Crystal Grace Jewelry and Rosaries

How do you pray the Rosary?

To pray the rosary you should use a Rosary. A Rosary is a string of beads with a
crucifix. A short string of five beads is attached to the crucifix which leads to a
large circular strip of beads made of of five sets of one large bead and 9 smaller
beads, called decades. You begin on the crucifix with a Sign of the Cross and an
Apostles' Creed. Say an Our Father on the large bead and one Hail Mary for each
of the next three smaller beads. On the next large bead, say a Glory Be to the
Father, announce and meditate on the first mystery and say an Our Father. Say a
Hail Mary for each of the following smaller beads, then begin the cycle again with
a Glory Be and the second mystery. You end with the Prayer After the Rosary and
a Sign of the Cross.

The usual Rosary contains five decades. The mysteries include the Joyful Mysteries,
the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries. The Joyful Mysteries, to be
said on Mondays and Thursdays, as well as Sundays from the beginning of Advent
until Lent:

The Annunciation of Our LordMeditation: The angel said to Mary, "You shall
conceive and bear a son and give him the name of Jesus. And he will be called Son
of the Most High." Luke 1:31-32

The VisitationMeditation: "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit
of your womb ... Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord's words to her would be
fulfilled." Luke 1:42-45

The Nativity of JesusMeditation: While Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, she
gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid
him in a manger. Luke 2:-6-7

The Presentation in the TempleMeditation: When the day came to purify them
according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem so
that he could be presented to the Lord. Luke 2:22

The Finding in the TempleMeditation: They came upon him in the temple sitting
in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who
heard him were amazed. Luke 2:46-47

The Sorrowful Mysteries, to be said on Tuesdays and Fridays, as well as Sundays
during Lent: The Agony in the GardenMeditation: Jesus went with them to a place
called Gethsemane ... He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer. "My Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass me by." Matthew 26:36-39 The Scourging at the
PillarMeditation: The people said, "Let his blood be on us and on our children." At
that, he released Barabbas to them. Jesus, however, he first had scourged. Matthew
27:25-26 The Crowning with ThornsMeditation: They stripped off his clothes and
wrapped him in a scarlet cloak. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they fixed it on his
head ... and began to mock him. Matthew 27:28-29

The Carrying of the CrossMeditation: Jesus was led away, and carrying the cross by
himself, went out to what is called the Place of the Skull. There they crucified him.
John 19:16-18

The Crucifixion and DeathMeditation: The curtain in the sanctuary was torn in
two, Jesus uttered a loud cry and said, "Father, into your hands I commit my
spirit." After this, he expired. Luke 23:45-46 The Glorious Mysteries, to be said on
Wednesdays and Saturdays, as well as Sundays from Easter until Advent:

The Resurrection of Our LordMeditation: The angel spoke, "Do not be frightened.
I know you are looking for Jesus the crucified, but he is not here. He has been
raised, exactly as he promised." Matthew 28:5-6

The Ascension into HeavenMeditation: Then he led them out near Bethany, and
with hands upraised, blessed them. As he blessed, he left them, and was taken up to
heaven. Luke 24:50-51

The Descent of the Holy SpiritMeditation: Tongues as of fire appeared which parted
and came to rest on each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:3-4

The Assumption of MaryMeditation: Blessed are you daughter, by the Most High
Lord, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the Creator of
heaven and earth. Judith 13:18

The Coronation of MaryMeditation: A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman
clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of
twelve stars. Revelation 12:1

Sign of the CrossIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. 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; the third day He arose again from the
dead; He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence 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.

Our FatherOur Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by 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.

Hail MaryHail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among
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.

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

Prayer After the RosaryHail! Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness
and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send
up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O 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.Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.That we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ. O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His Life, Death and
Resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech
You, that, meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

History of the Rosary

The Rosary has been a major influence in Roman Catholic thought
for over 500 years while paving the way for a greater
understanding of the mystery of Christ celebrated within family
prayer.

The Rosary is the tradition-distilled essence of Christian devotion
in which vocal and mental prayer unite the whole person in
effective and purposeful meditation on the central mysteries of
Christian belief. The Rosary thus joins the human race to God
through Mary whom God chose from all time for the specific
purposes of mother and intercessor.

The historical development of the Rosary begins with the desert
fathers and their need to find a system to ease their laborious and
repetitive prayer life.

It is generally agreed by scholars that a system for counting
repetitive prayers began with the Hindus some nine centuries
before Christ. Prayer counters such as rocks, sticks or notches in
wood were employed to ensure that the proper number of prayers
were recited.

Over time, counters and psalms were united into a "three groups of
fifty" format (Na tri coicat) so that "fifties" could be used for
personal and/or penitential prayer. By the twelfth century it was
common for all people to carry a "Paternoster cord" on their person
for purposes of keeping straight the prayers recited on any group of
fifty.

As the need for lay participation in the prayer life of the Church
increased, the need for a Psalter of popular prayers (most people of
the period were not sufficiently educated to pray the psalms in
Latin) became urgent. Thus the Na tri coicat format was imposed
first on recitations of Paternosters and later on Aves.

Spurred by the association of Mary with roses and rose gardens,
from both scriptural and traditional bases, the Marian Psalter of
Aves became by the fourteenth century a standard form of repetitive
prayer for the whole Church, laity and religious alike.

The fifteenth century provided the development period for the many
facets of today's Rosary. During this period the Dominican
influence with the Rosary grew and was fostered through both fact
and legend. Although many apocryphal accounts exist to explain
how St. Dominic and his followers became originators of rosary
devotion, it is evident that these accounts cannot stand up to the
scrutiny of historical research.

Although the Dominicans were not the sole originators of the
Rosary, their influence in the growth, devotion and spread of this
prayer cannot be denied. It would not be inaccurate to call them
the principal promoters and defenders of the Rosary through
history. Certainly the fifteenth century was a period for much
Dominican influence in this meditation, bringing a series of
prayers and mysteries into a coherent form of prayer.

The fifteenth century saw the Rosary begin its development into the
familiar prayer form we know today. The Our Father came intact
from the Gospel of Matthew. The Hail Mary developed from the
scriptural greetings of Gabriel and Elizabeth to Mary in Luke's
Gospel, plus a popular exhortation in use by the laity of that period.
The Glory Be was used as a common doxology from the earliest of
Christian times when praying the psalms. The Salve Regina, a later
addition to the Rosary, states all relevant medieval themes about
the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its affiliation with the Rosary came about
through popular practice although its precise origin within the
devotion is not known. The Apostles' Creed along with the rosary
pendant were also later developments, being added to the Rosary
only in the early seventeenth century.

During this period the definition of the individual prayers, plus the
development of a series of mysteries which united this loosely
connected series of prayers, took place. The mysteries, the true
essence of the Rosary, have their origin from Henry of Kalbar who
added clausulae or "statements of faith" to each of the fifty Aves of
the Marian Psalter. The development of the mysteries included the
fixing of 150 statements of faith which were followed by the
introduction of fifteen true mysteries, one for each Paternoster.
Eventually the clausulae faded away and the fifteen mysteries
remained. By the mid-sixteenth century, the mysteries we know
today, joyful, sorrowful, and glorious, were in place and used in
rosary recitation.

The most significant event in the historical derivation of the
Rosary was the formation of the Rosary Confraternity in 1470 by
Blessed Alanus de Rupe. The communal attitude (praying in groups)
that the Confraternity put forth raised the whole consciousness of
the Christian world to the Rosary.

The second half of the sixteenth century saw the Confraternity's
work rewarded with the Church's official recognition of the
Rosary. On October 7, 1571, Pope St. Pius V declared that because
of the assistance of the Rosary in securing victory over the Turks at
Lepanto, a commemoration in honor of the Rosary would
henceforth be held on that date. Two years later the Feast of the
Most Holy Rosary was established by Pope Gregory XIII with that
date still celebrated in our contemporary liturgical calendar.

The work of Pope Leo XIII in promotion of the Rosary is a
landmark in the evolving history of this most glorious prayer of
devotion to Mary. More than any other pontiff, Leo wrote
extensively on the Rosary, completing twelve encyclicals and
numerous other letters, apostolic exhortations and similar works. In
his twenty-five year pontificate Leo touched on all aspects of the
Rosary devotion. All of his teachings, however, were centered about
the concept that by using the Rosary one could most efficaciously
reach Mary, and through her intercession, her son Jesus Christ.

Pope Leo wanted to restore the Rosary to a prominent position
within the devotional life of the Church. His work was most
certainly successful, as evidenced by the great popularity of the
Rosary during the first half of the twentieth century.

The voices of those who have promoted the Rosary have continued
to speak. Probably the most significant comment which has come
forward is the emphasis on the family as the principal body around
which the Rosary can be most effectively utilized. Pope Pius XII
spoke of the efficacious use of the Rosary in the family setting. The
Pope's words were in keeping with the trend initiated in 1942 by
Father Patrick Peyton, CSC who became internationally known as
"The Rosary Priest." Through his Family Theater productions and
international rosary crusades, the Rosary and family prayer became
common practices in the typical Roman Catholic household. Father
Peyton's expression, "The family that prays together stays together,"
became a rallying cry for many of the faithful.

Popes John XXIII and Paul VI introduced new teachings on the
Rosary while continuing the teachings of their predecessors. For
Pope John, the Rosary was the universal prayer for all the redeemed.
Additionally, he taught that the mysteries of the Rosary must have
a three-fold purpose: Mystical contemplation, intimate reflection
and pious intention. Pope Paul also emphasized the importance of
the mysteries, saying that the prayers of the Rosary were merely an
empty shell without the mysteries. Both popes continued to foster
the family rosary through writings and support of Father Peyton's
Rosary crusade. The views of the pontiffs show that rosary
recitation and teaching continues to be important in our
contemporary prayer devotion.

The story of the Rosary cannot end without reference to the visions
at Fatima and Mary's powerful message to pray the Rosary daily. In
coming to Fatima with a message of prayer and peace, the Blessed
Virgin Mary, through the visions of October 13, 1917, has herself
given to the world the true value of the Rosary. The world came to
know that with the Rosary it had a weapon which could bring
peace to our troubled society then and remain a powerful tool in the
ever present battle to maintain peace in our present-day, very
difficult and complex world.
Excerpted from Father Peyton's Rosary Prayer Book, 1996 edition.

The Fifteen Promises of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the
rosary shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all
those who shall recite the rosary.

3. The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will
destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain
for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts
of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift
them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify
themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of
the rosary shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to
the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered
by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall
not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain
in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die
without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during
their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of
His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the
merits of the saints in paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to
the rosary.

10. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of
glory in heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the
rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me
in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of
the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court
during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my
only son Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Virtual Rosary-This website is CatholicWare's homepage, the
official homepage of Virtual Rosary which is an awesome
multimedia Rosary program for Windows, Mac, and PalmOS.
Virtual Rosary is a scriptural rosary that displays verses,
illustrations, background music, and all of the prayers of the
Rosary in 14 languages.

(I have this one and it is GREAT!!)

The Holy Rosary Site
This site is a Rosary mega site..a definite bookmark site. It has
prayer requests, how to say the rosary, rosary prayers, rosary
power, rosary secret, rosary novena, Fatima history, Sacred
Heart, Immaculate Heart, Links, and a gallery. You can also
download a program called Holy Rosary to put on your computer.
Check it out..

Garden Way of the Rosary
Interesting site..if you love roses and nature..this is a must see
site..

The Chanted Rosary with the Monks of Adoration
You will need real audio player to do this one. I realize that
some people are visual..some people are not..so I thought maybe
someone might find this one helpful... :)

Online Rosary Prayer
This is a good one for beginners. You can follow right along on
your computer. It also has info about the rosary, rosary stories,
Virgin Mary links, Virgin Mary