1. The Agony in the Garden
Fruit of the mystery: Sorrow for sin
Saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me: but yet not my will, but thine be done.
Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary: Tuesday and Friday
Five mysteries, their fruits and scripture, and about 21 minutes of guided prayer in two voices.
The short answer
The Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed on Tuesday and Friday. In order, they are 1) The Agony in the Garden, 2) The Scourging at the Pillar, 3) The Crowning with Thorns, 4) The Carrying of the Cross and 5) The Crucifixion. Each decade pairs one mystery with an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries now
The guided Rosary opens on the Sorrowful Mysteries with this button, leads every prayer in two recorded voices and takes about 21 minutes at the standard pace.
The five Sorrowful Mysteries
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
Fruit of the mystery: Purity
Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him.
3. The Crowning with Thorns
Fruit of the mystery: Courage
And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews.
4. The Carrying of the Cross
Fruit of the mystery: Patience
And bearing his own cross, he went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew Golgotha.
5. The Crucifixion
Fruit of the mystery: Perseverance
And Jesus crying out with a loud voice, said: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And saying this, he gave up the ghost.
How to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Pray the Apostles' Creed.
- Pray one Our Father.
- Pray three Hail Marys.
- Pray the Glory Be.
- Announce the first mystery, The Agony in the Garden, then pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
- Announce the second mystery, The Scourging at the Pillar, then pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
- Announce the third mystery, The Crowning with Thorns, then pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
- Announce the fourth mystery, The Carrying of the Cross, then pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
- Announce the fifth mystery, The Crucifixion, then pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
- Pray the Hail, Holy Queen.
- Pray the closing prayer.
- End with the Sign of the Cross.
The other mysteries of the Rosary
Questions about the Sorrowful Mysteries
What days are the Sorrowful Mysteries prayed?
The Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed on Tuesday and Friday in the usual weekly schedule. They follow the Passion of Christ, from the Agony in the Garden to His death on the Cross; Friday is the day He died.
What are the five Sorrowful Mysteries?
In order: The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowning with Thorns, The Carrying of the Cross and The Crucifixion. Each one is the meditation for a decade of the Rosary, and each has a traditional fruit to ask for while you pray it.
What is the fruit of the Agony in the Garden?
The fruit of the Agony in the Garden is sorrow for sin. The scripture read for it is Luke 22:42: "Saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me: but yet not my will, but thine be done."
How long do the Sorrowful Mysteries take?
About 21 minutes for a full Rosary of the Sorrowful Mysteries at the guided Rosary's standard pace, counting the opening prayers, five decades and closing prayers, each recorded in two voices. The slow pace takes about 24 minutes.
What scripture goes with the Sorrowful Mysteries?
From the Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner): The Agony in the Garden, Luke 22:42; The Scourging at the Pillar, John 19:1; The Crowning with Thorns, Matthew 27:29; The Carrying of the Cross, John 19:17; The Crucifixion, Luke 23:46. The guided Rosary reads each line aloud when that mystery is announced.
Can I pray the Sorrowful Mysteries on a different day?
Yes. The weekly schedule is a custom that helps you pray through all twenty mysteries, not a rule. In the guided Rosary, choose another set for the session, or use the button on this page to open the Sorrowful Mysteries directly.