December 30, 2008 2:38 PM
Question: Rosaries as jewelry
I have a question for my Catholic friends: how do you feel about wearing the rosary?
I remember that 30 years ago I found a rosary in the dirt and I cleaned it and polished it and began to wear it around my neck with a collection of crystal pendants that I wore - what I viewed as one big spiritual conglomeration.
It was another decade before I became a follower of Jesus - but wouldn't have anything to do with a rosary since I was an evangelical.
Looking back, I do think that just as the scripture does not return void, my gesture of seeking holiness by wearing the rosary didn't harm me and may have helped in some small way. My intentions were naive - stupid, even - but good. Eventually I saw the light.
Today I am a woman who prays the rosary regularly. And I would like to once again wear my rosary, only now out of reverence and devotion. From what I have read, this seems to be okay - but I'm wondering if there are those who might misjudge.
Catholic Answers says:
Q: Can a rosary be worn as a piece of jewelry?A: "Sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons" (CIC 1171).
Essentially, sacramentals such as rosaries must be treated with respect, particularly if they have been blessed. Reverence is the attitude of awe or respect that is most often given to sacred things. By its very definition, it is an interior disposition that usually cannot be determined by onlookers by appearances alone. A person may be wearing a rosary as a statement of faith, to keep it handy for praying throughout the day, or to avoid losing it. Those reasons would be indicative of reverence and would not interfere with the canon's directive that sacramentals must be treated reverently.
Ordinarily speaking, then, if someone is spotted wearing a rosary, he should be charitably presumed to be wearing it for just reasons. Only if the rosary is being put to an objectively sordid use (e.g., a rock star is using it as a prop in a music video, obscenely contrasting the symbolic purity of the rosary with the immodest or immoral actions of the performers) can we be sure that the rosary is being treated irreverently.
The friend who sent me that link added:
Although some today may question you because of the rosary's modern day misuse, I think most people who know you would realize your intent. Also, St. Louis de Montfort in The Secret of the Rosary encourages us to wear our rosaries as a sign of our faith. It can also be a conversation piece which could be the starting point for someone's conversion.It's just a matter of your spiritual intentions and what you are comfortable with. I would encourage you to pray about it a bit.
Do any of you wear your rosaries? How would you feel if you saw someone - not irreverently like Madonna - wearing theirs?
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Btw, for my evangelical friends - the rosary is a series of meditations on the life of Christ and was given to us to help us spend more time reflecting on the sacred mysteries of his birth, life, death, and resurrection. I did not know that until I became a Catholic this year. So I would ask those who've dismissed or condemned the rosary and Catholics who use it to learn more before passing such profound judgment.
Resources:
The Rosary - be sure to click on the Mysteries in the left sidebar so you can see how we use the rosary to remind us of four sets of five events in Christ's life as presented in the Bible.
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Comments
This is a great post with excellent links!
Though I was raised (in a solid Catholic home, before Madonna's stunt) to consider it inappropriate/disrespectful to wear a Rosary, I hardly think that a Rosary practice that the great saint of the Rosary, de Montfort, recommends for the faithful could be considered wrong! :)
And, my little girls wear their Rosaries in Mass all the time (and the baby teethes on a twine one in Mass...); I think Our Lord and Our Lady are pleased with the devotions of "children" -- at any age! So, may God bless you in your devotion to the Rosary!
Posted by: Kristen J | December 30, 2008 3:10 PM
I, personally, don't like it when I see people wearing rosaries around their neck, because it is usually teenagers trying to make some sort of fashion statement. But I also don't like seeing them hanging from the rearview mirror, so I'm a total stick in the mud.
Why don't you take it to prayer in Adoration? In the end, it doesn't matter what other people think, does it?
Posted by: Kelly | December 30, 2008 4:45 PM
I have a friend who prayed a rosary for our son's toilet training effort. I appreciate any prayers to God for our son.
Posted by: Julana | December 30, 2008 4:51 PM
I don't like it because it may give off the wrong impression. It's popular in todays pop culture and now with teenagers to wear a rosary as jewelry and I'd hate to contribute to that in any way. Also, the holy rosary is not some magical/protective beads so unless you don't have pockets, what would be the purpose of wearing one? Our Lady was the perfect example of humility, I cannot imagine she would draw attention to herself in any way. I have heard of soldiers wearing them into battle and I don't find anything wrong with this especially for those who have a devotion to Our Lady and her son through this devotion. Just my thoughts....
Posted by: Tammy | December 30, 2008 5:28 PM
Barbara, I'd like to add for your Protestant readers (yep, some of us are still here! :) ) that I discovered this year - to my delight - that there is actually an Anglican version of the rosary (I'm Anglican), shorter, and used various ways, but mostly to pray through the Jesus Prayer, the "Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal . . .", Lord's Prayer and Gloria Patri.
It isn't the same thing, of course, but it's similar in being an excellent tool for meditative prayer.
Posted by: Jessica | December 30, 2008 5:53 PM
Where we live, it is a gang sign (wearing the rosary)... which to me is sad that people have decided to use the rosary in that way... that's all my input! Happy New Year almost!
Posted by: Emily | December 30, 2008 5:55 PM
Barbara,
I have a really pretty Rosary bracelet that I wear. It is one decade, which you just repeat as you pray. It is also a conversation piece but is less likely to be misinterpreted than a traditional Rosary.
Posted by: Jennifer | December 30, 2008 6:54 PM
What a great post! I have been wondering about this myself because my daughters (5 & 3) love to wear their rosaries as necklaces. I haven't wanted to discourage it because I feel like doing so would cast the rosary in a negative light - they would remember or associate it with getting in trouble. Not good in my mind. Plus, they often wear it to their day school which is a Baptist school. My 5 year old daughter's teacher is a life long Baptist and I've always wondered if it would spark a good conversation!
Posted by: Stevie | December 30, 2008 7:31 PM
I second Jennifer's comment about the rosary bracelet. There are also little pocket rings to assist in praying the rosary wherever you may be (I'm not sure what they are called - but they have a large cross at the top and 10 small knobs around the circle.) I usually just resort to fingers or knuckles in the car. It is beautiful that you have been drawn to the rosary. I am a relatively recent devotee myself, but I love it too and try to pray it every day. Whatever you decide, I image that the Blessed Mother is pleased with your devotion.
Posted by: Anne | December 30, 2008 7:40 PM
I was always taught not to wear the rosary as it shows disrespect, however, I think my teachers (and parents) were trying to discourage any kind of teenage fad (it was the era of Madonna,etc . . .) to which I might be tempted to succumb more than anything else.
I know the nuns who taught me wore their rosaries looped onto their belts, and they certainly weren't being disrespectful of them. They were keeping them close at hand.
I admit to feeling a little uncomfortable seeing people wearing rosaries around their necks, but if they are there to keep the rosary handy, I don't see how that is much different than having one on your belt, your wrist, or your rearview mirror.
Posted by: Aime | December 30, 2008 8:15 PM
i love the rosary...
this is judgmental of me, but i am not perfect..so there it goes..
-when i see teens wear it,i hate it, i'm assuming that they are wearing it for fashion, and i suppose i could be very wrong..
-when i see grown conservative women wear it...it doesnt botter me at all, as i assume it is for the right reason...and i suppose i could be very wrong..
-i dislike the rear view mirror rosary..just don't get it, feel its tacky..but each to their own...i love the idea of the rosary bracelet..i just saw a nice vintage pearl one on ebay...and i love a reminder of my faith, for myself....hence why i love my cross on my chain...
-i'd love a picture of your rosary, i'm looking for a nice one for myself...soo many nice ones, sadly when my mother passsed her rosary was nowhere to be found..(she hadnt practiced in a while)..
well that's all my opinions for now...I love the peace of the prayers that have been said for about 2 millenia....like reciting wonderful poetry dedicated to the Greatest Creator of all...
Posted by: celina | December 30, 2008 8:44 PM
I recall being taught that it is very disrespectful to wear a rosary in any circumstance; I never would have considered it. I found this post very enlightening, and I can see that one might choose to wear a rosary for very good reasons. However, I would tend toward the choice NOT to wear a rosary lest one inadvertantly encourage disrespect of the rosary (and, by extension, Christ Himself) in those who might assume that WE are disrespecting them by wearing the beads. Scripture says we are not only to avoid sin but to avoid the appearance of sin, and we are to avoid leading our brothers into sin by our actions. (How strange to think that wearing a rosary could lead someone to sin!) But having read this post, I will be more charitable in my assumptions about people whom I see wearing rosaries. I had no idea that it was ever condoned; I guess you learn something new every day!
Posted by: Marisa | December 30, 2008 9:08 PM
I think it's fine. People wear scapulars all the time, don't they? My children have also gone through phases of wanting to wear their rosaries. They occasionally hold the little image of Jesus in their hands and give him a kiss. Nothing wrong with that. Especially if you are wearing it in an unostentatious way--under a shirt or by itself--but that may be in the eye of the beholder. I do have lots of clothes without pockets and I worry about my rosary getting broken if left in there anyway, so I have worn mine on occasion. I think almost anything that reminds and inspires you to pray more often shouldn't be discouraged.
Posted by: LeeAnn | December 30, 2008 9:23 PM
In case it might be interesting to hear the opinion of a non-Catholic:
If a rosary is an assistance in prayer, why would you not wear it? Doesn't Scripture tell us to be constant in our prayer - to pray all the time? It seems odd to me that such an object would be put in such a form (beads on a string), if not to be worn. Otherwise, if you were only meant to use it in private, it would be more useful in some written form, a list perhaps. Does that make sense? The fact that it is so tactile indicates to me that it is meant to be held and kept close.
If you are concerned about how its presence might offend others, then why not wear it inside your shirt? Is this considered disrespectful? Or keep it in a pocket? Or just memorize the various prayers on it, and say them without the rosary? Is there any benefit to wearing the rosary, if you are not using it for prayer?
These are just honest questions. I can certainly see the usefulness of the orderly assistance in prayer that such a tool would give. Please don't assume that all Protestants (or even most) are dismissive or condemning of Catholics. We Protestants certainly have things to assist us in prayer as well!
Posted by: mary kathryn | December 31, 2008 9:42 AM
I think anything that reminds us to say the rosary is a good thing. I know one lady who always carries her rosary in her pocket so that she can touch it and say part of the rosary at any time of the day. I think Rosary bracelets, and rings and maybe even a rosary worn discretely around the neck might serve the same purpose.
I keep to rosaries in my purse at all times.
Posted by: Elena | December 31, 2008 11:43 AM
This came up here Christmas Day. Our 3-year-old received her first rosary, and my maternal grandmother (who is Methodist) put it on her like a necklace. My father (devout Catholic) gently said, "No, sweetie, it's not a necklace" and took it back off. He raised us to think wearing a rosary around your neck is disrespectful, so that's how it strikes me. I had never seen the St. Louis de Montfort quote, though -- I'll have to look that up.
I do think the rosary bracelets are lovely.
Posted by: Wendy in VA | December 31, 2008 1:37 PM
I don't like to see rosaries worn as jewelry, because so far, I haven't been introduced into a cultural devotional practice that includes that.
Also, I craft chain rosaries and almost in every case I make "working rosaries". Rugged, dependable from base materials. These are less likely to be worn as jewelry.
Posted by: Tony | December 31, 2008 2:24 PM
Why not put the rosary in your pocket, so that it's handy for prayer, and express your reverence and devotion by wearing a cross, crucifix, or medal (for example, of Our Lady of the Rosary)?
Posted by: Peony Moss | December 31, 2008 3:26 PM
The St Louis De Montfort book that introduced me to placing the Rosary about the neck is "The Secret of the Rosary" and it is full of love and devotion. I do not personally wear my Rosary but I don't find the practice offensive either.
I admit to having had a Rosary on my rear view mirror before but that was simply to remind me to drive in a fashion that reflects my beliefs. LOL I have a temper sometimes and seeing the Rosary hanging there often was enough to remind me to pray for the person who had just angered me rather than let loose a stream of expletives. Tough lesson sometimes. :)
Posted by: Rhynnah Bayne | December 31, 2008 7:25 PM
I guess I'd also like to ask what the difference is between wearing a rosary necklace and a rosary bracelet. Why is one disrespectful, and the other not?
Posted by: mary kathryn | December 31, 2008 9:31 PM
Care for an opinion from an Anglican?
I belong to a religious order, The Order of the Daughters of the King. In addition to our vow of prayer, we are called to "habitually wear the Cross of the Order." The cross is a pewter or silver (of James Avery make) Greek Fleury cross with IHS and Magnanimiter Crucem Sustine inscribed on the front. It is meant to be worn as a pin or strung on a simple necklace chain.
I see wearing a rosary as something similar (although not a requirement of any kind). I often cross with my thumb my Order cross in prayer or in distress. So I personally see nothing wrong with wearing one if it is done out of reverence and respect.
I would also like to note that I am one who has a rosary hanging from her rear view mirror. I use it as a visual reminder to keep my temper in check. Oftentimes I will start yelling and then look over and immediately feel ashamed when I see it, because I know better than to act that way.
Posted by: Courageous Grace | January 1, 2009 9:13 PM
I would like to also add that the rosary hanging in my car has not been blessed. I would not do that with a blessed rosary.
Posted by: Courageous Grace | January 3, 2009 3:53 PM
Wearing a rosary is fine for the right reasons. It is also culture bound in a way. Latin American cultures do it all the time, but not Anglos. Also, why are rosary braclets fine, but a rosary as a necklace, not so fine. Again, intention is the most important point. May even be a source for conversation with people. peace.
Posted by: deanna | January 5, 2009 9:26 PM
I understand wearing the rosary not to lose it or so forth. Some people wear them because the are fashionable. Which is very disrespectful. If I saw someone wearing it it would be hard to distinguish their reasons for wearing it. Some people might just assume they are wearing it to be fashionable, and may think of its disrespectful.
I remembering being in high school and a girl wearing a rosary. Her friend next to said "I pretty sure you are not suppose to wear rosaries" The girl said she didn't know about that but either way she was going to keep wearing it because it was cute. She went on to say she didn't really know what to do with, but was a follower of Christ.
My point is a lot of people don't know is disrespectful to "just" wear it. So is it really their fault for not knowing? I think it should be better informed that many would find it disrespectful to wear it. Especially if one does not even know the process of how the rosary is preformed. If you are wearing a rosary is stating that you worship God by praying to him in that way.
"Rosaries are meant for praying, not for wearing"
Posted by: Danny | September 27, 2009 1:55 AM
