Alternative: Rosary and Prayers for Wednesday


Prayers Before the Rosary



Sign of the Cross


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


Prayer to the Holy Spirit


V. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
R. And kindle in them the fire of your love.

V. Send forth your spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray:

O God, who did instruct the hearts of the faithful
by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that by the gift of the same Spirit
we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in His consolation,
through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.


Prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary


My dearest Mother Mary,
behold me, your child,
in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary,
which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima,
as a proof of my tender love for you,
for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart,
and for this special favour
which I earnestly request in my Rosary:

(State your intention(s) here...)

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me,
I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother,
that you want me to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual “Bouquet of Roses” because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God
and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son,
hear and grant my prayer.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
be my salvation.





The Most Holy Rosary



Sign of the Cross:


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


Opening Prayers



Apostle’s Creed:


I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell; the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father Almighty;
from there He will come 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 life everlasting.
Amen.


Lord’s Prayer:


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.


For an increase in the virtues of faith, hope and charity, we pray:



An Act of Faith (optional)


O my God, I firmly believe
that You are one God in three Divine Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
I believe that Your Divine Son became man and died for our sins,
and that He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches,
because You revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Hail Mary…


An Act of Hope (optional)


O my God, relying on Your infinite goodness and promises,
I hope to obtain pardon of my sins,
the help of Your grace, and life everlasting,
through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

Hail Mary…


An Act of Charity (optional)


O my God, I love You above all things,
with my whole heart and soul,
because You are all-good and worthy of all love.
I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You.
I forgive all who have injured me,
and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,
Have mercy on me, a sinner.

Hail Mary…


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.


The Mysteries of the Holy Rosary


Recite the Mystery:

The Joyful Mysteries
Mondays and Saturdays; also Sundays during Advent, Christmastide and the Epiphany.
The Luminous Mysteries
Thursdays.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Tuesdays and Fridays; also Sundays during Lent.
The Glorious Mysteries
Wednesdays and Sundays, except Sundays during Advent and Lent.


Optionally, pray for the fruits of the Mystery through the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Then, again optionally, read a Scripture passage pertinent to the Mystery for contemplation.


Our Father….

Hail Mary….

(Pray ten times while meditating on the Mystery.
Optionally, include the expansion on the Holy Name of Jesus suggested for that Mystery; i.e., the person praying says “and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, who (insert expansion). Holy Mary…”. This is based on St. Louis de Montfort's recommended method of praying the Rosary.


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 our death.
Amen.

Glory Be.


Optional Prayers After Each Decade



Prayer of Fatima


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 Thy mercy.


Prayer for Eternal Rest


In November and Rosaries for the Dead: The ‘Eternal Rest’ prayer is often prayed in place of the Fatima Prayer during the month of November (especially after dusk on All Saints Day and on All Souls Day) and during Rosaries prayed for the dead, such as at Funeral Vigils. Start by dedicating the prayer.

For our departed loved ones (or state a name), especially for the holy souls in Purgatory, we pray:
Eternal rest grant unto him/her (them), O Lord;
and let perpetual light shine upon him/her (them).
May he/she (they) rest in peace.
Amen.


Prayer of the Miraculous Medal:


O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you,
and for all who do not have recourse to you,
especially for the enemies of the Holy Church,
and for those recommended to you.
Amen.


The Glorious Mysteries



The First Glorious Mystery – The Resurrection of our Lord


Lord, through the intercession of Mary,
Your most holy Mother,
grant me the grace of a lively faith,
and Your everlasting peace.


Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.
those who believe in me,
even though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me
will never die.”

When it was evening on that day,
and the doors of the house
where the disciples had met
were locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them
and said, “Peace be with you.”
After he said this,
he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Then he said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side.
Do not doubt but believe.”
Thomas answered him,
“My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him,
“Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe.”
(Jn 11:25*-26, 20:19-20,27-29)


Our Father…

Hail Mary with expansion on the Holy Name of Jesus (10 times):
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy wombJesus
who rose and conquered death and hell.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.


Glory be…
O my Jesus…
or: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…
O Mary, conceived without sin…


The Second Glorious Mystery – The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven


Lord, through the intercession of Mary,
Your most exalted Mother,
grant me the grace of a firm hope
and a great longing for Heaven.


“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so, would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

So then the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven
and sat down at the right hand of God.
And [the disciples] went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message
by the signs that accompanied it.

Christ, having been offered once
to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin,
but to save those
who are eagerly waiting for him.
(Jn 14:1-3,6; Mk 16:19*-20; Heb 9:28)


Our Father…

Hail Mary with expansion on the Holy Name of Jesus (10 times):
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy wombJesus
who ascended to heaven to prepare a place for me.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.


Glory be…
O my Jesus…
or: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…
O Mary, conceived without sin…


The Third Glorious Mystery – The Descent of the Holy Spirit


Lord, through the intercession of Mary,
Your most gracious Spouse,
grant me the grace of Your gifts and fruits,
the wisdom to know the truth and to share it with everyone.


“And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate,
to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees him nor knows him.
You know him, because he abides with you,
and he will be in you.”

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ
does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin,
the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

The fruit of the Spirit is
charity, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
forbearance, meekness, faith,
modesty, abstinence, chastity.
There is no law against such things.
(Jn 14:16-17; Rom 8:9b-10; 1 Cor 12:4; Gal 5:22-23)


Our Father…

Hail Mary with expansion on the Holy Name of Jesus (10 times):
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy wombJesus
who has sent me a Consoler, Guide and Helper.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.


Glory be…
O my Jesus…
or: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…
O Mary, conceived without sin…


The Fourth Glorious Mystery – The Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven


Lord, through the intercession of Mary,
Your most glorious Daughter,
grant me the grace of a happy death when my hour comes
and eternal life hereafter.


Listen, I will tell you a mystery!
We will not all die,
but we will all be changed,
at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed.

But someone will ask,
“How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body do they come?”
What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
And as for what you sow,
you do not sow the body that is to be,
but a bare seed,
perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
But God gives it a body as he has chosen,
and to each kind of seed its own body.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead.
What is sown is perishable,
what is raised is imperishable.
It is sown in dishonor,
it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness,
it is raised in power.
It is sown a physical body,
it is raised a spiritual body.
Thus it is written,
“The first man, Adam, became a living being”;
the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
(1 Cor 15:51-52, 35-38,42-44a,45)


Our Father…

Hail Mary with expansion on the Holy Name of Jesus (10 times):
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy wombJesus
who raised you to be with him forever as a promise for all his faithful followers.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.


Glory be…
O my Jesus…
or: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…
O Mary, conceived without sin…


The Fifth Glorious Mystery – The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and earth


Lord, through the intercession of Mary,
Your most venerated Mother,
grant me the grace of true devotion to our Lady
and to pray the Rosary everyday as she requested.


When the fullness of time had come,
God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
in order to redeem those who were under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as children.

I am the mother of beautiful love,
of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope;
being eternal, I am given to all my children,
to those who are named by him.
Come to me, you who desire me,
and eat your fill of my fruits.
Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,
and those who work with me will not sin.

I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord.
(Gal 4:4*-5; Sir 24:18*-19,22; Prv 8:17,35)


Our Father…

Hail Mary with expansion on the Holy Name of Jesus (10 times):
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy wombJesus
who crowned and exalted you, his most faithful disciple.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.


Glory be…
O my Jesus…
or: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…
O Mary, conceived without sin…


Aspiration for the Grace of the Mysteries


Grace of the Glorious Mysteries,
come down into our souls
and make them truly holy
and everlastingly happy.


Concluding Prayers



Hail, Holy Queen (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.

V. Pray for us, o Holy Mother of God,
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
V. Make me worthy to praise you, O holy Virgin.
R. Give me strength against your enemies.
V. Blessed be God in His Saints.
R. Amen.


Let us pray:


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 while 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, our Lord.
Amen.

[You may replace the word “Filipino” in the following with your family name.]

V. Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
R. Keep the Filipino family.
V. Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
R. Save the Filipino family.
V. Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
R. Bless the Filipino family.


Sign of the Cross:


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





Prayers After the Rosary



Litany of St. Joseph


(Approved by Pope St. Pius X in 1909.)

VersicleResponse
Lord, have mercy on us,Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us,Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us,Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us,Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us,Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father in Heaven,have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,pray for us.
St. Joseph,pray for us.
Renowned offspring of David,pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs,pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God,pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God,pray for us.
Diligent protector of Christ,pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family,pray for us.
Joseph most just,pray for us.
Joseph most chaste,pray for us.
Joseph most prudent,pray for us.
Joseph most strong,pray for us.
Joseph most obedient,pray for us.
Joseph most faithful,pray for us.
Mirror of patience,pray for us.
Lover of poverty,pray for us.
Model of artisans,pray for us.
Glory of home life,pray for us.
Guardian of virgins,pray for us.
Pillar of families,pray for us.
Solace of the wretched,pray for us.
Hope of the sick,pray for us.
Patron of the dying,pray for us.
Terror of the demons,pray for us.
Protector of the Holy Church,pray for us.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,have mercy on us.


V. He made him the lord of his household.
R. And prince over all his possessions.


Let us pray:


O God, in Your ineffable providence
You were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph
to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother,
grant, we beg You,
that we may be worthy to have him
for our intercessor in heaven
whom on earth we venerate as our Protector;
You who lives and reigns forever and ever.

Amen.


Prayer to St. Joseph


O, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great,
so strong, so prompt before the throne of God,
I place in you all my interests and desires.
O, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession,
and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power,
I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
O, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you,
and Jesus asleep in your arms;
I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart.
Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me
and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath.
St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls - Pray for me.
Amen.


Closing Invocations


V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.
V. And may Almighty God bless us: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
R. AMEN.


Sign of the Cross


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