The Rosary

The Rosary

The Rosary (Latin: rosarium, meaning “crown of roses” or “garland of roses”), formally called the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae) and also known as the Dominican Rosary, is a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church as well as the physical cord of knots or beads used to count those prayers. When referring to the prayer itself, it is commonly capitalized as “the Rosary.” When referring to the beads as an object, it is written in lower case, as in “a rosary bead.”

Knotted prayer ropes were used in early Christianity. The Desert Fathers are traditionally credited with making early forms, using knots to keep track of repetitions of the Jesus Prayer or the one hundred fifty psalms.

Mysteries of the Rosary

The Mysteries of the Rosary are meditations on events in the life of Jesus, from the Annunciation through the Ascension and beyond. They are grouped in sets of five: the Joyful (or Joyous) Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II recommended an additional set, the Luminous Mysteries (also called the Mysteries of Light), in the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae. The original outline of the Mysteries of Light was prepared by George Preca of Malta and later taken up and promulgated by the pope.

A traditional “fruit” or spiritual intention is associated with each mystery. The following fruits come from the appendix to Louis Marie de Montfort’s Secret of the Rosary for the original fifteen mysteries. Other pamphlets sometimes list alternative or additional fruits.

Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation. Fruit of the Mystery: Humility.
2. The Visitation. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of Neighbor.
3. The Birth of Jesus. Fruit of the Mystery: Poverty, Detachment from the things of the world, Contempt of Riches, Love of the Poor.
4. The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: Gift of Wisdom and Purity of mind and body (Obedience).
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: True Conversion (Piety, Joy of Finding Jesus).

Luminous Mysteries

1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Fruit of the Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit, the Healer.
2. The Wedding at Cana. Fruit of the Mystery: To Jesus through Mary, Understanding of the ability to manifest through faith.
3. Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in God (Call of Conversion to God).
4. The Transfiguration. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness.
5. The Institution of the Eucharist. Fruit of the Mystery: Adoration.

Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden. Fruit of the Mystery: Sorrow for Sin, Uniformity with the Will of God.
2. The Scourging at the Pillar. Fruit of the Mystery: Mortification (Purity).
3. The Crowning with Thorns. Fruit of the Mystery: Contempt of the World (Moral Courage).
4. The Carrying of the Cross. Fruit of the Mystery: Patience.
5. The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance in Faith, Grace for a Holy Death, Forgiveness.

Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection. Fruit of the Mystery: Faith.
2. The Ascension. Fruit of the Mystery: Hope, Desire to Ascend to Heaven.
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of God, Holy Wisdom to know the truth and share it with everyone, Divine Charity, Worship of the Holy Spirit.
4. The Assumption of Mary. Fruit of the Mystery: Union with Mary and True Devotion to Mary.
5. The Coronation of the Virgin. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance and an Increase in Virtue (Trust in Mary’s Intercession).