Praying the rosary
Praying the rosary is like embarking on a long, circuitous trip, both through the prayers, and in contemplation of the mysteries, through the New Testament.
The Creed
To begin the rosary, make the sign of the cross, then grasp the crucifix and recite the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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.
The Our Father
Move to the first bead above the crucifix and recite the “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
Next come a set of three beads. One each of these, recite a “Hail Mary” prayer. Tradition holds that this set of three prayers represents the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love that Paul speaks of in First Corinthians. They can also represent the Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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.
The Glory Be (The Doxology)
There are no beads dedicated to the Glory Be prayer. Instead it is said in the small spaces after the three Hail Mary beads on the stem and between the last bead of each decade and the next Our Father bead. The prayer is based on Jesus’ words in Mathew 28:19: “Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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
Praying the Decades
This is the center of the rosary, its main path. It is the place where, through repetition of simple prayers and a focus on the life and deeds of Jesus we can enter in a deeply prayerful and contemplative state. On the last bead before the medal, recite Our Father. This prayer goes with the first set of decades. Skip over the medal for now, and grasp the space between in the first decade. Before you begin praying the decade, announce the first of the five mysteries assigned to this day’s recitation. Pause a moment to meditate on its meaning, and then begin the decade’s Hail Mary prayers, saying one on each of the next ten beads. At the end of the decade, recite one Glory Be on the space before the next Our Father bead. Then say the Our Father and announce the next mystery. Repeat in this fashion until you have completed the trip around the rosaries, saying 50 Hail Marys and fifteen Our Fathers, letting the words of the prayers and the images of the mysteries fill your mind. Then return to the medal.
The Fatima Prayer and the Hail Holy Queen Prayer
Upon returning to the medal, conclude the rosary with the Fatima prayer:
The Fatima Prayer
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. Amen.