Understanding the Rosary

Question: Once on board the gospel train, how do we avoid dozing off or, worse yet, falling off? I would like to suggest you consider the 800-year-old devotion we call the Rosary. I promise that if you allocate about 25 minutes of your day praying the Rosary (it doesn’t have to be all at once) it will be almost impossible for you stay away from the gospel train, and once on board, to be derailed.

If you come from a non-Catholic background, however, there may be certain obstacles blocking you from seriously considering the Rosary. I would respectfully request that you lay aside whatever negative perceptions you may have because they are misconceptions.

The Rosary can be compared to Air Force One. The title, Air Force One, is applied to any airplane that is carrying the President of the United States. Presently, it’s a massive Boeing 747. The exterior is beautiful, sleek. It is loaded with electronics, defense mechanisms, communications gear, safety apparatus, luxury, prestige, etc., etc. This is an important vehicle! But that’s all it is. The real significance is inside; it is carrying the most powerful and secularly important person on the face of the earth. Yet, merely to look at the plane without knowing its history and use, you would still conclude that this was something quite out of the ordinary, but you wouldn’t understand its real power. You need to go beyond the visible and apparent. Air Force One exists only because of who is inside.

Similarly, the intrinsic power of the Rosary lies within. To be sure, the daily recitation of 53 Hail Mary’s; six Our Father’s (the Lord’s Prayer); six Glory Be’s; five Fatima prayers; the Hail Holy Queen (Mother of Mercy) prayer; the Apostle’s Creed; the prayer before the Rosary; and the prayer after the Rosary can all give you spiritual direction, guidance and inspiration. However, while each of these prayers is important and beautiful and deserve meditation on its own merit, the centerpiece of the Rosary, its sine qua non, are 20 key events of the gospel to be recalled and meditated upon (five each day) known as the Joyful Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries.

As we daily pray these gospel events and revelations, God’s Word will become increasingly real and vital to our lives. God wants us to invite him into our hearts so we can continuously converse with him. As we pray the gospel our bond with Christ strengthens and deepens. Here are the 20 Mysteries, using a biblical verse as an introduction for each.

The Joyful Mysteries: The Birth and Childhood of Jesus

Mondays and Saturdays, we encounter the Joyful Mysteries and witness the joyful events relating to his birth and childhood.

  1. The Annunciation. The angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28 [Note: Quotation from the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition].
  2. The Visitation. “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!’” Luke 1:41-42.
  3. The Birth of Jesus. “And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7.
  4. The Presentation. “And 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. . . .” Luke 2:22.
  5. Finding Jesus in the Temple. “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;” Luke 2:46

The Luminous Mysteries: Jesus Proclaims the Gospel

Thursdays, the Luminous Mysteries enable us to listen to Jesus’ words and teachings, witness his miracles, and the revelations of the Father as Jesus begins and continues his ministry.

  1. The Baptism of Jesus. “and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” Matthew 3:17
  2. The Wedding at Cana. “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” John 2:5. They do, and Jesus turns the water into wine.
  3. Jesus Proclaims his Kingdom. Jesus begins his ministry, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15
  4. The Transfiguration. “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.” Matthew 17:2
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist. “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “’Take, eat; this is my body.’” Matthew 26:26.

The Sorrowful Mysteries: Christ Crucified

Tuesdays and Fridays, the Sorrowful Mysteries enable us to experience the sorrow and agony of Christ crucified.

  1. The Agony in the Garden. “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42.
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar. “Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.” John 19:1.
  3. The Crowning with Thorns. “And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand.” Matthew 27:28-29.
  4. The Way of the Cross. “So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.” John 19:17.
  5. The Crucifixion. “There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” John 19:18.

The Glorious Mysteries: Resurrection and Promise of Eternal Life

Finally, Wednesdays and Sundays, we see death conquered and the portals to heaven opened as we contemplate the Glorious Mysteries.

  1. The Resurrection. “He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6.
  2. The Ascension. “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19.
  3. The Gift of the Holy Spirit. “And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2
  4. The Assumption of Our Blessed Mother. When Mary’s life was completed, she was taken up, body and soul, “into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son’s Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, par 974.
  5. The Coronation of Our Blessed Mother. “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;” Revelation 12:1.

We all must find our individual ways to Christ and remain in his presence. For some these tasks seem easy, while many struggle. Unfortunately, many don’t even try. Still others conduct a superficial search for God at certain points in their lives but retreat when they encounter setbacks (“I prayed to God that I would get that job. Somebody else got it. So much for God! I’m out of here.”). We must always remember that whatever our circumstance there can be no victory without a struggle. Our task is to find a clear and sure path to Christ that we can remain on regardless of life’s distractions and problems. The Rosary does that. As you look inside and contemplate the 20 events to be recalled you will find the story of creation, salvation history and God’s eternal love for mankind. You will remain in the presence of God.

Go to The Rosary: A Quick Tutorial and The Rosary: It’s Power and Importance for a brief explanation of how the Rosary is prayed and for more information.

Some websites and references

Last modified August 1, 2019