On Prayer and The Contemplative Life Part 18

[265] vi. 7.

[266] Ps. liv. 1-7.

FROM THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE SUMMA--QUESTION LXXII

OF THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS WHO ARE IN HEAVEN

I. Are the Saints cognizant of our Prayers?

II. Ought we to appeal to the Saints to intercede for us?

III. Are the Saints' Prayers to G.o.d for us always heard?

I

Are the Saints cognizant of our Prayers?

On those words of Job,[267] _Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand_, S. Gregory says: "This is not to be understood of the souls of the Saints, for they see from within the glory of Almighty G.o.d, it is in nowise credible that there should be anything without of which they are ignorant."[268]

And he says also: "To the soul that sees its Creator all created things are but trifling; for, however little of the Creator's light he sees, all that is created becomes of small import to him."[269] Yet the greatest difficulty in saying that the souls of the Saints know our prayers and other things which concern us, is their distance from us.

But since, according to the authority just quoted, this distance does not preclude such knowledge, it appears that the souls of the Saints do know our prayers and other things which concern us.

Further, if they did not know what concerned us, neither would they pray for us, since they would not know our deficiencies. But this was the error of Vigilantius, as S. Jerome says in his Epistle against him.[270]

The Saints, then, know what concerns us.

The Divine Essence, then, is a sufficient medium for knowing all things, as, indeed, is evident from the fact that G.o.d in seeing His own essence sees all things. Yet it does not follow that whoever sees the Essence of G.o.d therefore sees all things, but those only who _comprehend_ the Essence of G.o.d; just in the same way as it does not follow that because we know a principle we therefore know all that that principle contains, for that would only be the case if we _comprehended_ the whole power of the principle. Since, then, the souls of the Saints do not comprehend the Divine Essence, it does not follow that they know everything which could be known through the medium of that Divine Essence. Hence the inferior Angels are taught certain things by the higher Angels, though all see the Divine Essence. But each person in possession of the Beatific Vision only sees in the Divine Essence as much of other things as is necessitated by the degree of perfection of his beat.i.tude; and for the perfection of beat.i.tude it is required that a man "should have whatever he wants, and should desire nothing in an inordinate fashion."[271] Each one, however, rightly desires to know those things which concern himself. Hence, since no rect.i.tude is lacking to the Saints, they wish to know those things which concern themselves, and consequently they must know them in the Word. But it belongs to their glory that they should be able to help on the salvation of those who need it, for it is thus that they are made co-workers with G.o.d--"than which there is nought more Divine," as Denis says.[272] It is clear, then, that the Saints have a knowledge of those things which are requisite for this end. And so, too, it is manifest that they know in the Word the desires, the devout acts and the prayers, of men who fly to them for help.

Some, however, maintain that the Saints do not know our prayers, thus:

1. On the words of Isaias,[273] _Thou art our Father, and Abraham hath not known us, and Israel hath been ignorant of us_, the Interlinear Gloss has: "For the Saints who are dead know not what the living do, even their own children." This is taken from S. Augustine's treatise _On Care for the Dead_, xiii., where he quotes these words, and adds: "If these great Patriarchs were ignorant of what concerned those whom they had begotten, how can the dead be concerned with knowing and a.s.sisting the affairs and the deeds of the living?" Hence it would seem that the Saints are not cognizant of our prayers.

But these words of S. Augustine are to be understood of the natural knowledge of the souls separated (from this world); and this knowledge is not obscured in holy men as it is in sinners.

Moreover, S. Augustine is not talking of that knowledge which is in the Word, a knowledge which it is clear that Abraham had not at the time that Isaias said these things; for anterior to Christ's Pa.s.sion no one had attained to the Vision of G.o.d.

2. In 4 Kings xxii. 20, it is said to Josias the king: _Therefore_--because, that is, thou didst weep before Me--_I will gather thee to thy fathers ... that thy eyes may not see all the evils which I will bring upon this place_. But the death of Josias would have been no relief to him if he was to know after death what was going to happen to his nation. The Saints, then, who are dead, do not know our acts, and consequently cannot understand our prayers.

But although after this life the Saints know the things which are done here below, we are not therefore to suppose that they are filled with grief at the knowledge of the afflictions of those whom they loved in the world. For they are so filled with the joy of their beat.i.tude that sorrow finds no place in them.

Hence, if they know after death the evil plight of those dear to them, it is none the less a relief to their sorrow if they are withdrawn from this world before those woes come on.

At the same time it is possible that souls not yet in glory would feel a certain grief if they were made aware of the sorrows of those dear to them. And since the soul of Josias was not immediately glorified on its quitting the body, S. Augustine endeavours to argue that the souls of the dead have no knowledge of the deeds of the living.[274]

3. Again, the more a person is perfected in charity the more ready he is to succour his neighbour in peril. But the Saints while still in the flesh had a care for their neighbours, and especially for their relatives, when in peril. Since, then, they are after death far more perfected in charity, if they were cognizant of our deeds, they would have now a much greater care for those dear to them or related to them, and would help them much more in their necessities; but this does not seem to be the case. Whence it would seem that they are not cognizant of our actions nor of our prayers.

But the souls of the Saints have their will perfectly conformed to the Will of G.o.d, even in what they would will. Consequently, while retaining their feelings of charity towards their neighbour, they afford them no other a.s.sistance than that which they see is arranged for them in accordance with Divine Justice.

Yet at the same time we must believe that they help their neighbours very much indeed by interceding for them with G.o.d.

4. Further, just as the Saints after death see the Word, so also do the Angels, for of them it is said: _Their Angels in Heaven always see the face of My Father Who is in Heaven_.[275] But the Angels, though seeing the Word, do not therefore know all things, for the inferior Angels are purified of their ignorance by the superior Angels, as is evident from Denis.[276] Consequently, neither do the Saints, although they see the Word, know in It our prayers and other things which concern us.

But although it is not necessary that those who see the Word should see all things in the Word, they none the less see those things which belong to the perfection of their beat.i.tude, as we have said above.

5. Lastly, G.o.d alone is the Searcher of hearts. But prayer is essentially an affair of the heart. Consequently G.o.d alone knows our prayers.

But G.o.d alone knows of Himself the thoughts of the heart; others know them according as they are revealed to them either in their vision of the Word or in any other way.

II

Ought we to appeal to the Saints to intercede for us?

In the Book of Job,[277] it is said: _Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and turn to some of the Saints_. And on this S.

Gregory says: "It is our business to call, and to beseech G.o.d in humble prayer."[278] When, then, we desire to pray to G.o.d, we ought to turn to the Saints that they may pray for us.

Further, the Saints who are in the Fatherland are more acceptable in the sight of G.o.d than they were when upon earth. But we ought to ask the Saints even when on earth to be our intercessors with G.o.d, as the Apostle shows us by his example when he says: _I beseech you, therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to G.o.d_.[279] Much more, then, should we ask the Saints who are in our Fatherland to help us by their prayers to G.o.d.

Moreover, the common custom of the Church confirms this, since in her Litanies she asks the prayers of the Saints.

In the words of Denis,[280] "there is this Divinely established harmony in things--that they which hold the lowest place should be brought to G.o.d through them that come between them and G.o.d." Since, then, the Saints who are in our Fatherland are most nigh to G.o.d, the harmony of the Divine Government demands that we who, abiding in the body, are "absent from the Lord," should be led to Him by the Saints who stand midway; and this is secured when through their means the Divine Goodness pours out Its effects upon us. And since our return to G.o.d ought to correspond to the orderly way in which His goodnesses flow upon us--for His benefits flow out upon us through the intervention of the Saints'

suffrages for us--so also ought we to be brought back to G.o.d through the intervention of the Saints, and thus once more receive His benefits.

Whence it is that we make them our intercessors for us with G.o.d--and, as it were, mediators--by begging them to pray for us.

But some say that we should not ask the Saints to pray for us, thus:

1. No one asks a man's friends to intercede for him except in so far as he thinks that he can obtain a favour more easily through them. But G.o.d is infinitely more merciful than any Saint, and consequently His Will is more readily inclined to hear us than is the will of any Saint. Whence it would seem superfluous to make the Saints mediators between ourselves and G.o.d, and so ask them to intercede for us.

But just as it is not by reason of any deficiency on the part of the Divine Power that It works through the mediumship of secondary causes, whereas it rather tends to the fulfilment of the harmony of the universe that His Goodness should be more copiously diffused upon things, so that things not only receive from Him their own peculiar goodness, but themselves become a source of goodness to other things as well; so in the same way it is not by reason of any lack of mercy on His part that appeal to His mercy by means of the prayers of the Saints is fitting; but this is done in order that the aforesaid harmony may be preserved.

2. If we ought to ask the Saints to pray for us, it can only be because we know that their prayers are acceptable to G.o.d. But the more saintly is a Saint, the more acceptable is his prayer to G.o.d. Consequently we ought always to make the greater Saints our intercessors with G.o.d, and never the lesser ones.

Yet although the greater Saints are more acceptable to G.o.d than are the lesser ones, it is still useful to pray sometimes to the lesser Saints. And this for five reasons: Firstly, because a man sometimes has a greater devotion to some lesser Saint than to one who is greater; and the efficacy of our prayers depends very much on our devotion. Secondly, in order to avoid weariness; for unremitting application to one thing begets distaste; but when we pray to various Saints fresh devotional fervour is stirred up in practically each case. Thirdly, because certain Saints are appointed the patrons of certain particular cases, so S. Antony for the avoidance of h.e.l.l-fire. Fourthly, that so we may show due honour to them all. Fifthly, because sometimes a favour may be gained at the prayer of many which would not be gained at the prayer of one alone.

3. Christ, even as man, is termed _the Saint of Saints_;[281] and it belongs to Him, as man, to pray. Yet we never ask Christ to pray for us.

Hence it is superfluous to make the Saints our intercessors with G.o.d.

But prayer is an act. And acts belong to individual beings.

Consequently, if we were to say, _Christ, pray for us_, we should appear, unless we added something, to be referring this to Christ's Person, and thus we might seem to fall into the error of Nestorius who regarded the Person of the Son of Man as distinct in Christ from the Person of the Son of G.o.d; or perhaps, too, into the error of Arius who regarded the Person of the Son as less than the Father. In order, then, to avoid these errors, the Church does not say, _Christ, pray for us_, but _Christ, hear us_, or _Christ, have mercy on us_.

4. Once more, when one is asked to intercede for another, he presents the latter's prayers to him with whom he has to intercede. But it is superfluous to present anything to Him to Whom all things are present.

Hence it is superfluous to make the Saints our intercessors with G.o.d.

But the Saints are not said to present our prayers to G.o.d as though they were manifesting to Him something which He did not know, but in the sense that they ask that these prayers may be heard by G.o.d, or that they consult the Divine Truth concerning them, so as to know what, according to His providence, ought to be done.