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'''The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]]''' (Latin: rosarium, "rose garden", Spanish:Rosario, English: "rosary"), is a traditional [[prayer]] devotion in the [[Roman Catholic Church]], originally inspired by the [[Monastery|monastic]] praying of the 150 [[Psalms]]. The Rosary is also prayed by some in the [[Anglican Communion]], most notably [[Anglo-Catholicism|Anglo-Catholic]]s, and [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]]. The Rosary is not a part of [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] tradition.

'''The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]]''' (Latin: rosarium, "rose garden", Spanish:Rosario, English: "rosary"), is a traditional [[prayer]] devotion in the [[Roman Catholic Church]], originally inspired by the [[Monastery|monastic]] praying of the 150 [[Psalms]]. The Rosary is also prayed by some in the [[Anglican Communion]], most notably [[Anglo-Catholicism|Anglo-Catholic]]s, and [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]]. The Rosary is not a part of [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] tradition.

The Rosary is a compact summation of Christian doctrine directed toward [[God|Almighty God]]. It begins with the [[Sign of the Cross]], the [[Apostles' Creed]] and the [[The Lord's Prayer|Our Father]], followed by a prayer combining the Angelic Salutation of [[Gabriel (archangel)|Gabriel]] when he first appeared to Mary to announce the [[Incarnation]], with the declaration of Elizabeth to Mary when she was filled with the [[Holy Spirit]] and cried out, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb", and a petition to Mary, alive in [[heaven]], to [[Intercession of the saints|pray for sinners]], "now and at the hour of our death", concluding with an [[Amen]] and prayer of [[praise]] directed to the [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]], "Glory be to the [[God the Father|Father]] and to the [[Jesus Christ|Son]] and to the [[Holy Spirit]]'''!''' As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen."<ref>"world without end" is from the Latin ''secula seculorum'', and simply means "forever". Some updated versions of the Rosary say, "is now, and will be forever".</ref> It concludes with a prayer to Mary to look on us with mercy and pray for us ([[intercession]]), and a final prayer to Almighty God, "'''O God''', whose Only-begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life<ref>"rewards of eternal life". See Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:14; 2:11-22; also Matthew 5:12; 10:41-42; 16:27; Romans 2:10; Colossians 2:18; 3:24; Hebrews 12:28; 2 John 8; see verses referring to Christ's sacrifice on the Cross as meriting for us our unmerited salvation as the free gift of God, Romans 5:15-18; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 4:7; Hebrews 6:4-6.</ref>, '''grant, we beseech thee''', that in meditating upon these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, '''through the same Christ Our Lord, amen.'''" The prayers of the Rosary are concluded with the Sign of the Cross, orienting the whole to [[salvation]] in and through Christ Jesus alone. <blockquote>"In the Rosary is contained in compact form the whole of the Christian doctrine of salvation."<ref>See [[Rosary#External links|External links] below: Quotes about the Rosary from Our Lady, Popes and Saints]].</ref></blockquote>

The Rosary is a compact summation of Christian doctrine directed toward [[God|Almighty God]]. It begins with the [[Sign of the Cross]], the [[Apostles' Creed]] and the [[The Lord's Prayer|Our Father]], followed by a prayer combining the Angelic Salutation of [[Gabriel (archangel)|Gabriel]] when he first appeared to Mary to announce the [[Incarnation]], with the declaration of Elizabeth to Mary when she was filled with the [[Holy Spirit]] and cried out, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb", and a petition to Mary, alive in [[heaven]], to [[Intercession of the saints|pray for sinners]], "now and at the hour of our death", concluding with an [[Amen]] and prayer of [[praise]] directed to the [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]], "Glory be to the [[God the Father|Father]] and to the [[Jesus Christ|Son]] and to the [[Holy Spirit]]'''!''' As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen."<ref>"world without end" is from the Latin ''secula seculorum'', and simply means "forever". Some updated versions of the Rosary say, "is now, and will be forever".</ref> It concludes with a prayer to Mary to look on us with mercy and pray for us ([[intercession]]), and a final prayer to Almighty God, "'''O God''', whose Only-begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life<ref>"rewards of eternal life". See Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:14; 2:11-22; also Matthew 5:12; 10:41-42; 16:27; Romans 2:10; Colossians 2:18; 3:24; Hebrews 12:28; 2 John 8; see verses referring to Christ's sacrifice on the Cross as meriting for us our unmerited salvation as the free gift of God, Romans 5:15-18; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 4:7; Hebrews 6:4-6.</ref>, '''grant, we beseech thee''', that in [[Meditation#Christian meditation - Contemplation|meditating]] upon these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, '''through the same Christ Our Lord, amen.'''" The prayers of the Rosary are concluded with the Sign of the Cross, orienting the whole to [[salvation]] in and through Christ Jesus alone. <blockquote>"In the Rosary is contained in compact form the whole of the Christian doctrine of salvation."<ref>See [[Rosary#External links|External links] below: Quotes about the Rosary from Our Lady, Popes and Saints]].</ref></blockquote>

'''A Rosary''' also refers to the Rosary implement, which is simply called a Rosary. It is a circular string or chain, usually of fifty-five beads, a "five-decade Rosary", beginning with a pendant [[crucifix]] and four additional beads representing one ''Our Father'' prayer and three ''Hail Mary'' prayers for faith, hope and charity, followed by a spacing for the ''Glory Be'' prayer, and a single ''Our Father'' bead representing the first of the five decades, which is attached to the circlet of five groupings of beads called decades (Latin ''decade'': "ten"), representing five sets of one ''Our Father'' prayer and ten groupings of the ''Hail Mary'' prayer each set separated by a space for the ''Glory Be'' prayer. The circlet and the pendant of the crucifix with the four introductory prayer beads and a single Our Father bead for the first decade are usually joined together with a small medallion representing Mary in prayer to God bestowing His divine graces on the world, making 59 beads total. The "five-decade Rosary" used three times equals fifteen decades in representation of the 150 Psalms.  

'''A Rosary''' also refers to the Rosary implement, which is simply called a Rosary. It is a circular string or chain, usually of fifty-five beads, a "five-decade Rosary", beginning with a pendant [[crucifix]] and four additional beads representing one ''Our Father'' prayer and three ''Hail Mary'' prayers for faith, hope and charity, followed by a spacing for the ''Glory Be'' prayer, and a single ''Our Father'' bead representing the first of the five decades, which is attached to the circlet of five groupings of beads called decades (Latin ''decade'': "ten"), representing five sets of one ''Our Father'' prayer and ten groupings of the ''Hail Mary'' prayer each set separated by a space for the ''Glory Be'' prayer. The circlet and the pendant of the crucifix with the four introductory prayer beads and a single Our Father bead for the first decade are usually joined together with a small medallion representing Mary in prayer to God bestowing His divine graces on the world, making 59 beads total. The "five-decade Rosary" used three times equals fifteen decades in representation of the 150 Psalms.