Book Review: Armchair Mystic

January 13, 2005

EDITOR'S NOTE: This book review is sponsored by the Religious Education Media Center as a service to those interested in developing their own spirituality. Books featured in this column can be borrowed from the diocesan media center.

You may request this or other books by writing Deacon Larry Sitzman, Religious Education Media Center, 1821 Jackson St., Sioux City, IA 51102, e-mail him at larrys@scdiocese.org or phone (712) 255-7933.

Father John McGuirk, pastor at St. Joseph Church in Wall Lake and St. Martin Church in Odebolt, offers the review of Armchair Mystic, by author Father Mark Thibodeaux S.J., St. Anthony Messenger Press.

The title to this book is a catchy one, Armchair Mystic. We usually think of a mystic in some remote, enclosed area, not in an armchair. Father Thibodeaux writes in his introduction, "Contemplative prayer is not necessarily easy .... but ... I do not have to shave my head and join a monastery to do it." The armchair in my house is just as capable of being "holy ground" of contemplative prayer as the monastery stall of a cloistered church."

From the outset I would like to say this is a very readable, down to earth book. In a very clever way, he traces the steps of our prayer life to its deepest level while maintaining a very clear and understandable approach. For instance, he divides our growth into four different stages. First we talk to God, second we talk with God, third we listen to God and fourth we be with God.

For a teaching technique he uses a figurative person who he calls Aunt Sally. In the first phase, talking at God, he pictures himself as a four-year-old boy who just received a visit to his family from Aunt Sally. Mother instructs him to introduce himself, "tell her your name, tell her how old you are, sing your song, I'm a little teapot, and then you can go play." Many of us learn our first way of prayer by our Mom's in this way. We didn't have the capacity to sustain a conversation with God, instead we memorize and repeat over to God our vocal prayers, e.g. Hail Mary. The words we said aren't as important as the sentiments we express. All our life we will use these prayers, sometimes because we are so worried or scared, we can't talk to God.

The second phase has Aunt Sally visiting again and now we are old enough to talk. We tell all about our life, our concerns, our stories. She listens very attentively. Thus in prayer the same happens. We move to a deeper level where we share all our thoughts, needs, joys, fears, with God and we know he is listening and pleased with our deepening prayer.

The third phase is when we listen to God. Aunt Sally has now moved in with the family. At first she lets us talk, but as we become close friends to her we begin to listen to her stories, her truths. This is a big step in our prayer life. We are leaving behind our agenda and begin to listen to God. Fr. Thibodeaux develops very well how you learn to listen to God, to tell when it is God speaking, or just yourself or an evil spirit. His treatment of this is very thorough and insightful.

The final stage is being with God. Now Aunt Sally's health has fallen. She no longer is able to carry on much of a conversation, but somehow that time spent together in silence we feel closer and closer together. The last phase is what we call contemplative prayer. We do not have to do any activity, but enjoy more of God's presence and rest in His love. It doesn't matter what I do or say now as long as I am with my beloved.

I can't in this short summary describe all the contents of the book, but he has wonderful material on how to stay in solitude, how to handle distractions (best of any book I've seen on this), and countless exercises after chapters, to practice and experience the very content of the chapter. Much of what he writes comes from his own experiences. It is a book written with very solid instructions but in a very readable way. I would strongly recommend this book for priests, sister, and lay people alike. It will teach you how to pray and maybe even more important, how to teach others how to pray.