Crown of Our Lord Rosary Chaplet
The Camaldolese Crown was designed by Bl. Michele Pina (1450-1522), a Camaldolese monk, and is also sometimes called the Crown of Our Lord, Corona Del Signore (Italian), or the Rosary of Our Lord. It was officially approved by Papal brief on 18 February 1516.
The chaplet consists of 33 beads - three decades of ten beads each, plus three additional beads to commemorate the 33 earthly years of Our Lord. Five Hail Marys are recited in honor of Mary and the five wounds of Our Lord. It concludes with the Apostles' Creed.
There are two versions of this chaplet - a long and a short - both described below.
Short Version
On the crucifix make the Sign of The Cross
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen
First Decade:
Meditate on the infancy of Our Lord Jesus until He was twelve years of age, particularly His incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary, His birth in a stable, His circumcision, His presentation in the temple and the persecution He suffered from His enemies when He was still an infant.
Also meditate on the humility with which He obeyed and waited on His holy Mother and Saint Joseph, by whom He was found, at the age of twelve, holding discussions among the doctors in the temple.
Pray one Hail Mary, ten Our Fathers, and one Glory Be...
Second Decade:
Meditate on the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the time He was twelve years of age until His passion, considering how He who was Divine Wisdom, humbly and charitably lived unknown among men until He was thirty. He prepared Himself for His preaching by a forty-day fast and by being baptized by St. John the Baptist. Then He chose His Apostles, preached His evangelical law and worked miracles throughout Palestine, while He suffered persecution and countless hardships.
Pray one Hail Mary, ten Our Fathers, and one Glory Be...
Third Decade:
Meditate on the latter part of Our Redeemer's life: His most bitter passion. Having entered Jerusalem amidst the acclamations of the people, He abased Himself in washing the feet of His disciples and He instituted the Holy Eucharist. Let us consider also how following His prayer in the garden during which He sweated blood, He let Himself to be captured and bound by his enemies, and being led from one tribunal to another, He was slapped and reviled, scourged at the pillar and crowned with sharp thorns. At the end, after carrying the cross on His shoulders to the hill of Calvary, He was crucified between two thieves and gave up His most holy soul for the redemption of mankind. After His death blood and water flowed from the sacred wound in His side.
Pray one Hail Mary, ten Our Fathers, and one Glory Be...
In the concluding prayers, we meditate how our Lord Jesus Christ, after His adorable body had been three days in the sepulcher, rose again from the dead, appeared to His Blessed Mother and to His disciples. Also how He established Saint Peter as head of the Church, commanded all the Apostles to go about the world preaching the Faith and the remission of sins; and after forty days He ascended into heaven at the right hand of the Eternal Father, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
On the large bead beneath the center pray one Hail Mary.
On each of the next three smaller beads pray the Our Father.
On the large bead above the crucifix pray one Hail Mary.
On the crucifix recite the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
V. We adore You, oh Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Let us pray
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, in whose honor we have recited this Rosary, put -Your passion, Your cross and Your death between our souls and Your judgment now and at the hour of our death and grant us grace and mercy; grant the faithful departed rest and pardon; grant Your Church peace and harmony and to us sinners forgiveness and eternal glory, who live and reign world without end. Amen.
Camaldolese Monks, painted by Paul Delaroche (1797-1856)
Long Version
On the crucifix make the Sign of The Cross
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
V. O God, come to our aid.
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.
On the first large bead:
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen
On each of the next three smaller beads make the Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity.
O my God, I firmly believe that You are One God in three Divine Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that Your divine Son became Man and died for our sins, and that He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these, and all the truths that the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because You have revealed them, who can neither deceive or be deceived.
O my God, relying on Your Almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon for my sins, the help of Your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
O my God, I love You above all things with my whole heart and soul, because You are all good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
Make an Act of Contrition:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.
First Decade:
The Hidden Life of Our Lord – The Archangel Gabriel makes known to the Blessed Virgin Mary the Incarnation of the Divine Word in her pure womb.
On the first large bead beneath the rosary center pray the Hail Mary.
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
On each of the next ten beads:
- The Son of God made man is born of Mary in a stable. Our Father ...
- The angels rejoice and sing; Gloria in excelsis Deo. Our Father...
- The shepherds hear the angels' tidings and come to adore Him. Our Father...
- He is circumcised on the eighth day and called by the most Holy Name of Jesus. Our Father...
- He is adored by the Magi with offerings of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Our Father...
- He is presented in the Temple and foretold to be the Savior of the World. Our Father...
- He flees from the persecution of Herod and is carried into Egypt. Our Father...
- Herod finds Him not and murders the Innocents. Our Father...
- He is brought back by Joseph and His mother into Nazareth his home. Our Father...
- He disputes in the Temple with the doctors, being twelve years of age. Our Father...
Complete the decade with a Glory Be.
The Second Decade:
The Public Life of Our Lord- Jesus is most obedient to the Blessed Virgin His Mother, and to Saint Joseph
On the large bead pray a Hail Mary.
On each of the next ten beads:
- Jesus is baptized by Saint John in the river Jordan at the age of thirty years. Our Father...
- Jesus fasts for forty days and nights in the wilderness and resists Satan. Our Father...
- Jesus reveals true obedience to the Father’s Will and preaches eternal life. Our Father...
- Jesus calls His disciples, who forthwith leave all and follow Him. Our Father...
- Jesus performs His first miracle by changing water into wine. Our Father...
- Jesus heals the sick, makes the lame to walk, gives hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind and raises the dead to life. Our Father...
- Jesus converts sinful men and women and pardons their sins. Our Father...
- When His own people persecute Him even unto death, He does not chastise them but gently chides. Our Father...
- He is transfigured on Mount Tabor in the presence of Peter, James and John. Our Father...
- He enters Jerusalem riding on a colt the foal of an ass and drives the money-changers from the temple. Our Father...
Complete the decade with a Glory Be.
The Third Decade:
The Sorrowful Death of Our Lord – Jesus takes leave of His Most Holy Mother before going to die for our salvation.
On the large bead pray a Hail Mary.
On each of the next ten beads:
- The Lord celebrates the last Paschal Supper and washes the feet of the Apostles. Our Father...
- The Lord institutes the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Our Father...
- The Lord prays fervently in the Garden; He sweats blood and is comforted by an angel. Our Father...
- Christ is betrayed by Judas with a kiss. He is taken, bound and captive, by the officers of justice. Our Father...
- Jesus is falsely accused, struck and spat upon, and shamefully used before four tribunals. Our Father...
- The Lord looks with tenderness on Peter after he had thrice denied Him, and converts him; whilst Judas despairs, hangs himself and is lost. Our Father...
- The Lord is scourged at the pillar and receives innumerable blows. Our Father...
- Jesus is crowned with thorns, shown to the people who cry "Crucify, Crucify Him!" Our Father...
- He is condemned to death and carries the heavy cross with grievous pain upon his shoulders to the Mount of Calvary. Our Father...
- Jesus is crucified between two thieves; dies after three hours agony upon the cross. He is wounded in the side with a lance and is buried. Our Father...
Complete the decade with a Glory Be.
The final portion of the chaplet is recited on the pendant.
On the large bead beneath the rosary center pray:
Jesus rises on the third day, and visits first of all His Most Holy Mother, Mary. Hail Mary...
On each of the smaller three beads contemplate the three final mysteries:
- Jesus appears to the three Marys and bids them tell the Apostles they have seen Him risen from the dead. Our Father...
- Jesus appears to His disciples, shows them His Most Holy Wounds and makes Thomas touch them. Our Father...
- The fortieth day after His resurrection, Jesus blessed Most Holy Mary and His disciples and ascends into the heavens. Our Father...
On the large bead above the crucifix pray:
Let us pray to the Most Holy Virgin to obtain for us also the blessing of Her Divine Son Our Lord Jesus Christ, now, and at the hour of our death. Hail Mary...
Conclude the chaplet on the crucifix with the Apostles' Creed and the following prayer ascribed to St. Augustine:
O Lord, Who to redeem the world and to free us from the pains of hell, didst vouchsafe to be born amongst men, subject to pain and death, to be circumcised, rejected and persecuted by the Jews;
betrayed by Thy disciple Judas with a sacrilegious kiss; and as a lamb, gentle and innocent, to be bound with cords, and dragged in scorn before the tribunals of Annas, Ciaphas, Pilate and Herod;
Who didst suffer thyself to be accused by false witnesses, torn by scourges, crowned with thorns, smitten with blows, insulted with spittings, to have Thy Divine Countenance covered out of contempt; to be many ways set at naught and outraged, to be filled with reproaches and ignominies,
and, last of all, to be stripped of Thy clothes, nailed to and raised high upon a cross between two notorious thieves; to be drenched with gall and vinegar, and then pierced with a lance,
and so to fulfill the mighty work of our redemption: Savior most tender, by these, Thy many cruel sufferings borne by Thee out of Thy love for me, which I, unworthy as I am, yet dare to contemplate,
by thy Holy Cross and by Thy Bitter Death, free me from the pains of hell and vouchsafe to bring me to Paradise, whither thou didst lead the penitent thief who was crucified with Thee, my Jesus, Who with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, livest and reignest God for ever and ever. Amen
To learn more about the Camaldolese order:
The Privilege of Love: Camaldolese Benedictine Spirituality
Camaldolese Spirituality
www.wikipedia.org
www.camaldolese.org
http://www.incarnationmonastery.com
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03204d.htm
