Reciting the rosary

The rosary, the most common devotional prayer of Roman Catholicism, evolved after centuries of development. It involves recitation and meditation, with a person using a string of hand-held beads to keep count.

At various stages, the recitation comprises the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father who art in heaven …); a Hail Mary (“Hail Mary, full of grace … ” from the Gospel of Luke); and the doxology (“Glory be to the Father …). The meditation focuses on some aspect of the lives of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary called a mystery. Just last year, Pope John Paul II added a fourth “mystery” to the list.

The cycle of mysteries is prayed on the following days:

Joyful mysteries, focusing on Christ’s Incarnation: Monday and Saturday.

Luminous mysteries, focusing on Christ’s public ministries, including his baptism: Thursday.

Sorrowful mysteries, focusing on Jesus’ Passion: Tuesday and Friday.

Glorious mysteries, focusing on Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension: Wednesday and Sunday.

Praying the traditional rosary

. Pray the Sign of the Cross and conclude by kissing the crucifix at the end of the beads.

. Pray the Apostles’ Creed while holding the crucifix.

. On the first large bead and the three smaller beads that follow, pray the Our Father and three Hail Marys while passing the beads through your fingers at a gentle pace.

. Pray the doxology.

. Move to the next large bead. Name the first of the appropriate mysteries and pray the Our Father.

. On the next 10 beads, referred to as a decade, pray 10 Hail Marys, followed by a doxology.

. Repeat this process for each of the five mysteries assigned to that particular day of the week.

. Conclude with the Hail Mary, Holy Queen or the Memorare, followed by the sign of the cross and kiss the crucifix to conclude the prayer cycle.

Sources: HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism; Gloria Hutchinson, “Praying the Rosary: New Reflections on the Mysteries,” 2003.