BOOKS

The rosary is a prayer for all Christians, according to author

Reviewed by Andrew Junker | January 15, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

Last issue, I reviewed a book about Mary that claimed the broader Christian culture has begun rediscovering the Mother of God.

Gary Jansen’s “The Rosary: A Journey to the Beloved,” seems to support that notion. In it, Jansen takes a traditionally Catholic method of prayer (really, is there anything more identifiably Catholic than rosary beads?) and presents it to all Christians.

This newspaper has reviewed books about the rosary before, a number of them, in fact. And the good ones all seem to share a number of essential rosary-book characteristics.

They all have a nice introduction about the origins of the rosary and its place in Catholic/Christian spirituality; they provide clear instructions on how to say the rosary, as well as easy to find and read copies of the prayers; and they all seem to provide good artwork of each mystery, which can help focus meditation during the prayer.

“The Rosary” scores high marks on all these criteria. But it really shines in explaining how the rosary fits into prayer life for those who are a little wary of Marian devotion.

Jansen asks the reader to imagine she has fallen in love with a man, who, after some time of courtship, brings her to his parents’ house. Jansen imagines that the reader might be filled with anxiety at the prospect; she wants to make a good impression and hopes that her beloved’s parents like her.

“The fateful day arrives and you walk to the parents’ home. As your beloved takes your hand, you notices that your palms are sweaty,” Jansen writes. “Your beloved knocks. The door opens. You meet Mom. And she turns out to be the nicest person you’ve ever met.”

Now, the mother takes the reader into the house where she “radiates kindness and beauty.” The reader feels a kinship to her beloved’s mother in a way that’s surprising. She feels comfortable enough to talk to her about her son.

“It’s as if she is standing there ready to embrace you and help you understand everything. Who better than your beloved’s mother to answer all these questions swirling in your mind? Who better to provide insight than the woman who carried your beloved in her body for nine months and who experienced the pain and joy of bringing her child into the world?” Jansen writes.

And that’s basically what the rosary is, he concludes. It’s a walk with Mary through scenes in her Son’s life. The walk helps to draw Christians closer to Christ, who is their beloved.

When described this way, it seems like such a natural, human practice. Jansen quickly disabuses any reader that the rosary is worshiping Mary. Rather, it’s Mary — in her capacity both as Mother of God and as first among the disciples — leading the Christian to the Lord.

Jansen also does a good job listing some of the benefits that come with a repetitive prayer like the rosary. He describes a time in his life when he felt spiritually empty and devoid of the presence of God.

One day, while driving, he saw a bumper sticker in front of him that read, “Knock and the door will be opened.” At the time, he didn’t think anything he could do would get God to open the door for him, but he decided to start saying the rosary.

“So I prayed, and within a couple weeks the combination of prayer and meditation that is part of the Rosary made me feel less tense, but I still wasn’t experiencing God’s presence,” he writes. “Nonetheless, I was committed, and I stayed the course. Knock. Knock. Knock.”

Viewing the rosary as a way to knock on God’s door makes for a good image. It takes discipline to keep it up, and even if the spiritual rewards aren’t immediately felt, at least you’re showing up every day, ready for God to open that door.

And as with many of these stories, He opens it when you least expect it.

The majority of the book is filled with artistic representations of each mystery as well as a Scriptural passage to help set the scene. The diverse art is a nice touch. The modern is placed next to the ancient, which is placed next to something from the Renaissance. It’s a good reminder of the timelessness of these prayers.

All in all, “The Rosary” makes for a good introduction to the prayer that has sustained the saints for more than half a millennium. It’s also a good choice for a Protestant friend who is interested in learning more about Mary and devotions to her.

Of course, leafing through a book about the rosary is no substitute for praying it, though often it’s much easier. However nice the book is — and “The Rosary” is very nice indeed — moving from book to beads is all in the hands of the reader.

Media critic Andrew Junker is a staff writer for The Catholic Sun. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.