The Rosary

The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness…With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.
(Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 1)

The Luminous Mysteries were added by Pope John Paul II in 2002. “…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).

(Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 19)

Days Dedicated to Pray the Mysteries

The Five Joyful Mysteries
(Monday and Saturday)

The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity of Jesus
The Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple
The Finding of the child Jesus in the Temple

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesday and Friday)

The Agony in the Garden
The Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar
The Crowning of Thorns
The Carrying of the Cross
The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord

The Five Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesday and Sunday)

The Resurrection of Jesus
The Ascension of Jesus
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
The Coronation Of Mary in Heaven

The Five Luminous Mysteries
(Mysteries of Light) (Thursday)

The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
The Wedding Feast at Cana
The Kingdom of God
The Transfiguration of Jesus
The Holy Eucharist