Wearing my Rosary. (as a personal reminder)?

Question

I make & sell different kinds of beaded necklaces. The main type of necklace all of my catholic friends want me to make for them are rosaries.(Like all girls, I love to wear jewelry. I am a catholic so thought it would be cool to wear my rosary with my other necklaces. Although the Rosary to me is more then just a necklace, wearing it is the only way I can remember to pray it.Note the only place I ever pray the rosary in front of others is church.)
Some people are cool with with me wearing my rosary I don't know how many times I have had some one tell me"oh what a beautiful necklace you have"or "what a beautiful rosary you have". But I have had a few people take me aside & talk for 30mins on how it is wrong to wear & pray the rosary.
I asked my Husband about this, here is what he told me . People are all different some agree with it some don't who cares what people think ,It's your Rosary you should be able to wear it if you choose too. It's not up to others , it's up to you

I

I agree with my husband, it is no ones business but mine if I choose to wear a Rosary.
Just so every one will know & no one will get started on me. I am wearing my rosary as a personal reminder not for evangelical reasons.

Please Answer this question RESPECTFULLY no flaming or insults . Thank you & God bless

My questions are. (sorry thought it was obvious sorry)

Why do people feel so harsh against me. If a Rosary helps me feel closer to God by reminding me to pray ..
This one has already been answered (note the priest at my parish does not freak out he likes the idea since it helps me to remember to pray always, every time I look down. )(the fact that it is blessed helps me remember that God every where )

Should I care, what people think?
People think differently on so things that it makes my head hurt. there is NO way to make every one happy. (not even Jesus could do that)

Thank you for your answers
vinslave
nickboy19
wolfeblayde
churchmusicgirl

To all those that think I'm Evil I am sorry that you feel this way. may God bless you

Answer 1

Wearing the Rosary isn't as common as it once was, but there was a time when many people wore their beads, either around their neck or tucked into their belts. In fact, St. Louis Mary de Montford relates a number of stories about people who suffered from depression or other ailments and found relief by wearing their Rosaries. Rosaries have also been used in conjunction with other sacramentals during exorcisms with great effectiveness.

Today, people seem to feel that there's something sacrilegious about wearing the Rosary, but personally, I think it's a tradition that could stand to be revived. With the increase of evil in the world, we need all the help we can get, and if this practice strengthens you in your faith, more power to you.

Like many other Catholic traditions, there will always be those who don't understand the Rosary and claim that it is "vain repetition." I try to explain to the person that we meditate on the Mysteries of Christ and Mary's lives while we are praying and that the Rosary is like having a miniature Bible in our pockets.

If the person persists in arguing with me, I simply tell them that we don't agree on this point and that the subject is closed. So wear your Rosary if it brings you peace and comfort, and don't worry about what other people think.

P.S. I'll say a decade of my daily Rosary for you. God bless!

Answer 2

Although wearing a rosary has no spiritual significance, the objection seems to be about what the rosary is supposed to be. Sacramentals are supposed to be devotional tools rather than decorations, so it's a combination of not respecting its true purpose and indulging a false purpose as mere jewelry. That's why those religious orders whose habits included rosaries carried them tucked into their belts rather than wore them.

Of course, some rosaries are VERY ornate, even impractical, so there might be some question of exactly what their purpose really is. It's something like wearing your national flag and thereby trivializing the patriotic ideals it stands for, not quite idolatry but a definite concern about how seriously other people are regarding my religion.

It's true, people are all different. Some people pride themselves on being able to hunt out sacrileges and abominations. Others save their outrage for more pressing issues.

Answer 3

There are a lot of non-Catholics who believe that praying the rosary is praying to Mary andl not to God and therefore is sinful. Some are willing to listen and respect it, some are not. Not much you can do about them.

As for Catholics who might object to you wearing your rosary around your neck, I can only guess that they are more conservative and traditional in their views. Technically, a rosary is a prayer tool, not a piece of jewelry. But then I remember seeing nuns wear HUGE rosaries with their habits, so to me, that line of reasoning isn't very solid.

So while I personally don't wear any of my rosaries, I can't see any reason for you not to. You've already states a respect for the rosary and religion and that it is a personal prayer reminder for you, so what more can people ask?

A little addition: this link will take you to an official document by the US Catholic Bishops regarding forms of popular piety... the link should drop you off at the section about the rosary: http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4620#107

Answer 4

I dont think there is anything wrong in wearing a Rosary as long as its not worn as jewellery. The other day I saw someone wearing the Rosary round his neck (not as an ornament) and I thought it was only a faithful Catholic who could do that.

You could preferably wear the Brown Scapular of Carmel around your neck and under your clothes because that was the request of Our Lady of Fatima . Get one blessed by a priest and you dont have to bless subsequent ones that you wear. Once the scapular is blessed you are permanently enrolled. This scapular and the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary (at least five decades) will protect you from evil, harm and the fires of hell.

Answer 5

Well, technically no, your husband is wrong. Being a Catholic, it is church docterine that says you do not wear it. It is a symbol, a tool to commune with God. Saying the Rosary has long been an almost tantric experience for many Catholics, chanting and altering their mind through repitition and thus trying to commune with the otherworldly. While you can do whatever you want, and you certainly won't go to hell or anything for this, as it's not a sin, it is an improper use of the rosary. It's more a decorum type of thing, like washing your face in the holy water or drinking too much ceremonial wine. It's more insulting to the church and annoying than it is abjectly wrong.

That said, do as you will, your God's supposed to forgive you for anything right?

Answer 6

I'm not sure about this ... I love wearing my Rosary Too ... but when I was teaching religious education to the Kindergartners and the Priest came in to bless the Rosary's He said that they are Holy and should not be worn ... I think He may have been afraid that they're kids and since the Rosary is so big on them, it's common sense to ask them not to wear it ... I have not got around to asking him for more 411 ... I've seen many Italian Hunks (in the movies) wearing the Rosary ... but honestly, I don't know.

Answer 7

I am not catholic so my answer will have no bearing on the sacredity of the rosary but from a Christian standpoint ( I am a Christian Minister) I dont think it would be any different than wearing a cross necklace, and if by you wearing it it is a reminder to pray then I say, keep on wearing it sister. I believe anything we do that truly brings us closer to God is a good habit, and good habits are the best to have.

Answer 8

I was raised as a Catholic, and I remember the nuns and priest at grade school telling us not to wear the rosary, that it was not intended as decoration, but rather an aid to prayer. Nowadays, I see people wearing them, and also those rosary bracelets, and they tend to be the same people who get offended by me wearing a pentacle.

Answer 9

Wear it if you like---it is YOUR intentions that count--not what others think you mean. I pray the rosary too, and at one time used to wear it to keep it handy, and I know of some that wear it to show a deeper devotion to the mysteries of the rosary.

Answer 10

Dear sister, from a conservative Catholic grandma (and maker of knotted cord rosaries): WEAR your rosary if you wish. You know why you're wearing it, so does God. All other opinions are irrelevant.