Should I be praying the Rosary?

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So I realise that this might seem like an odd question, but I’m being sincere. I’ve never felt a very strong devotion to praying the Rosary, though I do enjoy praying it from time to time (I find the Sorrowful Mysteries really moving). I’ve recently started praying the four major hours in the Liturgy of the Hours and I’ve begun to like it so much that I just ordered the four-volume set - just a few minutes ago actually! For over a year now, I’ve felt a subtle urge to start paying the Divine Office, since before I even knew what it was, and now I’m really in love with it.

But here’s my question, should I be using this in conjunction with private devotionals? I still offer up sporadic prayers throughout the day (a Hail Mary or two here, the “Eternal Rest” prayer there), but at times I feel like I’m one of the few practicing Catholics not offering up a daily Rosary or one of the many Chaplets.

I’m not sure which section this question belongs in, but after a bit of thinking, I thought I should ask for some advice. Any words of wisdom you can offer me? :o
 
You dont have to offer a daily rosary every single day, just as long as you do so every so often definitely once a week would be nice. And as long as you are still continuing your prayer life in other ways. In time I am sure that you will feel moved to pray the rosary more and more.
 
In my view, we should all be praying the rosary , the more often the better.
The Virgin in her apparitions always says that the Rosary is the most powerful prayer against the Devil. In most churches here in Italy the Rosary is said publicly every day.
Me, for the last five years I said the Prayers of St. Brigitte every day but since about a week ago I have started praying the Rosary on a daily basis.
I recommend the Rosary to anyone. A good priest would recommend the Rosary too.
 
mattkubes said:
So I realise that this might seem like an odd question, but I’m being sincere. I’ve never felt a very strong devotion to praying the Rosary, though I do enjoy praying it from time to time (I find the Sorrowful Mysteries really moving). I’ve recently started praying the four major hours in the Liturgy of the Hours and I’ve begun to like it so much that I just ordered the four-volume set - just a few minutes ago actually! For over a year now, I’ve felt a subtle urge to start paying the Divine Office, since before I even knew what it was, and now I’m really in love with it.

But here’s my question, should I be using this in conjunction with private devotionals? I still offer up sporadic prayers throughout the day (a Hail Mary or two here, the “Eternal Rest” prayer there), but at times I feel like I’m one of the few practicing Catholics not offering up a daily Rosary or one of the many Chaplets.

I’m not sure which section this question belongs in, but after a bit of thinking, I thought I should ask for some advice. Any words of wisdom you can offer me? :o
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You know what? Yes pray the rosary and pray it with devotion and pray it daily…all of the Mysteries daily. You will end up thanking me.
 
I’ve recently started praying the four major hours in the Liturgy of the Hours and I’ve begun to like it so much that I just ordered the four-volume set - just a few minutes ago actually!
There are only three major hours in the LotH: Office of Readings, Morning Prayer (Lauds), and Evening Prayer (Vespers).
 
mattkubes said:
So I realise that this might seem like an odd question, but I’m being sincere. I’ve never felt a very strong devotion to praying the Rosary, though I do enjoy praying it from time to time (I find the Sorrowful Mysteries really moving). I’ve recently started praying the four major hours in the Liturgy of the Hours and I’ve begun to like it so much that I just ordered the four-volume set - just a few minutes ago actually! For over a year now, I’ve felt a subtle urge to start paying the Divine Office, since before I even knew what it was, and now I’m really in love with it.

But here’s my question, should I be using this in conjunction with private devotionals? I still offer up sporadic prayers throughout the day (a Hail Mary or two here, the “Eternal Rest” prayer there), but at times I feel like I’m one of the few practicing Catholics not offering up a daily Rosary or one of the many Chaplets.

I’m not sure which section this question belongs in, but after a bit of thinking, I thought I should ask for some advice. Any words of wisdom you can offer me? :o
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The Rosary is a private devotion and nobody is obliged to pray it. Its recommended though because it is a powerful prayer but it is certainly not mandatory.
 
Cluny said:
There are only three major hours in the LotH: Office of Readings, Morning Prayer (Lauds), and Evening Prayer (Vespers).
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Whoops, I thought the night prayer was a major hour - maybe I thought that because it’s my favourite at the moment…my bias is showing through!

Thanks for the responses so far - I was browsing the site and came across this line by Fr. Serpa in the Ask an Apologist section:
“The Liturgy of the Hours, like the Mass, is the official public prayer of the Church. So it outranks all forms of private devotion, including the rosary, as good as such devotions are.”

But the rosary has such a rich history in the Church as well. I’ve always been more fond of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, but I’ll keep trying…and if anyone else wants to add anything, it would be appreciated!
 
benedict_XVIII said:
In my view, we should all be praying the rosary , the more often the better.
The Virgin in her apparitions always says that the Rosary is the most powerful prayer against the Devil. In most churches here in Italy the Rosary is said publicly every day.
Me, for the last five years I said the Prayers of St. Brigitte every day but since about a week ago I have started praying the Rosary on a daily basis.
I recommend the Rosary to anyone. A good priest would recommend the Rosary too.
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Matt… I agree very strongly with this advice. I’m glad to hear you’re praying the Divine Office. I’d really like to start, too. When I do… however, I will continue to pray the Rosary as well.

If you feel a bit overwhelmed… perhaps you could start slowly… by saying the Rosary each Saturday (Our Lady’s day)… and watch it blossom from there. I believe it was St. Louis de Montfort… who compared praying the Rosary, to planting a Rose Garden. He said that in Heaven… we will behold the fruits of our efforts… our beautiful Rose Gardens.

Personally, I feel that the “roses” in our gardens… will be souls we have prayed for (including our own); And that Our Lady will present them to God… for His glory. 🙂

God bless
 
MarieVeronica said:
If you feel a bit overwhelmed… perhaps you could start slowly… by saying the Rosary each Saturday (Our Lady’s day)… and watch it blossom from there. I believe it was St. Louis de Montfort… who compared praying the Rosary, to planting a Rose Garden. He said that in Heaven… we will behold the fruits of our efforts… our beautiful Rose Gardens.
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Maybe that was it, although not overwhelmed in a time sense. I tried to pick it up as a daily exercise for a while using a scriptural rosary reflection…but I kept wondering why I wasn’t just reading the Gospels and meditating on them. I guess trying to jump in all at once like that could have shocked me a bit (well, in the sense that it wasn’t a habit yet).

I guess I love the Divine Office because through it I get to say the things that I always wished I was saying during the rosary. I even loved the idea of it before I knew it was the part of the official prayer of the Church. But maybe it doesn’t have to be an either/or thing. I’ll take your advice and try to start on Saturdays for a little while. Maybe that’s a better way to learn to appreciate this devotion!
 
mattkubes said:
So I realise that this might seem like an odd question, but I’m being sincere. I’ve never felt a very strong devotion to praying the Rosary, though I do enjoy praying it from time to time (I find the Sorrowful Mysteries really moving). I’ve recently started praying the four major hours in the Liturgy of the Hours and I’ve begun to like it so much that I just ordered the four-volume set - just a few minutes ago actually! For over a year now, I’ve felt a subtle urge to start paying the Divine Office, since before I even knew what it was, and now I’m really in love with it.

But here’s my question, should I be using this in conjunction with private devotionals? I still offer up sporadic prayers throughout the day (a Hail Mary or two here, the “Eternal Rest” prayer there), but at times I feel like I’m one of the few practicing Catholics not offering up a daily Rosary or one of the many Chaplets.

I’m not sure which section this question belongs in, but after a bit of thinking, I thought I should ask for some advice. Any words of wisdom you can offer me? :o
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There is no “Should” or “Should not” when it comes to private devotionals. If the rosary doesn’t suit your form of spirituality then it doesn’t suit your form of spirituality. I think its great that the Divine Office fits your spirituality.

The Rosary is a devotion plain and simple. It is not required, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise doesn’t know what they are talking about. They need to mind their own business. I myself have little patience for people that try to impose or project a certain kind of spirituality or prayer as the standard everyone else ought to follow.
 
Apologist78 said:
The Rosary is a devotion plain and simple. It is not required, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise doesn’t know what they are talking about. They need to mind their own business. I myself have little patience for people that try to impose or project a certain kind of spirituality or prayer as the standard everyone else ought to follow.
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With all due respect, I don’t believe anyone who answered Matt’s question was doing this. He seemed to be interested in how he could incorporate the Rosary into his daily prayer life… and was given some good suggestions.

God bless.
 
MarieVeronica said:
With all due respect, I don’t believe anyone who answered Matt’s question was doing this. He seemed to be interested in how he could incorporate the Rosary into his daily prayer life… and was given some good suggestions.

God bless.
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You are most likely correct- perhaps I read into what he was saying. Though what I did hear him say is that he is not inclined to say the Rosary. My only point was to inform him that such was just fine. The Rosary while the most powerful prayer in the Church next to the mass, and indeed a worthwhile devotion, is just that- a devotion. One does not have to say it- there are many forms of spirituality and each person must utilize whatever form works for them, whether it be Fransciscan, Carmalite, Jesuit, etc. That is the beauty of the Church- there are many great spritual traditions such that there is something for everyone.
 
Try and find a spiritual director if your wanting to move ahead. It’s the best solution. We all need to maintain a spirit of freedom in our relationship with God and do things out of love and with love. This pleases God most. No excuse for being slack though. We still have to make an effort. Try to find a good spiritual director- all the saints recommend it.👍 🙂
 
Our Lady of Fatima, an approved apparition by the Holy Roman Catholic Church, said to pray the Rosary daily for peace for the world. She called herself, ‘Our Lady of the Rosary.’ 🙂
 
No, this has all been very helpful - but Apologist78 is right, that is how I feel sometimes. I haven’t seen it on this forum, but sometimes people make me feel as though I’m missing something in my prayer life if I don’t say the rosary. I guess what some Catholics forget is that the Divine Office is part of the Church’s public liturgy, and like Fr. Serpa said, it outranks any private devotion. With the way my schedule is now, I’m not sure if I could fit in all of the Offices that I like to say on top of the rosary (which takes me another 30 minutes).

I didn’t want to make it sound really dire, but I think at this point I’d just have to substitute one for the other (like substitute the rosary for the Office of Readings or something)…and I really want to make prayer a habitual part of my life as I get ready to go back to school. But I’ll try to add the Saturday rosary from now on. Maybe I’ll learn to appreciate it, and hopefully it’ll work its way in with my spirituality.

I’ve been meaning to ask one of the priests at my parish if he’d be willing to meet with me from time to time. Thanks for reminding me though, John!
 
Matt,
Sometimes it help to know a little about how the different devotions of the Church developed. You are right in stating that LOTH is the official prayer of the Church. The rosary developed out of the peasantry during the middle ages. Serfs did not have the luxury of reciting the psalms they heard the monks pray daily. What they were able to pray were the Patre Nostras, the beginning of what would develop into the rosary with which we are familiar. The rosary fulfills Mary’s prophecy, “all generations shall call me blessed.”
I first discovered the LOTH while on a private Easter retreat during a difficult period of my life. The rosary, on the other hand, had been a part of my life since infancy. It was part of the daily routine when I was growing up.
Pope John Paul II encouraged the daily recitation of the rosary using scriptural verses. I love his addition of the Luminous mysteries. Last year during catechist training, I learned to add a single word or phrase after “blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus_____” that adds to the meditative aspect of the rosary, and helps with focus.
With the LOTH, you already have a prayer life. The rosary can be added. I think you may find it more meaningful with the scriptural verses at the beginning of each decade. In the meantime, if you are praying Night Prayer, Mary does receive a single prayer to her honer every night.
 
PRAY THE ROSARY !!!🙂 Quote by Catholic Martyr
"In this age of modernism, rampant heresy and apostasy, the Fifteen decade Holy Rosary should be prayed by every one who wishes to obtain salvation.
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The promises of the Blessed Mother to those who are devoted to the Rosary are phenomenal, and of particular importance in these days is the promise that through the Rosary we will defeat heresies.
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Our Lady at Fatima said that is would be by the Brown Scapular and the Holy Rosary that she would save the world."
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69.43.207.164/showthread.php?p=4811460#post4811460
 
There’s nothing odd about this question. You don’t HAVE to pray the rosary. There is no obligation to do so.

Should you pray the rosary? It is certainly a prized prayer in the church, with many popes and saints recommending it. However, the Liturgy of the Hours is part of the official prayer of the church. It is certainly no small thing to pray the LOH.

I think that you are on the right track. You shouldn’t make yourself feel guilty about not praying the rosary. The only thing I wouldn’t do would be to neglect Mary, your Mother. But since you do ask her intersession throughout the day, I think you’re doing just fine. 🙂
 
Our Lady of the Rosary, the Blessed Mother, the Immaculate Conception, Lady of Sorrows, Mother of the Word came down from Heaven on July 13, 1917 to three shephered children during Fatima and specifically commanded them to pray the Rosary daily. If you choose to obey her voice, it is up to you. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ :hmmm: :hmmm:

The Holy Family performed a miracle seen by believers, unbelievers, and recorded in several newspapers. The sun danced. They also made a prophecy about a coming chastisement that would happen if man did not repent and convert. This chastisement was the Holocaust. The prophesies they made about what would happen were reported in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Daily Tribune. Next year a movie theatre movie is being made on Fatima. the13thday.com Whether you want to follow the commands of Mary or not is up to your own free will. This prayer was so important that Francisco could not even see Mary until he had said many rosaries as she asked him to.
"Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world… for she alone can save it." (Our Lady - July 13, 1917)
“God has placed peace in her hands, and it is from the Immaculate Heart that men must ask it.” (Jacinta–shortly before her death)
“When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.’” (June 13, 1917)
(Every Rosary increases Mary’s power to crush the head of the Serpent and to destroy his evil power in the world.)
rosary-center.org/fatima.htm
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Hey Matt-

I could have written your post- I have had the same issues for quite some time. I too appreciate all of these responses.

I have, over the last few years, developed a strong devotion to St. Josemaria. He has encouraged me to see the great value in mental prayer- which is now- Praise God- a part of my daily prayer life. However, between mental prayer and the Divine Office (and I only pray Lauds and Vespers) the Holy Rosary has been set aside. The reason for this? Because I have always had a big problem with “piling up devotions” (as St. Josemaria criticized against)- and too often I get into the habit of just habitually saying words- NOT GOOD.

When St. Josemaria would counsel folks on how to develop a good, solid prayer life he recommended whatever one could do well- everyday. That will, obviously, vary from person to person. St. Josemaria said himself that he never wished to “straitjacket anyone” by defining a certain method or formula of prayer. He said that YOUR plan of life (your prayer life) should fit YOU like a “rubber glove”- his words- awesome huh.

If St. Josemaria strongly recommended any form of prayer it was probably two: Mental Prayer (just talking to God as you would talk to your own father or a friend) and the Holy Rosary. However, it is my opinion that- bottom line- he (or anyone else for that matter) recommend such a devotion because it fosters a greater love for Our Holy Mother Mary.

Here’s what I do: I pray Lauds and Vespers, spend some time in mental prayer (usually in the morning), pray the Angelus (and say it slowly with LOVE), and talk to Jesus and Mary throughout my day- in my heart- offering everything to them.

I would suggest two things: First, go to Mary- talk to Her about it. Yes, she has appeared throughout history to all sorts of folks and so many wonderful saints have taught us so much about Her. However, what does she want to say to you- what does she want from you? Find a quiet space in your day and ask Her about this and talk to Her as you would talk to your mother- call Her Mom- be very familiar with Her- and tell Her you love Her.

Suggestion Two: check out St. Josemaria’s teachings on prayer- All of his writings are available totally free on the net.

God love you!

Jason
 
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