Just was curious, thanks. God Bless.
2007-05-07 16:34:28 · 10 answers · asked by the pink baker 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
A Rosary itself is just a tool one uses to keep their place as they pray the Gospel.
When one prays the Rosary, they are praying the Gospel.
What is the Gospel? The Gospel is the Good News.
What is the Good News? The Good News is someone, not something - Jesus.
Therefore, when one prays the Rosary, they are praying the Gospel and, by extension, Jesus.
The Prayers that make up the Rosary, the Our Fathers, Hail Marys, the Apostles Creed, etc, make up the body of the Rosay - but the soul of the Rosary is it's mysteries.
As one prays their way through the Rosary, they are meditating on the mysteries. The mysteries are as follows:
The Joyful Mysteries
(Said on Mondays, Saturdays, Sundays of Advent, and Sundays from Epiphany until Lent)
First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary
I Desire the Love Of Humility
Think of...
The humility of the Blessed Virgin when the Angel Gabriel greeted her with these words: "Hail full of grace".
Luke 1:26
Second Joyful Mystery - The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
I Desire Charity Toward My Neighbor
Think of...
Mary's charity in visiting her cousin Elizabeth and remaining with her for three months before the birth of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:39
Third Joyful Mystery - The Birth of Jesus
I Desire the Love of God
Think of...
The poverty, so lovingly accepted by Mary when she placed the Infant Jesus, our God and Redeemer, in a manger in the stable of Bethlehem.
Luke 2:1
Fourth Joyful Mystery - The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
I Desire a Spirit of Sacrifice
Think of...
Mary's obedience to the law of God in presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple.
Luke 2:22
Fifth Joyful Mystery - Finding Jesus in the Temple
I desire Zeal For The Glory Of God
Think of...
The deep sorrow with which Mary sought the Child Jesus for three days, and the joy with which she found Him in the midst of the Teachers of the Temple.
Luke 2:41
The Luminous Mysteries
(Said on Thursdays throughout the year)
First Luminous Mystery - The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Matthew 3:17
The Second Luminous Mystery - The Wedding at Cana, Christ Manifested
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
John 2:11
The Third Luminous Mystery - the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mark 1:15
The Fourth Luminous Mystery - The Transfiguration of Jesus
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
Matthew 17:2
The Fifth Luminous Mystery - The Last Supper, the Holy Eucharist
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Said on Tuesdays, Fridays, and daily from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday)
First Sorrowful Mystery - Agony of Jesus in the Garden
I Desire True Repentance for My Sins
Think of...
Our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani, suffering a bitter agony for our sins.
Matthew 26:36
Second Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar
I Desire a Spirit of Mortification
Think of...
The cruel scourging at the pillar that our Lord suffered; the heavy blows that tore His flesh.
Matthew 27:26
Third Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus is Crowned With Thorns
I Desire Moral Courage.
Think of...
The crown of sharp thorns that was forced upon our Lord's Head and the patience with which He endured the pain for our sins.
Matthew 27:27
Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus Carries His Cross
I Desire the Virtue of Patience
Think of...
The heavy Cross, so willingly carried by our Lord, and ask Him to help you to carry your crosses without complaint.
Matthew 27:32
Fifth Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion of Jesus
I Desire the Grace of Final Perseverance
Think of...
The love which filled Christ's Sacred Heart during His three hours' agony on the Cross, and ask Him to be with you at the hour of death.
Matthew 27:33
The Glorious Mysteries
(Said on Wednesdays, and Sundays throughout the year)
First Glorious Mystery - The Resurrection of Jesus
I Desire a Strong Faith
Think of...
Christ's glorious triumph when, on the third day after His death, He arose from the tomb and for forty days appeared to His Blessed Mother and to His disciples.
John 20:1
Second Glorious Mystery - The Ascension of Jesus
I Desire the Virtue of Hope
Think of...
The Ascension of Jesus Christ, forty days after His glorious Resurrection, in the presence of Mary and His disciples.
Luke 24:36
Third Glorious Mystery - The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
I Desire Zeal for the Glory of God
Think of...
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles, under the form of tongues of fire, in fulfillment of Christ's promise.
Acts 2:1
Fourth Glorious Mystery - The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
I Desire the Grace of a Holy Death
Think of...
The glorious Assumption of Mary into Heaven, when she was united with her Divine Son.
Fifth Glorious Mystery - The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
I Desire a Greater Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary
Think of...
The glorious crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven by her Divine Son, to the great joy of all the Saints.
As you can see, the Rosary is more than just a series of Our Fathers, Hail Marys and so on.
Praying the Rosary is an exercise in meditation on the the life of Jesus through the praying of the Gospels.
I hope this helps.
2007-05-08 02:52:23 · answer #1 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't always use the rosary when I pray, but I do try to pray a rosary daily -- preferably first thing in the morning. The prayers, whether counted on the actual beads or not, provide a framework (for lack of a better word) for me linger for a while in contemplation of the gospel. Could I do that without the structure of the rosary? Probably, but human nature being what it is, I would also be much more easily distracted. In that sense, the rosary is a discipline for meditative prayer, and I certainly need it. Besides, it's good to start the day by focusing on something other than my own immediate concerns. The rosary helps me do that better than any other form of prayer.
[Edit] I was also Baptist before my conversion, so to answer the question underneath the one you've asked: Yes, Catholics do also pray from the heart in their own words just as you do. It's not a matter of just knocking off a few Hail Marys and calling it good. But the prayers of the Church -- for example, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which is meaningful to many people who don't even belong to a particular denomination -- provide a depth and richness that enhances one's prayer life, and help us align our will with that of God. Everything, even the very Marian prayers, points us to Christ.
2007-05-07 17:13:20 · answer #2 · answered by Clare † 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the rosary is used when we pray. The rosary is a meditation prayer. We meditate on the life of Jesus while saying certain prayers, a prayer on each bead. The beads help us keep count of the number of prayers (Hail Marys and Our Fathers). Here are a couple of websites you can look up. The first tells the history of the rosary, the second tells how to pray the rosary.
God bless,
Stanbo
http://www.familyrosary.org/main/rosary-explanation.php
www.pacifier.com/~rosarweb/howto.htm
2007-05-07 16:45:38 · answer #3 · answered by Stanbo 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Frequently. The rosary is actually a meditative prayer. For instance there are 5 joyful mysteries,
The Annuniciation (when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin that she would have the promised one). The Visitation (when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth), The Nativity,
The presenting of Jesus in the temple and The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. While we say the words we are meditating on these events.
Also there are 5 Sorrowful Mysteries and 5 Glorious Mysteries. Pope John Paul 2 added the Luminous Mysteries. It is not just a matter of saying the words but thinking of these things mostly right out of the Gospel.
2007-05-07 16:42:43 · answer #4 · answered by Shirley T 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is more to the rosary than what non-Catholics see.
It is NOT a repetition of the same prayer. It is a tool to help you pray more deeply- free form the distractions of the world.
The prayers- one Our Father and 10 Hail Marys ( all fromthe Bible) are prayers every Catholic knows from preschool. They roll off our tongues easily...and they take our conscious mind and keep it busy while we reflect on the REAL part of the rosary prayers: the meditations on the mysteries.
The mysteries are events in Jesus life as witnessed through his mother's eyes. It's kind of like your mom telling your boyfriend stories about your life before he knew you.
While we recite the prayers, we reflect on specific events in salvaiton history...many times I find the answers to dilemma in my life by entering these mysteries in my meditations. I imagine the scenes, the face of the people, the unwritten conversations....and so many times I hear the Lord speaking to me about my own life!
It really is a powerful tool to a deeper relationship with Christ Jesus.
there are 4 different sets of Mysteries: joyful, sorrowful, glorious...and now the luminous msteries. Of the 20 mysteries, 18 are directly from the bible, the other two are not found in scripture, but they are not contrary to it and are in fact supported by Old Testament scripture.
2007-05-08 16:01:20 · answer #5 · answered by Mommy_to_seven 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A rosary is not a "show of faith", nor is it a piece of costume jewelry. It is a tool. A rosary is a "counter" for repetitive prayer. You might say so many "Our Father"s, or so many "Hail Mary"s. You may make a commitment to say so many a day, and the beads are the way you count, without distracting yourself from the actual prayers. Unless you are engaged in repetitive prayer, there is no reason to be wearing a rosary. And if you are not engaged in repetitive prayer, then it IS disrespectful to wear the beads because you are not using them the way they are supposed to be used. Lastly, spiritual pride is a great barrier to our spiritual growth and to following His teachings. You do not need to "show" your faith ... you need to LIVE it.
2016-05-17 23:52:10 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm still trying to figure out why my husband has Catholic paraphernalia everywhere around our house (including the rosary....)
Yes, they use it when they pray. Each bead is for a certain prayer, then there are bigger beads for a different prayer. My husband's grandmother says it every night, without fail. She says it takes her quite a while to go through the whole spiel.
2007-05-07 16:41:36 · answer #7 · answered by KS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's used to keep track of where you are in your prayers. When you're concentrating on your Hail Marys and Our Fathers and you're supposed to say a certain number, you keep track with the beads with your fingers.
2007-05-07 16:40:56 · answer #8 · answered by Nightlight 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It helps to count the prayers... you can loose track after saying so many Hail Mary's...
2007-05-07 16:40:23 · answer #9 · answered by Malaika 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's used for prayer.
2007-05-07 16:44:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋