Every so often a small book does more for my prayer life than a whole shelf of big ones. Fr. Joseph Simler’s Catechism of Mental Prayer is one of those. It is a short question-and-answer guide, first published in 1888 and still in print from TAN Books, and it walks the reader through mental prayer one step at a time. I keep coming back to it because it is honest about distractions and dry seasons, and because it keeps asking a practical question: what will I do differently today because I prayed? Below is a summary of the book, a few quotations, and some questions for reflection.

What the Book Is About

Catechism of Mental Prayer is a brief, very practical question-and-answer manual that teaches the method of mental prayer (meditation) as an accessible, essential practice for all Christians seeking salvation and holiness. Structured around preparation, the body of prayer (considerations, affections, resolutions), conclusion, and handling difficulties, it distills traditional Catholic wisdom into clear, actionable steps. Fr. Simler emphasizes perseverance, good will over consolations, and concrete fruits in daily virtue. It is a good fit for beginners, novices, and busy laity or religious. The booklet shows that mental prayer is not only necessary but doable and life-changing, countering common obstacles like distractions and aridity with encouragement and remedies. Its enduring value lies in its simplicity, orthodoxy, and focus on producing lasting resolutions aligned with God’s will.

About the Author

Very Rev. Joseph Simler, S.M. (Society of Mary, the Marianists) was a French priest, educator, and religious superior. From 1876 until his death in 1905 he served as the fourth Superior General of the Marianists, the congregation founded by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, with a strong emphasis on education and interior spirituality. Simler wrote the larger Guide of the Man of Good Will in the Exercise of Mental Prayer, and this Catechism is an accessible summary of it, edited by Fr. L. Beck. His writings reflect the Marianist charism of simplicity, devotion to Our Lady, and practical formation of souls, particularly the young. The work carries ecclesiastical approval (Imprimatur) and draws deeply from Scripture, the saints (especially St. Teresa of Ávila), and masters of the spiritual life.

Chapters

The book is structured in logical sections mirroring the flow of mental prayer itself.

• Preface: Introduces the work as a helpful summary for beginners, especially the young in religious formation. It invokes St. Teresa of Ávila and seeks the intercession of Our Lady for those who study it.
• I. General Ideas (Nature of Mental Prayer; Necessity and Excellence of Mental Prayer; Facility of Mental Prayer): Defines mental prayer as a pious communication of the soul with God through considerations, affections, and resolutions (distinct from vocal prayer). It stresses its absolute necessity for salvation and spiritual progress, its excellence as an “audience” with God, and its relative ease for those of good will, while acknowledging common obstacles like sloth or sin.
• II. Preparation for Mental Prayer (Remote or Habitual Preparation; Proximate Preparation; Immediate Preparation): Explains the three layers of preparation: habitual (removing obstacles like dissipation and cultivating recollection, purity, and mortification), proximate (choosing a subject suited to one’s needs and foreseeing points/fruit), and immediate (invocations to the Holy Ghost, Mary, and guardian angel; acts of faith in God’s presence, adoration, humility, contrition, etc.). Preparation ensures respectful and fruitful engagement.
• III. Body of Mental Prayer (Principal Acts; Considerations; Affections; Resolutions; The Order and Connection of These Acts): Describes the core “interview” with God, beginning with recalling the subject and desired fruit. It details considerations (pious reflections in the light of faith to penetrate truths or events), affections (sentiments of the heart leading to love, contrition, petition, etc.), and resolutions (firm, practical, personal purposes). The acts interconnect flexibly according to grace.
• IV. Conclusion of Mental Prayer: Covers acts of thanksgiving, regret for faults, renewal of resolutions, the “spiritual bouquet” (a key maxim or prayer to carry through the day), colloquy, and closing vocal prayers. It warns against post-meditation dissipation.
• V. Examination of Mental Prayer: Advises daily self-examination on the parts of prayer, especially the principal resolution, to foster progress. Suggests keeping accounts and consulting a director.
• VI. Mixed Mental Prayer: Explains combining mental prayer with vocal prayer, reading (e.g., Imitation of Christ, Scripture), the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Mass, etc. It is recommended especially when pure mental prayer is difficult, with cautions against it becoming mere reading.

Putting It into Practice

• Establish habitual preparation: Practice recollection, silence, purity of heart, and mortification daily; cultivate the habitual sense of God’s presence and ejaculatory prayer.
• Choose subjects wisely: Align with personal needs, grace, and director’s advice; frequently return to the Last Things, the Life/Passion of Christ, and virtues/Marian themes.
• Structure each session: Make solid immediate preparation (especially the act of faith in God’s presence); balance considerations, affections (especially supplications), and precise resolutions; conclude with thanksgiving, bouquet, and colloquy.
• Examine daily: Review your meditation briefly, focusing on fidelity to the main resolution; renew it and impose small penances if needed.
• Persevere through difficulties: Combat distractions calmly by returning to God’s presence; in aridity, make simple acts of will and humility; judge success by fruits in virtue, not consolations.
• Practice mixed prayer when helpful: Integrate with reading, Rosary, or liturgy.
• Seek accountability: Share progress with a spiritual director; aim for regularity (e.g., morning and evening).

Quotations and Citations

• Opening: “The devil knows that he has lost the soul that perseveringly practices mental prayer.” (Saint Teresa of Ávila, quoted in the Preface)
• On nature: “Mental prayer is a pious communication of the soul with God by means of considerations, affections, and resolutions.” (Ch. I).
• On excellence: Mental prayer “keeps sin far from us and saves us from Hell… [and] is the common source of all virtues.” (Ch. I).
• On resolutions: “Resolutions… constitute the principal fruit of mental prayer; without them this exercise would, for the most part, remain sterile.” (Ch. III).
• Practical: “Mental prayer is more the work of the heart and will than of the head.” (On affections).

Citations refer to the standard structure in the 1888/1911 editions as reproduced in modern reprints (e.g., TAN Books).

Questions for Reflection and Contemplation

1. How does my current prayer life reflect the definition of mental prayer as an intimate communication with God? What one change could I make this week?
2. Am I convinced of its necessity, or do I treat it as optional? What excuses (busyness, dryness) do I commonly use, and how does the book counter them?
3. In my preparations, do I truly place myself in God’s presence, or rush in distracted? How can I improve the act of faith?
4. Do my “resolutions” tend to be vague or concrete and personal? Recall a recent one. How faithfully did I keep it?
5. How do I handle distractions or aridity? Does the book’s advice to value the “meditation of patience” shift my perspective?
6. What subject for mental prayer does my soul most need right now, and why?
7. How might incorporating “mixed” prayer enrich my practice of the Rosary or attendance at Mass?

Appendix: Resources for Further Study and Reflection

• Primary: The Ways of Mental Prayer by Dom Vitalis Lehodey (deeper systematic treatment).
• Classics: Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales; The Imitation of Christ (especially Book IV); works of St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross; The Spiritual Combat by Fr. Lorenzo Scupoli.
• Modern/Complementary: Conversation with Christ by Peter Thomas Rohrbach (on St. Teresa); Progress Through Mental Prayer by Edward Leen.
• Scripture: Psalms, Gospels (especially passages on Jesus praying), Jeremiah 12:11 (cited in the book).
• Practice Aids: Daily examen, spiritual director, regular retreats, visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
• Online: Public domain editions or audiobooks of Simler’s work; Catholic sites with traditional prayer resources.

This little book is a gift for anyone looking for a structured yet flexible way to draw closer to God. It takes the mystery out of mental prayer and gives the reader simple tools that have stood the test of time. I recommend it for beginners, and as a refresher for those who have prayed for years. Keep at it, and the fruit will show up in a more patient, loving, God-centered life.