“The Rosary is the treasury of grace,” said Pope Paul V. It is”an incomparable prayer of sovereign efficacy,” said Pope Leo XIII. Closer to our time, Saint John Paul II presented it as his favorite prayer, “wonderful in its simplicity and depth,” and Pope Francis recites it daily. What makes this prayer so magnificent? For what reasons does it accompany the daily life of many saints and popes? This prayer, recited with a rosary, is both prayer and meditation. While being simple and accessible to all, it introduces us to great and beautiful mysteries; those of the life of Christ. Through the Rosary, it is Mary who takes us by the hand, guides us, and accompanies us to bring us closer to her son and let us taste the fruits of prayer.
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The Rosary prayer is the prayer of the rosary. Even though the terms are not synonymous - the rosary being the prayer itself and the beads, the object itself - they are intimately linked. Therefore, the recitation of the Rosary is done with the help of rosary beads, which are counted to the rhythm of the Our Father and the Hail Mary. A rosary consists of 5 decades of beads. For each of these decades, the rosary invites us:
The complete rosary includes 20 mysteries (see below). A rosary is formed of 5 decades; one must therefore recite 4 rosaries to meditate on all the mysteries of the Rosary.
Difference between the Chaplet and the Rosary;
The Rosary originates from marian devotion. Its name, which comes from rosarium, evokes a crown of roses that one would offer to the Virgin Mary. (Discover the origin and history of the Rosary prayer) However, if we offer our prayers to Mary, it is indeed so that she may offer them in turn to her Son. The object of our prayer, when reciting the rosary, is therefore Jesus. It is His life episodes that we meditate upon, and it is Him to whom we request graces.
At each decade, a mystery is meditated upon. It involves dwelling on an episode from the Gospels (such as the Annunciation, the baptism of Jesus, or the agony in the garden of Gethsemane) and contemplating Jesus, through Mary's eyes, allowing ourselves to be touched by what this mystery reveals to us. We also ask God to bring forth in us the fruits of these mysteries: humility, faith, patience...
The mysteries of the Rosary are events from the life of Jesus or Mary, most of which are found in the Gospels. They are grouped into series of 5 mysteries. Initially, there were three series of 5 mysteries:
- The Joyful Mysteries:
1- the Annunciation,
2- the Visitation,
3- the Birth of Jesus,
4- the Presentation in the Temple,
5- the Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
- the Sorrowful Mysteries:
1- the Agony in the Garden of Olives,
2- the Whipping,
3- the Crowning of Thorns,
4- the Bearing of the Cross,
5 - the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus on the Cross,
- the Glorious Mysteries:
1- the Resurrection,
2- the Ascension,
3 - Pentecost,
4- the Assumption of Mary,
5- the Coronation of Mary
In 2002, Pope John Paul II added a 4th series of mysteries, which is placed between the joyful mysteries and the sorrowful mysteries:
- The Luminous Mysteries:
1- the Baptism of Jesus,
2- the Wedding at Cana,
3- the Proclamation of the Kingdom,
4- the Transfiguration,
5- the Institution of the Eucharist.
Each day of the week is associated with a series of mysteries: the rosary of the day. (Find the mysteries corresponding to each day of the week).
The Rosary therefore invites us to meditate on each of these mysteries during a decade of the rosary. (Discover tips and accompaniment for meditating on the holy mysteries of the Rosary).
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The prayer of the Rosary is based on three elements: the rosary, the meditations on the mysteries, and the intention.
Before starting your rosary, choose the series of mysteries that you wish to pray (or refer to those of the day).
After the sign of the cross, we can entrust a special intention to the intercession of Mary for this rosary.
The rosary begins with the symbol of the apostles (Creed), an “Our Father,” three “Hail Marys” and a “Glory Be.”
Then, the first decade:
Before starting it, we state the first mystery associated with the series of mysteries we wish to pray (joyful, luminous, sorrowful, or glorious mysteries). There are different ways to enter into the mystery: by a prayer, by reading a verse or a passage of the gospel... (discover different ways to meditate on the mysteries).
The decade is then recited (1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys and 1 Glory Be
The same is done for the next 4 mysteries, corresponding to the next 4 decades.
This prayer can be done alone, in community (many parishes organize rosary recitations), or on the principle of the Living Rosary, which allows you to pray a rosary to many by distributing the tens among the members of the group.
“The Rosary is the tree of life that raises the dead, heals the sick, and preserves health for those who already have it. (Nicolas IV)
“The Rosary is especially appropriate to divert the world from the dangers that threaten it. (Sixtus IV)
“It is the Rosary that will save the world. - Pope Pius IX
“It is a very powerful weapon to drive out demons; to preserve the integrity of life, to acquire virtue more easily, in a word, to obtain true peace for men. Pius XI
“Let us arm ourselves with the Most Holy Rosary, to free the world from the hatred that tears it apart, from the ignorance that blinds it, from the impurity that suffocates it, to build the civilization of love, of the love of God and neighbor." Pius XII
(Find other quotes from saints and popes on the prayer of the Rosary)
If prayer leads us towards holiness, we do not need to be great saints to recite and love the Rosary! This prayer easily becomes part of our habits, and to help us get started, there are very simple tools such as a guide for the rosary that can be kept with us, a small reminder of the different mysteries, or even the free Rosario app to accompany us in the practice of the Rosary.
“When one meditates on a mystery, the sky opens up, and we receive a shower of graces!” said Blessed Pauline Jaricot, the originator of the Living Rosary. Saint John Paul II approved: “Through the Rosary, the believer draws abundant graces, receiving them almost from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer. “ Through the intentions we entrust to the Virgin Mary, as well as through the fruits that the different mysteries help grow within us, the Rosary brings us numerous benefits. We grow spiritually and find, rosary after rosary, more peace, serenity, and joy.”
Whether you are a seasoned prayer at the rosary or you want to discover the prayer of the Rosary, you will find on Hozana tools and paths to guide you and accompany you: