In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity (Jeremiah 31:31-34) every person can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.
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PDF version file
HOW
TO PRAY THE ROSARY – BRIEF INSTRUCTIONS
Contemplating Jesus with Mary and Praying As a Family
God is the source of vitality and love for Marriage and
Family life. Prayer is entertaining
God’s presence in order to let Him connect us to his divine vitality. Here is
how you can pray together as a Couple and Family.
Step 1. Gathering together – make the Sign of the + Cross: “In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Step 2.
Introductory prayers for God’s
guidance and Mother Mary’s help:
“Dear God, here
we are in your presence. Please guide and inspire us, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
“Holy Spirit, instil in our minds
the mind of Jesus and in our hearts the Heart of Jesus.”
You can also call upon Our Blessed Mother Mary to be with you and your family as you pray her Rosary: “Blessed Mother Mary, you who pondered in your Immaculate Heart all the wonderful things God did for you and his people, please be with us and guide us as we pray and meditate on the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. Pray for us and help us to contemplate the divine light shining on the holy Face of Jesus, your Son, Our Lord. Amen.”
Step 3. The Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Mysteries of Jesus.
1.
The first devotional
ejaculation: “Heavenly Father I trust in You, I offer You the United
Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the triumphant bleeding wounds of Jesus and the tears
of our loving heavenly Mother Mary. Lord, your will be done.”
This prayer could be said after the initial
Glory Be and again at the end of the other ejaculatory prayers after each
decade; so 7 times in all. (Prayer linked to family consecration to
their United Hearts… published in Germany)
2. Creed, Our Father, three Hail Mary’s, Glory Be.
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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst 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.
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.
Fatima Prayer – O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy. Amen.
3. All say second half of each prayer and after the Glory Be say: “Heavenly Father I trust in You, I offer You the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the triumphant bleeding wounds of Jesus and the tears of our loving heavenly Mother Mary. Lord, your will be done.”
Step 4. This is how we ponder the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary and pray the five decades.
2.
After a pause to reflect on the Mystery in Jesus’ life, each
person may express what is on their mind or in their heart as they pray today.
In this way all can hear what others think and feel and in this way learn how
we can share and join in one another’s intentions.
3.
A designated leader begins by saying the first half of the
Our Father, ten Hail Mary’s, and Glory Be and all respond with the second half
of each prayer. The leader may add
after the Name of Jesus in each Hail Mary the Lourdes Shrine phrase which
focuses on the Mystery. Decade prayers are begun in a single language. Each
successive decade can be lead by a different person and can also begin in a different
language.
4.
All respond by saying the second half of each of these
prayers in a common language.
5. We ponder not so much the words of the prayers but rather Jesus in his mysteries with Mary.
Step 5. Fatima prayer and other ejaculatory prayers at the end of each decade.
1. At the end of the decade the person who has been saying the first half of the prayers now initiates the Fatima prayer and everyone joins in: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, and lead all souls into Heaven, especially those most in need of your Mercy.” (July 13th, 1917)
2.
Another devotional ejaculatory
or short prayer can be added: “Come Holy Spirit, come by
means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well
beloved Spouse.” (Taken from the Chaplet of the Holy
Spirit)
3.
A third devotional ejaculatory
prayer can be added: “Heavenly Father I trust in You, I
offer You the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the triumphant bleeding wounds
of Jesus and the tears of our loving heavenly Mother Mary. Lord, your will be
done.”
(Taken
from devotion to the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary)
Step 6. Steps 4 and 5 are repeated for each of the remaining four Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
1.
The same persons may exercise the leader’s roles as in the
first decade, and rotation can be made of the roles the following day or the
following week, according to family preference.
2.
At the end of the fifth decade and the prayers following it,
the following prayers are said.
3. (on next page) Hail Holy Queen – Prayer to St Michael the Archangel – Prayer for the Pope.
Step 7. Look at each other and notice how you feel, having prayed together. (Fellowship time)
1.
You may not need to exchange any words, but may see in each
other’s eyes that this has been a significant time of prayer – a time of
intimacy with God, but also a time of intimacy with each other – because you
have trusted each other with simple, daily secrets of the heart.
2.
We tend to feel well loved when someone listens to our
heart, because this is who we are.
3. Feel free to hug, kiss, bow before an icon, make the Sign of the Cross, or a reverent genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament if in a chapel. Prayer doesn’t have to include words, or be painful or boring. It is as lively and connected as we ourselves are.
Remember that prayer is a normal human activity. You will
become more at ease with it the more you do it. On the other hand, because you
are not alone in it, but God is there with you, prayer is not only a human
activity, but also a divine activity. For this reason it doesn’t make sense to
try to evaluate our prayer experiences using only human parameters or measuring
sticks. In fact, it is better not to evaluate our prayer at all, but rather to
pay attention to the fidelity and generosity with which we spend or “waste”
time “visiting” with God every day. The ultimate rule of thumb here is the rule
of love that expresses itself and gives itself in freedom and generosity.
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* + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * +
At the end of 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!
Leader: Pray for us O Holy Mother of
God,
All:
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
Leader: Let us pray. All: 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 on
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.
Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Prayer for the
Holy Father
Leader: Upon this Rock
He will build His Church...
All:
...and the jaws of death shall not prevail against her.
Leader: O Mother of the Redeemer...
All:
...Living Tabernacle of the Eucharist, and Luminous Rose of Heaven, with humble
confidence we ask you to bestow upon the Holy Father all the graces and
blessings reserved for him by the Holy Trinity from all eternity. Amen.
Leader: Help his friends...
All:
...and convert his enemies.
Leader: Saint Joseph...
All:
...pray for us. Amen.
Leader: May the Divine
Assistance remain always with us...
All:
...and may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in
peace. Amen.
“In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Following the publication by Saint Pope John Paul II of his "Letter on the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary" in 2002, I first wrote notes in 2003 for the faithful, families, and all people of good will to help them pray to God with Our Blessed Mother Mary and contemplate the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary - so many "windows" into the life, ministry, mission, passion, death, and resurrection of her son, the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. I updated this every few years as a guide also for praying alone, as a couple, and as a family, and in October 2020 for these web pages.
In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity (Jeremiah 31:31-34) every person can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.
© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
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