Is the rosary fruitless when you can't focus?

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

McatholicN

Guest
I spend quite a bit of time praying the rosary, but during any given rosary I’m probably thinking about the mysteries for no more than a minute combined. I remind myself that I should be focusing on the mysteries, and conjure an image of the mystery (which really only lasts 5-10 seconds).

Is it all in vain with such distraction?
 
I don’t think so. I have the same problem and I think many people have this problem. Our minds can process much more then just one thing at a time. I have always seemed to have this issue and the rosary has been very powerful in my life.
 
Just start in on it. Sometimes doing it is what brings the focus.

You won’t be perfect every time. There is virtue (or perhaps grace) in attempting to persevere even when it seems like it’s not going to work. Offer your lack of focus up to God and ask Him to help you focus.
 
I don’t think so.

I think some of the fruits are based off I how well we can focus, but I think most of the fruits is because God understands and loves the effort of coming closer to him.

I think it can be likened to the paralytic on the mat. He couldn’t PHYSICALLY come to Jesus, but Jesus saw the effort and the faith, and THAT was why he was rewarded.

Just my (name removed by moderator)ut though.
 
McatholicN said:
I spend quite a bit of time praying the rosary, but during any given rosary I’m probably thinking about the mysteries for no more than a minute combined. I remind myself that I should be focusing on the mysteries, and conjure an image of the mystery (which really only lasts 5-10 seconds).

Is it all in vain with such distraction?
Click to expand...
Padre Pio once said that if he had to start the Rosary all over again every time he was distracted he would never have finished it.

Praying the Rosary is never fruitless. There is no minimum time anyway that you have to focus on one thing or the other.
 
Intention is as important as… well anything else. Just having the will to try should give you (and, for that matter, God) some satisfaction. Something is better than nothing 👍
 
Some of my most fruitful rosaries have been prayed during times when I couldn’t focus. Since the beginning of this year in particular, I have prayed countless rosaries through tears of frustration, mourning, despair…and I’ve reaped many blessings all the same. 🙂
 
No Rosary is fruitless, a waste of time, or worthless.

Though, it’s more effective and better to pray one devout and pious Hail Mary than for 1000 000 faithless Hail Mairy’s.
 
As long as you “try” to focus I think you’ll be fine.

Sometimes when my mind is not completely into the mystery, I say a couple of more Hail Mary’s like 12 in total instead of 10 or so. Not because I dont think the first 10 will not count or be fruitless. Rather because If I feel I wasn’t concentrated enough during the mystery (say I was distracted 20% of the time) I then say 2 Hail Mary’s more. I gets that way I wont feel like I didn’t pray well.
 
I struggle with this too. Sometimes when I am having difficulty focusing on the mysteries, I look at the images on my rosary prayer card. I think that taking the time and effort to pray the rosary counts for a lot in the Blessed Mother’s eyes. We don’t have to be perfect as long as our heart is truly in our prayers.
 
McatholicN said:
I spend quite a bit of time praying the rosary, but during any given rosary I’m probably thinking about the mysteries for no more than a minute combined. I remind myself that I should be focusing on the mysteries, and conjure an image of the mystery (which really only lasts 5-10 seconds).

Is it all in vain with such distraction?
Click to expand...
I sometimes have issues with focusing on the Rosary. What I do is, as someone else suggested, is say few extra Hail Marys–roughly one for everyone that I “dazed” during. I can attest that, as one who is relatively new to the Rosary and has had issues with being unfocused sometimes as I pray, that the effect of this prayer cycle is still pretty strong. So, it seems, no harm is done if you lose focus. Its the effort of an honest, sincere prayer that counts.🙂

Martina
 
I don’t know where I have heard this but doesn’t God “perfect” our prayers? In this way simply desiring to pray devoutly would bring graces.
 
i have the same problem sometimes. try this website, it could help you focus. and another i recommend, try saying it out loud that way youre praying both physically and mentally.

rosary-center.org/howto.htm

each bead has a statement attached to it.
 
The effect of prayer isn’t what we do, but what God does within us, and often, he does most when we’re least aware.

Jim
 
Sometimes the prayer is a matter of plain obedience and faithfullness. God enjoins on us to pray. That is in response to his wish, obedience. Do it out of obedience. This is love.
Not to do it because it is not convenient or easy is not love nor obedience.

The devil would have us give it up on any pretext.

It just may be that on your worst day, that is the best of prayer because it takes more of your struggle to pay attention. What God sees is the effort not the success. Our failures are important to him if we try.

One thing can improve our attention, silence. If you are fortunate enough to have a time of silence, this can of itself improve concentration. In the mornings especially, when the mind is fresher, prayer is more heartfelt and clearer.

Just a thought.
 
To help focus on the mysteries I learned this from the group in my parish.: For the first Joyful mystery, after saying each phrase Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus say,Whose birth was announced by Gabriel. Next mystery say Whom you carried to visit St. Elizabeth. Next mystery say Who was born in Bethlehem. Next mystery say Whom you presented in the temple and for the next mystery say Whom you found in the temple

For the Sorrowful mysteries use the same .format. First Sorrowful mystery say Who suffered agony in the garden. Second Sorrowful mystery say Who was scourged for us. Third say Who was crowned with thorns for us. Fourth Sorrowful mystery say Who carried His cross for us and for the fifth Sorrowful Mystery say Who was crucified for us.

For the Glorious Mysteries, First one say Who rose from the dead on the third day. Second Glorious mystery say Who ascended into heaven. Third Glorious mystery say Who sent down the Holy Spirit and for the Fourth say Who took You up to heaven and for the Fifth say Who crowned You in heaven.
This takes a few minutes longer but it certainly keeps me focused much better.
 
To McatholicN:

You can view your situation from another perspective. The strength of the Rosary has been praised numberless times by saints, popes, and other figures in the Church, not to mention Our Lady Herself. It logically follows that The Enemy would focus serious effort to discourage members of The Church from utilizing the weapon he fears. Continue to pray the Rosary.

Sincerely,
Bellator
 
One of the great Saints said that, if all you do during prayer is call your mind back to the Lord, it is time well spent.

As to the Rosary, I have found it helpful to contemplate images and artwork that coincide with the mysteries. At this blog, you can view an assortment of images that accompany each mystery as you pray the decade. The mysteries are along the right side of the home page. Scroll down to find the appropriate mystery. Click on it and an image of a hand holding a Rosary will appear. Click on that image and it will expand and bring up the accompanying images. Then, just use your arrow keys to move through them. At the end of the decade, just hit esc or X out of the page. I find that, having viewed the images, I can call them to mind later as I pray away from my computer.

starrymantle.blogspot.com/2011/02/rosary-reflections-coronation-of-our.html
 
po18guy said:
One of the great Saints said that, if all you do during prayer is call your mind back to the Lord, it is time well spent.

As to the Rosary, I have found it helpful to contemplate images and artwork that coincide with the mysteries. At this blog, you can view an assortment of images that accompany each mystery as you pray the decade. The mysteries are along the right side of the home page. Scroll down to find the appropriate mystery. Click on it and an image of a hand holding a Rosary will appear. Click on that image and it will expand and bring up the accompanying images. Then, just use your arrow keys to move through them. At the end of the decade, just hit esc or X out of the page. I find that, having viewed the images, I can call them to mind later as I pray away from my computer.

starrymantle.blogspot.com/2011/02/rosary-reflections-coronation-of-our.html
Click to expand...
This is my favourite way to pray the Rosary. I like the scriptural references to read and artwork to look at when I pray the Rosary. It takes longer than just saying it, but is a very contemplative time. Besides, we do enough in a rush. Its nice to take some slow time to do something quiet like pray.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top