Non-Catholics and the Rosary

I grew up Catholic, but not in a very devout home. We went to Mass on Sunday, said grace before meals, and celebrated the major religious holidays. But we never, ever said the Rosary. My spiritual journey has brought me to the brink of leaving the Catholic Church, to where I reside now, which is completely enfolded in the heart of the Catholic Church. Now, I pray the Rosary daily. But is the Rosary only for Catholics? What profit would there be for a non-Catholic to pray the Rosary? If Catholics believe what they teach, shouldn't the Rosary be for all Christians, no matter their denomination? If you're reading this, and you're not a Catholic (or a practicing one) I humbly ask you to examine the Rosary as a method of prayer that leads you into deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. What could you possibly lose by the investigation?

In the interest of brevity, I'll give a short overview of the Rosary. Holding the string of beads, each representing one prayer, a series of prayers are said while, at the same time, one meditates on an episode of Christ's life as found in scripture (called a "mystery"). Each event can be located in scripture, except for the last two, which don't contradict scripture, but are not explicitly found there. The whole recitation usually requires 15 to 20 minutes time. Here's a link on the exact method: http://www.newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdf

The basic prayers used in the Rosary are the Our Father and the Hail Mary, although there are other prayers too. I bring up these two, because they are repeated the most often and would probably present the greatest obstacles for a non-Catholic. Why? The arguments I hear are due to "vain repetition" and asking for the intercession of Mary to pray for us. The following article contains a wonderful explanation for the reasons why any Christian can be comfortable praying the Rosary. http://www.catholic.com/library/Rosary.asp

All Christians consider the Bible sacred. Prayer and worship revolve around the scriptures, as they are indeed, the Word of God. The Rosary is a way of mining the depths of scripture, focusing on Christ's life, death, and resurrection, with the ultimate goal of conforming ourselves to Christ. Indeed, the Rosary is the act of praying the gospels. Imagine, fifteen minutes a day where you are completely centered on Christ. As I've heard others say, the Rosary combines many methods of prayer: vocal, spontaneous (you can add your own personal intention before beginning each mystery), and meditative.

Another glorious fruit of the Rosary is that it is universal. In times of trial and suffering, such as the funeral of a loved one, the Rosary can be said in community and give great comfort.

It may take a while to learn to say the Rosary, before it becomes natural. I know I had to sit with my prayer "cheat sheet" for many an afternoon before I could pray it on my own. Also, it may take a while to achieve a whole set of mysteries. That's okay. Start with just one mystery and see how it goes.

As I've continued on my walk with Christ, I am eternally grateful for the gift of the Rosary. In times of trial and joy, I've turned to it in every instance. This prayer is a gift for us to be said any time of day and anywhere. I've prayed it in my car, in the middle of the night, with my family, and with my friends. I'm always amazed at the comfort it brings. I hope you'll consider looking into this ancient Christian prayer and picking up your own set of beads.