A couple more thoughts about The Rosary

[Andruschak]

This week at catechismclass.com has been interesting. We have started off with Church doctrine, including the catechism, concerning salvation being only through the Roman Catholic Church.

The lessons have ended with a request to pray 5 decades of the Rosary, if you have time. Otherwise, just meditate on one of the Mysteries. A link to an on-line rosary was provided.

Comment one: The order has been…Monday/Joyful Mysteries, Tuesday/Luminious Mysteries, Wednesday/Sorrowful Mysteries, This leaves only the Glorious Mysteries for tomorrow, Thursday. This happens to be my preferred order, and I am glad somebody else thinks so.

Comment two: The on-line Rosary finished after the “Hail Holy Queen and O God, whose…”. But the pamphlet I got from The Rosary Army mentions doing another “Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be” for the Pope, although I am still not sure what that is about. It concludes with the Memorare.

Comment three: I pace myself to try and really meditate on the Mysteries, and it seems to take me about a half hour to do the 5 decades this way.

 

[jmcrae]

If you went to Confession this week (in the past 8 days), and received or will receive Holy Communion today, then by reciting the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Pope after reciting a full Rosary (five decades), you will receive a Plenary Indulgence, assuming that you are a Catholic in full communion with the Pope, and currently in a state of grace.

You will also receive a Partial Indulgence for participating in the study of Christian Doctrine, at the same time, if you were working on your lesson prior to saying your Rosary. (You can only receive one Plenary Indulgence each day; the rest are partial.)

 

[LilyM]

If you went to Confession this week (in the past 8 days), and received or will receive Holy Communion today, then by reciting the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Pope after reciting a full Rosary (five decades), you will receive a Plenary Indulgence, assuming that you are a Catholic in full communion with the Pope, and currently in a state of grace.

You will also receive a Partial Indulgence for participating in the study of Christian Doctrine, at the same time, if you were working on your lesson prior to saying your Rosary. (You can only receive one Plenary Indulgence each day; the rest are partial.)

Wrong - the plenary indulgence is only if the Rosary is recited in a group or in a church. An additional requirement for a plenary indulgence is to be free from attachment to sin (not that anyone can agree on exactly what that means), unless you’re offering the indulgence for the souls (or a soul) in purgatory.

If you recite the Rosary by yourself you only receive a partial indulgence. Look up the Enchiridion of Indulgences for other indulgenced prayers and acts - there are loads of 'em!

 

[jmcrae]

Wrong - the plenary indulgence is only if the Rosary is recited in a group or in a church.

OOPS, yes, you are right about that.

An additional requirement for a plenary indulgence is to be free from attachment to sin (not that anyone can agree on exactly what that means), unless you’re offering the indulgence for the souls (or a soul) in purgatory.

I wouldn’t do it any other way. (After all, how many personal indulgences do we need? I am under the impression that we only personally need one, which we will receive at the time of death when we receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.)

If you recite the Rosary by yourself you only receive a partial indulgence. Look up the Enchiridion of Indulgences for other indulgenced prayers and acts - there are loads of 'em!

Isn’t that a great book? I love it!!

 

[LilyM]

Well, there may not be a priest on hand to give me Extreme Unction when I die

Of course I don’t presume that I’m free of attachment to sin either, so I don’t spend much of my time trying to gain indulgences for myself

By the way, I find it easiest to say Joyful mysteries Monday and Thursday, Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, Glorious on Wednesday and Saturday and Luminous on Sunday (though I always add the mystery of the Resurrection for some reason as well)

 

[Andruschak]

If you went to Confession this week (in the past 8 days), and received or will receive Holy Communion today, then by reciting the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Pope after reciting a full Rosary (five decades), you will receive a Plenary Indulgence, assuming that you are a Catholic in full communion with the Pope, and currently in a state of grace.

You will also receive a Partial Indulgence for participating in the study of Christian Doctrine, at the same time, if you were working on your lesson prior to saying your Rosary. (You can only receive one Plenary Indulgence each day; the rest are partial.)

Well, obviously no Plenary Indulgence for a RCIA Candidate. Pity, I was hoping I could still earn indulgences and pass them on to the souls in Purgatory.

 

[mommyof4]

I don’t know why you couldn’t gain indulgences for the souls in pergatory, though.

 

[Andruschak]

I don’t know why you couldn’t gain indulgences for the souls in pergatory, though.

So how can I find out if I am really helping the Church Suffering (which I would like to do on an on-going basis), or just indulging in a waste of time and hot breath?

 

[mommyof4]

So how can I find out if I am really helping the Church Suffering (which I would like to do on an on-going basis), or just indulging in a waste of time and hot breath?

Prayer is never a “waste of time.” Pray, and trust that the Lord will use it for some good. There is no such thing as wasted prayer.

 

[Andruschak]

Prayer is never a “waste of time.” Pray, and trust that the Lord will use it for some good. There is no such thing as wasted prayer.

Thank you. I guess I’ll just have to leave it up to Jesus and Mary as to effectiveness. That morning prayer for the souls in Purgatory is about 5 minutes.

(I also recite the Divine Mercy chaplet once a day, 10 mintes. Holy Wound chaplet, 10 minutes. Dominican Rosary, 30 minutes. And the Green Scapular prayer at idle moments.)

 

[mommyof4]

Thank you. I guess I’ll just have to leave it up to Jesus and Mary as to effectiveness. That morning prayer for the souls in Purgatory is about 5 minutes.

(I also recite the Divine Mercy chaplet once a day, 10 mintes. Holy Wound chaplet, 10 minutes. Dominican Rosary, 30 minutes. And the Green Scapular prayer at idle moments.)

Wow! You put the rest of us to shame! Please keep it up - it’s comforting to know that there are people out there who are so dedicated to prayer! You are setting a good example for all of us.

 

[PseudoHermit_22]

Wow! You put the rest of us to shame! Please keep it up - it’s comforting to know that there are people out there who are so dedicated to prayer! You are setting a good example for all of us.

Um, yea, may I remind you of your signature Mommyof4

In my opinion if you have time to say even the Lord’s prayer once a day you are a star!

4 kids and all those pets – wow. My wife and I just had only our second kid (have 2 dogs) and we feel overwhelmed.

 

[Andruschak]

Wow! You put the rest of us to shame! Please keep it up - it’s comforting to know that there are people out there who are so dedicated to prayer! You are setting a good example for all of us.

I hope not. I do NOT want to put anybody to shame, nor get a swelled head from being “holier then Thou”. Ii is just that I have a bit more free time then most folks, as I do not have a TV set. Nor many social obligations outside AA service work. I have an easy commute, so do not waste time in traffic. I do not date, nor have any intention whatsoever of having a “relationship” or getting married.

And remember that most of my prayers are directed to the Church Suffering. I’ll just be thrilled to escape hell. So let them have all the indulgences. (That is, if the prayers of a non-confirmed RCIA merit indulgences, even if donated to the souls of Purgatory. Got to ask me a knowledgable Priest about that.)

 

[jmcrae]

(I also recite the Divine Mercy chaplet once a day, 10 mintes. Holy Wound chaplet, 10 minutes. Dominican Rosary, 30 minutes. And the Green Scapular prayer at idle moments.)

Enjoy this period of your life.

You are being given many graces - don’t doubt them or wonder how effective they are - just because you can’t receive an Indulgence doesn’t mean that you can’t receive Consolations - and if you keep on as you are, it won’t be very long before you’re receiving both, so just keep on as you are - you’re doing great!!

PS: keep a journal about what’s going on in your life right now, and come back and read it when you come to one of those dry spots that we all run into from time to time - the consolations you’re receiving now may well be intended for a time in the future when you’re going to need them, so don’t ever feel that any of this is going to waste.

 

[Andruschak]

PS: keep a journal about what’s going on in your life right now, and come back and read it when you come to one of those dry spots that we all run into from time to time - the consolations you’re receiving now may well be intended for a time in the future when you’re going to need them, so don’t ever feel that any of this is going to waste.

Now that’s an idea I hadn’t thought of. I fly home saturday, so can buy a journal Sunday. Thank you:wave:

 

[Polish]

LilyM:

… I find it easiest to say Joyful mysteries Monday and Thursday, Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, Glorious on Wednesday and Saturday and Luminous on Sunday (though I always add the mystery of the Resurrection for some reason as well)

Goodness, but I must be slow-minded. I can’t handle so many mysteries on one rosary. The way I’ve found most effective for me is to begin with the Annunciation and hold one thought throughout the rosary covering the life of Jesus and Mary. I suppose it takes a little longer, but I find the meditative benefits more helpful.

As an example, I’m currently in the Passion sequence. I’ve taken a day or two to go through each - the scourging, then the crowning of thorns, then the carrying of the cross, and am now entering into the nailing to the cross. I don’t know if I’m earning any indulgences, but I do know that the grace of God has fallen on my poor soul during these times.

 

[LilyM]

Goodness, but I must be slow-minded. I can’t handle so many mysteries on one rosary. The way I’ve found most effective for me is to begin with the Annunciation and hold one thought throughout the rosary covering the life of Jesus and Mary. I suppose it takes a little longer, but I find the meditative benefits more helpful.

As an example, I’m currently in the Passion sequence. I’ve taken a day or two to go through each - the scourging, then the crowning of thorns, then the carrying of the cross, and am now entering into the nailing to the cross. I don’t know if I’m earning any indulgences, but I do know that the grace of God has fallen on my poor soul during these times.

I’ve had a lot of practice, being cradle Catholic n all

Are you saying that you focus on the one mystery for five decades? - you’d be gaining the indulgences just the same, it’s not dependent on the number of mysteries you meditate on, rather on the number of decades you say. Either way, I firmly believe there’s no such thing as wasted or unbeneficial prayer.

 

[Polish]

I’ve had a lot of practice, being cradle Catholic n all

Are you saying that you focus on the one mystery for five decades? - you’d be gaining the indulgences just the same, it’s not dependent on the number of mysteries you meditate on, rather on the number of decades you say. Either way, I firmly believe there’s no such thing as wasted or unbeneficial prayer.

Dear Lily, I too was born Catholic.

Yes, I meditate on one mystery while saying all five decades - often the same mystery for days in a row.

I must add though that either I’m highly emotional or the mediative act of putting myself present at these mysteries is an awakening to me. It has been both very draining and yet bestowing of unbelieveable peace. Peculiar thing is that it just happened praying the rosary this way - no planned agenda.

Honestly, I’m not concerned with whether I’m gaining indulgences or not. My main focus is to come closer to God and increase my love for Him.

 

[LilyM]

Excellent. Everyone prays in their own way, even something like the Rosary.

Still, you can do some practical good, for the souls in Purgatory if not for yourself, and also, as you say, come closer to God