Praying the Rosary

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7violinS

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Probably my scrupulosity again but, is it alright to just go to sleep before finishing a Rosary because I’m very tired? It’s getting to the point where I feel like I have to pray a whole Rosary before I sleep, and if I don’t, something terrible will happen because I wasn’t willing to sacrifice time for God. I usually pray 1 Rosary and then the one that feels like has to be done before going to bed. Would it be ok to just pray 1 mystery? Even as I type I feel like it would be selfish not to finish the Rosary or that maybe God wanted me to pray the Rosary for some reason, and if I don’t, whatever that ‘thing’ is won’t happen.
 
7violinS said:
Probably my scrupulosity again but, is it alright to just go to sleep before finishing a Rosary because I’m very tired? It’s getting to the point where I feel like I have to pray a whole Rosary before I sleep, and if I don’t, something terrible will happen because I wasn’t willing to sacrifice time for God. I usually pray 1 Rosary and then the one that feels like has to be done before going to bed. Would it be ok to just pray 1 mystery? Even as I type I feel like it would be selfish not to finish the Rosary or that maybe God wanted me to pray the Rosary for some reason, and if I don’t, whatever that ‘thing’ is won’t happen.
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It would be ok if you are too tired to pray. We need to balance our life - physical and spiritual. When I first got the “fire” for God, I spent way too much time for all kinds of church activities. What happened? I got exhausted and I couldn’t do my best in all activities. Now, I have to do few steps at a time and try to focus on what I am doing.

If you happen to be too tired to pray rosary over many times, then you need to make a good schedule for your praying time. If you normally go to sleep around 11:00pm, you should pray at least 1 or 2 hours ahead of time.

When you are resting, don’t feel that you are wasting time. Resting is to gain some energy so that you can pray again next time.

Do you know that Jesus and the disciples got their rests between preaching too. 🙂
 
There are worse things that can happen to you than falling asleep in prayer.

Is that not the best way to fall asleep? With the love of the Lord in your heart and on your lips?

“In manus tuas Domine, commendo spiritum meum”

OraLabora
 
How about getting up 15-20 minutes earlier and start the day with the Rosary?

OTOH, The last thing you do at night should be to pray; it should be how you fall asleep. But if the Rosary puts you to sleep, reserve the night for talking to God, go to sleep thanking and praising Him and maybe praying an extra Divine Mercy Chaplet for someone who needs it.
 
I heard here that there is a saying that if you fall asleep praying the rosary, the angels finish it for you!
 
water said:
Yes, I’ve heard that too, but I wouldn’t take that for granted. 🙂
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I have heard that as well, but I also like to say “what better place to fall asleep than in the arms of Jesus”
 
Last night I fell asleep reflecting on & thanking God for all the ways He has blessed me.

Earlier in the day I prayed the Rosary, and did not fall asleep while doing so. I often pray it while driving longish distances (25-30 minutes) or while doing housework. I also sing the Gloria or Magnificat while thus occupied. I read somewhere that St Theresa of Avila used to pray while using the WC, after all, God is with us everywhere and reverence is a state of mind.
 
So it’s ok just to pray 1? Sometimes I’ll finish a Rosary before going asleep and then a thought like ‘again’ pops up and I feel guilty because I feel that if I don’t pray it again, I’ll be breaking some kind of deal to pray it again and so the cycle continues. It is very tireing and wish that I could just pray once effectively instead of 5 Rosaries and a sleep deprived night. It’s just the guilt I feel after a flashing thought of ‘one more time’ flashes and if I don’t pray it again, I feel like I’d committed some selfish sin.😦
 
7violinS said:
So it’s ok just to pray 1? Sometimes I’ll finish a Rosary before going asleep and then a thought like ‘again’ pops up and I feel guilty because I feel that if I don’t pray it again, I’ll be breaking some kind of deal to pray it again and so the cycle continues. It is very tireing and wish that I could just pray once effectively instead of 5 Rosaries and a sleep deprived night. It’s just the guilt I feel after a flashing thought of ‘one more time’ flashes and if I don’t pray it again, I feel like I’d committed some selfish sin.😦
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Pray just 1. Accept that no-one ever prays the Rosary ‘perfectly’ because there’s no such thing as ‘perfect’ prayer.

And what’s this about a ‘deal’ to pray it again? A deal with whom? If you made a resolution privately by yourself then there’s no sin or selfishness involved in breaking it. Certainly anyone who has a normal full day can’t by any stretch of the imagination be expected to pray FIVE Rosaries.

Get some help with your scrupulosity and OCD - does it affect other areas of your life or simply prayer and confession?
 
I kept reminding myself that it didn’t have to be perfect, but it seems like a voice kept saying ’ you thought 2 Rosaries, now pray them!’ (and these thoughts usually flash as I’m praying the last mystery) It feels almost as though my head is saying to God ’ I’ll pray the Rosary’ and my body is saying ‘SLEEP’ and if I don’t pray it, I feel like I did not keep some sort of promise to God and therefore committed a serious sin:( I did make it a point to pray one or two Rosaries a day but now it feels like I have to pray until 3:30 am (which I have done) in order to rest assured that I didn’t offend God by not praying another Rosary or giving into sleep.
 
HI 7violins,

I was recently watching Father Corapi’s series on the Rosary and in the opening session he talked about one woman who came to him thinking she was sinning because she often had a difficult time finishing the Rosary because she was meditating so much about one of the mysteries, she never finished the decade before she fell asleep.

He chucked to himself and told her that she was praying the Rosary better than he did.

What is the Rosary except a reflection of the mysteries, a devotion to Mary through meditation on her blessed Son?

Relax, you’re probably doing a better job than most who manage to get through all the prayers.

With love,
George
 
Someone here on Catholic Answers once told me it was okay for me to pray just one decade at a time, because it is a private devotion. The reason I asked is because sometimes I just don’t have the time to do more, even though I’d like to. When I do one rosary it usually takes me 30 - 45 minutes, not the 15 minutes most people say that it takes. Sometimes I say one decade per day, sometimes 2 decades, sometimes a whole rosary. Sometimes in one day I say a whole rosary at one time or there is time between the decades I pray but I finish one rosary in a day.
 
ForwardProgress said:
I heard here that there is a saying that if you fall asleep praying the rosary, the angels finish it for you!
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I’ve not only heard it, I’ve tried it. That first time I tried it, when I awoke I felt that I had slept in a much better place. Perhaps it was the same place with different spiritual surroundings (angels or Mary or both?). That eventually started something.

As often as possible, I sleep with the Rosary in my hand. Generally, I merely pray three Hail Marys on going to sleep and three when waking (if I can). Of course in that physical state it is not easy to count and I am fairly confident that I rarely pray exactly three Hail Marys.

I really recommend sleeping with the Rosary in your hand. Best not to have a Rosary with sharp hard edges. You might scratch or cut your face. One way I’ve found is to put the Rosary in a clean sock and then put your hand in the sock. The cloth in the sock will prevent any scratches (which don’t happen often anyway). But better yet, the sock keeps the Rosary in your hand. So you don’t lose it in the middle of the night.

My hope is that Mary knows (and I think she does) that anytime I hold the Rosary in my hand, I really want her to be close. I’d rather hold Mary’s hand much like a child holds a mother’s hand. I’d rather lean on Mary and just be close much like a child wants to be close to mother. Spiritually, I am much like a small child still, I think. Together with my faith (that Mary understands), holding the Rosary works for me. Often, by faith I feel comforted.

jmm08
 
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