Revitalizing the Rosary

Revitalizing the Rosary is the Key to Edward Sri’s Praying the Rosary like Never Before

Review by Katie Zumbrum

Ask what prayer tends to come to mind when Catholicism is mentioned and chances are the answer will be the Rosary.  From St. Bernadette to St. John Paul the Great, the Rosary has been a beloved prayer and solace in times of need.  Yet it is not only a prayer for Catholics.  Elvis Presley made the song “Miracle of the Rosary” famous.  If the famous King of Rock and Roll can sing about the Rosary, why do we have such a hard time praying it?  This is something that Sri seeks to find out in his book Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth.

Praying tries to reintroduce and revitalize us to the Rosary with the majority of the theological and historical background coming from St. John Paul II’s letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae in 2002 preceding the Year of the Rosary.  Sri also includes more up-to-date material to draw on, including from the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI.

One of the most common reasons people tend not to pray the Rosary is because they do not have time.  Do not fret because even Benedict XVI would only say one decade at a time because he was so busy.  Sri points out that we do not have to sit down to pray and reminds us that we are called to pray ceaselessly – so pray a decade while doing laundry or on the train to work.  Even if our minds not wander off, the prayer still counts.

Another great tip on the Rosary is trying to understand the role and reasoning behind Mary as the Queen of Heaven.  The reason we have such a hard time understanding this is due to the differences of biblical royalty versus modern royalty.  Polygamy was common so the mother of the sovereign was queen.  The king would depend on his mother to advise him.  It is therefore perfectly normal for Mary to be addressed as queen since she is the King of Heaven’s mother.  A modern example of this is Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, King George VI’s consort and Queen Elizabeth II’s mother.

It gives us the usual background such as how to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary and using the rosary scripturally.  Perhaps most importantly, Sri’s Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth reminds us that the Rosary is constantly changing.  It is one of the most diverse prayers in Catholicism.  The Fatima prayer was added after the apparitions of Fatima, but it is not mandatory.  You can follow the Rosary by the days of the week or pick an entirely different set of mysteries.  Maybe you are visiting another country and they have a different way of concluding the Rosary.  It does not matter which way you decide to the pray, but this book will certainly have you reaching for your rosary or the rosary app on your phone.