How to pray the Rosary
1 While holding the crucifix make the Sign of the Cross. and then recite the Apostles Creed.
2 Recite the Our Father on the first large bead.
3 Recite a Hail Mary for an increase of faith, hope and charity on each of the three small beads.
4 Recite the Glory Be to the Father on the next large bead.
5 Recite the Fatima Prayer "O my Jesus" on the large bead.
6 Recall the first Rosary Mystery and recite the Our Father on the large bead.
7 On each of the adjacent ten small beads (also refered to as a decade) recite a Hail Mary while reflecting on the mystery.
8 On the next large bead, recite the Glory Be to the Father, the Fatima prayer.
9 Each succeeding decade is prayed in a similar manner by recalling the appropriate mystery, reciting the Our Father, ten Hail Marys, the Glory Be to the Father, and the Fatima prayer while reflecting on the mystery.
10 When the fifth mystery is completed, the Rosary is Customarily concluded with the Hail Holy Queen, and the Sign of the Cross.
The Mysteries of the Rosary
The Five Joyful Mysteries
Said on Monday and Saturday
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Nativity
4. The Presentation
5. The Finding in the Temple
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries
Said on Tuesday and Friday
1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning of Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion
The Five Glorious Mysteries
Said on Wednesday and Sunday
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Crowning of the Blessed
Virgin
In October 2002, the month of the Holy Rosary, Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, issued a special apostolic letter in which he announced the creation of a new set of Mysteries to be used in praying the Rosary.
Our Holy Father states: "The Rosary clearly belongs to the kind of veneration of the Mother of God described by the Second Vatican Council: a devotion directed to the Christological center of the Christian faith, in such a way that when the Mother is honored, the Son...is duly known, loved and glorified."
The new Mysteries center around decisive events in the life of Christ. Our Holy Father calls them "The Mysteries of Light" because Christ in his public life manifests himself as the "Mystery of Light." These events are:
The Five Mysteries of Light
Said on Thursday
1. His Baptism in the Jordan
2. His self-manifestation at the wedding
of Cana,
3. His proclamation of the Kingdom
of God, with his call to conversion.
4. His transfiguration,
5. His institution of the Eucharist, as the
sacramental expression of the Paschal
mystery.
The group of mysteries will be called the "luminous" mysteries. The Pope suggests that they be prayed on Thursday. The joyful mysteries would be used on Monday and Saturday, the sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, the glorious on Wednesday and Sunday.
