Rosary: I have to be in a State of Grace? Really?

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Something I heard a priest say while listening to one of his speeches online really left me in confusion as well as a bit of despair. He said for our prayers while saying the rosary (and really all prayer) to be efficacious and to have ANY merit at all, we needed to be in a state of grace. Father Ripperger was the priest. You can find it easily on YouTube if you look it up.

I really, really just don’t understand this. What? So its not effective at all unless we are in a state of grace? I’m really struggling hard with some particular sins so this really leaves me just…well, very confused. I thought we were supposed to “get back up and fight” when we stumble? (Can’t get to confession until the weekend). I
thought God forbid us from allowing ourselves to fall into despair, but how can we not when we hear things like this? I mean, if I stumble, and I can’t get to confession right away, and I continue with my prayers every day and night, its not being heard? Or heard but no effect? This is all so deeply frustrating. Do i really have to be in a state of grace in order for rosary, or any prayers or devotions, for that matter???
 
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This is kind of complicated.

First, NO prayer is waisted. Remember that.

However, from what I understand, our prayers are more efficacious when we are in a State of Grace.

For example: Anyone can pray for the intentions of someone else and/or pray for conversion & forgiveness. One doesn’t have to be in a States of Grace for that.

However, when you pray for your own personal intentions (not the intention of others or prayers for conversion), it’s often said that God will not grant personal prayers if the person is not in a State of Grace. So let’s say you pray for a new job… God is not going to listen to that prayer if we are not in a State of Grace.

Does this help?
 
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@Maxim1982
As for praying in a state of mortal sin, it is still very much encouraged to do so. No prayer gets wasted. When I struggled with drugs and pornography I still prayed the Holy Rosary and had my intentions answered ( to be free from the shackles of my sin). Remember even if you are in the state of grace God doesn’t have to answer the prayers that you wanted the way that you want. For everything has to be according to His will, not yours. But being in the state of grace gives you more sway, gives you more Merit when it comes to asking our lord for something. So don’t be discouraged from praying the rosary. Pray it everyday so Jesus’ blessed mother can keep you close to her Son.
 
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You may want to read part of Summa on this topic: http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3083.htm#article15
As far as I understand prayer of supplication have two fold effect: it asks God to listen to our intentions and it gains us some merit for eternal life (as any other prayer). When we are in state of mortal sin we are devoid only of the second part.
 
@CarmeliteKnight thank you for those words and support. I truly appreciate it.

@Phatmass1 may I inquire as to why you are being so confrontational? Honestly, that attitude is precisely what drove me further to traditionalism and away from modernism/liberalism and continues to do so, the nastiness, the assumptions, the meanness - all the while ACCUSING OTHERS OF THAT VERY SAME THING lol. My word. It isnt really falr, you didnt have to turn this thread into a political forum to air out personal grievances with “bigots”. You made an awful lot of assumptions without even knowing anything about any of us (your comment “unless you like it…”. What if I do like Father Ripperger? Am I a bad person for this?

God bless you and keep you. I pray your heart does soften.
 
Maxim, be at peace. If you are in serious sin, get to confession at the first available opportunity. Make it your highest priority. You say you can’t get there until the weekend; if that is sincere, then again be at peace. God knows you are doing your best. Tell God you’re sincerely sorry for your sin, make a firm purpose of going to confession as soon as you can, and then, yes, PRAY. God understands. He is the God of mercy and compassion, not the God who condemns those who are sincerely seeking His face. If you are doing all you can–examine yourself on this, as we all have to do–be at peace.
 
I believe the desire to pray is a grace itself. So while you’re struggling with some sins, I wonder if you’re as far off track as you think. Not that we want to be casual about confession. But at the same time, making confession and prayer serious parts of our lives shows a desire to be closer to God. And contrition goes a long way toward gaining God’s forgiveness, even before we get to the confessional. Of course the sacrament gives us the guarantee of God’s forgiveness. But even posting a question like this publicly ought to carry some merit as showing a sincere desire to follow God’s will.
 
Secrets of the Rosary. By St Louis de Montfort 1954
I have just said that to say the Rosary to advantage one must be in a state of grace “or at least be fully determined to give up mortal sin;” first of all, because, if it were true that God only heard the prayers of those in a state of grace it would follow that people in a state of mortal sin should not pray at all. This is an erroneous teaching which has been condemned by Holy Mother Church, because of course sinners need to pray far more than good people do. Were this horrible doctrine true it would then be useless and futile to tell a sinner to say all, or even part of his Rosary, because it would never help him. "
 
No worries @Phatmass1 . Its the internet, all nuance is lost in text. I like Father Ripperger but sometimes his rhetoric can be difficult to fully understand, especially for people like myself who only recently came back to the Faith after having lived many years in sin and vice.
 
I am not sure, but I think the common misconception of the inefficacy of prayer comes from confusion of sanctifying grace and actual graces. (Here the word actual is used in the archaic sense of active, or bringing about action.) At times we may lose sanctifying grace, but God continually gives actual graces such as faith and the desire to love God and pray.

Bear in mind that grace is never earned (merited). It is a gift from God, who loves all sinners, all the time, and provides what they need.
 
Maxim1982 said:
Father Ripperger
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Is Fr Ripperger your pastor? If so, make an appointment to sit down with him and ask for him to provide you with the evidence to support this claim from Official Church Doctrine. Should that not clear it up, speak to your Bishop about these claims.
 
Then take his opinions with a grain of salt, chew the seeds and spit out the sticks.
 
Maxim1982 said:
…
I really, really just don’t understand this. What? So its not effective at all unless we are in a state of grace? I’m really struggling hard with some particular sins so this really leaves me just…well, very confused. I thought we were supposed to “get back up and fight” when we stumble? (Can’t get to confession until the weekend). …
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Per Catholic teaching, only a person in the state of grace can attain supernatural merit, as defined by the Church (Council of Trent Session VI, Can. 26 and Can. 32).

If you have perfect contrition for all your mortal (serious) sins, you can make a confession to God for them, prior to a personal individual confession, then grace may be restored immediately, yet the very next sacrament to be received should be individual confession.
 
Phatmass1 said:
I’m just saying if you listen to a priest like him this is what’s going to happen
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He is a Catholic priest in good standing with the Church.

It is very possible that he was speaking of meriting a plenary indulgence while praying the rosary, which does require you to be in a state of grace.
Phatmass1 said:
He forbids Harry Potter and if you disagree with him on it you’re wrong. He says women are in mortal sin if they take their kids to daycare.
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He doesn’t forbid anything but advises and warns against Harry Potter. The sisters at our local Catholic high school also warned the students of certain things about Harry Potter. It doesn’t make any priest an extreme. Why would we ever defend a movie over a priest?.

The part about women and day care is taken out of context.
 
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