About Praying the Rosary
This classic Catholic devotion combines prayer and meditation. While reciting, silently or aloud, the prayers appropriate to each bead on the rosary, the individual meditates on a particular event in the life of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary.
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The Prayers
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In order to say the rosary, you must know the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father (also known as the Lord's Prayer), the Hail Mary, the Glory Be to the Father and Hail Holy Queen.
The Traditional Mysteries
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Since at least the 15th century, it has been customary while praying the rosary to contemplate one of the sacred mysteries, or events, in the life of Jesus and Mary. Until recently there were three groups of mysteries, the Joyful, the Sorrowful and the Glorious. There are five events for each set of mysteries, corresponding to the five decades, or five sets of ten Hail Mary beads, on the rosary.
The Joyful Mysteries are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation in the Temple and the Finding in the Temple.
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 and the Coronation. -
A New Set of Mysteries
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In 2002, the late Pope John Paul II introduced a new set of mysteries, entitled the Luminous Mysteries, that focus on Christ's ministry on earth. The Luminous Mysteries are the Baptism of the Lord, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration and the Institution of the Eucharist.
Praying the Rosary
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Catholics pray the rosary by taking the crucifix in the right hand, making the Sign of the Cross with it, kissing the crucifix, then reciting the Apostles' Creed. Next, they say an Our Father on the large bead, a Hail Mary on each of the three small beads and then recite Glory Be to the Father. Saying aloud or thinking silently of the first mystery upon which she will meditate, the individual prays an Our Father on the large bead, a Hail Mary on each of the ten small beads, and ends the decade with Glory Be to the Father. When all five decades have been completed, the final prayer recited is Hail Holy Queen.
Additional Prayers
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Some individuals, parishes, or religious communities say additional prayers at the end of the rosary, such as a prayer for the dead, or a prayer in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. These are optional and the decision to recite them or some other prayer or no additional prayers at all is left to the discretion of the person praying the rosary.
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