A message from Joy Keeling

Why I wanted to do this project:

I love the rosary. I’ve always loved the aesthetic of praying with a rope of beads in your hand. When I finally started praying the rosary, I was excited about this new way to pray, this contemplative tool I had heard so much about. I was ready to finally try it.

And then it felt like I was just repeating prayers over and over. I tried to contemplate the mysteries, but found myself unsure if I was even doing it right. But I gave it some time and kept at it. It seems like repetition at first, but it is really setting a rhythm for my body to focus on while my mind contemplates the mysteries, ruminates on my intentions, and opens itself up to God.

If you are not used to praying the rosary, it will feel weird. It will feel repetitive. It will feel like you’re not doing it right or like you won’t get anything out of it. But if you stick with it and keep trying, the spiritual benefits are beyond measure.

I love this ministry and want to raise money for it. I began as a student of Bishop Bryan’s webinar. Then, I became a client during a spiritual crisis. I was lucky to have the means to come see the Holy Nicholean Catholic Church at the mission church when it was open. There are many like me and even worse who do not have the means to get to Bishop Bryan and the sisters for an evaluation, investigation, or resolution. I came up with these audio rosaries to promote the rosary in a way that would represent the style of the Holy Nicholean Catholic Church and its contemplative and esoteric roots, but also to inspire people to donate. To that end, I am donating glow in the dark rosaries in hand painted bags that say, “be the light in the dark” in glow in the dark paint. These rosaries will be sent out in exchange for your monthly pledge of at least $15 to the Holy Nicholean Catholic Church to support its ministry and help people in spiritual crisis who cannot afford to pay the church’s expenses for the trip.

Free gift for your one-time donation of $20 + $4.20 Shipping in the U.S.

How to Pray

You already know many of the prayers for the rosary. Some of them are so commonly heard in global societies that even non-Christians are familiar with them. The prayers you have probably heard are the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. These prayers are written out below.

1. In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. 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.
3. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with them. Blessed art thou 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.
4. Glory Be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

You may not know all of the rosary prayers. These prayers are a little less familiar, especially if you are not catholic. These are the Apostles Creed, the Fatima prayer, and Hail Holy Queen. These prayers are written out below.

1. 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. Amen.
2. Fatima Prayer: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy.
3. Hail Holy Queen, mother of mercy; hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Begin by kissing the crucifix and giving the sign of the cross. This shows respect to Jesus, but also to your prayer tool. Giving the sign of the cross may seem silly to people who aren’t used to doing it, but it is a form of kinetic prayer that all of us have seen people do in public and on television. It calls to mind an image of prayer. If it isn’t something you are used to, try it out and let the action of crossing yourself call you into a more prayerful state of mind. Making the movements of crossing yourself sends the signal to your brain that you are about to enter into a sacred space.

The Mysteries

The mysteries are mostly events from the New Testament. They are separated into groups, which are prayed on certain days. These groups are the glorious mysteries, the joyful mysteries, the sorrowful mysteries, and the luminous mysteries. They follow a pattern, but it isn’t as easy to see because the luminous mysteries were added more recently and took a spot in the middle of the pattern. The pattern used to be:

The Prayers:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Glorious	Joyful	Sorrowful	Glorious	Joyful	Sorrowful	Joyful

Then Luminous got added and made it difficult to see the pattern

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Glorious	Joyful	Sorrowful	Glorious	Luminous	Sorrowful	Joyful

The Mysteries

Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation: The Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary to announce that she will conceive the Savior and she consents. Luke 1:26-38
2. The Visitation of Mary: Mary visits her cousin, Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Luke 1:39-56
3. The Nativity: The birth of Jesus Matthew 1: 20-2:17
4. The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple: Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus in the temple. Luke 2:22-40
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple: After searching for Jesus for three days, Mary and Joseph find him with the rabbis in the temple. Luke 2:41-52

[Click here for a guided meditation on the Joyful Mysteries]

Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden: Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:39-46
2. The Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus is whipped by the Romans. John 19:1
3. The Crowning with Thorns: The Roman soldiers put a crown of thorns on Jesus. John 19:2
4. The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus carries his cross to the mount of Golgotha. John 19:16-17
5. The Crucifixion: Jesus dies on the cross. John 19:18-30

[Click here for a guided meditation on the Sorrowful Mysteries]

Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection: Jesus rises from the dead. Matthew 28:1-7
2. The Ascension: Jesus is taken bodily into Heaven. Luke 24:50-53
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit descends on the apostles and the Virgin Mary like flames. Acts 2:1-4
4. The Assumption: Mary goes to Heaven after she dies. Revelations 12:1
5. The Coronation of Mary: Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven. Revelations 12:1

[Click here for a guided meditation on the Glorious Mysteries]

Luminous Mysteries

1. Baptism of Jesus: Jesus is baptized by John. Matthew 3:13-17
2. Wedding Feast at Cana: Jesus performs his first miracle. John 2:1-10
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom: Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of God. Mark 1:15
4. Transfiguration of Jesus: Jesus is transfigured before Peter, John, and James. Luke 9:28-36
5. Institution of the Eucharist: Jesus the first Eucharist during the Last Supper. Matthew 26:26-28

[Click here for a guided meditation on the Luminous Mysteries]

A Final Word about the Audio Rosary

Each audio rosary has different instruments and sounds designed to fit in with the mysteries they are for. The music was wrapped around the audio, constructing a rhythmic, hypnotic rosary experience designed to get you out of your head for a while. Contemplatives know the benefits of the rosary and meditation. This rosary is designed for experienced practitioners as well as those new to the rosary. There are audio cues during the last Hail Mary of each decade to alert you that the prayers are about to change.