rosary workshop - a garden of prayers
SCRIPTURAL ROSARY PRAYER
A SPIRITUAL GARDEN OF PRAYER
Did you know that from the time of Benedict - who had a rose garden he called his 'rosary' - there was a connection between the flower and the prayer?

 THE GARDEN GATE   -   SPECIAL COMMENTS

During the Renaissance period, it was again very popular for people to connect the two - the prayer and a stroll through a spiritual garden with Mary as the guide. Below is the rosary as it is prayed today with a taste of this gracious old custom.
 

~ THE GARDEN GATE ~

To enter into the garden path, one must first open the gate.
The key is in your hand. It is the cross of Jesus' crucifixion.
With an open heart make the sign of the cross, kiss it,
and the gate will open.

~THE GARDEN PATH~
To enter into the rose garden of prayers, one must first
do a prayer walk down the garden path. Since the 15th century it has
been a heavenly path rich with color and the sweet aroma of roses.
It is a path not walked alone as Mary is with us, sharing the
inner mysteries of the life of Christ through Scripture.

 (optional)
read and meditate on
JOHN 1:1-14

(and/or) recite
APOSTLES CREED

1st large bead
OUR FATHER

 3 small beads
HAIL MARY

between beads
GLORY BE

2nd large bead
OUR FATHER

~ENTERING THE GARDEN OR ROSARIUM~
 Enter into the circlet of 5 decades of beads which represent the garden
of roses or the rosarium. Savor the aroma of each
rose as Mary shares a verse of Scripture. This treasury tells the story
of her son who is the Living Word Made Flesh, Jesus.

 CHAPLET OF PRAYERS - 1 mystery - 5 meditations.
To pray a mystery we will circle the garden 1 time. Each mystery
contains five meditations, one for each decade of Ave beads or 50 prayers.

ROSARY OF PRAYERS - 3 mysteries - 15 meditations.
To pray all three mysteries -  the whole rosary - circle the garden 3 times.
(usually 1 mystery per day) The root of these 150 prayers comes
from the early monks who would pray the 150 Psalms. The laity
would say the Pater Noster (Our Father) on each bead
as many could not read.
It was called the 'poor mans brev'

As you send these roses out to others, let the aroma of each enter
deeply into your heart as well - each day the Living Word
heals and speaks to the matters of the heart, our life and our soul
in a new and different way.

On entering the rosarium announce the
1st Joyful Mystery

THE ANNUNCIATION
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and respond to the
Fruit of the Mystery from the garden
HUMILITY
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On the next 10 beads or roses meditate on
each scripture verse or mystery followed by

HAIL MARY

Between the last small and large bead or rose say ...
GLORY BE
then ...
O MY JESUS

2nd Joyful Mystery

THE VISITATION

... and respond to the
Fruit of the Mystery from the garden
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR
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On the next large bead say the ...
OUR FATHER
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followed by
10 Hail Mary's (Aves)
 Glory Be
Oh My Jesus
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3rd Joyful Mystery

THE NATIVITY
+
Fruit of the Mystery from the garden
POVERTY
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Our Father (Pater)
10 Hail Mary's (Aves)
Glory Be
Oh My Jesus
+

 4th Joyful Mystery

THE PRESENTATION
+
Fruit of the Mystery from the garden
OBEDIENCE
+
Our Father (Pater)
10 Hail Mary's (Aves)
Glory Be
Oh My Jesus
+

 5th Joyful Mystery

THE FINDING OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
+
 Fruit of the Mystery from the garden
JOY OF FINDING JESUS
+
Our Father (Pater)
10 Hail Mary's (Aves)
Glory Be
Oh My Jesus
+

Now the garden has been circled once.

To circle the garden for the second time, go to the
SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
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To complete the full rosary
in meditation and prayer go to the
GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
+
LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
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 Finish your prayer time by saying the
HAIL HOLY QUEEN
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Thank Mary for being with you on the walk through
her garden or rosarium.
+

PRAYER AFTER THE ROSARY

O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection has
purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech
Thee, that meditating on 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 or Lord. Amen
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shared by Sr Frances DeMott, IBVM (MI)

~ SPECIAL COMMENTS ~

  MOST RECENTLY MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO A YOUTH MEETING AT OUR PARISH TO TEACH THE KIDS ABOUT THE ROSARY. WE GAVE THE KIDS A ROSARY AND AFTER TALKING ABOUT THE ROSARY A BIT WE PRAYED ONE DECADE. AS THE MEETING ENDED AND THE KIDS WERE LEAVING A GIRL CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED IF I HAD ANY MORE ROSARIES.  I TOLD HER THAT WE HAD GIVEN THEM ALL OUT.  I ASKED HER WHY SHE WANTED ANOTHER ROSARY. SHE SAID SHE WANTED ONE FOR HER MOM. I THEN GAVE HER MY SPECIAL ONE THAT I HAD GOTTEN LAST SUMMER. HER BROTHER WHO WAS THERE, STEPPED UP AND GAVE ME A BIG HUG AND SAID "THANKYOU."
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 I TEAR UP WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS WHOLE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.  GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR WORK.   SINCERELY,YOUR SISTER IN CHRIST.  Claudia Valencia (USA)