how come Catholics make repetition prayers[i.e. rosary] and pray where they are seen?

Question

where the Bible says not to pray in repetitions as the pegans & hypocrites do and to pray in a closed space with nobody seeing you!

Answer 1

+ Repeated Prayer +

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.

+ Private vs Group Prayer +

When Jesus teaches us to hide and pray, he is speaking of private prayer, one-on-one with God and not group prayer.

Jesus modeled group prayer over and over again in the scriptures.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

That verse means to be like out on the street corners and praying and advertising that you are religious, such as like the tele evangelists. Catholics pray together as a community in the Body of Christ. Praying the Rosary is not repetitious and neither is praying the Lord's Prayer which I do on a daily basis in my home and while at Mass

Answer 3

huh? ooooooooooooooooooh, hey, we had this reading in church yesterday! (yes, that's right, we Catholics read the bible!)

First of all, there is nothing wrong or against the bible in repetitive prayers - mantras, litanies, etc. It's simply a form of prayer that a person chooses. C'mon, how many of us pray in ways OTHER than the Lord's Prayer? (Cuz you know, that's what Jesus told us that THAT is how to pray.)

Second, I don't know where you live, but I rarely see Catholics praying out in public. The exceptions I can think of are places like cemetaries, shrines, locations like the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal, or when out protesting. (It's a form of peaceful protest.)

So, why do Catholics do that? I suppose the reasons will differ from person to person. Why not ask one of them?

Answer 4

The rosary is not vain repetitious at all. The rosary is the most powerful Catholic devotion. My mom taught me about it. At first i thought it was vain repetitious and useless but then i realized it's not. It's useful and meaningful. Whenever i'm on my lunch breaks, i usually mediate on the rosary and sometimes i wear a rosary around my neck. And no, I'm not ashamed of my beliefs. In fact one time on Father's day, i got my dad a pair of rosary beads. Hoping it would help him come back to the faith. But nothing yet. I pray for his conversion.

Answer 5

No prayer is vain, no matter how often repeated, if it is sincere, for Christ Himself engaged in repetitious prayer in the Garden of Gethsemani (``. . . he went again: and he prayed the third time, saying the selfsame word''--Matt. 26:39, 42, 44), and we are informed in the Apocalypse (Revelations) 4:8 that the angels in Heaven never cease repeating, night and day, the canticle: ``Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.'' The publican humbly repeated the prayer: ``O God, be merciful to me, a sinner,'' and he went away justified; whereas the pharisee went home unjustified after his long-winded extemporaneous prayer. (Luke 18:9-14). God was likewise pleased with the repetitious prayer of the three young men in the fiery furnace, whom He preserved miraculously untouched by the flames. (Dan. 3:52-90). Protestants also engage in repetitious prayer: the same prayers at mealtime grace, the same prayers at Benediction, etc. The time lapse is no factor; it is still repetitious.

May God bless you

Answer 6

Jesus said where more than one pray I am there also.. Familys who pray together stay together and that concept has never failed. From A devout Catholic.. And Catholics always read the Bible..Im very saddened at the insults people answer at these questions. I feel very sorry for such people because at the moment of their deaths they are going to be very sorry for the sins they have commited at moments like this. I am not offended at their insults but God will be and thats who they will have to answer to not me..

Answer 7

For the same reason they pray to the dead on behalf of the living (Saints)-another sin according to bible. The same reason their preists absolve people of sin with confession and last rights--ONLY God can forgive sin according to bible. The same reason they kneel before the statue of the virgin Mary, even though it is written to NOT bow before any graven images. The same way they call the Pope "God's emmisary on earth", even though the bible says no man is closer to God than any other. And last but not least the way they changed the sabboth from Saturday (which it has been since the covenant with man) to Sunday, the day pagans worshipped the sun. Christ even preached to keep the sabboth (Saturday) holy-NOT go and change it (to make emperor Constintine happy)!

Answer 8

Catholics are hypocrite plain and simple.

It is very clear what Imacatholic said, "The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine." His beliefs in fact is UNBIBLICAL plain and simple.


All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching for reproof correction and training in holiness so that the man of God may be fully competent and equipped for every good work”(2 Tim. 3:16-17)

Answer 9

i love that question, im not catholic so i stick to you, still, im jew, and we got some kind of book of prayers we use. but no as a mere repetition, God forbid, but as a warming up, with psalms, bible readings, and else, for before we pray our personal sayings, we are filled with more inspiration.

Answer 10

It says not to pray in VAIN repetition. Jesus Himself prayed repetitiously: "So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words." (Matthew 26:44) He also said, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)