Rosary prayer tips

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Aphraxus

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Hi there. Apologies if I’m posting in the wrong forum.

I’ve been looking around various posts and websites about praying the rosary and from what I gather, we are supposed to meditate on the mystery of that particular decade. I suppose I’ve been mechanically saying the Rosary all this while, and I’m looking for some tips on how to pray it properly so I can get more out of it.

I was talking with this person who suggested that I put myself as a bystander observing the particular Mystery…so for instance, if it was the Presentation at the Temple, I should be picturing Mary and Joseph at the temple, bringing the child Jesus and such.

The problem is that my imagination isn’t that good, and while I can basically imagine Mary and Joseph doing something like that but I’m not sure if I’m doing it correctly, so to speak. I don’t suppose anyone can give me any helpful pointers on how I can properly meditate on the Mysteries? Or if there is any alternative to picturing it in my head?

Thanks, and apologies again if this is the wrong forum to post it.
 
Another option is a scriptural rosary. There are several options for this. This would allow you to keep in mind the scripture behind the particular mystery you’re on. Another option would be to simply meditate for as long as you feel lead to at the beginning of the mystery and then just following through with the prayers. That’s usually what I do.
 
I have a little pamphlet I got from my Parish on praying the rosary. It has the mysteries and below the name it has a passage from the Bible and also a key word or phrase such as obedience etc… I kind of pause on the Our Father and visualize the scene and think about the key word I’ve been given and how it applies to that particular passage and how it may apply in my life then I try to hold onto that as I say each Hail Mary. You can probably find something like that online as well.

Sometimes my mind wanders when I go through the decade and sometimes I just focus on the prayer I’m saying but just try to patiently guide my mind back to the meditation. Sometimes it’s very vivid in my mind - I think when I’m able to relate to it in particular.

I read Real Men Pray the Rosary and it was mentioned you don’t have to go by the daily mysteries if you don’t want to. At the moment I really feel the sorrowful mysteries so sometimes I’ll just do that a few days in a row.

I think it’s one of those things you get better at the more you do it. When I first started praying it was a struggle to remember the Mysteries and the order they went in, much less truly meditate on them. Stick with it and see how it goes!

On a side note I’d like to say when I pray the Rosary daily my over all attitude is much better. I don’t really have any idea just how much better I deal with life and people until I stop doing it for a time and see how frustrated I get. I love the Rosary!
 
Oh, sorry, one last thing. I’m recording the Rosary with Mother Angelica on EWTN until I have each of the Mysteries. I was going to see how following along with that would help my prayer. If that’s on option for you then maybe you should try that also!
 
I understand where you’re coming from.

I don’t have much “success” - if that’s even the word? – imagining myself being there at each decade.

What finally kicked the whole thing in for me, though, was concentrating on a prayer asking or thinking about some particular thing relative to that particular decade.

There’s flyers out there that suggest this – or that – thing to think about or to pray that you receive - or receive MORE of – particular virtue or intention.

For example, I can spend a LONG time praying the first decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. That decade is about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The “intent” to pray for or about for THAT decade is this →

“May God’s will be done!”

Even when we’re scared. Especially when we have NO idea WHAT, particularly, God wishes for us to accept in our life at that moment. For whatever is going on in your own life that is possibly going to go in a way you don’t want it to go – that you have NO power over its outcome.

Pray for the willingness to accept God’s will. Maybe especially because you have NO idea what God’s will even is!

This MAY have NOTHING to do with whatever it is that YOU can do. Something that you know for sure is out of your hands.

I’ve prayed that ONE decade for an hour long flight. From when wheels went up until the pilot announced that we were coming down to ground to land the plane. I prayed and thought about various scenes that awaited me upon my trip. And consciously – trying to NOT be attached to what I hoped would be and happen during that trip. Consciously doing my best to hand over my own will to His.

By the way, many things on that trip came out WAY better than I would ever have hoped!

God is good!
 
The good news is that the more you pray the rosary, the more “rote” praying the words will become!

To the point that you’re not even paying attention to the words you’re saying while you’re saying them!

Sounds strange, I know.

See if you can realize this → that the sounds of the words of the rosary work like background music while reading. You’re not listening to the words of the rosary. You’re winding up paying more attention to what’s going on in your mind and heart WHILE you’re praying the rosary.

The rosary, itself, has a rhythm. It’s the actual rhythm of the prayers - repeated 10 times in a row, then a couple that each have their own rhythm of sound – that helps to “roll you onward” as you think of various things having to do with this, or that, decade.

Have you ever found yourself singing a song while driving and arriving without remembering even doing the driving? It’s like that.

The song you had memorized years and years ago and so you don’t really remember to sing this, or that, word in the tune. You just - well – do and so you’re singing the words without even thinking what the next word in the song even is.

While singing, you’re thinking about various things that the song, itself, reminds you about.

That’s one way to describe praying the rosary.

It does get better and easier the more you do it. See if you can discipline yourself to say even just one decade a day. However, it gets MUCH easier IF you get up to saying all 5 decades in one mystery at once. The first couple of decades seem to take FOREVER. Later in the 4th and 5th decade, you get the sense that the first couple of decades passed WAY too quickly!

So, I find myself often staying on just ONE of the decades but praying that one decade 5 times in a row. The Holy Spirit apparently had caught my attention on something in my life going on with which THAT particular decade relates. THIS is how I connect with Jesus during my praying the rosary.

For whatever it’s worth, for me it doesn’t work to picture myself there UNLESS I have a purpose – a particular need to develop in my life – for which that particular decade covers.

For example – I’d had a tough time relating to the 4th decade in the Glorious Mysteries where it’s the Assumption (of the Blessed Virgin) into Heaven. Until it became clear to me that the focus for me for THAT decade is praying urgently that I “die a happy death.” That before I die that I maintain my Faith in God and purposely choose to say YES to God.
 
Here are several Mp3 rosaries, some of them scriptural.

catholicdoors.com/misc/rosaryonmp3.htm

Here: starrymantle.blogspot.com/
you may pray a Rosary while viewing various works of art which depict scenes from the mysteries. Scroll down the home page and along the right side you will see the various mysteries listed. Click on the appropriate picture and a photo of a Rosary will appear. Click on that and it goes to semi-full screen. Then, you may use your arrow keys to scroll to the right through 20-25 different pieces of artwork for that mystery while you pray it. Once done with that decade, “X” out or hit ‘esc’, then look for the next set of artwork on the home page and repeat the process. I find this very helpful in contemplation.
 
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

†

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

†
 
I suggest you look up “Laudate” if you have an Ipod or Iphone. It has a wonderful prayer tutorial that walks you through every step.
 
Laudate is great!

I also like pray-along recordings. I have Mark Mallett’s album Through Her Eyes, which has scripture verses along with the rosary. The songs are quite catchy too - it’s a good thing no one is recording me in the car as I belt along with the Creed. I also have a quieter, spoken word rosary which helped me to begin to memorize the Rosary. It’s Gretchen Harris, and she states a virtue that accompanies each mystery, to help give you focus.

There are a ton of great options on youtube as well. It takes a bit of trial and error at first to find the method that works for you.
 
Praying the rosary is so good for your mind, body and soul. It puts peace in your day. It brings us closer to Our Lord. And it honors our Blessed Mother at the same time! I’ve written a few helpful blog articles on how, why and where to pray the rosary - and tips about what to meditate on. I invite you to access them here: www.therosaryguy.com. God bless! Keep praying!
 
Skyhighblue34 said:
I suggest you look up “Laudate” if you have an Ipod or Iphone. It has a wonderful prayer tutorial that walks you through every step.
Click to expand...
Even I like this app:blush: I think it’s the most comprehensive one available.
 
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