Prayer is the lifting of the heart and mind to God. The heart is the will and the mind is the intellect. The Rosary is a special prayer because it involves both mental prayer and vocal prayer. One recites the prayers of the Rosary while meditating on the mysteries that the Holy Catholic Church gives us, namely, the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious mysteries. Yet what does this mean and how does one do it?

Most people do not understand how the Rosary is supposed to be said and hence they find the Rosary boring, tiresome, and let’s face it, “a drag.” “I just don’t get anything out of the Rosary”; “It is so repetitious and boring to be just saying Hail Marys over and over again”; “I get so distracted saying the Rosary” or “I spend the whole time fighting distractions;” “Oh, it takes so long to say the Rosary” or “I don’t have time to say the Rosary.”

Of course, the devil, who hates the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the one who inspires these discouraging thoughts. He certainly knows by observation how efficacious the Rosary is, and how powerful the Rosary is, in protecting the soul from his onslaughts. This is one of the primary reasons why Our Lady requests that we say at least five decades a day. She requested this specifically at Fatima, and at Lourdes. Our Lady of Fatima said in the end times, that we would only have her Immaculate Heart and the Rosary. Thus, there should be no doubt in a serious Catholic’s mind, that we certainly have a moral obligation to say the Rosary. We need to have devotion to Our Lady in order to save our souls, and the Rosary is one of the simplest devotional prayers one can say.

It is a positive shame that as many books as have had reference to the Rosary, there doesn’t seem to be anything written on exactly how the Rosary should be said. It seems to be assumed that people would automatically just “know” how to say it. What a clever trick of the devil, to ensure that folks will never say the Rosary, or never say it in the way the Blessed Mother intends it to be said! Books and pamphlets about the Rosary mention that one says so many Hail Marys and an Our Father and Glory Be while meditating on the Mysteries. One can even find a “Scriptural Rosary” book that has basically Scriptural Quotes to be said between Hail Marys. Very well indeed, but just saying a Scriptural Quote is not meditating. One can find books with the pictures of the Rosary depicting each of the 15 decades. Again, all very nice, but these do not explain how to say the Rosary. These books merely are hinting that just thinking or recalling to one’s mind the “story” of each mystery is supposed to be “praying” the Rosary.

There are many books written about mental prayer, yet unfortunately, the way one actually is supposed to do it, is not described. Even the Concise Catholic Dictionary does not give an accurate definition of mental prayer. Meditation involves bringing some truth to mind and thinking on this truth or one could call it pondering a truth. One considers the truth and draws what could be called some “profit, insight, or further conclusion” from “the considering” that one is presently doing. This process of considering might be called the preparation for mental prayer. The actual mental prayer is simply this, that one says something to God. This saying something to God is referred to as “an affection” or an “act of the will”. Of course this statement is really said inside and does not have to be spoken aloud, although at times when one is alone, he might find himself saying things to God or the saints aloud. Because prayer is the “lifting of the heart and mind to God”, the “act of the will” is the “lifting” of the heart.

The consideration can be compared to the tilling of the soil and the act of the will is like the harvest or fruit of the consideration. The goal of the consideration is the acts of the will. If one does not make acts of the will, then one is not lifting both the heart and the mind to God, and thus, one is not praying. When one is doing a good job making considerations, then the heart seems to overflow with things to say. This pouring out of the heart is what is also called the colloquy. These acts are typically of four kinds, namely, thanksgiving, contrition, petition, or adoration, which are the four types of prayer.

In meditation one considers some truth. One can think and consider about some topic, for example, the fall of the Angels. Then someone would take as many aspects of this topic as he wished to ponder and this pondering would produce many things to say to God, for instance, “Thank-you dear Lord for revealing this truth to mankind”; or “Thank-You dear Lord for saving me from falling into hell”; or “Thank-You for your mercy to me, etc.” One can meditate on a standard Catholic prayer and think about the words of the prayer itself. This kind of meditation would involve thinking about the meaning of the words [singly, or perhaps, a couple at a time] and dwelling on them in order to appreciate them, and these thoughts would inspire acts of the will. This might go something like this, maybe taking the Hail Mary:

These are examples of the considerations one would make and the following are possible “acts of the will” which the considerations might inspire:

Now putting these concepts in the sphere of the Rosary, when one is reciting the Hail Marys during the decades of the Rosary, one would not do this type of meditating on the words of the Hail Mary. Because meditating only on words of the Hail Mary for each Hail Mary of the entire Rosary would be difficult, the church has us base our considerations on the life of Our Lord and/or Our Lady, and let these considerations inspire our acts of the will. Thus, we only recite the Hail Marys, while considering the lives of Our Lord and/or Our Lady and making acts of the will. One may ask, “How can I be thinking about the lives of Our Lord and/or Our Lady, decide what I want to say to them, then say it, while I recite the Hail Mary?” The simple answer is, that if one is saying the Rosary with someone else, then one can make his considerations, decide his act of the will and say it, (mentally), while the other person is leading or following the Hail Mary. When one is just starting out, one should not worry about making acts of the will when he is leading or following. It may happen at first that one’s act of the will, might slip out into the vocal recitation while following, but despite the embarrassment, know that in time this won’t keep happening.

After a while of practicing making these acts of the will in this manner, one will find that he is actually able to say acts of the will while leading and/or following.

One should try to make his acts of the will as simple as one can, because this will help him to get into the habit of mental prayer while he is reciting the vocal prayer.

One may also ask, “What if I am saying the Rosary by myself?” If one is saying the Rosary alone, it is a better thing to say the Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes out loud, in a whisper, or at least mouthing the words with his lips. This makes it easier to say the required internal acts of the will. Then, similarly one can say his act of the will in between the Hail Marys and eventually the acts of the will start “bleeding” into the recited Hail Marys. The person will find that he can truly make an act of the will at the same time he is reciting the Rosary. In fact, the expression, “reciting the Rosary” shows that the vocal aspect of the Rosary is merely a recital by rote of the Hail Marys. The recital by rote and simultaneously saying acts of the will can, of course, include the Our Fathers and Glory Bes as well. Or one can think of the meaning of the Our Father and Glory Be while reciting them, stirring up as much tender love as one can, trying to say them with fervor. Then, while reciting the Hail Marys one can pour out acts of the will. One should not fret if his acts are simple, or if he finds himself making the same act throughout the entire decade. One will discover that the Rosary becomes something that one really enjoys saying and that the Rosary seems to fly by and has far fewer distractions and maybe no distractions at all. The Rosary is a powerful prayer and does soothe the soul when said properly. The following is a possible demonstration of how to do what is described above:

Leader announces: The first joyful Mystery is the Annunciation. Then the leader begins the Our Father.

The follower: {reader of this article} while listening to the first part of the Our Father might say within himself, “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all your blessings to me. I am so unworthy,” or he might just internally join in the recital while he tries to focus intensely on the meaning of the words.

The leader: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”

The follower: [while the leader leads] internally thinks of considerations or intentions to say to God, Our Lord specifically, Our Lady specifically, or the saints, e.g., “thank-You dear Lord for becoming Man”.

The follower: answers the Hail Mary “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen”.

The leader: says the next Hail Mary. [During this, the follower may ponder longer and come up with more ideas of what to say or add additional acts based on what he said already, e.g., “I adore Thee O Lord for Thy Incarnation,” or “Mary, I thank thee for thy ‘Fiat’”.

The follower: answers the second Hail Mary.

And so the process continues for the rest of the Annunciation decade and the rest of the decades.

Here the Leader and the follower are the reader. So the reader as the leader announces the first Mystery: “The Annunciation”. Then the reader says aloud, in a whisper, or at least mouthing the words, recites the Our Father with a fervent focus on the words of the Our Father, striving to say it with love. Or the reader can say a short act of the will before beginning to recite the Our Father. {Of course, the person praying can say any particular intention he may have when announcing the decade, and this may inspire acts of the will likewise.}

Before saying the first Hail Mary, the reader should say an act of the will aloud, in a whisper, or at least mouth the words, e.g. “I love Thee O Lord for Thy Humility in becoming Man.” Then the reader should recite the first Hail Mary. He should simply recite the Hail Mary, think of a different theme, or continue with the same idea that he started with, e.g., “O Lord, I thank Thee for Thy Mercy.” [This process can also be done during the Our Father, and Glory Be.]

Below are some sample acts of the will that may help in understanding how one says the Rosary by making acts of the will while one is reciting the decades by rote. One can be as ornate in his acts as he wishes to be, or is inspired to be. God is certainly pleased with our contrite prayers and humble begging of His help. As one becomes more proficient, one can get more elaborate.

1. Mary, teach me humility. 2. Mary, help me be humble. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. I love you, Mary. 5. I adore Thee, O Lord.

1. Mary, rich in humility, teach me. 2. Thank-you, Lord, for becoming Man. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. Thank-you, Mary, for your fiat. 5. O Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, thank-you for your examples. 6. Mary, teach me your ways.

1. Mary, model of humility, please teach me humility. 2. Mary, O humble handmaid, help me be humble. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. I thank-you for your humble submission to God’s Will. 5. O Incarnate Wisdom, I adore Thee. 6. O Hypostatic Union, I adore Thee. 7. How can I thank Thee enough, O Lord, for Thy incarnation? I love Thee, O Lord.

1. Mary, teach me generosity. 2. Mary, help me be selfless. 3. Mary, teach me love of neighbor. 4. I love thy virtue, Mary. 5. Mary, help me stay close to Jesus.

1. Mary, model of generosity, teach me. 2. Mary, help me be give of myself completely. 3. Mary, help me follow your sweet example. 4. O Sweet Mary, I love you. 5. I love your examples, O Mary.

1. Mary, O sweet model of charity, help me. 2. Mary, help me be selfless like thee. 3. Mary, help me stay close to Our Lord. 4. Mary, model of generosity, teach me to be unselfish. 5. O Mary, vessel of devotion, keep me close to your heart. 6. Mary, Mother of my sweet Jesus, I love you.

1. Infant King, I love Thee. 2. Thank-you, dear Jesus, for coming. 3. Mary, help me adore thy Son. 4. Dear Infant Jesus, help me be humble.

1. Sweet Infant Jesus, I love Thee. 2. I thank Thee, dear Jesus, for Thy sweet example of humility. 3. I adore Thee, O sweet Infant King. 4. I love Thee, dear Infant Jesus. 5. Mary, help me accept God’s Will as you and St. Joseph did. 6. O heavenly Mother and patriarch St. Joseph, help me to have a real spirit of Poverty.

1. Dear Jesus, help me be detached from the world. 2. Mary, teach me a love of poverty. 3. Mary and St. Joseph, teach me holy detachment. 4. Thank-you, dear Jesus, for your example of humility. 5. Help me, O Holy Family, to love the things of heaven.

1. Mary and St. Joseph, teach me obedience 2. O Infant King, I love Thee. 3. O Infant King, I love Thy humility.

1. Mary and St. Joseph, thank you for your example. 2. Mary, help me give myself to the Infant King. 3. Mary, keep me close to Thy Divine Son. 4. Mary, thank–you for your tender heart.

1. Mary, present me to the Infant Jesus. 2. Thank-you for listening to my wretched woes. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. Mary, help me present my heart to God. 5. I am so unworthy, dear Mary, please help me. 6. O Mary, you understand my woes, thou art my consolation. 7. Thank-you, dear Lord, for giving us Mary.

1. Mary, teach me resignation to God’s Will. 2. Mary, help me love God. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. Mary, keep me close to the Child Jesus.

1. Mary, teach me how to love God’s Will. 2. O Holy Family, keep me close to the Child Jesus. 3. Mary, help me keep the Child Jesus in my heart. 4. O Mother of Sorrows, teach me patience in my sorrows. 5. Dear Mother of Sorrows, please convert poor sinners.

1. Mary, model of patience, I love you. 2. Mary, help me always seek Our Lord. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will with generosity. 4. Mary, help me love God with all my heart. 5. O Child Jesus, please help me be patient teaching others. 6. O Child Jesus, please help me always do the Will of Thy Father with love. 7. O Child Jesus, please unite me to Thee always.

1. O Lord, I am sorry for my pride. 2. O Lord, help me be humble. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. O Lord, I love Thee. 5. O Lord, help me be patient.

1. O Lord, I am weak, teach me. 2. O Lord, help me always accept Thy Holy Will. 3. I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thy examples of humility.4. I thank Thee for Thy example of patience. 5. O Lord, help me follow Thy example of patience.

1. O My Agonizing Jesus, please forgive my cold and conceited heart. 2. O Lord, help me follow Thy example of humility. 3. I adore Thee, O Lord, in Thy suffering for me. 4. I am so sorry for my sins of pride. 5. O Lord, I see what my wretched pride hath done to Thee. 6. O Lord, I beseech Thee to give me tears of compunction.

1. O Lord, I am sorry for my self-indulgence. 2. O Lord, help me be selfless. 3. Dear Jesus, I love Thee.

1. Dear Jesus, help me mortify myself. 2. I thank Thee for suffering such cruelty for my sake. 3. Mary, help me willingly suffer for Christ. 4. O Lord, help me love Thee. 5. Dear Lord, help me suffer willingly for Thee.

1. Dear Lord, I am sorry for my sins of pampering myself. 2. Mary, help me mortify my flesh. 3. Dear Lord, I love Thee with my whole heart and soul. 4. I give Thee my heart, dear Lord. 5. O Lord, I adore Thy Precious Blood. 6. Bathe my wretched, ungrateful heart in Thy Precious Blood, O Lord.

1. Mary, teach me humility. 2. O Jesus, help me be humble. 3. O Lord, I am sorry for my pride.

1. O Lord, I thank Thee for Thy Humility. 2. Mary, help me love humility with all my heart. 3. Mary, help me accept every pain that God sends me. 4. Thank Our Lord for us, O Mary, for all the humble examples He gives us. 5. Help me, Dear Lord, to stand up for Thy Glory. 6. O Jesus, I am sorry for my horrible sins of pride.

1. O Crown of my Savior, I love Thee. 2. O Crown of my Savior, I adore Thee. 3. O My dearest Jesus, please forgive me for my wretched pride. 4. Dear Jesus, help me mortify my imagination. 5. O Sacred Head so wounded, I love Thee. 6. O Humble Jesus, help me to be unconcerned about the insults and hatred I receive from others.

1. Mary, help me bear suffering well. 2. O Jesus, give me patience. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will.

1. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins of impatience. 2. Mary, help me unite with thee in suffering. 3. Jesus, help me carry my cross with love. 4. Jesus, I adore Thee and praise Thee. 5. O Jesus, help me to love my cross for love of Thee. 6. Mary, help me cling to the Cross of Our Lord.

1. I adore Thee and I praise Thee, O Lord, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. 2. Thy Cross, O Lord is my hope and my refuge. 3. O Mother of Sorrows, be my guide. 4. Mary, help me compassionate Thy Dear Son. 5. Mary, show me the sweetness of the Cross. 6. O Mary, help me joyfully sacrifice for Thy Son.7. Dear Mary, please help me carry my crosses joyfully. 8. Dear Lord, please help me carry my crosses in the way that pleases Thee most and serves Thee best.

1. Jesus, I love Thee with my whole heart. 2. Mother of Sorrows, guide me. 3. Mary, help me have true contrition. 4. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins.

1. O Lord, draw me to Thy Sacred Heart. 2. Jesus, I am unworthy to be Thine. 3. O Incarnate Wisdom, I thank Thee and I love Thee. 4. Dear Mary, help me love my Lord more and more. 5. I adore Thee, O Christ, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. 6. O Lord, never let me abandon Thee.

1. I am so sorry, Lord, for all my sins, especially my sins of pride. 2. Melt my cold heart, dear Lord. 3. Mary at the foot of the Cross, teach me to love thy Son with all my heart. 4. O Sacred Heart of melting wax, soften my heart, and make me melt with love for Thee. 5. O Sorrowful Heart of Mary, teach me compassion. 6. O Sorrowful Mother, help me compassionate thy Son. 7. I adore Thee and I love Thee O Lord for enduring the wound on Thy left wrist. [likewise, one could mention the right wrist, the left foot, the right foot, and the pain of the Most Sacred Heart- the painful throbbing and inflammation as well as the moral and spiritual suffering of His Heart.]

1. I thank Thee Lord for the gift of faith. 2. O Lord, strengthen my faith. 3. O Lord, help me love the faith more.

1. O Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. 2. Thank Thee, O Lord, for resurrecting. 3. Mary, you who ever kept the faith, help me always keep the faith. 4. O Mary, keep us strong in the faith in this Great Apostasy in which we live. 5. O Holy Apostles, protect us in this Great Apostasy.

1. O Victorious Lord and Redeemer, may Thou ever be praised. 2. O Compassionate Lord, I adore and praise Thy many apparitions. 3. I adore Thee, praise Thee, thank Thee, and love Thee, O Lord, for Thy Glorious Resurrection. 4. Please keep me faithful to Thee, O Lord.

5. I adore Thee, God the Father, for Thy Divine Plan for redeeming mankind. 6. I adore Thee, God the Son, for being obedient unto the death of the Cross. 7. I adore Thee, God the Holy Ghost, for Thy Divine Plan for man’s redemption.

1. O Lord, I adore Thee for Thy Ascension. 2. O Lord, increase my hope. 3. O Lord, give me a great desire for heaven.

1. Thank Thee, O Lord, for ascending into heaven. 2. O Lord, I beg Thee to make me one of Thy elect. 3. Mary, help me have a burning desire for heaven.

1. I adore Thee, O Lord, for Thy Glorious Ascension. 2. Mary, help me have an intense desire for heaven. 3. Mary, my life, my sweetness and my hope, pray for me. 4. O Sweet Jesus, please increase my hope for heaven.

1. O Holy Ghost, I adore Thee. 2. O Holy Ghost, I love Thee. 3. Mary, teach me to love.

1. O Holy Ghost, Infinite Love between the Father and the Son, I adore Thee. 2. O Holy Ghost, Infinite Love between the Father and the Son, I love Thee. 3. O Holy Ghost, Infinite Love between the Father and the Son, please open my heart. 4. O Paraclete, please inspire me, and guide me. 5. O Paraclete, grant that I learn and have virtue in my heart.

1. Fill my heart I beg Thee, O Holy Ghost. 2. I can do nothing without Thee, O Holy Ghost, please teach me. 3. Mary, spouse of the Holy Ghost, beg Him to teach me how to love. 4. O Paraclete, I, a creature, can neither give nor receive Thy Infinite Love, yet make my poor finite love pure. 5. I can only receive and give finite love, yet please grant that my love be pure. 6. O Holy Ghost, grant that I ever love the Truth.

1. Mary, please pray for me. 2. Thank Thee, dear Lord, for giving us Mary. 3. Mary, please obtain for us a holy death.

1. Mary, Mediatrix of all grace, please obtain for us the grace of final perseverance. 2. O Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us. 3. Sweet Mother Mary, please guide us and protect us. 4. I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thy wonderful gift of Mary, for our Mother.

1. O Lord, I cannot thank Thee enough, for Thy bountiful gift of Mary. 2. Mary, help us to love God with all our hearts. 3. Mary, Our Mother, help us and keep us safe. 4. Mary, Our Blessed Mother, help us ever lean on thee. 5. Mary, model of all virtue, teach us who are thy poor children.

1. Mary, powerful Queen, pray for us. 2. Mary, dear humble Queen, help me be humble. 3. Mary, Our Queen, protect us.

1. Mary, please increase our devotion to thee. 2. Mary, no one can go to Jesus except through thee; please help us stay close to thee. 3. Mary, never let us abandon thee.

1. O Infinite Goodness of God, I thank Thee with my whole heart for giving Mary to us. 2. O dear Lord, Mary is Thy masterpiece; I cannot thank Thee enough for creating such a treasure as Mary. 3. O Mary, my Mistress and Queen, protect me. 4. O Queen of Heaven and all creation, keep me ever safe with thee.

Thus, one can see that the rosary is the wise prayer of the church to teach her children the principles of meditation which draw the soul to the life of contemplation and a mystical union with Christ which is part of God’s intention for Catholic souls.