Pray the Holy Rosary

The Rosary is a pattern of beads and also a pattern of prayers and meditations on the works of Jesus Christ, paying special attention to his mother, Mary. It has helped me in almost every way. If everything is new, you can start with just the Our Fathers, the Hail Marys and the Bible passages that correspond to the meditations. You can ask to believe and to understand.

             
      o-o-o   o-o-o   
    o      \ /      o (f)
  o   (d,g) @ (e1)    o
 o          |          o
 o (f)      0 (d)      o
 o          |          o
 o          o  \       o
 o          o  (c)     o
 |          o  /       |
 0 (d,e5)   |          0 (d,e2)
 |          0 (b)      |
 o          ✟ (a)      o
 o                     o
 o                     o
 o                     o (f)
 o                     o
 o                     o
 o (f)                 o
 o                     o 
 o                     o
 o                     o
 |                     |
 0 (d,e4)              0 (d,e3)
  \                   /
   o                 o
     o        (f)  o
       o-o-o-o-o-o
      

The prayers ↑

The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father (touch your right hand to your forehead), and of the Son (to your breast), and of the Holy (left shoulder) Spirit (right shoulder). Amen.

The Apostle's 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, and on the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From there he will 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.

The Lord's Prayer aka Our Father (Matthew 6:9-13)

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.

The Hail Mary (Luke 1:28, 1:42)

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 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.

Concluding prayers, may vary

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 meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promised, through the same Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

The mysteries ↑

Joyful

1. The Annunciation/Incarnation (Luke 1:26-38)
2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)
3. The Nativity (Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:1-20)
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:22-39)
5. The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41-51)

Sorrowful

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46)
2. The Scourging at the Pillar - Jesus is brutally whipped (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1)
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 29:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2-5)
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-31, John 19:17)
5. The Crucifixion and Death (Matthew 27:35-51, Mark 15:24-37, Luke 23:33-46, John 19:18-30)

Glorious

1. The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-17, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-43, John 20-21:14)
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51)
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-41)
4. The Assumption - Mary is taken up to Heaven in body and soul (it is known)
5. The Coronation - Mary is crowned Queen of all (Revelation 12)

Once you become familiar with the facts of the mysteries, certain unique qualities will begin to shine from each one. After announcing a mystery and pondering it for a moment, you can ask to develop the attribute that most stands out to you. For ex, for the Visitation: "Through Mary, let me never forget that God's gifts are to be shared. Our Father..."

Traditionally, the full Rosary is all of these mysteries / three laps around the necklace shown above / 15 "decades" of ten Hail Marys. But most people only pray one set of mysteries (or one decade if really busy) at a time.

Recent additions to the Rosary

When Our Lady appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, she instructed them to pray the following prayer at the end of each decade, after the Glory Be:

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.

In 2002, Pope Saint John Paul II introduced a fourth set of mysteries focused on Jesus' public life, after the Joyful and before the Sorrowful events. They are called Luminous because Jesus is the "light of the world" (John 8:12). They are: Jesus' Baptism, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom/Call to Conversion, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.