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Rosary of Our Lady
There’s more to the Rosary than most people think . . . and this book shows you just how much more. In these illuminating pages, Msgr. Romano Guardini explains clearly and simply why devotion to Mary is appropriate for all Christians and shows how repetition of the prayers in the Rosary — when done properly — is the ideal form of Marian devotion.
He explains each of the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, revealing the meaning and importance of each, and suggests themes for deeper meditation. With this knowledge, you’ll find your Rosary prayers will be richer and more rewarding.
He explains each of the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, revealing the meaning and importance of each, and suggests themes for deeper meditation. With this knowledge, you’ll find your Rosary prayers will be richer and more rewarding.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1998
33 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Romano Guardini
381 books166 followersRomano Guardini was a Catholic priest, author, and academic. He was one of the most important figures in Catholic intellectual life in the 20th century.
Guardini was born in Verona, Italy in 1885. His family moved to Mainz when he was one year old and he lived in Germany for the rest of his life. After studying chemistry in Tübingen for two semesters, and economics in Munich and Berlin for three, he decided to become a priest. After studying Theology in Freiburg im Breisgau and Tübingen, he was ordained in Mainz in 1910. He briefly worked in a pastoral position before returning to Freiburg to work on his doctorate in Theology under Engelbert Krebs. He received his doctorate in 1915 for a dissertation on Bonaventure. He completed his “Habilitation” in Dogmatic Theology at the University of Bonn in 1922, again with a dissertation on Bonaventure. Throughout this period he also worked as a chaplain to the Catholic youth movement.
In 1923 he was appointed to a chair in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Berlin. In the 1935 essay “Der Heiland” (The Saviour) he criticized Nazi mythologizing of the person of Jesus and emphasized the Jewishness of Jesus. The Nazis forced him to resign from his Berlin position in 1939. From 1943 to 1945 he retired to Mooshausen, where his friend Josef Weiger had been parish priest since 1917.
In 1945 Guardini was appointed professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Tübingen and resumed lecturing on the Philosophy of Religion. In 1948, he became professor at the University of Munich, where he remained until retiring for health reasons in 1962.
Guardini died in Munich on 1 October 1968. He was buried in the priests’ cemetery of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Munich. His estate was left to the Catholic Academy in Bavaria that he had co-founded.
Guardini was born in Verona, Italy in 1885. His family moved to Mainz when he was one year old and he lived in Germany for the rest of his life. After studying chemistry in Tübingen for two semesters, and economics in Munich and Berlin for three, he decided to become a priest. After studying Theology in Freiburg im Breisgau and Tübingen, he was ordained in Mainz in 1910. He briefly worked in a pastoral position before returning to Freiburg to work on his doctorate in Theology under Engelbert Krebs. He received his doctorate in 1915 for a dissertation on Bonaventure. He completed his “Habilitation” in Dogmatic Theology at the University of Bonn in 1922, again with a dissertation on Bonaventure. Throughout this period he also worked as a chaplain to the Catholic youth movement.
In 1923 he was appointed to a chair in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Berlin. In the 1935 essay “Der Heiland” (The Saviour) he criticized Nazi mythologizing of the person of Jesus and emphasized the Jewishness of Jesus. The Nazis forced him to resign from his Berlin position in 1939. From 1943 to 1945 he retired to Mooshausen, where his friend Josef Weiger had been parish priest since 1917.
In 1945 Guardini was appointed professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Tübingen and resumed lecturing on the Philosophy of Religion. In 1948, he became professor at the University of Munich, where he remained until retiring for health reasons in 1962.
Guardini died in Munich on 1 October 1968. He was buried in the priests’ cemetery of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Munich. His estate was left to the Catholic Academy in Bavaria that he had co-founded.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 20, 2023
A simple but elegant guide to the Rosary by Romano Guardini, one of the great minds of mid-twentieth century Catholicism. Because it predates St. John Paul II's encyclical on the Rosary entitled, On the Most Holy Rosary: Rosarium Virginis Mariae, there are no Mysteries of Light, which he promulgated here. Instead, there is a lovely little introduction which grounds prospective pray-er(s) in this centuries old tradition they are undertaking. For those who have 'said' the Rosary all their lives as well as those grasping the beads for the first time, these opening chapters break open the central mystery which is prayer itself, communication with the Divine.
There are some words on the Word Himself and the importance of words, why the use of beads and what about those 'vain' repetitions we hear so much about? Do we realize the question presupposes that repetition has to be vain? Repetition in and of itself is not vain. It is everywhere around us in God's good world, so it cannot be 'vain' in and of itself. The cycles of night and day, the seasons, life and death and so much else are endlessly repetitious. Breathing and the beat of our heart go on endingly repeating themselves, writes Guardini, yet we would not call them vain, but essential repetitions. If this is so for the body, why would this not be so for the mind and spirit? It is not the repeating which makes them vain, but in HOW they are repeated. Is it done mindfully or without attention? Repetitious prayer, well done, brings the spirit in tune with the body.
There is a chapter on Mary and another on Christ in us. This is a book to have in one's library, which is of invaluable assistance on the Rosary.
In the Appendix, there are suggested alternatives for the last two Glorious Mysteries:
1) The Second Coming of Christ
2) The Kingdom of God, both thought-provoking and of great appeal to those looking for a more Christocentric approach to the Rosary.
All around excellent book. Most highly recommended!
There are some words on the Word Himself and the importance of words, why the use of beads and what about those 'vain' repetitions we hear so much about? Do we realize the question presupposes that repetition has to be vain? Repetition in and of itself is not vain. It is everywhere around us in God's good world, so it cannot be 'vain' in and of itself. The cycles of night and day, the seasons, life and death and so much else are endlessly repetitious. Breathing and the beat of our heart go on endingly repeating themselves, writes Guardini, yet we would not call them vain, but essential repetitions. If this is so for the body, why would this not be so for the mind and spirit? It is not the repeating which makes them vain, but in HOW they are repeated. Is it done mindfully or without attention? Repetitious prayer, well done, brings the spirit in tune with the body.
There is a chapter on Mary and another on Christ in us. This is a book to have in one's library, which is of invaluable assistance on the Rosary.
In the Appendix, there are suggested alternatives for the last two Glorious Mysteries:
1) The Second Coming of Christ
2) The Kingdom of God, both thought-provoking and of great appeal to those looking for a more Christocentric approach to the Rosary.
All around excellent book. Most highly recommended!
March 13, 2024
Reading for an upcoming episode at A Good Story is Hard to Find.
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I respect Mary and acknowledge her as the greatest of saints but I'm not someone who has a devotion to her. That is, I tend not to turn to her first with prayer, I will say the rosary only occasionally, and there are other saints that inspire me personally much more than she.
So believe me when I tell you that this is a real gem of a book. I'm a fan of Romano Guardini because he is so good at precisely what you find here: inspiring us, opening our minds to further reverent inquiry, and offering sensible, achievable practices to draw us closer to God. Best of all he's not sappy.
This book is practically perfect for reflecting on Mary's role in our salvation and for coming closer to Christ in the rosary. I keep it on my Kindle for that very reason.
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I respect Mary and acknowledge her as the greatest of saints but I'm not someone who has a devotion to her. That is, I tend not to turn to her first with prayer, I will say the rosary only occasionally, and there are other saints that inspire me personally much more than she.
So believe me when I tell you that this is a real gem of a book. I'm a fan of Romano Guardini because he is so good at precisely what you find here: inspiring us, opening our minds to further reverent inquiry, and offering sensible, achievable practices to draw us closer to God. Best of all he's not sappy.
This book is practically perfect for reflecting on Mary's role in our salvation and for coming closer to Christ in the rosary. I keep it on my Kindle for that very reason.
October 20, 2013
It was really hard for me to decide how many stars to give this one. It's insightful, but SHORT. Really short. I calculated approximately 18,000 words.
The publisher's website states that the length is 164 pages, but the epub edition is 66 pages; the Kindle is 70 pages. Text begins on page 9 and ends on page 60. A full page of text is 360 words (according to Adobe Digital Editions) so that's how I'm coming up with that number. (As for what they did to the print book to make up a hundred pages...I have no idea.) The book is priced similar to a full-length book, though, and I feel that's deceptive. The publisher offered me a refund, but I turned it down because I was already reading the book.
The text itself is dense but very practical. Unlike some rosary books that go off on flights of fancy or endless praise that makes you feel oddly disconnected from the incidents you're reading about, Guardini is grounded and straightforward. I liked that about the book. I found it insightful, and I think it would be a good introduction to the rosary for anyone who isn't really in love with the idea of starting it but wants to get a sense of what's going on. Or, on the other hand, you could have prayed the rosary every day for the last seven years and still find new insights in this book.
Additionally, if a non-Catholic wanted to start praying the rosary, I think this would be a great introduction. He even provies meditations on two alternate Glorious Mysteries if someone is adverse to the Assumption and the Coronation.
Guardini is respectful without being gushy, in other words, and I found that refreshing.
The book loses a star because of the packaging. It would be a nice addition to a parish library, for example, but at the length, I don't think the price point is justified, and I certainly don't think the publisher should have given the print page count without giving the ebook page count as well, so we could see the disparity.
The publisher's website states that the length is 164 pages, but the epub edition is 66 pages; the Kindle is 70 pages. Text begins on page 9 and ends on page 60. A full page of text is 360 words (according to Adobe Digital Editions) so that's how I'm coming up with that number. (As for what they did to the print book to make up a hundred pages...I have no idea.) The book is priced similar to a full-length book, though, and I feel that's deceptive. The publisher offered me a refund, but I turned it down because I was already reading the book.
The text itself is dense but very practical. Unlike some rosary books that go off on flights of fancy or endless praise that makes you feel oddly disconnected from the incidents you're reading about, Guardini is grounded and straightforward. I liked that about the book. I found it insightful, and I think it would be a good introduction to the rosary for anyone who isn't really in love with the idea of starting it but wants to get a sense of what's going on. Or, on the other hand, you could have prayed the rosary every day for the last seven years and still find new insights in this book.
Additionally, if a non-Catholic wanted to start praying the rosary, I think this would be a great introduction. He even provies meditations on two alternate Glorious Mysteries if someone is adverse to the Assumption and the Coronation.
Guardini is respectful without being gushy, in other words, and I found that refreshing.
The book loses a star because of the packaging. It would be a nice addition to a parish library, for example, but at the length, I don't think the price point is justified, and I certainly don't think the publisher should have given the print page count without giving the ebook page count as well, so we could see the disparity.
March 30, 2021
Very good, somewhat phenomenological, account of the Rosary. I recommend for those who find it difficult to find a foothold when praying the Rosary.
September 17, 2025
"The Secret of The Rosary" is arguably the best rosary book. I have been in search for books like it; This is one of the better ones I've found.
While reading "The Presence of Grace and other Book Reviews by Flannery O'Connor", I found her book review on Guardini's "The Rosary of our Lady":
The Bulletin, April 28, 1955.
The first noticeable characteristics of monsignor Guardini's writing is the total absence of pious cliche. When he considers the doctrine or liturgy or practice of the Church, he rethinks these in the light of modern difficulties and preoccupations. This is often attempted with less success because the attempt is made by one who sees these difficulties and preoccupations as being those of another. With Monsignor Guardini, one feels that these difficulties are his own, that he does not stand on a height above the modern mind coping with its own agonizing problems but infused with grace.
When he turns his attention to the Rosary then, it is not to recommend its daily recitation whole as a cure-all for every spiritual infirmity, but to rediscover how it should be prayed and to relate the mysterious to the growth of Christ in the individual. "The Rosary is not a road, but a place, and it has no goal but a depth. To linger in it has great compensations." It is concerned with Christ as His existence was made possible by the consent of His mother, and Monsignor Guardini shows that it should relate in meditation to the birth and growth of Christ in the person praying as these are made by his consent.
He considers that the basis for all exaggerations about Mary is her uniqueness but he feels that these exaggerations are useless and harmful "because the simpler the word expressing a truth, the more tremendous and at the same time the more deeply realized do the facts become." This sums up the effect of his own writing. He proceeds slowly and with a simplicity that reveals a depth of meaning to the reader who is likewise wiling to be in no hurry. Monsignor Guardini has written extensively on Dostoevsky and one feels this wealth of cultural background in his spiritual writing. "
While reading "The Presence of Grace and other Book Reviews by Flannery O'Connor", I found her book review on Guardini's "The Rosary of our Lady":
The Bulletin, April 28, 1955.
The first noticeable characteristics of monsignor Guardini's writing is the total absence of pious cliche. When he considers the doctrine or liturgy or practice of the Church, he rethinks these in the light of modern difficulties and preoccupations. This is often attempted with less success because the attempt is made by one who sees these difficulties and preoccupations as being those of another. With Monsignor Guardini, one feels that these difficulties are his own, that he does not stand on a height above the modern mind coping with its own agonizing problems but infused with grace.
When he turns his attention to the Rosary then, it is not to recommend its daily recitation whole as a cure-all for every spiritual infirmity, but to rediscover how it should be prayed and to relate the mysterious to the growth of Christ in the individual. "The Rosary is not a road, but a place, and it has no goal but a depth. To linger in it has great compensations." It is concerned with Christ as His existence was made possible by the consent of His mother, and Monsignor Guardini shows that it should relate in meditation to the birth and growth of Christ in the person praying as these are made by his consent.
He considers that the basis for all exaggerations about Mary is her uniqueness but he feels that these exaggerations are useless and harmful "because the simpler the word expressing a truth, the more tremendous and at the same time the more deeply realized do the facts become." This sums up the effect of his own writing. He proceeds slowly and with a simplicity that reveals a depth of meaning to the reader who is likewise wiling to be in no hurry. Monsignor Guardini has written extensively on Dostoevsky and one feels this wealth of cultural background in his spiritual writing. "
January 22, 2020
This short book is written in simple easy-to-understand language, but it comes from a very deep well. I find myself returning to it again and again in my daily prayer time. It is an invaluable companion to anyone who prays the rosary or who wishes to understand this ancient cycle of prayers.
December 15, 2013
Great and insightful book.
March 19, 2024
Great background reading. Guardini wrote this book in the 1950s before Vatican II, but he was a leading spirit at the Council. His approach reflects the post-Vatican II approach, rather than the much more Marian focus of the '30s and '40s.
Mostly background reading, but also useful. He suggests a Christ-centered sentence, beginning with "who ...," after the first half of each Hail Mary. You can use it without the second half of the Hail Mary, or following whatever substitute you want to use. His comments are also short enough that you can read them after the mystery is announced. Highly recommended.
Mostly background reading, but also useful. He suggests a Christ-centered sentence, beginning with "who ...," after the first half of each Hail Mary. You can use it without the second half of the Hail Mary, or following whatever substitute you want to use. His comments are also short enough that you can read them after the mystery is announced. Highly recommended.
June 22, 2017
Fantastic meditations
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book- but the meditations on the 3 traditional mysteries of the Rosary are fantastic and well worth the read. Do yourself a favor and read it
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book- but the meditations on the 3 traditional mysteries of the Rosary are fantastic and well worth the read. Do yourself a favor and read it
April 28, 2025
Wonderful short book. To be read and meditated upon little by little day by day. "The start and goal of all spiritual movement is the Father. So the prayer to Him is placed at the beginning of each decade [of the Rosary]."
Read
October 1, 2020very informative
August 19, 2022
I MUCH preferred his Art of Praying, altho there were some interesting gems in this one.
September 30, 2022
Not bad. Definitely some good insights but I can’t imagine recommending to someone.
February 3, 2025
Recommended for those especially who struggle withe rosary, as I do. It is thought provoking and has helped deepen my praying of the rosary.
Want to read
December 14, 2009Mentioned by Patrick Madrid in Search and Rescue.
July 3, 2015
Well written, very enlightening
This book is a must read for all seeking understanding of God's word and depth in their relationship with God.
This book is a must read for all seeking understanding of God's word and depth in their relationship with God.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews