The prayer that is said on the beads in each decade of the Rosary is a combination of the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory be to the Father. This sequence is repeated for each of the ten beads in a decade.
To start, on the first bead of each decade, we recite the Our Father. This prayer is one of the most well-known prayers in Christianity and is considered the perfect prayer given to us by Jesus himself. It begins with the words “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” and it is a prayer that acknowledges God as our loving Father and seeks His guidance, forgiveness, and provision.
Moving on to the second bead, we say the Hail Mary. This is a prayer dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It begins with the words “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…” and it is a plea for her intercession, asking her to pray for us sinners and to be with us in our times of need. The Hail Mary is a beautiful and powerful prayer that seeks the assistance and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
On the third bead of each decade, we recite the Glory be to the Father. This prayer is a simple yet profound declaration of praise and glory to the Holy Trinity. It goes like this: “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.” The Glory be acknowledges and glorifies God in His three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
After completing the prayers on each bead of the decade, we move on to the next set of beads and repeat the same sequence. This continues until we have completed all five decades of the Rosary, which consists of a total of fifty beads.
In addition to the prayers on the beads, at the end of each sequence of five decades, Catholics recite a poem-prayer known as the “Hail Holy Queen” or the “Salve Regina.” This prayer is a beautiful and heartfelt plea to Mary, asking for her intercession and protection. It begins with the words “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope…” and it is a reminder of Mary’s role as the Queen of Heaven and our loving mother.
The Rosary is a powerful and meditative prayer that allows us to reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ while seeking the intercession of Mary. It is a deeply personal and meaningful prayer that can bring comfort, peace, and spiritual growth to those who pray it.