What exactly is included when saying the Rosary?

[JamesFSky]

I’ve recently started praying the Rosary every day, but I question has plagued my mind lately:

When people say they pray the Rosary every day, does that mean all four mysteries (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, Glorious), i.e., 20 decades? I’m just wondering because I’ve often heard people talking about finishing the Rosary in 10-20 minutes while I’m over here gawking because it takes me 12-15 to make it through just one of the mysteries if I’m going at an average speed (that includes the Our Father, 10 Hail Mary’s, a Glory Be, and an Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins… ect. with each decade). It makes me wonder if people are just praying a single mystery per day, or something else that I’m just not getting.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to figure out a way to blaze through the Rosary, I’m just trying to find out a question that’s been distracting me while I pray

 

[Magdalen2013]

A Complete Rosary is all four sets of Mysteries, Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious.

Most people pray one set of Mysteries (five decades) a day. It takes me about a half-hour to do five decades.

There are traditional days to do the sets of Mysteries:

Joyful - Monday and Saturday (Sundays during Advent)

Luminous - Thursday

Sorrowful - Tuesday and Friday (Every day during Lent)

Glorious - Wednesday and Sunday (Every Sunday during Easter)

 

[pianistclare]

My students and I can finish rather quickly, but I know plenty of people that pray very slowly.
It doesn’t matter. So long as you are reverent, it’s all good. People have different styles of praying.
I always include the luminous because they are the big part of the life of Christ that was missing in the timeline prior to their addition.

God bless!

 

[esmac]

I find using a rosary book helps me to focus and make the most of the beloved prayer. I use Our Blessed Mother’s Rosary by Clifton Meaux. Try using a rosary prayer book if you can.

ES

 

[AttendeDomine]

If you look at documents like the Manual of Indulgences*, you’ll find that “the Rosary” consists (in some official form) of three sets of mysteries: the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious. As such, technically speaking, praying “the Rosary” means praying all three of those sets of mysteries in one sitting.

Most people pray “one-third” of the Rosary at once, and many others also include the Luminous mysteries as well.

Likewise, in everyday conversation, praying the Rosary simply means praying five decades of the Rosary.

*An example of this occurs in grant 17 of the Manual:

The rosary is a prayer formula consisting of fifteen decades of Hail Marys preceded by the Our Father, during the recitation of which we piously meditate on the corresponding mysteries of our redemption.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) (2012-04-11). Manual of Indulgences (Kindle Locations 972-973). United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Kindle Edition.

 

[JamesFSky]

Thank you all for your answers Very informative and confusion-reducing every one!

 

[Usige]

A follow up on the traditional 3 vs “modern” 4 mysteries (Pope St John Paul II added the luminous mysteries in 2002 I believe). If you take 3 sets of 5 decades you get 150 Hail Marys. These originally represented the 150 psalms.

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

A Complete Rosary is all four sets of Mysteries, Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious.

Most people pray one set of Mysteries (five decades) a day. It takes me about a half-hour to do five decades.

There are traditional days to do the sets of Mysteries:

Joyful - Monday and Saturday (Sundays during Advent)

Luminous - Thursday

Sorrowful - Tuesday and Friday (Every day during Lent)

Glorious - Wednesday and Sunday (Every Sunday during Easter)

You are correct, except some Catholics during Lent pray the Sorrowful mysteries every day during this 40 day period, except Sundays when the Joyful mysteries are prayed.

 

[iamcatholic100]

Whenever I pray the rosary, I usually pray through the mysteries of the day (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious, depending on the day). But some people pray through all 4 sets of mysteries a day.

 

[DebChris]

Whenever I pray the rosary, I usually pray through the mysteries of the day (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious, depending on the day). But some people pray through all 4 sets of mysteries a day.

When people talk about praying the rosary generally they just mean praying the mysteries of the day. If you notice the rosary is only made of 5 decades plus the introductory beads.
Since Saturday is dedicated to Mother Mary, I often pray the complete rosary (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious) on Saturday. Why is Saturday dedicated to Mary? Christ died on Friday. Saturday was a day of waiting (mourning) until the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
You might go on a day of retreat in which the rosary is prayed throughout the day. Starting with the Joyful mysteries, each time the rosary is recited each of the mysteries will be included depending on the time of day.

 

[Magdalen2013]

You are correct, except some Catholics during Lent pray the Sorrowful mysteries every day during this 40 day period, except Sundays when the Joyful mysteries are prayed.

I guess you didn’t notice that I put “every day in Lent” in parentheses after the Sorrowful Mysteries?