Rosary


The Rosary, formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary, also known as the Dominican Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or beads used to count the component prayers. When referring to the prayer, the word is usually capitalized ; when referring to the prayer beads as an object, it is written with a lower-case initial letter.
The prayers that compose the Rosary are arranged in sets of ten Hail Marys, called "decades". Each decade is preceded by one Lord's Prayer, and traditionally followed by one Glory Be. Some Catholics also recite the "O my Jesus" prayer after the Glory Be; it is the best-known of the seven Fátima prayers that appeared in the early 20th century. Rosary prayer beads are an aid for saying these prayers in their proper sequence.
Usually, five decades are recited in a session. Each decade provides an opportunity to meditate on one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, which recall events in the lives of Jesus Christ and his mother Mary.
In the 16th century Pope Pius V established a standard 15 Mysteries of the Rosary, based on long-standing custom. This groups the mysteries in three sets: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II said it is fitting that a new set of five be added, termed the Luminous Mysteries, bringing the total number of mysteries to 20. The mysteries are prayed on specific days of the week; with the addition of the Luminous Mysteries on Thursday, the others are the Glorious on Sunday and Wednesday, the Joyful on Monday and Saturday, and the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday.
Over more than four centuries, several popes have promoted the Rosary as part of the veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church, and consisting essentially in meditation on the life of Christ. The rosary also represents the Catholic emphasis on "participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ", and the Mariological theme "to Christ through Mary".

Praying the Rosary

Basic structure

The structure of the Rosary prayer, recited using the rosary beads, is as follows:
The Rosary is begun on the short strand:
  • the Sign of the Cross
  • the Apostles' Creed
  • the Lord's Prayer at the first large bead
  • the Hail Mary on each of the next three beads
  • the Glory Be in the space before the next large bead; and
  • the Lord's Prayer at the second large bead
The praying of the decades then follows, repeating this cycle for each mystery:
  • announcing the [|mystery]
  • the Lord's Prayer on the large bead
  • the Hail Mary on each of the ten adjacent small beads
  • the Glory Be on the space before the next large bead
To conclude:
Common pious additions to the Rosary are sometimes inserted after each decade and after recitation of the Salve Regina. Instead of ending each decade with the Gloria Patri, Pope Pius IX would add: "May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."
Some Catholics piously add the Fatima Prayer after the Gloria Patri, still on the large bead. Some add the Miraculous Medal prayer which begins "O Mary, conceived without sin...", while others add the Eucharistic prayer "O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine" in honour of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In the practice of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, there is a sixth decade for the intentions of the students, or the Virgin Mary.
Other popular additions include the shorter form of the Prayer to Saint Michael; the Memorare, and a prayer for the intentions of the Pope. In many cases, the Litany of Loreto is recited before the end.
In the practice of the Dominican Order, the beginning prayers of the rosary correspond to the preces that begin the Divine Office:
  1. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
  2. Hail Mary, full of grace, the is with Thee.
  3. Blessed art Thou among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus.
  4. O, open my lips.
  5. And my mouth will proclaim Your praise.
  6. Incline Your aid to me, O God.
  7. O, make haste to help me.
  8. 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.

    Group recitation of the Rosary

When a group recites the Rosary, it is customary that the prayers that constitute the decades are divided into two parts. The second part of the Our Father begins with "Give us this day our daily bread"; the second part of the Hail Mary begins with "Holy Mary, Mother of God"; and the second part of the Glory Be with "As it was in the beginning". This lends itself to antiphonal prayer.
Sometimes, a chosen leader will recite the first half of the prayer while other participants recite the second. In another style, recitation of the first part of the prayers is rotated among different persons while still maintaining the traditional Leader-Congregation alternation.

Mysteries of the Rosary

The Mysteries of the Rosary are meditations on episodes in the life and death of Jesus from the Annunciation to the Ascension and beyond. These are traditionally grouped by fives into themed sets known as the Joyful ''Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. Pope John Paul II recommended an additional set called the Luminous Mysteries in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae. The original Mysteries of Light were written by George Preca, the only Maltese official Catholic saint, and later reformed by the pope.
Typically, a spiritual goal known as a "fruit" is also assigned to each mystery. Below are listed from the appendix of Louis Marie de Montfort's book Secret of the Rosary'' for the original 15 mysteries, with other possible fruits being listed in other pamphlets bracketed:
;Joyful Mysteries:
  1. The Annunciation. Fruit of the Mystery: Humility.
  2. The Visitation. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of Neighbor.
  3. The Birth of Jesus. Fruit of the Mystery: Poverty, Detachment from the things of the world, Contempt of Riches, Love of the Poor.
  4. The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: Gift of Wisdom and Purity of mind and body.
  5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: True Conversion.
;Luminous Mysteries:
  1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Fruit of the Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit, the Healer.
  2. The Wedding at Cana. Fruit of the Mystery: To Jesus through Mary, Understanding of the ability to manifest-through faith.
  3. Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in God.
  4. The Transfiguration. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness.
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist. Fruit of the Mystery: Adoration.
;Sorrowful Mysteries:
  1. The Agony in the Garden. Fruit of the Mystery: Sorrow for Sin, Uniformity with the Will of God.
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar. Fruit of the Mystery: Mortification.
  3. The Crowning with Thorns. Fruit of the Mystery: Contempt of the World.
  4. The Carrying of the Cross. Fruit of the Mystery: Patience.
  5. The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance in Faith, Grace for a Holy Death, Forgiveness.
;Glorious Mysteries:
  1. The Resurrection. Fruit of the Mystery: Faith.
  2. The Ascension. Fruit of the Mystery: Hope, Desire to Ascend to Heaven.
  3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of God, Holy Wisdom to know the truth and share it with everyone, Divine Charity, Worship of the Holy Spirit.
  4. The Assumption of Mary. Fruit of the Mystery: Union with Mary and True Devotion to Mary.
  5. The Coronation of the Virgin. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance and an Increase in Virtue.

    Mysteries prayer schedule

Traditionally the full Rosary consisted of praying all 15 traditional mysteries together. Alternatively, a single set of five mysteries can be prayed each day, according to the following convention:

Duration

Praying the full Rosary typically takes about 20 to 30 minutes, but this can vary. A quicker pace might allow one to finish in around 15–20 minutes, while a slower, more meditative approach, especially in a group, could extend to 25–30 minutes or longer. Some people even pray just a single decade, which can take about 2–3 minutes.

Devotions and spirituality

placed the Rosary at the very center of Christian spirituality and called it "among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation." Pope Pius XI is quoted as saying, for example, "The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight."
Saints and popes have emphasized the meditative and contemplative elements of the rosary and provided specific teachings for how the rosary should be prayed, for instance the need for "focus", "respect", "reverence" and "purity of intention" during rosary recitations and contemplations. Scriptural meditations concerning the rosary are based on the Christian tradition of Lectio Divina as a way of using the Gospel to start a conversation between the person and Christ. Padre Pio, a rosary devotee, said: "Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him." From the sixteenth century onwards, Rosary recitations often involved "picture texts" that further assisted meditation. Such imagery continues to be used to depict the Mysteries of the rosary.
References to the Rosary have been part of various reported Marian Apparitions spanning two centuries. The reported messages from these apparitions have influenced the spread of Rosary devotion worldwide. In Quamquam pluries, Pope Leo XIII related Rosary devotions to Saint Joseph and granted indulgences in favour of Christians who, in the month of October, would have added the Prayer to Saint Joseph at the end of the Holy Rosary.
Praying the Rosary may be prescribed by priests as a type of penance after the Sacrament of Penance. Penance is not generally intended as a "punishment"; rather, it is meant to encourage meditation upon and spiritual growth from past sins.