Rosary questions

[phyllis_s]

I have always wondered–does one have to say all three mysteries at one time when praying. Can a person pray a mystery at different times of the day? Also, does a person have to pray on her knees?

Thanks!!

 

[garfield]

I last prayed the rosary aloud with a friend sitting in a garden
we said 5 decades
I don’t pray the rosary often (it was her suggestion) but sometimes pray a decade silently

 

[urquhart]

The rosary is a private prayer and you can pray it any way you want - silently, out loud; seated, standing, kneeling, or even lying down; alone or with other people; and one, five, or fifteen decades during a session.

That being said, bear in mind that there are special indulgences for praying five decades of the rosary out loud in church with a group of people, so that is the preferred method when possible.

 

[Antigen]

We set sail in prayer and try to maintain a steady coarse. Along the way, our ship is hit with waves of daily cares, rip currents of distractions try to carry us off from underneath and the tides of error are always threatening to take us course. The physical rosary, the beads, are an anchor keeping us from going adrift mentally and spiritually when we meditate.

The Rosary, the prayer, is a meditation on the events of Christ’s life as seen through His mother. What’s powerful about this prayer is not how it’s said, whether its with groups of people or on your knees. The power comes from connecting with Christ through the person He was closest to on this Earth.

The late John Paul II (who I believe will not only be John Paul the Great, but also will be a doctor of the Church when they finish reviewing his writings) wrote the most compelling explainations of the beauty and intricacies of praying the Rosary when he wrote his letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

Read it slowly, overtime.

 

[Dredgemate]

Antigen:

The late John Paul II (who I believe will not only be John Paul the Great, but also will be a doctor of the Church when they finish reviewing his writings) wrote the most compelling explainations of the beauty and intricacies of praying the Rosary when he wrote his letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae.
Read it slowly, overtime.

I agree, wholeheartedly. I say it daily on my train ride into work, silently, and have found it very relaxing and it centers my day. I personally enjoy getting double takes when I bless myself with the sign of the cross at the end. It’s my own personal way of witnessing to the others on the train.

A funny anecdote: I got on the trqain and was sitting in a quad seat (4 people facing each other). I got out my Rosary and started praying, my eyes closed. I heard a soft whisper from one of the passengers, to her friend, “Is that a Rosary?”.

To which I responded in a quiet whisper, “Yes, it is”.

I opened my eyes, and made eye contact with the lady, smiling. She turned about 3 shades of red. It was cute.

 

[Tietjen]

urquhart:

That being said, bear in mind that there are special indulgences for praying five decades of the rosary out loud in church with a group of people, so that is the preferred method when possible.

More specifically, a plenary indulgence is granted when the rosary is recited in a church or oratory or when it is recited in a family, a religous community, or a pious association. A partial indulgence is granted for its recitation in all other circumstances. (The Handbook of Indulgences Norms and Grants, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1991)

 

[Tamelyne]

phyllis s:

Can a person pray a mystery at different times of the day?

Phyllis, I have actually seen a special “rosary” that is made so that you can pray the rosary throughout the day. It was not made of beads; it looks more like a little clock, and you move the little hand along little notches to mark your place and count your prayers. When you have to stop, you leave the little hand where you left off. It’s like a bookmark! Then you can go back and pick up where you left off. So if you pray 2 decades in the morning and go back after lunch, you don’t have to wonder, “Did I pray 2 decades or was it 3?”

So the short answer is, yes, you can pray it at different times during the day.