Because Catholicism includes a rich tradition of formal prayer, Catholics are often accused of praying "in vain repetitions."
Why is that?
Jesus states in Matthew 6:7: "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again."
I think Scripture is clear that our Lord had in mind the pagans, who had rituals that involved invoking their false gods through incantations and dances of sorts to gain the attention of particular gods. A rather humorous example of this is in the Old Testament, when Elijah mocked the pagan priests of Baal ( 1 Kings 18:27 ) when they had a competition as to which of the gods/God could start a sacrificial fire from Heaven. As they danced and chanted he mocked them with words such as, "Call out louder...perhaps he is asleep."
Litanies and devout practices such as the Rosary, however, are intended to help us focus spiritually and often involve meditation, such as upon the mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
Christ condemns thoughtlessness in prayer, of mindlessly repeating empty words. We shouldn't do that. But the cure isn't to throw out all form prayer, or to throw out all repetitive prayer. It's to pray these prayers with sincerity.
Why is that?
Jesus states in Matthew 6:7: "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again."
I think Scripture is clear that our Lord had in mind the pagans, who had rituals that involved invoking their false gods through incantations and dances of sorts to gain the attention of particular gods. A rather humorous example of this is in the Old Testament, when Elijah mocked the pagan priests of Baal ( 1 Kings 18:27 ) when they had a competition as to which of the gods/God could start a sacrificial fire from Heaven. As they danced and chanted he mocked them with words such as, "Call out louder...perhaps he is asleep."
Litanies and devout practices such as the Rosary, however, are intended to help us focus spiritually and often involve meditation, such as upon the mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
Christ condemns thoughtlessness in prayer, of mindlessly repeating empty words. We shouldn't do that. But the cure isn't to throw out all form prayer, or to throw out all repetitive prayer. It's to pray these prayers with sincerity.