Book Reviews and More: Deepening Prayer Life Defined by Prayer - Sister Mary David Totah

Thursday, 24 April 2025

Deepening Prayer Life Defined by Prayer - Sister Mary David Totah - CTS Deeper Christianity Series

Deepening Prayer:

Life Defined by Prayer

Deeper Christianity Series

Mary David Totah

Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781860823824

eISBN 9781784693442

ASIN B073FMZR4C

CTS Booklet SP13

Deepening Prayer Life Defined by Prayer - Sister Mary David Totah - CTS Deeper Christianity Series

Over the last several years, I have read many books from the Catholic Truth Society, over 430 of them in fact, many read more than once; this all since the spring of 2018. Most were good reads; some were great reads; and a few are exceptional. This is another excellent offering, as are the others in this series I have read. It is the sixteenth in the Deeper Christianity Series that I have read, many of them have been read twice. This is the third I have read by Mary David Totah across a few of the CTS Series. This series is one of my favourites. This booklet was originally published 2006 and the eBook was released in 2017. The description of this volume is:

“Prayer is at the heart of the Christian life, but is always a battle. This booklet explores the opportunities of some of the main methods of Christian prayer, as well as the problems and pitfalls. Sr Mary David uses the wisdom of the Church Fathers to lead the reader into a deeper relationship with God.”

The chapters in the book are:

The Nature of Prayer

A Life Characterised by Prayer

An Environment for Prayer: the Bible and the Liturgy

Lectio Divina

Prayer and Liturgical Life

The Practice of Prayer

Arrow prayers

The Jesus Prayer

The Rosary

The Our Father

Trials in Prayer

Absence

Lack of feelings

Dryness or Spiritual Aridity

Distractions

From Words to Silence: the Prayer of the Heart and Contemplation

The Prayer of the Heart

Contemplation

Action and Contemplation

Active Contemplation

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, some of them are:

“Christianity is God journeying towards the world.” Christianity is a religion of revelation; it proclaims that God’s love is always drawing near to man. Christian prayer, steeped in Lectio divina and liturgy, marked by a profoundly Scriptural character, is carried out in an aura of revelation. Salvation history is the context of the Christian’s daily life.”

“That is why the most important thing is that we give time to prayer. Here it is not a question of finding time but of offering time.”

“This is how you pray continually-not by offering prayer in words, but in joining yourself to God through your whole way of life, so that your life becomes one continuous and uninterrupted prayer.” Do not reduce your prayer to words; make the totality of your life a prayer to God” (Isaac the Syrian)”

“What counts in life and in prayer is the our voluntary gift of ourselves in the love of Christ, not the enjoyment of spiritual gifts. 1 The Christian seeks God not experiences; he lives in the luminous twilight of faith.”

“Most of our conflicts and difficulties in prayer come from trying to deal with the spiritual and practical aspects of our life separately, instead of seeing them as parts of one whole.”

“The point here is that like our Christian life, Christian prayer is going to involve participating in the paschal mystery of Christ. We have to accept death sometimes in order to rise to newness of life. Trying to avoid such death is likely to lead to prayerlessness: just as in life, such avoidance leads to escapism, a lack of depth or commitment.”

“But Lectio also denotes above all a method of reading, a slow, contemplative reading which allows the word of God to become a means of union with God. Such holy reading was both a preparation for prayer and prayer itself.”

“In this practice, we soon discover that a familiar text can be used to stir up prayer, or help us in difficult times. Letting the Word of God flow in and out of the mind develops in us an aptitude for prayer that leads to a real renewal of our lives.”

“We are invited to have Christ and his mysteries not just before our eyes but in our hearts as we open ourselves to the plan of God for us, a plan which shall have its fulfilment “at the hour of our death.””

“In the seven clauses of the Lord’s prayer we have seven lessons in prayer, seven fundamental moments in a single act of communion between ourselves and the Father.”

“Lead us not into temptation, but delivers us from evil: As our life of prayer deepens, it brings with it a sense of God’s personal guidance, protection and quiet action in our lives, as well as our weakness and inclination to sin.”

“Prayer is about a relationship; the aim of prayer is to deepen our relationship with God.”

“This means that prayer is essentially a gift which we make of ourselves to God. It is all about giving and surrendering; it is not about feelings.”

“There is no question here of success or failure: prayer is always a success when we simply come with the intention to pray.”

This is an excellent volume. I have been aware of Scupolis volume and even picked up 2 different editions of it and have read both:

The Spiritual Combat - Lorenzo Scupoli

The Spiritual Combat For the 21st Century Christian - Lorenzo Scupoli

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this excellent little volume. I love how much Sister Mary draws from the saints and Catholic writers down through the ages. It is an excellent volume for personal use or to work through in a group.

This book is one I believe we really need today, in our current day and age with all that is going on in the world, and even the church. We need solid teaching on prayer to be able to intercede for friends, family, and the world; and to pray for our own growth in holiness. The CTS Deeper Christianity Series of books is written in such a way that they can easily be read in any order. Pick and choose the ones that interest you, read them in order, or jump around. I have been blessed by all the book in this series that I have read and can easily recommend this book and the series.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

For reviews of other books in the CTS Deeper Christianity Series click here.

Books in the Deeper Christianity Series:
7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
8 Deadly Sins Learning to Defend the Life of Grace

Art and Prayer

Catholic Architecture
Christian Fasting Disciplining the Body, Awakening the Spirit

Christian Meaning of Time

Deepening Prayer Life Defined by Prayer

Depths of Scripture
Desire & Delight
Faith, Hope and Love The Theological Virtues
Fruits of the Holy Spirit Living a Happy Life
Icons
Lectio Divina Spiritual Reading of the Bible
Kingdom of God