#rosary reference

As long as you use them to say the prayers of the rosary, I don’t see a problem.

If you are going to use prayer beads for a manner not intended during their making, then no. It would not be appropriate. This goes for a rosary, a chaplet, prayer beads for any diety, etc.

It would be wildly inappropriate to use a rosary to pray to Zeus and just as inappropriate to use prayer beads for Zeus to pray to Jesus. (Zeus was the first god that came to mind this morning.)

I love that you came to me to ask this! The rosary is such an important thing in my life.

There is a lovely jpg available over at howtopraytherosary.net for you to print to help you in the formula. Click here for it!

I suggest people try to pick a specific time of day or after a certain thing in their schedule to pray the rosary that way it is easier to become a habit.

When we pray the prayers, we are asking Mary to pray for us. Think of the ultimate warm, loving maternal figure who wants nothing than the best for you. Think of sitting next to her, you can feel her warmth, her love. She wants the best for you and is willing to ask her Son to aid you.

Think deeply about each mystery. What would you have done, felt in each moment?

Consider finding a scriptural rosary guide. Typically these add a line of scripture to each bead in the decade that relates to the mystery.

If I awake before our child, I typically pray the rosary in the morning. If not, I will try to do so before bed. I find I am more prepared for the stresses of the day if I pray it in the morning, but I sleep so well when I pray it before bed. Sometimes I wind up doing both! If I am going to do a scriptural rosary, I will have the guide laid out before me and will typically light a candle to Mary before I start.

Many non-Catholics use prayer beads, so that would not be an issue as long as you fully and completely agree with the prayers that are to be said. 

What strikes me is that you mention a devotion to Mary. The Virgin Mary does compel us to say the Rosary to bring us closer to her Son. If you are only devoted to Mary and not to Christ, I feel that she would find it highly disrespectful to do so. I will honestly take this a step further and say anything close to worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary would be disrespectful even if you are devoted to Christ as well, because I feel she would be quite upset to be put on a higher, or the same, level as Jesus.

I would say no.

Saints are not recognized as anything other than ordinary people by the majority of Christians, especially in the United States. 

Also the majority of Christians do not use the rosary.