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The Seeker's Guide to the Rosary
For all the two billion Hail Marys that are said daily, an equal number of questions are likely raised about it. Why then, when there are so many other methods by which one might meditate, would someone pick up rosary beads?The Seeker's Guide to the Rosary invites you to explore the mysteries of the rosary and apply its communal language of faith to modern-day life. This comprehensive guide gives you the opportunity to develop a rich and purposeful connection with the rosary, with meditation, and, ultimately, with God.
179 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
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About the author
Liz Kelly
4 books2 followersThis author also publishes as Elizabeth M. Kelly and Elizabeth M. Briel.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 22, 2011
“The Seeker’s Guide to the Rosary” by Liz Kelly is a lovely little personal reflection. I’ve been reading a few pages just before I pray my rosary each evening. It’s like having a friend to talk to just before praying together.
We used to pray the rosary together as a family when my children were still little and it was very nice. I think that’s why I enjoy books about the rosary because they allow me to connect with others who share my love of this simple reflective prayer tradition. I can become inspired—or re-inspired—by learning something I didn’t know and then remember what it is to once again be praying as part of a larger community.
One thing I learned last night which I didn’t know was that Pope Leo XIII – one of the most intelligent popes we’ve ever had – was known as “the Rosary Pope” for among other things writing 11 encyclicals on the Rosary. And I thought there were a lot of books on the rosary!
And here they are in publication order: SUPREMI APOSTOLATUS OFFICIO, (September 1, 1883); SUPERIORE ANNO (August 30, 1884); VI È BEN NOTO (September 20, 1887); OCTOBRI MENSE (September 22, 1891); MAGNAE DEI MATRIS (September 8, 1892); LAETITIAE SANCTAE (September 8, 1893); IUCUNDA SEMPER EXPECTATIONE (September 8, 1894); ADIUTRIUM (September 5, 1895); FIDENTEM PIUMQUE ANIMUM (September 20, 1896); AUGUSTISSIMAE VIRGINIS MARIAE (September 12, 1897); and DIUTURNI TEMPORIS (September 5, 1898)
Although there is no mention of the Luminous Mysteries in this Seeker's Guide, there are many other good references on them. This does not seem to unduly detract from the book's otherwise good merits.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading this during Adoration...
Loved what I found here on page 44:
'Mother Teresa was acutely aware of the silence that Christ practiced and still does. Scripture is silent about most of his early life, he spent forty days in the desert alone (we might assume that much of that was in silence), and now he is silent once more through the Eucharist: "He who spoke with authority now spends his earthly life in silence Let us adore Jesus in the eucharistic silence." Such silence is a precious commodity in the melee of our culture, where we are starving for silence, eucharistic and otherwise. Fostering an attitude of silence is not about keeping secrets or leaving things unsaid that need to be said; it is not a stoic clamping down. Rather, silence can lead to the most fluid, open, and profound kind of knowing and opportunity, as Mary says in her Magnificat, to magnify the Lord (Luke 1:46) Silence is perhaps the truest recognition of God. In the presence of such holiness, silence is the only appropriate response. As the prophet Habakkuk proclaimed, "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!" (Habakkuk 2:20)'
We used to pray the rosary together as a family when my children were still little and it was very nice. I think that’s why I enjoy books about the rosary because they allow me to connect with others who share my love of this simple reflective prayer tradition. I can become inspired—or re-inspired—by learning something I didn’t know and then remember what it is to once again be praying as part of a larger community.
One thing I learned last night which I didn’t know was that Pope Leo XIII – one of the most intelligent popes we’ve ever had – was known as “the Rosary Pope” for among other things writing 11 encyclicals on the Rosary. And I thought there were a lot of books on the rosary!
And here they are in publication order: SUPREMI APOSTOLATUS OFFICIO, (September 1, 1883); SUPERIORE ANNO (August 30, 1884); VI È BEN NOTO (September 20, 1887); OCTOBRI MENSE (September 22, 1891); MAGNAE DEI MATRIS (September 8, 1892); LAETITIAE SANCTAE (September 8, 1893); IUCUNDA SEMPER EXPECTATIONE (September 8, 1894); ADIUTRIUM (September 5, 1895); FIDENTEM PIUMQUE ANIMUM (September 20, 1896); AUGUSTISSIMAE VIRGINIS MARIAE (September 12, 1897); and DIUTURNI TEMPORIS (September 5, 1898)
Although there is no mention of the Luminous Mysteries in this Seeker's Guide, there are many other good references on them. This does not seem to unduly detract from the book's otherwise good merits.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading this during Adoration...
Loved what I found here on page 44:
'Mother Teresa was acutely aware of the silence that Christ practiced and still does. Scripture is silent about most of his early life, he spent forty days in the desert alone (we might assume that much of that was in silence), and now he is silent once more through the Eucharist: "He who spoke with authority now spends his earthly life in silence Let us adore Jesus in the eucharistic silence." Such silence is a precious commodity in the melee of our culture, where we are starving for silence, eucharistic and otherwise. Fostering an attitude of silence is not about keeping secrets or leaving things unsaid that need to be said; it is not a stoic clamping down. Rather, silence can lead to the most fluid, open, and profound kind of knowing and opportunity, as Mary says in her Magnificat, to magnify the Lord (Luke 1:46) Silence is perhaps the truest recognition of God. In the presence of such holiness, silence is the only appropriate response. As the prophet Habakkuk proclaimed, "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!" (Habakkuk 2:20)'
November 5, 2012
Simply the best devotional book I have ever read. I would strongly encourage every Christian-- not just Catholics -- to read this book and consider the content. Very comforting, powerful prayer is explained in great detail, as well as the most pressing questions.
June 29, 2025
I think this introduction to & meditation on the rosary is truly inspired and a worthwhile read for anyone who's earnestly exploring their spiritual life. I have had a particular affinity to the rosary for a long time but couldn't quite figure it out. Kelly's approach to it, which is personal (while also covering the more historical and/or scriptural concepts) really helped me figure it out. I'm grateful to her.
I was dispirited to look for the author on Substack and to see some of the content that she is "liking" on there, which I found to be less inspired and, in some cases, hateful. I'm not sure if she knows that "likes" are public on the platform or perhaps it's just the case that a lot has changed for her in the 25 years since this book was published. I'm not sure how to reconcile this but I'll be wishing her well. Perhaps it's a lesson for those of us on a seeker's journey-- to follow the message without becoming overly attached to the messenger? Idk. I still recommend the book, but with this caveat.
And note that since it was published in 2001, it doesn't include the luminous mysteries.
I was dispirited to look for the author on Substack and to see some of the content that she is "liking" on there, which I found to be less inspired and, in some cases, hateful. I'm not sure if she knows that "likes" are public on the platform or perhaps it's just the case that a lot has changed for her in the 25 years since this book was published. I'm not sure how to reconcile this but I'll be wishing her well. Perhaps it's a lesson for those of us on a seeker's journey-- to follow the message without becoming overly attached to the messenger? Idk. I still recommend the book, but with this caveat.
And note that since it was published in 2001, it doesn't include the luminous mysteries.
July 24, 2021
A great guide to the use of the rosary, the meaning of the 15 mysteries, and how routine prayer bring peace and closeness to Mary and God.
April 27, 2011
Liz Kelly does not address the Luminous mysteries in this little book, because the late Pope John Paul II proposed adding them to the traditional collection of Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries in an apostolic letter published October 16, 2002, about a year after "The Seeker's Guide to the Rosary" was already in print.
That omission makes the "Seeker's Guide" incomplete, but not obsolete.
A singer with some theological training, Kelly is unfailingly and refreshingly honest. She does a wonderful job of explaining the origins of the rosary and clearing up common misconceptions about this popular Catholic devotion, especially the fear among some Reformed Christians that it's a "Mary-centric" prayer rather than a Christo-centric one. The thoughtful narrative is sprinkled with a few testimonies from other rosary-prayers, and Kelly closes the book with surprisingly challenging meditations on each of the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries.
If you read the book not knowing anything about the rosary, you'll come away with a good basic grasp of that devotion, and a zeal for actually praying it rather than just reading about it. Beyond that (which alone would have made the book a success), many of the insights here can also be applied to all kinds of Christian prayer, as Kelly herself notes. I also appreciated her insight into Mary as a "prayer partner." Bottom line: devotional books don't get much better than this one.
That omission makes the "Seeker's Guide" incomplete, but not obsolete.
A singer with some theological training, Kelly is unfailingly and refreshingly honest. She does a wonderful job of explaining the origins of the rosary and clearing up common misconceptions about this popular Catholic devotion, especially the fear among some Reformed Christians that it's a "Mary-centric" prayer rather than a Christo-centric one. The thoughtful narrative is sprinkled with a few testimonies from other rosary-prayers, and Kelly closes the book with surprisingly challenging meditations on each of the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries.
If you read the book not knowing anything about the rosary, you'll come away with a good basic grasp of that devotion, and a zeal for actually praying it rather than just reading about it. Beyond that (which alone would have made the book a success), many of the insights here can also be applied to all kinds of Christian prayer, as Kelly herself notes. I also appreciated her insight into Mary as a "prayer partner." Bottom line: devotional books don't get much better than this one.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews