Praying the Rosary is very simple. At first it will probably seem complicated but after you pray it a couple of times it becomes like second nature. In fact it's much more complicated to talk about it than to pray it.

The word Rosary has two main meanings: the physical object comprised of a string of beads a medal and a cross; and the prayer for which this physical object is used as a guide. You don't need the object to pray the Rosary but the beads will help you keep track of where you are as you pray. Moreover the Rosary as a physical object is a sacred object the presence of which in your home or pocket is in a certain sense a constant prayer offered to God through Mary.

When we pray the Rosary we start with the cross say a prayer then move on to the first bead and say a prayer then move to the second bead and say a prayer and continue in this manner until all of the beads are covered.

The basic configuration of the prayer is simple: the Rosary consists of a Cross a medal individual beads and consecutive beads. For the cross we pray the Apostles' Creed; for the individual beads the Our Father and for the consecutive beads the Hail Mary. After all of the beads have been covered it is customary to say some concluding prayers including petitions (if the petitions have not already been stated) which can be understood to correspond to the medal. (Otherwise the medal has no corresponding prayers.)

Rosary beads are used to help Catholics count their prayers. Catholics often pray the rosary to make a request to God some to thank God for blessings received or for requesting a special favour for example if someone is sick to help them recover.

You may think the Rosary is too complicated but you can pray it very simply. The Rosary is a prayer to a loving mother. She will be happy to hear from you even if you don’t pray all the prayers!

During the Rosary you are asking for Mary’s intercession with her son. And in meditating on the mysteries you are thinking more deeply about the life of Christ and seeing it through the eyes of his mother which will help you grow in your love of Jesus.

The majority of the Rosary is simple and repetitive. For the time being let’s forget about the opening and closing prayers.

Over time concluding prayers have been added to the Rosary going back over the beads on the chain holding the crucifix. There are variations with people adding favorite prayers but here are the usual prayers:

On the large bead: Hail Holy Queen (and Rosary prayer)

On the three beads together: For the intentions of the Holy Father: Our Father Hail Mary Glory Be

Some people will also say a prayer to St. Michael.

Like We said if the Rosary is new to you start with the 5 decades and meditate on your favorite mysteries. As you get more comfortable add the introductory prayers and at least end with the prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions.

Since the Rosary has five decades each of which corresponds to one mystery there are five mysteries for each Rosary. Finally there are three sets of five mysteries: 1) the Joyful Mysteries 2) the Sorrowful Mysteries and 3) the Glorious Mysteries.

The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts where Christ's spirit dwells.