Prayers of the Rosary and the Dominican Confraternity
The Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary are meditations on the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. A powerful prayer and meditation based on divine revelation of Scripture. The confraternity of the Rosary pray the Rosary 3-4 times per week and prayer for each others intentions amongst other matters. The Rosary forms a kind of prayer and meditation and has many promises associated with devotion to it. It is a very misunderstood spiritual tool usually due to misinformed teaching by believers who are not part of the catholic faithful, but are nonetheless counted as Christians by the Holy Catholic Church. The meditations are on the life the Jesus Christ on the whole and miracles or events that take place in the Gospels. The Rosary is started by making the sign of the cross and reciting The Apostle's Creed. The first bead after the crucifix is used for one our Father. The three small beads which follow are for three Hail Mary, full of Grace recitations, holding in mind hope, faith and charity as churchly principles to be lived by. The next bead is for Glory Be to the Father prayer. Then come the Rosary meditations proper.
On each large bead, one Our Father is said, followed by ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be to the Father. After the Glory Be to the Father, the St Fatima prayer can be said before starting meditation on the next mystery in the sequence for that day. The carries on around the whole Rosary until the Glory Be has been said for the last decade. At this juncture, the Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy prayer can be said and followed by the "O God by whose only begotten Son..." prayer.
At the start of each decade the Mystery is announced. For example, one set of 5 mysteries includes: the annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary; Mary visits Elizabeth; the Birth; the presentation at temple; the finding of Jesus teaching in the temple. These 5 mysteries will take you round the whole Rosary.
More in Part 2.