Praying the Rosary one decade at a time

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TabbyLilac

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Hi there,

I am a convert to Roman Catholicism, and have a question about how to go about praying the Rosary throughout the day. I’m a mom of two young children and rarely have the time to pray the entire Rosary at once. Usually I will do a decade or two wherever I can fit them in.

My question is this - Let’s say I pick up my Rosary in the morning, pray the Apostle’s Creed on the Crucifix, the Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, another Our Father, the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer before moving on to the first decade. I pray the first decade, then a child wakes up so I put it away for later. When I am able to come back to pray another decade, do I start over with the Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, another Our Father, etc?? Or can I just go straight into the next decade? I feel like I spend so much time doing the beginning part over and over that it’s probably why I don’t even get to finish the whole Rosary most days. I just don’t want to do it wrong, so I err on the side of caution.

Your (name removed by moderator)ut is appreciated!
 
The rosary is a private devotion. You are free to say it how you wish (obviously, in a group situation, it is more formal and standardised).

I’m sure Almighty God will bless you, however much or little you squeeze into your day! He understands mothers, and how your family must always be your priority. don’t get hung-up o saying formal prayers. You are a mother, not a nun, and you will please God far more by being a good and loving mother.
 
You certainly do not have to start over. It is also customary to go from the 5th decade of one set of mysteries to the first decade of the next mysteries without the completing prayers “Hail Holy Queen” etc.

One of my rosaries is specially made so that the beads move and retain their position so that if I put it down at some point, I can pick it up and tell where I left off.
 
I can remember my mother asking a priest-friend about the rosary. She was mother to five at the time (later 7). She worried that when she said the rosary at night, she sometimes fell asleep. She was delighted in his answer: “If you fall asleep while saying the rosary, a thousand angels pick up where you left off.” Better to pray what you can than not to pray at all. Thanks for bringing back that great memory.
 
We had our parish priest over to our home for spaghetti. After dinner we moved to the living room and he informed us that he had 2 decades of his daily rosary left and asked if we wanted to pray it with him. He is a priest whom I trust and admire for his personal holiness. After that I never again felt bad for having to say my rosary in sections throughout the day.

I am a homeschooling mother of 3 and some days that’s the only way it can get done. I also some days pray a decade here and there while driving. It will be a year in June that I joined the rosary confraternity and have prayed a rosary every day. If you knew me in real life you would know how big of an accomplishment that is.ha! I saw a psychologist for years and have an OCD diagnosis. I struggled for a long time feeling like I wasn’t praying my rosary “right”. I had the same concerns as you until I saw for myself that even our priest was so busy that he said his daily rosary this way (in parts).

As an aside, I challenged myself to say it daily for one year because I heard someone say (Fulton Sheen maybe?? IDK?) that if you do that that either you would stop mortal sinning or you would stop praying the rosary and I wanted to see if it was true. That either mortal sin would fall away from your life or the daily rosary would. Well I have lived it and can attest that this was true in my life! A certain habitual sin is thankfully no longer a regular occurrence. Mother Mary has mediated for me many graces. Praise be to God!
 
Also, here is a list from EWTN to further encourage you!!
The 15 Promises of Our Lady made to St. Dominic and Bl. Alan de la Roche
  1. To all those who shall recite my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and very great graces.
  2. Those who shall persevere in the recitation of my Rosary shall receive some signal grace.
  3. The Rosary shall be a very powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin, and dispel heresy.
  4. The Rosary will make virtue and good works flourish, and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies; it will substitute in hearts love of God for love of the world, and will lift them to the desire of heavenly and eternal things. How many souls shall sanctify themselves by this means!
  5. Those who trust themselves to me through the Rosary, shall not perish.
  6. Those who shall recite my Rosary devoutly, meditating on its mysteries, shall not be overwhelmed by misfortune. The sinner shall be converted; the just shall grow in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
  7. Those truly devoted to my Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
  8. Those who recite my Rosary shall find during their life and at their death the light of God, the fullness of His graces, and shall share in the merits of the blessed.
  9. I shall deliver very promptly from purgatory the souls devoted to my Rosary.
  10. The true children of my Rosary shall enjoy great glory in heaven.
  11. What you ask through my Rosary, you shall obtain.
  12. Those who propagate my Rosary shall be aided by me in all their necessities.
  13. I have obtained from my Son that all the members of the Rosary Confraternity shall have for their brethren the saints of heaven during their life and at the hour of death.
  14. Those who recite my Rosary faithfully are all my beloved children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
  15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
 
Another tip: If an entire rosary looks overwhelming to you (like it does to me) then use a single decade rosary. I have cheap plastic single decade rosaries EVERYWHERE! 🙂 In my purse, by my computer, at the dining room table where I homeschool my kids, on my bedside table, on top the console of my van, on my coffee table by my rocking chair. I timed myself once and it takes me 3 minutes or less to pray a decade. Once I figured that out, I realized I could easily do it here and there. Also, visually seeing them is a good reminder.
 
That is yes fine. Even Cardinal Ratizinger (*later Pope Benedict) noted he would at times just pray a decade or so …say in the space between things he was working on.

Note though for a Plenary Indulgence (ie praying it in the Church -with the other requirements) - I recall one would pray the whole 5 decades.
 
I deal with the same thing! (Not as a mom, but as a busy college student). I definitely think that saying one decade at a time is acceptable, and for some people it may even be better!

The way I look at it is like this: If I start thinking about how I HAVE to pray the rosary all at once, I am either not going to do it at all, or rush through it. Then once I am done, it becomes easier to forget about praying for a while. Our Lord Jesus said to pray unceasingly!

So praying a decade every so often throughout the day (usually takes about 5 minutes, maybe less), is a great way to stop at various points thought the day, and pray/praise/give thanks to God.
 
giuseppeTO said:
You certainly do not have to start over.** It is also customary to go from the 5th decade of one set of mysteries to the first decade of the next mysteries without the completing prayers “Hail Holy Queen” etc.**
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While the bolded might be customary for YOU, it’s not customary nor mandatory for others. The OP is clearly struggling, Please do not guilt her into wondering if this something she must further worry about. :rolleyes:
As a private devotion, Our Lady appreciates any and all prayers no matter how complicated and no matter how simple.
Being supportive is the most helpful thing.
 
mikeghiorso said:
I can remember my mother asking a priest-friend about the rosary. She was mother to five at the time (later 7). She worried that when she said the rosary at night, she sometimes fell asleep. She was delighted in his answer: “If you fall asleep while saying the rosary, a thousand angels pick up where you left off.” Better to pray what you can than not to pray at all. Thanks for bringing back that great memory.
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Amen, knew a Priest years ago who said the exact same thing.
 
when it comes to the Rosary, it’s all good! I go with a single decade string and fit it in when I can.
 
So many others have said it already. I will just add my voice to the chorus. 🙂
By all means, pray a decade at a time.:angel1:
 
TabbyLilac said:
Hi there,

I am a convert to Roman Catholicism, and have a question about how to go about praying the Rosary throughout the day. I’m a mom of two young children and rarely have the time to pray the entire Rosary at once. Usually I will do a decade or two wherever I can fit them in.

My question is this - Let’s say I pick up my Rosary in the morning, pray the Apostle’s Creed on the Crucifix, the Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, another Our Father, the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer before moving on to the first decade. I pray the first decade, then a child wakes up so I put it away for later. When I am able to come back to pray another decade, do I start over with the Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, another Our Father, etc?? Or can I just go straight into the next decade? I feel like I spend so much time doing the beginning part over and over that it’s probably why I don’t even get to finish the whole Rosary most days. I just don’t want to do it wrong, so I err on the side of caution.

Your (name removed by moderator)ut is appreciated!
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I believe God looks at the effort we go to and not so much at how spectacular we might think we are praying and arranging things. As well as what reads as great advice from others, you could also plan your Rosary decades to span the whole day, and this way you could include the beginning prayers each time, if it bothers you having to say them again, or the idea of not saying them even: decade in the early morn; decade around lunch; decade around 3pm, decade in the evening, and decade before sleep. :signofcross: :sleep:
 
TabbyLilac said:
Hi there,

I am a convert to Roman Catholicism, and have a question about how to go about praying the Rosary throughout the day. I’m a mom of two young children and rarely have the time to pray the entire Rosary at once. Usually I will do a decade or two wherever I can fit them in.
Click to expand...
Hi Tabby! I’m a convert as well with an infant at home. Usually when I rock in the glider with my son when i’m putting him down for his naps I will recite a decade or two. Oftentimes I just count with my fingers on my free hand if I don’t have my actual rosary with me. I find its the easiest time for me because I am forced to slow down and be quiet. Plus its pretty easy to think about miracles and be prayerful while watching your little one sleep!
 
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