the other.   As I walked along, I would come upon a tree that I thought was wonderful and I would do everything in my power to learn all there was to know about that particular tree.  No sooner had I done this than I became aware of another tree and the whole process would begin again.   While each of the trees had something of value to offer, no one tree was the right tree for me.   As I continued my walk in the woods, I came to a large clearing. 

As I looked around, I became aware…not of the trees and not of the forest…but of the ground that all of the trees were growing out of.   I saw that the ground that gives life to the oak tree is the same ground that nurtures the willow.   The soil that gives birth to the pine tree does the same for maple.   It didn’t matter how different the trees in the forest were from each other, they all sprang from the same ground and because of this, they all led to the same place.  They all lead to God!

While I contemplated this image, I realized the ground symbolized the life giving love of God.  It is a love so vibrant that it can’t help but give birth to the many different forms of prayer and ways to follow God which were symbolized by the trees.  I understood that the experiences of those who have gone before us are valuable tools to help us learn. However, if we stay connected to the Lord, then we will be able to find our own way in Him.   As long as we stay grounded in Him, if I may be allowed a double entendre, then we will discover the path He has planned for each of us.  It is a path perfectly formed in love by Him who is perfect love.  Who knows?   I may even grow my own little tree! 

Stations of the Cross Chaplet

In honor of Lent I am offering another Stations of the Cross chaplet.   It is very much like the chaplet I posted earlier in the week except that the beads are 5mm by 6mm Hematite.   Hematite is also known as The Bloodstone, Hema being derived from the Greek word for blood.   It seems strange that a stone, a mineral actually, that is a shiny, silvery gray color should be known as the Bloodstone.  However, if you break a piece of Hematite open, the center of it is red.   What stone can be more appropriate to use to meditate on the Via Crucis where Christ shed his scared blood for us.   Please click here to learn more about this chaplet and please visit my shop HolyNameRosaries.com to see more of my unbreakable rosaries and chaplets. 

I'm Not Coming Back!

                                 I’m going to follow God,

                                 I’m not coming back

                                                                Navajo Saying

How many times have we ever gone someplace and realized that we would never be coming back?  I know I haven’t.   Most people, when they plan a trip, almost always plan a return trip.   The return may not be immediate.   In fact, it may be many years down the road.   However, we almost always plan to come back home.   

I read this powerful little quote in a newsletter named “Raven’s Bread”.   It is a Navajo poem and was sent in by a woman who was sharing her thoughts on it.   I will be forever in this woman’s debt.

This little quote has had a huge impact on me.  The first line is something I’ve heard countless times in my Christian journey, said by myself and many other people who love the Lord and want to follow Him.   However, the second line of this little poem really struck me.  I never realized that when you follow the Lord, there is no return trip, there is no coming back, there is no going home.  

How I managed to miss that one is beyond me…it is all over the gospels.   Jesus said it most blatantly when He told Peter to let the dead bury the dead.  Nevertheless, miss it I did.  It made me realize that in my journey with the Lord I had been holding onto things…things in my past…things I thought I needed…things that made me feel safe.  It was like I was hedging my bets without realizing it.

As I thought about all this, I just decided to let it all go…throw it all to the wind and follow the Lord without reservation, without holding on, without “things”.  It gave me the first taste of freedom that I had in a long time.  How good it feels to say “I’m not coming back!”

I would love to know what your thoughts are on this little poem.   Please write a comment and let me know if it has any impact on you and please share what that impact may be.

Thought for the Day

Disciple:  Master, what do I need to do to become enlightened?

Master:  As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.

Disciple: Then what is the benefit of all the spiritual exercises that you give me to do?

Master:  So you will be awake when the sun begins to rise. 

                                 Anonymous saying from the Desert Fathers

The Last Gift

Recently, a very dear friend of mine died.   We were best friends from the minute we met and for 16 years, our friendship grew and became a sheltering tree that nourished us and helped us both to grow as human beings.   In the past few years, she was very sick and while her death was not unexpected, it still caught me by surprise.  I wonder if it is ever possible to be prepared for the death of a loved one?   There will be a hole in my heart and in my life without her.

One of the problems we always seemed to muddle through together was a paucity of funds.  She was always worried about how she was going to support her children, and keep a roof over their heads.  While I live alone, I had the same struggles of trying to keep my head above water financially.   It was almost like we took turns worrying about how to pay the rent or how to keep the electric from being shut off or, at times, even how to pay to put gas in the car.  Somehow, it always helped to have someone to share the struggle and somehow we always made it through.

When I heard of her death, the first thought that went thru my mind was: “Well…now Jeanie doesn’t have to worry about the price of gas”.   I can say honestly, that is not the first thought I expected to have.  Nevertheless, that is that thought that went thru my mind.  I then found myself wondering what it is like to be in a place where you don’t have to worry about the price or gas…or the price of anything else for that matter.

Then, in the face of eternity, I realized how senseless and meaningless our pursuit of money really is.   That does not mean that it isn’t a necessary pursuit.  After all, everyone needs to eat and provide shelter for themselves.   It’s just that it is a pursuit that has no meaning when measured against eternity.

Then I wondered…”what does have meaning in the face of eternity?”   Again, the answer was unexpected.   I expected to think that helping other people, serving God, giving to charity and many other things would have meaning.  I am not saying they don’t have meaning, I’m just saying those thoughts did not go thru my mind.  The thought that did go thru my mind was: “The rosary has meaning in the face of eternity”.   I was surprised.  

I make and sell rosaries.   I pray the rosary often and it has always been meaningful to me.  So, of course, I wasn’t surprised to see that the rosary has meaning in the face of eternity.   It was the profound depth of meaning and the tangibility it gives our relationship with the Lord that caught me unaware.  In my mind, I saw the beads of the rosary stretched out like stepping stones across the sky with one end on earth and the other in heaven.   I saw that the rosary is, in a very real way, a tether that binds heaven to earth and the prayers we pray on each bead can, like stones in a stream, bear us into the Lord’s presence.

In this manner, it truly is a sacramental.   The rosary is a very real, tangible, almost lowly material object made of beads and bits of wire.   However, when prayed with an open heart, these beads transcend themselves and enable our prayers to become open doors that we as mere mortals can walk up to and meet Jesus who steps thru to be with us.   Furthermore, this collection of beads and wire gives us something that we can literally hold onto as it helps to move us deeper into our relationship with the Lord and with His Mother.

My friend Jeanie was a “dyed in the wool” Baptist who never prayed the rosary a day in her life.   Still, as I contemplate the deeper meaning of the rosary that opened up to me soon after she died, I can’t help but think that this was her last parting gift to me.   Jeanie gave me many gifts, all of which I will cherish, but her last gift to me was, far and away, the best gift.  Thank you my dear friend.