The Mystery of Prayer (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781953170491)

In The Mystery of Prayer, Fr. Alfonso Gálvez offers a glimpse into the profound reality of mystical or contemplative prayer. He begins by asserting that contemplative prayer is not a skill to be learned but an essentially supernatural, gratuitous gift from God, granted according to His will and unattainable through human effort alone.

Fr. Gálvez draws upon the insights of the great Spanish mystics, St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, acknowledging their invaluable contributions while noting potential obscurities in their methods (St. Teresa's passivity, St. John's call to embrace "Nothing"). His deep respect for these Doctors of the Church is evident.

However, Fr. Gálvez introduces a distinct emphasis, highlighting a beautiful reality that bridges the gap between Creator and creature: the human nature of Jesus Christ. It is through Christ's humanity-His willingness to share our condition and feel our suffering-that we connect with Him and can return His love in a human way, elevated by grace. This establishes a "divine-human relationship of love."

Contemplative prayer, therefore, is presented as nothing less than love itself-a real, bilateral, and reciprocal encounter between the soul and Jesus Christ. This relationship involves a complete giving of self from both sides, mirroring the dynamics of human love beautifully portrayed in the Song of Songs, which serves as a foundation for Fr. Gálvez's thought. Suffering and joy become intertwined aspects of this intimate union.

Recognizing the limits of ordinary language to express these profound mysteries, Fr. Gálvez incorporates his own poetry, infusing the text with beauty, joy, and light. He turns prayer into a "love song," using poetry where prose falls short.

Ultimately, Fr. Gálvez wrote the book driven by his own spiritual longings and the desire to share the beauty he perceived. He acknowledges the struggles but holds onto faith and hope, trusting that "Perfect Love" awaits, sustaining the soul with a promise of "Perfect Joy."