The mysteries of the Rosary are twenty events from the lives of Jesus and Mary that Catholics meditate on while praying the Rosary. They are grouped in four sets of five: the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. One set is prayed each day: Joyful on Monday and Saturday, Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday, and Luminous on Thursday.
As Pope St. John Paul II put it, the Rosary is “a compendium of the Gospel”: with Mary, we contemplate the face of Christ. Below are all twenty mysteries with their Scripture passages and traditional fruits, the weekly schedule, a short history and practical advice for meditating well.
Which mysteries to pray each day
| Day | Mysteries |
|---|---|
| Monday | Joyful |
| Tuesday | Sorrowful |
| Wednesday | Glorious |
| Thursday | Luminous |
| Friday | Sorrowful |
| Saturday | Joyful |
| Sunday | Glorious (many pray the Joyful in Advent and Christmas, the Sorrowful in Lent) |
The page today’s Rosary mysteries shows the right set for today automatically.
All 20 mysteries of the Rosary
| Set | Mystery | Scripture | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joyful | 1. The Annunciation | Luke 1:26–38 | Humility |
| Joyful | 2. The Visitation | Luke 1:39–56 | Love of neighbor |
| Joyful | 3. The Nativity of Our Lord | Luke 2:1–20 | Poverty of spirit |
| Joyful | 4. The Presentation in the Temple | Luke 2:22–38 | Obedience |
| Joyful | 5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple | Luke 2:41–52 | Joy in finding Jesus |
| Luminous | 1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan | Matthew 3:13–17 | Openness to the Holy Spirit |
| Luminous | 2. The Wedding at Cana | John 2:1–12 | To Jesus through Mary |
| Luminous | 3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God | Mark 1:14–15; Matthew 4:17 | Repentance and trust in God |
| Luminous | 4. The Transfiguration | Matthew 17:1–8; Luke 9:28–36 | Desire for holiness |
| Luminous | 5. The Institution of the Eucharist | Luke 22:14–20; Matthew 26:26–29 | Love of the Eucharist |
| Sorrowful | 1. The Agony in the Garden | Matthew 26:36–46; Luke 22:39–46 | Conformity to God’s will |
| Sorrowful | 2. The Scourging at the Pillar | Matthew 27:26; John 19:1 | Purity and mortification |
| Sorrowful | 3. The Crowning with Thorns | Matthew 27:27–31 | Moral courage |
| Sorrowful | 4. The Carrying of the Cross | Luke 23:26–32; John 19:16–17 | Patience |
| Sorrowful | 5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord | Luke 23:33–46; John 19:17–30 | Perseverance and love of the Cross |
| Glorious | 1. The Resurrection | Matthew 28:1–10; John 20:1–18 | Faith |
| Glorious | 2. The Ascension | Acts 1:6–11; Luke 24:50–53 | Hope and desire for heaven |
| Glorious | 3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit | Acts 2:1–41 | Love of God and zeal |
| Glorious | 4. The Assumption of Mary | Revelation 12; Psalm 45 | Grace of a holy death |
| Glorious | 5. The Coronation of Mary | Revelation 12:1 | Trust in Mary’s intercession |
The four sets in brief
- The Joyful Mysteries contemplate the Incarnation and the hidden life of Jesus, from the Annunciation to His finding in the Temple.
- The Luminous Mysteries contemplate His public ministry, from His Baptism to the Last Supper.
- The Sorrowful Mysteries contemplate His Passion and death.
- The Glorious Mysteries contemplate His Resurrection and the glory He shares with Mary and the Church.
A short history of the mysteries
The Rosary grew in the Middle Ages from the custom of praying 150 Hail Marys, echoing the 150 Psalms, and gradually joining them to meditations on the life of Christ. In 1569 Pope St. Pius V, in the bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices, gave the Rosary its classic form of fifteen mysteries: the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious. In 2002, in the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope St. John Paul II proposed five new Luminous Mysteries from the public life of Jesus, so that the Rosary would become “more fully a ‘compendium of the Gospel'” (no. 19), and suggested the current weekly schedule (no. 38).
How to meditate on the mysteries
- Announce the mystery before each decade (“The first Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation”).
- Read a line of Scripture or a short meditation. John Paul II recommended this especially (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 30).
- Pause in silence for a few seconds and picture the scene: the place, the people, the words.
- Pray the decade slowly, letting the Hail Marys accompany the image rather than compete with it.
- Ask for the fruit of the mystery, such as humility in the Annunciation or patience in the Carrying of the Cross.
- Offer the decade for a person or intention, such as the sick on a Sorrowful day or the dead on a Glorious day.
For the prayers themselves in order, with the full text, see the prayers of the Rosary, or be guided bead by bead with the interactive Rosary.
Frequently asked questions
How many mysteries of the Rosary are there?
Twenty, in four sets of five: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious. Before 2002 there were fifteen.
What is a “mystery” of the Rosary?
An event in the life of Christ or of Mary that reveals God’s saving plan. “Mystery” here does not mean a puzzle, but a truth of faith that we can contemplate without ever exhausting it.
Do I have to pray all twenty mysteries every day?
No. Praying one set of five each day is the usual practice. Praying all twenty is sometimes called a “complete” Rosary.
Which mysteries should I pray for someone who has died?
Many people choose the Glorious Mysteries, which speak of the Resurrection and heaven, or the Sorrowful Mysteries. See how to pray the Rosary for the dead.
More prayers
Sources
- John Paul II, apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002), 19–38
- Pius V, bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices (1569)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 971 and 2678