F
freyarachel
Guest
I wanted to know how people thought praying the rosary using rosary beads (any number of decades) influenced their devotional practices, e.g. sincerity, sense of identity, closeness to God, physical ritual?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
T
Tulitas
Guest
It’s prayer. It works the way all prayer does. It’s a conversation with God.
F
freyarachel
Guest
of course, but do you think the actual practice of counting off the beads or ritually praying the rosary has any bearing on how you show your devotion?
T
Tulitas
Guest
No because I don’t do it for show. Its not a ritual, it’s a meditation on the life of Christ anyway.
God sees the devotion in my heart…it’s not a visible thing to the outside world.
God sees the devotion in my heart…it’s not a visible thing to the outside world.
K
Kei
Guest
I find using beads actually does help focus more on the mystery as opposed to using an app where you have to press a certain button
J
JoyToTheWhirled
Guest
Well, I have been known to pray rosaries in the past using my fingers to number the prayers. I was actually challenged by a Catholic nearly two decades (in years!) ago to pray a rosary and ask for ‘something amazing’. A dear atheist friend was dying at the time and I decided to pray that rosary in the carpark before going in to visit the hospital ward this lady was in. I didn’t know what to specifically ask for, so I just stuck to the ‘something amazing’ general intention.
My dear friend was full of questions about God being a Father, and would He accept her after she had been such a bad person. I told her that her love for her own son was a pale reflection of the love God had for her, and that if she would forgive her son if he did something bad but turned back, how much more would the perfect parent, God, forgive her if she turned to Him in sorrow. I found the story of the prodigal son in Luke in the Gideon Bible by her bed and she spent the rest of the visit praying and weeping. She was transferred to a hospice a day later, and I saw her once more briefly and gave her my personal Bible to read and the rosary I had. She died two days later, they had wheeled her bed out into the Spring garden and she was holding the Bible and rosary.
So, right from the very beginning, God has used the rosary to show me His enormous mercy and loving care.
My dear friend was full of questions about God being a Father, and would He accept her after she had been such a bad person. I told her that her love for her own son was a pale reflection of the love God had for her, and that if she would forgive her son if he did something bad but turned back, how much more would the perfect parent, God, forgive her if she turned to Him in sorrow. I found the story of the prodigal son in Luke in the Gideon Bible by her bed and she spent the rest of the visit praying and weeping. She was transferred to a hospice a day later, and I saw her once more briefly and gave her my personal Bible to read and the rosary I had. She died two days later, they had wheeled her bed out into the Spring garden and she was holding the Bible and rosary.
So, right from the very beginning, God has used the rosary to show me His enormous mercy and loving care.
F
freyarachel
Guest
This is a beautiful and thought-provoking story, thank you so much for sharing it. I have never thought about the rosary acting in such a way as a vessel for God’s love for His children.
May I ask, are your intentions when praying the rosary usually more specific than ‘something amazing’, or do you tend to stick to broader things and trust in God to respond with what you need?
May I ask, are your intentions when praying the rosary usually more specific than ‘something amazing’, or do you tend to stick to broader things and trust in God to respond with what you need?
Last edited:
J
JoyToTheWhirled
Guest
It really depends. That was one of the first rosaries I ever prayed and obviously, I didn’t really know exactly what specifics to pray which is why I went for the general intention.
I pray a rosary nearly every day, and tend to go with what is needful - recent intentions have included a speedy recovery for my FIL after a serious operation, the state of mind of my second daughter, who is struggling with faith, friends and gender identity and for God to bless a work colleague. Other times I just ask God to use my prayers as He sees best.
One thing I often do when I don’t have a pressing intention, is dedicate each decade to my immediate family - my husband and each of my four children.
Oh, and in terms of the beads themselves - when I was much younger I was a bit of a magpie about rosary beads, I loved all the really pretty ones. But once I actually started treating them as a real ‘workhorse’, praying rosaries, and the Divine Mercy chaplet daily, and carrying them with me all the time, I broke so many pretty chain rosaries it was ridiculous! I discovered wooden corded beads and haven’t looked back - I have three sets now, one by my bed, one in my bag and one I put in my back pocket all the time. I love knowing they are there when I am at work even though I can’t actively use them on the shop floor, it’s a bit like Our Lady is there to hold my hand when I reach into my pocket and feel them there.
I pray a rosary nearly every day, and tend to go with what is needful - recent intentions have included a speedy recovery for my FIL after a serious operation, the state of mind of my second daughter, who is struggling with faith, friends and gender identity and for God to bless a work colleague. Other times I just ask God to use my prayers as He sees best.
One thing I often do when I don’t have a pressing intention, is dedicate each decade to my immediate family - my husband and each of my four children.
Oh, and in terms of the beads themselves - when I was much younger I was a bit of a magpie about rosary beads, I loved all the really pretty ones. But once I actually started treating them as a real ‘workhorse’, praying rosaries, and the Divine Mercy chaplet daily, and carrying them with me all the time, I broke so many pretty chain rosaries it was ridiculous! I discovered wooden corded beads and haven’t looked back - I have three sets now, one by my bed, one in my bag and one I put in my back pocket all the time. I love knowing they are there when I am at work even though I can’t actively use them on the shop floor, it’s a bit like Our Lady is there to hold my hand when I reach into my pocket and feel them there.
M
Maximilian75
Guest
Paracord/knotted/wooden beads are a major key… All others are just way too fragile.
H
HolySpirit
Guest
When I returned to the faith 4 years ago, one of my first acts was to ask a Priest for a rosary and I ordered a book on how to pray it.
I planned my entire day around my half hour to 45 minutes for the rosary. (My book had a reflection for each Hail Mary related to the mystery)
4 years later, I am an EMHC, have my own adoration hour at a 24/7 chapel, I organize Catholic pilgrimages, I volunteer weekly with Catholic radio, I am a KofC officer, and involved with the Cursillo movement.
The Holy Spirit opened these doors for me when I was ready to walk through them.
I have become the type of Catholic who is active on this forum. It makes me want to give away that which was freely given to me.
The rosary is a very powerful devotion. It changes lives
I planned my entire day around my half hour to 45 minutes for the rosary. (My book had a reflection for each Hail Mary related to the mystery)
4 years later, I am an EMHC, have my own adoration hour at a 24/7 chapel, I organize Catholic pilgrimages, I volunteer weekly with Catholic radio, I am a KofC officer, and involved with the Cursillo movement.
The Holy Spirit opened these doors for me when I was ready to walk through them.
I have become the type of Catholic who is active on this forum. It makes me want to give away that which was freely given to me.
The rosary is a very powerful devotion. It changes lives
- Status
- Not open for further replies.