Vain Repetition

Candy has once again reposted her Vatican Versus God article. She has mentioned previously that she is very proud of this article because she sent a lot of time doing research for it. Certainly, she is to be commended for actually looking over the Vatican's website rather than just cutting and pasting from Jesus Is Lord, the way that she usually does.

As Elena has mentioned, we have really covered all of these points already. However, as I have time this week, I'd like to add my thoughts on a few of them.

What really stood out to me when I read this was Candy's note on vain repetition:

Vatican says - "After a short pause for reflection, recite the "Our Father", ten "Hail Mary’s" and the "Glory be to the Father". reference 7

God says - But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. -Matthew 6:7

My Notes: How would you like it, if your child came up to you, and said "you are a great mommy, you are a great mommy, you are a great mommy, you are a great mommy, you are a great mommy," over and over and over and over and over again? Now do you see why they are vain (AKA meaningless) repetitions?

What a reflection on her relationship with her children! Catholic apologists will often point out that you would NOT want your spouse or children to only tell you once that they love you, but you want to hear it over and over again.

This sort of repetition is very common for toddlers, and not at all meaningless. With each of my children, they have gone through a phase where we have the same conversation every morning that my husband goes to work. The child will ask over and over again, "Papa go to work? No, Papa not go to work, he stay home! Papa go to work? He be back later? He go to work but he be back after supper?" On and on, for about half an hour after my husband leaves, I will listen to this meaningful repetition and reassure the child that Papa loves him, and really will return.

In the same way, it is difficult for us humans, who see as though through a glass darkly, to full understand God. Repetition in the form of the Rosary is a way that we try to understand the "mysteries" of the Christian faith.

You can read our previous article on Vain Repetition here.

I would like to close by pointing you to a Psalm which reads very similar to Candy's example of meaningless repetition (King James Version, of course):

Psalm 136

¹O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

³O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁴To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁵To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁶To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁷To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁸The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁹The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁰To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹¹And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹²With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹³To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁴And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁵But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁶To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁷To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁸And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²⁰And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²¹And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²²Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²³Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²⁴And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²⁵Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²⁶O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Praying the Hail Mary

Edward Sri's "Praying the Hail Mary Like Never Before."

When asked by our protestant friends why Catholics worship Mary, we may quickly reply, "We don't worship her; we honor her." When asked why we pray to Mary, we might respond, "We don't pray to her; we ask her to pray for us."

Such "Apologetics 101" moves may express certain truths about Marian devotion and can be very helpful in initial conversations with our non-Catholic brethren. However, if we stop there, we may fail to communicate the full splendor of God's revelation about our Blessed Mother and the beautiful role she plays in our lives.

That was precisely my experience with the Hail Mary.

For many years, whenever I was asked about why Catholics pray the Hail Mary, I explained that it was a prayer in which we ask the mother of Jesus to pray for us. Since Mary is so close to her Son in heaven, she serves as an ideal intercessor whose prayers bring us closer to Jesus. And we seek Mary's intercession just like we ask each other here on earth for prayers, so it should be okay for a Christian to pray the Hail Mary, asking her to "pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death."

While all this is true, it's not the approach pope John Paul II took when explaining the Hail Mary in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (RVM). For John Paul II, the Hail Mary is not just an intercessory prayer that is permissible for Christians to recite; it's actually a Christ-centered prayer that gives Jesus great praise. If we truly love Jesus, we as Christians should want to pray this prayer!

Maybe you are like me? I get up in the morning and without even being fully awake, stumble into the bathroom to use the toilet, shower, get dressed, makeup, brush my hair and brush my teeth, all with my mind still in a sleep fog or perhaps racing ahead with all of the other things that need to be done that day. And perhaps the routine that has become so rote is a good thing because perhaps if I had to consciously remember to do these things maybe I'd forget that deodorant or get in my car halfway down the drive way before I realized I really need to go to the bathroom! The routine, the discipline, the almost-programmed way of getting through the morning actually protects me in many ways from making a mistake or forgetting something important. The routine in a way is a great comfort to me because of its familiarity.

The same in a way with my prayer life. With six youngsters in the house from toddler to teen it can get pretty hectic around here. Starting our school day off with prayer is a way of quieting us down and focusing our minds on what is important. Yes, I teach my children prayers by rote so that they have the words deep in their minds to recall at will.

Do they really know what they are saying? Probably not. At least not all of the time. Not yet. Izzy still fumbles over the act of contrition. And I'm sure that sometimes Gabe wishes that most Gracious Virgin Mary would remember that he would like a second bowl of cereal or at least a quick snack before he tackles that next math lesson! But Sam gets it and thinks about it. At least as much as an almost 15-year-old boy full of health and good cheer can think about the fires of hell and daily bread. But I have confidence that by 25, 35 and 45 his life experiences will give him more depth and understanding to say these prayers of his youth with meaning.

Catholics take a lot of grief in some circles for what they call "vain repetition." Some go so far as to say that it is not only wrong, but in fact forbidden and sinful.

I wonder how anything that focuses on God or has the power to help us pray can be sinful?

Amy Welborn writes in The Words We Pray: Discovering the Richness of Traditional Catholic Prayers about a particularly painful time in her life where the words to express her feelings were eluding her, until the words to the Memorare came back to her mind and said exactly what she was trying to express.


Today I received a beautiful story in my comments and e-mail from Faithful Catholic

How's this for "rote ritual?" My mother, 83 years old, bedridden and with dementia and aphasia (which means she cannot speak so anyone can understand her)was lying in bed this afternoon watching Mother Angelica and the nuns praying the Rosary. I heard my mother clamboring. Her voice gets louder and her tone gets a bit frantic sounding. So I went in to check on her and she was flailing her arms and hands. I went into her top dresser drawer and took out and handed her her rosary. She immediately calmed down, blessed herself and kissed the crucifix on her rosary. She held that rosary just exactly the same way she used to and started counting off beads as she said each prayer in her own new language. Now, she has not prayed the rosary, at least not that I know of, since her stroke over seven years ago. Am I glad she "memorized" it all those years ago? Am I glad it has become "rote" for her? You bet I am. Just because it comes as second nature, doesn't mean she's not aware of every word or doesn't mean every word or feel every word.

I don't care what anyone says about "rote ritual" or what our prayers might look like to them. It's what is in our hearts that matters when we pray. Nobody else can know what's in our hearts.

God knows our human nature and how we are all delightful creatures of habit. This year I hope to help my children grow in their prayer lives even more deeply but I also hope to help Mr. Pete and myself to further make prayer a part of our "rote" schedule, because far from being "forbidden" I think God is pleased and desirous of anything that helps to keep Him in the forefront of our daily lives.