The Catholic Book Blogger
As women, we are born to love, nurture and care for others, particularly those we love. We want to be examples of love, comfort, joy, peace and holiness. But how? How can we help our loved ones in their day to day lives, while leading them to heaven, and getting ourselves there, too?
Julie Dortch Cragon has the same questions… but she has the answer! In her book Talking to God: Prayer for Catholic Women she writes: “How can we be such examples? And how can we gather the strength that we need to carry out this important call? We must turn to prayer, calling on God, his mother and the saints and angels. The heavens await our requests.”
Julie further explains. “This prayer book was written to aid you in answering this call to prayer. As you read through these prayers, reflect on ways that you might use them throughout the day. Then carry them with you as you go about your daily tasks, infusing your day with their light.”
In Talking to God: Prayers for Catholic Women
This book shows us how to prayer without ceasing. It begins with prayers to say upon rising in the morning, prayers to be said at various times throughout the day and into the night time right before we fall asleep. There is even a prayer for when we can not sleep!
Next, are prayers about every event experienced in a woman’s life, literally from birth to death, and beyond. There are prayers that cover finances to fertility, discerning a vocation to discerning in general, future to present spouse, empty womb to empty nest. Prayers for all of a woman’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs as well as prayers to help balance those needs. Julie has left no stone unturned – she invites us to invite God into every corner of our life and the lives of those we love.
These prayers unite all women in their joys and sufferings with the Blessed Mother, particularly in the final part of the book that is dedicated to Marian and other traditional Catholic prayers. I can see using this prayer book as a journal,- making notes when prayers are answered, writing the names of my loved ones next to prayers for them -and passing this prayer book on to my children.
Julie notes “Whether we are doing laundry or preparing for a board meeting, caring for children or operating on a patient, attending school or teaching school, we need God with us at all times. May we begin by joining ourselves with women around the world as we unite prayer to our works and our good works to prayer.” Count me in, Julie!
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