Which Rosary Mysteries to Pray Today
The Rosary’s 20 mysteries are divided into four sets, traditionally assigned to specific days of the week. This schedule was definitively organized by Pope St. John Paul II in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (October 16, 2002), which also introduced the Luminous Mysteries on Thursday. Before 2002, the traditional 15-decade schedule assigned Monday and Thursday to the Joyful Mysteries, Tuesday and Friday to the Sorrowful, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday to the Glorious.
The Weekly Rosary Schedule
Per Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002), Pope St. John Paul II
| Day | Mysteries | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Joyful Mysteries | |
| Tuesday | Sorrowful Mysteries | |
| Wednesday | Glorious Mysteries | |
| Thursday | Luminous Mysteries | Instituted by JP2 in 2002 |
| Friday | Sorrowful Mysteries | Day of the Passion |
| Saturday | Joyful Mysteries | Marian day |
| Sunday | Glorious Mysteries | Sorrowful during Lent; Joyful during Advent |
Seasonal Adjustments
- Sundays of Advent: Joyful Mysteries are traditional, reflecting the anticipation of Christ’s birth.
- Sundays of Lent: Sorrowful Mysteries are traditional, reflecting the Church’s penitential focus on the Passion.
- Ordinary Sundays: Glorious Mysteries, per John Paul II’s schedule in Rosarium Virginis Mariae.
- Feasts of our Lady: The Joyful Mysteries are traditional on major Marian feasts regardless of the day of the week.
About the Four Sets
The Joyful Mysteries
Monday and Saturday (also Sundays of Advent)
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Tuesday and Friday (also Sundays of Lent)
The Glorious Mysteries
Wednesday and Sunday (also Sundays outside Advent and Lent)
The Luminous Mysteries
Thursday
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Rosary mysteries do you pray on Monday?
On Monday you pray the Joyful Mysteries. Also on Saturday.
Which Rosary mysteries do you pray on Tuesday?
On Tuesday you pray the Sorrowful Mysteries. Also on Friday.
Which Rosary mysteries do you pray on Wednesday?
On Wednesday you pray the Glorious Mysteries. Also on Sunday outside Advent and Lent.
Which Rosary mysteries do you pray on Thursday?
On Thursday you pray the Luminous Mysteries, instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002.
Which Rosary mysteries do you pray on Friday?
On Friday you pray the Sorrowful Mysteries. Also on Tuesday.
Which Rosary mysteries do you pray on Saturday?
On Saturday you pray the Joyful Mysteries. Also on Monday. During Advent, Sundays may also feature the Joyful Mysteries.
Which Rosary mysteries do you pray on Sunday?
On Sunday outside Lent and Advent, you pray the Glorious Mysteries. During Lent, the Sorrowful Mysteries are traditional on Sundays.
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