Parts of The Rosary
The Rosary is an important factor for an individual to completely devote and meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ and his mother the Virgin Mary. In using the rosary, Christians believe that they are walking in a straighter path to get closer to God.
The word rosary is derived from the Latin word “rosarium” which means a garden of flowers or a bunch of flowers. It got its name because of the symbolism and association of the rose flower to Virgin Mary. It has been said that during Assumption of the Virgin Mary to heaven, petals of red rose flowers were miraculously found on her sickbed.
Basically, the rosary is a tool to help a Christian to keep track of praying the rosary (the prayer itself). The rosary refers to the physical tool and the prayer itself. There are different types of rosary that are being used by Christian all over the world. The most common rosary that we use is the Five decade rosary or the Dominican rosary. This kind of rosary has different parts which are fully described below.
1.) The Loop. The Loop refers to the entire circular part of the rosary. If we would wear the rosary as a necklace, it would be the part where we put our head into. This part is the largest and most important part for it contains most of the beads.
2.) Centerpiece. The centerpiece or simply the center consists of a medallion portraying the Virgin Mary or in some cases other saints. It joins the two end points of the loop.
3.) Pendant. The pendant is the part which hangs down from the center. It is a single length of chain. It has the crucifix at the bottom.
4.) Crucifix. Also known as the cruciform or simply the cross, it is an image of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Different kinds of cross used in a Dominican rosary are San Damiano, Cross of St. Francis of Assisi, Iconic Cross, Peace Dove Cross or the infamous Celtic Cross. Simpler rosaries use a plain cross known as the Latin cross.
5.) Chain. In this part you can find the beads, center and other important parts of the rosary.
6.) Beads. There are 59 beads in the rosary. 54 can be found in the loop, and the rest can be found on the pendant. There are basically three kinds of beads: Hail Mary Beads, Our Father Beads, and the Invitatory Beads. The invitatory beads can only be found in some rosaries, as the cross can be used in its place in commencing the prayer.
7.) The Five Decades. Hail Mary beads are grouped and are called as decades. Basically, the term decade refers to the number 10. However, in praying the rosary, the Hail Mary beads have some other types of prayer and became part of the decade.
8.) Antiphon Beads. These beads refer to the three extra beads of Hail Mary that are strung in a triad that can be found on the pendant.
In praying the rosary, Catholics around the world have developed sincere and deep devotion to Mary and Jesus Christ. They believe that while meditating on the lives, joys, sorrows and miracles of the Son and his beloved Mother, they have also developed a great relationship with God.
