The Rosary: A Beginner’s Guide (Copy)

By: Nina Leone

This is the beginner’s guide and a basic introduction for praying the rosary. After I give you the blueprint for how to say the rosary step by step, I will divulge into more detail. Before we begin to pray our rosary and meditate on the mysteries, we should state our intentions and requests. Some specific ones at the request of Our Lady of the Rosary (Mary) include

Praying the rosary daily
Praying for the pope, the priests, and bishops,
Praying for an end to war, for world peace, for the consecration to Russia
Praying for salvation of souls in accordance with her request in Fatima, Portugal in 1917
We should also remember to mention our loved ones who are ill, who are struggling, or who need to be converted. We can also pray for the salvation of our own souls and list our petitions and concerns.

For those new to the rosary and are converts into the faith, see this article by Return of the King Co Founder Joe Moreaux called: Protestant Errors: “Praying the Rosary Worshiping Mary and Vain Repetition!” - Fact Check: False

Here is the guide to praying the rosary:

Begin by saying, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Make the Sign of the Cross with crucifix on the rosary)

Then say the Apostle’s Creed 1x:

”I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker 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, dead and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on 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 Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.”

Say Our Father 1x:

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.

Say 3 Hail Mary’s: One for faith, one for hope, and one for charity.

“For Faith, Hope, and Charity:”

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.

Say the Glory Be (a Doxology) 1x:

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.

Then we meditate on the Mysteries:

Each of the five decades of the Rosary magnifies a mystery from the life of Jesus. There are five sections called “Decades” on the rosary. Each section has ten small beads, ten making it a decade.

Monday: Joyful Mystery
Tuesday: Sorrowful Mystery
Wednesday: Glorious Mystery
Thursday: Luminous Mystery
Friday: Sorrowful Mystery
Saturday: Joyful Mystery
Sunday: Glorious Mystery

We will go through Sunday’s as an example, and on Sunday we meditate on the Glorious Mysteries. By the end of the week you will have deeply meditated upon Jesus’s entire life. We begin with the first decade (the first ten beads or first decade). On each bead, we will meditate on each point. Each mystery accompanies a fruit we hope to obtain by meditating on these mysteries.

Begin by announcing “The First Glorious Mystery – The Resurrection of Jesus” and then say the Our Father 1x

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.

Say 10 Hail Mary’s while meditating on each mystery:

The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb on the evening of Good Friday.

2. His soul descends into the realm of the dead to announce to the Just the tidings of their redemption.

3. Fearing the body of Jesus will be taken, the chief priests place guards at the tomb.

4. On the third day Jesus rises from the dead, glorious and immortal.

5. The earth quakes as the angel rolls back the stone, the guards flee in terror.

6. The holy women coming to anoint the body of Jesus are amazed and frightened to find the tomb open.

7. An angel calms their fears: “He is not here. He has risen as He said.”

8. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen and Peter and two disciples on the way to Emmaus.

9. That evening He appears to the apostles behind locked doors: “Peace be unto you… do not be afraid.”

10. Jesus breathes on them and gives them the power to forgive sin.

(The specific fruit of this mystery we hope to obtain is Faith)

Finish the first decade with

One Glory Be:

(make the sign of the cross)

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.

Then say:

Oh My Jesus
Forgive us our sins
Save us from the fires of Hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those in most need
of Thy mercy. Amen.

This completes the first decade. To finish the four other decades of the rosary , click the link. When you are done meditating on all five mysteries (all five decades) finish with these closing prayers:

Hail Holy Queen
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our Life, our Sweetness, and our hope. To thee we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us, the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

Final Prayer
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 Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

( Make the Sign of the Cross.)

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: ***Hail, full of grace***, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: Because no word shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth.
And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: **Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb**. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.
And Mary said: ***My soul doth magnify the Lord***. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
Luke 1: 26-50
By meditating upon these mysteries of the rosary in the same way the Blessed Mother did, we hope to obtain the fruits of these mysteries. ***“My Soul doth magnify the Lord.”*** Looking at Jesus through the eyes of his mother, serves as a magnifying glass. She magnifies her son. ***“Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”*** is what Elizabeth said to Mary under the influence of the Holy Spirit. “And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the **salutation of Mary**, the *infant leaped in her womb*. And Elizabeth **was filled with the Holy Ghost**: And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and **blessed is the fruit of thy womb**.” Luke 1: 41-42
The first line of the rosary “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” Luke 1:28. The second line is “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” Luke 1:42.
“Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations **shall call me blessed**.” That prophecy came true, because the Catholic Church refers to Our Lady as our Blessed Mother. We hope to obtain the fruit of her womb, Jesus.
“I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3 - the rosary leads to a better and magnified understanding of Christ. After weeks, months and years of saying toe rosary daily, this becomes evident.

In the rosary we meditate on how Mary kept these mysteries in her heart. There were things that were mysteries to Mary. We ponder the various mysteries of Christ’s life when we pray the rosary.

“‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:49-51

Here is an example of the fruits we hope to obtain by meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary:

Sorrowful Mysteries: (Tuesday’s and Fridays)

Agony in the Garden: Conformity to God’s Will
Scourging at the Pillar: Purity and Mortification
Crowning with Thorns: Courage
Carrying of the Cross: Patience
Crucifixion: Forgiveness

Here is a list of promises Our Lady has made to those who are devoted to her rosary:

(By predestination Our Blessed Mother simply means devotion to the rosary is a good sign that the devotee is on the path to Heaven.)

Mary means “Star of the Sea”. St. Jerome associated Mary’s name with the Latin Phrase “Stella Maris” St. Jerome was a father of the Catholic Church, and is known for his Latin translation of the Bible.

“Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world.”-Our Lady of Fatima, 1917

“In the Rosary, we not only say prayers, we think them.” -Venerable Fulton Sheen

“No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary” -Bishop Hugh Doyle

“Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the most Holy Rosary. ”-Pope Pius IX