What is praying the rosary and should I do it?
The Devotional Answer
The devotional answer is that the practice of the Rosary is a profound example of humanity’s deep desire to connect with God through disciplined repetition and meditation. While it is a tradition primarily associated with the Roman Catholic Church, all Christians are called to a life of focused, disciplined prayer (Question 78).
As a new Christian, your focus should be on building a foundation of simple, direct prayer to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14:6). Use the Rosary's structure as an inspiration to focus your mind, but ensure the content of your prayer aligns with the biblical truth that Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Simple Answer
What is the Rosary? The Rosary is a form of prayer used in the Roman Catholic Church that involves repeating specific prayers while meditating on key events in the life of Jesus (called "Mysteries"). The sequence of prayers is counted using a string of beads.
Should I do it? Whether you should pray the Rosary depends entirely on the denomination you choose (Question 77) and your own personal conscience before God.
Catholic/Orthodox View: Yes, it is a highly valued and recommended devotion that honors Mary and helps the believer meditate on the life of Christ.
Protestant View: Generally no, because it involves repeated prayers to Mary and saints (which is seen as distracting from Christ as the sole mediator) and includes prayers not found in the Bible.
The Deeper Dive
1. The Structure of the Rosary
The Rosary is composed of five "decades" (sections), with each decade consisting of:
The Lord's Prayer ("Our Father").
Ten repetitions of the Hail Mary (a prayer requesting intercession from Mary).
One repetition of the Glory Be (a doxology).
While repeating these prayers, the person meditating focuses on one of the Mysteries (e.g., the Annunciation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection), all of which relate to the life of Jesus and Mary.
2. The Core Theological Differences
The reason most Protestant and Evangelical Christians do not pray the Rosary is based on the following interpretations of Scripture:
Mediation: The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). Protestants feel that asking Mary or saints to intercede for them distracts from the unique, all-sufficient role of Christ (Question 10).
Vain Repetition: Some Protestant traditions are cautious about repeated prayers, citing Jesus' warning against "babbling like pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words" (Matthew 6:7). However, Catholics argue that the repetition is not "vain" but a tool for contemplation, similar to the repeated praises in the Psalms.
Authority of Scripture: The content of the Hail Mary prayer is not directly from the Bible, which causes those who hold to Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone, Question 56) to be hesitant.
3. Guidance for the New Believer
If you are confused, return to the simplicity of the Gospel:
Keep Christ Central: Your prayers should be addressed to God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Pray Sincerely: Focus on the sincerity and honesty of your heart (Matthew 6:6) rather than the method. If a method helps you focus, great; if it confuses you or contradicts core beliefs, set it aside.
God's Assurance
God assures you that He values the honesty of your heart more than the ritualistic precision of your prayer method.
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." — 1 Timothy 2:5-6a (NIV)
You are assured that Jesus has created a direct, open path to the Father for you—there is no barrier between you and the throne of grace.
Your Takeaway Thought
Do not feel pressured to adopt a practice that confuses you or conflicts with the clear teachings of the Bible. Focus on developing a strong, direct, and intimate prayer life with Jesus, your only Mediator. If you are interested in meditation, use the biblical accounts of Christ's life and the Psalms as your guide.
