An article in Belief Net on Five Ways to Pray the Rosary More Deeply has a misleading title. It really is just clickbait. You have to jump from slide to slide to read the next paragraph. They really weren't steps or methods, they were just nominal explaining praying.
Now I have a love/hate relationship with the rosary. When I first became a Lay Dominican, I started praying the rosary because it is part of our rule. I couldn't do it. I have a monkey brain that won't let me focus. My spiritual director tried to help me. The best thing he could have said was St. Therese of Lisieux hated praying the rosary too. She said she wouldn't pray the rosary if it weren't part of her rule. That's exactly how I felt.
But I dutifully tried praying the rosary, every day.
Now, after some twenty-something years, I haven't come to love the rosary, but it is part of my life. I NEED to pray the rosary. Along the way, I have picked up some ways to make me stay focused, interested, and pray more heartfully.
(1) Try praying with one of the Rosary TV programs.
(2) " " " " " " " Radio ".
(3) Buy a Rosary CD and pray along. Dana and Fr. Scanlon are nice. Another favorite is David Hass praying the Rosary of St. James.
(4) Break up the rosary by only praying decades at a time, e.i., first when you awake, second before lunch, third in the afternoon, fourth before supper, fifth before bed.
(5) Add names to the last sentence in the Hail Mary, e.i., "...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my mother, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
Presently, I use a combination of # 4 and # 5. Once in a while, I will go back to # 3 or even pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, which I learned about when I read Immaculee Ilibagiza's Left to Tell.
Presently, upon rising in the morning, on the first decade, I pray for my family: ...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my husband and name him, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my godchildren and name them all, now and at the hour of their deaths. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my daughter______ , now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my daughter _____, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my son_____, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my son-in-law_____, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my son-in-law, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my daughter-in-law____, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my granddaughter_____, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
.Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my granddaughter____, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
Before lunch the second decade is for the church:
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Pope Francis, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for the College of Cardinals, now and at the hour of their deaths. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, OP, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for USCCB, now and at the hour of their deaths. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Bishop Reed, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for all pastors, now and at the hour of their deaths. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Fr. Brian, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Fr. Al, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Fr. Jack, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
In the afternoon the third decade is for the Order of Preachers:
..Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Master Gerard, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for the Master's socius, now and at the hour of their death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for fr. Salamanca, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Provincial, Fr. Ken, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Provincial Promoter, Fr. Carlos, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my fraternity's spiritual advisor, Fr. Nic, now and at the hour of his death.
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Provincial President, Kathy, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Lay Provincial Council, now and at the hour of their deaths. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Council President, Christina, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Lay Regional Council, now and at the hour of their deaths. Amen."
Before supper the fourth decade is for my own fraternity, my "cloistered brothers":
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my President, James, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my VP, Peter, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
..Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Treasurer, Milton, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my Formation Director, Moses, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for my delegate, Ruth, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Denis, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Wayne, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Tony, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Frank, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for all my "cloistered brothers," now and at the hour of their death. Amen."
My last decade is at bedtime for my friends:
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Donna, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Merril and Judy, now and at the hour of their deaths. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Christine, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Joan, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Joe, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Fr. Rocco, now and at the hour of his death. Amen
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Fr. Aniello, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Jordi, now and at the hour of his death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Pat, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
...Holy Mary Mother of God pray for Marina, now and at the hour of her death. Amen."
Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and, after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O holy mother of God, * that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Rosary Prayer
Let us pray. * O God, whose only-begotten Son by his life, death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment