Rosary: Fast Forward?

[Medic_Mark]

This morning I tried to attend morning mass, but it was canceled. Just prior, the rosary was being recited. There were only three of us.

All was well until the response portion of the prayer. This fellow must be trying to set a new land speed record because the response went something like this:

zoomHOLYMARYMOTHEROFGODPRAYFORUSSINNERSNOWANDINTHEHOUROFGARBLED

The same thing with the Our Father.

It was so fast I couldn’t even respond with him.

Now I am not trying to criticize the man for I know not the intention of his heart, but I hard a hard time meditating on the mysteries as a result. I dunno how he does it.

When you pray the rosary is it your custom to speed right through it? Or are you more deliberate?

 

[puzzleannie]

yes that is the custom here, even faster in Spanish. i have asthma and can’t pray that fast so I am usually reciting sub voce at my owns speed, but yes those who have been praying together in a group for years usually develop their own rhythm when reciting the rosary aloud, and since I know from many of them they are deep in contemplation at that time I won’t criticize.

 

[ohioszo]

The rosary is said while meditating on the life of Christ, therefore, the rosary must be prayed slowly. The reason given for the speed, per a Franciscan priest, is that it was due to the Irish, who were persecuted and therefore prayed fast in secret together. This is the way that it was taught, then, traditionally. You might offer the suggestion to slow it down, to the parishioner or priest, in charge. It is very disconcerting to hear the speeded up version, to the extent that you and, one time, I did! Especially in the Eucharistic Chapel. I totally pray the rosary slower, and, have prayed it with another parson, a little less contemplatively, probably 20 minutes, not less than fifteen, in the chapel. God help the Irish, but, the Franciscan said that we were trained by them, at one time, so we are all Irish in that way.

 

[JDee]

One step worse - the rosary in a language you don’t speak and fast!

The rosary was prayed before my mother in law’s funeral and by the Polish Priest. My husband is fairly fluent in conversation but has not prayed the rosary in Polish for many years and I do not speak Polish nor do our children. The Priest was to switch between English and Polish but in his regular habit of speaking Polish, forgot.

The kids kept looking at me and we would shuffle down a few beads and when the prayer changed we would realize we were at an Our Father and we would scurry down a few more beads trying to keep up. Saying it in English in our heads did not work well as the two languages don’t have the same length of words. We were sitting in the front row and I hope the priest did not think we were idiots or poor Catholics who did not even know how to pray!

I prefer to pray slowly but I have also noticed that when a group prays the rosary it is usually so fast. Slow down, think about the words, reflect, meditate, feel the power!

 

[TBolt1000T]

This morning I tried to attend morning mass, but it was canceled. Just prior, the rosary was being recited. There were only three of us.

All was well until the response portion of the prayer. This fellow must be trying to set a new land speed record because the response went something like this:

zoomHOLYMARYMOTHEROFGODPRAYFORUSSINNERSNOWANDINTHEHOUROFGARBLED

The same thing with the Our Father.

It was so fast I couldn’t even respond with him.

Now I am not trying to criticize the man for I know not the intention of his heart, but I hard a hard time meditating on the mysteries as a result. I dunno how he does it.

When you pray the rosary is it your custom to speed right through it? Or are you more deliberate?

Wow…Sounds like the disclaimer at the end of some commercials. Reminds me of one time on a local Catholic AM radio station, when the Rosary was prayed outrageously fast. I felt like I was being drug through it at breakneck speed, and I think they were done in 15 minutes or possibly less. There was absolutely no way I was going to be able to keep up with it.

Maybe the next time you pray the Rosary in a small group, you should offer to lead it yourself, or at least kindly ask the group leader to not go too fast.

 

[Joannm]

This happens in my parish too, only it is worse in that they do not really pray in unison so it really sounds garbled…and they tend to shout it as loud as they can, as if Mary can’t hear them. They usually pray the rosary after Mass and that is when I stay to do my private prayer (I cannot pray the rosary like they do so I will not join them). I even spoke to the priest to ask them if something could be done about how they pray it but nothing came of it. Even if the one leading it is slower, the other pray the second half at lightening speed and not together. It is so hard for others to pray in the church with that clatter, and that basically is what it sound like. I used to belong to a Rosary group that prayed it slowly and very reverently. This group of women just seem to want to get it over with so they can get on with their day. Sorry for the rant, but I think the rosary should be prayed reverently with enough time to meditate on the mysteries.

 

[ohioszo]

I’m thinking that praying silently may take less time, but, praying it with A dozen or more folk … it seems that it is that itself which makes it worthy? But, if just a small group, slow down, IMO.