The Rosary Handbook by Mitch Finley

The Rosary Handbook: A guide for Newcomers, Old-Timers, and those in Between
by Mitch Finley

The Rosary Handbook is a wonderful book; it has a surprising amount of information to be only 141 pages. I love how this book shows the depth and meaning of each prayer. I also like the section that explains the mysteries of the Rosary, which includes Bible verses and thoughts for mediation. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the Rosary. Reading this book has given me a greater appreciation of the Rosary.

Contents

Introduction
The Rosary and you-A Perfect Match

The introduction section tells the author's story of how he came to know and love the Rosary, why he wrote The Rosary Handbook, and answers the question of who can Pray the Rosary. Which of course is anyone, but the author has a very interesting way of explaining this point.

Chapter 1
What's in it for me: Why You Should Pray the Rosary

This section is devoted to enplaning how the Rosary is a balanced, comprehensive, Christ-Centered prayer, that is Spiritually nourishing.

Chapter 2
Separating Fact from Myth: The Origins and History of the Rosary

This section separates the facts from the myths, showing the historical origin of the Rosary and how over the centuries the Rosary developed into the prayer it is today.

Chapter 3
More Than Just a String of Beads: The Prayers of the Rosary

In this section the author brakes down each prayer of the Rosary to show the true meaning and depth behind the prayers. Showing the depth and meaning within the Lord's Prayer, the Apostle's Creed, and other prayers of the Rosary.

Chapter 4
Moments for Mediation: The Twenty Mysteries of the Rosary

This section explains the meaning and depth of each of the twenty Mysteries (or Scared Events) of the Rosary. These events center on the Life, Death, And Resurrection of Jesus. The author includes Bible verses and thoughts to contemplate for each Mystery.

Chapter 5
Getting Down to Basics: How to Pray the Rosary

This section explains how to pray the Rosary in an easy to follow format.

Appendix
Putting It into Practice: Making the Rosary Your Own

This section explains how to make the Rosary you’re own prayer and how to bring the practice of praying the Rosary into our life.

A Quote From The Rosary Handbook by Mitch Finley
"In a very real since, the Rosary has everything that is most basic to a Christian outlook on life and the world around us."

This Book can be found at the link below.

Announcement: Coming Soon to ReviewTime

Soon I will be reviewing the following Titles

1. Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions: by James A. Beverley
2. The Rosary Handbook by Mitch Finley
3. How Harry Cast His Spell by John Granger (A Christian perspective on Harry Potter)

Also please vote on whether or not you would like to see other genres of books on ReviewTime. Feel free to leave comments concerning the poll on this post .

Have a Great Weekend

English Standard Version Classic Reference Edition: Published by Good News & Crossway

About the binding & cover
The cover of this Classic Reference edition has a nice leathery feel, unlike most artificial leathers. This cover is made from Trutone, an artificial leather which is soft and flexible. Trutone is a high quality artificial leather which should prove to be close in durability to bonded leather. Artificial leather book covers such as this haven't been on the market long enough to know for sure. The European hand-stitching adds to the beauty and durability of this Bible. Size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches

What’s inside?
The center-column cross-reference in this edition includes over 80,000 cross-references. This is very useful when studying God's Word. The text size of this edition is 9.5 point type, which is very readable, and would be good for devotional reading, or study. The format of this edition is double-column paragraph format, with subject headings. The ESV Classic Reference edition is a red letter edition. The paper is thin, and has a semi-transparent quality. I do not recommend using highlighters in this Bible. If you like to highlight passages I recommend crayola color pencils they work best on thin paper. The pages are edged with gold , which matches the cover & gold tone ribbon marker very well.

In the Front

1. Presentation Page
2. Family Records: Marriages, Births, Deaths
3. Table of Contents
4. Books of the Bible in Canonical Order
5. Books of the Bible in Alphabetical Order
6. Preface
7. Explanation of Features
   

In the Back

1. Table of Weights and Measures
2. Concordance with over 14,500 entries
3. 8 Detailed Maps
   

Included with this Bible is a Free ESV Bible Resource software, You can order a free CD of the program or download the program online. The program comes with two Bible translations the English Standard Version & the King James Version. The program has lots of features, and is expandable.

About this Translation
Since I am not familiar with this translation , I decided to do a little research to learn more about it. The best site I found concerning the ESV is http://www.esv.org/. I am very impressed with the amount of information I found. Below are some helpful articles found at esv.org.

Introduction to the ESV Bible

How Is the ESV Different?
This is a very interesting article it compares the ESV to other popular translations

From KJV to ESV
This article explains how the ESV is part of the KJV tradition.

Verse by Verse Comparisons
This article compares verses from the ESV with verses from other popular translations

The publisher offers many editions & styles of this translation including:ESV Thinline, Compact, Journaling Bible, ESV Classic Reference, Single Column Reference, Wide Margin, Large Print Bibles, The Daily Reading Bible, The One Year Bible, The ESV Children’s Bible, Outreach Bible , Life Discovery Bible, ESV God’s Story Bible, compact TruGrip, Metal BattleZone edition. The ESV also comes in paperback editions & in Pew & Worship editions for churches

To the best of my knowledge there isn't a Catholic Edition of the ESV.

My Personal Opinion
Personally I feel that the ESV Classic Reference edition is great for devotional reading & study.
This Bible is great for devotional reading because

1. The ESV is easy to read & understand.
2. With the word Concordance you can pick a topic, and read about it in your Bible. (with out using Google)
3. This Bible is large enough to be easily read, but light enough to carry with you to Bible study classes or church.
   

This Bible is great for study because.

1. TheCross reference system.
2. The word concordance.
3. The ESV is an essentially literal translation
   

Over all I am very impressed with the quality ,and style of this Bible. Maybe one day Crossway will print this edition with the Catholic or Orthodox Canon. Being a Catholic I would love to see how the ESV would translate the book of Judith or the story of Susanna in the 13th Chapter of Daniel (which one of my favorite Bible stories). The Classic Reference Edition would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys reading God's word. The style of this cover would make a very good gift for Father's Day.

The Bible featured in this review, along with other ESV Classic Reference Edition Bibles can be found online at the following links.

ESV Classic Reference Edition, Brown/Cordovan, Portfolio Design (The Bible Featured in This Review)

ESV Classic Reference Edition, Charcoal, Celtic Cross Design

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Hardcover (Black-Letter Edition)

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Calfskin Leather, Black (Black-Letter Edition)

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Genuine leather, Burgundy (Black-Letter Edition)

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Genuine leather, Black (Black-Letter Edition)

ESV Classic Reference Bible, TruTone, Chestnut, Eternity Design

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Genuine leather, Black, Thumb-Indexed

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Bonded leather, Black

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Genuine leather, Burgundy

ESV Classic Reference Bible, Calfskin Leather, Cordovan (Burgundy) (Black-Letter Edition)

Revised Standard Version Catholic Bible Large Print Edition: Published by Oxford University Press

About the binding & cover

This hard backed edition is very sturdy, and durable. The cover is constructed from binders boards covered with coated paper. The cover is stiff, durable, and moisture- resistant. The pages are sewn not glued, which greatly adds to the durability. This Bible is made from high quality materials, and is meant to hold up to regular use.

What’s inside?
Oxford Bibles are printed on high quality lightweight paper chosen for its strength and opacity to gain the greatest readability on the thinnest paper. This edition is printed in Korea, which is well known for their high quality printing. The text size of this edition is 13.5 point type, which is good for older readers or those who have impaired vision. This text size is also good if you plan on doing hours of study, the larger text is easier on the eyes. 13.5 point type falls in the category of extra large, which is not to be concussed with giant print. If you would like to high light in this Bible I recommend color pencils, not highlighters.

In the Front
The Imprimatur, which shows that the Catholic Church approves this translation.
Forward from the Archbishop of Westminster
Introduction to the RSV-CE
Table of Contents- Books of the Bible in Canonical Order
Abbreviations
The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verum 18 nov 1965.

In the Back
Appendix 1 Explanatory Notes
Appendix 2 List of changes to New Testament for the Catholic Edition
Prayers and Devotions of the Catholic Faith
The new 3-year cycle of reading for Sunday Mass
Reading for the major feasts of the year
Weekday Lectionary
Nine detailed maps

About this Translation.
The Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition is widely used by conservative Catholic scholars and theologians, and is accepted as one of the most accurate and literary Bible translations suitable for Catholic use. This translation uses some archaic language. This translation does not use gender-inclusive language. The Revised Standard Version stands within the tradition of the Authorized King James Version, which was updated in 1885 in the UK as the Revised Version, with an American edition known as the American Standard Version published in 1901. The latter version was revised in 1952, and known as the Revised Standard Version. The National Council of Churches, publishers of the Protestant RSV Bible, made arrangements with the Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain to print a Catholic RSV Bible. In 1965, the RSV-CE New Testament was published and in 1966, the full RSV-CE Bible. The editors of the Catholic Edition made no changes to the Old Testament text; all they did was include the seven Deuterocanonical works (also known the Apocrypha) in their traditional Catholic order. There are certain passages in the New Testament that were changed to fall inline with the Latin Vulgate. For a full list of these changes check Appendix 2 in the back of the Bible.

My Personal Opinion
I am very impressed with the quality of this Bible. I'm also impressed that Oxford guarantees this Bible against manufacturing defects, which is another testament to the quality of this Bible. I highly recommend this Bible, it costs more, but it's worth the extra money.

This Edition can be found at the following link.

Revised Standard Version Catholic Bible, Large Print Edition, Hardcover

The Bonded Leather Edition can be found at the link below.

Revised Standard Version Catholic Bible, Large Print Edition, Black Bonded Leather The Revised Standard Version dramatically shaped the course of English Bible translation work in the latter half of the twentieth century. The RSV Catholic Edition is the official English-language Bible of the Catholic Church--the translation used in official Church pronouncements and the basis for the scriptural text used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church . This superb Large Print Edition offers older or visually impaired churchgoers a highly readable Catholic Bible, with large type, clear page layout, and opaque papers. The Revised Standard Version has the traditional language beloved by Christians of all faiths, the books of the Bible are in Catholic order, and the text carries the Imprimatur of the Catholic Church. The RSV features a Presentation Section, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum ), a section of Prayers and Devotions of the Catholic Faith, a table of Weights and Measures in the Bible, and a full-color map section. The Large Print Edition also comes in multiple bindings appropriate for church use, personal study, or gift giving. Bound in durable bonded leather, the Large Print Edition of the RSV Catholic Edition is both an attractive and thoughtful gift and a lifesaver for anyone who has trouble reading. Features: Large, 13.5-point type Selection of prayers and devotions of the Catholic Church that will be familiar to all Catholics A 16-page map section An 8-page presentation and family history section Bonded leather, black Thumb-indexed Ribbon marker

The American Patriot's Bible: Published Published by Thomas Nelson

The American Patriot's Bible is a very interesting study Bible. The idea behind this study Bible is to show how the history of the United States connects with the people and events of the Bible. Through out this Bible you will find many articles about America's history & our present .

About the binding & cover
This hard backed edition is very sturdy & durable. Hard backed books are meant to hold up to regular use. Trim Size: 7.20 x 9.30 x 1.90

What’s inside?

This Bible is wonderful illustrated with lovely photos, and background designs. The paper is of good quality, and is only slightly transparent. If you would like to use high lighters, I recommend testing a small section first, to be sure that the ink won't bleed through. The font is easy to read & would be good for study.

In the Front

1. Presentation Page
2. Holy Matrimony Page
3. Husband's Family/ Wife's Family Page
4. Our Children/Our Grandchildren Page
5. Special Family History Page
6. Ancestors of Interest Page
7. Map of The United States
   
8. The Fifty States (A List of the States & when they were Admitted)
9. Military and Public Survive Page
10. Deaths of Family Members Page
    
11. The Seven Principles of the Judeo-Christian Ethic
12. Table of Contents
13. Introduction
    
14. Thanks
15. Preface to the New King James Version
16. Listing of the Books of the Bible
    

In the Back

1. Presidents of the United States of America
   
2. Subject Index
3. Concordance
4. Eight Maps

About this Translation.
The New King James Version is a modern translation of the Bible published by Thomas Nelson. Commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers, 130 respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians worked for seven years to create a completely new, modern translation of Scripture, yet one that would retain the purity and stylistic beauty of the original King James Version.

My Personal Opinion
This Study Bible is very interesting, I never knew that our former Presidents where so open about their Faith. I have found many Christian quotes from former Presidents, and other famous people from our nations history. This is truly a very interesting study Bible.

If you would like to watch a detailed video about this study Bible Please go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB44hazSQQU

The Hard-Covered Edition featured in this review can be found at the link below

The NKJV American Patriot's Bible, Hardcover

The Bonded Leather Edition can be found at the following link

The NKJV American Patriot's Bible, Bonded Leather-Blue

NASB Compact Bible, Leathertex -Cross Cover Stamp

About the binding & cover
The cover of this Compact Bible is made from Leathertex, an artificial leather which is soft to the touch. This Leathertex edition has a very nice smooth feel, which my husband really likes the feel of. Artificial leather should prove to be close in durability to bonded leather, although they haven't been on the market long enough to know for sure.
Trim Size: 4 1/16 x 6 3/16 x 3/4


What’s inside?
This Bible is black letter edition. The text size is 6.8 type, which is good size for a compact Bible. 6.8 type is very readable when compared with other compact editions. The format of this edition is double-column, verse format, with subject headings. The paper is an off white color, and is non reflective which many people like in a compact Bible. The paper also has a semi-transparent quality. I do not recommend using highlighters in this Bible. If you would like to highlight passages I recommend Crayola color pencils they work best on thin paper. This edition includes a built in navy blue marker, which matches very well with the cover. The paper is edged with gold gild, which looks very nice with the navy blue cover.

In the Front

1. Table of contents
2. Books of the Bible in alphabetical order

In the Back

1. The parables of Jesus
2. The miracles of Jesus

About this Translation.
The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901. The American Standard Version was a reversion of the King James Version. Many view the New American Standard Bible as one of the most literal translations of the 20th-century. Since its completion in 1971, the New American Standard Bible has been widely embraced by many as “the most literally accurate English translation” from the original languages
This compact Bible contains the updated New American Standard Bible.
In 1995, the Lockman Foundation reissued the NASB text as the NASB Updated Edition (or more often known, the Updated NASB or NASB95). Since then, it has become known simply as the "NASB" and has supplanted the 1971 text in most current printings (although the Thompson Chain Reference Bibles, the Open Bibles, and the Key Word Study Bibles still use the 1977 text for their NASB editions).

Introduction to the New American Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible Translation Principles

Compare Translations


The Deuterocanonical books (Also known as the Apocrypha) are not included in this compact edition of the Bible. To the best of my knowledge the Deuterocanonical books (Also known as the Apocrypha) are not included in the New American Standard Bible.


My Personal Opinion
I like the style of this cover, the design is simple yet elegant. I also like the rich navy blue color. Its always nice to see beautiful cover styles for Bibles. This edition comes in four other colors, and styles. The compact size & light weight of this Bible makes it a good choice for traveling. The New American Standard Bible Compact edition can make a very elegant gift for someone on the go.

This edition of the NASB can be found at the following link

NASB Compact Leatherflex Bible, Blue with Crossb Design

Other cover styles of this edition can be found at the links below.

NASB Compact Leatherflex Bible, Burgundy with Greek Cross Design

NASB Compact Leatherflex Bible, Brown with Diamond/Cross Design

NASB Compact Leatherflex Bible, Brown/Light Brown

NASB Compact Bible, Bonded Leather Black