Can non-Catholics pray the rosary? If so, how did you learn the prayers?
YES you beautiful anon, non-Catholics are welcome to and encouraged to pray the rosary! We don’t have a monopoly on these 59 beaded babies. I’ll tell you a little about it, and I can also provide some links & apps that can help you learn it!
The first thing, before you even learn about the beads and prayers, is for me to tell you that the point of the rosary is meditation. Not like eastern meditation where you “empty your mind” and whatnot, but to ponder a specific instance in scripture. Starting out it will be hard to meditate because you haven’t memorized the prayers, but once you have them down, you’ll be free to not think about the words you’re saying and concentrate on your meditation.
Here are some examples of what to do while (note: real people and events/experiences make up the rosary, but to simplify I call them “characters” and “stories”):
What would it have been like for (main character) during this story? What about what it was like for (side character)?
Put yourself in the story as an observer. What would it have been like to witness this?
Think about the event taking place in the story. Marvel at the mystery of what is happening, for each is a miracle.
The “stories” we call mysteries. Which ones we pray depend on the time of year and the say of the week (I know, I know, could we make it even more impossible for a newbie?) but I have a graphic to help me out:
The only think I dislike about this graphic is that the titles of the mysteries aren’t complete - which is fine for seasoned Catholics, but for newbies, it helps to know them. For example, “The Coronation”s full name is “The Coronation of Our lady as Queen of Heaven and Earth.” These are easily googled, as are meditations that you can read on each mystery.
THE ANATOMY OF THE ROSARY
Intimidating, right? It kind of is at first. But I’ll break it down.
It looks like a necklace, but it is generally frowned upon to use the rosary as jewelry. It looks a bit like a lollipop - a circle with a line hanging down. Besides the crucifix at the end of the lollipop stick (the “Creed” bead) and the bead that connects the stick to the lollipop head (the “Hail Holy Queen” bead), all beads are round, and either big or small. Big round beads are called “Our Father” beads, and small round beads are called “Hail Mary” beads.
Now that I’ve laid out the fundamentals, I’ll provide the prayers that make up the rosary, and from there, it’s pretty straight forward - the diagram above shows what to pray on which bead. You start at the crucifix (end of lollipop stick), go upwards to the red “Our Father” bead (near lollipop head), go around the circle meditating on the mystery during the 10 “Hail Mary” bead stretch. Before each “Our Father” bead, you announce the mystery on which you are beginning meditation, and can (optionally) read a meditation you found in a book or online to focus your mind on the mystery. Then you pray Our Father, Hail Mary, Hail Mary, etc.
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS (do prescribed motion while saying bolded word): “In the name of the Father *touch forehead*, and of the Son *touch ribcage*, and of the Holy *touch left shoulder* Spirit *touch right shoulder*. Amen.”
THE 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; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall 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, 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, 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.
GLORY BE to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
FATIMA PRAYER: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the power of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy Mercy. Amen.
HAIL HOLY QUEEN, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope, to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement *knock fist to chest* O loving *knock fist to chest* O sweet *knock fist to chest* Virgin Mary, pray for us O holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
In closing, these are websites and apps that you can pray along with to help you out:
Comepraytherosary.org (guided rosary online)
Laudate (iPhone app with guided rosary)
Some prewritten, easy mystery meditations
Good luck, God Bless you, and let me know if you have any other questions!
