Hello Rosary lovers! In this post we will seek to answer the query: what is the best time of day to pray the Rosary? Here’s my answer from my personal experience. It has worked for me and maybe it may work for you.
Throughout the day
When I pray the Rosary, I hardly ever pray 5 decades in a single sitting. It just doesn’t work for me.
That is, unless I’m lying on my bed, flicking through pictures of rosary mysteries from the internet, listening to the Rosary being recited by a prerecording. In that case, I may well fly through 7 decades in one go. But this is only because I’m not the one personally reciting the prayers.
So when I pray the Rosary, I do it THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I pray a few decades here, a few decades there, and a few more decades later.
If you do this, have no fear: Pope Benedict XVI did this also. He couldn’t pray more than 2 or 3 decades in one go.
How I prayed 4 rosaries a day for 2 years
For about 2 years I prayed 4 rosaries a day. The only way I could do this and keep it up for this length of time was by splitting it up throughout the day.
And I don’t mean praying 5 decades in the morning, 5 decades in the afternoon, 5 decades in the evening and 5 at night before bed. If only my life with two young boys running around the place were that straightforward and structured!
No way, I was lucky if I could find a few minutes here and there throughout the days to pray a decade or two, or three.
However, because of my method, I ended up spreading the Rosary throughout the entire day. This meant that the entire day was sanctified by the Rosary and the Gospel of Jesus.
In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to pray the Rosary. This is a method of praying the Rosary that seems to closely resemble what St Paul called ‘prayer without ceasing’.
How I originally prayed 1 Rosary a day
When I came back to God and the Church in 2020, I kept my faith very, very simple. I didn’t want anything complicated. I found that my faith was kept alive very well by just praying 1 Rosary a day, spread throughout the day.
It was the simplest approach to prayer that I’ve ever known. I would pray a decade in the car, a decade walking, a decade here, there, wherever really.
No-one taught me this approach, but I discovered that it was a really easy and simple way to pray throughout the day. It proved very effective at keeping me well-connected to God and the Holy Spirit.
Those were precious times, when I had first discovered Mary and her great love for me.
My conclusion
So, as you can see, my opinion is that for people like me who struggle to pray 5 decades all in one go, a very useful approach is to offer a decade or two here and there throughout each day.
One of the benefits of this approach is that it nicely keeps the flame of faith and love for God gently burning all day long. It is also extremely simple and not at all difficult.
Final word: Just pray it
All in all, however, the most sensible answer to this question, I think, is that I’m not really convinced that there is a best time of day to pray the Rosary.
If you’re going to pray the Rosary – whether you do it first thing in the morning, or late in the evening, or in the afternoon, or spread over the whole day – surely the most important thing for us is to simply pray it.
That is, if you feel called to pray the Rosary. You don’t have to pray it as a Catholic. There are many, many other ways to pray as a Catholic, but praying the Rosary is definitely one of the simplest. It is also extremely rich in indulgences and blessings.
It may surprise you that at this present time, I am no longer praying the Rosary. I have tried and tried to come back to it for weeks, but for whatever reason, God has led me elsewhere in my prayers. I’m focusing a lot more on set prayers, especially Eucharistic prayers for the Holy souls and the conversion of poor sinners.
So, may I encourage you to always go where the Holy Spirit leads you. Even if it means you must sadly forsake – for a time, or permanently – the most holy and precious Rosary.
If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch.
God bless you through the Immaculate Heart of Mary 🙂