Never able to finish an entire Rosary......

SacredHeartFan · #1 May 22, '12, 9:58 pm

Can anyone reccomend some techniques or "trade secrets" to help be better focus myself while I am saying the Rosary? I usually get to about the middle of the second decade and think, "Well, the Blessed Mother understands!" and fall asleep

Someone had recomended purchasing a tape or a DVD, but alas, I am a poor high school student with no extra cash to spend! Maybe someone could point me in the direction of a good YouTube video or free download?

Thanks and God Bless!

mab23 · #2 May 22, '12, 10:56 pm

go to this site, follow along - and viola!

http://www.comepraytherosary.org/

and sometimes you might have to do it when you wake up rather than prior to bed if you find yourself constantly dozing -

but even a sleepy Rosary is better than None - keep praying and God Bless

DJK100 · #3 May 22, '12, 11:02 pm

Free CD for order or download...

http://www.catholicity.com/cds/rosary.html

DulcisAncilla · #4 May 22, '12, 11:03 pm

I lead the rosary nightly for an elderly relative, so I have incentive and desire to stay awake and focused, but I would recommend two things: Pray aloud, and pray while reading How To Pray the Rosary Without Distractions. I've been praying without the text for years, and only since starting this practice do I feel like I actually have a prayerful, meditative experience that I can offer up to the Blessed Mother.
I open up the day's mysteries on my iPod and re-read each sentence in my mind as I pray the Hail Mary aloud. It's the only way I can really concentrate on contemplating what I should be contemplating. And I appreciate that each decade is prayed "for" something: "For the grace of final perseverance, we pray, Our Father..."

Joyful Mysteries
Sorrowful Mysteries
Glorious Mysteries
Luminous Mysteries

mab23 · #5 May 22, '12, 11:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DulcisAncilla

I lead the rosary nightly for an elderly relative, so I have incentive and desire to stay awake and focused, but I would recommend two things: Pray aloud, and pray while reading How To Pray the Rosary Without Distractions. I've been praying without the text for years, and only since starting this practice do I feel like I actually have a prayerful, meditative experience that I can offer up to the Blessed Mother.
I open up the day's mysteries on my iPod and re-read each sentence in my mind as I pray the Hail Mary aloud. It's the only way I can really concentrate on contemplating what I should be contemplating. And I appreciate that each decade is prayed "for" something: "For the grace of final perseverance, we pray, Our Father..."

Joyful Mysteries
Sorrowful Mysteries
Glorious Mysteries
Luminous Mysteries

I like that site a lot!

SacredHeartFan · #6 May 22, '12, 11:23 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DulcisAncilla

I lead the rosary nightly for an elderly relative, so I have incentive and desire to stay awake and focused, but I would recommend two things: Pray aloud, and pray while reading How To Pray the Rosary Without Distractions. I've been praying without the text for years, and only since starting this practice do I feel like I actually have a prayerful, meditative experience that I can offer up to the Blessed Mother.
I open up the day's mysteries on my iPod and re-read each sentence in my mind as I pray the Hail Mary aloud. It's the only way I can really concentrate on contemplating what I should be contemplating. And I appreciate that each decade is prayed "for" something: "For the grace of final perseverance, we pray, Our Father..."

Joyful Mysteries
Sorrowful Mysteries
Glorious Mysteries
Luminous Mysteries

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WEBSITE! I should have thought about it seeing as how I'm a member of the Confraternity! :P Oh well, what am I gonna do? And BTW, for anyone curious, the Rosary Center's website shows up great on the iPhone browser!

littlestsouls · #7 May 23, '12, 12:45 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by SacredHeartFan

Can anyone reccomend some techniques or "trade secrets" to help be better focus myself while I am saying the Rosary? I usually get to about the middle of the second decade and think, "Well, the Blessed Mother understands!" and fall asleep

Someone had recomended purchasing a tape or a DVD, but alas, I am a poor high school student with no extra cash to spend! Maybe someone could point me in the direction of a good YouTube video or free download?

Thanks and God Bless!

Here are some suggestions/considerations:

1. Pray when you are not so tired! Wake up early if you have to

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray, meditate etc... You might like to visualise Holy Mary looking sweetly at you while you pray, for example.
3. Consider that by saying your Rosary you are fulfilling- at least in part- the REQUESTS of your Blessed Mother (as made at Fatima, for example).
4. If you knew that by saying a simple prayer, such as the Rosary, you could save one person from a cruel death, would you? Well, the Rosary achieves much more than that! It purifies our soul, increases our love for God, brings our soul and those for whom we pray closer to God etc...

Here are some quotes that might you might like to meditate on:

“I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers to God make, and all the people those little prayers were destined to affect, and all the consequences of those effects down through the centuries, we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer that we would be unable to get up off our knees for the rest of our lives.” - Dr. Peter Kreeft

"Love Our Lady, make others love her. Always say your Rosary and say it well. Satan always tries to destroy this prayer, but he will never succeed. It is the prayer of her who triumphs over everything and everyone." - Saint Padre Pio

goforgoal · #8 May 23, '12, 1:18 am

May I ask you, do you have to Pray the Rosary? I've seen people on CAF and of course offline who are dedicated in Praying the Rosary while others may dedicate themselves in Praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy? I don't really know much about this -- spiritually (sorry I'm not too sure if that's the right word I'm looking for) nor do I want to start a disagreement/arguement.

So, it is best to ask your (a) parish Priest about this.

I personally love Praying the Holy Rosary...mab23, I also enjoy ComePraytheRosary website as well my mom and my Auntie both find that they Pray too fast on there.

I would suggest books written by St. Louis de Montfort "The Secret of Mary" and "The Secret of the Rosary" <-- After reading these two books I have a much better understanding and appreciation of Praying the Rosary. You can read them free (I think) online. I have to admit though I am too much of a wimp to Pray all of the decades on my knees.

Do you have a Rosary pamphlet? booklet? book? Even a children's book maybe helpful and most of them cost $1.00 - $2.00? <-- Sometimes visual helps too.

Do you dedicate your entire Rosary to someone? or each decade? <-- You could think of a loved one who needs conversion or to all those who will die alone.

* You do not have to answer these questions for me because they are of a personal manner.

You can click on the following thread link which has suggested Rosary websites on there:

"Favorite Rosary website?"

http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=6936382

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Pray for us. Amen.

God bless you,

goforgfoal

MS_SURVEYOR · #9 May 23, '12, 5:19 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by DulcisAncilla

I lead the rosary nightly for an elderly relative, so I have incentive and desire to stay awake and focused, but I would recommend two things: Pray aloud, and pray while reading How To Pray the Rosary Without Distractions. I've been praying without the text for years, and only since starting this practice do I feel like I actually have a prayerful, meditative experience that I can offer up to the Blessed Mother.
I open up the day's mysteries on my iPod and re-read each sentence in my mind as I pray the Hail Mary aloud. It's the only way I can really concentrate on contemplating what I should be contemplating. And I appreciate that each decade is prayed "for" something: "For the grace of final perseverance, we pray, Our Father..."

Joyful Mysteries
Sorrowful Mysteries
Glorious Mysteries
Luminous Mysteries

I use the printed sheets of mysteries from How To Pray the Rosary Without Distractions every night. Helps to keep me on track. I do meditate on my own, but when wondering off I have the print to get back on track.

bscastro · #10 May 23, '12, 8:08 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by mab23

go to this site, follow along - and viola!

http://www.comepraytherosary.org/

I second this.

Also, I think the Lord and the Blessed Mother look lovingly at your efforts. There is a satisfaction to completing it though. Also, you can do a search online for "rosary reflections" which help me in my meditation during each mystery. For example, there are a series of homilies on each mystery by Fr. Tommy Lane that I use (among others) before I pray each decade. I read his homily, then I pray the decade focusing on one or two points he made.

Hope this helps.

In Christ,
Bryan

ACanthony · #11 May 23, '12, 10:00 am

God Bless you for having such a devotion to the Blessed Mother! Remember, God is always happy when you pray to the Blessed Mother. Think of it this way. If you had a 6 year old child paint you a picture in school and then bring it to you, would you have the reaction of saying "How could you paint such a mess? The colors are not in the lines! This is scribble! Do better and come back to me with a better product!!" No, of course not! You would be thankful your child thought of you during the day and you would be filled with joy in your heart. Likewise, God is happy we have such a devotion to the Blessed Mother and is happy we raise our thoughts to Heaven. If you would like to focus more, ask the Holy Spirit to allow you to worship with all of your heart next time. Truly give all your heart. Don't view it as simply reciting prayers, but as raising all of your thoughts to Heaven.

God Bless you!

SacredHeartFan · #12 May 23, '12, 10:31 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by goforgoal

May I ask you, do you have to Pray the Rosary? I've seen people on CAF and of course offline who are dedicated in Praying the Rosary while others may dedicate themselves in Praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy? I don't really know much about this -- spiritually (sorry I'm not too sure if that's the right word I'm looking for) nor do I want to start a disagreement/arguement.

So, it is best to ask your (a) parish Priest about this.

I personally love Praying the Holy Rosary...mab23, I also enjoy ComePraytheRosary website as well my mom and my Auntie both find that they Pray too fast on there.

I would suggest books written by St. Louis de Montfort "The Secret of Mary" and "The Secret of the Rosary" <-- After reading these two books I have a much better understanding and appreciation of Praying the Rosary. You can read them free (I think) online. I have to admit though I am too much of a wimp to Pray all of the decades on my knees.

Do you have a Rosary pamphlet? booklet? book? Even a children's book maybe helpful and most of them cost $1.00 - $2.00? <-- Sometimes visual helps too.

Do you dedicate your entire Rosary to someone? or each decade? <-- You could think of a loved one who needs conversion or to all those who will die alone.

* You do not have to answer these questions for me because they are of a personal manner.

You can click on the following thread link which has suggested Rosary websites on there:

"Favorite Rosary website?"

http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=6936382

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Pray for us. Amen.

God bless you,

goforgfoal

To answer your questions:
1. I don't have to pray it. However, I come from a true South Louisianaian family. The Rosary was the first set of prayers any of my cousins and I learned. We pray the Rosary at every family gathering. My great grandmother (recently deceased) used to speak with such love and admiration for the devotion that I hope one day I can recieve the peace and grace that she gets from it.
2. I have read "The Secret of the Rosary" which did increase my admiration and respect for the devotion, but once again, I just can't stay focused.
3. I haven't tried dedicating it to aanyone. I'll start doing that.....

goforgoal · #13 Jun 3, '12, 12:53 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by SacredHeartFan

To answer your questions:
1. I don't have to pray it. However, I come from a true South Louisianaian family. The Rosary was the first set of prayers any of my cousins and I learned. We pray the Rosary at every family gathering. My great grandmother (recently deceased) used to speak with such love and admiration for the devotion that I hope one day I can recieve the peace and grace that she gets from it.
2. I have read "The Secret of the Rosary" which did increase my admiration and respect for the devotion, but once again, I just can't stay focused.
3. I haven't tried dedicating it to anyone. I'll start doing that.....

I think with answering my questions perhaps you have come to a resolution in not being able to Pray an entire Rosary --- Ask Our Blessed Mother to help you, "Blessed Mother my great Grandmother had a great love and admiration while Praying the Rosary -- help me Blessed Mother in hopes that I too will receive the same peace and grace that my great Grandmother received whilst praying the Rosary. Amen." <-- It doesn't have to be exact of course.

Yes, I have read both books actually I was very blessed to receive them for free along with other Catholic devotional materials-- well I gave them a donation actually at an annual Marian Shrine. And like you, SacredHeartFan I have a deeper respect and admiration.

I am going to share something rather personal with you and with others who happen to come across this particular thread and I'm not too sure if this is going to make sense but I never Prayed the Rosary with great intensity until the late 90's that is when we first discovered that my (maternal) grandmother was gravely ill since then my (maternal) grandmother has gone but I do remember her Praying the Rosary as well.

I'm very grateful for the Rosary if it wasn't for the Rosary I think I would have had a mental breakdown.

So, with that SacredHeartFan how has the Rosary helped you?

I really enjoy watching Fr. Groeschel's Rosary on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRU0b...79D10B57358612

God bless you,

goforgoal