How do you keep up your prayer life of the rosary in the Dorm?
Do you always kneel when you pray the Rosary, I assume it is better than saying it in bed when I might fall asleep before finishing. Should I pray silently, whisper, speak???
Not many Catholics on Campus.Catholics...Advice please on keeping up prayer life of praying the Rosary in the Dorms @ college??
Dear, there is no better way to fall asleep than praying the Rosary. God doesn't mind at all. I do this all the time. Once fell asleep praying then in the middle of the night I dropped my rosary on my face - screamed and jumped out of the bed. My husband nearly peed himself laughing (once he found out I wasn't being attacked by burglars).
You do not have to kneel to pray the rosary or any other prayer. Its nice though. You can say it softly to yourself or silently. If you need a nice place away from people go somewhere outside or in bad weather, try a carrel in the campus library.
God blessCatholics...Advice please on keeping up prayer life of praying the Rosary in the Dorms @ college??
I used to pray the rosary on my lunch hour at work. There was a grassy open field near my workplace, and I would walk around out there while I prayed, because it was outdoors and beautiful and peaceful. These days, I like to go for a walk around a few blocks in my neighborhood, before bed at night, and say my evening prayers then. Praying while walking is a good way to ensure that I stay awake! Also, it gets me away from all the distractions and noises in my house. (Hard to concentrate when the TV is blasting in another room!) If it's hard for you to find quiet and focus in a dorm, maybe you could take your prayers outdoors and walk them around. It works for me.
I sit around mid-day in my back yard and pray it in a low tone.
I think you should just do it wherever, regardless to who's around, or what might be said about you, and through your good everyday actions your light will shine, so that others may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.
Your new, you might want to try watching EWTN at 3pm edt, you can also pray ';The Chaplet of the Devine Mercy'; with the rosary.
It's OK to pray the Rosary silently while sitting somewhere quiet, if that's the only opportunity that you have. You can also say a Decade at a time in between classes or if you have a spare five minutes during the day. Our Lady will love the intent, no matter when or how you pray the Rosary, as long as you remain faithful in your prayers.
Have you sounded out your roommate about how he feels about the Rosary? Some Protestants such as the Episcopalians and Anglicans have their own form of the Rosary, and other Protestants are surprisingly open to that method of prayer. If he's not interested, that's fine, but at least you've offered the chance for him to join you in praying.
God bless you during your college years, and stay close to the Blessed Virgin, just as you are now. Her prayers are very powerful with God, and she will intercede for all your needs.
Edit:
It's OK to pray the Rosary in bed at night, even if you fall asleep. There's an old saying that the angels will finish it for you if you fall asleep before you're done.
They've finished many for me! :)
You can pray anywhere. even while working, while on a ride, any idle hours you can recite the rosary by yourself. no need to recite the encantations aloud. no need to distract somebody else';s attention, just recite it in your mind, no problem. its better than provoking somebody to say something not good on your being prayerful.
You always either kneel or stand when you pray the rosary. you whisper or say the prayer out loud, it calls to the angels.
If a protestant gives you a hard time for praying the rosary, pray a decade for their salvation!
you have to pray out loud?
why not pray in your head?
You are free to kneel when praying the Rosary, especially if you find that conducive to prayer. Though, kneeling is not necessary when praying the Rosary.
You can pray silently, with a whisper, or out load. Again, whichever you find most conducive to your prayer style. If you are concerned about your roomate rejecting to your praying the Rosary, you are free to pray silently or with a whisper.
You should already be doing this anyway when praying the Rosary but I would recommend that you remember to meditate on the Mysteries of the Rosary as well.
Sooner or later, a Protestant may challenge your praying the Rosary. You can show them that the Rosary is, far from being a Marian ';thing';, you are actually praying the Gospel when praying the Rosary - and what Protestant is going to reject the idea of praying the Gospel, right?
Since there aren't many Catholics on this campus, perhaps you can suggest, to the few you know, the possibility of maybe getting a Catholic ';prayer group'; or social club together every so often so, among other things, pray the Rosary as a group.
A group of Catholics is less likely to be ';bothered'; by Protestants than when praying individually.
Consider saying the Rosary as a statement of faith. Hopefully you aren't afraid of your Christian Brothers. Hopefully they will give you the space needed.
Another alternative is to go to the nearest Catholic Church to Pray or start a Catholic Prayer group on Campus.
May the Lord give you strength to continue your prayers without discrimination.
Yes. It's okay to pray the rosary in the Protestant church that's on campus. As far as any Protestant church service is concerned, Catholics are allowed to observe but not participate or receive Protestant ';communion';. When I was in college, I used to pray the rosary silently while lying in bed, but, you're right, I did fall asleep once in a while before finishing it.
The rosary may be prayed silently or whispering or speaking. Usually when someone is praying alone, they pray silently, as this is the most pure form of prayer. If you're praying the rosary in a group, then obviously everyone's going to be praying out loud.
Kneeling is best for praying the rosary, however, it is acceptable to pray it while walking or even lying in bed. There's a great book I think you should read (if you get a chance). It's called ';The Secret of the Rosary'; by St. Louis de Montfort. It's considered the best book on the rosary ever written.
I find it helps immensely to spend several hours in a Eucharistic adoration chapel before praying the rosary, if you're having trouble finding peace or if you keep getting distracted. (Maybe there is a Catholic church nearby that has perpetual adoration of the Eucharist, or maybe you can find an adoration chapel when you're home on breaks).
A lot of people will give you a list of ';shoulds'; for how to pray the rosary. I am also a convert, and I can tell you this list is no help to me. Work out a system for praying the rosary that works for you. If you say it in bed at night and fall asleep, then try saying it at a different time. There are rosaries you can carry in a pocket to pray discreetly during the day. I know many faithful Catholics who use this at work.
What is important, is that you develop a system that works, that you can stick to consistently. If you feel comfortable making a public witness, fine. But don't feel as though you have to put your faith out there for attack, if you don't feel comfortable with it. As a new convert, you are being given special graces to strengthen your faith right now, but you must also learn to practice prudence in your spiritual choices. That means gaging what you can achieve, as well as the risk or benefit of your actions among your protestant brethren.
God bless.
I think that you should pray where ever you feel the most comfortable and not in danger. If you are not in danger, than I think you should pray out loud and where you wish to. If you are tired and trying to pray, I am sure God will understand, Mother Mary will understand that you are tired and mortal and have fallen asleep. However, if you do have the time, do please kneel if you can and pray the rosary, for whatever mystery that applies to the day. GB and GL and thank you for your prayers. Also it is better to pray in the presence of more than one, so I would seek the Catholics out in the college, perhaps there is an on line way to find them. GOOD LUCK FIND THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES OR CHURCH IN THE AREA, AND GET SOME SUPPORT AND SHARE SOME TIME WITH THEM , YOU NEED THE SUPPORT OF YOUR FELLOW CATHOLICS WHO SHARE YOUR FAITH .
I would advice you to follow the instructions of Jesus to ';pray in secret';.
';But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.'; - Matthew 6:6, NIV
Find a place in the campus where you can do this or ask your roommate if you could have a ';quiet time'; alone in the room. If the latter is not possible just pray silently, in your bed, when there are no more distractions.
You do not have to kneel when you pray the rosary.
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