How to Pray

‘THERE IS NO SURER MEANS OF CALLING DOWN GOD’S BLESSINGS UPON THE FAMILY . . . THAN THE DAILY RECITATION OF THE ROSARY’ – POPE PIUS XII

Meditating Upon The Gospel Through The Mysteries

The Rosary is an ‘exquisitively contemplative prayer’ and should not be a ‘mechanical repetition of formulas’ but rather the ‘recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace.’

The primary focus of praying the Rosary should be to meditate upon the life and teachings of Jesus Christ – summarized in the Mysteries ‘as seen through the eyes of her closest to the Lord.’

There are a total of 20 such Mysteries that provide an ‘executive summary’ of or a highlight of important events contained within the Gospels, which memorialize the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Primarily for convenience and brevity, it is recommended that the Mysteries be prayed in 4 distinct groups – the JOYFUL, SORROWFUL, GLORIOUS and the LUMINOUS Mysteries.

Each of these represent certain significant events in the life of Jesus and his mother, Mary. It is the meditation upon these events and the accompanying lessons that Christians should take from these events that comprise the ‘fruit’ of the praying of the Rosary.