Changes

Many Popes, and particularly the Dominicans, have urged the regular recitation of the rosary, which means "a crown of roses" as a spiritual bouquet given to the [[Mary|Blessed Mother]]. In the Bible both the purpose and the elements of this devotion can be found.{{cquote|"Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:15) <br>"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28) <br>"Behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48)  <br>"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" (Luke 1:42) <br>"The holy women who hoped in God." (1 Peter 3:5) <br>"And why is this granted unto me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43) <br>"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7) <br>"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30) <br>"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) <br>"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father." (Matthew 13:43) <br>"And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelation 12:1) <br>"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' " (John 2:5) <br>"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4) <br>"The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. ... My brothers, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (1 John 5:16 and 20) <br>"If he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabees 12:44-45)}}

Many Popes, and particularly the Dominicans, have urged the regular recitation of the rosary, which means "a crown of roses" as a spiritual bouquet given to the [[Mary|Blessed Mother]]. In the Bible both the purpose and the elements of this devotion can be found.{{cquote|"Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:15) <br>"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28) <br>"Behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48)  <br>"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" (Luke 1:42) <br>"The holy women who hoped in God." (1 Peter 3:5) <br>"And why is this granted unto me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43) <br>"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7) <br>"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30) <br>"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) <br>"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father." (Matthew 13:43) <br>"And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelation 12:1) <br>"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' " (John 2:5) <br>"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4) <br>"The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. ... My brothers, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (1 John 5:16 and 20) <br>"If he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabees 12:44-45)}}

The Catholic Church teaches that an empty recitation of her officially approved prayers, in particular the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, without personal intent or attention to and awareness of the meaning of the words, and without consciously addressing them as they should be addressed to God or to the saints (see [[Intercession of the saints]]), saying them without obedient love and devotion, but instead simply mouthing them, as an empty habit of repetition, while freely thinking about something else entirely, is a serious [[sin]] of [[indifference]], even disrespectful [[contempt]] for what is [[sacred]] and [[holy]] as if it has no meaning or dignity, or is unworthy of honor or humble reverence, like ignoring and taking someone for granted as if he or she is no more important than a post or a wall or a piece of furniture. Such people are [[hypocrites]]. This is why God through the prophet [[Isaiah]] said, "This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote." Jesus himself said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me'." Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:7-8. "But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words." Matthew 6:7. On the basis of these verses many Protestants condemn the repeated recitations of the Hail Mary in the Rosary as always being vain repetitions, without considering the inward devotion in the heart of the sincerely devout Catholic Christian who says them with love. As it is written in the Protestant King James Version of 1 Samuel 16:7b, "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the L<small>ORD</small> looketh on the heart." The devout Christian who means every word of the prayers of the Rosary does not use vain repetitions.

The Catholic Church teaches that an empty recitation of her officially approved prayers, in particular the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, without personal intent or attention to and awareness of the meaning of the words, and without consciously addressing them as they should be addressed to God or to the saints (see [[Intercession of the saints]]), saying them without obedient love and devotion, but instead simply mouthing them, as an empty habit of repetition, while freely thinking about something else entirely, is a serious [[sin]] of [[indifference]], even disrespectful contempt for what is [[sacred]] and [[holy]] as if it has no meaning or dignity, or is unworthy of honor or humble reverence, like ignoring and taking someone for granted as if he or she is no more important than a post or a wall or a piece of furniture. Such people are [[hypocrites]]. This is why God through the prophet [[Isaiah]] said, "This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote." Jesus himself said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me'." Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:7-8. He also said, "But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words." Matthew 6:7. On the basis of these verses many Protestants condemn the repeated recitations of the Hail Mary in the Rosary as always being vain repetitions, without taking account of the fact that Psalm 136 repeats the same praise 26 times, and without considering the inward devotion in the heart of the sincerely devout Catholic Christian who says them with love. As it is written in the Protestant King James Version of 1 Samuel 16:7b, "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the L<small>ORD</small> looketh on the heart." The devout Christian who means every word of the prayers of the Rosary does not use vain repetitions.

==Praying the Rosary==

==Praying the Rosary==