friendofJPII Posted July 26, 2008 Posted July 26, 2008 (edited) If we are not all called to pray the Rosary, then why was it given to St. Dominiic as a tool to fight heresy? Why has Mary herself asked us to pray it repeadly during her Church approved apparitions? I have an issue with it being called "just another devotion." Of course, a person is not required to pray it every day and Mary would never want to be seen as a source of division(which is why I don't press the issue with Protestant converts). But I think it is safe to say that the Rosary in some form should be apart of every mature Catholic's life. St. Therese prayed the Rosary (she fell asleep while praying it once, but she had difficulty in prayer overall--she went through a horrible dark night of the soul), but the difficulty she experienced in prayer made it all the more pleasing to God. Edited July 26, 2008 by friendofJPII
MissyP89 Posted July 26, 2008 Posted July 26, 2008 Some people might not be called to it; like some are called to the priesthood or consecrated life, it's not a call that all receive. I'm not particularly devoted to the rosary, though I do love our Mother. "My" devotion is to the Divine Mercy. It was something that Jesus used very early on to bring me closer to Him. YMMV.
Selah Posted July 26, 2008 Posted July 26, 2008 I love the Divine Mercy Chaplet, but my favorite of all is the prayer to the Infant of Prague. I would agree with Missy. Some people may have a stronger devotions to different prayers. They are all very powerful.
jmjtina Posted July 26, 2008 Posted July 26, 2008 It is one of my devotions and I encourage everyone to take up the Rosary. However, it is not mandated. I've experienced ladies who have prayed the rosary their whole lives and they are still the mean, gossiping ladies they are now. It doesn't have to do with the rosary, but your personal walk with Christ. I think the important thing is that the Rosary is definitely a great tool to fight satan. But we can't forget that there is[i] more than one [/i]tool.
friendofJPII Posted July 26, 2008 Author Posted July 26, 2008 [quote name='MissyP89' post='1609401' date='Jul 26 2008, 05:57 PM']Some people might not be called to it; like some are called to the priesthood or consecrated life, it's not a call that all receive. I'm not particularly devoted to the rosary, though I do love our Mother. "My" devotion is to the Divine Mercy. It was something that Jesus used very early on to bring me closer to Him. YMMV.[/quote] A call to a vocation and a call to a specific prayer are two different things. I have a devotion to the Divine Mercy also. It's [i]very[/i] powerful, I can tell you stories! There are lots of devotions out there, and we can't pray them all, we may be drawn to one or the other. But given the Rosary's strong history in our Church, considering that we come to Jeus through Mary, I think it should have some place in every mature Catholic's life. I don't pray it every day either. I try to pray it nightly with the nuns on EWTN when I remember. I'm not sure how we can honor Our Lady without having some level of devotion to the Rosary.
friendofJPII Posted July 26, 2008 Author Posted July 26, 2008 (edited) [i]It doesn't have to do with the rosary, but your personal walk with Christ.[/i] I think if the Rosary is prayed in the right spirit it will enhance your personal walk with Christ. It hate to "rank" prayers but I think it is defiantly one of the most powerful. Edited July 26, 2008 by friendofJPII
jmjtina Posted July 26, 2008 Posted July 26, 2008 (edited) [quote name='friendofJPII' post='1609413' date='Jul 26 2008, 05:06 PM'][i]It doesn't have to do with the rosary, but your personal walk with Christ.[/i] I think if the Rosary is prayed in the right spirit it will enhance your personal walk with Christ. It hate to "rank" prayers but I think it is defiantly one of the most powerful.[/quote] no argument here. It's not required by the Church, but highly encouraged. I think promoting a love of the Rosary will appeal to most people versus "Every mature Catholic must do it". I agree with you to a certain extent, just not with the delivery. God Bless. Edited July 26, 2008 by jmjtina
friendofJPII Posted July 26, 2008 Author Posted July 26, 2008 [quote name='jmjtina' post='1609440' date='Jul 26 2008, 06:26 PM']no argument here. It's not required by the Church, but highly encouraged. I think promoting a love of the Rosary will appeal to most people versus "Every mature Catholic must do it". I agree with you to a certain extent, just not with the delivery. God Bless.[/quote] True, but do we pray because "we love to pray" or do we pray to grow closer to God? Many of the Saints experienced a horrid darkness when they felt an utter distate for prayer, even a hatred for holy things (read St Faustina's diary) but continued to pray with a sincere act of the will. It bothers me when people say they don't "like" the Rosary, because it is long. (we can always start with a decade)...or because they obsess about the meditation part and/or praying it perfectly...we can offer our distractions to God!
Lil Red Posted July 26, 2008 Posted July 26, 2008 +J.M.J.+ the rosary, is it for everyone? yes, in that anyone can pick up the rosary and pray it (being very simple to pick up and yet full of depth). it took me a long time to like praying the rosary. (and just because someone doesn't like it doesn't mean that it is because it is long.) same with LOTH. but now i love and do both. but some people don't 'feel' it like others do. like i don't 'feel' really any of the Carmelite devotions because i 'feel' called to Dominican stuff () i guess it all depends on where the person is in their faith.
Lil Red Posted July 26, 2008 Posted July 26, 2008 [quote name='friendofJPII' post='1609413' date='Jul 26 2008, 05:06 PM'][i]It doesn't have to do with the rosary, but your personal walk with Christ.[/i] I think if the Rosary is prayed in the right spirit it will enhance your personal walk with Christ. It hate to "rank" prayers but I think it is defiantly one of the most powerful.[/quote] +J.M.J.+ like st colette said, i think it's at least third (after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours)
lilac_angel Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 (edited) The Promises of the Rosary given to St. Dominic along with it make it absolutely an irresistable prayer to me. I mean, wow. After knowing of the promises and believing they're true, I don't see how anyone would not want to pray the Rosary. But yes, it still may not be for everyone, and maybe every person does not spiritually "need" the Promises as much as others do. Edited July 27, 2008 by lilac_angel
lilac_angel Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 [quote name='Lil Red' post='1609472' date='Jul 26 2008, 06:58 PM']+J.M.J.+ the rosary, is it for everyone? yes, in that anyone can pick up the rosary and pray it (being very simple to pick up and yet full of depth). it took me a long time to like praying the rosary. (and just because someone doesn't like it doesn't mean that it is because it is long.) same with LOTH. but now i love and do both. but some people don't 'feel' it like others do. like i don't 'feel' really any of the Carmelite devotions because i 'feel' called to Dominican stuff () i guess it all depends on where the person is in their faith.[/quote] I do think that the more we devote ourselves to it, the more our heart becomes inclined to it. Even if we start out with no fervor at all, it increases as long as we perservere. What are the differences between Carmelite and Dominican devotions? Not sure what you mean here, as both Carmelites and Dominicans pray the Rosary.
Lil Red Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 [quote name='lilac_angel' post='1609488' date='Jul 26 2008, 06:18 PM']I do think that the more we devote ourselves to it, the more our heart becomes inclined to it. Even if we start out with no fervor at all, it increases as long as we perservere. What are the differences between Carmelite and Dominican devotions? Not sure what you mean here, as both Carmelites and Dominicans pray the Rosary.[/quote] +J.M.J.+ agreed with the perserverance thing. i didn't mean that the Carmelites and Dominicans don't pray the rosary, sorry for the confusion. it's funny though because every time i pick up a book on spirituality or praying or something, it's always by a Dominican but books with a Carmelite "flavor" i don't really feel attracted to. make more sense?
CatherineM Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 There are times I just have to say the rosary to stay sane, and other times, that I become complacent, and it is better to not say it for a time rather than say it poorly.
lilac_angel Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 [quote name='Lil Red' post='1609502' date='Jul 26 2008, 07:27 PM']+J.M.J.+ agreed with the perserverance thing. i didn't mean that the Carmelites and Dominicans don't pray the rosary, sorry for the confusion. it's funny though because every time i pick up a book on spirituality or praying or something, it's always by a Dominican but books with a Carmelite "flavor" i don't really feel attracted to. make more sense?[/quote] Yup...I just need to look into the spiritual differences; I'm curious. I wonder which one I'm more drawn to. I wear a Scapular that includes the Carmelite Scapular, so I'd be interested in seeing if I'm actually drawn to Carmelite spirituality more or not
friendofJPII Posted July 27, 2008 Author Posted July 27, 2008 [quote name='lilac_angel' post='1609519' date='Jul 26 2008, 07:38 PM']Yup...I just need to look into the spiritual differences; I'm curious. I wonder which one I'm more drawn to. I wear a Scapular that includes the Carmelite Scapular, so I'd be interested in seeing if I'm actually drawn to Carmelite spirituality more or not [/quote] The different spiritualites confuse me a little. I think every person has their own unique spirituality...
Lil Red Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 [quote name='lilac_angel' post='1609519' date='Jul 26 2008, 06:38 PM']Yup...I just need to look into the spiritual differences; I'm curious. I wonder which one I'm more drawn to. I wear a Scapular that includes the Carmelite Scapular, so I'd be interested in seeing if I'm actually drawn to Carmelite spirituality more or not [/quote] +J.M.J.+ for example. the charism of Carmelites is contemplative prayer. (as far as i know, i don't know much about them) Dominicans have a four part (active in preaching, contemplative in prayer, study, and meditation). there's a saying that you'll find either a Dominican in a church or a bookstore. it's funny because my friend, who is very much Carmelite (drawn to all things and saints Carmelite) - very contemplative, very introspective; and then i'm very much Dominican (drawn to all things and saints Dominican) - grounded in prayer, but very active. we're very complimentary. and as i've said before, Dominican saints practically stalked me! my patron (birth) saint is St. Rose of Lima (Dominican), St. Louis de Montfort (Dominican), Blessed Margaret of Castello (Dominican), Blessed Pior Giorgio Frassati (Dominican), St. Thomas Aquinas (Dominican) - the list goes on. Almost every book that I've read on a saint has ended up being a Dominican! Unintentionally of course!
Balthazor Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 YOu know I love the Dominicans but I am not really called to Pray the Rosary. I think mostly because my Grandmother was one of those church ladies that lead the rosary prayer... but the thing is she was really mean to my family. So I have really had to overcome associating the Rosary with my grandmother. It is a great prayer and I am trying to come to it... but it is still a struggle when I pray it and trying not to hear my grandmother's voice when I pray it and remembering how she made my sisters cry and how she treated my Father, her own son. I pray divine mercy instead. I am trying though, usually the first prayer that comes to my lips involuntarily is the Hail Mary. So it is not such a stretch.
friendofJPII Posted July 27, 2008 Author Posted July 27, 2008 Can we create new spiritualities? I'm very devoted to the message of the Divine Mercy...can I be a Mercinian?
StColette Posted July 28, 2008 Posted July 28, 2008 [quote name='Lil Red' post='1609473' date='Jul 26 2008, 07:59 PM']+J.M.J.+ like st colette said, i think it's at least third (after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours)[/quote] I would put it lower than third, not to be ranking things, but Eucharistic Adoration, in my opinion, is above the Rosary. The Church repeatedly calls us to many different devotions and does so because each devotion has its own spirituality to it. The Church, Our Lady, Our Lord, and many Saints and Popes have called for a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Now, this is the devotion that I feel most called toward. I mean I even write the Adoration Newsletter for the parish that I work for. Eucharistic Adoration is where my heart likes to abide. And just like the Rosary anyone has the ability pray before the Blessed Sacrament (given they have Adoration near them). But for many Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is not where they feel called. They may feel more called to the Rosary or to the Liturgy of the Hours. If you look into the Eastern Catholic Churches they have many devotions that we do not have, and they are all very beautiful. I know many very holy Eastern Catholics that do not share the Latin Rites devotion to the Rosary. It in no way makes them any less Catholic and I don't think we should require or demand it of them to share our devotions. They would not do that to us. I think it is also helpful to keep in mind that it is about quality not quantity. I know many Catholics who become scrupulous over the fact that they are not praying enough, ie not saying the Rosary, going to Adoration, and praying the Liturgy of the Hours all in one day. We must keep in mind the vocation of each person. A person who is in a contemplative order is going to have a lot more time to pray then say a busy mom with 9 kids. Each of us are called to be holy but this does not mean it is accomplished through the same means. We must also keep in mind that those who came before the Rosary found ways to honor Mary and found ways to lead holy lives and be devoted to Mary.
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