praying the rosary

[enfrydrych]

Before I fall asleep at night I say the rosary. If I dont finish it what
happens to the part that is not said. I do try to stay awake but
sometimes I just cant help it.

 

[Morwenna]

This has happened to me on occasion, too. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, God knows your heart.

Here is a little something which was told to me:

If you fall asleep before finishing the rosary, the angels finish it for you. :angel1:

BIG DISCLAIMER: As far as I know, the above is NOT official teaching, so don’t put too much stock in it, but I found it very heartwarming nevertheless

In any case, don’t stress about it. Tomorrow is a new day!

You might consider making the morning offering each day, too: ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/morning2.htm . Doing this helps me feel that nothing in my day is wasted, no matter how small or how bungled, because I’ve already offered it wholeheartedly to God … so even my partial rosary is a part of that offering

 

[jjbustamante]

This has happened to me on occasion, too. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, God knows your heart.

Here is a little something which was told to me:

If you fall asleep before finishing the rosary, the angels finish it for you. :angel1:

BIG DISCLAIMER: As far as I know, the above is NOT official teaching, so don’t put too much stock in it, but I found it very heartwarming nevertheless

In any case, don’t stress about it. Tomorrow is a new day!

You might consider making the morning offering each day, too: ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/morning2.htm . Doing this helps me feel that nothing in my day is wasted, no matter how small or how bungled, because I’ve already offered it wholeheartedly to God … so even my partial rosary is a part of that offering

I don’t know, in my opinion, we should be trying to do our best. If we can’t finish the Rosary (which is understandable for beginners) then we should keep trying till we can. Do what you need to (get up and walk around to wake yourself up, for example) or do it in the morning and pray for graces for the day. Best if we try to do the best we can.

To the OP, are you a beginner? If you are, don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. Start off by doing parts of the Rosary at different times of the day (like two decades in the morning, one mid-day, two in the evening, or whatever combination works for you), then when you can handle more, do more. It takes time.

When I started doing it regularly, I found that I get sleepy when I do it lying down and when I just do it mentally. It worked well to sit up straight (good posture really helps, for some reason) and vocalising it – and doing it vocally while meditating on it is how it’s supposed to be done. If you just do it all mentally, then your mind is consumed thinking of the prayers’ words over and over, so you get bored and fall asleep. It happens. Funny how it takes a while to actually learn how to do the Rosary right, but it sure is worth it.

 

[dailey]

Before I fall asleep at night I say the rosary. If I dont finish it what
happens to the part that is not said. I do try to stay awake but
sometimes I just cant help it.

I used to do that many years ago. I stopped because I felt like it was disrespectful in the sense that I could not set aside time in my actual day to devote to Her.

I think its great to drift off to sleep with prayers on the mind…just make sure you are spending enough time with God during the day as well…

 

[po18guy]

We have probably all experienced this. Since peaceful meditation relaxes us - sometimes to the point of sleepiness, it might be best to pray kneeling. You may also finish the Rosary the next morning. God is outside of time and will note that you have completed the Rosary, not when you completed it. Being contemplative prayer, it is different from other types of prayer. Essentially, it is completed as you pray it, since its purpose is meditation and you are meditating as you go. By comparison, the “Our Father” asks to be completed in one offering. God knows that your spirit is willing but your flesh is weak. However, the Rosary is not for relaxation, but rather active meditation. I would suggest praying it a little earlier in the evening if you can.

Christ’s peace be with you.

 

[NewsTheMan]

Not meaning to be overly militant… but my opinion is that it’s disrespectful to not complete your rosary. I think a few times here and there, by something outside your control (like, house on fire) is fine. But knowing you will fall asleep in a comfortable position etc doesn’t work for me. Falling asleep doesn’t just happen (narcolepsy aside ), you feel it coming on

If you start something, its discipline and right to finish it. That is the Christian way. That’s Christian discipline. I imagine that Christ is saddened when we do not complete our prayers. Can we not stay awake with him meditating upon the mystery of his life? Think back to the Garden and the Apostles who fell asleep. Stay away with our Lord. The Rosary is not something to be said lightly. Train your brain. If each word is said how it should be, with reverance and thought, there is no possible way you could fall asleep.

I am not perfect in that regard either, sure, my mind wonders. But I catch myself. This is why I pray on my knees whenever I pray the Rosary.

 

[Brooke449]

I don’t think it’s disrespectful to fall asleep when you’re praying. You are only human and God knows this. It’s far better to pray and fall asleep in the middle of it than not to pray at all.

 

[InspiritCarol]

Not meaning to be overly militant… but my opinion is that it’s disrespectful to not complete your rosary. I think a few times here and there, by something outside your control (like, house on fire) is fine. But knowing you will fall asleep in a comfortable position etc doesn’t work for me. Falling asleep doesn’t just happen (narcolepsy aside ), you feel it coming on

If you start something, its discipline and right to finish it. That is the Christian way. That’s Christian discipline. I imagine that Christ is saddened when we do not complete our prayers. Can we not stay awake with him meditating upon the mystery of his life? Think back to the Garden and the Apostles who fell asleep. Stay away with our Lord. The Rosary is not something to be said lightly. Train your brain. If each word is said how it should be, with reverance and thought, there is no possible way you could fall asleep.

I am not perfect in that regard either, sure, my mind wonders. But I catch myself. This is why I pray on my knees whenever I pray the Rosary.

Ah. You’re a better man than me.

Sometimes the day is just too hectic and overwhelming to get through an entire rosary. Does that mean that we shouldn’t try? I mean, maybe we don’t get as much out of it as we might, but remember, we as Catholics believe it is God’s grace to bestow however he sees fit, not ours to take from him but saying the absolute correct number of Ave Maria’s in the absolute correct disciplined sequence. I’m sure you didn’t mean that, but that’s how it sounds.

I’m not trying to belittle your discipline if that is where God is calling you to be. That’s great! Just beware that your words dishearten those who might otherwise now never start their prayers out of fear of offending God by falling asleep. I doubt that is your intention.

As far as saying each word with the proper thought; gee, after a long hellish day where I have fought the good fight for God, I find that I can lose myself in His love through the rosary and gently be cradled to sleep in His loving arms. ((BTW: Not all people “feel this coming on”. Just look at the number of traffic fatalities where someone has fallen asleep at the wheel.)) This should never evoke condemnation.

Besides, if you are truly praying at all times as Paul exhorts us to do (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18), wouldn’t it be impossible to fall asleep without being in prayer? - Just saying…

 

[NewsTheMan]

I don’t think it’s disrespectful to fall asleep when you’re praying.** You are only human and God knows this**. It’s far better to pray and fall asleep in the middle of it than not to pray at all.

I know, and God knows, but this isn’t something we should be saying. It should never come down to us saying ah well I’m human god understands. That’s the lapsed Catholics favourite phrase. I’m not saying thats what you are, or passing judgement. I’m saying that when you do happen to not complete it, try better next time, get on your knees, say it earlier in the day.

How often do you fall asleep driving? How often do you fall asleep whilst eating your dinner? You can stay away feeding your body but not your soul. I understand these are “harsh” words but its what we are called to do. Sometimes Christianity is a discipline of staying awake, and finishing what you are supposed to.

If the attitude is “Well, God, this is just bonus for you, so if I fall asleep its cool” then you should, I believe, take another look at prayer and especially devotional prayer.

Ah. You’re a better man than me.

Sometimes the day is just too hectic and overwhelming to get through an entire rosary. Does that mean that we shouldn’t try? I mean, maybe we don’t get as much out of it as we might, but remember, we as Catholics believe it is God’s grace to bestow however he sees fit, not ours to take from him but saying the absolute correct number of Ave Maria’s in the absolute correct disciplined sequence. I’m sure you didn’t mean that, but that’s how it sounds.

I’m not trying to belittle your discipline if that is where God is calling you to be. That’s great! Just beware that your words dishearten those who might otherwise now never start their prayers out of fear of offending God by falling asleep. I doubt that is your intention.

As far as saying each word with the proper thought; gee, after a long hellish day where I have fought the good fight for God, I find that I can lose myself in His love through the rosary and gently be cradled to sleep in His loving arms. ((BTW: Not all people “feel this coming on”. Just look at the number of traffic fatalities where someone has fallen asleep at the wheel.)) This should never evoke condemnation.

Besides, if you are truly praying at all times as Paul exhorts us to do (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18), wouldn’t it be impossible to fall asleep without being in prayer? - Just saying…

Of course it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. But I don’t believe my words are disheartening either. Why is prayer considered some kind of bonus for God’s benefit? Or even, purely for your own benefit? Prayer is serious. Imagine you were right in front of Jesus and Mary having a conversation with them - you would fight every urge to sleep, until you have finished talking to them in person.

I don’t think the traffic example follows. Those who fall asleep at the wheel do so because they refuse to acknowledge they are tired - its entirely irresponsible and should be condemned. When I lived in England I remember adverts condemning those who carried on driving while tired. Prayer is different though. As for what Paul tells us to do, look I agree but don’t take the scripture out of context. This is the Rosary, a devotional prayer that you always have the intention of finishing.

It does sound harsh, and I apologize, its the way tone and voicing comes over on the internet. I’m saying this as lovingly as possible But I do believe that once we start giving excuses for ourselves they are too easy to follow. It’s like. Imagine you get a new job. And you say, from day one, “well… its cool if I get fired, I’m only human”. How well are you going to do that job? No! You should say “This is my job, I chose it, I am prepared to do it well, because that is what I am called to do”.

Of course its not about 50 Hail Mary’s and a numbers game. It’s about your soul and the discipline. It’s about a conversation with God. It’s about respect to God. It’s about finishing what you start. God gives us grace as a gift, but how much can we accept when our minds are wandering because “I’m only human”?

I think that its best to start the rosary and finish it, reasonable events aside. And sleeping I don’t think is one of them!

 

[laszlo]

If you fall asleep before finishing the rosary, the angels finish it for you. :angel1:

This was my primary reaction too, to the original post.

Traditionally the night and the dreams are considered to be full with temptations, so to fall asleep with prayer is help against the sin. Above that to accept our imperfections (falling asleep) is humility and thus virtue.

 

[NewsTheMan]

This was my primary reaction too, to the original post.

Traditionally the night and the dreams are considered to be full with temptations, so to fall asleep with prayer is help against the sin. Above that to accept our imperfections (falling asleep) is humility and thus virtue.

Sorry, but that is not correct. You spoke of Tradition. Traditionally we want to be perfect. It is false humility to accept our imperfections and thus we are being virtuous. We are to be perfect like Christ is perfect. Humility is not about what you are, its about what you aren’t. Humility is about others, not yourself. You can’t go around saying “I’m humble” because that goes against humility. Similarly, we can’t say “I accept my faults, I’m humble which means I am virtuous thus its cool if I fall asleep praying”.

 

[marytk]

I see my own limitations and it shows me that I am nothing with out Christ. I can not change myself but I let him change me.

St Therese of the Child Jesus fell asleep while she was praying.
In truth. I am no Saint, as this frame of mind well shows. I ought not to rejoice in the dryness of my soul, but rather attribute it to my want of fervour and fidelity. That I fall asleep so often during meditation and Thanksgiving after Communion should distress me. Well, I am not distressed. I reflect that little children are equally dear to their parents whether they are asleep or awake; that in order to perform operations, doctors put their patients to sleep and finally that " THE LORD knoweth our frame, He rememberth that we are dust".

 

[AnneElliot]

Pray the Rosary during the day, when you are awake. Set aside a specific time for it, and just do it! If you pray one set of mysteries (5 decades) it would only take you about 15-20mins. Surely you can set aside that much time well before your bedtime to say the Rosary with attention and devotion.

That said, there is no harm in praying *another *Rosary before you fall asleep…

 

[laszlo]

Sorry, but that is not correct. You spoke of Tradition. Traditionally we want to be perfect. It is false humility to accept our imperfections and thus we are being virtuous. We are to be perfect like Christ is perfect. Humility is not about what you are, its about what you aren’t. Humility is about others, not yourself. You can’t go around saying “I’m humble” because that goes against humility. Similarly, we can’t say “I accept my faults, I’m humble which means I am virtuous thus its cool if I fall asleep praying”.

I was grown up on that way that humility has three levels:

• accept others as they are
• accept yourself as you are
• accept God in your life

And yes, it is cool if you fall asleep praying instead of falling asleep fantasizing on your next date with you girlfriend, or anything sinful or even profane.

Naturally we are not alike.

 

[NewsTheMan]

I was grown up on that way that humility has three levels:

• accept others as they are
• accept yourself as you are
• accept God in your life

And yes, it is cool if you fall asleep praying instead of falling asleep fantasizing on your next date with you girlfriend, or anything sinful or even profane.

Naturally we are not alike.

I was taught that humility was:

• Fair and true estimation of the self
• Submitting
• Respectful reverance

“Accepting yourself as you are” is, in my opinion, poltically correct phrasing for “whatever”. Accept what you cannot change, yes. Thank God for who you are, yes. But, lets talk within this specific case, don’t ‘accept’ you fall asleep. Change it.

Estimate yourself enough to realise you can not fall asleep. Submit to the Divine Will. And respect the prayers enough to stay awake.

This is about the Rosary. Not just “everyday continuous prayer” i.e. informally chatting to God. It is private prayer yes, but reverance and due attention is still needed.

And nice little bit you added on the end there. As if to justify your position by making out like I am doing the opposite. Who said you cannot fall asleep while thinking about God? Who said you cannot fall asleep talking to God or Mary? Why do you have to make a comparison to trivial or sinful things?

We might not be alike, but I am sure we both want to do the right thing. And I believe that it is better to stay awake in praying the Rosary.

 

[laszlo]

NewsTheMan:
In the good old traditional times a Dominican monk asked the Holy Inquisition: Am I allowed to smoke, while I am praying?

The categorical answer was: No

So his Jesuit friend set up the question: Am I allowed to pray while I am smoking?

Yes, was the definite answer.

For the Rosary. If someone pray it as some kind of obligation as member of the third order, vow or similar, that than naturaly it has to be prayed awaken. But to fill up one’s night with holy thoughts and thus pray it while falling asleep is an honest and recommended habit. The prayer is an instrument to help our pilgrimage toward God.

 

[InspiritCarol]

Of course it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. But I don’t believe my words are disheartening either. Why is prayer considered some kind of bonus for God’s benefit? Or even, purely for your own benefit?

I never said those words or even IMPLIED them. I SAID I pray at all times and I truly DO. I am the music director at a mission here in the wilds of Catholic-hating Oregon. I have hymns running through my mind pretty much ALL the time. On top of that I pray the LOTH, go to daily mass, and pray the rosary sometimes up to 5x/day. This is not to show my piousness. God knows I AM human, it is just to say that we are all called to, or in my case driven to certain levels of prayer-life.

You seem to have no concept of the burdens some of us bear. Truly. On top of my plethora of Church duties, I have two toddlers and a baby AND I am a care-giver to my mom, (my dad having passed only a year ago); not to mention, I am a devoted and loving wife as well. If I fall asleep when I say my final rosary of the evening with my family: (that’s right we all say it together): 1. I KNOW that they finish it for me and 2. WHAT BUSINESS IS IT OF YOURS? Truly; that IS between me and God.

Whether you choose to think so or not, your callous, apathetic words ARE not *ONLY *disheartening, they are cruel and malicious. It is **wonderful **that you are able to feel fulfilled in your walk with God and I **get **that you desire others to find such completeness, but it is not your place to judge where people are in their walks with God. It IS a magic formula you are prescribing. You can not say that 53 Ave Marias and 6 Pater Nosters are any more or less valid than one simple prayer said with the right heart, or one period of time spent meditating on holy scripture, or simply telling God:

“I love You, O my God,
and my only desire is to love You
until the last breath of my life.

I love You, O my infinitely lovable God,
and I would rather die loving You,
than live without loving You.

I love You, Lord
and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally…

My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You,
I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath.”
(Thank you St. John Vianney)

Prayer is serious. Imagine you were right in front of Jesus and Mary having a conversation with them - you would fight every urge to sleep, until you have finished talking to them in person.

Don’t you see that this is an amazing GRACE that has been bestowed upon you to be able to do this? It is not something that we remotely have the ability to do out of thin air. For if it is not claimed through grace then it IS just as the atheists say: empty imaginings. Yes we need to make room in our hearts for God to fill but it is UP to GOD how that space is to be filled and how that manifestation is to take place through our outward devotions. GOD, not NewsTheMan. **You ***know *this, of course. I sense your sincerity. What you seem to be blind to is that your good intentions are being used against you.

I don’t think the traffic example follows. Those who fall asleep at the wheel do so because they refuse to acknowledge they are tired - its entirely irresponsible and should be condemned. … Prayer is different though. As for what Paul tells us to do, look I agree but don’t take the scripture out of context. This is the Rosary, a devotional prayer that you always have the intention of finishing.

Says who? Just YOU as far as I can see. Again, what business is it of yours if I choose to meditate only on the scourging, or the calling of the kingdom, or the Eucharist in my night’s prayer? Do you even know that the rosary was originally designed to represent the Psalms because the illiterate Brothers couldn’t memorize them? Be wary of “vain repitition”.

… But I do believe that once we start giving excuses for ourselves they are too easy to follow. It’s like. Imagine you get a new job. And you say, from day one, “well… its cool if I get fired, I’m only human”. How well are you going to do that job? No! You should say “This is my job, I chose it, I am prepared to do it well, because that is what I am called to do”.

Again, that is fantastic for you, thank you for setting a fine example, BUT You ASSUME too much.

Of course its not about 50 Hail Mary’s and a numbers game. It’s about your soul and the discipline. It’s about a conversation with God. It’s about respect to God. It’s about finishing what you start. God gives us grace as a gift, but how much can we accept when our minds are wandering because “I’m only human”?

We can accept as much as we can accept. God is patient and kind. Hopefully we can grow less distracted and closer to God in our devotions as we continue them, but falling asleep is in no way a sign of lack of attention or respect. It is the blessed rest that comes after a LONG HARD DAY. It is God’s gift for our labors, not a turning away from Him in any way.

I think that its best to start the rosary and finish it, reasonable events aside. And sleeping I don’t think is one of them!

I agree it is ideal to say a complete rosary when possible, but you ARE being completely ignorant (as in you haven’t been-there-done-that) and judgmental about: 1.how difficult a day one might have had; and 2. how devoted one truly is to Our Lord.
Falling asleep while praying the rosary does NOT intrinsically come between us and God; it is NOT a SIN.
Peace, Brother. Thank you for sharing a goal to strive for.

 

[dailey]

Not meaning to be overly militant… but my opinion is that it’s disrespectful to not complete your rosary. I think a few times here and there, by something outside your control (like, house on fire) is fine. But knowing you will fall asleep in a comfortable position etc doesn’t work for me. Falling asleep doesn’t just happen (narcolepsy aside ), you feel it coming on

If you start something, its discipline and right to finish it. That is the Christian way. That’s Christian discipline. I imagine that Christ is saddened when we do not complete our prayers. Can we not stay awake with him meditating upon the mystery of his life? Think back to the Garden and the Apostles who fell asleep. Stay away with our Lord. The Rosary is not something to be said lightly. Train your brain. If each word is said how it should be, with reverance and thought, there is no possible way you could fall asleep.

I am not perfect in that regard either, sure, my mind wonders. But I catch myself. This is why I pray on my knees whenever I pray the Rosary.

Totally agree.

Listen, I think its great that the OP is saying the rosary before bed. But if they keep falling asleep while saying it, then that should be a red flag that maybe they need to set some time aside during the day. Of course, all prayers are good. But if the OP felt the need to come here and ask the question, then obviously they must feel some guilt in doing so.

 

[Marie5890]

I am of the opinion we should never get “pharisetical” about our devotions.
Christ was always railing against the Pharisees about their legalistic approach to their relationship with God.

Falling asleep while saying the rosary? If the intent of your heart and soul is pure, dont worry. It wont be counted against you. God is Merciful.

 

[Marie5890]

Not meaning to be overly militant… but my opinion is that it’s disrespectful to not complete your rosary. I think a few times here and there, by something outside your control (like, house on fire) is fine. But knowing you will fall asleep in a comfortable position etc doesn’t work for me. Falling asleep doesn’t just happen (narcolepsy aside ), you feel it coming on

If you start something, its discipline and right to finish it. That is the Christian way. That’s Christian discipline. I imagine that Christ is saddened when we do not complete our prayers. Can we not stay awake with him meditating upon the mystery of his life? Think back to the Garden and the Apostles who fell asleep. Stay away with our Lord. The Rosary is not something to be said lightly. Train your brain. If each word is said how it should be, with reverance and thought, there is no possible way you could fall asleep.

I am not perfect in that regard either, sure, my mind wonders. But I catch myself. This is why I pray on my knees whenever I pray the Rosary.

I do hear what you are saying, especially considering you are coming from the approach of not being disrespectful.

It’s also important, however, not to become like the Pharisees where the “letter of the law” becomes a burden to the spirit of the law.

One has to look at the intent of their own souls.

Are we lazy? Or are we tired?

There is a difference, and that difference does matter.