Name: Angelle Khienna Tagaytayan

Course and year: BSA – 1

HISTORY OF THE HOLY ROSARY

The rosary is one of the most cherished prayers of our Catholic Church. Introduced by
the Creed, the Our Father, three Hail Mary and the Doxology ("Glory Be"), and
concluded with the Salve Regina, the rosary involves the recitation of five decades
consisting of the Our Father, 10 Hail Mary and the Doxology. During this recitation, the
individual meditates on the saving mysteries of our Lord's life and the faithful witness of
our Blessed Mother.
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.
Along with the cross and the sacred holy water fonts, the small beads that makeup are
one of the most familiar and recognized symbols of Catholicism. According to Catholic
tradition, the rosary was instituted by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. In the 13th
century, she is said to have appeared to St. Dominic (founder of the Dominicans), given
him a rosary, and asked that Christians pray the Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory
Be prayers instead of the Psalms. The original rosary of St. Dominic had 15 decades.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY

 Five Joyful Mysteries are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays. These events all
have to do with Christ’s birth.
- The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary.
- The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth.
- The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea.
- The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.
- The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.

 Five Luminous Mysteries are recalled on Thursdays and were instituted by

Pope John Paul II in 2002.
- Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan.
- The Wedding at Cana.
- The Proclamation of the Kingdom.
- The Transfiguration.
 - The Institution of the Eucharist.

 Five Sorrowful Mysteries relate to Jesus’ suffering and death and are recalled

on Tuesdays and Fridays.
- The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- The Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar.
- The Crowning of Jesus with Thorns.
- The Carrying of the Cross.
- The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.

 Five Glorious Mysteries remind the faithful of Jesus’ resurrection and the

glories of heaven and are prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- The Resurrection of Jesus.
- The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven.
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
- The Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
- The Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven.

Although a variety of prayers might be used in saying the rosary, a selection of standard
prayers is most commonly used. They are Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary and
Glory Be. A decade consists of one Our Father, ten Hail Mary’s and one Glory Be.