Rosary At Work

[kerath25]

Hi all,

I wasn’t quite sure where this question would fit, so if this is the wrong forum, please accept my apologies.

A few months ago, I purchased a set of the rosary on CD, done by Fr. Benedict Groeschel. I love praying the rosary and find it easier to focus if I can pray with someone else, and the CD’s seem to accomplish the same. Obviously not quite as good as having people praying in the room with you, but I digress.

I got permission to listen to music at work, and assumed that, as long I am not disturbing anyone, then it’s allowed. When I’m listening at work, I’m also praying along on my rosary. However, because I’m at work, I have to actually do work, and that means that I have to pause often to answer questions, or use my computer while praying/listening.

I’ve been a little concerned lately that I might be being disrespectful in listening to the rosary, or praying it, if I cannot give it my full attention. I love listening to the rosary; it is very calming and helps me focus for the rest of the day. However, I would not want to offend Our Lady if this could be construed as “lowering” the rosary. What do you all think about it?

– kerath

 

[puzzleannie]

I think prayer is prayer, and work is work. Other than the fact that when we do our work for the greater honor and glory of God, we are in fact “praying always” meditative prayer should be done on our own time, not our employer’s time, and yes we owe it our full attention. We also owe full attention to our work, which may not be possible no matter what we are listening to if the music or station engages our mental faculties too much.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I think prayer is prayer, and work is work. Other than the fact that when we do our work for the greater honor and glory of God, we are in fact “praying always” meditative prayer should be done on our own time, not our employer’s time, and yes we owe it our full attention. We also owe full attention to our work, which may not be possible no matter what we are listening to if the music or station engages our mental faculties too much.

I agree with puzzleannie here. I think our work deserves our full-time attention, as it is a matter of justice. Our employer is paying us to do the work and it deserves the best we can give it. It is easy to get distracted from it, even by a good thing as prayer. And our prayer deserves our attention, too, although there is nothing wrong with saying short prayers throughout the day, like asking God for help, or saying “Jesus I love you”, or a short prayer for a person in need. There is also a danger that in continuously listening to such a thing it can become like “white noise” or background music and become repetitious and even meaningless, which is not a good thing when it comes to prayer.

 

[Juris]

I listen to Father Corapi’s CD on the Rosary… Am I disrespecting Mama Mary by listening to it while walking down the street or doing my chores?

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I often say the rosary while walking–not on a CD but saying it myself. However, I would not try to say it or listen to it while working at paid employment (ie, not on a break) or while doing strenuous exercise (ie, at the gym) or other chores/tasks that need mental concentration.

Each task requires our brian to concentrate and we do neither thing well if we try to do both at once. And as another poster said, the rosary CD can start to be white noise which would condition us to zone it out even when we are trying to just pray. For this same reason, I don’t really like listening to a rosary CD while driving–I tend to zone out of the prayer (or it makes my driving unsafe!!)

To the OP, I found that the best prayer for me during work was to say certain short prayers at regular intervals throughout the day. So for example at 10am I stop what I’m doing for work and say an Our Father. This way I am brought back to mindfulness of God, but I am not trying to work while also concentrating on a long prayer. Of course, if I’m in the middle of a phone call or meeting, I would postpone to the next free minute. I actually used my computer calendar to remind me every couple of hours. During lunch or a longer break, you could say a decade of the rosary, read the Mass readings for the day, or say a chaplet.

 

[nice2000]

I don’t know how I am able to do this but I am able to meditate on the rosary while driving and at work. No one has no idea that I am mediating and saying the Rosary silent to myself. It is possible to do. It takes lots of practice. After a while, it becomes easier to do.

I believe The Saint Padro Pio was able to meditate in praying 100 or more rosaries per day while doing his daily duties. Amazing !!

ewtn.com/padrepio/man/index.htm