Teresa of Avila : Ecstasy and Common Sense

Rating:
Summary: A Fresh Perspective on Prayer
Review: You don't have to be Catholic or Christian to appreciate this survey of the life and works of St. Teresa of Avila. She had some great insight on how to pray. The author does not tell the reader what specific prayers to say. She shares St Teresa's overall approach to prayer, "not with the noise of words, but with longing". Her ideas have helped me to develop my prayer life. Tessa Bielecki did a formidable job presenting this Saint from port-Inquisition Spain in a way that is accesable and instructional for even this Jewish alcoholic in recovery. While some portions of the book contain numerous references to Christianity, her description of a broken person approaching prayer is universal in tone, and has helped me immensely.