I confess that I rarely if ever pray all fifteen decades when I pray the Rosary. I do the more typical (these days) five decades, and I try to do this daily. I think I remember reading somewhere that St. Josemaria Escriva when presenting his norms for daily life in Opus Dei to Pope John Paul II, was requested by him to reduce the mandated daily Rosary from a prayer of fifteen mysteries to a less onerous undertaking of just five mysteries.
This seems to fit with the temper -- or should one say, lack of temper -- of our times. It's quite amazing once you begin to list the ways in which the practice of the Catholic Faith has been cushioned and softened for us today -- from the removal of Holy Days of Obligation to the nearest Sunday, Saturday evening Vigil Masses by which to fulfill one's Sunday obligation, substitution of some alternative penance for the meatless Fridays (for those who remember or care), a comfortable upholstered seat in the suburban church instead of a wooden pew, a "fast" of a mere one hour before reception of Communion, a Lenten fast that denies one not even of meat on any day but Friday and allows for two nearly half-meals along with one whole meal (including even eggs, cheese, and butter) even on Fridays, and the list could be easily extended.
As much as I admire the more austere and more 'manly', Spartan ideals of Catholic tradition, I cannot say that I have been immune to the enticements of the "comfortable pew." It is endemic, I'm afraid.
Nevertheless, I have prayed the entire fifteen decade Rosary for the past two days, for a special intention, and some of you will know what I mean when I tell you what a happy discovery it is to find myself so richly blessed by the practice.
I have no profound resolution to make it a daily habit. I know myself all-too-well for that. I must say, however, that I've had a couple of glimpses into why some groups have seemed so 'fanatical' in their recommendation of the daily Rosary. There's power in them there beads -- or should I say, in the intercession of Our Blessed Lady!
anything too rigid is not good, and today's laxness is partly in rebellion to the preVaticanII rules.
ReplyDeleteA middle way is best. Opus Dei is too many rules for me.
I have been called out of Mass for so many emergencies that I was happy to read St Vincent DePaul's instructions to his sisters on this, saying that action is prayer in a different way.
Do you use any other materials to help keep the mind directed on the mysteries?
ReplyDeleteMan, I didn't even know you were supposed to pray all fifteen decades when you prayed the Rosary. I thought praying it Daily just meant the five decades and one of the three categories of mystery.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, that picture leaves out the Fatima Prayer.
Boinky, the point about Opus Dei was that they DON'T require the daily 15-decade Rosary, since JP2 thought it too onerous.
ReplyDeleteAnon, I generally don't use printed meditations, although I have from time-to-time. I do like including the Fatima Prayer.
Anonymous, I don't know that one is "supposed to" pray all fifteen decades daily. Remember how even the Fatima children took short cuts with the Rosary prayers! =)
I agree with "Boinky" that when one's daily devotions become "onerous," something may be wrong -- although the reason isn't necessarily obvious. Still, just as a spiritual retreat can be vital to one's growth or maintenance from time-to-time, so I think that trying out new forms of devotions, such as occasional novenas, can be productive.