I hate praying the rosary

  • Thread starter Thread starter Medical_Student
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Medical_Student

Guest
I have never enjoyed praying the rosary or other Roman devotionals. However, it is popular in my Church which is heavily latinized and my relatives frequently pray it.

The syriac tradition focused more on meditating on holy scripture, hymns, and divine praises. But most have forgotten this and adopt Western traditions instead. I would much rather do this instead.

But i feel like i am trapped in roman ideals. I am also guilt tripped if i do not pray it, like i am sinning against god or offending st mary. i have not told my parents I don’t like praying the rosary (we pray it at night if i come back home), but they know i do not particularly like praying at night [the reason is i hate praying the rosary]. thus they think i hate praying, when in reality, i just hate the rosary.

i do not doubt that the rosary is a good prayer, or its history. I just do not want to pray it.

does anyone else not like praying it ?
 
I quite like the Rosary myself, but I also use other types of prayer such as Divine Office. When it comes to private devotions, it is a matter of what works for you. If you prefer Divine Office, maybe suggest to your parents saying Evening Prayer or Compline together some times. Maybe alternate (some days Rosary, some days Evening Prayer).

Edit: Clearly I’m not Eastern, but as an Anglican-use Catholic I also have traditions belonging to my own group that I like to follow.
 
I’m personally ambivalent about the rosary, and perhaps you might be able to channel your feelings in that direction. What I mean is yes, it’s a latin devotion but the repetitive nature of the rosary is not alien to to the Orient and East, although I’ll admit the mysteries (15 or 20, take your pick) and the accompanying prayers are strictly Latin. Try clearing your mind and attempt the rosary by concentrating on the repetitive and ignoring the rest. And try adding a psalm or hymn from the Syro-Malabar Compline (IIRC, Thomas may have posted a link to that a while ago) at the end if you like to give it a more authentic feel. Taken together, it might help with the situation at home. 😉
 
Medical_Student said:
I have never enjoyed praying the rosary or other Roman devotionals. However, it is popular in my Church which is heavily latinized and my relatives frequently pray it.

The syriac tradition focused more on meditating on holy scripture, hymns, and divine praises. But most have forgotten this and adopt Western traditions instead. I would much rather do this instead.

But i feel like i am trapped in roman ideals. I am also guilt tripped if i do not pray it, like i am sinning against god or offending st mary. i have not told my parents I don’t like praying the rosary (we pray it at night if i come back home), but they know i do not particularly like praying at night [the reason is i hate praying the rosary]. thus they think i hate praying, when in reality, i just hate the rosary.

i do not doubt that the rosary is a good prayer, or its history. I just do not want to pray it.

does anyone else not like praying it ?
Click to expand...
You’re not alone.
 
I am ashamed to admit that I dislike it too. There are so many benefits and promises attached to it plus it is so pleasing to God that I should say it. I don’t like the repetition and I don’t like meditating on the mysteries even though they are Scriptural. When I do the meditations my mind goes blank.

A holy priest once told me I would receive even more merit saying it because I don’t like to say it. That is probably true but I still can’t get myself to say it. I do like the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, however. For me this is not a Rite thing, the rosary is in my (Western Tradition).

I never knew that St. Therese did not like the rosary. I had heard that another nun used to shake her rosary which would set her on edge.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am glad to hear them.
 
We’re not obligated to pray the rosary, but keep in mind that praying it carries with it several spiritual benefits. You might not like it, but then, there are probably medicines that are very good for you which you greatly dislike.

I personally like the Rosary, but find it very difficult to concentrate while praying it. ADHD for the win >_>
 
I have never felt drawn to it, personally. I don’t think that’s a “bad” thing - we are each a different part to His beautiful body.

I do, however, love to pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy, and it uses the rosary.

I would encourage you to talk to your parents. Tell them you want to pray with them, you value the family prayer time together greatly … but you personally don’t have an affinity for the rosary. Suggest that perhaps you could pray the Divine Mercy chaplet sometimes, or pray other devotions together.

As a parent, if I was concerned my children didn’t like praying “anything, ever, at all” and I learned that rather it was a specific prayer they were balking at, I’d be more than happy to adjust our family prayer time. I would be so relieved to learn they value family prayer!
 
Medical_Student said:
I have never enjoyed praying the rosary or other Roman devotionals. However, it is popular in my Church which is heavily latinized and my relatives frequently pray it.

The syriac tradition focused more on meditating on holy scripture, hymns, and divine praises. But most have forgotten this and adopt Western traditions instead. I would much rather do this instead.

But i feel like i am trapped in roman ideals. I am also guilt tripped if i do not pray it, like i am sinning against god or offending st mary. i have not told my parents I don’t like praying the rosary (we pray it at night if i come back home), but they know i do not particularly like praying at night [the reason is i hate praying the rosary]. thus they think i hate praying, when in reality, i just hate the rosary.

i do not doubt that the rosary is a good prayer, or its history. I just do not want to pray it.

does anyone else not like praying it ?
Click to expand...
Yes, I know exactly what you are talking about. I prayed the rosary for a couple of years recently - unfortunately have fallen off again.

I modified it to avoid the repetition. I said three or so Hail Marys, as many as I needed while praying on a particular mystery. (When I felt I had finished my prayer or reflection, I moved on to the next mystery.) Also I only did mysteries that were fruitful for me in prayer, spending more time on two or three as I wanted, rather than the full daily list. (some days I like better than others) Lastly, I actually made a notebook of color photos, images - images that were significant to me and conducive to prayer. I got so I enjoyed praying the rosary very much; one of the high points of my prayer life. Loved it. I also found I hit 10 Hail Marys after all once in awhile. 🙂 (If you say the Jesus Prayer, that helps with repetitive prayer. Becomes almost a chant that is quite peaceful and meditative.) I just don’t have that hour in the morning or evening right now - need my sleep, plus do other kinds of prayer, reading. I don’t think you should pray insincerely - you are not fooling God. Find something that works; doesn’t have to be the rosary, IMHO.
 
My priest told me recently that if you dislike or feel overwhelmed by a certain devotion, that God is probably calling you to a different type of devotion. Rather than do a devotion badly out of obligation, pick a devotional type you do enjoy and do that one well.
 
Well, it can be repetitious but the idea is to contemplate the mysterious events it commemorates, and I lately find that easier to do when saying the Pater Noster, Ave Maria and Gloria in Latin. But then, I’m a bit odd.
 
Me too.

I am now in a mess over going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation because suddenly it is given out as a penance. It was made an impossible penance because I had to meditate on the mysteries and think of a different person to pray each decade for i.e. think about the words I pray (to avoid mindless repetition), a person and also the mystery all at the same time. After hours of trying and a sleepless and agonizing night, my parish priest released me from the penance on the grounds that I had genuinely tried the impossible.
 
Have you read ‘The Secret of the Rosary’ by St. Louis de Montfort? It is excellent all-round and contains some useful meditations.

I also find the Rosary difficult, at times. What keeps me going is the knowledge of its power, and how pleasing it is to Jesus and Mary. Fr. Paul O’Sullivan says that when we pray the Rosary, Our Lady is as attentive to us as she was to the three shepherds at Fatima. I find that these sort of considerations can help to overcome our natural inclinations, which are not necessarily the best guide in the spiritual life.

Personally, I believe that Our Lord wants me to pray the Rosary every day. I believe in Church-approved Marian apparitions, for example - and in many apparitions Our Lady asks us to pray the Rosary daily.

I am not suggesting that you or any other individual is obliged to pray the Rosary; I just wanted to offer some considerations in favour of persevering with this prayer.

Pax Domine!
 
St Ignatius of Loyola wrote: (paraphrased)
“It is a completely destructive thing to force a person to live life through a particular devotion, because no two people are the same, and no two people pray the same way, God calls each person to pray in a different way, and what works for me in prayer, may not work for you in prayer (Ie may not suit you as a prayer devotion).”

So as another poster excellently quoted a priest:
Pray the devotion that is most enjoyable to you because that is the devotion God is calling you to pray on earth.

I know the rosary is.the most powerful prayer outside of the sacraments and adoration,
But the Divine Mercy chapelet is.the prayer that I most enjoy and comes easiest to me, so I know it’s the prayer devotion for me to follow on earth,

Anyways:
Jesus gives each of us a different path to Heaven,
And each of us has a different prayer path too (God calls each of us to enjoy and pray certain prayers indivuals to each of us)

For example:
Jesus told St Faustina to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet when she could, (St Faustina would pray the rosary on a Saturday), but otherwise, her prayer mission was the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

So try out the different prayer devotions and choose the one that suits you best and that you love the most.

PS:
Let none of this take from the power of God to the world and those who pray the rosary,
A prayer all the saints and Popes and Marian Apparitions all urge mankind to pray and trust in its efficacy.
If it’s a prayer God wants you to say, it is the highest prayer outside of the sacraments and outside of adoration.
 
Avila123 said:
Me too.

I am now in a mess over going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation because suddenly it is given out as a penance. It was made an impossible penance because I had to meditate on the mysteries and think of a different person to pray each decade for i.e. think about the words I pray (to avoid mindless repetition), a person and also the mystery all at the same time. After hours of trying and a sleepless and agonizing night, my parish priest released me from the penance on the grounds that I had genuinely tried the impossible.
Click to expand...
There is no need to think of so many things at once; this is not essential to the Rosary. The meditation component of the Rosary is meant to be a help, not a hindrance. You are free to offer your intentions before saying the Rosary.
 
Medical_Student said:
I have never enjoyed praying the rosary or other Roman devotionals. However, it is popular in my Church which is heavily latinized and my relatives frequently pray it.

The syriac tradition focused more on meditating on holy scripture, hymns, and divine praises. But most have forgotten this and adopt Western traditions instead. I would much rather do this instead.

But i feel like i am trapped in roman ideals. I am also guilt tripped if i do not pray it, like i am sinning against god or offending st mary. i have not told my parents I don’t like praying the rosary (we pray it at night if i come back home), but they know i do not particularly like praying at night [the reason is i hate praying the rosary]. thus they think i hate praying, when in reality, i just hate the rosary.

i do not doubt that the rosary is a good prayer, or its history. I just do not want to pray it.

does anyone else not like praying it ?
Click to expand...
“Hate” is too strong a word and I would caution anyone against using this in regard to holy things.

That said, not even Latins need to have a devotion to the Rosary. You won’t offend God or our Lady if the Rosary doesn’t appeal to you. I don’t enjoy it myself and do not pray it out of habit and I am Latin. I would gladly pray it as a penance, say, after Confession, and I do endeavour to recite one decade daily as part of a Confraternity commitment. But that’s that. I wouldn’t voluntarily recite it generally speaking, or at least, not regularly because I have no devotion to it.

There is no obligation to the Rosary, as beautiful a prayer as it is. If it doesn’t suit your spirituality, then don’t feel pressured to say it. No big.

That said, you must have a personal prayer routine, so you should pick one, whatever is suited to your Catholic+Syro-Malabar spirituality. The Syriac prayer routine you just described sounds like an absolute treasure, and quite frankly, I would say you ought to use that one over a Latin devotion such as the Rosary.

I pray the Liturgy of the Hours regularly, and I find it a much more enriching experience.
 
Medical_Student said:
I have never enjoyed praying the rosary or other Roman devotionals. However, it is popular in my Church which is heavily latinized and my relatives frequently pray it.

The syriac tradition focused more on meditating on holy scripture, hymns, and divine praises. But most have forgotten this and adopt Western traditions instead. I would much rather do this instead.

But i feel like i am trapped in roman ideals. I am also guilt tripped if i do not pray it, like i am sinning against god or offending st mary. i have not told my parents I don’t like praying the rosary (we pray it at night if i come back home), but they know i do not particularly like praying at night [the reason is i hate praying the rosary]. thus they think i hate praying, when in reality, i just hate the rosary.

i do not doubt that the rosary is a good prayer, or its history. I just do not want to pray it.

does anyone else not like praying it ?
Click to expand...
I too have never been particularly drawn to this prayer. As an Eastern Catholic, I am more drawn to the Jesus Prayer. As a Maronite Catholic I would suggest sticking with our Syriac tradition and praying the Divine Office and Lectio Divina.
 
I too used to find the rosary difficult to recite. Then I noticed that when I prayed it in a group I found it more comforting. I now have about a dozen different recordings, my favourite is Pope Benedict reciting it in. Latin. I find it very comforting to say and find the pope’s voice soothing.

When I was going through chemo three years ago the Rosary was the only prayer I could say. Sometimes I was gripped by such fear that praying to our holy mother seemed to be the only thing which held me together. It truly is a powerful prayer. It seems that I have passed through that dark valley with a good prognoses, but whenever I am depressed, or fearful I find saying the rosary very comforting.
 
Medical_Student said:
I have never enjoyed praying the rosary or other Roman devotionals. However, it is popular in my Church which is heavily latinized and my relatives frequently pray it.

The syriac tradition focused more on meditating on holy scripture, hymns, and divine praises. But most have forgotten this and adopt Western traditions instead. I would much rather do this instead.

But i feel like i am trapped in roman ideals. I am also guilt tripped if i do not pray it, like i am sinning against god or offending st mary. i have not told my parents I don’t like praying the rosary (we pray it at night if i come back home), but they know i do not particularly like praying at night [the reason is i hate praying the rosary]. thus they think i hate praying, when in reality, i just hate the rosary.

i do not doubt that the rosary is a good prayer, or its history. I just do not want to pray it.

does anyone else not like praying it ?
Click to expand...
While your parents are praying the Rosary you can meditate on what “Syriac traditions” say about loving, obeying and respecting your father and your mother.
 
The purpose of prayer is to raise one’s heart and mind to God. If the Rosary doesn’t assist you in doing so, then find something that does. As others have said, there is no requirement that it be prayed. I never particularly liked it until I started saying it when working out a few years ago-- offering up the effort along with the prayers.

As the catechism puts it:

2562 Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays.*** If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.***
 
Have any who wish to pray the Rosary but don’t like it have ever tried a Rosary app? I have one on my android smart phone that vocalizes the prayers in a lovely British female accent even, over head phones and it’s perfect for when I’m riding transit. I like to pray a 5 chaplet Rosary but have tried to step it up to the 15 chaplet & am having a real hard time with it just because of the length of time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top