I Pray the Rosary
Praying the Franciscan Crown
The Franciscan friars have a special rosary that they recite. You can see them wearing this rosary on their cord belts. It consists of seven decades instead of the usual five, but the introductions are usually eliminated, so this rosary cuts right to the chase and starts with the first decade.
Each decade is dedicated to an event in the intertwined lives of the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus. Basically it's really the five Joyful Mysteries, with the first and fourth Glorious Mystery tacked onto the end. Each decade consists of one Our Father and ten Hail Mary's, as in the regular rosary. You do not have to recite the Glory Be, but you can if you wish.
To say the Franciscan Crown you make the Sign of the Cross with the crucifix, then go right into the decades, contemplating on each Mystery, or "Joy" as they are properly called, because they represent some of the happier times in the life of the Virgin Mary. They are:
1. The Annunciation.
2. The Visitation.
3. The Birth of Jesus and Adoration of the Magi.
4. The Presentation in the Temple.
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
6. The Resurrection of Jesus.
7. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
At the end of the final decade are several extra beads of a special pattern. The first two beads represent the life of the Virgin Mary, and a Hail Mary is said on each of them. Then there are two more beads. These are designed for prayers for the intentions of the Pope, and they are one Our Father, and one Hail Mary. To gain the indulgences attached to the Franciscan Crown you must pray for the Pope, and these prayers are actually built into the rosary beads so you can't miss them.
You may end the crown with a recitation of Hail Holy Queen. but that is optional.
The Franciscan Crown takes about twenty minutes to recite, about the same time as it takes to recite the regular Rosary.
I have a wooden Franciscan Crown that I bought, appropriately enough, in Assisi. I recite it as a variation to my regular recitation of the Rosary. Saying these prayers is very relaxing. Doctors have discovered that it actually lowers the blood pressure and calms the nerves.
By the way, the Rosary is not only for Catholics. I possess an Anglican Rosary as well, which is a bit more complicated to recite. Moreover, devout Muslims have a Rosary as well, called a "Tasbeeh," which consists of ninety-nine beads that honor the name of Allah. I have a few of those.
So different forms of the Rosary are beneficial for the body as well as for the soul.
Try it sometime!
The Franciscan friars have a special rosary that they recite. You can see them wearing this rosary on their cord belts. It consists of seven decades instead of the usual five, but the introductions are usually eliminated, so this rosary cuts right to the chase and starts with the first decade.
Each decade is dedicated to an event in the intertwined lives of the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus. Basically it's really the five Joyful Mysteries, with the first and fourth Glorious Mystery tacked onto the end. Each decade consists of one Our Father and ten Hail Mary's, as in the regular rosary. You do not have to recite the Glory Be, but you can if you wish.
To say the Franciscan Crown you make the Sign of the Cross with the crucifix, then go right into the decades, contemplating on each Mystery, or "Joy" as they are properly called, because they represent some of the happier times in the life of the Virgin Mary. They are:
1. The Annunciation.
2. The Visitation.
3. The Birth of Jesus and Adoration of the Magi.
4. The Presentation in the Temple.
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
6. The Resurrection of Jesus.
7. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
At the end of the final decade are several extra beads of a special pattern. The first two beads represent the life of the Virgin Mary, and a Hail Mary is said on each of them. Then there are two more beads. These are designed for prayers for the intentions of the Pope, and they are one Our Father, and one Hail Mary. To gain the indulgences attached to the Franciscan Crown you must pray for the Pope, and these prayers are actually built into the rosary beads so you can't miss them.
You may end the crown with a recitation of Hail Holy Queen. but that is optional.
The Franciscan Crown takes about twenty minutes to recite, about the same time as it takes to recite the regular Rosary.
I have a wooden Franciscan Crown that I bought, appropriately enough, in Assisi. I recite it as a variation to my regular recitation of the Rosary. Saying these prayers is very relaxing. Doctors have discovered that it actually lowers the blood pressure and calms the nerves.
By the way, the Rosary is not only for Catholics. I possess an Anglican Rosary as well, which is a bit more complicated to recite. Moreover, devout Muslims have a Rosary as well, called a "Tasbeeh," which consists of ninety-nine beads that honor the name of Allah. I have a few of those.
So different forms of the Rosary are beneficial for the body as well as for the soul.
Try it sometime!
