--- product_id: 60181120 title: "Essence of Prayer" brand: "ruth burrowswendy beckett" price: "€ 34.77" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 12 url: https://www.desertcart.fr/products/60181120-essence-of-prayer store_origin: FR region: France --- # Essence of Prayer **Brand:** ruth burrowswendy beckett **Price:** € 34.77 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Essence of Prayer by ruth burrowswendy beckett - **How much does it cost?** € 34.77 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fr](https://www.desertcart.fr/products/60181120-essence-of-prayer) ## Best For - ruth burrowswendy beckett enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted ruth burrowswendy beckett brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Essence of Prayer - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51V+vl2FXGL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars not what you think *by P***D on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 19, 2020* Sr. Ruth Burrows (not her actual religious name) offers a nice introduction to deepening one's prayer.Using the via negativa or negative way, you first have to know what something is not in order to knowwhat it is. Most of us think prayer is about our own effort, something that we do. Rather, prayer isprimarily something that God does for us if we allow him and remove the obstacles to his presence.Prayer is not a feeling, although sometimes it may result in various religious feelings (or not). It is adecision, to live in a certain way, in love, in the commandments, as friends of Jesus. Prayer also is notan intellectual exercise, although it requires some such activity. To know Jesus, we must hear him inthe Gospels and throughout the Bible. Burrows is familiar with contemporary theologians like Catherine LaCugna.God comes down to us, so it's not necessary to "climb a ladder". Here Sr. Ruth goes into her Carmelitetradition. St. John of the Cross taught about the dark night of the senses and dark night of the soul,where certain consolations are withdrawn to bring the person closer to God. Then there is St. Teresaof Jesus, who had the profound reflection on the seven mansions as God dwells in the soul in everdeeper union. Some writers speak of the stages of purgation, illumination and union. But Burrowssays, perhaps the best place to start is with the Little Way of St. Therese the Little Flower, being aspiritual child of God.Burrows has fine insights into the great Carmelite women. Teresa had lots of personality. She wasattractive, charming, funny, and was able to direct all this toward God and his people. She requiredquiet, contemplation and meditation, separation from the world, and yet was engaged with the world,with extensive correspondence. It reminded me of Thomas Merton. She had already detached fromthe world and could be "in the world but not of the world". But the beginners need to observe therules, as new nuns to become aware of the temptations and allow God to transcend them.Therese, on the other hand, for many late moderns feels at first "flowery" and perhaps "sappy", very mucha French late 19th century woman. Her culture placed some limits on her imagination, and yet she allowedGod to do so much with her. For instance, it is clear that she knew the Bible remarkably well, such as1 Cor 12-13 with the body of Christ and the hymn to love, or the Psalms with flying away like a bird.But she did all this with a knowledge of only certain parts of the Bible. All is grace, and it's marvelousthat she has been recognized not only as a saint, a holy one, but a great teacher of the Church for all time.Her name "Therese de l'enfant Jesus et de la sainte face" contemplates Jesus at the two most vulnerablepoints of his life, his infancy and his passion.Finally, there is St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. This offers a glimpse into the humorous style of Sr. Ruth. It showshow the saints are all different, but all allow God to transform them in prayer."What of Elisabeth? Many features of her short life fit the pattern of the 'wunderkind' thus described. However,a critical, even sceptical study of her writings and of authenticated facts in her life yields the conviction that hereis the real thing, here is sanctity. She lacks, it is true, Therese's charm, her humor and playfulness. Moreover, her258 extant letters from Carmel are 'much of a muchness': read a dozen and you have read the whole lot. Their toneis uniformly 'elevated' and, when read one after another, they are, frankly, boring. The only difference in theircontent is a sensitive, compassionate allusion to her correspondent's particular anxiety or need. Yet what a warm,caring heart they reveal! Elisabeth is solemn and takes herself very seriously, but none could doubt the passionateconviction behind every word.The phenomenon of the genuine young saint always forces us to examine our ideas of holiness...It can never be ahuman achievement. Holiness is simply the gift of God's self in love, received and surrendered to in love. Elisabethlet God love her". ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars The fundamentals of Prayer from a Carmelite Sister *by K***O on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 9, 2022* This book offers a clear, concise, accessible primer on the nature and practice of prayer. Direct but not dumbed-down, the author discusses in this text her understanding of the importance and spiritual efficacy of the believer's practice and knowledge of prayer as the way of meaningful Christian living. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on Contemplative Prayer and Carmelite Spirituality *by C***D on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 15, 2014* I read Ruth Burrows' books in the 1990s while I was an Oblate of a Religious Order and liked them a lot, so I decided to revisit her writing with Essence of Prayer. I would have to say, that although my spiritual position has moved quite a bit since the 1990s, that I enjoyed this book very much. I don't know that I agreed with everything she said, or maybe it's that I now question the benefits of some aspects of the cloistered life, but I can say that I enjoyed this book greatly and even agreed with the vast majority of it. I found myself asking if I hadn't evolved as much as I thought I had or if the author has changed as well. In any event, I recommend this book if you are a person interested in contemplative prayer or Carmelite spirituality. The only criticism I really have is that the font in the Kindle edition is horrible and resembles the font used by Tan books in the 1950s and 1960s. For me, it impacted the readability of the book at times as my eyes became fatigued. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.fr/products/60181120-essence-of-prayer](https://www.desertcart.fr/products/60181120-essence-of-prayer) --- *Product available on Desertcart France* *Store origin: FR* *Last updated: 2026-05-05*