Prayer at the beginning of the rosary –
Almighty God, giver of all that is good.
We thank you for the precious gift of human life.
For life in the womb, coming from your creative power -
For the life of children, making us glad with their freshness and promise -
For the life of our youth, hoping for a better world -
For the life of those coping with mental illness, diseases, and other challenges and afflictions in life, teaching us humility -
For the life of the elderly, witnessing the ageless values of patience and wisdom.
May you inspire all of us to protect and safeguard all human life as an essential part of our faith as disciples of Christ.
Like Blessed Mary, may we always say yes to your gift of life. May we defend it and promote it from conception to it's natural end and bring us at last, O Father, to eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN
1. The First Sorrowful Mystery – The agony in the garden
Jesus comes with his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane and prays to be delivered from his Passion, but most of all, to do the Father's will. Let us pray that Christ might hear the prayers of all who suffer from the culture of death, and that he might deliver them from the hands of their persecutors. We pray especially for those who are persecuted because of their religious beliefs and for those who are trapped in the violent cycle of human trafficking.
2. The Second Sorrowful Mystery – The scourging at the pillar
Falsely accused before Pilate, Jesus is cruelly tied to a pillar and scourged, then clothed in a cloak of purple and mocked. Let us pray for all victims of crimes and their families, that by the merits of his most holy passion, Christ might deliver them and grant them eternal life. We also pray for all those in prison, for their families, and for an end to the death penalty.
3. The Third Sorrowful Mystery – The crowing with thorns
Pilate mocks Christ by asking him if he is the King of the Jews. In reality, Jesus is the King of all the world, through whom all things were made. He is the one who will judge the living and the dead at the end of time. Yet he is crowned with suffering out of love for us, in reparation for our sins. Let us pray that Christ our King help us to see his face in our brothers and sisters.
4. The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery – The carrying of the cross
Three times Christ falls under the weight of the cross as he carries our sins to Calvary. Let us pray for all who struggle to live out and proclaim the Gospel of Life, that they might pick up their crosses and walk the way of sorrows with the Savior of the world.
5. The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion
Innocent and without sin, Jesus opens his arms upon the cross out of love for us. Let us join our sufferings, and the sufferings of the whole world, to his one perfect sacrifice of praise.
Prayer at the end of the rosary –
Heavenly Father, the beauty and dignity of human life was the crowning of your creation. You further ennobled that life when your Son became one with us in his incarnation.
Help us to realize the sacredness of human life and to respect it from the moment of conception until the last moment at death. Give us courage to speak with truth and love and with conviction in defense of life. Help us to extend the gentle hand of mercy and forgiveness to those who do not reverence your gift of life.
To all, grant pardon for the times we have failed to be grateful for your precious gift of life or to respect it in others. We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.
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