TxAgPreacher said:
aggietony2010 said:
I disagree with this. You bold a verse that is in contradiction with the next few, where Jesus literally gives a prayer for us to say. Repetitious prayer is found in a few places in scripture as well.
The key to that verse is the word "vain", or empty phrases as it's seen in other translations.
If I pray something like a rosary or divine mercy chaplet in some sort of superficial "I'm doing this prayer because I want God to give me a promotion", that's a vain repetition. If I say a prayer I've said a million times hoping the game winning field goal goes in, that's a vain repetition. If I cross myself mindlessly before an at bat, that's a vain repetition. Even citing the same scripture verse repeatedly can be a vain repetition.
But all those things can be powerful forms of prayer. I can say a rosary and use it to meditate on the mysteries of Christ's life. I can say a divine mercy chaplet and meditate on the powerful mercy of Christ. That prayer I uttered hoping the FG went in is powerful with the right focus on God's will, not mine. If I take a few seconds before an at bat to break my focus from the earthly and think about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the victory if Christ's cross being infinitely more important than the victory if the game I'm playing, then that's important as well. And when I return to the same scripture verse for the 1000th time, because it gives me the comfort to trust in God's plan, it's not a vain repetition even though I've said it many times before.
I've also seen spontaneous prayer lose focus and fall into repetitive patterns as well. It's just as easy to lose focus trying to come up with words that sound good.
If you think He gave you a mantra to repeat here then you have missed Jesus' point. He was teaching them the things they aught to pray about.
I understand some people have a different way of doing it, but that wasn't Jesus' way. I have a few prayer patters I fall into as well, but I seek a deeper more meaningful prayer life that I actually put more effort into than mindlessly repeating words. Repeating the same thing over and over doesn't help me at all. Trying my hardest to become more poetic, and genuine for myself helps.
I'll often pray a psalm, but try to make it meaningful to me, but not the same one over and over again. I always strive for my prayers to come from my own heart.
All I'm saying is challenge your self to do better than a mantra.
To pray the Rosary is more than a mantra or a repetitive prayer. It is simply the Gospel on beads.
When one prays it they are praying a vocal, meditative, and contemplative prayer. The rosary consists of 5 groups of 10 beads, before each decade of bead on says an Our Father then 10 Hail Marys. On the Our Father a mystery is announced, and one mediates and contemplates the mystery as praying the Hail Marys. The Mysteries are focused on the life and works of Christ and different mysteries are prayed each day. One can incorporate scripture, art, or anything that calls to mind the life of Christ. I am not saying some people don't try to pray the Rosary as fast as possible, and may fall into the trap Our Lord warned us about, but I haven't know anyone who didn't grow closer to Christ through praying the Rosary.
The Value of the Holy Rosary
by
Father Gabriel Amorth
Chief Exorcist of the Vatican"One day a colleague of mine heard the devil say during an exorcism: 'Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end.'" The secret that makes this prayer so effective is that the Rosary is both Prayer and meditation. It is addressed to the Father, to the Blessed Virgin, and to the Holy Trinity, and is a meditation centered on Christ.
What happens when we pray the Rosary, saying, "When you pray Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now", the Blessed Mother comes instantly to your side to pray with you. And she does not come alone. She brings choirs of angels with her for she is the Queen of Angels. And she and Jesus are joined at the heart and cannot be separated so she brings Jesus with her. And Jesus cannot be separated from the Trinity so he brings the Father and the Holy Spirit with him. And where the Holy Trinity is all of creation is and you are surrounded by such beauty and light as you cannot imagine in this life.
Each is speaking to the Blessed Mother and listening carefully to her response within their hearts as they meditate on the scene. Before them in their consideration of the mystery being spoken of and interpreted and translated into their lives. Spread this powerful prayer of Exorcism, the Rosary, which contains the Our Father, the Perfect Prayer, Prayed five times in the recitation of each set of the Rosary's Mysteries, Backed up by the powerful prayers of Our Mother who prays with us as we pray 53 Hail Mary's.
Your Mother comes as Our Lady of Grace with her hands outstretched. Rays of Light emit from her hands piercing your body, healing you and filling you With graces. This is your inheritance which was poured out from the heart of Jesus on the Cross, when the centurion pierced His Heart with the spear, Into the only pure vessel ready to receive such graces at that time, Your Mother. Now as you pray the Rosary, or even just recite one Hail Mary, you Receive your portion of these graces."
"Anyone who Goes to Mary and prays the Rosary cannot be touched by Satan." Is it any Wonder that anyone who prays the Rosary from the heart is so blessed and protected and powerful in their prayers for others? "
