How Important is it to have an actual rosary when you pray the rosary?

[twiztedseraph]

While on detention I prayed the rosary and the chaplet of mercy several times on my fingers

 

[seagal]

I find, like other posters, that having the rosary in my hands helps me to centre myself and focus on the prayers. I use my grandmother’s beads and feel the power of all her years of prayers in them. But when I’m walking or in the car my fingers work quite well. I like to keep a finger rosary (a ring with 10 bumps and a cross) in my pocket. It’s not as cumbersome as a full-length rosary.

 

[johnshelby]

i agree that having a real rosary helps…

i used to use washers tho… lol

 

[happycamper]

seagal:

I use my grandmother’s beads and feel the power of all her years of prayers in them.

That is so nice you have them.

 

[m134e5]

seagal:

I like to keep a finger rosary…in my pocket. It’s not as cumbersome as a full-length rosary.

They also don’t break in your pocket like some full-length rosaries do (and they don’t poke your leg if you lay on that side)

 

[Catholic4aReasn]

I’m the one who voted “other”.

I pray a scriptural rosary so I use a book that has the bible verses in it for each Hail Mary. That keeps track of it for me so I don’t use the beads.

In Christ,
Nancy

 

[cardenio]

trliber8:

Why do you think God gave us 10 fingers??

I like having beads, because I can forget which Hail Mary I’m on and let them do the counting for me. But it really bugs me when people flaunt their prayers, so I only use beads when I’m alone.

It’s about one rosary’s drive to my grandparents’ house. Usually my mom or dad in the front seat leads; there’s always one rosary sitting on the dashboard that they use. I don’t like having beads for a group rosary. I guess because the purpose of the beads is to keep track of where you are, and why do you need that when it’s someone else’s job? I like the beads because they’re tangible, but people are moreso and it makes the beads feel superficial.

This past week I’ve been riding my bike around the neighborhood and saying a rosary then. I found I can count to ten but not to five. The first time I ended up doing six decades by accident, so after that I put five rubber bands (hair ties, actually) around my wrist and transfered them over to my other wrist after each decade.

I was doing that yesterday, as a matter of fact, and a random guy (who I didn’t know) asked me if I wanted a boyfriend. Oh, man, I really wanted the beads then… let me finish my rosary and then we can go to a bar or something… that woulda been great.

 

[Sirach14]

I have a Rosary ring I carry with me that I use when walking, or waiting for a bus.
I also use the one decade Rosary to say the Jesus Prayer.

 

[Thomas_More_1]

Just because some people use the Rosary beads to flaunt their prayer doesn’t mean others avoid them out of embarassment. I refuse to be embarassed by my Rosary!

Although the beads are not necessarily, you must pray with the beads to receive the Church’s indulgences. I’m remember reading this, but I can’t remember the reference!

I never keep track of indulgences, but I take this as a statement from the Church strongly encouraging using the beads. They are beautiful, and a sacramental.

 

[cardenio]

Thomas More:

Just because some people use the Rosary beads to flaunt their prayer doesn’t mean others avoid them out of embarassment. I refuse to be embarassed by my Rosary!

Maybe I assume more than is actually true… but I’m talking about the ones who talk about their prayer life to an excess when other “religious” people are around but refuse to mention anything when with any other group. That annoys me. But I agree, if you’re embarrassed by it, that’s bad. So good for you.

I think they need to make Rosaries on something other than tiny chains. The wires bend and choke and tangle so easily. Why not a good, heavy-duty cord or something?

One time, watching a documentary with my (lutheran) cousins and my (catholic) sister, there was a short biography of someone (forgot who, sorry) whose penance was to pray the rosary on his knees on every step in front of the cathedral. There were a lot of steps. And this was back when “praying the rosary” meant three times around the loop, 3 sets of mysteries (that’s 150 hail marys; the rosary was made for illiterate farmers in Europe to pray the psalms).

My sister and I winced.

One of my cousins asked “is that a long prayer?”

We laughed…

 

[kmknapp]

cardenio:

I think they need to make Rosaries on something other than tiny chains. The wires bend and choke and tangle so easily. Why not a good, heavy-duty cord or something?.

Check out www.rosaryarmy.org

Rosary Army makes, prays, and gives away all-twine, washable, totally unbreakable rosaries. There’s instructions how-to on the site, and links to the country’s best twine supplier (www.rosarytwine.com)). Also, if you write them, the address is on the site, they will send you one.

I make the all-twine rosaries and give them away locally, supplying my parish receptionist and the hospital I’m in and out of, and sometimes have enough to send some to Rosary Army HQ for those giveaways…

karen marie

 

[Michael_Welter]

I like using the beads, but I also have a Virtual Rosary program on my Palm Treo 600. It’s awesome. When I launch the program, it opens up to the cirrect mystery for whatever day it is. It best of all, it was a free program. Check it out here.

 

[chic_for_Christ]

Myself I chose important because I like to hold the rosary when I am praying because it keeps me focused and I just feel like I am somewhere else than in a horrible place because well sometimes I am but then I know there are times that you can not have the rosary on you. I know this because this weekend when I go see my father I will not be able to have my rosary on me because of what he will say about the church and I am fearful that he would either throw my rosary away or break my rosary. Because of how he feels about the church

 

[Santa_Cruz]

trliber8:

Why do you think God gave us 10 fingers??

I love it!!!:clapping:

 

[starrs0]

No of course not, I use a audio Rosary cd when I’m at work I just follow along with it until the end.

 

[Zooey]

kmknapp:

Check out www.rosaryarmy.org

Rosary Army makes, prays, and gives away all-twine, washable, totally unbreakable rosaries. There’s instructions how-to on the site, and links to the country’s best twine supplier (www.rosarytwine.com)/). Also, if you write them, the address is on the site, they will send you one.

I make the all-twine rosaries and give them away locally, supplying my parish receptionist and the hospital I’m in and out of, and sometimes have enough to send some to Rosary Army HQ for those giveaways…

karen marie

You beat me to this!
The rosaries from the Rosary Army are the most beautiful things you ever saw, too…and they do have a wonderful “hand”.
I make crocheted ones; they are not as good feeling in your hands, but they are also very tough…
I have found that once you get used to the feel of a fabric rosary, that nothing else is ever quite as nice to use. And it is true: they are all but indestructible–you would have to be trying to ruin them to do any damage & even then they would be usable!
(When you get your rosary from R.A., you get instrustions in how to make them too).

 

[dtatum]

http://bestsmileys.com/cats1/5.gifWho, me???

This type of response is quite distracting for me. I am a new comer and an old convert, and want to be serious in my faith. Why are we showing kitties ?

 

[Teelynn]

I like to have my fav. one in my hands, like others, it centers me. I have, like many, said the rosary on my fingers when I haven’t had one available, but I like to have beads in hand.

My H is a runner, and likes to say it when he runs and if time he sits on the beach to finish. I bought him a ‘pocket’ rosary just for his running. And a ‘ring’ rosary also. They come in very handy when it is too combersome for the beads. ***They are great! *** Had them blessed and he’s all set to go At times, I use the ring rosary while driving to say the Chaplet of DM.

 

[ElizabethPH]

It’s important to me. I always use them; of course there are times when I can’t like when driving; and I don’t think it makes the rosary less important when I don’t use the beads. But I think they help me not only keep track; but they help me meditate more closely to the mysteries. I also have many reminders around my house that help me feel closer to God. Maybe I need that visual and touch thing. I don’t know. I don’t think there is nothing wrong with that right? Just thought I’d try and say how I feel.

Elizabeth

 

[All_Saints]

i would consider it important to have a set of beads when you pray because you must reflect and meditate on the mysteries while you pray. With that in mind, the rosary is your physical link to the prayer when it is being recited. as for me, i always have a rosary with me, it’s a constant reminder of what i believe and why.

"Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ.