So you think you know everything there is about the Rosary? That’s what I thought when I received the book, Praying the Rosary Like Never Before, but wow, was I wrong. I’ve done studies by Dr. Edward Sri, and even met him in person. He has a very bright personality and always has a smile on his face. He also loves talking about his wife and kids, and of course, he loves talking about our faith.
Why We Pray the Rosary
Dr. Sri begins the book by breaking down why we pray the Rosary and what can cause us to stop praying it. His explanations are clear and concise. On the chapter about if the Rosary gives too much attention to Mary, Sri writes, “As a father, I do not view my children’s love for each other as competition for love and attention that should be given to me. Rather, I rejoice all the more when I see my children asking each other for help and lovingly responding to each other’s needs. In a similar way, our heavenly Father rejoices when he sees his sons and daughters loving each other so much that they ask each other for prayer and intercede for each other’s needs.” (Sri, 21) This is something I can relate to as a mother, but also something I’ve never thought of prayer in such a way before.
Focus Upon the Mysteries
The last few chapters covers in depth each of the mysteries of the Rosary and the biblical meaning of each event. Again, this debunks the theory that the Rosary is focused too much on Mary, in the fact that the majority of the mysteries we are to ponder focuses upon an event in Jesus’ life. The mysteries that focus upon Mary contemplate who Mary was, how her life was changed by being the Mother of God, and what we too get to look forward to if we are a Child of God.
Small Group Focused
This book would be a wonderful small group study book, in that the chapters are short and there are discussion questions at the end of each chapter that will help facilitate good discussion among the group, without being too personal. Praying the Rosary Like Never Before, by Dr. Edward Sri, would be a great book to bring to your prayer time and will help you fall completely in love with the Rosary!
Religious
Servant
June 19, 2017
192
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.