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.

Do you struggle with praying the rosary? Do you have trouble finding time, fighting distractions, or feeling like you’re just going through the motions to get it done? For some, the rosary can seem overwhelming or almost a chore, when in fact it is meant to be a simple prayer—a prayer that has been available for Christians for hundreds of years. This compelling book by Edward Sri offers practical suggestions that come from the rosary’s tradition to experience Jesus and Mary more in your prayer and easily incorporate it into your life. It will allow the rosary to become a perpetual companion through the seasons, important moments, and challenges we will inevitably face. These prompts will not only help those who need help with incorporating the rosary into their everyday life but also to those who are deeply attached to get their relationship 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.” In this book, Sri takes what he did in The New Rosary in Scripture to a new level. As Catholics, we often have questions about prayer and don’t know how to go about getting answers. Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth helps to answer those questions. Some of the common questions are: What is the significance of the Hail Mary? Does the attention given to Mary distract us from focusing on God? What is the meaning of all the repetition in prayer? Where exactly did the rosary came from? What should we 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 your daily life. You will learn how the rosary is Christ-centered and receive group study questions for each chapter. It only takes a couple minutes each day to strengthen your relationship with God—that is the beauty of 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.

Our problem is simple: We're lost. (cf. Mt 9:36)We're driving around with maps thrown off by errors. Jesus-Centered puts together the finest Christian texts to act as your guide that is accurate and easy to read. Lit up with humor, stories, and illustrations, this book will lead you and your family to the secret prayers of the saints, and through them, to the happiest life there is.

A collection of paintings depicting the life of Christ structured around the prayers of the rosary.

Prayer is essential to the Christian life, bonding us to God. Yet we find it difficult in our frenetic world to keep our minds focused for long. All kinds of external noise and inner voices clamor for our attention. How can we slow down and quiet down so as to truly wait on the Lord? Nan Lewis Doerr and Virginia Stem Owens offer a solution that calls on the physical senses to break through to the spiritual -- praying with beads. The use of prayer beads, which has a long history in practical spirituality, is now becoming more widespread among Protestants. Doerr and Owens here show readers how to use what have become known as Anglican or Christian prayer beads. Readers can then use the basic prayer structure provided by the beads to pray their way through each day -- morning, noon, and night -- and through the church year. These prayers -- a thoughtfully chosen combination of quotations from Scripture and gleanings from the Book of Common Prayer -- can be enhanced and enriched by the mindful and meditative practice of using beads. Doerr and Owens encourage readers to use beads as "something to hang onto, a lifeline to the Presence that lies, often hidden or forgotten, at the center of our lives." Praying with beads, as outlined and embodied in this little book, has the potential to transform one's prayer life.