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The rosary is a beautiful thing; I do enjoy saying it. I wish I could find more time and remember to say it more often. I heard somewhere that when you are praying the rosary, even if your mind wanders, your fingers keep on praying.
I like to pray the rosary both by myself and with others. I say it most often with other people though. Last time I prayed it with my mom and use the Luminous mysteries. I found it to be a neat experience.
Which way do you like best?
The attitude I have about the rosary kind of stems from high school still where it is kind of long and boring. I mean it really takes me a bit to get into it because there is so much repetition of the Hail Mary. It’s not exactly my favorite thing to do, but I will do it once in a great while or if I am asked to do it.
P.S. I moved this topic because it is more of a discussion on how someone prays the rosary rather than what the rosary is and all that.
Honestly, there are times that I think it is long as well. When I do get into it, I have this awareness that the rosary is a wonderful prayer. We ask Mary to intercede for us and our intentions. It takes about 15 minutes and I often find the the excuse that I don’t have time, which is kind of silly when I stop to think about it since Pope John Paul is a very busy man, but he still has time to pray it often.
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a few personal reflections about my rosary prayers:
I also could never ‘get into’ the rosary. A number of years ago I asked nun/teacher why the parish did not put much emphasis on the rosary. She did tell me that the rosary has repetetive prayers because it originated in a time when most folks were illiterate, ( I add also they did not have the media of radio, tv, and computers also). So simple repetition WAS a good thing. Surprisingly the priest at that parish also told me that Mary did not need our prayers—-Jesus does. That attitude surprised me when I was searching for answers.In the following years I did some soul searching, (my late 30’s). I found myself more and more prompted to pray the rosary, and also to pray at a local chapel where Mary is believed to have appeared.
I began to feel more grace and blessings in my life.As a CCD teacher and retreat leader I have the chance to share with teens. Two things I have shared is that to me prayer with the rosary is personal for me
Mary is a mother figure,(I need all the mothering I can get-lol), she leads me to her Son. Also, that God created us humans with AMAZING abilities—-how is it that we can converse with Mary, the saints, or God, and still walk, drive the car, or plan our day at the same time?? I realize that more contemplative prayer is good, but praying while we are ‘living life’ is good too.Finally, and this came to me a few months ago. You know how some of us struggle with the ‘boring repetition’ of the Rosary prayers? Well I imagine myself talking to Mary
I wonder how boring it would be for her if I used my own words all the time instead of the traditional Hail Mary. I think I am pretty interesting—but Mary she gets alot of us kids talking to her constantly and boy do we whine and go on and on!! Personally I began to think of each repetition as physical, either as holding her gaze or holding on to her hand. Think of how you might spend sometime with a dear one, say even a sick person, you would not talk constantly, you may stroke their hand or their head…….well that’s what each Hail Mary is to me, a way to concentrate on just being quiet and listening to Mary.I know this was a long reply—-but perhaps it helps even one person out there.
” title=”Smile” />[quote:cil6f66t]Finally, and this came to me a few months ago. You know how some of us struggle with the ‘boring repetition’ of the Rosary prayers? Well I imagine myself talking to Mary
I wonder how boring it would be for her if I used my own words all the time instead of the traditional Hail Mary. I think I am pretty interesting—but Mary she gets alot of us kids talking to her constantly and boy do we whine and go on and on!! [/quote:cil6f66t]This is kind of interesting because I like to personalize my prayers and make them my own prayers of thanksgiving and petitions because I think if I said the same thing over and over again it would become stale for me and for God. I want to say what is really on my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I do like to say the “pre-fabbed” prayers too, but not all the time.
As far as the rosary goes, I was just talking to someone else about it today and he was saying that it took him until a few years ago (and he is in his late 40s) that it’s not all about making sure you say each decade and if you miss one or two Hail Mary’s it’s not a big deal. I think he was getting at that it is more about the contemplative aspect of it rather than making sure you say a certain amount of prayers and you will receive a blessing type thing.
I like to say the rosary with an intention(s) for somebody else. I think of the rosary as talking to Mary asking her to talk to Christ about my intention(s).
I also like saying prayers in my own words. I do about half and half when it comes to praying either already made up prayers or ones of my own words.
I have greatly enjoyed this exchange on praying the rosary. Today I also read about praying for the sick in another section of this forum.
Even though we are all (hopefully) on the same path leading us to God, everyone is on their own individual journey at the same time. Hence, what ‘works’ for some doesn’t work for someone else. There are so many ways to pray, or to communicate with God. And God answers everybit of communication we have with Him. Although I am told He likes knee-mail the best.
That brings me to this thought, with so many ways to pray, and God available all the time, how is it so many of us struggle so with our prayer lives?
p.s. This website rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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