Living the Rosary: Finding Your Life in the Mysteries (Holy Cross Family Ministry) Paperback – May 11, 2011

"Living the Rosary" is the perfect accompaniment to the "Come Pray The Rosary", an online participation website. Rev. Phalen, in his book, Living The Rosary", breaks down the mysteries of the rosary in layman's terms, suitable for a new convert, yet informative enough for a more seasoned Catholic. The chapters are small, the explanations thorough, and the content is concise. Each chapter is followed by a few questions to reflect upon, bringing us to a newer understanding of how our life mirrors that of the Lord. These reflective questions are what I call "Food for Thought". I join hundreds of participants on the "Come Pray The Rosary"(online participation) website daily, and then turn to Rev. Phalen's book to further my understanding. This book is a "gold mine" of information for anyone desiring to further their knowledge of the Gospels, and is an excellent tool for reflection. The book is easy reading, reflective, and short, only 148 pages.... yet, a MUST HAVE for anyone desiring to know more and have a more fulfilling life.

I was hoping for a book that drew more direct parallels between the mysteries of the rosary and everyday life. This book is not it. I guess I was expecting insightful questions for the reader to examine pertaining to the mysteries that could be used again and again.That being said, it does give vivid reflections on the mysteries, which can make for a special rosary. The only problem I see, is that this is not something that can be used as frequently as one may pray the rosary, as once you read the reflections two or three times you're going to get out of it what you've gotten out of it (ie it doesn't lend itself to having new insights pop up each time).That being said, I'm glad I have it in my collection and it is a great addition to the rosary to use on occasion and may even help drive focus or be nice in a group rosary.

Makes the rosary quite approachable. I like the chapters but not his questions for reflection. But you should decide for yourself. If you are new to the Rosary you should get this book. You will likely find his questions for reflection beneficial.

It sets the groundwork for meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary in a way that helps apply them to our everyday life in the here and now.

Father John Phalen brings this book to life by capturing living examples of the value of praying the rosary.It should be a reference in every reverent home

Just this past week my wife and I had the great good fortune to attend a mission at our parish given by Rev. John Phelan C.S.C. Father Phelan is a Holy Cross priest and current President of Holy Cross Family Ministries, an organization founded by "The Rosary Priest" Father Patrick Peyton. It was Father Peyton who coined the phrase "the family that prays together stays together" back in the 1940's. The theme of the mission was "Living the Rosary". While we were very fortunate to have Father John in our midst for a few days not everyone is going to get the chance to hear him in person. For those folks Father has written a book covering all of the salient points of the missions he presents. "Living the Rosary: Finding Your Life in the Mysteries" is a marvelous way to enhance your own experience of praying the rosary. In this book Father Phelan presents a short history of the Rosary and teaches us a new and better way to pray it incorporating your own life experiences into each one of the 20 mysteries. Reading this book will certainly change your approach to praying this most beautiful of all prayers.In the Introduction to "Living The Rosary" you just might discover a few things about the rosary that you simply were unaware of. Despite the fact that my wife and I have been praying the rosary on a daily basis for many years I never realized that the Rosary is really a Christo-centric prayer. We should not be praying to Mary. According to Father Phelan "In it's various mysteries, it recounts the life of Christ, and in Christ's life we see our own. Mary's role is to assist in this process." I for one never looked at it quite that way. You will also learn the origins of the word "Rosary" and how the Rosary was first prayed by lay Catholics more than 700 years ago. Very interesting indeed!But as you might expect the centerpiece of "Living the Rosary" are the 20 mysteries of the Rosary themselves. Father begins each one with a short passage from scripture following by relevant experiences from his own life and ministry. This is followed by a series of questions challenging the reader to think about times in your own life when you had to deal with a particular problem, crisis or issue and how you went about it. For example the chapter on The Visitation is entitled "Being Christ For One Another". We really do need to think about how we go about doing that in our own lives. At the conclusion of the chapter "The Crowning With Thorns: Hail King of the Jews!" Father asks the reader to "Tell of a time you have experienced a crown of thorns while trying to give leadership to folks who resisted." As you can see these are the kinds of questions that encourage some very real soul-searching on your part. Because each one of us has very different life experiences some of the questions will evoke an immediate response while others will prove to be a struggle for you. That's OK! At the mission Father John had us share our experiences with each other. If you are part of a Rosary group you might want to consider doing the same thing. We certainly can learn a lot by talking to each other.Now just in case you might be intimidated by the prospect of reading a book about the Rosary let me put your mind at ease. "Living the Rosary: Finding Your Life in the Mysteries" is written in language that just about anyone can understand. Furthermore you can read the entire book in just four or five hours. I believe you will find the book to be quite helpful whether you pray the Rosary on your own or as part of a prayer group. At the mission John Phelan pointed out that Catholics are often criticized by our Protestant friends for not knowing the Bible. This may well be a valid criticism of many Catholics. But for those who take the time to pray the 20 mysteries of the Rosary the Bible surely comes alive for them. For any Catholic looking to deepen their prayer life "Living the Rosary: Finding Your Life in the Mysteries" would most certainly be a great way to start. Very highly recommended!