Meditations on the Rosary: Scripture, Psalms, Illustration, Guided Imagery (WestBowPress)
by Sandra Enders / book review by Mihir Shah
"Consider the good news that this child eventually leaves behind for all of us to live by—forgiveness and redemption, good will toward others." Serenity permeates every chapter of Enders’ work as she weaves scripture, psalms, and illustrations to provide a guidebook for spiritual growth that can ultimately lead to holistic development at the mental and physical levels. Whether one utilizes the work as a prayer, meditation, or something more educational within a Sunday School environment, it will fit seamlessly and provide a fulfilling and therapeutic experience.
As the meditations are read aloud, it is imperative for the purposes of the exercise that the audience focuses on creating an unhindered environment and reads purposefully and methodically. The end result is both an awareness of what is around one, what is within, and a sense of being transported into the times described two thousand years ago during the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unsurprisingly, the repetitive structure of the author’s work creates a rhythmic cadence that helps the external stressors in the readers’ orbit dissipate, allowing him or her to focus singularly on the intervention methods, otherwise known as the fruits of the mysteries.
In the first chapter, Enders helpfully provides the context of meditation to her audience, even diving into its many interpretations within Greek, Tibetan, Buddhist, and Hindu cultures. Above all else, she effectively establishes that meditation is a universal exercise that is central to self-discovery and gaining an understanding of one’s highest self. Interestingly, the author discusses mantra meditation among Eastern traditions (e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.), mindfulness, prayer, and guided imagery, all of which are present in this text. However, specific to her efforts here is the meditation on the rosary, a trademark of Catholicism, which will guide readers through Jesus’ life and the abundance of lessons on how one should live in faith and by the virtues highlighted by the Word.
From the joyful and sorrowful mysteries to the glorious mysteries, the work effectively and comprehensively captures moments including, but not limited to, Jesus’ baptism, the Eucharist, and the annunciation of Jesus Christ’s impending birth to Mary. The nature of the book is such that even the layman or one who has never laid eyes on a word of scripture will be able to understand the gravity of these events.
Perhaps where this work of faith distinguishes itself is its ability to simultaneously be calm and energetic. In other words, Enders’ keeps her structure relatively consistent, first opening up with a summary of the event, such as the finding of Jesus in the Temple as a child. She then provides the scripture context and an illustration before giving way to the “Body Scan.” This concept is intriguing because it settles down the human mind, which is often full of racing thoughts. A consistent pattern of situating the arms and legs and breathwork puts the reader at ease and ready to receive the rosary. Overall, when read with pace and inflection, it is almost as if the lives of these characters are transpiring on the canvas of the mind. And though each of the characters has iconic legacies in the canon of historical figures, the audience has the unique opportunity to follow their lives when they were mere humans, living similar existences to those reading the text.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
