I have seen how the Science and Technology sectors have put lots of time and resources into their Research and Development to come up with new ways to improve and advance their businesses and our modern way of life. Following their thinking, I want to do the same for our Spirituality sector. I want to come up with a new way of prayer that is simple, personal, relate-able, character-building, and suitable to the busy lives of twenty-first-century Christians.
I have also looked at various ways we have dealt with exercise for our bodies. Physical exercises designed for specific functions like Zumba, Yoga, or Abs work have inspired me to come up with a Spiritual exercise that could give people a sense of prayer, and at the same time help them work on some specific attributes such as faith, kindness, caring, gentleness, generosity, peacefulness, etc. Hence, I have chosen the format of this prayer book with a specific word or issue for each day throughout the year and a practical exercise.
Each day we have seen on the news and in various personal encounters how the public is in desperate need of character building and moral guidance to help create good citizens and a healthy society. Unfortunately, due to political correctness and other social trends, the moral character and virtues have taken a backseat to other qualities such as appearance, charm, glamour, fame, social status, and material possessions. We must demand and encourage our citizens of this great nation and future generations to work on and acquire those qualities and other moral characteristics for the sake of their well-being and happiness.
Finally, some of my dear friends have introduced and encouraged me to look at other forms of prayers besides the traditional ways of praying, namely, reciting some memorized prayers.
After putting all the factors above together and twenty years of serving God's people in parishes and ten years of seminary training, I have come up with this format of praying that is rooted in Holy Scriptures, daily issues, personal experiences, character-building, and practical spiritual exercises. The format is designed to be self-reflecting, easy reading, and hopefully helps individuals work on essential qualities while spending some quiet time in the presence of Jesus.
Vu, Reverend Peter G.: - Rev. Peter G. Vu is the author of the prayer book Lord Jesus, I want to see... . He is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan for twenty years. He was born in Saigon City (currently Ho Chi Minh City), Viet Nam. He was a young boy when the Viet Nam War ended. He witnessed the war and the end of it with great horror and deep appreciation for peace. He grew up under the communist government system and endured lots of hardship. What helped him and many of his countrymen tremendously during those dark days was their faith and prayers. His love for prayer and meditation was able to blossom. After High School, Vu snuck out by boat and came to the United States of America to begin his seminary training. He attended one year of High School in the USA (Union High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan) to learn the language and new culture. He attended Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan for two years while staying at Christopher House Seminary. Then, the Seminary sent him out of state to attend his last two years of college at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated with double major: Mathematics and Philosophy. He then attended graduate school at the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. Vu graduated at the top of his class and was ordained with the Master Degree of Divinity (MDiv) and the Sacred Theology Baccalaureate (STB). He was a student of Most Reverend Bishop Robert Barron, who is the prolific writer and international speaker. Vu has been ministering to people of God at six different churches over the last twenty years.
