"Shortening" the Rosary

[Sbee0]

As penance (and other times) I’ve said a decade of the rosary as announcing one Mystery, then one Our Father, 10 Hail Marys and one Glory Be.

For an entire rosary, is it proper to “shorten” the Rosary by saying simply 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, one Glory Be, then announce a Mystery and then say 5 decades as noted above? Or is it required to say the entire prayer start with the Creed, the Fatima Prayer (O My Jesus) and the Come Holy Spirit and O Sacrament Most Holy prayers after each decade, Hail Holy Queen after all decades are complete, asking the saints to pray for us, etc? I’ve even said it (as a group) with intercessions for the Holy Father…

 

[Ann_Stanton]

It is a personal devotion. You decide what is proper. I make the sign of the cross. I say the Apostles’s Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer. Then I announce the mystery, Our Father, 10 Hail Mary’s, Glory Be, and the Fatima Prayer. Then I announce the second mystery. When I have finished the 20 mysteries, then I say the Hail Holy Queen. Finally the sign of the cross.

 

[mfac11]

Most of the sites and pamphlets I’ve seen that describe how to say the rosary say that the Fatima prayer is optional. Also, I’ve never heard of saying the Come Holy Spirit or O Sacrament Most Holy after each decade.

One website I’ve seen mentions a “Final Prayer” to be said after the Hail Holy Queen, but that’s something new to me as well.

 

[Harmony]

I have always prayed one decade as you do.

And I have only ever seen the beginning and ending prayers at the beginning and ending of five decades, not after each decade as you describe–except for the Fatima prayer, it is an optional prayer at the end of each decade.

In fact, it is my understanding and practice, if I know I will pray more than 5 decades in one day (usually when traveling), to pray the initial prayers only once, at the beginning of all the decades I will say, even if there’s a break between them, and the final prayers only once, at the end of all the decades.

 

[s.cono]

The “Final Prayer” (after The Hail, Holy Queen) I most often hear, and use, myself is “Prayer After The Rosary”, and begins: "O God, Whose only-begotten Son, by His Life, Death, and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech You, that meditating upon these Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. . . "

This is at the conclusion of a five decade Rosary, and not in between decades. I don’t wish to cause any confusion.

S.Cono

 

[rom]

I am a lay Dominican, so I use the Dominican method of praying the rosary.

Here is how it is done:

1. Make the sign of the cross.
2. Say one Hail Mary
3. Then say these verses:
   “Lord, open my lips” [while making a small sign of the cross over your lips]
   “And my mouth will proclaim your praise.”
   
   “Incline unto my aid, O God” [while making a big sign of the cross over your body]
   “And make haste to help me.”
4. Say one Glory Be.

Then the start the mysteries - one our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be, and Fatima prayer (optional).
Normally we say 5 decades per day
End with the Hail Holy Queen

We don’t say the Apostles Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, and Glory Be before the mysteries.
We don’t say the Come Holy Spirit and O Sacrament Most Holy at the end of each decade.

If you can’t pray the 5 decades per day, just pray 1 decade per day. That’s how I started. It’s better than not praying at all.

Also, if it is convenient, break up the rosary and say 2 decades in the morning, 2 decades in the afternoon, and 1 last decade in the evening or at night. God welcomes prayer “by installment”. . In this manner you sanctify the whole day.