Thaddeus73 said:
What he is saying is that Mother Mary will see to it that you not only amend your life by reducing your sinfulness, increasing your repentance and sorrow for your sins, putting the right people in your path to lead you to her Son, and making sure that you don't die with an unprovided death (sans sacraments). Catholics are in a covenant relationship with Jesus (the NEW Covenant), and like in any covenant, you get the other person's entire family, including the Mother as part of your new covenant family.
Meditating on the Passion, the Resurrection, the Birth of Jesus and all of the other events in the Bible through the Rosary along with saying the first words of salvation by Gabriel in the New Testament has GREAT power. It has certainly worked for me. While I'm not perfect, I'm certainly more attuned to the Will of God than I have ever been before.
And like Mary after she found Jesus in the temple, we ponder all of these things in our heart. How you can possibly see that as bad is beyond me.
I didn't say I see it as bad and, in fact I don't. I do however, believe that all Christians are in a new covenant relationship with Jesus (not just those of the Catholic faith) and make up the church. I believe we should be seeking Christ and to serve God continually. Praying the rosary is/can be part of doing that as are many other things. I personally prefer to know Jesus more by studying his words and all scriptures and striving to pray, as Paul wrote, without ceasing. Having that relationship you mentioned, which includes being baptized with the Holy Spirit, gives us that opportunity.
I have a close family member who believes as the quote in your OP suggests and prays the rosary each morning. I suspect she does this as she does the Lord's Prayer and blessings before and after meals, etc.; as quickly as possible and likely with no meditation. At the risk of sounding completely judge-mental, but because I know this person very well, I can say that there is nearly no evidence of compassion, love for fellow man, or anything else that would indicate she actually has the Spirit of God in her. Most everything that comes from her mouth is indicative of a heart not changed by Christ. And, I believe that you can tell a tree by its fruit. I say that to say this, first I pray for her and engage her on our relationship with Christ. Second, I fear that sometimes, some people (she being one) believe that just the acts of saying the rosary, attending church (in her case, Mass), and doing other religious acts, gain them salvation and yet, they have never actually met Christ. I fear these people are some of whom Jesus has in mind in Matthew 7:21-23.
So, my engaging you on your OP was not to argue or to suggest praying the rosary is bad, but rather to better understand what Catholics truly believe.
