By Seo Hilario

Another new book – collections of 34 short essays of Fr. Stefano Yang, present provincial of Korea, was published by Bible & Life editorial (www.biblelife.co.kr) in Seoul. The book of 262 pages was released recently. It’s already the third title of Fr. Yang published by the Caritas of Jesus Sisters (CSJ): Month of Blessing (2010) and Until the youngster feel they are loved (2005).

The whole book is a collection of Fr. Yang’s articles published during past three years by the Bible & Life monthly magazine. Each single essay is about five pages long with some concrete prayer suggestion, example or concrete guidance, like the last ‘Prayer Tip’ on page 262: In order to become contemplative in action:

1. Live the household works with a loving heart
2. Bless those whom you meet daily with a sing of the cross
3. Start every work asking the help of Our Lady through the Hail Mary
4. While working try to do it with love and prayer
5. Be aware about the value and meaning of your duties
6. Try to discover God who is present in the neighbor
7. Look up to heaven three times a day
8. Offer three times a day one short prayer
9. Try to find out God also in the daily negative experiences
10. When you finish some work give glory to God

First chapter introduces the beginners to basic Catholic prayers like Our Father, Rosary, Meditation, Eucharistic adoration and Way of the Cross. Second chapter helps the readers to embrace prayer as the way of self-emptying through listening - like short prayers, Lectio divina, Eucharist, recollection or retreat, praying the Bible, confession and learning from Mary. Third chapter is focused on prayer as ‘crying together’ – in front of the Christmas crib, during the pilgrimage to the martyr’s places, in the family, praying for the neighbors, prayer for good death and prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. In the last fourth chapter Fr. Stefano does teach the prayer of humble heart, prayer of listening, prayer of joy, prayer of thanksgiving, prayer in times of distraction or depression and within the busy daily life duties.

The sharing own prayer experience in very personal way makes the reading of Kind Prayer Lesson very easy, credible and attractive. For example the Lectio divina suggestions in the second chapter starts with the famous prison experience of the Servant of God Cardinal Nguyen Van Tuan (+2002) and continues with personal sharing of Fr. Stefano’s daily lectio divina experience which starts with a loud reading of the daily Gospel at the beginning of the new day. Or another personal experience shows how different look our difficult youngsters when we pray or not over them daily with short prayers of blessing.

Each page of this precious collection is a humble but convincing invitation for its readers to start to pray in the busy daily life – like those pages of ‘Introduction to the Devote Life’ (Filothea of Saint Francis de Sales) published in 1609.

Unfortunately and understandably, the book is written in korean, no English translation.