Article II. On Prayer

Prayer taken more broadly is the elevation of the mind to God, or any pious affection of the soul toward God and supernatural things. But in the stricter sense it is the petition of fitting things from God. - Cf. St. Thom. 2-2, q. 83, art. 1.

I Say 1st. Prayer is certainly necessary for all adults by necessity of precept, as is proved from many places of Scripture, for example, Matt. xiv, 38: "Watch and pray": and Luke xviii, 1: "It is necessary always to pray and not to fail." Moreover, according to many, prayer is also necessary by necessity of means, because it is the ordinary means established by God for obtaining necessary graces. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 1.

I Say 2nd. The precept of praying obliges frequently, as is clear from the cited texts, yet not without interruption, which is impossible to human weakness. Therefore the words, it is necessary always to pray, by the common interpretation of the Doctors, signify that one must pray frequently at an opportune time, and never cease from weariness, torpor, or dejection of soul; or also that our actions generally are to be directed toward God.

Question 1. When does the precept of prayer press?

Response. It is certain that it often presses by accident, namely whenever some end is to be obtained, for the attainment of which prayer is required as a means. It is also certain that the precept of prayer presses of itself several times in life, or, as was said, frequently; but what the force of these particles may be, nothing is more uncertain among the Doctors. Yet in practice the opinion can be held which teaches that those who pray to God at least once a year are not to be condemned of grave sin, both because it is not disapproved by St. Alphonsus, and because it is more conformable to those things which we said concerning acts of faith, hope, and charity. For the rest, the confessor ought to be more solicitous in inculcating the necessity of frequent prayer than in determining the grave fault of omitted prayer. - Cf. Baller., note (a), p. 228.

Question 2. Does he sin, at least venially, who omits morning or evening prayers?

Response. Negatively, of itself, because there is given no law which prescribes determinate prayers for single days and at certain hours. - I said of itself, because in practice some fault of negligence or sloth is rarely absent.