Question on praying the rosary

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Flack

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Hey guys,
I have never prayed the rosary before and have been asked to say one decade as my penance from my last confession. I found the prayers that need to be said from one of the articles here at catholic.com.

I am not sure though which mystery to meditate on. Can someone help me out? Also, one other question, is the actual rosary necessary when praying the rosary? If I just said the prayers empty handed, is that ok?

Thanks 🙂
 
Flack said:
Hey guys,
I have never prayed the rosary before and have been asked to say one decade as my penance from my last confession. I found the prayers that need to be said from one of the articles here at catholic.com.

I am not sure though which mystery to meditate on. Can someone help me out? Also, one other question, is the actual rosary necessary when praying the rosary? If I just said the prayers empty handed, is that ok?

Thanks 🙂
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Hi Flack 👋 I’m glad to make your aquaintance. I’ll take your second questiion first. No, you don’t have to have a physical rosary to pray it. However, it does help to keep you on track, especially when you’re praying several decades. You can even pray the rosary on your hands if you like. There are also some nice single decade rosaries you can use as well. Remember always that the Rosary itself is primarily a tool in your prayer life. The prayers themselves are more important.

As far as the choice of mystery you choose to meditate on, I don’t think there’s any specific one I would suggest. Some mystries (especially the Sorrowful Mysteries) would be especially appropriate when praying the rosary after confession. I’ve just never given it much thought before. You might also choose the mystery of Mary and Joseph loosing Jesus for three days. But it’s really up to you. You might even want to meditate on any of the Luminus Mysteries as well.

I hope that I was helpful.

Kathy
 
A physical rosary is not necessary, you can just count on your fingers if you like.

My favourite mysteries are the Sorrowful Mysteries, that is the Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Jesus is Crowned with Thorns, Jesus carries His Cross, and the Crucifixion and Death of our Lord. You can’t go wrong meditating on any of those. Also, the Resurrection is a good one, it can symbolize the new life you have just received in the sacrament. But, since your priest didn’t specify which one, you can choose any of them you like.
Peace!
 
I haven’t posted on the forum for quite awhile although I do “go into” the forum each and every day. I am a Cradle Catholic – very old – and have no questions about my faith. God lives with me and I talk to Him constantly – the Blessed Virgin is very important to me and I say the Rosary every day – the first two decades I say with my first cup of coffee – the next 2 decades I say when I take a walk around San Francisco, particularly in Golden Gate Park – and the last decade I say before I go to sleep every night.
So many of the topics I find in the Forum are almost unbelievable – some people go on and on – and I just don’t have any questions or comments about that “blabble”.
I do enjoy reading the various comments in the Forum but don’t think I want to reply to most of them.
 
There are many great Rosary resources.

You can listen to the Scriptural Rosary at www.rosaryarmy.com

You can find books in your Parish library.

You can look at images if that helps you meditate…

For instance

The Annunciation

liturgies.net/saints/mary/annunciation/annunciation.jpg

The Visitation

fineartprintsondemand.com/artists/raphael/visitation-400.jpg

The Nativity

samuelatgilgal.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/nativity-scene_web.jpg

The Presentation

holyhillcross.com/PRESENTATION%20IN%20THE%20TEMPLE.jpg

The Finding in the Temple

turntomary.org/Finding%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Temple%20by%20William%20Holman%20Hunt.jpg
 
Unless the priest gave you a specific mystery upon which to meditate, all you need for the penance is to say the Our Father, ten Hail Mary’s, and the Glory Be.
No, you do not need a rosary or even a decade rosary to pray.
The purpose of an actual rosary is to help with counting. Using fingers is a perfectly acceptable Catholic practice.
 
Yes, using God’s own inbuilt rosary - your ten fingers - is fine!

Which mystery? Just look at all of them and find the one that speaks most to you at this time.

Perhaps, as has been suggested, one of the sorrowful mysteries (for me the Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion are powerful at times when I’m conscious of sin). Perhaps the Resurrection - meditating particularly on the occasion when Jesus breathed on the Apostles and gave them the power to forgive sins. Or the Transfiguration - meditating on the fact that Jesus gives us the grace to be transformed as He Himself was.

Or, as has been stated, you can choose not to have a ‘traditional’ mystery at all - just meditate on the greatness and richness of the sacrament and ask God to help you grow in virtue and decrease in sinfulness.
 
LilyM said:
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Or, as has been stated, you can choose not to have a ‘traditional’ mystery at all - just meditate on the greatness and richness of the sacrament and ask God to help you grow in virtue and decrease in sinfulness.
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Yes God forgives our sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation but Isn’t this the real reason you went to confession? It is only “with the help of [God’s] grace” that we are able “to sin no more and avoid the near occasion of sin.”
 
LilyM said:
Yes, using God’s own inbuilt rosary - your ten fingers - is fine!

Which mystery? Just look at all of them and find the one that speaks most to you at this time.

Perhaps, as has been suggested, one of the sorrowful mysteries (for me the Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion are powerful at times when I’m conscious of sin). Perhaps the Resurrection - meditating particularly on the occasion when Jesus breathed on the Apostles and gave them the power to forgive sins. Or the Transfiguration - meditating on the fact that Jesus gives us the grace to be transformed as He Himself was.

Or, as has been stated, you can choose not to have a ‘traditional’ mystery at all - just meditate on the greatness and richness of the sacrament and ask God to help you grow in virtue and decrease in sinfulness.
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Hey Lily 👋 That is truely a great idea!!!
 
I follow this format when praying the rosary:

Joyful Mysteries: Mondays Thursdays, and Sundays from Advent to Lent

Sorrowful Mysteries: Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from Lent through Good Friday

Glorious Mysteries: Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Easter through Advent.

I sometimes alternate the Luminous and Glorious Mysteries.

Aloha!
 
I was confused, because I have a booklet saying I need to meditate on certain mysteries on Thursdays & then another 1 saying different. So you don’t even have to meditate on the mysteries at all? How was the rosary meant to be prayed? Basically just with all the prayers & that’s it?
 
SANxJONERO said:
I was confused, because I have a booklet saying I need to meditate on certain mysteries on Thursdays & then another 1 saying different. So you don’t even have to meditate on the mysteries at all? How was the rosary meant to be prayed? Basically just with all the prayers & that’s it?
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The rosary is best prayed while simultaneously meditating on the specific mystery taken from the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, your original question was about praying a decade for penance. In such a case, unless given a specific mystery by your confessor, it is fine simply to pray the prayers.
As a child my family only said the prayers, without meditating on the mysteries, as part of our nightly prayer ritual.
 
DebChris said:
The rosary is best prayed while simultaneously meditating on the specific mystery taken from the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, your original question was about praying a decade for penance. In such a case, unless given a specific mystery by your confessor, it is fine simply to pray the prayers.
As a child my family only said the prayers, without meditating on the mysteries, as part of our nightly prayer ritual.
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I didn’t mention anything about penance. You’ve probably got me confused with some other poster, but thanks.
 
Barb3 said:
I haven’t posted on the forum for quite awhile although I do “go into” the forum each and every day. I am a Cradle Catholic – very old – and have no questions about my faith. God lives with me and I talk to Him constantly – the Blessed Virgin is very important to me and I say the Rosary every day – the first two decades I say with my first cup of coffee – the next 2 decades I say when I take a walk around San Francisco, particularly in Golden Gate Park – and the last decade I say before I go to sleep every night.
So many of the topics I find in the Forum are almost unbelievable – some people go on and on – and I just don’t have any questions or comments about that “blabble”.
I do enjoy reading the various comments in the Forum but don’t think I want to reply to most of them.
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I agree 100% When I find a topic I would respond to and it has already had 300 replies that are so far off of the original topic I just give up also. Bless you for your daily rosary.
 
SANxJONERO said:
I didn’t mention anything about penance. You’ve probably got me confused with some other poster, but thanks.
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Sorry. I didn’t look at the name. The OP’s original question had to do with penance.
The rosary has evolved over time. There are differences between how Louis de Montfort taught the rosary and how the rosary is typically prayed today. Many people become distracted while praying the rosary. During catechist training, I learned to add a short word or phrase after “Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus _______” that helps me maintain concentration on the mystery. I have shared this word/phrase on other threads. It has definitely made my experience praying the rosary more powerful. I have felt the weight lifted off my shoulders, for instance, by adding “taking my cross” when praying the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery and God’s forgiveness with the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery, “Jesus crucified.”
 
I have never been a “fan” of the Luminous Mysteries. Just seems that everything “traditional” has been messed with so I have NEVER said JPII’s addition.

But I average 12 Rosaries every day.
 
corsair said:
I have never been a “fan” of the Luminous Mysteries. Just seems that everything “traditional” has been messed with so I have NEVER said JPII’s addition.

But I average 12 Rosaries every day.
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The Luminous mysteries are actually my favorite since they focus on the ministry of Christ.
(1) the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, (2) The Wedding at Cana, (3) The Proclamation of the Kingdom, (4) the Transfiguration, and (5) the Institution of the Eucharist.
One of Pope John Paul II’s recommendation was to begin each decade with a scriptural passage to help with the meditation. Even before the addition of the Luminous mysteries, it was possible to pray a Scriptural rosary. With a scriptural rosary, a verse from scripture is read before each Hail Mary. The number of rosaries any of us prays is less important than the devotion with which we pray the rosary.

The rosary began as 150 Patre Nostras (Our Fathers). Over time this changed to 150 Hail Mary’s, each representing a Psalm from the Bible. The rosary was begun by peasants who did not have the luxury of the monks they heard daily reciting the psalms. The addition of the Luminous mysteries does change the total count of Hail Marys from 150 to 200 when every set of mysteries is prayed.
The Rosary of Loretto adds the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since Saturday is traditionally devoted to our Lady, it is the day that I choose to pray all the mysteries. Saturday is the day that Mary mourned the loss of her Son following His crucifixion and before His resurrection. When I pray the complete rosary on Saturdays, I conclude with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If I pray the complete rosary on Sundays, I add a different litany, such as the Litany of the Sacred Heart.
Traditionally, most people pray five decades per day. There are five mysteries per set of mysteries–Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious.
 
How did our lady want us to pray it? I think that is the most important.
 
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