The Ways of Mental Prayer

If you've read St. John of the Cross, or St. Teresa, you will be quite familiar with the discussion of contemplative and mystical prayer in the book, along with the traps, pitfalls, and difficulties. Lehody quotes St. Teresa, especially, abundantly. That said, the author offers a much more systematic treatise than the others and in this way offers a more practical discussion, even if the details become to feel overwhelming after 400 pages. Highly recommended, especially for Catholics.

This is the best book, outside of the Holy Scripture, on prayer ever written.Abbott LeHodey is able to take both human-dominated prayer as well as mystical states of prayer and lay them out in an easy-to-understand scholastic style manual.Be advised that this is somewhat heavy reading. You really need to start from the beginning and read to the end, and pay careful attention to the words, as missing one thing could throw off your understanding of what he is trying to teach, or it could lead you into what would seem to be contradictions.However, read linearly, with attention, and possibly taking notes, one is able to come to a clear and concise idea on what the ascending levels of prayer are, and how one advances in them, going from a form of prayer that is active, varied, and complex, to a form of prayer that is passive, simplified, and easy -- and eventually leading up to mystical contemplation, which the latter half of the book treats.

An easier print to read than the other copy I have. Good read for Lent. Don't have to a religious to benefit from it.

I wish I could give this book 100 stars. This book pulls from the teaching of many Catholic mystics on the process of growing ever closer to Jesus. The very most basic types of Vocal prayer were taught from time we're toddlers, where some people decide to stay, which are are very important, to the "Mystical Union." The highs and lows, and you feel like you're not alone or crazy with what you experience. I can't say I've experienced everything in this book, of course, because I'm not a Saint, and each has their own personal path to reach meditation and contemplation, but reading this book is a "consolation," from God I'd gratefully say.

Still reading it and all seems good

very informative, this will really deepen your prayer life.

Enjoyed

Outstanding

One do the best books I’ve read. Well explained and outlined,

I request the author to upload this book in kindle edition, so that it will be more easy to read the difficult words in instant dictionary for fast reading in Kindle, I'll sure buy again this book if it is uploaded in kindle,and im waiting for it....

Reading this book on the advice of Fr Ripperger, the exorcist priest. Really interesting so far and looking forward to deepening my prayer life through the advice given.

Again not had time to read it yet but it is the original so it is what I wanted. ...

Good