Rosary for Monday: How to Pray the 5 Joyful Mysteries (2026 Guide)

On Monday, Catholics pray the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation and the Finding in the Temple. This guide walks you through the whole Monday rosary step by step, with the full text of every prayer and a short meditation for each of the five Joyful Mysteries, so you can pray it at home, in church, or with your family.

Which Mysteries Are Prayed on Monday?

The rosary has four sets of mysteries, each with five events from the lives of Jesus and Mary. St. John Paul II proposed a weekly schedule in his letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002), and it is now followed by most Catholics:

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

Many Catholics also pray the Joyful Mysteries on the Sundays of Advent and the Christmas season, and the Sorrowful Mysteries on the Sundays of Lent. This is a popular custom, not a rule. If you pray on Wednesday, see our guide to the Wednesday rosary and the Glorious Mysteries.

How to Pray the Rosary for Monday, Step by Step

1. Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed while holding the crucifix.
2. On the first large bead, pray the Our Father.
3. On the next three small beads, pray three Hail Marys (traditionally for an increase in faith, hope and charity).
4. Pray the Glory Be.
5. Announce the First Joyful Mystery, then pray the Our Father on the large bead.
6. On the ten small beads, pray ten Hail Marys while meditating on the mystery.
7. Finish the decade with the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 for the second, third, fourth and fifth mysteries.
9. Close with the Hail, Holy Queen and the closing prayer, then make the Sign of the Cross.

The Prayers of the Rosary

The 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.
Amen.

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 thee.
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.
Amen.

The Glory Be

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.

The Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell;
lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Amen.

The 5 Joyful Mysteries, with Meditations

Before each decade, announce the mystery (for example, “The First Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation”). You may read the Scripture passage, pause for a moment, and then pray the decade while picturing the scene.

1. The Annunciation

Scripture: Luke 1:26–38 · Fruit: humility

The angel Gabriel greets Mary in Nazareth and tells her she will conceive the Son of God. Mary is troubled and asks how this can be, and then gives her free and complete “yes”: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). In this moment the Word becomes flesh. Ask Mary for the humility to say yes to God in the small and large decisions of your own life.

2. The Visitation

Scripture: Luke 1:39–56 · Fruit: love of neighbor

Mary hurries to the hill country to help her elderly cousin Elizabeth, who is expecting John the Baptist. At Mary’s greeting, the child leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth cries out, “Blessed are you among women.” Mary answers with the Magnificat. Pray for the grace to bring Christ to others through practical help, especially to family members and neighbors who are older, sick or alone.

3. The Nativity of Our Lord

Scripture: Luke 2:1–20 · Fruit: poverty of spirit (detachment)

Jesus is born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger because there is no room at the inn. The first to hear the news are poor shepherds in the fields. The Son of God chooses a humble birth. Ask for a heart that is not tied to possessions and comfort, and that makes room for Jesus.

4. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

Scripture: Luke 2:22–38 · Fruit: obedience

Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the Temple, as the Law requires. The elderly Simeon takes him in his arms and praises God, and the prophetess Anna gives thanks. Simeon also tells Mary that a sword will pierce her soul. Pray for faithful obedience to God and his Church, and for the patience of Simeon and Anna, who waited a lifetime and were not disappointed.

5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

Scripture: Luke 2:41–52 · Fruit: joy in finding Jesus; piety

After the Passover, the twelve-year-old Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph search for him anxiously for three days and find him in the Temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. This mystery is a great comfort for anyone who feels they have “lost” Jesus, or who has children or grandchildren who have drifted from the faith. Ask for the grace to seek him always, and the joy of finding him.

Closing Prayers

Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, 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 valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward 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.
Amen.

Closing Prayer

Let us pray. O God, whose only begotten Son,
by his life, death and resurrection,
has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life;
grant, we beseech thee, that meditating upon these mysteries
of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise,
through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Tips for Praying the Monday Rosary

• Offer it for an intention. Many people begin their week by offering Monday’s rosary for their family, their work or someone who is sick.
• Go slowly. The rosary is a meditation, not a race. The Catechism describes it as a prayer in which we “meditate on the mysteries” of Christ (CCC 971, 2708).
• Pray with others. A family rosary, even one decade after dinner, is a beautiful habit for a household.
• Pray along with a recording if your eyesight makes reading difficult, or print this page in large type using the print button above.

If you would like to understand why Catholics honor Mary in this way, read why Catholics pray to Mary. For another traditional Marian devotion, see the 1,000 Hail Marys.