Praying theRosary with
MARY
by
A n g e l a M . B u r r i n - I l l u s t r at e d B y M a r i a C r i s t i n a L o C a s c i o
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Introduction
I am Mary, the mother of Jesus, and I love hearing children pray the rosary! I’m so happy that you are going to pray it with me now. Together we will be thinking about my Son, Jesus. But first, let me ask you a few questions.
Do you have a rosary of your own? Maybe you have been given a rosary for your First Holy Communion. If not, perhaps you could ask your mom or dad to take you to a religious store to buy one. That would be a fun outing!
Do you know how to pray the rosary? Begin by making the Sign of the Cross and then say the Apostles’ Creed while holding the crucifix. On the short strand, start with an Our Father and three Hail Marys and end with a Glory Be. Then choose to pray one of the four sets of “mysteries”—the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious. Say the mystery, then pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. Then go to the next mystery. When you get to the medal on your rosary after the five decades are completed, you can pray Hail, Holy Queen. All these prayers are on the opposite page.
Did you know that little children can pray the rosary too? But they don’t have to always pray all ten Hail Marys. The most important thing for anyone who is praying the rosary is to think about Jesus and pray a Hail Mary (or two or three) from their heart. And everyone who prays the rosary will receive many blessings! So let’s begin!
Prayers of the Rosary The Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Apostles’ 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; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will 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.
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.
Hail, Holy Queen Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do 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 unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
The First Joyful Mystery
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The Annunciation
As we begin these Joyful Mysteries of the rosary, let me tell you about a very special day in my life. I was in my home in Nazareth when an angel suddenly appeared. The angel, who was named Gabriel, said, “Greetings, Mary! Don’t be afraid. Your heavenly Father is pleased with you. You are to give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus.” I asked the angel, “How will this happen?” He said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The baby will be called holy, Son of the Most High.” I knew from the Scriptures that God had promised to send a Messiah to be the savior of the world. My heart was full of joy. I wanted whatever my heavenly Father wanted. I said, “Yes, I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you say.” Our Father wanted to save the world through Jesus, and he asked me to say yes to that plan. How happy I am that he chose me! Mary, every day, my heavenly Father also gives me chances to say yes to him. Pray that I will always say yes as you did! Hail Mary …
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The Second Joyful Mystery
The Visitation
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Here’s another thing the angel Gabriel told me: My cousin Elizabeth was also going to have a baby! So I packed my bags, gathered some food, and hurried from Nazareth down to the hill country where Elizabeth lived with her husband, Zechariah. When Elizabeth heard my voice, her baby leapt for joy in her womb. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and in a loud voice she cried out, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you are carrying. But why am I so favored to have a visit from my Lord?” Both Elizabeth and her baby—John the Baptist—knew that Jesus was the Savior of the world! I was so joyful that I prayed, “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. From now on, people will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me.” I stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then I returned home. Joseph and I were married, and we planned for the arrival of this special child. Mary, how blessed you are to be God’s mother! Pray that I will always be thankful that Jesus came to earth to be with us! Hail Mary …
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The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus
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It was a long hard ride for me on the donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Because of a census, Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register. But Joseph made sure that I rested often because I was about to have my baby. There were so many people in the little town of Bethlehem that at first Joseph couldn’t find a place for us to stay. But we both trusted our heavenly Father to take care of us. Then an innkeeper’s wife showed us to a stable. That night Jesus was born. I wrapped him in swaddling cloths. I laid him on straw in the animals’ feeding manger. The ox and the donkey breathed on him to keep him warm. Jesus’ first visitors were shepherds from the hillside. An angel had appeared to them, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I have such wonderful news for you! A Savior has been born. You’ll find him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” When the shepherds found us, they were so excited! Mary, just like you and Joseph, I want to trust my heavenly Father to always take care of me. Hail Mary …
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