Too much rosaries?

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Ranulfus

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I feel like I’m buying too many rosaries. I always told myself, "I want to collect rosaries and surplices", but somehow, I gave away 2 of my rosaries to my friend and mother. It makes me wanna buy a rosary to collect.

Is it normal to collect or is it a sin? I’m not sure… anyone?
 
I think you have to ask yourself why you are collecting them. If it is to give them away I’d say that’s a good reason. If its just to have it, probably not.
 
Not a sin.

But as silly as having a collection of hammers. You can only use one at once, maybe lend a second to a friend or if one gets lost…but having a collection seems a bit silly.

If you like it, go for it. Some people do have hammer collections. Just not what I would do.
 
I don’t think it would be a sin. I have rosaries in every car and rosary bracelets in every coat pocket so where ever I go I can put my hand on one. I like to be praying all day especially if I’m traveling…
The rosary bracelets are different colors so I can use them for accents AND use them for prayer and nobody but Mary, Jesus and I know about it…
 
If you are using them all or giving them as gifts, fine.
If just buying them to keep without using them, maybe think about if you really need more of them.
 
As long as the focus is on praying devoutly (and not just the novelty of obtaining a Rosary that looks different), everything in moderation…I think…

(Personally I thought about a glow-in-the-dark Rosary but I’m 100% positive I’ll get distracted even more.)
 
I think it speaks highly of those, who are so protective of the Rosary prayer and sacramental. However, I see no harm at all for people to collect them, as long as they bear in mind that they are religious objects.

Many people collect things. Why not collect beautiful religious things?
 
I probably see this through my own lens of being a bit too “thing-y” and always trying to check myself so I buy less stuff. I don’t want to be a hoarder and unfortunately I am the type who can get fascinated looking at just about anything, old coffee can, rock, whatever. My mom also had this problem and left me a houseful of junk I’m still trying to clear out.

If you don’t collect anything else and just like the rosaries and it’s not breaking your budget, I guess there’s not much harm.
 
You have to examine your reasons and the effect the collection has on you, your relationship with others, and your relationship with God. There is such a thing as spiritual gluttony, which may be related to your collecting religious objects, specifically rosaries, Here is how Father Father Chad Ripperger defines it:
Novelty begets spiritual gluttony. By spiritual gluttony is understood the spiritual defect by which one takes delight and concerns oneself only with the physical and spiritual consolations sent by God rather than using the consolation as a means to growing more holy. Spiritual gluttony occurs when people do spiritual or religious things because of some consolation or delight they derive from them and so the delight, rather than God, becomes the end of the action. Novelty begets spiritual gluttony because people tend to think that newer is always better, and so each new thing brings them some new delight. Here we see that novelty can easily degenerate into keeping people entertained, but the danger is that insofar as it prompts one to stop looking at God and fixating on the new thing that sates our appetites, it impedes our spiritual growth. All of the saintly spiritual writers warn that spiritual gluttony is very dangerous for the spiritual life.
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You might want to read the entire article, which is on the Internet at The Latin Mass Magazine: The Journal of Catholic Culture and Tradition - Articles
 
The Rosaries I own are quite “grand” with the beautiful beads(etc), I do like collecting them, and use them for prayer, and sometimes categorize on which rosary to use for weekdays and weekends(and great solemnities).

Half of me tells me: "You might be committing spiritual gluttony"
Other half tells me: "As long as you don’t prioritize it and somewhat think its more important then God, then its fine"

I collect the beautiful rosaries, to remind myself that man’s best work is offered to God. Sometimes, I give my rosaries as gifts to people I know who doesn’t have rosaries, and in which case makes me buy another one.
 
Ranulfus said:
The Rosaries I own are quite “grand” with the beautiful beads(etc), I do like collecting them, and use them for prayer, and sometimes categorize on which rosary to use for weekdays and weekends(and great solemnities).

Half of me tells me: "You might be committing spiritual gluttony"
Other half tells me: "As long as you don’t prioritize it and somewhat think its more important then God, then its fine"

I collect the beautiful rosaries, to remind myself that man’s best work is offered to God. Sometimes, I give my rosaries as gifts to people I know who doesn’t have rosaries, and in which case makes me buy another one.
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It sounds like a weird hobby to me, but still a legitimate hobby. Many women have dozens of shoes for the same reason. Heck, in almost every ethnic family I know there were two sets of dishes—one for ordinary days and the other for holidays. The holiday dishes were extremely fine and exorbitantly expensive. If they can afford them, it’s not sinful. Neither should your collection of rosaries be.

Like 'tis_Bearself said, you should be mindful not to be a hoarder, and be especially thoughtful of people who would have to clean up after you, should you pass.

From all you have disclosed, you just seem to have a propensity to pretty things and find some kind of joy rolling them out by day or by solemnity. To me it’s as odd as a handyman who had hammers for each day of the week, but it dosn’t seem inherently wrong.
 
I have a rosary on my car mirror…waves from other drivers who identify.A pair in my pocket fore when I walk,a pair to take in the car…a pair on the mantle piece to use…
Several of my pairs come from St Vincent op shops,pre loved,their past owners very well could be deceased …I pray for them.
If you collect in the hopes of giving them away to people who may use them,OP, that would great and a fine reason to collect them you could donate them to the poor perhaps?
 
Not really, some are ment to keep, some are given away. I had a rosary from Rome, and a green rosary that I gave away.
 
Having something just because you can afford it is not a very good reason. And having dozens of shoes is not healthy at all, that’s called hoarding. There’s nothing wrong with having beautiful things, but we have to remember that everything we have is a gift from God.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matthew 6:19-21
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If we’re storing up treasures, even if they’re religious treasures that is a problem. It is like the rich man who had extra grain; there is nothing wrong with extra grain but maybe God gave him this extra grain as a gift so that he could give this gift to others. But he decided it was all for him; he could afford to build larger barns for himself so and so he did.
 
bpm4330 said:
Having something just because you can afford it is not a very good reason. And having dozens of shoes is not healthy at all, that’s called hoarding. There’s nothing wrong with having beautiful things, but we have to remember that everything we have is a gift from God.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matthew 6:19-21
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I’m not a shoe person, but my mother is. And she adopted a teenage girl. Can’t get much more generous than that. 🤣

So was one of my mentors in college. One of the most quaft women I know–who was also a very generous and giving person–had dozens and dozens of shoes and impeccable outfits that matched. She never had a hair out of place. You know what it did for her? She could walk into any room, any situation, any place and instantly get respect. Sure, she could have managed with less, but there was something about her…something…I don’t know. She managed to get thousands of dollars for charities from even the most stingy donors (because the rich are often the worst givers). She was an avid volunteer and would even do the dirtiest jobs in heels and a skirt, still never a hair out of place. She just did. How I don’t know, but it was some kind of Merry Poppins level magic. And she was very loved.

She used her material wealth in a really GOOD way. Her being presentable and impeccable and generous was why other, wealthy, people were generous. Could she have accomplished this with not-quite matching shoes? Maybe.

Some people do take it too far. But sometimes shoes are just shoes and having a dozen or two isn’t hoarding, it’s just good business sense. Especally in areas where climate changes. In my area 6 pieces of footware is the bare minimum–sneakers/trail shoes, slippers, dress shoes, sandals, light boots/rain boots, winter boots. One could easily have a dozen shoes and still be pretty minamilistic around here.
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Why would it probably not be a good idea? As someone else said, as long as she bears in mind that it’s a religious object, I don’t see the harm. Rosaries are not only for prayer, but lovely to look at an also a reminder of Our Lady and Jesus.
 
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There’s far worse things to collect. But I think the Lord is pleased when we divest ourselves of things that are unnecessary. Listen to that little voice insdie you, and do what you will.

I do have a little story to share with you that came to mind when reading the thread from the life of Saint Catherine of Siena. (I am pretty sure this really did happen.)

One day she came out of the Dominican church in Siena to find a poor man begging alms “for the love of God.” As she had nothing with her of much worth, she asked him to return to her home where she could help him. “If you have anything to give me, give it directly, I beg you, for it is impossible for me to wait,” he said. But she had nothing except a little silver cross for saying Pater Nosters which was tied on a knotted string. She broke the cord and gave the man the cross which he joyfully received. That night as she prayed Christ appeared holding in His hand the little cross studded with precious stones. “Daughter, dost thou recognize this cross?” “Perfectly well,” answered Catherine, “but it was not so handsome when it belonged to me.” “Yesterday,” said Our Lord, "thy heart gave it to me as an offering of love; these precious stones represent thy love. And I promise thee on the day of judgment in the presence of the angels and of men, I will return it to thee as it is now, so that it may be shown to thy glory. How really and truly is Christ in the poor. What a glorious thing it will be to see Him present the jeweled cross to St. Catherine on the day of judgment. Will we find some of our possessions stored there as well, jeweled and resplendent in the sight of angels and men?
 
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People collect all sorts of things, from stamps to porcelain dolls.

I have several vintage rosaries, I guess I kind of collect them myself. I like the way they look, and respect the craftsmanship. I enjoy inspecting how the fingers and sweat have shaped the beads over time. I’m curious to where they’ve been and who they belonged to, perhaps to a soldier trapped in a bunker, or a pious nun. I like to pray for the past owners of the rosary.

I would call it a sin if it became an obsession, and not one if it’s small pastime hobby.
 
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I guess one might say I collect cross necklaces. I didn’t set out to do so, and am not now actively collecting them but I do have pretty many.
 
Yes, I sort of agree with you. You have to be able to let your religious treasures go… You can’t take anything with you when you go. I keep them long enough to 1. use them everywhere…
2. give them as gifts…
 
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