Praying A Christ Centered Rosary

The Rosary is one of the most recognizable of all Catholic devotions, yet many who love the Rosary have yet to discover the profound truths contained in its mysteries. In Praying a Christ-Centered Rosary, popular author and teacher James L. Papandrea brings together the devotional heart and the curious mind helping readers tap into the Church’s rich heritage of theological reflection to ponder the mysteries of Christ hidden within the Rosary. With these meditations, Papandrea reveals that while the prayers of the Rosary seem to focus primarily on the Blessed Mother, she always points us back to her son Jesus. As a revert to Catholicism, James L. Papandrea wasn’t naturally drawn to the Rosary: Its simplicity and repetitiveness seemed to lack the depth he hoped to find in prayer. But over time, he began to understand how the Mysteries of the Rosary could unlock the deepest mysteries of Jesus Christ and foster a profound and personal encounter with God. He will help you do so as well. Papandrea focuses on the mysteries beyond the Gospel events and taps into two millennia of theological reflection focusing especially on the early Church fathers. He connects each of the twenty Mysteries of the Rosary to one of the deepest truths of Catholic faith. Theological reflections are framed as paradoxes which reveal the profoundly Christological nature of this timeless devotion and empower Catholics to go deeper. Readers will ponder how the Visitation reveals an Almighty God who is helpless; the Institution of the Eucharist shows Christ as both priest and sacrificial victim; the Scourging at the Pillar reveals that our Savior is also a suffering servant; and the Descent of the Holy Spirit affirms the interaction between human will and divine grace. Praying a Christ-Centered Rosary begins with a brief history of Marian devotion and the Rosary’s central place in it. Each of the twenty brief chapters that follow guides readers through one of the Mysteries of the Rosary with three questions which lead to a deeper understanding of our faith: What is the Mystery? Where was Mary in the Mystery?What Does the Mystery Tell Us about Jesus? and closes with a brief prayer. The book concludes with instructions for praying the traditional Rosary along with new prayable theological meditations for each mystery based on the more completely developed content of the book.

Whether readers are praying the rosary for the first time or are already praying the rosary daily, they will find that The Rosary Prayer by Prayer is an invaluable resource and aid to promoting a deeper prayer experience. It is a treasure chest of information about the history and benefits of the rosary, suggestions for meditation on the mysteries, exquisite artwork, and references. This book is also an easy way to pray the rosary. Simply follow along page-by-page, prayer-by-prayer. On the left side of the page, you will find the prayer to pray. On the right side there is a diagram clearly indicating the corresponding bead on the actual rosary. Additionally, a passage from Scripture, reflection and illustration accompanies every one of the 20 Mysteries.

Fans of Edward Sri’s The New Rosary in Scripture will love this updated and expanded collection of his thoughts on the rosary! “These words express, so to speak, the wonder of heaven and earth; they could be said to give a glimpse of God’s own wonderment as he contemplates his ‘masterpiece’—the Incarnation of the Son in the womb of the Virgin Mary.” —Saint John Paul II Do you have two and a half minutes in your day that you can give to God? This is the beauty of the rosary. You don’t have to pray the rosary all at once and you can pray it anywhere! Do you struggle with praying the rosary: finding time, fighting distractions, worrying about your mind wandering? In Praying the Rosary Like Never Before, Edward Sri offers practical suggestions that come from the rosary’s tradition and, most especially, St. John Paul II. These helpful tips will make the rosary a constant companions through the different seasons, moments, and challenges we all face. These tips serve as easy on-ramps for those who don’t pray the rosary regularly motivate avid devotees of the rosary to go deeper with the Lord. “Offering God a decade or two in the midst of my daily life gives him something beautiful, even if I give it without my full, relaxed, undivided attention,” says Sri. “I’m giving God some space in my day and filling it with words of praise for him.” You will find answers to common questions such as the significance of the Hail Mary, whether the attention given to Mary distracts us from God, the meaning of all the repetition, where the rosary came from, what to think about for each of the mysteries, and whether one should focus on the prayers or the mysteries. You will also find biblical reflections on the twenty mysteries of the rosary that provide practical insights to help you not only understand the twenty mysteries but also live them. In this book, Sri takes what he did in The New Rosary in Scripture to a new level.

Since earliest times Christians have used pebbles, a string of knots, or beads on a cord to keep track of their prayers, and prayer beads can be found in virtually every major religious tradition in the world. Anglicans and other Protestants have also begun to use the rosary to help refresh a life of prayer--it creates a rhythm that helps wean us from our distractions and focus our attention so that we can more readily move into God's presence. As the beads and prayers recede into the background, the mysteries that make up the rosary come into our minds and hearts like religious pictures or icons. First published in 1975, J. Neville Ward's unusual collection of meditations offer an entirely new approach to the rosary for all Christians. He begins with its traditional use and then offers fifteen insights into the life of Jesus and his mother Mary that can speak to us today. Thus a meditation on the sorrowful themes reminds us of the suffering that is so much a part of our own lives, while the joyful and glorious mysteries speak of the desire for faith, hope, and love that will heal them. These reflections serve up a rich spiritual repast for Christians seeking new contemplative practices and learning to pray with the rosary.

Internationally acclaimed author Megan McKenna gives this Catholic tradition enriched modern relevance in a completely up-to-date guide to praying the Rosary, designed for general readers and incorporating the recent additions made by Pope John Paul II. As a speaker, teacher, and bestselling Catholic author, Megan McKenna has informed and inspired audiences both in- and outside of the Catholic tradition with her warmhearted, contemporary approach to spirituality. Now she turns her attention to the Rosary, revealing the universality of this ancient practice and how it can enrich lives today. Praying the Rosary—the act of counting off prayers with a string of beads in a rhythm of focused spiritual contemplation—is a practice that has existed for centuries and is common to many faiths. For the world’s one billion Catholics it has become the most popular form of devotion. Though strongly associated with the Virgin Mary, the prayers of the Rosary are ultimately meant to bring those who say them closer to Jesus Christ, whose life and teachings are central to all branches of the Christian faith. This gives the Rosary an ecumenical dimension that is in sync with today’s emphasis on the common bonds, rather than the divisions, among all Christians. In 2002, Pope John Paul II updated the Rosary by adding a new section on the teachings of Jesus, further emphasizing the centrality of Christ and the biblical Gospels at the heart of the prayers.Embracing this ecumenical attitude in Praying the Rosary, Megan McKenna explores the Rosary and explains how to pray it, incorporating the Pope’s recent additions and revealing its relevance to a new generation. She breaks down the Rosary into its twenty components, prefacing each with a selection from Scripture that identifies the prayer’s source in the Bible. Combining practical instruction with meditative reflections on the prayer’s spirituality, she reveals the Rosary’s richly contemplative nature and shows how praying the Rosary can inspire peaceful, calm attitudes, and an awareness of the universal spiritual mystery that connects all Christians.

Presents a collection of meditations created especially for sharing with Alzheimer's patients offering advice on maintaining or re-establishing connections. This book contains practical insight into the spiritual lives of Alzheimer's patients. It is a useful resource for caregivers of those suffering with Alzheimer's.

Why has the Rosary remained such a popular Catholic devotional prayer? In this upbeat and easy-to-read book, Catholic author Mitch Finley explains that the simplicity and depth of the rosary make it a prayer for all seasons. The Rosary is perfect for those times when words can’t express our feelings, when we want to contemplate the basic truths of our faith, or when we simply want to enter into God’s presence. Finley includes a brief history of the Rosary and a short commentary on each of the twenty mysteries. The revised edition of this best-selling book offers several new features, including guidance on praying the Rosary in groups as well as the Rosary’s role in the Marian apparitions at Lourdes and Fatima. Alternative ways to pray the Rosary, a children’s Rosary, and the Fiat Rosary, are also featured in this new edition, making it a complete guide to this beautiful, timeless prayer.

Designed to introduce readers to the mysteries of the rosary, this book by author Liz Kelly gently guides the reader on an exploration of this powerful prayer that is well suited even to this modern world. The Rosary, full of the history and practice of this great devotion, includes surprising and moving personal testimonies of the author, other devotees, and saints and holy figures—showing how rosary devotion is a practical and gratifying means of meditation that every person can use. A significant part of the book is devoted to the mysteries of the rosary, including the new luminous mysteries. Exploring the practical as well as the spiritual side of the rosary, Kelly reveals how this prayer can lead us into a closer relationship with God.