The Latin Rosary prayers I use

1. Routine

This is my daily Rosary routine:

  1. Chant the Benedictine Exorcism as needed. This might be once, several times, or not at all, depending on my spiritual situation at the moment.
  2. Sign of the Cross
  3. Prayer of Alma
  4. Apostles' Creed
  5. Our Father
  6. 3 Hail Marys
  7. Glory Be
  8. Five Decades, each consisting of
    1. Our Father
    2. 10 Hail Marys
    3. Glory Be
    4. Fatima Prayer
  9. Hail Holy Queen
  10. Closing Prayer
  11. Sign of the Cross
  12. St. Michael Prayer
  13. Sign of the Cross


2. Meditations

Each decade has a meditation associated with it. The meditations are as follows:

Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays):

  1. Mary is told she will become the Mother of the Son of God.
  2. Jesus and John meet before birth and recognize each other.
  3. Jesus is born.
  4. Jesus is presented to God at the Temple.
  5. The child Jesus hears the doctors of the Law and asks them questions.
Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays):
  1. John baptizes Jesus.
  2. Jesus turns water to wine at the wedding in Cana.
  3. Jesus announces the coming of the Kingdom of God.
  4. Jesus is transfigured and visited by Moses and Elias.
  5. Jesus has his last supper with his disciples.
Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays):
  1. Jesus prays in the garden.
  2. Jesus is flogged but says nothing.
  3. Jesus is crowned with thorns and mockingly hailed as a king.
  4. Jesus carries his cross to the execution site.
  5. Jesus is crucified and dies.

Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays):

  1. Jesus rises from the dead.
  2. Jesus ascends to Heaven.
  3. The Holy Ghost is given to the disciples on Earth.
  4. Mary and Jesus are reunited in Heaven.
  5. Mary is crowned and exalted.

In each case, the meditation consists in visualizing and trying to be imaginatively present at each scene as I recite the prayers of the decade.


3. Prayers

I usually pray everything in Latin except the Fatima Prayer, for which I prefer English. All Latin words are stressed on the first syllable unless otherwise indicated with an acute accent.

Benedictine Exorcism:

Crux sancta sit mihi lux. Non draco sit mihi dux. Vade retro satána. Numquam suade mihi vana. Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas.

Sign of the Cross:

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

Prayer of Alma:

Effúnde Spiritum tuum, Domine, super servum tuum, ut opus hoc faciat in sanctitáte cordis. Amen.

Apostles' Creed:

Credo in Deum Patrem omnipoténtem, Creatórem caeli et terrae; et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unícum, Dominum nostrum: qui concéptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex María Virgine, passus sub Pontio Piláto, crucifíxus, mortuus, et sepúltus: descéndit ad inferos: tertia die resurréxit a mortuis: ascéndit ad caelos: sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipoténtis: inde ventúrus est iudicáre vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclésiam Cathólicam, Sanctórum Communiónem, remissiónem peccatórum, carnis resurrectiónem, vitam aetérnam. Amen.

Our Father:

Pater Noster, Qui es in caelis, sanctificétur nomen tuum. Advéniat regnum tuum, fiat volúntus tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hodie, et dimítte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem: sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

Hail Mary:

Ave María, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta María, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Glory Be:

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculórum. Amen.

Fatima Prayer:

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen:

Salve Regína, Mater misericórdiae! Vita, dulcédo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamámus, exsules filii Hevae. Ad te suspirámus, geméntes et flentes in hac lacrimárum valle. Eia ergo, Advocáta nostra, illos tuos misericórdes oculos ad nos convérte. Et Iesum, benedíctum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsílium osténde. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo María! Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genetrix. Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Christi. Amen.

Closing Prayer:

Deus, cuius Unigénitus per vitam, mortem et resurrectiónem suam nobis salútis aetérnae praemia comparávit: concéde, quaesumus: ut haec mystéria sacratíssimo beátae Maríae Vírginis Rosário recoléntes, et imitémur quod continent, et quod promíttunt, assequámur. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

St. Michael Prayer:

Sancte Míchaël Archángele, defénde nos in proelio, contra nequítiam et insídias diáboli esto praesídium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecámur: tuque, Princeps milítiae caeléstis, satanam aliósque spiritus malígnos, qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in mundo, divína virtúte in inférnum detrúde. Amen.

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