In Into the Deep, Burke strives to make the difficult and challenging concept of prayer a simple and approachable practice.
And, I’m glad to say, he succeeds.
What Burke does so well is plant the seeds. It’s each of our responsibility, though, to water those seeds with our efforts. God will provide the sunshine and the miracle of growth.
Burke offers each of us a simple approach to prayer.
If you struggle with prayer…well, that means you’re just like the rest of us. Burke is right in the trenches with us, and he holds out his hand, offering tips, insight, advice, and, best of all, encouragement.
The book is divided into seven chapters, with an introduction and a closing. It’s not designed to be the end-all be-all of prayer, but rather your guidebook and starting point.
For example, in chapter 3, “Essential Elements for Progress in Prayer,” Burke outlines three keys to success, all of them sacred: sacred time, sacred space, and sacred attention. He gives a straightforward explanation and instructions for each.
Even my 12-year-old can put this into play. (Not that she will. But I think my college-age niece might…)
I also really appreciated chapter 5, which I think may be the part of the book that’s going to get dog-eared and highlighted the most for most people. In it, Burke goes through each of the steps of what he’s dubbed Discovery Prayer. After he explains he step, he also includes key questions, which help guide you through that step into the next step.
The marketer in me can’t help but see this process as the “Five R’s of Discovery Prayer”: Reading, Reflecting, Responding, Resting, and Resolving.
Again and again, Burke refers to prayer as a battle, and I used to not understand this. Four kids and 13 years of marriage later, I have more than a glimpse of what he means.
Which makes me appreciate his humor, too.
Because it’s not just about distractions and a scholarly approach to winning this battle (and, we hope, also the war) on our journey to holiness.
Nope. Burke has dubbed the distractions monkeys, and given that my youngest toddler is a climber and the fearless adventurer of my current days, I can’t help but laugh.
The moneys are in my head, though, too.
“The monkeys represent everything that distracts you during prayer,” Burke writes, “your memory, your will, your emotions, your desires, your frustrations, your sins, your shortcomings, your interests, your habits, your good thoughts, your bad thoughts…”
I would add, too, the physical things that distract me: the temperature (too hot! too cold!), the children (who need something! right! now!), the calls…
This book is truly a treasure, and though I would complain about its brevity, I actually appreciate that, like any good teacher, Burke has left us to engage with the material and learn for ourselves. He gives us the instruction and sits back, taking himself out of the spotlight and allowing the material to do its work.
Into the Deep is a a must-have book for Catholics of all stripes. Though it’s targeted at beginners, you might want to check it out before you consider yourself advanced and think yourself beyond it.