When praying the rosary (or praying in general, for that matter), is it necessary to pray out loud, or can it be internal?

However you desire.

Whatever makes you concentrate on the words better...I like to say it out loud, well not loudly, but just out loud, so I can hear what I am saying, hearing what I am saying helps me for some reason or the other...

But then again, I am a beginner in prayer and I think St. John of the Cross would say that, that is what beginners do when they want to "feel" things or sense something in prayer, instead of be still and quiet when praying--getting away from the "sensual" things in prayer...

Speaking of the rosary, I am pretty new to it also. When repeating all of these prayers, especially Hail Marys, isn't it easy to just be saying the words instead of focusing on the prayers? In other words, the repetition can make it automatic. Does this, while unintentional, take away from the rosary experience?

I'm not disagreeing with the rosary at all, and I'm trying to do it more often, but sometimes it seems futile to repeat the prayer over and over. It almost loses its meaning. Am I making sense?

I've been praying the rosary for many years now. Not always regularly though. I still require the assist of a rosary guide with pictures to keep me focused on the particular mystery.

I vary how I say the Hail Mary, stressing some part one time another part a different time. I think that's how I keep it from being automatic. Also on occaision I review what the Hail Mary is saying and the scriptures it comes from. That refreshes it's meaning for me also keeping it from being meaningless repetition as it has been accused of being.

I have read, and someone please smack me if I'm wrong, but eventually the prayers should move into the background as you meditate on the mystery. Also, St. Teresa of Avila said, and this is about prayer in general, not just the Rosary, but if God is giving you an inspiration during a particular decade, you should just stick with that decade. There's no need to cut off at 10. Again, this is if you feel that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you at that time.

Read St. Teresa of Avila for a better explanation, or maybe someone else can explain this more clearly.

Angels and saints in Heaven are constantly repeating the same prayers over and over to God, then some angels and saints change these prayers, then they go back, then change, and go back, etc. and I am sure God never ever gets tired of these same prayers of praise and thanksgiving, or the "Glory Be's", or the "Our Father's", by any of his creatures who do this out of love for Him, or any other prayer of love, thanksgiving or praise, as long as it has the right intentions by the person saying them and they know what they are saying, and just "trying" for Him...He sees this and is pleased...It might seem that it means nothing to us because we don't feel anything or see how it affects God, but have faith, they mean something to Him, and when we give honor to Mary, this is the same thing, He is pleased w/ us honoring the Second Person of the Trinity's Mother, and Mary, our Mother and Queen, is pleased as well...

Think about this, say that you decided not to do this, to say different prayers at all different times and throw an Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be once in a while every other day...Well even if you did that, He is being flooded with Glory Be's, Our Father's, and other prayers, at all times, every single second anyway by billions of souls and angels that He has created...He is constantly hearing prayers that have these phrases in them, "I give you praise Lord", "I give you glory Lord" "All thanks and Praise to You Allmightly Lord God forever and ever!" "I give you thanks and praise Allmighty and Divine Lord." "May you live and reign forever Allmightly and Divine Lord" "May your Will be done everywhere" "All Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit..." These are just a few repetitive prayers that He is perpetually hearing at every moment, and will be for all of eternity, because at everymoment there is someone saying these things...So, we can see that He is very pleased, because this constant praising and glorifying Him, and giving Him thanks solely out of perfect love for Him is what He wanted, and while doing all this, He also wanted to share this Divine Love, which He has for us, by letting our souls be in complete union with Him/WHO IS LOVE; These things just mentioned, is our end

...SO, it is ok to repeat prayers over and over, as long as you are "trying" to please God and you know what you are saying. We shouldn't be getting anything out of it, it is all for God, and I pray right now that we all may be able to better pray from our hearts and have pure intentions, because God knows I have to work on this...AMEN

i do it both ways... internally when in front of the Blessed Sacrament (the best place to meditate on the sorrowful mysteries IMO) or alone... but i love to pray the rosary out loud, leading it at any prayer gathering, like our First Saturday Devotion or at the various assisted living/nursing homes that my Legion of Mary praesidium visits... or at the home of those to whom we bring our Pilgrim Virgin Statue

you can't go wrong either way...the important thing is to

PRAY THE ROSARY !

I think you said it very well...

Coming from a Protestant background, the rosary was one of the more difficult things for me to embrace. Not only does it involve Marian devotion (gasp!), but the prayers become very repetitive, supposedly compromising their sincerity (and therefore efficacy).

As someone already pointed out, the rosary can actually be a very powerful form of meditative prayer. It's OK for the prayers to become "automatic," so to speak, as it allows you to move into a more contemplative state and focus on the mysteries. It's incredibly freeing, and is conducive to a very deep connection with God, IMO.

I am SOOOO glad that I overcame my prejudices and started praying the rosary. At first I had to read the prayers from a cheat sheet I made for myself, and I still have to keep a list of the mysteries around, but I'm slowly getting better.

I never feel more at peace, and more assured of God's presence in my life, than after I've prayed the rosary. It is hands-down the most comforting and centering form of prayer in my life at the moment.

I wish you the best! May God bless you through your faithful devotion!

Thank you for sharing that Marie. There are many versions of the scriptural rosary available online for those who are interested.

Yes!!! That's exactly what I've been doing all these years. It's such a habit for me, that I no longer think of the prayers as standing on their own, but the mysteries are my primary focus. I especially enjoy the Luminous Mysteries that JPII instituted.

It can be both! If you sing it this could be considered a double prayer in one!

I have read, and someone please smack me if I'm wrong, but eventually the prayers should move into the background as you meditate on the mystery.

I think so. At least, I'll begin it, and only realize I'm done because the beads run out :). It's like ...where'd the time go?!? Did I really say that much?!? I tend to say it in my mind, as I don't really know of any groups that do it out loud whom I can say it with. Either way is awsome, though. For me, it was one of those things... like LOTH. Once you "get it" to a certain degree, it is hard NOT to pray it, but the getting it part, for me, can be very difficult.