A Woman's Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosary

by Maria Gallagher

Amid life's daily struggles, one can find true joy in encountering and loving the Blessed Mother and, in turn, encountering and loving her Son. We can relate to Mary as not only mother but friend, based on our mutual experiences with the mysteries of life.

Joyful Encounters with Mary speaks of the power that can be unleashed when one surrenders to God's sometimes mystifying plan. While facing various challenges - from birthing a baby to birthing a project - we can experience a peace that surpasses all understanding and leads to incomparable joy.

Joyful Encounters with Mary: A Woman's Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosary is an antidote to these tumultuous times in which faith is regularly called into question. It explores the possibility of establishing and maintaining a strong relationship with the Blessed Mother by considering how one's own life experiences mirror those of Mary. Readers are encouraged to reflect on how aspects of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary are lived out in one's own life. In this way, we can form a meaningful bond with the mother of Jesus, even if we have has had difficulty with such a relationship in the past.

In this original work, I draw upon life lessons learned from pregnancy, mentorship, motherhood, and the life-altering experience of finding a child who had gone missing. In this way, I demonstrate how the joyful mysteries have resonated in my life and can apply to the lives of other women as well.