This new edition of Prayer of the Heart brings back into print a pioneering work that sold almost 70,000 copies in its first edition. George Maloney, S.J. (1924-2005), a leading exponent of the Eastern Christian spiritual tradition in the decades after Vatican II, opens up the Eastern Christian tradition of prayer--in particular the Jesus Prayer--to Western Christians in a clear and practical manner. Unmatched as a readable and comprehensive guide to Eastern spirituality during its fifteen-year history of publication, it fills a void in the spirituality market for today's readers as well.
"... parallels the prayer practices of Sufi and Christian mysticism with ease.... Vaughan-Lee's prayerful prose is poetic, inclusive, and intelligent." —Publishers Weekly Prayer of the Heart in Christian & Sufi Mysticism guides the reader through the stages of mystical prayer. Mystical prayer is a way to create a living relationship with the Divine within the heart. Drawing on Christian and Sufi sources such as St. Teresa of Avila, Attar, St. John of the Cross, and Rumi, as well as from his own experience, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee describes how prayer is first born of need, but then takes one deep within the heart, into the stages of Union and Ecstasy. Through mystical prayer, one is drawn beyond any words into the interior silence of real communion with God. Here, in the silence within the heart, a meeting and merging takes place that carries us beyond our self into the mystery of divine presence, into the secret nature of love's oneness. Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism explores the inner listening of the heart, and the secret of 'pray without ceasing' in which we discover how prayer becomes alive within the heart. Finally there is a chapter on the need at this time to pray for the Earth. How can we pray for the well-being of the Earth? How can we include the Earth in our prayers and our heart? This little book is an offering of the heart that brings together the Christian and Sufi mystical traditions in the oneness of love to which they belong. It will benefit any practitioner of prayer, anyone who is drawn to discover a relationship with God within their heart. “... with the understated simplicity of a true spiritual master, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee seamlessly weaves these complementary traditions into a single tapestry of singular power and beauty... this book offers yet another profound contribution to the collective evolution of our hearts.” —Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, from the Foreword "... draws together the Christian and Sufi traditions of mystical prayer ... Vaughan-Lee's clearly written little guide will be gratifying and absorbing for those interested in mysticism and alternate routes toward the love of God." —Library Journal “... an excellent book ... As we recover more and more of the ancient contemplative traditions, we are finding immense similarities in goal, practice, and effects. At the mystical level, we are seemingly talking about the same experience, despite our different vocabularies and styles! Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee makes this sacred journey both clear and inviting.” —Fr. Richard Rohr, Franciscan Priest, author, and founder Center for Action and Contemplation
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is an ancient practice honoring Christ as the Merciful One who is love. This special prayer book can help you grow more deeply in love with Jesus and experience the love of his Sacred Heart in your life. Written and compiled by Sr. Marianne Lorraine Trouv, FSP, it will help Catholics of all ages to enter into this very special devotion that is all about love.
What ever happened to family prayers? It's not too late to start your own tradition. This beautiful leather-bound book helps make faith and prayer a part of your life at home, at work, and everywhere you go.
To learn and understand the Our Father and Hail Mary is to learn the deepest contours of the Church's interior life, for both are prayers that come from the Holy Spirit, who is the soul of the Church. At once meditative and catechetical, The Heart of Catholic Prayer dissects the two anchors of our faith line by line in a journey into the Church's deep tradition of prayer, drawing us more deeply into the heart of the mystery of God's love. It's no coincidence the Our Father and the Hail Mary are closely intertwined in the heart of the Church. Mark Shea expertly weaves the contemporary with the historical and the theological with the practical as he opens up these most common of prayers with a fresh and penetrating perspective for all to see. Mere rote recitation of the Our Father and Hail Mary, without knowing what they mean, and why we say them, threatens to characterize God as a kind of cosmic vending machine demanding correct change. Experience the ordinary truths of the Faith that the Church has always taught, but in ways which will generate a spark of recognition in the contemporary mind. Upon completion of this book, you will never recite either of these prayers in the same way again.
In an era when you have less time yet a greater need than ever before for personal prayer, this treasured collection serves as a much-needed resource. Filled with a wide range of prayers from the rich tradition of the church, this collection is a reservoir of Catholic worship from ancient times to the present day.
Authentic prayer begins when we realize that we do not know how to pray. But what do we do after this realization? Pure Faith is a hardcover devotional written to help people deepen their interior life so that they can encounter God on a daily basis. It contains prayers for every occasion, prayers before and after Mass and Confession, prayers to various saints, and a wealth of advice on how to develop a rich prayer life.
What can Jesus teach us about praying into the heart of the Father? This powerful book shows how we can use the Scriptures to unite our hearts with God’s will. Scripture scholar Leonard DeLorenzo invites us to take a deep dive into Scripture and discover how to pray from the greatest teacher of all—Jesus.
