Drawing from St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, Dr. R. Thomas Richard provides a banquet of doctrinal insights for the spiritual life in The Interior Liturgy of the Our Father. He presents a glimpse of what God is about in the depths of the soul, what he calls the interior liturgy, through synthesizing the petitions of the Lord's Prayer, the structure of the Mass, and the traditional stages of spiritual growth. In addition to this, he sprinkles his work with practical spiritual exercises so that readers have an opportunity to internalize the truths he elucidates. Dr. Richard's explanation of our spiritual journey in the Trinity would benefit especially those well catechized Catholics seeking a more extensive integration of the Our Father into their prayer life. Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. Theology Professor and Academic Dean, St. John Vianney Theological Seminary Archdiocese of Denver

Thomas, I can now finally tell you my opinions … about your beautiful book. My reading confirmed my first feeling, that you manage to give a full picture of Christian life, with a very useful concern for the daily life of common Christians - this shared preoccupation was in fact the reason of our first contact. I actually think you propose a complete spiritual voyage, taking into account the main moments of every personal configuration to Christ. I'm really glad to know that your apostolic activity may diffuse those ideals, at the same time wide and practical. I'm discovering the strength and vitality of Catholicism in America, so many personal and collective activities, faithful to God and His Church, and I'm thankful to have been able to know your apostolate and your book. Many praises, you will say, but it is how I feel. …. Your parallelism between Saint Theresa of Avila and the petitions of the Our Father is illuminating - we have already spoken on this …. Fr. Laurent Touze Theologian, Lecturer in Spiritual Theology Pontifical University of the Holy Cross Rome

This book began during work on The Ordinary Path to Holiness. A remarkable correlation was seen between the seven petitions of the Our Father, and the seven interior mansions of Teresa's Interior Castle. This correlation was published in the article The Our Father and The Interior Castle of St. Teresa. Continued prayer and research led to this new book, The Interior Liturgy.

Table of Contents: THE INTERIOR LITURGY OF THE OUR FATHER PROLOGUE 1 The Need for Prayer 1 This book 2 PART I INTRODUCTION TO THE PRAYER 5 CHAPTER 1. THE MEANING OF LITURGY 5 Liturgy 5 The interior work: the liturgy within 6 The sanctuary of meeting 7 Work 9 Liturgy: the work of Christ 13 The liturgy of trinitarian love 15 Liturgy and Life 19 The communal liturgy and the interior liturgy 19 Martha and Mary 21 The great value of prayer 23 CHAPTER 2. BECOMING PRESENT IN PRAYER 27 Prayer and Communion 27 Some Difficulties with a Formula Vocal Prayer 31 CHAPTER 3. PRAYER IN THE INTERIOR LITURGY 37 The Mysterious and Perfect Sequence of Petitions 37 The descent of grace and the ascent of discipleship 38 The grace that draws us 40 The unfolding of love 42 The Interior Liturgy 48 Mary and Prayer 50 Prayer and Suffering 53 CHAPTER 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OUR FATHER 57 The Normative Prayer 57 The Formative Prayer 59 1. Reform through the Word 60 2. The Transforming Consecration 62 3. Communion: the Conforming Union 63 Prayer of the Heart-Priest 64 The Prayer of Spiritual Direction 68 The Prayer of Examination of Conscience 72 The Prayer of Liturgy and Sacrament 74 PART II PRAYING HIS LIFE, LIVING HIS PRAYER 83 Our Father, who art in heaven.... 85 SECTION 1. THE FIRST MOVEMENT: THE LITURGY OF THE WORD 87 The Concerns of the First Movement 87 A call to repentance 87 The call to guard this new life 90 The beginning of the life of prayer 91 CHAPTER 5. THE FIRST STATION: ... BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. 93 The Station of Deliverance 95 The Power of Evil 96 Gospel power 100 Evil subtle and civilized 101 Baptism - the Sacrament of the First Station 105 Prayer in the first station 108 The Our Father in the first station 111 Examination of Conscience in the First Station 112 Prayer 115 CHAPTER 6. THE SECOND STATION: LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.... 117 The Station of Trial 117 Confirmation - the Sacrament of the Second Station 121 Prayer in the Second Station 122 The Our Father in the second station 125 Mary in the second station 126 Examination of Conscience in the Second Station 128 Prayer 130 CHAPTER 7. THE THIRD STATION: FORGIVE US ... AS WE FORGIVE .... 131 The Station of Mercy 131 The meaning of forgiveness 134 Charity in the third station 136 The place of decision 138 Reconciliation - the Sacrament of the Third Station 139 Reconciliation and preparation for the altar 140 Prayer in the Third Station 140 Grace for community and solidarity 141 The prayer of simplicity 142 " … as we forgive …": darkness before consecration 143 The necessary dark night 145 Communion requires mercy 146 Examination of Conscience in the Third Station 149 Prayer 150 SECTION 2. THE SECOND MOVEMENT: THE LITURGY OF CONSECRATION 151 Prayer, and Mary, in the Liturgy of Consecration 151 Mary in the liturgy of consecration 152 The work of the apostolate 153 CHAPTER 8. THE FOURTH STATION: GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. 155 The Station of Consecration at the Altar 155 The singular center of the liturgy 156 Eucharist - the Sacrament of the Fourth Station 159 The hunger for God 160 Bread of eternal life 161 Epiclesis 163 Mary and the epiclesis 164 The necessary food for the journey 165 Mary in this station of Eucharist 166 Examination of Conscience in the Fourth Station 167 Prayer 169 CHAPTER 9. THE FIFTH STATION: THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. 171 The Station of Consecration in Suffering 171 Mary in this station of anointing 172 Anointing of the Sick - the Sacrament of the Station 173 "… as it is in heaven": Darkness before Communion 176 The dark night of the spirit 177 Examination of Conscience in the Fifth Station 179 Prayer 180 SECTION 3. THE THIRD MOVEMENT: THE LITURGY OF COMMUNION 181 Mary in the Liturgy of Communion 181 The Virgin Mary 182 Mary and the Holy Spirit 183 Prayer and Work in the Liturgy of Communion 185 CHAPTER 10. THE SIXTH STATION: THY KINGDOM COME. 187 The Station of Ecclesial Communion 187 Mary and Peter together 188 First, the re-evangelization 190 The call into one 191 The great mission 192 The Church 194 The nearness of Mary 194 Holy Orders - the Sacrament of the Sixth Station 196 Witnesses and workers 197 The perfect joy of St. Francis 197 Examination of Conscience in the Sixth Station 199 Prayer 200 CHAPTER 11. THE SEVENTH STATION: HALLOWED BE THY NAME. 201 The Station of Personal Communion 201 The Mystery of the Name 202 The meaning of the name for us 205 Matrimony - the Sacrament of the Seventh Station 210 The Virgin Mary and the station of the name 213 Examination of Conscience in the Seventh Station 214 Prayer 214 CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY 217 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Petitions of the Interior Liturgy 43 Figure 2: The Three Movements of the Interior Liturgy 84 Figure 3: Summary of Correlations 216 ADDENDUM - Vocabulary 224 END NOTES 225