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Prayer | What You Need to Know
The importance of prayer can hardly be overestimated. At the close of the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II said: “We well know that prayer cannot be taken for granted. We have to learn to pray: as it were learning this art ever anew from the lips of the Divine Master himself, like the first disciples: 'Lord, teach us to pray!' (Lk 11:1)."
Essential Perspective
- The Mystery and Power of Personal Prayer
- St. Teresa's Teaching on the Grades of Prayer
- Gazing on the Beauty of the Lord
Extra Reading
Any of St. Teresa of Avila's books are of course excellent spiritual reading for growth in prayer; the same is true of the author of the third item above, Fr. Thomas Dubay, who has written widely and well on prayer.
John Paul II developed the theme of the importance of prayer in the third section of his apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte.
Benedict XVI recently emphasized even to newly appointed bishops that they must Cultivate Prayer Life, Not Activism.
An excellent web site for more on prayer, specifically in union with the intentions of the Holy Father, is The Apostleship of Prayer.
Many private devotions have been recommended by the Church as aids to personal prayer, most notably the Rosary. The Church also offers her own official seasonal and daily cycle of prayer for use both privately and in groups: the Liturgy of the Hours. Both draw heavily on Scripture, which is likewise always recommended for spiritual reading and meditation. Search our library for further information.