In the Holy Rosary we meditate on ‘mysteries’ – stories from the Scriptures and Christian tradition. By reciting the Hail Mary prayer, we invite the Mother of Our Lord to accompany us and pray with us, doing what she loves to do most: Showing us her son, Jesus.
Where many Christians use rosary beads to count each ‘decade’ of ten prayers, you don’t need beads to pray the Scriptural Rosary (although you can use them if you like!), as the ten different Bible verses we read or hear as each mystery do the counting for us. Between each verse, we say the Hail Mary:
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art 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 death.
You would usually pray just one set of mysteries, containing five mysteries connected by a common theme. Before you pray, we suggest you find a quiet space and settle your mind and heart. Each set of mysteries begins with the affirmation of our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed, followed by the Lord’s Prayer. At the end, we pray concluding prayers. Find a set of mysteries to pray below: