HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY - An excerpt from The Rosary Handbook by Mitch Finley.

 

If you’ve never prayed the Rosary before, this article will give you the basics; and, if you’re returning to the Rosary after a long time away, you can use this article as a "refresher course." Keep in mind, though, that there are no "Rosary police" checking up on you to make sure that you’re doing it "the right way."

 In the long run, you may pray the Rosary however you prefer to pray it. The main objective of the Rosary is the same as any method of prayer, to nourish your intimacy with the triune God and with the communion of saints in this world and the next. So whatever serves that purpose is good.

If you want to pray the Rosary in the customary manner, however, there is a traditional way to go about it. The prayers of the Rosary will be provided here, in case you don’t already know them.

Because praying the Rosary involves repetitive prayer, it’s a good idea to have a rosary. If you don’t have a religious goods store in your area, you can find several sources on the Internet, some of which even offer free rosaries.

There are two basic ways to pray the Rosary, alone or with one or more people. If you are praying the Rosary with others, the custom is for one person to lead the group, primarily by saying the first half of each prayer and announcing each of the mysteries. 

For simplicity’s sake, we’ll assume here that you are praying the Rosary by yourself. If you join a group, most likely many of those present will understand how to pray the Rosary as a group, so all you’ll need to do is follow along. 

When praying the Rosary alone, you may either recite the prayers aloud or say them silently - it’s up to you.

The rosary consists of six Our Father beads and five decades (sets of ten) Hail Mary Beads plus one set of three Hail Mary beads. The Apostles’ Creed is said on the crucifix, and the Glory Be is said on the chain or knot after each set of Hail Marys. The Hail, Holy Queen is said at the end of the Rosary. Here’s how to go about it. You may be surprised when you see how easy it really is: 

MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS 

You begin the Rosary by making the sign of the cross using the small crucifix on the rosary. Simply hold the crucifix on your rosary with your fingers and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead, your chest, and then your left and right shoulders while saying,

In the name of the Father [forehead], and of the Son [chest], and of the Holy [left shoulder] Spirit [right shoulder]. Amen.

Say the Apostles’ Creed

Still holding the crucifix, pray the Apostles’ 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 rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 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 life everlasting. Amen.

Say the OUR FATHER 

Holding the first bead of your rosary (the bead closest to the crucifix), pray 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.

(If you came, or are coming, to Catholicism from a Protestant tradition, remember that Catholics say a doxology - "For the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are yours now and forever" - only in the context of the Mass, and then it is separated from the Our Father by a prayer said by the priest.)

Say Three HAIL MARY's

Next, hold each of the three beads in the next series one at a time, and pray a Hail Mary for each bead:

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (you). Blessed art thou (are you) among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy (your) womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Say the GLORY BE / DOXOLOGY 

Holding the chain or knot that comes after the series of three Hail Mary beads, pray the Glory Be:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, it is now and ever shall be, world without end. (now and forever.) Amen.

If you like, you can say the following lines at the end of each Glory Be:

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 (your) mercy. Amen.

It’s up to you whether you use this prayer, or not. If it appeals to you, go ahead and say it. If not, skip it.

SAY THE FIVE DECADES 

The next set of prayers, consisting of an OUR FATHER, 10 (ten) HAIL MARY's , and a GLORY BE - is repeated five times, once for each mystery of the Rosary. While holding the next, single bead, announce the first mystery of the kind you are praying today - joyful, sorrowful, glorious, or luminous. 

For example, "The first joyful mystery, the annunciation." Theoretically, the idea is to meditate or reflect upon this mystery while praying an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. If you can do that, great. If not, don’t worry about it. Personally, I suspect that the repetitive nature of the Rosary actually short-circuits conscious reflection on anything - let alone a mystery of faith - and acts something like a mantra does in the meditation methods of Zen Buddhism. 

The Rosary gives the fingers and tongue something to do, so that your mind and heart can "go deep," as it were, in wordless prayer.

After announcing the first mystery, and still holding the single bead, pray the Our Father. 

For each of the ten beads in the first decade of the Rosary, say one Hail Mary. 

When you reach the chain or knot after the tenth Hail Mary bead, say one Glory Be. 

Then hold the next single bead, announce the next mystery, say an Our Father, say the next set of ten Hail Marys, and say another Glory Be. 

Do this until you finish all five decades.

Say the HAIL, HOLY QUEEN / SALVE REGINA 

When you have completed the fifth decade of the Rosary and said the final Glory Be, say the HAIL, HOLY QUEEN :

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee (you) do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; (the children of Eve;) to thee (you) do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale (valley) of tears. (in this land of exile.) Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine (your) eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, (lead us home at last and) show unto us the blessed fruit of thy (your) womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. 

If you wish, you may also add this final verse-and-response prayer:

V: Pray for us, O holy mother of God,

R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

And that’s it. That’s all there is to praying the Rosary. After you have prayed the Rosary a few times, you’ll know how easy it is. The more you pray the Rosary, however, the deeper you’ll get into it and the more you’ll discover its spiritual riches.

 

 

THE BIRD OF TIME - by Sarojini Naidu

 

THE  BIRD  OF  TIME by  Sarojini  Naidu O Bird of Time on your fruitful boughWhat are the songs you sing ? ...Songs of the glory and gladness of life,Of poignant sorrow and passionate strife,And the lilting joy of the spring;Of hope that sows for the years unborn,And faith that dreams of a tarrying morn,The fragrant peace of the twilight's breath,And the mystic silence that men call death. O Bird of Time, say where did you learnThe changing measures you sing ? ...In blowing forests and breaking tides,In the happy laughter of new-made brides,And the nests of the new-born spring;In the dawn that thrills to a mother's prayer,And the night that shelters a heart's despair,In the sigh of pity, the sob of hate,And the pride of a soul that has conquered fate.

 

 

REMEMBERING - by Alora M. Knight

REMEMBERING by  Alora M. Knight  When sleepless I lie,As the hours slip by,I go walking the paths back home.I hear the meadowlark's songAs I amble alongIn this fanciful way that I roam. As my memories clutter,A tractor's soft mutterIs providing new chocolate brown fieldsFor the ground to be seededWhen spring planting is needed.A plan for which all nature yields. A tinkling cowbellTells me all is now wellWith the herd contentedly grazing.Mother cows keep an eye,While their newborns race byWith a speed that is simply amazing. Thunderclouds overheadStart to fill me with dread,For I know that soon it will storm.I cannot complain.In fact, I love rainAs long as I'm in where it's warm. As my feet stir the dustI know that I mustLeave my childhood memories behind.Still, it's a comfort to knowThat wherever I go,They will always be there in my mind.

 

 

IF - by King

IF by  King If I die today,Would tears flow,like a rushing river ?Or the clouds weep,screaming in thunder ?Would the earth break,shaking in anger ?Will the world care ?And for a moment,forget laughter ? If I'm downto my final heartbeat.Will anyone be there,sitting beside me ?When I draw,the very last breath.Will you hold my hand,and feel upset ? If I go,without saying goodbye.I want you to know,that I really tried.To live and love,to endure and smile.To find the truth,in this realm of lies. If I'm fatedof leaving soonto talk with God,in his glowing room.I'll be rejoicing,when I face my doom.Even I end like a flower,that withered,before it blooms. If inside the casket I lay,Would there any heaven for me to stay ?Or will my sins, demand me to pay ?Don't even know, how much this life has weighed. If it's my time, to step on the scale.Done of my part, in this play.A lot of regrets,but nothing more to say.Wish me luck.If I die today.

 

SUMMER LOVE - by Tanja Cilia

SUMMER  LOVE by   Tanja Cilia  I close my eyesAnd feel your salty lipsI reach out my handsAnd hear your voiceMingle with the wavesLapping on the shore Memories lingerLike tenuous beads of crystal dewOn silk-strand cobwebsAnd beads of sea waterCaught in your hairAnd glinting in the sun Our love is the concentric ripplesOf pebbles lobbedAs we play ducks and drakesAnd our laughterEchoes across this cornerOf the Mediterranean Each grain of sandShimmering in the sunOn a halcyon dayIs a precious momentWe have sharedBasking in forever My love for youIs infinite as the horizonMy wishes, hopes, and dreamsAre sunbeams swirling and dartingAmidst spun sugar cloudsIn the aquamarine reflections on the sea You are all my tomorrowsI love you

 

 

400: COMING HOME - by Dennis Lee

 

400: COMING  HOME   by  Dennis Lee You are still on the highway and the great light ofnoon comes over the asphalt, the gravelledshoulders. You are on the highway, there is a kind oflaughter, the cars poundsouth. Over your shoulder the scrub-grass, the fences,the fields wait patiently as though someonebelieved in them. The light has laid itupon them. Onecrow scrawks. The edgestake care of themselves, there isno strain, you can almost hear it, youinhabit it.  Back in the city many things you lived forare coming apart.Transistor rock still fillsback yards, in the parks young men do things tohondas; there will beheat lightning, beer on the porches, goings on.That is not it.  And you are still on the highway. There are nohouses, no farms. Across the median, past the swish and thud of thenorthbound cars, beyond the oppositefences, the fields, theclimbing escarpment, solitary in thebright eye of the sun thebirches dance, and theydance. They havetheir reasons. You do not knowanything.Cicadas call now, in the darkening swollen air there is dustin your nostrils; akind of laughter; you are still on the highway.

 

 

AN ELEGANT LADY - by Nic Hillen

 

AN  ELEGANT  LADY  by Nic Hillen An elegant beauty that's of her ownA caring heart a warming homeA radiant smile that touches the heartPassion is there right from the startHair stands straight down her shouldersLike the queens guarded soldiersComplexion that is diamond whiteLike falling snow on a winters nightHazel eyes, flecked with greenFlowing like and emerald streamA voice so soft gentle and; pureLike a calm wave sweeping a shoreLuscious lips smooth and tenderLike a marshmallows toasted centreRosie cheeks in tint with glowLike a robins breast on showshe has a style all of her ownA queen that reins upon her throne

 

 

 

THE LONELY BEACH - by Linda Harnett

 

THE  LONELY  BEACH  by Linda Harnett Oh, how I missed you, Lonely Beach,Where I have left my soul,The rugged rocks surround me,I sit there, lost, alone. Before me is the ocean,The stormy Irish Sea,It comes to me, I’m part of you,And know, you’re part of me. You send a wave to kiss my feet,And then you back away,You tantalise, you hypnotise,You hold me, make me sway. I grip the rock to steady me,Lest I fall in too deep,I’m lost in love for you now,The way back now, so steep. Another wave comes crashing,Bestows a gentle kiss,And now I get to taste you,You linger on my lips. I’m filled now with a passion,For you, I can’t ignore,I’m satisfied, contented,And leave you on the shore.

 

 

SAD SONG - by Rahel Bluwstein

 

SAD  SONG by  Rahel Bluwstein Do you hear me, you who areSo far away from me, my dear?Do you hear me crying aloud,Wishing you were well, wishing you were near? The world is vast, its ways diverse,Brief meetings, partings long,Men, with unsure feet, post on never to return, too weakTo find the treasure they have lost.My last day drawing nearOf the tears of separationI will await you untilmy life leavesas Rahel did her beloved.

 

 

BE NOT SAD - by James Joyce

 

BE  NOT  SAD   by  James Joyce Be not sad because all menPrefer a lying clamour before you:Sweetheart, be at peace again - Can they dishonour you ? They are sadder than all tears;Their lives ascend as a continual sigh.Proudly answer to their tears:As they deny, deny.

 

 

 

A SAD CHILD - by Margaret Atwood

 

A  SAD  CHILD by Margaret Atwood You're sad because you're sad. It's psychic. It's the age. It's chemical. Go see a shrink or take a pill, or hug your sadness like an eyeless doll you need to sleep. Well, all children are sad but some get over it. Count your blessings. Better than that, buy a hat. Buy a coat or pet. Take up dancing to forget. Forget what? Your sadness, your shadow, whatever it was that was done to you the day of the lawn party when you came inside flushed with the sun, your mouth sulky with sugar, in your new dress with the ribbon and the ice-cream smear, and said to yourself in the bathroom, I am not the favorite child. My darling, when it comes right down to it and the light fails and the fog rolls in and you're trapped in your overturned body under a blanket or burning car, and the red flame is seeping out of you and igniting the tarmac beside your head or else the floor, or else the pillow, none of us is; or else we all are.