The Rosary

[friendofJPII]

[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]

[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]

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]

Can we create new spiritualities? I'm very devoted to the message of the Divine Mercy...can I be a Mercinian?

[StColette]

[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.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='StColette' post='1610514' date='Jul 28 2008, 08:38 AM']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.[/quote]+J.M.J.+
lol, yeah, it's all to me. Adoration is another thing that has taken "practice" for me - meaning that when i first started to go, it was really "weird" to me. but now i have a regular hour every week and i love it!

[quote name='StColette' post='1610514' date='Jul 28 2008, 08:38 AM']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.[/quote] very good point!

[quote name='StColette' post='1610514' date='Jul 28 2008, 08:38 AM']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.[/quote]very true! it is really hard on the weekends for me to keep to the LOTH with a little one around. sometimes i just struggle through and it's not very 'fruitful' (it seems), other times, i just try to pray a lot during the day (short prayers).

[quote name='StColette' post='1610514' date='Jul 28 2008, 08:38 AM']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.[/quote] yup!

[johnnydigit]

the most powerful part of the Rosary i think are the mysteries. they make you meditate on the Gospel, since it has been called "the prayer of the Gospel". i have been taken to new heights in this way, and can visualize each scene as if watching the Passion movie. the more you read and memorize Scripture, the more material you have to mediate on and some sessions can go on for many hours. in this way, many gaps are filled in and many inspirations can come about. there is enough material to keep you contemplating for many lifetimes.

the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is great, but i think the Rosary is the "next level" and more "advanced" for mainly the above reasons. it is more conducive to taking you much deeper spiritually, so i suggest to those who aren't "feeling it", to challenge yourself and kick it up a notch.

it's been called the most powerful weapon we have, a holy sword sheathed on your left side, the prayer of the Gospel, Our Lady's gift to us and our gift back to her as roses, Our Lady's Psalter, the anti-road-rage pill, the anti-stress pill, etc. =D


========


St. Louis De Montfort (+1710): “Our Lady’s Psalter (or the Rosary made up of the Our Father and Hail Mary) is the direct work of the Blessed Trinity and was not made through a human instrument.” (Secret of the Rosary, p. 25)


St. Louis De Montfort (c. +1710): “Blessed Alan De La Roche says that a nun who always had a great devotion to the Holy Rosary appeared after death to one of her sisters in religion and said to her: ‘If I were allowed to go back into my body, to have the chance of saying just one single Hail Mary – even if I said it quickly and without fervor – I would gladly go through the sufferings that I endured during my last illness all over again, in order to gain the merit of this prayer.” (The Secret of the Rosary, pp. 49-50)


St. Louis De Montfort (+1710): “The chronicles of Saint Francis tell of a young friar who had the praiseworthy habit of saying the Crown of Our Lady (the Rosary) every day before dinner. One day for some reason or other he did not manage to say it. The refectory bell had already been rung when he asked the Superior to allow him to say it before coming to the table, and having obtained permission he withdrew to his cell to pray. After he had been gone a long time the Superior sent another Friar to fetch him, and he found him in his room bathed in a heavenly light facing Our Lady who had two angels with her. Beautiful roses kept issuing from his mouth at each Hail Mary; the angels took them one by one, placing them on Our Lady’s head, and she smilingly accepted them. Finally two other friars who had been sent to find out what happened to the first two saw the same lovely scene, and Our Lady did not go away until the whole Rosary had been said.” (The Secret of the Rosary, p. 26)

[Deb]

It took me almost a year to be able to actually pray the Rosary and concentrate on the mysteries and also find a lot of contemplation in it. It just doesn't feel right if I let a day go without praying the Rosary.
I read once that it is God who urges us to prayer and the Holy Spirit who helps us, so, many are drawn to the Rosary and many are drawn to other prayers. I do believe that praying the Rosary however, brings much grace. Here are other reasons:

[b]The Fifteen Promises of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary[/b]
[list]
[*]Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
[*]I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
[*]The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
[*]It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the heart of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
[*]The soul which recommend itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.
[*]Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
[*]Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
[*]Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
[*]I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
[*]The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
[*]You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
[*]All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
[*]I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
[*]All who recite the rosary are my son, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
[*]Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.
[/list][indent](Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan) Imprimatur: Patrick J. Hayes DD Archbishop of New York)[/indent]<A name=why>[b]WHY the Daily Rosary?[/b]
[list]
[*]Our Lady has 117 titles. She selected this title at Fatima: "I am the Lady of the Rosary."
[*]St. Francis de Sales said the greatest method of praying IS- Pray the Rosary.
[*]St. Thomas Aquinas preached 40 straight days in Rome Italy on just the Hail Mary.
[*]St. John Vianney, patron of priest, was seldom seen without a rosary in his hand.
[*]"The rosary is the scourge of the devil" -- Pope Adrian VI
[*]"The rosary is a treasure of graces" -- Pope Paul V
[*]Padre Pio the stigmatic priest said: "The Rosary is THE WEAPON"
[*]Pope Leo XIII wrote 9 encyclicals on the rosary.
[*]Pope John XXIII spoke 38 times about our Lady and the Rosary. he prayed 15 decades daily.
[*]St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote: "The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves His Mother."
[/list]One rosary prayed with the heart is worth more than many just recited.

[johnnydigit]

[quote name='Deb' post='1610624' date='Jul 28 2008, 11:09 AM'][*]Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.[/quote]

what's a "signal grace"?


google is my friend.

"Yes a signal grace is a "very extraordinary grace or gift."

But from my experience, it is more. A signal grace is a physical manifestation of grace - a signal or sign that we might actually feel emotionally. WE NOTICE IT. "

"The traditional understanding of a "signal" grace is one that can be known and seen, noticable most often by more witnesses than the individual soul on whom the grace is bestowed. A perfect example would be roses from St. Theresa. "

"What is a Signal Grace?
Signal Graces are signs sent by God to help us make the right decisions in life. Moses saw a burning bush as a sign from God, and other people received signs from God daily. Signal graces usually come about as subtle hints to help keep us moving in the right direction - these signs are truly gifts from God.

Remember - there is no such thing as a coincidence, everything happens for a reason! By praying the rosary you will be more conscious of the way that God tries to help you and speak to you every day."

Edited July 28, 2008 by johnnydigit

[StColette]

I want to add that while the promises of the Rosary are wonderful we should keep in mind why we are praying the Rosary. Are we praying the Rosary because of the promises? Or are we praying the Rosary for spiritual growth despite the promises? The same can be said for many devotions such as the Brown Scapular. The Promises are wonderful and beautiful, but they should not be our main driving force for praying the Rosary. We should pray for love of Mary and for above all for love of God, despite what promises accompany certain prayers.

I say this only because I've known many people to become so fixated on what they get out of having certain devotions, ie the Promises of the Rosary or the Promise Brown Scapular.

[lilac_angel]

[quote name='johnnydigit' post='1610642' date='Jul 28 2008, 12:44 PM']"The traditional understanding of a "signal" grace is one that can be known and seen, noticable most often by more witnesses than the individual soul on whom the grace is bestowed. A perfect example would be roses from St. Theresa. "

"What is a Signal Grace?
Signal Graces are signs sent by God to help us make the right decisions in life. Moses saw a burning bush as a sign from God, and other people received signs from God daily. Signal graces usually come about as subtle hints to help keep us moving in the right direction - these signs are truly gifts from God.

Remember - there is no such thing as a coincidence, everything happens for a reason! By praying the rosary you will be more conscious of the way that God tries to help you and speak to you every day."[/quote]

Awesome...

[quote]the more you read and memorize Scripture, the more material you have to mediate on and some sessions can go on for many hours. in this way, many gaps are filled in and many inspirations can come about. there is enough material to keep you contemplating for many lifetimes.[/quote]

...nice! I must admit I haven't broken out the Bible itself for solid spiritual reading in a while. This gives me much incentive.

I think the Rosary and Adoration can even go hand in hand as devotions. Both speed us closer to God and, I think, give us blessings we can't even comprehend as temporal beings.

I believe there's a plenary indulgence attached to finishing a complete 3 mystery Rosary (JPII said that we could still consider 3 mysteries one full Rosary) in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I.e. we could pray the first two rosaries at home, and the third, if we pray it during Adoration, we get a plenary indulgence if we fulfill the other usual obligations (Confession, Communion, prayer for the Pope's intentions in the same week)!

Edited July 28, 2008 by lilac_angel

[Deb]

[quote name='StColette' post='1610649' date='Jul 28 2008, 01:55 PM']I want to add that while the promises of the Rosary are wonderful we should keep in mind why we are praying the Rosary. Are we praying the Rosary because of the promises? Or are we praying the Rosary for spiritual growth despite the promises? The same can be said for many devotions such as the Brown Scapular. The Promises are wonderful and beautiful, but they should not be our main driving force for praying the Rosary. We should pray for love of Mary and for above all for love of God, despite what promises accompany certain prayers.

I say this only because I've known many people to become so fixated on what they get out of having certain devotions, ie the Promises of the Rosary or the Promise Brown Scapular.[/quote]

Actually, I never even knew there were promises for praying the Rosary until today when I was reading up on the Rosary. I started praying it because Our Lady in Medjugorje has repeatedly asked all to pray it every day. So, I do.
I am also enrolled and wear a brown Scapular as a reminder of Our Lady of Carmel. I am not sure what promises go with that but, now I will have to check that out too. My sis just made her three year promises as a third order Carmelite and we both try to go to Mass at the convent once a week.
Pray to the Lord to draw you to what he would have you do for him and he will.



I guess I should go look up indulgences too because I that term comes up lots of places but, I don't really know what that means. So much to learn.

[StColette]

[quote name='Deb' post='1610658' date='Jul 28 2008, 02:04 PM']Actually, I never even knew there were promises for praying the Rosary until today when I was reading up on the Rosary.[/quote]

lol I wasn't directing that at you I just know some people get very fixed on those promises and that becomes their driving force for the Rosary rather than out of love and devotion.

[lilac_angel]

[quote name='StColette' post='1610649' date='Jul 28 2008, 12:55 PM']I want to add that while the promises of the Rosary are wonderful we should keep in mind why we are praying the Rosary. Are we praying the Rosary because of the promises? Or are we praying the Rosary for spiritual growth despite the promises? The same can be said for many devotions such as the Brown Scapular. The Promises are wonderful and beautiful, but they should not be our main driving force for praying the Rosary. We should pray for love of Mary and for above all for love of God, despite what promises accompany certain prayers.

I say this only because I've known many people to become so fixated on what they get out of having certain devotions, ie the Promises of the Rosary or the Promise Brown Scapular.[/quote]

I pray the Rosary daily because I'm enrolled in the brown scapular, and it's one of my duties that I signed up for because I realized the importance of the Rosary. The Promises are lovely, but they aren't the primary reason I pray it by any means. I enrolled in the fivefold without even remembering the Promises until I was later reminded. However, I still see no problem with finding them utterly amazing and wondering why more aren't pulled to trying to pray the Rosary more due to Promises.

One of the main things we get from the Promises is closer to God, which is what we all want, and it's what God wants us to want. It's great that we can achieve that through a beautiful devotion like the Rosary. The Rosary can help strengthen our faith. Not everyone starts out with a ton of graces; some would do well with some consolations before they can progress, and if the Promises promise an great increase in graces, including that of faith and the main Christian virtues, then that is something to rejoice about.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='StColette' post='1610649' date='Jul 28 2008, 11:55 AM']I want to add that while the promises of the Rosary are wonderful we should keep in mind why we are praying the Rosary. Are we praying the Rosary because of the promises? Or are we praying the Rosary for spiritual growth despite the promises? The same can be said for many devotions such as the Brown Scapular. The Promises are wonderful and beautiful, but they should not be our main driving force for praying the Rosary. We should pray for love of Mary and for above all for love of God, despite what promises accompany certain prayers.

I say this only because I've known many people to become so fixated on what they get out of having certain devotions, ie the Promises of the Rosary or the Promise Brown Scapular.[/quote]
+J.M.J.+
good point