The Rosary During Easter
Easter lasts fifty days, from Easter Sunday through Pentecost. The Glorious Mysteries are the usual Sunday choice. The Glorious Mysteries may also be prayed throughout the Easter Octave and on Ascension’s celebration date. Other weekdays keep the familiar schedule. The Regina Caeli traditionally replaces the Angelus during the season.
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Fifty days of Resurrection joy
The Easter season extends from Easter Sunday through Pentecost Sunday, fifty days celebrated in the joy of Christ's Resurrection. The celebration continues after Easter day. The Church continues to proclaim the risen Lord, his Ascension, and the gift of the Holy Spirit throughout these weeks.
The first eight days form the Easter Octave, through the Second Sunday of Easter. That Sunday is also Divine Mercy Sunday. The following Sundays belong to Easter as the season continues toward Pentecost. The calendar shows their dates for the year you choose.
Which mysteries are prayed during Easter?
The Glorious Mysteries are suggested on Sundays during Easter, as they are in the usual Sunday schedule. The Glorious Mysteries may also be prayed throughout the Easter Octave and on Ascension’s celebration date. Other weekdays follow the familiar pattern: Joyful on Monday and Saturday, Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, Glorious on Wednesday, and Luminous on Thursday.
Praying the Resurrection and Ascension
The Resurrection recalls the Lord's victory over death and the disciples' encounter with him. Reading the Gospel before prayer helps us notice the disciples' responses. The women go to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body and receive the news of his Resurrection.
The Ascension contemplates Christ entering the Father's glory and sending his disciples to bear witness. At the end of the account in Acts, the disciples return to Jerusalem. Their prayerful waiting there leads toward Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Ascension is celebrated on Thursday in some places and on the following Sunday in others. This variation affects parish celebrations and the timing visitors see in local calendars. The universal calendar tool uses Thursday and explains the Sunday alternative. The parish gives the date observed locally.
Regina Caeli during the Easter season
The Regina Caeli traditionally replaces the Angelus during Easter. Its words rejoice with Mary because the Son she bore has risen. It is said at the customary Angelus times and is also an optional prayer after the Rosary.
Pentecost
At Pentecost, the disciples receive the Spirit and become witnesses to Christ. This mystery accompanies prayer for those receiving Confirmation and for the Church's work of proclaiming the Gospel.