The Rosary - Do I have to say it because I'm Catholic?

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I don’t feel comfortable saying so many Hail Marys and my mind drifts off.
 
cnegrace said:
I don’t feel comfortable saying so many Hail Marys and my mind drifts off.
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If you are not comfortable praying the Rosary, then don’t.

Pray the prayers that you are comfortable with and practice the devotions which call to you.

I find that the Imitation of Christ is particularly good. 😉
 
cnegrace said:
I don’t feel comfortable saying so many Hail Marys and my mind drifts off.
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You don’t have to say the Rosary at all. It’s funny, I get just the opposite effect. Saying the prayers and meditating on the mysteries help me to focus on God, to block out the here and now.

Just one question. Are you actually taking the time to meditate upon the mysteries as we are supposed to? This is a very important part of the prayer. Mindlessly repeating word after word is not the way prayer is supposed to be done, we need to think about the wods we are saying.
 
One is not required to say the rosary, no.

It seems to me however, that some who recommend persistence in prayer stop short at the rosary, and instead recomend to others its abandonment for a different form of prayer if the rosary is found to be somehow uncomfortable, tedious or unproductive.

Catholic tradition is clear and all but unanimous in its recommendation of the rosary. II agree with Swiss Guy that we sould persevere in the rosary.

-Tim-
 
While it is not a requirement to say the Rosary, keep the following in mind:
  1. The Rosary is the prayer of the Gospel. It has only been since the late 1800’s (1890’s?) since universal literacy was of any interest to society. Most folks before that time were illiterate. Therefore, it would have been impractical for them to try to “read” the Gospel. However, the high points of the Gospel are contained in the Rosary.
  2. The Rosary, like we humans, are composed of two parts: a body and a soul. The body of the Rosary is the Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s, both which come from the Bible. The soul of the Rosary is the Mysteries. The soul, remember, gives form to the body and is its animating force.
  3. The Rosary is the highest indulgenced private prayer in the Church. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, requested that we pray the Rosary.
  4. If we faithfully promise the Rosary, we are given the following promises:
  5. To all those who shall pray my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and great graces.
  6. Those who shall persevere in the recitation of my Rosary will receive some special grace.
  7. The Rosary will be a very powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy.
  8. The rosary will make virtue and good works flourish, and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies. It will draw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
  9. Those who trust themselves to me through the Rosary will not perish.
  10. Whoever recites my Rosary devoutly reflecting on the mysteries, shall never be overwhelmed by misfortune. He will not experience the anger of God nor will he perish by an unprovided death. The sinner will be converted; the just will persevere in grace and merit eternal life.
  11. Those truly devoted to my Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
  12. Those who are faithful to recite my Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces and will share in the merits of the blessed.
  13. I will deliver promptly from purgatory souls devoted to my Rosary.
  14. True children of my Rosary will enjoy great glory in heaven.
  15. What you shall ask through my Rosary you shall obtain.
  16. To those who propagate my Rosary I promise aid in all their necessities.
  17. I have obtained from my Son that all the members of the Rosary Confraternity shall have as their intercessors, in life and in death, the entire celestial court.
  18. Those who recite my Rosary faithfully are my beloved children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
  19. Devotion to my Rosary is a special sign of predestination.
So, no, you don’t “have” to pray the Rosary. But it is the preferred “small arms” of our Lady’s army! And, if you pray it regularly, one of two things will happen. You will get deeper in your Catholic faith and begin to purify your soul. It will change you. Or, you will cease to pray the Rosary.
 
Matthew 6:5-15

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows…
 
I suggest that you try the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as Divine Office; this is the official prayer of the Church, it is recited by all clergy and religious communities throughout the world in the vernacular and in Latin. Personally, I make use of the one-volume Christian Prayer, which cost me about $35. Those who want to go deeper can invest in a four-volume set (three volumes in England.)

I love hearing about the saints, and the Liturgy of the Hours affords a regular calendar of all saints of the Church, special prayers and antiphons for them. There is really nothing boring about LOTH; it changes every day, with some familiar parts that you can memorize, such as the invitatory psalm, the Canticles of Zechariah and Mary (Magnificat). The Rosary has been called the “Poor man’s psalter” and the original cycle of 150 Hail Marys was designed to mimic the 150 Psalms which were prayed in a complete cycle of the Divine Office.

In any case, test everything! Keep what is good! (1 Thes 5:21)
 
The only reason to pray the Rosary is because you love Jesus and desire to ponder the mysteries of the Gospel. Since the intent of the Rosary is prayer - but contemplative prayer, it might be best to allow the rote (Hail, Mary) prayers to become background music to your contemplation. There are sites that have collections of artwork and images depicting the mysteries of the Rosary that you may view as you pray each mystery, which will assist you in your contemplation and keep you on track. Here is one such site.
 
TraditonRules said:
Matthew 6:5-15

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows…
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Amen! Meditate, reflect, and pray. Just you and God.
 
cnegrace said:
I don’t feel comfortable saying so many Hail Marys and my mind drifts off.
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No, it’s not required. 🙂 I started saying the Rosary when I was still a Protestant but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea
 
Adonia said:
You don’t have to say the Rosary at all. It’s funny, I get just the opposite effect. Saying the prayers and meditating on the mysteries help me to focus on God, to block out the here and now.

Just one question. Are you actually taking the time to meditate upon the mysteries as we are supposed to? This is a very important part of the prayer. Mindlessly repeating word after word is not the way prayer is supposed to be done, we need to think about the wods we are saying.
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Thanks this is very helpful as I have not been concentrating on the mysteries.
 
FabiusMaximus said:
You’re not required as a Roman Catholic to say the Rosary. It’s a devotion.
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Right.

I do believe you need a daily prayer life though. Basically it comes down to a daily conversation with the Lord.

More of a practice as understanding the Spiritual realm we definately live in.
 
As a family we started praying the Rosary, it first really didn’t click but now it is amazing. I think it is something that will help us grow in our faith. Plus the mysteries keep Christ Passion infron of us. Just my .2cents:D
 
and my mind drifts off

Yeah that can happen. Visit some local churches and see if you pick up Rosary pamphlet isbn 978-1-59614-006-6 by the Association of Marian Helpers. That’s the best one imo to help you lock down your mind and concentrate on the mysteries of faith.

Otherwise like you said it’s a race to say 53 Hail Mary’s etc. and you ask …‘what’s the point?’…

I’d give it another try cnegrace, the daily rosary was the best thing to ever happen to a lot of us and it could be for you too.

ps it’s a blue pamphlet with the BVM wearing a golden crown. 👍
 
cnegrace said:
I don’t feel comfortable saying so many Hail Marys and my mind drifts off.
Click to expand...
As others have said, the rosary is not about saying a bunch of Hail Marys. Its about meditating on the life of Christ. Mary always points us to her Son and her intercession is very powerful. Its a good thing to get to know her, but it is all because of Jesus that we say the rosary.

Something to keep in mind: Is there any other person who can claim to the daughter of the Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the mother of the Son? What an incredibly intimate relationship she has with the Trinity. She has requested that we pray the rosary for many reasons, but all of them point to our Savior.
 
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