The Joyful Mysteries

Guide for prayer:

We begin each rosary with the sign of the cross and the creed.

Then we pray the Our Father and 3 Hail Marys, the first for the increase of Faith, the second for the increase of Hope and the third for the increase of Charity.

And then we begin with the 5 mysteries of the Rosary, saying for each mystery 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory to the Father and the Prayer of Fatima.

On the crucifix, make the sign of the cross and then pray the Apostles’ Creed.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen

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

Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. Et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad infernos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen.

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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitting at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall 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.

On the next large bead, say the Pater Noster (Our Father) 

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum,
benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.
Sancta Maria mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc, et in hora mortis nostræ.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst 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.

On the chain, pray the Gloria (Glory Be).

GLORIA PATRI, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

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

On the large bead, meditate on the first mystery and pray the Our Father. Skip the centerpiece medallion, and on the ten beads after that, pray a Hail Mary on each bead; on the chain, pray a Glory Be. Although a decade is 10, these 12 prayers form a decade of the rosary. (Pater Noster + 10 Ave Maria + Gloria)

Many Catholics add the Fatima Prayer after the Glory Be and before the next Our Father. 

Oratio Fatimae : Domine Iesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra, salva nos ab igne inferiori, perduc in caelum omnes animas, praesertim eas, quae misericordiae tuae maxime indigent.

Fatima prayer : O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

The Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this decade in honour of the Annunciation, and we ask you, through this mystery and through the intercession of your Most Blessed Mother, the grace of humility.

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary”. Luke 1:26-27

 Pray the Pater Noster, 10 Ave Maria, the Gloria and the Fatima Prayer.  

 

The Visitation

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this decade in honour of the Visitation, and we ask you, through this mystery and through the intercession of your Most Holy Mother, the grace of fraternal charity.

“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country,  where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Luke 1:39-42

 Pray the Pater Noster, 10 Ave Maria, the Gloria and the Fatima Prayer.  

 

The Nativity

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this decade in honour of the Nativity, and we ask you, through this mystery and through the intercession of your Most Holy Mother, the grace of the spirit of poverty.

“In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:1-7

 Pray the Pater Noster, 10 Ave Maria, the Gloria and the Fatima Prayer.  

 

The Presentation

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this decade, in honour of the Presentation, and we ask you, through this mystery and through the intercession of your Most Blessed Mother, the grace of purity and obedience.

“After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.” Luke 2:21-24

 Pray the Pater Noster, 10 Ave Maria, the Gloria and the Fatima Prayer.  

 

The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this decade, in honour of the The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, and we ask you, through this mystery and through the intercession of your Most Blessed Mother, the grace of seeking God in all things.

“Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:41-47

 Pray the Pater Noster, 10 Ave Maria, the Gloria and the Fatima Prayer.  

At the end of your Rosary, say the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen).

SALVE REGINA, Mater misericordiae. Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae. Ad te Suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria. 

V. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix. 
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

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.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.