Why Bother Praying?

by Richard Leonard

Overview

Written by the best selling author of Where the Hell Is God, this accessible volume is for everyone who wonders how to pray, everyone who wonders what happens when you pray, and everyone who wonders if God hears our prayers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781587682278
Publisher:	Paulist Press
Publication date:	01/08/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	340 KB

Table of Contents

Foreword James Martin SJ vii

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 The Pilgrim's Progress 1

Prayer in the Here and Now 4

Prayer Is Personal 5

Prayer Is Social 10

Arguments against Belief 11

Arguments for Belief 16

Chapter 2 To Whom Are We Praying? 19

Images of God 21

Names Matter 24

Chapter 3 What Is Distinctive about Christian Prayer? 28

Praise and Thanksgiving 31

Lamentation, Crying Out in Anguish 34

Affirming Our Trust and Faith in God 36

Singing of Our Salvation 39

Waiting upon the Presence of God 41

Chapter 4 Schools of Prayer 46

Desert Spirituality 46

Benedictine Spirituality 49

Franciscan Spirituality 53

Carmelite Spirituality 55

Dominican Spirituality 58

Ignatian Spirituality 61

Chapter 5 It Comes Down to Jesus 67

Jesus Can Deal with Complex Humanity 68

If We Are Praying to Jesus, Our Relationships Are Transformed 70

Seeing the Face of Christ 75

Implications of Jesus' Face for Our Prayer 79

The Lord's Prayer 81

Chapter 6 Public Prayer 83

God Comes to Us in Our Need 84

Seven Special Helps 88

The Word of God Living Now 90

Gathering with the Assembly 92

Chapter 7 Mary 99

Mary and the Vatican Council 102

Mary in the Tradition 103

Why Bother Reclaiming Mary Now? 107

Marian Dogmas 114

Marian Apparitions 116

Mother of the Poor 117

Chapter 8 Prayer for Mission 121

Going Out to the Real World as Sinful Church 122

Knowing What We Are Doing and Where We Are Headed 125

Informing Our Prayer for Mission 134

Conclusion 141

Bibliography 145

Films upon Which to Pray 147