Family Prayer Series #6: How to Pray a Rosary

This week I’m in the throes of starting a new Bible study on the Gospel according to John. I’m beyond excited for several reasons. Getting to do a deep dive in Scripture has become one of my favorite things, and the Gospel according to John has no shortage of passages that leave me scratching my head. I’m excited to study and immerse myself in the Word of God.

I’m also excited about the community I’m building in my parish. We’ve been living in Kansas for about a year and a half, and it’s finally starting to really feel like home. A big part of that for me is recognizing faces at church and building holy friendships. I’m grateful that the Lord has placed this group of women in my life to be companions during this season.

The Nuts and Bolts of a Rosary

October is the month of the Rosary which is why I intentionally left this installment of the Family Prayer Series to this week. October 7th is the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, but any day (actually, every day!) is a perfect day to pray with Mary through a Rosary.

The Rosary is a beautiful verbal and meditative prayer; verbal because we recite the prayers out loud and meditative because while we’re reciting we’re thinking about or meditating on various experiences during the life of Jesus.

I heard once that praying the Rosary is like climbing up into Mary’s lap and going through her photo album of the life of her son. Mary is the only disciple who experienced the entirety of Jesus’ earthly life from his conception through his death and resurrection. It’s not surprising, then, that praying on the various mysteries of the life of Christ is most fully experienced alongside Mary.

While rosary beads are helpful, they are not necessary to pray a Rosary. All you need are a few prayers and a willing heart. See below for the prayers and mysteries (which event of Jesus’ life we meditate on for each decade or set of ten Hail Marys).

Open with the sign of the cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed.
Pray an Our Father on the first large bead.
Pray three Hail Marys on the three small beads.
Pray the Glory Be.
Announce the First Mystery.
Pray an Our Father on the large bead.
Pray ten Hail Marys on the ten smaller beads.
Pray the Glory Be.
Pray the Fatima Prayer.
Repeat steps 5-9 for the remaining four decades.
Close with the Hail Holy Queen and the sign of the cross.

If you prefer visuals, The Catholic Kid has a wonderful resource available for download, along with lots of other great resources to check out!

Don’t Do it All

If you’ve been following along with the other posts in my Family Prayer Series like the ones about Family Lectio Divina or Family Guided Meditation, you know what my #1 piece of advice is: start small!

If your family is brand new to the rosary, start with just one decade. If your family doesn’t yet have the main prayers memorized (the Our Father and the Hail Mary), start simply reciting those until they are set in memory for everyone in the family.

It can feel overwhelming to start a 20-30 minute prayer with your kids. My favorite thing to do is break up the decades throughout the day so each time we pray it’s for about 5 minutes. Some days we pray an entire Rosary, and others I never remember after we’ve prayed the first. I know that Mary appreciates any prayers offered, even if they aren’t perfect or complete.

Tips for Praying a Family Rosary

If you’re praying the Rosary on your own or with other adults, my very favorite resource is The Rosary Without Distractions. This website has ten facts or Scripture quotes for each mystery, so you can read one with each Hail Mary prayed. This helps your brain stay focused on the meditation and not wandering away with every random thought.

When praying with kids, try these ideas:

Pray along with the rosary on YouTube. Not only does it give kids a visual, but then the prayer doesn’t stop with every thrown toy or diaper change.
Use rosary beads your kids like. For the littlest ones, these rosaries from Chews Life are perfect. For your older kids, buy them a special one that’s their favorite color or gemstone.
Try an edible rosary! Put ten Goldfish in a line with a small pretzel at the end. After each Hail Mary they eat one Goldfish.
Pray during other activities. Kids have a hard time sitting still. Try praying while on a walk or while folding laundry. My family always prays our rosary in the car.
Make it fun. I’m no stranger to saving dessert until after we finish our prayers, or letting the kids bring down stuffed animals and their favorite blanket while we pray.

There are no shortages of graces that you and your family can obtain from praying the rosary. Whether you are brand new to family prayer or old pros, even just a single decade will help draw you closer to Christ through his first and most devoted disciple, Mary.

Prayer of the Rosary

The 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.

The 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.

The Hail Mary

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

The Glory Be

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

The Hail Holy Queen

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

Mysteries of the Rosary

Joyful Mystery of the Rosary (Monday & Saturday)

The Annunciation of the Lord to Mary
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Presentation of our Lord
Finding Jesus in the Temple at age 12

Luminous Mystery of the Rosary (Thursday)

The Baptism in the Jordan
The Wedding at Cana
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist

Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary (Tuesday & Friday)

The Agony of Jesus in the Garden
The Scourging at the Pillar
Jesus is Crowned with Thorns
Jesus Carried the Cross
The Crucifixion of our Lord

Glorious Mystery of the Rosary (Wednesday & Sunday)

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
The Descent of the Holy Ghost
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth

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