Another rosary question

[Lea101]

When you pray the rosary, are you supposed to imagine the mystery (for example, imagine Jesus being crucified) while saying the prayers? I just prayed the rosary the first time and did that, but I felt like I did something wrong and my prayer doesn’t “count”? I was a little distracted though, but 99% of the time I was focusing on the mysteries like that.

That’s what “meditating on the mystery” meant right? I asked my family and they told me that they don’t know

 

[Usige]

There’s really no “right way” in the fact of it doesn’t count if you do it “wrong”. Sometimes my decades can be between 8 and 14 “Ave Marias” because my mind might wonder and I can’t remember if I moved my finger to the next bead all ready.

When meditating on the mysteries, I often use an image or piece of scripture to fix the mystery in my mind. I often use things from rosary-center.org/ as an aid. I’ll often then close my eyes and meditate on what that mystery means in my life at that time. So if I’m praying the sorrowful mysteries and am on the first mystery about the Agony in the Garden I might mediated on how I pull away from what God asks me to do and how I should simply say “thine will, not mine, be done, O Lord”. Perhaps on the 3rd mystery I would meditate on how I have loved Christ as my sovereign and why I have turned my back on him.

For me it’s a time of introspection and how Christ and the Mother Mary should be our models.

 

[Petaro]

When you pray the rosary, are you supposed to imagine the mystery (for example, imagine Jesus being crucified) while saying the prayers? I just prayed the rosary the first time and did that, but I felt like I did something wrong and my prayer doesn’t “count”? I was a little distracted though, but 99% of the time I was focusing on the mysteries like that.

That’s what “meditating on the mystery” meant right? I asked my family and they told me that they don’t know

If it didn’t count, then you have to do it again. LOL What in the world do you mean ‘didn’t count’? Pray is a communication with God, not a Masonic ritual. There is no right or wrong way to pray. I find it hard to maintain meditation on the mystery as I get a bit emotional especially with the Sorrowful mysteries, which I rarely say for that reason. Do your best; use rosary beads so you don’t get distracted by missing the numbering and starting again like I often do. It is not the easiest prayer but very rewarding, especially in a family group. Don’t concentrate on the words you are saying, but on the mysteries and you will learn to love it. Do not pray it when you are tired. That is my worst fault. I lose track and feel I am insulting God rather than praising Him. Good luck in a lovely devotion.

 

[Lea101]

If it didn’t count, then you have to do it again. LOL What in the world do you mean ‘didn’t count’? Pray is a communication with God, not a Masonic ritual. There is no right or wrong way to pray. I find it hard to maintain meditation on the mystery as I get a bit emotional especially with the Sorrowful mysteries, which I rarely say for that reason. Do your best; use rosary beads so you don’t get distracted by missing the numbering and starting again like I often do. It is not the easiest prayer but very rewarding, especially in a family group. Don’t concentrate on the words you are saying, but on the mysteries and you will learn to love it. Do not pray it when you are tired. That is my worst fault. I lose track and feel I am insulting God rather than praising Him. Good luck in a lovely devotion.

I meant that it doesn’t count as a full rosary and yes, I did the sorrowful mysteries and it was so difficult

 

[Joelle_M]

It takes practice. It can be frustrating at times because some days your mind is such a busy place- it just wants to wander from this to that. What you have described is what I do… I envision a picture in my mind as I pray the Hail Mary’s. Usually the faces are from the movie “Jesus of Nazareth” I know some of the mysteries more than others, such as the Joyful and the Sorrowful. I tend to have a harder time with the Luminous (maybe because it only falls on one of the days of the week, while the others are 2).

I use a website, that has broken down each mystery with 10 meditations, one for each Hail mary. I have found it really helpful, not only to grasp the bigger picture, but to meditate on one image for the length of a Hail Mary is much easier than trying to focus on the whole Mystery for 10.

I let the actual prayers melt away as I pray, they are a kind of background noise- what I focus on is the mysteries.

Either way, whether you felt distracted or not, your rosary counts! Just keep trying