On Prayer and The Contemplative Life Part 10

"Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall not suffer the just to waver for ever."[149]

VII

Ought We To Pray for Others?

S. James, in his Epistle, says[150]: _Pray for one another that ye may be saved_.

As we said above, we ought in prayer to ask for those things which we ought to desire. But we ought to desire good things not for ourselves only but also for others, for this belongs to that charity which we ought to exercise towards our neighbour. Hence charity demands that we pray for others. In accordance with this S. Chrysostom says[151]: "Necessity compels us to pray for ourselves, fraternal charity urges us to pray for others. But that prayer is more pleasing before G.o.d which arises not so much from our needs as from the demands of fraternal charity."

Some, however, urge that we ought not to pray for others, thus:

1. We are bound in our prayer to follow the norm which our Lord delivered to us; but in the _Lord's Prayer_ we pray for ourselves and not for others, for we say: _Give us this day our daily bread_, etc.

But S. Cyprian says:[152] "We do not say _my_ Father, but _our_ Father, neither do we say Give _me_, but give _us_; and this because the Teacher of Unity did not wish prayer to be made privately, viz., that each should pray for himself alone; for He wished one to pray for all since He in His single Person had borne all."

2. Again, we pray in order to be heard; but one of the conditions for our prayer to be heard is that a man should pray for himself. Thus on the words: _If ye ask the Father anything in My Name He will give it you_,[153] S. Augustine says:[154] "All are heard for themselves, but not for all in general, hence He does not say simply: _He will give it_, but _He will give it you_."

But to pray for oneself is a condition attaching to prayer; not indeed a condition affecting its merit, but a condition which is necessary if we would ensure the attainment of what we ask. For it sometimes happens that prayer made for another does not avail even though it be devout and persevering and for things pertaining to a man's salvation; and this is because of the existence of some hindrance on the part of him for whom we pray, as we read in Jeremias[155]: _If Moses and Samuel shall stand before Me, My soul is not towards this people_. None the less, such prayer will be meritorious on the part of him who prays, for he prays out of charity; thus on the words, _And my prayer shall be turned into my bosom_,[156] the Interlinear Gloss has: "That is, and even though it avail not for them, yet shall I not be without my reward."

3. Lastly, we are forbidden to pray for others if they are wicked, according to the words: _Do not thou pray for this people ... and do not withstand Me, for I will not hear thee_.[157] And, on the other hand, we ought not to pray for them if they are good, for in that case they will be heard when they pray for themselves.

But we have to pray even for sinners, that they may be converted, and for the good, that they may persevere and make progress. Our prayers for sinners, however, are not heard for all, but for some. For they are heard for those who are predestined, not for those who are foreknown as reprobate; just in the same way as when we correct our brethren, such corrections avail among the predestinate but not among the reprobate, according to the words: _No man can correct whom He hath despised._[158] Wherefore also it is said: _He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin that is not unto death, let him ask, and life shall be given to him who sinneth not to death._[159]

But just as we can refuse to no one, as long as he liveth on this earth, the benefit of correction--for we cannot distinguish between the predestinate and the reprobate, as S. Augustine says[160]--so neither can we refuse to anyone the suffrage of our prayers.

And for good men we have to pray, and this for a threefold reason: firstly, because the prayers of many are more easily heard; thus on the words: _I beseech ye therefore, help me in your prayers for me_,[161]

the Ordinary Gloss of S. Ambrose says: "Well does the Apostle ask his inferiors to pray for him; for even the very least become great when many in number, and when gathered together with one mind; and it is impossible that the prayers of many should not avail" to obtain, that is, what is obtainable. And secondly, that thanks may be returned by many for the benefits conferred by G.o.d upon the just, for these same benefits tend to the profit of many--as is evident from the Apostle's words to the Corinthians.[162] And thirdly, that those who are greater may not therefore be proud, but may realize that they need the suffrages of their inferiors.

"Father, I will that where I am they also whom Thou hast given Me may be with Me; that they may see My glory, which Thou hast given Me: because Thou hast loved Me before the foundation of the world."[163]

VIII

Ought We To Pray for Our Enemies?

_But I say to you ... pray for them that persecute and calumniate you._[164]

To pray for others is a work of charity, as we have said above. Hence we are bound to pray for our enemies in the same way as we are bound to love them. We have already explained, in the _Treatise on Charity_, in what sense we are bound to love our enemies; namely, that we are bound to love their nature, not their fault; and that to love our enemies in general is of precept; to love them, however, individually, is not of precept save in the sense of being prepared to do so; a man, for instance, is bound to be ready to love an individual enemy and to help him in case of necessity, or if he comes to seek his pardon. But absolutely to love our individual enemies, and to a.s.sist them, belongs to perfection.

In the same way, then, it is necessary that in our general prayers for others we should not exclude our enemies. But to make special prayer for them belongs to perfection and is not necessary, save in some particular cases.

Some, however, argue that we ought not to pray for our enemies, thus:

1. It is said in the Epistle to the Romans[165]: _What things soever were written were written for our learning_. But in Holy Scripture we find many imprecations against enemies; thus, for instance[166]: _Let all my enemies be ashamed, let them be turned back and be ashamed very speedily_. From which it would rather seem that we ought to pray against our enemies than for them.

But the imprecations which find place in Holy Scripture can be understood in four different ways: first of all according as the Prophets are wont "to predict the future under the figure of imprecations," as S. Augustine says[167]; secondly, in that certain temporal evils are sometimes sent by G.o.d upon sinners for their amendment; thirdly, these denunciations may be understood, not as demanding the punishment of men themselves, but as directed against the kingdom of sin, in the sense that by men being corrected sin may be destroyed; fourthly, in that the Prophets conform their wills to the Divine Justice with regard to the d.a.m.nation of sinners who persevere in their sin.

2. Further, to be revenged upon our enemies means evil for our enemies.

But the Saints seek to be avenged upon their enemies: _How long, O Lord, dost Thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?_[168] And in accordance with this we find them rejoicing in the vengeance taken upon sinners: _The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge._[169] It would seem, then, that we ought rather to pray against our enemies than for them.

But, on the contrary, as S. Augustine says:[170] "The vengeance of the martyrs is the overthrow of the empire of sin under whose dominion they suffered so much"; or, as he says elsewhere[171]: "They demand vengeance, not by word of mouth, but by very reason, just as the blood of Abel cried out from the earth."

Moreover, they rejoice in this vengeance, not for its own sake, but because of the Divine Justice.

3. Lastly, a man's deeds and his prayers cannot be in opposition. But men sometimes quite lawfully attack their enemies, else all wars would be illegal. Hence we ought not to pray for our enemies.

But it is lawful to a.s.sail our enemies that so they may be hindered from sin; and this is for their good and for that of others. In the same way, then, it is lawful to pray for temporal evils for our enemies to the end that they may be corrected. In this sense our deeds and our prayers are not in opposition.

_S. Augustine:_ If there were no wicked folk, then for whom could we be supposed to pray when we are told: _Pray for your enemies_? Perhaps you would like to have good enemies. Yet how could that be? For unless you yourself are bad you will not have good people for enemies; and if, on the contrary, you are good, then no one will be your enemy save the wicked folk (_Sermon_, xv., _on Ps._ xxv. 8).

"Have mercy upon us, O G.o.d of all, and behold us, and shew us the light of Thy mercies: And send Thy fear upon the nations, that have not sought after Thee: that they may know that there is no G.o.d beside Thee, and that they may shew forth Thy wonders.

Lift up Thy hand over the strange nations, that they may see Thy power."[172]

On the Seven Pet.i.tions of the _lord's Prayer_.

The Lord's Prayer is the most perfect of all prayers, for, as S.

Augustine says to Proba[173]: "If we pray rightly and fittingly we can say nothing else but what is set down in the _Lord's Prayer_." And since prayer is, in a sort, the interpreter of our desires before G.o.d, we can only rightly ask in prayer for those things which we can rightly desire.

But in the _Lord's Prayer_ not only do we have pet.i.tions for all those things which we can rightly desire, but they are set forth in the order in which they are to be desired. Hence this prayer not only teaches us how to pray, but serves as the norm of all our dispositions of mind.

For it is clear that we desire first the end and then the means to the attainment of that end. But our end is G.o.d, towards Whom our desires tend in two ways: first, in that we desire G.o.d's glory; secondly, in that we desire to enjoy that glory ourselves. The former of these pertains to that love wherewith we love G.o.d in Himself, the latter to that charity wherewith we love ourselves in G.o.d. Hence the first pet.i.tion runs: _Hallowed be Thy Name_, wherein we pray for G.o.d's glory; and the second runs: _Thy kingdom come_, wherein we pray that we may come to the glory of His kingdom.

But to this said end things lead us in two ways: viz., either _essentially_ or _accidentally_. Things which are useful for the attainment of that end _essentially_ lead us to it. But a thing may be useful as regards that end which is the possession of G.o.d in two ways: namely, _directly and princ.i.p.ally_, that is, according to the merits by which we merit the possession of G.o.d by obeying Him; and in accordance with this runs the pet.i.tion: _Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven_; also _instrumentally_ as a.s.sisting us to merit, whence the pet.i.tion: _Give us this day our daily bread_. And this is true whether we understand by this "bread" that Sacramental Bread, the daily use of Which profits man, and in Which are comprised all the other Sacraments; or whether we understand it of material bread so that "bread" here means all that is sufficient for the support of life--as S. Augustine explains it to Proba.[174] For both the Holy Eucharist is the chief of Sacraments, and bread is the chief of foods, whence in the Gospel of S.

Matthew we have the term "super-substantial" or "special" applied to it, as S. Jerome explains it.[175]

And we are lead, as it were, _accidentally_ to the possession of G.o.d by the removal of impediments from our path. Now there are three things which impede us in our efforts after the possession of G.o.d. The first of these is sin, which directly excludes us from the kingdom: _Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, ... etc., shall possess the kingdom of G.o.d_;[176] hence the pet.i.tion: _Forgive us our trespa.s.ses_.... And the second impediment is temptation which hinders us from obeying the Divine Will; whence the pet.i.tion: _And lead us not into temptation_; in which pet.i.tion we do not pray that we may not be tempted, but that we may not be overcome by temptation, for this is the meaning of being led into temptation. And the third hindrance lies in our present penal state which prevents us from having "the sufficiency of life"; and for this reason we say: _Deliver us from evil_.

Some, however, argue that these seven pet.i.tions are not very appropriate, thus:

1. It seems idle to pray that that may be hallowed which is already hallowed or holy. But the Name of G.o.d is holy: _And holy is His Name_.[177] Similarly, His kingdom is everlasting: _Thy kingdom_, O Lord, _is a kingdom of all ages_.[178] G.o.d's Will, too, is always fulfilled: _And all My Will shall be done_.[179] Hence it is idle to pray that G.o.d's Name may be hallowed, that His kingdom may come, and that His Will may be done.

But, as S. Augustine says,[180] when we say, _Hallowed be Thy Name_, we do not make this pet.i.tion as though G.o.d's Name were not holy, but that It may be held holy by men; in other words, that G.o.d's glory may be propagated amongst men. And when we say, _Thy kingdom come_, it is not as though we meant that G.o.d did not reign, but, as S. Augustine says to Proba[181]: "We stir up our desires for that kingdom, that it may come upon us and that we may reign in it." Lastly, when we say, _Thy Will be done_, this is rightly understood to mean: May Thy precepts be obeyed _on earth as in Heaven_--that is, as by Angels, so by men. These three pet.i.tions, then, will receive their perfect fulfilment in the life to come; but the remaining four, as S. Augustine says, refer to the necessities of the present life.[182]

2. But further, to depart from evil must precede the pursuit of what is good. Hence it hardly seems appropriate to place those pet.i.tions which are concerned with the pursuit of what is good before those which refer to the departing from evil.

Yet since prayer is the interpreter of our desires the order of these pet.i.tions does not correspond to the order of attainment but of desire or intention; in this order, however, the end precedes the means to the end, the pursuit of good comes before the departure from evil.

3. But once more, we ask for something in order that it may be given us.

But the chief gift of G.o.d is the Holy Spirit and those things which are given us through Him. Hence these pet.i.tions do not seem to be very appropriate since they do not correspond to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

S. Augustine[183], however, adapts these seven pet.i.tions to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and to the Beat.i.tudes; he says: "If we have the _fear of G.o.d_ by which the poor in spirit are blessed, we pray that G.o.d's Name may be hallowed among men by chaste fear. If we have _piety_, by which the meek are blessed, we pray that His kingdom may come, that we may be meek, and that we may not withstand It. If we have _knowledge_, by which they that mourn are blessed, we pray that His will may be done, and that so we may not mourn. If we have _fort.i.tude_, by which they that hunger are blessed, we pray that our daily bread may be given us. If we have _counsel_, by which they that are merciful are blessed, let us forgive our debtors that we ourselves may be forgiven. If we have _understanding_, by which the clean of heart are blessed, let us pray that we may not have a double heart that pursues after temporal things whence temptations come to us. If we have _wisdom_, whence the peace-makers are blessed--for they shall be called the sons of G.o.d--let us pray that we may be delivered from evil, for that very deliverance will make us the free sons of G.o.d."

4. Again, according to S. Luke,[184] there are only five pet.i.tions in the Lord's Prayer. Hence it would seem superfluous to have seven in S.

Matthew.

But, as S. Augustine says[185]: "S. Luke only includes five pet.i.tions and not seven in the Lord's Prayer, for he shows that the third pet.i.tion is, in a sense, only a repet.i.tion of the two preceding ones; by omitting it he makes us see that G.o.d's will is more especially concerned with our knowledge of His sanct.i.ty and with our reigning with Him. But Luke has omitted Matthew's last pet.i.tion, _Deliver us from evil_, in order to show us that we are delivered from evil just precisely as we are not led into temptation."