All You Really Need To Know About Prayer You Can Learn From The Poor

by Louise Perrotta, Ferdinand G. Mahfood (Foreword), Gina Fontana (Photographer)

This book tells of one woman's first encounters with the poor of the Caribbean Islands. She shares what she discovered: that even the poorest of the poor have something to teach us about prayer.

Genres: Prayer, Christian

182 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

loved the concept and the stories but the narrative felt disconnected and lacked depth sadly.

[SaraJane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page 12: "The people whose stories appear here have made their choice, each in their own way, to be drawn by love farther and farther down that sometimes painful, always joyful, road that leads to union with God."
Page 15: "Many times we think that religion is just going to church or reciting prayers. But a child whose actions express love, sharing, and forgiveness is being religious."
Page 61: "Crying out to God lies at the heart of prayer. It recalls the basics about who God is-infinitely merciful-and who we are-desperately needy. Sometimes after receiving God's help, we forget our neediness for a while. But then along comes another crisis, another cycle of crying out, another reminder of the reality that without God we are lost."
Page 73: "Not that school, which is run by Catholic nuns, is expensive. It's just that you need shoes to go to school. And when you can barely scrape together enough money for food and shelter, shoes become a luxury you can't afford."
Page 79: "I do know that God is here sustaining us daily in so many ordinary looking ways. Often I don't see him because I'm looking for the wrong thing-some dramatic intervention, some spectacular miracle or instant solution."
Page 97: "My head may be empty of fine words with which to express my thanks, but my heart is filled with love and gratitude as I reflect on God's tender mercy."

[Jim Baesler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as part of my lenten journey during 2012...book is arranged as a series of short stories with one picture per story, each describing how prayer "transforms" the most "dire circumstances" of the poor (many tears were shed, and prayers offered, while reading this) into virtues of faith, hope, and love, and actions that flows from these virtues to create a better world. For anyone that wants to see how prayer and action live together as natural as breathing in and breathing out.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each chapter is a story about a different person. It's written very disconnected so the chapters do not really flow together.

I had high hopes for this book, and I sort of lost interest after the second story, so I skimmed/scanned the rest of the book.

It's a Catholic book based on the Nuns and Saint pictures and references.

[Carol Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really made me stop and think. There are so many people dealing with horrific life situations, yet they find the good, productive, wholesome, and holy in these situations. I have much to learn!

[Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some simple, some profound prayers of the poor and those who work among the poor in Haiti and Jamaica