How to Pray the Rosary (Daily Mysteries)
The Rosary is a Catholic prayer of meditation on the life of Christ through Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory Be prayers, one decade for each mystery. The mysteries follow the day: Joyful on Monday and Saturday, Luminous on Thursday, Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday. Pray it in the morning or evening.
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.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst 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.
(Pray the Hail Mary ten times, while meditating on the mystery.)
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.
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell,
lead all souls to heaven,
especially those who are most in need of thy mercy.
Amen.
The mysteries of the Rosary and the days they are prayed
The Rosary joins vocal prayer with silent meditation. While the lips say the Our Father, the Hail Marys and the Glory Be, the mind rests on one scene from the life of Jesus and Mary. Each scene is called a mystery, and each mystery has its own decade. The prayer shown here is one decade. A full Rosary has five decades, and many people pray it in roughly fifteen to twenty minutes.
For centuries the Rosary had fifteen mysteries in three sets: Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious. In 2002, in the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II proposed five Luminous Mysteries, bringing the total to twenty. The letter suggests Joyful on Monday and Saturday, Luminous on Thursday, Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, and Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday.
The Joyful Mysteries are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation in the Temple, and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple. The Luminous Mysteries are the Baptism of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist.
The Sorrowful Mysteries are the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion. The Glorious Mysteries are the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of Mary, and her Coronation as Queen of Heaven. Most of these scenes come directly from the Gospels and Acts.
How to pray a decade with the mystery of the day
- Choose the mysteries for today, sit in a quiet place, and take three slow breaths before you begin.
- Make the Sign of the Cross, then name the first mystery and picture the scene in the Gospel for a few moments.
- Pray the Our Father slowly, then the ten Hail Marys at an unhurried pace, keeping your attention on the scene rather than on counting.
- Close the decade with the Glory Be and the Fatima prayer, then pause in silence before announcing the next mystery.
- Before you finish, name one person or concern you wish to place in God’s hands, and give thanks for one thing from today.
- If you have only a few minutes, pray one decade with full attention rather than rushing through five.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use a rosary to pray?
Hold the crucifix and make the Sign of the Cross, then pray the Apostles' Creed. On the first single bead pray an Our Father, on the next three beads a Hail Mary each, then a Glory Be. After that, announce the first mystery and pray one decade. Move around the loop decade by decade, and end with the Hail, Holy Queen.
How do I announce the mysteries of the Rosary?
Before each decade, say the number and name of the mystery, for example "The first Sorrowful Mystery, the Agony in the Garden." Many people add a short Gospel reading or a personal intention, then pause for silence and begin the Our Father. When praying in a group, one person announces each mystery and the others respond with the prayers.
Can you pray the Rosary for someone?
Yes. Catholics often offer a decade or a whole Rosary for a particular person, such as someone who is ill or grieving. This is intercessory prayer, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes in nos. 2634–2636 and which 1 Timothy 2:1 encourages for all people. It entrusts the person to God and does not guarantee a particular outcome.