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Angie_Rivas1
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| Joined: | Wed Oct 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | Downey, USA |
| Posts: | 110 |
| First Name: | Angie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Feb 8th, 2007 11:52 pm |
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I just realize that I have very little understanding of our Mother Mary and her rosary. I had another small disagreement with my mom tonight. She makes my two twin nephews who are 11 years old pray the whole rosary. These boys are very active therefore when we are praying together it is usually hard for me to concentrate on my prayers because my mom is constantly reprimending them. I told her that it would best to have the boys start the rosary with us but for them to do only two misteries. My mom did scold me and said that I do not value the rosary. Then I reflected about it and came to the conclusion that although I have always felt love for the Virgen Mary, I've done the rosary out of tradition. I understand that she can interceed for us, but when we pray the rosary we pray to her, right? Is the rosary the only way to pray to her? or can I talk to her the same way I talk to Jesus? I would like to feel the devotion some people (like my mom) have to pray the rosary? do I sin when I do not pray the rosary? I know these questions sound very immature, but I would like to know because I am very eager to practice my faith the way it is.
Angie
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"Be not afraid" JPII
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David W. Emery
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2282 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Feb 9th, 2007 12:16 am |
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Angie, the rosary is a devotional prayer, part vocal, part mental. No devotion is ever a required act for any Christian, but they can be very beneficial.
You don’t have to feel obliged to say any particular prayer, but you do need to pray if you would be saved. Each person must decide for himself what that prayer will consist of and how it will be carried out. Having a regular routine, such as a nightly rosary, is not only good, but actually necessary for many people, because without that habit, they would never pray.
Prayer itself is just communication; that is the root meaning of the word. It can be with anyone. You can communicate with Jesus, and you can communicate with Mary. If you pray to Mary, you are really praying to Jesus through Mary, who is the human being closest to him.
In conclusion, you do not sin when you do not pray the rosary — provided you pray regularly somehow. I would suggest that you learn more about the rosary so that you can appreciate it more and pray it better. Here is a link to what Pope John Paul II has to say about it.
David
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5458 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Fri Feb 9th, 2007 12:38 am |
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Angie_Rivas1 wrote: I just realize that I have very little understanding of our Mother Mary and her rosary.
The rosary is an optional devotion to our Blessed Mother. Even though practiced communally in our Church, it is part of "private revelation" and is therefore considered a private devotion. Basically that means it's not part of our liturgy.
The rosary is part of a general group of prayers called "chaplets" which, defined simply, is a group of prayers said using beads, knots, or similar counting mechanisms. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a relatively recent addition to the family of chaplets. You can read more about chaplets here.
Historically, the rosary probably evolved from the practice of monks to recite the 150 psalms. They would use pebbles or beans to count. Commoners, who couldn't read, used short ejaculations (very short prayers) since they couldn't read the psalms, like "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" The Hail Mary probably grew from there. You can read more about the history of the rosary here.
Think of the rosary as a boquet of roses given to our Mother Mary. Is there a wrong way you can give your mother roses? Probably not. In a similar manner, there really is no wrong way to pray the rosary. Whether you say a single decade (set of 10 Hail Mary's), or the traditional five decades, or the historically complete set of 15 decades, or the full rosary of 20 decades revised by Pope John Paul II, all of them are gifts to our Blessed Mother.
When we pray the rosary, we do pray to Mary, but remember that she told us her soul magnifies the Lord. We believe that our prayers to her are magnified by her goodness and presented to her Son on our behalf, so like all prayer, it is ultimately a prayer to God. We honor her Son by honoring his mother.
To give Mary the greatest honor, treat her like you would treat your own mother. Talk to her, confide in her, and ask her for favors as you would your own mother. If you ask your mom to cook her world-famous apple pie, you know that she does not grow the apples, grind the flour, etc. She assembles that which others produce and presents them to you. In the same way, Mary grants our favors by bringing God's gifts to us. She has no power on her own; she can only carry out the wishes of her Son and his Father. But in doing so, she is a powerful advocate for us.
So honor your mother for her devotion to her Blessed Mother, even if you don't fully feel the same devotion. Those of an earlier generation may have been taught (erroneously) that the only way they could approach God is through Mary; those of us who are younger have a different understanding. But still, your mother could do a lot worse than having Mary on her side.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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