Praying by Hand: Rediscovering the Rosary As a Way of Prayer

by M. Basil Pennington

Trappist monk Pennington traces the rosary's long history and shows how it aids concentration and lends tangibility to spiritual practice. Vividly relating it to the Scriptures, Pennington takes readers step-by-step through the traditional 15 mysteries and explores alternative formats for individual and group use.

Genres: Spirituality

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 1991

About the author

Dom M. Basil Pennington O.C.S.O. (1931–2005) was a Trappist monk and priest. He was a leading Roman Catholic spiritual writer, speaker, teacher, and director.

Pennington was an alumnus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Angelicum where he obtained a licentiate in Theology in 1959.[1] He also earned a licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Pennington became known internationally as one of the major proponents of the Centering Prayer movement begun at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, during the 1970s.

Reviews

[Jean Bowen · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are looking for a more traditional book on the rosary this is not the book for you.

Pros:
The book is nicely organized with meditations on the literal prayers of the rosary, then meditations on the 15 traditional mysteries themselves and finally Pennington "own"mysteries of the rosary.

Pennington provides a wonderful selection of Scripture for the traditional 15 mysteries of the Rosary.

I did enjoy some of his meditations (especially on the Sorrowful mysteries) he wrote while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.


Cons:
The first chapter walks the gray line between well-meaning ecumincism and religious pluraism.

Pennington maintains that God is not a "woman" and that masculinity is important but he also refers to God and the Holy Spirit as "her" three times throughout the book.

He describes St. Dominic's apparitions of Our Lady as a "Legend" and seems to want to diminish their importance focusing more on the evolutionary qualities of the rosary- evolving from the psalters to what we have now.

Pennington also places a great deal of focus on social justice even writing his "own" social justice mysteries of the Rosary. He refers to Mary as an "unwed" mother. Which seems to miss the point entirely.

It should be noted that this book does not have nihil obstat imprimatur stamp.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well done and has good information on the history of the rosary and also how to pray the rosary. However, it is out of date and does not have the current Luminous mysteries. But it is worth the read if you want to know more about the rosary.

[L.a. Hernandez]

Found the scripture reference of the mysteries very informative. Now when I say the Rosary I can meditate on the mysteries better.