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INTRODUCTION TO PRAYING THE ROSARY

The most holy and biblical prayer of the Rosary has been used for many centuries by Christians all over the world. The purpose most people have when they pray the Rosary is to seek the Blessed Virgin Mary's help and intercession with her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. in dealing with some problem or concern or trouble in our daily lives here on earth. Others pray the Rosary as a way of seeking God's forgiveness for their sins and the sins of all mankind.

The Rosary is made up of a series of prayers - all that have their roots in the Bible. These prayers are said in a certain order of numerical groups that long Christian tradition has established. To help keep track of the pattern of the prayers of the Rosary a necklace of 58 beads and a cross is sometimes used. This is also called a 'rosary".

This beaded necklace with the cross called a "rosary" is made up of sets, or groups, of beads on a chain. In each set there are one big bead and ten small beads. Each set is called a decade, and there are five decades that form a loop. Attached to this loop of 55 beads is a short piece of the necklace. This short piece has the Cross o Jesus and two big beads and three small beads. Where the short piece joins the loop there is often a triangular piece of metal. Each part of this necklace is used during the Rosary prayer.

We always begin the prayer of the Holy Rosary by saying the APOSTLE'S CREED as we touch the Cross of Jesus. Then we say an OUR FATHER on the big bead next to the Cross of Jesus. Then three HAIL MARYS for the three small beads. On the next big bead we say a GLORY BE and an OUR FATHER. WE are now entering into the loop of the necklace.

On the big beads in the loop, we say the OUR FATHER. On the small beads in the loop, we say the HAIL MARY. After the last HAIL MARY in a decade, we say a GLORY BE and the FATIMA PRAYER requested by the Holy Virgin at her appearance in Fatima in 1917. To complete the loop we will need to say: 50 Hail Mary's, 5 Glory Be's, 5 Fatima Prayers, 5 Our Father's. When you have completed the loop - and have reached the triangular piece of metal - say the "Hail Holy Queen"

Before each decade, we think of something - a mystery - that happened to Jesus and Mary. There are 20 of these "mysteries". Each of the 20 is given a name and they are grouped into four sets of five mysteries each. Each group of five mysteries is given a title.

the Glorious Mysteries

and the Joyful Mysteries

and the Sorrowful Mysteries

and the Luminous Mysteries (added October 2002

by Pope John Paul II)

The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. 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.

Glory Be
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

To see how these prayers fit into the context of the Rosary meditation and to pray a virtual Rosary, click HERE