✦ THE HOLY ROSARY ✦
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Full prayers and meditations for each of the five mysteries, with scripture references.
📅 Prayed on Tuesday and Friday
The Sorrowful Mysteries lead us through the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ — from His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to His death on Calvary. These mysteries are prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays, the traditional days of fasting in the Church. Meditating on the suffering of Christ in these five mysteries deepens our understanding of the price of our salvation and calls us to bear our own crosses with patience, courage, and love.
The complete Rosary consists of five decades. Each decade begins with the Our Father, followed by ten Hail Marys while meditating on the mystery, then the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer. Begin the entire Rosary with the Opening Prayers and conclude with the Hail Holy Queen.
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The Five The Sorrowful Mysteries
MYSTERY 1 OF 5
Agony in the Garden
📖 Luke 22:39–46
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays in agony, knowing the suffering that awaits Him. His sweat falls to the ground like drops of blood. Despite His human fear He surrenders completely: "Not my will, but Yours be done." An angel from Heaven appears to strengthen Him. This mystery calls us to accept God's will in our own sufferings and to watch and pray in times of temptation.
OUR FATHER
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.
Pray 10 Hail Marys while meditating on this mystery:
HAIL MARY (repeat × 10)
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
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.
FATIMA PRAYER
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
MYSTERY 2 OF 5
Scourging at the Pillar
📖 John 19:1
By order of Pontius Pilate, Jesus is bound to a pillar and mercilessly flogged by Roman soldiers. He accepts this brutal punishment in silence, offering every stroke as an act of atonement for the sins of humanity. This mystery invites us to mortify our senses and to unite our bodily sufferings with those of Christ for the salvation of souls.
OUR FATHER
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.
Pray 10 Hail Marys while meditating on this mystery:
HAIL MARY (repeat × 10)
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
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.
FATIMA PRAYER
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
MYSTERY 3 OF 5
Crowning with Thorns
📖 Matthew 27:28–29
The Roman soldiers weave a crown of sharp thorns and press it onto the head of Christ. They place a scarlet robe around His shoulders, thrust a reed into His hand as a mock sceptre, and kneel before Him in cruel mockery: "Hail, King of the Jews!" In this mystery we are called to endure humiliation patiently and to value the kingship of Christ over every worldly honour.
OUR FATHER
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.
Pray 10 Hail Marys while meditating on this mystery:
HAIL MARY (repeat × 10)
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
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.
FATIMA PRAYER
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
MYSTERY 4 OF 5
Carrying of the Cross
📖 Luke 23:26–32
Jesus shoulders the heavy Cross and walks the Via Dolorosa through the streets of Jerusalem toward Calvary. He falls three times beneath its weight, yet rises each time. Simon of Cyrene is compelled to help carry the Cross. This mystery invites us to embrace the daily crosses of our life with love, knowing that Christ walks alongside us in our struggles.
OUR FATHER
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.
Pray 10 Hail Marys while meditating on this mystery:
HAIL MARY (repeat × 10)
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
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.
FATIMA PRAYER
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
MYSTERY 5 OF 5
The Crucifixion
📖 Luke 23:33–46
At nine in the morning, Jesus is nailed to the Cross on the hill of Calvary between two criminals. From the Cross He forgives His executioners, entrusts His mother to the beloved disciple, and at three in the afternoon commits His spirit to the Father: "It is finished." The earth shakes, the Temple veil is torn in two, and tombs are opened. This greatest mystery of love calls us to die to self and to live for God alone.
OUR FATHER
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.
Pray 10 Hail Marys while meditating on this mystery:
HAIL MARY (repeat × 10)
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
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.
FATIMA PRAYER
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER — HAIL HOLY QUEEN
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.
Virtues of the The Sorrowful Mysteries
Each mystery of the Rosary is traditionally associated with a particular virtue to cultivate through meditation:
- Contrition (Agony)
- Mortification (Scourging)
- Moral Courage (Crowning)
- Patient Endurance (Cross)
- Sacrificial Love (Crucifixion)
The Other Mysteries of the Rosary
The Holy Rosary has four sets of mysteries, each prayed on specific days of the week:
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