Question for anyone with a deep prayer life

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I’ve been reading some spiritual books on the prayer life. Also, I’ve been going to Eucharistic Adoration for a year now. Is there anyone who could tell me about their prayer life, especially those who may be in the Illuminative Way? What books do you read? What suggestions can you give on advancing in this prayer life? The one book that has helped me understand the most is Fr John G. Arintero’s Mystical Evolution put out by Tan Books.

James224
 
I have found great solice in “Divine Mercy” Tan Books, also, a daily Rosary on the way to work helps ease the ride. I have the book “The Passion” which has the pictures from the movie and look at the pictures while listening to the Chaplet of the divine Mercy from the EWTN website. God Bless
 
I think it’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking more about praying than doing it! However, having said that, I cannot speak highly enough of a book called The Art of Praying, by Msgr. Romano Guardini, published by Sophia Institute Press. It’s strong stuff, very readable, but dense with wisdom, tender. It’s one of those books that you almost have to absorb, sentence by sentence, thought by thought, not just do a quick and easy read-through.

God bless you in your endeavor!
 
Hi LauraL,

Thanks so much! I wrote “The Art of Praying” down for future reference. Thanks again for sharing!

May God bless,

James224
 
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BruceH:
I have found great solice in “Divine Mercy” Tan Books, also, a daily Rosary on the way to work helps ease the ride. I have the book “The Passion” which has the pictures from the movie and look at the pictures while listening to the Chaplet of the divine Mercy from the EWTN website. God Bless
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Hi Dan,

Thanks for your info. I’ll look into the “Divine Mercy” book.

May God bless,

James224
 
You know, try praying to a saint (Like Padre Pio) first. We pray to them because they know how to pray and intercede for us (basically professional pray-ers).

Through meditation:
I pray the rosary, because the meditations lead me to the path of knowledge and greater spirituality. (Grant, we beseech thee, that by meditating on the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord.)

Through open dialogue:
I’ve recently started to converse with God again. Just like I would my own Father, yet I confide more. Openly and out loud.I ask questions and offer Him all my thoughts. I try to become like a child again, because I truly believe that’s what He wants for us to become to Him. It helps me to trust more, and open the channels for true spiritual communication.
 
Get the books of St. Teresa of Avila. Start with “The Way of Perfection” and later read “The Interior Castle”. No one except St. John of the Cross writes more profoundly about prayer, but she is down to earth, practical, and easy to understand.
 
I would also highly recommend reading Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross. It is well worth the effort!

But before that, I would recommend “Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Francis De Sales.
 
A couple more suggestions:

“In Conversation with God” by Francis Fernandez (Scepter Press–7 volume set that follows the liturgical year-- pricey but oh so good)

“Divine Intimacy” by Fr. Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen (TAN Books) awesome book on Carmelite meditation.
 
“In Conversation with God” by Francis Fernandez (Scepter Press–7 volume set that follows the liturgical year-- pricey but oh so good)

Could you elaborate on how you use the previous in your prayer life?

Peace and Grace
 
“Fire Within” by Fr. Thomas Dubay is a very coherent overview of Sts. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross with scriptural references to a deep prayer life. These are the heavy hitters of Western spirituality. I can’t recommend it more highly.

Praying the Rosary daily will fill your life with graces!

Pax Christi,

Jim
 
I came across an obscure book, Orientations, Vol.1 by John Veltri, S.J., and use it a lot for prayer. As it turns out, most of the book is available on-line. Here is a link:

sentex.net/~jveltri/home3.htm

Just a warning - Veltri does have some information on centering prayer in the book. Many of the folks on this forum are strongly opposed to this practice. I’m going to take a risk and suggest you check out the book anyway, and ask that you not judge the entire book just on the basis of those portions. Peace to all.
 
Keith
RE: In Conversation with God

Each day I read the meditation assigned to that day. There is one for every day of the year. For Sundays, there is even a meditation for each of the Lectionary Cycles A,B, and C. For weekdays there is only one choice which usually corresponds to year 1 of the weekday Lectionary cycle. 2 volumes contain readings for special feasts.

Once I have read the meditation, I continue in silent conversation with God on the specific points that I have read about. For example, today’s reading was concerned with active and passive mortification. I continued on asking God to help me find ways to put this into practice.
 
I would have to recommend the works of Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange O.P., especially “The Three Ages of the Interior Life” (2 volumes, originally published in French, and clearly for seminary students and scholars), and its abridged version “The Three Ways of the Spiritual Life” would suit a lay person, in a small volume, just over a hundred pages. He generalized the patterns in the live of four great mystics to develop his work.

I am still waiting for “Christian Perfection and Contemplation” which preceded “The Three Ages …”
 
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Chaffa55:
Just a warning - Veltri does have some information on centering prayer in the book. Many of the folks on this forum are strongly opposed to this practice…
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That is too bad. I find Centering Prayer very helpful. I recognize that my center is the Holy Spirit - I am convinced the Holy Spirit is everyones center whether the person realizes it or not.

Thanks for the link Chaffa55! I noticed it had a link to Sacred Space - one of my favorite sites for daily scripture reflection.

May the Peace of the Lord be upon you,

Nod
 
Hi Folks!

I would strongly suggest books not about prayer but books containing prayer itself. My reason for this is that there are as many books on prayer methodology as there are people. I was very weighed down by trying to learn how to pray instead of just doing it. So my suggestion would be to begin simply opening and reading from the Holy Bible as a starting point for meditation / reflection / prayer. I have personally received such insight by referring to it on how to pray, how to meditate and how to learn. I can now empathise with those who walked along the road to Emmaus with the Risen Christ. Only when you ask guidance from the Holy Spirit before settling to read a passage will your heart begin to burn within you.
If not the Bible then try the reading of the daily readings of the Mass (freely and widely available on the net) and see what the message is through them. Use this then as a theme for your daily meditation / prayer. Call it to mind many times during the day. This is true contemplation. mary and Joseph did not understand everything but the pondered. Ah. They pondered. That is what the heart was developed for. Although it involves the mind pondering takes place in the heart.
Another great method of prayer using Scripture is the Liturgy of the Hours (again on the net).
After these books I would suggest Thomas A Kempis’ “The Imitation of the Christ” and finally “The Imitation of Mary” by Alexander De Rouville.

Let me know how you get on. Of course I will add your noble quest to my prayers imploring the light of God and the guidance of our Mother Mary for you.
God Bless,
Fergal
Naas
Ireland
 
From the Eastern Catholic point of view, my pastor suggested to me to read: The Way of the Pilgrim, a book written in the late 1800’s by a Russian pilgrim.
My pastor suggested for me to say the Jesus Prayer.
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” It is to be said in conjunction with your breathing but it is NOT a Montra type of thing.

I personally blend the two between the Eastern and Western Catholic prayer life. Sometimes I sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament and say the Jesus Prayer, or a Rosary or a DIvine Mercy Chaplet. I just believe that if God thinks I’m ready to go deeper in prayer, He will show me how and when. Why worry about such matters.

Go with God!
Edwin
 
Who dares answer a thread with a question like this?! But I keep “Introduction the the Devout Life” by St. Francis De Sales on my nightstand, because he covers virtually every question and problem in a few sentences. I can flip through this book in a few minutes and feel refocused.
 
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