Catholic Online Forum

I have two grand children in their early twenties, both agnostic. Their mother - our daughter - also agnostic, died 18 months ago. These two grandchildren still have difficulty coping and are consulting therapists. Can anyone recommend a suitable introductory book to Catholicism and prayer?

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God Bless
Ewald
"Doing the ordinary thing in an extraordinary way". (St Thérèse)

Catholicism for Dummies is supposed to be good. I've never actually read it.

Although not 'Catholic', Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom (an Orthodox Archbishop) is a book I really liked.
http://books.google.ca/books/about/Begi ... 5YIApq2vQC

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squirt
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Jamais le mal n’aura le dernier mot. La foi et l’amour déplacent les montagnes de la haine.
- Marguerite (Maggy) Barankitse

Thanks for the response. In addition I have searched everywhere for something suitable as a starter. In the end I came up with the following. Any comments and advise will be appreciated.

Dear Father in Heaven,
Please help me with . . . . (State problem). . .
Sit quietly for 5 or 10 minutes.
Thank you Father for all your blessings:
E.g. Health, Family, Friends, Nature etc.
Amen.

Note:
Within a day or so you will know what to do.
Of course God does not telephone or e-mail,
though He may get others to do it for Him

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God Bless
Ewald
"Doing the ordinary thing in an extraordinary way". (St Thérèse)

I found Thomas Dubay's "Prayer Primer" to be invaluable in helping me prepare material for RCIA and Catholic Daughters. It's very accessible and covers every form of prayer from vocal to Contemplation. It is also written by a very orthodox priest, who I believe, is now deceased.

Michael Casey's book, "Toward God" is a good read and goes through a lot of the overall historical traditions of Catholic Prayer and his book, "Sacred Reading" is specifically about praying with scripture (Lectio Divina).

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

Ewald, in my opinion, this prayer can be misleading about what Catholicism teaches. Especially the promise contained in the note. I am approaching my 74th birthday. I've been Christian all my life and Catholic for over fifty years. I pray daily for guidance. I believe God wants me to do His will and will guide me if I open myself to Him.

But, fallen, sinful human that I am, I struggle daily with ascertaining what His will is for me.

And there have been many problems in my life about which I have never been sure what to do.

Not the next day nor ever!

Along with praying for guidance, I continually pray for insight and faith

. . . and most earnestly, for forgiveness!

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In Christ,

Jim B

I will consider your position if stated with firm, well-thought-out, quiet reasoning. Hateful diatribe, ad hominem attacks and shouted rhetoric don't impress.

Thanks for the replies and advise.
My first aim is to get them to pray at all, thus acknowledging the existence of God. I must keep it as simple and as easy as possible.
I will change the note to read:-
"Within a day or so you will probably know what to do".
Thereafter, hopefully, they may be amenable to read more.
I will have a look at Fr. Dubay's and Michael Casey's books for future reference.
I am now 83, have been a catholic all my life and have been blessed by growing up in a catholic family. Hopefully I am not running out of time.

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God Bless
Ewald
"Doing the ordinary thing in an extraordinary way". (St Thérèse)

One of the books that most influenced me in my conversion from atheism/agnosticism was C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. We are all different and different things reach us in different ways, but I think that's one of the best starting points for young people (for any people really) who do not yet understand the Christian faith.

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"Wherever politics tries to be redemptive, it is promising too much. Where it wishes to do the work of God, it becomes, not divine, but demonic." Pope Benedict XVI

I thank you for your input and I wish to apologies for perhaps not being very clear.
I do have many small and large books. C S Lewis, Kreeft, Thomas Keating, Thomas Merton, Thomas a Kempis and many more.
Our two grandchildren, in their early twenties, are suffering after the death of their mother, our daughter, and are consulting therapists. Like their mother they are agnostics. The grandchildren are "not interested in religion." and, at this stage would not read a book.
So I made this little short prayer, hoping they would pick it up.

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God Bless
Ewald
"Doing the ordinary thing in an extraordinary way". (St Thérèse)