Advice on meditating on the mysteries

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Salibi

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Hey guys,
Does anyone have any advice on how to better meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary? I personally find it difficult to concentrate and my mind constantly wanders to worldly worries and daily anxieties. I also find it difficult to immerse myself in the mystery. Any advice?
 
Practice makes perfect. Keep trying is my advice. In time you will find it easier to focus on the mystery.
 
Pope John Paul II gave some advice in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (On the Most Holy Rosary), including the following:
Announcing each mystery, and perhaps even using a suitable icon to portray it, is as it were to open up a scenario on which to focus our attention. (29)

In order to supply a Biblical foundation and greater depth to our meditation, it is helpful to follow the announcement of the mystery with the proclamation of a related Biblical passage, long or short, depending on the circumstances. (30)

Pope Paul VI drew attention, in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus [47], to the custom in certain regions of highlighting the name of Christ by the addition of a clause referring to the mystery being contemplated. This is a praiseworthy custom, especially during public recitation. It gives forceful expression to our faith in Christ, directed to the different moments of the Redeemer’s life. It is at once a profession of faith and an aid in concentrating our meditation, since it facilitates the process of assimilation to the mystery of Christ inherent in the repetition of the Hail Mary. When we repeat the name of Jesus – the only name given to us by which we may hope for salvation (cf. Acts 4:12) – in close association with the name of his Blessed Mother, almost as if it were done at her suggestion, we set out on a path of assimilation meant to help us enter more deeply into the life of Christ. (33)
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Salibi said:
I also find it difficult to immerse myself in the mystery. Any advice?
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I think the better you know the Gospels the easier it is to meditate on the Gospels.

After announcing the mystery & while saying the Our Father I play the whole scene in my mind. Then before each Hail Mary I announce a key part of that scene.

So if I am meditating on the presentation in the temple I view the whole scene in my mind as I say the Our Father. Before the first Hail Mary I simply call to mind the Holy Family entering the temple. Before the 2nd Hail Mary I call to mind Simeone was there at the behest of the Holy Spirit. Before the 3rd Hail Mary I call to mind the two turtle doves offered in ransom, etc…

If I find I can’t think of ten key parts of a particular scene I go back to that section of the Gospels often times all four to refresh my mind.

The assumption of Our Lady is difficult. There’s nothing in the Gospels about it. I refer to phrases from the Mass & excerpts from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He has chosen her, His loved one from the beginning. He has taken her to live with Him.
 
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I’ve seen some rosary meditation aids that have a separate sub-meditation for each Hail Mary. So rather than trying to focus on one big thought for four or five minutes, it breaks it down into bite-sized pieces.

So, if you take it that each bullet is one Hail Mary bead, you can try something like this—
Joyful
Luminous
Sorrowful
Glorious

Another thing is to try to find a nice rosary booklet that has famous paintings illustrating each mystery, sort of like how some Bibles have illustrated Stations of the Cross included. You can sort of imagine each image as a frozen snapshot in time— and then imagine you were there, part of the scene— and then the scene was taking place with you as a part of it— etc.
 
If you are not familiar with scriptural references to the mysteries, do that first.

Then, I have found, because it is a Marian devotion, to mentally place myself kneeling beside the blessed virgin, or standing behind her, observing her witnessing the events and feeling the emotions of joy or sadness that she might have experienced.
 
I am familiar with using scripture for meditation. I’m afraid my problem is almost entirely an inability to concentrate. But I thank you all for your responces, they will no doubt help me pray better.
 
I prefer to go for a 15-20 minute walk and meditate on the mysteries, prefer one at the time. I just pray one Our Father and skip the Hail Marys as they do nothing else than let my brain go crazy.

Read the scripture passage several times so you are familiar with the story. The Hail Marys are there to mark time before switching to the next mystery. If it is easier for you to just meditate on the mystery without saying the Hail Marys then do that. If it is easier for you to pray the Rosary by yourself than with others then do that.
 
Really? Can one pray the Rosary without saying the Hail Mary’s?
I suppose it being a private devotion, one can pray it however one wants?
 
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This page has a pretty good summary of the tradition with praying with beads/prayer rope. The tradition has developed during the centuries and in different regions over time.


The traditional way now is to say all the Hail Mary´s and at the same time meditate on the mysteries. Since I can’t meditate on the mysteries and say the Hail Mary´s in the faster than fastest speed with a group, I’ve been told to go on a walk by myself and just meditate on the mysteries and skip the HMs. There is a church in the UK where three decades passed before I figured out what the people were doing. It took about 3-4 minutes and I was super stressed after. I was about to put my hands up in the air and shout “We made it in 3 minutes and 33 seconds. Beat the record from last week with 3 seconds!”. What is most important is to meditate on the mysteries.
 
The Rosary should not be rushed. When said at a slower pace it is easier to picture the mystery to be meditated on. No one knew Jesus better than our Blessed Mother.

I like saying the Scriptural Rosary with friends, and also alone. That is where there is a line of scripture before each Hail Mary, that fixes our attention on the mystery. Some can be found online and printed out.
 
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