Rosary for Friday: The 5 Sorrowful Mysteries with Full Prayers (2026)
Quick answer
On Friday, Catholics pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion. Friday is the day Jesus died, so the Church keeps every Friday as a day of penance, and these mysteries let us walk with him through his Passion.
Key takeaways
- The rosary for Friday uses the five Sorrowful Mysteries, the same mysteries prayed on Tuesday.
- Friday is the day of the Lord's Passion and death; the Church keeps every Friday of the year as a penitential day (Code of Canon Law, can. 1250).
- Praying the Sorrowful Mysteries can be your Friday act of penance, offered for a particular person or need.
- Many Catholics pray the Friday rosary at 3 p.m., the hour Jesus died, or combine it with the Stations of the Cross in Lent.
On Friday, Catholics pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion. Friday is the day Jesus died for us, so these five mysteries of his Passion fit the day perfectly. This guide gives you the complete holy rosary for Friday, with every prayer written out and a short Friday meditation on each mystery.
Why Is Friday the Day of the Passion?
Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42). From the earliest centuries, Christians remembered this every week. Sunday became the day of the Resurrection, and Friday the day of the cross.
The Church still keeps every Friday of the year as a day of penance (Code of Canon Law, can. 1250; CCC 1438). In Lent, Catholics 14 and older abstain from meat on Fridays. Outside Lent, the U.S. bishops allow Catholics to replace abstinence with another penance of their choice, such as prayer, fasting or an act of charity.
That makes the Sorrowful Mysteries a natural Friday prayer. Praying them is a way to keep the day holy, to thank Jesus for his sacrifice, and to offer your own penance in union with his.
Which Mysteries Are Prayed on Friday?
St. John Paul II, in Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002), suggested this weekly pattern:
| Day | Mysteries |
|---|---|
| Monday | Joyful |
| Tuesday | Sorrowful |
| Wednesday | Glorious |
| Thursday | Luminous |
| Friday | Sorrowful |
| Saturday | Joyful |
| Sunday | Glorious |
The Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed on Friday all year round, including Advent and Christmas. In Lent, many Catholics also pray them on Sundays. That is a popular custom, not a rule.
How to Pray the Rosary for Friday, Step by Step
- Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed while holding the crucifix.
- Pray the Our Father on the first large bead.
- Pray three Hail Marys on the next three beads, for faith, hope and charity.
- Pray the Glory Be.
- Announce the First Sorrowful Mystery and pray the Our Father.
- Pray ten Hail Marys while you picture the mystery.
- Finish the decade with the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
- Repeat for the second, third, fourth and fifth mysteries.
- Close with the Hail, Holy Queen, the closing prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
Before you begin, you might name your Friday intention: a person to pray for, or a sacrifice you want to offer.
The Prayers of the Friday Rosary
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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.
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
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.
The Glory Be
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.
The Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell;
lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Amen.
The 5 Sorrowful Mysteries: A Friday Meditation
Each mystery below has a Scripture passage, its traditional fruit (the grace to ask for) and a short reflection. Each also suggests a Friday offering, a simple way to make that decade your act of penance.
1. The Agony in the Garden
Scripture: Luke 22:39–46 · Fruit: sorrow for sin; trust in God’s will
In the Garden of Olives, Jesus kneels and prays so intensely that “his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground” (Luke 22:44). An angel comes to strengthen him. He knows what is coming, and he chooses it out of love.
Friday offering: Offer this decade for anyone facing surgery, a frightening diagnosis or a hard decision tonight.
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture: Mark 15:15 · Fruit: purity; self-denial
Pilate, wanting to please the crowd, releases Barabbas and has Jesus scourged. The Lord’s body is torn for the sins we commit with our bodies. He bears it without complaint.
Friday offering: Offer a small bodily sacrifice today, such as skipping a snack, giving up meat or taking the stairs, and pray for all who live with chronic pain.
3. The Crowning with Thorns
Scripture: Mark 15:16–20 · Fruit: humility; moral courage
The soldiers dress Jesus in purple, crown him with thorns and kneel in mockery: “Hail, King of the Jews!” The King of the universe lets himself be laughed at, so that our pride might be healed.
Friday offering: Pray for someone who has hurt or insulted you, and for Christians around the world who are mocked or persecuted for their faith.
4. The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture: Luke 23:26–31 · Fruit: patience in suffering
Jesus walks the road to Calvary under the weight of the cross. Simon of Cyrene is pressed into helping him, and the women of Jerusalem weep along the way. Jesus, though suffering, still turns to comfort them.
Friday offering: Offer your own daily cross, whatever it is this week, and do one quiet act of help for someone carrying theirs, as Simon did.
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord
Scripture: Luke 23:33–46 · Fruit: perseverance; love of God and neighbor
At about three in the afternoon, after three hours on the cross, Jesus cries out, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” and dies (Luke 23:46). Before he dies, he forgives his executioners and promises paradise to a repentant thief.
Friday offering: Pray for the dying, especially those who will die today without anyone beside them, and for the souls in purgatory.
Closing Prayers
Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Let us pray. O God, whose only begotten Son,
by his life, death and resurrection,
has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life;
grant, we beseech thee, that meditating upon these mysteries
of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise,
through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
4 Ways to Make Your Friday Rosary Deeper
Pray at three o’clock. The Gospels place Jesus’ death at about the ninth hour, three in the afternoon. Many Catholics stop at that hour on Fridays, even for a single decade of the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery.
Offer it as your Friday penance. If you don’t abstain from meat on Fridays outside Lent, a rosary offered for a particular intention is a fitting substitute. Say so at the start: “Lord, I offer this rosary as my Friday penance for…”
Combine it with the Stations in Lent. On Lenten Fridays, parishes pray the 14 Stations of the Cross. The Sorrowful Mysteries follow the same path, so the two devotions strengthen each other.
Remember the Sacred Heart on First Fridays. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is closely tied to Friday. Many Catholics attend Mass on the first Friday of the month. After your rosary, you might add a prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the heart pierced for us on the cross (John 19:34).
Praying with Mary at the Foot of the Cross
The Sorrowful Mysteries are Christ’s sorrows, but Mary shares in every one. She stood by the cross to the end (John 19:25), and there Jesus gave her to us as our Mother. When we pray the rosary on Friday, we stand where she stood, and she teaches us to look at the cross with faith instead of fear.
The Catechism teaches that, united with the Passion of Christ, our own suffering takes on a new meaning: it becomes a share in his saving work (CCC 1521). If Friday finds you tired, grieving or in pain, these mysteries are a good place to bring it. Mary, who knew sorrow, will not leave you alone in yours. To pray more closely with her, see our prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows.
Tomorrow, Saturday, the rosary returns to the Joyful Mysteries, just as Good Friday gave way to the joy of Easter.
Frequently asked questions
What mysteries are prayed on Friday?
On Friday the rosary uses the Sorrowful Mysteries: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord. This holds all year, including Advent and Christmas. The Sorrowful Mysteries are also prayed on Tuesdays.
Why are the Sorrowful Mysteries prayed on Friday?
Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, Good Friday. For that reason Christians have kept Friday as a day to remember the Passion since the earliest centuries. Praying the Sorrowful Mysteries on Friday unites the rosary with the day itself, so that each week we walk with Christ to the cross.
Can the Friday rosary count as my Friday penance?
Yes. The Church asks Catholics to do penance on every Friday. In Lent, Catholics aged 14 and older abstain from meat. In the United States, outside Lent, the bishops allow another act of penance in place of abstinence, such as prayer, fasting or works of charity. A rosary offered with that intention is a good choice.
What time should I pray the rosary on Friday?
Any time is good. Many people choose 3 p.m., the hour Jesus died according to the Gospels, often called the Hour of Mercy. Others pray it in the morning to offer up the day, or in the evening as a family. A rosary takes about 20 minutes, and you may also pray it one decade at a time.
Sources
- St. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1438 (Penitential days); 1521 (Suffering united to Christ)
- Code of Canon Law, canons 1250–1251 (Days of penance)
- Mark 14–15; Luke 22–23 (The Passion narratives)
