When to pray the Rosary at Low Mass

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She was asking about the Low Mass in the EF. Praying the Rosary during Mass before the new Mass came into being was not uncommon, and no one had a problem with it, and no one ever told us not to.

Read Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Mediator Dei.
 
Here is the pertinent part from the encyclical:
  1. Therefore, they are to be praised who, with the idea of getting the Christian people to take part more easily and more fruitfully in the Mass, strive to make them familiar with the “Roman Missal,” so that the faithful, united with the priest, may pray together in the very words and sentiments of the Church. They also are to be commended who strive to make the liturgy even in an external way a sacred act in which all who are present may share. This can be done in more than one way, when, for instance, the whole congregation, in accordance with the rules of the liturgy, either answer the priest in an orderly and fitting manner, or sing hymns suitable to the different parts of the Mass, or do both, or finally in high Masses when they answer the prayers of the minister of Jesus Christ and also sing the liturgical chant.
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  1. These methods of participation in the Mass are to be approved and recommended when they are in complete agreement with the precepts of the Church and the rubrics of the liturgy. Their chief aim is to foster and promote the people’s piety and intimate union with Christ and His visible minister and to arouse those internal sentiments and dispositions which should make our hearts become like to that of the High Priest of the New Testament. However, though they show also in an outward manner that the very nature of the sacrifice, as offered by the Mediator between God and men,[102] must be regarded as the act of the whole Mystical Body of Christ, still they are by no means necessary to constitute it a public act or to give it a social character. And besides, a “dialogue” Mass of this kind cannot replace the high Mass, which, as a matter of fact, though it should be offered with only the sacred ministers present, possesses its own special dignity due to the impressive character of its ritual and the magnificence of its ceremonies. The splendor and grandeur of a high Mass, however, are very much increased if, as the Church desires, the people are present in great numbers and with devotion.
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  1. It is to be observed, also, that they have strayed from the path of truth and right reason who, led away by false opinions, make so much of these accidentals as to presume to assert that without them the Mass cannot fulfill its appointed end.
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  1. Many of the faithful are unable to use the Roman missal even though it is written in the vernacular; nor are all capable of understanding correctly the liturgical rites and formulas. So varied and diverse are men’s talents and characters that it is impossible for all to be moved and attracted to the same extent by community prayers, hymns and liturgical services. Moreover, the needs and inclinations of all are not the same, nor are they always constant in the same individual. Who, then, would say, on account of such a prejudice, that all these Christians cannot participate in the Mass nor share its fruits? On the contrary, they can adopt some other method which proves easier for certain people; for instance, they can lovingly meditate on the mysteries of Jesus Christ or perform other exercises of piety or recite prayers which, though they differ from the sacred rites, are still essentially in harmony with them.
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  1. Wherefore We exhort you, Venerable Brethren, that each in his diocese or ecclesiastical jurisdiction supervise and regulate the manner and method in which the people take part in the liturgy, according to the rubrics of the missal and in keeping with the injunctions which the Sacred Congregation of Rites and the Code of canon law have published. Let everything be done with due order and dignity, and let no one, not even a priest, make use of the sacred edifices according to his whim to try out experiments. It is also Our wish that in each diocese an advisory committee to promote the liturgical apostolate should be established, similar to that which cares for sacred music and art, so that with your watchful guidance everything may be carefully carried out in accordance with the prescriptions of the Apostolic See.
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fermat said:
Historically, it was common to pray the rosary during Mass; however, there has been a movement away from that practice.

The Mass, regardless of its form, is still the most perfect form of prayer. To participate in another prayer, even the Rosary, is to dilute that. I don’t think there is any formal prohibition against praying the Rosary during the Mass, but it is becoming less common for the reason stated above.
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The holy rosary only adds. It does not dilute.

Any prayer can only add to the Mass. Prayer cannot dilute the sacrifice of Christ and the ressurection of life taking place on the altar.

There are few practices more traditional than praying a decade of the rosary after recpetion, involking the Holy Name of Jesus and the Mother who made him present.

-Tim-
 
LightBound said:
At ANY Mass, be it EF (Low or High) or OF, you pray the rosary BEFORE or AFTER Mass. NOT DURING MASS!!
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There is no such rule and no such teaching.

Prayer - any prayer - during Mass should be encouraged, not discouraged.

-Tim-
 
Can recitation of the Rosary be found in the rubrics for any present form of the Mass?
 
Lormar said:
She was asking about the Low Mass in the EF. Praying the Rosary during Mass before the new Mass came into being was not uncommon, and no one had a problem with it, and no one ever told us not to.

Read Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Mediator Dei.
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Looking at the date of Paul VI’s encyclical, 1974, it could reasonably be assumed that he was in fact speaking specifically of the Ordinary Form of the Mass as the Extraordinary Form had been pretty well suppressed by that time and was only being celebrated in a very few and far between places.

Interesting thought indeed…
 
ByzCathCantor said:
Can recitation of the Rosary be found in the rubrics for any present form of the Mass?
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It’s not in the rubrics.

Likewise, nowhere does it say in the rubrics one should say some of the “prayers before communion” (I don’t think, but check me on it if I"m wrong), that are found in the missal, but personally, if I have my missal with me, I say as much of them as I can.
 
TrueLight said:
It’s not in the rubrics.

Likewise, nowhere does it say in the rubrics one should say some of the “prayers before communion” (I don’t think, but check me on it if I"m wrong), that are found in the missal, but personally, if I have my missal with me, I say as much of them as I can.
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That’s interesting. Why include them in the missal? 😉

You made some interesting observations earlier.

While I have no horse in the rodeo, so to speak, it is an interesting subject. I can’t imagine doing a private devotion during a Divine Liturgy, nor have I ever seen anyone try to do so. We do of course have a prayer before communion in our pew books, which is always recited by the faithful in unison before distribution of the Holy Eucharist.
 
ByzCathCantor said:
That’s interesting. Why include them in the missal? 😉

You made some interesting observations earlier.

While I have no horse in the rodeo, so to speak, it is an interesting subject. I can’t imagine doing a private devotion during a Divine Liturgy, nor have I ever seen anyone try to do so. We do of course have a prayer before communion in our pew books, which is always recited by the faithful in unison before distribution of the Holy Eucharist.
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The prayers are in the front of the missal.

I don’t have a strong opinion either way. In the beginning, when I would see that, I didn’t like it one bit. But I’ve since changed my mind. Here is why.

During Mass, by the express fact that we unite with the priest in offering up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are already praying. Even if we try to keep our minds, blank, we are thinking.

We are are probably praying all sorts of things like:
  • Jesus I trust in you.
  • Thank you Lord for dying for me
  • Mass intentions
  • Lord, please convert my kids.
  • Lord please help me to be worthy of your sacrifice
  • Lord, I am grateful that you come to us in the Eucharist
  • etc
So then would it be wrong to pray the Rosary while our eyes are fixated on the altar?
 
FAH said:
At Low Mass when is it best to pray the Rosary. I thought from the Offertory to the end of the Cannon?
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***The Rosary is a wonderful prayer, but is best to pray the Rosary before Mass begins or after it ends.

You should be participating in the Mass, rather than praying the Rosary, during Mass.***
 
TrueLight said:
During Mass, by the express fact that we unite with the priest in offering up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are already praying. Even if we try to keep our minds, blank, we are thinking.
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I see your points. I guess this may be one instance where the difference in liturgical expression is quite profound (East - Divine Liturgy vs. West - EF Low Mass, in this case). The Anaphora (Eucharistic Canon) of the Byzantine East is the most profound and expressive part of the Divine Liturgy. Even as a youngster, it is the part of Sunday worship that was most recognizable and remembered (how apropos, as it is a remembrance). BTW - I would say the same of my experience at similar age in the Roman Catholic Church - Ordinary Form (but in a fairly traditional parish). Once again, isn’t this the spot where most would assume it appropriate to recite the Rosary during the EF Low Mass?
 
TimothyH said:
There is no such rule and no such teaching.

Prayer - any prayer - during Mass should be encouraged, not discouraged.

-Tim-
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Mass is the time that the Christian Community gathers to collectively offer the sacrifice of the Mass. We should all be participating in the greatest prayer of the Church, the Eucharistic Liturgy, instead of our own personal devotions.
 
At the same time, I think if someone is going to pray the rosary they should still stand up and say the responses where appropriate.

I actually rarely see that at all. If I happen to glance over and see someone clutching their Rosary and their mouth moving, it doesn’t bother me.

Now if I were to actually here them, there would be a problem.
 
ByzCathCantor said:
A respected source and frequent contributor here on the CAF, Brother JR offered this commentary in a similar thread some ten months ago:

Post #59 - Can the Rosary be prayed during the EF Low Mass Liturgy?
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So I thought about this thread for a while tonight, while I was running errands. Thanks for posting this link. Brother is obviously right and I did get caught up in a bit of emotion when I first posted.

When I was able to reflect on the topic a bit more, I think what I really meant about praying the rosary “During Mass” or “At Mass” was specific to praying it during reception of the Eucharist, while waiting to go forward or after returning to one’s seat.
TrueLight said:
At the same time, I think if someone is going to pray the rosary they should still stand up and say the responses where appropriate.
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This is closer to what I meant. The proclamation of the Gospel in the context of the Mass clearly demands attention. But I do sometimes pray a decade after I recieve. There are actualy quite a few men I know who do this as well.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
So I thought about this thread for a while tonight, while I was running errands. Thanks for posting this link. Brother is obviously right and I did get caught up in a bit of emotion when I first posted.

When I was able to reflect on the topic a bit more, I think what I really meant about praying the rosary “During Mass” or “At Mass” was specific to praying it during reception of the Eucharist, while waiting to go forward or after returning to one’s seat.

This is closer to what I meant. The proclamation of the Gospel in the context of the Mass clearly demands attention. But I do sometimes pray a decade after I recieve. There are actualy quite a few men I know who do this as well.

-Tim-
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I also liked what Br JR said in this thread: He puts it very clearly…as usual:thumbsup:

Post #59 - Can the Rosary be prayed during the EF Low Mass Liturgy?

When I came across these words of Pope St Pius X in my missal many years ago, the pieces of the puzzle all fitted together and I understood what he was saying and wasted no time putting it into practice.
“The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even the highest prayer that exists. It is the Sacrifice, dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the altar. If you wish to hear Mass as it should be heard, you must follow with eye, heart and mouth all that happens at the altar. Further,** you must pray with the priest the holy words said by him in the Name of Christ and which Christ says by him. You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens at the altar.** When acting in this way, you have prayed Holy Mass.” Pope St Pius X

I think that even if one were illiterate or for some reason could not follow the prayers, this “pray the holy words” could take the form of a decade of the Rosary at certain times during the mass - but the “heart and mouth” should try to participate, in what is, a public act of worship.

The Sorrowful mysteries are also appropriate, as it is The Sacrifice of Calvary renewed. Perhaps after the consecration the Glorious mysteries would be fine.
 
I pray the Rosary through Mass, whenever I am not serving at the Altar, pausing at the Gospel, Homily and the Consecration/elevation. I can normally pray all 15 decades in a Mass and they can be united wonderfully to the different elements of the Mass if you time it right, it can be a great meditation. My intention is always to unite myself to the sacrifice on the Altar and be with Mary stood at the foot of the cross. It has helped me gain a proper devotion to the Mass. I pray it during Low/Dialogue Mass and any OF mass I attend. The important thing is to pray the Mass it doesn’t matter if you use some form of aid such as the rosary to help you focus on it and meditate on it, especially if you read/meditate on the Propers before you go to Mass.
 
I think Br JR has ‘nailed it’ once again. Excellent post.
 
LightBound said:
At ANY Mass, be it EF (Low or High) or OF, you pray the rosary BEFORE or AFTER Mass. NOT DURING MASS!!
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Exactly! The Mass is THE highest, most perfect form of prayer. The Rosary is a private devotion. Respectfully, save it for before or after Mass – your OWN time.
 
I like the suggestion of the Rosary before Mass. Our EF Mass is at Noon on Sundays and we have the Rosary and Angelus right before Mass.
 
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