A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer

A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer

St. Peter of Alcantara wrote this famous Spanish book to aid the pious reader in growing closer to God through prayer and mediation. In this work he gives detailed meditations for each day of the week, morning and evening on everything from the suffering of Christ to the beauty of heaven. He also provides counsels on numerous topics related to prayer such as spiritual dryness and drowsiness. The work was widely read in St. Peter's day especially in Spain where it was perhaps the most popular devotion book outside of the Bible.

St. Peter himself was a Franciscan monk who was a close associate of St. Teresa of Ávila. Her autobiography chronicles the strictness of his life (often eating only once every three days) and many of the miracles that St. Peter is said to have worked. He founded numerous monastic communities throughout Spain and Portugal and preached the Gospel to the poor. It was said that while in prayer he was sometimes seen to be ecstasy and to levitate. On his deathbed he refused to drink even water saying, "Even my Lord Jesus Christ thirsted on the Cross."