A question about the Rosery

[Darnrarejob]

While praying the Rosery, should I meditate on the mysteries or on the Prayers? It seems to me that if I focus on the prayers, then there is no need for the mysteries, but if I focus on the Mysteries, then wouldn’t that be “vain repetition”?

 

[JustaServant]

When I was evangelical, my prayer life was short and sweet. It consisted mainly of the various thoughts or requests inside my head. In a sense, I was talking to myself more than to God. When I returned to the Church of my youth, I had to learn a different way of praying.
Why is exercise so hard and downright painful? Because my body naturally would rather be sitting back in an easy chair getting fat.
Well, the same goes with the brain and spirit. It is actually quite Biblical. Pre-composed prayers help train our minds to consentrate. My brain, like my body, would rather be sitting in a mental easy chair getting fat. The pre-composed repitition of the rosary breaks through that. It helps in training my brain so, when I do pray with my own words, I now have a context to do it with.
But here is something even more amazing. The more I exercise physically, the healthier I am, exercise isn’t dragging, I become energized. The same with the rosary. The more I pray, the more energized I become, mentally and spiritually.
Don’t worry so much as to how to pray the rosary, just enjoy praying it and you will see the results.

 

[fulbert4605]

There’s 3 points i concentrate on when i pray: concentrate on prayer words, concentrate on Mysteries/virtues associated with the prayers, and concentrate on the intention i am offering the prayers for. Realistically it is usually a balance of the 3 for me that consist of my prayer time. The words of the prayer are mainly to catch my self should my mind begin to wander.

As it relates to the Rosary, there is a specific virtue that is attached to each mystery as listed in the back of the “Mary Craichy”(sp?) missalettes used for the Tridentine Latin Mass. Since the Luminous Mysteries are rather new, they were not included.

Joyful -

1. Annunciation - humility (think on Mary’s humility at the angel Gabriel’s announcment, how you can imitate that or if you are offering the Rosary for the intention of a specific person, pray that they imitate this virtue. If you are offering the Rosary for reparation to the Immaculate Heart think of worldly situations where pride is being exhibited right now and beg pardon for those and ask that their hearts be softened or humbled in some way; same process follows for each virtue of subsequent decades)
2. Visitation - charity toward thy neighbor (neighbor being everyone else in this sense)
3. Nativity - Spirit of Poverty (poor in spirit meaning, again, humility, or to not be attached to earthly riches)
4. Presentation - Obedience
5. Finding in the Temple - Piety

Sorrowful-

1. Agony in the Garden - True Contrition
2. Scourging at the Pillar - Purity
3. Crowning of Thorns - Moral Courage (stand your ground even when the majority is against you and you know you are following what is right)
4. Carrying of the Cross - Patience
5. Crucifixion - Self-Denial (follow the spirit’s desires instead of the body’s desires)

Glorious-

1. Resurrection - Faith
2. Ascension - Hope
3. Descent of the Holy Spirit - Love of God
4. Assumption of Mary into Heaven - Devotion to Mary
5. Coronation of Mary - Final Perseverance (which refers to dying a happy death on earth - Last Rites, etc.). The Coronation is a tough one for me since i have never heard it described in any sort of detail by Church-approved sources. Even Anne Catherine Emmerich’s extensive revelations do not go into detail concerning this. And i am not even sure what Mary is being crowned as. i’ve heard Queen of Heaven, but i have also heard She is crowned Queen over all the earth. i just mainly concentrate on the Final Perseverance aspect of this mystery and for a mental picture, just picture Heavenly thoughts or look skyward.

Hope this helps!

 

[DebChris]

When we pray the rosary, we pray through Mary to her son Jesus.
Jesus prayed the psalms which often have repetitive stanza. Do not get hung up with the idea that somehow saying the rosary involves “vain repetition.”
During catechist training, I learned a way to maintain focus on the mysteries while praying the rosary. I add a single word or phrase after “Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus _____” related to each of the mysteries.

Joyful

1. The Annunciation=Incarnate
2. The Visitation=Sanctifying
3. The Nativity= Emmanuel
4. The Presentation=Redeemer
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple=Teaching

Luminous

1. Baptism in the Jordan=Baptized
2. Wedding at Cana=Providing (a call to trust)
3. Proclamation of the Gospel=Messiah
4. The Transfiguration=Transfigured
5. The Institution of the Eucharist=In the Eucharist

Sorrowful

1. The Agony in the Garden=In the Garden (I see not only the suffering Jesus, but also the Apostles asleep or my focus may be how Jesus is working in the garden of my soul).
2. The Scourging at the Pillar=Scourged (for our sins). The fruit of this mystery is purity.
3. The Crowning with Thorns=King of Kings (I see not only how Jesus was mocked then, but how He continues to be mocked today)
4. The Carrying of the Cross=Taking my cross
5. The Crucifixion=Crucified

Glorious

1. The Resurrection=Resurrected
2. The Ascension=Lord of Lords (He is now seated on His throne)
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit=Indwelling
4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven=Raising us up (Mary was the first raised)
5. The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven=Prince of Peace

Pope John Paul II recommended reflecting on a scripture verse with each mystery. I have a flier with a scripture verse for each mystery along with its fruit.