When is prayer superstitious?

[Colorad007]

The Catechism singles out prayer as a potential area of superstitious practice–for example, when you ascribe a prayer’s efficacy solely to its external words or acts.

Does that include saying a Rosary with little or no concentration? Is there therefore an obligation to repeat a Hail Mary, Decade, or the whole thing when focus is absent? When exactly is prayer superstitious and therefore sinful?

 

[nickybr38]

The Catechism singles out prayer as a potential area of superstitious practice–for example, when you ascribe a prayer’s efficacy solely to its external words or acts.

Does that include saying a Rosary with little or no concentration? Is there therefore an obligation to repeat a Hail Mary, Decade, or the whole thing when focus is absent? When exactly is prayer superstitious and therefore sinful?

I’d say a prayer is superstitious when you believe saying it secures you a place in heaven and/or will grant you anything you ask for.

 

[Little_Mary]

Paraphrased here, but this is from a quote from St. Thomas Aquinas, I cannot find the quote itself: “If, during prayer, you find your mind going constantly toward distraction, even if all you do is call it back to prayer again and again, it is indeed time well spent”.

Saint Thomas assures us, “to wander in mind unintentionally does not deprive prayer of its fruit.”

I got this from the following article:

phatcatholic.blogspot.com/2007/06/distractions-in-prayer.html

 

[EasterJoy]

It is prayer when the intention or belief is that the communication between you and God puts you at God’s disposal.
It is superstitition when the intention or belief is that the communication between you and God puts God at your disposal.

 

[zab]

I have received a few chain letters and chain email letters that claim to be novenas to a particular saint. These chain letters either tell you to make a wish or promise that something good will happen if you do what it tells you. They usually require you to forward the letter to a certain number of friends and family. The St. Jude chain letter has you to leave a certain number of copies of the letter in church. Some of these chain letters go so far as to imply that bad things will happen if you break the chain. These types of letters are not novenas but are superstitious practices. Here is a quote from Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center that has been made aware of a chain novena that has been circulated on the internet:

Chain letters or chain prayers are superstitious practices that can create fear and lessen our faith in God who loves us and who is not controlled by the number of letters sent or prayers said. The Catholic Church teaches that “According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2562). It also states that “In the battle of prayer we must confront erroneous conceptions of prayer, various currents of thought, and our own experience of failure. We must respond with humility, trust, and perseverance to these temptations which cast doubt on the usefulness or even the possibility of prayer” (CCC, #2753).
Therefore if you are a recipient of the above or similar chain novenas, we ask that you do not send them on to others as it will promote these untrue claims.

motherteresa.org/08_info/Chain.html

 

[curlycool89]

You need to first understand what superstition is.

Superstition means “do the action, get the reward”. If you are treating prayer as a way to “get” something, then that is superstition. Like if you believe that doing a Novena means you “get” something at the end (a miracle, understanding, whatever), then that’s superstition.

Yes, you can ask for something in prayer, but always in the understanding that it is “not my will, but Your Will be done”.