Questions about the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, and praying in general

  • Thread starter Thread starter AureaElizabeth
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

AureaElizabeth

Guest
Though I am a cradle Catholic, but I have recently been learning more about my faith and realizing I have lots of questions concerning how to pray. Can you please help me better understand prayer? Here are my questions:
  1. What are we supposed to be thinking about during the Hail Marys? Are we supposed to only focus on the Mystery while it is being announced and afterwards only focus on what we’re actually saying during the HMs, or are are supposed to focus on the mysteries during the HMs?
  2. If we’re praying the rosary, but don’t happen to know the mysteries or we want to pray it for a specific cause, how does one do this? (e.g. If someone was praying while driving and doesn’t have the mysteries memorized, only the prayers)
  3. What is the Liturgy of the Hours? Why should someone pray it and how?
  4. When we “offer up” prayers (like Hail Marys or Our Fathers) or rosaries for a certain cause, is there something specific that needs to be said? Can I offer it up for more than one cause?
  5. If I were to pray a prayer or rosary for a cause, should I be thinking about this cause while praying or should I only say that it’s for a certain cause beforehand and then focus my mind on the words that I’m praying?
While growing up I was introduced to the concept of the rosary and to the prayers, but I was never taught how to pray it. I don’t want to be doing it incorrectly and somehow be sinning by using the rosary disrespectfully or irreverently.

If any of you know of a good book or website/post that can help explain these things to me, feel free to include that as well.

Thanks to everyone in advance. I look forward to your replies! 🙂
 
Elizabeth, May I suggest that you limit your questions to one specific prayer at a time. When there are so many topics to start from, the thread will fly off in all directions.

For me the Rosary is a beautiful prayer of meditating on the life of Christ.
The “Mysteries” each tell a different story. The idea is to repeat the “Hail Mary” as a way to quiet the mind and ask her for understanding. It is a personal prayer. What I try to do is see Jesus through the eyes of the one human being who loved him the most - His mother.

Each "Mystery is in the Bible or is understood from a Biblical perspective.
The Joyful Mysteries tell of the birth and childhood of Jesus
The Luminous Mysteries tell of His mission on Earth
The Sorrowful Mysteries tell of death and crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries of His resurrection.

Everyone who prays the Rosary prays it in their own manner. There is a guide that is generally followed especially when two or more pray together.

There is no wrong way to pray the Rosary if you approach it with love of Jesus and respect for His Mother.
 
Also, it will take you no time at all to memorize the mysteries once you realize they are in chronological order.
Print yourself a list, and pray one of the sets of mysteries until you have them down, then, move on to the next one.
Joyful:
Annunciation
Visitation
Nativity
Presentation
Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
Chronological.

Announcement by angel Gabriel
Mary visits her cousin to tell her
Jesus our Savior is born
Mary and Joseph present the Child in the temple as faithful Jewish parents
Jesus is found in the temple teaching as a young person.

Makes sense, eh?
Good luck! As the above poster said, you can’t really do it wrong.
I announce my intention aloud first as I begin, then I focus on the mysteries and the prayers. I also don’t worry about what day of the week it is. I pray the mysteries that appeal to me that particular day fro some reason.
Peace.
 
AureaElizabeth said:
Though I am a cradle Catholic, but I have recently been learning more about my faith and realizing I have lots of questions concerning how to pray. Can you please help me better understand prayer? Here are my questions:
  1. What are we supposed to be thinking about during the Hail Marys? Are we supposed to only focus on the Mystery while it is being announced and afterwards only focus on what we’re actually saying during the HMs, or are are supposed to focus on the mysteries during the HMs?
  2. If we’re praying the rosary, but don’t happen to know the mysteries or we want to pray it for a specific cause, how does one do this? (e.g. If someone was praying while driving and doesn’t have the mysteries memorized, only the prayers)
  3. What is the Liturgy of the Hours? Why should someone pray it and how?
  4. When we “offer up” prayers (like Hail Marys or Our Fathers) or rosaries for a certain cause, is there something specific that needs to be said? Can I offer it up for more than one cause?
  5. If I were to pray a prayer or rosary for a cause, should I be thinking about this cause while praying or should I only say that it’s for a certain cause beforehand and then focus my mind on the words that I’m praying?
While growing up I was introduced to the concept of the rosary and to the prayers, but I was never taught how to pray it. I don’t want to be doing it incorrectly and somehow be sinning by using the rosary disrespectfully or irreverently.

If any of you know of a good book or website/post that can help explain these things to me, feel free to include that as well.

Thanks to everyone in advance. I look forward to your replies! 🙂
Click to expand...
Hi, Im a convert of recent time so my knowledge a Limited, but I`ll try to answer as good as Im able to (as I have been thought) and I hope other posters correct me if Ive misunderstood something.
  1. Im ferely sure that ones supposed to meditate on the mystery for the entire decade, that mean that during the Our Father and the Hail Mary`s all the way until the Glory Be.
    At least thats what Ive been thought.
  2. I hope I undertand Your question.
    If one are to pray the Rosary, but dont recall the mysteries for the given day one are free to pray any of the mysteries.
    The Rosary are a private devotion to Mary and there arent stricked rules one has to go by in order to pray a Perfect Rosary except the sceleton of the Rosary that is (The prayers needed for it to be a Rosary).
    If you for any reason would like to pray the Glorious mysteries on a tuesday youre free to do so:)
  3. The LoTh are the Churchs official prayer that all of the monks, nuns and priests pray at certain times during the day.
    The reason one should/ could pray it is to United With the entire Church in prayer to God.
    The LoTh are prayed by following a breviary that can be bought at any nearby Catholic Bookstore:) Ask Your priest for guidance on how exactly to pray it, I did and he helped me With it With a lot of enhusiasm:)
  4. No to Question Number One and Yes to the second question.
  5. Here Im a bit unsteady, but I allways Mention the intetion beforehand and try to focus on the mysteries all the way through.
    I think this is the way to go about it, but Im not sure.
I hope Ive been at least a bit helpful:)
And Again please correct me if Im horribly wrong anyone:)

Yours in Jesus and Mary
  • MarianCatholic
 
The Liturgy of the Hours is very complicated set of prayers, writings and scripture. I have the set of books and try to read and pray with them from time to time but it requires time and a great deal of commitment.

Remember that personal pray comes from your heart and soul. Don’t worry about forms and rules. Just love God and do what you can do. The forms and rules are here to help us find better ways in a prayer.
 
In addition: You are not horribly wrong. You are absolutely on the right path.
 
A monk told me to pray as I can, not as I must. This has increased my commitment to prayer and then my interest in formal prayers.

During the rosary my mind wanders all over so I try to add a phrase or a description of Jesus, such as “…thy womb, Jesus, God become man…” Then next Hail Mary: “…Jesus, Light of the World…” And next: “…Jesus, our Savior…” Thinking of these descriptive words keeps my mind from wandering and offers further praise in the prayer.

A prayer discipline is good but should be tempered with a desire to pray and connect with God.

Prayer: Inspiration. Faith. Desire. Love. Worship. Praise. Petition. Truth. A spiritual resting place. A place to come back to throughout one’s life (I feel connected to my parents, ancestors, living and dead members of the Church when I pray the rosary. )

Reminder that the rosary IS scriptural. And further, there is a scriptural rosary where you can actually pray appropriate scriptural quotes at each Hail Mary.
 
Pax Christi!

Gonna jump into this thread. But busy now. Be back soon.

God bless.
 
Thank you for all of the answers, everyone! All of your information really helps, and I appreciate your responses.
 
AureaElizabeth said:
Though I am a cradle Catholic, but I have recently been learning more about my faith and realizing I have lots of questions concerning how to pray. Can you please help me better understand prayer? Here are my questions:
  1. What are we supposed to be thinking about during the Hail Marys? Are we supposed to only focus on the Mystery while it is being announced and afterwards only focus on what we’re actually saying during the HMs, or are are supposed to focus on the mysteries during the HMs?
  2. If we’re praying the rosary, but don’t happen to know the mysteries or we want to pray it for a specific cause, how does one do this? (e.g. If someone was praying while driving and doesn’t have the mysteries memorized, only the prayers)
  3. What is the Liturgy of the Hours? Why should someone pray it and how?
  4. When we “offer up” prayers (like Hail Marys or Our Fathers) or rosaries for a certain cause, is there something specific that needs to be said? Can I offer it up for more than one cause?
  5. If I were to pray a prayer or rosary for a cause, should I be thinking about this cause while praying or should I only say that it’s for a certain cause beforehand and then focus my mind on the words that I’m praying?
While growing up I was introduced to the concept of the rosary and to the prayers, but I was never taught how to pray it. I don’t want to be doing it incorrectly and somehow be sinning by using the rosary disrespectfully or irreverently.

If any of you know of a good book or website/post that can help explain these things to me, feel free to include that as well.

Thanks to everyone in advance. I look forward to your replies! 🙂
Click to expand...
Section 4 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (88 pages or so) is the best reference on prayer. The Lord’s prayer is the perfect prayer, which includes all other prayers that a person might say.

You have a lot of questions. I’ll answer something you didn’t ask: don’t worry about distractions. If you catch yourself not paying attention to some prayer you are saying, in the rosary, just say it again. Trust that your praying will be better with practice.

What you should focus on is that you are praying to God, three divine persons. Don’t “recite” prayers mechanically. Maybe slow down a bit and concentrate on each word. There is no race to finish.

In our ordinary conversation with somebody we have a lot of things on our minds, and I think praying is like that too. don’t worry about it. If you get off track, get back on track.
Scripture tells us that God knows what we need before we ask for it.

At the same time, scripture puts a high value on intercessory prayer – praying for others.

Trust in God’s word, trust in God.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top