A Rosary of the BVM for Anglo-Catholic use

The Scripture passages used herein are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

Collects: © Church Publishing Inc.; used by permission.

A Rosary for Anglo-Catholic use

The following form for saying the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on the forms in Rosaries compiled for the use of the English Church (1853), The Practice of Religion (1908), St. Augustine’s Prayer Book (1947), and current practice of the Rosary in the Roman Church.

(Image from the website of Loyola Press: http://www.loyolapress.com/praying-the-rosary.htm)

The method for saying the Rosary is simple and intended to be so.  The entire Rosary here includes twenty decades divided into four chaplets of five decades each.  Many who have used the Rosary before may be used to just fifteen decades in three chaplets.  In the Roman Church, it has had four chaplets since 2002, the year that Pope John Paul II instituted the fourth chaplet of Mysteries, his reason for doing so given at the end of the prayers here.

The opening prayers are the Sign of the Cross (Signum Crucis), the Apostle’s Creed (Symbolum Apostolorum), the Our Father (Pater Noster), three Hail Marys (Ave Maria), and the Lesser Doxology (Gloria Patri).

After these are said, the first decade begins.  On the large, or single, bead, first name the Mystery upon which you are meditating.  On each small bead, say a Hail Mary.  When you get to the chain, or string, say the Lesser Doxology.  On the chain at the end of the final decade, the Greater Doxology (Gloria in excelsis) may be substituted for the Lesser Doxology.  Upon concluding the final decade, say the Marian Anthem appropriate to the time of the church year.

The Joyful Mysteries are said Mondays and Sundays from the First Sunday of Advent through Transfiguration Sunday (Last Sunday after the Epiphany before Lent).

The Luminous Mysteries are said Thursdays and Sundays after Pentecost, except for Christ the King Sunday (Last Sunday before Advent).

The Sorrowful Mysteries are said Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays of Lent.

The Glorious Mysteries are said Wednesdays, Saturdays, Easter Day through Pentecost Sunday, and Christ the King Sunday.

The gospel passages supplied here for each of the Mysteries may be read or not between each Mystery during the recitation of the Rosary.

For the traditional Hail Mary, some may wish to substitute its Eastern Orthodox counterpart, the Theotokos Parthenos:

“Rejoice, Mary, Virgin Mother of God, full of grace, the Lord is with thee:  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to the Saviour of our souls.”

Opening prayers

Sign of the Cross (Signum Crucis)

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Still holding the cross, say:

Apostle’s Creed (Symbolum Apostolorum)

I believe in God, the Father almighty, 

    creator of heaven and earth; 

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 

    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit 

        and born of the Virgin Mary. 

    He suffered under Pontius Pilate, 

        was crucified, died, and was buried. 

    He descended to the dead. 

    On the third day he rose again. 

    He ascended into heaven, 

        and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

    He will come again 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 the life everlasting. Amen.

On the large bead say:

Lord’s Prayer (Pater Noster)

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.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

On the three small beads say, meditating on Faith, Hope, and Love:

Hail Mary (Ave Maria)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst 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 death. Amen.

On the chain say:

Lesser Doxology (Gloria Patri)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.  Amen.

Saying the chaplet for the Mysteries

For each decade of beads:

Start each decade by naming the Mystery on which you will be meditating.

On each large bead, say:

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.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

On each of the ten small beads, say:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst 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 death. Amen.

On the chain say:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.  Amen.

The Mysteries of the Rosary,

These are arranged in three groups of five.  The Scripture passage may be read before the Our Father of the decade and the Collect said after the Gloria Patri.

Joyful Mysteries of the Incarnation

Said Mondays and Sundays of Advent thru Transfiguration Sunday

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)

²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  ²⁹ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”  ³⁵ The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶ And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Collect  Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)

³⁹ In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰ where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴² and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³ And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴ For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

⁴⁶ And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸ for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  ⁵⁰ His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  ⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  ⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  ⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  ⁵⁶ And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Collect  Father in heaven, by your grace the virgin mother of your incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping your word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

3. The Nativity (Luke 2:4-20)

⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Collect  Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

4. The Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-35)

²² When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴ and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.  ²⁷ Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ²⁹ “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; ³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹ which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵ so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Collect  Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

5. The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41-51)

⁴¹ Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. ⁴³ When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. ⁴⁴ Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”⁴⁹ He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”   ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he said to them. ⁵¹ Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

Collect  Receive, Lord, the prayers of your people, and grant that we may see and know those thing which we ought to do, and have the grace and power to do them; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Luminous Mysteries of the Ministry

Said Thursdays and Sundays after Pentecost

1. The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17)

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Collect  Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

2. The Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12)

2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.³ When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” ⁶ Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. ⁹ When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.

Collect  Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.

3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom (Mark 1:14b-15, 2:3-13)

¹⁴ Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

³ Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” ¹² And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

¹³ Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them.

Collect  O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

4. The Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8)

² Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³ and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three shrines, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷ Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” ⁸ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus.

Collect  O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

5. The Institution of the Eucharist (Luke 22:14-20)

¹⁴ When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I tell you, I will not eat it^[a] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸ for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Collect  Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Sorrowful Mysteries of the Redemption

Said Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from First Sunday of Lent thru Palm Sunday

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46)

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” ³⁹ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” ⁴⁰ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴² Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³ Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

Collect  Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd who feeds and purifies your sheep with your own precious Blood: let your Agony in the Garden and all your Passion be comfort and salvation to us and to all sinners.  Amen

2. The Scourging (Luke 23:13-16)

¹³ Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people,¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”

Collect  Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

3. The Crowning with Thorns (John 19:2-3)

² And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. ³ They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face.

Collect  Jesus, you were crowned with thorns, blindfolded, buffeted, struck with a reed, clothed in derision with a purple garment, and in many other ways mocked and reviled: have mercy on us, Lord, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

4. Bearing the Cross (John 19:16-17)

⁶ Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.  So they took Jesus; ¹⁷ and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.

Collect  Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for out redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

5. The Crucifixion (Mark 15:23-37)

²³ And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

²⁵ It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. ²⁹ Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ save yourself, and come down from the cross!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. ³² Let the Messiah,the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

³³ When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”³⁵ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” ³⁶ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” ³⁷ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

Collect  Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Glorious Mysteries of the Resurrection

Said Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays from Easter thru Pentecost, and Christ the King

1. The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10)

28 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.”⁸ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.  ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Collect  Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

2. The Ascension (Acts 1:6-11)

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹ They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Collect  Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13-14, 2:1-4)

¹³ When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.² And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Collect  Almighty God, you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

4. The Church Triumphant or The Assumption (Revelation 7:2-12)

² I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, ³ saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”

⁴ And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel.

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Collect  Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

5. The Beatific Vision or The Coronation (Revelation 4:1-11)

4 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” ² At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne!³ And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. ⁵ Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; ⁶ and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.

Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: ⁷ the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. ⁸ And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, ¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Collect  Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Concluding prayers

On the chain at the end of the fifth decade, the Greater Doxology (Gloria in excelsis) may be substituted for the Lesser (Gloria Patri).

            Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
            Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
            Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
            For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The following Marian Antiphon concludes with a seasonal versicle, response, and collect.

Salve Regina

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 toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

In Advent, conclude with:

V. The Angel of the Lord announced unto Mary,

R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Pour forth we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of his resurrection; through the same Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

From Christmas Day thru Candlemas Eve, conclude with:

V. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

R. O Mother of God, plead for us.

O God, who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, hast given unto mankind the rewards of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech thee, that we may experience her intercession for us, by whom we deserved to receive the Author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son.  Amen.

From Candlemas (2 February) thru Good Friday, conclude with:

V. Allow me to praise thee, O sacred Virgin.

R. Against thine enemies give me strength.

Grant unto us, O merciful God, a defense against our weakness, that we who remember the holy Mother of God, by the help of her intercession, may rise from our iniquities, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

From Easter thru Pentecost, conclude with:

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.

R. For the Lord is risen indeed, alleluia.

O God, who through the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ gave rejoicing to the world, grant, we pray, that through his Mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joy of everlasting life.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

From  Trinity Sunday thru Christ the King, conclude with:

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Almighty, everlasting God, who by the cooperation of the Holy Spirit didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin-Mother Mary to become a dwelling-place meet for thy Son: grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration; so by her fervent intercession we may be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.

At anytime, instead of the seasonal collect, the following may be used:

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

O God, whose only-begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.

After the concluding collect, say,

V. May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

R. And let light perpetual shine upon them.

May Almighty God bless us, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Afterword

A very, very brief history of the Ave Maria

In support of the form of the Ave Maria in Rosaries compiled for Use in the English Church, I should point out that the prayer only came to be accepted in the West around 1050, and at that time included just the first sentence, the greetings to Mary from Gabriel and Elizabeth.  Prior to that, the sentences had been included as offertory antiphons on three occasions, the Feast of the Annunciation, Ember Wednesday of December, and the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

In the West, Pope Urban IV added the name Jesus Christ to the end of the sentences from Luke in 1263; “Christ” was later dropped.  By the fourteenth century, two forms of supplication had been added in different places, different forms of similar petitions: (1) “Pray for us sinners.  Amen” vis-a-vis (2) “Pray for us now and at the hour or our death.  Amen”.  Pope Pius V officially added the petitions as they are now in 1566.

In the Sarum Missal, the Ave Maria formed part of the opening prayers of the Canon of the Mass, following the Veni Creator Spiritus, the Collect for Purity, Psalm 43, the Kyrie, and the Paternoster.  However, in the texts that exist, the passages from Luke form the whole prayer, even the names “Mary” and “Jesus” included as no more than rubrics within the prayer as optional additions.  At least that was the case in 1504.  A Sarum Breviary printed in Paris in 1531 gave the full Ave Maria as we have it today, but a Primer published in England in 1556 gave just the Lucan verses.

.

In the East, the two sentences from Luke were used in various forms of the Eucharist as a regular prayer as early as the fifth century.  Nearly all Eastern translations into English render the first word as “Rejoice!” rather than “Hail!”.  The phrase, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners”, was added in the East, at least in the Patriarchate of Alexandria bu the mid-seventh century.  Elsewhere in the East, the prepositional phrase “Because you have borne the Savior of our souls” was added in the sixth or seventh century, and this became the most common form used.  The name Mary and the title Virgin Mother of God (Theotokos Parthenos) were added later to the beginning. 

A Brief History of the Rosary in the Roman Catholic Church

The Rosary of the Roman Catholic Church as we have it today originated in the mid- to late fifteenth century, though legend has it that the form first arose from St. Dominic in the early thirteenth century then fell into disuse.  The form was based on prayer traditions using multiple repetitions of the same prayer, at first the Lord’s Prayer then the Hail Mary, using knots on a rope to keep count. 

Peasants began using a knotted rope, later a rope with beads, to keep count of the one hundred fifty Our Fathers they said to mirror the number of Psalms said by regular clergy in the Divine Office.  The form was called “Our Lady’s Psalter” even then.  After some time, the Our Fathers became Hail Marys.

Toward the end of the fourteenth century, a Carthusian monk named Henry Kalkar divided the 150 prayers into fifteen decades, to be said on a chaplet of five decades.  Elsewhere, another Carthusian monk, Dominic of Prussia, assigned a verse of Scripture to each bead of the entire chaplet, making fifty Mysteries in all.

In 1483, an anonymous Dominican friar published a booklet called Our Dear Lady’s Psalter, which reduced the number of mysteries to fifteen, the same as those of the Joyous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, except for the last two, which in this case were “The Assumption and Coronation of Our Lady” and “The Last Judgment”.

In 1521, another Dominican, Alberto de Costello, assigned a major Mystery to each decade while retaining individual meditations for each bead.  Around the same time, the Gloria Patri was added to the end of each decade.

The Rosary’s Joyous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries were formalized by the Vatican in 1559, a quarter century after the separation of the Church of England from the Church of Rome. 

The Fatima Prayer (“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.  Amen.”) became part of the recitation common across the world after 1917.  When used, it follows the Gloria Patri at the end of each decade.  It is not, however, and officially instituted part of the Rosary and the Jesuits, for example, always omit it.

In the Roman Church, the recitation of the Rosary always concludes with the Salve Regina, with the collect after its versicle and response in form presented above replaced by the following:

“O GOD, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.”

In 2002, Pope John Paul II issued an encyclical instituting the Luminous Mysteries as part of the Rosary in order to have a chaplet, as a single five-decade set is called, focused on the earthly revelatory ministry of Jesus.

A Brief History of the Rosary in the Anglican Communion

That devotees used a form of the Rosary is demonstrated by manuals for private devotion such as The Encheiridion, published from 1528 to 1530.  The last devotion before the appendix is "The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin".  This Rosary follows the older formula of having separate meditations not for each decade but for every small bead.  After the meditation is read on each bead, devotees said the Hail Mary thus:  "Hail Mary! full of grace, the Lord is with thee!  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus Christ!".  At the end of the decade, devotee said the Our Father, the Apostle's Creed, and another Hail Mary.  There were no closing prayers.

The practice of saying the Rosary as we know it today came (back) to the Anglican Communion via the Church of England during the Oxford Movement that began in the 1830’s.  It wasn’t until 1853, however, that one of its adherents published a devotional manual for Anglicans which included the Dominican Rosary, called Rosaries compiled for the use of the English Church. 

In this 1853 manual the last two of the Glorious Mysteries—the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary—were changed to the Triumph of the Church in the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints (Church Triumphant for short) and the Consummation of the Bliss of the Saints (Beatific Vision for short), respectively. 

The first Rosary in the manual is called the Rosary of the Psalter, and was intended to be used for all fifteen Mysteries at once.  In place of the Ave Maria (Hail Mary), the manual here substituted the Pater Noster (Our Father).  Each decade was preceded with a scriptural passage relating to the Mystery in question and concluded with the Gloria Patri and a collect tailored to the mystery just meditated upon.

In addition to that rosary and the Rosary of the BVM or Rosary of St. Dominic, the Rosaries compiled for the use of the English Church also included rosaries of the Most Holy Trinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, of our Lord’s Passion, of the Heart of Jesus, of the Faithful Departed (two of these), and two Eucharistic Chaplets.

In its introduction, the 1853 manual suggested the Roman Ave Maria may be substituted by the Eastern Orthodox version Theotokos Parthenos, giving the following version:  “Hail, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, full of grace, the Lord is with thee:  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, which gave birth to the Savior of our souls.”  The text I provided above comes from Eastern Orthodox sources.

For its own version of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, however, the manual simply omits the petitionary second half of the Ave Maria.  Each of the three sets of Mysteries, called Chaplets by the 1853 manual, concludes with the Angelus.

The devotional manual The Encheiridion mentioned above was republished in 1860.

The Practice of Religion, first published in 1908 in London and New York City, follows the 1853 Rosaries in its listing of the Glorious Mysteries in its Catechism section, but in the section instructing the reader how to say the Rosary uses the Roman Catholic originals.  It offers no alternate form of the Hail Mary and concludes with the Salve Regina.

St. Augustine’s Prayer Book, first published in 1947,  gives no alternate to the names of the last two Glorious Mysteries anywhere.  It also adds the seasonal Marian Antiphons from the Daily Office in the Roman Church to the end of the Rosary.  The English translations here are those in current Roman use than the more archaic forms in the SAPB.

Notes on this Rosary

Candlemas is the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.  The name comes from the medieval practice of blessing beeswax candles for home use on that day.

The point between the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries for Sundays used to be Septuagesima, three Sundays before Lent, rather than Transfiguration Sunday.  Septuagesima and the two after it, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima, once formed the preparatory period before Lent known as Pre-Lent or Shrovetide.  The Roman Catholic Church ceased observing Shrovetide in 1969, and the Episcopal Church followed suit in 1979.  Transfiguration Sunday gets that name because the gospel passage designated for that Sunday every year in the Revised Common Lectionary is the account of the Transfiguration, intentionally presaging Lent.

In the Roman Church, the Luminous Mysteries are used on Thursday only.  The Glorious Mysteries are said Sundays from Easter Day through Christ the King Sunday.  I read John Paul II’s encyclical, which gave his reason for instituting this addition to the Rosary as wanting to provide a chaplet (set of five decades) focusing on Jesus’ earthly ministry.  I thought that using the Sundays during what the Roman Church calls Ordinary Time would make that point even more clearly.

Speaking of Ordinary Time, at least Ordinary Time after Pentecost, that was once called the Season of Trinity in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, with Sundays called Sundays after Trinity.  Now if a name for the period as a season is used, it is called Pentecost, which is really a reference to the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday.  The National Council of Churches recommended in 1937 that this period be called Kingdomtide, but no one took them up on that.  Some Methodist and Presbyterian denominations use the term, but for a much shorter period.  In the Church of England, the observance of Kingdomtide is optional from All Saints’ Day to the First Sunday of Advent.

I left out the Fatima Prayer in the text here because the Episcopal Church does not recognize the purported appearance there.  It is also not an official part of the Rosary even in the Roman Catholic Church; the Jesuits, for example, have never included it.

I included both names for the last two of the Glorious Mysteries and placed the designations published in Rosaries compiled for the use of the English Church because I prefer them since they follow the overall flow better and because I agree with the compiler of Rosaries that the Assumption and the Coronation are apocryphal even within a collection of stories and myths that are already mostly at best if not fully apocryphal themselves. 

The objection of the Roman Catholic journal The Rambler at the time Rosaries was published was that these title detract from Mary.  However, the fourth of the Joyous Mysteries has been officially designated “The Presentation in the Temple” since 1559 despite the fact that the main reason for the Holy Family being at the Temple was for the Purification of the BVM according to the Torah, which mandates a woman giving birth come before a priest for ritual purification forty days after the event.  That fact significantly weakens the strength of The Rambler’s argument on that point.

Still, I included the 1559 designations as optional and consider them acceptable.  It is a matter of preference.  Despite the weak attempt by the compiler of St. Augustine’s (the Rev. Loren Gavitt) to provide some scriptural basis for their use, there is none whatsoever.

I lifted the scripture passages for meditations on each Mystery mostly from Rosaries in the case of the Joyous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, with a couple from St. Augustine’s.  For the Luminous Mysteries, I used the passages from John Paul’s encyclical instituting them, though I substituted Luke’s account of the Institution of the Eucharist for the one from Matthew.  Luke is the only gospel that preserves the original tripartite form of benedictions from the chavurah meal upon which the first Eucharistic prayers were based.

The collects after each Mystery came from the Book of Common Prayer and from the Book of Occasional Services.

As is the case with Roman Catholic practice and that of most Anglo-Catholics, the form of the Rosary here concludes with the Salve Regina.  The seasonal versicles, responses, and collects for are those after the Marian Antiphons in St. Augustine’s, but are the current English translations in use by the Roman Church.

P.S.: The original posting of this on 8 December, the Feast of the Conception, was pure coincidence.