Essence of Prayer (Hiddenspring) (Paperback)

by Ruth Burrows (Author)
Key Phrases: Holy Spirit, John of the Cross, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Prayer is a word we take for granted. Ought we to do so? What do we mean by prayer? What does the word mean in the Christian context? Almost always when we talk about prayer we refer to something we do. From that standpoint, questions problems, confusion, discouragement and illusions multiply. For Ruth Burrows it is essential to correct this view.

Our Christian knowledge assures us that prayer is essentially what God does, how God addresses us, looks at us. And what God is doing for us is giving us the Divine Self in love. What then is the core of the central message of the revelation of Jesus? It is the unconditional love of God for us, for each one of us. God the unutterable, incomprehensible Mystery, the Reality of all reality, the Life of all Life. And this means that divine Love desires to communicate its Holy Self to us. This is the richness of the vision of a contemplative nun who contradicts the heresy of so much modern writing about the spiritual life--namely that we reach God by running faster. The growing fascination for the public of the contemplative and monastic life is evidence of the profound appeal of this approach. For this there is a real hunger. At its simplest we do no look for success so as to be assured that we do believe. We give ourselves over completely to divine love. Ultimately, we live for God and not for ourselves.

About the Author
Ruth Burrows is a Carmelite nun in Britain.

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: HiddenSpring (July 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587680394
• ISBN-13: 978-1587680397
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,509 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUCH NEEDED REMINDER FROM ONE WHO SHOULD KNOW, November 29, 2006

By	Peter Fennessy (Bloomfield Hills, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a collection of 19 articles, 13 of which have been previously published but have here for the first time been conveniently gathered. Despite the disparate and repetitive nature of such a collection, there is an underlying unity, and important things bear repetition. The first half of the book concerns the nature of prayer, the second half Carmelite history and the spirituality of Carmelites whose lives and doctrine illustrate those principles of prayer: Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, Elizabeth of the Trinity. Burrows is a Carmelite nun whose works include Guidelines for Mystical Prayer, Fire Upon the Earth (about Teresa of Avila), and Ascent to Love (on John of the Cross). She reminds us in particular that prayer is much more what God does in us than what we do for God. Rather than spending time worrying about methods of prayer or seeking conscious experience of grace, we need to be present in faith, trust and surrender to the Lord, allowing God to work in us. "We must remember that prayer takes place at the deepest level of our person and escapes our direct cognition; therefore we can make no judgment about it." This, of course, is a blow to our ego, and that on the whole is a good thing.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very pleased with Essence of Prayer, November 8, 2007

By	D. F. Raczkowski - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ruth Burrows provides an enlightening look at Carmelite Spirituality. And, illumines the reader to an aspect of prayer one might not think to consider, that one does not do prayer but rather, is the recipient of God's action. The book also provides for some very good history on Sts. Theresa of Avila, Elizabeth of the Trinity and Therese of Lisieux. Anyone reading this book will feel the time spent was of spiritual value.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Essence of Prayer, September 21, 2008

By	Sister T. Considine (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent collection of essays on what prayer really is and what it is not.