Pray the Rosary Like Never Before

Discover the modern power of an ancient prayer. Join Matthew Kelly and his children for a one-of-a-kind journey through the Rosary that’s sure to fill your life with clarity and peace.

The Joyful Mysteries

Prayed Monday and Saturday

Pray the Joyful Mysteries

19 min

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Pray with Special Reflections

52 min

Scripture Reading
Reflections from Rediscover the Rosary

0:00

The Sorrowful Mysteries

Prayed Tuesday and Friday

Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries

19 min

0:00

Pray with Special Reflections

62 min

Scripture Reading
Reflections from Rediscover the Rosary

0:00

The Glorious Mysteries

Prayed Sunday and Wednesday

Pray the Glorious Mysteries

18 min

0:00

Pray with Special Reflections

56 min

Scripture Reading
Reflections from Rediscover the Rosary

0:00

The Luminous Mysteries

Prayed Thursday

Pray the Luminous Mysteries

19 min

0:00

Pray with Special Reflections

59 min

Scripture Reading
Reflections from Rediscover the Rosary

0:00

Is your life working? Most of us are trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle we call life without a very important piece: prayer.

The Rosary is an extraordinary way to pray. It is a meditative prayer that honors Mary and asks for her intercession. There is just something about it that settles our hearts and minds. It puts everything in perspective and allows us to see things as they really are. It reaches deep down into our souls and puts us at ease, creating a peace that is rare and beautiful.

You can pray the Rosary for a special intention. You can pray the Rosary to grow into a better person, employee, neighbor, citizen, and member of the human family. You can pray the Rosary to deepen your love and understanding of the Gospels. And it only takes about 20 minutes of your time!

The Rosary works. But don’t take our word for it. Try it yourself!

How to Pray the Rosary: An Overview

Introductory Prayers

Step 1: While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed.

Step 2: On the first large bead, pray the Our Father.

Step 3: On the next three small beads, pray the Hail Mary.

Step 4: After the third Hail Mary, pray the Glory be.

The Decades:

Step 5: On the first large bead of the decade, pray the Our Father.

Step 6: On each small bead in the decade, pray the Hail Mary.

Step 7: In the space after the 10th bead, pray the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer

Repeat steps 5–7 for the remaining four decades.

The Closing Prayers

Step 8: Pray the Hail, Holy Queen and the Rosary Prayer.

Step 9: While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross.

What are the Introductory Prayers of the Rosary?

The introductory prayers prepare you for deep reflection. Think of any needs or struggles in your life and bring them to Mary. She cares for you like a loving mother, and wants to take your needs to Jesus. If you are praying with a group, you can say your intentions out loud so the rest of the group can pray for them as well.

Step 1: While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed. The Apostles’ Creed is a brief summary of the core beliefs of the Catholic faith.

Step 2: On the first large bead, pray the Our Father, a prayer given to us by Jesus in the sixth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel.

Step 3: On the next three small beads, pray the Haily Mary. This prayer is based on the words spoken by Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, in Luke’s Gospel. One powerful way to use these three beads is to pray for an increase in faith, hope, and love.

Step 4: After the third Hail Mary, pray the Glory be, a simple expression of praise and belief in the Trinity.

Once you’ve prayed these introductory prayers, you are ready to begin the first decade.

What Are The Decades?

Every Rosary has five decades (sets of ten beads). As you pray the decades, you can also meditate on the Mysteries of the Rosary and learn valuable lessons from the lives of Jesus and Mary. Traditionally Catholics reflect on specific mysteries each day of the week. The prayers for each decade are repeated many times. These words are deeply rooted in the Bible and Christian tradition and can serve as a powerful meditation.

Step 5:On the first large bead of the decade, pray the Our Father.

Step 6:On each small bead in the decade, pray the Hail Mary.

Step 7:In the space after the 10th bead, pray the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer. The Fatima Prayer was revealed to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917.

Repeat steps 5–7 for the remaining four decades.

What Are the Closing Rosary Prayers?

The Rosary ends with a few closing prayers, that you pray while holding the medal. With these prayers we ask God and Mary to watch over us, guide us, and help us become a-better-version-of-ourselves.

Step 8:Pray the Hail, Holy Queen. (a prayer asking for Mary’s help) and the Rosary Prayer (a prayer of hope that our lives will be changed by the Rosary).

Step 9:While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross. Sign of the Cross.

As you practice praying the Rosary, these prayers will become second nature to you. There’s a rhythm to the Rosary. As you enter into that rhythm, you’ll begin to think less about the words and more about the meaning of the words. That’s when you begin to unlock the power of the Rosary.

If you are new to the Rosary, take some time to familiarize yourself with the beads themselves. Practice holding the rosary beads in your hand and feeding the beads between your fingers. See if you can remember which prayers are prayed at each point on the rosary beads.
If you don’t know some of the prayers, you can find them listed below.

Rediscover The Rosary Email Program

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The Prayers of the Rosary

You now know how to pray the Rosary! The prayers of the Rosary are timeless. They are simple, meaningful, and they bring us peace.

If you are praying the Rosary in a group, then most of the prayers are divided in two. The leader prays the first half, and the whole group responds with the second half (indicated by an asterisk and italicized).

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. *I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. *Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses; as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women; and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and, after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us O holy mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Rosary Prayer

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.

The Mysteries of the Rosary:

As you pray the Rosary, you can radically deepen your experience by reflecting on the five sets of mysteries from the Gospel. These are key moments from the lives of Jesus and Mary that contain invaluable lessons for our own lives. Typically, Catholics reflect on different mysteries for each day of the week:

1 The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Saturday)

2 The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)

3 The Glorious Mysteries (Sundays and Wednesdays)

4 The Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays)

Meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary can be difficult at first, but with practice, it can take your prayer to the next level. Are you ready to discover the treasures of this powerful, ancient prayer?

Tips for Enjoy Saying the Rosary More

Why don’t more Catholics pray the Rosary? Many of us have a hard time focusing for the 20 minutes needed to say the prayer. If that’s you, you’re not alone! Great saints like Thérèse of Lisieux had a hard time saying the Rosary too (she was even known to fall asleep during her prayers!).

No matter how you feel about praying the Rosary, there are ways you can make it a more enjoyable experience. Download our FREE resource below: 21 Tips to Help You Pray the Rosary.