The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila

by Dan Burke, Connie Rossini

With St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila as your guides, these pages will show you how to transform the rote recitation of prayer into a profound worship of Christ, drawing your hearts to bow in awe before the Triune God whom the Rosary reveals to us. You’ll learn how to place every moment of your life before His throne, seeing in them the mystery of the Incarnation.

You’ll learn the difference between contemplation and meditation, and how these great saints approached the reading of sacred writings not as a mere intellectual exercise, but as a prayer. You’ll learn how to enrich your vocal prayer, and how the Rosary can unite vocal prayer and mental prayer in a way that can lift your heart to the heights of contemplation.

To look upon the face of Christ is the task of every follower of Christ, and there is no better way to contemplate life of Christ than through the Rosary. Read these pages, and you’ll soon follow in the footsteps of St. Teresa of Ávila and Pope St. John Paul II, finding in the Rosary a meeting point with God that becomes your first taste of a deeper union with Him.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Nonfiction, Faith, Prayer, Spirituality, Christianity

138 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2017

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since we started saying the rosary every evening after dinner, DH and I are always on the look-out for new rosary meditations which work well for two. When you pray the rosary day after day, new reflections recharge the imagination and stimulate the heart. This book offers SEVEN different reflections for each of the four sets of mysteries! We use this book a number of different ways, sometimes reading the Scripture for Reflection, other times, one or more of the Reflections. And it is perfect for my daily meditations as a Secular Carmelite, especially since the Rosary is my favorite method of prayer after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Dan and Connie have given us a treasure trove here. And the Month of the Rosary begins in just 2 days!

Marking as READ (past tense) but this is a Rosary book I will be READING (present tense) as well. Quite possibly my favorite Rosary book, and I tend to love most of them. 😊

Most highly recommended!

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rosary praying guide with two saints: St Teresa of Avila and John Paul II. It's meant for deepening the worship of Christ and the Triune God. The contemplative rosary is attentive, giving worship, and this book may help with it, contemplating the life of Christ through mysteries of the each set of beads.

Although the book doesn't part the text much, there is two parts: Part I talks about how this prayer is meant for everyone, not just the saintly; on Jesus as our focus here; and attention-keeping and the distractions (one reason why there is pictures for every myster presented here). Part II goes into the rosary proper, with a guide to it, with each mystery having a picture, what fruit of virtue each mystery brings (which shows in concluding prayer and each mystery's Hail Marys), a bit of scripture that fits, and reflections. Finally there is the 15 promises of Mary for those who pray the rosary regularly.

I hadn't really realised before how much importance is put to the vocal prayer. I've always preferred the mental, I guess because I like to be private. That probably won't change much, but this guide was helpful in giving me thoughts to think about. I kind of wish there had been more to read about these two saints' opinions on the rosary, but the guide to the rosary was thorough and inspiring, so reading this was great.

[Connie Rossini · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new book, co-written by Dan Burke. My whole family will be using it to pray our nightly Rosary. The text will enlighten adults and enrich their prayer life. The meditations and beautiful Spanish Baroque artwork are suitable even for children.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Try as I might, I have never had a great devotion to the rosary. My meditation on the mysteries would last through two Hail Marys and the next eight were spent thinking about something else. However, I've always liked praying the rosary with the scriptures or other meditations, so when I heard about this book, I knew I would want to buy it.

There are number of things I like about this book, first,it gives us a look at how St. John Paul II and St. Teresa approach prayer in general and the prayers of the rosary in particular. For those who have forgotten how to pray the rosary, a chapter is devoted to the how-tos. Then for each mystery there is a scriptural meditation, beautiful artwork and short reflections to help keep you focused on prayer. You don't have to use it all at once, just listen to the Holy Spirit as you move through the prayer.

My favorite part is the addition of the statement of faith that is prayed during the Hail Mary. For example, for the Annunciation, when you pray, "blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus", you would add "who was conceived in you by the Holy Spirit". I've only been using this book for three days, but that little addition has made all the difference for me. Admittedly, sometimes I get through the entire Hail Mary and realize I was on auto-pilot and did not add the statement of faith. But when I start the next Hail Mary, I slow down and become more attentive. I look forward to having those statements of faith memorized so I don't always have to refer to the book.

I recommend this book for people who are still trying to love the rosary as well as those who already do. This book might just help you go deeper in your love for our Lord.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book. The book begins with helpful guidance on praying the rosary fruitfully and then continues with instructions on the prayers. It concludes with breathtaking art for each mystery plus Scripture and reflection. This book is one to be savored and taken to Adoration. Highly recommend.

[Joe Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful background and on-point meditations in easy to follow format

I turn to it again and again when praying this great scriptural prayer. The meditations make innumerable, and often surprising, references to scripture, Vatican II and papal documents, and writings of the saints.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adds depth and understanding to the beautiful rosary.

[Bice · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a little but BIG book! I can’t wait to pray my first rosary using this book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on praying contemplatively.

[Carolyn Kost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provided insight into some small changes to make to rosary prayers to ensure that we are contemplating the mystery as we pray each decade, "...And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, who suffered agony in the garden." The images are lovely and the scriptural verses remind us of the fuller background of each mystery. The same and even better content is available online, however, so I recommend using this site instead: https://stjosephsociety.org/wp-conten...

[Kellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific guide for a more edifying Rosary. Though we shouldn't kick ourselves over how we pray our Rosaries, we should intentionally pause and pray at a slower, more invested pace as part of our routine, whenever possible. Sometimes we only have a small window, and God understands that, but part of a Christian's formation is learning how to pray more intentionally, and this book is a great resource for that endeavor. Highly recommended.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good overview of the mysteries of the Rosary and how you can add a contemplative component when saying the Rosary. I enjoyed seeing the matching paintings depicting each mystery and I did contemplate more deeply on each one when reading the accompanying reflections. This is also a good reference for non-Catholics when pondering why Catholics say the Rosary. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in finding deeper meaning in the mysteries when saying the Rosary.

[Jeff Hawarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Resource for Scriptural Rosary.

I personally love the choice of scripture the author used the reflections are an added bonus. Found myself lost in thought more than once while I was reading this book
I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to go deeper into a scriptural rosary

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

It was a good read, giving interesting suggestions for praying the rosary. This would be good both for a beginner and more advanced person looking to help them pray the rosary better.

[Joe Doyle III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Good book to learn how to pray the rosary. It explains every mystery of the rosary and brings peace to your heart. I recommend this amazing book specially for the ones who are beginners of this journey

[gardeningmom7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Holy Family faithfully obeyed the law of Moses as if God had personally given the law. Do we obey the teachings of the Church in the same way, or do we pridefully elevate ourselves above the Wisdom of the ages?”

[Ortizs ortizs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Lady is calling YOU to read this book

Let Our Lady draw you closer to Jesus by this book and pray the rosary like never before! Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Tracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the presentation. I also really enjoy the reflections given for each mystery. This book has already made my prayer and devotional time more dynamic.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to help reflect deeper while praying the rosary. I like the scripture passages and reflections it gives for each of the mysteries.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect companion with thoughtful meditations, questions to reflect on, and beautiful paintings. Highly recommend and well-sized for travel.

[Deb Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book aids in making the rosary more than a series of prayers. It presents the rosary on a deeper level, helping the reader understand the necessity of praying.

[Kyle D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Really nice pictures and descriptions of the mysteries.

[Mary Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

I learned new things about the rosary that I did not know as a cradle catholic. Thank you for your new incite.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I frequently use this book to keep me focused during the Rosary. Definitely recommend!

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great companion book for those who pray the rosary. There are beautiful meditations and illustrations for each mystery. If you pray the rosary daily, and like to read meditations as you pray, this is very spiritual.