How To Pray the Rosary

For Catholics, the rosary is a holy item that serves as an instrument for them to communicate with God. For many, they find solace when they pray with it. Oftentimes, many people will devote five minutes of their time each day just to pray the rosary. 

Most often, the holy rosary is formed like a necklace made up of beads threaded and arranged together in a specific way. Looking at it from the cross and around the lace, you may notice several parts:

• The cross that serves like a pendant,
• One separate bead after the cross,
• Three beads grouped together,
• Another separate bead,
• The intersection, which can be another bead or another item with a religious symbol,
• Five groups of ten separate beads with one separate bead in between groups.

For the Catholic Church, praying the rosary is like going through a religious journey in the life of Christ. The five grouped beads represent the five stages in each of the Mysteries of the Rosary. There are currently four mysteries with five stages each: 

(1) Joyful Mysteries

• Annunciation of Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Visitation
• Nativity of Jesus
• Presentation in Temple
• Finding in the Temple

(2) Mysteries of Light

• Jesus' Baptism in Jordan River
• Jesus' Self-manifestation at Cana's wedding
• Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
• Jesus' Transfiguration
• Jesus' Institution of the Eucharist

(3) Sorrowful Mysteries

• Agony in the Garden
• Scourging at the Pillar
• Crowning with Thorns
• Carrying of the Cross
• Crucifixion and Death

(4) Glorious Mysteries

• Resurrection of Jesus
• Ascension into Heaven
• Descent of the Holy Spirit
• Assumption of Mary
• Coronation of Mary

How to pray the rosary? Find a place where you won't be disturbed while doing your prayer. Churches may also hold mass prayers for the rosary too. Prayers will always start at the cross, moving up the intersection and moving around the necklace. 

(1) At the cross, make the "sign of the cross" and pray the Apostle's Creed.

(2) At the single bead next to the cross, pray the Our Father (The Lord's Prayer).

(3) Pray three Hail Mary's at the next three beads.

(4) Pray the Glory Be at the next single bead.

(5) At the intersection, meditate on the first of the five mysteries under the appropriate group of Mysteries. What are the appropriate Mysteries?

• For rosary prayers done on Mondays and Wednesdays, you follow through the stages under the Joyful Mysteries,
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Mysteries of Light
• Fridays, Sorrowful Mysteries
• Saturdays and Sundays, Glorious Mysteries

(6) Before starting with the first bead in a series of ten, pray the Our Father.

(7) Pray the Hail Mary at each of the next ten beads, that means a total of ten Hail Mary's.

(8) At the end of the tenth bead, pray the Glory Be.

(9) As of the moment, you should be in another separated single bead before the next set of ten beads. Meditate on the second mystery of the appropriate group of Mysteries. Pray the Our Father. Proceed with ten Hail Mary's and end the set with one Glory Be.

(10) Proceed with the next beads in the same manner until you reach the fifth and last stage of the Mysteries.

(11) By this time, you are back in the intersection. Pray the Hail Holy Queen to end your prayers.

May you have a solemn journey as you pray the rosary.