THE HOLY ROSARYFeast Day: October 7HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDOf all devotions to the Blessed Virgin the Rosary is the most widely diffused among the faithful. In its present form,according to tradition, it was popularized by St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, in order tostem the flood of the Albigensian (or Catharist) heresy, then spreading far and wide throughout Europe. Hepropagated this form of prayer in obedience to a revelation received from the Blessed Virgin, to whom he hadrecourse for this purpose, about the year 1206, and to him was due the spread of a devotion, which for manycenturies has produced the most marvelous results in the Christian world.

The decisive defeat of the Mohammedan Turks at the famous battle of Lepanto (1571) and at Belgrade (1716)gave occasion to the institution of the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary on October 7 and to its extension to theUniversal Church.

The Rosary consists of twenty decades; each decade, of one Our Father and ten Hail Marys, and one Glory beto the Father while meditating on the mysteries of Christ’s life. No other prayers of whatever form are part of theRosary. Those that are said before or after it, or after each decade, are merely pious additions. By ‘mysteries’ isunderstood an event in the life of our Lord or His Holy Mother. These mysteries are divided into three series of fiveeach, called the Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Glorious and the Luminous Mysteries.

It has become customary to say only the third part of the Rosary (indulgenced 5 years each time), that is, fivedecades, each day – especially during the month of October which is dedicated to the Holy Rosary of Our Lady. Inthat case, though you may say either the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous Mysteries at your choice, yet it isthe prevalent custom to say the Joyful Mysteries on Mondays (as well as the Sundays of Advent); the SorrowfulMysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays (and the Sundays during Lent); the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays andSaturdays (and the Sundays after Easter and Pentecost); and the Luminous Mysteries on Thurdays.

With time a practice, you will recite the Rosary from memory whenever you feel the need – especially if youdedicate yourself to it during the whole month of October (indulgenced 7 years/day).SUGGESTED METHOD FOR RECITING THE ROSARYHere are the key steps for reciting a complete Rosary – with many pious additions to help expand your prayer baseand allow you to capture the richness and deep feeling of what the Rosary prayer is all about: a concise meditationon the life, death, and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Blessed Virgin to guide us and to pray to.We sign ourselves with the sign of the cross while reciting theSign of the Crossand we embrace our rosary. Thenwe invoke God’s help usingPsalm 69(c.f. Treasure of Prayers for all that follows in bold). Then we recite theConstantinople-Necean creed(or theApostles’ creed) while holding the cross in our hand.

Then recite on the first big bead aPater Noster, then threeAve Maria on the next three small beads (to increasefaith, hope andcharity, respectively) and we finish with theGloria, theFatima Prayer, then for lost souls: “Jesus,my only love, I pray for those whom You love but do not know how to love You. May they be purified and healedsuch that they may also be exempted from all evil, Amen.”; then “May the souls of the faithful departed throughthe mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.”; and the invocation: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who haverecourse to Thee.” We recite on the big bead thePrayer to St. Michaeland finally on the medal, theMemorare.

Before each dozen, we recite: “Lord Jesus, I offer You this(e.g. first)decade in honor of(e.g. the Annunciationto Mary by the angel Gabriel), and I ask of You, through this Mystery and through the intercession of Your holyMother, the grace of(e.g. humility).”

At the end of each decade of Hail Marys: recite theGloria; the Fatima Prayer; “Grace of (e.g. theAnnunciation)descend within our souls.”

At the end, back at the medal, we recite theSalve Reginaand add to it: “… that we may be made worthy of thepromises of Christ.” We can also add thereafter: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. The heavens and the earthare full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He Who cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna inthe highest.” followed by saying the invocation: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” then repeating three times: “Most SacredHeart of Jesus, have mercy on us.” We conclude with: “Blessed John Paul, pray for us” and finally a PaterNoster, anAve Maria, and aGloria to the intension of the Pope [or to the intension of Pope EmeritusBenedict].PRAYER AFTER THE ROSARYWe recite in the end theSalve Reginaand the conclusion: “Pray for us, Holy Mother of God, that we may imitatewhat they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livethand reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.” A prayer to St. Josephcan also be said during the ‘Rosary’ month of October. (See Plate of Saint Joseph).COLLECTO GOD, Whose only-begotten Son by His life, death, and resurrection, purchased for us the rewards of eternal life:grant, we beseech Thee, that, meditating upon these mysteries of themost holy Rosary of the blessed Virgin Mary,we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son,Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost,God, world without end. Amen.EPISTLETHE LORD possessed me in the beginning of His ways, before He made anything, from the beginning. I was set upfrom eternity and of old, before the earth was made. The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. Nowtherefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse itnot. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth dailyat my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord. (Prov. 8:22-24,32-35)SECRETMAY WE be helped, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the prayers of Thy mostholy Mother, whose Rosary we haverecited; that we may draw strength from those mysteries we have meditated on, and likewise obtain the fruit of theSacraments we are about to receive: Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reignethwith God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

JOYFUL MYSTERIESTo recite on Mondays and Saturdays

LUMINOUS MYSTERIESTo recite on Thursdays (Added by H.H. Pope John-Paul II in 2002)

5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.

Salvation and relief for the souls in Purgatory

GLORIOUS MYSTERIESTo recite on Wednesdays and Sundays

2. The Visitation of Mary to Her Cousin Elizabeth.

Love of neighbor

5. The Finding Boy Jesus in the Temple.

Gift of true wisdom

1. The Annunciation to Mary by the Angel Gabriel.

Humility

4. The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

Purity of body and soul

3. The Birth of the Child Jesus in Bethlehem.

Detachment from materi-alism and love of poverty

5. Christ’s Institution of the Eucharist.

Adoration, grace to attain active partici-pation at Mass

4. The Transfiguration.

Desire for Holiness

3. Christ’s Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.

True conversion, trust in the word of God

2. Christ’s Self-manifestation at Cana.

Intercession of the Virgin Mary

1. Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan.

Help to keep my Baptismal Promises

SORROWFUL MYSTERIESTo recite on Tuesdays and Fridays

4. The Carrying of the Cross.

Patience in bearing my crosses/burdens

3. The Crowning of Jesus with Thorns.

Contempt of the world

2. The Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar.

Mortification of my senses

1. The Agony of Jesus in the Garden.

Sorrow for my sins

1. The Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead.

Faith

2. The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven.

An ardent desire for Heaven, my true home

3. The Decent of the Holy Spirit.

The coming of the Holy Spirit in my soul

4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.

A tender devotion to so good a Mother

5. The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin.

Perseverance in grace and a crown of glory hereafter