Some Rosary Questions

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St.Leonard

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I have prayed the Rosary daily now for just over four years but I don’t feel like I am in any different place than before, if anything things are worse.
“No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary”~Bishop Hugh Doyle
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I’m sinning more now than I was but I am still praying the Rosary.
“You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.”~Our Lady to Blessed Alan de la Roche
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I haven’t attained anything I have asked for with the Rosary.
“Those who say the Rosary frequently and fervently will gradually grow in grace and holiness and will enjoy the special protection of Our Lady and the abiding friendship of God.” -Bishop Hugh Boyle
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Honestly I haven’t grown in grace or holiness and have had problems come my way lately that I don’t feel protection.
Promise 1. To all those who shall pray my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and great graces.

Promise 2. Those who shall persevere in the recitation of my Rosary will receive some special grace.

Promise 11. What you shall ask through my Rosary you shall obtain.
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This isn’t happening so what is?
 
Sometimes what you ask for isn’t the Lord’s will. Or sometimes our clock isn’t in tune with God’s clock. He answers prayers in HIS time not ours. Also, have you read anything about Mother Teresa- who had a great devotion to Mary- she said she lived in a spiritual darkness. But this doesn’t mean we should lose faith- she didn’t. Instead, it is often a time of great spiritual development. Think of all Jesus suffered, maybe God is asking you to carry these crosses to grow and to be closer to Jesus.

Another thing I alway think is maybe God have you what you wanted but we didn’t see it right in front of us. Did you ever hear this story? I struggle with my prayers not being answered and always think of this…I love it:

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”

The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.”

So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. "The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.”

To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.”

To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you but you didn’t save me, you let me drown. I don’t understand why!”

To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?”
 
NewYorkmom said:
maybe God is asking you to carry these crosses to grow and to be closer to Jesus.
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I honestly felt closer to Him this time last year than I do now.

I still don’t understand making promises and quotes that don’t happen? Maybe it would be better not to pray at all than to pray and pray just to completely lose hope?
 
First, we ourselves are not the greatest judges of whether we are growing in grace and holiness. We may be in a spiritual dry spell for decades, growing in grace and holiness the whole time, yet feeling lousy and unable to gauge our own progress.

Second, Bishop Doyle’s opinion is one bishop’s opinion. There are probably people out there who prayed the Rosary and sinned all day long, although I personally have found it helps to focus my mind on God so I think twice before sinning, and maybe that’s what the bishop meant.

Third, Our Lady speaking to Blessed Alain is a private revelation. It may have been meant just for him. Also, we only get what we pray for if it is God’s will. If you’re praying for something and not getting it, you might take a step back and ask God why he is not granting your prayer and to show you the path for what you should be wanting or doing instead.

I’ve prayed fervently for some things in life that I got, and some I didn’t get. In a couple of cases, years down the road I was very glad God said no to a couple of my requests as I would have been miserable later or missed something else that was better.

I don’t know where you got the promises at the end, but it’s usually better to ignore such promises. Often though not always, they come from suspect sources, like someone made them up and attributed them to Mary. We don’t pray with the expectation of “getting”. We pray to be closer to God and have a better understanding of His will for us. The more we get in tune with God, the more we will understand why he’s saying yes or no or silence, and even when we don’t understand, the more we will accept it.
 
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I think sometimes we don’t, until we look back, see how we have grown from prayer. Or how, had that prayer been answered it would have been the wrong thing for our lives. God knows better than we do. I try and pray the rosary daily and I always see it guiding me. On days I don’t pray, I notice my life is a little less peaceful. But last week my whole house was sick and I didn’t say the rosary daily, as intended, but I still felt Mary’s guidance.

Have you read 33 Days to Morning Glory? It is a wonderful, wonderful book to help understand devotion to Mary. It explains how our suffering helps our path too. I say the rosary daily as a result of reading that book. It changed my life. I highly recommend it. Another book on peace, Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe.
 
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The promises were given to St. Dominic. They are from Mary. However, I agree we shouldn’t pray the rosary strictly to obtain those, but to grow in faith. However, they are there as a blessing to this who pray it.
 
NewYorkmom said:
I think sometimes we don’t, until we look back, how we have grown.
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I do look back but don’t see any growth.
NewYorkmom said:
But last week my whole house was sick and I didn’t say the rosary daily, as intended, but I still felt Mary’s guidance.
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You are lucky as I have never felt her guidance.

I feel like someone who has gone out for a run every day for over four years but still get out of breath walking up the stairs. (An example I can get up the stairs).
 
Nymom said:
The promises were given to St. Dominic. They are from Mary. However, I agree we shouldn’t pray the rosary strictly to obtain those, but to grow in faith. However, they are there as a blessing to this who pray it.
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I understand but it’s like following a fitness plan at the gym and being told that you will get stronger which you should but if you find yourself still struggling to lift the same weight then something is wrong.
 
I’d advise you to GIVE UP saying the Rosary and try some
other prayer, ACTS(acronym for Adoration Confession
Thanksgiving and Supplication) or contemplative prayer,
meditating on Scripture(Lectio Divina) or some other way
to developing a Devotional time, go to Adoration, if there
is a Chapel that is open 24/7 in your area or parish.
 
GLam1761 said:
I’d advise you to GIVE UP saying the Rosary and try some
other prayer, ACTS(acronym for Adoration Confession
Thanksgiving and Supplication) or contemplative prayer,
meditating on Scripture(Lectio Divina) or some other way
to developing a Devotional time, go to Adoration, if there
is a Chapel that is open 24/7 in your area or parish.
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I already go to adoration (went this morning too), confession very frequently and pray thanksgiving/supplication prayers.

Contemplative prayer would be impossible for me due to the problems I have specifically with contemplating stuff. I found meditation almost impossible in the past due to the same aforementioned reason and I already read the Bible.

I’m at a loss.
 
Personally, I find the rosary a wonderful devotion. However, there are other devotions and things you can do to try and grow your faith… then maybe come back to the rosary. I wouldn’t give up on it.

Again, I think you would really find 33 days a wonderful resource if Marian devotion is your aim.

http://33daystomorningglory.com/
 
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Just thinking…Sometimes we plateau at the gym right? So we need to try something new to get back on track. Maybe read a new book from a well respected Catholic author or Saint? Or one of the ones I suggested 😊
 
What frightens me is many years ago I prayed for something big without the rosary or anything and received it the next day, just like that.

I always believed God answered my prayer but I know the devil is trying to tell me that if God isn’t answering my prayer now then maybe that one was just a coincidence.

I feel like crying every day, if God is going to say no it would be better to know that so I could try and accept it but whilst there is a chance for a maybe and I must persevere it makes it feel hopeless. What if I get to my death bed one day and He is still saying wait? I’m not coping.
 
NewYorkmom said:
The promises were given to St. Dominic. They are from Mary.
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That’s fine, but even if so, Catholics aren’t required to believe private revelations, even to a saint. Therefore these promises shouldn’t be relied upon in a literal sense, in my opinion.

We can be sure if we sincerely pray the Rosary, we will grow closer to God and to Mary and grow in grace and holiness whether we feel it or not. That’s pretty much all I rely on.
 
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Maybe you should pray more to know and understand and do God’s will for your life. I suggest that because you seem to have spiritual difficulty with asking and not getting. For some of us, it’s frustrating to not get, but it’s not a big spiritual hurdle. For you it seems like a hurdle.
 
If you already read the Bible, you can meditate. Meditation uses the intellect. Ask yourself what the passage is saying and how it can apply to your life. Meditation must lead to action or it is worthless and becomes an exercise in sloth.
Growth in grace/holiness is up to you. It will not be forced upon you. God and the Blessed Virgin will help you, but you are the one responsible for your growth. If you don’t have a spiritual director, I suggest you get one.
 
I’ve tried just talking to Jesus but I find that the more I pray the worse my situations get. I feel like He is punishing me for something but if He is I don’t know what to do about it. Not even a hint in my direction. Why must we suffer seven days per week for decades?
 
Why would you assume earthly suffering is a punishment for something? That idea was refuted in Scripture, in the Book of Job.

Life is going to include suffering, because we live in a fallen world.
I don’t know what’s actually going on in your life that constitutes suffering “seven days a week for decades” but you might want to utilize some of that suffering by offering it up to save sinners and to make reparation to God for the sins of the world, then it won’t be wasted.

Also, unless you specifically asked Jesus to let you suffer for His sake (which I’m presuming from your other posts, you didn’t), then your suffering is probably not connected to your prayer life. It is suffering you would have anyway, prayers or no prayers. Try to change what you can, accept what you can’t change, and stay close to God by praying in both good times and bad.
 
  1. Just asking here! You need not answer. Is it possible at all that you have become scrupulous, rather than a worse sinner?
  2. The Rosary is not a vending machine.
  3. God tests us - over the course of our lifetime. Read Romans 5 and 2 Corinthians 6.
  4. Read James 4:1-9. Our prayers must not be amiss. Rather, have you asked for more severe testing? Asked to bear someone else’s pain or suffering? I must say that when one denies the self, these prayers are not only answered, but the grace to bear them is given in full measure.
 
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