The Rosary

[Su]

There have been private additions of entire mystery sets before.

I blame those who list the Luminous without any mind of what is essentially the Rosary and what is a private alteration. So many resources include them as if they were essential to it.

The standards of indulgences do not include them and the Confraternity does not include them. It is only private resources.

[City Smurf]

You could explain how the 150 Ave Maria are meant to echo the Psalms.  For the rosary is truly such.  In fact I would even say it is the Psalter of the New Testament.  Where the Davidic Psalter is a foreshadowing of He Who is to come, Mary's Psalter is the reality of His having visited and wrought the redemption of His people.  The Psalms give glory to God and what, besides the Holy Sacrifice itself, can give more glory, praise and honour to God that addressing His Holy Mother 150 times with the salutation that announced the Incarnation and the Redemption and her own Divine Motherhood?  The Psalms often ask for those necessary things for Israel (the Church).  Mercy, etc.  And we do this though in a greater manner through the Mother of God when we ask her to pray for us sinners!

But with a five year old I think it'd be enough to simply say that, whenever you say the Hail Mary, just think how happy it makes Mother Mary, to hear her children saying the same words that the Angel Gabriel said to her one evening two thousand years ago.  The glorious words that announced that she would bear a Son, the most beautiful of Sons, Who would also make her the mother of all men.  By giving her one Son God gave her thousands more.

[JayneK]

When I was learning about the Rosary in the RCIA program at a liberal parish in 1980, they said (or maybe just implied) that the Rosary was for illiterate people to replace the Psalms and therefore, since we were literate, we should not be praying the Rosary.   

When explaining the connection between the Rosary and Psalms, make sure that it does not come out sounding like that! 

[jovan66102]

When I was learning about the Rosary in the RCIA program at a liberal parish in 1980, they said (or maybe just implied) that the Rosary was for illiterate people to replace the Psalms and therefore, since we were literate, we should not be praying the Rosary.   

When explaining the connection between the Rosary and Psalms, make sure that it does not come out sounding like that! 

True, but in reality, literacy had little to do with it. Sloth had a lot more effect. In the early days of the Church, people took the time to learn all 150 Psalms and would recite them as they worked. Several of the Fathers talk of things like the ploughman singing the Psalter as he followed his plough. Then laziness set in! lol Easier to learn three short prayers than all 150 Psalms.

[JayneK]

When I was learning about the Rosary in the RCIA program at a liberal parish in 1980, they said (or maybe just implied) that the Rosary was for illiterate people to replace the Psalms and therefore, since we were literate, we should not be praying the Rosary.   

When explaining the connection between the Rosary and Psalms, make sure that it does not come out sounding like that! 

True, but in reality, literacy had little to do with it. Sloth had a lot more effect. In the early days of the Church, people took the time to learn all 150 Psalms and would recite them as they worked. Several of the Fathers talk of things like the ploughman singing the Psalter as he followed his plough. Then laziness set in! lol Easier to learn three short prayers than all 150 Psalms.

Explaining it like that gives the impression that it is better to pray the Psalter than the Rosary.  I cannot think of any reason to believe such a thing, so I would want to avoid giving that impression.

[jovan66102]

When I was learning about the Rosary in the RCIA program at a liberal parish in 1980, they said (or maybe just implied) that the Rosary was for illiterate people to replace the Psalms and therefore, since we were literate, we should not be praying the Rosary.   

When explaining the connection between the Rosary and Psalms, make sure that it does not come out sounding like that! 

True, but in reality, literacy had little to do with it. Sloth had a lot more effect. In the early days of the Church, people took the time to learn all 150 Psalms and would recite them as they worked. Several of the Fathers talk of things like the ploughman singing the Psalter as he followed his plough. Then laziness set in! lol Easier to learn three short prayers than all 150 Psalms.

Explaining it like that gives the impression that it is better to pray the Psalter than the Rosary.  I cannot think of any reason to believe such a thing, so I would want to avoid giving that impression.

At the risk of bring the 'Wrath of Jayne' down on my balding head ( ), I think it is probably more meritorious to recite the entire Psalter every day than it is to say one Rosary. However, at my age I'm unlikely to ever commit the Psalter to memory, so I will remain content to read it in it's weekly cycle in the Breviary and lay 150 roses at the feet of Our Blessed Mother daily.

[JayneK]

At the risk of bring the 'Wrath of Jayne' down on my balding head ( ), I think it is probably more meritorious to recite the entire Psalter every day than it is to say one Rosary. However, at my age I'm unlikely to ever commit the Psalter to memory, so I will remain content to read it in it's weekly cycle in the Breviary and lay 150 roses at the feet of Our Blessed Mother daily.

   What a brave man you are!   Seriously, why do you think that?  Our Lady asked us to pray the Rosary and I can't think of anything comparable about the Psalter.

[Protrident]

When I was learning about the Rosary in the RCIA program at a liberal parish in 1980, they said (or maybe just implied) that the Rosary was for illiterate people to replace the Psalms and therefore, since we were literate, we should not be praying the Rosary.   

When explaining the connection between the Rosary and Psalms, make sure that it does not come out sounding like that! 

True, but in reality, literacy had little to do with it. Sloth had a lot more effect. In the early days of the Church, people took the time to learn all 150 Psalms and would recite them as they worked. Several of the Fathers talk of things like the ploughman singing the Psalter as he followed his plough. Then laziness set in! lol Easier to learn three short prayers than all 150 Psalms.

Explaining it like that gives the impression that it is better to pray the Psalter than the Rosary.  I cannot think of any reason to believe such a thing, so I would want to avoid giving that impression.

At the risk of bring the 'Wrath of Jayne' down on my balding head ( ), I think it is probably more meritorious to recite the entire Psalter every day than it is to say one Rosary. However, at my age I'm unlikely to ever commit the Psalter to memory, so I will remain content to read it in it's weekly cycle in the Breviary and lay 150 roses at the feet of Our Blessed Mother daily.

Jayne, I was thinking the same thing.  Mary asked us to pray the Rosary, I personally haven't seen anything in the lives of the Saints where we were asked to memorize the Psalter.... or if any souls were saved from Hell on account of saying the Psalter (as is with the Rosary). 

[thomas7]

Obviously the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the #1 prayer in the church.  I have read from one of the popes  that the Rosary is the 2nd greatest prayer.    And besides , Our Lady asks us for this .  I'm inclined to believe that She had a very good reason for these requests .

[Scriptorium]

The Mass and the Divine Office (the Psalter) are the official public prayers of the Church. They are the greatest prayers we can offer and participate in. The Rosary is the greatest of the private, or non-public prayers of the Church. Our Lady has recommended it to us, but we are not bound to pray it, as we are bound to hear Mass, and the clergy are bound to pray the Office. But there is great merit in the Rosary, and it has a special application outside of official public prayer. These prayers are not the same types. It is like saying is silent contemplation greater than the Mass. The Mass and Office are on a whole different level than these other prayers.