Let us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ, triumphing gloriously over death, rose again the third day, immortal and impassible.

O glorious Virgin Mary, by that unspeakable joy thou receivedst in the resurrection of thine only Son, we beseech thee obtain of Him for us, that our hearts may never go astray after the false joys of this world, but may be ever and wholly employed in the pursuit of the only true and solid joys of heaven. Amen.

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.

Let us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ, forty days after His resurrection, ascended into heaven, attended by angels, in the sight and to the great admiration of His most holy mother, and His holy apostles and disciples.

O Mother of God, comfortress of the afflicted, as thy beloved Son, when He ascended into heaven, lifted up His hands and blessed his apostles, so vouchsafe, most holy Mother, to lift up thy pure hands to Him for us, that we may enjoy the benefit of His blessing, and thine also on earth, and hereafter in heaven. Amen.

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.

Let us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ, being seated on the right hand of God, sent, as He had promised, the Holy Ghost upon His apostles, who, after He was ascended, returning to Jerusalem, continued in prayer and supplication with the Blessed Virgin Mary, expecting the performance of His promise.

O sacred Virgin, tabernacle of the Holy Ghost, we beseech thee, obtain by thine intercession, that this most sweet Comforter whom thy beloved Son sent down upon His apostles, filling them thereby with spiritual joy, may teach us in this world, the true way of salvation and make us walk in the path of virtue and good works. Amen.

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.

Let us contemplate in this mystery, how the glorious Virgin, twelve years after the resurrection of her Son, passed out of this world unto Him, and was by Him assumed into heaven, accompanied by the holy angels.

O most prudent Virgin, who entering the heavenly palace didst fill the holy angels with joy, and man with hope, vouchsafe to intercede for us at the hour of our death, that being delivered from the illusions and temptations of the devil, we may joyfully and securely pass out of this temporal state, to enjoy the happiness of eternal life. Amen.

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.

Let us contemplate in this mystery how the glorious Virgin Mary was, to the great jubilee and exultation of the whole court of heaven, and the special glory of all the saints, crowned by her Son with the brightest diadem of glory.

Oglorious Queen of all the heavenly citizens, we beseech thee, accept this Rosary, which as a crown of roses we offer at thy feet: and grant, most gracious Lady, that, by thy intercession, our souls may be inflamed with so ardent a desire of seeing thee so gloriously crowned, that it may never die in us, until it shall be changed into the happy fruition of thy blessed sight. Amen.

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.

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, thy eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile is ended, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus! O clement, O pious, 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 thee, that meditating upon these mysteries, in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen

St. Dominic preached for a long time with untiring zeal against the heresy of the Albigenses, but few returned to the Church; he, therefore, redoubled his prayers and penitential works, and with special devotion besought the Queen of Heaven to assist him in his labors for the salvation of souls. The Mother of Mercy then appeared to him and taught him the rosary. Strengthened by the high privilege shown him by the Mother of God, he everywhere announced and taught this devotion. In a short time over a hundred thousand heretics were brought back to the bosom of the holy Catholic Church, and the devotion spread rapidly over the whole Christian world. Fraternities were formed and the Supreme Pontiff permitted the Friar Preachers to celebrate the Festival of the Rosary; this was observed with great solemnity. On the 7th of October 1571, the Christians, under the special protection of Mary, the Queen of Heaven, gained a glorious victory over the Turks; the Festival of the Rosary being at that time celebrated at Rome and in the provinces by public processions, in order that by her intercession the Turks might be restrained in their oppressions. This victory was justly considered as the effect of Mary's intercession, and the holy Pope Pius V. instituted on this day in gratitude a festival which was called "Mary of Victory". This was united by Pope Gregory XIII. with the Festival of the Rosary, and fixed for the first Sunday in October. Finally, on account of another victory gained by Mary's intercession over the Turks in 1715 at Belgrade, Pope Clement XI. ordered it to be celebrated by the whole Church, "that the hearts of the faithful might be thereby incited to the greater veneration of the Blessed Virgin, and that the grateful remembrance of the help received from above might never pass away."

It is a form of prayer in which there is said the Apostles' Creed, the Glory be to the Father, &c. and fifty times the Hail Mary, with an Our Father before each ten Hail Marys; each decade is followed by a meditation upon one of the mysteries of the redemption. This is the smaller and more common rosary. The larger consists of the Aposties' Creed, of fifteen decades, every decade of ten Hail Marys preceded by an Our Father, and of fifteen meditations on the mysteries of our redemption. It is called the Psalter, because it contains a hundred and fifty Hall Marys as David's psalter contains a hundred and fifty psalms.

This prayer is called the rosary because every Hail Mary is like a flower in the wreath crowning the heavenly Queen, whom the Church calls by the significant title of "Mystical Rose." Every rose has green leaves and sharp thorns besides the flower itself; in the rosary the thorns represent the sorrowful, the green leaves the joyful, and the flower the glorious mysteries of the redemption which are meditated upon while reciting the rosary. The holy Fathers also compare this devotion to a crown, of which they say; "Its twelve diamonds are the twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed, the fifteen Our Fathers so many brilliant golden stars, and one hundred and fifty Hail Marys the roses."

Three: the joyful, the sorrowful and the glorious.


I. The joyful are the first five decades by which we meditate upon the mysteries of the Incarnation and the joy of Mary's heart in her divine Child. This rosary is usually said from Advent until Lent, during which time the Church commemorates the joyful coming of Christ.

II. The sorrowful has also five decades in which are especially represented for meditation the sorrowful mysteries of the passion of Christ. This rosary is usually said during Lent, because the Church at that time places before us the sufferings of Jesus.

III. The glorious mysteries have likewise five decades, in which we meditate upon the glory of Christ and His blessed Mother. This rosary is said from Easter to Advent, because the Church then presents to us these mysteries for our veneration and meditation.

Certainly not, for they despise that which they neither understand nor practice; for whoever considers the arrangement and significance of this most venerable prayer, must esteem it most highly and practice it for the good of his soul. Without taking into consideration that the greatest saints said this prayer daily, as for example St. Francis de Sales, St. Alphonsus Liguori and others, it is a confession of our holy Roman Catholic faith, a repeated adoration of the most holy Trinity, and an authorized veneration of the Blessed Virgin, whom the Holy Ghost has pronounced blessed. It is at the sama time a grateful recollection and meditation upon the most profound and sacred mysteries of our holy religion, and especially of our redemption through the incarnation, sufferings, and death of our Lord. And in regard to the frequent repetition of the Our Father and Hail Mary, do not the angels and saints before the throne of the most holy Trinity repeat continually: "Holy, Holy, Holy!" Can the heart filled with the true, sincere love of God and of Mary repeat their praises often enough? Do wo not daily, even often during the day, partake of the same bread without it losing its relish or becoming distasteful to us?

How acceptable to God is this holy rosary--this beautiful garland of fragrant, heavenly flowers of prayer and meditation--and what powerful effect it produces before the throne of His omnipotence and mercy! This God manifested at its introduction, as He has always since in a marvellous manner, especially upon occasions of great and particular hardships and cares; and on this account the Church exhorts the faithful to its diligent practice, attaching many indulgences which she grants to all those who say the Rosary devoutly in the state of grace.

Do not, therefore, my dear Christian, permit yourself to be misled by those who not only do not perform this devotion, but even despise it, and in their proud self-conceit often pay no attention to the most important regulations of the Church. To them are applicable the words of Christ? I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. (Matt. xi 15.) Practice this devotion all the more zealously in the spirit and sense of our holy Church, and you will perceive the benefit that will accrue to your soul therefrom.

We should let nothing prevent us from saying the rosary and never be ashamed to carry our rosary with us, always as a sign that we love and honor Jesus and Mary. For the rosary has justly become a badge of the true follower of Jesus and Mary, of the real Catholic; and who is ashamed of being a Catholic!

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