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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. |
