Rosary: Seven Glorious Mysteries

Prayer of Intention

Begin by having an intention in mind for the rosary. This intention may be stated as part of the following prayer.

We who gather to pray this rosary do have in our minds and hearts the following intentions: (Here a few moments of silence allows all to clarify their intentions). We ask that these intentions may bring forth the results desired, according to Your will. Amen.

General Instructions

1. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), with the rest of the rosary in the left hand, bless yourself with the Invocation:
         In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

2. Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), and with the rest of the rosary draped across the left hand, begin with this Prayer of Saint Francis:
         Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in complete surrender that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

3. On the first bead after the cross say the "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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

   Alternate "Our Father" translated from the Aramaic:
         O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, focus your light within us—make it useful. Create your reign of unity now; Your one desire acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Grant what we need each day in bread and insight. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strand we hold of others’ guilt. Don’t let surface things delude us, but free us from what holds us back. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the song that beautifies all; from age to age it renews. Amen.

4. On the next three beads say the "AVE MARIA":
         Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Amen.

5. After the third AVE MARIA hold the chain and say the GLORIA PATRI:
         Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is how and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Name the mystery and read the thoughts and prayer that follow each one. Begin with the OUR FATHER on the bead just before the medal and the AVE MARIA on the next ten beads following the medal. On the chain following these ten beads, say the GLORIA PATRI.

7. Then, name the next mystery and proceed exactly as above until all the mysteries have been said—that is say the OUR FATHER on the single bead, then the ten AVE MARIAs, then on the chain the GLORIA PATRI, then the next mystery.

First Glorious Mystery: The Healing of the Leper

"And it happened while he was in one of the towns, there was a man with leprosy. Seeing Jesus, he fell on his face, saying ‘Lord, if you want to, you can heal me.’ And he reached out his hand and touched him, saying ‘I do want to.’ And the leprosy went right out of him." Luke 5:13

Just as the Grace of God not only wanted to heal, but did indeed heal the leper, so does that same Grace want to find us, to heal in us that which makes us separate from our own Divine core. Like the leper, we seek to open our hearts to the healing touch of Grace that lives in us and all around us. It just awaits our open reception.

Prayer:
      Heavenly Mother, help us open ourselves to the healing Grace of God, that we may be whole and one with Him in thought, word and deed.

Second Glorious Mystery: The Feeding of the Five Thousand

"Andrew, the brother of Simon, says "There’s a child here who has five loaves of bread and two small fish, but what’s that among all these people?" Luke 5:13

From a few loaves and fishes were many fed, from a few pearls of wisdom, from a few precious drops of love were many redeemed. So much was left over that it could hardly be accounted for. Thus it is in our lives when we open to the Grace ever-present in our lives. Why were they fed? Because they were hungry. How were so many fed? Because the source of Grace is boundless and without measure. Who can be fed? All who acknowledge their readiness to break bread in one life, one love.

Prayer:
      O Queen of saints, as the many were fed with so much left over, help us to receive the meal already set for us. Help us to be thankful for the Love and Grace that marks each moment of our lives. Amen.

Third Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection

"Don’t be astonished. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified. He rose up, he is not here." Mark 16:6

Mary Magdalene, and Mary, mother of James, set out to visit the tomb so that they could properly prepare the body for burial. They were wondering about how they would be able to roll the stone from the entrance to the burial chamber when they came upon it and noticed that it was moved. They looked inside and found the tomb empty. Upon hearing the words of the Angel, they fled in joy and excitement. Here is an important insight into the nature of our relationship to the Divine and to the map of our interior life. Christ is risen when the tomb is empty, and in similar fashion Christ arises in us when we are empty—when there is space not taken by our wills and egos, by our fears and stresses, by our smallness of vision. When we empty ourselves of everything, there is room for Christ to rise. We, who are full of ourselves, seek to be empty—that we might be full again.

Prayer:
      O Queen of Peace, whose emptiness was filled that day, grant that we may so fully empty ourselves of ourselves that we may create a place for Christ to rise in us. Amen.

Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Appearance to the Disciples

"Were not our hearts blazing within us as He disclosed the scriptures to us?" Luke 24:33

Two people were walking to Emmaus, near Jerusalem, and a stranger came upon them and engaged them in conversation. As the conversation continued, the stranger disclosed to the pair deeper and deeper meanings to the scriptures that applied to the events surrounding the crucifixion. As they broke bread together, they realized that the stranger was none other than the risen Christ, and he disappeared from their sight. They listened, and as they heard His message, they heard it with their hearts and not their senses. The risen Christ is not an object of the senses, but that which is felt and known rather than seen and heard. When we feel deeply into the stillness of our own hearts, this is the place where we break bread with the Divinity inside of us, where sight and sound disappear to be replaced by the blazing of the Light of God.

Prayer
      O Queen of our hearts, ignite our hearts with the flame of devotion, the heat of love and the Light of God. Amen.

Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Ascension

"Lord Jesus was taken up unto heaven." Mark 16:19

Mark’s description of the return visit of the Lord was made in the context of the eleven sitting together, where He appeared unto them . The appearance of Christ in the midst of the eleven was a shock to them, as they had heard of others seeing the risen Christ, but had not believed their stories. This is a key to understanding the dynamics of the inner life: when we don’t open ourselves to some possibilities we are closed to all possibilities. This is a symbolic reason why Christ appears to His disciples in various forms that are physically unrecognized by them; they must know Christ inside to be able to recognize Him outside of their hearts. Upon recognizing Him in our hearts, we too are "taken up unto heaven".

Prayer
      Dearest Mother, whose heart is so open, help us open our hearts to seek Him and to know He who dwells therein that we may see Him in all faces. Amen.

Sixth Glorious Mystery: The Coming of the Holy Spirit

"All were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4

The description in Acts is one of a gathering of people in prayer, whereupon came unto them the awareness of the Holy Spirit, the Presence of God. They saw new celestial sights, and spoke in all languages so that each of the witnesses who gathered there heard people speaking in their own native languages. And each who heard them speak was touched in a profound way. Mary, who in the previous chapter of Acts was placed among them as they prayed, was most likely present for the Pentecost and a witness as well as a participant. From this we learn that when people are of one accord, both outwardly and inwardly, the gifts of the Spirit are able to manifest in their lives. And the good news is that they are available to all, for "all were filled" and all heard in their own language. God reveals Himself to Himself through us, as we become filled and hear in our own hearts the unique expression of Divinity that is the root of who we are. For the Gift of the Holy Spirit is to discern the Presence of God within us, and to act from that Presence.

Prayer
      O Mother of Divine Grace, give us your heavenly aid that we may that we open ourselves to the Presence of God within and in living in that Presence, become the instrument of Divine purpose. Amen.

Seventh Joyous Mystery: The Assumption and Coronation of Our Lady

In her role as the Divine Mother, Mary through her Assumption becomes accessible to all, pointing the way to Christ. She is the embodiment of unconditional Love, of nurturance, of patience, and of compassion. Her promise is the promise of discovering Christ within ourselves, even as she discovered the Divine Son.

Prayer
      Holy Mother, bring to us the compassion of service, the joy of surrender, and the love of Christ as we learn to see Him in all things. Amen.

Closing