The Rosary Paradox

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mathematoons

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We’re told that there is no problem that cannot be solved with the Rosary, so we pray it to end all kinds of evils in our world (abortion, terrorism, your most hated political party, secularism, modernism, etc.). Yet, we’ve been doing this, and all these problems have continued to worsen over the next hundred years and still show no sign of getting better; we get hopeful at the slightest sign that modern culture may even be thinking about repenting from its anti-Christian everything (really, there is nothing in modern culture that is not in opposition to our faith) and are disappointed EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

We know the Rosary works because of promises from Our Lady and because of verified Rosary miracles, but the time for such miracles seems to be over.

So, what gives?

I can only think of a few solutions, all of which seem logical:
  1. We’re not holy enough to be heard by God (see Psalm 65[66]:18).
  2. We’re doing the Rosary wrong (maybe we’re too distracted?).
  3. An end to any of the evils of modern culture is opposed to God’s will, and we’re resisting His will by praying for such a thing, as Jeremiah would have if he had prayed for Israel (Jeremiah 7:16, 11:14). (Perhaps these evils are punishments for the sins of Catholics.)
  4. The West is terminally sick and would vomit out any medicine God can give it (in which case praying for an end to these evils is as much a waste of time as praying for a deceased loved one to come back to life; see Hebrews 6:4-8).
  5. We’re praying for the wrong things; what we ask for is not conducive to our or anyone else’s sanctification, but only gratifies our passions (see James 4:3). (Perhaps we should pray for the kind of persecution that exists in Muslim and Communist countries instead, since that culls weak Christians and sanctifies strong ones like nothing else.)
What do you all think?
 
That’s a tough one - one thing i will say is that the Book of Revelations does predict a huge falling away from God - what does it say - that it would be like the times of Noah people would stop believing and just go on without any acknowledgment of God ( we are on the verge of this) if the book of Revelations is a true prophecy then these things have to happen before the end or its a false book in the bible . People still get to choose - God will not take their choice away. The rosary has helped me personally enormously - we cannot give up hope - the world is going to go that direction. This is probably not what you wanted to hear so please ignore my response if that is so.
 
@CajonJoy65 seems to be on the right track…God’s time isn’t our time. I will continue praying my Rosary though!
 
mathematoons said:
We’re told that there is no problem that cannot be solved with the Rosary, so we pray it to end all kinds of evils in our world (abortion, terrorism, your most hated political party, secularism, modernism, etc.). Yet, we’ve been doing this, and all these problems have continued to worsen over the next hundred years and still show no sign of getting better; we get hopeful at the slightest sign that modern culture may even be thinking about repenting from its anti-Christian everything (really, there is nothing in modern culture that is not in opposition to our faith) and are disappointed EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

We know the Rosary works because of promises from Our Lady and because of verified Rosary miracles, but the time for such miracles seems to be over.

So, what gives?

I can only think of a few solutions, all of which seem logical:
  1. We’re not holy enough to be heard by God (see Psalm 65[66]:18).
  2. We’re doing the Rosary wrong (maybe we’re too distracted?).
  3. An end to any of the evils of modern culture is opposed to God’s will, and we’re resisting His will by praying for such a thing, as Jeremiah would have if he had prayed for Israel (Jeremiah 7:16, 11:14). (Perhaps these evils are punishments for the sins of Catholics.)
  4. The West is terminally sick and would vomit out any medicine God can give it (in which case praying for an end to these evils is as much a waste of time as praying for a deceased loved one to come back to life; see Hebrews 6:4-8).
  5. We’re praying for the wrong things; what we ask for is not conducive to our or anyone else’s sanctification, but only gratifies our passions (see James 4:3). (Perhaps we should pray for the kind of persecution that exists in Muslim and Communist countries instead, since that culls weak Christians and sanctifies strong ones like nothing else.)
What do you all think?
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It is the wrong expectation to look for miracles, rather it is through living Christlike lives with the gifts of grace and charisms, that souls are helped in this world. Catechism:
302 Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created “in a state of journeying” (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call “divine providence” the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection:
By his providence God protects and governs all things which he has made, “reaching mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and ordering all things well”. For “all are open and laid bare to his eyes”, even those things which are yet to come into existence through the free action of creatures.161
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The world is a big place and while we may not see much change right around us, it is happening is remote places… different continents… in the silence of hearts. Don’t give up. God is faithful and he sent his mother to guide us. She is with us and he is with us though it may seem dark where you are. Keep praying and I’m praying for you.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
’
 
It appears that the OP is looking at very large problems. A single prayer, by a single individual will not necessarily solve all the problems of the world in a single sitting. St. Paul tells us to be consistent in prayer.
More important than general petition, the “I wants” is our presence in prayer. As a priest once put, “No man wants to be loved only for what he can give.” Just as God loves us, we are called to a love relationship.
It is true that there are promises made dealing with the rosary and other prayers. Our Lady of Fatima called for the rosary to prayed daily. She expressly asked that we pray for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for its conversion. Three young Portuguese shepherds in 1917 had no idea of the turmoil that was about to befall Russia, the fall of the Romanovs, the rise of Communism, and World War I.
When I pray the rosary, I generally begin by consecrating my family to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There was a time when it was revealed to me, as I prayed before Mass the reason I was having difficulty getting plane tickets for my daughter. I was praying the rosary at the time. My mother did not laugh when I called and asked for her to pray for the safety of the plane as well, whether or not my daughter was on the plane. The plane with my daughter arrived safely.
 
Sadly enough, Mick Jagger has your answer: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.”

Who’s to say how much worse things would be without the Rosary? Our senses find fault while our spirits must seek perfection. Our Lord told us that we will have tribulation in this world. He did not say that prayer would take that away. He said that He would be with us. That is more than enough.

Prayers are about love, not about fixing things. If we choose to submit to God’s will, it does not really matter how things turn out here on earth. We have an absolutely better promise. Faithfulness to prayer is our bridge to that promise.
 
mathematoons said:
all these problems have continued to worsen over the next hundred years and still show no sign of getting better;
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You know this for sure how? I see quite a few improvements in the world in the last 100 years. We also have no way of knowing how much worse shape the world would be in if we all just said eh forget this and stopped praying.

And no, we don’t “know how the Rosary works”. That’s presumptuous as heck. Only somebody without a clue would even begin to talk about Our Lady and the Rosary in that way.
 
po18guy said:
Prayers are about love
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Excellent point.
A big part of prayer is to show our love for and trust in God, and our Holy Mother Mary.

It’s not all about, “if I say a magic number of rosaries and I’m holy enough then I get some result out of the gumball machine”.

The prayer itself is increasing my own holiness and is part of God’s plan for me, to be here, to be praying and worshipping Him instead of doing something else.
 
po18guy said:
Prayers are about love, not about fixing things. If we choose to submit to God’s will, it does not really matter how things turn out here on earth. We have an absolutely better promise. Faithfulness to prayer is our bridge to that promise.
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Exactly, this is my point. Given this, why pray for an end to the unborn baby Holocaust? Why pray for the West to convert? Why not pray for help casting out the beams out of our own eyes instead? That’s what I pray the Rosary for, that and my family’s welfare, since they are under my care. Not an end to this or that evil in the world. It would be against God’s nature to allow just any sinner who says “the magic words” to change His plan, or so it seems to me given the Bible verses I cited.

Many seem to have misunderstood my point.
 
mathematoons said:
this, why pray for an end to the unborn baby Holocaust?
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Please don’t use that terminology.

The problem wirh abortion is bad, but it’s very insulting to compare it to the Holocaust, whether you did so deliberately or not.
 
We always want God to fix our problem, when it is we who must fix God’s ‘problem’ - we oppose His will. In the ultimate (eternal) sense, it matters not one bit whether things go our way or not. Still, we remain faithful to prayer out of love of God. Once in eternity, we will see how little our wants and needs mattered and how much God’s will mattered.
 
I think it’s insulting to the unborn to make their plight less than other mass murders, but let’s not derail the thread. The point is, I refuse to take it back, and you will not change my mind.
 
I find it really insulting that somebody would tell me or even suggest what I should or should not pray for. Or even presume they know all the things that I pray for.

Prayer is personal. Our Lord wants us to bring our concerns and our burdens to Him. He didn’t say just pray for certain stuff and don’t bother praying for certain other stuff. He said bring me ALL your concerns and burdens. That could mean everything from my concern about abortion to my concern about my own sins and failures. And usually, it does encompass all that and a million other things.

The OP can pray or not pray for whatever he likes, but when it comes to what I pray for or don’t, butt out.
 
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I think most people are very bad at praying the Rosary. It is composed of both mental and oral prayer. Most seem to only ramble the words in such a quick paced manner that they become the vain repetition that Christ spoke of. It is important to say it with reverence and devotion. Since these things are quite lacking in these times it makes sense that the results are very scarce. It is important to also have a constant devotion for them to take effect on our lifes. If you water a plant every now and then it will soon wilt and die. The same thing applies to the rosary, if we do not recite it on a daily basis then it will hardly have any fruits and it will be like the barren fig tree. The Secret of the Rosary by Saint Louis de Monfort gives a good explanation on having a solid devotion to the Holy Rosary.
 
Are you praying the rosary, or any prayer as a type of magic charm? If I do this so many times then a certain result will happen.
It is true that Scripture tells us, when two or more gather in prayer “There am I.” When I pray I do pray “in accordance with God’s will.” Scripture assures of us of God’s healing power. Throughout the gospels, Our Lord was on the way to heal somebody, healing somebody, or had just healed somebody.
Healing almost always began with Him saying “Your sins are forgiven,” by which He revealed His divinity. “Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven or that you are healed.”
Yes, God does want us to pray for healing. The prayer at the end of the Loretto Litany, often recited after the rosary says we pray for “perpetual health of mind and body.”
Nevertheless, what is the main purpose of prayer? Prayer is communication. It is the lifting up of hearts and minds to God. While Margaret went about doing all the things all good hostess should do, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. She sat in His presence, and hung onto His every word. Our primary purpose in prayer is to spend time with our Beloved, to seek the Pearl beyond price.
St. Teresa of Avila writes about contemplative prayer as a gift. What she writes about the Our Father is well worth reading. Concentrating on each word can bring us into the very presence of God.
So many times, we think that prayer is simple recitation of memorized prayer. Yes, we are called to recite the rosary, reverently and devotedly. Then what. Prayer is not simply our speaking to God. It also involves listening.
The final words of the Mass are “Go and serve the Lord.” What does He call us to do? How are we to be judged at the Last Supper? What good is it to say to your brother "be warm and well fed, but do nothing to meet his bodily needs.’
Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me. Mother Theresa, and others who served God in active service found strength for their vocation through the rosary. Meditating on the rosary, and the gospels led them to the actions of the day.
There is a story of a statue damaged during WWII. Somebody hung a sign on the statue with the words, “He has no hands but yours.” Could it be that you are the answer to the prayer that somebody half a world away is praying? Perhaps you find yourself in a location as you go through your day in which you are the person giving words of comfort, in answered prayer, to somebody in need.
Are you open to how God might use you throughout the day?
Growing up, my mother never let any of us leave the house without kissing her and receiving a blessing on the forehead. She couldn’t watch over us, but she could trust us to God care.
 
I fully agree. We just aren’t likely going to see a ‘parting of the sea’ type miraculous response, until the very end!

Little miracles, yep, all the time!
 
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mathematoons said:
We’re told that there is no problem that cannot be solved with the Rosary,
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Who tells you that?

Prayer important in every life, but, the Rosary is not some magic thing that fixes every problem. Prayer changes, strengthens us.

You might want to read Fr Dubay’s “The Prayer Primer” or Peter Kreeft “Prayer for Beginners”

ETA, the idea that prayer does not “work” because one is not “holy enough” is the protestant “prosperity gospel”, it is NOT Catholic teaching.
 
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