The Rosary: A Journey to the Beloved by Gary Jansen

Title: The Rosary: A Journey to the Beloved

Author: Gary Jansen

First Published: 2006

No. of Pages: 95

Synopsis (from B&N): "Written for both Catholic and Protestant Christians, candid explanations on why and how to pray the rosary along with useful instructions on how to get the most out of the meditative and spiritual exercise of repeating prayers are in the first of two sections. Prayers including a visual and spiritual journey that illuminates the teachings of the New Testament follow in the second section."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: This is a nice little book that gives readers an introduction to the rosary. The reproductions of artwork are beautiful and a nice inclusion. One thing the author states that I really like is that prayer should not just be about what we say to God, but about what He is saying to us and how the rosary helps you to hear Him. I pray the rosary occasionally and feel a stronger connection than through more informal prayer.

Unfortunately, this book is just too basic to be a good reference, especially for non-Catholics. I know some people have issues with the rosary: its repetitive nature, whether its a prayer to Mary (it's not), etc. This is not the book to overcome those issues. It's a nice book to use while praying the rosary, but will probably not bring anyone to the prayer who does not already pray it. If you're interested in a more in-depth look at the rosary, a better book is Praying by Hand: Rediscovering the Rosary As a Way of Prayer by M. Basil Pennington.

Challenges: 999 ("Catholicism"); Spring Reading Thing 2009