The Treasure of Prayer

by Jacques Philippe

148 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2025

About the author

Jacques Philippe was born into a Christian family on March 12, 1947 in Lorraine, France. After studying mathematics in college, he spent several years teaching and doing scientific research. In 1976, he met the then recently-founded Community of the Beatitudes and answered the Lord’s call to follow Him through this vocation (see below for more information on the Community of the Beatitudes). He then spent several years in Jerusalem and Nazareth immersing himself in the study of Hebrew and the Jewish roots of Christianity. In 1981, he traveled to Rome to study theology and canon law and also began his work as a spiritual director, working in the formation of priests and seminarians of the Community. In 1994, he returned to France, where he assumed various responsibilities including spiritual direction, the development of training in the Community, and participation in its General Council. He has also preached retreats regularly in France and abroad and has consolidated his principal retreat themes into five books on spirituality. In recent years, he has devoted himself primarily to spiritual direction, preaching retreats, and working for the development of the Community in Asia and Oceania, where he travels frequently.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Fr Philippe. This book contains essays by different authors. As expected, different authors deliver different levels of readability and perspectives. Most of the essays are wonderful reflections on prayer, deeply influenced by Carmelite spirituality. Others are turgid and frankly did nothing to enhance topic of prayer.
Each chapter finishes with spiritual exercises which may or may not be useful as reader reacts to each chapter and its effectiveness.
Still book is worth a read. It is short.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of chapters from all different authors and I LOVED and would have five starred many of the chapters. The others were just not as meaningful to me , but still good .