Prayer

Fr. Alfonso Galvez, in a simple and comprehensive manner portrays the doctrine of such consecrated masters in the art of adoration as St. Augustine, St. John of the Cross, and St. Teresa of Avila while including the ideas of modern authors like Garrigou Lagrange. The text speaks directly to the heart, conveying traditional doctrine in contemporary language well adapted to the mentality of modern-day man. From the very beginning, Father Galvez clarifies that Prayer grows out of the need God has chosen to feel to speak to us and the need we feel to speak to Him and that The mystery of prayer is the mystery of the love God has for man. Afterward, and throughout his book, Father Galvez describes the character of prayer as a loving and mutual self-giving...communication... dialogue...the prolongation ad extra, in man, of the dialogue that takes place in the Trinity...a conversation between Lover and Beloved...a loving conversation between God and man... But more than anything else and above all, it is an outpouring of love towards the loved one... Though succinctly, all the aspects of prayer are clearly explained, to benefit anyone who seeks a life of prayer and wants to help others to do the same: If one wants Christian life to be a reality, one needs to be ready to practice prayer and to strive to get others to do the same. The more intense an individual human being's dialogue with God is, the better that person can make himself heard by others. It is a must-read for Catholics who seriously search for God.