As the title indicates, this book is in a Q&A format. You don’t need to read it in sequence since there are cross-references in various answers to other questions dealt with in the book. Mental prayer is a prayer of the heart, not saying words written by someone else. It is fed by spiritual reading, particularly the Gospels where we encounter the person of Christ and let Him speak to our hearts through slow and prayerful reading.

Although this book has a strong Catholic focus, it can benefit any Christian who is serious about developing a deep prayer life.

Connie doesn’t state her own opinions but relies heavily on the wisdom of the Carmelite Doctors of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. She also covers current prayer “fads” which include Buddhist elements and which are very spiritually hazardous.

There was nothing in this book that I had any problem with.

I wanted to re-read the Interior Castle by St. Teresa.

It made me even more grateful for my Carmelite vocation and for the work that Connie Rossini and Dan Burke are doing to make the mystical tradition of the Church more accessible.

Blogs at Contemplative Homeschool   and has written Trusting God With St. Therese among others

It provides excellent guidance about prayer and covers the following
topics, among others:
Conditions for prayer
Listening to God in prayer
The experience of mental prayer
How Christian prayer is different from Eastern methods, which should be avoided
What is the difference between vocal prayer, mental prayer and contemplation
How to handle distractions in prayer
The nine grades of prayer
The four waters of prayer described by St. Teresa of Avila

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Created Jan 24, 2020 at 4:01pm • Submit your own review...