Many of you know I have been reviewing books for a long time. I started way back in 2012. In that time many books have crossed my desked. There are a few that I return to often. One of them is The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer. The original edition was released as single volume edition with rather small print. When I heard Sophia Institute Press was releasing a new version that broke the single volume down into four, I was intrigued.
There are some differences here and one may be a sticking point for those fans of the original format. Let’s take a look at the pros first. The one thing that I really liked was the increase in typeset. The single volume was a rather smallish sized book that had some relatively small text. In this newer edition Sophia increased the books “footprint” allowing for a larger text. This is great for those with aging eyes (no comments) or for in a low light chapel situation.
With the books now being in four volumes they are easier to carry with you as well. Additionally, one can focus entirely in a specific book of the Gospels for more in-depth study of each book. Here however is where one might not care for the new edition. The single volume included an index in the back that led one through the mass readings for each day, numbering the sections that corresponded. This is not included as the volumes are separate. If you are used to using The Better Part in this manner you may need to adjust.
The basic concept of the book remains the same. Father John does an exceptional job guiding readers towards a solid personal prayer time with our Lord. In addition to the meditations included in the book the entire opening of the book is exceptional. In it, Father John addresses a number of items on how to become more effective at prayer and avoid distraction and sloth. He also outlines the four-step process that is used throughout the book for taking a deeper dive into the scriptures. These steps are the four “C’s”; Concentrate, Consider, Converse, and Commit. Following this method one will find their relationship with Christ is naturally deepened as one becomes more familiar with the scriptures.
Each of the meditation sections contains a section of scripture and is broken into four parts/ Christ the Lord, Christ the Teacher, Christ the Friend, and Christ in My Life. Each draws one into a closer encounter with God. When the book is used in a small group setting there are also questions after each meditation.
The Better Part has been a part of my prayer life for a number of years. I can’t say enough about how much of a difference it has made in helping me come to a better understanding of Christ in light of the Gospels. If you are looking for a way to attain a more productive prayer life or you just want to understand the Gospels a little more, The Better Part needs to be a part of your daily prayer routine.
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