Presentation
Brief history
The Rosary is a form of repetitive prayer that appeared in the 12th century. It was preached by Dominique de Guzman (1170-1221), the founder of the Dominican Order, to honor the fifteen most important mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary. The practice of meditation during the praying of the Hail Mary is attributed to Dominic of Prussia (1382–1460), a Carthusian monk who termed it "Life of Jesus Rosary". The German monk from Trier added a sentence to each of the 50 Hail Marys, using quotes from scriptures. In 1569, the papal bull “Consueverunt Romani Pontifices” by the Dominican Pope Pius V officially established the devotion to the rosary in the Catholic Church. He established a standard 15 Mysteries of the Rosary, based on long-standing custom. This groups the mysteries in three sets: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. During 2002 Pope John Paul II said that it is fitting that a new set of five be added, termed the Luminous Mysteries, bringing the total number of mysteries to 20.
The interest of praying the rosary
These episodes from the life of Christ, called mysteries, are not unknown or enigmatic events in his life, but special moments that reveal to us who he is, and his love for us, and the church invites us to meditate on them in a particular way.
We must insist on this point: The practice of the rosary therefore does not consist so much in reciting a statutory number of pater and Ave, but above all in contemplating the life, understanding the teachings and accept the love and the death of the Christ for us. In this sense the recitation of the rosary is deeply Christocentric.
Thus Pope John Paul II writes in his encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae:
The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. It is an echo of the prayerof Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love.
Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.
And so Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort writes in
The Admirable secret of the Rosary in chapter 22:
[65]. Saint Gregory of Nyssa makes a delightful comparison when he says that we are all artists and that our souls are blank canvasses which we have to fill in. The colours which we use are the Christian virtues, and the original which we have to copy is Jesus Christ, the perfect living image of God the Father. Just as a painter who wants to do a life-like portrait places the model before his eyes and looks at it before making each stroke, so the Christian must always have before his eyes the life and virtues of Jesus Christ, so as never to say, think or do anything which is not in conformity with his model.
[66]. It was because our Lady wanted to help us in the great task of working out our salvation that she ordered Saint Dominic to teach the faithful to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ. She did this, not only that they might adore and glorify him, but chiefly that they might pattern their lives and actions on his virtues.
Now what do we know for sure about the life of Jesus Christ, if not what the Gospels tell us? We therefore suggest that you read a short extract from the Gospels before each “Hail Mary". We have taken extracts which seem to us to correspond as closely as possible to the meditated mysteries. We have grouped them in a small booklet which you can consult or download for free here. For each of the rosaries we have made a video which you will find in the navigation bar at the top of this page.
Other choices could have been done. We encourage everyone to immerse themselves in the gospels and to make their own choices, praying the Holy Spirit to guide you.
The Rosary therefore consists in meditating 20 events from the earthly life of Jesus Christ which reveal to us, who he is and how much he loves us. These events are grouped into four rosaries of five mysteries.
How to pray the Rosary
1 Make the Sign of the Cross and say the “Apostles’ Creed”
2 Say the “Our Father” then three “Hail Marys” for Faith, Hope, and Charity
3 Say the “Glory Be”
4 Announce the First Mystery and the intention associeted with it and then say the “Our Father”
5 Say ten “Hail Marys” while meditating on the Mystery
6 Say the “Glory Be”
7 Announce the Next Mystery; then say the “Our Father” and repeat these steps (4 through 6) as you continue through the remaining Mysteries.
8 Say the closing prayers “O My Jesus” or invoke the Madonna of the Miraculous Medal.
Make the “Sign of the Cross”
Rosary prayers
The Apostle's 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 arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, 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 the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Lords Prayer (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.
The 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 death.
Amen.
The 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.
Oh My Jesus
O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.
From the Medal of Our Lady of Grace (paris 1830)
"Ô Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. !"