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"We all
have questions about prayer from time to time. We might ask,
How do I keep from being distracted during prayer? What about when I just
don't feel like praying? Why attend Mass? How could I get more out of Mass?
Why should I go to confession? How do I keep Communion from becoming
routine? Does God really care about some of the things we pray for? Does
God change his mind in answer to our prayers? Why aren't some prayers
answered? How do we make the rosary more fruitful? When does devotion to
a saint become superstition? Why do we pray to the saints? Why do we pray
for the dead?
Fink--a
married man with seven children and ten grandchildren, who has been
writing in the Catholic press for over fifty years--asks a lot of
questions like these and roots out their answers. He poses his questions
in the form of letters to Saint Francis de Sales. (Francis de Sales
published a book in 1609 titled Introduction to the Devout Life,
which started as a series of letters on prayer). Fink finds answers to
his questions not only in the writings of Francis de Sales but also in
the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in the writings of various
other saints and spiritual writers, and of course in the Bible.
If you've
ever had questions on prayer, this book is for you. It gives practical
answers to real questions in a way that everyone can easily understand."
--Gary Lauenstein, C.Ss.R. in
Liguorian, March 2004
"Letters to St. Francis de Sales: Mostly on Prayer is the witness of
a committed believer who has taken seriously the admonition of St. Paul
to pray always. This is a man who has learned how to prioritize prayer
in the context of his life as author, lecturer, publisher, editor, and
family man. He uses a unique style, patterning his book on C.S. Lewis's
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer. Fink writes his letters to St.
Francis de Sales. He offers his reactions to de Sales's instructions on
prayer along with his own thoughts, opinions, and foibles. He chooses de
Sales because Francis de Sales wrote for the laity and believed that
everyone is called to sanctity, not just priests and religious. Also, he
is one of John Francis Fink's patron saints.
The book is
conversational in style and is an easy read. It covers
such topics as vocal prayer, meditation, contemplation, liturgical
prayer, confession and communion, Scripture, prayers to Mary and the
saints, when to pray, difficulties in prayer, and finding a balanced
life.
Fink focuses
on the Second Part of the Introduction to the Devout Life by
Francis de Sales. At times he focuses on the words of de Sales and his
own efforts to interiorize the direction of this great doctor of the
Church. For example, in the chapter on meditation, he carefully reviews
the steps recommended by de Sales: place yourself in the presence of
God, acknowledge your own unworthiness and ask for God's help, use your
imagination to place yourself in the context of the mystery on which you
wish to meditate, dwell on one or more consideration that raises your
affections to God, make some practical resolutions, and conclude with
acts of thanksgiving, offering and supplication. Fink speaks of his personal
experience in using de Sales's method. He emphasizes the importance of
resolutions if meditation is going to result in spiritual
growth, especially in the correction of our faults. While this is a
critical step in the process, Fink concedes that he finds this step difficult
and the correction of faults a slow process.
Again, in the
letter on when to pray, Fink follows the guidance of
de Sales and speaks of how he integrates prayer into the fabric of his
day. He starts his day with the morning offering. After his morning
prayers, he prepares his day by anticipating what opportunities will
come his way to serve God during the day. Also, he anticipates what
temptations might come his way, recognizing the need for God's assistance
if he is to do good and avoid evil. He speaks of the importance of
ejaculatory prayer throughout the day. For example, he says a quick
"Come, Holy Spirit" before answering the phone, asking God's help to
respond well to the caller. Finally, he stresses the importance of an
examination of conscience at the end of the day.
At other
times, he expounds at length on something de Sales mentions
only in passing, such as vocal prayer, contemplation, and the rosary.
For example, in his reflections on the Hail Mary and the Rosary, Fink
stresses the context of this prayer, drawn from the biblical accounts of
the Annunciation and Visitation. He makes special note of the importance
of meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the Hail Mary as the
background mantra to meditation on the specific mystery under consideration.
He offers practical advice that comes both from his extensive
reading and his lived experience. In dealing with distractions in
prayer, he advises us that when we become aware of the distractions, we
should gently return to the focal point of our prayer. Much of his
advice is simple yet profound and helpful.
Fink
flavors his letters with wisdom he has collected along the way
from writers such a Benedict, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of
Siena, Thérèse of Lisieux, John of the Cross, Thomas Moore, C.S. Lewis,
Thomas Merton, and Henri Nouwen. He frequently quotes from the Catechism
of the Catholic Church.
Throughout,
Fink considers the difference between the twenty-first
century and the seventeenth century, which was the context of de Sales's
ministry. He deals with both the cultural and the theological differences.
For example, he reflects on the privatization of spirituality,
the emphasis on individualism in American culture, and the changing role
of women in our society. He examines such theological questions as the
regular reception of communion, which was a disputed issue in the time
of de Sales, and the more positive attitude toward sexuality reflected
in the theology of conjugal sanctity flowing from the Second Vatican
Council.
Occasionally,
there could be more Francis de Sales and less Fink. In
the chapter on "Discerning God's Will," he offers little of de Sales's
thought on the topic. He could have easily included de Sales's chapter
in the Introduction to the Devout Life on "How We Should Receive Inspiration,"
which deals with how we are to respond to God's inspirations
and how we are to know the authenticity of our inspirations. Still, on
the whole, he does a good job sharing the thinking of de Sales and his
understanding of de Sales's thought and its importance for our time.
This
little book is worth reading. The author is a living witness to
the power and the importance of prayer in the lives of believers. His
words are thoughtful and encouraging.
Fink
states that he hopes the book will encourage readers to read
the Introduction to the Devout Life. I think readers might well begin by
reading Part Two of the Introduction to the Devout Life and then read
Fink's response in Letters to St. Francis de Sales.
Letters
to St. Francis de Sales: Mostly on Prayer gives clear witness to the
fact that the Introduction to the Devout Life remains a
timeless spiritual classic and a valuable resource for every Christian
who wishes to develop a deeper and closer relationship with God."
--Francis W. Danella, OSFS in
Spiritual Life, Winter 2003
"Prayer and Questions: Through straight talk, arguments, and restatement, author John
Francis Fink has a discussion with St. Francis de Sales about how to pray. It's an
interesting way to explore prayer and all its forms and reads well and easily. In Letters to
St. Francis de Sales: Mostly on Prayer, Fink questions one of the Church's most prolific
writers and 'responds' to Francis' questions in Introduction to the Devout Life. Fink --
former president and publisher of Our Sunday Visitor -- begins by tipping his hat to CS
Lewis in acknowledgment for the format for the book (Lewis' Letters to Malcolm was his way
to explain his thoughts on prayer) and introducing St. Francis with a short biography. Fink
covers a wide variety of prayers: Contemplation, Liturgical Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours,
Prayers of Petition, Prayers to the Saints, The Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary and the Rosary, the
Psalms, each the subject of a short letter. The last three chapters move out of the realm of
specific prayers and into the theory and practice. In short, Fink discusses how to discern what
God has in store for us (our 'vocation'); overcoming difficulties in prayer and making sure to
have a balance in life." --Crux of the News, February 10, 2003
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John Francis Fink has spent more than 50 years in the Catholic Press,
including 30 years at Our Sunday Visitor, where he was president and publisher for 11
years, and 12 years as editor-in-chief of The Criterion, the newspaper of the archdiocese
of Indianapolis. As editor emeritus of The Criterion since 1997, he continues to write a
weekly column and editorials. He also writes a regular column and reviews books for the secular
newspaper The Indianapolis Star. The author of the Alba House books:
Married Saints (1999), The Doctors of
the Church, 2 vols. (2000), and American Saints (2001),
he has served as president of the Catholic Press Association and of the International Federation
of Catholic Press Associations. In 1981 he was given the Saint Francis de Sales Award by the
Catholic Press Association for his outstanding contributions to Catholic journalism. He and his
wife have seven children and ten grandchildren.