Pray the Rosary.
Pray without ceasing.
Posted on 03/21/2010 8:29:02 PM PDT by Salvation
History of The Scriptural Rosary
The Scriptural Rosary is a modern version of the way the Rosary was once prayed throughout Western Christendom in the late Middle Ages. In those times - about 1425 to 1525 A.D. - people recited a different little thought, or meditation as they prayed each Hail Mary of the Rosary. These thoughts for each Hail Mary bead described some event or incident in the lives of Jesus and Mary. The new Scriptural Rosary presented here follows this old medieval custom of assigning a different little thought to each Hail Mary bead. The thoughts have been arranged so that the story of each Mystery unfolds, bead by bead, in ten consecutive steps. Most importantly, the Scriptural Rosary draws its Hail Mary thoughts directly from the inspired writings of the New and Old Testaments. This was not done in the Middle Ages. It is for this reason that this new version of the medieval way of praying the Rosary is called the 'Scriptural' Rosary: because 147 of the 150 little Hail Mary thoughts are direct quotations from the scriptures.
Historic Background of the Scriptural Rosary
The story of how the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary originated, and how it has developed and changed over the centuries, is one of the most interesting but little known chapters of the history of our Faith. A brief look at this curious story will show that the Scriptural Rosary presented here is actually very similar to the form of Rosary that was once in universal use during the late Middle Ages.
An Outgrowth of the 150 Psalms of David
Most historians trace the origin of the Rosary as we know it today back to the so-called Dark Ages of ninth century Ireland. In those days, as is still true today, the 150 Psalms of David were one of the most important forms of monastic prayer. Monks recited or chanted the Psalms day-after-day as a major source of inspiration.
The lay people who lived near the monasteries could see the beauty of this devotion, but because very few people outside the monasteries knew how to read in those days, and because the 150 psalms are too long to memorize, the lay people were unable to adapt this prayer from for their own use.
So one day in about the year 800 A.D., one of the Irish monks suggested to the neighboring lay people that they might like to pray a series of 150 Our Fathers in place of the 150 Psalms. Little did he know that his simple suggestion was the first step in the development of what would one day become the most popular non-liturgical prayer form of Christianity.
At first, in order to count their 150 Our Fathers, people carried around leather pouches which held 150 pebbles. Soon they advanced to ropes with 150 or 50 knots; and eventually they began to use strings with 50 pieces of wood.
Shortly afterwards the clergy and lay people in other parts of Europe began to recite, as a repetitive prayer, the Angelic Salutation, which makes up most of the first part of our Hail Mary. St. Peter Damian, who died in 1072, was the first to mention this prayer form. Soon many people were praying the fifty Angelic Salutations while others favored the fifty Our Fathers.
Origin of the Mysteries
Then during the thirteenth century another prayer form, which would soon give the Rosary its Mysteries, began to develop. Many medieval theologians had long considered the 150 Psalms to be veiled prophecies about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. By deep meditation and skillful interpretation of the Psalms certain of these men began to compose 'Psalters of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.' These were series of 150 praises in honor of Jesus, based upon interpretations of the 150 Psalms.
Soon 'psalters' devoted to 150 praises of Mary were also composed. When a Psalter of Marian praises numbered 50 instead of 150, it was commonly called a 'rosarium', or bouquet.
Thus, during the thirteenth century there were four distinct 'psalters' in use at the same time: the 150 Our Fathers, the 150 Angelic Salutations, the 150 praises of Jesus, and the 150 praises of Mary. In an age when unity was held in such high regard, perhaps it was inevitable that these four prayer forms should eventually be combined.
The Carthusians Combine Prayers and Mysteries
The first step toward the combination of these four kinds of psalters came in about 1365 A.D. when Henry of Kalkar, the Visitator of the Carthusian Order, grouped the 150 Angelic Salutations indo decades and put an Our Father before each decade. This combined the Our Father and the Hail Mary for the first time.
Next, in about 1409, another Carthusian, Dominic the Prussian, wrote a book which attached a Psalter of fifty thoughts about the lives of Jesus and Mary to a Rosary of 50 Hail Marys. This was the first time that a special thought was ever provided for each Hail Mary bead. Eventually the 50 Hail Mary thoughts of Dominic the Prussian were divided, as Henry of Kalkar had done, into groups of ten with an Our Father in between. Many variations of this form were composed between about 1425 and 1470, but the changes were gradual, not sudden.
The Dominicans Popularize the Special Hail Mary Thoughts
By 1470, when the Dominican Alan of Rupe founded the first Rosary Confraternity, and thereby launched the Dominican Order as the foremost missionaries of the Rosary, he could refer to the Rosary with a special thought for each Hail Mary bead (which was the form he favored) as the 'new' Rosary, while he referred to the form with the Hail Marys and no accompanying statements as the 'old' Rosary.
Through the efforts of Alan of Rupe and the early Dominicans this prayer form - 150 Hail Marys with a special thought for each bead - spread rapidly throughout Western Christendom.
It is important to note that this form of Rosary - the form which Alan of Rupe promoted so successfully as the Rosary of St. Dominic - is the model upon which the new Scriptural Rosary is based, that is, a Rosary with a special thought for each of the 150 Hail Mary beads. But the fifteenth century was a time of change and this successful medieval Rosary form was gradually abandoned as the Christian world moved out of the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.
Picture Rosaries Introduce the Short Rosary We Use Today
The abandonment of the medieval Rosary form, the form which provided a special thought for each Hail Mary bead, came about in this manner: In about 1500 it became possible to reproduce woodcut picture prints inexpensively for the first time. Since the vast majority of people still could not read, these picture Rosaries became immediately popular. But since it was difficult and expensive to draw and print 150 different pictures, one for each Hail Mary thought in the medieval Rosary, the new picture Rosaries usually showed only fifteen pictures - one for each Our Father bead. At first the ten Hail Mary thoughts were printed around each Our Father picture. Perhaps the most beautiful picture Rosary of this sort was the one first published in Venice by Alberto da Castello, O.P., in 1521. But during the 166h and 17th centuries the use of the special Hail Mary thoughts gradually died out, and there remained only the fifteen brief Our Father thoughts which have survived as the Fifteen Mysteries we know today. (As an interesting historical footnote, the only place in the world where the old medieval Rosary with 150 Hail Mary thoughts is known to survive today is in the isolated little mountain village of Schrocken, high in the Vorarlberg Alps of Austria. Here the villagers still come together as they have since the Middle Ages to pray the Rosary the way it was once prayed throughout the Christian world.)
As soon as the short Rosary of fifteen Mysteries and no Hail Mary thoughts had replaced the medieval form, people recognized the need to augment the fifteen brief Mystery statements. Supplementary prayers usually took the form of narratives or meditations to be read before praying each decade. One of the most popular of these sets of fifteen meditations was written by St. Louis de Montfort in about 1700. Most of the currently popular novena meditations follow this format, that is, an introductory paragraph of devotional thoughts to be read before praying each decade.
First Stirrings of a Return to the Medieval Rosary Form
Then beginning in the early 20th century, there appeared the first signs of a return to the medieval method. Provost Walter of Innichen published a series of thoughts for each Hail Mary in German. In 1920 Father Kilian Baumer composed another series of Hail Mary meditations which were published in Fribourg, Switzerland. The most recent printed work with special thoughts for each Hail Mary is that of Dr. Magnus Seng, a Canadian surgeon, published in 1946. Each of these recent writers composed pertinent statements, or thoughts, to be read before or after praying each Hail Mary of the Rosary.
The Scriptural Rosary presented here differs from these recent compositions, as it differs from the medieval version, in that it is composed almost entirely of direct quotations from the scriptures. These quotations are blended to tell the story of each Mystery in ten consecutive thoughts.
This brief review of the historical development of the Rosary should serve to show that the Scriptural Rosary is actually nothing more than an application of the scriptures to the way the Rosary was once prayed throughout Western Christendom in the late Middle Ages.
I like the way the Rosary is set up, with the inclusion of the Luminous Mysteries. It’s a wonderful meditation on the Birth, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus.
The Scriptural Rosary
Sign of the Cross
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
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; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. (three times)
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Fatima Prayer Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.
The Five Joyful Mysteries
The First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation
Our Father
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a virgin;/ and the virgin's name was Mary. (Lk 1:26-27)
Hail Mary
'Rejoice, so highly favored!/ The Lord is with you.' (Lk 1:28)
Hail Mary
She was deeply disturbed by these words/ and asked herself what this greeting could mean.
(Lk 1:29)
Hail Mary
But the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid;/ you have won God's favor.' (Lk 1:30)
Hail Mary
'Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son,/ and you must name him Jesus.' (Lk 1:31)
Hail Mary
'He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High;/ and his reign will have no end.'
(Lk 1:32-33)
Hail Mary
Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about,/ since I am a virgin?' (Lk 1:34)
Hail Mary
'The Holy Spirit will come upon you/ and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow.' (Lk 1:35)
Hail Mary
'And so the child will be holy/ and will be called Son of God.' (Lk 1:35)
Hail Mary
'I am the handmaid of the Lord,' said Mary/ 'let what you have said be done to me.' (Lk 1:38)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Second Joyful Mystery - The Visitation
Our Father
Mary set out at that time and went to the hill country./ And she went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. (Lk 1:39-40)
Hail Mary
Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb/ and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Lk 1:41)
Hail Mary
She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed,/ and blessed is the fruit of your womb.' (Lk 1:42)
Hail Mary
'Yes, blessed is she who believed/ that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.' (Lk 1:45)
Hail Mary
And Mary said: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my savior;/ because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.' (Lk 1:46-48)
Hail Mary
'Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,/ for the Almighty has done great things for me.' (Lk 1:48-49)
Hail Mary
'Holy is his name,/ and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.'
(Lk 1:49-50)
Hail Mary
'He has shown the power of his arm,/ he has routed the proud of heart.' (Lk 1:51)
Hail Mary
'He has pulled down princes from their thrones/ and exalted the lowly.' (Lk 1:52)
Hail Mary
'The hungry he has filled with good things,/ the rich sent empty away.' (Lk 1:53)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Third Joyful Mystery - The Nativity
Our Father
Now while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem/ the time came for her to have her child.
(Lk 2:6)
Hail Mary
And she gave birth to a son, her firstborn,/ and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes.
(Lk 2:7)
Hail Mary
And she laid him in a manger/ because there was no room for then at the inn. (Lk 2:7)
Hail Mary
In the countryside close by there were shepherds/ and the angel of the Lord appeared to them. (Lk 2:8-9)
Hail Mary
'Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy,/ a joy to be shared by the whole people.' (Lk 2:10)
Hail Mary
'Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you;/ he is Christ the Lord.' (Lk 2:11)
Hail Mary
'Glory to God in the highest heaven,/ and peace to men who enjoy his favor.' (Lk 2:14)
Hail Mary
And some wise men came from the east,/ and going in they saw the child with his mother Mary.
(Mt 2:1, 11)
Hail Mary
And falling to their knees they did him homage./ Then they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Mt 2:11)
Hail Mary
And Mary kept in mind all these things/ and pondered them in her heart. (Lk 2:19)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Fourth Joyful Mystery - The Presentation
Our Father
Observing the Law of Moses, they took Jesus up to Jerusalem/ to present him to the Lord.
(Lk 2:22)
Hail Mary
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon./ He was an upright and devout man.
(Lk 2:25)
Hail Mary
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death/ until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. (Lk 2:26)
Hail Mary
And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, he took him into his arms/ and blessed God.
(Lk 2:27-28)
Hail Mary
'Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,/ just as you promised.' (Lk 2:29)
Hail Mary
'Because my eyes have seen the salvation/ which you have prepared for all the nations to see.'
(Lk 2:30-31)
Hail Mary
'A light to enlighten the pagans/ and the glory of your people Israel.' (Lk 2:32)
Hail Mary
And he said to Mary his mother, 'You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel,/ destined to be a sign that is rejected.' (Lk 2:34)
Hail Mary
'And a sword will pierce your own soul too-/ so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.' (Lk 2:35)
Hail Mary
And they went back to Nazareth, and the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom;/ and God's favor was with him. (Lk 2:39-40)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Fifth Joyful Mystery - The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Our Father
When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem/ for the feast of the Passover.
(Lk 2:41-42)
Hail Mary
When they were on their way home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem/ without his parents knowing it. (Lk 2:43)
Hail Mary
They went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere./ Three days later, they found him in the Temple. (Lk 2:45-46)
Hail Mary
He was sitting among the doctors,/ listening to them, and asking them questions. (Lk 2:46)
Hail Mary
And all those who heard him were astounded/ at his intelligence and his replies. (Lk 2:47)
Hail Mary
'My child, why have you done this to us?/ See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.' (Lk 2:48)
Hail Mary
'Why were you looking for me?/ Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father's affairs?' (Lk 2:49)
Hail Mary
But they did not understand/ what he meant. (Lk 2:50)
Hail Mary
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth/ and lived under their authority. (Lk 2:51)
Hail Mary
And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favor/ with God and men. (Lk 2:52)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Five Luminous Mysteries
The First Luminous Mystery – The Baptism in the Jordan
Our Father
"I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I." (Mt 3:11)
Hail Mary
"I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals." (Lk 3:16)
Hail Mary
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mt 3:11)
Hail Mary
"His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Lk 3:17)
Hail Mary
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him." (Mt 3:13)
Hail Mary
"John tried to prevent him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?' (Mt 3:14)
Hail Mary
"Jesus said to him in reply, 'Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' " (Mt 3:15)
Hail Mary
"After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him." (Mt 3:16)
Hail Mary
"And a voice came from the heavens, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Mt 3:17)
Hail Mary
"Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." (Jn 1:34)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
THE SECOND LUMINOUS MYSTERY: The Self-Manifestation at the Wedding of Cana
Hail Mary
"When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.' " (Jn 2:3)
Hail Mary
"[And] Jesus said to her, 'Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." (John 2:4)
Hail Mary
"His mother said to the servers, 'Do whatever he tells you.' " (Jn 2:5)
Hail Mary
"Now there were six stone jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons." (Jn 2:6)
Hail Mary
"Jesus told them, 'Fill the jars with water.' So they filled them to the brim." (Jn 2:7)
Hail Mary
"Then he told them, 'Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.' So they took it." (Jn 2:8)
Hail Mary
"And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom" (Jn 2:9)
Hail Mary
"and said to him, 'Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.' " (Jn 2:10)
Hail Mary
"Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him." (Jn 2:11)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
Our Father
"He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.' " (Lk 4:16-18)
Hail Mary
"He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." (Lk 4:18-19)
Hail Mary
"This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mk 1:15)
Hail Mary
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit." (John 3:5)
Hail Mary
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." (Jn 3:16)
Hail Mary
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." (Jn 4:36)
Hail Mary
"Now someone approached him and said, 'Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?' He answered him, 'Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." (Mt 19:16-17)
Hail Mary
"And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life." (Mt 19:29)
Hail Mary
"Jesus said to him, 'What is written in the law? How do you read it?' He said in reply, 'You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' He replied to him, 'You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.' " (Lk 10:25)
Hail Mary
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all his angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' " (Mt 26:31, 33-34)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
Our Father
"After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves."
(Mk 9:2)
Hail Mary
"And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them." (Mk 9:2-3)
Hail Mary
"Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus." (Mk 9:4)
Hail Mary
"Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Mk 9:5)
Hail Mary
"While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud." (Lk 9:34)
Hail Mary
"then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.' " (Mt 17:5)
Hail Mary
"When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid." (Mt 17:6)
Hail Mary
"But Jesus came and touched them, saying, 'Rise, and do not be afraid.' " (Mt 17:7)
Hail Mary
"And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone." (Mt 17:8)
Hail Mary
"As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, 'Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.' " (Mt 17:9)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
Our Father
"Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' " (Jn 6:32-33)
Hail Mary
"So they said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." (Jn 6:34-35)
Hail Mary
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die." (Jn 6:47-50)
Hail Mary
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." (Jn 6:51)
Hail Mary
"The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?' " (Jn 6:52)
Hail Mary
"Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.' " (Jn 6:53)
Hail Mary
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink."
(Jn 6:54-55)
Hail Mary
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me."
(Jn 6:56-57)
Hail Mary
"This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
(Jn 6:58)
Hail Mary
"Then many of his disciples who were listening said, 'This saying is hard; who can accept it?' As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words to eternal life.' " (Jn 6:60, 66-68)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries
The First Sorrowful Mystery - The Agony in the Garden
Our Father
Jesus came with them to Gethsemane./ And sadness came over him, and great distress.
(Mt 26:36-37)
Hail Mary
Then he said, 'My soul is sorrowful to the point of death./ Wait here and keep awake with me.' (Mt 26:38)
Hail Mary
Then he withdrew from them,/ and knelt down and prayed. (Lk 22:41)
Hail Mary
'Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me./ Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.' (Lk 22:42)
Hail Mary
Then an angel appeared to him,/ coming from heaven to give him strength. (Lk 22:43)
Hail Mary
In his anguish/ he prayed even more earnestly. (Lk 22:44)
Hail Mary
And his sweat fell to the ground/ like great drops of blood. (Lk 22:44)
Hail Mary
Then he came back to his disciples and found them sleeping,/ and he said, 'So you had not the strength to keep awake with me one hour?' (Mt 26:40)
Hail Mary
'You should be awake,/ and praying no to be put to the test.' (Mt 26:41)
Hail Mary
'The spirit is willing,/ but the flesh is weak.' (Mt 26:41)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Second Sorrowful Mystery - The Scourging at the Pillar
Our Father
They had Jesus bound and handed him over to Pilate./ Pilate questioned him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' (Mk 15:1-2)
Hail Mary
Jesus replied, 'Mine is not a kingdom of this world;/ but yes, I am a king.' (Jn 18:36-37)
Hail Mary
'I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth;/ and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.' (Jn 18:37)
Hail Mary
'Truth?' said Pilate, 'What is that?';/ and with that he went out again to the Jews and said, 'I find no case against him.' (Jn 18:38)
Hail Mary
'So I shall have him flogged and then let him go.'/ Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged. (Lk 23:16, Jn 19:1)
Hail Mary
Despised and rejected by men,/ a man of sorrows. (Is 53:3)
Hail Mary
Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly,/ like a lamb that is led to the slaughterhouse. (Is 53:7)
Hail Mary
Yet he was pierced through for our faults,/ crushed for our sins. (Is 53:5)
Hail Mary
Ours were the sufferings he bore,/ ours the sorrows he carried. (Is 53:4)
Hail Mary
On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,/ and through his wounds we are healed.
(Is 53:5)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Third Sorrowful Mystery - The Crowning with Thorns
Our Father
The soldiers led him away to the Praetorium./ Then they stripped him and dressed him up in purple. (Mk 15:16-17, Mt 27:28)
Hail Mary
And having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head/ and placed a reed in his right hand. (Mt 27:29)
Hail Mary
To make fun of him they knelt to him/ saying, 'Hail, king of the Jews!' (Mt 27:29)
Hail Mary
And they spat on him/ and took the reed and struck him on the head. (Mt 27:30)
Hail Mary
Then Pilate took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd/ and said, 'I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your concern.' (Mt 27:24)
Hail Mary
Jesus then came out/ wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. (Jn 19:5)
Hail Mary
'Here is your king,' said Pilate./ 'Take him away!' they said. 'Crucify him!' (Jn 19:15)
Hail Mary
'Why, what harm has he done?'/ But they shouted all the louder, 'Crucify him!' (Mk15:14)
Hail Mary
'Do you want me to crucify your king?'/ The chief priests answered, 'We have no king except Caesar.' (Jn 19:15)
Hail Mary
So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd,/ handed him over to be crucified. (Mk 15:15)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - The Carrying of the Cross
Our Father
'If anyone wants to be a follower of mine,/ let him renounce himself.' (Lk 9:23)
Hail Mary
'And take up his cross every day/ and follow me.' (Lk 9:23)
Hail Mary
And carrying his own cross/ they led him out to crucify him. (Jn 19:16; Mk 15:21)
Hail Mary
And they seized on a man, Simon from Cyrene,/ and made him shoulder the cross and carry it behind Jesus. (Lk 23:26)
Hail Mary
'Shoulder my yoke/ and learn from me.' (Mt 11:29)
Hail Mary
'For I am gentle/ and humble in heart.' (Mt 11:29)
Hail Mary
'And you will find rest for your souls./ Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.' (Mt 11:29-30)
Hail Mary
Large numbers of people followed him,/ and of women too, who mourned and lamented for him. (Lk 23:27)
Hail Mary
But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me;/ weep rather for yourselves and for your children.' (Lk 23:28)
Hail Mary
'For if men use the green wood like this,/ what will happen when it is dry?' (Lk 23:31)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion
Our Father
When they reached the place called The Skull,/ they crucified him. (Lk 23:33)
Hail Mary
Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them;/ they do not know what they are doing.' (Lk 23:34)
Hail Mary
One of the criminals crucified with him said, 'Jesus, remember me/ when you come into your kingdom.' (Lk 23:39, 42; Mk 15:32)
Hail Mary
'Indeed, I promise you,' he replied/ 'today you will be with me in paradise.' (Lk 23:43)
Hail Mary
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother/ and the disciple he loved. (Jn 19:25-26)
Hail Mary
Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son.'/ Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother.' (Jn 19:26-27)
Hail Mary
And from that moment/ the disciple made a place for her in his home. (Jn 19:27)
Hail Mary
And a darkness came over the whole land, and the earth quaked;/ and the veil of the Temple was torn in two. (Lk 23:44; Mt 27:51)
Hail Mary
And Jesus cried out in a loud voice,/ 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' (Lk 23:46)
Hail Mary
And bowing his head/ he breathed his last. (Jn 19:30, Lk 23:46)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Five Glorious Mysteries
The First Glorious Mystery - The Resurrection
Our Father
'I tell you most solemnly, you will be sorrowful,/ but your sorrow will turn to joy.' (Jn 16:20)
Hail Mary
'For I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,/ and that joy no one shall take from you.' (Jn 16:22)
Hail Mary
At the first sign of dawn, they went to the tomb/ with the spices they had prepared. (Lk 24:1)
Hail Mary
And all at once the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven,/ came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. (Mt 28:2)
Hail Mary
'I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified./ He is not here.' (Mt 28:5-6)
Hail Mary
'He has risen from the dead./ Come and see the place where he lay.' (Lk 24:6; Mt 28:6-7)
Hail Mary
'And now he is going before you to Galilee;/ it is there you will see him.' (Mt 28:7)
Hail Mary
And the women came out from the tomb/ filled with awe and great joy. (Mk 16:8; Mt 28:8)
Hail Mary
'I am the resurrection and the life./ If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live.' (Jn 11:25)
Hail Mary
'And whoever lives and believes in me/ will never die.' (Jn 11:26)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Second Glorious Mystery - The Ascension
Our Father
Jesus took them out as far as the outskirts of Bethany,/ and lifting up his hands he blessed them. (Lk 24:50)
Hail Mary
He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth/ has been given to me.' (Mt 28:18)
Hail Mary
'Go, therefore/ make disciples of all the nations.' (Mt 28:19)
Hail Mary
'Baptize them/ in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' (Mt 28:19)
Hail Mary
'And teach them to observe/ all the commands I gave you.' (Mt 28:20)
Hail Mary
'He who believes and is baptized/ will be saved.' (Mk 16:16)
Hail Mary
'He who does not believe will be condemned.' (Mk 16:16)
Hail Mary
'And know that I am with you always;/ yes, to the end of time. (Mt 28:20)
Hail Mary
As he said this he was lifted up,/ and a cloud took him from their sight. (Acts 1:9)
Hail Mary
And so the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven;/ there at the right hand of God he took his place. (Mk 16:19)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Third Glorious Mystery - The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Our Father
When Pentecost day came around,/ they had all met in one room. (Acts 2:1)
Hail Mary
Suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven,/ the noise of which filled the entire house. (Acts 2:2)
Hail Mary
And something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire;/ these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. (Acts 2:3)
Hail Mary
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit,/ and began to speak about the marvels of God.
(Acts 2:4, 11)
Hail Mary Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem/ from every nation under heaven.
(Acts 2:5)
Hail Mary
And Peter stood up with the Eleven/ and addressed them in a loud voice. (Acts 2:14)
Hail Mary
'Repent and be baptized,/ and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' (Acts 2:38)
Hail Mary
And they accepted what he said and were baptized./ That very day about three thousand were added to their number. (Acts 2:41)
Hail Mary
Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created;/ and you shall renew the face of the earth. (Pentecost Alleluia)
Hail Mary
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful;/ and kindle in them the fire of your love.
(Pentecost Alleluia)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Fourth Glorious Mystery - The Assumption
Our Father
'Come then, my love,/ my lovely one, come. (Songs 2:10)
Hail Mary
'For see, winter is past,/ the rains are over and gone.' (Songs 2:11)
Hail Mary
'Show me your face, let me hear your voice;/ for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful.;
(Songs 2:14)
Hail Mary
And the sanctuary of God in heaven opened./ Then came flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, (Rev 11:19)
Hail Mary
Now a great sign appeared in heaven;/ a woman, adorned with the sun. (Rev 12:1)
Hail Mary
She was standing on the moon,/ with the twelve stars on her head for a crown. (Rev 12:1)
Hail Mary
With jewels set in gold, and dressed in brocades,/ the king's daughter is led in to the king.
(Psalm 45:13-14)
Hail Mary
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High,/ beyond all women on earth.
(Judith 13:23)
Hail Mary
The trust you have shown shall not pass from the memories of men,/ but shall ever remind them of the power of God. (Judith 13:25)
Hail Mary
You are the glory of Jerusalem! You are the great pride of Israel!/ You are the highest honor of our people! (Judith 15:10)
Hail Mary Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
The Fifth Glorious Mystery - The Coronation
Our Father
Who is this arising like the dawn,/ fair as the moon, resplendent as the sun? (Songs 6:10)
Hail Mary
Like the rainbow gleaming against brilliant clouds,/ like blossoms in the days of spring.
(Ecclus 50:7-8)
Hail Mary
'I am the rose of Sharon,/ I am the lily of the valleys.' (Songs 2:1)
Hail Mary
'My throne is in a pillar of cloud,/ and for eternity I shall remain.' (Ecclus 24:4,9)
Hail Mary
'Approach me, you who desire me,/ and take your fill of my fruits.' (Ecclus 24:19)
Hail Mary
'I am like a vine putting out graceful shoots,/ my blossoms are sweeter than honey.'
(Ecclus 24:17,20)
Hail Mary
'And now, my children, listen to me;/ listen to instruction and learn to be wise.' (Prov 8:32-33)
Hail Mary
'Happy are those who keep my ways,/ who day after day watch at my gates.' (Prov 8:32,34)
Hail Mary
'For those who find me find life,/ and win favor from the Lord.' (Prov 8:35)
Hail Mary
Hail, Queen of mercy, protect us from the enemy,/ and receive us at the hour of death.
(Queenship of the B.V.M., Gradual)
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father ~ Fatima Prayer
Concluding Prayer (for each set of mysterie) If saying all four sets of mysteries -- then only at the end.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary:
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
There are many versions of a Scriptural Rosary. I found one for priests that I am going to make into a booklet to say at a special service at the end of the Year of the Priest.
Rosary of Our Lady's Tears(Catholic Prayer Thread)
The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary
The Family Rosary [Try it for Lent!] (Catholic Caucus)
History of the Scriptural Rosary - Meditating on The Word
Rosary Resurgence [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: How to Pray the Rosary: Contemplating Christ With Mary [Ecumenical]
[Oregon] Rosary Bowl focuses on links between prayer, evangelization
Rosary Is a School of Mary, Says Pope: Encourages Recitation [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Rosary and the Republic
Protestants and the rosary
Estimated 50,000 recite rosary in event at Rose Bowl
The Rosary and Orthodoxy
Father Benedict Groeschel on the Rosary
THE HOLY ROSARY
Catholic Caucus: The Holy Rosary
The Power of the Rosary - A Weapon Against Terrorism
Rosary May Contribute to Unity Says Protestant Theologian
Papal Address on the Rosary as a Weapon of Peace
Very simple guide to praying/learning the Rosary
October: Month of the Holy Rosary
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