Do You Have To Restart A Rosary If Someone Interrupts You?

[kindascrupulous]

So say you’re in the middle of the rosary and someone barges in, not knowing that you’re praying, and asks a question. If you answer them do you have to restart the whole rosary because of the interruption?

I mean like from the very beginning new sign of the cross; everything?

 

[sirach2v4]

no, of course not. But, you may have to recompose yourself for prayer. I might consider restarting just the decade I was on, reviewing the meditation for that mystery of the rosary. There’s no rule here.

 

[littlewayoflove]

Not at all. Simply start where you left off. If you don’t remember where you left off, then give it your best guess. Mary just loves hearing from us, she’s not a picky Mother.

 

[littlestsouls2]

Not at all.

A story is told of St. Frances of Rome in which she was one day praying the Hours, only to be interrupted several times in succession. Each time, she stopped what she was doing and charitably attended to the distractor. After the fifth and final interruption she returned to her prayers to find that the words of the antiphon she had been praying were written in letters of gold! God was evidently pleased with her patience and charity.

 

[NeedImprovement]

In most of the printed editions of St. Louis de Montfort’s Secret of the Rosary , there is a brief prayer suggested that we may say right at the beginning of our Rosary (directly after we make the sign of the Cross), in which we renounce any/all distractions which might occur while we’re saying the Rosary.

It’s basically a statement of intention which also takes care of the effect any distractions might have on our Rosary ,before they happen. The prayer can be viewed online together with other prayers provided in The Legion of Mary’s HOW TO SAY THE ROSARY , ST-LOUIS-MARIE DE MONTFORT. (Compiled and submitted by Dr. James J. Ripley .)

I’ve seen several very slight variations in the prayer’s wording. The text of the source linked above goes this way:

I unite with all the saints in Heaven, with all the just on earth and with all the faithful here present. I unite with Thee, O my Jesus, in order to praise worthily Thy holy Mother and to praise Thee in her and through her. I renounce all the distractions I may have during this rosary which I wish to say with modesty, attention, and devotion, just as if it were to be the last of my life.

It can be a useful prayer in those situations described in the OP and it seems to have been contemplated to address other types of distractions as well, such as:

• Those which can happen when we’re praying the Rosary in a group.

-In those instances where although we might have been able to find a nice quiet corner with no one else around , we still encounter some difficulty concentrating.

Given that through this prayer we confirm to have united ourselves with all the Saints in Heaven , we may assume that we are confiding to these Saints any distractions and difficullties - which subsequently leaves us freer to concentrate on completing the Rosary rather than getting weighed down by a potential obstacle.

 

[pianistclare]

No. Be at peace. Prayer is a conversation. Take up where you left off and don’t worry.

 

[Usige]

no, of course not. But, you may have to recompose yourself for prayer. I might consider restarting just the decade I was on, reviewing the meditation for that mystery of the rosary. There’s no rule here.

Yep, thats basically what I do.

To the OP, the rosary isn’t a formula or procedure that must be done “correctly” to get benefit. All prayer should bring us closer to God. I remember talking to a priest that said he didn’t like leading public rosaries. He said it was because his decades could be between 8 and 12 Hail Mary’s depending on when he moved his fingers. Public recitation made him focus more on the mechanics then the contemplation. Long and short is don’t get hung up on doing it “right” but focus on drawing closer to Christ.

 

[Crusaderbear]

Nahhhhh. Personal devotion, I often do a decade only, and the next later, it has the added benefit of keeping it in your mind all day!

 

[thistle]

So say you’re in the middle of the rosary and someone barges in, not knowing that you’re praying, and asks a question. ** If you answer them do you have to restart the whole rosary because of the interruption? **

I mean like from the very beginning new sign of the cross; everything?

Absolutely not. Saint Padre Pio once said that if he had to restart the Rosary every time he was distracted or interrupted he would never finish a Rosary in his lifetime.

 

[GEddie]

I have no idea why you would.

 

[Intransivert]

Seriously? We’re never going to Rosary ourselves into heaven. Give it your best shot, keep your eyes on Jesus and the church he founded, and have some serenity.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

So say you’re in the middle of the rosary and someone barges in, not knowing that you’re praying, and asks a question. If you answer them do you have to restart the whole rosary because of the interruption?

I mean like from the very beginning new sign of the cross; everything?

You cannot ask this question if you have children.

 

[Kelfa28]

You cannot ask this question if you have children.

Considering the amount I’ve times I’ve been interrupted by the baby or one of the older ones when I start my personal Rosary after they go to bed.

It’s Murphy’s Law.