What "bothers" me about the Rosary

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SPOKENWORD:
I believe that you do doubt this gift. This shows me that you dont know what it means to be walking in the Spirit. :eek: God Bless
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It really doesn’t much matter what you think SW. I know what I believe and why. I’ve been there and I also know the Word of God.

So far as I’m concerned, all you’ve done is display the very rationalizations that are the whole point of my posts.
You cannot counter the reality of my observations, because you know that they are factual.

I have no problems with the gifts of the spirit…I was a deacon in an A/G. I do have problems with the unscriptural abuses of the gifts of the spirit that open people up to every wind of teaching and private revelation that are not always from the Holy Spirit.

I have yet to see anyone approach this thread’s topic with scripture that refutes the disorder that I cites as the source of the problem.

By the way…“Limited vocabulary”? LOL yeah , right, the people don’t know enough “words of the spirit” or something? Whatever… :rolleyes:

Now in order to (hopefully) end this thread-jacking, I will point out that the Rosary allows one to meditate on the life and teachings of Our Lord and (I find) that the multiple repetitions of the prayers very often bring to mind more prayer needs and insights into Christian life that I realize are from the Holy Spirit.
Pax vobiscum,
 
Good thread and something I’m sure that has been on the minds of a lot of folks.
The prayers are to help us meditate. Don’t worry about the words you are saying, just try and focus on the mysteries. When I first started saying the rosary it made me very anxious because I couldn’t figure out how to think about what I was praying and meditate on the mysteries at the same time. Now I realize I only have to see the mysteries in my mind and the prayers come without thought. It’s still tough at times though. Just keep praying the rosary and like anything else there are good days and bad days.
 
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Melchior:
But essentially I have trouble reconciling praying one thing while thinking about another thing.

When we pray are we not supposed to think about what we are saying and to whom we are saying it to? I mean I understand if we were reciting the Creed or something. But the rosary is actually praying to God and asking Mary for intercession while we are in effect not paying attention to what we are saying, but meditating on something else.Mel
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God knows your thoughts before you pray them. The rosary is simply a way of praying to help you go into deeper contemplation of Christ. Some people really get into it. For others it’s not their style, and they find other ways such as Lectio Divina. Personally, I go through phases where I get a lot out of praying the rosary and then not as much. One thing I have learned is that you have to let yourself go while you pray. If you think too hard, then you’ll end up concentrating just on the actual Hail Mary’s (which is a beautiful prayer all its own) and not experiencing the contemplative value.

It’s kind of like counting how many times you brethe in a minute. You never really know if you get an accurate count because you end up focussing on something that just naturally happens by itself. Think about each bead on the rosary as a spiritual breath, but don’t focus on the breath…focus on the meditation, the mystery, or even just listen for the gentle whisper of God.
 
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aj830:
I don’t remember where I heard this ,but I think it was something about somewhere in Africa where whenever they say the Hail Mary for the decade they will say the mystery after Jesus is mentioned.

…Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, who rose on the third day…
and on the next decade they would say
…Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, who ascended into heaven…

Don’t know if that would help you but maybe give it a try and see if it won’t help you meditate more.
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This custom is recommended in Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary):
Pope Paul VI drew attention, in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus, to the custom in certain regions of highlighting the name of Christ by the addition of a clause referring to the mystery being contemplated. This is a praiseworthy custom, especially during public recitation. It gives forceful expression to our faith in Christ, directed to the different moments of the Redeemer’s life. It is at once a profession of faith and an aid in concentrating our meditation, since it facilitates the process of assimilation to the mystery of Christ inherent in the repetition of the Hail Mary. (33)
This custom is also recommended in Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus (for the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary):
As is well known, at one time there was a custom, still preserved in certain places, of adding to the name of Jesus in each Hail Mary a reference to the mystery being contemplated. And this was done precisely in order to help contemplation and to make the mind and the voice act in unison. (46)
Here are some of the clauses I add after the name of Jesus to help me stay focused on the mystery. Some are kind of long and I’m still working on shortening them to make them easier to say…

Joyful Mysteries:
…Jesus, conceived in your womb by the power of the Holy Spirit.
…Jesus, visiting your cousin Elizabeth and John the Baptist in utero.
…Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem.
…Jesus, presented in the Temple.
…Jesus, lost to you for three days.
Sorrowful Mysteries:
…Jesus, suffering in the Garden of Gethsemene.
…Jesus, scourged at the pillar.
…Jesus, crowned with thorns.
…Jesus, carrying his cross.
…Jesus, dying on the cross.
Luminous Mysteries:
…Jesus, baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist.
…Jesus, changing water into wine at your request.
…Jesus, proclaiming the kingdom of God and healing the sick.
…Jesus, transfigured on Mount Tabor.
…Jesus, instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
Glorious Mysteries:
…Jesus, rising from the dead.
…Jesus, ascending to heaven.
…Jesus, sending the Holy Spirit upon you and the Apostles.
…Jesus, taking you to heaven, body and soul.
…Jesus, crowning you Queen of heaven.
 
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Melchior:
Okay “bothers” is a strong word. But essentially I have trouble reconciling praying one thing while thinking about another thing.

When we pray are we not supposed to think about what we are saying and to whom we are saying it to? I mean I understand if we were reciting the Creed or something. But the rosary is actually praying to God and asking Mary for intercession while we are in effect not paying attention to what we are saying, but meditating on something else.

I know when someone talks to me I don’t want them daydreaming about something else, no matter how noble.

I dunno it just strikes me as a weird thing to do.

I appreciate your thoughts.

Mel
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Meditating on one thing while expressing another is just one way of praying the Rosary.

If that’s not your cup of tea, then do it differently. I recommend the Scriptural Rosary. You prayerfully read from Scripture in between the Hail Mary prayers. See here:


  1. *]Adoration Scriptural Rosary (Douay Classic only - 56 pages)
    *]Luminous Mysteries Insert (Douay Classic only - 20 pages)
 
Gosh-

So much angst over a prayer.

Any form of prayer can be beneficial

Any form of prayer can become repetitious - even “spontaneous” prayer: the bowing of the heads, the hands behind the back, the format of acknowlding, confessing, thanking and supplicating.

I happen to enjoy the “scriptural rosaries” when I take the time to say them. You can find them here:

geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1055/scriptural.html
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Melchior:
When we pray are we not supposed to think about what we are saying and to whom we are saying it to?
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Of course. You will not find any specifics mentioned in NT Scripture as to what constitutes “appropriate” prayer beyond the Lords Prayer, other than admonitions not to pray in vain, and not to pray about a sin which is deadly.
Prayer is meant to be a 2 way communication: do not underestimate the value of being spoken to during prayer. The repititious nature of certain prayers frees the mind from distraction while opening the inner self to receive.
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Melchior:
But the rosary is actually praying to God and asking Mary for intercession while we are in effect not paying attention to what we are saying, but meditating on something else.
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If you are getting this conflict, slow down,try the scriptural rosary and have your prayer intentions prepared in advance. Still, listen more to what comes in than what you are putting out.
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Melchior:
I dunno it just strikes me as a weird thing to do.
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It is! All prayer is weird from a non-spiritual perspective.

Phil
 
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Melchior:
I dunno it just strikes me as a weird thing to do.
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Hmmmm. A weird thing to do. I contemplated on this line for a while before I decided to answer. Anyway, here goes…

As Catholics we are compelled to believe that bread and wine on an alter are transfigured into the body and blood of Christ, even though it doesn’t look that way.

Weird.

As Catholics, we are compelled to believe that One God is actually made up of Three Distinct Persons.

Weird.

As Catholics, we are compelled to believe that Jesus, obviously a human, was actually God.

Weird.

As Catholics, we are compelled to believe that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was assumed into heaven, even though there is no historical evidence for this assertion.

Weird.

I won’t even go to the Immaculate Conception, that’s just too weird.

As I was contemplating these Mysteries, it occured to me that “weird” is the wrong word to use. The right word is “faith”, or some variation of it.

So, if you substitute the word “faith” for the word “weird”, we get something like this…

“What “bothers” me about the Rosary? I dunno it just strikes me as a faithful thing to do.”

Subrosa
 
Great thread. Sometimes I’ve prayed the decades by inserting the person(s) for whose intention I’m praying that decade into the mystery. For instance, once I was praying the wedding at cana, for the intentions of my children, and I had a great meditation on Jesus during the wedding, playing with this gaggle of children, and when His Mother came up and told Him there was no wine, It seemed His response was in part a recognition that once He performed that miracle, his life would never be the same. He’d never have the (relative) anonymity which He currently enjoyed, playing with the kids in a field outside the wedding festivities. Maybe not scriptural, but I loved the interaction I saw between Jesus and Mary at that point.

I’ve had other neat meditations using the same technique, and when it works, the hail mary’s really fall into the background and I get lost in the meditation.

Thanks esp for the insertions Todd. I’ve meant to try that in the past, and always forget.
 
Every time I do the Rosary, I get more out of it. Its amazing. Lately, I meditate exactly on what I am saying, but right before each Hail Mary, I think of a good intention, such as the conversion of a friend to Christianity. Then I concentrate praising Mary and then asking her to pray for us to God with the assurance that she will. Then I pray the Glory Be and the Our Father and Oh my Jesus prayer with her, because I think she says them with us and makes them a million times more powerful.
We must get Protestants to use this weapon against evil by showing them why we do it, why it fits with scripture and what it has accomplished.
Patrick
 
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