Tag: Apostleship of Prayer

On Barb’s Bookshelf: Sacred Reading, the 2018 Guide to Daily Prayer

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Advent is more than a time to light candles at the dinner table and eat chocolates of questionable quality from behind the little windows of a cardboard calendar.

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Copyright 2013 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.

There’s much more to this holy season than shenanigans involving wax and flames. It’s the beginning of the Church year: a new year, a fresh start, a time to prepare our souls for the coming of the Savior.

This year, Advent begins December 3. But you can start getting ready now by purchasing your copy of Sacred Reading: The 2018 Guide to Daily Prayer.

 

Ave Maria Press publishes this annual prayer book, which highlights the gospel reading for each day in a simple lectio divina framework.

sacred readingDon’t let the words “lectio divina” intimidate you just because they’re Latin. This book outlines a six-step process each day for praying with that day’s gospel reading:

  1. Know that God is present and ready to converse. A short opening prayer helps you place yourself in the presence of God.
  2. Read the gospel. The entire reading is provided for you; you won’t have to search for it online or in your own Bible.
  3. Notice what you think and feel as you read the gospel. A brief summary of the reading highlights the important points.
  4. Pray as you are led for yourself and others. A prayer prompt based on the gospel gets you started; then you are directed to continue in your own words.
  5. Listen to Jesus. A short meditation written from God to you is provided; then you are invited to consider what else Jesus is saying to you.
  6. Ask God to show you how to live today. A resolution to act on the gospel wraps up your prayer time.

This easy-to-use prayer guide is appropriate for teens and adults, and provides a wonderful way to enter into the spirit of each day’s gospel readings.

Sacred Reading is available in paperback and Kindle formats. Plan ahead: it’s time to order yours now.

Copyright 2017 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS
This post contains Amazon affiliate links; your purchase through these links helps support this blog. Thank you! I was given a free review copy of this book, but no other compensation. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.

On Barb’s Bookshelf: Lenten Resources from Ave Maria Press

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Lent sure is sneaking up on me this year; it comes very early! Ash Wednesday is next week, February 10. Here are a few excellent resources for personal and family devotions, brought to you by Ave Maria Press.

sacred reading lent 2016Sacred Reading for Lent 2016, from the Apostleship of Prayer, is a pocket- or purse-sized version of the full-year edition of Sacred Reading, reviewed here. It runs from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday and contains the Gospel for the day, followed by prayer prompts in the Lectio Divina prayer method. Down-to-earth and simple to use, this book takes the mystery out of this prayer process. It’s priced at only $1.75–a bargain, considering all that is contained in the book.

 

 

stations of the cross with the eucharistic heart of jesusStations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus by William Prospero, S.J., is a unique take on the age-old Lenten devotion. I know many people who pray this devotion year-round, and these meditations can be used in either private prayer or a group Stations of the Cross prayer service. The meditations include quotes from Scripture and the Saints, and are focused on the Eucharist, bringing home the truth of Jesus’ bodily sacrifice on the Cross and in the Eucharist. This book sells for $5.95.

bringing lent home with pope francisBringing Lent Home with Pope Francis: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is the Lenten resource I needed when my kids were younger! It’s ideal for families with school-age children and could be used in elementary-school classrooms as well as in the home. For each day of Lent, this book contains:

  • a quote from Pope Francis (from homilies, General Audiences, letters and addresses, and even Twitter)
  • a Parent Reflection to ponder in advance of praying together as a family
  • a short Family Prayer to pray together (this would work well at the breakfast table)
  • a short story from Pope Francis’ life
  • suggestions for fasting and almsgiving, focused on Pope Francis’ exhortation to keep mercy in mind
  • a concluding prayer, including a special intention and a full-day focus

The Parent Reflections in this book are classic Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle: quietly encouraging and deeply faithful. Throughout the book, the fasting and almsgiving prompts are often accompanied with concrete ways to help both children and adults achieve those spiritual goals.

This book is not tied to the 2016 calendar, so the purchase price of $3.50 is a true bargain for a prayer book that can be used in Lenten seasons for years to come.

Buy these books through my Amazon links to support Franciscanmom.com!

I received review copies of these books from the publisher, but no other compensation. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.