Question about the Rosary

[esmac]

Some evenings I pray the rosary but some days are busy and I often just get a decade of the rosary in, but I always pray at least a decade before bed.

I figure some rosary is better than no rosary.

Does a decade of the rosary not carry the same weight as a full rosary? Like a Christmas gift, isn’t it the thought that counts?

I’m not trying to cheat myself out of praying the rosary, because I enjoy praying the rosary…I’d just like to have peace of mind that praying a decade is ok when I’m pressed for time or really tired at the end of the day.

 

[Warandpeace]

Ask your guardian angel to finish it for you

As a side note, it probably isn’t sufficient to fulfill the daily prayer that is necessary to sustain the spiritual life. Try adding a rosary earlier in the day, liturgy of the hours, etc. If that is the only prayer time you are getting.

 

[chero23]

God knows your heart and the intention that you have. As humans we want to finish but because of circumstances sometimes but we can’t. But god knows what is in our heart

 

[BobDanners]

Nothing is wrong with praying half or part of a Rosary…prayer is prayer.

Having said that, if you pray 5 decades (a full Rosary) continuously under the usual conditions, you will gain a partial indulgence…so yes while praying some of the Rosary is good, a full Rosary will net you time off in Purgatory.

Don’t beat yourself up…like I said prayer is prayer; and prayer is good. Don’t stop praying the Rosary.

 

[Rete]

You get partial indulgence for them. You also get a partial indulgence for carrying your rosary often as a sacramental. I am not sure if your guardian angel can finish them for you. He might finish them for you, but would that really count towards your indulgences? I don’t know.

You can also pray them for others in order to help another person. So I suppose it’s possible for an angel to do something similar.

Here is an explanation of the indulgences:

rosary-center.org/nconobl.htm#ind

I highly recommend you join this confraternity if you pray the rosary at least three times a week.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

With due respect to all on this thread, it is my personal experience that very few practicing Catholics, apart from Priest, Brothers, and Nuns, pray the Rosary daily.
Most of them say a few minimal daily prayers, if they say any at all outside of Mass.
Most American Catholics reserve their praying for Sunday Mass and possibly an occasional Novena.
Although one sees numerous people receiving Holy Communion at Sunday Mass, but one sees far fewer people in line for Saturday or pre-Mass Confession. That should tell you something!
Sorry to seem cynical about this, but one must bear in mind that the average Catholic does not frequent internet Catholic forums. They are much more taken up with the trials and tribulations of daily secular life than they are with prayer.

 

[BobDanners]

You get partial indulgence for them. You also get a partial indulgence for carrying your rosary often as a sacramental. I am not sure if your guardian angel can finish them for you. He might finish them for you, but would that really count towards your indulgences? I don’t know.

I don’t know what you mean by this, but I hope you do not infer that one receives a partial indulgence for praying just a decade. You have to pray 5 decades continuously in order for there to be a partial indulgence and you don’t get anything for carrying it around as a sacramental.

catholic.com/quickquestions/do-the-indulgences-granted-for-praying-the-rosary-require-that-all-of-the-mysteries-a

 

[Rete]

I am pretty sure I have read that you get some partial indulgence for an incomplete rosary (assuming you have some valid reason for not finishing it).

You still need to meet all the other requirements, such as being in grace, going to communion, going to confession, intentions for the Pope, etc.

But I think you will get some merit just for carrying the rosary with you during the day. It’s obviously not likely the same partial indulgence you get for completing the rosary, but I don’t think you lose everything if you can’t finish all five decades.

 

[Neofight]

When considering indulgences, don’t forget to pray for the pope, go to confession, receive the Eucharist, and to stay fee of sin!

 

[Jon_S_1]

Some evenings I pray the rosary but some days are busy and I often just get a decade of the rosary in, but I always pray at least a decade before bed.

I figure some rosary is better than no rosary.

Does a decade of the rosary not carry the same weight as a full rosary? Like a Christmas gift, isn’t it the thought that counts?

I’m not trying to cheat myself out of praying the rosary, because I enjoy praying the rosary…I’d just like to have peace of mind that praying a decade is ok when I’m pressed for time or really tired at the end of the day.

The Rosary is not a magical incantation. You don’t have to complete it or finish it for it to “take affect”

You are spending time with God, much more than most people.

The purpose of our prayer life is to seek union with God, to worship him and open ourselves to his will.

 

[Jon_S_1]

I am pretty sure I have read that you get some partial indulgence for an incomplete rosary (assuming you have some valid reason for not finishing it).

You still need to meet all the other requirements, such as being in grace, going to communion, going to confession, intentions for the Pope, etc.

But I think you will get some merit just for carrying the rosary with you during the day. It’s obviously not likely the same partial indulgence you get for completing the rosary, but I don’t think you lose everything if you can’t finish all five decades.

I think we all must remember that indulgences are not magical either. If you are just going through the motions to get an indulgence there is no indulgence nor any value.

Although not officially an indulgence,

Anything we do spiritually, even a partial rosary, even a single prayer to God, in some way brings us closer to him and further from the sinful world.

Indulgences are away for us to put measure and weight to different spiritual acts, but Purgatory is simply about purification however that occurs here or there.

People who gain indulgences like carnival tickets will probably be surprised at how long they end up in Purgatory…

 

[BobDanners]

I am pretty sure I have read that you get some partial indulgence for an incomplete rosary (assuming you have some valid reason for not finishing it).

You still need to meet all the other requirements, such as being in grace, going to communion, going to confession, intentions for the Pope, etc.

But I think you will get some merit just for carrying the rosary with you during the day. It’s obviously not likely the same partial indulgence you get for completing the rosary, but I don’t think you lose everything if you can’t finish all five decades.

Nope, as the previous link has pointed out…you have to say 5 decades continuously.

From the Handbook of Indulgences (3rd ed. 1986)

A plenary indulgence is granted when the rosary is recited in a church or oratory or when it is recited in a family, a religious community, or a pious association. A partial indulgence is granted for its recitation in all other circumstances.

(The rosary is a prayer formula divided into fifteen decades of Hail Mary’s with the Lord’s Prayer separating each of these decades. During each of these decades we recall in devout meditation the mysteries of our redemption.)

It has become customary to call but five such decades the “rosary” also. Concerning this customary usage then, the following norms are given as regards a plenary indulgence.

1.** The recitation of a third of the rosary [5 decades] is sufficient for obtaining the plenary indulgence, but these five decades must be recited without interruption.**

1. Devout meditation on the mysteries is to be added to the vocal prayer.

1. In its public recitation the mysteries must be announced in accord with approved local custom, but in its private recitation it is sufficient for the Christian faithful simply to join meditation on the mysteries to the vocal prayer.

1. In the Eastern Churches where recitation of the Marian rosary as a devotional practice is not found, the patriarchs can establish other prayers in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary which will have the same indulgences as those attached to the rosary, (e.g., in the Byzantine churches, the Akathist hymn, or the office Paraclisis.)*

However like the previous link I posted you must follow Canon Law when praying the Rosary to gain indulgences.

To be capable of gaining indulgences, a person must be baptized, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace at least at the end of the prescribed works. To gain indulgences, however, a capable subject must have at least the general intention of acquiring them and must fulfill the enjoined works in the established time and the proper method, according to the tenor of the grant. (CIC 996 §1-2)

 

[BobDanners]

People who gain indulgences like carnival tickets will probably be surprised at how long they end up in Purgatory…

Well hold on, there is nothing wrong with obtaining indulgences. As the saying goes…“Don’t aim for Purgatory, you could miss.”

Indulgences like you said. brings us closer to God…but obtaining indulgences to try and remit temporal punishment caused by sin that has been forgiven is a good thing.

 

[Jon_S_1]

Well hold on, there is nothing wrong with obtaining indulgences. As the saying goes…“Don’t aim for Purgatory, you could miss.”

Indulgences like you said. brings us closer to God…but obtaining indulgences to try and remit temporal punishment caused by sin that has been forgiven is a good thing.

I agree.

We aim for heaven.

All I am saying is your heart must be in serving God and neighbor to have the benefit of the indulgence, not necessarily perfect contrition, but performing indulgences for the sake of yourself is the opposite of God’s will. You may as well buy them at that point.

Reflecting on the lives of the Saints, I really don’t see any known for how many indulgences they received, or even much their personal piety (although they all pretty much had that). In general their personal piety reflected their living faith that served God and neighbor. They were truly the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.

 

[esmac]

Would someone please expand on what “indulegences” are??

I pray the rosary for several reasons, mainly because I believe that is being asked of me as part of my vocation, but I don’t know what plenary or partial indulgences are.

For whatever it’s worth, when I just pray a decade, I use the time I would spend praying the rest of the rosary praying directly to Jesus instead.

 

[BobDanners]

Would someone please expand on what “indulegences” are??

I pray the rosary for several reasons, mainly because I believe that is being asked of me as part of my vocation, but I don’t know what plenary or partial indulgences are.

For whatever it’s worth, when I just pray a decade, I use the time I would spend praying the rest of the rosary praying directly to Jesus instead.

An indulgence is defined as “the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned.” The first thing to note is that forgiveness of a sin is separate from punishment for the sin. Through sacrament of Confession, we obtain forgiveness; but we aren’t let off the hook as far as punishment goes.

Indulgences are two kinds: partial and plenary.

A partial indulgences removes part of the temporal punishment due for sins.

A plenary indulgence removes all of it.

This punishment may come either in this life, in the form of various sufferings, or in the next life, in Purgatory. What we don’t get rid of here we suffer there.

That’s what an indulgence is…for more info, you can read the Handbook of Indulgences

 

[godisgood77]

Ask your guardian angel to finish it for you

As a side note, it probably isn’t sufficient to fulfill the daily prayer that is necessary to sustain the spiritual life. Try adding a rosary earlier in the day, liturgy of the hours, etc. If that is the only prayer time you are getting.

To clarify, as daily rosary is not necessary to sustain the spiritual life. It is one way to sustain a spiritual life, but certainly not the only way and certainly not required.

 

[PJM]

=esmac;11016629]Some evenings I pray the rosary but some days are busy and I often just get a decade of the rosary in, but I always pray at least a decade before bed.

I figure some rosary is better than no rosary.

Does a decade of the rosary not carry the same weight as a full rosary? Like a Christmas gift, isn’t it the thought that counts?

I’m not trying to cheat myself out of praying the rosary, because I enjoy praying the rosary…I’d just like to have peace of mind that praying a decade is ok when I’m pressed for time or really tired at the end of the day.

God Knows our hearts intent. Yes a part is better than none, and equal “to” the entire Rosary conditionally.

 

[BobDanners]

God Knows our hearts intent. Yes a part is better than none, and equal “to” the entire Rosary conditionally.

I find that to be incorrect. If that is true, then attending part of Mass is equal to the entire Mass. That’s not true.

Praying part of a Rosary is good…but the Church is clear on this. Part does not permit the gaining of indulgences, so no praying part of a Rosary does not equate to a full Rosary…the same way leaving Mass immediately after the homily does not equal a full Mass.

 

[Jon_S_1]

I find that to be incorrect. If that is true, then attending part of Mass is equal to the entire Mass. That’s not true.

Praying part of a Rosary is good…but the Church is clear on this. Part does not permit the gaining of indulgences, so no praying part of a Rosary does not equate to a full Rosary…the same way leaving Mass immediately after the homily does not equal a full Mass.

Yeah,

God is up there in heaven with his indulgence cook book checking each step to see that you did it right, oh you said 9 Hail Marys by accident that decade…no Good!

I hope we all agree God does not operate in such a way.

Further, going to mass is different.

Whether the church specifically dictated it or not, a partial indulgence occurrs whenever we acknowledge God above ourselves.