Sets of Seven

Seven falls can represent various sets of seven, depending on the direction of your contemplation. Consider the following three examples of sets of seven.

The Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins we contemplate so that we can shun them effectively. They are, alphabetically, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, and Wrath.

19" Plain DSP Grip and Knots
The Seven Last Words

The Seven Last Words of Our Lord from the Cross are technically seven phrases. When we contemplate on them in their proper order, we get a glimpse of the progression of the salvation process, and deepen our understanding of Christ Crucified. Without Christ’s suffering, own sacrifices, penenances and mortification would not, could not be meritorious. The seven falls thus stand for Forgiveness, Salvation, Relationship, Abandonment, Distress, Triumph and Reunion:

Forgiveness: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Salvation: Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Relationship: Woman, behold thy son! and Behold thy mother!
Abandonment: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Distress: I thirst.
Triumph: It is finished.
Reunion: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

17" Standard Size Discipline
The seven sorrows of Our Lady

The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, a popular devotion especially during Lent, recall to our mind the seven swords that pierces the Blessed Virgin’s Immaculate Heart. When we contemplate her sorrows, we align our suffering with hers along with that of Our Lord Jesus. The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady are often prayed alongside the Stations of the Cross, a devotion which was started by the Blessed Virgin herself.

First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon during the Presentation in the Temple
Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt
Third Sorrow: The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem for Three Days
Fourth Sorrow: Mary meeting Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, which we pray as the the Fourth Station of the Cross. It is not found in the Bible.
Fifth Sorrow: The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary
Sixth Sorrow: Jesus’s Descent from the Cross
Seventh Sorrow: The Burial of Jesus

The Works of the Venerable Bede cover, cropped

Contrition: Burning Away the Rust of Sin


Contrition, the desire for God over sin, follows repentance, if it is sincere. It is a burning desire to be cleansed by the fire of God’s forgiveness and mercy.

“What is love but fire; what is sin but rust? Hence it is said, many sins are forgiven her because she hath loved much, as though to say, she hath burned away entirely the rust of sin, because she is inflamed with the fire of love.” The Venerable Bede, P.L., XCII, 425.

By Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld - Die Bibel in Bildern, Public Domain. David is depicted giving a penitential psalm in this 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld, a Lutheran.
How to Pray the Rosary Cross and Beads

How to Pray the Rosary – The Basics

New to praying the Rosary? Here are the basics you need to know to start. If you have rosary beads to pray with, fine. If not, fine too. God has given us ten fingers to count on!

Introduction

Generally, the Rosary consists of five groups of ten Hail Mary prayers (represented by ten beads evenly spaced from each other), interspersed with one Our Father prayer (represented by one set-apart bead). These groups, or decades, are called Mysteries and relate to stages in the life of Our Lord Jesus and His Blessed Mother. Traditionally, there are three groups of five Mysteries: The Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries, relating respectively to Our Lord Jesus’ birth and youth, His passion and crucifixion, and His resurrexion and ascension. Saint John Paul II added another set of five Mysteries known as the Luminous Mysteries. They relate to incidents in the life of Our Lord Jesus as recorded in the New Testament.

How to Start Praying the Rosary

Naturally, the Rosary has an introduction that we pray before the Mysteries begin. Rosary beads usually have a cross or crucifix and five beads on the bottom (three evenly spaced, framed by two set-apart beads), which we use to pray the introduction as follows:

  1. Make the Sign of the Cross, saying “In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”
  2. Pray the Sanctus (Holy Holy Holy)
  3. Pray the Apostles Creed holding the cross/crucifix.
  4. Pray the Our Father holding a set-apart bead
  5. Pray three times Hail Mary holding one of the evenly spaced beads after the other
  6. On reaching the second set-apar bead, pray a Glory Be and an O My Jesus prayer (also known as the Fatima Prayer)
  7. Announce the first Mystery (see below)
  8. Pray the Our Father

For all these prayers in English, click here. For all these prayers in Latin, click here.

Then we use the round of beads to keep track of how many Hail Mary prayers we have prayed: Hold the first bead while praying the first Hail Mary, move on to the next while praying the second Hail Mary and so forth. If you have no rosary beads, use your fingers to keep track. After ten Hail Mary prayers we reach the set-apart bead, upon which we again pray a Glory Be and an O My Jesus prayer, then announce the next Mystery, pray an Our Father, and start into the next decade of Hail Mary Prayers. Thus we continue until we have made it around the Rosary.

Praying the Mysteries

These are the Mysteries we ponder while praying the Rosary:

The Joyful Mysteries
  1. The Annunciation
  2. The Visitation
  3. The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus
  4. The Presentation in the Temple
  5. Finding Our Lord Jesus in the Temple when He was Twelve
The Sorrowful Mysteries
  1. The Agony in the Garden
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar
  3. The Crowning with Thorns
  4. The Carrying of the Cross
  5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Jesus
The Glorious Mysteries
  1. The Resurrexion
  2. The Ascension
  3. The Coming of the Holy Spirit
  4. The Assumption of Our Lady
  5. The Crowning of Our Lady in Heaven
Good to Know

Many people pray one set of Mysteries per day. If so, the general association of Mysteries and weekdays is that

  • Mondays and Thursdays the Joyful Mysteries are prayed,
  • Tuesdays and Fridays the Sorrowful Mysteries, and
  • Wednesdays and Saturdays the Glorious Mysteries.
  • Sunday is reserved for the Glorious Mysteries.
  • During Advent, only the Joyful Mysteries are prayed, and
  • during Lent, only the Sorrowful Mysteries.

There are also many people who pray all three (or four) sets of Mysteries every day, especially after Our Lady encouraged the three children she appeared to in Fatima to pray the Rosary daily.

While praying each Mystery, we contemplate the situation alluded to in the Mystery, and the virtue this meditation can produce in us. Some people add a short description of the situation into the Hail Mary (following the Name of Jesus) in order to remind themselves which Mystery they are praying at the moment.

Madonna del rosario Nicola Porta
Our Lady of the Rosary

The Prayers of the Rosary in English


Here are collected all the prayers that you need to pray the Rosary in English, in the order in which you will need them.

Our Lady of the Rosary
Our Lady of the Rosary
Sanctus

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

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 from the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary,
who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried,
descended into hell, rose again from the dead on the third day,
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty,
who will come again 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 the life everlasting.
Amen.

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.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Hail Mary

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

Glory 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.

O My Jesus (Fatima Prayer)

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need of your mercy.