Need Help Praying the Rosary

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Hello, everyone. I’m looking to start praying the rosary. I have only the slightest clue how to do so. I used to go with my grandmother to church when she said the Rosary, and I remember those experiences with fondness. I’ve been sort of ignoring the discipline for a while (a long while), but I feel like I should start up again.

Can anyone send me links, or recommend a good book for a Rosary Newby like me?

Please tell me what you do to make it feel like a joy and not a burden to you. I’ve started to attend occaisional early morning Rosary sessions at our parish, but the folks go through it so fast, it seems like they’re racing rather than contemplating. I had more in mind the way I used to hear it as a kid, full of contemplative pauses, and recitations of prayers with feeling. Maybe no one says it that way any more.

Thanks for your help and comments.
 
newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdf

This has more or less all of the information on a small, easily printable sheet. Print it out and start praying!

From my experience, the prayers and beads themselves aren’t very much of an issue - most people get the hang of them rather quickly. The big issue for most beginners is the meditation. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, everyone has their own personal style. Personally, I do an Ignatian-style meditation - trying to picture the scene in my head, and place myself within it.
 
There are some neat Rosary apps out there that have all of the prayers but also include religious artwork to help in meditating on the mysteries. Some feature “beads” that you can “finger”.
 
Going “fast” or “slow” is pretty much a style thing. Usually you find a very small group, like a family, going slower than a group in church, which tends to keep a more liturgical pace. Of course, it’s also true that individuals sometimes go faster.

Similarly, if people are praying the Liturgy of the Hours, a group in church or in a monastery is going to keep rolling along at the same pace the whole time, whereas an individual is more free to stop and start.

My feeling is that, if you pray the Rosary alone at home, you will experience praying it with other people as more of a refreshing change.

The other thing is that, because other people are saying the Rosary along with you, a lot of people are more able to be contemplative while going along at a liturgical pace (and it’s a lot harder to lose count). Not everybody can do this, but it’s a good skill to acquire.
 
Halligator said:
Hello, everyone. I’m looking to start praying the rosary. I have only the slightest clue how to do so. I used to go with my grandmother to church when she said the Rosary, and I remember those experiences with fondness. I’ve been sort of ignoring the discipline for a while (a long while), but I feel like I should start up again.

Can anyone send me links, or recommend a good book for a Rosary Newby like me?

Please tell me what you do to make it feel like a joy and not a burden to you. I’ve started to attend occaisional early morning Rosary sessions at our parish, but the folks go through it so fast, it seems like they’re racing rather than contemplating. I had more in mind the way I used to hear it as a kid, full of contemplative pauses, and recitations of prayers with feeling. Maybe no one says it that way any more.

Thanks for your help and comments.
Click to expand...
Here is a you tube video of the Joyful Mysteries, they have all the others as well. If you follow along with this for a few times, you’ll get the hang of it:
youtu.be/zSpJMLVWq50
 
If you have a smartphone, you can download a rosary app. I have one I use all the time, it automatically brings up that day’s mysteries and has a picture and the Biblical verse and the fruit of the mystery to meditate on plus all the prayers. There are also audio rosary apps where you can say it with someone (which might help you to learn the prayers.

Sometimes I do interactive Rosary by watching a Youtube video of that day’s mystery. There are several really good ones on Youtube where they will show either pictures of the mystery you are to meditate on or video (from some of the good movies such as Passion of the Christ or Mary of Nazareth). Generally the speaker will say the first part of the prayer and you say the second part.

Don’t worry if at first you find it hard to meditate on the mystery while saying the prayers. It comes in time. I began saying the Rosary the week before Lent, with a goal of saying it every day during Lent. By the time Lent was up, I had the ability to recall all the prayers and to meditate while saying them.
 
Here is a great site for resources on praying the rosary as well as many other prayers.

ibreviary.com/m2/preghiere.php?tipo=Preghiera&id=581

Personally, my family prays the short form of the scriptural references, we add the expansion on the Holy Name of Jesus and skip the Fatima prayer.

Congrats on taking to the rosary! May it add you in conforming your life to God’s will!!
 
Getting into a daily prayer routine can be “laborious” at first, but as you start to see the fruits of your effort, your fervor will grow.
My only concern that still remains is “praying too much…” What comes to mind for me is the remark Jesus made about “those of many words,” such as the High Priests of His time. Perhaps I worry too much…

Our Church has little Rosary pamphlets that helped me get started. Inside is a guide to praying the Rosary, as well as all the Mysteries, and on what days to say them.
Included with each mystery is a short quote from the Bible, related to the mystery.

In my experience, saying the decades as you contemplate the meaning of the Bible verse included (the intention of the verse, and what it means to you) is very powerful. However, if you find yourself distracted, stop for a moment, refocus your thoughts, and keep going.

I always say the Fatima Prayer, as well as the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel and the Memorae.
 
Halligator said:
Can anyone send me links, or recommend a good book for a Rosary Newby like me?
Click to expand...
This one: amazon.com/The-Secret-Of-Rosary/dp/0895550563

Regarding praying the Rosary slowly with feeling: don’t forget that our feelings should not be leading our spirituality. Meditating on the mysteries should not imply we’re suddenly transported to a wonderful and joy-filled emotional treasure house. Evil spirits can give us “good feelings” too.
 
The easiest way to begin is the online Interactive Rosary:

familyrosary.org/TheRosary/HowToPrayTheRosary/PrayTheRosary.aspx

When you get to that page, you can click the link to hear others praying the Rosary. They pray it at a moderate speed. And each bead is highlighted so that you can keep track of where you are. It helped me get started. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. Just go to the Interactive Rosary every day to make it a habit.

And you might want to get Father Peyton’s Rosary Prayer Book.

👍
 
Here is a method I use. Many places have pictures of the meditation you want ta start. Concentrate on one.like
Baptism…of the Lord. Place yourself where you can Watch Jesus Walk down by the river andwatch John bsptize Jesus
Wedding …put youself in the back yard sitlg on a bench bestde Mary. Til Jesus
Arrives or add tyour own scenarios
The Hail Mary helps you to focs on the scene
Linda
 
Rosary Army has a wealth of information on rosaryarmy.newevangelizers.com/.

They will send you a free knot rosary if you want (I have one and love it): newevangelizers.com/products-page/free-and-more/all-twine-knotted-rosary/

They show you how to pray the Roasry (English/Spanish & Dutch) in a simple one page PDF: rosaryarmy.newevangelizers.com/prayers/how-to-pray-the-rosary/

They have MP3 files you can download: rosaryarmy.newevangelizers.com/prayers/free-rosary-mp3/

And a ton of other resources: rosaryarmy.newevangelizers.com/resources/

God bless!

John
 
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