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The Holy Rosary was originally given to the church in the year 1214 A.D., but it was in 2002 that they assumed their complete new form under Pope John Paul II.
The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Catholic Devotional Prayer which was given to St. Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1214 A.D. The original Rosary consisted of three series of five meditations upon the life of Christ. The three series included the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit instituted a fourth series known as the Luminous Mysteries. The Mysteries of the RosaryThe Joyful Mysteries consist of the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation of Jesus in the temple, and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple. The Sorrowful Mysteries consist of the Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning with Thorns, Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion. The Glorious Mysteries consist of the Resurrection, Ascension, Descension of the Holy Spirit, Assumption of Mary and the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And the Luminous Mysteries consist of the Baptism of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana, Jesus Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, Transifguration and the Institution of the Eucharist. How to Pray the RosaryThe Rosary begins with Common Prayers of the Church; the recitation of the ‘Apostles Creed,’ the ‘Our Father,’ three ‘Hail Mary’s’ and a ‘Glory Be.’ These prayers can be found in pamphlets like Pray the Rosary. .Then the prayer proceeds to the set of five Mysteries attributed to the day of the week. The Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Mondays, Saturdays, All Sundays in Advent and the Epiphany during Lent. The Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays during Lent. The Glorious Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Wednesday and Sundays during Easter and Advent. And the Luminous Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Thursdays. With each set of five mysteries, the prayer begins with an ‘Our Father’ and a meditation upon the particular mystery in the life of Our Lord. Ten ‘Hail Mary’s’ are then prayed while continuing to contemplate these mysteries and it is finalized with a ‘Glory Be’ and the prayer added by the Blessed Virgin at Fatima which is as follows: “Oh 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.” After all five mysteries of a given day are prayed and meditated upon, the ‘Hail, Holy Queen’ is recited followed by the ‘Prayer after the Rosary.’ The Story of the Rosary’s BirthSt. Dominic received the devotion of the Rosary in 1214 when he went into the forest in Toulouse to pray without stopping for three days and nights. According to accounts given in De Dignitate Psalterii, by Blessed Alan de al Roche, he cried and engaged in difficult penances to the point of falling unconscious. In a vision, St. Dominic saw the Blessed Virgin surrounded by angels who said to him, “Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?” Saint Dominic, entranced by the vision before him conceded that only she could possibly know. The Blessed Virgin then replied, “I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach those hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my psalter.” History records that, at this moment, St. Dominic arose to preach this prayer to the people and the as he began to speak the earth shook, the sun became dark and thunder and lightning flashed continuously. The people reported seeing an apparition of the Blessed Virgin who raised her arms to heaven three times to call down the vengeance of God if they chose not to listen to sermon of St. Dominic and receive the conversion he promised. It was at St. Dominic’s prayer that the storms ceased and most of the people in Toulouse were converted and became profoundly devoted to the Holy Rosary. Other Catholic Devotions of Interest: The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy Sources: The Secret of the Rosary – By St. Louis de Montfort, Pray the Rosary – By Rev. J.M. Lelen, Ph.D.
The copyright of the article The Holy Rosary in Catholic Practices is owned by Marilynn Hughes. Permission to republish The Holy Rosary in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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