Is my rosary complete?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Topaz1128
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Topaz1128

Guest
I bought a nice rosary at a Catholic store recently. The owner referred to it as a “men’s” rosary due to the large wooden beads and said it would be a good one for me to start with.

I didn’t notice at the time, but it seems like the “conclusion bead” – the one with the image of Mary – is missing. (Sorry, I don’t know the proper term.) It’s not a manufacturer’s defect or anything; the five beads above the crucifix lead directly to the decade beads.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen a rosary without this image/conclusion part. Can anyone explain to me why it’s missing? Should I return it and buy a different rosary? Thank you for your help.
 
It’s complete, I think.

I too have rosaries that lack that center piece. One is a new one, wooden beads on string, and a simple cross with the chi-rho symbol on it; I bought it a few days before being admitted into the Chrurch.

The other one is an older one, some sort of seeds, chain, and, again, no center piece, my mother gave it to me, but it’s at least 20 years old.

The third one is even older, it belonged to an old catholic lady who passed away about 15 years ago, and she left it to my mother, I think it’s at least 50 years old. It’s glass beads on chain, it does have the centerpiece with the image of Mary; however, the crucifix is about 5 inches tall ! so it’s not very portable…

So you see, the rosaries come in different shapes and sizes. It’s really the prayer that counts. You wouldn’t think that the Blessed Virgin will have someting against you praying Ave Maria 50 times, just because the rosary doesn’t have that center piece with her image ?

Here’s an example: rosarymart.com/.sc/ms/dd/Rosaries–Wooden%20Beads/1528/Rosary%2C%20Carved%20Wood%20%20
 
the rosary doesn’t have to have a center piece, that’s just there as a divider mostly, unless it’s a special medal or something, but there is really no specific significance in general to rosary center pieces.
 
Thank you for your replies. They lead me to another question: Do I still need to finish with the Hail, Holy Queen prayer if there is no center piece?

I didn’t know there were so many varieties of rosaries. I guess I should have looked online more.
 
Topaz, the prayers can be said with the aid of an Ipod. I have a rosary Java application on my mobile phone. Etc.

The rosary is simply a tool you use. It’s a sacramental, too, but that does not mean that the material object can or should influence the way you pray.
.
In other words, if you feel the need to say Hail Holy Queen, do so. The lack pf a piece of wood or plastic on your rosary has nothing to do with it…
 
Yes, you should still finish with “Hail, Holy Queen” (Salve Regina) if you want to follow the proper form. 🙂

Congratulations on finding your first rosary. Stay close to the rosary and you will be blessed! I am trying to get back into the habit of daily recitation.
 
Erethorn said:
Topaz, the prayers can be said with the aid of an Ipod. I have a rosary Java application on my mobile phone. Etc.

The rosary is simply a tool you use. It’s a sacramental, too, but that does not mean that the material object can or should influence the way you pray.
.
In other words, if you feel the need to say Hail Holy Queen, do so. The lack pf a piece of wood or plastic on your rosary has nothing to do with it…
Click to expand...
Yup. According to the EWTN site, you can pray a perfectly valid Rosary just by counting on your fingers. (Something I do often, since I rarely seem to have my beads with me when I want to pray.)

.
 
Langdell said:
Yup. According to the EWTN site, you can pray a perfectly valid Rosary just by counting on your fingers. (Something I do often, since I rarely seem to have my beads with me when I want to pray.)

.
Click to expand...
people also use to pray with pebbles in their pockets :3 not just the rosary though, i think people prayed like that long before the rosary was given to us.
and probably in lots of other ways to.
 
Yes, I would at least like to start out praying the rosary “the proper way” (i.e. reciting the Hail, Holy Queen). Would it be insulting to the Blessed Virgin Mary if I were to leave off this prayer at the end?

Since there are different varieties of rosaries, I guess there are also different variations on the prayers themselves.
 
It’s a perfectly fine rosary. Basically you have one bead serving as both your first Glory Be/Mystery/Our Father bead and centerpiece. Just pray the Hail, Holy Queen on that bead. I think the centerpiece is primarily for aesthetic purposes.
 
Topaz1128 said:
Yes, I would at least like to start out praying the rosary “the proper way” (i.e. reciting the Hail, Holy Queen). Would it be insulting to the Blessed Virgin Mary if I were to leave off this prayer at the end?

Since there are different varieties of rosaries, I guess there are also different variations on the prayers themselves.
Click to expand...
I don’t think it would be insulting, but why would you leave it off?

There are indeed variations, that use totally different sets of beads - for instance, the Franciscan Crown rosary and the Brigittine rosary. The Dominican rosary is the most common and is the one usually prayed publicly in parishes, so it’s good to have at least one that you can use to pray with other people.
 
Langdell said:
Yup. According to the EWTN site, you can pray a perfectly valid Rosary just by counting on your fingers. (Something I do often, since I rarely seem to have my beads with me when I want to pray.)

.
Click to expand...
Yes I’m another finger counter! 🙂 But I truly should be carrying one around with me always! Though in a sense, with my fingers, I am!
 
Langdell said:
Yup. According to the EWTN site, you can pray a perfectly valid Rosary just by counting on your fingers. (Something I do often, since I rarely seem to have my beads with me when I want to pray.)
Click to expand...
Praying the Rosary on my fingers is the only thing that gets me through the more boring types of exercise. 😛

Also they have ring rosaries that are basically round with ten small bumps and one large bump, and you just have to remember where you are during the parts before the decades start and after they end. But the prayers are the same.

Anyway, yes, you should still pray the Hail, Holy Queen if you are praying the rosary. You can leave off whatever prayers you like, really, it just won’t be a rosary if you do. But all prayer is good, even if it isn’t a rosary. 🙂 Rosary variations generally deal with adding prayers (e.g. the Fatima prayer after each decade), rather than removing them. (Yes, there are other types of rosaries (frequently called “chaplets” to distinguish them from the rosary), but if you just say “the rosary” everyone will expect you mean the most common one. And if you want to say it, you should say the Hail, Holy Queen.)

–Jen
 
Praying the rosary is always a good thing. I taught my children to pray the rosary in two very differnt ways. First, was the traditional way. You know, the Our Fathers and ten Hail Mary’s, etc. The second was what my daughter calls “free-style” prayer. She starts out with an Our Father on the crucifix, then she prays for different people and items of concern on each Hail Mary bead, all the way around. Usually in some sort of order starting with her parents, then her siblings, then grandparents, nephew, extended family, friends, neighbors, others in our parish, the priests at our parish, all other priests, nuns, Religious, those less fortunate then us, etc. etc. and then gets to the center piece upon which she prays for the intentions of the Pope, finally praying for her self then a Glory Be, three Hail Mary’s, an Our Father and back to the crucifix. It helps her to always pray for others and anything that gets my children to spend time in prayer by their own choice is a good thing. By the way she’s only 11 and her 3 older brothers (15-21) all carry a rosary at all times. They love it
 
jspencer said:
Praying the rosary is always a good thing. I taught my children to pray the rosary in two very differnt ways. First, was the traditional way. You know, the Our Fathers and ten Hail Mary’s, etc. The second was what my daughter calls “free-style” prayer. She starts out with an Our Father on the crucifix, then she prays for different people and items of concern on each Hail Mary bead, all the way around. Usually in some sort of order starting with her parents, then her siblings, then grandparents, nephew, extended family, friends, neighbors, others in our parish, the priests at our parish, all other priests, nuns, Religious, those less fortunate then us, etc. etc. and then gets to the center piece upon which she prays for the intentions of the Pope, finally praying for her self then a Glory Be, three Hail Mary’s, an Our Father and back to the crucifix. It helps her to always pray for others and anything that gets my children to spend time in prayer by their own choice is a good thing. By the way she’s only 11 and her 3 older brothers (15-21) all carry a rosary at all times. They love it
Click to expand...
That is so awesome! Thank you for sharing it.

I would also like to thank everyone else who have posted replies. They are very helpful.
 
There is no magical power that comes from the ACTUAL PHYSICAL beads of the rosary. There is power in the prayers and also from it being a sacramental that is blessed. However you do not need rosary beads to actually pray this wonderfully powerful prayer. Many people over the course of history have used their fingers, mini rosary rings, pebbles and so on. Of course you should finish with the “Hail Holy Queen”! 🙂 This is the conclusion to the prayer and it shows how Mary, The mother of God, shows us unto Christ so that we may live more fully in Him. Once you start making this a habit, I guarantee your relationship with the Blessed mother and ultimately Christ (Whose mysteries we reflect on) will increase greatly. Praying the rosary is like another way of reading and contemplating the Holy Gospels. It is without a doubt one of the most powerful weapons against Satan. As Padre Pio did…Hold the rosary close to you and always fly to Christ and to our Mother. God Bless you my friend. I am so happy for you!
 
Langdell said:
Yup. According to the EWTN site, you can pray a perfectly valid Rosary just by counting on your fingers. (Something I do often, since I rarely seem to have my beads with me when I want to pray.)

.
Click to expand...
I often do this as well. On those days when I just have not had the time to properly sit and meditate, I use fingers while driving, walking, or heck, even at times, while mowing the lawn. 😃
 
As others have said, one can just as validly pray the rosary on one’s fingers as they can with the beads. The connector bead is not a necessary part of the rosary though I do prefer my rosary to have one. That said, you should include the Hail Holy Queen prayer at the end. It is a vital part of the rosary in my opinion.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top