easing, but when we try to do so, many of us simply cease without praying. We're distracted by troubles or duty or we quit just because it's late already and we're tired.

Fr. Raoul Plus's no-nonsense prayer manual, How to Pray Always, remedies these problems by dispelling the false notions of prayer we all have and showing how we can, in fact, pray without ceasing - even at times when exhaustion cripples us and cares threaten to sweep us away.

Drawing on the experience of dozens of saints, Fr. Plus explains sure ways we can recollect ourselves before prayer so that once we begin to pray, our prayers will be richer and more productive; he teaches us how to practice interior silence habitually, even in the rush and noise of the world; and he explains each of the kinds of prayer and shows when we should - and should not - employ each.

As humans, our minds are limited and it's generally hard for us to pay attention to more than a few things at once. That's why most of us aren't able to think of God or pray while we fulfill any but the most mindless of our daily duties.

No problem.

For such busy occasions (which constitute most of the time for most of us), Fr. Plus explains how we can pray without words by keeping our wills united to God even when our minds must be directed elsewhere.

In other words, How to Pray Always is one of those rare books that actually fulfills the promise of its title. It helps us become better Christians by showing us how to know, to love, and to serve God, and to live prayerfully and constantly in His loving presence.