Daily Ordo

The Holy Rosary

The Holy Rosary is the most widely prayed Catholic devotion, structured around the meditation on twenty mysteries from the life of Christ and His Blessed Mother. Pope Saint John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002), called the Rosary the "compendium of the entire Gospel."

How to pray the Rosary

  1. Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles' Creed on the crucifix.
  2. On the first large bead, pray an Our Father.
  3. On the next three small beads, pray three Hail Marys (for an increase of faith, hope, and charity).
  4. On the next bead, pray a Glory Be.
  5. Announce the first mystery and pray an Our Father on the large bead.
  6. On each of the ten small beads, pray a Hail Mary while meditating on the mystery.
  7. Pray a Glory Be on the next large bead, followed by the Fatima Prayer ("O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy").
  8. Repeat for the second through fifth mysteries.
  9. Conclude with the Hail Holy Queen and the closing prayer of the Rosary.

The four sets of mysteries

The Rosary is traditionally prayed with one of four sets of mysteries per day, following the cycle below. The Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries are the original fifteen of the medieval Rosary. The Luminous Mysteries were added by Pope Saint John Paul II in 2002 to give a more complete meditation on the public ministry of Christ.

The Joyful Mysteries

Prayed on Monday and Saturday

The mysteries of the Incarnation: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, and the Finding in the Temple.

  1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38, fruit: Humility)
  2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56, fruit: Charity toward neighbor)
  3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20, fruit: Poverty of spirit)
  4. The Presentation (Luke 2:22-38, fruit: Obedience)
  5. The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52, fruit: Piety)

The Sorrowful Mysteries

Prayed on Tuesday and Friday

The mysteries of the Passion: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion.

  1. The Agony in the Garden (Luke 22:39-46, fruit: Sorrow for sin)
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar (John 19:1, fruit: Purity)
  3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-31, fruit: Moral courage)
  4. The Carrying of the Cross (Luke 23:26-32, fruit: Patience in suffering)
  5. The Crucifixion (John 19:17-30, fruit: Final perseverance)

The Glorious Mysteries

Prayed on Wednesday and Sunday

The mysteries of the Resurrection and beyond: the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of Mary, and the Coronation of Mary.

  1. The Resurrection (Mark 16:1-7, fruit: Faith)
  2. The Ascension (Acts 1:6-11, fruit: Hope of heaven)
  3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13, fruit: Love of God)
  4. The Assumption (Revelation 12:1, fruit: Devotion to Mary)
  5. The Coronation of Mary (Revelation 12:1, fruit: Trust in Mary's intercession)

The Luminous Mysteries

Prayed on Thursday

Added by Pope Saint John Paul II in 2002 in Rosarium Virginis Mariae. The mysteries of Christ's public ministry: the Baptism of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist.

  1. The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17, fruit: Openness to the Holy Spirit)
  2. The Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12, fruit: Trust in Mary's intercession)
  3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15, fruit: Repentance and conversion)
  4. The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8, fruit: Desire for holiness)
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist (Matthew 26:26-29, fruit: Eucharistic devotion)

Indulgences and the Rosary

A plenary indulgence may be obtained, under the usual conditions, by praying the Rosary in a church, public oratory, family group, or religious community, with at least five decades, with continuous meditation on the mysteries, and with vocal recitation of the announcement of each mystery. A partial indulgence is granted for the recitation under any other circumstances. (Apostolic Penitentiary, Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, n. 17.)

Pairing the Rosary with other devotions

The Rosary is the heart of Catholic Marian devotion and pairs naturally with the novenas, particularly the Divine Mercy Novena and the Mary Undoer of Knots Novena. It also pairs with the foundational Catholic prayers: the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Apostles' Creed, the Memorare, and the Hail Holy Queen.