How to Pray the Rosary
The Rosary is a special experience of prayer that invokes Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to pray for you and intercede with her Son, Jesus on your behalf.
The full Rosary consists of 66 prayers: six beginning prayers and five sets (or decades) of 12 individual prayers.
The Beginning Prayers
The beginning prayers include a sequence of six individual prayers:
- The Apostle’s Creed
- One “Our Father”
- Three “Hail Mary’s”
- One “Glory Be”
The Decades
In the full rosary, there are five decades of prayers that follow the same format:
- One “Our Father”
- Ten “Hail Mary’s”
- One “Glory Be”
Each decade has a specific reflection or remembrance of an event from the life of Jesus.
For example, in the “Luminous Mysteries” of the Rosary, the first decade recalls the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist.
Just to note, the traditional Catholic rosary reflects on an entire set of events in the life of Jesus called mysteries.
There are four sets of traditional Catholic rosary mysteries: the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries.
Click here to learn more about what comprises the traditional Catholic mysteries.
On the other hand, a Rosary Reflection, takes one event from the life of Jesus and zooms in on the individual parts of that specific event or teaching.
The Prayers of the Rosary
Here are the texts of the prayers used in the rosary:
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 rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth 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.