Education in Faith
Our Lady of the Rosary
October is the month of the Holy Rosary. In all Her appearances at Fatima, Portugal, the Blessed Mother repeatedly emphasized the importance of praying the Rosary daily and performing acts of reparation and sacrifice.
The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses". Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is therefore the most important one.
With the Rosary we meditate the mysteries of joy, of sorrow and the glory of Jesus and Mary. It's a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary. It's a prayer we can all say together with Her, the Mother of God.
The whole Rosary is composed of twenty decades. Each decade is recited in honor of a mystery in Our Lord's Life and that of His Blessed Mother.
It is customary to recite five decades at a time while meditating on one set of mysteries.
The decades may be separated, if the entire chaplet is completed on the same day.
Each Mystery may be meditated "bead by bead" for every Hail Mary of the decade.
The Mysteries of the Rosary:
JOYFUL on Monday and Saturday.
LIGHT on Thursday
SORROWFUL on Tuesday and Friday.
GLORIOUS on Wednesday and Sunday.
HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY
1. While holding the crucifix make the Sign of the Cross. and then recite the Apostles Creed
2. Recite the Our Father on the first large bead.
3. Recite a Hail Mary for an increase of faith, hope and charity on each of the three small beads.
4. Recite the Glory Be to the Father on the next large bead.
5. Recite the Fatima Prayer "O my Jesus" on the large bead.
6. Recall the first Rosary Mystery and recite the Our Father on the large bead.
7. On each of the adjacent ten small beads (also referred to as a decade) recite a Hail Mary while reflecting on the mystery.
8. On the next large bead, recite the Glory Be to the Father, the Fatima prayer.
9. Each succeeding decade is prayed in a similar manner by recalling the appropriate mystery, reciting the Our Father, ten Hail Marys while reflecting on the mystery, the Glory Be to the Father, and the Fatima prayer.
10. When the fifth mystery is completed, the Rosary is customarily concluded with the Hail Holy Queen, and the Sign of the Cross.
