Tips for praying the rosary

[TMO]

Hello everybody

Thought I’d ask for any practical tips for praying the rosary. My struggle? Even though I start praying, I’m thinking in a million things! Even when I’m silent while praying, that means I think about a gazillion things at the same time! (one of the downsides of being a woman XD).

Also, any tips for praying it with more love and devotion? Thanks in advance

 

[ClearWater]

Hello everybody

Thought I’d ask for any practical tips for praying the rosary. My struggle? Even though I start praying, I’m thinking in a million things! Even when I’m silent while praying, that means I think about a gazillion things at the same time! (one of the downsides of being a woman XD).

Also, any tips for praying it with more love and devotion? Thanks in advance

I’m not an expert, but one thing that helps me a bit is to have something in front of me…written prayers, pictures, something that can help me focus a bit. When I’m at home, I also have the luxury in that I can pray aloud. In my case, that also seems to help. I seem to focus better that way than silently.

Still, my mind wanders, but I know it happens, keep trying to bring my mind back, to pay attention. There are days this comes easily and days I am highly distractable and it can be extraordinarily challenging.

I believe the efforts I put forth on the harder days actually make my prayers worth more to God, if I pray when I’m distracted, tired, don’t feel like it, that it counts more.

If one can eliminate distractions, or minimize them, that’d be helpful. Often, it’s not possible or practical, though, so we just need to do our best.

 

[tawny]

Hello everybody

Thought I’d ask for any practical tips for praying the rosary. My struggle? Even though I start praying, I’m thinking in a million things! Even when I’m silent while praying, that means I think about a gazillion things at the same time! (one of the downsides of being a woman XD).

Also, any tips for praying it with more love and devotion? Thanks in advance

Try praying aloud with a prayer group or cenicle.

 

[Memaw]

Hello everybody

Thought I’d ask for any practical tips for praying the rosary. My struggle? Even though I start praying, I’m thinking in a million things! Even when I’m silent while praying, that means I think about a gazillion things at the same time! (one of the downsides of being a woman XD).

Also, any tips for praying it with more love and devotion? Thanks in advance

I bring all the things that are on my mind into my Rosary. Offer them with my prayers. That seems to sooth my troubled thoughts and slow down the distractions. I agree, saying it aloud helps too and also with someone , even like on EWTN or the Catholic radio stations. God Bless them for being there for us. Holy Christmas and Blessed New Year, God Bless, Memaw

 

[HoneyBea]

I use the Laudate app that has a pray the rosary feature with several rosary podcasts you can listen to or interactive rosaries you can follow along to. I always listen to Christian Peschken sounds of the rosary podcast because his voice is the only one that’s doesn’t creep me out and he seems chipper : )

I too get distracted and try to start over, but sometimes it’s not possible and I just ask God to forgive my wandering thoughts…I like the suggestion of including your thoughts in the rosary when they wander, great idea I’m going to try it.

 

[iamcatholic100]

What you can do is pray the rosary novena prayer before the rosary. State all that’s in your mind under the request part of the prayer, and offer them all up while praying the rosary. Here’s the prayer before the rosary:

Queen of the Holy Rosary you have deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three shepherd children the treasures of grace hidden in the Rosary. Inspire my heart with a sincere love of this devotion, in order that by meditating on the Mysteries of our Redemption which are recalled in it, I may be enriched with its fruits and obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners and of Russia (and China), and the favor which I ask you in this Rosary (here mention your request) I ask this for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of all souls, especially of my own. Amen

 

[fred_conty]

Hello everybody

Thought I’d ask for any practical tips for praying the rosary. My struggle? Even though I start praying, I’m thinking in a million things! Even when I’m silent while praying, that means I think about a gazillion things at the same time! (one of the downsides of being a woman XD).

Also, any tips for praying it with more love and devotion? Thanks in advance

If you have the privacy to do so, pray it aloud as tho someone is with you to answer.
So the first part of the Hail Mary is said aloud and the second part of the Hail Mary is said silently. This keeps a certain rythmn going and helps to keep attention.

The second thing is to think on Jesus himself. Put yourself in the scene and make quiet acts of love, thanksgiving, gratitude, kindness, understanding, and oneness with him.
With practise the soul can become lost in him.

The third thing is about distractions. Take the miraculous medal, brown scapular, green scapular, in your hand as ask Mary to help you with these distractions. Many distractions come from the devil so you will become discouraged and give it up. Trying it once will convince you. But this must be done with trust that she will do it for you.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

 

[Abba]

What’s a ‘cenicle’?

 

[Casilda]

I have set up a prayer corner in my home where we go to pray. Its in a shallow hallway that opens up to the bedrooms and bath, but when the doors are closed its a nice nook. There is a small half-round table against the wall with a statue of Mary, holy water container, incense, rosaries, a prayer book, candles, oil lamp, a crucifix on the wall, etc. Basically, a quiet place conducive to prayer. I usually try to start and finish the rosary all at once, if things pop up in my mind, I do what the other poster suggested, bring that up in prayer.

I noticed for me, its best to have more than one rosary. One stays at my prayer corner, one is in my purse in a drawstring bag, and I also have used the one in the Laudate app, plus a bedside one.

 

[svid2]

Pax Christi!

It really helps to pray out loud. Even if you have to whisper.

I find apps VERY helpful. HoneyBea mentioned Laudete. Excellent! You could also tune into EWTN or purchase CDs or DVDs.

Variety helps me: another reason to love Laudate. Pictures also help. Suggestion: before you start, offer up your mental wanderings to our Lord and ask Him to understand.

He will.

May our Lady help you every day! God bless.

 

[Memaw]

At the beginning of each decade I say this little prayer, "I offer to Thee, Oh sweet Jesus, this decade for the intentions of, and I state my intentions for that decade, (example, for the first Sorrowful mystery, The Agony in the Garden, I pray for all those that are suffering in body, mind and spirit and from all addictions.) It helps keep me focused on praying for others. God Bless, and a very holy NEW YEAR. Memaw

 

[Sirach2]

EWTN’s Sunday rosary is prayed by a man who has a beautiful voice. I have taped it, and as others have mentioned, I move my lips quietly for the first part, and keep silent during the response. It helps also to see the stained glass pictures as I pray. This person has a couple of nuances in speaking that I have heard so often that, even when I pray the rosary away from home, I can replay his recorded voice in my mind.

Keep in mind that your WILL is praying, even though your understanding and memory are wandering all over the place. We have 3 faculties at play here. If these distractions are not entertained willfully, the prayer is very pleasing to God and Mary. The best of us will experience these movements of our mind, and as one holy and well-known friar mentioned, it is indeed rare for anyone not to suffer from them.

 

[aroosi]

Hi, I also have problems keeping focus. What works well for me is to pray the rosary looking at a picture representing each mistery or thinking to be there when those things happened (i.e. like if I was one of the characters at the nativity scene) or reading short reflections written by saints (there is one online beautifully done by S. Josemaria Escriva escrivaworks.org/book/-contents.htm ). This works well when I’m in a quiet moment. If the day it’s very rushed then I try to divide the rosary in small pieces, meaning finding short periods of time in which I can focus just on a set of ten Hail Mary. Hope it helps.