Learning to Pray the Rosary

[Bible Addict]

Hi everyone, I've decided I want to become Catholic, I'm already Christian, but I really don't like the United Church, I'm finding that it "goes with the flow" a bit too much these days and changes along with this world's society a bit too much. I also respect Catholocism very much for its deep respect for traditions and of course for its age.

I'm having trouble with something though, I found a wesbite which explains what to do when praying the rosary, but it seems REALLY complicated... does anyone have any advice on how I can memorise everything?

Any help is hugely appreciated, thank you!

 

[Carrye]

Hi everyone, I've decided I want to become Catholic,

And the angels in heaven rejoice!

I'm having trouble with something though, I found a wesbite which explains what to do when praying the rosary, but it seems REALLY complicated... does anyone have any advice on how I can memorise everything?

The Mysteries:

Joyful (Monday/Saturday)

Annunciation
Visitation
Nativity
Presentation in the Temple
Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

These are all of the "happy" events of Jesus' life. It helps me to remember that they would have happened in the order they are placed in. The Annunciation happened before the Visitation ("how is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me"), which happened before Christ's birth, etc.

And while this may not be the best mnemonic for a religious devotion: AVNPF = All Vampires Need Precious Flesh.

Glorious (Sunday/Wednesday)

Resurrection
Ascension
Descent of the Holy Spirit
Assumption
Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven & Earth

Again, the events happened in this order. But you can also remember "up, up, down, up, up." Christ rose (up), ascended (up), sent the Holy Spirit (down), Mary was assumed (up), and crowned as queen in heaven (up).

RADAC: Real Animals Don't Accept Corn.

Sorrowful (Tuesday/Friday)

Agony in the Garden
Scourging at the Pillar
Crowning with Thorns
Carrying of the Cross
Crucifixion

SECOND (s) = SCOURGING (s), THIRD = THORNS. The rest kind of fall into place.

ASCCC: All Stellar Catholics Carry Crucifixes.

Luminous (Thursday)

Baptism of the Lord
Wedding at Cana
Proclamation of the Kingdom
Transfiguration
Institution of the Eucharist

I still have a hard time keeping these in order, so I don't have any easy memorization system for you here. Hopefully someone else has something.

BWPTI: Big Weapons Prevent Treadmill Integration?

And if I may just say that if you're just now converting to Catholicism and you're willing to pray a rosary, the Lord will do wonderful things with you. Mary's intercession is more powerful than any other, and if you can make this devotion one of your regulars, the graces will be flowing my brother, I promise you!

 

[Filia Mariae]

Bible Addict,

There are not too many prayers you need to memorize for the Rosary.

As a Christian, you already know the Our Father, right? So you just need to leartn the Hail Mary and the Glory Be.

The Haily Mary is:

Hail Mary, full of grace
The Lord is with thee
Blessed are 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 is:

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.

At the beginning is the Apostles Creed.

Right now, don't worry about memorizing the prayers. Write them down and read them if you need to. After saying the rosary a few times, you'll have them memorized.

 

[Brother Simon]

Praise God! The Church Triumphant has heard us!

Bible Addict, as others have said it will come in time. The important part is in meditation over the mysteries and making sure that what you say in the prayers, you believe with all your heart.

The Rosary is the most powerful tool God has given us, may it serve you well, and allow you to serve God well!

God Bless and Pax et Bonum!
Simon

P.S. If you have EWTN, sometimes they pray the Rosary. That helped me a lot when I was learning to pray it.

 

[Bible Addict]

Thank you all so much! You've all helped me enormously

 

[Rising_Suns]

Bible Addict,

Peace be with you.


I just wanted to add that the Rosary is a profoundly wonderfull prayer and the most powerfull devotion in the Catholic faith. Padre Pio called it "the weapon" because saying it will strike fear in any demon searching to devour you. If you can find the time to say the Rosary and go to Mass as often as possbile, you will open yourself to receive more graces than you could have ever possibly imagined.

May God be with you during your conversion process.


In Christ through Mary,
-Davide

 

[Bible Addict]

Wow, after all these replies, I'm really excited to do this, thank you so much all of you

 

[AMDG]

Just thought I'd mention this website: http://wordbytes.org/prayers/Rosary/index.html

 

[pax]

The rosary is an AWESOME prayer. I don't pray it as often as I should, but it'd definitely a great weapon. In Luke's gospel he writes, "Mary kept all these things and treasured them in her heart." In the rosary we, like Mary, contemplate the life of Christ and the great works he accomplished. The 10 Hail Mary's aren't meant to be vain repetition, but more like background music to the meditation. The rosary is a very humble prayer and it helps me to empty myself of my own self-love and more readily conform my will to that of Jesus's. I carry a rosary with me just about everywhere I go. The physical object is a very tangible reminder of my faith and it can be very comforting just to have when I'm stressed. The rosary is a very powerful prayer. If you have any questions, feel free to post them.

Also, there is no real wrong way to pray a rosary. Don't get hung up on accidently saying one to few Hail Marys or skipping a mystery. God is more concerned that you're trying to please him than that you may have accidently neglected something. If you want it may be easier to do it one or two decades at a time if you have problems concentrating (I also find this helpful if I don't have a lot of time).

 

[Atomagenesis]

The rosary is the greatest prayer weapon we have against Satan. The Rosary is an easy prayer once you have the main prayers memorized. I can tell you that once one starts praying the Rosary devoutly (at least 1 rosary a day) they will be showered with tons of grace. It only takes about 20-30 minutes depending on how slowly much emphasis you put on each indavidual word.

It is truly my favorite prayer, and the greatest prayer weapon against Satan the world has ever known.

 

[MParedon]

If you go to your nearest Catholic Store, there should be tapes and CD's (sometimes free, sometimes like .59) They have the Rosary recited aloud and some have the Divine Chaplet too.

They are from the Mary Foundation they are really great apostolate (hint*everyone donate )

 

[frettr00]

The rosary is quite beautiful and it's actually how I came to know Jesus (to jesus through mary), you definetly get a lot of graces from saying it and it always puts me at peace afterwards. In fact..i'm going to say it right now

 

[faerieevaH]

Tapes, cd's, videos, dvd's... there's a lot of material.

For myself though, I prefer a simple, laminated card. Write down or print out the mysteries (just the short description:

Joyfull:
anunciation
Mary visits Elisabeth
Jesus is born in Bethlehem
Jesus is dedicated in the temple
Jesus refound in the temple

Sorrowfull:
etc. etc.


On the backside you could have the prayers. The 'basic' rosary only needs the apostles creed, Our Father, Glory Be and Hail Mary, though you can always add some concluding prayers, or starting prayers of your own.
Together and printed finely, they make up about the size of an ID card, or something else that you can stick in your wallet. It's excellent for doing the rosary at all odd places. You don't have the scripture with you but you can think on them, as they're mostly already known. It's just the 'order' and the 'sets' that are confusing to those new to the rosary.

 

[Markh]

I usual use Virtual Rosary (virtualrosary.com)- it is a simple computer program which displays the prayers to say 1 after the other as well as showing meditations for each prayer.

 

[AdJesumPerMariam]

Go to the Mary Foundation, they have free tapes/cd's you can order. I am using the one on the Rosary to teach my grandchildren. This is our devotional before we begin homeschooling.

http://www.catholicity.com/maryfoundation/

 

[Credo]

Bible Adict:

First off, let me say welcome home and welcome to OBOB! Be assured that you are in my prayers as you make this terrific journey to Christ's Church!

Attached you will find a pdf that explains how to pray the Rosary with all the prayers and meditations/mysteries associated.

You may also find this website helpful: Cenacle Scriptural Rosary Booklets
It has booklets that can be printed with scripture readings between each bead that correspond to each mystery. For example, if you were on the first sorrowful mystery - the Agony in the Garden, the scripture readings would be from the Gospel accounts of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. I like them very much.

The Lord be with you!

JMJ

 

[Rising_Suns]

The rosary is the greatest prayer weapon we have against Satan. The Rosary is an easy prayer once you have the main prayers memorized. I can tell you that once one starts praying the Rosary devoutly (at least 1 rosary a day) they will be showered with tons of grace. It only takes about 20-30 minutes depending on how slowly much emphasis you put on each indavidual word.

It is truly my favorite prayer, and the greatest prayer weapon against Satan the world has ever known.

Yes, yes, and yes. One rosary per day will definately change your life forever. There have been so many accounts of people who devoted themsevles to the Rosary and witnessed profound miracles. Mary has brought so many people deeply and profoundly united with Christ, there are just so many documented accounts to list here.

In Christ through Mary,
-Davide

 

[Bible Addict]

Again, thanks to everyone who posted, with all of these awesome suggestions, there's no way I'll be able to find an excuse to have any problems with learning how to do this, you've all made me feel so welcome, and I know God is smiling on all of you right now for that very reason.

 

[Rising_Suns]

Again, thanks to everyone who posted, with all of these awesome suggestions, there's no way I'll be able to find an excuse to have any problems with learning how to do this, you've all made me feel so welcome, and I know God is smiling on all of you right now for that very reason.

May God be forever with you on your journey.