When we pray the Rosary, is our prayer partly directed to God?

[Flopfoot]

I know that when we pray to Mary or one of the Saints, they ‘pass our prayer on’ to God. We can also pray without their intercession (‘directly to God’). When we pray the Rosary, is all our prayer through intercession of Mary or is it partly ‘direct to God’? Because we do say the Our Father and the Glory Be. I’m asking because seomtimes while praying the Rosary, I might meditate upon a mystery and imagine that I can talk to God about it… or I might stop briefly between decades as I’m struck by a sudden thought and address a prayer to God. So I’m wondering if that’s appropriate… am I talking to God at all normally when I pray the Rosary?

 

[John-the-Seeker]

Yes, what you are doing is entirely appropriate and fitting.

 

[springbreeze]

Dear friend

Yes totally directed to God through the intercession of our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary.

To pray the Rosary is a grace, I have learnt, so you might like to remember to thank God for the beautiful grace of praying the Most Holy Rosary.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[thistle]

John-the-Seeker:

Yes, what you are doing is entirely appropriate and fitting. The following might add some understanding around what happens when we pray the Rosary.
Through a visionary friend of mine The Eternal Father told us what happens when we pray the Rosary. He said When you pray the Holy Mary Mother of God and ask the Holy Mother of God to pray for you NOW, she comes instantly to pray with you. She does not come alone. She brings angels and not just 3 or 4. She is the Queen of Angels and so she brings Choirs of Angels with her. She and Jesus are joined and so Jesus comes with her. Jesus cannot be separated from the Trinity and so the Trinity comes with her. Where the Trinity is, all of creation is and so all of creation attends when you pray the Rosary. The Father tells us we are surrounded by a beauty we cannot even imagine. He tells us Our Blessed Mother comes as Our Lady of Grace with her hands out-stretched, with light emiting from her hands. This light is our inheritance that Jesus poured out from the Cross into the only pure vessel worthy of receiving our inheritance, Our Mother.
They say there is more joy in Heaven when a sinner repents and as Jesus came to save sinners, I assume you to be one of His saved and so therefore a sinner and so I assume you to be surrounded by a joyfilled creation that is very happy to have you stop and share meditations with God. Thr Mother’s role has been to lead us to the Father through Jesus. As Jesus is quoted as saying to visionary Vassula Ryden,“Just as I have told you that no one can come to the Father except through Me, so now I tell you that no one can come to Me except through My Mother.”
It sounds to me like you are doing very well with your Rosary.

Mary is my Mother and Friend and I pray the Rosary (all 20 decades) every day but frankly
I do not believe what your friend told you, especially the part about “no one can come to Me except through My Mother”.
I am absolutley sure that is not approved by the Church.

 

[asquared]

when we pray our prayer is fully directed to God, and often we ask others, especially Mary and the saints to join us in our prayer, and intercede for us and with us to God, in whose presence they are now.

 

[hurst]

Flopfoot:

I know that when we pray to Mary or one of the Saints, they ‘pass our prayer on’ to God. We can also pray without their intercession (‘directly to God’). When we pray the Rosary, is all our prayer through intercession of Mary or is it partly ‘direct to God’?

Our Father - to the Father through the Son
O My Jesus - to Jesus the Son, with the Angel
St. Michael prayer - to St. Michael, with the Church
Glory be - to the Holy Trinity, with the Church
Hail Mary

1. to the Father with Mary
2. to the Holy Spirit with Mary
3. to Mary with the Church

The Hail Mary is a little different, since it is composed of three prayers.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women”

• this was said by the Archangel, who brought His message from the Father. When we say this, we are repeating what the angel said to Mary, and we offer it as a reminder to the Father of what He said to her through His angel, and give thanks (with Mary) to the Father for answering her prayer and fulfilling His promise to send the redeemer!

“Blessed art thou amongst women. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”

• this was said by St. Elizabeth, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit. When we say this, we are repeating what she said to Mary and offer it as a reminder to the Holy Spirit of what He said through her, and give thanks (with Mary) to the Holy Spirit for Jesus in Mary’s womb.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

• we pray to Mary (with the Church), thanking her for her compassion on us and letting her help us by her merits.

In addition, at any time we can focus on the relationships of those involved. For example, congratulating the Archangel for being chosen to deliver the great tidings to Mary, or congratulating St. Elizabeth for being visited by the Mother of Our Lord, or reflecting the honor to Mary upon her Son Jesus, etc.

Thus, we pray to or with various persons in heaven at different times. In praying this, we truly can participate more closley in the Communion of Saints.

hurst

 

[JCPhoenix]

When we pray the rosary, our prayers are directed ENTIRELY to God, and he does not only hear our words, but our true intentions, which are unspoken and maybe even prayed in the Spirit (in our subconscious–the Spirit knows us better than we do ourselves).

Mary and the Saints act to join in prayer with us, and thier intercession is the AMPLIFICATION of our prayers. It’s like a megaphone. They are in the very presence of the Lord and when we pray in unity with them, there is additional power there.

God’s will is always done, so we’ll never know what really goes on on their end. If we are praying against God’s will (ie: help me kill my unborn baby, God), I’m pretty certain that that Mary and the saints are praying with all their might that HIS will be done and for the conversion of the person praying incorrectly.

Does that sound coherent or have I completely gone off my rocker?

 

[hurst]

JCPhoenix:

When we pray the rosary, our prayers are directed ENTIRELY to God
…
Does that sound coherent or have I completely gone off my rocker?

It sounds like you won’t allow prayers to be directed to anyone besides God. There is no need to take such a stand.

There are plenty of cases in life where we ask someone directly to help us because we see they are able to help us. For example, we might be with a group of people who decide to go out to eat, and we realize only too late that we don’t have enough cash, so we ask an acquaintance if we can borrow some cash. Kids in school might beg a friend to lend them a book or calculator they left at home. And so forth. The point is, we are not consciously “directing” our prayers to God. We are consciously directing them to someone we know can help us in our need. It is clear that God means for us to help each other, and is not offended that we don’t ask Him directly.

Now, the saints have merits and can share them with us (proven by multiple miracles). It would be taking away from God to deny we can or should pray directly to the saints for anything. God Himself has honored them. God is in them, and they are in God. To pray to them is to acknowledge their will to glorify God.

To deny the validity and value of praying directly to the saints would be to deny God’s creative act of giving them a free will to participate as a distinct source of good in this world.

hurst

 

[JCPhoenix]

God can always hear us.

I am not closing the door on the saints…I pray to them frequently and have recieved answers directly from them. (I will not discuss this).

But do you think that would happen if God did not will it? Do you think that he does not hear or know what we are saying?

Yes, when we pray to the saints, we are praying directly to the Saints, but our salvation is not within their authority…we are praying for INTERCESSION, for assistance, etc. They are our friends in high places and they answer…but God hears and knows all.

I’m sorry you took my prior post to mean that I have shut the Saints out of the equation and left no room, however, let me remind you of this: When we pray the rosary, it is a meditation on the life of Christ. This is a prayer to God through Mary. We are united in the Communion of Saints and the buck stops at God.

Does that help?

 

[hurst]

JCPhoenix:

God can always hear us.

I am not closing the door on the saints…I pray to them frequently and have recieved answers directly from them. (I will not discuss this).

But do you think that would happen if God did not will it? Do you think that he does not hear or know what we are saying?

God hears and knows all. He is the One Whose existence we participate in. All that happens only happens because He allows it.

JCPhoenix:

Yes, when we pray to the saints, we are praying directly to the Saints,

Thank you for clarifying.

JCPhoenix:

but our salvation is not within their authority…

That is not true. It is true that Jesus purchased our redemption, and only by His blood have our sins been forgiven, but it does not follow that our salvation is not in the power of others.

Jude 1:23 But others save, pulling them out of the fire. And on others have mercy, in fear, hating also the spotted garment which is carnal.

We play an important role in the salvation of others. Likewise, the saints play a role in our salvation. But all is built on the foundation of Christ. Yet, what we build on that foundation is to our credit and others’ salvation, if it endures:

1 Cor 3:6 I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase. 7 Therefore, neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth, and he that watereth, ate one. And every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour. 9 For we are God’s coadjutors: you are God’s husbandry; you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God that is given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: 13 Every man’s work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

So, yes God causes all to happen, but we are rewarded according to our participation and cooperation.

JCPhoenix:

we are praying for INTERCESSION,

You seem to stress this as if we can ask for nothing else.

What about asking for the fruits of their past intercession? For example, Mary obtained the grace of perseverance for those who wear her brown scapular. She obtained graces for those who pray her rosary.

JCPhoenix:

for assistance, etc. They are our friends in high places and they answer…but God hears and knows all.

Certainly.

JCPhoenix:

I’m sorry you took my prior post to mean that I have shut the Saints out of the equation and left no room, however, let me remind you of this: When we pray the rosary, it is a meditation on the life of Christ. This is a prayer to God through Mary.

The rosary is a treasure house. It can be totally focused on Christ, since all Mary did was related to Christ. But it can also be totally focused on the Eternal Father, who provided all. And it can be focused on Mary in that it happened to her. Etc. It may also depend on whether you pray it slow or fast or alone or with a group. I personally spend most of my time thanking the Father on behalf of Mary, but I also congratulate the Archangel and St. Elizabeth, and welcome Mary in my heart directly. During the sorrowful mysteries I focus on the contrast between the incarnation and each sorrowful mystery. But there are many options here. It is probably infinite.

JCPhoenix:

We are united in the Communion of Saints and the buck stops at God.

Does that help?

Yes