The Holy Rosary

The Most Holy Rosary

15 Decades of Communion
with God
through Meditation

Inspirational Praying

NOTE: Prayer is not a substitute for doing what we ourselves should be doing.

Matthew 5:23f

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall
that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift
there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 25:32-36
and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'
Matthew 25:41-46
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
1 John 3:17-18
If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.
James 2:15-17
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

In prayer, ignorance of the omniscience of God is demonstrated when He is told, at times repeatedly, what He already knows. What we want, desire, or are reflecting upon, He already knows. (God accepts the prayers of those who inappropriately pray in ignorance. He knows the sincerity and intent of their hearts.) The saints however can be conversed with and can be asked to be intercessors with God in regard to particular petitions. This increases the meaning of their Heavenly lives. [Many Christians pray directly to God petitioning Him for another persons benefit. Are they not attempting to act as mediators or intermediaries? Is not the least in the kingdom of Heaven more worthy than anyone on earth?

Matthew 11:11

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Luke 7:28
I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John;
yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

Catholics are accused of praying to, or of worshiping saints. The saints, unlike God, are neither omniscient nor omnipotent (all knowledgeable nor all powerful). Since God already knows everything, and in a sense can be told nothing, many Catholics find it useful to converse with the saints as they have not read our thoughts and do not know beforehand what it is that is in our minds and hearts. Communicating through the saints can also be seen as an act of humility in relation to God. (In receiving the Holy Eucharist we are responding to a direct command of Jesus. When free from mortal sin we receive in that obedience which is humility.) Worthy requests can be made through them to God. Intercessions through the saints (who are like us in all things but sin), to Jesus (the one intercessor with God the Father), should be considered as being more worthy than our own direct petitions. The saints are in a state of perfection that we have yet to achieve.

To carry on a conversation with a saint should be considered quite normal. It should also be understood that we honor God by honoring those who have proven their love for Him. Unlike those of us in this life, God loves to share. God shared His only Son with us that we might more fully understand a proper relationship with Him and with each other. God is neither selfish nor self-centered. He does not loose self-esteem when we place petitions through His subordinates.

Many non-Catholic Christians believe that Catholics, who pray the rosary, are involved in repetitious prayers or that by praying the rosary we are giving worship to Mary. On both counts nothing could be further from the truth.

Matthew 6:5-9 "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received
their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret
will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that
they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This is how you are to pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name . . .

who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. (praying for the purpose of improving ones public image.)
go to your inner room, (going to your interior mind or spirit to pray in a manner that is not self-aggrandizing [calling attention to yourself].)
close the door, (shut out distractions of the world and of Satan. The words of the rosary occupy the body -- the external mind -- accessible to Satan, and allow one to meditate or commune with God through the inner mind -- the spirit.)
pray to your Father in secret. (Your conversation with God is totally private while praying the rosary. Your body is reverently praying the rosary, but your spirit is communicating with God.

This last and most important value of praying the rosary is often not properly understood even by Catholics who have prayed the rosary for years. External and internal praying is referred to as "The Duality of Prayer.")

Some have said that the rosary is used as a mantra. While both the rosary and a mantra open the mind, a mantra gives no protection against interference by a devil. The holy invocations of the rosary occupy the external mind and keeps devils from entering the privacy of the internal mind while the spirit is conversing with God, one of His angels or saints.
do not babble like the pagans, (It is foolish when praying to God to tell Him what He already knows. Some Christians even make lists of petitions which they use in prayer meetings so that each person present can publicly repeat the items on the list believing that either God cannot read or that He did not hear the previous person's prayer.

The concept of agreeing -- as in Matthew 18:19 "Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father." -- in no way infers that God needs to be told anything or have it repeated many times. Would it not be better when a group of petitioners joins together for only the spiritual leader to say these or similar words, "Let us join our minds together in love that the Lord will grant our petitions that are found worthy in His sight." Then by joining in common prayer -- such as the rosary or a litany -- the individuals of the group are able to enter into worthy reflection with God as He takes recognition of individual petitions based upon the sincerity of each one's faith.

Except for prayers seeking help regarding personal reconciliation with God, one must have properly confessed his serious sins for his requests to be considered. NOTE: There are occasions when unworthy prayers seem to be answered but where already included in God's plans, for His own reasons, or were granted at the worthy request of another person.)
who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them.

(Long made up prayers often serve the primary purpose of enhancing ones own image. When this is true the person praying has already received his reward. He receives no merit for such prayers from God. Mark 12:38-40 [also Luke 20:45-47] Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation." )
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Is it ones own ignorance or God's ignorance which needs to be remedied?)

Luke 18:10-14 "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (The Pharisee prayed in the sin of pride. The tax collector recognized that he was a sinner and in humility asked for forgiveness.)

From the following two passages we learn that misdirected prayers are without value:

John 17:9 Jesus said, "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, "
1 John 5:16-17 If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

John 17:20-21 Jesus said, "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me."

(ONE - In agreement, in harmony, in unity of beliefs of faith.)

Promises to St. Dominic & Bl. Martin Prayers of the Rosary

About Praying Anti-Catholic Beliefs Discredited

Editor

Books and Religious Gift Items

This web site is produced and provided as a service by Life Enterprises Unlimited.
Contents may be reproduced ?unchanged? provided source, with link, is noted.
Current Debt is in excess of $50,000.00
Please help us to continue this service. Mail contributions to:

LIFE ENTERPRISES UNLIMITED
(A 501-c-3 Non-Profit Organization)
P. O. Box 850307
Mobile, AL 36685 U.S.A.