My Daily Prayer Rule, Pt. 1

I found a Rule of Prayer that many of our Eastern Rite and Eastern Orthodox brethren use every day. I adapted the Morning Rule for my own uses, and offer the original here as a tool others mat use to organize their prayer life. Pt. 2 (found here) is my adaptation of the rule, to give ideas on how it can be used for one's own purposes.

The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Opening Prayers

Glory be to Thee, O our God, glory be to Thee! 

O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things, the Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life, come and abide in us, cleanse us from all impurity, and of Thy goodness, save our souls.*

Holy God. Holy Mighty. Holy Immortal. Have mercy on us. (3 times) 

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. 

Most holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. O Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake. 

Lord, have mercy. (3 times)

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.

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. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

Arising from sleep I thank Thee, O holy Trinity, that, for the sake of Thy great kindness and long-suffering, Thou wast not wroth with me, slothful and sinful as I am; neither hast Thou destroyed me in my transgressions: but in Thy compassion hast raised me up, as I lay in despair; that at dawn I might sing the glories of Thy Majesty. Do Thou  now enlighten the eyes of my understanding. Open my mouth to receive Thy words. Teach me Thy commandments. Help me to do Thy will, confessing Thee from my heart, singing and praising Thine all-holy Name: of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

The Creed

I believe in one God, 

the Father almighty, 

maker of heaven and earth, 

of all things visible and invisible. 

  

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Only Begotten Son of God, 

born of the Father before all ages. 

God from God, Light from Light, 

true God from true God, 

begotten, not made, 

consubstantial with the Father; 

through Him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation 

He came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, 

and became man.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, 

He suffered death and was buried, 

and rose again on the third day 

in accordance with the Scriptures. 

He ascended into heaven 

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

He will come again in glory 

to judge the living and the dead 

and His kingdom will have no end. 

  

I believe in the Holy Spirit, 

the Lord, the giver of life, 

who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], 

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, 

who has spoken through the prophets. 

  

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. 

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins 

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead 

and the life of the world to come. 

Amen.

Psalms

Monday – Psalm 3

Tuesday – Psalm 38

Wednesday – Psalm 63

Thursday – Psalm 88

Friday – Psalm 103

Saturday – Psalm 143

Sunday – all the above psalms

Followed by Psalm 51 every day

Commemoration of the Living

Remember, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, Thy mercies and compassions which have been from everlasting, and for the sake of which Thou didst become man and deign to endure crucifixion and death for the salvation of all who rightly believe in Thee. Thou didst rise from the dead and ascend into the heavens and sittest on the right hand of God the Father, and regardest the humble prayers of all who call upon Thee with their whole heart. Incline Thine ear, and hearken to the humble entreaty of me, Thine unprofitable servant, who offer it for an odor of a spiritual savor for all Thy people. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

And first, remember Thy One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which Thou hast purchased through Thy precious Blood. Confirm and strengthen it. Enlarge and multiply it. Keep it in peace and preserve it unconquerable by the gates of Hell forever. Heal the schism of the Churches. Quench the ragings of the heathen. Speedily undo and root out the growths of heresy, and bring them to naught by the power of Thy Holy Spirit. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon our president/king/queen and all in authority throughout the world. Speak peace and blessing in their hearts for Thy holy Church and for all Thy peoples, that we may live a calm and tranquil life, enjoying the right belief and all virtuous and godly living. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon the most holy ecumenical patriarchs, the most reverend metropolitans, the archbishops and bishops, the priests and deacons, and the whole clergy of Thy Church, which Thou hast established to feed the flock of Thy Word, and by their prayers have mercy upon me, and save me, a sinner. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon our father (parish priest or abbot of monastery), with all his brethren in Christ, and by their prayers have mercy upon me, and save me, a sinner. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my Spiritual Father N. (this is your spiritual director or regular confessor) and by his prayers forgive me my sins. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my parents (names), my brothers and sisters and all my relatives, the neighbors of my family, and our friends, and grant them Thy blessings both here and hereafter. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon the old and the young, the needy, the orphans, and the widows, and all who are in sickness and sorrow, in distress and affliction, in oppression and captivity, in prison and confinement, especially (N.). More especially have mercy upon Thy servants who are under persecution for Thy sake and for the sake of the True Faith at the hands of heathen nations, of apostates, and of heretics. Remember them, visit, strengthen, and comfort them, and make haste to grant them by Thy power relief, freedom, and deliverance. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon all who are sent on duty, all who travel, our fathers, brothers, and sisters, and upon all true Christians. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon those who envy and affront me and who do me mischief. Let them not perish through me, a sinner. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Enlighten by the light of Thy holy wisdom all those who depart from the True Faith, dazzled by destroying heresies, and unite them to Thy One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

I beg and beseech Thee, O Lord, grant to all who have gone astray a true knowledge of Thee, so that each and every one may come to know Thy glory. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Commemoration of the Dead

Remember, O Lord, those who have departed this life, Christian rulers, holy patriarchs, most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, and all who served Thee in the priesthood and ministry of the Church and in the monastic order; and grant them rest with Thy saints in Thy eternal habitations. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Remember, O Lord, the souls of Thy servants now fallen asleep, my (grandparents or parents), and all my kinsmen. Forgive them all their sins wittingly or unwittingly committed; grant them Thy kingdom, and a portion in Thy eternal blessings, and enjoyment of Thine unending life. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Grant, O Lord, to all who have gone before us in faith and in hope of the resurrection, remission of sins. Keep them in everlasting remembrance, and place them with Thy saints, where shineth the light of Thy countenance, for Thou art gracious and lovest mankind. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

In the case of all who have passed from this world lacking a virtuous life or having had no faith or having not believed the True Faith, be an advocate for them, Lord, for the sake of the body which Thou didst take from them, so that from the single united body of the world we may offer up praise to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the kingdom of heaven, an unending source of eternal delight. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.)

Prayer at the Beginning of the Day

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon Thy holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Thy will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that cometh to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with firm conviction that Thy will governeth all. In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events let me not forget that all are sent by Thee. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray Thou Thyself in me. Amen. (Bow deeply from the waist.) 

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

O holy angel that standeth by my wretched soul and my passionate life, forsake me not, a sinner, nor shrink from me because of mine intemperance. Give no place for the cunning demon to master me through the violence of my mortal body, strengthen my poor and feeble hand, and guide me in the way of salvation. Yea, O holy angel of God, guardian and protector of my wretched soul and body, forgive me all wherein I have offended thee all the days of my life; and if I have sinned during the past night, protect me during the present day, and guard me from every temptation of the enemy, that I may not anger God by any sin. And pray to the Lord for me, that He may establish me in His fear, and show me, His servant, to be worthy of His goodness. Amen.

Prayer to the Patron Saint 

O saint of God, (N.), pray to God for me, for my home, and my family. Amen.

Benediction 

It is very meet and right to call thee blessed, who didst bring forth God, ever blessed and most pure and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim, more glorious than the seraphim, who without spot didst bear the Eternal Word, thee, very Mother of God, we laud and magnify. Amen.

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.

O Lord  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of Saint Joseph the Betrothed, and of all Thy saints, have mercy upon us, and save us, for Thou art a merciful God, and lovest mankind. Amen.  

The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

*From Pascha (Easter) to the Ascension, instead of the "Heavenly King:, pray: 

Christ hath risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! 3 times 

From the Ascension to its leavetaking, pray: 

Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, bringing joy to Thy disciples, for Thou didst reassure them through Thy blessing of the promise of the Holy Spirit, for Thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. 

On the Saturday before Pentecost, omit "Heavenly King" and go directly to "Holy God, Holy Mighty…"

Definitions of terms

Note: this is an incomplete work in progress. Certain terms need definition, and some need to be defined better. Also, I need to list sources referenced in my definitions.

These are terms I regularly use in discussions on Facebook and other online forums. I'm placing it here so that I can refer people to it when necessary.

Apostolic succession: the line of succession leading from the Apostles down to every catholic (note the lower case "c") bishop. To begin at the beginning, God the Father gave authority to Jesus, Jesus gave His authority to the Apostles, and the Apostles appointed bishops as their successors, passing to these bishops their Apostolic authority in matters of faith, morals, and the valid administration of sacraments. Those bishops then ordained other bishops, passing along their Apostolic authority. This line has continued through the ages so that every bishop in every catholic Church has been ordained in this line. Sadly, the same is not true of Protestant communities, many of which don't even claim to have bishops. Every bishop of every catholic Church has some measure of Apostolic authority, but Apostolic authority is only found in the full sense in the True Church.

bishop: a bishop is a man who was ordained in the line of Apostolic succession and who possesses the fullness of the priesthood to rule a diocese as its chief pastor. The office of bishop is of Divine institution. In the ministerial hierarchy they possess powers superior to those of priests and deacons; in the hierarchy of jurisdiction, by Christ's will, they are appointed for the government of one portion of the faithful of the Church. They are the successors of the Apostles, though they do not possess all the prerogatives of the latter.

catholic (with a lower case "c"): the points of doctrine, theology, and sacramental life on which the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Oriental Orthodox Church agree. If I use this word at the beginning of a sentence, it will be spelled "c"atholic.

Catholic (with an upper case "C"): refers to the teachings and/or sacramental life of the Catholic Church.

Catholic Church: sometimes mistakenly referred to as the Roman Catholic Church. It is the largest Christian Church in the world, and is headed by the Pope, the bishop of Rome. It is made up of 23 different Churches. Each of the Churches is headed by a bishop (various titles such as Patriarch or Metropolitan may be used instead of bishop, but Patriarchs, etc. [and even the Pope] are all bishops). The Catholic Churches are:

Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church

Armenian Catholic Church

Belarusian Greek Catholic Church

Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church

Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro

Chaldean Catholic Church

Coptic Catholic Church

Ethiopic Catholic Church

Greek Byzantine Catholic Church

Hungarian Greek Catholic Church

Italo-Albanian Catholic Church

Macedonian Greek Catholic Church

Maronite Church

Melkite Greek Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic

Russian Byzantine Catholic Church

Ruthenian Catholic Church

Slovak Greek Catholic Church

Syrian Catholic Church

Syro-Malabar Church

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

celibacy: the state of being unmarried.

celibate: single; unmarried. If a married couple refrains from sex for a period of time, they are not celibate, they are continent. Married people cannot be celibate because celibate means unmarried.

chaste: sexually pure.

chastity: sexual purity. All persons, whether single or married, are called by God to be chaste. For single people, chastity involves refraining from lust, pornography, and sexual activity with oneself or other persons, and active service to meet the needs of other people (e.g. encouraging the discouraged, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, mentoring the young). For married people, chastity involves all the above with the exception that they can focus their sexual desires on and have sexual relations with their spouse.

church (with a lower case "c"): a local body of non-catholic Christians who meet together under self-elected officials (usually called a pastor). Non-catholic churches are not Churches in the proper sense, as they lack Apostolic succession and valid sacraments.

Church (with an upper case "C"): a local body of catholic Christians who are lead by a bishop. Each local body is referred to as a Church, but each one is considered to be the local expression of the True Church established by Christ.

continence: refraining from sexual activity with oneself or other persons.

continent: the state of being sexually inactive.

Eastern Orthodox Church:

Oriental Orthodox Church:

Roman Catholic Church: the largest of the 23 Catholic Churches. It is headed by the bishop of Rome, who is also the ultimate head of the 22 other Catholic Churches.

True Church: before Christ ascended into Heaven, He established His Church on Earth that would bear His authority, faithfully preserve and pass on His teaching, and make disciples of all nations. That Church has both a visible and an invisible aspect. The visible part of the Church includes a hierarchy (bishops, priests, and deacons), the lay people, the sacraments, and the Church's doctrine.

The invisible aspect of the Church...

1) includes those members of the Church who are truly disciples of Jesus Christ;
2) includes those members of the Church whose bodies have died; their spirits are still alive in Christ, and they are still members of Christ's living Body;
3) includes Christians who are not members of the True Church, but who, by the grace of God, are truly following Jesus Christ to the best of their understanding;
4) includes people who through no fault of their own have never heard of Christ or who have never had the Gospel presented to them in such a way that they can grasp it, but to whom God has revealed some piece of truth which they follow because they know it is true.

It is God's desire that all humanity be full members of the True Church in both its visible and invisible aspects.

The True Church is the either the Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church. I do not know which. Both claim to be the Church established by Christ, and say that the other one is schismatic (i.e. it broke off from the True Church) and heterodox (while maintaining much true doctrine, it also has some errors). Recently I almost became a Catechumen in the Orthodox Church, but am not yet ready to make that commitment. I continue to pray about this issue.

A Scriptural Rosary continued: The Second Joyful Mystery.

Review here and here. Another review here, along with the first Joyful mystery.

Let us pray the second Joyful Mystery.

Again, we are not using rosary beads. That's because some of the Scripture passages I use for the Scriptural rosary contain more than or fewer than ten verses. I use the rosary to help me memorize Scripture, so I lengthen or shorten the number of Hail Mary's accordingly.


Announce the mystery by saying:
"The second Joyful Mystery: Mary visits Elizabeth."

Now, pray one Our Father followed by these Hail Marys with their Bible verses.*

Our Father…

And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,
(Luke 1:39 TMB)**
Hail Mary…

and entered into the house of Zechariah and saluted Elisabeth.
(Luke 1:40 TMB)

Hail Mary…

And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.
(Luke 1:41 TMB)

Hail Mary…

And she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb.
(Luke 1:42 TMB)

Hail Mary…

"And why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
(Luke 1:43 TMB)
Hail Mary…

"For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
(Luke 1:44 TMB)

Hail Mary…

"And blessed is she who^ believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."
(Luke 1:45 TMB)

Hail Mary…

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
(Luke 1:46 ESV)
Hail Mary…

"and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
(Luke 1:47 ESV)

Hail Mary…

"for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
(Luke 1:48 ESV)
Hail Mary…

"for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name.
(Luke 1:49 ESV)
Hail Mary…

"And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.
(Luke 1:50 ESV)

Hail Mary…

"He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. (Luke 1:51 ESV)

Hail Mary…

"He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
(Luke 1:52 ESV)

"He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away.
(Luke 1:53 ESV)

Hail Mary…

"He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,
(Luke 1:54 ESV)
Hail Mary…

"as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring for ever."
(Luke 1:55 ESV)

Hail Mary…

Now pray the 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.

To close, make the sign of the cross. (In a future post, I'll list the full closing prayers of the rosary.)

*In a traditional rosary, one prays 10 Hail Mary's, called a decade, but here we are praying 1 or 2 Bible verses per 1 Hail Mary. This yields a "decade" of 17.

**My favorite Bible version is the Third Millennium Bible. I do most of my memorizing out of it, but occasionally I memorize a Scripture verse or passage in another version (e.g. because I have an audio recording I listen to often wherein a passage or verse is quoted in another version of the Bible), which is why there's a switch from the TMB to the ESV here.

^The TMB actually reads "that believed".

A Scriptural Rosary continued: the First Joyful Mystery.

Review here and here.

The mysteries of the rosary are different events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. They're divided into four different groups. Each group contains five mysteries.

The Joyful mysteries. These are about Jesus's birth and early life. We reflect on His First Advent while praying them. They are:

1) The Annunciation: the angel Gabriel announces Jesus's birth.

2) The Visitation: Mary visits Elizabeth.

3) The Nativity: Jesus is born in Bethlehem.

4) The Presentation: Joseph and Mary present Jesus to the Lord at the Temple.

5) The Finding of Jesus in the Temple: Joseph and Mary find the 12 year old Jesus in the Temple discussing God and His Law with the religious leaders.

The Luminous mysteries. These are about Jesus's earthly ministry. We reflect on some of His teachings and miracles while praying them. They are:

1) The Baptism: Jesus is baptized.

2) The Miracle at Cana: Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana.

3) The Proclamation of the Kingdom: Jesus preaches a message of repentance.

4) The Transfiguration: Jesus's glory is revealed on the mountain.

5) The Institution of the Eucharist: Jesus gives us His flesh and blood in the Eucharist.

The Sorrowful mysteries. We accompany Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Golgotha in these mysteries.

1) The Agony in the Garden: Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.

2) The Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus is scourged.

3) The Crowning with Thorns: Jesus is given a crown of thorns.

4) The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus carries His cross to Calvary.

5) The Crucifiction: Jesus is crucified.

The Glorious mysteries. Jesus is our risen Lord, and His ministry is now in Heaven. We contemplate this in our prayers on these mysteries.

1) The Resurrection: Jesus dies, but doesn't stay dead!

2) The Ascension: Jesus goes back to Heaven.

3) The Descent of the Holy Spirit: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit on the Church to empower and sanctify Her.

4) The Assumption of Mary: Jesus takes Mary to Heaven with Him (a picture of our own resurrection).

5) The Crowning of Mary: Jesus crowns Mary as the Queen-Mother (in the Middle East, the king's mother was the queen, not his wife. This is why Solomon gives his mother Bathsheba a throne. She was the queen. The Davidic kingdom is a picture of the Messianic kingdom, so Mary, being the Mother of King Jesus, is queen).

Here we begin praying the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary. This post will contain only the first decade, that is, the Annunciation.

Start with the Introductory prayers. (Here's the picture I linked to in that post. It may prove useful).

The Introductory prayers leave off at the space between the fourth bead (a.k.a. the third small bead, #6 in the picture) and the next bead. From this point on, I will not be using the beads, however. That's because some of the Scripture passages I use for the Scriptural rosary contain more than or fewer than ten verses. I use the rosary to help me memorize Scripture, so I lengthen or shorten the number of Hail Mary's accordingly.

Say:

"The first Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation."

Then pray the Lord's Prayer (Our Father...).

Move your fingers to the next bead (#11) and recite the following verse:

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, (Luke 1:26 TMB)*

Then pray a Hail Mary while mediating on that verse...

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;

blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

...and continue praying the verses and Hail Mary's until you get to the end.

to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
(Luke 1:27 TMB)

Hail Mary…

And the angel came in unto her and said, "Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women."
(Luke 1:28 TMB)

Hail Mary…

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and cast about in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
(Luke 1:29 TMB)

Hail Mary…

And the angel said unto her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God.
(Luke 1:30 TMB)

Hail Mary…

"And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son; and shalt call His Name Jesus.
(Luke 1:31 TMB)

Hail Mary…

"He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end."
(Luke 1:32 TMB)

Hail Mary…

"and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end."
(Luke 1:33 TMB)
Hail Mary…

Then said Mary unto the angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not man?" 
(Luke 1:34 TMB)

Hail Mary…

And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that Holy Being who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:35 TMB)
Hail Mary…

"And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth: she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
(Luke 1:36 TMB)

Hail Mary…

"For with God nothing shall be impossible."
(Luke 1:37 TMB)
Hail Mary…

And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And the angel departed from her.
(Luke 1:38 TMB)

Hail Mary…

Now pray the 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.

To close, make the sign of the cross. (In a future post, I'll list the full closing prayers of the rosary.)

That's it for the first Joyful Mystery. Again, ordinarily one would pray all the Joyful Mysteries on one day, all the Luminous Mysteries on another, etc., but this will suffice us for now.

*I use the Third Millennium Bible and several other versions. Use your preferred version(s). And you needn't say the scripture reference, just quote and meditate on the verse.

A Scriptural Rosary for my Catholic and Evangelical friends, the Introductory prayers.

About the rosary at New Advent. And at the Vatican.

How to pray the rosary at New Advent [pdf] and at YouTube.

So how is this rosary for my Evangelical friends? This is a scriptural rosary. If you're not comfortable praying the Hail Mary, skip it! Just recite the Bible verse and pause to think about it. Indeed, even if one does pray the Hail Mary's, one should concentrate on the Scripture passage while one prays.

This post will have only the introductory prayers of the rosary. I'll add the rest in following posts.

First, some instruction not covered above. The point of the rosary is not to recite the prayers. The rosary is to help one meditate on certain events in the lives of Jesus and His Mother Mary. As one meditates on these events, one should determine how they apply to one's own life and become a better disciple of Jesus. If the rosary does not help you do so, stop doing it. The Church does not require anyone to pray the rosary. She encourages it only if it helps you "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

The rosary is made up of a crucifix, a string of beads, and usually a medal. See this picture. It is divided into "sections". The first section consists of the crucifix and the first four beads. The remaining five sections consist of one large bead, on which one prays the Our Father (i.e. the Lord's Prayer), and ten small beads, on each of which is prayed a Hail Mary.

Until recently, the rosary consisted of a few opening prayers, 15 sets of 1 Our Father and 10 Hail Mary's and 1 Glory Be, and then a few closing prayers. There are now 20 sets of 1 Our Father and 10 Hail Mary's and 1 Glory Be. Also, to pray the rosary usually meant to pray all 15 sets. It is customary now, however, to pray 5 sets daily. Whether one prays all 15 or 20 or just the sets of 5, the opening and closing prayers are always included.

Some people pray the entire rosary for a specific prayer intention. Others have a prayer intention for each decade. Still others mention a specific prayer request on each bead of the rosary. You can do whatever you want because there is no official way to do this. You don't even have to have rosary beads to pray it because you can keep track of the prayers some other way.

The rosary begins with the sign of the cross. Here's how our Eastern rite and Orthodox brethren make that sign: How to make the sign of the cross (note how the hand is held. Most Western rite Catholics don't hold their hands that way when making the sign of the cross, although I do). In the video, the guy is speaking the following in Arabic (I couldn't find an English video):

"In the Name of the Father" (fingers to forehead)

"and of the Son" (fingers to abdomen)

"and of the Holy" (fingers to one shoulder) "Spirit" (fingers to opposite shoulder).

"Amen."

(I've got to learn how to say this in Arabic!)

While saying the above, some people cross themselves with the crucifix, touching it to each of the following points on the body (forehead, abdomen, shoulder, shoulder). Others hold it in one hand while signing themselves with the other.

One then recites and meditates on the Apostle's Creed (numbers 1 and 2 in the picture):

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell;

the third day He rose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;

the holy catholic Church;

the communion of saints;

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Then one places one's fingers onto the first large bead* and prays the Our Father... (#3):

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:

for Thine is the kingdom,

and the power,

and the glory for ever.

Amen.

A Hail Mary is said on each of the next three small beads. In the traditional rosary, one prays one Hail Mary on each of these beads. Some people offer prayers for the bishops of the Church on the first of these beads, for priests on the next bead, and for deacons on the third. Some ask for an increase of faith, hope, and charity. This last is what we'll do, with a Bible verse and a phrase added to each Hail Mary (I'll put an additional phrase in bold text).

Holding the first small bead (#4), ask God to increase your faith in Him. You can do so by simply saying "For an increase of faith", or you can make an Act of Faith, or make up your own prayer (like, "God, please help me to trust You more").

Then recite "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 TMB)**, and pray the following (by the way, we are asking Mary to pray to God with us):

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;

blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,

who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

On the next small bead (#5), ask for an increase of hope (e.g. Act of Hope or etc.).

Recite "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (I Peter 1:3 TMB).

And pray:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;

blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
who has destroyed death and given hope to us by His resurrection.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

On the third small bead (#6), ask for an increase of charity (e.g. Act of Charity or etc.).

Recite "And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (I Peter 4:8 TMB).

And pray:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;

blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
whom we love because He first loved us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Keep your hand on that bead, or move it to the space between it and the next large bead (#'s 7-9) and pray the following:

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.

This ends the Introductory prayers of the Rosary. I'll post more later.

*Many rosaries use a combination of large and small beads. The one in the picture doesn't.

**Use whatever Bible version you prefer.

The Rosary.

The rosary: I don't pray it often because one is supposed to concentrate on the mysteries, which is difficult for me, unless I use a guide of some sort. So, for those who face the same problem, I recommend two things. One is the book The Complete Rosary: A Guide to Praying the Mysteries and the other is a scriptural rosary.

The book The Complete Rosary has been quite a help to me in that the author, William George Storey, gives a brief history of the rosary, and instructs one on the meaning and purpose of it. The most helpful aid to my meditation has been using the phrases he suggests as inserts into the Hail Mary's, between "Jesus" and "Holy Mary". For example, if one is praying the Joyful Mystery of the Annunciation, one might say the following:

"Hail Mary, Full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
Who was conceived at the message of an angel.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now, and at the hour of our death."

Check out the preview on Amazon. It's a great book, and I highly recommend it!

A scriptural rosary is a rosary prayed with both the traditional prayers of the rosary and Scripture verses. I have developed my own, and offer it to you, my reading public (assuming I still have one) beginning with my next blog post.

Updates:

Scriptural rosary, introductory prayers here.

Scriptural rosary, first mystery here.

Scriptural rosary, second mystery here.

Scriptural rosary, third mystery here.

Scriptural rosary, fourth mystery here.

Scriptural rosary, fifth mystery here.

Father Corapi...

...let us pray for him.

Kresta in the Afternoon blog on this situation: The Walls Come Tumbling Down on Corapi.

Jen Fulwiler's blog entry about the Father Corapi situation (probably the best one I've read). Read her blog. It's much better than mine. I work way too many hours to keep this thing updated like I should.

And to close: some comments I made on Kresta's blog...


"I have been praying for Fr. Corapi, and will continue to do so. In one of his recorded talks he asked that we pray for him constantly because, as he said, any of us can fall deeply into sin and lose our souls. But, to quote him, "It ain't over till it's over." He can still repent and be renewed! Let us pray for him, for all who are hurt by his fall, and that God will help each of us to guard our hearts and lives that we may attain eternal life!"


UPDATE: Wise words from Father Z.


Hat tip to Mark Shea (another blog that is much better than mine!).