A friend recently shared a book with me, that I might use as a resource with my youngest two for Religion class.
We had begun saying a daily Rosary during our school day, and I was looking for an aid to deepen the significance of the prayers for the children. I’d wanted short, meaningful meditations for each decade, understandable for their ages but not so lengthy as to strain their attention spans.
The Rosary Prayer by Prayer: How and Why We Pray the Christ-Centered Rosary of the Blessed Mother, by Mary K Doyle is such a resource.
Divided into three parts, the book explains the history, development and reasons behind the prayers we say, all 20 Mysteries of the Rosary, as well as drawings, resources, and additional prayers like The Fatima Prayer, Closing Prayer, Memorare, and more.
As the author walks the reader through each Mystery, beginning and ending with the Sign of the Cross, each prayer, printed in its entirety, is given a full page alongside a sketch of the Rosary beads, with the prayer location appropriately circled for easy tracking. Each new decade begins with a meditation in simple language and explanation, accompanied by scripture passage notations for further exploration and beautiful drawings by Joseph Cannella.
Whether the Rosary is a new experience or a daily devotion, this book can serve as a tool to help further explain and give better understanding of the prayers we say. It serves also as a good bridge for adults and children in easy to understand language, at least it has been for us.
