The Holy Rosary - Catholic meditation prayer. October – Month of the Rosary
The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses". Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is therefore the most important one. The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. During each decade (10 beads) we meditate on the events in the life of Jesus and his mother recalled by one of twenty 'mysteries of the rosary'. These twenty mysteries are divided into four sets, the Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Glorious and the mysteries of Light. It's a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary. It's a prayer we can all say together with Her, the Mother of God. With the Hail Mary we invite Her to pray for us. Our Lady always grants our request. She joins Her prayer to ours. Therefore it becomes ever more useful, because what Mary asks She always receives, Jesus can never say no to whatever His Mother asks for. In every apparition, the heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary as a powerful weapon against evil, to bring us to true peace. With your prayer made together with Your heavenly Mother, you can obtain the great gift of bringing about a change of hearts and conversion. Each day, through prayer you can drive away from yourselves and from your homeland many dangers and many evils. It can seem a repetitive prayer but instead it is like two sweethearts who many times say one another the words: "I love you". It is customary to recite five decades at a time while meditating on one set of mysteries. The decades may be separated, if the entire chaplet is completed on the same day.
The prayers needed for the Rosary:
The Sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
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.
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.
The prayers needed - continuation
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.
The Fatima prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Your Mercy.
The Holy Queen prayer:
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, the children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this land of exile. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; lead us home at last and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.
Closing prayer:
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 you, that meditating on these Mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
1. First kiss the Crucifix.
While holding the crucifix make the Sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
3. Recite the Our Father on the first large bead.
4. Recite a Hail Mary for an increase of faith, hope and charity on each of the three small beads.
5. Recite the Glory Be to the Father on the next large bead.
6. Recite the Fatima Prayer "O my Jesus".
7. Recall the first Rosary Mystery and recite the Our Father on the large bead.
8. On each of the adjacent ten small beads recite a Hail Mary while reflecting on the mystery.
9. On the next large bead, recite the Glory Be to the Father,
10. Recite the Fatima prayer "O my Jesus".
11. Each succeeding decade is prayed in a similar manner by recalling the appropriate mystery,
reciting the Our Father, ten Hail Marys, the Glory be to the Father, and the Fatima prayer
while reflecting on the mystery.
12. When the fifth mystery is completed, the Rosary is Customarily concluded with the Hail
Holy Queen, closing prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
