saying say the rosarySaying
the rosary is fairly simple, but feeling in the presence of
God as you say
the rosary takes time and patience. The first step
of course is knowing the
prayers to say. You start saying the
traditional rosary by first saying the
Apostles’ Creed on the
crucifix. Then you say an Our Father on the first
big bead, three
Hail Mary’s on the next smaller beads and a Glory Be
on the following
big bead. That bead is also the starting point for the meditations
of the rosary that you choose to say. There are four sets of five
meditations
each that you contemplate on while saying the rosary:
Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful,
and Glorious. Since most rosary beads
have five decades, it is usual to pray
one set of meditations at a
time. You start saying each meditation with an
Our Father on the
large bead followed by ten Hail Mary’s on the ten
smaller beads, and
concluding with a Glory Be for which there is no bead.
After you
finish saying the rosary it is traditional to pray an ending prayer
like Hail Holy Queen, which can be said while fingering the center
piece
of the rosary. Praying the rosary correctly has been shown to
lower your
heart rate and blood pressure, so there are bodily as well
as spiritual benefits
to this devotion. However don’t be discouraged
if you feel bored at
first while saying the rosary. When your mind
wanders, simply acknowledge
the thought and then leave it, no matter
how many times you have to do this
while you pray. Concentrate again
on the appropriate meditation, either imagining
it as though you are
there, relating it to your life or thanking God for
it, as you are
praying the designated prayers. With time, as you learn to
still the
anxieties of your mind, you will look forward to saying your rosary,
to the moments when the world is only God and you. Be patient with
yourself;
it will take time, but the results are worth the wait. |
