Protestants and the rosary

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Mercy unto you, and peace, and charity be fulfilled. Jude 1:2 D-R Translation

What do you think about Protestants(and other non-Catholic Christians be it Orthodox,Evangelical and Non-Denominational) and the Rosary? From a previous post I read, it appears that there are mainline denominations that practice it. But to be earnest, I believe the Rosary is an archetype of Catholics and Catholic religious life, so I do not think it is quite common outside the Church. What do you guys think about this? Have you discussed or talked about the Rosary with Protestant or other non-Catholic Christian friends or even non-Christian friends? Protestants,Evangelicals,Charismatics,Non-Denominational,Muslims,Jews,Hindus,Buddhist and peoples of other Faiths your also welcome to share your thoughts to share your thoughts 🙂

Personally it might actually be really interesting and maybe even cool. I mean potentially Protestants may very well benefit from the rosary. For instance, Protestants especially could utilize the rosary to meditate on the mysteries-which stem from the Bible-the Gospel to be specific- come to think about it the Rosary could be pretty compatible to Protestants-again what do you guys think about it? And it could possibly help build solidarity and ecumenism between Catholics and Non-Catholic Christians.
 
As far as I know, praying the Rosary is almost entirely a Catholic practice. I have never seen a Protestant of any denomination pray the rosary, although I do understand that some (very few) Anglicans use a similar concept (Anglican prayer beads or something).
 
RCIAGraduate said:
Mercy unto you, and peace, and charity be fulfilled. Jude 1:2 D-R Translation

What do you think about Protestants(and other non-Catholic Christians be it Orthodox,Evangelical and Non-Denominational) and the Rosary? From a previous post I read, it appears that there are mainline denominations that practice it. But to be earnest, I believe the Rosary is an archetype of Catholics and Catholic religious life, so I do not think it is quite common outside the Church. What do you guys think about this? Have you discussed or talked about the Rosary with Protestant or other non-Catholic Christian friends or even non-Christian friends? Protestants,Evangelicals,Charismatics,Non-Denominational,Muslims,Jews,Hindus,Buddhist and peoples of other Faiths your also welcome to share your thoughts to share your thoughts 🙂

Personally it might actually be really interesting and maybe even cool. I mean potentially Protestants may very well benefit from the rosary. For instance, Protestants especially could utilize the rosary to meditate on the mysteries-which stem from the Bible-the Gospel to be specific- come to think about it the Rosary could be pretty compatible to Protestants-again what do you guys think about it? And it could possibly help build solidarity and ecumenism between Catholics and Non-Catholic Christians.
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Lutherans, not many, do use the Rosary. Typically, it is altered somewhat to respond to our mariology, which does not include invocation. So, for example, the Hail Mary will not include the second verse.

Jon
 
I can’t see anything wrong with it from an orthodox perspective.
 
I have several protestant friends who pray the Rosary on a regular basis. Lutherans, Presbyterians, even a couple of Baptists. 😉

One of my previous co-workers and I used to pray the Rosary on our lunch hour, and she was Lutheran.

There is nothing that says it can only be prayed by Catholics, so in my humble opinion, if the Rosary and the Blessed Mother speaks to you…go for it.
 
JonNC said:
Lutherans, not many, do use the Rosary. Typically, it is altered somewhat to respond to our mariology, which does not include invocation. So, for example, the Hail Mary will not include the second verse.

Jon
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What are you referring to as the second verse? In what way are you breaking up the Hail Mary?
 
bzkoss236 said:
What are you referring to as the second verse? In what way are you breaking up the Hail Mary?
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Probably referring to how the first half is directly from the Bible and the second half is asking for her intersession. So I’m assuming they’re cutting out “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death” (You can tell I’m not used to thinking of it in two parts because I needed to recite the first half to remember the second :D)
 
I’m a senior citizen now, but I remember in my youth getting a book from the library titled Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy. It was by a Methodist minister, and about the Rosary.

A Rosary group I was in twenty years ago included a Methodist lady who prayed the Rosary with us.

More recently, a Baptist lady (until her recent death), attended a ladies Rosary group and prayed it with us for several years.

Our Mother can unite her children! 🙂
 
i taught my grand-daughter to pray it, so her and her mom pray it together now. they go to a protestant church. my cousin and niece have heard me talk about praying the rosary and want to learn to pray it so i am making them each rosaries and will teach it to them next time i get to see them, also protestant.
 
The Anglicans (Church of England) have their own version of the Rosary - I read somewhere recently.( can’t find the link on my Internet history now) not sure if it’s been altered from what we think of as the Rosary from a catholic point of view. I don’t think that it has anywhere near as much importance to their faithful as to ours. (incidentally I read that they also have a version of the sacrament of confession, but it’s optional and not required for salvation)
 
How to Say the Anglican Rosary

The Anglican Rosary is a contemplative prayer form. It is a fairly modern prayer combining the Roman Catholic Rosary with the Orthodox Jesus Prayer Rope.** It is comprised of 33 beads (the traditional number of years of Jesus’ life). There is one “invitatory” bead followed by four sets of seven beads each (called “weeks”) with a single bead (called the “cruciform” bead) in between each week.** In the Judeo-Christian tradition the number seven is that of spiritual perfection and completion. The circle of beads is prayed, unhurriedly, three times to signify the Holy Trinity. This makes for ninety-nine prayers, and in Middle Eastern traditions, 99 is the complete number of the Divine Names. If you include the cross at the beginning or the end, this brings the total number of prayers said to 100, which is the total of the Orthodox Rosary and represents the fullness of creation. Typically the saying of the Rosary is followed by a period of silence for reflection.

There are no set prayers for the Anglican Rosary. It is your choice! The Book of Common Prayer brims with choices; particularly among the morning and evening prayers, the prayers of the people, the numerous collects and even lectionary readings. Canticles and psalms are time honored devotions, as are the Jesus Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Serenity Prayer.

Listed below is the method of using the beads and some of the more commonly used prayers. Remember, it is the practice that is important, the time spent in communion with God; the rosary is simply the vehicle for getting there.

Your Way around the Beads
  1. Code: 
        Loosely hold the beads in your hand, grasping the cross in your other hand. If desired, say your opening prayer.
  2. Code: 
        With your thumb and forefinger, grasp the invitatory bead and say your chosen invitatory prayer.
  3. Code: 
        Move your fingers up the chain to the first of the 4 cruciform beads and say your chosen prayer.
  4. Code: 
        Move your fingers up the chain to the first set of weeks to the right (you will be saying the rosary in a counterclockwise direction). Grasp the first bead and say your chosen prayer for the weeks. Repeat this prayer on the next six beads.
  5. Code: 
        Move your fingers to the next cruciform bead and say your chosen cruciform prayer.
  6. Code: 
        Continue in this manner until you have completed the circle of the rosary.
Some Prayer Suggestions

The Cross

In the Name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Or

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Or

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Or

Blessed be the one, holy and living God. Glory to God forever and ever. Amen.

The Invitatory

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Or

Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Or

O God make speed to save us, O Lord make haste to help us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, I snow and will be forever. Amen.

The Cruciforms

Oh Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Oh Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Oh Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.

Or

Guide us waking O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace.

Or

Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord. You that stand in the house of the Lord, lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord.

Or

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us.

The Weeks

Almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us. Amen.

Or

Jesus, lamb of God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the world, give us your peace.

Or

I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?

My help comes from the Lord, the make of heaven and earth.

Or

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me, a sinner.
 
My grandmother had a true devotion to the Rosary from a very young age from what I was told. She was raised Baptist but lived across the street from the Catholic church and would sit outside listening to Mass (in Latin–this way the 1910’s) and the Rosary being said. She taught herself the prayers and was severely punished by her father when he caught her “casting those evil spells” like the Catholics did. Well, she left home at 15 and took a job in a pharmacy. She was the only non catholic at her job, so she took it as a sign from God that it was time to convert. She converted at 16, married the next year and went on to have 12 children. She continued to pray the rosary daily until she died at the age of 85.

Yes, I love seeing Protestants pray the rosary, but it would be good to warn them that it may be a dangerous thing to do…they may become Catholic by doing so.
 
7armyrugrats said:
My grandmother had a true devotion to the Rosary from a very young age from what I was told. She was raised Baptist but lived across the street from the Catholic church and would sit outside listening to Mass (in Latin–this way the 1910’s) and the Rosary being said. She taught herself the prayers and was severely punished by her father when he caught her “casting those evil spells” like the Catholics did. Well, she left home at 15 and took a job in a pharmacy. She was the only non catholic at her job, so she took it as a sign from God that it was time to convert. She converted at 16, married the next year and went on to have 12 children. She continued to pray the rosary daily until she died at the age of 85.
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That is beautiful! :crying:
Crying in a good way, of course. :o
 
rr1213 said:
As far as I know, praying the Rosary is almost entirely a Catholic practice. I have never seen a Protestant of any denomination pray the rosary, although I do understand that some (very few) Anglicans use a similar concept (Anglican prayer beads or something).
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Or a standard rosary, such as you are familiar with. All members of my family have one. Though I rarely use mine, I have no problem with it.

GKC

Anglicanus-Catholicus
 
There are many beautiful, inspirational, and powerful prayers in the Catholic Church that (ex)-Protestants (including me) are/were not exposed to. I wish I had photographic memory so I can remember them all…:gopray2:

Although I must admit, the “Mary is emphasized too much” bit still lingers…😊
 
Rugrats, that’s beautiful, the Blessed Mother herself brought your grandmother into her Son’s church. Wow… 😃

Falco, thanks, that’s a very thorough answer. From your answer would one assume that the
Anglicans don’t say the Hail Mary at all, if not, would tha be because they don’t regard the Blessed Mother as highly as we Catholics do? Or is that something to do with the difference between “high-church” and “low-church” anglican parishes? ( one being more catholic in their doctrine than the other perhaps?). Considering that I live in England, ive only been in Anglican churches three times in my whole life, and don’t know much about them.

Sorry for de-railing this thread a little bit.

God bless

Paul.

“Ave Maria gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesu. Sancta Maria mater dei, ora pro nobis pecatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen” - my favourite prayer of all.
 
Even though I am Orthodox I still pray the Marian Rosary from time to time. But since the stroke I find it much easier to use the Orthodox prayer rope. With it you just concentrate on the prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner.” You just concentrate on one thing, the prayer.

But with the Marian Rosary you have to do two things at a time. Say the prayers while at the same time meditate on the Mysteries. I can only do one thing at a time with my stroke ridden mind now.
 
7armyrugrats said:
My grandmother had a true devotion to the Rosary from a very young age from what I was told. She was raised Baptist but lived across the street from the Catholic church and would sit outside listening to Mass (in Latin–this way the 1910’s) and the Rosary being said. She taught herself the prayers and was severely punished by her father when he caught her “casting those evil spells” like the Catholics did. Well, she left home at 15 and took a job in a pharmacy. She was the only non catholic at her job, so she took it as a sign from God that it was time to convert. She converted at 16, married the next year and went on to have 12 children. She continued to pray the rosary daily until she died at the age of 85.

Yes, I love seeing Protestants pray the rosary, but it would be good to warn them that it may be a dangerous thing to do…they may become Catholic by doing so.
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Thank you for sharing that lovely story!

No need to warn them about becoming Catholic by praying the Rosary. If they keep praying it they will eventually want to be Catholic! 🙂
 
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