Praying Rosary in public

[bluelake]

Before I became interested in the Catholic church, I saw a group of 5-6 people praying the rosary in the train station. I saw it as Catholic repetitive prayer. It did not serve as a witness to me of Christ at all.

This is usually the first thought among folks who do not understand the Catholic faith. Please do not be quick to judge on actions of others. You may be wrong .
As one person mentioned, prayers can be said without the Rosary beads as you know.
it’s a wonderful devotion.
btw, I’m not Catholic, but I pray the Rosary every night. It also is a good sleeping aid.
a person can drift off to sleep with God on his mind.

God bless,
bluelake

 

[TrueLight]

This is usually the first thought among folks who do not understand the Catholic faith. Please do not be quick to judge on actions of others. You may be wrong .

My point is that I don’t see it as serving as a witness because a lot of people won’t understand what it means. Of course anyone can pray the rosary where and when they want, but I don’t think it really serves as a witness to non-Catholics who don’t know about the Rosary.

btw, I’m not Catholic, but I pray the Rosary every night. It also is a good sleeping aid.
a person can drift off to sleep with God on his mind.

I know that from experience. I even started a thread on that.

 

[christina65]

I use a rosary ring whenever I pray the rosary on the train, on my way to work. I feel more at ease using one as it is not as “showy” as rosary beads.

Like you, Bev17243, I feel that my morning commute is the best time for me to pray the rosary. I don’t get interrupted or distracted by anything. It doesn’t hurt that I feel lighter and energized after, raring to tackle work. I was never a morning person, but praying the rosary during my commute never fails to improve my mood.

---

“How beautiful is the family that recites the rosary every evening.” – Blessed John Paul II

 

[GRATEFULONEjim]

too many minds. you’re worried too much about how someone will see you. is that it?
doing things as a group may be easier. if there is a friend of yours that prays as well. ask them for help so you may get used to doing things in public. Remember - however - we are asked to pray in isolation. it is not there to be a show.

I never look at praying my Rosary a show. Scripture warns of hypocrites praying in public, not those who are truly following in the footsteps of Jesus. Many Catholics today don’t openly show their faith. Maybe on ash Wednesday. I am very pleased to openly profess my faith. By openly living a Catholic life, there is no better way to show people the gifts the Catholic Church has to offer. We are called to evangelize. What better than to show people our love, compassion and devotion in the way we truly live. By hiding your faith, are you saying you are ashamed? I hope not, because you know that Jesus said He will be ashamed of you too in front of His Father.

 

[bethanysamuel]

My point is that I don’t see it as serving as a witness because a lot of people won’t understand what it means. Of course anyone can pray the rosary where and when they want, but I don’t think it really serves as a witness to non-Catholics who don’t know about the Rosary.

Truelight,

It does show witness; not only to faith in the Rosary, but in having the courage to not be ashamed of doing it in public. In the same way that if you say grace before a meal in public, you are a witness to both the grace prayer, and the courage not to shy away from it. However, prayer should not be boastful, so you can be discreet, and also be respectful to those around you who may not want to follow suit.

But if you see a person on a bus saying the Rosary and it doesn’t seem a witness to you, that’s fine. No-one’s asking you to join in or be influenced by it. But if you are at a stage in your life when you are being “called”, it probably will mean something to you, and the encounter will probably not just be coincidence.

Again, faith is not something we can be talked into, it has to come from within you, within your heart, when you are ready

 

[SpaceGhost]

I discovered that i have perfect amount of time to pray the rosary while i take the bus to work as it takes me at least 30-40 min. However, i feel akward using Rosary in public. I have actually seen couple of old ladies doing it but its a little weird for me. Has anyone done that before or is it just not a good idea in general?

…I only hope that one day you can pray the Rosary without worry about who’s watching or being concerned with their thoughts. Who knows, your praying the Rosary in public may be the one witness to someone else struggling with their faith. Who knows, I may be wrong here, probably am.

Peace

SG

 

[Lovesa]

Hi. Another vote for whatever feels most comfortable to you.

I’d also like to second that the people on the bus are usually wrapped up in their own business and won’t bother with what you are or aren’t doing. I prayed the rosary in public myself the other day, albeit not on the bus, and nothing untoward came of it. I was walking somewhere to meet up with my mother for lunch, and I happened through the downtown residential district.

The streets there are packed in the summer; I don’t mean the roads; I mean everyone is out on his or her yard or porch, talking/reader/whatever. The only people who noticed what I was doing had nothing but big smiles to offer, so, even if I was a little nervous at times it was all right.

However, if it’s still nerve-wracking, fingers are your friends!

 

[Cat]

I pray the Rosary while I’m taking my daily fitness walk out in the park. Lots of HIspanics come to this park, and they seem to like what I’m doing!

May I suggest a knotted cord Rosary if you’re praying on a bus or in a public place? My husband makes them, and they’re available in stores and online. Here’s a typical website with a lot of pictures; they look just like the ones my husband makes.

realliferosary.com/free.html

The advantage of knotted cord Rosaries is that they are silent. They don’t “clink” or “jingle” against a table or chair (or bus seat).

Also, they just look like a cord–many people would not identify it as a Rosary. No sparkly beads, no “bling!” So you never have to worry that people will think you’re showing off.

TrueLight, back when I was evangelical Protestant, I was fascinated by the Rosary. I had one that my dad bought at an auction, and I was always interested in it. I think that although some of the fundamentalists denominations will criticize a Rosary, many of the evangelical denominations realize that there is nothing wrong with “repetition,” since they themselves do it when they sing same praise and worship chorus many many times during the worship time of the service. Jesus didn’t condemn "repetitions,’ He condemned vain repetitions.

Also, is everyone aware that praying with beads is something that is done in many different religions other than Christianity? So I doubt anyone would think it was strange to pray a Rosary in public these days.

Finally, is everyone aware that there are “ecumenical” versions of the Rosary for non-Catholic Christians? About ten years ago my husband got interested in these, and then he started making Rosaries and praying the ecumenical versions. (Most of these use the Our Father rather than the Hail Mary, and the meditations are usually Bible passages or events in the Life of Jesus.) After reading a very nice history of praying with beads, my husband eventually “graduated” to praying the traditional Catholic Rosary. And that’s one thing that helped us to get interested in Catholicism!

 

[Anthony00814]

The Rosary is a able prayer that has accurate to be able abundant times throughout history.The Mohammedan Ottoman Empire, which again was at the aiguille of its argosy ability and aggressive to beat Christian Europe, beatific a agile of some 300 abuse into the Gulf of Lepanto.

---

herbal tea

 

[Alexander_Roman]

My point is that I don’t see it as serving as a witness because a lot of people won’t understand what it means. Of course anyone can pray the rosary where and when they want, but I don’t think it really serves as a witness to non-Catholics who don’t know about the Rosary.

Well, in my years of “bus-praying” I can tell you that you are WRONG! (Please don’t take this the wrong way! ).

As for repetitive prayer, if you look in the Gospel of John, I believe, it gives the text of the prayers our Lord said during his three hours of prayer in the Garden. The texts were one sentence and our Lord repeated them slowly, over and over again for that time period.

Repetitive prayer is really the best kind - we slowly peel back the layers of indifference and distractedness in us as we become enlightened about the real meaning of the essence of the prayer our spirit clings to. Like the Jesus Prayer. I have said it thousands of times in a single day and can say it always - it never tires me and each time I say it is like a “separate prayer” since a different understanding of it is given to me then.

Be that as it may, I’ve used “decima” rosaries on buses. There were times when students pointed out to their friends that I was praying the rosary.

One girl couldn’t take her eyes off the decima/tenner I had and was telling her friends how her mother loved the Rosary etc.

As I left the bus, I passed by her and slipped my little rosary into her hand, much to her surprise. I’ve given rosaries like this to others on the bus who have struck up conversations, including booklets with scriptural verses for each Hail Mary i.e. the scriptural rosary. Some of these I met later on who told me how the scriptural rosary has become such a great part of their lives etc.

The same is true of psalm-books and other prayer books. I’ve given these to people who found them interesting.

I had a Coptic Book of Hours (Agpeya) and an RC fellow next to me was fascinated by it and the fact that there was a scriptural reading in each Hour.

So I gave it to him! One school girl asked me if she could look over my shoulder so we could read the psalms together. . .

In such a case, if one is going to potentially give such things away to interested people on the public transit, it is good to have copies so that you are yourself not left without that spiritual resource!

This thread has brought back some very nice memories for me! Thank you.

Alex

 

[Alexander_Roman]

I pray the Rosary while I’m taking my daily fitness walk out in the park. Lots of HIspanics come to this park, and they seem to like what I’m doing!

May I suggest a knotted cord Rosary if you’re praying on a bus or in a public place? My husband makes them, and they’re available in stores and online. Here’s a typical website with a lot of pictures; they look just like the ones my husband makes.

realliferosary.com/free.html

The advantage of knotted cord Rosaries is that they are silent. They don’t “clink” or “jingle” against a table or chair (or bus seat).

Also, they just look like a cord–many people would not identify it as a Rosary. No sparkly beads, no “bling!” So you never have to worry that people will think you’re showing off.

TrueLight, back when I was evangelical Protestant, I was fascinated by the Rosary. I had one that my dad bought at an auction, and I was always interested in it. I think that although some of the fundamentalists denominations will criticize a Rosary, many of the evangelical denominations realize that there is nothing wrong with “repetition,” since they themselves do it when they sing same praise and worship chorus many many times during the worship time of the service. Jesus didn’t condemn "repetitions,’ He condemned vain repetitions.

Also, is everyone aware that praying with beads is something that is done in many different religions other than Christianity? So I doubt anyone would think it was strange to pray a Rosary in public these days.

Finally, is everyone aware that there are “ecumenical” versions of the Rosary for non-Catholic Christians? About ten years ago my husband got interested in these, and then he started making Rosaries and praying the ecumenical versions. (Most of these use the Our Father rather than the Hail Mary, and the meditations are usually Bible passages or events in the Life of Jesus.) After reading a very nice history of praying with beads, my husband eventually “graduated” to praying the traditional Catholic Rosary. And that’s one thing that helped us to get interested in Catholicism!

How absolutely wonderful you and your husband are!!! The knotted cord rosary is the original rosary and Dominicans, for example, would wear them wrapped around their left wrist (which is also how EC and EO priests, bishops and monastics - including laity - wear them today).

We have different religions in Toronto who all their form of prayer beads. You are more than correct, Christians wouldn’t stand out.

Our Muslim friends pray five times a day, they don’t care what other people think of their fulfilling their prayers. Christians ideally should pray from three to seven separate times daily.

What would happen if our society got used to us dropping everything to make our prayers in this way?

I say, Christians of the world unite!!

Alex

 

[barb_finnegan]

I always wear clothes that have a pocket, and I always keep a Rosary in it. So, if I want to say the Rosary, I can slip my hand into the pocket without anyone seeing what I’m doing. I used to do that on walks.

St. Bernadette of Lourdes did that, too, when one of her friends asked her why she had her hand in the pocket of her apron. She said she kept the Rosary hidden because she didn’t want to have Our Lady to be ill-spoken of by people who didn’t understand or who would mock.

 

[Alexander_Roman]

I always wear clothes that have a pocket, and I always keep a Rosary in it. So, if I want to say the Rosary, I can slip my hand into the pocket without anyone seeing what I’m doing. I used to do that on walks.

St. Bernadette of Lourdes did that, too, when one of her friends asked her why she had her hand in the pocket of her apron. She said she kept the Rosary hidden because she didn’t want to have Our Lady to be ill-spoken of by people who didn’t understand or who would mock.

In years gone by, Catholics would often walk with a bag slung over their shoulder so they could keep a hand inside as they prayed the rosary as they went.

This became so very popular that people began to calculate distances between villages in terms of how many rosaries one could say between point A and point B.

So if asked what the distance was to THAT town, one would hear the reply, “8 rosaries.”

From this came the infrequently heard, modern saying, “It’s only a Hail Mary away.”

Alex

 

[YankeeRC]

My point is that I don’t see it as serving as a witness because a lot of people won’t understand what it means. Of course anyone can pray the rosary where and when they want, but I don’t think it really serves as a witness to non-Catholics who don’t know about the Rosary.

Even if the Rosary is prayed silently a person may see the Rosary and see the peace of a person praying the Rosary and be influenced by the silent witness.

Also, if you pray the Rosary and it yields spiritual fruit in your life, your life may bring someone to Christ.

It doesnt have to be vocal and ostensibly public.

In a similar way it like the Jesus fish on cars. One should be very careful driving with one of thode on your car

 

[Incomplete]

In years gone by, Catholics would often walk with a bag slung over their shoulder so they could keep a hand inside as they prayed the rosary as they went.

This became so very popular that people began to calculate distances between villages in terms of how many rosaries one could say between point A and point B.

So if asked what the distance was to THAT town, one would hear the reply, “8 rosaries.”

From this came the infrequently heard, modern saying, “It’s only a Hail Mary away.”

Alex

A cool piece of history I never knew before. Thanks for posting this!

And thanks, OP, for starting this thread. I’ve learned some things.

 

[GaryTaylor]

You know the Miraculous Medal Mass on Monday nights takes place World Wide. SO you can go to church and recite the Rosary in a public group also.

As fas as streetcorners and planned public meetings etc. America Needs Fatima is doing a lot of work in that area. But its more than just a group praying the Rosary. Basic informtion booth set-up with pamphlets etc.

I carry a Rosary pretty much all the time. But I never pray with them in public or wear them. And I have seen Catholics in there 50’s wearing Rosarys so its not youth fad.

But for me the habit of being able to pray under any any circumstance has pretty much become a norm. For exaample I pray at the Dentist offfice with ni-isssue. In silence of course.

If your going to spend much time worrying about what others think? You’ll waste a lot of time on what you have no control over. What do you suppose the population thought of Jesus Christ? Bible pretty much sums it up doesn’t it?

God Bless, Gary

 

[Kouyate42]

I’ve prayed in public before. If you don’t think of it as a big deal, then it shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[perro_sarnoso]

I discovered that i have perfect amount of time to pray the rosary while i take the bus to work as it takes me at least 30-40 min. However, i feel akward using Rosary in public. I have actually seen couple of old ladies doing it but its a little weird for me. Has anyone done that before or is it just not a good idea in general?

Think of the number of strange and disgusting things people do while driving, walking down the street or just standing around in public…like picking at a particular part of their anatomy or expelling and extracting certain body secretions.

You get the picture…

Praying the traditional format rosary trumps any and all of the above descriptions for things done in public. Praying the rosary under your circumstances is like a call to pray, meditate and seek a life of the spirit for whoever sees you and is open to God,s grace.

Keep up the good work.

 

[BrianIndy]

Before I became interested in the Catholic church, I saw a group of 5-6 people praying the rosary in the train station. I saw it as Catholic repetitive prayer. It did not serve as a witness to me of Christ at all.

Well that’s because you didn’t really know what they were doing then. Now you do.

 

[Kakieanne]

Well, in my years of “bus-praying” I can tell you that you are WRONG! (Please don’t take this the wrong way! ).

As for repetitive prayer, if you look in the Gospel of John, I believe, it gives the text of the prayers our Lord said during his three hours of prayer in the Garden. The texts were one sentence and our Lord repeated them slowly, over and over again for that time period.

Repetitive prayer is really the best kind - we slowly peel back the layers of indifference and distractedness in us as we become enlightened about the real meaning of the essence of the prayer our spirit clings to. Like the Jesus Prayer. I have said it thousands of times in a single day and can say it always - it never tires me and each time I say it is like a “separate prayer” since a different understanding of it is given to me then.

Be that as it may, I’ve used “decima” rosaries on buses. There were times when students pointed out to their friends that I was praying the rosary.

One girl couldn’t take her eyes off the decima/tenner I had and was telling her friends how her mother loved the Rosary etc.

As I left the bus, I passed by her and slipped my little rosary into her hand, much to her surprise. I’ve given rosaries like this to others on the bus who have struck up conversations, including booklets with scriptural verses for each Hail Mary i.e. the scriptural rosary. Some of these I met later on who told me how the scriptural rosary has become such a great part of their lives etc.

The same is true of psalm-books and other prayer books. I’ve given these to people who found them interesting.

I had a Coptic Book of Hours (Agpeya) and an RC fellow next to me was fascinated by it and the fact that there was a scriptural reading in each Hour.

So I gave it to him! One school girl asked me if she could look over my shoulder so we could read the psalms together. . .

In such a case, if one is going to potentially give such things away to interested people on the public transit, it is good to have copies so that you are yourself not left without that spiritual resource!

This thread has brought back some very nice memories for me! Thank you.

Alex

Alex, I loved your message. It was such a shining example of how, when we quieten our hearts before God in repetitive prayer, He can work in our hearts and lives. Your generosity is so beautiful, as Mother Teresa would say “Something beautiful for God”.

Back to the original topic…I have a rosary bracelet that I regularly pray on the bus. And if it is too difficult to use while I am walking, I do as others on this board have suggested and use my fingers.

Kathy