Everything Starts from Prayer: Mother Teresa's Meditations on Spiritual Life for People of All Faiths [Hardcover]

Mother Teresa (Author), M.D. Anthony Stern (Introduction), M.D. Larry Dossey (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

At the Home for the Dying in Calcutta, Mother Teresa often cared for the residents as they approached the end. As she was ministering to one illness-ravaged man, a visitor overheard her whisper a few words to him. These few words embody some of Mother Teresa’s most wonderful wisdom. This is what she said: You say a prayer in your religion, and I will say a prayer as I know it. Together we will say this prayer and it will be something beautiful for God.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mother Teresa was on of the great spiritual servants of our era, whose simple wisdom expressed untold depths of devotion. In this treasury of her thoughts on prayer, she offers the world another blessing." President Jimmy Carter, author of Living Faith

Using this book on prayer, please remember that Mother Teresa always prayed with her actions, her life. Mind, speech, and body in perfect oneness, that is the solid ground of authentic meditation. The moment you start praying that way, peace, love, and transformation begin to take place, within yourself and around you. You do not have to wait for the result in the future Mother Teresa says: the fruit of prayer is faith, love, service, and peace. All of these take place in the present moment. Enjoy praying with her. Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Living Buddha, Living Christ

"Mother Teresa's life was a living prayer. Her words remind us of her connection with God and how all of us can reach Him as she did." Marianne Williamson, author of Illuminated Prayers

"This book's contents and its title say it all. Whatever you are looking for starts with prayer. Hopefully you will read and learn that true prayer is not about personal desires, needs, or religions. Mother Teresa is a role model for each of us. Pray we may become what she was, and heal the world by using prayer to lead us on the path to spirituality and God." Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine and Miracles

With the publication of Everything Starts from Prayer, Mother Teresa continues to bless us from beyond the grave. These kernels of truths fro the nun of Calcutta provide food for the soul. Her messages, though short on words, are deep in wisdom and spiritual insight, and hold meaning for people of all faiths. Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla, Bishop of Cleveland, President, National Conference of Catholic Bishops

"A jewel of a bookEverything Starts from Prayer is a must for believers of all faiths and for seekers everywhere." Maurice Friedman, author of The Wisdom of the Heart: Religion and Human Wholeness

Dr. Sterns editorial hand is sure and judicious; the selection of material reveals the mystical realization behind Mother Teresas powerful encomium to prayer in an all-inclusive sense. Thus, the passages are not only spiritually inspiring (as one would, of course, expect), but intellectually compelling as well. Well done. Lou Nordstrom, American Zen Teacher, White Plum lineage

Somewhere, Mother Teresa must be smiling. Larry Dossey, from the Foreword to Everything Starts from Prayer -- Publisher Comments

About the Author

Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was one of the most important religious figures of the 20th century. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, was winner of the Noble Prize for Peace, and was described during her lifetime as "the most powerful woman in the world. She dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 170 pages
• Publisher: White Cloud Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883991250
• ISBN-13: 978-1883991258
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,302,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teachings from the Master of Prayer, March 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Everything Starts from Prayer: Mother Teresa's Meditations on Spiritual Life for People of All Faiths (Hardcover)

Prayer speaks from the heart and when done well, it can bypass our inherent prejudices and resistance. Mother Teresa knew this, and her inspirational words, just as her prayers, transcend any faith position and speak to everyone. Dr. Anthony Stern, in his inspiring book brings this great master of prayer to the average reader. Everything Starts from Prayer presents Mother Teresa's own words in an arrangement both accessible and thought provoking.

As I was reading the book I was struck by the scope and the depth of prayer that the book reveals through Mother Teresa's beautiful and powerful prose. I realized that besides being an incredibly charitable woman, who devoted her life to help the poor and the sick, she was a great master of praying, with inner knowledge and experience that surpass many other spiritual teachers. Dr. Stern arranged Mother Terasa's prayers in a way that illustrates the nature and the process of prayer and illuminates the many variations and subtleties of praying. Mother Teresa addressed many aspects of prayer, from child-like prayer to healing prayer and even to the resistance to prayer. It is particularly instructive to read the way she addressed the special pain and loneliness of modernity. Her insights into the problems of the ailing psyche from a spiritual point of view are most interesting. When talking about the narcissistic self, she tells us that there is no place for spirit where there is only self. Even God cannot put anything into what is already full. (page 54). Unlike some current spiritual ideas, which divorce spirituality from morality, Mother Teresa teaches us that spirituality and morality go hand in hand. It is easy to be proud and harsh and selfish--so easy. But we have been created for better things (page 12).

I recommend this book for anyone who takes prayer seriously, whether new to the practice or experienced. We can all learn a great deal from Mother Teresa and use her experience to further enrich our own prayer lives and learn about our (spiritual) selves. It is a book which should be read not just once, but used repeatedly as a companion to the praying person, a resource that one can refer to when looking for guidance and inspiration.

The bibliography at the end of the volume includes books on prayer from different religious perspectives and the resource list will be useful for those who are searching for in-depth experience of prayer in a monastic setting.

Mark R. Banschick, MD Adjunct Professor, Hebrew Union College

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mother Teresa is always Great - Especially on Prayer, April 25, 2001

By 

"scoobra" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everything Starts from Prayer: Mother Teresa's Meditations on Spiritual Life for People (Paperback)

This book is filled with wonderful Mother Teresa thoughts on prayer. It also contains some beautiful prayers that can easily be incorporated in to daily prayer. The collection of thoughts is concise, on point and organized effectively. Mother Teresa never disappoints.

While this book is wonderful, it is not better than "No Greater Love" by Mother Teresa. "No Greater Love" remains my number one book of her wisdom.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet book which gets to the heart of God and prayer, February 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Everything Starts from Prayer: Mother Teresa's Meditations on Spiritual Life for People of All Faiths (Hardcover)

A sweet book which covers the subject of reaching God through prayer. It is stripped of the boundaries of formal religion and gets to the heart of the matter: How to make contact with God,How to pray, Why you should pray and the nature of prayer. Mother Teresa's words are simple but rich, clear and evocative. I will return to this book again and again for guidance. The book is simple but not simplistic. It raises the spirt and guides the soul.