P
patricky
Guest
I guess it depends on your definition of right and wrong way. Paul vi states ; "The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary’s own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer. Without this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: “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: ‘In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words’ (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed”.(14)The rosary is a private devotion, there is no “right” or “wrong” way to say it.
I have developed my own “rosary” based on the Examen prayer from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
As my first spiritual director used to say-
It is worth pausing to consider this profound insight of Paul VI, in order to bring out certain aspects of the Rosary which show that it is really a form of Christocentric contemplation."
Very good evidence that praying the rosary without meditating on the mysteries can be unhealthy for our souls - there is that risk of heaping empty phrases onto God. Not a good thing. Notice he states “would lose its meaning” , not “could”, implying that the mysteries are most necessary if one is to please Our Lady. St. Montfort is more forthcoming in his declaration of it. “A Christian who does not meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary is very ungrateful to our Lord and shows how little he cares for all that our divine Savior has suffered to save the world…”