Prayers in the Rosary

by Theresa Frassrand

 

      There are six staple prayers in the Rosary. If you know these, you can pray any of The Rosary Mysteries.

 

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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; 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 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. Amen.

 

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.

 

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.

 

HAIL HOLY QUEEN

All: 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 toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Leader: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God

All: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

 

FATIMA PRAYER (Optional)

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 mercy.

 

      While there are five regular prayers that are the staples of the Rosary, there are also variations, that is, other prayers may be added. This is because “the Church is living”.  A direct consequence of this is that the Catholic Church incorporates the current traditions along with the revered traditions of old.  In other words, the Catholic Church is not stuck in one century; the Rosary is beautiful proof of the accumulation of beauty, human brilliance, and at times, divine revelation, throughout the centuries.

       At times the Church may want to emphasis deeper mysteries of the faith or draw attention to mysteries taken for granted.  For instance, Pope John Paul II in 2002, introduced a new mystery for meditation, the Luminous Mystery, which incorporates the public ministry of Jesus.  Perhaps, more mysteries will be added in the future, or new prayers will be suggested as a staple, or as an optional add on.

       The Rosary is also adaptable because it is a personal participation in the life of Jesus, and we are each unique; we experience the life of Christ within us differently as He calls us to Himself. The Rosary is a love language with Him. Therefore, often those who regularly pray the rosary will include their favorite prayers or litanies after each decade and/or after the Hail Holy Queen.  Popular prayers often added are: the Fatima Prayer, the Memorare, the St. Michael’s Prayer, the Rosary Prayer, Prayer for the Pope’s Intentions, and the litanies of Mary and favorite saints.

Nota Bene: Though the Rosary is not strictly formulaic, this is not to imply that we can change the prayers, the order established, or take away any of the staples.

 

Rosary Mysteries

How to Pray The Rosaries