Everything Starts from Prayer

Everything Starts from Prayer by Teresa, of Avila, Saint. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781940468617.

At the Home for the Dying in Calcutta, Mother Teresa often cared for the residents as they approached the end. As she was ministering to one illness-ravaged man, a visitor overheard her whisper a few words to him. These few words embody Mother Teresas spiritual wisdom. This is what she said: You say a prayer in your religion, and I will say a prayer as I know it. Together we will say this prayer and it will be something beautiful for God. These gentle words of solace and care provide us with a glimpse of at a Mother Teresa weve often overlooked: Mother Teresa, the universal teacher of prayer. The world has admired the Mother Teresa who devoted her life to caring for the poorest of the poor everywhere. But her close associates knew that all of Mother Teresas out activity of caring and action was the natural consequence of her devotion, the overflow of her deep inner life. They witnessed her reliance upon contemplative practice, and they recognized Mother Teresa not only as a devout Catholic, but also a great ecumenical teacher of prayer. With this deeply profound collection of her writings on prayer, meditation, and silence, the nun now recognized as Saint Teresa offers guidance and inspiration for people of all faiths, or none, seeking to walk a spiritual path. Everything Starts from Prayer simultaneously offers Saint Teresas spiritual guidance and provides a step-by-step introduction to prayer. The book organizes her inspirational teachings into six distinct meditations on the spiritual life integrating prayer, love, faith, and service: 1. The Need to Pray 2. Starting with Silence 3. Like a Little Child 4. Opening Your Heart 5. Ending with Silence 6. The Fruit of Prayer