The How-to Book of Catholic Devotions: Everything You Need to Know But No One Ever Taught You - Softcover

Mike Aquilina; Regis J. Flaherty

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0879734159 ISBN 13: 9780879734152

Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor, 2000

Synopsis

De-vo-tion (di-voh-shun) n. 1. Great love or loyalty, enthusiasm, or zeal. 2. Religious worship. 3. Prayers.

You know a lot about the Catholic Church, or maybe you are just learning, but there are things that confuse you—like what to do when you pray a novena, or how to "offer up" something, exactly what the Angelus is, or any of the dozens of other devotions that set Catholics apart from other Christians. But help is here! The How-To Book of Catholic Devotions is the only book that not only provides the who, what, where, when, and why of the most time-honored traditions of the Church but also the how. In this complete guide you get:

· step-by-step guidelines to all the devotional rites and rituals of the Catholic Faith

· a history of each devotion and a reflection on its importance in the prayer life of Catholics

· succinct and salient quotes from saints and prominent members of the Church

· cautions, drawn from Scripture and Tradition, for potential temptations and distractions

· the blessings and graces associated with the devotions

If you want to learn what devotions comprise a truly Catholic life—and share those practices with others—you can’t be without The How-To Book of Catholic Devotions.

Now discover how to:

· Pray the Sign of the Cross, Morning Offering, Grace Before Meals, Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love, and many more

· Pray the Angelus

· Make First Fridays and First Saturdays

· Make a novena

· "Offer up" something

· Pray the Rosary

· Read the Bible

· Practice mental prayer

· Examine your conscience

· Fast and abstain

· Pray with sacred images

· Consecrate your life to the Sacred Heart of Jesus or the Immaculate Heart of Mary

· Make a pilgrimage

· Wear a scapular

"This charming book shows you how to plunge in and do all the things devout Catholics do. Learning to pray in Catholic ways, learning to use Catholic things like scapulars and blessings and holy water, and learning to eat fish on Friday while knowing why -- all this amounts to more than one might think. Learning the practices of faith is learning faith again, and remembering why faith is so human and so sacred, and so dear to us."-- Fr. Ronald Lawler, O.F.M. Cap. Member, Pontifical Roman Theological Academy

About this title

From the Inside Flap

From the Angelus to First Fridays, vigil candles to novenas, Catholic practice of time-honored Church traditions can be confusing.

For years, The How-To-Book of Catholic Devotions provided clarity and inspiration for the dozens of devotions that enliven and deepen the faith of Catholics. Now, the Second Edition offers even more to love in an updated text that includes: The Divine Mercy ChapletA section on St. FaustinaThe Luminous MysteriesUpdated information on technology that supports Catholic devotionUpdated prayers, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, and Marian consecrationMany more resources

Scapulars, pilgrimages, fasting and abstinence, the Rosary, prayer, sacred images learn about these subjects and many more, along with the graces and blessings associated with them, in The How-To-Book of Catholic Devotions, Second Edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Catholics could enrich their spiritual lives immeasurably by rediscovering their legacy of devotions, contend Aquilina (author of five previous books for OSV) and Flaherty (executive director of the Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Cemeteries). The authors' enthusiasm for their subject is admirable. They cover various practices--including meditation, the rosary and confession--but such ambitious scope limits the reader's full appreciation of each practice. The reader's cursory comprehension of these devotions is further hindered by the book's awkward narrative structure. Each chapter highlights several practices by describing a prayer, offering a reflection and including quotations from notable Catholics about the prayer. The authors miss chances to connect devotion to devotion. For example, the section on "How to Pray an Aspiration" (a short prayer that glorifies God) follows the section "How to Meditate" without explaining whether these practices should be independent of, or foster, each other. The final chapter focuses on the necessary ingredients of a good spiritual life: making a spiritual plan, finding direction and living one's faith. Aquilina and Flaherty are at their best here--perhaps this should have been their starting point. The book's curiously abrupt ending demonstrates its narrative problems most plainly, leaving the reader to tie up loose ends. Despite good intentions, this manual will most likely miss the opportunity to recapture Catholics' enthusiasm for their rich spiritual heritage.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0879734159
• ISBN 13: 9780879734152
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 266