Moral Theology Part 103

2151. Devotion should not be confused with emotion, spiritual consolation, or pious exercises known as devotions.

(a) Thus, emotion or pleasure of a non-religious kind is not devotion, though sometimes mistaken for it when the emotion or pleasure is of an elevating kind and occasioned by religious exercises. Neither esthetic joy (e.g., over the music, the ceremonies, the architecture of the church), nor literary pleasure (e.g. over a sublime pa.s.sage of Holy Writ or a charming liturgical composition), nor intellectual satisfaction (e.g., over the refinement and culture imparted by religious truths), is necessarily joined with that strong attachment to G.o.d and inclination to do His will which is the soul of devotion.

(b) Spiritual consolations are sometimes called devotion, but they are not the same thing as the devotion we now speak of. Substantial devotion with which we are now concerned is in the will and consists in the strong inclination to praise and honor G.o.d, whereas accidental devotion is rather in the sensible appet.i.te and consists in a feeling of sweetness or elevation in exercises of piety which sometimes reacts upon the body, as when a devout person weeps for joy at the thought of G.o.d. Substantial devotion is essential and should be maintained, even though there is no feeling of attraction or fervor. An example of this is furnished by Our Lord, who prayed earnestly during the agony in the garden and the desolation on the cross. Accidental devotion is not of itself evil, nor useless, and it may be desired and prayed for; but it is dangerous for those persons who are puffed up by it, or who become inordinately attached to it, or who are disposed to mistake it for substantial devotion, for, like the consoling vision of Thabor, it is pa.s.sing and is not an end in itself.

(c) Devotions are various forms of external cult shown to G.o.d, Christ, the Blessed Virgin, the Saints, celebrated shrines, etc., whether of a liturgical or a popular, of a public or a private kind. Examples are the Forty Hours' Devotion, novenas, consecrated days and months, the use of scapulars, medals, etc., pilgrimages, and the like. All these devotions that have the approval of the Church are good and useful in themselves. But devotees often made a bad use of them, subst.i.tuting devotions for devotion and the non-essential for the essential, as when religion is made to center in pictures or music or a sentimental attachment for some favorite Saint. Persons who multiply external observances may be without the least degree of real devotion.

2152. External and Internal Cause of Devotion.--The external cause of devotion is G.o.d, who by grace bestows the will of serving Him gladly, and therefore the Church prays G.o.d to bestow upon us the disposition of piety and devotion, and to increase in us devotion unto salvation. But there is also an internal cause, namely, mental prayer or consideration of divine things, for the will follows on the intellect. Hence, it is impossible to animate external acts of worship with true devotion, unless one practises daily or frequent mental prayer. The subjects of mental prayer that promote devotion are reducible to two:

(a) one should think on one's own weakness (sins, dangers, temptations, etc.) and one's need of G.o.d, for this serves to remove the impediments to devotion. Those who would be devoted to G.o.d must free themselves from presumption and self-confidence in the spirit of the pilgrim going up to the Temple who said; "I will raise my eyes to the mountains from which help cometh to me" (Psalm cxx, 1);

(b) one should think on points that will excite the love of G.o.d, such as the thought of His goodness, the memory of His benefits, the mysteries of the life of Christ; for these considerations by inspiring charity will thereby indirectly introduce devotion to G.o.d. "It is good for me to cling fast to G.o.d and to place my hope in the Lord," said the Psalmist, after he had thought over the blessings received from Providence (Psalm lxxii. 28).

2153. Prayer.--Prayer can be taken in various senses. (a) Thus, in the widest sense prayer is any act of religion or a holy life. St.

Augustine says that a good life is the best of all prayers, and the command of Christ that we pray always has been understood to mean that we should always follow good. (b) In a less wide sense, prayer is the raising of the mind to G.o.d, in order to praise, adore, thank Him, etc.

The motive of veneration here present distinguishes prayer from mere thoughts about G.o.d as when one studies or discusses theological subjects to satisfy curiosity or to impart information.

(c) In its strict sense, prayer is the asking for suitable things from G.o.d. By suitable things are meant such as are lawful and becoming, and hence it would not be a prayer, but a mockery, to ask G.o.d for help to accomplish sin or for miracles in trivial matters. We are now considering prayer in its strict and less wide senses.

2154. The Psychology of Prayer.--(a) Prayer in its nature is an act of the reason, for it is a conversation or communication with G.o.d. It belongs, however, not to the speculative, but to the practical reason, since it is not a mere process of apprehension, judgment or reasoning, but the arrangement and presentation of requests, plans, etc., before G.o.d with a view to their acceptance by Him. By prayer, then, we do not understand thinking on G.o.d, as in meditation and contemplation (though these are known as mental prayer), but speaking to G.o.d.

(b) Prayer in its origin is an act of the will, for the practical reason presents before G.o.d only such things as are desired by him who prays. Prayer is the interpreter of desire. Indeed, G.o.d may take the will for the request and grant what has not yet been asked: "The Lord heard the desire of the poor" (Ps. ix. 17); "Before they cry I shall hear them" (Is., lxv. 24). Moreover, prayer should spring out of an inclination towards G.o.d Himself and a desire for union with Him (Ps.

xli. 1. 2; Ps. xxvi. 4).

2155. The Necessity of Prayer.--(a) Prayer is not necessary on G.o.d's account, as though He needed to be informed of our wants, or could not be happy without our homage, or might be induced to change His plans; (b) it is necessary for our own sakes, for, although G.o.d could and sometimes does grant favors unasked, He wishes that ordinarily we should have the double benefit of the prayer and of the favor given in answer to the prayer. G.o.d could grant the crops of the fields without human cultivation, or even tools and finished articles without human invention or labor, but man would then lose the fruits that belong to labor of mind and body. Prayer is most beneficial, even when unanswered: it attracts man to perform his basic duty of honoring his Creator, to keep in use his spiritual powers, and to exercise the necessary virtues of faith, hope and charity; it gives him the privilege of speaking directly with G.o.d and with Christ and of asking for what he desires--an intimacy that must in time correct and elevate man's whole spiritual life; then prayer is a pouring out of the heart to G.o.d the Heavenly Father, and this will afford relief in times of misfortune or peril.

2156. The Duty of Prayer for all Adults.--(a) Prayer is necessary from divine precept, as is declared in many pa.s.sages of Scripture. Thus, we are commanded to watch and pray (Matt, xxvi. 41), to pray always and not to faint (Luke, xviii. 1), to ask and to knock (Matt., vii. 7 sqq.), to pray without ceasing (I Thess., v. 17), to watch in prayers (I Peter, iv. 7). In the Ma.s.s the Lord's Prayer is prefaced with the words: "Commanded by salutary precepts and admonished by divine instructions, we make bold to say: Our Father, etc." There is, however, no divine precept of vocal prayer or as to the use of the form of words given by Christ, but one must pray at least mentally and in the manner indicated by Christ.

(b) Prayer is also necessary as a means (see 360), at least generally speaking; not that G.o.d could not save man without prayer, but that He has made it an indispensable condition, as is true also of Baptism, without which salvation is not conferred. This is the common opinion and it rests on strong arguments. Thus, there are certain necessary goods (such as perseverance) that cannot be had except through prayer, and there are certain necessary duties (such as the acts of faith, charity, and religion) that are not exercised apart from prayer. Then, there is the teaching of the Church and of the Fathers and Doctors that prayer is needed in order to observe the Commandments (Council of Trent), that no one is a.s.sisted who does not pray (Gennadius), that prayer is to the soul what breath is to the body (St. Benedict), that he who prays will certainly be saved, while he who prays not will surely be lost (St. Alphonsus).

2157. Times and Frequency of Prayer.--As to the times and frequency of prayer, in fulfillment of the obligation, there are the same opinions and conclusions as for the acts of faith, hope, and charity (see 929 sqq., 1095-1097, 1593 sqq.). On this point we may conclude as follows:

(a) directly, or by reason of the precept of prayer itself, there is a duty to pray at the beginning of the moral life, frequently during life (whether daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. cannot be precisely determined; but there is no practical difficulty, since those who devoutly hear Ma.s.s at the times commanded comply with the duty of prayer), and also in danger of death. At the outset of the moral life the reason and will should turn to G.o.d, and this is prayer at least in the widest sense; during life prayer should be frequent and continuous according to the words of Scripture; at the hour of death, prayer is necessary, since we are specially bidden to ask for perseverance till the end;

(b) indirectly, or by reason of some precept distinct from that of prayer, prayer is necessary whenever one needs to have recourse to G.o.d to fulfill some command or avoid something prohibited. Thus, one should pray at Ma.s.s, for according to church law Ma.s.s must be heard devoutly; one should pray when a dangerous temptation a.s.sails one, or when there are great calamities, especially of a public character, for according to the precept of charity one must help oneself and others in difficulties.

2158. Practical Corollaries about Prayer with Reference to Confession.--(a) Practical Catholics, that is, those who comply with the precepts of the Church, but who accuse themselves of neglecting morning and evening prayers or grace at meals, cannot be judged guilty of sin, even of venial sin, on account of this neglect; for there is no common precept directly obliging to such prayers. But there may often be a venial sin for other reasons, as when the omission is due to a spirit of lukewarmness, or when indirectly there is a duty to pray at those times for special reasons, such as daily needs or temptations. We do not agree, then, with the opinion that omission of morning and evening prayers, especially when it is habitual, is never sufficient matter for absolution.

(b) Unpractical Catholics, that is, those who have been away from Ma.s.s or the Sacraments contrary to the laws of the Church as habitual transgressors, and who say nothing about their neglect of prayer, should be questioned whether in all the years of absence from their duties they have also omitted all prayers. For, if this he the case, they have sinned against the duty of prayer. Morning and evening prayer and grace at table should be earnestly recommended to all, because these are customs that have come down from the earliest times, and also because those who disregard them often come to neglect all prayer, or at least expose themselves to dangers or to the loss of precious graces.

2159. To Whom May Prayer Be Offered?--Only G.o.d may be addressed as the Bestower of favors ("The Lord giveth grace and glory," Ps. lx.x.xiii.

12), but the Saints may be prayed to as intercessors before G.o.d ("The smoke of incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before G.o.d from the hands of the angel," Apoc., viii. 4). Hence, the Church asks G.o.d to have mercy on us; it asks the Saints to pray for us. It is lawful privately to invoke the prayers of an infant who died after baptism, of a soul in Purgatory, and one may ask the prayers of those who are still alive, as St. Paul frequently does in his Epistles. There is no command that we pray to the saints, and hence one who did not pray to them would not be guilty of grave sin _per se_; but there would be grave sin, if their intercession was neglected on account of contempt, and venial sin, if one failed to call on them (especially on the Blessed Virgin, the Mediatrix of all graces) on account of negligence about one's own spiritual good.

2160. The Persons for Whom Prayer Is Offered.--There is an obligation of charity to pray for ourselves and also for others, for we should ask for the things that we are obliged to desire (see 2161). This duty is taught in Holy Scripture (e.g., Our Lord prayed for Peter; St. Paul asks for the prayers of his Churches; St. James, in v. 16, admonishes us to pray for one another that we may be saved); also in the creed and liturgy of the Church, for we profess belief in the communion of saints, and offer Ma.s.ses and suffrages for the living and the dead. One should pray for enemies in common prayers that are offered for all, and in special prayers for them in particular, when there is a special reason, such as their grave necessity or the scandal that would be given if one refused to join in a special prayer for one's enemy (Matt., v. 44); but one may not pray for the success of the evil projects of an enemy, and one is not obliged to make special prayers for him apart from necessity (see 1151). For the excommunicated one should pray in private prayers and also in public prayers, when this is permitted by the law, as in the services of Good Friday and under certain conditions in Ma.s.ses (Canon 2262). For sinners prayers should be said, unless they are already lost. The souls in Purgatory are also to be prayed for, although the obligation does not seem grave, since it is not certain as to any particular soul that it is in need of our prayers. As to the blessed, one may pray for their canonization or accidental glory, not for their essential glory, which they already possess.

2161. Things that May Be Prayed for.--(a) Evils.--One may never pray for moral evil, even of the slightest kind, and it would be a grave irreverence to beseech G.o.d to become our helper in the commission of sin. As to physical evils, one may not ask them as evils or for their own sake; but it is lawful to pray for them in the larger sense in which they are goods. Thus, for oneself one may ask from G.o.d sickness, poverty or death, in so far as these ills are means of correction, improvement, merit, penance, or escape from sin; for an enemy one may ask that G.o.d restrain him, even by the use of temporal misfortunes, if this be necessary to keep him from sin.

(b) Indifferent Things.--One may not desire an indifferent thing, if there is no moral purpose to justify it (see 83). Hence, one may not ask G.o.d for the gratification of idle wishes (e.g., that one win a game in which the only purpose in gain), but it does not seem that there is grave irreverence in so doing.

(c) Temporal Goods.--These may not be asked for from a primary intention, since we must seek first the kingdom of G.o.d and His justice (Matt., vi. 33), which are more important; neither may we ask for any determinate temporal thing unconditionally, since we are uncertain whether it will prove beneficial or harmful. But temporal things may be asked for from a secondary intention (that is, in so far as they are means that a.s.sist us to attain spiritual goods) and conditionally (that is, under the proviso that they will prove spiritually beneficial).

Thus, the Church prays for protection against storms and disturbances, and asks for good weather, abundant harvests, peace, etc.

(d) Spiritual Goods.--Eternal salvation and the means thereto we should pray for as the princ.i.p.al objects of our desire and should ask for them unconditionally; for G.o.d is our true End, and the things that lead to Him cannot be harmful to us. Miracles may be asked for, but it is wrong to beg G.o.d for privileges that are reserved for others (e.g., to sit at the right hand of Christ in glory).

2162. The Qualities of Prayer.--(a) As to its manner, prayer is either unaccompanied or accompanied by external acts of worship, such as bodily gestures or speech. But not infrequently the thoughts are voiced in words, and we then have what is known as vocal prayer. Prayer made by a private person for himself or others may be internal; but public prayer that is offered by the ministers of the Church in the name of the Church should be vocal, since it should be manifested to the people for whom it is being offered. But the use of words or other external signs is advantageous even in private prayer, since it excites greater devotion in a person and is a help to attention.

(b) As to persistence, prayer is continuous or interrupted. Prayer should be continuous if there is question of its cause, which is prayerfulness of spirit, or desire of salvation; and in this sense may be understood the words of Scripture that command us to pray always (Luke, xviii. 1; Eph., vi. 18; I Thess., v. 17 ), But if we speak of prayer itself, it is impossible to pray unceasingly in this life, as there are many other things that have to be done and rest is a necessity.

(c) As to quant.i.ty, prayers are lengthy or brief. Our Lord rejected the belief of the pagans that the efficacy of prayer depends on many words (Matt, vi. 7), but He did not forbid long prayers, since He often spent nights in prayer. The rule about the length of private prayers is that one should pray for such a s.p.a.ce of time as is favorable to devotion, and should cease from prayer as soon as it becomes tedious; similarly, public devotions should not be so lengthened out that those present become wearied and inattentive. The Fathers of the Desert were wont to offer many brief but ardent ejaculatory prayers, fearing that prayer long drawn out would fall away from the fervor of intention with which it began. But, if devotion continues, prayer should not easily be broken off.

2163. The Confidence Requisite for Successful Prayer.--(a) Confidence must exclude doubt or distrust in reference to G.o.d or prayer itself: "How shall they call on Him whom they have not believed?" (Rom., X.

14); "Let not that man (that wavereth) think that he shall receive anything of the Lord" (James, i. 6, 7).

(b) Confidence does not exclude doubt about one's own dispositions ("It is not for our justice that we present our prayers before Thee, but for the mult.i.tude of Thy tender mercies"); on the contrary, the prayer of the Pharisee was not heard, because he trusted in himself (Luke, xviii.

9). Neither does confidence in prayer mean that one may ask unconditionally for temporal things (see 2161 c).

2164. Intention and Attention.--Attention is the voluntary application of the mind to that which is done, or the consideration or advertence of the mind given to an act. It differs from intention, which is an act, not of the reason, but of the will, consisting in the purpose to perform an act. Prayer requires both intention and attention.

(a) There must be intention, for prayer in its origin is an act of the will and it pertains to religion only because of the devotion by means of which it is elicited. A man who, while reading aloud from a novel, recites the words of a prayer contained in the novel, does not pray, for his intention is pleasure or instruction, not worship. And even one who says or answers prayers attentively during services does not really pray if his motive is not one of religion. (b) There must be attention, for prayer is of its nature an act of the mind (see 2154). A parrot or a phonograph is not said to pray when it repeats the words of the Our Father or Hail Mary.

2165. The Intention Required in Prayer.--(a) An actual intention is had when one either expressly or implicitly wills to offer a prayer, as when one says internally; "I will now say a prayer," or when without such express act one deliberately performs that which is a prayer, making internal acts of faith, reciting the Rosary, reading from a prayer-book, etc. This kind of intention is necessary at the beginning of prayer, and is the best that may be had during the course of prayer.

(b) A virtual intention is had when one is occupied in prayer on account of an actual intention previously formed and not retracted, but here and now, on account of human weakness, one is thinking of indifferent things impertinent to the prayer and its purpose. This kind of intention continues unless withdrawn directly by contrary intention or indirectly by the performance of acts inconsistent with prayer.

Virtual intention suffices during the course of prayer, for a continuous and uninterrupted actual intention is humanly impossible.

The more the mind struggles to keep the thought fixed on one object alone, the more do other thoughts arise to distract, as experience proves.

(c) An habitual intention is had when one is occupied in prayer, not on account of any actual intention previously formed, but on account of a propensity or inclination resulting from previous acts. This is not properly an intention and it does not suffice for prayer, since with it the acts performed do not proceed actually or virtually from any determination of the will. Thus, a person who is asleep or intoxicated is not said to pray when he mechanically repeats well-known words of prayer, for his will has no part in those words, any more than the will of the somnambulist has part in the dangerous walks he takes.

2166. The Attention in Prayer.--(a) By reason of its object, attention is external or internal, according as the mind is taken up only with the externals of prayer (i.e., the exclusion of external acts inconsistent with prayer and the proper bodily posture) or with the things internal to prayer (i.e., the words, sense and purpose of the prayer). Internal attention is called verbal or superficial when it is directed only to the words, as when a person who does not understand the meaning of a prayer says it carefully so as not to misp.r.o.nounce the words; it is literal, when it is directed only to the sense, as when a person who says a very obscure prayer pays close attention so as to follow its meaning; it is spiritual, when it is directed to the purpose of prayer (i.e., the worship of G.o.d by an act of religion), or to the objects of prayer (i.e., eternal salvation or the means thereto, such as grace and the virtues, the mysteries of religion, etc.).

(b) By reason of its subject, attention is either perfect or imperfect.

Perfect attention excludes every distracting thought, even such as are involuntary; imperfect attention excludes voluntary but not involuntary distractions.

2167. Acts that Exclude External Attention.--What external actions are inconsistent with external prayer and exclusive of external attention?

(a) Those acts exclude external attention which either from their nature (on account of the great mental application they demand) or from the weakness of a person's mind (for it is not everyone who can like Julius Caesar think on several things at the same time) make it impossible to have recollection in prayer when those acts are being performed. Acts of this kind are reading about other matters, painting, writing, carrying on conversation with those around, boisterous laughing, etc. But if the one who prays engages in these acts inadvertently (e.g., if a person reciting the Breviary does not notice that he is giving considerable attention to an inscription or advertis.e.m.e.nt on an adjacent wall), the distraction is merely involuntary and inculpable.

(b) Those acts do not exclude external attention that either not at all or only in slight measure interfere with internal recollection in prayer. Such acts are slow walking, riding, looking about at the scenery, picking a flower now and then, dressing, undressing, bathing, combing the hair, etc, The Church prescribes certain prayers to be said while the priest vests for Ma.s.s, and it was an old rule among the monks to join labor and prayer.

2168. When External Attention Is Sufficient.--Is external attention sufficient in prayer when internal attention is voluntarily excluded?

(a) In public prayers external attention is sufficient as to a number of effects. Thus, in the administration of the Sacraments the want of internal attention in the minister does not make the Sacrament invalid, since the Sacraments produce grace _ex opere operato_; in public suffrages the indevotion and distraction of the priest do not deprive the beneficiary of the impetratory fruit, since the public prayers are offered in the name of the Church itself; in the Divine Office merely external attention suffices to fulfill the positive obligation, according to many, because it is not certain that the Church requires more.

(b) In all prayers mere external attention is insufficient for the personal effects of impetration, merit and satisfaction. For to pray with willful indevotion is not an act deserving of remission, reward and a favorable answer, but rather of punishment ("Before prayer prepare thy soul and be not as a man that tempteth G.o.d," Eeclus., xviii. 23); it is disrespectful to G.o.d and therefore cannot claim the benefits of an act of worship.

2169. The Kind of Internal Attention Required in Prayer.--(a) The minimum that suffices for the personal benefits of merit and impetration is the verbal or the literal attention, and the imperfect attention that is mixed with some unwilled distractions or mind wanderings. Indeed, a person who intends to pray well, but whose whole prayer is a continual distraction in spite of his efforts to be recollected, does not lose, but rather by reason of his good will and effort increases, his merit. But for spiritual refreshment there must be freedom from distraction; for, just as a student gets no mental nourishment from a lesson if his mind is many miles away, and a listener gets no instruction from a discourse spoken in a foreign language (I Cor., xiv. 4), so one who prays with an absent mind loses the devotion and joy that are afforded by actual communion with heavenly thoughts.

(b) The maximum that should be aimed at in prayer for the greater blessing it brings is the spiritual attention fixed on the presence of G.o.d and the perfect attention that keeps away as far as possible the interruption from any vain, perverse or extraneous thoughts.