Psalms from the Psalter (The Book of Psalms) were chanted by monks as a part of the Divine Office throughout Christian history, and the original usage of beads or knotted rope was as an aid to praying the Divine Office’s psalms. These prayer beads eventually became used for the recitation of the modern day rosary.
This resource is an attempt to re-establish the connection between the psalms and the rosary by using the format of the Scriptural Rosary in Psalms. Ask the Holy Ghost to teach you to pray these Scriptures in the context of the rosary.
For centuries, the Rosary was known as “Our Lady’s Psalter.” In the Middle Ages, common lay people wanted to join their prayers with the Holy Monks who daily recited the Psalms. In time, the Rosary developed around the recitation of 150 Hail Mary’s, one for each Psalm, using beads to keep track of the number of prayers.
The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary came out as a shorter form of the Divine Office in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has long been the Church’s daily liturgical prayer to Our Lady, and these hours of praise have been used by Priests, religious and the laity throughout the centuries. Lay people used to flock to the great Cathedrals to publicly recite The Little Office during the Middle Ages, and during the great persecution, when the practice of the Catholic Faith was illegal in Great Britain, Bishop Challoner commended The Little Office to his flock.
Now, in the spirit of this beloved practice from the great Age of Faith, Pray the Rosary with the Psalms re-establishes the connection between the Psalms and the Rosary by combining a brief excerpt from each of the 150 Psalms with the 150 Hail Mary’s of the Traditional 15-decade Rosary.
I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach My Psalter. — Our Lady to Saint Dominic. The Secret of the Rosary, Saint Louis de Montfort.
Our Lady uses the language of the Church militant. She does not speak of the Rosary in a sentimental manner in order to achieve good feelings or pan-religious unity. No, She refers to it as battering ram against heresy. Arm Yourself then with the Rosary to Fight Heresy, Corruption and Godlessness.
Praying the Rosary with the Psalms
The First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation
1. Happy the man who…delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on His law day and night. —Ps 1:1-2
2. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. —Ps 2:8
3. You, O Lord, are my shield; my glory, You lift up my head! —Ps 3:4
4. O Lord, let the light of Your countenance shine upon us! —Ps 4:7
5. At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before You. —Ps 5:3
6. Heal me, O Lord, for my body is in terror. —Ps 6:3
7. Let the assembly of the peoples surround You; above them on high be enthroned. —Ps 7:8
8. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings You have fashioned praise. —Ps 8:3
9. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of distress. —Ps 9:10
10. Rise, O Lord! O God, lift up your hand! Forget not the afflicted! —Ps 10:12
The Second Joyful Mystery
The Visitation
1. His eyes behold, His searching glance is on mankind. —Ps 11:4
2. The promises of the Lord are sure, like tried silver, freed from dross, sevenfold refined. —Ps 12:7
3. Let my heart rejoice in Your salvation; let me sing of the Lord, “He has been good to me.” —Ps 13:6
4. Oh, that out of Zion would come the salvation of Israel! —Ps 14:7
5. O Lord, who shall sojourn in Your tent? Who shall dwell on Your holy mountain? He who walks blamelessly. —Ps 15:1-2
6. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in Your presence, the delights at Your right hand forever. —Ps 16:11
7. My steps have been steadfast in Your paths, my feet have not faltered. —Ps 17:5
8. I love You, O Lord, my Strength, O Lord, my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer. —Ps 18:2-3
9. Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message. Ps. 19:5
10. May He grant you what is in your heart and fulfill your every plan. May we shout for joy at your victory. —Ps 20: 5-6
The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus
1. You gladdened him with the joy of Your presence. —Ps 21:7
2. To You I was committed at birth, from my mother’s womb You are my God. —Ps 22:11
3. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. —Ps 23:1
4. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! —Ps 24:7-9
5. He guides the humble to justice, He teaches the humble His way. —Ps 25:9
6. Your kindness is before my eyes. —Ps 26:3
7. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? —Ps 27:1
8. My heart exults, and with my song I give Him thanks. —Ps 28:7
9. May the Lord give strength to His people; may the Lord bless His people with peace! —Ps 29:11
10. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. —Ps 30:6
The Fourth Joyful Mystery
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
1. Into Your hands I commend my spirit. —Ps 31:6
2. Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. —Ps 32:2
3. Happy the nation whose God is the Lord. —Ps 33:12
4. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth. —Ps 34:2
5. My tongue shall recount Your justice, Your praise, all the day. —Ps 35:28
6. With You is the fountain of life, and in Your light we see light. —Ps 36:10
7. Commit to the Lord your way; trust in Him, and He will act. —Ps 37:5
8. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation! —Ps 38:23
9. And now, for what do I wait, O Lord? In You is my hope. —Ps 39:8
10. I have made no secret of Your kindness and Your truth in the vast assembly. —Ps 40:11
The Fifth Joyful Mystery
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
1. The Lord will keep and preserve him; He will make him happy on the earth. —Ps 41:3
2. Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why do you sigh within me? Hope in God! —Ps 42:6
3. Then will I go in to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and joy. —Ps 43:4
4. Our fathers have declared to us, the deeds You did in their days. —Ps 44:2
5. I will make your name memorable through all generations; therefore shall nations praise you forever and ever. —Ps 45:18
6. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. —Ps 46:4, 8, 12
7. The Lord, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth. —Ps 47:3
8. Great is the Lord and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. —Ps 48:2
9. My mouth shall speak wisdom; prudence shall be the utterance of my heart. —Ps 49:4
10. Hear, My people, and I will speak; Israel, I will testify against you; God, your God am I. —Ps 50:7
The First Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus’ Agony in the Garden
1. The bones You have crushed shall rejoice. —Ps 51:10
2. I, like a green olive tree in the house of God, trust in the kindness of God forever and ever. —Ps 52:10
3. Oh, that out of Zion would come the salvation of Israel! —Ps 53:7
4. For haughty men have risen up against me, and fierce men seek my life. —Ps 54:5
5. In the evening, and at dawn, and at noon, I will grieve and moan. —Ps 55:18
6. They gather together in hiding, they watch my steps. —Ps 56:7
7. In the shadow of Your wings I take refuge. —Ps 57:2
8. Theirs is poison like a serpent’s, like that of a stubborn snake that stops its ears. —Ps 58:5
9. For behold, they lie in wait for my life; mighty men come together against me. —Ps 59:4
10. Worthless is the help of men. —Ps 60:13
The Second Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar
1. From the earth’s end I call to You as my heart grows faint. —Ps 61:3
2. How long will you set upon a man and all together beat him down? —Ps 62:4
3. The mouths of those who speak falsely shall be stopped. —Ps 63:12
4. Hear, O God, my voice in my lament; from the dread enemy preserve my life. —Ps 64:2.
5. We are overcome by our sins; it is You Who pardon them. —Ps 65:4
6. You laid a heavy burden on our backs. You let men ride over our heads. —Ps 66:11-12
7. May all the ends of the earth fear Him! —Ps 67:8
8. You will bathe your feed in blood. —Ps 68:24
9. Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak. —Ps 69:21
10. I am afflicted and poor. —Ps 70:6
The Third Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus is Crowned with Thorns
1. They who keep watch against my life take counsel together. —Ps 71:10
2. All kings shall pay Him homage, all nations shall serve Him. —Ps 72:11
3. …as a robe violence enwraps them. —Ps 73:6
4. How long, O God, shall the foe blaspheme? Shall the enemy revile Your name forever? —Ps 74:10
5. Speak not haughtily against the Rock. —Ps 75:6
6. Let all round about Him bring gifts to the terrible Lord. —Ps 76:12
7. By night my hands are stretched out without flagging; my soul refuses comfort. —Ps 77:3
8. He surrendered his strength into captivity, his glory into the hands of the foe. —Ps 78:61
9. They have defiled Your holy temple. —Ps 79:1
10. Our enemies mock us. —Ps 80:7
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus Carries the Cross
1. I relieved his shoulder of the burden. —Ps 81:7
2. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. —Ps 82:5
3. For behold, Your enemies raise a tumult, and they who hate You lift up their heads. —Ps 83:3
4. Look upon the face of your anointed. —Ps 84:10
5. Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps. —Ps 85:14
6. Teach me, O Lord, Your way that I may walk in Your truth. —Ps 86:11
7. My home is within you. —Ps 87:7
8. Companion and neighbor You have taken from me; my only friend is darkness. —Ps 88:19
9. I will punish their crime with a rod and their guilt with stripes. —Ps 89:33
10. You have kept our iniquities before You. —Ps 90:8
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus Dies on the Cross
1. I will be with him in distress. —Ps 91:15
2. How great are Your works, O Lord! How very deep are Your thoughts! —Ps 92:6
3. The Lord is King. —Ps 93:1
4. They attack the life of the just and condemn innocent blood. —Ps 94:21
5. Let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. —Ps 95:6
6. Tremble before Him, all the earth. —Ps 96:9
7. Clouds and darkness are round about Him. —Ps 97:2
8. The Lord has made His salvation known. —Ps 98:2
9. A forgiving God You were to them. —Ps 99:8
10. Know that the Lord is God. —Ps 100:3
The First Glorious Mystery
The Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead
1. Each morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land. —Ps 101:8
2. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to pity her. —Ps 102:14
3. He redeems your life from destruction. —Ps 103:4
4. You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak. —Ps 104:1-2
5. Seek to serve Him constantly. Recall the wondrous deeds that He has wrought. —Ps 105:4-5
6. Who can tell the mighty deeds of the Lord, or proclaim all is praises? —Ps 106:2
7. He led them forth from darkness and gloom and broke their bonds asunder. —Ps 107:14
8. Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp; I will wake the dawn. —Ps 108:3
9. Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, O Lord, have done this. —Ps 109:27
10. The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.” —Ps 110:1
The Second Glorious Mystery
Jesus Ascends into Heaven
1. He has made known to His people the power of His works. —Ps 111:6
2. He dawns, through the darkness, a light for the upright. —Ps 112:4
3. He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor. —Ps 113:7
4. Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? —Ps 114:5
5. Our God is in heaven; whatever He wills, He does. —Ps 115:3
6. He has freed my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. —Ps 116:8
7. Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify Him, all you peoples! —Ps 117:1
8. Open to me the gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord. —Ps 118:19
9. Give me life according to Your word. —Ps 119:25
10. All too long have I dwelt with those who hate peace. —Ps 120:6
The Third Glorious Mystery
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
1. I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; whence shall help come to me? —Ps 121:1
2. I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the Lord.” —Ps 122:1
3. To you I lift up my eyes Who are enthroned in heaven. —Ps 123:1
4. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. —Ps 124:8
5. The Lord is round about His people, both now and forever. —Ps 125:2
6. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. —Ps 126:2
7. Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. —Ps 127:1
8. Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways! —Ps 128:1
9. The blessing of the Lord be upon you! —Ps 129:8
10. My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn. —Ps 130:6
The Fourth Glorious Mystery
Mary is Taken Up into Heaven
1. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap [so is my soul within me]. —Ps 131:2
2. For the Lord has chosen Zion; He prefers her for His dwelling. —Ps 132:13
3. For there the Lord has pronounced His blessing, life forever. —Ps 133:3
4. Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. —Ps 134:2
5. The Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself. —Ps 135:4
6. His mercy endures forever. —Ps 136:1
7. How could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land? —Ps 137:4
8. The Lord will complete what He has done for me; Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever. —Ps 138:8
9. If I go up to the heavens, You are there. —Ps 139:8
10. The upright shall dwell in Your presence. —Ps 140:14
The Fifth Glorious Mystery
Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth
1. O Lord, to You I call; hasten to me; hearken to my voice when I call upon You. —Ps 141:1
2. The just shall gather around me when You have been good to me. —Ps 142:8
3. Bring to nought all my foes, for I am Your servant. —Ps 143:12
4. Reach out Your hand from on high. —Ps 144:7
5. Let them discourse of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might. —Ps 145:11
6. The Lord raises up those that are bowed down. —Ps 146:8
7. The Lord is pleased with those who fear Him, with those who hope for His kindness. —Ps 147:11
8. Praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted. —Ps 148:13
9. He adorns the lowly with victory. —Ps 149:4
10. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Alleluia! —Ps 150:6
