The Rosary: "A Compendium of the Gospel" (Part 1)
What prayers are within the Rosary? (with some free prayer cards)
With all things related to Mary within the Catholic faith, they must be understood through the lens of what the Church teaches. Today, countless misunderstandings exist, and modern technology makes it easy to perpetuate these misunderstandings. Before diving into the main topic of this post, I want to offer two clarifications:
The Church does not teach that Mary has a divine nature
We do not worship Mary, but we do give her honor (more on that here)
Having grown up as a Catholic, hearing things like “Mary is in Heaven body and soul”, “Mary was a perpetual virgin”, or “Mary is the Queen of Heaven” do not cause me to bat an eye. However, if I didn’t grow up hearing these, I’d be immediately taken aback, wondering why anyone would be divinizing a creature. It would seem blasphemous. I assure you, there is reason for all of it, and it isn’t blasphemous. It is actually quite beautiful. If you would like to read a short post I’ve written on Mary, specifically related to her title “Queen of Heaven”, click here.
Throughout the Rosary, we pray with the events in Jesus’ life as seen through Mary’s eyes, which allows us to get to know Jesus. “[A]mong creatures no one knows Christ better than Mary.”1
This post will touch on how to pray the Rosary, highlighting how it is “a compendium of the Gospel”, using St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. (Stay until the end for the freebies!)
What Prayers are Within the Rosary?
The Rosary contains many prayers: “The Creed…which is said on the crucifix of the Rosary is a holy summary of all Christian truths”2; the Hail Mary allows us to contemplate “the mystery accomplished in the Virgin of Nazareth"3 and ask Mary to pray for us; the Our Father lifts our mind “up towards the Father”4; The Glory Be glorifies the Trinity.
“It is not just a conglomeration of Our Fathers and Hail Marys, but on the contrary it is a divine summary of the mysteries of the life, passion, death and glory of Jesus and Mary.” - St. Louis de Montfort
These prayers are accompanied by mysteries. There are four sets of mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous. Each set contains five mysteries.
St. John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries during his Pontificate. In his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, he said this:
Consequently, for the Rosary to become more fully a “compendium of the Gospel”, it is fitting to add, following reflection on the Incarnation and the hidden life of Christ (the joyful mysteries) and before focusing on the sufferings of his Passion (the sorrowful mysteries) and the triumph of his Resurrection (the glorious mysteries), a meditation on certain particularly significant moments in his public ministry (the mysteries of light). This addition of these new mysteries, without prejudice to any essential aspect of the prayer's traditional format, is meant to give it fresh life and to enkindle renewed interest in the Rosary's place within Christian spirituality as a true doorway to the depths of the Heart of Christ, ocean of joy and of light, of suffering and of glory.5
Let’s look at each set of mysteries a little closer…
The Mysteries
In Rosarium Virginis Mariae, St. John Paul II encourages us to include the reading of scripture when we pray the Rosary:
“In order to supply a Biblical foundation and greater depth to our meditation, it is helpful to follow the announcement of the mystery with the proclamation of a related Biblical passage, long or short, depending on the circumstances. No other words can ever match the efficacy of the inspired word. As we listen, we are certain that this is the word of God, spoken for today and spoken ‘for me’.
If received in this way, the word of God can become part of the Rosary's methodology of repetition without giving rise to the ennui derived from the simple recollection of something already well known. It is not a matter of recalling information but of allowing God to speak.”6
He then encourages us to pause and reflect after announcing each mystery:
“After the announcement of the mystery and the proclamation of the word, it is fitting to pause and focus one's attention for a suitable period of time on the mystery concerned, before moving into vocal prayer.”7
Now, you might be wondering: what Bible verses should be read while praying the Rosary? Keep reading!
The Joyful Mysteries
These mysteries “are marked by the joy radiating from the event of the Incarnation”.8
The Annunciation is the moment where the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to announce that she would bear the God-man:
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, ‘Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:26-33, 38)
The Visitation is when Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth:
“During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, ‘Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.’" (Luke 1:39-45)
The Nativity is the birth of Jesus:
“While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’" (Luke 2: 6-12)
The Presentation in the Temple is when St. Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple for his consecration to the Lord, according to the law:
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: ‘Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.’" (Luke 2:25-32)
The Finding in the Temple is the moment when St. Joseph and Mary find Jesus preaching in the temple after they had lost him:
“Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.’ And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them.” (Luke 2:41-50)
(Scriptures taken from the USCCB website)
The Sorrowful Mysteries
“The Gospels give great prominence to the sorrowful mysteries of Christ. From the beginning Christian piety, especially during the Lenten devotion of the Way of the Cross, has focused on the individual moments of the Passion, realizing that here is found the culmination of the revelation of God's love and the source of our salvation. The Rosary selects certain moments from the Passion, inviting the faithful to contemplate them in their hearts and to relive them.”9
The Agony in the Garden is the moment in “Gethsemane, where Christ experiences a moment of great anguish before the will of the Father, against which the weakness of the flesh would be tempted to rebel. There Jesus encounters all the temptations and confronts all the sins of humanity, in order to say to the Father: ‘Not my will but yours be done’ (Lk 22:42 and parallels).”10 :
“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go yonder and pray.' And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.' And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will"' (Matthew 26:36-39).
The Scourging at the Pillar:
"Pilate released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified" (Matthew 27:26)
The Crowning with Thorns:
"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 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. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!"' (Matthew 27:27-29).
The Carrying of the Cross:
“And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull)" (Mark 15:21-22).
The Crucifixion and Death:
"And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' ... It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!' And having said this he breathed his last" (Luke 23:33-46).
“The sorrowful mysteries help the believer to relive the death of Jesus, to stand at the foot of the Cross beside Mary, to enter with her into the depths of God's love for man and to experience all its life-giving power.”11
(Scriptures taken from the Vatican website)
The Glorious Mysteries
“[T]he…glorious mysteries, ought to lead the faithful to an ever greater appreciation of their new life in Christ” by leading “the faithful to greater hope for the eschatological12 goal towards which they journey as members of the pilgrim People of God in history.”13
The Resurrection is the mystery about Christ rising from the dead. Through “[c]ontemplating the Risen One, Christians rediscover the reasons for their own faith (cf. 1Cor 15:14) and relive the joy not only of those to whom Christ appeared – the Apostles, Mary Magdalene and the disciples on the road to Emmaus – but also the joy of Mary, who must have had an equally intense experience of the new life of her glorified Son.”14 :
"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen"' (Luke 24:1-5).
The Ascension is when “Christ was raised in glory to the right hand of the Father”.15 :
"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).
The Descent of the Holy Spirit, or “Pentecost,…reveals the face of the Church as a family gathered together with Mary, enlivened by the powerful outpouring of the Spirit and ready for the mission of evangelization.”16 :
"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).
In the Assumption, Mary herself is “raised to that same glory…, enjoying beforehand, by a unique privilege, the destiny reserved for all the just at the Resurrection of the dead.”17 :
“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. … When the dragon [the rebellious angel, the devil] saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of.” (Revelation 12:1, 13-14)
At the Coronation of Mary, she “shines forth as Queen of the Angels and Saints, the anticipation and the supreme realization of the eschatological state if the Church.”18 :
“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.” (Revelation 12:1-5)
(Scriptures taken from the Vatican website and Benedictine College website)
The Luminous Mysteries
“Each of these mysteries is a revelation of the Kingdom now present in the very person of Jesus.”19
At the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, “the heavens open wide and the voice of the Father declares him the beloved son”.20:
"And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased"' (Matthew 3:16-17).
The Wedding at Cana is where Jesus’ public ministry began, changing “water into wine and [opening] the hearts of the disciples to faith, thanks to the intervention of Mary, the first among believers.”21 :
"On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, 'O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you"' (John 2:1-5).
The third Luminous Mystery is Jesus’ proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, where he “calls for conversion and forgives the sins of all who draw near him in humble trust”.22 :
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
At the Transfiguration, “[t]he glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ as the Father commands the astonished Apostles to ‘listen to him’ (cf. Lk 9:35 and parallels) and to prepare to experience with him the agony of the Passion, so as to come with him to the joy of the Resurrection and a life transfiguration by the Holy Spirit.”23:
"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light" (Matthew 17:1-2).
The Institution of the Eucharist is when “Christ offers his body and blood as food under the signs of bread and wine, and testifies ‘to the end’ his love for humanity (Jn 13:1), for whose salvation he will offer himself in sacrifice.”24:
"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).
(Scriptures taken from the Vatican website)
Encouragement to Pray the Rosary
The Rosary has had a deep impact on my spiritual life (more on that in part two), so I wanted to offer some prayer pamphlets in an effort to encourage you to take on the task of praying the Rosary regularly. Print these on cardstock, using high quality print settings for the best results!
If the freebies are not to your taste, the links provided to the Vatican website at the end of each set of mysteries are a great resource to print!
The freebies (I know the text is small, but these are meant to be folded to the size of a 2.5” x 4.25” prayer card):
The Rosary-A Compendium of the Gospel (this one includes the Bible verses mentioned in this post for each mystery)
To pray the Scriptural Rosary, one or two verses are said before each Hail Mary of each decade. This pdf from the Knights of Columbus walks you through the Scriptural Rosary.
Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for part two of this post on the Rosary. As always, please keep me in your prayers as I continue to share the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 14
The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort, page 32 (Montfort Publications)
Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 33; cf. Luke 1:28-38
Ibid., 32; cf. Matthew 6:9-15
Ibid., 19
Ibid., 30
Ibid., 31
Ibid., 20
Ibid., 22
Ibid.
Ibid.
According to Brittanica: “Eschatology, the doctrine of the last things”
Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 23
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid., 21
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.