How do you grow to like saying the Rosary and have it be less like a chore?

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TimothyH said:
I find it odd that people will insist that prayer require practice and perseverance but are quick to dismiss the rosary or drop it after a few weeks or months because it doesn’t “work for me.” It is almost as if perseverance in prayer applies to every form of prayer except the rosary.

I don’t even understand what “work for me” means. Sometimes Mass doesn’t “work for me” but I go anyway, because I know it is right and just that I worship and I know that it is good for me even if I feel absolutely nothing, or even if I feel like it is a chore.

Cutting my grass doesn’t work for me, but I do it, and after a season or two of diligent cutting on a proper schedule, the lawn looks fantastic. That’s what the rosary is like. I don’t know why people are so quick to advise others to drop it as soon as they don’t get any percieved benefit out of it.

-Tim-
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I see your advocacy that one should persevere in prayer.But there is some wisdom in the exploration for what “works for me” (in the writings of saint Teresa of Avila). Not everyone are gifted to pray vocal prayers, a few could only do meditation or even contemplation…add to that there are varying stages in prayer.one must carefully discern which is appropriate for oneself and for spiritual directors to guide the faithful…as in my case, meditations are good at the beginning but as prayer life progresses…I just somehow have to move forward with the way the Holy Spirit would like me to pray.

In terms of the mass, it is obligatory only during Sundays (other than that, it is considered devotional). I used to go to mass twice every day, whether I feel like it or nor or whether it works for me or not—but then it compromised my daily duties and work.I figured out that it should be done in so far as it is obligatory, when it doesn’t interfere with the works God is asking of me and for special reasons/occasion such as the feast day of my saint or for special petitions/free time. If I were really to choose, I would really desire to go to mass everyday, spend my hours praying…but the state of life that I was given at the moment does not require me to do such things… (although I hope someday God will grant my desires).What is really important is to do the will of God at each particular moment.

It is my prayer though that all Christians devout themselves to pray the Rosary.
 
OraLabora said:
I guess I’m one of those “it doesn’t work for me”. I’ve tried it, I’ve tried persevering with it, but I guess I just don’t “get it”. It doesn’t click for some reason. This after years of trying. I get the point of it, from an intellectual level, but it’s not heartfelt. It’s just me.

I get much more from the LOTH (and the Angelus after Vigils, Sext and Compline; the Angelus is sort of a mini-Rosary in that the story of the Incarnation and Passion is rolled into one short prayer; saying the Angelus is a new development for me).

At the end of the day I guess I only have so much time for prayer. I do the full LOTH every day (Vigils, Lauds, Terce, mid-day, Vespers and Compline). No, it doesn’t always “work” for me. But there are days when it doesn’t appear it will work, but during the prayer, something clicks, and I’m picked up out of my acedia. I’ve just never had that happen with the Rosary in years of trying. I’ve given up trying to figure out why. For me a day without the psalms is a lifeless day…

I’m also trying to find more time for lectio divina, especially after hearing a talk by Michael Casey OCSO on the subject at the World Oblate Congress last year.

My point is thought, that nobody should feel guilty if the Rosary doesn’t click for them either, but I do think it’s important to persevere in some form of daily prayer. For me it’s the LOTH (these days, monastic, other times, the 4-week psalter).
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I understand in your case. You are mature in prayer and have gone through formation as an oblate, and I assume you have a director.

My observation however, is that many who don’t find the rosary spiritually fulfilling are quick to advise others to give up on it while they would not give the same advice for other forms of prayer. The same will advise perseverance in contemplation, First Friday devotion, adoration at 2:30 in the morning and a whole host of other forms of prayer, but the rosary in contrast, is jettisoned early. I suspect bias against Marian spirituality is a component but I know this isn’t always the case.

I think part of the problem, and you will understand this, is that people pray it way too fast. They say the Hail Mary’s like a machine gun, barely pausing for a breath and mumbling the words so fast that you can’t even understand what is being said. I can’t stand praying it with a group for this very reason. I walk out of the chapel feeling like I have been beaten over the head.

Maybe later I’ll answer the OP’s question directly and post about how I have grown into the rosary and some of what I do.

-Tim-
 
OraLabora said:
I guess we’re all different. I just don’t feel I approach God in any particular way through the Rosary. I don’t feel my spiritual life evolve with it.

I have to point out though… I had a very troubled relationship with my own mother, and that makes Marian devotions very difficult for me. I’ve known others with this. Fortunately my SD always said the Rosary was not necessary. But daily prayer is.
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Thats the thing though, your spiritual life in comparison as Tim points out. Guilt in anothers reality may be well founded . It wouldn’t be indicative of anything in relation to your prayer life as demonstrated. Truth is we talking communication with the Lord in various approved forms.
 
I could not faithfully pray the rosary for many years. What changed it all was a devotion to Our Lady. Once she moved into my heart (from my head) and my love for her grew, I was convicted in the deepest part of my being that it was something I was being asked to do. And once discernment is given as to its power and efficaciousness, you will be hooked forever. At least, that’s what happened to me.

The Rosary is also a disciple which personally, affects other areas of my spirituality like the practice of virtue.
 
OraLabora said:
I guess we’re all different. I just don’t feel I approach God in any particular way through the Rosary. I don’t feel my spiritual life evolve with it.

I have to point out though… I had a very troubled relationship with my own mother, and that makes Marian devotions very difficult for me. I’ve known others with this. Fortunately my SD always said the Rosary was not necessary. But daily prayer is.
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Fair enough. God bless you.
 
TimothyH said:
I find it odd that people will insist that prayer require practice and perseverance but are quick to dismiss the rosary or drop it after a few weeks or months because it doesn’t “work for me.” It is almost as if perseverance in prayer applies to every form of prayer except the rosary.
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I have prayed the rosary daily for several years, because one of my children asked if we could pray it daily as a family. I think I’ve given it a fair shot. It still doesn’t “work for me”.
I don’t even understand what “work for me” means. Sometimes Mass doesn’t “work for me” but I go anyway, because I know it is right and just that I worship and I know that it is good for me even if I feel absolutely nothing, or even if I feel like it is a chore.
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A prayer that “works for me” is one that helps me to turn toward God. When I can’t pray and I need something simple, I pray the Jesus prayer. It “works for me” I pray an abbreviated form of Matins and Compline. This “works for me”. I attend daily Mass, when I can. This “works for me”. There is no single way to pray. The Church has a treasury of prayers and we cannot each pray them all. While I understand that one should not give up easily or lightly, it seems that, after a reasonable effort, one could move on to try a different form of prayer, a form that better enables the person to grow in his or her relationship with God.
Cutting my grass doesn’t work for me, but I do it, and after a season or two of diligent cutting on a proper schedule, the lawn looks fantastic. That’s what the rosary is like. I don’t know why people are so quick to advise others to drop it as soon as they don’t get any perceived benefit out of it.
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I would say that perseverance in prayer is the most important, not the particular prayer.
 
You grow to like the Rosary by growing to like Our Lady.

So central is the Rosary to the Fatima message that Our Lady chose to identify herself as “The Lady of the Rosary.” In each of the six apparitions she asked for the daily Rosary, and especially as an instrument of world peace.
When asked about the importance of the Rosary, Sr. Lucia (now St. Lucia) responded: “My impression is that the Rosary is of greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady at Fatima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God.”

I just do it because I really love Our Lady and I know she is so far above me I’m like a 3 year old to her. We can never understand these things until we are with her. I understand it takes docile soul.
 
mommy_k said:
I think the more you pray it, the easier it becomes part of your life. Perhaps praying the rosary for the intentions of people you love may help you.
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I recently started praying it with intentions, and it does seem to be very powerful that way. Especially if you pray for someone you are having a hard time with (enemy). It really helps relieve the bad feelings.

I pray the rosary any time I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep. It is such a soothing meditation, that almost always has me falling asleep in the middle of it or at the end of it. True peace from the Blessed Virgin.
 
I find it hard to contemplate on the mysteries for 10 whole Hail Mary’s.

What if I’m imagining something that never actually happened? What if my imagination leads me astray? OK, I’ve contemplated Jesus being baptized…7 Hail Mary’s to go…what do I do???

Maybe I need a visual aid in the form of icons. I thought about buying Orthodox icons corresponding to each mystery.

It seems like I’m just doing it wrong, and although I try to pray it every day, at least part of it is through guilt.
 
EIF5A said:
I find it hard to contemplate on the mysteries for 10 whole Hail Mary’s.

What if I’m imagining something that never actually happened? What if my imagination leads me astray? OK, I’ve contemplated Jesus being baptized…7 Hail Mary’s to go…what do I do???

Maybe I need a visual aid in the form of icons. I thought about buying Orthodox icons corresponding to each mystery.

It seems like I’m just doing it wrong, and although I try to pray it every day, at least part of it is through guilt.
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forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=899032&goto=newpost

check this out - I wish I had a guide like this for all the mysteries.
 
Keep in mind that prayer is never a solitary endeavor. The Spirit prays within us (Romans 8:26).
If you want to pray the Rosary, pray it, and let God take care of the rest. Sometimes it feels like a chore, sometimes not. How it feels to us is not the point of it.
 
One recommendation is to set aside a specific day or time and a location to pray the Rosary. Sometimes, in the rush of every day life, we might think that we are too busy to pray or that the time it takes to pray the Rosary could be spent better doing something else. By setting aside a time period, I find that everything else takes a back seat to prayer. If you lead a busy life, something that is NOT on the schedule is usually something you’ll push back or consider a bother. Make the Rosary a scheduled event in your day and see what a difference it makes! God Bless you.
 
I think each of us has to find the devotion that works for us. I found the chaplet of Divine Mercy works better for me than the Rosary, although I love the idea of meditation on the Mysteries. I think there are so many varieties of devotions because different devotions speak to someone differently. Remember, no individual devotion Is required.
 
Seeker2013 said:
I think each of us has to find the devotion that works for us. I found the chaplet of Divine Mercy works better for me than the Rosary, although I love the idea of meditation on the Mysteries. I think there are so many varieties of devotions because different devotions speak to someone differently. Remember, no individual devotion Is required.
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This^

Although one may match up the mysteries with the liturgical cycle, sometimes I’m drawn to a particular novena or a different chaplet, instead.
 
Sit at the school of Mary.
Contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and experience the depths of his love. When the Mother is honored, the Son … is duly known, loved and glorified.
Among creatures no one knows Christ better than Mary; no one can introduce us to a profound knowledge of his mystery better than his Mother.
Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain linking us to God.

Grow to like it by…
Making it become less of a chore.
Have it be less like a chore by…
Growing to like it.
🙂

o Enroll in the Brown Scapular and you will never miss a day.
o Recite 1st thing after your Morning Offering and Angelus.
o 1st thing is crucial. Never procrastinate. Do this and your whole day will be blessed, you’ll see.
o Find out how your Bishop prays it and adopt his style.
o Use Religious art to meditate on the Mysteries.
o Use aspirations, i.e., ‘Ave Ave, Ave Maria’ after the Fatima prayer.
o The more fervant your prayer, the more it becomes a part of you.
o Put a statue and/or a picture of the Immaculata in the proximity of your prayer corner.
o Start by blessing yourself with the crucifix. End kissing it.
o Cling to those beads as though your life depended upon them.

May God be kind to you and give you peace.
 
As I mentioned earlier I’ve never found that the Rosary resulted in any spiritual growth on my part, whereas the Liturgy of the Hours has.

However I also practice lectio divina when I can and that requires meditation to prepare for lectio and detach one’s mind from worldly thoughts. Normally I use silence and interior recitation of a mantra. I’ve decided to try the Rosary for a while as it’s essentially repetition of a prayer (“mantra”) to focus on the mysteries of Christ’s life. I figure why look to Eastern meditation when the Church has her own form of meditative prayer.

I don’t do lectio every day due to time constraints but I try to do it a couple of days a week. I made my first attempt today. I’ll report back how it goes over time 🙂
 
Praying the rosary is a commitment and well worth it. I started a year ago but daily ever since I did a Marion consecration… Just start slowly… I now find the scriptual rosary really beneficial and brings me closer to Jesus. This rosary is more in depth…instead of just saying the 10 hail Marys, a little sentence on the mystery is said first… It really keeps you focused and brings you right into the life of our savior… Its beautiful… Don’t give up many graces will come your way
 
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