Rosary "Etiquette"

[hooveam]

I’ve been trying for years to pray the Rosary daily but have always struggled with either falling asleep or just being bored with it. Recently, I started praying it during walks on my 15 minute breaks at work or playing my Rosary CD in my car. Both really help me to accomplish my prayers, and I’ve actually started to enjoy it very much.

I have two concerns, however. On both my walk and in my car, I rarely have enough time to finish five decades in one sitting, so I break it up throughout the day to complete that day’s mysteries. The other is that sometimes I get distracted with either other cars or people walking past me and lose focus for a short time. I’m just wondering if this is reverent enough for the prayer or if I should focus on it when I can meditate on the mysteries more deeply.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[johnnykins]

Pray it however it works for you. It is a private devotion in any case.

As to saying it in bed and falling asleep, there is an old saying that the Virgin finishes it for us when we fall asleep.

Don’t let this worry yourself at all.

 

[Minnesota1]

I was raised you never fall asleep durinh Hail Mary and Rosary. I may be old school and times have changed

 

[Ohana]

I was raised you never fall asleep durinh Hail Mary and Rosary. I may be old school and times have changed

Hmm, regarding your walk _ either walk slower, or walk longer Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

Seriously, I think it is not at all bad to break up the Rosary so that you say a decade or two at one time and finish later in the day. It seems to me in reading your post, that your experience of saying the Rosary has changed since trying to do it more often. Stick with it, Mary is having her influence.

You may do so already, but if not, try letting the Hail Mary’s be kind of a background and let the mystery you are on sift through your mind. What I am saying is meditate on the mysteries as you say the Rosary. Mother Mary always takes us to Jesus.

 

[Catholic1954]

I’ve been trying for years to pray the Rosary daily but have always struggled with either falling asleep or just being bored with it. Recently, I started praying it during walks on my 15 minute breaks at work or playing my Rosary CD in my car. Both really help me to accomplish my prayers, and I’ve actually started to enjoy it very much.

I have two concerns, however. On both my walk and in my car, I rarely have enough time to finish five decades in one sitting, so I break it up throughout the day to complete that day’s mysteries. The other is that sometimes I get distracted with either other cars or people walking past me and lose focus for a short time. I’m just wondering if this is reverent enough for the prayer or if I should focus on it when I can meditate on the mysteries more deeply.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

It would be better if you could set aside some time just to pray the rosary, but what you are doing now is fine.

 

[Nimzovik]

What you are doing is definitely better than making no attempt whatsoever.

 

[Minnesota1]

Hmm, regarding your walk _ either walk slower, or walk longer Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

Seriously, I think it is not at all bad to break up the Rosary so that you say a decade or two at one time and finish later in the day. It seems to me in reading your post, that your experience of saying the Rosary has changed since trying to do it more often. Stick with it, Mary is having her influence.

You may do so already, but if not, try letting the Hail Mary’s be kind of a background and let the mystery you are on sift through your mind. What I am saying is meditate on the mysteries as you say the Rosary. Mother Mary always takes us to Jesus.

Or better yet pray to Jesus directly as no mediator is required,

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

We say our family rosary in the evenings. For some reason somebody will fall asleep during the recitation. I think at times it’s because when you recite the rosary it is so comforting and soothing that you just relax and sleep comes easily.

 

[Lancer]

The quintessential Rosary Center site…for the ** THE ROSARY CONFRATERNITY**run by the Dominicans out of Portland…has a wealth of information. Recommend that you browse through its tabs and see what a treasure the Rosary really is for anyone of us.

Rosary Center
Dominican Fathers
HEADQUARTERS OFTHE ROSARY CONFRATERNITY

rosary-center.org/index.htm

For your consideration…recommend a prayer to the Holy Spirit before each Rosary…for the graces to pray the Rosary without distractions and graces to meditate on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Have no worry about how you are doing…just do the best you can…leave the Holy Spirit the job of making your prayer efficacious.

Also the Rosary has many indulgences attached to it…but you are asked to pray a set of Mysteries in a continuous and complete set of Mysteries to gain the indulgences. You are doing the right thing…pray what works for you…one decade…5 decades spread throughout your day…let the Holy Spirit guide you…fall in love with it…you will get to a point where you have to pray it each day…for love and peace…and all of your intentions…those you speak…those that lie in the silence of your heart…and those that reside in the depths of your soul…that can only be know and expressed by the unutterable words of Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:26
Knox Bible (KNOX)
26 Only, as before,[a] the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; when we do not know what prayer to offer, to pray as we ought,** the Spirit himself intercedes for us,** **with **groans beyond all utterance:

Two online sites for praying the Rosary…for your consideration.

Come Pray the Rosary…from Saint Paschal Baylon Church in Thousand Oaks, California…as you “enter” you can select “Individual”…which starts from beginning or choose “worldwide” and start in progress…praying with people around the world…this “worldwide” option shows continuous video scenes of the Holy Land. Its @ 17 min long for the set of Mysteries prayed for the particular day. If you choose "individual…you can select the Mysteries you want to pray and also select the video of the Holy Land or the Priest/parishioners in scenes from their Church. Both selections show you how many people are praying with you…and you can click the “number” and get a breakout of statistics of numbers/location…has an option map to see where they are praying from…a world map display. The priest (Father Dave Heney) leading is clear, reverent and also constant in praying speed…laity are same. I like this site a lot.

comepraytherosary.org/

My second online site is a YouTube Rosary (there are dozens of options online for each set of Mysteries…created by numerous persons…clergy and laity led)…I prefer the Catholic Devotions with "no subtitles…no congregation/group response…you are the respondent. The leader is calm voice (with slight Scottish accent, I think) says the appropriate first part of the prayers…then it goes silent…except for a continuous background music…and you finish the prayer as the sole respondent. It has beautiful art work for each Mystery…simply riveting for meditation. here is the link for Luminous Mysteries. Its one of the calmest, most peaceful recitations that I have found…lasting around 19 minutes.
Luminous Mysteries: No Subtitles
Catholic Devotions
.youtube.com/watch?v=uRuPXtyq-r8

Lastly, a quote to remember as you pray…

“The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families…that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.”

Sister Lucia, Fatima seer

Pax Christi

 

[ccmcmg]

Or better yet pray to Jesus directly as no mediator is required,

I disagree. I like to think of saying the Rosary as praying with my Mother, to our Lord Jesus Christ, her Son. Catholics, while not required to pray the Rosary, are encouraged to do so, and it’s approved by the Catholic Church as such.

 

[TARSUS_PADDY]

I live alone and recite my Rosary in the car en route from work or on an odd occasion with my aging mother in a neighbouring town. If I say it at home I invariably nod off to sleep…but not so sure that Our Lady is impressed with this habit…So 2 nights ago I tuned into YouTube and hooked up with Sister Angelica saying the Sorrowful Mysteries with her sisters. It was slowed right down by her and she meant every word from the heart…I think the message from Our Lady was …slow down and think about what you are saying…Sister Angelica is the great reciter of our beloved Rosary. Try it!!

 

[prayerandstudy]

Thank you, Lancer, for the links and the quote. I tend to fall asleep while praying the rosary or else my mind will wander. I look forward to using the links.
By the way, hooveam, I also find walking and prayer to go well together unless I can get to Adoration which is even better

 

[johnnyc176]

Or better yet pray to Jesus directly as no mediator is required,

So you never ask another to pray for you? I’m sure you know that the Rosary is a meditation on the life of Jesus.

 

[Used2beSherryG]

Your heart is in the right place and there is no reason that you cannot pray the decades as you can. I promised Our Lady a rosary a day with meditation on each mystery. sometimes it takes all day long to get it done, depending on what else is going on with regard to my work or my family or other commitments. I’ve been doing this since 2001 and plan to continue as long as I am able. Studying and meditating on the mysteries of Christ’s life, death and resurrection have only served to deepen my faith and unlock the mysteries for me in so many ways, I cannot even put into words how much more I love Jesus and his mom through these simple prayers. Keep on praying, my friend! God bless you.

 

[Minnesota1]

So you never ask another to pray for you? I’m sure you know that the Rosary is a meditation on the life of Jesus.

No worries…I prefer the direct relationship with Christ. I ask people to pray for me but I don’t pray to them.

 

[Minnesota1]

I disagree. I like to think of saying the Rosary as praying with my Mother, to our Lord Jesus Christ, her Son. Catholics, while not required to pray the Rosary, are encouraged to do so, and it’s approved by the Catholic Church as such.

Encouraged yes, required no.

 

[BarbG]

I LOVE the rosary – I say the first two decades with my first cup of coffee – the next 2 decades I say at various times throughout the day – sometimes when I’m on line at EWTN – sometimes when I’m walking to Church or to get the streetcar – the the LAST decade I say before I turn out the light at night. I pray for my children, grandchildren, , friends, etc., etc. Sometimes I think that the Rosary is the only thing that keeps me going. Also I belong to the Legion of Mary and we meet once a week after Mass to say the Rosary together.

 

[john78]

I would say I have become very confused on praying the Rosary in that growing up as a child, I was taught one decade was the completion of the Rosary, now since I have been on CAF I am finding out that 3 decades is the original intent or way to pray the Rosary, so I tried that one time in adoration, I did not find it to be very hard, and I broke it up an took a break in between for contemplation , personal prayer etc,… so figure it takes me 20 minutes to do one decade, an an hour for entire 3 decades.

Now I notice in church when we had a living rosary for children, it was one decade…

then I know we have a rosary group in our parish, though I have not participated so I can not comment if they just pray one decade or all 3.

in the end my question is praying 1 decade of the rosary, or 3, is there really a right or wrong ? or are they both equal ?

 

[Minnesota1]

I don’t believe you should adore Mary.

I would say I have become very confused on praying the Rosary in that growing up as a child, I was taught one decade was the completion of the Rosary, now since I have been on CAF I am finding out that 3 decades is the original intent or way to pray the Rosary, so I tried that one time in adoration, I did not find it to be very hard, and I broke it up an took a break in between for contemplation , personal prayer etc,… so figure it takes me 20 minutes to do one decade, an an hour for entire 3 decades.

Now I notice in church when we had a living rosary for children, it was one decade…

then I know we have a rosary group in our parish, though I have not participated so I can not comment if they just pray one decade or all 3.

in the end my question is praying 1 decade of the rosary, or 3, is there really a right or wrong ? or are they both equal ?

 

[johnnyc176]

I ask people to pray for me but I don’t pray to them.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.