Have you ever struggled to pray the rosary? Do distractions pull you away from the prayers, or does your mind wander between Hail Marys and Our Fathers? The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila by Dan Burke and Connie Rossini is just the book for you, then. This book is perfect for those of us who have a hard time concentrating on the prayers and mysteries of the rosary.
The book begins by talking about two powerhouse saints – Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Pope John Paul II. Teresa was a sixteenth-century Spanish nun and Doctor of the Church. Pope John Paul II was a twentieth-century thinker, actor, author, and poet who led the world is such an incredible way that he is referred to as John Paul the Great.
Both of these saints loved the contemplative life. In his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (On the Most Holy Rosary), John Paul II wrote, “To look upon the face of Christ, to recognize its mystery amid the daily events and the sufferings of his human life, and then to grasp the divine splendor definitely revealed in the Risen Lord, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father; this is the task of every follower of Christ and therefore, the task of each one of us.”
Meanwhile, Saint Teresa wrote frequently about contemplation. She said contemplation was a “Divine union, in which the Lord takes delight in the soul and the soul takes delight in Him.”
If you’re desiring a more contemplative rosary, the authors include each mystery of the rosary for you to pray, and give directions for how to contemplate on the mysteries. They discuss the fruit of each mystery, and then a short scripture for meditation is given.
Then, the authors focus on a certain phrase in the Hail Mary to further contemplation. For example, the first joyful mystery, the annunciation, reads, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, who was conceived in you by the Holy Spirit. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
Afterwards, there are a series of reflection questions for you to ponder during the decade. Finally, a concluding prayer finishes the decade of the rosary. Each decade is accompanied by a gorgeous, color-print picture for a visual during the rosary.
Seeing the rosary through the eyes of these two incredible Catholic saints will change your prayer life. In this book you’ll also learn about:
- The difference between contemplation and meditation
- How to pray passages of Scripture
- How to enrich your vocal prayer
- How the Rosary can connect vocal prayer and mental prayer
If you’re looking for a way to deepen your knowledge about the faith, the saints, scripture and prayer, Check out Dan Burke and Connie Rossini’s latest book, The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila .
