The First Decade

In the first picture, we see Mary in prayer at Golgotha, the scene of the crucifixion and death of  her son, Jesus. Let us join our prayers to hers at the start of this Rosary.

Continue through each of the first ten mysteries by scrolling down.

Mary praying at Golgotha

Suscipe rosarium,

Virgo, deauratum

Iesu Christi compendium

vita decoratum. Ave Maria.

Virgin! This Golden Rosary

     To thee I make oblation

Which decked with Jesu's life shall be,

      Rehearsed in brief narration. Hail Mary.

The Annunciation

Quem virgo carens vitio
de flamine concepisti:
dum Gabrieli nuntio
humillime consensisti. Ave Maria.

Whom of the Holy Spirit, thou
     A virgin pure conceivedst,
When Gabriel's word, with meekest bow
     Assenting, thou believedst.

The Visitation

Quo impraegnata citius
cognatam visitasti:
Ioannemque celeriter
in ventre sanctificasti. Ave Maria.

Thou great with Him, forthwith didst haste
     To give thy cousin greeting;
He the unborn John inspired and blest
     At that most hallowed meeting.

The Magnificat

[46] And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. [47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. [48] Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. [49] Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. [50] And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
[51] He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. [52] He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. [53] He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. [54] He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: [55] As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever. [Luke I]

Bethlehem. No room available.

Quem in civitate Bethlehem
laetando genuisti:
neque dolorem aliquem
gignendo pertulisti. Ave Maria.

In Bethlehem Whom, a Holy Seed,
     Thou didst bring forth with gladness;
In that thy wondrous labour freed
     From human pangs and sadness.

A Saviour is born to a Virgin

Quem regis David genere
mox natum adorasti;
ac vagientem ubere
virgineo lactasti. Ave Maria.

Scion of Royal David's line,
     New-born thou didst adore Him;
Whose nurturing breast with love benign
     A wailing Infant bore Him.








Quem pannis fasciis
constrictum reclinasti;
et suis obsequiis
te totam mancipasti. Ave Maria.

Whom in the manger thou didst lay,
     With swathing bands enfolding,
And Him to cherish, day by day,
     No pains or care withholding.

Angels appear to shepherds

Quem magno cum tripudio
angeli laudaverunt;
pacemque cum gaudio
in terris cecinerunt. Ave Maria.

Whom brightest Angels at His birth,
     With laud and carol hailing,
Praised God; announcing Peace on earth,
     Good will and love unfailing.

The shepherds adore the Saviour

Quem pastorem omnium
pastores cognoverunt;
dum in praesepe Dominum
iacente invenerunt. Ave Maria.

Whom wondering shepherds as of all
     The Shepherd Prince declaring,
Yet found, a stable mean and small
     With ass and oxen sharing.








Qui iuxta ritum hominis
passus circumcisione;
(et) dulcis Iesu nominis
cepit impositionem. Ave Maria.

Who, as for human kind was meet,
     Enduring circumcision,
Was called Jesus; Name most sweet!
     In token of His mission.

Qui a tribus regibus
ferventer adoratur;
magnisque muneribus
decenter venerant. Ave maria.

Who was by Eastern kings adored,
     As homage due they proffered;
When Him confessing for their Lord,
    Their noblest gifts they offered.

Foreword

The image in the banner at the top of each page shows Mary embracing her son after His terrible suffering and death on the cross. I earnestly hope this heart-rending picture may remind us of the urgent need in these dark days for daily prayer and penance. My aim is to offer the words and images on this site as just such a prayer; I place them confidently in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary, entreating her to intercede with her Son on our behalf. The prayers are offered in adoration and praise, in thanksgiving, but especially in reparation for sins, begging God to have mercy on the souls of the author and his family members.*

The Rosarium Aureum: the Golden Rosary

The 'rosary' may be likened unto a garland of fragrant flowers offered to Mary, the 'Mystical Rose', mother of our Divine Saviour and our own most gentle queen and mother. The flowers in the garland are our prayers, wherein we meditate upon the chief events (or 'mysteries') in the life of her son.

The beads of a rosary are typically divided into five sets of ten.  In the 'Golden Rosary', each of these fifty beads represents a particular mystery in the life of Jesus Christ. Each mystery is accompanied by a verse of four lines and an Ave (the Hail Mary prayer).

The Golden Rosary was popular in the 'Middle Ages'. This commonly used term refers to the Ages of Faith, a thousand years lasting from the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity until the Lutheran revolt in Western Europe and the fall of Constantinople to the Muslims in 1453.

My aim on this site is to present all fifty mysteries of the Golden Rosary. Each mystery is accompanied by its Latin verse and an English verse translation. The illustrations are beautiful and haunting images taken from the Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ by J James Tissot. They are reproduced  courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum: see Copyright. All images are by Tissot except where otherwise stated.

You can find out more on the Golden Rosary and the fascinating life of James Tissot by exploring the tabs on this site. I have also included a tab with information on Latin for those who have an interest in this language.

* EEKPTEE and EA.*I have disguised the names to respect their privacy on this public site.