Part 12 (1/2)

But though those who are in Purgatory are superior to us in that they cannot sin, yet are they our inferiors as regards the penalties they suffer; hence they are not in a state to pray for us, but rather we for them.

4. Once more: if the Saints in Heaven could pray for us it would follow that the prayers of the holiest Saints would be the most efficacious, and that consequently we ought not to ask the inferior Saints to pray for us, but only the greatest ones.

But G.o.d desires inferior things to be helped by all that are superior, and consequently we have to implore the aid of not only the chief Saints but also of the lesser; else it would follow that we ought to implore mercy from G.o.d alone. And it may sometimes happen that the pet.i.tion made to a lesser Saint is more efficacious, either because we ask him more devoutly, or because G.o.d wishes thus to show forth his sanct.i.ty.

5. Lastly, Peter's soul is not Peter. Consequently if the souls of the Saints could pray for us, we ought--as long as their souls are separated from their bodies--to appeal, not to Peter to help us, but to Peter's soul; whereas the Church does the contrary. From which it would seem that the Saints, at all events previous to the Resurrection, do not pray for us.

But since the Saints merited when alive that they should pray for us, we therefore call upon them by the names they bore when here below, and by which they are best known to us; and we do this, too, in order to show our faith in the Resurrection, in accordance with the words _I am the G.o.d of Abraham_.[197]

_Cajetan:_ The question arises: how could Jeremias, who in the days of the Maccabees was not yet in our Fatherland but still in the Limbo of the Fathers, pray for Jerusalem?

But if we carefully consider what it is at root which makes the prayers of the Saints in the Fatherland avail for us, we shall find that the same reason holds for the Saints who were in Limbo as for those who enjoy the Beatific Vision. For it is their charity in their state of absolute superiority to us which is the reason for their praying for us.

Hence, in the reply to the third difficulty, those who are in Purgatory are excluded from the number of those who pray for us because they are not altogether our superiors, but by reason of their sufferings are inferior to us, and need our prayers.

But the Fathers in Limbo were, it is clear, confirmed in charity and were incapable of sin, neither were they liable to any peculiar or fresh suffering. For while the pain of loss was common to them and to the sojourners on earth, the former were free from all pain of sense, hence they could pray for us. There is, however, this difference to be noted between them and the Saints in the Fatherland--viz., that whereas the former had it in common with the latter to pray for those sojourning on earth, it is given only to the Saints in the Fatherland to see the prayers of us sojourners addressed to them. Hence Jeremias is here said to pray, he is not said to have heard their prayers or supplications (_on_ 2. 2. 83. 11).

XII

Should Prayer be Vocal?

_I cried to the Lord with my voice, with my voice I made supplication to the Lord._[198]

Prayer is of two kinds: public and private. _Public_ or common prayer is that which is offered to G.o.d by the Church's ministers in the person of the whole body of the faithful. And it is necessary that such prayer should be known to the body of the faithful for whom it is offered; this, however, could not be unless it were vocal; consequently it is reasonably enacted that the Church's ministers should p.r.o.nounce such prayers in a loud voice so as to reach the ears of all.

_Private_ prayer, on the contrary, is that which is offered by private individuals, whether for themselves or for others; and its nature does not demand that it should be vocal. At the same time, we can use our voices in this kind of prayer, and this for three reasons: Firstly, in order to excite interior devotion whereby our minds may, when we pray, be lifted up to G.o.d; for men's minds are moved by external signs--whether words or acts--to understand, and, by consequence, also to feel. Wherefore S. Augustine says to Proba[199]: ”By words and other signs we vehemently stir ourselves up so as to increase our holy desires.” Hence in private prayer we must make such use of words and other signs as shall avail to rouse our minds interiorly. But if, on the other hand, such things only serve to distract the mind, or prove in any way a hindrance, then we must cease from them; this is especially the case with those whose minds are sufficiently prepared for devotion without such incentives. Thus the Psalmist says: _My heart hath said to Thee, My face hath sought Thee[200];_ and of Anna we are told that _she spoke within her heart_.[201]

And secondly, we make use of vocal prayer in payment, as it were, of a just debt--in order, that is, to serve G.o.d with the entirety of what we have received from Him; consequently not with our mind alone but with our body as well; and this, as the Prophet Osee says, is especially suitable to prayer considered as a satisfaction for our sins: _Take away all iniquity and receive the good, and we will render the calves of our lips_.[202]

And thirdly, we sometimes make use of vocal prayer because the soul overflows, as it were, on to the body by reason of the vehemence of our feelings, as it is written: _My heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced_.[203]

But it seems to some that prayer should not be vocal, thus:

1. Prayer is, as we have said, princ.i.p.ally directed to G.o.d, and G.o.d knows the heart's speech. Consequently to add vocal prayer is idle.

But vocal prayer is not employed in order to manifest to G.o.d something which He did not know, but to stir up the mind of him who prays, and of others, too, towards G.o.d.

2. Again, man's mind is meant to rise by prayer towards G.o.d; but words, and other things pertaining to the senses, keep back a man from the ascent of contemplation.

Words appertaining to other things than G.o.d do indeed distract the mind and hinder the devotion of him who prays; but devotional words stir up the mind, especially if it be less devout.

3. Lastly, prayer ought to be offered to G.o.d in secret, according to the words: _But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret_;[204] whereas to pray vocally means to publish it abroad.

But, as S. Chrysostom says[205]: ”The Lord forbade us to pray in public with a view to being seen by the public. Consequently, when we pray we should do nothing novel to attract men's attention, whether by uttering cries which may be heard by them, or by openly beating our b.r.e.a.s.t.s, or by spreading out our hands, for the crowd to see us.” While, on the other hand, as S.

Augustine remarks[206]: ”To be seen by men is not wrong, but to do things to be seen by men.”

_Cajetan:_ Note carefully, ye who murmur at the Church's services, these three points: the different kinds of vocal prayer, its necessity, and the conditions attaching to it. For vocal prayer is divided into that which is in common and that which is private or individual.

The general necessity of vocal prayer arises from the fact that it is offered in the person of the Church. For since the Church is composed of created beings dependent on the senses, prayer made through the medium of the senses--_i.e._, vocal prayer--must needs be offered by its ministers; else we should not know whether the wors.h.i.+p of prayer was being offered by G.o.d's ministers, nor should we be conscious of the gift to G.o.d which was being offered by them in prayer; for the Church only judges from the things that appear externally.