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The ordinary people of the Middle Ages devotion was monastic prayer. This was a prayer centered on the Divine Office - a celebration of all 150 Psalms. Very few people could read or had access to a Bible but could easily memorize the basic prayers of the Church. The memorization of the three basic prayers formed the framework of the Rosary:
To learn more about the Holy Rosary follow the link below:
The Holy Rosary combined mental and vocal prayer dealing with the mysteries of the Lord's life and has been used in this format since the 15th century.
These meditations followed the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus:
Each decade allowed for praying 10 Hail Mary prayers, preceded by the Lord's Prayer, and closing with the Glory Be to the Father. Each set of mysteries completed 50 Hail Mary prayers. All three set of mysteries totaled 150, the same number as total Psalms prayed in the Divine Office. The late Pope John Paul II expanded the Mysteries and popularized the Luminous Mysteries. With this addition the Holy Rosary is a richer form of prayer.