Praying The Rosary For The Dead

The Rosary is a great source of comfort and spirituality for many of us. It consoles us with its repetition and petitioning to our blessed mother. There’s no time better to pray the Rosary than after someone’s passing. As Catholics, we know that death is not the end but the beginning of eternity.

Purgatory

Part of the reason to pray the rosary for the deceased is that the souls in purgatory are cannot pray for themselves. By praying for them on earth we can expedite their arrival to heaven and into eternal glory with God.

Purgatory exists because most people do not die pure. We have venial sins on our souls and we have to atone for every sin on our soul. Purgatory is a cleansing fire that purifies our souls in preparation for heaven. Think of an iron sword worked on by a blacksmith. Heated and repeatedly hammered to remove the impurities and strength it until it is ready to be shaped into its final form. Purgatory does the same thing for our souls. Our impurities are removed until e are ready to be with God.

There are many suffering souls in purgatory. Praying for them can help them along in their journey and give them hope to getting closer to Christ.

How to Pray The Rosary for the Dead

During the funeral vigil, pray the Glorious Mysteries. We pray the Glorious Mysteries because they are the mysteries concerned with Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus dies in the Sorrowful Mysteries, but he conquers death in the Glorious Mysteries. The Msyteries of the Glorious Msyteries are:

1. The Resurrection of Jesus
2. The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
3. The Decent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of Mary
5. The Coronation of Mary

Jesus was the lamb of God. His sacrifice is what has enabled us to beat death and to join God in heaven. The Glorious Mysteries are therefore fitting to pray for a deceased loved one.

Eternal Rest Prayer

To make the rosary for more fitting pray the eternal rest prayer after every decade instead of the Fatima prayer:

Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord,
and let Your perpetual light shine upon him/her.
May his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through Your mercy, rest in peace. Amen

Psalm 130

To end the Rosary pray psalm 130 instead of praying Hail Holy Queen(Salve Regina)

The Rosary is a powerful spiritual tool for us to use in this life. It is adaptable to almost any situation. We often pray for ourselves of the people we love in our lives. But we shouldn’t forget the people who have died. When we die we’ll all want someone praying for us to get through purgatory. This is the reason why in November the Catholic church asks us to pray for all the souls in purgatory.

How To Pray The Rosary

1. Make the Sign of the Cross and say the “Apostles’ Creed”
2. First, say the “Our Father”
3. Say three “Hail Marys”
4. Then say the “Glory Be”
5. Announce the First Mystery and then say the “Our Father”
6. Say ten “Hail Marys” while meditating on the Mystery
7. Say the “Glory Be” (Optional: Eternal Rest Prayer)
8. Announce the Next Mystery; then say the “Our Father” and repeat these steps (5 through 8) as you continue through the remaining Mysteries.
9. Say the closing prayers: Psalm 130
10. Make the “Sign of the Cross”

You don’t have to say it out loud. Feel free to say it in your head

Prayers of The Rosary

Below are the prayers required to pray the Rosary.

Sign of The Cross

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

The Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass
against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen

The Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Eternal Rest Prayer (Fatima Prayer – Optional)

Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord,
and let Your perpetual light shine upon him/her.
May his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through Your mercy, rest in peace. Amen

Psalm 130

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
²     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
    from all their sins