Different ways of praying the Rosary?

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I’m in RCIA and just started praying the Rosary, but my RCIA co-ordinator told us about the different, personalized prayers he uses when praying the Rosary. I must admit I was a little thrown as to where he puts those personal prayers in the order of things.

And I know about the Franciscan, Scriptural, and Dominican Rosaries, but is there a good resource to find out all (or most) of the different kinds of methods? Clearly the Rosary is a much richer resource than I thought it was at first. Still, I confess I’m thus far having trouble with the meditating and keeping my mind on things.

I was looking at a site where you can order custom-made Rosaries. You can design it online just to see what it’ll look like and how much it’ll cost. There was a bewildering amount of options and types of beads and medals and so forth. I didn’t know what I’d want or not. I made a tentative design, just for grins, and the thing wound up costing (theoretically) around $200!!!

They gave us inexpensive plastic Rosaries in RCIA, but they may prove about as sturdy as Mardi Gras beads. I’d like to buy some beads of my own, and have looked at a couple Catholic stores, but I haven’t a clue what to get. (Of course, I wouldn’t be too surprised if people give me a few at my Confirmation.)

Any enlightenment in any of these areas would be appreciated.
 
Still, I confess I’m thus far having trouble with the meditating and keeping my mind on things.
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Some tips:

Before beginning, ask Mary to help you pray devoutly. If you are distracted during the rosary, just continue—don’t stop or backtrack or repeat. After the rosary, offer it to Mary with your distractions—as a child offering a bouquet to her mother. Even if it is not perfect, it is offered with love.

The rosary is a meditation. Picture the scene in your imagination and try to enter in as one of the people there. See, hear, and feel what is said and done. Thank, admire, congratulate, suffer with, cry with Jesus and Mary. Ask them questions. Think of the virtues and good example they show. Compare the event with your own life.

More tips here:

ixeh.net/faith/Treasure/Main/tips.html%between%
 
We’ve got a choice little library at my parish, and I’ve been checking out all sorts of things from there lately. The video collection is excellent, and I just last night watched the first volume of EWTN’s “Mysteries of the Rosary” series with Fr. Jacques Daley.

I’ve gotta say, the more I read and learn about the Rosary, the more excited I get about it.

Thus far (and I’ve only been praying the Rosary less than two weeks–I was initially too intimidated to try it before they showed us how in RCIA) I have fallen into the bad habit of saying more than 10 Hail Marys a decade when I think I’ve skipped one or if my mind wanders. I should stop that.

(I’m an adult who got diagnosed with ADD before it became fashionable. I’m lucky I can sit still long enough to pray! You know how the joke goes: Q: How many ADD kids does it take to change a lightbulb? A: ‘Let’s go ride bikes!’)

I’m new enough at this that I sometimes forget to say a certain prayer in the right place, then catch myself.

I have a little brochure that has tiny pictures of all the Mysteries, a Bible verse illustrating each, and a description of what fruit should come from each Mystery. I’m usually trying so hard to remember everything to say. I start out reading the verse aloud when I announce the Mystery—though I don’t know if that is what I should do. Then I try to just picture the tableau for each Mystery–not perfect “meditation” I’d say yet. Then I try to keep my mind from wandering.

When I get to the end of that Mystery I usually cobble together a fairly weak and formulaic prayer based on the fruit of that Mystery (as in, “Lord, teach me true humility”—it just doesn’t seem like I’m doing a good enough job there).

Offering up is still something I’m trying to learn how to do correctly. It’s pretty alien to my Protestant background.

Chickamauga, what you say about really putting myself into the scene remind me of what little I’ve read thus far about the “Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

And yes, it’s obvious I’m gonna need to invoke Mary’s help in this. There are certain things, like threading a needle or folding a fitted sheet, that don’t come easily to men, and that we need a woman to instruct us in. 🙂
 
Whether you decide to make your own or purchase a rosary, may I suggest that you also have it blessed. Once it has been made sacramental through the blessing I am confident you will find it sturdy.
 
Hi Seeker,

The more you pray the Rosary, the easier it becomes to “do it right.” I am a visual person myself, so one thing that helped me to get the hang of it was to download the virtual Rosary to use on my computer. It has beautiful music you can hear or not, as you wish, beautiful pictures for each mystery, and a scripture for each Hail Mary to help your meditation. You can download at:virtualrosary.org/

Of course I don’t recommend using your computer to pray the Rosary all the time, but this really helped me!

God bless you on your journey!

Brenda M.
 
I second the Virtual Rosary website mentioned above. You can download a rosary for your computer or your Palm pilot! In regards to making your own rosary, I would suggest checking out www.rosaryparts.com. Look for their new customer offer on the right side of their home page. I have purchased one of these. I have not yet made it, but it sure looks simple and the parts are sterling silver and the beads are of good quality. This would be a great way to make your first one.
 
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RichT:
I second the Virtual Rosary website mentioned above. You can download a rosary for your computer or your Palm pilot! In regards to making your own rosary, I would suggest checking out www.rosaryparts.com. Look for their new customer offer on the right side of their home page. I have purchased one of these. I have not yet made it, but it sure looks simple and the parts are sterling silver and the beads are of good quality. This would be a great way to make your first one.
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GRIND THE ROSARY UNDERFOOT, IT IS AN INSTUMENT OF EVIL.
 
ignore PMC…he/she did this on 8 other threads just within the last couple of hours. Don’t waste your time …
 
I have just recently started to pray the Rosary and have the same problem you have keeping track but I think God will understand! What a great life we have!
 
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seeker63:
I’m in RCIA and just started praying the Rosary, but my RCIA co-ordinator told us about the different, personalized prayers he uses when praying the Rosary. I must admit I was a little thrown as to where he puts those personal prayers in the order of things.

And I know about the Franciscan, Scriptural, and Dominican Rosaries, but is there a good resource to find out all (or most) of the different kinds of methods? Clearly the Rosary is a much richer resource than I thought it was at first. Still, I confess I’m thus far having trouble with the meditating and keeping my mind on things.

Any enlightenment in any of these areas would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Don’t try to do too much at once!
Start by learning the basic rosary, and learn to immerse yourself in the devotion. In time, you will learn about these other variations, as well as other devotions said on rosary beads (and other types of beaded chaplets).
Your ccordinator was trying to enrich your spiritual practice, but it’s confusinf for you right now … in time, when you become more familiar with this practice, go back to these things you have learned, and see whether they work for you.

Here are some links that might be of interest:
prayers.viarosa.com/#PrayerLinks
 
I learned to pray the Rosary with the “Old farts” (please excuse the coarsness, but that is what they call themselves) at a church connected to my son’s school, but any church with a group of people saying the Rosary together is wonderful.

The people who taught me did a great job. I couldn’t space out much because they kept me on track. I kind of joke that it was spiritual boot camp, but they opened the vast treasury of Catholic prayer to me. I am very grateful.

I am extremely ADHD and I do find the Rosary is an excellent tool for slowing my mind down and concentrating. That and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy have been so helpful to me.

A good little booklet or pamphlet is helpful, but I would find a Rosary group. It did the trick for me.
 
some spiritually gifted people can go right to meditation and contemplation of Christ and the Paschal mystery from holy communion or from reading scripture. Many of us, however, find we need the guidance of Mary to “get there” and this is why she gave us the gift of the rosary, meditating on the mysteries of Christ’s life with her. Most people would have no trouble asking for guidance from a minister, bible study group, prayer group, Christian radio preacher, tapes, or books. So for the life of me I cannot understand why they would object to Catholics asking for guidance in prayer from Mary and the saints, those closest to Jesus.

There are all kinds of websites with materials for making your own rosary, the easiest is a knot rosary. But the easy way to get one is just go to a Catholic bookstore or catalog and order one that appeals to you, then have it blessed by your priest or deacon. Many missionary orders offer rosaries as gifts for those making donations to help their work, look in Catholic magazines.
 
I ordered some lamenated pictures from a Catholic book store of each decade of the mysteries. When praying the Rosary, I look at the picture. This helps me to meditate better.

I am a person who needs visuals as prayer aids. I also have the 14 Stations of the Cross pictures lamenated. They are a great help also.

Back to the Rosary. Pope John Paul ll has a wonderful little spiritual book on the Rosary. “The Rosary in the Steps of the Gospel”. This is a GREAT Rosary to say.
 
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