The Rosary Handbook: A Guide for Newcomers, Old-Timers, and Those in Between Paperback – March 1, 2006

I have had the pleasure of having a devotion to praying the Rosary for the past 6 years now. I was a Cradle Catholic (although my family was not practicing) I made my adult Confirmation in 1998, and had no prior introduction to how to pray on rosary beads. Over the past 6 years, I have learned more about the rosary. I was on some spiritual quest, seeking understanding - and it's been an interesting journey to say the least. Of course, I never really asked anyone for help! I suppose that the Holy Spirit enlightens us as we go, in His own time! Anyway, I have to say that I have read some books -- I learned how to really pray by using a CD because I am more of an auditory and kinesthetic learner. I just couldn't really understand by using the pamphlets or books, until now. It's my opinion that The Rosary Handbook really lays out a lot of information that one can easily grasp. The bottom line for me is that I was always afraid that I wasn't doing it right, and now I have come to understand that there is no wrong way of doing it. I highly recommend this book for clarity. I found it to be helpful, well written, and interesting.This would be an excellent gift for someone in the RCIA program or someone who is interested in understanding the Rosary. The Rosary Handbook: A Guide for Newcomers, Old-Timers, and Those in Between

The Rosary Handbook is easy reading, but captures everything you need to know, both in background, understanding and actual practices of praying the Rosary. I am a life-long Catholic who never learned the Rosary since I came of age during and after Vatican II. After much time spent trying to have a closer relationship with God and needing to rely more on faith in my life, I found that a more meditative time was needed. Found this book on Amazon and read it twice before finally making the commitment to start praying the Rosary. The book gives enough information to undertand how the Rosary came to be part of the Catholic tradition, how it fell out of favor after Vatican II and now is making a resurgence, without going into an unnecessary disertation. It covers all the prayers and specifies what each part of the prayer actually means...thereby making the prayers come to life instead of just words to be repeated. Finally, the book shows EXACTLY how to use the Rosary beads and prayers to pray the Rosary. I strongly suggest you try this during a quiet time when you will not be interrupted for at least 20 minutes...it will make a difference.

Now to preface this, I am not a catholic...yet. So to me it told me WHY and how the rosary is prayed. We learn our religion, mostly, thru our family, and parents. But we must explore why we pray or sing hymns or use the wording our religion does. This book explains a lot. ☺

A quite insightful and well thought out theory to the practice of rosary prayers. The author has taken great pains to be concise about the ritualistic nature of praying the Rosary, and is very detailed about his own feelings towards the Catholic Church. One thing missing that I wish was included was how to obtain the magic powers through the rosary and fight crime with it. Other than that small detail the book is quite inspirational and well written.

This book surprised me that it fits in with the teachings of my RCIA (conversion) class in terms of description and real-world translation of each biblical mystery, such as the Annunciation. It describes the history and tradition of the Rosary which as a Protestant, I knew nothing. Many religions (term used loosely, Buddhists) use a set of beds to count prayers and the Rosary is a very special version.If you've never contemplated the life, agony, resurrection of Christ this is for YOU. Really take hold of it and examine it from a biblical and real life perspective. Particularly Page 98 was very meaningful to me regarding the crown of thorns and the psychological torture in relation to those who live with mental illness. The symbols used breathed new life into the biblical stories and seems to say that the Son of Man really did experience the entire spectrum of being human.I'd like to update this later...peace.

Worth the price of admission; even non-Catholics can find meditating on Christian mysteries deeply helpful in spiritual growth. It's nice that this book is written by a down-to-earth guy. Mitch Finley makes a point to write for men as well as women, and this is the best book on the practice of the Rosary that I have found in the course of years of researching and learning. He even includes Native American writer Sherman Alexie's marvelous poem (pgs 103-104), an excerpt which follows: "She tells me to breathe deep/during all of our storms/because you can sometimes taste Jesus/in a good, hard rain." While hiking in rain, wind, sun, snow, etc., I frequently pray the Rosary by counting out the decades on my fingers, while pondering the beauty of nature, of God's creation. I'm grateful to have found such a helpful volume, thank you!

I have to admit, that over the years, I became less than attentive to praying the Rosary, and frankly I grew up in a time when the Church, ( at least mine ) did not point out the beauty and importance of the Rosary as a prayer. Recently, I could feel myself being drawn to the Rosary again. It seems that, as has often been the case, I got lucky. I stumbled upon ( or was I led to it? ) this little treasure of a book, The Rosary Handbook: A Guide for Newcomers, Old-Timers, and Those In Between. Mitch Finley, is an award-winning Catholic writer and speaker. He writes in a very down to earth manner. I have not read all of it yet, but the introduction alone, entitled The Rosary and You -- A Perfect Match, was worth the price of purchase to me. It seemed to be written just for me. If you have an interest in the Rosary, you will not regret adding this book to your personal library.

great product, great site!

I absolutely loved this book! It taught me how to pray the rosary, and I've been praying it for several years now, every day.My favourite thing about this book is that, although it is quite short and accessible, it's not barebones at all. It's a pleasure to read, not simply a "How to" guide (though it IS a "How to" guide). It contains personal reflections, a little bit of the author's biography and faith story, short meditations on the various mysteries of the rosary, and a history of the devotion itself.The book is the ideal size to slip into a jacket pocket, and I often do so. It's a very friendly, hospitable book. I like Mitch Finley's prose style. I read this book when I was a rosary novice, and now I'm a rosary "veteran", I still enjoy reading it. Its subtitle really is deserved; it's a book for anyone at any level of experience with the rosary. I have no hesitation in recommending this very fine, pleasant book.

just good for the soul, thank you.

An excellent book that explains the history of the rosary and its mysteries. It provides a step by step guide explaining each line of the rosary, offering reassurance to those of use who struggle with the rosary and worry about getting it wrong. It explains the relationship between Mary and Jesus and why Mary is venerated (but not worshiped) in the Catholic Church. If said properly i.e. not gabbled in a few seconds, it is a very powerful prayer. There are mysteries to meditate on, but this book reassures those of us who meditate on the words, that it is okay to do that. It is less prescriptive than most of us imagine i.e falling asleep is not a problem, you do not have to finish on the last bead. I would recommend this to anyone wishing to explore the rosary as this book has been an invaluable guide and encouragement to me and i have been astounded by the power of this prayer. A note of caution, the rosary will not (and is not designed) to bring you material wealth. For me, it has deepened my spiritual journey.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004QOA0KG/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_17