The Meaning of Rosary Beads

Rosary beads come in all shapes, colors, sizes and quality.Some rosaries are strung with pearl, crystal, wood and even plastic. But where did the ritual of the rosary come from? And what exactly is the significance of rosary beads?

The rosary in simplest terms is a tool used to aid prayer and meditation. The beads of a rosary count the prayers as they are recited out loud or in the mind. Relying on the rosary beads to keep track of how many times you’ve said a particular prayer allows you to clear your mind and meditate on your prayer more effectively.

Most commonly recognized in the United States as a symbol of Catholicism, other religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism and Islam employ rosary bead traditions as well.

History of Rosary BeadsThe earliest records of the practice of counting prayers among religions of Western culture can be traced to the 11th and 12th centuries. It is believed that people carried small stones or pebbles in their pockets with which to count prayers. 

However, there is evidence that Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam all had traditions of prayer counting that predate this pebble counting, and these faiths had incorporated a string of beads for this counting.

There is some belief that the word “rosary” has its origins in the travels of Romans to India many centuries ago. The term “bead” seems to derive from the Saxon word “bede,” meaning prayer.

Roman Catholic Rosary
In the Roman Catholic tradition, the term rosary refers to both the string of beads and the prayer said using that string of beads.

To pray the rosary is to recite specific prayers corresponding with particular beads on the string. A rosary is a made up of a crucifix, one larger bead, three small beads, another larger bead and then a medal. After the medal comes a larger bead again, followed by a group of 10 smaller beads.Around the rosary chain there are five sets of each of these beads one large, 10 small. The larger bead is separated from the smaller beads, signifying the different prayers recited while holding the bead. These sets – one bead followed by a group of 10 – are called decades.

The basic praying of the rosary consists of the Apostle’s Creed prayed while holding the crucifix in one’s hand followed by an Our Father while holding the single, larger bead, then a prayer of the Hail Mary for each smaller bead in the set of 10.

A more complex Hail Mary is recited while holding the medal. The prayers are recited around the whole of the rosary with each decade signifying a meditation on one of the mysteries of Redemption.

The thoughts during the prayer are directed to focus on a different mystery for each decade that corresponds with a specific time of year. These mysteries represent the significant events in the life of Jesus Christ.

Source. https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/meaning-rosary-beads/