The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why [Paperback]

Lawrence G. Lovasik (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1999

Whether you've just begun to pray or have been faithfully praying for years, the wisdom in this book will help you pray better. It will rescue your prayers from distraction and superficiality and transform them into luminous occasions for communion with God. In these pages, Fr. Lawrence Lovasik clears away misunderstandings that many people have about prayer, and shows you innumerable ways you can avoid common obstacles and deepen your prayer life, no matter how much or how little you may have prayed before. You'll learn what prayer is, why it's necessary, and how to practice the essential forms of Catholic prayer. You'll discover how the Church's sacraments fortify your prayer - and how prayer, in turn, enhances your reception of the sacraments. You'll find out how to bring to your own prayers the qualities that make prayer effective. Your prayers will become more heartfelt, more focused, and more fully suffused with love for God. Soon your prayer will fill you with a divine peace and joy that no one will be able to take from you. You'll achieve the glorious aim of all prayer: union with God!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lawrence G. Lovasik (1913-1986), author of the popular Sophia Institute Press book The Hidden Power of Kindness, said that his life's ideal was to "make God more known and loved through my writing." Fr. Lovasik did missionary work in America's coal and steel regions, founded the Sisters of the Divine Spirit, a missionary congregation, and wrote numerous books and pamphlets emphasizing prayer and the Holy Eucharist.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

You cannot progress steadily toward the goal of life - to know, love, and serve God - without a willed dependence on God at each stage of that progress. Prayer is the expression of that willed dependence. It is, therefore, an essential means to salvation. If prayer is wanting, all other means are of no avail. Hence, it is most important that everyone has a clear and accurate notion of what real prayer is. Our Lord told us to "pray always," and we cannot fulfill this obligation unless we have learned the art of praying rightly. St. Augustine once said, "He knows how to live well who knows how to pray well." And St. Vincent de Paul's conviction was: "There is certainly nothing more useful than prayer. This is why we should esteem it, love it much, and neglect nothing in order to do it well." The purpose of this book is to encourage you to set about acquiring the art of praying, by equipping you with accurate notions of the nature, the role, and the subject of prayer. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Singular Vessel of Devotion, of whom St. Luke says, "Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart," teach us how to pray!

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928832040
• ISBN-13: 978-1928832041
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #909,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple truths about praying!, March 22, 2002

By 

Kevin G. Whitty "Kevin Whitty" (Oak Park, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why (Paperback)

This book is exactly what it says on the cover: "How and why to pray." Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? Well, sometimes the simple truths need to be articulated for us to grasp them. That is what this book does - it presents in easy, readable language, basic facts about Catholic praying. Its pages are full of simple common sense, but common sense is not always so common!

Do you pray to ask God for "stuff", as if God was your "Sugar Daddy"? This book has something to say to you, and you would benefit by it.

Do you doubt the power of prayer? Do you believe that one person's prayers can't amount to much? Do you have a good attitude when you pray? Do you find it difficult sometimes to pray, perhaps because of distraction or procrastination? Well, here is a book that will help you out big time!

My goodness, the simple books sometimes tend to be the best!

A great buy. Five stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basic Book of Catholic Prayer Relevant for Today, May 18, 2006

By 

Patrice Fagnant-macarthur (Springfield, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why (Paperback)

Rev. Lawrence Lovasik (1913-1986), a prolific writer of both children and adult books. He wrote "Prayer in Catholic Life" back in 1961. "The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why" is an abridged version of that original work. It is as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

Why should we pray? Fr. Lovasik answers that question by stating "you cannot progress steadily toward the goal of life - to know, love, and serve God - without a willed dependence on God at each stage of that progress. Prayer is the expression of that willed dependence." God created us to love, praise, and serve Him. Prayer helps us to achieve that aim as much as we can here on earth. Many of us pray when we are in need (petition), but neglect to give thanks, offer adoration and praise, or ask for forgiveness. Fr. Lovasik details why each form of prayer is important.

We should also pray because Jesus told us that we should pray. He gave us the "Our Father" as the ideal prayer. Fr. Lovasik urges us to say that prayer with the devotion and spirit with which it was intended. Too often we go far beyond the original meaning and create our own version, something along the lines of "Give me not only bread, but pie and ice cream and a fat checking account, so that I won't have to ask You for what I need each day." Jesus has also assured us that our prayers will be answered. Every prayer is heard. Sometimes, however, God does not answer our prayers in the way we might hope. "We often pray to God for things that we believe to be good and useful, but which would be ruinous for us. For that reason, God often refuses to give us the things for which we pray. He refuses because He loves us. Sometimes He permits us to suffer so that we may draw closer to Him."

How should we pray? Fr. Lovasik discusses both vocal and mental prayer in depth. "Vocal prayer is prayer in word or action." In vocal prayer, we connect ourselves to the whole communion of saints: those in heaven, purgatory, and others here on earth as we raises our voices to God. The Liturgy, Rosary, formulaic prayers, and simply talking to God fall under this category.

Mental prayer is meditative. It is a time to quiet the soul and listen for God. "During meditation, you grow in knowledge of your Faith and you acquire principles of right living by applying yourself to prolonged reflection on some doctrine of the Church or teaching of our Savior."

Fr. Lovasik also offers suggestions on how to "pray without ceasing," and how to deal with distractions in prayer. He also encourages us to develop a "spirit of prayer" which includes having "a great esteem for prayer, a conviction of the absolute need for prayer, and absolute confidence in the power of prayer."

"The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why" is useful for anyone who desires to know more about prayer, or who wants to deepen his or her own relationship with God through prayer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written book...., December 4, 2008

By 

Heather Henderson "CSJL08" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why (Paperback)

This is a very easy to read book. Very well organized. I found it a great resource for enhancing my prayer life. I am going through RCIA at the present time through the Catholic Church and this book has been a great asset. It's the kind of book I'll read, and re-read later on and get even more out of it.