Is the Rosary a "Vain Repetition"?

“God is not interested in chants, endlessly repeated phrases, or the superstitious fingering of beads,” writes Fred Coulter, president of the Christian Biblical Church of God, in his book Lord, What Should I Do? Having already mentioned the Rosary, he continues, “Such methods are mechanical and have nothing to do with true biblical prayer. In fact, ritual prayers are evidence that we are just too busy to really pray from our hearts.

“The truth is that God does not want us to pray in any of these ways.” (p. 84).

To support his assertions, Coulter then quotes Jesus who says, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that by multiplying their words they shall be heard. Now then, do not be like them; for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:5–8).

Coulter continues by recounting the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18), who “called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us.’ But there was no voice, nor any who answered” (verse 26).

“This account...,” says Coulter, shows that “we need not pray like the heathen” (p. 86).

Is it reasonable to liken Christian prayers, such as a 15-minute Rosary, to the prayers of the prophets of Baal? Should Catholics worry that it is wrong to pray the Rosary—or any other prayer that is repeated or involves repetition?

Absolutely not—not if you’re a Bible-believing Catholic. Coulter understands neither the Rosary nor Scripture.

First, let’s start by agreeing that everything Jesus says is true. There is never, ever a reason to argue with Him. He is Truth itself. But then let’s see whether Coulter is in fact “believing His Bible” or imposing a popular Protestant spin on the words of our Lord.

Back to what Jesus actually said. Does He condemn the prayer of repetition? By no means. Rather, He condemns “vain repetition.”

Consider Jesus’ own example. He prayed in the garden that “this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). He prayed it a second time. Then He “prayed a third time, saying the same words” (verse 44). Not just the same intention, but the “same words.”

The Lord also accepts worship from heavenly creatures—whom Coulter agrees are sinless—as they “rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). Reciting the Rosary is definitely less repetitive than the prayer of angels.

Coulter says the “keys for truly sincere prayer that God will hear and answer are contained in the Bible, not in the precepts, superstitions, traditions or inventions of men” (p. 84). And, though he makes disparaging reference to “pre-written prayers,” he also says to “[u]tilize the book of Psalms in your prayers, as many of them are actually prayers. Read them aloud to God, adding your own thoughts or comments” (p. 92). Good. Catholics do that every day. I wonder: Does Coulter ever pray Psalm 136?

Read it aloud to hear its repetitiveness. In it, the phrase “for his mercy endureth for ever” is repeated 26 times in each of its 26 short verses!

The truth is that, in itself, nothing is wrong with repetition. It can serve to emphasize a prayerful thought, or to express that which is beyond the grasp to find other adequate forms of expression.

The Catholic Church, however, always faithful to our Lord’s teaching, does warn against “vain repetition,” even with regard to the Rosary. Listen to Pope John Paul II in his 2002 encyclical on the Rosary as he quotes Pope Paul VI:

Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: ‘In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words’ (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed.

Properly prayed, the Rosary encourages the pray-er to meditate on the various scenes and truths of the gospel, while simultaneously voicing the prayer Jesus taught us (the "Our Father," or "Lord's Prayer"—Matthew 6:9–15) and the words of Elizabeth and the angel Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus (included in the "Hail Mary"—Luke 1:28,42). Just as Mary encountered the great mysteries of the gospel and "kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19; cf. 1:29; 2:51), so do we contemplate the mysteries of Christ alongside her.

Rather than a prayer that shows we "are just too busy to really pray from our hearts," it is a prayer designed to pray from our hearts. It's a meditation on the gospel.

So never let so-called “Bible Christians” cast doubt on Catholic teachings or approved devotions, because, after 2000 years, the Catholic Church has never ceased being the preeminent “Bible Church”: the Church that Jesus built.

(To learn how to pray the Rosary, download this one-page PDF from Rosary Army).