One Decade...Is it Better

[almostfound]

I have been praying the rosary for about a year and a half. When I first started out I decided to dive right in and practice the whole rosary (the five mysteries for that particular day). However, after a year I feel as if I am just going through the motions: I say what I need to say, meditate on what I need to meditate, but I don’t feel anything. Despite the fact that I don’t feel anything, I still pray it out of sheer determination but I was wondering:

1. Should I dial it back? Maybe I bit off more than I could chew at the start and I should sort of “begin again” with only doing one decade every couple of hours and really focus on that. This being said, how does one pray only one decade? I know to start you do the Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, three Hail Mary, the Mystery, ten Hail Mary, and then close with the Glory Be and Fatima Prayer. But when I go back to it a couple of hours later with the second Mystery do I start with the Apostle’s Creed again or just start with Our Father and go into the ten Hail Mary? I guess I’m asking where does one decade begin and where does it end (if that makes sense, haha!)
2. Is saying one decade less powerful? I know this is probably a silly question, but I just have this nagging feeling that saying one is somehow lesser. Then again, saying the whole thing with no focus or feeling isn’t good either…

Any advice?
Thanks!

 

[Ann_Stanton]

This being said, how does one pray only one decade? I know to start you do the Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, three Hail Mary, the Mystery, ten Hail Mary, and then close with the Glory Be and Fatima Prayer. But when I go back to it a couple of hours later with the second Mystery do I start with the Apostle’s Creed again or just start with Our Father and go into the ten Hail Mary?

The second decade starts with the Our Father. This is a good method if it fits in with your day.

 

[Greenfields]

I guess you could look at it this way, it would be a much lovelier guesture to hand Our Lady a bunch of beautiful fresh flowers rather than ones that are crumpled and wilting .
To pray a decade that you have said as best as you can,able to concentrate on and meditate on that mystery would be a very good start.When you feel you can do so for more then start praying more decades.
God bless.

 

[MikeInVA]

Despite the fact that I don’t feel anything, I still pray it

I think you’ll find that most of us “don’t feel anything” like some kind of external action. When Mother Teresa was asked about what she does during adoration she said, “I listen.” and then she was asked what does God do and she said, “He listens too.”
Don’t look for big visible responses. It’s kind of like being with your own mother here on Earth; some times are memorable while others are just good.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

One usually doesn’t “feel anything” when one prays, except maybe a sense of gratitude that Jesus and Mary hear our prayers.
Occasionally prayers can bring a sense of calm or joy, but this is not something that happens every time. Most of the time when I pray, I just pray and not much happens. I may focus on trying to get an insight from the words of the prayer or from the accompanying meditation if it’s a Rosary, but it’s not like you’re going to get warm fuzzies or ecstasies or anything.

It’s okay to pray one decade of the Rosary at a time if this works better with your day or helps you be more thoughtful in your prayer. If you do that, you might want to graduatlly work up to two decades, three decades etc. until you can complete the five decades in one sitting.

It’s not going to be “more powerful” or “less powerful” either way.