Rosary beads are most commonly associated with praying the Rosary, but that’s far from their only use. These familiar beads can guide you through a variety of other powerful devotions, some of which date back centuries, while others are more recent revelations.
Whether you're looking to deepen your prayer life or add new spiritual practices to your routine, here are five prayers you can pray with rosary beads.
1. Divine Mercy Chaplet
This might be the second most popular prayer to say with rosary beads. Jesus revealed it to St. Faustina Kowalska in 1935, promising to pour out His love and grace on those who recited it: “Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion.”
To recite the Divine Mercy Chaplet, begin with the Sign of the Cross, followed by one Our Father, one Hail Mary and the Apostles’ Creed.
Then, on each Our Father bead, pray: “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
On each of the 10 Hail Mary beads pray: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” Repeat this for all five decades.
Conclude with: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world” (repeat three times). Add any additional personal prayers or intentions.
You can also pray the Chaplet as part of a Novena, as found here.
2. Jesus Prayer
This ancient prayer is familiar to some Latin Rite Catholics, but very common in Eastern Christianity: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." This simple, profound prayer is traditionally repeated while moving the fingers along a rosary-like knotted rope.
You can pray it in different ways using rosary beads. Some Catholics repeat the Jesus Prayer while moving their fingers from one bead to the next. Others say it on the Hail Mary beads while praying the Our Father on the Our Father beads, just like in the Rosary.
However you say it, this is a powerful prayer we highly recommend.
3. Franciscan Crown Rosary
Also known as the Rosary of the Seven Joys of Mary, this beautiful devotion invites you to meditate on the joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It dates to the early 15th century, but is little known among Catholics today.
The Franciscan Crown consists of seven decades instead of five. Each decade corresponds to one of the Seven Joys of Mary: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, the Resurrection and the Assumption of Mary.
To pray this chaplet, announce each Joy before the decade begins and then pray one Our Father and 10 Hail Marys while meditating on that mystery. After the seven decades, pray two additional Hail Marys to bring the total to 72, honoring the traditional belief that Mary lived 72 years on earth.
While there are special seven-decade rosaries constructed for this prayer, you can use a regular rosary. Here’s an in-depth guide for saying it.
4. Seven Sorrows Rosary
This devotion invites you to meditate on the profound sufferings endured by the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Passion and life of her Son. The Seven Sorrows Rosary, also known as the Servite Rosary, originated in the Middle Ages and has been promoted by saints such as St. Bridget of Sweden.
Each of the seven sorrows corresponds to a sorrowful event in Mary’s life:
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The Prophecy of Simeon
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The Flight Into Egypt
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The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
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Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary
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The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
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The Body of Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
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The Burial of Jesus
To pray this Rosary, begin with an Act of Contrition. Then, for each sorrow, announce the sorrow, reflect on the scene and pray one Our Father followed by seven Hail Marys.
Though special Seven Sorrows Rosaries exist with groups of seven beads, a standard five-decade rosary can be adapted by counting on your fingers or circling back through the beads.
Here is one version of the prayer to try.
5. Holy Spirit Chaplet
This powerful prayer was composed toward the end of the 19th century, when Pope Leo XIII was calling for a renewed devotion to the Holy Spirit. It helps you meditate on the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
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Wisdom
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Understanding
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Counsel
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Fortitude
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Knowledge
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Piety
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Fear of the Lord.
There are special rosaries made for this prayer, with beads grouped in sevens instead of decades. But you can use an ordinary rosary to pray it.
There are some variations of the chaplet, but many include the Act of Contrition, Mysteries of the Holy Spirit and meditations on the Gifts.
Here’s one version to try.
Prayerfully consider taking up one or more of these beautiful devotions. If you need a rosary to follow along, shop Scapulars.com to find the perfect set of beads for you.
