The Rosary is built around twenty mysteries from the lives of Jesus and Mary, grouped into four sets of five: the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. Most people pray one set (five decades) at a time, so the Church has a customary pattern that assigns a set to each day of the week. That way, over the course of a week, you walk through the whole Gospel with Our Lady. The current pattern was set out by St. John Paul II in 2002, when he added the Luminous Myster

The Luminous Mysteries contemplate Christ's public life. Titles below may be prayed with the usual Rosary structure. The Prayer 1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan 2. The Wedding Feast at Cana 3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God 4. The Transfiguration 5. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist Pray each decade with Our Father, ten Hail Marys, Glory Be, and Fatima prayer, meditating on the mystery. Traditional Gospel titles for the Luminous Mysteries; public-domain Gospe

The Glorious Mysteries are the fourth set of mysteries of the Rosary: the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of Mary, and her Coronation as Queen of Heaven and earth. They lead us from the empty tomb to the glory Christ has prepared for His faithful, and they strengthen the virtues of faith, hope, and love of heaven. The Glorious Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays, and they are especially fitting during Easter

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary walk with Jesus through His Passion: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion. Meditating on them helps us understand the cost of our redemption and unite our own sufferings to Christ's, alongside Our Lady who stood at the foot of the Cross. They are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays, and on the Sundays of Lent. They are also a comforting set

The Joyful Mysteries walk with Mary from the Annunciation to finding Jesus in the Temple. They are traditionally prayed on Mondays and Thursdays, and on certain Sundays of the year. Announce each mystery, then pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be while holding the scene in mind. The Prayer THE FIVE JOYFUL MYSTERIES. For Mondays and Thursdays; the Sundays of Advent, and those from the Epiphany until Lent. I. The Annunciation. Let us contemplate, in this Mystery,

The Rosary joins vocal prayer with meditation on the mysteries of Christ and His Mother. The beads keep the hands busy so the heart can dwell on the Gospel. Below is the traditional structure and bead prayers from the Baltimore Manual of Prayers, enough to begin praying today. The Prayer The devotion called the Rosary consists of fifteen Pater Nosters and Glorias, and one hundred and fifty Ave Marias, to be recited on Indulgenced beads. It is divided into three parts, each co