I Pray the Rosary
Reciting A Proper Rosary
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I know what The Bible says. Jesus tells people not to say "vain, repetitious prayers" and mindless lip service to God. To an untrained observer, that is just what the Rosary appears to be--a string of long, repetitive prayers that go nowhere.
That is not what a Rosary is at all. Not if recited properly.
If saying a private Rosary, go to a quiet place, free from unnecessary distraction. It could be the living room, bedroom, or even during a visit to a quiet church or shrine. Before the Mass was changed to the vernacular, many people used the time to say the Rosary because, they said, they couldn't understand the Latin anyway. Now that the Mass is in English and forces congregational participation, they complain that they can't say the Rosary any more! Well, Holy Mass is not the time to say the Rosary--you're supposed to be paying attention to the service. Besides, with all the prayers and music going on, the atmosphere is too distracting for meditating on the Rosary.
As Jesus suggested, find a quiet place to say your prayers. The focus should be on the Divine Mysteries rather than on the prayers. Although it is said that a public Rosary adds special graces, I do not like to say a Rosary in a group because there is always one person who is loud and starts the ball rolling by rushing through the prayers, supposedly to see who gets to the Hail Holy Queen first. Slow down! By the same token, there is always that one loud person who says the wrong words and drags everyone else into it. Instead of "pray for us sinners," he will fairly shout "pray for OUR sinners" and break concentration.
The Rosary is not a race to see who finishes first!
There were fifteen Divine Mysteries until Pope John Paul II added five more, making a total of twenty. A "real" rosary is made up of all twenty mysteries. It takes at least an hour to cover them all, which most people do not have time for unless they are cloistered. What we say is actually a chaplet, or part of a full Rosary, consisting of five decades. It counts, of course.
Begin the Rosary with the basic tenet of the Catholic faith, the Creed. We profess our belief in God, Father and creator of all, and in Jesus Christ, who became man, suffered and died to redeem us, and rose again. We profess belief in the Holy Spirit and the resurrection of the body and the Last Judgment.
The Our Father and three Hail Marys (Pater and Ave as they are also known) set the tone of the Rosary by our meditation on the creation, the fall of Adam and Eve, and the necessity of the Redemption by Christ to open the gates of Heaven for us.
The so-called "vain, repetitious prayers" are actually a type of mantra, or an undercurrent of prayer while we think about each Mystery and meditate on how it had affected our personal life. There are certain days for each set of Mysteries, but of course they are not mandatory--simply a guide to keeping everything straight. Monday, Joyful. Tuesday, Sorrowful. Wednesday, Glorious. Thursday, Luminous. Friday, Sorrowful (in honor of Good Friday). Saturday, Joyful again. And Sunday, according to the Church season.
Because the Rosary is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, without whose consent there would have been no Incarnation, we recite the Hail Holy Queen, the Salve Regina, in her honor. It is also customary to recite a Pater, Ave and Gloria for the intentions of the Pope. I usually add on a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel to defend me against temptation toward sin.
How does this recitation of a string of prayers benefit us? The Church teaches that the Rosary is the most powerful prayer, second only to the Mass. Reciting a proper Rosary employs several senses-the mind for concentration, the voice for recitation, the ears for listening. The Rosary has a calming effect on the person saying it, and also employs the dexterity of the fingers in manipulating the beads. History has shown that the Rosary is indeed powerful.
On October 7, 1571 the Battle of Lepanto was about to take place. It was between the Christian forces and those of Islam, who were trying to get an Islamic foothold in Europe. The Christians were outnumbered three to one by the Muslims, and it seemed they didn't have a prayer.
But they did have a prayer. Pope Pius V urged everyone to kneel on the decks of their oared galleys and recite the Rosary before going into battle. Even the galley slaves participated, as well as people on shore. The Christians, aided by favorable winds, routed the Muslims, won the day and saved Europe. The feast is still celebrated on October 7 as the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary.
I recite the Rosary daily, and if I have time I will recite several. I dedicate the prayers to the needs of others, who I feel need the prayers more than I might. I am confident that someone is praying a Rosary for me, so I have great assurance that everything will turn out right.
[image deleted]
I know what The Bible says. Jesus tells people not to say "vain, repetitious prayers" and mindless lip service to God. To an untrained observer, that is just what the Rosary appears to be--a string of long, repetitive prayers that go nowhere.
That is not what a Rosary is at all. Not if recited properly.
If saying a private Rosary, go to a quiet place, free from unnecessary distraction. It could be the living room, bedroom, or even during a visit to a quiet church or shrine. Before the Mass was changed to the vernacular, many people used the time to say the Rosary because, they said, they couldn't understand the Latin anyway. Now that the Mass is in English and forces congregational participation, they complain that they can't say the Rosary any more! Well, Holy Mass is not the time to say the Rosary--you're supposed to be paying attention to the service. Besides, with all the prayers and music going on, the atmosphere is too distracting for meditating on the Rosary.
As Jesus suggested, find a quiet place to say your prayers. The focus should be on the Divine Mysteries rather than on the prayers. Although it is said that a public Rosary adds special graces, I do not like to say a Rosary in a group because there is always one person who is loud and starts the ball rolling by rushing through the prayers, supposedly to see who gets to the Hail Holy Queen first. Slow down! By the same token, there is always that one loud person who says the wrong words and drags everyone else into it. Instead of "pray for us sinners," he will fairly shout "pray for OUR sinners" and break concentration.
The Rosary is not a race to see who finishes first!
There were fifteen Divine Mysteries until Pope John Paul II added five more, making a total of twenty. A "real" rosary is made up of all twenty mysteries. It takes at least an hour to cover them all, which most people do not have time for unless they are cloistered. What we say is actually a chaplet, or part of a full Rosary, consisting of five decades. It counts, of course.
Begin the Rosary with the basic tenet of the Catholic faith, the Creed. We profess our belief in God, Father and creator of all, and in Jesus Christ, who became man, suffered and died to redeem us, and rose again. We profess belief in the Holy Spirit and the resurrection of the body and the Last Judgment.
The Our Father and three Hail Marys (Pater and Ave as they are also known) set the tone of the Rosary by our meditation on the creation, the fall of Adam and Eve, and the necessity of the Redemption by Christ to open the gates of Heaven for us.
The so-called "vain, repetitious prayers" are actually a type of mantra, or an undercurrent of prayer while we think about each Mystery and meditate on how it had affected our personal life. There are certain days for each set of Mysteries, but of course they are not mandatory--simply a guide to keeping everything straight. Monday, Joyful. Tuesday, Sorrowful. Wednesday, Glorious. Thursday, Luminous. Friday, Sorrowful (in honor of Good Friday). Saturday, Joyful again. And Sunday, according to the Church season.
Because the Rosary is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, without whose consent there would have been no Incarnation, we recite the Hail Holy Queen, the Salve Regina, in her honor. It is also customary to recite a Pater, Ave and Gloria for the intentions of the Pope. I usually add on a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel to defend me against temptation toward sin.
How does this recitation of a string of prayers benefit us? The Church teaches that the Rosary is the most powerful prayer, second only to the Mass. Reciting a proper Rosary employs several senses-the mind for concentration, the voice for recitation, the ears for listening. The Rosary has a calming effect on the person saying it, and also employs the dexterity of the fingers in manipulating the beads. History has shown that the Rosary is indeed powerful.
On October 7, 1571 the Battle of Lepanto was about to take place. It was between the Christian forces and those of Islam, who were trying to get an Islamic foothold in Europe. The Christians were outnumbered three to one by the Muslims, and it seemed they didn't have a prayer.
But they did have a prayer. Pope Pius V urged everyone to kneel on the decks of their oared galleys and recite the Rosary before going into battle. Even the galley slaves participated, as well as people on shore. The Christians, aided by favorable winds, routed the Muslims, won the day and saved Europe. The feast is still celebrated on October 7 as the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary.
I recite the Rosary daily, and if I have time I will recite several. I dedicate the prayers to the needs of others, who I feel need the prayers more than I might. I am confident that someone is praying a Rosary for me, so I have great assurance that everything will turn out right.
