Prayer Today: A Challenge to Overcome
CTS Notes on Prayer Book 1
Cardinal Angelo Comastri
Pope Francis (Preface)
ISBN 9781784698256
This is volume 1 of a new 8 volume set released for the Jubilee 2025. All 8 volumes have the same preface from Pope Francis. Each volume is by a different author. The books were originally released in Italian, and have since been released in Europe by the CTS, and there are forthcoming edition by Our Sunday Visitor for North American Release. The original series and the CTS editions are marked as ‘Notes on Prayer’, the OSV editions the series is called ‘Exploring Prayer’. Some of the titles are different between the two editions and one even has an Americanized name for the author. My recommendation is to get the CTS editions, they are excellent. But back to this first volume.
The description of this volume states:
““Prayer is the breath of faith; it is its most proper expression. Like a silent cry that issues from the hearts of those who believe and entrust themselves to God.” – Pope Francis
In this first of eight booklets on prayer, Cardinal Angelo Comastri draws on wisdom and anecdotes from the writings and lives of saints to show the riches prayer brings to the lives of all believers, and to remove stumbling blocks to prayer that so many people in the modern world encounter.
"What is needed are people of authentic prayer, that which inflames with a fire of only in this way is it possible to lift the world and bring it near to the heart of God."”
The chapters in this volume are:
Preface by the Pope Francis
Introduction ... A Must-Read!
Three Authoritative Reminders on the Need for Prayer
Lord, Teach Us to Pray!
St Francis of Assisi
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this volume, some of them are:
“Prayer is the breath of faith, its most proper expression. It's like a silent cry that comes out from the heart of whoever trusts and believes in God. It's not easy to find words to express this mystery. How many definitions of prayer we can gather from the saints and masters of spirituality, as well as from the reflect ions of theologians!”
“The Ordinary Jubilee of 2025 is already at the door. How to prepare ourselves for this event, so important for the life of the Church, if not by means of prayer? The year 2023 was set aside for a rediscovery of the conciliar teachings, contained especially in the four Constitutions of Vatican II.”
“This is a time when, as individuals or communities, we can rediscover the joy of praying in a variety of forms and express ions. A time of consequence enabling us to increase the certainty of our faith and trust in the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the saints. In short, a year in which we can have the experience almost of a "school of prayer'; without taking anything for granted, (or at cut-rate,) especially with regard to our way of praying, but making our own every day the words of the disciples when they asked Jesus: "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11: l ).”
“As an aid for this Year of Prayer, some short texts have been produced which, with their simple language, will make possible entry into the various dimensions of prayer. I thank the authors for their contribution and willingly place into your hands these 'notes' so that everyone can rediscover the beauty of trusting in the Lord with humility and joy.”
“If we believed in the effectiveness of prayer, we would spend a lot of time on our knees. And the world would change direction!”
“Yes, it is necessary to return to prayer! Only prayer gives God room in our lives and in the history of the world: and with God all things are possible.”
“True prayer ushers one into the Heart of God, such that one can afford to be bold and insistent.”
“Oh, if we would truly pray! John Paul I, in one of the feww catecheses that the Lord granted him exclaimed with his usual candour, "We lose many battles because we pray so little'" The Bible thoroughly agrees.”
“The conduct of Jesus is, for the disciple, an absolute norm of life. Jesus, in fact, is the Master!
Well then, no one can deny that prayer was truly the centre of Jesus's life: prayer was His breath, His horizon of reference, the wellspring of His deeds and words.”
“Charles de Foucauld (1858- 1916), deeply touched by this conduct of Jesus, fell in love with nocturnal prayer: for him the night became the customary refuge of his prayer and his most beloved time for conversation, adoration and intercession.”
“The Bible faithfully informs us: man is small! The first attitude, then, that allows us to begin a true journey of prayer is precisely this: the recognition of our smallness, the awareness of our condition as creatures.”
“And St Agostino Roscelli, a great little Genoese Priest of the nineteenth century, stated with profound theological precision, "In Paradise we will find people who were not martyrs, nor were they bishops, nor were they priests, nor were they theologians ... but we will not find a single person who was not humble."”
“Christian prayer is the ever new amazement of those who have found out that God has truly rent the heavens and become close to each of us.”
“The experience of joyful amazement is the soul of all authentic Christian prayer, so I understand why St Francis of Assisi, before the Crucifix, could not hold hack his tears; I understand why Charles de Foucauld, in the Sahara desert, spent endless nights in front of the Eucharist just to feel Love and bless Love!”
“Christian prayer sails into this ocean: into the very Love of God! There is no Christian prayer unless our poverty comes into contact with the infinite riches of the Chari ty of God.
“But when prayer is true, a river of love enters our heart and we become full of the Holy Spirit: full of the Love of God! As happened to St Francis of Assisi!”
“Fr Primo Mazzolari, in a homily one Holy Thursday, courageously said, "Around every Eucharistic Table the shadow of Judas hovers. We must be vigilant and fight so that his shadow and our shadow may not overlap! "”
“GK Chesterton said one day, "If the level of humility among men increased, even a little, you cannot imagine how good life in this world would be." This also applies to us Christians and to all men.”
“Brothers and sisters, I invite you all to return to the school of prayer. See to it that your prayer becomes more true, more nourished by the Gospel, more open to listening and less swamped by questions.”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. There were many things in this volume that caught my attention. Specifically the quotes and stories from the lives of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Pope John Paul I, Saint Charles de Foucauld, Saint Francis and Saint Mother Theresa, these stories and example are deeply moving and inspiring. For a small volume it packs a great deal of excellent information.
When I was in university, I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, there was a series of booklets by the founder Bill Bright, called Transferable Concepts, and by reading them many times you could almost memorize them and the message so that you could share it. This volume reminds me a lot of those books, but specifically geared for Catholics; and specifically on Prayer for the Jubilee year in 2025. I am planning on jumping around and not reading them in order my first time through, but already have plans to reread them again this year between Christmas and New Years and that time I will read them in order.
The description of the series on the CTS site states:
“The “Notes on Prayer” series is an inspiring collection of eight booklets from the Vatican, designed to deepen and enrich the prayer lives of Catholics as they journey through the Year of Jubilee 2025, themed “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Each booklet in this series is a powerful resource, offering spiritual guidance, reflections, and wisdom from Church teachings, Sacred Scripture, and the lives of the saints. Whether you’re seeking personal renewal or walking the path of forgiveness and reconciliation, this series will help you grow in intimacy with God during this special time of grace.”
If the others are as good as this one; we have over 700 pages of instruction on prayer. An excellent collection, these books would be good for any school, home, or church library. I can easily recommend this book and series and encourage you to give them a read!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.
Notes on Prayer Series:
1. Prayer Today: A Challenge to Overcome - Cardinal Angelo Comastri
2. Praying with the Psalms - Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi
3. The Prayer of Jesus – Juan Lopez Vergara
4. Praying with Saints and Sinners - Fr Paul Brendan Murray, OP
5. The Parables of Prayer – Msgr Antonio Pitta
6. The Church in Prayer - Carthusian Monks
7. The Prayer of Mary and the Saints Who Met Her - Sr Catherine Aubin, OP
8. The Prayer Jesus Taught Us: Our Father - Fr Ugo Vanni
…
Original Italian Editions
CTS Editions English
OSV English Editions
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