The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary [Paperback]

Karen Edmisten (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2009

An ancient and beautiful prayer, rich in layers, pregnant with possibilities, and abundantly overflowing with the means to draw us closer to Jesus. From Chapter One

Whether you love the rosary or struggle to understand its appeal, Karen Edmisten will help you enter more fully into its mystery. She offers here an encouraging guide that will enable you to leave behind the distractions and time constraints of daily life, the temptations to rote repetition, and allow you to find yourself, through the rosary, in the presence of Jesus and his Mother.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An honest, lively, penetrating look at one of the most popular Catholic devotions. These pages are packed full of fresh insights from a former atheist who now finds great power in prayer. Edmisten provides both a fine introduction for the beginner and a new angle of vision for lifelong lovers of the rosary. --Paul Thigpen, Ph.D., author, Last Words: Final Thoughts of Saints and Sinners

Karen Edmisten responds with clarity to every obstacle or objection raised about the rosary and with sincere affection for both Our Lady and those who seek to understand her. My heartiest congratulations for this practical guide and valuable gift of grace ! --Genevieve S. Kineke, author, The Authentic Catholic Woman

Karen Edmisten responds with clarity to every obstacle or objection raised about the rosary and with sincere affection for both Our Lady and those who seek to understand her. My heartiest congratulations for this practical guide and valuable gift of grace ! --Genevieve S. Kineke, author, The Authentic Catholic Woman

About the Author

KAREN EDMISTEN is a freelance writer and popular blogger whose work has appeared in numerous Catholic magazines. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Nebraska. Find her blog online.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Servant Books (May 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0867168757
• ISBN-13: 978-0867168754
• Product Dimensions: 0.3 x 5 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #791,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Karen Edmisten was born on Cape Cod and has lived in Washington, Alaska, Florida and Nebraska. A former atheist, she converted to Catholicism at the age of 35. She is a freelance writer and the author of "The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary" and "Through the Year with Mary."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty, inspiration, and practicality May 9, 2009

By Alice Gunther

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

What a joy it was to receive my pre-ordered copy of "The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary" just in time for Mother's Day.

As always, Karen Edmisten writes with sincerity and clarity, drawing others to the rosary through a narrative that is intensely personal and deeply spiritual. Without so much as a word wasted, the book is a course in Marian history, apologetics, scripture and prayer that I cannot wait to share with my teenagers.

The real genius of the book is that it is at once both simple and deep--simple and not at all intimidating for those just learning to say the rosary, yet deep and full of new information for those of us who have loved this prayer a long time. It is also a book I can see myself revisiting whenever I need a lift or inspiration. Karen's "Making it Work" chapter in particular is one I need right now while juggling a new baby along with days that are fuller than full. My new motto is going to be "pray while you rock and nurse, rock and nurse . . . ."

This book is a labor of love sure to remain a favorite forever. It is the perfect tribute to the "fairest of queens in the fairest of seasons, sweet May."

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone June 23, 2009

By Carol Blank TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

The author is a former atheist who became a Catholic at the age of 39. In this book she has produced "a primer, a reference, and a source of support" for all who are interested in the Catholic practice of praying the rosary. She addresses common misunderstandings about the rosary and provides practical tips for incorporating it into our prayer life.

After a brief report on her own introduction to the rosary, Edmisten explores its origins and miracles associated with it. She frequently returns to the often problematic issue of praying "to" Mary, explaining that Mary is not the granter of prayers but one who intercedes on our behalf. Two chapters are devoted to the mechanics of the rosary and the role of the mysteries, with a brief description of each.

Her chapter on meditating on the mysteries begins with a quotation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church defining meditation as a quest for greater understanding of God and our life with him through "thought, imagination, emotion and desire." Edmisten provides rosary examples for each of these four elements. While praying the third joyful mystery, she suggests we think about the birth of Jesus, imagine being a witness, and consider Mary's emotions. Lastly, we ask ourselves if we desire to be transformed by the nativity. Meditation is not high drama, weeping, or levitation, she writes, but simply focusing on one thing about God at a time. "Meditation is a way of herding the stray thoughts, corralling them and setting them aside for a time," so that we have room for the moment's one thing.

This little book has something for everyone, from individuals unfamiliar with the rosary to those who pray with it regularly.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books I've Read May 23, 2009

By Sarah Reinhard VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When this book arrived, I found the "something else" I had been seeking (though I couldn't have told you I was looking for it). For one thing, there's the title. I love the image of the rosary as a time to just hang out with Jesus and his mom. It has given me a whole new approach to my morning rosary, an entirely new paradigm and a breath of fresh prayer for me.
Unlike so many devotional helps, Karen Edmisten doesn't flowery-phrase you to death. She says what needs said -- I had quite a few "ah-HA!" moments -- and she shares enough from her own experience that I caught myself, a few times, looking over to see if she was standing over my shoulder.

It's the kind of book that has a voice you can actually hear. Karen's approachable and she's not out to convince you to pray the rosary. Instead of a volume of reasons you should be praying the rosary already, Keeping Company is one woman sitting down, coffee in hand, to discuss it calmly with you. She gives some history, she gives some tips, she gives some anecdotes, and in the midst of it, I found myself smiling and nodding and asking her if she wanted more coffee, if she could stay for another few pages, if she would pray with me.

This is one of my very favorite books. I can't recommend it highly enough, whether or not you're a Catholic or you struggle with the rosary.