Catholic prayer question: Why are your prayers often repeated over and over?

[Lost4words]

Why not just talk to Him?

One talks when one prays!

 

[GreekOrthodox]

As a non-denominational Christian I have noticed this in the past. Whatever the prayer is, its often repeated many, many times. I'm just not understanding why this is done. Why not just pray whatever is on your heart after saying whatever Catholic prayer best represents your feelings or needs?

Also remember that most of Europe was illiterate until the advent of the printing press. My clerical title is Reader and early on Readers were responsible for singing the various services and for maintaining the church's books. One condition to join a monastery was literacy:

In the late fourth century the Desert Father Pachomius would expect literacy of a candidate for admission to his monasteries:[72]

They shall give him twenty Psalms or two of the Apostles' epistles or some other part of Scripture. And if he is illiterate he shall go at the first, third and sixth hours to someone who can teach and has been appointed for him. He shall stand before him and learn very studiously and with all gratitude. The fundamentals of a syllable, the verbs and nouns shall all be written for him and even if he does not want to he shall be compelled to read.​

So how do you teach the basics of faith when only 10-20% of the population could read? Through the services and repetition of hymns and prayers in the services.

After 20 years of being Orthodox, I can repeat a lot of the services from memory. I chant Psalm 51 every service so it's pretty much ingrained.

Have mercy on me O God, according to your great mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and deliver me from my sin.
I know my transgression and my sin is always before me.
Against you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight...

(eh its not perfect from memory but you get where I'm coming from)

 

[pdudgeon]

protection? can you cite Scripture that speaks to that? Thank you

Do you remember the story of The Good Shepherd? The one who goes after the straying lamb, hoists it up on His shoulders, binds it's legs, and carries it back to the flock?
And when is that binding released?
When the lamb learns it's boundaries is when.
Until that time, those bindings stay in place.

 

[Landon Caeli]

I don't know. If I was God I'd want people to use words from their heart, not repeat something written down long ago by someone you have never met for a situation that unlikely close to those words today.

God used to require animal sacrifice as a sin offering. I don't suppose you would want people to do that either... My point being that we cannot truly understand the fullness of God as people.

 

[Richard.20.12]

You are forgetting one very important thing. Many of those same people saw God face to face. Therefore, what they wrote is worth paying attention to.

Who are you talking about?

 

[Richard.20.12]

Do you remember the story of The Good Shepherd? The one who goes after the straying lamb, hoists it up on His shoulders, binds it's legs, and carries it back to the flock?
And when is that binding released?
When the lamb learns it's boundaries is when.
Until that time, those bindings stay in place.

Wow....that's what I call a stretch.

 

[Richard.20.12]

God used to require animal sacrifice as a sin offering. I don't suppose you would want people to do that either... My point being that we cannot truly understand the fullness of God as people.

Agreed. But I would say getting to know God works better if we actually talk to Him ourselves instead of saying things over and over. Remember: We're made in the image of God. So we should talk to Him like we talk to a person. Then we would open up to Him better I would think.

 

[Richard.20.12]

Infant baptism is there for protection of the child, until the child is old enough to know right from wrong, and can then be taught how to make good decisions for themselves.
At that time, they make their own decision for Christ, confirming the promises that were made for them as an infant.
It's like when a mother dresses her child in warm clothing to protect them from the cold.
As the child grows older and is more aware of that cold that they make their own decision to reach for the parka or the raincoat and umbrella.

And even though it was never done in the Bible Catholics seem to be fine with that. Along with so many other Catholic practices. How about an infallible pope? How do you rationalize that kind of thinking when the Bible reminds us over and over that "no man is without sin"? And local priests that take confession then say to the confessor that their sins are forgiven or absolved. Please point to scripture where anybody did that besides God and Jesus.

 

[Landon Caeli]

Agreed. But I would say getting to know God works better if we actually talk to Him ourselves instead of saying things over and over. Remember: We're made in the image of God. So we should talk to Him like we talk to a person. Then we would open up to Him better I would think.

I think it's a myth that Catholics don't do this. It's more that Catholics do both.

 

[Landon Caeli]

And even though it was never done in the Bible Catholics seem to be fine with that. Along with so many other Catholic practices. How about an infallible pope? How do you rationalize that kind of thinking when the Bible reminds us over and over that "no man is without sin"? And local priests that take confession then say to the confessor that their sins are forgiven or absolved. Please point to scripture where anybody did that besides God and Jesus.

It's also a myth that Catholics think the pope is without sin.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Prayer can also be a reprogramming, a rewiring of our brains. It is not a one time deal but an ongoing process.

 

[Lost4words]

Agreed. But I would say getting to know God works better if we actually talk to Him ourselves instead of saying things over and over. Remember: We're made in the image of God. So we should talk to Him like we talk to a person. Then we would open up to Him better I would think.

Revelation 4:8

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”

If its good enough for those in heaven, in front of God!

Also, i get a feeling that you very much dislike Catholics and just want to have a go at us?

 

[Lost4words]

Also:

Matthew 26:44

44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.

 

[Lost4words]

Jesus was not condemning all prayer with any repetition. What he is condemning is the way in which the Gentiles rattled off mindless and repetitive prayers in order to appease their gods. The words are said repeatedly to check a box.

 

[Lost4words]

Some good info for you Richard:

Do Catholics Pray “Vain Repetitions?”

 

[pdudgeon]

OK. But why not just tell Him what's in your heart?

Who says we don't?
God knows all about despairation.
And it doesn't get any more despairate than Jesus on the cross crying out to God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit.

 

[pdudgeon]

Who are you talking about?

David, who wrote the Psalms, Moses, Peter, Paul, John, Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

 

[pdudgeon]

>>Why not just talk to Him?
>Because I don't want to forget the honor that He is due, first of all.

How would you feel if you were talking to someone and they kept repeating the same thing over and over?

>The object of prayer is not to bring God down to my level, but to bring me up to His!

Absolutely.

>I remember many years ago hearing a preacher ask us this question:
"If you suddenly encountered God, how would you react?"
I didn't have to think about that, because I knew!
I would be flat on my face before Him!

But would you repeat what you said to Him over and over? That's what I don't understand. God doesn't have a memory problem. Remember Jesus reminding us that the Father knows what we need already? It seems like Catholics use this to get into some sort of mental state. That, to me, doesn't sound right. I know you mean well. I just think you may be playing with fire. Just think of all the cults and Satanic groups around the world that also do the very same thing. Why do they do it? I believe its because it puts their minds into a more receptive mode for the devil to enter. You may think you are doing it for God to enter. But why not just talk to Him normally? Why not just open your heart to Him and talk? I believe we were made in the image of God so we can communicate easily with our Father.

Do I ask Him for help over and over?
Yes, I do, because I know that He will help me. How He does that can varry, but He always does help.

 

[pdudgeon]

God used to require animal sacrifice as a sin offering. I don't suppose you would want people to do that either... My point being that we cannot truly understand the fullness of God as people.

Oh yes, it's possible.
Mary understood God, and she said "yes".
The Disciples understood, and they said "yes".
Noah understood, and said "yes".
The point is that everyone who said "yes" also understood what was being asked of them.
It was informed consent, and pure trust. And that's what makes it wonderful.
God asks the same from all of us:
Informed consent, and pure trust.
Those two things ( consent and trust) are what make miracles possible.

 

[pdudgeon]

God used to require animal sacrifice as a sin offering. I don't suppose you would want people to do that either... My point being that we cannot truly understand the fullness of God as people.

Correction, not only animals, but crops as well.
And did you notice that the sacrifices increased in number and weight as time went by?
The point that God was trying to make is that habitual sin makes sinning easier, but repentance will take more effort and cost more to return to a state of full grace.
And one of the ways of driving that point home was to increase the penalty. So what might have started as a penalty of two doves, if repeated could result in a stiffer penalty.
Again, it was a matter of " Will I enjoy this sin enough to risk the high cost that could affect my food supply, or my livelihood and prosperity?