Praying the Rosary

This is a wonderful summary statement about what praying the Rosary means.  It is not what Protestants think it is. 

Journeying through the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the rosary, the individual brings to mind our Lord's incarnation, His passion and death and His resurrection from the dead. In so doing, the rosary assists us in growing in a deeper appreciation of these mysteries, in uniting our life more closely to our Lord and in imploring His graced assistance to live the faith. We also ask for the prayers of our Blessed Mother, who leads all believers to her Son.

From - History of the Rosary by Fr. William Saunders

(When he wrote this, the Luminous Mysteries had not yet been added by St. Pope John Paul II. ) 

There is a lot of confusion among Protestants - and maybe Catholics as well - about what praying the Rosary actually is. 

On his blog, Douglas Beaumont provides a great explanation for Protestants of what the Rosary is. You can find his article Rosary Explanation for Protestants.

The Rosary is not just something that old ladies - like me, I suppose - use. Beaumont wrote a very good article about the Rosary for men - Manly Rosaries for Manly Men.


After I decided that I would join the Catholic Church, I also decided that I would start praying the Rosary. It was like a test for me. If I couldn’t pray the Rosary, then maybe I wasn’t meant to be Catholic. Of course, praying the Rosary is not an obligation for us as Catholics, but for me it was something truly Catholic. It is very different from anything that Protestants do in the way of devotional praying. Well, at least in the Protestant traditions I am most familiar with. 

I wanted to see what it was all about. In the RCIA class, we were each given a lovely Rosary. I started using it and learning all the Mysteries and prayers. I now have a growing collection of Rosaries, including at least 2 virtual Rosary apps and several Rosary bracelets.

There was an error in my thinking that I had learned in Protestantism. It was that the Rosary is all about Mariolatry. That is, the worship of Mary. The truth is that it is all about focusing on the main events of the life of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. The Rosary is basically looking at Jesus through the eyes of His mother. Hence the phrase “to Jesus through Mary.” She was there for most of those events, so she was an eyewitness. 

The Rosary is the Gospel. Here is a list of the mysteries that one is encouraged to contemplate throughout the week.  If Protestants take offense at the Marian parts of the Rosary, why not just think about these Biblical passages at least once a week? There are also virtues associated with these mysteries, such as faith, hope, and love - the 3 theological virtues - all the fruit of the Spirit, and more. What could it possibly hurt to think about these things and ask God for the virtues exemplified in them? 

Protestants barely think about these events  a couple of times a year - at Christmas, Easter, and maybe during Advent, Lent, and Holy Week. Yet at the same time, Protestants love to criticize Catholics for not knowing the Bible!  Yes, I have very much been guilty of that. Now, every week I remember these events, most of them twice during the week. It helps keep me focused on Christ, our Foundation. 

I don’t know what problem a Protestant would have in thinking about how Jesus entered this world through His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Neither should a Protestant have trouble contemplating the fact that Mary said “yes” to God and is therefore the prime example for all believers of how we should submit our wills to the will of God. 

There is more, of course. Mary is no ordinary woman. She was specially prepared to be the Mother of Our Lord. Look at Jesus through her eyes and see what you see. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit as she did. A whole new world of wonder and glory just might open up to you if you let it. 

As Fr. Saunders pointed out, our Blessed Mother always leads the believer to her Son. 

The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Saturday)
1. The annunciation - Luke 1:26-38
2. The Visitation - Luke 1:39-56
3. The Birth of Our Lord - Luke 1:1-21
4. The presentation of Our Lord - Luke 2:22-38
5. The finding of the Boy, Jesus in the Temple - Luke 2:41-52

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)
1. The Agony in the Garden - Mt. 26:36-56
2. The Scourging at the Pillar - Mt. 27:26
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-31)
4. Our Lord Carries the Cross to Calvary (Matthew 27:32
5. The Crucifixion of Our Lord (Matthew 27:33-56)

“Glorious Mysteries”
(Wednesday & Sunday)

1. The Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord (John 20:1-29)
2. The Ascension of Our Lord (Luke 24:36-53)
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41)
4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven (Song of Songs 2:2,10-11)
5. The Coronation of Mary (Genesis 3:15 cf. Revelation 12:1)

“Luminous Mysteries”
(Thursday)

1. The Baptism of Our Lord in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13-16)
2. The Wedding at Cana, when Christ manifested Himself (John 2:1-11)
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15)
4. The Transfiguration of Our Lord (Matthew 17:1-8)
5. The Last Supper, when Our Lord gave us the Holy Eucharist (Mt 26)