It is simple enough for a child to learn and deep enough that you can pray it your whole life without exhausting it.
The Rosary is one of my favorite Catholic prayers.
You use the beads to pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be while meditating on scenes from the life of Jesus.
Mary is not the destination of the Rosary. She teaches us to look at her Son.
If you have never prayed it before, don't worry about doing it perfectly. Follow the steps below and you will be praying.
A rosary is a set of beads that helps you keep your place while you pray.
You begin at the crucifix and move through the beads until you have prayed five decades.
Each decade consists of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. During those prayers, you meditate on one of the mysteries of the Rosary.
The mysteries are scenes from the life of Christ. The beads help you keep count so that you can give your attention to Christ.
The crucifix is where you begin and end.
The short strand has one bead, then three beads, then another single bead before you reach the medal.
The medal is the centerpiece. This is where you announce the mystery you are about to pray.
The loop contains five decades. Each decade has ten beads.
The single beads between the decades mark the beginning of the next mystery.
Any rosary will do. You can use a simple plastic rosary from a parish, a rosary someone gave you, or one you have had for years.
If you don't have one, you can even pray the prayers without beads until you get one.
If you want a rosary that is made to be carried and used every day, I personally like the rosaries made by The Catholic Woodworker. They are simple, durable, and made by hand.
That is my own preference rather than an endorsement. I have no arrangement with them and nothing comes back to me for mentioning it.
But don't let the search for the perfect rosary become a reason not to pray.
The rosary in your hand is better than the beautiful rosary still sitting in a drawer.
If you lose your place, don't start over. Just find the nearest bead and continue.
The important thing is not that you perform the Rosary perfectly. The important thing is that you pray.
Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles' Creed.
Pray one Our Father.
Pray three Hail Marys, one on each bead.
These are traditionally offered for an increase in faith, hope, and charity.
Pray one Glory Be.
Announce the mystery. For example:
"The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation."
Take a moment to place yourself in the scene.
Pray one Our Father.
Pray ten Hail Marys, one on each bead. While you pray, keep your attention on the mystery.
You don't have to create a perfect picture in your imagination. Simply think about what is happening and what it reveals about Jesus.
Pray the Glory Be. You may also pray the Fatima Prayer.
Announce the next mystery. Then pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be, followed by the Fatima Prayer if you use it.
Continue until you have prayed all five mysteries.
Pray the Hail, Holy Queen and the closing prayer. Then make the Sign of the Cross.
You have finished the Rosary.
A complete Rosary usually takes about twenty minutes when prayed without rushing.
Don't worry about the clock. The Rosary is meant to give you time to stay with Christ.
The prayers themselves matter. But the Rosary is more than simply saying the prayers.
While you pray the Hail Marys, keep your attention on the mystery.
Think about Jesus. Think about what He is doing. Think about Mary and the people around Him. Think about what the mystery reveals about God and about the life He is calling you to live.
For the Annunciation, for example, imagine Mary receiving the angel's message. Consider what it meant for her to hear that God was asking something extraordinary of her.
Then stay there.
You don't have to force yourself to think profound thoughts. You may simply repeat the scene in your mind and ask God to help you learn from it.
If your mind wanders, don't get frustrated. It will. When you notice that you have wandered, simply come back. That act of coming back is itself part of prayer.
The Rosary is not a test of concentration. It is time spent with Christ.
Each mystery below includes a Scripture passage and a traditional fruit to consider. You can read the passage before praying if you want to, but you don't have to.
And if you are having a difficult day, simply praying the prayers is still prayer.
There are twenty mysteries arranged in four groups of five.
The Church traditionally associates each group with particular days of the week. These are helpful customs, not burdens. If you need a particular mystery on a particular day, pray it.
You don't need to memorize these before you begin. Pray them from the page. After a while, you'll know them.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will 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, 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, 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 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.
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley 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.
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.
You don't have to begin by praying five decades. Start with one.
One decade takes only a few minutes. It is a real Rosary prayer, and it is much better to pray one decade faithfully than to decide you are going to pray twenty minutes every day and give up after a week.
Choose a time. Morning. Lunch. Your commute. Before bed.
Put the beads somewhere you will see them.
And then pray.
If you miss a day, pray again tomorrow. If you miss a week, pray again.
Don't turn the Rosary into another thing you failed at.
The point is not to become someone who has successfully completed a certain number of Rosaries. The point is to become someone who spends time with Christ.
The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer, marvelous in its simplicity and its depth. St. John Paul II