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How interesting that we see the same things and yet we don’t.

With learning and troubleshooting, whenever possible I like to do a “good/bad” comparison to see what and how things are different. It helps me to better understand what I’m looking at.

Do you have any specific examples of vain repetitions that the actual heathens were doing so I can compare? I need more data.

Another thing? In human law, we recognize the concept of “intent”.

I wonder, is it possible whether repetition is vain or not depends upon one’s intent, as much as it does the material one is repeating?

From what little I know of meditation, the intention is to tame self by quieting one’s internal dialogue and all of its static and noise.

Seriously, how can God get in a word edgewise, especially in His still, small voice, if our mind(s) never stops talking, right?

The repetition works to silence one’s inner dialogue by willing it to focus on something specific.

Meditation using Scripture or prayers or even His Name alone are all focusing attention on God or something, aspect, trait, whatever, of God.

To me, using the Rosary as intended, purposes-wise, seems, at minimum, to be an exercise to tame and strengthen one’s will, and the Rosary beads are kinda like using an abacus to count reps, same as while lifting weights or counting laps while running around the track.

So, as someone with a fair amount of gym and dojo time doing various forms of strength and physical training, l tend to understand these repetitive things, not as “vain repetitions as the heathens do”, whatever that is, but are repetitive exercises for spiritual strength training.

I really don’t know. Honestly, I don’t, but that’s how it appears to me, based upon study, observation and personal experience.

Ymmv...