Using the Rosary

[black_rain]

Hi guys. This probably is going to sound like a stupid question, since it's probably a common sense thing to Catholics. As you know, I am, God willing, going to be converting soon, but there are still obviously things that I do not know. I got a rosary today and I know what it's for, but I don't know how to use it. Could someone please tell me how? I'm sorry for asking such a simple question and thank you in advance.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

1) Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed."
2) Say the "Our Father."
3) Say three "Hail Marys."
4) Say the "Glory be to the Father."
5) Announce the First Mystery; then say the "Our Father."
6) Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Mystery.
7) Say the "Glory be to the Father."
8) Say the Fatima Prayer
9) Announce the Second Mystery; then say the "Our Father."

Repeat 6, 7 & 8 and continue with Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner.

10) We finish by saying the concluding prayers.

Prayers

Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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 into hell. 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 sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

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.

The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst 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
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

Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Concluding Prayers

Hail Holy Queen
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God;
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, Whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that while meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may immitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Michael
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

Pray with us in the Chapel here:
http://www.christianforums.com/t685618-the-holy-rosary-live-.html

Download the Virtual Rosary <---- This will REALLY help you.
http://www.virtualrosary.org/dload.php

 

[ZooMom]

Welcome, black_rain. Here is our home explanation of how to pray the Rosary along with some other very good information. You might like to take a minute to read the other FAQ's in that thread. Lots of good stuff, there.


Peace be with you!

Sandy

 

[St_Joseph_Cupertino]

Hi BlackRain.

Congrats on getting your Rosary! It is such a greay prayer to pray, I pray it every morning.

In fact, it was a rosary that started me down the path to Catholocism!

you are going to love it. The more you do it, the better it gets. I keep on learning more about the mysteries and getting smoe revelations about the events.

Enjoy!

Peace in Christ!

 

[Credo]

Here's a picture view of praying the Rosary.....

Please let me know if this isn't legible.

 

[Freedom&Light]

I second downloading Virtual Rosary- it really helped me focus on the Mysteries instead the repetitive prayer. The first time I used it, I started crying in the middle because I was so focused on Christ's suffering- had never done that before while praying the rosary.

 

[Rising_Suns]

Hi guys. This probably is going to sound like a stupid question, since it's probably a common sense thing to Catholics. As you know, I am, God willing, going to be converting soon, but there are still obviously things that I do not know. I got a rosary today and I know what it's for, but I don't know how to use it. Could someone please tell me how? I'm sorry for asking such a simple question and thank you in advance.

Black_Rain, peace be with you,

Below is some extra information regarding the rosary; about where it came from, and how amazing and powerful it really is.

May the Lord give you His peace!

-Davide
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42. The Power of the rosary, Not “Vain Repetition"
The rosary is the most powerful Catholic devotion in existence. It was given to the Church through Saint Dominic, who, in a vision, had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a powerful means of converting the world.

“So when you give a sermon, urge people to say my Rosary, and in this way your words will bear much fruit for souls.” [Vision to Saint Dominic, De Dignitate Psalterii]

Many people who misunderstand the rosary, mistakenly think it emphasizes Mary to much, while emphasizing Jesus too little. This is a clear distortion of the truth. First, at its center, the prayer is really a meditation on the life and passion of Jesus Christ; each meditation (Mystery) is a different Biblical event in Our Savior’s life. Secondly, everything that Mary is and everything that Mary does, points to her Son Jesus Christ. It is the sole desire of Mary to bring us closer to her Son, and by praying to her, we are obtaining the powerful graces of her petitions, especially when we pray the rosary.

“There has never been anything in the whole history of the world more moving than the wonderful story of the life, death, and glory of Our Savior, which is contained in the Holy Rosary” [St. Louis De Montfort, Secret of the Rosary]

Virtually all of the most prominent saints were devoted to Our Lady, and likewise, to the rosary.Padre Pio called the rosary the “Atomic Bomb” of prayers, and would carry it with him wherever he went. It is truly unlike any other prayer. It was not only given to us by Mary herself, but it is also the only devotion that is multi-dimensional in that it is both vocal and meditative. The surface contains repetitions of two divine prayers (one of which was given to us by Christ himself, and the other by an angel at the angelic salutation), and below the surface, meditations on various events in the life of Jesus Christ.

Those who misunderstand it try to use the Bible against it, calling it a “vain repetition” (Matt 6:7). But this is a clear case of Scriptural distortion (it is no surprise that the things most cherished by God are often the most profaned and misunderstood by the world). The Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary are love prayers that are deeply unitive. Each time we say them we give God a rose in praise and adoration, and we give Mary a rose in gratitude for her intercessions. So considering a prayer is a single act of love, why then, would we want to say it just once? If we truly love God, we would want to let Him know with every breath we take. The Bible commands us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17) and keeping a practice of regular prayer is an essential means of conforming our hearts to God’s as we seek His face.

In all the countless documented apparitions of Mary, she would often make it a point to let us know how powerful this prayer is. In one instance, for example, there was a certain pious lady who thought she was living a holy life, and when advised during confession to start saying the rosary, she refused, making the excuse that she had no time for it. That night she fell into ecstasy and Mary appeared to her. Holding a scale before her, Mary placed all the good works and penances the woman had done on one balance of the scale, while placing all her sins and imperfections on the other side. The tray of her good works was greatly outweighed by that of her sins and imperfections. Mary then took the single rosary the woman had once said and dropped it on the tray of her good works. The rosary was so heavy that it outweighed all her sins as well as all her good works. Mary then reproved the woman for refusing to say the rosary. From that day forward, the woman said the rosary devotedly and eventually rose to Christian perfection.

Being the most powerful devotion, the rosary is quite fittingly the most difficult to say well. Our minds will inevitably wonder at times, and by keeping focused on the mysteries at hand, we not only experience the best graces from the rosary, it will also strengthen our will. When saying the rosary, it is important to remember that we are human and should not expect to say it perfectly every time. But it is the effort God sees, for He places more value on the effort we put forth, than the final results.

 

[plainswolf]

Yes, Padre pio often called his Rosary "My weapon" because of it's great power over heresy and error.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri once said something akin to this: "never worry about heaping too much honor, too much praise upon the Holy Virgin, nor worry about loving her too much. For in all the world we cannot begin to compare to the honor, praise, and the love which God Himself gives to her".

J.M.J.
plainswolf