Rosary
Praying the Joyful Mysteries
How to pray the Rosary · 7 steps
Meditations, Scripture and the traditional fruits for the five Joyful Mysteries, prayed on Mondays and Saturdays and on the Sundays of Advent.
7 steps · About 20 minutes
The Joyful Mysteries walk through the Incarnation as Saint Luke tells it: the angel's message, Mary's visit to Elizabeth, the birth at Bethlehem, the presentation of the child in the Temple, and the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus among the teachers. Saint John Paul II calls them mysteries 'marked by the joy radiating from the event of the Incarnation'. Praying them, we learn to receive Christ as Mary did: with humility, haste to serve, poverty, obedience and the joy of finding him again.
What you need
- A rosary
- A Bible or the passages listed in each step
- About twenty quiet minutes
When to pray it
Mondays and Saturdays, and on the Sundays of Advent; also whenever you want to contemplate the Incarnation, for example in the Christmas season.
Steps
Step 1: Open the Rosary
Make the . Holding the crucifix, pray the . On the first large bead pray the ; on the next three small beads pray one each, traditionally for an increase of faith, hope and charity; then pray the . You are now ready to announce the first mystery.
Step 2: The First Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38. The angel Gabriel is sent to a virgin of Nazareth, and Mary answers: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." Fruit of the mystery: humility. Pray the on the large bead, then ten on the small beads while holding the mystery in mind, then the and the : ", forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."
Step 3: The Second Joyful Mystery: the Visitation
Scripture: Luke 1:39-56. Mary sets out in haste to the hill country to help her kinswoman Elizabeth; the child leaps in Elizabeth's womb and Mary sings the Magnificat. Fruit of the mystery: love of neighbour. Pray the on the large bead, then ten on the small beads while holding the mystery in mind, then the and the : ", forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."
Step 4: The Third Joyful Mystery: the Nativity
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20. In Bethlehem Mary gives birth to her firstborn son, wraps him in swaddling clothes and lays him in a manger, and the shepherds come to find him. Fruit of the mystery: poverty of spirit. Pray the on the large bead, then ten on the small beads while holding the mystery in mind, then the and the : ", forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."
Step 5: The Fourth Joyful Mystery: the Presentation in the Temple
Scripture: Luke 2:22-38. Mary and Joseph bring the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord according to the Law; Simeon takes him in his arms and Anna gives thanks. Fruit of the mystery: obedience, and purity of heart. Pray the on the large bead, then ten on the small beads while holding the mystery in mind, then the and the : ", forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."
Step 6: The Fifth Joyful Mystery: the Finding in the Temple
Scripture: Luke 2:41-52. After three days of searching, Mary and Joseph find the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple among the teachers: "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" Fruit of the mystery: joy in finding Jesus, and devotion to him. Pray the on the large bead, then ten on the small beads while holding the mystery in mind, then the and the : ", forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."
Step 7: Close the Rosary
After the fifth decade pray the Hail, Holy Queen (), then: V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: O God, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Many add the . End with the .
Tips
- Read the Gospel passage before announcing the mystery and keep one phrase from it in mind through the ten Hail Marys.
- The 'fruit' of each mystery is a traditional grace to ask for; make it your intention for that decade.
- If you have only a few minutes, pray one decade and its mystery well.