1. Christ's Passion, as said before, is especially calculated to cause

devotion. But from dwelling on it there follows a certain affliction of soul: Remember my poverty ... the wormwood and the gall—that is, the Sacred Passion; and then follows: I will be mindful, and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.

In meditation on the Passion of Christ there is food for sadness—viz., the thought of the sins of men, and to take these away Christ had need to suffer. But there is also food for joy—viz., the thought of God's merciful kindness towards us in providing us such a deliverance.

2. Again, devotion principally consists in the interior sacrifice of the heart: A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; consequently affliction, rather than pleasure or joy, is the outcome of devotion.

But the soul which is on the one hand saddened because of its shortcomings in this present life, is on the other hand delighted at the thought of the goodness of God and of the hope of Divine assistance.

3. Lastly, S. Gregory of Nyssa says: "Just as laughter proceeds from joy, so are sorrow and groaning signs of sadness." But out of devotion some burst into tears.

Yet tears spring not from sadness alone, but also from a certain tenderness of feeling: and especially is this the case when we reflect on something that, while pleasant, has in it a certain admixture of sadness; thus men are wont to weep from loving affection when they recover their children or others dear to them whom they had thought lost. And it is in this sense that tears spring from devotion.

Cajetan: Notice the proof here afforded that those are not devout persons who are habitually sad and gloomy, and who cannot mingle with others without getting into difficulties or dissolving into tears. For devout folk are cheerful, and are full of joy in their souls; and this not solely by reason of the principal cause, as is stated in the text, but also by reason of a secondary cause—the thought, namely, of their own failings. For the sadness of devout folk is according to God, and joy accompanies it; whence S. Augustine's remark: "Let a man grieve, but let him rejoice at his grief." Therefore it is that we read of the Saints that they were joyful and bright; and rightly so, for they had begun upon earth their "heavenly conversation" (on 2. 2. 82. 4).

S. Augustine: For Thee do I yearn, Justice and Innocence, Beautiful and Fair in Thy beauteous light that satisfies and yet never sates! For with Thee is repose exceedingly and life without disquiet! He that enters into Thee enters into the joy of his Lord; he shall know no fear, and in the Best shall be best. But I have deserted Thee and have wandered away, O Lord, my God! Too far have I wandered from Thee, the Steadfast One, in my youth, and I have become to myself a very land of want! (Confessions, II. x.).

FOOTNOTES:

VIII. 9 and X. 29.

xxxv. 20-21.

2 Paral. xxix. 31.

Ethics, V. i. 3.

Of the Divine Names, chap. iv., part i., lect. 10.

Sermon VIII.: On the Passion of Our Lord.

S. John xix. 15.

Commentary on S. Luke ix. 55.

De Trinitate, ix. 12; xv. 23.

Ps. lxxii. 28.

Ps. cxx. 1, 2.

S. Luke xv. 13, 16.

Ps. lxxvi. 4.

Ps. xli. 3.

Lam. iii. 19.

Ps. i. 19.

De Homine, xii.

De Vera et Falsa Poenitentia, xiii.

Phil. iii. 20.

QUESTION LXXXIII

OF PRAYER

I. Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer based on Friendship II. Is it Fitting to Pray? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer as a True Cause S. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, II. iii. 14 " On the Gift of Perseverance, vii. 15 III. Is Prayer an Act of the Virtue of Religion? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Humility of Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm cii. 10 " Of the Gift of Perseverance, xvi. 39 IV. Ought We to Pray to God Alone? S. Augustine, Sermon, cxxvii. 2 V. Should We in our Prayers ask for anything Definite from God? S. Augustine, De Catechizandis Rudibus, xxv. 47 " Confessions, X. xxix. " Confessions, XI. ii. 2 VI. Ought We in our Prayers to ask for Temporal Things from God? S. Augustine, On Psalm xxxvii. 10 " Confessions, I. xx. 2 " Confessions, IX. iv. 12 S. Thomas is miraculously relieved from Toothache S. Augustine, Sermon, lxxx. 7 " Sermon, cccliv. 8 VII. Ought We to Pray for Others? VIII. Ought We to Pray for our Enemies? S. Augustine, Sermon, xv., on Psalm xxv. 8 IX. On the Seven Petitions of the Lord's Prayer Cardinal Cajetan, On the Grouping of these Petitions S. Augustine, Confessions, VII. x. 2 " Sermon, lvii., on S. Matt. vi. 7 " Sermon, lvi. 9, on S. Matt. vi. " Sermon, lvi. 8, on S. Matt. vi. " Of the City of God, xix. 27 S. Thomas's Rhythm, Adoro Te Devote X. Is Prayer Peculiar to Rational Creatures? XI. Do the Saints in Heaven Pray for Us? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Saints in Limbo XII. Should Prayer be Vocal? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Conditions of Vocal Prayer S. Augustine, Confessions, IX. iv. 8 " Confessions, X. xxxiii. 50 " On Psalm cxviii., Sermon xxix. 1 XIII. Must Prayer necessarily be Attentive? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Varieties of Attention at Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm lxxxv. 7 " On Psalm cxlv. 1 S. Thomas, On Distractions, Com. on 1 Cor. xiv. 14 XIV. Should our Prayers be Long? XV. Is Prayer Meritorious? S. Augustine, On Psalm xxvi. " Ep. cxxx. ad Probam. XVI. Do Sinners gain Anything from God by their Prayers? XVII. Can We rightly term "Supplications," "Prayers," "Intercessions," and "Thanksgivings," parts of Prayer? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Prayer of the Consecration S. Augustine, Of Divers Questions, iv.

I

Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers?

S. Isidore says: "To pray is the same thing as to speak." Speaking, however, belongs to the intellect. Hence prayer is not an act of the appetitive, but of the intellectual faculties.

According to Cassiodorus, on those words of the Psalmist: Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my supplication, give ear to my tears, prayer means "the lips' reasoning." Now there is this difference between the speculative and the practical reason, that the speculative reason merely apprehends things, while the practical reason not only apprehends things, but actually causes them. But one thing is the cause of another in two ways: in one way, perfectly—namely, as inducing a necessity—as happens when the effect comes entirely under the power of a cause; in another way, imperfectly—namely, by merely disposing to it—as happens when an effect is not entirely under the power of a cause.

And so, too, reason is in two ways the cause of certain things: in one way as imposing a necessity; and in this way it belongs to the reason to command not merely the lower faculties and the bodily members, but even men who are subject to us, and this is done by giving commands. In another way as inducing, and in some sort disposing to, an effect; and in this way the reason asks for something to be done by those who are subject to it, whether they be equals or superiors.

But both of these—namely, to command something, or to ask or beg for something to be done—imply a certain arrangement—as when a man arranges for something to be done by somebody else. And in this respect both of these acts come under the reason whose office it is to arrange. Hence the Philosopher says: "Reason asks for the best things."

Here, then, we speak of prayer as implying a certain asking or petition, for, as S. Augustine says: "Prayer is a certain kind of petition"; so, too, S. John Damascene says: "Prayer is the asking of fitting things from God."

Hence it is clear that the prayer of which we are here speaking is an act of the reason.

Some, however, think that prayer is an act of the appetitive powers, thus:

1. The whole object of prayer is to be heard, and the Psalmist says that it is our desires which are heard: The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor. Prayer, then, is desire; but desire is an act of the appetitive powers.

But the Lord is said to hear the desires of the poor either because their desire is the reason why they ask—since our petitions are in a certain sense the outward expression of our desires; or this may be said in order to show the swiftness with which He hears them—even while things are only existing in the poor man's desire; God hears them even before they are expressed in prayer. And this accords with the words of Isaias: And it shall come to pass that before they shall call I will hear, as they are yet speaking I will hear.