Learning to Pray

Learning to Pray Plot Summary

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what happens in your brain when you close your eyes to pray? Throughout human history, across vastly different cultures and belief systems, prayer has remained a remarkably persistent practice. Whether it's a Buddhist monk in deep meditation, a Muslim kneeling toward Mecca, or a Christian quietly reciting the Lord's Prayer, humans consistently seek connection with something beyond themselves. This universal impulse suggests prayer might be addressing something fundamental about our nature. Recent scientific research has begun to illuminate what ancient spiritual traditions have long claimed - that prayer affects us profoundly on multiple levels. Neuroimaging studies reveal distinct brain activity patterns during deep prayer that differ from ordinary thinking. Psychological research demonstrates connections between certain prayer practices and improved mental health outcomes. Meanwhile, sociologists observe how shared prayer creates powerful bonds within communities. By exploring prayer through both scientific and experiential lenses, we'll discover how this ancient practice might be one of humanity's most sophisticated technologies for cultivating well-being, meaning, and connection in our increasingly fragmented world.

Chapter 1: Prayer as a Universal Human Experience

Prayer represents perhaps the most widespread spiritual practice across human cultures and throughout history. Archaeological evidence suggests prayer-like behaviors date back to our earliest human ancestors, appearing in virtually every known civilization. This remarkable consistency across time and geography points to something fundamental about human nature - we seem inherently drawn to communicate with realities beyond what we can physically perceive. Whether through formal rituals in magnificent temples or quiet moments of gratitude while walking in nature, humans consistently seek connection with transcendent dimensions of existence. At its essence, prayer is conversation with the divine or ultimate reality. Many misconceptions portray prayer as merely asking for things, but authentic prayer encompasses a much richer range of expression - gratitude, wonder, lament, confession, and silent presence. Across traditions, prayer functions as a bridge between ordinary awareness and deeper dimensions of reality. The specific forms vary dramatically - from the silent zazen of Zen Buddhism to the ecstatic dance of Sufi mystics, from the structured liturgies of Orthodox Christianity to the spontaneous expressions of Pentecostal worship. Yet beneath these differences lies a common human impulse to connect with something greater than ourselves. The universality of prayer raises fascinating questions about human consciousness. Why do people across vastly different cultures independently develop similar practices of inner attention and communication with unseen realities? Evolutionary psychologists suggest prayer may have emerged as an adaptive response to existential awareness - our uniquely human recognition of our own mortality and the search for meaning beyond physical survival. Others point to prayer as evidence of an inherent spiritual capacity hardwired into human consciousness, what religious traditions might call the "divine spark" or "soul." Whatever its origins, prayer appears to address profound human needs for meaning, connection, and transcendence. Modern neuroscience offers intriguing insights into prayer's effects on the brain. During deep prayer or meditation, researchers observe decreased activity in the brain's parietal lobe - the area responsible for our sense of self in space and time. This neural pattern correlates with subjective reports of transcending ordinary self-awareness and experiencing unity with something greater. Simultaneously, regions associated with attention and emotional regulation show increased activity, potentially explaining prayer's well-documented effects on psychological well-being. These findings suggest prayer isn't merely subjective imagination but a practice that measurably affects our neurophysiology. Perhaps most significantly, prayer creates a unique form of relationship - one that transcends ordinary human connections while often deepening them. Many practitioners report that regular prayer cultivates a sense of being known and loved unconditionally, which in turn enables them to extend greater compassion toward others. Psychological research supports this observation, showing correlations between certain types of prayer practice and increased empathy, forgiveness, and prosocial behavior. In a world increasingly characterized by social fragmentation and loneliness, prayer offers a pathway to connection that begins within but extends far beyond the individual.

Chapter 2: The Neuroscience Behind Prayer and Meditation

When someone engages in deep prayer or meditation, their brain undergoes remarkable changes visible through modern neuroimaging techniques. These changes aren't random but follow specific patterns that help explain the subjective experiences reported by practitioners across traditions. During contemplative prayer, brain scans typically show decreased activity in the parietal lobes - areas responsible for creating our sense of self as separate from the environment. This neural quieting correlates with practitioners' reports of transcending ordinary self-awareness and experiencing unity with something greater. Simultaneously, the prefrontal cortex - associated with focused attention - shows increased activity, explaining the heightened awareness many experience during prayer. Prayer and meditation affect the brain's default mode network (DMN) - a system that activates when we're not focused on external tasks and instead engage in self-referential thinking like worrying about the future or ruminating on the past. Regular contemplative practice appears to reduce DMN activity, potentially explaining why long-term practitioners report less anxiety and rumination. Interestingly, while the DMN decreases activity during prayer, areas associated with empathy and compassion often show increased activation. This neural pattern helps explain why many traditions teach that authentic prayer leads naturally to greater concern for others rather than self-absorption. The physiological effects of prayer extend beyond the brain to influence the entire body. During contemplative prayer, the autonomic nervous system typically shifts from sympathetic dominance (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic activation (rest-and-digest). This shift manifests in measurable changes: decreased heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduced muscle tension, and altered breathing patterns. These physiological changes help explain why regular prayer correlates with improved cardiovascular health, enhanced immune function, and better stress management in numerous studies. The body responds to prayer not just as a mental activity but as a holistic experience that affects multiple biological systems. Different types of prayer engage different neural networks, explaining the varied experiences practitioners report. Petitionary prayer (asking for help) activates language centers and areas associated with theory of mind - our ability to consider others' perspectives. Contemplative prayer focusing on divine love activates the anterior cingulate cortex and insula - regions involved in processing positive emotions and bodily awareness. Meditative practices emphasizing attention to the present moment strengthen connections between the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, potentially enhancing emotional regulation. These findings suggest that diverse prayer traditions may have developed to address different aspects of human neurobiology. The brain's remarkable neuroplasticity - its ability to physically reorganize in response to experience - helps explain how regular prayer practice creates lasting changes. Studies of long-term meditators show increased gray matter density in regions associated with attention, emotional regulation, and compassion. These structural changes don't develop overnight but accumulate through consistent practice, similar to how physical exercise gradually strengthens muscles. This research suggests that prayer isn't merely a temporary state but potentially a transformative practice that literally reshapes the brain over time. The ancient wisdom that prayer changes people appears to have neurobiological support in modern science.

Chapter 3: Different Prayer Methods Across Traditions

Prayer practices vary dramatically across spiritual traditions, each reflecting distinct understandings of ultimate reality and human purpose. In Buddhist traditions, meditation practices like vipassana (insight meditation) focus on developing mindful awareness of present-moment experience without attachment. Practitioners observe thoughts, emotions, and sensations arising and passing away without identifying with them. This practice cultivates a profound recognition of impermanence and interconnectedness. Neuroscience research shows these practices strengthen attention networks in the brain while reducing activity in regions associated with self-referential thinking, potentially explaining the decreased self-preoccupation many practitioners report. Islamic prayer (salat) exemplifies embodied spiritual practice through its precise integration of physical movements, recitation, and mental focus. Performed five times daily, salat involves a series of standing, bowing, and prostrating postures while reciting specific Quranic verses. This multisensory approach engages the entire body in prayer rather than treating it as merely a mental activity. The rhythmic movements and prostrations create a physiological state conducive to spiritual receptivity, while the regular timing throughout the day establishes a framework where ordinary activities take place within a sacred context. Research suggests this integration of movement, breath, and focused attention may contribute to the stress reduction and psychological well-being reported by practitioners. Contemplative Christian traditions emphasize receptive presence rather than active speaking in prayer. Practices like centering prayer involve choosing a sacred word as a symbol of consent to God's presence, then sitting in silence, gently returning to this word whenever thoughts arise. Unlike meditation approaches that focus on emptying the mind, centering prayer cultivates receptive openness to divine presence beyond concepts or images. Similarly, the Eastern Orthodox tradition's "prayer of the heart" involves silently repeating the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me") in rhythm with the breath, gradually moving this prayer from the mind into the heart - understood as the center of the person rather than just the physical organ. Indigenous spiritual traditions often emphasize prayer's connection to the natural world and ancestral wisdom. Many Native American prayer practices involve creating sacred space through smudging with sage or sweetgrass, then offering prayers to the four directions, Mother Earth, and Father Sky. These traditions recognize prayer as participation in a living cosmos filled with intelligence and consciousness rather than communication with a deity separate from creation. Similarly, many African traditional religions involve prayer as conversation with ancestors who remain present and active in community life, maintaining connections across generations and between visible and invisible realms of existence. Jewish prayer traditions highlight the communal dimension of spiritual practice. While individual prayer has its place, many central prayers require a minyan - a quorum of ten adults - reflecting the understanding that certain types of divine connection emerge specifically through community. The structured liturgy of Jewish prayer follows daily, weekly, and annual cycles that connect practitioners to both historical memory and cosmic rhythms. This approach recognizes prayer not primarily as spontaneous emotional expression but as participation in patterns that transcend individual experience and connect generations across time. What unites these diverse approaches is their recognition that prayer engages our full humanity - not just intellect but emotions, body, relationships, and cultural context. Each tradition has developed sophisticated technologies of attention that address different aspects of human experience and spiritual development. Rather than seeing these approaches as contradictory, we might understand them as complementary paths addressing the multifaceted nature of human consciousness and our relationship with ultimate reality. The diversity of prayer methods across traditions offers a rich resource for contemporary seekers, who increasingly draw from multiple wisdom streams rather than a single tradition.

Chapter 4: Emotional and Psychological Effects of Prayer

Prayer profoundly influences our emotional landscape, often in ways that extend far beyond the prayer experience itself. Research consistently shows that certain types of prayer correlate with reduced anxiety, greater emotional resilience, and improved ability to regulate difficult feelings. However, the emotional effects vary significantly depending on how one prays. Prayer that fosters a secure attachment to the divine - experiencing God as loving, supportive, and responsive - tends to promote psychological well-being. Conversely, prayer that emphasizes divine punishment or rejection can actually increase anxiety and negative self-perception. This research highlights that the quality and content of prayer matter more than simply its frequency or duration. Prayer often creates a unique psychological space where people can process complex emotions they might otherwise avoid or suppress. When someone brings their anger, grief, or fear into prayer, they're acknowledging these feelings in a context that can hold and transform them. This process resembles what psychologists call "affect regulation" - the healthy processing of emotions rather than their denial or rumination. Many report that after expressing difficult emotions in prayer, they experience a shift toward greater perspective and peace, even when their external circumstances haven't changed. This emotional transformation appears connected to the experience of being fully known and accepted by a compassionate presence larger than oneself. The psychological benefits of prayer extend to our relationship with ourselves. Regular contemplative prayer correlates with increased self-awareness and self-compassion - the ability to recognize our own struggles without harsh self-judgment. This effect likely stems from experiencing oneself as valued and worthy of love within the prayer relationship, which gradually counteracts negative self-perceptions. Interestingly, brain imaging studies show that self-compassion activates different neural networks than self-criticism, suggesting prayer may literally help people relate to themselves through different neural pathways. This shift toward self-compassion doesn't promote self-indulgence but rather a more balanced and honest self-perception. Prayer appears particularly effective for processing grief and trauma. Many therapists recognize that healing from profound loss or violation requires more than cognitive understanding - it needs a framework for making meaning of suffering and finding hope beyond immediate circumstances. Prayer offers this broader context, helping people integrate painful experiences into a larger narrative rather than being defined by them. Studies of communities recovering from collective trauma consistently show that prayer and spiritual practices correlate with greater post-traumatic growth and resilience. This doesn't mean prayer eliminates suffering but rather provides resources for moving through it with greater wholeness. Perhaps most significantly, prayer influences how we perceive and respond to others. Research shows that certain prayer practices correlate with increased empathy, forgiveness, and prosocial behavior. Prayer that focuses on divine compassion or explicitly prays for others' well-being appears to expand our capacity to see beyond our own perspective and respond with greater care to those around us. This effect extends beyond those we naturally feel affinity with - studies suggest prayer can increase compassion even toward those we consider enemies or outsiders. In a world increasingly divided by polarization and tribalism, this capacity to extend concern beyond our immediate group has profound social implications. The psychological benefits of prayer don't require specific religious beliefs to operate. Recent research on secular mindfulness practices - which share many features with contemplative prayer traditions - shows similar positive effects on emotional regulation, self-awareness, and compassion. This suggests the psychological mechanisms involved may be accessible through various contemplative approaches rather than requiring particular theological frameworks. What seems essential is the cultivation of present-moment awareness, non-judgmental attention, and connection to something larger than oneself - whether understood in religious or secular terms.

Chapter 5: Discerning Authentic Spiritual Experiences

How can we distinguish between authentic spiritual experiences and psychological projection, emotional contagion, or even manipulation? This question of discernment has occupied spiritual traditions for millennia, resulting in sophisticated frameworks for evaluating interior experiences. While no foolproof method exists, several complementary approaches offer helpful guidance for navigating this terrain. Understanding these discernment principles helps practitioners avoid both naive credulity and cynical dismissal when encountering profound spiritual states. The fruits or lasting effects of an experience provide perhaps the most reliable indicator of its authenticity. Across traditions, genuine spiritual encounters tend to increase humility rather than spiritual pride, deepen compassion rather than judgment of others, and enhance psychological integration rather than fragmentation. As Jesus suggested, "By their fruits you will know them." This pragmatic criterion looks beyond the immediate emotional intensity of an experience to its long-term impact on character and behavior. Experiences that initially feel profound but lead to increased self-importance, isolation from community, or disengagement from ordinary responsibilities often reveal themselves as inauthentic over time, regardless of their initial emotional power. Consistency with core wisdom teachings offers another important discernment tool. Authentic spiritual experiences typically align with fundamental principles recognized across traditions - the primacy of love, the interconnectedness of all life, the transcendence of ego-centered perspective. While genuine experiences may expand or deepen our understanding of these principles, they rarely contradict them entirely. When someone claims spiritual insights that justify harm to others, extreme self-focus, or rejection of all traditional wisdom, careful discernment is warranted. This doesn't mean authentic experiences never challenge conventional interpretations, but such challenges typically deepen rather than abandon core spiritual values. The role of community provides essential balance to individual discernment. Most wisdom traditions insist that spiritual experiences be evaluated within community context rather than solely through personal judgment. Sharing our experiences with those who have greater maturity in spiritual practice offers crucial perspective and protection against self-deception. This communal dimension of discernment recognizes that our individual perception remains vulnerable to psychological biases, cultural conditioning, and unconscious motivations. The community doesn't replace personal discernment but complements it, creating a more reliable evaluation than either alone could provide. Psychological maturity significantly impacts discernment capacity. Those with unresolved trauma, addiction issues, or personality disorders face greater challenges distinguishing between authentic spiritual experiences and psychological projection. This doesn't mean such individuals cannot have genuine spiritual encounters - many report profound spiritual awakening during recovery processes - but it does suggest special caution and community support are particularly important. The spiritual journey and psychological healing often progress hand-in-hand, each supporting the other. Many traditions recommend addressing significant psychological issues alongside spiritual practice rather than using spirituality to bypass psychological work. Perhaps most importantly, discernment develops through practice over time. Like any skill, the ability to recognize authentic spiritual experiences improves with experience. Most practitioners report gradually developing an intuitive sense for the "tone" or "flavor" of genuine spiritual communication in their lives. This doesn't eliminate the need for careful discernment, but it does create a foundation of familiarity that helps distinguish the authentic from the counterfeit. The relationship deepens through consistent engagement, creating mutual recognition similar to how we learn to recognize a friend's voice among many others.

Chapter 6: Overcoming Common Prayer Challenges

Even the most committed practitioners encounter obstacles in their prayer journey. Understanding these common challenges can transform frustration into opportunity for deeper growth. Perhaps the most universal difficulty is distraction - the mind's tendency to wander during prayer. Research suggests the average person's mind wanders 47% of waking hours, a tendency that often intensifies during prayer attempts. Rather than seeing distractions as failures, spiritual traditions consistently teach that they provide the very conditions for developing attention. Each time we notice our mind has wandered and gently return to presence, we strengthen our capacity for attention - a muscle that grows through precisely this process of noticing and returning. The goal isn't eliminating distractions but developing greater skill in working with them. Dryness or the absence of felt connection represents another widespread challenge. Many experience periods where prayer feels mechanical, empty, or like speaking into a void. These experiences, historically called "the dark night" or "spiritual desert," have been documented across traditions. Modern practitioners often interpret dryness as failure, assuming authentic prayer always produces emotional comfort or clear insights. However, spiritual masters consistently teach that dryness often represents a necessary stage of growth rather than abandonment. Just as human relationships cannot sustain constant emotional intensity, the spiritual journey naturally includes periods where feelings subside and faith continues without emotional reinforcement. These desert times often deepen spiritual roots in ways that more emotionally satisfying periods cannot. Time constraints present a practical challenge for many in today's busy world. Finding even 15 minutes for uninterrupted prayer can seem impossible amid work, family, and other responsibilities. Rather than abandoning prayer altogether, many traditions suggest integrating brief moments of connection throughout the day - what Brother Lawrence called "practicing the presence of God" in ordinary activities. Modern research on habit formation supports this approach, showing that consistent small practices often prove more sustainable than occasional longer sessions. The key lies in identifying natural pause points in your day - commuting, waiting in line, transitioning between tasks - and transforming them into moments of spiritual connection. Unrealistic expectations frequently undermine prayer practice. Many beginners expect dramatic experiences, clear divine messages, or immediate transformation. When prayer unfolds more subtly, they conclude it "isn't working" and abandon the practice before it can bear fruit. Spiritual directors often suggest approaching prayer with what Zen traditions call "beginner's mind" - an attitude of openness and curiosity without predetermined expectations about what should happen. This approach allows us to notice the actual effects of prayer rather than missing them because they don't match our preconceptions. Prayer often works more like a gentle rain that gradually transforms the landscape than a lightning bolt of immediate change. Inconsistency challenges many practitioners, who establish a prayer routine only to abandon it when life becomes busy or difficult. The resulting guilt often creates resistance to beginning again, creating a negative cycle. Spiritual traditions consistently emphasize the importance of gentleness and persistence - the willingness to begin again without self-condemnation after inevitable lapses. Research on habit formation supports this approach, showing that how we respond to interruptions in practice matters more than maintaining perfect consistency. Those who compassionately resume practice after breaks ultimately develop more sustainable spiritual habits than those who berate themselves for imperfection. Perhaps the most significant challenge involves navigating the relationship between effort and receptivity in prayer. Many oscillate between trying too hard (turning prayer into a performance or achievement) and not engaging sufficiently (passive waiting for something to happen). Finding the middle path - what Christian contemplatives call "active receptivity" or what Taoists describe as "non-doing" - requires ongoing discernment and adjustment. This balance involves bringing our full intention and attention to prayer while simultaneously surrendering control of outcomes. Like learning any subtle skill, this balance develops through practice, feedback, and gradual refinement rather than perfect execution from the beginning.

Chapter 7: From Personal Practice to Community Connection

While prayer often begins as a solitary practice, it naturally extends beyond individual experience into communal dimensions. This movement from personal to shared spirituality represents a crucial development in the prayer journey - one that both enriches individual practice and contributes to collective flourishing. Personal prayer provides the foundation for authentic communal spirituality. Without individual commitment to interior practice, communal expressions risk becoming empty rituals or social performances rather than genuine spiritual engagement. Research on religious communities consistently shows that the most vibrant congregations combine strong personal spiritual practices with meaningful communal worship, suggesting these dimensions strengthen rather than compete with each other. Communal prayer offers unique benefits impossible to access through solitary practice alone. When people pray together, they often experience what sociologists call "collective effervescence" - a heightened sense of connection and shared meaning that transcends individual experience. Neurological research shows that when people engage in synchronized activities like chanting or movement, their brain waves actually synchronize, creating a physiologically measurable sense of unity. This explains why many report feeling more powerfully moved during communal prayer than when praying alone, despite identical content. The experience of praying with others creates a tangible sense of belonging that addresses our fundamental need for connection in an increasingly isolated world. Spiritual communities provide essential support during the inevitable challenges of the prayer journey. When individuals encounter periods of dryness, doubt, or confusion in their personal practice, the continued faith of the community carries them through these difficult passages. Conversely, when the community faces collective challenges, individuals whose personal prayer remains vital help sustain the larger group. This mutual support creates resilience impossible to maintain in isolation. As one spiritual director observed, "We take turns carrying each other's faith when our own falters." This interdependence reflects a fundamental spiritual principle recognized across traditions - that we are not meant to journey alone but in relationship with others. The transition from personal to communal spirituality often requires navigating tension between individual experience and collective expression. Many struggle when communal prayer forms don't perfectly align with their personal spirituality. However, spiritual traditions consistently teach that this very tension creates growth. Learning to pray in ways that stretch beyond our preferences develops spiritual flexibility and openness. The challenge lies in finding communities that provide enough familiarity to feel authentic while offering enough difference to stimulate growth. This balance differs for each person - some thrive in highly structured traditional communities, while others need more fluid, innovative expressions. The key lies in finding the right fit rather than assuming one approach works for everyone. Shared prayer naturally extends into shared action. Authentic spiritual communities consistently find that their prayer together generates energy for service and justice work in the wider world. This connection between contemplation and action appears across traditions - from Buddhist engaged mindfulness to Christian liberation theology to Jewish tikkun olam (repairing the world). Neurological research offers interesting support for this connection, showing that meditation practices increase activity in brain regions associated with empathy and prosocial behavior. Prayer shapes not only how we see reality but how we respond to it. Communities grounded in authentic prayer often become powerful agents of compassion and transformation in their local contexts and beyond. Perhaps most profoundly, communal prayer offers a lived experience of unity that transcends intellectual understanding. In a world increasingly fragmented by political polarization, economic inequality, and social isolation, the experience of praying with others across differences provides a countercultural witness to the possibility of genuine communion. This doesn't mean erasing differences or avoiding conflict, but rather discovering a deeper unity that can hold diversity without fragmentation. Many report that their most transformative spiritual experiences occurred not in solitary prayer but in moments of authentic connection with others before the divine. These experiences offer a foretaste of what many traditions describe as our ultimate destiny - participation in a community of love that embraces all creation.

Summary

Prayer represents one of humanity's most enduring and universal technologies for cultivating well-being, meaning, and connection. The convergence of ancient wisdom and modern science reveals prayer isn't merely subjective imagination but a practice that measurably affects our brains, bodies, and relationships. At its core, prayer develops our capacity for presence - the ability to fully inhabit our lives rather than being perpetually distracted by regrets about the past or anxieties about the future. This presence creates the conditions for authentic connection - with ourselves, with others, and with dimensions of reality beyond ordinary awareness. In a world increasingly characterized by fragmentation, distraction, and isolation, prayer offers a pathway to integration and belonging that addresses our deepest human needs. The exploration of prayer invites further questions worth investigating: How might contemplative practices help us navigate the unprecedented challenges of our digital age? What happens when diverse prayer traditions engage in respectful dialogue rather than competition? Could ancient spiritual technologies offer solutions to modern psychological and social challenges? These questions invite not just intellectual consideration but experiential exploration. The true understanding of prayer comes not through reading about it but through practicing it - discovering firsthand how this ancient human inheritance continues to transform lives in our contemporary world. Whether approached through religious tradition or secular mindfulness, the capacity for contemplative awareness represents one of our most precious human birthright, waiting to be reclaimed.

About Author

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James Martin

James Martin, SJ is a Jesuit priest, writer, editor at large of the Jesuit magazine America, and consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.Fr. Martin grew up in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, United States, and attended Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in 1982 and worked in corporate finance at General Electric for six years. Dissatisfied with the corporate world, he entered the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits) in 1988, and after completing his Jesuit training (which included studies in philosophy and theology, as well as full time-ministry) was ordained a priest in 1999. He received his Master's in Divinity (M.Div.) and Master's in Theology (Th.M.) from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (now part of Boston College). During his Jesuit training, Martin worked in a hospital for the seriously ill and a homeless shelter in Boston, with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Jamaica, with street-gang members in Chicago, in a prison in Boston, and for two years with East African refugees in Nairobi, Kenya, with the Jesuit Refugee Service. In addition to his work at America magazine, Fr. Martin has written or edited more than 15 books, most of which are about spirituality and religion. He is a frequent commentator on religion and spirituality and has appeared on all the major networks, served as an expert commentator for ABC for the papal conclave that elected Pope Francis, and has written for many outlets, including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Father Martin's best known books The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything (2010) and Jesus: A Pilgrimage were both New York Times bestsellers; My Life with the Saints was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book; and all three were winners of the Christopher Award.He has received over 15 honorary degrees from Catholic colleges and universities, and in 2017 Pope Francis appointed him as consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

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