The Holy Rosary

The Rosary is the story of the New Testament. Through the beads we follow the life of Mary & Jesus. We follow Mary from the day the Archangel Gabriel came to ask her to become the Mother of Christ, to the day she was crowned Queen of heaven. We follow Jesus from the moment the Holy Spirit came down on Mary, through his childhood, his cruel death on the cross, the joy of Easter when he rose from the dead, to the day he ascended to heaven in glory.

The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. With the Rosary we mediate the mysteries of joy, of sorrow & the glory of Jesus. It’s a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary. It’s a prayer we can all say together with Her, the Mother of God. With the Hail Mary we invite her to pray for us. Our Lady always grants our request. She joins her prayers to ours. Therefore it becomes even more useful because what Mary asks She always receives. Jesus can never say no to whatever his mother asks for. In every apparition the Heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary as a powerful weapon against evil, to bring us to true peace.

With your prayers together with Your heavenly Mother, you can obtain the great gift of bringing about a change of hearts & conversion. The Rosary is such a tremendously powerful weapon against Satan, that armed with the Rosary in our hearts, and the beads in our hands, we can even stop wars.

During the Month of May we ask parishioners and especially families to recite the Rosary in honour of our Blessed Mother. Mary waits for your prayers. If you speak to her she always listens. She is our mother. When you pray the Rosary, begin by telling Mary what you would like her to use your prayers for—and then think about the stories that are hidden in the beads.

In Oct 2002 Pope John Paul 11 added the ‘Mysteries of Light’ to the Holy Rosary, calling us to pray the rosary daily; for our families—and world peace.
There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary and these are divided into the Five Joyful Mysteries, the Five Mysteries of Light, the Five Sorrowful Mysteries and the Five Glorious Mysteries.

THE ROSARY

1. Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed."

The 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, and 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.

2. Say the "Our Father."

3. Say three "Hail Marys."

4. Say the "Glory be to the Father."

5. Announce the First Mystery; then say the "Our Father."

6. Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Mystery.

7. Say the "Glory be to the Father."

Announce the Second Mystery; then say the "Our Father." Repeat 6 and 7 and continue with Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner.


After the Rosary:
HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, Mother of Mercy, 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, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. O GOD, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon 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.

After each decade say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima:

"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy."

As suggested by the Pope John Paul II the Joyful mysteries are said on Monday and Saturday, the Luminous on Thursday, the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday (with this exception: Sundays of Christmas season - The Joyful; Sundays of Lent - Sorrowful)