.
Prayer and Devotion - Catholic Rites and Practices
An excellent first stop for introductions to Catholic belief and practice.
How to Pray
By Blessed Columba Marmion, the great Benedictine abbot of the 20th century. An excerpt from his great work, Christ the Life of the Soul (1925).
The Necessity and Power of Prayer
An excellent meditation by St. Alphonsus de Liguori. Highly recommended.
An Incentive to Prayer
Cardinal Francis Spellman's 1950 reflection on the Breviary, the official prayer book of the Church, remains a fresh introduction to Catholic prayer.
A Short Catechism on Prayer
A helpful, brief outline prepared for use in adult Catholic education by Sacred Heart Church in the Seattle, Washingon Archdiocese.
Awakening to Prayer
A good introduction, by a Japenese Carmelite, Father Ichiro Okumura, O.C.D.
The Prayer of the Church
By St. Edith Stein. A complex but rewarding consideration, in which the saint argues that "The prayer of the church is the prayer of the ever-living Christ. Its prototype is Christ's prayer during his human life."
Of the Fruits to be Derived From Prayer and Meditation
An excerpt from a work by St. Peter of Alcantara, a 16th-century Spanish Franciscan.
Progress Through Mental Prayer
Father Edward Leen's classic study, designed to help the reader to develop a deeper prayer life.
The Art of Trinitarian Prayer
A reflection on Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte. By Jesus Castellano Cervera, originally published in L'Osservatore Romano.
Contemplative Prayer
A good, brief introduction. By Rev. Rodney Whitacre of Trinity School for Ministry.
Studies in Jewish Prayer
A good introduction to the origins and development of prayer in Judaism, with implications for the development of Christian prayer.
