oremus1 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Does everyone pray the rosary? Is it OK to pray other chaplets instead? For example, if the person liked to pray the Divine Mercy but not the Rosary is that OK? Many Traditional Catholics say that Our Lady said one must pray the rosary every day, it is more pwerfl than all other prayers and if one finds it hard it is the sign of demons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NadaTeTurbe Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I don't pray the rosary at all, it's not my way of doing The Church tell you "pray like YOU want." Some people are marian and pray the rosary every day. Other not. It's not important. I heard it's a very good prayer when you began to pray everyday, but don't feel "I MUST pray the rosary." Our Lady is our Good Mother, not our Strict Mother ! I pray following the advice of Cardinal Lustiger in "First steps in prayer". Cardinal Lustiger was such a good man, and so close to every day catholic, he have perfect advice for praying in a busy life. Morning : I do a sign of the cross when I open the eyes. It's not just a sign of the cross, it's a very important sign of the cross. The first words of my day are in the name of, and for, God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I then say a Our father. I can't pray 7th times a day, but 7th times a day, I do a sign of the cross, and I think about God during a short moment. When I go back from school, I read the Gospel according to Luke (my favorite). On the evening, I prayin a Taizé like style. I began with a song from Taizé ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPW8Zdd9YUo ), then I read the Bible (I used to read the mass of the day but not anymore), then I think about my day : Did I respect the Great Command ? (love God & love other), then I sing another song or two, then I pray for the people I met, then Our Father/Ave Maria/Credo/sign of the cross. It's 25/30 minutes a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Paul Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 For discerning I reccomend the Divine Office beaacuse I think every order is required to pray the LOTH and the rosary because almost every community prays it quietly or in community.plus Mary is our mother so we can do it honor of her one must keep in mind that you can get indulgences and graces from the BVM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NadaTeTurbe Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Here what St Francis of Sales said about it : 7. The Rosary is a useful devotion when rightly used, and there are various little books to teach this. It is well, too, to say pious Litanies, and the other vocal prayers appointed for the Hours and found in Manuals of devotion,--but if you have a gift for mental prayer, let that always take the chief place, so that if, having made that, you are hindered by business or any other cause from saying your wonted vocal prayers, do not be disturbed, but rest satisfied with saying the Lord's Prayer, the Angelic Salutation, and the Creed after your meditation. from : http://www.catholicity.com/devoutlife/2-01.html Praying Mary everyday is important, but the Rosary is not the only way to pray her. if you are going to a marian community, of course, praying it is very important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatitude Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Currently my morning prayer consists of a Bible reading, a litany to the Sacred Heart, and some quiet prayer/prayer in my own words. In the evening I pray a rosary and Vespers. Sometimes I say Compline before bed, but more often it's just some spiritual reading and more quiet prayer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strictlyinkblot Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Currently I pray the rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet. For Lent I'm listening to an audio recording of the Gospels, about fifteen minutes every day. I listen to it on my way into work. But most of my prayers throughout the day is informal speaking to God as I do my work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 " But most of my prayers throughout the day is informal speaking to God as I do my work." Just as one probably has a favourite place of prayer, one probably has a favourite type of prayer and the above would be mine and by very far. Since I think that The Church recommends at least parts of The Divine Office to all the faithful, I strive to do so and join in the public prayer of The Church. The Divine Office Hours are particularly beautiful especially the Psalms, but I have this weird experience of being entirely reluctant to go to formal prayer and the DO - and yet I am so happy once I am there. I cannot understand the weirdness of knowing I will be happy, full of Joy, once I start to pray the DO and for its entirety ........... and yet continually experience what is absolute reluctance to actually go to formal prayer. Weird creature! While in monastic life, it was the other way round for me. I looked forward eagerly to prayer times as well as being very happy to be there. For me, there is very much to be said for the support of community life - as much as it can be a cross at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strictlyinkblot Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I should add that I love the Divine Office and when I worked night duty I managed to pray all seven of the offices. I'm out of the habit now and its hard to find time working 12 hour shifts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 " But most of my prayers throughout the day is informal speaking to God as I do my work." Just as one probably has a favourite place of prayer, one probably has a favourite type of prayer and the above would be mine and by very far. Since I think that The Church recommends at least parts of The Divine Office to all the faithful, I strive to do so and join in the public prayer of The Church. The Divine Office Hours are particularly beautiful especially the Psalms, but I have this weird experience of being entirely reluctant to go to formal prayer and the DO - and yet I am so happy once I am there. I cannot understand the weirdness of knowing I will be happy, full of Joy, once I start to pray the DO and for its entirety ........... and yet continually experience what is absolute reluctance to actually go to formal prayer. Weird creature! While in monastic life, it was the other way round for me. I looked forward eagerly to prayer times as well as being very happy to be there. For me, there is very much to be said for the support of community life - as much as it can be a cross at times. BT I've never even thought to voice this experience as I thought I must be the only one who had it! For me, the services have always been work from beginning to end, fully living up to their name (the word 'liturgy' comes from a Greek word λειτουργία meaning work of the people); I have to force myself to go to Divine Liturgy every Sunday, and it often takes me all evening to work up to the compline I do alone... sometimes it feels like sweating blood. But when I look back I consider those hours the most blessed of the week. And strangely, just like you, when I lived in community it was the services which came easily; it was a pleasure to drop everything and go to church multiple times a day. It was rarely enrapturing or obviously 'consoling', but just like my daily chats are now, it was a lovely, natural part of life which I looked forward to. During those months it was my private prayer I had to sweat blood to do. At least if we are weird creatures we are weird together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarysLittleFlower Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Do any of you ever do contemplative prayer / prayer of the quiet? Do anyone do just personal prayer rather than rote/etc prayers? It is recommended by spiritual writers on prayer to do mental prayer what you called personal prayer.. I read its harder to be saved even without mental prayer. The books Soul of the Apostolate and Ways of Mental Prayer from TAN are good resources. So we are highly encouraged to do daily meditation which in time can turn to contemplation. As for the prayer of quiet I think if people here do this I don't think its prudent to say except to a spiritual director prayer of quiet is not synonymous with contemplation it is rather a stage of contemplation and a grace. The book Ways of Mental Prayer and Ages of the Interior Life by Fr Garrigou Lagrange describe it so does St Teresa of Avila in the Interior Castle. God bless you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarysLittleFlower Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 I like to pray in my own words, quite often. But I sometimes worry it is better to do a different form of set prayers instead. Or that personal prayer is not as good. No personal prayer ie mental prayer is very important and I think it was St Teresa who said we actually need to do it daily I know for me I tend to get worse spiritually with out it. We don't just pray with liturgy etc which is great but we need to pray throughout the day and have time to meditate and listen to God I highly recommend those books i mentioned because there is a usual pattern in mental prayer that shows how to grow and what to do in different stages its incredibly beneficial to grow in it so that virtue is more infused eventually and there's more growth of holiness. Usually the process is - meditation, contemplation.. Contemplation stages are : acquired or infused. Acquired means you reach it through grace but with your effort too. St Teresa gives the analogy of watering a garden in different ways - the last stages are like rain. It can go from affective prayer, prayer of simplicity, prayer of quiet, simple union, ecstatic union, then transforming union. There is a growth of holiness at the same time and transforming union is sainthood. There are also passive and active purifications. Infused prayer starts at prayer of quiet I think... But prayer of quiet is not just praying without words. That can be done at prayer of simplicity. Infused prayer is characterized by a special new awareness of God within the soul and feeling His action, not only consolation. whereas before we notice more the effects of His action, not the process itself. It becomes a deeper communication. The authors describe it way better so I recommend them! St Teresa and St John of the Cross wrote much on this. St John says we must never seek experiences though or anything extraordinary just seek to love God and if you grow in prayer that's a grace because God desires it :) God bless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 No personal prayer ie mental prayer is very important and I think it was St Teresa who said we actually need to do it daily I know for me I tend to get worse spiritually with out it. We don't just pray with liturgy etc which is great but we need to pray throughout the day and have time to meditate and listen to God I highly recommend those books i mentioned because there is a usual pattern in mental prayer that shows how to grow and what to do in different stages its incredibly beneficial to grow in it so that virtue is more infused eventually and there's more growth of holiness. Usually the process is - meditation, contemplation.. Contemplation stages are : acquired or infused. Acquired means you reach it through grace but with your effort too. St Teresa gives the analogy of watering a garden in different ways - the last stages are like rain. It can go from affective prayer, prayer of simplicity, prayer of quiet, simple union, ecstatic union, then transforming union. There is a growth of holiness at the same time and transforming union is sainthood. There are also passive and active purifications. Infused prayer starts at prayer of quiet I think... But prayer of quiet is not just praying without words. That can be done at prayer of simplicity. Infused prayer is characterized by a special new awareness of God within the soul and feeling His action, not only consolation. whereas before we notice more the effects of His action, not the process itself. It becomes a deeper communication. The authors describe it way better so I recommend them! St Teresa and St John of the Cross wrote much on this. St John says we must never seek experiences though or anything extraordinary just seek to love God and if you grow in prayer that's a grace because God desires it God bless! While I think it's great to read all the books on prayer, especially by those who have great depth (St John of the Cross is one of my favorites), there comes a time when prayer isn't about what other people write or say, it's about our own personal relationship with God. No two people experience prayer or a relationship with God in exactly the same way, so it can get confusing if one is looking for a particular experience such as 'acquired or infused contemplation' or 'transforming union' etc. I am not saying that these aren't real or worthy aims, just that a person may find that their own experience of prayer is one that is not written about in any books and yet is something that brings them into a close and personal relationship with God beyond all the words or descriptions. I only say this so that someone doesn't spend time trying to achieve something that God has not intended for them. He loves each of us in a personal and unique way. Read the books but then trust to God and let Him be the teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sr.christinaosf Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 As a Dillingen Franciscan Sister, I am supposed to pray 1/2 hour of meditation and an additional half hour of other private prayer. This is in addition to Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer from the Office. I like to use the daily scripture readings, especially the Gospel for my meditation. Another practice we have is a daily examen in the evening. For an explanation on this, please see: https://ourfranciscanfiat.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/try-it-for-lent-the-daily-examen/ Have a blessed Easter. Oh, and by the way, during Easter-time, I like to meditate on the post-resurrection appearance gospel passages when praying the rosary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartermia Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I like Don't know what just happened above ^^^ I like to try to pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy (usually during class when I am not doing anything), Compline (night prayer), Stations of the Cross, meditation, and contemplation. I have recently not been able to express words or thought when I pray so I just dwell in the presence of the Lord around me. Also when I play the piano I offer that as a prayer kind of because my mind is always focused on Our Lord when I play; it always has been since I was little. I don't know if that last one counts as prayer but it moves me closer to the Lord so maybe it does... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I like Don't know what just happened above ^^^ I like to try to pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy (usually during class when I am not doing anything), Compline (night prayer), Stations of the Cross, meditation, and contemplation. I have recently not been able to express words or thought when I pray so I just dwell in the presence of the Lord around me. Also when I play the piano I offer that as a prayer kind of because my mind is always focused on Our Lord when I play; it always has been since I was little. I don't know if that last one counts as prayer but it moves me closer to the Lord so maybe it does... That sounds beautiful. Just listening to music makes me feel very close to God, so I am sure that playing the piano could be a type of prayer. After all, reading can bring us closer, so can reciting words, so why wouldn't playing or listening to music also qualify as prayer? Anything that brings us closer to God can be a form of prayer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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