Praying a Christ-Centered Rosary: Meditations on the Mysteries

The Rosary is one of the most recognizable of all Catholic devotions, yet many who love the Rosary have yet to discover the profound truths contained in its mysteries. In Praying a Christ-Centered Rosary, popular author and teacher James L. Papandrea brings together the devotional heart and the curious mind helping readers tap into the Church's rich heritage of theological reflection to ponder the mysteries of Christ hidden within the Rosary. With these meditations, Papandrea reveals that while the prayers of the Rosary seem to focus primarily on the Blessed Mother, she always points us back to her son Jesus.

As a revert to Catholicism, James L. Papandrea wasn't naturally drawn to the Rosary: Its simplicity and repetitiveness seemed to lack the depth he hoped to find in prayer. But over time, he began to understand how the Mysteries of the Rosary could unlock the deepest mysteries of Jesus Christ and foster a profound and personal encounter with God. He will help you do so as well.

Papandrea focuses on the mysteries beyond the Gospel events and taps into two millennia of theological reflection focusing especially on the early Church fathers. He connects each of the twenty Mysteries of the Rosary to one of the deepest truths of Catholic faith. Theological reflections are framed as paradoxes which reveal the profoundly Christological nature of this timeless devotion and empower Catholics to go deeper. Readers will ponder how

• the Visitation reveals an Almighty God who is helpless;
• the Institution of the Eucharist shows Christ as both priest and sacrificial victim;
• the Scourging at the Pillar reveals that our Savior is also a suffering servant; and
• the Descent of the Holy Spirit affirms the interaction between human will and divine grace.

Praying a Christ-Centered Rosary begins with a brief history of Marian devotion and the Rosary's central place in it. Each of the twenty brief chapters that follow guides readers through one of the Mysteries of the Rosary with three questions which lead to a deeper understanding of our faith: What is the Mystery? Where was Mary in the Mystery?What Does the Mystery Tell Us about Jesus? and closes with a brief prayer. The book concludes with instructions for praying the traditional Rosary along with new prayable theological meditations for each mystery based on the more completely developed content of the book.

James L. Papandrea is a Catholic author, professor, speaker, and musician. He teaches Church history and historical theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary at Northwestern University. Papandrea is a fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and also serves as a consultant for adult faith formation.

After earning his master's degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, Papandrea spent several years focusing full time on youth and music ministries and serving as a consultant in youth ministry. He earned his doctorate in the history and theology of the early Christian church from Northwestern. He has also studied Roman history at the American Academy in Rome.

Papandrea is the author of a number of books for academic and general audiences, including The Early Church (33-313), A Week in the Life of Rome, From Star Wars to Superman, and Trinity 101. He has appeared on EWTN TV and a number of Catholic radio shows. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the North American Patristics Society, and the Catholic Association of Music. Papandrea lives in the Chicago area.