Why do Catholics make use of rote prayers which is specifically forbidden in the Gospel?

Question

Oh wait, do you know what the Gospel is?

Answer 1

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 2

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RE:
Why do Catholics make use of rote prayers which is specifically forbidden in the Gospel?
Oh wait, do you know what the Gospel is?

Answer 3

Probably the main reason for the repetitions is so that the one praying can get their mind off their problems, and focus on something else, which would ease the burden on the ministers, and on that person, as well. I have talked to a priest about this, and he agreed completely with my conclusions. It's not so much that the prayer itself will do anything, except give that person's mind and soul a little refuge, rest, and hopefully, solace.
I see the same purpose in having a naughty schoolchild write some sentence 100 times (more or less) to give them something tedious to do and get them out of the teacher's way for a while...a pacifier of sorts.

Answer 4

Not just Catholics use rote prayers. This happens in a lot of religions. Do a lot of people repeat what they are told to repeat without thinking? Probably. Some people even think that questioning what they are told is a sin, so it is safer not to think.
That's not to say prayers which are said repeatedly are bad. But people should think about what they are saying and not say what they don't think is true.

Answer 5

And where is it forbidden? Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer in the Gospel; which is a rote prayer....I think nearly every Christian knows that one.

Answer 6

like this one?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen

Oh wait, you do know what the Lords Prayer is right? We were commanded by Jesus to say this together when he sat at the last supper.
I'm not even catholic and you make me mad.
Don't mess with old Sunday school teachers kid.
Now get off your high horse and go forth and sin no more.

Answer 7

I am well aware of the criticisms made by Protestants against the Catholics, and this isn't one of them. You're derision simply exemplifies the conclusions of a simple or unread mind.

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.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, part four: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt4sect1.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

Listen to what Father K said. I think the KKK has an opening for you since they're anti-Catholic too.

Answer 10

Leave them Alone.....!

(Matthew 15:14) Let them alone.

They are blind leaders of the blind.

And if the blind lead the blind,

both shall fall into the ditch.

Thanks, RR

AND YES... the Gospel is.......

(Luke 24:45-TO-48) And He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures.

(Luk 24:46) And He said to them, So it is written, and so it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

(Luk 24:47) and that repentance and remission of sins should be proclaimed in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

(Luk 24:48) And you are witnesses of these things.

RR....!