The Rosary

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Karen1996

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Which do you prefer: praying the Rosary aloud with others or alone? The reason I ask is because on Saturdays and sometimes on Sunday mornings, someone leads us in a Rosary before Mass, though you do not have to participate, of course. I find it distracting and very hard to concentrate on the mysteries and prayers this way. Don’t get me wrong. I love our Lady’s Rosary. I just would prefer the church to be in silence before Mass, so I can say my own prayers or just sit there quietly. I do, sometimes, like praying the Rosary with others, just not before Mass.
 
Generally, I like to pray the Rosary with a group. I’m a notoriously bad self-motivator, and I seem to stay more focused if I have to keep up with the group. Besides, being with a group gives me a chance to hear some fresh twists on the meditations once in a while.
 
I know just what you mean. I prefer the Church silent so I can pray alone. I don’t do the rosary well with others. If I don’t have to think about it, but rather just follow along, my mind drifts.
 
I love either way. For praying the Rosary together at a church, you will receive full indulgence. I am a member of Legion of Mary, we gather once a week to pray the Rosary together for intention of the Virgin Mary, and I love it.
 
churches here who have public recitation of the rosary before and after Mass do it for 2 reasons, one is the indulgence available for the practice, the other is to counteract the talking and carrying on that goes on otherwise. I prefer to pray the LOTH for the hour before or after Mass, and the rosary does distract me for that, so when it is being said I just go with the flow and pray another rosary, and do my personal prayers later in the chapel. I wish we had public lauds and vespers which is the intent of LOTH since it is the public prayer of the Church, but say-lah-vee.

I have a very hard time reciting the rosary as it is usually done in public, marathon style (esp. in Spanish), where points are awarded, apparently, to the person who finishes each prayer first in one breath. I pray it best alone while walking. I do pray with a cenacle each week, which is a slow, meditative recitation, sometimes with a good CD (Dana Scallon), and that is a good experience, although ordinarily I am not helped by CDs.
 
puzzleannie said:
I pray it best alone while walking. I do pray with a cenacle each week, which is a slow, meditative recitation, sometimes with a good CD (Dana Scallon), and that is a good experience, although ordinarily I am not helped by CDs.
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I like the Rosary Army audio rosary. And I’ve also grown into something called the ‘chanted rosary’ which you can get online from the Monks of Adoration.

It goes at a slower pace and the slightly hypnotic nature of the chanting helps me get deeper into the meditation. Fantastic for when I’m on the move and therefore more likely to be distracted during a faster rosary.
 
Perhaps I am odd, but I find it nearly impossible to pray the rosary while sitting still, even in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament … :confused:

I pray the rosary best while walking.

I am blessed to live near the mountains, and the rolling countryside of the foothills just lends itself beautifully to having a nice, long walk and praying the mysteries of the rosary.

If I am alone in a church, I will generally walk around inside, up and down the aisles and past the side chapels, while I am praying it. I don’t do this if someone is in the church trying to pray or meditate though, since a) it probably would be distracting for them and b) I’d probably look like a nut 😃
 
I like to pray aloud with a group, but I also prefer not to feel rushed in such circumstances.

I usually pray the Rosary by myself. However, even if I am praying alone, I am not praying the Rosary alone. As an enrolled member of the Confraternity of the Rosary, my hope is that my prayers will be in union with all the other members.

See pacifier.com/~rosarweb/index.htm
 
For me, it depends on the circumstances. Most days, I say the rosary by myself. I use Fr. Peyton’s meditation, and I feel that I get a lot out of it.

Once a week, I get together with a group of people and we say the rosary together. There are a few people in this group who talk VERY fast and who are always 4-5 words ahead of the rest of us. I find it very difficult to meditate on the mysteries, and I feel like the recitation of the rosary is something that I have to “endure” rather than properly pray. I try to offer up my annoyance, but I still feel rather dissatisified with the public rosary. If the “fast prayers” aren’t there that week, then I really enjoy saying the rosary with the group.
 
Mondays before Novena, I pray the Rosary aloud with those in the chapel. Mostly though I pray the rosary as I walk home from work. I tell my kids that me and Mary will be OK walking home. They worry about me!
I suppose the 12 years of Catholic school has rubbed off on me as I carry my rosary EVERYWHERE. Left front pants/jacket pocket…always. When I need some comfort, she’s there.

Kathy
 
Katie1723 said:
I suppose the 12 years of Catholic school has rubbed off on me as I carry my rosary EVERYWHERE. Left front pants/jacket pocket…always. When I need some comfort, she’s there.

Kathy
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I do the same thing too. I even keep a few “spare” ones in the car and in my purse just in case I fogot to put it in my pocket before I left home.🙂
 
i cant pray the rosary in a group out loud, it is very personal for me and Mary. While meditating on the mysteries some times I go slow when i am struggling with something in life, and sometimes I go at a faster pace when I am just upbeat. So it would be hard for me to pray with others.

I have my Grandmama’s rosary (may she rest in peace) which is kept in my room. And I have the one I carry with me that has been everywhere and has fallen apart and put back together so many times the beads are all spaced wrong, i love the rosary.
 
Katie1723 said:
I suppose the 12 years of Catholic school has rubbed off on me as I carry my rosary EVERYWHERE. Left front pants/jacket pocket…always. When I need some comfort, she’s there.

Kathy
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Well, I’m a convert and never went to Catholic school, but I do this too! 👍 My rosary is always in my pocket, wherever I go. In fact, if I discover that I’ve forgotten it and left it at home or in my other jacket, it irritates me as badly as forgetting my wallet or house keys. I’ve even gone back home to get it a few times! I just like the comfort of having it there with me …

As for praying the rosary before Mass, I have to admit that while I think it’s a good custom in general, I don’t usually participate in it. I find it very difficult to meditate on the mysteries that way, and especially if there are lots of people praying at different speeds etc.
 
Moneo said:
Perhaps I am odd, but I find it nearly impossible to pray the rosary while sitting still, even in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament … :confused:

I pray the rosary best while walking.

I
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I agree, it does not feel like prayer unless I am walking, because when I first took up the rosary again years ago, that is how I did it, just walking on the city streets. Since I was blessed to be in a parish with all-day adoration a few years ago and started that habit as well, that is how I do lectio divina, but rosary and litanies just don’t work right for me there, and my only inclination is just silence and contemplation.
 
Moneo said:
Well, I’m a convert and never went to Catholic school, but I do this too! 👍 My rosary is always in my pocket, wherever I go. In fact, if I discover that I’ve forgotten it and left it at home or in my other jacket, it irritates me as badly as forgetting my wallet or house keys…I just like the comfort of having it there with me …
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I’m a convert too. I feel the same way as you. To me the comfort comes from knowing that Mary is near whenever I:
a) pray the Rosary, or
b) pray my own prayers holding the Rosary, or
c) hold the Rosary because I want to feel close to Mary

I also generally go to sleep holding a Rosary in my hand. And once in awhile, I’ll put a Pope John Paul II Rosary CD on to repeat all night as I sleep.

Last Saturday night, I saw a small girl in church hold her hand on her mother’s face. It reminded me of how I just want to feel close to Mary. I also have two children. They always lean on their mother during Church. Even if they get little out of a church service, they continue to grow in their closeness to my wife.

I think I am spiritually still like a small child. I often do things wrong, but it is so comforting to have such a strong and loving Mother.
 
I enjoy praying the Rosary, in the Church with the others. It’s a change from praying by myself and I love the faces of devotion from the others. Very spiritual for me.

"If where there are two or three gathered in My name, there am I in their midst."
Matt. 18:19, 20
 
water said:
I love either way. For praying the Rosary together at a church, you will receive full indulgence. I am a member of Legion of Mary, we gather once a week to pray the Rosary together for intention of the Virgin Mary, and I love it.
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You Rock! I was a member of the Legion of Mary for many years, some of the best years of my life. Later I went into the Third Order Carmelite, but still say the Catena daily.

Everyone should attempt to say the Rosary at least occasionally in a group if for no other reason than the full indugence attached. But if it cannot be done in Church as it is too distracting, it can be doen with a friend or a family group. The full indulgence still applies.
I pray it with my husband.
Our church only has one rosary type group- the women’s society and they only meet to say the rosary once a month.
Then during the Exposition a group of ladies will recite the rosary in Spanish much to the chagrin of those who watn the whole Exposition in silence. Interesting.
I’m happy either way. If I feel a need to say the Rosary with a group I will happily say it in the Spanish group. It is not hard to go bilingual with the Rosary.😃
 
We have a group who says the Rosary after daily Mass. I stay and recite it with them whenever possible. They do a good job however some do recite it a bit to fast for me.
 
I like it both ways, but I can meditate better if I’m by myself because I tend to pray it more slowly than the group I pray with.
 
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