The Catholic Faith is a treasure trove. A treasure trove where upon exploration, we discover that it is bottomless. The precious gems and jewels within it—Holy Mass, Sacraments, Sacred Scripture, graces, prayers, devotions, traditions, teachings, and more—go on and on. These treasures exemplify the generous goodness of God and His desire to draw us closer to Him. It reminds me of what St. Paul writes to the Romans:
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
Our Lady of the Rosary
The Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God.
-Saint Louis de Montford
One precious treasure of our Catholic Faith is the Blessed Mother, whom we honor today (October 7th) as Our Lady of the Rosary. Another treasure is something she gave to us, her children, in order to keep us tethered to her motherly heart. And that gift is the Holy Rosary.
Today’s feast dates back to 1573, when Christians attributed their victory over the Turks at Lepanto to the Blessed Mother under the title Our Lady of Victory. Three hundred years later, in 1883, Pope Leo XIII dedicated the entire month of October to the Holy Rosary. Through this dedication, he asked faithful Catholics to pray that God would console and defend His Church, through the intercession of the Queen of the Holy Rosary.
The Traditional Rosary
Many Catholics are familiar with the traditional Rosary. Some grew up praying the Rosary with their family, while others adopted the prayer practice in their adult years.
The Blessed Mother urged Catholics to pray the Rosary every day in the Fatima apparition in 1917. She has pleaded with us to pray the Rosary in other apparitions, too. Why? Because Our Lady desires to be our Mother and ask for her assistance. And when we do ask for her prayers and intercession, she goes directly to her Son, Jesus, Who refuses her nothing (John 2:1-12).
Rosary Variations Draw Us Closer to the Lord
In addition to the traditional Rosary, there are other prayers we can say on traditional Rosary beads. Each draws us closer to the Lord in a unique way.
The most popular is probably the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which Jesus gave to Saint Faustina in the 1930s. Catholics typically pray this chaplet at 3 p.m., which commemorates the death of Our Lord, the hour of mercy.
Listed below are a few of the many Rosary variations. Perhaps one will become a new treasure in your prayer routine.
Chaplet of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
To begin, make the Sign of the Cross five times in veneration of Jesus’ five holy wounds (two Hands, two Feet, and His Side).
On the large beads, pray: Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for those who seek refuge in you.
On the small beads, pray: Holy Mother, save us through your Immaculate Heart's flame of love.
At the end, repeat the Glory Be three times.
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Rosary to the Holy Wounds
This devotion honors the five wounds of Our Lord. The prayers were composed by Jesus and given to Sr. Mary Martha of the Monastery of the Visitation of Chambery.
Many promises are attached to this devotion.
Prayers on the Crucifix and first three beads:
- O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, be merciful to us and to the whole world. Amen.
- Strong God, holy God, immortal God, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
- Grace and mercy, O my Jesus, during present dangers; cover us with Your Precious Blood. Amen.
- Eternal Father, grant us mercy through the Blood of Jesus Christ, Your only Son; grant us mercy, we beseech You. Amen, Amen, Amen.
On the large beads:
Eternal Father, I offer You the wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
R: To heal the wounds of our souls.
On the small beads:
My Jesus, pardon and mercy.
R: Through the merits of Your Holy Wounds.
Concluding prayer:
Lord Jesus, Man of Sorrows, we have meditated upon your suffering. We have considered those wounds we know and those unknown to us, and with confidence in your mercy, we ask you to grant us a greater purity of heart, true humility, and courage in our own suffering. We place ourselves and our loved ones into your holy wounds, trusting in your compassion and healing grace. Make us holy and worthy to call you Lord. Amen.
Rosary in Honor of Saint Joseph
The Rosary in honor of Saint Joseph is a beautiful way to ask for this holy Saint’s intercession. This prayer is said like a traditional Rosary, but instead of the Hail Mary, pray the Hail Holy Joseph.
Hail, Holy Joseph, spouse of the ever virgin Mary, foster father of God the Son, whom our Father in Heaven chose to be head of the Holy Family, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Joyful Mysteries:
- The annunciation of Joseph
- The birth of Jesus
- The circumcision and naming of Jesus
- The presentation of Jesus in the Temple
- The finding of the child Jesus in the Temple
Sorrowful Mysteries:
- Joseph's spouse Mary is found to be with child
- The journey to Bethlehem
- Joseph flees to Egypt with Mary and Jesus
- Jesus is lost in Jerusalem
- The death of Joseph
Glorious Mysteries:
- The glorification of St. Joseph
- Saint Joseph, patron of the Universal Church
- Saint Joseph, protector of families
- Saint Joseph, patron of the sick and suffering
- Saint Joseph, patron of a holy death
Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows
This chaplet requires the use of special beads that are in groups of seven, but it follows the traditional Rosary format: Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
The seven groups remember the seven sorrows of Our Lady:
- The prophecy of Simeon
- The flight into Egypt
- The loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
- Mary meets Jesus carrying His Cross
- The Crucifixion
- Mary receives the body of Jesus from the Cross
- The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb
To conclude the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, pray:
V: Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Lord Jesus, we now implore, both for the present and for the hour of our death, the intercession of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose holy soul was pierced at the time of Thy passion by a sword of grief. Grant us this favor, O Savior of the world, Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Do you pray the Rosary or a variation of the Rosary? How has it drawn you closer to Jesus through Mary?
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Different Types of Rosaries and Chaplets #BISblog //Click to tweet
Sarah Damm is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. She is a Catholic wife and mother of six children, living in Minnesota. She spends her days running errands, helping with homework, and keeping up with laundry and the family schedule. Sarah loves her faith, coffee, and good books. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Sarah's posts here.
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