Lawrence G. Lovasik - Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why

The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer

How to Pray and Why

Reverend Lawrence G. Lovasik

SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS
Manchester, New Hampshire

The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer: How to Pray and Why is an abridged version of Prayer in Catholic Life (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1961) and contains editorial revisions to the original text.

Copyright 1961 Lawrence G. Lovasik; 1999 Raymond L. Lovasik

Biblical quotations that are not based on the Douay-Rheims edition of the Old and New Testaments are based on the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright 1965, 1966, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.

Papal encyclicals are quoted from the translation of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, Washington, D.C.

Printed in the United States of America

Jacket design by Lorraine Bilodeau

On the cover is a detail of Jean Francois Millets The Angelus, Musee dOrsay, Paris, France (photo courtesy of Erich Lessing / Art Resource, New York).

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Sophia Institute Press
Box 5284, Manchester, NH 03108
1-800-888-9344
www.SophiaInstitute.com

Imprimi potest:
Raymond J. Weisenberger, S.V.D., Provincial,
Girard, Pennsylvania

Nihil obstat:
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Wilfrid J. Nash, Litt.D., Censor

Imprimatur:
John Mark Gannon, D.D., D.C.L., LL.D.,
Archbishop of Erie,
September 29, 1958

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lovasik, Lawrence G. (Lawrence George), 1913
[Prayer in Catholic life] The basic book of Catholic prayer : how to pray and why / Lawrence G. Lovasik.
p. cm.Originally published: Prayer in Catholic life. New York : Macmillan, 1961.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-928832-04-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Prayer Catholic Church. 2. Catholic Church Doctrines. I. Title.BV210.2.L65 1999
248.32 dc2199-057341

Also available
from Sophia Institute Press
by the Reverend Lawrence G. Lovasik:

The Hidden Power of Kindness:
A Practical Handbook for Souls Who Dare to Transform the World, One Deed at a Time

Foreword

You cannot progress steadily toward the goal of life to know, love, and serve God without a willed dependence on God at each stage of that progress. Prayer is the expression of that willed dependence. It is, therefore, an essential means to salvation. If prayer is wanting, all other means are of no avail. Hence, it is most important that everyone has a clear and accurate notion of what real prayer is.

Our Lord told us to pray always, conviction was: There is certainly nothing more useful than prayer. This is why we should esteem it, love it much, and neglect nothing in order to do it well.

The purpose of this book is to encourage you to set about acquiring the art of praying, by equipping you with accurate notions of the nature, the role, and the subject of prayer.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Singular Vessel of Devotion, of whom St. Luke says, Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart, teach us how to pray!

Reverend Lawrence G. Lovasik

Part One

Develop an understanding of prayer

Chapter One

Understand what prayer is

Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God, to praise His goodness, to thank Him for His kindness, to acknowledge our sins and plead for pardon, to ask His aid for our salvation, and to give glory to Him.

Note the words mind and heart. Not every thought of God is a prayer. A person may spend hours thinking of God and yet not be praying. When you pray, your mind and your heart or your will are active: your mind occupies itself in thinking of God and your relation to Him; your heart or your will performs acts of worship. Your mind and your heart are, so to speak, two wings by which your soul lifts itself to God. The skylark soars high into the heavens, where it sings its beautiful songs. So, too, when you pray, your mind and heart soar heavenward; you think devoutly of God and you speak devoutly to God.

While entertaining a friend, you forget everything else. When you pray, you ought also to forget earthly things; your heart should speak only to God. Prayer is conversation with God. Thus wrote St. Clement of Alexandria in the second century. Aware of God, looking at Him with the eyes of your soul, you reach toward Him to converse with Him, to give Him what you have, to make your will one with His. You adore, praise, and thank Him. You ask for His help and His pardon. You trust God in the simplest way, confiding to Him all that you have most at heart your sorrows and joys, your hopes and fears, your desires and plans. In return, you receive from Him help, consolation, and advice.

You speak quite plainly with God of the most important matters and often without any feeling or emotion. All that matters is that you speak honestly and earnestly. You pray well when you tell God what is in your heart. Thus, prayer is communication of spirit with spirit, of man with God.

St. Francis de Sales says, The chief exercise of prayer is to speak to God and to hear God speak in the bottom of your heart. So, talk to God as simply and naturally as you talk to your mother. Be ever conscious that His love of you surpasses even hers; that to Him you owe all you have; that your whole happiness depends on His kindness and generosity; and that, since He is truly your Father, He desires to have you tell Him whatever is on your mind and in your heart.

Prayer is the simplest and most natural expression of worship. All intelligent creatures are bound to think about God and to converse with Him in other words, to pray to Him. Prayer requires no learning or eloquence. In order to pray, you need only to understand who God is and who you are; you need only to understand how great is Gods fatherly goodness and how deep your own misery. Faith will teach you all that is necessary. But your prayer, to be true prayer, must be from your heart.

You can pray to God at any time and in any place, for you are always in His presence. His love for you is always the same. Even when you are swamped with worldly cares and selfish interests, He is close to you; you will always find Him waiting to listen, ready to answer.

God is the source of all peace and joy. Prayer unites us with God. Hence, you cannot find a better means of relaxing your body and mind than by lifting up your mind and heart to God in prayer.

Through prayer, you communicate with God

It is an indescribable grace and honor to have God listen to you and allow you to seek His presence. Nowhere are you received so sincerely and so lovingly. Try to appreciate the great privilege of being able to talk with God.

Many people imagine that they are doing ever so much for the Lord when they pray. That is foolish conceit. God does not need our prayers, but we need God and His grace.

If a person has received permission to appear before our Holy Father the Pope, we say that the person has been granted an audience. Everyone regards that as a great favor and honor. When you pray, you are permitted to speak to God; He grants you an audience. Should you not often take advantage of that special favor and honor? You are permitted to go to God at any hour of the day or night; He is always ready to receive you. And if you pray now, one day you will be permitted to adore God for all eternity with the angels and the saints in Heaven.

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