In your personal opinion, what is the best prayer book?

Title is pretty much the question. In your opinion what is the best prayer book a Catholic can use?

 

It’s a great question! I think answers may be swayed by how one defines and thinks of prayer. While I think there are wonderful prayer books such as the Pieta one, I immediately thought of the Bible as the best prayer book. I say this because it is the inspired Word of God. It is as alive today as it was when first written. Each verse can speak to me. I think prayer is not just me reciting words but listening to God and offering my prayer as I read. Peace.

 

Love the Pieta prayer book.

 

The Book of Psalms, in my opinion. Many times, we lack the right words to pray for each need. However, the Psalms come as an option to guide our intentions for each specific need, "with the words already prepared."

 

The Liturgy of the Hours (the Breviary). You can try it out on a Catholic App. I know it is on the, 'Imissa' App in Latin and in English. I think maybe the, 'Universalis', App

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! ~ Psalm 113:3.

https://www.liturgyofthehours.org/post/st-john-paul-ii-on-the-liturgy-of-the-hours

The Church’s teaching must be able to “dare”. It is important to introduce the faithful to the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours “which, as the public prayer of the Church, is a source of piety and nourishment for personal prayer”. It is an action that is neither individual nor “private, but is proper to the entire Body of the Church…. Thus, if the faithful are summoned for the Liturgy of the Hours and gather together, joining heart and voice, they make manifest the Church, which celebrates the mystery of Christ”. Priority attention to liturgical prayer does not vie with personal prayer but indeed implies and demands it, and harmonizes well with other forms of community prayer, especially when it is recognized and recommended by the ecclesiastic Authority. Spiritus Et Sponsa, December 4, 2003

In the Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte I expressed the hope that the Church would become more and more distinguished in the "art of prayer", learning it ever anew from the lips of the Divine Master (cf. n. 32). This effort must be expressed above all in the liturgy, the source and summit of ecclesial life. Consequently, it is important to devote greater pastoral care to promoting the Liturgy of the Hours as a prayer of the whole People of God... It is an encouraging fact that many lay people in parishes and ecclesial associations have learned to appreciate it. Nevertheless, it remains a prayer that presupposes an appropriate catechetical and biblical formation, if it is to be fully savoured. To this end, we begin today a series of catecheses on the Psalms and Canticles found in the morning prayer of Lauds. In this way I would like to encourage and help everyone to pray with the same words that Jesus used, words that for thousands of years have been part of the prayer of Israel and the Church. General Audience, March 28, 2001

 

The bible.

 

Obviously, I am required by my bishop to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. But I treasure it. How wonderful to consider that the Psalter is continuously prayed as the sun traverses through the various time zones and Catholics are continuously chanting, praying, and singing as one!

Psalm 19:4b ...He has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them...
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer!

 

To me there wasn’t one I liked enough so I complied my own. However if you don’t want to go to such lengths the Pieta prayer book is good as so is Prayers and Heavenly Promises by Joan Carrol Cruz.

 

There is also the Little Office of Our Lady which is very good for laypeople. Sometimes I think of switching from saying the rosary so often to doing the Breviary. But to be honest the rosary has gained such a place in my heart it would be like getting it ripped out to loose it.

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/little-office-of-the-bvm-draws-us-closer-to-god

“As you vigilantly school yourself in studying the psalms and in giving praise to God, I exhort you, venerable brother, and recommend that you also not omit the daily office of the blessed Mary ever virgin.” —St. Peter Damian

 

Any book that helps with meditations on the rosary.

For me nothing beats the rosary.

 

I'll add one that hasn't been mentioned:
Rosary Warfare. It's a little blue hardcover book with multiple run-throughs of the Rosary with pictures for the mysteries and meditations between every Hail Mary. It has transformed the Rosary for me, as I typically have trouble staying focused on my own.

 

I definitely recommend Holy Rosary through the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich! I love it! I got it for lent one year and it really helps loads.

It has bead by bead meditations taken from the saints writings, they are truly inspired and beautiful. I Usually just use the meditation for 1 of the beads I find that's enough to pray all 10 really focused.

https://a.co/d/06VExA4V

Its part of the Rosary with the Mystics series and the other books in it are also great.

Rosary meditations through visions of venerable Mary of Agreda
https://a.co/d/0c6PTdVT

Rosary meditations through the visions of St. Bridget of Sweden https://a.co/d/0dtnKLpY

Rosary meditations through the writings of the fathers of the church https://a.co/d/0gSesXvk

Rosary meditations through the writings of St. Alphonsus Ligouri https://a.co/d/0depsU9d

All of them have beautiful bead by bead meditation sets and they really help with distractions and they stop my mind from wandering. Highly recommended!

 

Thank you, Miles!

 

Nice to see you around here, Fr. By the way I love your YouTube channel.

 

Thanks so much for the link.

 

If we are talking about private prayer aka mental prayer aka a daily time dedicated to conversation with our Lord, I find the Magnificat daily meditation or the morning and evening prayers good to help me pray. I also find The Way by St Josemaría and his other similar books all composed of short one paragraph reflections are so well suited for prayer. And most importantly, I think the Gospels or the Psalms are the best.

 

Ultimately, my favorite is to rest quietly in silence before the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration, to gaze upon the Lord clothed in humility.

 

I just came from there. The peace that passes understanding.

 

I like the Pieta Prayer Book. Simple but covers whatever or whom ever you are praying for.