Books

WAYS OF PRAYING, by Father John Edwards SJ

Reviewed by Br Barry Coldrey

Contents - Sep 2013 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Catholic voters and the 2013 Federal Election Hobart's new Archbishop ready for the challenges of leadership - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Cardinal Burke: What is good liturgy? World Youth Day 2013: Pope Francis inspires Rio - Peter Westmore Oasis: Finding rapprochement and peace among the Abrahamic religions - Patrick Byrne The Church's crises old and new - Bishop James D. Conley A covenant: essence of true marriage - Anne Lastman Frassati: The Holy Terror: a model for young Catholic men - Br Barry Coldrey Letters: Natural law - Fr Bernard McGrath Letters: Anniversary of Humanae Vitae - Ken Bayliss Letters: Year of Faith - John Frey Letters: Contraception is harmful - Anne Lastman Letters: Anti-life values - Andrew Foong Letters: Abortion link - George Simpson Letters: Inconsistency - John H. Cooney Letters: Causal connection - Francis Young Books: A PILGRIM'S JOURNEY: Autobiography of Ignatius of Loyola, Joseph N. Tylenda SJ - Michael E Daniel (reviewer) Books: WAYS OF PRAYING, by Father John Edwards SJ - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: MYSTICS IN THE MAKING: Laywomen in Today's Church, by Carolyn Humphreys - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Put on Christ: Pope Francis' World Youth Day homily - Pope Francis

WAYS OF PRAYING
by Father John Edwards SJ
(Gracewing, 2012, 100pp, $19.95. ISBN: 978-0-85244-798-7)

Originally a publication of the Catholic Truth Society (England) some fifty years ago, Fr Edward's work was updated and reprinted by Family Publications in 1982 and reprinted in 2012 with only minor changes.

An English Jesuit, Fr John Edwards passed away only late last year, with this book reprinted not long before he died.

Fr Edwards encompasses a great deal of well-organised material on prayer into the book's 100 pages. In a way, it is the distilled wisdom of a priest who spent most of his ministry giving retreats, parish missions and spiritual direction.

Chapter headings include Formal Private Prayer, The Mass, the Sacrament of Penance, Group Prayer, Prayer of Petition and the Rosary. There are five appendices and suggestions for further reading. A certain amount of the material is printed in points for easy learning and retention.

This book is a mine of information and strongly recommended for priests, religious and lay people who pray regularly and wish to improve their prayer. As a fairly short book, it is just the thing for busy people. Those who have been praying for many years will find this a strikingly helpful book.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 26 No 8 (September 2013), p. 18