Ask a Question - or - Return to the Faith and Spirituality Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
re: praying the Rosary	Chas	Thursday, January 19, 2012
Question: I want to thank you for your reply to Suzanne concerning the Rosary because sometime back on another forum, there was a long discussion regarding the proper of praying the Rosary; if one should start with the beads to the right or to the left. I replied that it matter none as long as it was prayed with devotion. I quickly dropped out because some became rather scrupulous to the point of the absurd and insisted there was a right and wrong way of using the beads. To me its like saying if you dont have a rosary and use your hands should you start on your right hand and will thumb be the first or will the little finger be first. I don't think our Blessed Mother would mind which way you go. Thanks.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), L.Th., D.D. Dear Chas: You are most welcome. Yes, there are many people who are scrupulous about the Rosary. Some even treat the Rosary almost like a talisman. We are going deep into Obsessive-Compulsive personalities (the religious form of OCD is Scrupulosity) when people insist that the Rosary must be held a certain way, or that the Rosary must be prayed to the right or left. This is not only obsessive but is moving towards magical thinking. I usually get hate mail when I talk about this, which is so very interesting since these people claim that the Rosary makes them closer to our Blessed Mother and to Jesus. Ah, I don't think they succeeded in that quest giving the hate they spew. Most obsessive people do not get hateful (I hope). The fact is that the Rosary is outranked in importance and power by the Divine Office. The Divine Office is the official prayer of the Church. It is liturgical prayer. The only prayer that outranks the Divine Office is the Mass. When people pray the Rosary, it is the individual or the prayer group whose prayers rise up to God. This is good. The Bible says that even the prayers of a single righteous man has much effect. In the Divine Office, however, it is the entire Church on earth and in heaven who are joining in prayer for your intentions, not just yourself or a prayer group. There is no greater prayer than liturgical prayer the highest of which is the Mass and the Divine Office. Imagine that your intentions rise up to God in a chorus of prayer from the entire Church on earth and all the people in heaven. What a resounding joyful sound that is to God's ears. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

re: praying the Rosary

Chas

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Question:

I want to thank you for your reply to Suzanne concerning the Rosary because sometime back on another forum, there was a long discussion regarding the proper of praying the Rosary; if one should start with the beads to the right or to the left. I replied that it matter none as long as it was prayed with devotion. I quickly dropped out because some became rather scrupulous to the point of the absurd and insisted there was a right and wrong way of using the beads. To me its like saying if you dont have a rosary and use your hands should you start on your right hand and will thumb be the first or will the little finger be first. I don't think our Blessed Mother would mind which way you go.

Thanks.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), L.Th., D.D.

Dear Chas:

You are most welcome. Yes, there are many people who are scrupulous about the Rosary. Some even treat the Rosary almost like a talisman. We are going deep into Obsessive-Compulsive personalities (the religious form of OCD is Scrupulosity) when people insist that the Rosary must be held a certain way, or that the Rosary must be prayed to the right or left. This is not only obsessive but is moving towards magical thinking.

I usually get hate mail when I talk about this, which is so very interesting since these people claim that the Rosary makes them closer to our Blessed Mother and to Jesus. Ah, I don't think they succeeded in that quest giving the hate they spew. Most obsessive people do not get hateful (I hope).

The fact is that the Rosary is outranked in importance and power by the Divine Office. The Divine Office is the official prayer of the Church. It is liturgical prayer. The only prayer that outranks the Divine Office is the Mass.

When people pray the Rosary, it is the individual or the prayer group whose prayers rise up to God. This is good. The Bible says that even the prayers of a single righteous man has much effect. In the Divine Office, however, it is the entire Church on earth and in heaven who are joining in prayer for your intentions, not just yourself or a prayer group. There is no greater prayer than liturgical prayer the highest of which is the Mass and the Divine Office.

Imagine that your intentions rise up to God in a chorus of prayer from the entire Church on earth and all the people in heaven. What a resounding joyful sound that is to God's ears.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum