Do my Rosaries not count if I’m not kneeling?

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Gabrielle

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I just read “The Secret of the Rosary” By St. Louis Marie De Montfort, and from what I understood, unless one is seriously ill, we always have to kneel. The reason why I ask Is because, though I pray it every day, 90% of the time I’ll do it sitting or laying down in bed. Since I have not been seriously ill during those times, did Our Lady not hear my Rosaries?
 
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There is a certain thing about a devout and modest position that helps us in prayer. It would count, but kneeling is a good practice and helps it bear fruit.
 
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There is no stipulation that prayers need to be said kneeling outside of Mass and certain other liturgical occasions.
 
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That was what our dear friend, a nun, saying about the Rosary. She was staying a night in our house. During our family prayer, which we invited her to join (and she loved the children), as usual we were all sitting during the Rosary.

At he end of it she commented that we should be kneeling, even on the hard floor. Teach the children while they are still young.

Admittedly I do not include much of the Rosary in my personal prayer, and at home, it was usually done in a horizontal position, sometimes when I woke up realizing the Rosary still intact on my chest.

I think kneeling is good but it should be up to the person concerned on what posture is preferred.
 
It’s St. Louis’ opinion that it’s more reverent to say the Rosary kneeling.
The Church has no official rule on the position in which you must say a private devotional prayer like the Rosary. As long as you have reverence in your heart, then any reasonable and decent position is fine for prayer.
Our Lady is also going to hear the prayer just fine regardless of whether you are sitting, standing, kneeling or laying in bed.

Some people feel, like St. Louis, that it’s extremely important to get into a “reverent” position, like kneeling, for talking to God or Mary or saints. I like to kneel briefly at church or in front of a statue to say “hello” but for any sort of a long prayer, unless the prayer specifically says something like “before you I kneel” (which makes me feel I literally should be kneeling when saying that prayer), I just get into a comfortable position so I can focus my thoughts on God or Mary etc. and not be distracted by discomfort of holding a less comfortable position. If I feel like I should kneel and pray I will do it for 1 or 2 decades and then go back to sitting.
 
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There are no rules. You can pray the rosary kneeling, sitting, standing, walking or lying on your bed. Doesn’t matter as long as you’re attentive to your prayer, although I usually fall asleep if I pray the rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet in bed at night. To me, it’s a good thing to fall asleep while praying. 😃

I remember hearing or reading that Pope Benedict prayed the rosary when either walking in the garden or sitting on a bench in the garden.

When I was young I could kneel for prayer but my knees will no longer allow that and believe me there are millions of older folk who can’t kneel.
 
Reuben_J said:
That was what our dear friend, a nun, saying about the Rosary. She was staying a night in our house. During our family prayer, which we invited her to join (and she loved the children), as usual we were all sitting during the Rosary.

At he end of it she commented that we should be kneeling, even on the hard floor. Teach the children while they are still young.
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This likely reflects her own personal training. It’s true that if a child is trained to kneel on the hard floor to pray long prayers, he or she will develop the muscles and get used to being able to do this kneeling for long periods. If you do not grow up being taught to do this, you will likely have difficulty with it when you get older because the muscle strength just won’t be there to kneel like that for a half hour. When she entered the convent, she was very likely expected to be able to pray kneeling for a long period of time.

I don’t know that adding a physical self-mortification to praying is the best way of encouraging a child to pray, especially a long prayer like the Rosary.
 
Gabrielle said:
I just read “The Secret of the Rosary” By St. Louis Marie De Montfort, and from what I understood, unless one is seriously ill, we always have to kneel. The reason why I ask Is because, though I pray it every day, 90% of the time I’ll do it sitting or laying down in bed. Since I have not been seriously ill during those times, did Our Lady not hear my Rosaries?
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First of all the Rosary is a private devotion which is not required to be prayed. While it is strongly recommended a person is no more or less a devout Catholic praying the Rosary or not praying the Rosary.
As for how a person prays no position (kneeling, sitting, standing, lying, running, walking or whatever) is more efficacious than another.
 
It is the intent that is of importance, not squeaky knees like I have. The rosary is a private devotion which has been discussed before. Was Jesus on His knees in the Garden that night? I don’t know, but He prayed with intent, blood, sweat, and tears. Just remember when you pray the rosary that The Father hears all prayers no matter what your position is.
Ready for a good laugh? My computer changed ‘squeaky’ into ‘sneaky.’ Good thing I re-read it.
 
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One man’s kneeling is another man’s ow! So, do what’s best for you.
 
I would think that some positions would be more beneficial and more edifying for the senses if you know what I mean, but it is not required to kneel.
 
What edifies varies from person to person. Some will find kneeling helps them better concentrate on a prayer, some will find doing so uncomfortable and distracting.
 
Three comments:
  1. Most of my private rosaries are said in bed. By the end of the day I’m too tired to kneel.
  2. There is the story of one of the 16th century English martyrs. He was executed by hanging, drawing and quartering. When it was over the executioner picked up a leg and showed it to the crowd with the knees calloused by years of kneeling on hard stone, and proclaimed “This, you gospellers, is a knee!”.
  3. And, yes, your rosaries certainly “count” anywhere. 👌
 
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I grew up saying the rosary with family kneeling around the open fireplace and beneath a large picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a picture of Our Lady of Fatima.Now since my own children have grown and gone I pray when I’m walking,gardening and going to sleep,and driving.
I do want to get back into lighting a candle and kneeling before Jesus and Mary’s images again soon 🙂 it’s been on my mind lately.
 
You can pray the Rosary walking, sitting, kneeling, laying down, driving.

Remember this Saint is from another era. Padre Pio, a modern day Saint was continuously praying the rosary from the time he woke to when he slept
 
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sigh

When people come along with these kinds of things it is proof positive to me that these sorts of false demands on spirituality are more from the devil than from God. The devil wants nothing more than for us to feel like failures to God.

The rosary is a private, non-required devotion and is a personal choice.
The position the rosary is prayed in is a personal choice.
The language the rosary is prayed in is a personal choice.

Grace is given by God abundantly and freely. Saints have been given insight into the simplest ways to obtain grace but these are not mandates.
 
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I don’t know how he does it… I guess I don’t have enough RP to unlock that ability yet.
 
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