What You Don’t Know About Prayer
Let’s be honest. You probably think you’re doing fine in your prayer life. And perhaps you are. But is your prayer life actually deepening and growing? St. Bernard famously said, “He who does not advance, falls back.” What if there’s more to prayer than what you experience now? God wants all of us to pray like saints. What’s holding you back from reaching the heights of prayer that God is calling you to?
Don’t Just Pray More, Pray Better.
Prayer is essential to our spiritual life, yet it is one of the hardest things for us to do. If you’ve ever tried to maintain a consistent and meaningful prayer life, you know how difficult it can be.
In order to pray well as faithful Catholics, we must draw from how the Holy Spirit has taught the Church to pray over the centuries.
School of Prayer is a 30-day devotional series to help you advance your prayer life farther than you ever realized you could. In this series you will study prayer in the universal Catholic Church as taught by scripture, papal encyclicals, catechisms, the saints and spiritual masters from the East and West, and more.
This includes:
- The two things necessary for true prayer
- The four different kinds of prayer
- The three levels of prayer
- How to identify and overcome the common obstacles to prayer growth
- Practical tips for developing better habits of prayer
- How to pray as a family
- …and much more!
Get practical instruction that will help you pray better—now and for the rest of your life.
How Does It Work?
For each of the 30 days of this series you will receive an email linking you to new daily content posted right here at GoodCatholic.com. You’ll also have access to all 30 sessions immediately, if you’d like to go at your own pace. You can repeat the series as often as you wish for one full year.
Don’t wait! Subscribe today.
Series Contributors
Father Joseph Matlak
Fr. Joseph Matlak serves as Administrator of St. Basil the Great Eastern Catholic Parish in Charlotte, North Carolina, and as Chaplain of Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. He was born in Dunstable, England. His undergraduate studies in Ancient History at King’s College London led him to focus on the history and theology of Byzantium. He completed priestly formation for the Eparchy of St. Josaphat at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., and was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 2015 at St. Josaphat Cathedral in Parma, Ohio. Fr. Matlak has a unique priesthood in that he has faculties to celebrate Holy Mass according to the Roman Rite, as well as the Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite. This has imbued him with a deep appreciation for the catholicity of the Church. Among other things, he enjoys traveling, film, theater, music, and history.
Gretchen Filz, O.P.
Gretchen Filz, O.P., is a Catholic content writer with an M.A. in Christian Apologetics. As a result of her studies in theology and philosophy at an Evangelical seminary, she discovered the truth of Catholicism and entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2011. A passionate convert and Lay Dominican, Gretchen lives out her vocation through prayer, study, teaching, writing, and engaging in a variety of apostolates. Her articles have provided catechesis and inspiration for Catholics around the world. She currently works in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Whitney Hetzel
Whitney Hetzel and her husband, James, have been married for thirty-three years. They have nine children ranging in age from twelve to thirty-two. Whitney, who has been homeschooling for twenty-seven years, is an exercise enthusiast who enjoys blogging about health and fitness over at 9 Kid Fitness. But her real passion is discussing faith, family, and the challenges of putting one foot in front of the other on a daily basis, all of which she writes about at Catholic Company Magazine and the Good Catholic blog. Whitney has a B.A. in English and Journalism from Indiana University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Saint Louis University.
50 Reviews
This is a wonderful series of classes. I have trouble being silent in prayer – my mind is so restless. This series is helping, little by little.
The School of Prayer series is indeed amazing. I never knew about the Liturgy of the Hours until now and felt inspired to give it a try. It has been such a blessing! When my baby Teddy is upset and we are struggling to find peace, I open the closest Hour on my phone and pray it out loud. The effect is miraculous: Teddy stops fussing and listens. He smiles, starts looking out the window and plays. Both Mom and baby end the Hour feeling aided by God’s assistance, the Lord Who made haste to help us
I love the Points to Ponder, by Whitney Hetzel. Clarifies a lot for me. Thank you for the School of Prayer
Being a convert to the Catholic faith since 1968 when I married my husband has been a life-altering experience. I am so grateful for this “School of Prayer” series. It has been informative, illuminating and of great comfort. So many questions answered, a generous amount of comfort, the insights by Gretchen (which tells me I’m human and make mistakes too) and Fr. Matlak’s gentle guidance is beyond words of description. I could only wish that my own parish priest would be more like Fr. Matlak. This series fills in what isn’t (and never will be) present in my parish which leaves me filled with angst and anger. Thank you for such a wonderful and enlightening series. May God richly bless all of you.
Love this series. I am learning so much.
Even though the School of Prayer series has ended, it will live on with me through frequent reflection on its content. God bless all the participants and I lift up today all your prayer intentions. Thank you The Catholic Company for another excellent series. Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God have mercy of us, poor sinners.
I found myself thinking through the whole series…? wow! So that’s why we pray like this such and such? or even thinking, ?? I never knew that!?. Very enlightening and yes, so much more to learn. I am going to order some of the books that they recommended.
I have LOVED this most meaningful series! Thank you, Fr. Matlak, your insights are beautiful.
I just finished the School of Prayer. It is a wonderful series. I would recommend it for everyone. I loved it and learned so much about prayer that I did not know before. Thank you Fr. Matlak for your inspiring words!!!
I just finished School of Prayer and my heart is filled with love and gratitude. Thank you, Good Catholic, for this and all of your series. Thank you, Fr. Matlak, for your inspiration and direction. May God richly bless each and every one of you.
My mind often wanders. But as long as I try to reign in my thoughts, try to focus as best I can and show up for prayer everyday, I think I am getting a little better each day. This series is helping me do this better.
This is a wonderful series of classes. I have trouble being silent in prayer – my mind is so restless. This series is helping, little by little.