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A Beginner's Book of Prayer: An Introduction to Traditional Catholic Prayers
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About A Beginner's Book Of Prayer: An Introduction To
Product Description Learning to pray the Catholic way can be difficult for those who are new to the faith. What are the prayers? When do we pray them? Why do we pray them? In A Beginner's Book of Prayer, esteemed prayer-book author and editor William G. Storey provides nearly 200 prayers of the Catholic Church for anyone needing an introduction to traditional Catholic prayers. The prayers are frequently placed in their historical and liturgical contexts, and the prayers are grouped by theme to make them easy to find. Anyone learning to pray, or simply wanting a better understanding of the prayers we pray, is sure to benefit from this book. About the Author William G. Storey is professor emeritus of Liturgy and Church History at the University of Notre Dame. He has compiled, translated, and edited many books of prayer, including A Prayer Book of Catholic Devotions, Novenas and The Complete Rosary (Loyola Press), and Lord, Hear Our Prayer and Hail Mary (Ave Maria Press). He currently resides in South Bend, Indiana. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction “Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18–20 This book is a collection of Christian prayers intended for new Catholics and for all others seeking a renewed experience of Catholic prayer. It is meant to give a firm grounding in the Church’s ancient traditions of prayer. It includes prayers drawn from scripture, from the liturgy of the church, from the saints, and from ancient devotional traditions. They are all traditional prayers of the Church. Most of them have been prayed in some form for centuries. Taken together they unfold the paschal mystery—Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, and his continuing presence among us. This book includes prayers that can be prayed both individually and communally. In a sense these are all communal prayers because they emerge from and draw us into the community of faith that is the Catholic Church. Many of them are explicitly communal. These include the morning and evening prayer in part 3 and several litanies, which are designed to be prayed by couples, families, and other groups of Christians. But these prayers can all be prayed privately as well. They can help an individual develop and sustain a habit of regular daily prayer that draws on the Church’s great traditions and unites the individual with the Communion of Saints. At every instant, our lives reside within the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1), with the Virgin Mary, with all the angels and saints, and in union with every person who prays in Christ and through Christ. How the Book Is Organized The first two parts of the book present prayers that are foundational for a life of prayer. They are drawn from scripture and from the Church’s tradition. Many of them can be memorized. One of the best ways to develop a life of prayer is to say prayers over and over again until they become firmly fixed in our minds and hearts. Part 3 presents morning and evening prayer, and prayers the Church prays during the special seasons of Advent, Christmastide, Lent, and the Easter season. These are derived from the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church’s formal cycle of prayers said five times a day. These prayers can be said by individuals and groups. They can be prayed out loud or silently. The prayers in parts 4 and 5 center on Jesus. As Christians we are followers of Jesus. We strive to be like him, to understand him, to act as he acts. Jesus is the center of our faith, our Savior and Lord. The prayers in part 5 unfold the paschal mystery—Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. Parts 6 and 7 invite us to pray with Mary, the Mother of God and our mother in faith. Devotion to Mary is one of the richest and most spiritually rewarding aspe
