HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY
- Make the Sign of the Cross and say the “Apostles Creed.”
- Say the “Our Father.”
- Say three “Hail Marys.”
- Say the “Glory Be.”
- Announce the First Mystery; then say the “Our Father.”
- Say ten “Hail Marys,” one on each bead, while meditating on the Mystery.
- Say the “Glory Be” and the “Fatima Prayer.”
- Announce the Second Mystery; then say the “Our Father.” Repeat 6 and 7 and continue with the Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same way.
- Say the “Hail Holy Queen” after the five decades are completed and end with the Sign of the Cross.
ROSARY PRAYERS
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.
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.
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.
Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.
Hail Holy Queen
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, 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, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
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 we who meditate on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the blessed Virgin Mary, may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
Reflections for each mystery were written specifically for the Marian Blue Wave by Judie Brown and approved by Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas. ©2019 Judie Brown
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
(traditionally said on Monday, Saturday)
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Mary is selfless, ready to do the will of God as a young woman who is pure of heart. In Mary’s acceptance of Gabriel’s announcement that she has been chosen to be the mother of God, we find our role model for following God’s direction even in a culture that rejects His laws. Lord, help us to be unselfish in our love for you and for your children, born and preborn. Amen.
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Mary learns that her cousin Elizabeth is with child and hastens to be with her cousin. Mary is helping someone who is in need and in her joy she sings of the Lord’s blessings, telling Elizabeth “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” As Mary celebrates God’s love, Lord, help us to hasten to the side of expectant mothers and their preborn children to affirm life in a world that rejects it. Amen.
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Mary teaches us patience, waiting on Joseph to find them a place to stay, waiting on her child to be born in the fullness of time. Mary teaches us tenderness as she warms her newborn son, the Son of God, at her breast. Lord, thank you for giving us these moments in which we see what it means to welcome children, to love them unconditionally while never counting the cost. Amen.
4thJoyful Mystery: The Presentation
Simeon, the temple priest, welcomes Baby Jesus; he knows instinctively that he is in the presence of his savior. Simeon also tells Mary that her soul will be pierced and that many will rebuff her Son. We are told Mary ponders these things in her heart. Father, guide us in our quest to save the children the world rejects as it rejected Jesus. Help us imitate your love for every human being, born and preborn. Amen.
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
Mary searches for Jesus and finds him in the temple, listening and asking question. While Mary and Joseph did not understand, they were grateful that he was safe. Jesus went with them and stayed with them “increasing in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and people.” Father, help us to grow in wisdom and understanding as we strive to save the babies and pray for those who kill your innocent little ones. Amen.
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
(traditionally said on Tuesday, Friday)
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Jesus prayed to the Father, “remove this cup from me” but then he prays “yet not what I will but what you will” (Mk 14:36). To imitate Jesus we must learn, as Pope Benedict XVI taught, to entrust ourselves and our pro-life apostolate to the father. We must “ask God for the strength to come out of ourselves, to renew our YES to him … repeating the ‘yes’ of Jesus, the ‘yes’ of Mary.” Father, help us to do your will! Amen.
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Taken as a prisoner, Christ is viciously beaten and suffers greatly . So too the preborn child becomes a prisoner when his mother decides to abort him. He too suffers greatly unto death. We come to Mary and ask her to intercede for us in our work to end the suffering and death of the babies, knowing that because Christ suffered for us, we can refuse Him nothing. Lord, help us remain unfaltering. Amen.
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns
“The crowning of Jesus with thorns is His atonement for the sins of pride; pride, the root from which all other sins have sprung.” Aborting a child is a deadly sin of pride. One could never abort her child if she understood how much God loves her and her baby. Oh how the Lord must weep over these babies. Mary, intercede for us as we strive to show others the crime that is abortion. Amen.
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Jesus falls three times under the weight of the cross, the weight of all the sins of mankind. We pray to Jesus through Mary, “Give to us, weak men and women, the strength to carry the cross of daily life and to get up again from our falls, so that we may bring to future generations the Gospel of your saving power.” Help us to witness in defense of life, Lord. Without you, we are too weak for this task. Amen.
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Suffering and Death of Jesus
Mary stood mournfully at the foot of the cross, witnessing the final moments of her beloved son’s life. We see her grief and we turn to her, praying these words from Hail Holy Queen: “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.” Mary, mother of God, hear us, help us in our quest to end the killing of the innocent. Amen.
THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
(traditionally said on Thursday)
1st Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
And when Jesus was baptized the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him as God the Father spoke. The Baptism of Jesus reminds us of the eternal value of baptism and how aborted babies are unjustly deprived of the grace of this sacrament. Through Mary’s intercession we ask for the courage to make it known that we pray for God’s mercy when the souls of the innocent are taken through the violence of abortion. Mary, our mother, hear our plea. Amen.
2nd Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast of Cana
When the wine ran dry, Mary told the wine stewards: “Do whatever he tells you.” Mary signaled them as she does us that through her our prayers and hopes are assured of being heard by her Son. Mary is our mother, in the same way that she is the spiritual mother of every preborn baby. Mary, we pray that through your intercession each expectant mother considering abortion will turn to your Son Jesus Christ, bringing her closer to Him through you. Amen.
3rd Luminous Mystery: Christ Proclaims the Kingdom of God
During His three years of public life Christ taught much including this profound insight, (Luke 18:17)“anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Every expectant mother and her preborn child deserve the opportunity to learn this lesson, to trust Christ and rely on Him even in times of fear and loneliness. Mary, help us be witnesses to this truth in word and action. Amen.
4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
Pope Benedict XVI said“Jesus is transfigured and shows his disciples that his Passion will lead to the Resurrection.” Thus we ask our mother Mary to pray for our ability to reflect Christ’s truth through our pro-life efforts that the hearts of those considering abortion may be transfigured through His grace. Lord, we ask for the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us as we strive to rely totally on Your will. Amen.
5th Luminous Mystery: Christ Institutes the Eucharist
“Christ offers his body and blood as food … and testifies ‘to the end’ his love for humanity (Jn 13:1), for whose salvation he will offer himself in sacrifice.” Jesus gives the gift of life in the body and soul of each innocent preborn child, a member of the human family from his conception. Mary, our mother, intercede for these babies, knowing how heartbroken Christ is when even one of them is killed by abortion. Amen.
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
(traditionally said on Wednesday, Sunday)
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Saint Paul vigorously declares: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” So it is that we have hope in the risen Christ! This is what makes our service to preborn children and their mothers such a blessing. Oh Mary, conceived without sin, help us to be good servants, to ever remain hopeful and filled with His joy as we strive for justice for all the innocents. Amen.
2nd Glorious Mystery: Christ Ascends into Heaven
In the Gospel of Mark (16-19) we read “And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God he took his place.” Thanks to this glorious event we are assured that one day if we remain steadfast in faith, we will be with Him, no matter our trials! Mary, our mother, intercede for us that we may remain strong, striving ever and always to defend life! Amen.
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit Upon the Apostles
In the Acts of the Apostles we learn that the Holy Spirit appeared under the form of tongues of fire. The Apostles were filled with truth, love, and the courage to bear witness to Christ. Mary, our Mother, we ask you to intercede for us that we might receive the same gifts to help us touch the hearts of those who do not respect life. Help us speak for the babies, the elderly and the vulnerable, Amen.
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Our Lady
Saint John Paul II explained “Our Lady, taken up into the glory of God among the saints is a sure sign of hope for the Church and for all humanity.” In Mary we see the hope that fills hearts of those who truly love truth and justice. Mary, Mother of God, help us shine the light of truth in a way that helps our fellow human beings affirm the miracle of life in others, born and preborn, Amen.
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary
Mary’s coronation is an acknowledgement of her absolute commitment to the will of God including the suffering she bore, with and for her Son, during His passion and death. Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, hear our prayers for the babies, for the elderly and for those who have offended God by their involvement in the culture of death. Intercede for us and for all men now and at the hour of our death, Amen.