Praying the Rosary

To prepare your child for the sacrament of First Holy Communion and First Penance, it is important that you pray together as a family.  We would encourage your child to set up a sacred space in the home.   We recommend for the months of May and October to have an altar in honour of Our Lady.  The Rosary is a beautiful and simple prayer and the whole family can pray it together and it can be prayed every day all year round.

The Mysteries of the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries (prayed on Monday and Saturday)

The Joyful mysteries reflect on the incarnation.  The word incarnate is Latin and means in the flesh. God became man in Jesus Christ.  Mary first had to say YES to God and agree to God’s plan.  Mary is a model for us on how we should respond to God’s call in our own lives.

The Mysteries of Light (Prayed on Thursday)

The Mysteries of Light are a new addition and a gift from St. Pope John Paul II.  In these mysteries we reflect on the ministry of Jesus, in other words his work.

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Prayed on Tuesday and Friday)

The Sorrowful mysteries reflect on the suffering, passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Glorious Mysteries (Prayed on Wednesday and Sunday)

The Glorious mysteries reflect on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and His Glorious Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  In these mysteries Mary is assumed into heaven and is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The 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 Your Mercy

Once we have prayed all five decades of the Rosary, we pray the following prayer to end the Rosary.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail Holy Queen, mother of Mercy,

Hail 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, morning and weeping in the valley of tears.

Turn then most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile,

show on to us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.  Amen.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1st Mystery - The Agony in the Garden (Mark 14:32, 35-36 ICB)

Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to his followers, “Sit here while I pray.”

Jesus walked a little farther away from them. Then he fell on the ground and prayed. He prayed that, if possible, he would not have this time of suffering.  He prayed, “Abba, Father! You can do all things. Let me not have this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.”

Our Father……

Hail Mary x 10

Glory Be to…...

O My Jesus……

2nd Mystery - The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26 ICB)

Then Pilate freed Barabbas. Pilate told some of the soldiers to beat Jesus with whips. Then he gave Jesus to the soldiers to be killed on a cross.

Our Father…….

Hail Mary x 10

Glory Be to…...

O My Jesus……

3rd Mystery - The Crowning With Thorns (Matthew 27:28-30 ICB)

They took off his clothes and put a red robe on him. Then the soldiers used thorny branches to make a crown. They put this crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then the soldiers bowed before Jesus and made fun of him. They said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spit on Jesus. Then they took his stick and hit him on the head many times

Our Father…….

Hail Mary x 10

Glory Be to…...

O My Jesus……

4th Mystery - The Carrying of the Cross (John 19:17 ICB)

Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place called The Place of the Skull. (In the Jewish language this place is called Golgotha.)

Our Father…….

Hail Mary x 10

Glory Be to…...

O My Jesus……

5th Mystery - The Crucifixion (John 19:25-27 ICB)

There they nailed Jesus to the cross. They also put two other men on crosses, one on each side of Jesus with Jesus in the middle.

Jesus’ mother stood near his cross. His mother’s sister was also standing there, with Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus saw his mother. He also saw the follower he loved standing there. He said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the follower, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this follower took her to live in his home.

Our Father…….

Hail Mary x 10

Glory Be to…...

O My Jesus……