Volume I, Treatise V, Chapter II

Of the Necessity of Prayer

WE have but too much experience of the need we have of prayer; and would to God that this experience were less frequent than it is. But man being subject to so many frailties, finding himself encompassed by so many enemies, and standing in need of so many things, both for soul and body, ought to have a continual recourse to God, to implore his assistance, and to tell him, as King Josaphat did, when the Ammonites and Moabites were come against him; “Lord, in this extremity to which I am reduced, not knowing what to do, the only remedy I have left is to cast up my eyes unto thee.” (2 Paralipomenon 20:11) I know not, says Pope Celestine, speaking of the importance of prayer, how to say anything better to you upon this subject, than what Zosimus my predecessor said of it—‘ When is it that we stand not in need of the Divine assistance? Wherefore in all sorts of occasions and affairs let us always have recourse to his protection; for it would be an insupportable pride, should man dare to presume to do, or to think he can do anything of himself.” (Celest. i. c. 9. cont. Pelag.)

St. Thomas, intending to prove the necessity of prayer, gives an excellent and most essential reason for it, which is taken from the doctrine of the holy fathers, and has this truth for its foundation—‘“That what God has from all eternity determined to give unto souls, he gives it in time, by the means and help of prayer.” For as it is the order and disposition of the divine Providence, that mankind should increase and multiply by means of marriage; that the earth should become fruitful by the care that is taken to cultivate it; and lastly, that it is with materials, and by the help of workmen, that buildings are raised; so it is, says he, the order and disposition of the divine Providence, that by the means and help of prayer souls should obtain many graces andlights. For this reason Jesus Christ said in the gospel; “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: because whosoever asks, receives; who searches, finds; and the door is opened to him that knocks.” (Matthew 7:7,8) Itis therefore very easy to perceive the need we have of having frequent recourse to prayer; because it is the channel through which Jesus Christ communicates his favours, assists us in our necessities, and enriches us with his treasures. Some saints say, that it is like a chain of gold, fastened to heaven, and hanging down to the very earth, whereby the graces of God descend to us, and we are elevated and raised up unto him. We may also say, that it is Jacob’s ladder, that reaches from éearth to heaven, by which the angels continually ascend and descend, to carry our petitions to God, and bring back his blessings unto us. St. Austin calls it the key of heaven (Aug. serm. 226): and.in effect, it is the key that opens all the gates, and by which all the coffers of the celestial treasures are opened. He says also, “that as natural food nourishes the body, so the word of God and prayer maintain and nourish the soul.” But one of the chief things that still shews what esteem we ought to have for prayer is, that it becomes a very efficacious means to regulate our life, and helps us to surmount all those obstacles we are to meet with in the way of virtue. Wherefore the saints say, that the whole conduct of our life depends upon it; and that our life is well or ill regulated, according to our discharging well or ill the duty of prayer. “‘ He who knows how to pray as he should, knows also how to live as he should” (Hom. iv. ex. 50), says St. Austin. And St. Climachus relates, that a servant of God told him the following words, which are very remarkable—That in the morning he knew very well how the rest of the day would pass; that is to say, that when he had made his prayer well, all the rest corresponded to this good beginning; and when he had not well acquitted himself of this duty, he was disturbed and deranged all the day after. It is the same in order to our whole life in general; for we often experience, that when we have made our prayer well, we find ourselves in greater peace and tranquillity than ordinary; and we feel the joy of our souls, as well as our holy resolutions, increased in us, But as soon as we come to relent, or neglect our prayer, we presently perceive the truth of what St. Bonaventure says, that “without that, religion is dry, imperfect, and near itsruin.” (Bon. de prog. rel.c. 7.) Tepidity presently comes upon us, the soul grows weak by little and little, and insensibly loses the fervour and courage it before had for spiritual and heavenly things—its good desires and holy resolutions are dissipated and vanish away; and bad inclinations come in their place, and are again enkindled. In fine, we come at last to please ourselves in nothing but vain and unprofitable things, and to be transported with joy for such as are even ridiculous; and also fall into a shameful negligence. And what is still worse, the desire of vainglory, anger,’ envy, ambition, and those other dangerous inclinations which we thought we had overcome and extinguished, begin to revive anew in our hearts, and bring disorder and corruption along with them. ’ The abbot Nilus says, that prayer ought to be the looking-glass of a religious; it is in this we daily must at leisure take a view of ourselves, both to know our. faults, and the means to mend them. It is in this mirror, that we consider the resplendent virtues of Jesus Christ, wherewith to adorn and embellish our souls, “A religious,” says St. Francis, “ought to desire nothing so much as to obtain the grace and gift of prayer; for without this, we cannot hope to be able to make any progress in God’s service; and with it, there is nothing we may not promise ourselves.” (Hist. min. c. 7.) It is for this reason that St. Thomas of Aquin said, that a religious without prayer was like a soldier without arms in time of battle. And St. Thomas of Villanova was wont to say, that prayer was to the soul, as natural heat is to the stomach. And as without heat it is impossible that food should do a man any good, or even that he should be able to live; whereas by means of this heat, he converts it into good juice and nourishment, which disperses itself throughout the whole body, to furnish each part thereof with sufficient strength to perform its functions—in like manner our spiritual life cannot subsist without prayer; for it is prayer that gives us strength to fulfil all the obligations of our profession, and to profit as we should do of even the most troublesome accidents—it is this that makes us easily digest all injuries and hardships, and makes them become éeasy and supportable; so that there is nothing can happen to a soul, of which it will not make its profit and advantage. In fine, if we make good use of prayer, we shall therein find a remedy for all our faults, and an assured help and means to maintain ourselves in the vigour and purity of religion. For if perhaps you have not been faithful in the observance of your rules; if you have given yourself too much liberty in anything; or in fine, if you feel some passions, which were before in a manner asleep, that begin to awake anew in you; have recourse presently to prayer, and by the grace of God you will therein find a speedy and efficacious remedy for all things. But if you should fall into remissness and tepidity during your prayer, it is still to prayer that you must have recourse; for it is this that will restore you that first state of fervour in which you were before. For prayer has proper remedies for all evils, and even for those faults that are committed in it. Wherefore they make a very just comparison, who say, that prayer is to a spiritual life, what the hand is to the body. The hand serves for an instrument and help to the whole body in general, and to itself in particular; it labours for nourishment, for clothing, and all the other necessities of the body; and also labours for itself. For if the hand be indisposed, it is the hand that dresses it; ifthe hand be dirty, it is the hand that washes it; and if the hand be cold, it is the hand that warms itself again. In fine, as the hand does all things, so prayer does the same.

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