Book Review: The Way of the Rosary
“It could be said that each mystery of the Rosary, carefully meditated, sheds light on the mystery of man.” — Pope St. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae
If you pray the Rosary with any degree of regularity, you know both how simple and how complex it is. If you want to pray the Rosary with more depth and understanding, pick up a copy of Catholic Women in Business Member Shannon Wendt’s new book, “The Way of the Rosary.”
Shannon set out to build on Pope St. John Paul II’s call to “Rediscover the Rosary in the Light of Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy and in the context of your daily lives.” She nailed it.
Examining each of the Mysteries in turn through these three lenses will reinforce what you know about Mary, Jesus, and Salvation history while surprising you with connections you hadn’t yet seen.
Shannon admits that Mary drew her back from a dark period of being angry with God after suffering three miscarriages in eleven months. (One caution: This deeply personal story is woven skillfully throughout the book, and may be too much for anyone who has similarly suffered recently.) Finding her way back also led her to create her company, Chews Life, which creates the most durable rosaries for moms, kids, and families.
Through both her company and her book, Shannon invites you to drop all the excuses you may have for not praying the Rosary. You do have time. You do know how. You do know why. If you have one of her products, the baby won’t break it! She points out the only reason we need to pray the Rosary: Mary asked us to!
Every single time Mother Mary has appeared to individuals in the course of human history, she has asked us to pray the Rosary. Not once has she asked us to pray it perfectly, Shannon insists - and she’s right!
In her accompanying podcast (available through the Ascension app), she points out that it only takes 10 seconds to pray a Hail Mary. She encourages you to “find those quiet moments” when you can weave the Rosary into your day. You can say a couple of Hail Marys while you’re on hold or at a red light. A decade takes two and a half minutes, about the length of a commercial break (if you still watch television with commercial breaks). Wherever you find it, find it. Mary’s only ask is that you include her in your day. If you give her ten seconds, “Mary the Magnifier” will work wonders.
Shannon compares the relationship between the Old and New Testaments to the two sides of an intricate tapestry. When we look at it from the front, we see a beautiful picture - Jesus came to save us, and Mary said yes to her role. When we look at it from the back, we see threads running in all directions, maybe a few knots, and abrupt changes of color (a familiar sight to anyone who has ever done needlework). In the tapestry of the salvation story, that messy backstory of threads creates connection after connection reaching back to the dawn of time.
New insights I particularly appreciated included:
Mary as the new Rachel
The Hebrew word for the basket baby Moses was placed in
The story of the Four Cups
How Jesus getting lost for three days makes the Joyful list
Like the Rosary itself, Shannon’s insights resonated louder and deeper in my heart and soul as I continued to read and reread. “The Way of the Rosary” is meant to be a continuous companion as we journey closer to Jesus. One read won’t be enough.
If you have made a New Year’s resolution to pray the Rosary or learn more about it, this is the book you’re looking for. If you made it through Fr. Mark-Mary Ames’ Rosary in a Year podcast (or even if you didn’t!), this is an outstanding follow-up that reinforces many of his themes and insights.
As Ascension Press has said, “The Way of the Rosary” is not just another Rosary book. It’s a map for our journey and a companion to make it more enjoyable. As Shannon worked her way out of her grief, Mary showed her none of us were ever meant to walk alone. Mary helps us persevere, and the Rosary is her special tool to strengthen us.
“Bead by bead, hand over hand, she helps us climb out of the storm. Our Lady has climbed this mountain. She has weathered this storm.
She wasn’t daunted or afraid. She trusted, pondered, and hoped against hope, knowing that the Father’s very identity is Love.”
Strongly researched and accessibly written with vulnerability, this book is an absolute blessing.
Sharon Bengel, Managing Editor at Catholic Women in Business, is a cradle Catholic with more than 30 years of experience in writing, communications and publication design. A recovering newspaper reporter with a crush on the prophet Jeremiah, Sharon loves discovering new things about the scriptures. She runs an LLC out of her home office in southwest Ohio where she keeps a stash of chocolate for her grandkids.