Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't

Question

Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does the Roman Catholic Church use them? Jesus said don't use vain repititious prayers so why does th

Answer 1

Jesus doesn't exist. Who cares what Catholicism has to say? Jesus doesn't exist. Who cares what Catholicism has to say? Jesus doesn't exist. Who cares what Catholicism has to say? Jesus doesn't exist. Who cares what Catholicism has to say?

See? I can repeat myself too.

Answer 2

Cute -

Read the text. Jesus was talking about Greco-Roman pagans who believed that the gods were hard-of-hearing. Because they lacked any faith in the fact that their prayers were being heard, they constructed long, rambling prayers that appealed over and over again to the gods, hoping that eventually the gods would hear and respond.

In Catholicism (I am not Catholic, by the way), repeated prayers serve a completely different purpose. Repeated prayers are not offered so that God will hear, but as a means of keeping the mind focused before God. I would describe that aim as anything but 'vain.'

And why do you suppose Jesus only forbids 'vain' repetition? If the prohibition is against repetition, then how can we ever repeat any word or any phrase more than once? What about the chorus in a hymn? Is that vain repetition?

Answer 3

What is this, amateur hour?

Matt. 6:7 - Jesus teaches, "do not heap up empty phrases" in prayer. Protestants use this verse to criticize various Catholic forms of prayer which repeat phrases, such as litanies and the Rosary. But Jesus' focus in this instruction is on the "vain," and not on the "repetition."

Matt. 26:44 - for example, Jesus prayed a third time in the garden of Gethsemane, saying the exact same words again. It is not the repetition that is the issue. It's the vanity. God looks into our heart, not solely at our words.

Luke 18:13 - the tax collector kept beating his breast and praying "God be merciful to me, a sinner." This repetitive prayer was pleasing to God because it was offered with a sincere and repentant heart.

Acts 10:2,4 - Cornelius prayed constantly to the Lord and his prayers ascended as a memorial before God.

Rom. 1:9 - Paul says that he always mentions the Romans in his prayers without ceasing.

Rom. 12:12 - Paul commands us to be constant in prayer. God looks at what is in our heart, not necessarily how we choose our words.

1 Thess. 5:17 - Paul commands us to pray constantly. Good repetition is different than vain repetition.

Rev. 4:8 - the angels pray day and night without cessation the same words "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty." This is repetitious prayer that is pleasing to God.

Psalm 136 - in this Psalm, the phrase "For His steadfast love endures forever" is more repetitious than any Catholic prayer, and it is God's divine Word.

Dan. 3:35-66 - the phrase "Bless the Lord" is similarly offered repeatedly, and mirrors Catholic litanies.

Answer 4

And yet Jesus taught the Our Father which tons of Christians, Protestants and Catholics alike, use on a daily basis.

If you're just repeating a prayer, it IS wasted. But Jesus didn't say not to have written prayers, he said don't be vain about it and don't be repetitious.

Pray a prayer with all your heart. If your heart can express it on its own, great, if not, then put all your heart and mind and body and soul (that greatest commandment Jesus spoke about?) into praying the written prayer so that you make it your own, not just something recited.

Answer 5

If the Bible is your only source of truth, then you cannot possibly say that Mary had any child other than Jesus. There is no record of her giving birth to a second, third or fourth child or whatever. There is no record of her having sex with Joseph, for that matter, even though the Bible records other couples having sex (Adam & Eve, David & Bathsheba, etc.) "Firstborn" also applies to only children. An only child is also first born and last born. In Biblical times, the role of the firstborn was very important because he had obligations to his parents. An only child would be called firstborn, too, and hold all those obligations. As for the "brothers" -- as previously cited, Aramaic is loose on these definitions, and a "brother" could easily be a cousin. And even if the brothers of Jesus really were brothers, there are other ways to get brothers than your mother giving birth to them. They could have been adopted, for example -- yes, orphans were adopted back in those days, as life expectancy was a lot lower than it is today. I personally agree with the theory that the brothers were Jesus' step-brothers, children of Joseph from his first marriage, Joseph being a widower. Women died in childbirth rather often in those days, and Joseph was held to be older than Mary by quite a bit. Further proof that the brothers were older - when Jesus stayed at the temple at age 12, Mary returned with Joseph to find Jesus. Had there been younger children (and there most certainly would have been if she wasn't remaining a virgin, since she had no artificial birth control), Mary could not possibly have journeyed back a whole day with all those little kids, especially whatever baby she would have been nursing. Also, Jesus gave Mary to John's care as He died on the Cross. Had Mary given birth to additional children, Jesus would not have done this; her other kids would have cared for her as a matter of family honor. The fact that Jesus needed somebody to take care of His mother indicates He was her only child.

Answer 6

Well, that is because the Roman Catholic Church relies mostly on tradition not the Bible. If they go to the Bible at all it's the Catholic Bible which they have literally added their own scripture and even taken out scripture so that it will read how they want it to read. They worship the idols of Jesus and Mary and that is against The Ten Commandments. They have edited The Ten Commandments to the way they want it to read.

Anyway, I'm sorry I got off the subject, but the first sentence is the answer.

By the way, The Lord's Prayer is not a repetitive prayer. Repetitious prayer is not necessary. God hears you the first time very clearly.

Answer 7

They are only vain repititious prayers if you allow them to be. The Our Father is quite possibly the perfect prayer, and if you look into you might see that.

Answer 8

Catholicism includes a rich tradition of both informal (in our own words) and formal prayer just like our Jewish forefathers.

The Church teaches "the memorization of basic prayers offers an essential support to the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savor their meaning." In other words, the Church emphasizes that formal prayer should not be mindless lip moving but instead a formal expression of clearly understood and heartfelt sentiments.

The verse in question reads, in the King James Version, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

The important Greek word here for "vain repetitions" is battalogeo, or babbling. The heathens had a magical perception of prayer and thought the more they babbled to their gods, the more that that god would respond. I Kings 18:26 is an example of this:

"And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered."

Then, two verses after the warning in Matthew against "vain repetitions," Jesus gave us the "Lord's" prayer, which most Protestant Christians pray with no qualms about praying "in vain."

The same command in Luke 11:2 reads: "And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father..." -- "when you pray, say..."

In addition, Christ prayed in repetitions:
+ Matthew 26:44: "And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."
+ Mark 14:39 reads: "And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words."

The angels pray repetitiously:
+ Revelation 4:8: "...and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

The Psalms are a collection of prayers and litanies, which were prayed formally in the Jewish synagogues and early Christian churches, are still prayed in synagogues and Catholic churches today -- and were even prayed by Christ from the Cross.

The liturgy of the synagogue was (and is) filled with repetition and formalized prayer. Christ said "use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do.” Were the Jews heathens? Jesus also prayed in the synagogue in this way.

They prayed (and still pray) the sh'ma twice a day and, in their liturgy, the Shemoneh Esrei, the Kaddish, the morning blessings, the Aleinu, etc. Check out a Jewish siddur (missal) sometime; does it look more typically Protestant or Catholic?

Hymns are prayers. Is it "vain" to sing "Amazing Grace" more than once?

Catholics do not babble but pray from the heart in formal and informal prayer.

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

Jesus said not to use VAIN repetitions.

He didn't say not to use repetitious prayer at all.

Jesus Himself prayed the same prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane three times.

And one of the Psalms -- sorry, I forget which one -- repeats the line "for His love endures forever" at least two dozen times.

.

Answer 10

Funny ,your repeating, yes they do a lot of things against what the bible says, like baptizing babies, how can a baby have anything to repent about . The famous prayer :Our Father is suppose to serve as a model , repeating this does nothing God warned about lip service and no heart.look
MARK 12:40 "They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
MATTHEW 6:5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."

Answer 11

You may be able to quote what Jesus said, but you've totally failed to convey what Jesus meant.

Repetition is in vain when the heathens do it because they pray to false and powerless gods.

Jesus admonished us to be persistent in prayer, like the woman who stood before before the corrupt judge.

St. Paul reminds us to pray without ceasing.

How many verses of "Amazing Grace" constitutes vain repetition?