Article II: On Prayer

546. DEFINITION. Prayer, taken broadly, insofar as it also comprehends meditation, praise, thanksgiving, etc., is the elevation of the mind to God (IV, 117; Polm., 2.2, n. 819).

Taken strictly, or PETITION, it is "a request for fitting things from God" (St. John Damascene, de Fide orth., l. 3, c. 21; Billuart, de Relig., d. 2, a. 2). Request, that is, the explanation of desire for obtaining something; of fitting things, that is, of things which are honorable, and which it befits God to bestow on us; from God, either immediately, or mediately, namely when our prayer is directed to the Saints. Therefore petition is commanded by hope, elicited by the virtue of religion.

DIVISION. Prayer is distinguished: 1. by reason of mode, into mental and vocal: the former is made by mind alone; the latter is performed by mind and words: for if it is made by words alone, it is not prayer; 2. by reason of the one praying, into public and private: public prayer is that which is made in the name of the Church, for the salvation of the people, by a minister deputed for this; private prayer is that which is made by each one separately, whether for himself or for another (cf. 531, 3).

547. PRINCIPLES. I. Prayer (as petition) is necessary for all adults by necessity of precept, indeed also by necessity of means. 1. BY NECESSITY OF PRECEPT. It is established from innumerable places of Sacred Scripture, for example (Mark 14:38): Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; and (Luke 18:1): It is necessary always to pray and not to faint. Nature itself teaches us to pray when we are in necessity; and therefore he who never prays to God sins against natural law. 2. BY NECESSITY OF MEANS. For, without prayer, according to the ordering of divine Providence, salvation cannot be obtained. For, on the one hand, we can do nothing in the order toward salvation without the help of grace, the Lord saying (John 15:5): Without me you can do nothing; on the other hand, God bestows his graces only when asked, according to that saying (John 16:24): Ask, and you shall receive; and (James 4:2): You have not, because you ask not (Gran mezzo, c. 1 and 3, § 3).

Behold therefore the law and economy OF OUR SALVATION. The first graces (as are the grace of vocation to true faith, the grace of conversion, and the grace itself of praying) are often given without previous petition; but further graces, by which the more difficult precepts of God can be observed and grave temptations overcome, and especially those efficacious helps upon which our final perseverance depends, are conceded only to those praying, and indeed assiduously, perseveringly, and trustingly.

Therefore they err who, with the favorers of Americanism, place all confidence in the virtues which they call active, and despise the passive virtues (prayer, humility, patience, meekness). Cf. Nouv. Rev. Theol., 1899, p. 165.

548. II. Prayer, endowed with the due conditions, has infallible efficacy, from the promise of God. The words of the Lord are clear: Ask, and you shall receive (John 16:24). And similar things occur everywhere. Nor does it matter whether the one praying is just or a sinner: For every one that asketh, receiveth (Luke 11:10). Therefore when sinners are not heard, this happens because they pray badly, that is, with the due conditions passed over. Whence St. James (4:3): You ask, and receive not: because you ask amiss.

But the CONDITIONS required on the part of the one praying are four:¹

1. That he ask for himself; for the Lord says: he will give to you; and the reason is that one praying for himself, by that very fact that he prays well, is already disposed to receiving grace. This cannot always be said concerning neighbor, for whom someone prays. Thus St. Thomas (2.2, q. 83, a. 7, ad 2). Yet many Doctors judge that prayer, even by force of the divine promise, is infallibly efficacious, even if made for sinners, provided they are not so obstinate that they intend to live in sin until death.

2. That he ask things conducive to salvation. For the Lord says: If you shall ask the Father anything in my name... (John 16:23). Moreover, according to St. Augustine (tr. 102 on John, beginning): "Whatever is asked contrary to the account of salvation is not asked in the name of the Savior." It is indeed licit to ask for and desire temporal goods, but conditionally, namely on the supposition that they are salutary for us.²

3. That he ask piously, that is, with humility and confidence. For it is written (James 4:6): God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. And (Ecclus. 2:11): No one hath hoped in the Lord, and been confounded. Whence St. Thomas says: Prayer has the force of meriting from charity, but the efficacy of obtaining from faith and confidence (l. c., a. 15, ad 2).

4. That he ask perseveringly; according to that saying (Luke 18:1): It is necessary always to pray and not to faint. And in c. 11:9 we are taught that one must not only ask, but also seek and knock until it is opened. Whence St. Thomas says: "The effect of prayer can be impeded if someone does not persevere in asking" (ibid., ad 2). - Significantly, for obtaining FINAL PERSEVERANCE, perseverance in praying is necessary; because to the chain of graces by which God wills us to become saved, there must respond on our part a chain of petitions.

Two things are to be noted: a) Although fervent prayer is required for obtaining efficacious grace, nevertheless by tepid prayer we obtain the spirit of more fervent prayer (Verita della fede, P. II, c. 17, n. 19). b) A special efficacy is promised to public prayer; for it is said (Matt. 18:20): Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

549. IT IS ASKED. When does the precept of praying oblige?

Resp. Prayer can be considered as an act of a virtue excellent in itself. Yet more often it is considered as an act of a virtue which, in relation to the goods of salvation, is a means constituted by God. Whence we say: 1. It obliges OF ITSELF: a) at the beginning of the use of reason; b) in the article of death; c) more often in the year, indeed frequently; whence St. Alphonsus with Suarez and Lessius estimates that it is a sin grave of itself if someone for a notable time, that is, for one month, or certainly for two months, omits to commend himself to God (Inst. cat., P. I, c. 1, n. 32; Gran mezzo, P. I, c. 3, § 3).

2. It obliges PER ACCIDENS: a) in the state of mortal sin, for obtaining the grace of repenting as one ought; b) when grave temptation rises up, which cannot otherwise be conquered; or if some precept urges, for fulfilling which prayer is necessary; c) in a great calamity of neighbor or of the people (III, in princ.).

Hence it is clear that the omission of morning and evening prayers constitutes no sin of itself, although from the very beginning of the Church this most holy custom of praying has become widespread. Yet pastors of souls ought to confer great diligence upon this, that the Christian faithful be most tenacious of this custom. For unless it is holily retained, it will shortly happen that the soul, destitute of the special help of God, enters the way of perdition. Indeed it would not be free from fault if someone should determine by set purpose to pray neither morning nor evening. For when will such a man pray? Cf. Lehmkuhl, I, 484.

Let the following be noted: 1. The words of the Lord: IT IS NECESSARY ALWAYS TO PRAY, signify that one must pray frequently, at a suitable time, and never cease from dejection of soul; or also, that our actions generally are to be directed to God (cf. n. 307).

2. One voluntarily distracted in prayer sins of himself venially, unless perhaps a just cause excuses. For he conducts himself irreverently toward God (Elbel, de Orat., n. 419). But "there is no sin if someone does not so much intend to pray as to occupy himself in a pious exercise by reciting the words of prayers; because he prays not formally, but only materially: for example, when someone working with his hands recites or sings psalms or other prayers, not with the soul of praying, but of avoiding vain thoughts, or of recreating himself" (V, 84). Nevertheless, since prayer thus made is also a certain exercise of religion, it is clear that it is not destitute of all merit.

3. Besides God, we can pray to the Saints, and very probably privately invoke the souls which are expiated in the flames of Purgatory; for it can piously be believed that our prayers are manifested to them. And likewise baptized infants can be invoked, who, before the use of reason, migrated to the blessed Fatherland (Gran mezzo, P. I, c. 1; work on Trent, Sess. 25, n. 32).

4. Invocation of the Saints is of precept with respect to the community (or the Church), since it is commanded in the public Office and in the Mass. But by no positive law is it prescribed to individual faithful. Yet it is not improbable that it is prescribed by natural or divine law: "because by natural law we are bound to observe that order which God has instituted; but God has constituted that inferiors reach salvation by imploring the help of superiors" (Gran mezzo, l. c.).

5. Invocation of the Blessed Virgin MARY in particular is necessary for each person, not indeed absolutely, but morally, for salvation; because such is the will of God, "who willed that we have all things through Mary" (cf. Glorie di Maria, c. V). St. Alphonsus teaches besides that "it is morally impossible that a soul should progress much in perfection without some particular and tender devotion toward the most holy Mother of God" (H. Ap., App. I, at the end).

6. One must pray, of itself from charity, for all who can be helped by prayer, and whom we are commanded to love (cf. n. 476). Therefore we ought to pray also for the souls which are expiated in the fire of Purgatory. - This obligation is satisfied by praying privately. - As regards public prayer, see the things to be said n. 1600 seqq.