Saint Who?
Saints Who Taught about Prayer
The final section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is dedicated to the subject of prayer. The Catechism explains this mystery using the words of Scripture. For example, the New Testament shows us how our Savior taught his disciples to pray, and the Psalter consists entirely of prayers to God.
The Catechism also cites the greatest writings of the saints. The Carmelite nun Saint Thérèse of Lisieux famously wrote in her biography: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” For saints (and would-be saints), prayer starts with a simple turning toward God, whether in praise or petition, thanksgiving or agony, confusion or joy.
Gertrude the Great and Mary Madgalene de’ Pazzi spent decades living in solitude, while Patrick of Ireland and John of Ávila traveled the countryside as preachers. However, they and all the other saints of the Church did not become experts in prayer simply because of religious vocations or favorable circumstances in life. All the saints recognized God’s invitation to spend time with him in their hearts, and, day in and day out, they said yes.
