The Rosary is an essential part of Catholic prayer and is one of the most popular Catholic devotions. 

It consists of a series of prayers in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary that meditate on the life of Jesus through different mysteries. The prayers are counted and kept track of using Rosary beads.

The Rosary allows us to consider in depth the parts of Christ’s life on Earth as well as ask for Mary’s intercession for our intentions. In the Hail Mary prayer we ask the Blessed Mother to pray for us “now and at the hour of our death”.

When Mary appeared to the three children of Fatima, Portugal, in 1917 she left them with the message: “Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.”  This message displays the importance of the Rosary. Mary requests that they pray the Rosary daily to bring peace to the world.

The Rosary is a powerful, meaningful set of prayers.

The Rosary is made up of prayers taken from scripture. For example, the Hail Mary prayer comes from the Gospel of Luke 1:28 “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you!” as well as in verse 42 ‘In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”’. These prayers acknowledge the importance of Mary and her status as the Mother of our Lord. The Our Father prayer is also directly from scripture in Matthew 6:9-13.

The Parts of the Rosary

The Rosary is made up of 5 decades each containing 10 repeats of the Hail Mary prayer. Each decade begins with the Our Father prayer and ends with the Glory Be prayer. There are also a few more prayers at the beginning and end of the Rosary as well as in between the decades.

Click here for a full guide to each of the prayers in the Rosary.

The Mysteries of the Rosary

The mysteries of the Rosary are the themes of meditation. There are 4 mysteries: sorrowful, joyful, luminous and glorious and they each contain 5 significant events from Christ’s life that correspond with the theme of the name.

The Rosary consists of, 1. Reciting the prayers, and 2. Meditating on the theme of each decade.It is important that, when praying the Rosary, we do not fall into a monotonous rhythm of simply saying the prayers but rather praying them.

The Rosary is a devotion. It is made special by the dedication of the one praying it. 

By meditating on the mysteries and considering Christ’s life, our words are infused with power and grace to do amazing things through Mary, for God.

Tips for Praying the Rosary Well

Set up an altar

The first way to pray the Rosary better is to set up an altar in your home. This gives you a dedicated space to pray.

St Catherine of Sienna said “Build yourself a cell in your heart and retire there to pray.” The best way to start building this place in your heart is to first build a physical space, where you can retire to pray.

You may want to use/include:

• Candles 
• Statues
• Images 
• Crucifix 
• Flowers
• Holy water font

Engage your senses

Engage all of your senses when setting up your prayer space. Light a nice smelling candle, hold rosary beads, gaze at an image or crucifix and listen to Gregorian chant. All of these things help to set the tone of your prayer space and let your body know that you are entering a time of prayer. This allows you to step away from the chaos of the world and concentrate on the Lord.

Use the Hallow app

Hallow is the #1 Catholic prayer app and has a diverse library of meditations, readings and prayer for many occasions. It also has a guided Rosary that is perfect for if you're praying the Rosary alone (as well as with others, of course). 

Gregorian chant

Gregorian chant music is traditional Catholic hymns sung in a monophonic way. This music is a great way to drown out any other loud noise that could be making it difficult for you to concentrate. I have used Gregorian chant on numerous occasions to block out extra noise and it has allowed me to concentrate in prayer far better. 

Gregorian chant music can be found on YouTube or Spotify

Read scripture and meditations

A great way to immerse yourself in the story of the decade and create a clear picture in your head is by reading the corresponding scripture passages or pre-written meditations.

You can find long or short reflections and meditations online or purchase a book that includes pictures.

Use images to guide your thoughts

To accompany reading scriptures and meditations, consider printing or finding images that show the scene of each decade of the Rosary.

Images can be easily found on Pinterest or other websites.

Gazing at an image that corresponds with the mystery is a simple way to guide your thoughts and decrease distractions.

Alternatively, shows such as The Chosen also depict, in some episodes, the focuses of the decades of the Rosary. I have found that when meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, I am often imagining the scenes of The Chosen and this has been extremely helpful.

Pray with others

Praying with other people is a great way to change your experience of the Rosary. Christ said "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Prayer becomes more powerful with other people, and it can also give you a feeling of community and fellowship.

Many parishes have Rosary times where church members can pray the Rosary together. If your church doesn't have a Rosary time, consider starting one yourself. Invite your friends and family, ask your priest to spread the word, or simply start praying the Rosary out loud. Other people are likely to join if you choose a time when people are present such as before/after Mass or Reconciliation. It doesn't have to be a big deal or take up hours, you only have to start. After all, Mary is your advocate.

You could participate in a public Rosary where people gather in a public area and pray the Rosary in the presence of everyday people.

Make the story first person

Another method to deepen your meditation of each of the mysteries is to take on the role of one of the characters in the story. Imagine the scene from the perspective of one of the people who were there - an apostle, a follower of Christ, a blind man being healed, a leper, Mary or Joseph. Consider how this person feels or how the grass brushes against their ankles. Imagine the way the breeze moves their clothing or the feeling of Christ’s gaze falling on them. Take the story and make it first person. Imagine the scene, in detail, from their perspective.

To Conclude

The Rosary can often become monotonous and repetitive if we don't consciously focus on the meditations and the meaning of the prayers we are praying. Hopefully you got some ideas to help you deepen your prayer time with the Rosary and grow your spiritual life.

The Rosary is a beautiful, powerful devotion. By reciting it daily peace can be achieved in our world. Let us not forget the importance of this set of prayers.

"The Rosary is the weapon for these times!"

- St Padre Pio