Rosaries: How To Choose and Use a Rosary

For most of my life, I didn’t know how to use a rosary, or even why. For the unfamiliar, it can seem a confusing tradition of prayer and worship that leaves newer Catholics puzzled. That’s not actually the case. The rosaries are straightforward to understand. By the time you’re finished reading this, you’ll know exactly what the rosaries are, where they come from, and how you can use rosary beads to keep track of your prayers.

What Is The Rosary (And Where Does It Come From)?

In short, the Rosary is an intimate study, or meditation, on certain moments in the gospels. Rosary beads are the necklaces (or bracelets) used to keep track of your prayers and meditations as you work through the Rosary.

There are four different sets of mysteries, each containing five events. The word mystery doesn’t have the exact same meaning as we would use in the modern day. Instead, they are called mysteries because there is more than meets the eye, and they give food for thought.

The most recent (the Luminous Mysteries) was added by Pope John Paul II in 2002. The Church recommends that you pray different Mysteries on different days of the week.

The four sets of Mysteries are:

The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Saturday):

• The Annunciation of Jesus’ birth to Mary
• The Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth
• The Birth of Jesus Christ
• The Presentation of Jesus in the temple
• The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday):

• The Agony in the Garden
• The Scourging at the Pillar
• The Crowning with Thorns
• The Carrying of the Cross
• The Crucifixion

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday and Sunday):

• The Resurrection of the Lord
• The Ascension of the Lord
• The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
• The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
• The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven

The Luminous Mysteries (Thursday):

• The Baptism of Jesus
• The Wedding Feast at Cana
• The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
• The Transfiguration
• The Institution of the Eucharist

How To Pray The Rosary

Praying the Rosary is simpler than it seems, especially with rosary beads to keep track.

1. Start with the Sign of the Cross and recite the Apostle's Creed.
2. On the first 5 beads of the rosary above the cross, recite one Our Father, three Hail Marys (one each for faith, hope and charity) and one Glory Be.
3. This takes you to the looped part of the rosary beads. Announce the Mystery you’ll be praying on. Recite one Our Father, followed by ten Hail Marys, then one Glory Be To The Father.

While you recite your ten Hail Marys, count ten beads along the rosary, and use this time to reflect and meditate upon the mystery of your choice. This is a decade, and many rosary beads will have 5 decades of beads so you can pray each of the five mysteries in one go.

If you don’t have time to pray all the Mysteries at once, that’s okay. Count one decade to reflect on a single Mystery at a time. You can space these out across the day for whenever you have a few minutes.

Different Types Of Rosary Beads

There is no one-size-fits-all all approach when it comes to rosary beads. They come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, materials and price ranges. Apart from finding one you like, the key difference is the number of beads, or decades, on your rosary. A full rosary will have 59 beads (or 5 decades), a car or pocket rosary will have 10 or 11 beads (1 decade) and a 20 decade rosary has, well, 20 decades (that’s 225 beads).

For those who like to pray a full set of mysteries at once, a five decade rosary will be the best option. For those who pray on the go, and split the mysteries up throughout the day, you may want to consider a single decade rosary. Don’t be intimate by the full 20 decade rosary. They usually have decade markers so you can hold your place and come back to it later, rather than praying every mystery in one go.

Where To Get Rosary Beads

Here at Eden, we have a fantastic selection of rosaries fit for any purpose. Whether you’re buying for yourself, or for someone else, we’re sure to have something for you. Rosaries make fantastic baptism, birthday, or Christmas gifts to those close to you, or people you’re welcoming into the church.