It has been just over a year since communities and countries across the world entered their first lockdowns of the COVID-19 era. How different does the world look one year on! Instead of house churches and televised masses, Holy Week for 2021 is already looking considerably dissimilar. However, the invitation for prayer and reflection remains the same: to enter deeply into the life of Jesus Christ, continuing the ongoing work of God within us and around us, in profound transformation, deep conversion, and unconditional love.
The Christian life isn’t a process of overnight revolution, but rather a choice made every day to walk through life in relationship with God, others, and creation, centred in the person of Jesus Christ. Some days, this feels easier and more natural than others. On these other days, it can be a real and heart-wrenching struggle. The encouragement of prayer, that daily practice of authentic conversation with God, is a key part of that journey. Praying with scriptures, or the reflective musings of other people, can be significant aids to one’s own personal prayer practices. Here are some meaningful resources that might help you with your daily prayer.
Abide: Keeping Vigil with the Word of God (Macrina Wiederkehr OSB)
This beautiful book contains reflections of specific scripture passages that are gentle, profound and substantial. Here is an excerpt from the publisher’s description:
In the Gospel of John Jesus directs us, Abide in me, as I abide in you. This book is an invitation to make the Word of God your home through the practice of lectio divina. Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB, encourages you to turn the words of Scripture over in your heart as a plough turns over the soil to welcome the seed.
In these scriptural meditations, the piercing reflective questions and personal prayers lead the reader into a deeper relationship with the Divine. Aware that drawing near the Word of God requires a special kind of presence, the author invites you to breathe in the Word, wait before the Word, walk through the pages of Scripture as a pilgrim, and, finally, abide in an intimate and transforming communion with God.
The format of the book lends itself not only to daily personal prayer and reflection, but to group faith sharing as well.
Prayer for Each Day (Taizé Community)
The Taizé community, an ecumenical religious order, engages with prayer through the use of repetitive chants and scriptural passages. This book provides a series of different prayer services for use throughout the year for personal and communal prayer. These prayers are also available on its website: Prayer for Each Day.
An excerpt from the publisher’s description: Each of these prayer services for the different times of the year contains a psalm, a choice of Bible readings, intercessions and a choice of closing prayers. A detailed introduction gives practical suggestions for preparing a time of prayer in the style of Taizé.
You Are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living (Henri J. M. Nouwen)
The writings of Henri Nouwen are often used as a significant example of twentieth-century Christian mysticism within a Western context. This compilation of some of his writings provides daily reflections that reflect a deep personal relationship with God and an invitation to be immersed in the same world.
An excerpt from the publisher’s description: This daily devotional from the bestselling author of such spiritual classics as The Return of the Prodigal Son and The Wounded Healer offers deep spiritual insight into human experience, intimacy, brokeness, and mercy.
Nouwen devoted much of his later ministry to emphasizing the singular concept of our identity as the Beloved of God. In an interview, he said that he believed the central moment in Jesus's public ministry to be his baptism in the Jordan, when Jesus heard the affirmation, "You are my beloved son on whom my favor rests." "That is the core experience of Jesus," Nouwen writes. "He is reminded in a deep, deep way of who he is. . . . I think his whole life is continually claiming that identity in the midst of everything."
You Are Beloved is a daily devotional intended to empower readers to claim this truth in their own lives. Featuring the best of Nouwen's writing from previously published works, this devotional will propel the canon forward as it draws on this rich literature in new and compelling ways. It will appeal to readers already familiar with Nouwen's work as well as new readers looking for a devotional to guide them into a deeper awareness of their identity in Jesus.
An Ignatian Book of Days (Jim Manney)
An excerpt from the publisher’s description: Jim Manney’s latest book is an invitation to clearly see, feel, and experience God’s presence through an Ignatian lens in our daily lives. The only 365-daily reading book written explicitly from the point of view of Ignatian spirituality, An Ignatian Book of Days guides us to find God in all things, every day.
Manney writes in the preface: “I don’t try to define the Ignatian point of view. Rather, I try to share it. I wanted to find the most compelling Ignatian voices and let them speak for themselves. I’ll let Ignatius Loyola and the many great thinkers, writers, and saints who followed in his footsteps show you what Ignatian spirituality is.”
