Why do some people pray so fast?

[UntimelyBourn]

Hi everyone! I’m relatively new to Catholicism and I’ve found myself drawn to the traditional side of things. When I can I really enjoy attending a parish in my area that offers the Tridentine mass. After the mass the priest leads us as we recite the customary prayers in English. Sometimes someone else will lead a rosary after that. So far so good.

My question arise from the fact that compared to other parishes Ive been to, these prayers are said very, very fast, so fast in fact that I’m literally out of breath of I try to keep up with them. Its not really a problem for me as I usually just listen or keep up by praying silently, but it is somewhat distracting, especially during the rosary. Are lightening fast Hail Mary’s common in traditional circles? I understand the value of saying prayers rhythmically but why so fast?

 

[Domnall]

I have an answer that might apply to your situation, but I’m not sure.

In the times of Catholic prosecution in Ireland, people would still clandestinely gather to pray the rosary together. However, since there was always a fear of being found out, they would pray the rosary very quick. Now, because this was happening so often, it sort of became a cultural practice to say the rosary quickly, more so out of habit than anything else.

Since a lot of Catholics here in the United States are Irish American, the practice transferred here a lot to. So, you may have the rosary being said pretty fast, especially if Irish or Irish Americans are in the crowd.

 

[Christy_Beth]

I think it kind of depends on who’s leading it and what everyone there has gotten used to. I know that sometimes at my church the person leading will move through it quickly, but others don’t. It bothers me when it is prayed really fast because then you don’t really have time to reflect on the mystery of whatever decade you’re on. If it is a really big problem for you, ask the person who leads about this. Just say that you have trouble keeping up and was wondering if it could be slowed down a bit.

 

[ccmcmg]

Isn’t that frustrating?

My current parish says the prayers in Mass in a nice rhythm; the one I attended out of town with my family this weekend flies through the prayers. I’ve found that most of the time, a Rosary is ‘recited’ very quickly. I say ‘recited’ because how can you even ‘pray’ when speaking that quickly, let alone concentrate on the mysteries? While I can usually pray silently when it’s one prayer that is being rushed, I get very far behind when it’s the Rosary. My current parish is one of the few I’ve ever been to that doesn’t ‘rush’ or ‘recite’ prayers.

I don’t think most people are rushing because of the Irish ‘way’, at least around here. It’s habit, and not one I like. I don’t expect others to go slow because I do, but you cannot even understand the words. When various prayers are added at the end of the Rosary before Mass, I have no idea what they are saying!

Fortunately, the prayers during Mass or a public Rosary are not the only times I"ll say them during the day. But I do want to make as ‘perfect’ of a Rosary or Mass as possible when I’m there.

 

[Basilios]

Haha! This is really quite funny, because it is a good show of good old human nature and mortification. Coming from me those words are hypocritical because I am super guilty of it myself. Let me tell you: I have experienced both incredible speed and incredible slowness and more often than not I just find that praying by myself I am more at peace. However, sometimes it can’t be avoided and praying in groups is necessary. I have no advice except to say that you must do what makes your heart grow closer to God, and when it is unavoidable just offer up your irritation or whatever. Talk to a Priest about it perhaps? It’s all a part of parish life and family life (I used to hate evening Rosary in my house because it went by at the speed of light)

 

[Sacredheart1208]

I have had the same experience. I don’t think the people do it on purpose, I am sure it is that way they might have learned it. I remember at my Grandfathers funeral the rosary was so fast…it was like Hail Mary…:harp: (The notes are to show how fast it went!) I could barely catch up! In the end I felt like…:hypno:

I usually pray it alone and I have enough time to meditate on the mysteries. Last word, its probably the way they learned it and might see nothing wrong with it. You might ask her to slow down because you can’t keep up? Hope this helps!

 

[Memaw]

I have an answer that might apply to your situation, but I’m not sure.

In the times of Catholic prosecution in Ireland, people would still clandestinely gather to pray the rosary together. However, since there was always a fear of being found out, they would pray the rosary very quick. Now, because this was happening so often, it sort of became a cultural practice to say the rosary quickly, more so out of habit than anything else.

Since a lot of Catholics here in the United States are Irish American, the practice transferred here a lot to. So, you may have the rosary being said pretty fast, especially if Irish or Irish Americans are in the crowd.

Oh boy, now us Irish get blamed for that! I have never heard of that before. I think it’s the person not the heritage. God Bless, Memaw

 

[MaryT777]

I’ve noticed when people lead the rosary they tend to lead it the same way they speak.
Those that talk faster, say the rosary faster and vice versa.

 

[Abbigaelann]

Perhaps it’s to get their spiritual endorphins or adrenalin going?

For some, it might be more toward a way of a type of self hypnosis during prayer (this can be great if suffering pain-much more effective than Lamaze). However, most, it is simply a matter of what they are used to and familiarity with it. Europe had had such on offs with the church for centuries, so it may be survivalist passed down…I wouldn’t blame it all on the Irish…French, English, Germany, and the Netherlands are not blameless…Let me say a bunch of prayers regarding my feeling about Napoleon…grrrrrr

Also, there are some congregations that work toward no emotionalism, yet if you listen carefully, you can discern that certain leadership in sects of a church can be noted…a very interesting phenomena…watching them and the priest, and listening to the priest and amongst the parishioners…I noticed this especially at Cathedral that I went to…

 

[UntimelyBourn]

Europe had had such on offs with the church for centuries, so it may be survivalist passed down…

Hmm… I hadn’t considered that it could be a cultural thing. There are a lot of French, German, Polish, and other European families at this parish (some Irish but not predominately). The reason I think I find it distracting is because formal prayers unfortunately weren’t part of my upbringing. So when I say them now I try to extract as much as I can out of them, probably because I’m partly trying to make up for it. Haha, maybe I’m just jealous that saying these prayers is second nature for them.

 

[R_C]

Hi everyone! I’m relatively new to Catholicism and I’ve found myself drawn to the traditional side of things. When I can I really enjoy attending a parish in my area that offers the Tridentine mass. After the mass the priest leads us as we recite the customary prayers in English. Sometimes someone else will lead a rosary after that. So far so good.

My question arise from the fact that compared to other parishes Ive been to, these prayers are said very, very fast, so fast in fact that I’m literally out of breath of I try to keep up with them. Its not really a problem for me as I usually just listen or keep up by praying silently, but it is somewhat distracting, especially during the rosary. Are lightening fast Hail Mary’s common in traditional circles? I understand the value of saying prayers rhythmically but why so fast?

No, fast prayer is not a common issue in traditional communities, it is a common issue in the Church as a whole However, when you are used to pray consistently certain prayers (especially the Holy Rosary) even a few times (or many times!) during the day, the prayers when vocalized may come out very expedite, because the mind is focused on the meditation and not on the prayer. Do not take it as a sign of poor devotion…it just reflects that the person is not focusing on the prayer, and is vocalizing almost at “mind-praying” speed, which (just as for reading) is much faster than the “ordinary”. It’s just as when you learn to drive…at first, you focus a lot on the wheel and the actions you do, but eventually you do those actions fairly quickly while your mind and eyes are focused on the road and on where you want to go.

Since you are at the beginning, it is most natural that your prayer will be slow-paced. This is actually very good. And mind you, not everyone can pray fast…some never even vocalize the Rosary…you will learn that there are many different kinds of spirituality, particularly in prayer…but don’t worry exceedingly, and above all else always and exclusively focus on your self…what I mean is this: if you consider that fast prayer is not spiritually edifying for you, then pray slow or pray in your heart without vocalizing - but don’t be concerned on the effect it has on others. Who knows, maybe it works for them

Personally, when I came into the Church I wanted to learn the traditional prayers in Latin (Pater Noster, Ave Maria, Gloria, Salve Regina, etc.) because I wanted to echo the many friends of the Lord who through the centuries had pronounced those same words and who are now in heaven and some have reached the glory of the altars. Thus sometimes, when I am alone and walking in a peaceful place, I will become an oddity to myself and slowly chant the Rosary…yet another way to pray, I guess.

I invite you to remain close to the traditional Roman liturgy (hopefully the Holy Mass you attend is an Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite by a diocesan priest or a priest or religious in full communion with Holy Church, and not by other groups of unclear status such as “independent Catholic” or SSPX, whose attendance I would personally discourage until matters are settled between them and the Holy See). As a resource you may find out about the Confraternitas Sancti Petri, a lay confraternity affiliated to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, which offers further possibilities to deepen your knowledge and relationship with the traditional Roman liturgy while being in full communion with the Holy See and our beloved Holy Father.

 

[skigirl1689]

I’ve noticed this with all of my Catholic family members and friends as well as my Lutheran family members when they say grace. I can’t talk fast because of my condition so I can never pray with them, at least orally.

Even when my dad leads grace and slows it down for me (which is normal in our house), family members do not follow his lead. I find it a bit rude in that instance but I gave up trying to pray with them a long time ago.

I think it is more of a habit than anything else.

 

[Memaw]

Hmm… I hadn’t considered that it could be a cultural thing. There are a lot of French, German, Polish, and other European families at this parish (some Irish but not predominately). The reason I think I find it distracting is because formal prayers unfortunately weren’t part of my upbringing. So when I say them now I try to extract as much as I can out of them, probably because I’m partly trying to make up for it. Haha, maybe I’m just jealous that saying these prayers is second nature for them.

Hang in there, you’ll be saying it as fast as the rest of them before you know it, just kidding.

I do prefer saying the Rosary or any prayers by myself as I do try to meditate with them but I also enjoy saying them with others. Where two or more are gathered together…You really don’t have to “make- up” for anything. Each day is a fresh start. I love to say the Rosary with Mother Angelica on EWTN as she seems to say it just right for me. God bless. Memaw

 

[ccmcmg]

I’ve noticed when people lead the rosary they tend to lead it the same way they speak.
Those that talk faster, say the rosary faster and vice versa.

Not always true. I’m a fast talker, but slower pray-er.

C

 

[CB_Catholic]

Oh boy, now us Irish get blamed for that! I have never heard of that before. I think it’s the person not the heritage. God Bless, Memaw

OK, we’ll blame it on the Italians. We cannot talk without using our hands, so we speed up the prayers so we can use our hands again. Make sense?

 

[IrishRush]

When I’m in church at our parish, the prayers are said at what I would call medium speed. Not fast, but not slowly either. Occasionally I’ll find myself seated in front of someone who seems to think it’s a contest to see who can finish first. They’ll pray the Our Father several words ahead of the congregation, out loud of course, and I find that such a distraction. Same thing with every other spoken prayer or response throughout the Mass.
Maybe I shouldn’t let it bother me but it really does distract me terribly.

 

[UntimelyBourn]

Do not take it as a sign of poor devotion…it just reflects that the person is not focusing on the prayer, and is vocalizing almost at “mind-praying” speed, which (just as for reading) is much faster than the “ordinary”.

R_C, thanks for putting this in words for me. After talking with the priests at this parish I quickly realized that their was no chance they were simply going through the motions. That’s why I found it somewhat confusing that they said their public prayers (both in Latin and English) so darn fast! Before I had always (mistakenly) assumed that those people’s prayers were the sort that Jesus condemned in Matthew 6:7. But that clearly wasn’t the case so I didn’t know what to think. Now I know that they’re praying with their lips (and hopefully thier hearts and minds) just like I am when I pray silently to keep up with them!

Thank you also for your words of caution about the SSPX and schismatic groups claiming to be Catholic. I know for sure this parish is in full communion with the Holy See. It is run by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which is truly a blessing to have in our diocese!

 

[FrancisBenedict]

I think it would do us all a lot of good to slow down in all areas of life.
Slow prayer can be good for the soul too.

Pax+

 

[LegoGE1947]

I think it would do us all a lot of good to slow down in all areas of life.
Slow prayer can be good for the soul too.

Pax+

At the parish where I became Catholic, the priest at the time would go through the eucharistic prayers at Mass so fast you’d have thought he was an auctioneer!

 

[tabycat]

Oh boy, now us Irish get blamed for that! I have never heard of that before. I think it’s the person not the heritage. God Bless, Memaw

I was thinking the same thing! Of course, there is the penal rosary.