Paris Blues:
When you prayed the “Hail Mary”, did you hold a Rosary? I got a Rosary for Christmas and have no clue how to hold it right. LOL!
Can you still say 10 “Hail Marys” without praying the whole entire thing? Do you always have to hold a Rosary?
You do not always have to hold a Rosary. Early last July I was only using my fingers to keep track of the Hail Marys.
Since you have a Rosary, have a priest bless your Rosary some time. Sometimes I go to RCIA class early if I have something I want to get blessed. Or after Mass (when the Priest is outside greeting people). Or leave it at your Church office and pick it up later.
There are different ways to pray with a Rosary.
(A) To pray one decade (10 Hail Marys), start at one of the middle places between any two groups of ten beads. Hold that spot of the Rosary between your forefinger and your thumb. And at the same time loosely hold part of the rosary by curling the other fingers of the same hand. Allow the rest of the rosary to freely dangle. Pray the “Our Father”. Then while you still hold the rosary with your other fingers, reach with your finger and thumb to the first of the 10 beads. Once you have grasped that bead, briefly loosen the other fingers to allow the rosary to advance. Pray the “Hail Mary” for each of the ten beads. After the 10th Hail Mary you grasp the next middle place. Pray the “Glory Be” (if you know that prayer) and pray another “Our Father”. That is it. Praying one decade.
When I started to pray the Rosary, it seemed very confusing. I suppose the best way to begin is to skip anything you don’t know. I still don’t have the Apostle’s Creed memorized. So I skip over it. I skip the Fatima prayers. I used to also skip the Rosary Mysteries because I didn’t know them either.
It is fine to start praying the Rosary by just doing one decade each day. The best time to do the “one decade” is either the very first moment that you wake up, or the very last moment of the day before you fall asleep. But if that isn’t practical, any other time will do.
(B) Sometimes when I pray (not praying the Rosary), I just hold it in one hand. Sometimes I hold my hands together in prayer and have the rosary between my palms.
(C) Often, just holding the Rosary gives me some comfort. So I often hold it in my right hand while I sleep at night. Often I let go and it stays in some spot. Sometimes I put it under my pillow. A little less often I might put it under my wife’s pillow. On January 10, I had an in-hospital procedure (with strong sedation). I had bought an inexpensive (but fairly good) Rosary to use. So I wouldn’t feel bad if it was lost. It was still in my hand when I woke up.
Read your Church bulletin. They probably have a prayer group that meets once in a while to pray the Rosary. Why not bring your Rosary and go sometime when they meet? Praying the Rosary in a group can be easier than praying alone.
Note: a good mother is always there when her baby is learning to walk – and she rejoices greatly when the baby takes its first step(s). Mary is a good mother. So when you are starting to pray the Rosary, just realize that Mary is nearby and watching.
