The Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries
With Scriptural Readings

The Joyful Mysteries, commonly said on Mondays and Saturdays, help us to meditate on the great mystery of the incarnation of God among us in and through the person of Jesus, his birth and early life.

Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed, while holding the crucifix.

Pray one Our Father on the first bead, three Hail Mary’s on the next three for the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, and finish with the Glory Be.

First Joyful Mystery the Annunciation

Announce the first Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation, and pause to contemplate this mystery of Mary’s humility of heart and “yes” to God’s will in your life.

Because of the foreseen merits of Jesus, God the Father kept Mary free from all stain of original sin. “I am the Immaculate Conception,” she told Bernadette at Lourdes. It was to this sinless virgin that the Angel Gabriel came and asked her to become the mother of the Son of God. In faith Mary replied, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke1:38) At that moment the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb.

Say the Our Father, then ten Hail Mary’s each proceeded by the scriptural text from Luke 1:26-38, text shown below.

1. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. – Pray - Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen

2. And the angel came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” – Pray – Hail Mary…

3. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. – Hail Mary…

4. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary for your have found favor with God.”– Hail Mary…


5. “And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” – Hail Mary…


6. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” – Hail Mary…


7. And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” – Hail Mary…


8. And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” – Hail Mary…

9. “And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” – Hail Mary…

10. And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” After this the angel departed from her. – Hail Mary…

Pray the
Glory Be

Fatima Prayer

Second Joyful Mystery the Visitation

Announce the second Joyful Mystery the Visitation and contemplate the charity Mary showed to her cousin Elizabeth by remaining with her for three months before the birth of John the Baptist. Contemplate and ask God for the grace to show Marian charity to others.

Say the Our Father, then ten Hail Mary’s each proceeded by the scripture from Luke 1:39-56, text shown below.

1. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. – Hail Mary

2. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; - Hail Mary


3. 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!” – Hail Mary

4. “And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.” – Hail Mary

5. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” – Hail Mary

6. And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”, - Hail Mary

7. “For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” – Hail Mary

8. “And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;” – Hail Mary

9. “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” – Hail Mary

10. And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home. – Hail Mary

Pray
Glory Be
Fatima Prayer

Third Joyful Mystery the Nativity

Announce the third Joyful Mystery the Nativity and contemplate the humble devotion of Mary and her desire to love God and for God’s love. In extreme humility and poverty, Mary gave birth in Bethlehem which means the House of Bread, and lovingly placed the Infant Jesus, Our Lord and God and Redeemer in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. Mary gave birth to the Bread of Life, Jesus, in the House of Bread and placed Him in a feeding trough. He is the Bread of Life and all who eat of Him will never die. Lord thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus, whose name Jesus means the One Who Saves or God's Salvation.

Say the Our Father, then ten Hail Mary’s each proceeded by the scripture from Luke 2:1-16, text shown below.

1. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrolment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. – Hail Mary

2. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. – Hail Mary

3. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. – Hail Mary

4. And in the region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they were filled with fear. – Hail Mary

5. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;” – Hail Mary

6. “For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” - Hail Mary

7. “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” - Hail Mary

8. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” – Hail Mary

9. When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,” Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” – Hail Mary

10. And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. – Hail Mary

Glory BeFatima

Prayer

Fourth Joyful Mystery the Presentation

Announce the fourth Joyful Mystery the Presentation of our Lord Jesus, where Joseph and Mary out of obedience to the Law of God, presented the Child Jesus in the Temple. May God grant us the grace of sacrifice to the will of God and to be obedient to God and embrace goodness and flee from evil.

Say the Our Father, then ten Hail Mary’s each proceeded by the scripture from Luke 2:22-40 text shown below.

1. 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 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) – Hail Mary

2. And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord,” a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” – Hail Mary

3. Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. – Hail Mary

4. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. – Hail Mary

5. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word.” - Hail Mary

6. “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” – Hail Mary

7. And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also) that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” – Hail Mary

8. And there was a prophetess Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. – Hail Mary

9. And coming up at that very hour Anna gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. – Hail Mary

10. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. – Hail Mary

Glory Be

Fatima Prayer

Fifth Joyful Mystery Finding at the Temple

Announce the fifth Joyful Mystery the Finding at the Temple of our Lord Jesus. Contemplate the deep sorrow with which Mary and Joseph sought to find their child for three days. Contemplate the frustration, and fear in not finding your child quickly. Whether it be spiritual or physical finding of a young child or grown adult, give our Lord the burden and he will give you rest. "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Say the Our Father, then 10 Hail Mary's preceded by the scripture below from Luke 2:41- 52.



1. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. - Hail Mary

2. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. - Hail Mary

3. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; - Hail Mary

4. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. - Hail Mary

5. And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, you father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” - Hail Mary

6. And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me?" - Hail Mary

7. Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” - Hail Mary

8. And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them;- Hail Mary

9. And his mother kept all these things in her heart. - Hail Mary

10. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in statue; and in favor with God and man. - Hail Mary

Pray
Glory Be

Fatima Prayer

Hail Holy Queen

The Prayers of the Rosary

The Prayers of the Rosary
Praying the Rosary

The Holy Rosary is truly a prayer based on Scripture. When we pray the rosary we are in fact praying the Gospel message, the Good News of Jesus Christ. The rosary consists of twenty mysteries. A mystery of faith is a supernatural truth that cannot be known except by God’s revelation. As we pray the rosary we are doing more than just repeating prayers over and over. When the rosary is prayed devoutly, we contemplate the Christian mystery by meditation on the twenty events in the life of Christ. These mysteries are divided into four categories, Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous.

The Joyful Mysteries include the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation, and Finding in the Temple.

The Sorrowful Mysteries center on the passion of Christ and include the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowing of Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion.

The Glorious Mysteries are composed of the Resurrection, Ascension into Heaven of Jesus, Descent of the Holy Spirit, Assumption of Mary and Coronation of Mary.

The Luminous Mysteries were added by Pope John Paul II, these concentrate on the life and ministry of Christ. They include the Baptism of the Lord, Wedding Feast of Cana, Preaching of the Kingdom, Transfiguration, and Institution of the Holy Eucharist.

To begin the rosary, make the Sign of the Cross a gesture of tracing two lines intersection at right angles which indicate symbolically the figure of Christ’s cross. Using your right hand, you should touch your forehead at the mention of the Father; the lower middle of your chest at the mention of the Son; and the left shoulder on the word "Holy" and the right shoulder on the word "Spirit."

Catholic’s make the Sign of the Cross for many reasons and under many circumstances. The Sign of the Cross is prayer and should be done reverently. Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This sign signifies the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. “For there is only one God, the almighty Father, his only Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Most Holy Trinity. The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them.” Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 233-234.

The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Hold the Crucifix in your hand and recite the Apostles’ Creed, which is a summary of the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. This prayer was not composed by the apostles themselves, but it expresses the teaching of the apostles. The original form of the creed came into use around 125, and the present form dates from the 5th century.

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 rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated 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.

On the first bead above the Crucifix pray the Lord’s Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster from the Latin. This prayer was given to us in the Bible by Jesus. The two slightly different versions can be found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.

Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be 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

On the next three beads a Hail Mary is said for the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1812-1813, “Human virtues are rooted in the theological virtues….They dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity….They are the foundation of Christian moral activity….They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life.”

“Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us…By faith “man freely commits his entire self to God.”” CCC 1814

“Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” CCC 1817

“Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.” CCC 1822

The first part of the Hail Mary is composed of verses from the Gospel of Luke (1:28 and 1:42): the angel's words announcing Christ's birth, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you,” and Elizabeth's greeting to Mary, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” The only thing that is added to these two verses are the names “Jesus” and “Mary,” to make clear to whom they referance.

The second part of the Hail Mary is not taken straight from the Scripture, but is biblical in thought. Mary was a Christian, the Bible describes Christians in general as holy as Paul writes in Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1 and Colossians 1:2. Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ the Incarnate Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, so she truly must be a holy person.

Catholic’s believe that she is the mother of God, which does not make her older than God; it means the person who was born of her was a divine person, not a human person. Mary truly had God in her womb. The denial of that would be a heresy known as Nestorianism, which claims that Jesus was two persons, one divine and one human. Nestorianism was condemned by Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the third ecumenical council at Ephesus in 431. Jesus became truly man while remaining truly God, Jesus Christ is true God and true man.

The last line of this prayer may be the most problematic line for some, who may think that this denies the teaching of 1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all.” But in the preceding four verses 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Paul instructs Christians to pray for each other. This would mean that praying for others cannot interfere with Christ as mediator.

Catholic’s believe that Mary is a saint in heaven, and asking the saints in heaven to pray for others is also Biblical. One charge made against this is that the saints in heaven cannot hear our prayers. However this is not true. Scripture states that those in heaven are aware of the prayers of those on earth. In Revelation 5:8 Saint John describes the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God as “golden bowls full of incense,” If the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God then they must be able to hear us. The saints intercede for us to God in a similar way that those on earth intercede when asked to pray for us.

Some may object to asking the saints in heaven to pray for us by saying that God has forbidden contact with the dead in Deuteronomy 18:10-11. What God has forbidden here is the necromantic practice of conjuring up spirits. The saints in heaven are alive. We see this at the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:3, Moses and Elijah appeared alongside Jesus in the presence of Peter, James and John.

Hail Mary
Hail 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

After the third Hail Mary say a Glory Be, sometimes called the Gloria or Gloria Patri. This prayer is a brief hymn of praise and has been used since the fourth century, though this present form is from the seventh.

Glory Be
Glory 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.

On the next bead before the centerpiece announce the first mystery. Pause for a moment to think about this mystery and then pray an Our Father. Continue past the centerpiece and you will arrive at the first set of ten beads that represent your next ten prayers, the Hail Mary. At the end of the tenth Hail Mary say a Glory Be and follow with the Fatima Prayer before moving to the next bead which will separate another set of ten beads. On this bead announce the next mystery and pray the Our Father before moving to the next set of ten Hail Mary beads, Glory Be and Fatima Prayer. This continues around the rosary for five decades.


In a Vatican approved apparition, the Fatima Prayer was given to three children, Lucia Dos Santos, and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto in Fatima, Portugal on July 13, 1917. During this apparition Our Lady gave the children a glimpse of Hell and then told them:"You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save future souls God wishes to establish in the world the devotion to My Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved." Then Our Lady taught the children a prayer to be recited at the end of each decade of the rosary after the Glory Be. "When you recite the Rosary, say at the end of each decade: Oh 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." Our Blessed Mother aways points us to Jesus!!!

The Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those who are most in need of thy mercy.

The last prayer or closing prayer is the Hail Holy Queen which was composed at the end of the eleventh century. Then finish with the Sign of the Cross.

Hail, Holy Queen
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.
Pray for us, O holy mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

When Catholic recite the rosary, they meditate on the mystery associated with each decade. If they merely recite the prayers whether vocally or silently, they’re missing the essence of the rosary. This prayer is a meditation on the Gospel, it truly is praying the Gospel. Next time I will elaborate on each of the four Mysteries, Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminious. You will find many rosaries in our two stores at Lynn's Timeless Treasures or Lynn's Timeless Treasures on eBay

The Holy Rosary

The Rosary

The story of the Rosary reportedly begins with the Irish monks in the 7th Century. These monks had established a practice of reciting the 150 Psalms of David which they had divided into three groups of fifty. (The History and Devotion of the Rosary, Richard Gribble, C.S.C)

To count 150 Psalms accurately, it is believed that by the 11th and 12th centuries pebbles, berries or discs of bone were threaded on a string and used during the recitation. Soon the laity of the time began this practice, since most were illiterate, they substituted Ave Marias for the Psalms, using knots on a cord to keep track.

The first historical reference to the rosary comes from the life of Saint Dominic, born in 1170 in Spain. At the age of 24 he was ordained a priest and by the age of 33 he encountered the Albigensian heresy in southern France. The Albigensian heresy denied the humanity of Christ. Saint Dominic's preaching was not able to fight the errors of this heresy, but the rosary, whereby the believer meditated on the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries of Jesus Christ, convinced the people of southern France that Jesus was truly God and Man, human and divine.

In prayer Saint Dominic pleaded with Our Blessed Mother to help him with those seeped in this heresy. Saint Louis de Montfort writes that Our Lady told Saint Dominic to “preach My Psalter” in order to rekindle the faith and crush the heresy. (The Secret of the Rosary, Saint Louis de Montfort)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2678 states "Medieval piety in the West developed the prayer of the rosary as a popular substitute for the Liturgy of the Hours." Clearly pinpointing the exact origin of the rosary is not easy. What we can say though is that the rosary is a meditative prayer, both vocal and mental contemplating 20 mysteries in the life of Christ.

In his Apostolic Letter on the Rosary issued October 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II writes: “That to recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ… Against the background of the words Ave Maria the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul…They put us in living communion with Jesus through -we might say = the heart of His mother…Through the rosary, the faithful receive abundant grace as though from the very hands of the mother of the Redeemer… Our hearts can embrace in the decades of the rosary all the events that make up the lives of individuals, families, nations, the Church, and all mankind. Thus the simple prayer of the rosary marks the rhythm of human life.”

The word rosary comes from Latin and means a garland of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolize the Virgin Mary. The rosary is made up of 20 decades of Hail Mary’s, every 5 decades makes up a Mystery of the life of Jesus. Prior to the year 2002 the rosary contained 15 decades or 3 Mysteries, the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious. In 2002 Pope John Paul II recommended a fourth set of Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries.

Though we do a have biblical reference for repetitive prayer with “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty..” said day and night without stopping (Revelation 4:8), the rosary should not be seen only as a repetitive prayer, but as a way to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ. When we pray the rosary we pray the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. This prayer draws us closer to Jesus engaging our mind, soul and body.

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