Rosary & prayer question(s)

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HoldingGodsHand

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Hi,
I was wondering is it ok to say the rosary without the mysteries? I’m trying to get myself back into saying the rosary at least once a week but still don’t know the mysteries unless I’m following a guide. Sometimes I don’t have a guide around to know what the mysteries are. Also is it ok to break up saying the decades? I have a one decade rosary and have been trying to keep it on me during the day. I’ve been randomly saying a decade here and there but don’t even know if that’s ok. Another question, is it ok to go to Adoration for just a few minutes? Like five minutes just to say some prayers? I try to stay longer but sometimes only have a few minutes. I’m still an inconsistent prayer but hopefully in time I will have a better consistent prayer life. It’s been pretty good at times but life always changes that and I have to start over. Right now, I’m starting over again.
 
The rosary is a private devotion, so you can pray it just as you want. But I wonder why do you bother to pray it, if it’s reduced to the mere repetition of the same prayers - do you really have any spiritual benefits from such an incomplete devotion? The goal of the rosary is to recapitulate the New Testament, walking together with Mary through Jesus’ life: it helps us remember, meditate on and understand better the main moments in the life of the Holy Family and the relationship between God and humanity.
Here’s a tip: if you don’t remember the “official” mysteries for each day of the week, you can make your own set of mysteries, using any kind of criteria (ex. if you are joyful and grateful, think about 5 joyful things in the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph; if your favorite feast is Christmas, think about any 5 biblical events linked to the story of Jesus’ birth and childhood; you can also choose 5 miracles of Jesus, 5 things that happened on the way of Calvary and so on) or no criteria at all (the first 5 things that come to your mind when you think about Jesus or Mary, the first 5 biblical episodes that you remember etc.)

Of course it’s ok to break up saying the decades 🙂

As for the adoration, there are no rules at all - a few minutes, an hour, 3 hours are equally precious and “real” at the adoration.
 
These sites will help you. Save them and go over them when you have time or questions.

Thoughts for each decade of the rosary, for each bead.
rosary-center.org/joyful.htm
rosary-center.org/luminous.htm
rosary-center.org/glorious.htm
rosary-center.org/sorrow.htm

History of the Rosary
catholicapologetics.org/ap080600.htm

You can try Methods of saying the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort
montfort.org.uk/Writings/MSR.html

Scriptural rosary
ainglkiss.com/ros/sr.htm

How to say and pray the rosary
familyrosary.org/en/TheRosary.aspx

Thoughts for each decade of the rosary
rosary-center.org/howto.htm

Scriptural thoughts
how-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com/military-victories-through-the-rosary.html

Pray the rosary in 17 minutes with online audio.
catholicity.com/cds/rosary.html
 
So, you want to say the mysteries, but can’t remember them because you don’t have a guide with you? If you have a smart phone, there are plenty of apps (Laudate is the one I use; available for Android and iOS) that have a guide in them.
 
Praying the prayers of the Rosary without meditating on its mysteries is not praying the Rosary. You may break up praying your Rosary and you may make very short visits to the Blessed Sacrament. God bless you.
 
Thank you for all the great advice. What I gather is that it is not ok to pray it without the mysteries. Fred thanks for all the links I will check them out. bzkoss I have the very app you are talking about, but I wanted to try to pray a decade (or more) while I am walking or driving or somewhere else where it’s not easy to pick up my phone or a guide to look at it. But, I want to do it right and if its not right to pray without the mysteries than I don’t want to do it wrong. I guess I don’t fully understand the reason for saying the rosary. 😦
 
HoldingGodsHand said:
Thank you for all the great advice. What I gather is that it is not ok to pray it without the mysteries. Fred thanks for all the links I will check them out. bzkoss I have the very app you are talking about, but I wanted to try to pray a decade (or more) while I am walking or driving or somewhere else where it’s not easy to pick up my phone or a guide to look at it. But, I want to do it right and if its not right to pray without the mysteries than I don’t want to do it wrong. I guess I don’t fully understand the reason for saying the rosary. 😦
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It is absolutely ok to pray the Rosary without the mysteries.

Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you…This is words from the Annunciation, meditate on that.

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb Jesus…these are words from the Visitation when John leaps in his mother because she is close to Mary who is with child with Jesus, meditate on that.

Holy Mary…this is a petition prayer to Mary, meditate on Mary or what you need her help with in life.

The Lord’s Prayer and the Glory Be are beautiful prayers in them of themselves that you can even recite by themself.

There is not a wrong way to pray, it is enough that you are trying to build a relationship with The Lord and His Mother and are taking time to think about Them throughout the day.

Eventually as you seek to find other things to meditate on the mysteries are an aid to help you do this but are not a requirement.
 
Pray many prayers but do not call it the rosary. All prayers are heard. Pray the rosary when you can concentrate . I know all the mysteries by heart but carry a small booklet that has reflections for each. This is just my humble opinion.

Remember: Francisco , one of the children at Fatima could see the Blessed Mother but could not hear her. Because he would shorten the rosary.
 
The rosary is a private devotion, so you can pray it just as you want. But I wonder why do you bother to pray it, if it’s reduced to the mere repetition of the same prayers - do you really have any spiritual benefits from such an incomplete devotion?
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It is absolutely ok to pray the Rosary without the mysteries.
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Hmmm so which is it? Is it ok or is not to pray the rosary without saying the mysteries? Is it that I can say it without the mysteries but then there will be no spiritual benefits?
Like I said I want to do it right or properly but is there an actual right way or wrong way to pray the rosary?? :confused: :confused:
 
HoldingGodsHand said:
Hmmm so which is it? Is it ok or is not to pray the rosary without saying the mysteries? Is it that I can say it without the mysteries but then there will be no spiritual benefits?
Like I said I want to do it right or properly but is there an actual right way or wrong way to pray the rosary?? :confused: :confused:
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Ideally you want to meditate on the mysteries, but yes there are spiritual benefits to even saying one Hail Mary.

There are certain conditions which will grant indulgences that may require the mysteries be recited, but take it one step at a time.

You will learn the mysteries soon, don’t stop praying the rosary until you have them memorized.

By the way what I mentioned above will also quickly help you to learn the joyful mysteries.
  1. Annunciation
  2. Visitation
  3. Birth of Our Lord
  4. Presentation in the Temple
  5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
So start by just meditating on the first two which the “Hail Mary” refers to always and then starting adding others in one at a time.

Remember it is not a magical incantation. Prayer is speaking to people in heaven. I can guarantee you will receive graces just for trying.

theholyrosary.org/
Try reading this and note “Each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose”
 
HoldingGodsHand said:
Hmmm so which is it? Is it ok or is not to pray the rosary without saying the mysteries? Is it that I can say it without the mysteries but then there will be no spiritual benefits?
Like I said I want to do it right or properly but is there an actual right way or wrong way to pray the rosary?? :confused: :confused:
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If you pray the rosary, pray the entire rosary which includes the mysteries. There are pamphlets available everywhere . There is not a valid excuse to not pray it in its entirety .
 
If it’s more beneficial to pray the Rosary with the mysteries, then what if there’s a set of mysteries that you particularly enjoy? For instance, what if someone like praying the Joyful mysteries more than any other mystery, are they okay in meditating on that mystery alone? And what if someone only knows the Sorrowful mysteries by heart. Are they okay meditating on that while they pray?
 
StGeorgesSquire said:
If it’s more beneficial to pray the Rosary with the mysteries, then what if there’s a set of mysteries that you particularly enjoy? For instance, what if someone like praying the Joyful mysteries more than any other mystery, are they okay in meditating on that mystery alone? And what if someone only knows the Sorrowful mysteries by heart. Are they okay meditating on that while they pray?
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Yes that is fine if you find one set of mysteries more helpful than another set.
I think that after a while you will naturally migrate to another set.
So this is all right.

Sometimes a person will only say the sorrowful mysteries during the entire season of lent.
And then during advent, the joyful mysteries.

So eventually, given time, you will want to do them all.

You will find that they are a wonderful way to peace and grace.

Just a thought.​

“Gentle woman, quiet light, morning star, so strong and bright, gentle Mother, peaceful dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love” (hymn)
 
Are there different levels in prayer? What I mean is can simple prayers be deep, or does it take more than simple prayers to pray deeply? Maybe I just haven’t delved enough into my prayer life yet to really understand. There have been times when I felt my prayers were deep, but it’s not something I’ve been able to do recently. It’s just when I read alot of this stuff about praying the mysteries, and devotions, meditations, spiritual benefits it all sounds so overwhelming. 😦
 
Pray always. It does not have to be formal… Everything I do is a prayer from work to play, I offer all my actions to the The Lord. I pray the Rosary as Our Mother has asked us to pray it. Obedience is a prayer in itself. Keep it simple and you find yourself walking closer to The Lord. IMHO
 
KrazyKat said:
Remember: Francisco , one of the children at Fatima could see the Blessed Mother but could not hear her. Because he would shorten the rosary.
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I have never heard this before, where did you read that? Do you have a link? Thanks.
 
I am a bit…disturbed by some of the posts in this thread. If I don’t meditate on the mysteries, I’m not allowed to call it a rosary? :eek:
 
HoldingGodsHand said:
Hi,
I was wondering is it ok to say the rosary without the mysteries? I’m trying to get myself back into saying the rosary at least once a week but still don’t know the mysteries unless I’m following a guide. Sometimes I don’t have a guide around to know what the mysteries are. Also is it ok to break up saying the decades? I have a one decade rosary and have been trying to keep it on me during the day. I’ve been randomly saying a decade here and there but don’t even know if that’s ok. Another question, is it ok to go to Adoration for just a few minutes? Like five minutes just to say some prayers? I try to stay longer but sometimes only have a few minutes. I’m still an inconsistent prayer but hopefully in time I will have a better consistent prayer life. It’s been pretty good at times but life always changes that and I have to start over. Right now, I’m starting over again.
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Step 1: Slow down 🙂

You can pray in any which way you want, as long as you are praying!

Yes, it is ok to say the Rosary without the mysteries. Is it better with the mysteries? I think it is. Do I always pray it with the mysteries? No. Sometimes I go beyond the mysteries and add a Scripture passage in relation to the mysteries. Sometimes I do the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Sometimes I say the Jesus prayer in all the beads, especially when I can’t concentrate and can’t even compose a coherent prayer of my own. Sometimes I look around on the internet and find prayers from the Saints or for a specific subject. I also have some prayer books that I like to read.

As long as you pray and you pray a little more as your prayer life goes, you are fine.

[bibledrb]1 Thessalonians 5:17[/bibledrb]

God Bless.
 
pearlrosary said:
I have never heard this before, where did you read that? Do you have a link? Thanks.
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At the end of the movie “The 13 th Day” Father Andrew Apostoli, CFR. Gives a summation
Fatima: Message of Hope, Promise of Peace. He explains how Francisco exactly shortened the rosary. In either “Fatima in Lucia’s own words” vol. I or 2. Or “Calls” from the message of Fatima" by Sister Lucia, I read that is reason Our Lady gave the children why Fransico could see but not hear her.
 
HoldingGodsHand said:
I was wondering is it ok to say the rosary without the mysteries?
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I think that whatever gets you in the habit of praying is a good thing. 👍
Also is it ok to break up saying the decades?
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When I worked on the ambulance, sometimes this was the only way I could pray the rosary (when I even tried).
Another question, is it ok to go to Adoration for just a few minutes? Like five minutes just to say some prayers?
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Again, whatever gets you into the habit of regular prayer is a good thing. I try to go sit in the chapel for a few minutes on my way home on the days there is no evening daily Mass because it helps me to focus on what’s really important in my life and gives me the opportunity to thank God for all of my blessings. I really do believe that God knows we are trying and is pleased when we at least make the effort.
 
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