Practical Exercises Of Prayer. Section II. Devout prayers, which may be said during the day with spiritual profit. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

When the sign of the Angelus is given at morning, noon, and evening, say:

The angel of God brought the message unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, &c.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail Mary, &c.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us. Hail Mary, &c.

Let us pray.

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of the resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

A Prayer before beginning any important Office.

Prevent, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions, by Thy holy inspiration, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and by Thee be happily ended. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

At the end of any important Office.

We give Thee thanks, almighty and merciful Lord, for all Thy gifts, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

In going forth from your house, say:

Shew me, O Lord, Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths. Direct my steps according to Thy word, that no injustice rule over me. Make perfect my steps in Thy paths, that my feet be not moved.

Grace before Meals.

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which of Thy bounty we are going to receive. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grace after Meals.

"We give Thee thanks, almighty God, for all Thy benefits, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy name's sake, to render unto all our benefactors everlasting life. Amen.

May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

A Prayer for Scholars before Study.

O incomprehensible Creator, the true fountain of light and only author of all knowledge, vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, to enlighten my understanding with the rays of Thy brightness, and chase away from me all darkness of sin and ignorance. Thou who makest eloquent the lips of the speechless, instruct my tongue, and pour on my lips the grace of Thy blessing. Give me a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension, capacity of retaining, and the powerful assistance of Thy holy grace, that I may apply all to Thy honour and the everlasting salvation of my own soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Priests before instructing the People.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send down Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

O God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful by the illumination of Thy Holy Spirit, grant unto us, we beseech Thee, in the same Holy Spirit, to relish that which is right and pleasing in Thy sight, and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Thy Son, who with Thee and the same Holy Ghost, ever liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end Amen.

Prayer after the Instruction.

Accept, O most gracious God, the office of our service. If, by Thy grace, we have performed any thing according unto our duty, in Thy clemency do Thou regard it: and whatever we have done with negligence, do Thou mercifully forgive the same, who livest and reignest, one God, in perfect Trinity, world without end. Amen.

Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.

V. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.
V. God the Father of Heaven
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Holy Spirit,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Holy Trinity, one God,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, Son of the living God, R. Have mercy on us.
Jesus, splendor of the Father, [etc.]
Jesus, brightness of eternal light.
Jesus, King of glory.
Jesus, sun of justice.
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus, most amiable.
Jesus, most admirable.
Jesus, the mighty God.
Jesus, Father of the world to come.
Jesus, angel of great counsel.
Jesus, most powerful.
Jesus, most patient.
Jesus, most obedient.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
Jesus, lover of chastity.
Jesus, lover of us.
Jesus, God of peace.
Jesus, author of life.
Jesus, example of virtues.
Jesus, zealous lover of souls.
Jesus, our God.
Jesus, our refuge.
Jesus, father of the poor.
Jesus, treasure of the faithful.
Jesus, good Shepherd.
Jesus, true light.
Jesus, eternal wisdom.
Jesus, infinite goodness.
Jesus, our way and our life.
Jesus, joy of Angels.
Jesus, King of the Patriarchs.
Jesus, Master of the Apostles.
Jesus, teacher of the Evangelists.
Jesus, strength of Martyrs.
Jesus, light of Confessors.
Jesus, purity of Virgins.
Jesus, crown of Saints.

V. Be merciful, R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Be merciful, R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.

V. From all evil, R. deliver us, O Jesus.
From all sin, deliver us, O Jesus.
From Your wrath, [etc.]
From the snares of the devil.
From the spirit of fornication.
From everlasting death.
From the neglect of Your inspirations.
By the mystery of Your holy Incarnation.
By Your Nativity.
By Your Infancy.
By Your most divine Life.
By Your labours.
By Your agony and passion.
By Your cross and dereliction.
By Your sufferings.
By Your death and burial.
By Your Resurrection.
By Your Ascension.
By Your institution of the most Holy Eucharist.
By Your joys.
By Your glory.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. have mercy on us, O Jesus.

V. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you." Grant, we beg of You, to us who ask it, the gift of Your most divine love, that we may ever love You with our whole heart, in word and deed, and never cease praising You.

Give us, O Lord, as much a lasting fear as a lasting love of Your Holy Name, for You, who live and are King for ever and ever, never fail to govern those whom You have solidly established in Your love.

R. Amen.

Aspirations which may be used in the midst of our ordinary Occupations.

Lord Jesus, I believe that Thou art the Son of the living God; increase my faith.

In Thee, O Lord, is my hope; oh, let me never be confounded.

Hide me, O dear Jesus, in Thy sacred wounds; bathe my soul in Thy precious blood.

O Fountain of Mercy, have pity on me, and save my soul.

Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.

Oh, rather let me die a thousand deaths, than be separated from Thee!

Oh, that I had the heart of the highest cherubim and seraphim, that I might worthily praise, love, and glorify Thee!

O my God, teach me to love Thee; teach me to serve Thee as I ought.

O Divine Love, how little art Thou loved by men!

Take possession. Lord, of my heart, and inflame it with the fire of Thy love.

Too late I have known Thee, O ancient Truth! Too late I have loved Thee, O ancient Beauty!

Thou art, O Lord, the God of my heart, and my portion for ever.

My God and my all, I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.

As the hart panteth after the fountain of living water, so does my soul long after Thee, my God.

Who will give me the wings of the dove, and I will fly and repose in Thee 1

My soul has thirsted after God, the Fountain of living water, which springs to eternal life. Oh, when shall I come and appear in the presence of my God!

My heart and flesh rejoice exceedingly in the living God.

O Lord, enlighten my eyes, that I may never sleep in death.

The sins of my youth and my ignorances remember not, O Lord.

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Thy Name give glory.

Into Thy hands, O Lord, I recommend my spirit.

Let God arise, and let His enemies be put to flight. Say to my soul, O Lord, I am thy salvation.

Let the name of the Lord be ever blessed.

My heart is ready, O Lord; my heart is ready.

All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise Him, and glorify Him for ever.

O Sweet Heart of my Jesus, give me the grace to love Thee evermore.

Give me, O Lord, Thy grace with Thy love.

O Heart of my Jesus, burning with love for me, inflame my heart with love for Thee.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 9.(On The Practice Of Holy Aspirations, Interior Recollections, And Good Thoughts.) By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

St. Francis of Sales, in his introduction to the Devout Life, greatly extols the practice of holy aspirations, interior recollections, and good thoughts; and says that we are powerfully assisted by them to commence, to advance, and to complete the work of our perfection.

Aspirations are certain dartings of the spirit towards God, and the more ardent they are the better. This kind of prayer was most familiar to the Saints, who found in it the sweetest pleasure and delight. As the lovers of worldly vanities are continually thinking of and sighing after the wretched objects of their love, so those fervent lovers of God felt a continual attraction towards their most beloved and sovereign Lord, and made it their constant practice to think of them, and aspire after them with great fervour and effusion of heart.

It is related of St. Francis of Assisium that he would pass whole nights, repeating over and over again, with the warmest feeling and most ardent love, those sublime words, 'My God and my all! my God and my all!' The great St. Augustine would often say, 'Let me rather die, 0 Lord, than sin again.' Of St. Ignatius we read that, whenever the clock struck, he raised his heart to God, and would say, 'Give me, O Lord, Thy love with Thy grace,' or, 'To Thy greatest glory, O Lord,' or some other like aspiration. We read the same of St. Vincent of Paul, who, at each sound of the hour, bowed his head and pronounced some pious ejaculation. St. Thomas of Aquin practised the same kind of prayer when he was at his meals, and when studying, or passing to and from his cell, and in all the spare moments of his time. The blessed Leonard was accustomed to repeat, with the deepest feeling, those words, 'My Jesus, mercy!' Cassian relates of the monks of Egypt, that they very frequently made use of ejaculatory prayers, full of humility and confidence, and would often say, 'O God, make speed to save me; O Lord, make haste to help me.'

Interior recollections are glances of the soul to God, and properly consist in building up, in the recesses of our own hearts, that sacred interior cell which is so highly praised by the Saints, as being wonderfully calculated to help us to advance in perfection. 'Disengage thyself awhile,' says St. Augustine, 'from every earthly care, and give thyself for a time to think of God, and to repose a little in Him. Enter into the closet of thy heart, and banish thence all things else except thy God, or what may aid thee in finding Him. Then, having closed the door, say to Him, with all the affection of thy soul, O Lord, behold I am in quest of thy lovely countenance, teach thy poor servant how to find it.' St. Francis of Sales used to call the centre of his soul the sanctuary of God; this was the place to which he so frequently retired in the midst of his exterior occupations. And hence he gained the great purity, simplicity, humility, and perfect union with God, which reigned there. The practice of these sacred retreats is most necessary to the interior life i and no man will ever become truly spiritual unless he is well exercised in them. They are the particular means by which the Christian attains to that solid interior beauty, which, dwelling in the centre of the soul, makes it so pleasing to God, who is the searcher of the hearts. Omnis decor ejus ab inlus. Those persons who, from the circumstance of their station, or from some other reasons, are generally engaged in exterior duties, should strive to imitate St. Catherine of Sienna, who, being prevented from regular prayer by being employed in all the domestic offices of the family, formed a cell in her own heart, into which she constantly retired amidst her most distracting occupations, to contemplate God, and to hold familiar intercourse with Him; and she thus maintained a firm and constant union with her heavenly Spouse, and used to say that the hearts of men are the true kingdom of God, and that there He fixes His seat. Oh, what rapid advances have those souls made in Divine love, who have formed for themselves such cells, and frequently retired into them to adore God and converse with Him affectionately and lovingly !' Those,' says St. Teresa, 'who can enclose within the little paradise of the soul Him who created heaven and earth, may well believe that they are in a good road, and that they shall not fail to arrive at length at the fountain of life, because they will make a great progress in a short time.'

The practice of good thoughts consists in deriving matter for pious reflections from the various objects which present themselves before our attention, and from the several events which accompany our life. Thus St. Fulgentius, on beholding the glory and splendour of the nobility of ancient Rome, exclaimed, 'Oh, how glorious must be the heavenly Jerusalem, if terrestrial Rome is so splendid!' St. Francis of Assisium seeing a lamb, would burst into tears, thinking of the immaculate Lamb of God, who was slain for our sake. Some, in viewing a garden, have compared it to the soul of a just man, which is adorned with the beautiful flowers of virtue; and others, whilst regarding a river, would say, 'So is the life of man, who is continually advancing towards the ocean of eternity.' When lying down to rest, some dwelt in thought on the hour when they shall be laid motionless on the bed of death; and when rising and putting on their clothes, others would remember their blessed Saviour, who was most cruelly stript of His clothes, and fastened naked to an ignominious cross.

Be careful, devout soul, to habituate yourself to the practice of these pious exercises, which will greatly assist you to increase the fervour of piety, and to advance in the interior life. It is hardly possible to conceive the wonderful power which these kinds of prayer possess to assist us in the performance of our duty, to support us under temptations, to raise us when we have fallen, and to unite us closely to God; and as we can make them at all times, in all places, and with the greatest facility, they ought to be as frequent to us as to breathe. When engaged in external duties we should imitate our blessed Lady, who, during the performance of her domestic concerns, never forgot her beloved Jesus; and whilst her hands were employed in external works, she would often cast a glance upon her dear Son, whilst her heart was continually glowing with love towards Him.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 8.(On Mental Prayer Section II) By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

SECTION II.

Method of mental prayer useful for the purification of the soul and the advancement in perfection.

The method of meditation which is generally recommended by the masters of the spiritual life, as being most useful for the purification of the soul and the advancement in perfection, comprehends three parts—the preparation, the body of the meditation, and the conclusion.

If the soul go on regularly in her meditation, and does not soon wander and fall into aridity, let her follow the sweet attraction of grace without thinking of method; but if in her meditation she encounter difficulties, and gets confused, let her subject herself rigorously to the method we are laying down, which will be useful for all to learn, that it may be practised when required.

§ 1.
On the preparation for meditation.

It is most important to prepare our souls for prayer,

If we wish to draw from it those blessed fruits of justice and sanctification which it is calculated to produce. "Before prayer," says the Holy Ghost, "prepare thy soul, and be not like a man that tempteth God." Certainly the reflection, that in prayer we are speaking to the God of infinite majesty and glory—to the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth—ought to inspire us with great reverence, and to induce us to prepare ourselves for that holy exercise with great diligence and care. The object of prayer is, to obtain from God the inestimable blessing of sharing in His sanctity. Now this requires that God should be willing, on His part, to bestow upon us this sublime gift, and that we should co-operate on ours towards obtaining it; but when we enter upon prayer without any preparation, we leave every thing to God, without doing what lies in our own power in order to second the movement of His grace, and thus we are said to tempt Him.

St. Bernard insists, in an especial manner, upon the importance of a suitable preparation for prayer, if we desire to reap fruit from it, and says, that such as our preparation is, such will be the benefit which we shall derive from it. This is in accordance with our Saviour's doctrine, who says, "He that hath, to him shall be given; but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away." To him that cometh to prayer well prepared, great blessings shall be given, and he shall abound; but to him that comes unprepared, nothing shall be granted, and that also which he fancies he possesses shall be taken away.

The preparation for meditation is twofold, remote and proximate.

Remote preparation consists, 1st, in reading over with care the subject of meditation the evening before, and fixing upon the points; 2ndly, in turning the mind to the matter of our meditation when lying down to rest, and recalling the points, and also fixing upon some short aspiration which refers to our meditation, and contains, as it were, the substance of it, which we may repeat when we awake in the night; 3rdly, in directing our thoughts to the subject of our meditation as soon as we awake in the morning.


The proximate meditation contains the preparatory prayer and the preludes.

The preparatory prayer comprises four acts: 1st. An act of faith in the presence of God. 2nd. An act of contrition for our sins, and especially for such as are more calculated to obstruct the fruit of the meditation. 3rd. A resolution to avoid all faults, and particularly those which might hinder the good success of the meditation. 4th. An act of abandonment into the hands of God, ready to suffer aridities and desolation, or to enjoy sweetness and onsolation, according to His good pleasure and most adorable will.

The preludes are generally three. The first consists in recalling to mind the preceding meditation, if there be any connexion between them, otherwise this prelude is omitted. The second consists in constructing to ourselves the place or scene of the meditation. For instance, if the subject of meditation is apt to affect the senses, such as death, the passion of Christ, &c, to imagine ourselves lying on the death-bed, about to expire,—to be on Calvary at the foot of the cross, seeing all that passes there. If the subject of meditation be some truth which does not admit of any sensible demonstration, such as the goodness of God, &c. we may imagine ourselves living in this world as in a place of exile, amongst the brute creation, at a distance from our true country. If, however, a person cannot form to himself the scene of his meditation without using great violence to his mind through defect of imagination, or for some other cause, it will be better to omit it. The third is a petition in which we beg of God to grant us that particular fruit which we intend to draw from our meditation.

§2.

On the body of the meditation.

The body of the meditation comprises three parts, namely, the acts of the memory, of the understanding, and of the will.

The act of the memory consists in recalling to mind the substance of the meditation; and if the points have in any way escaped the memory, it will be well to recall them by reading again the matter of our meditation. This exercise of the memory requires but a very short time, and is intended merely to prepare for the act of the understanding.

The act of the understanding consists,

1st. In considering what are the truths contained in the subject of the meditation.

2ndly. In weighing the importance of these truths, reflecting on the necessity,the utility, the equity, the dignity, the sweetness, and facility of putting in practice the instructions which are contained in them, and the spiritual loss we shall suffer by neglecting them. Here we must guard ourselves against several faults, which would greatly impede the fruit of our meditations. In the first place, we must be careful to avoid useless and abstract reflections, which are foreign to our purpose, and not calculated to bring any spiritual profit to our souls. Secondly, we must beware of entering upon the consideration of many truths at one and the same time, but we must proceed with order. And lastly, we must endeavour to advance with peace and calmness, and without being uneasy, if we find too little or too much matter of reflection.


3rdly. In applying the truths which we have been considering to our own conduct, comparing our own actions with them, discovering the various faults which we may have committed against them, searching diligently for this purpose into the most hidden recesses of our hearts.

4thly. In finding out the causes of our faults,—the hidden roots of our sins.

5thly. In reflecting upon the best means for eradicating them from our hearts, and for avoiding them for the future, by the aid of Divine grace. We shall be greatly assisted to find out these means if we reflect, 1st, upon what would be our own advice to a beloved friend were he placed in the like situation; 2dly, what would be our sentiments, our own desires, if we were standing before the judgment^seat of Christ; 3dly, upon the love and gratitude which God deserves from us for the many favours and blessings which He has so graciously bestowed upon us.

The act of the will consists in making the resolutions, and confirming them by pious affections. It comprehends,

1st. An act of profound humility at the sight of the many faults and sins of which we discover that we have been guilty before God.

2ndly. An act of contrition and detestation of our sins.

3rdly. A resolution to avoid them for the future, and to adopt the proper means to effect this. With respect to this act of resolution, we must, in the first place, be careful not to make it in general terms, but descend to particulars, directing it against some particular faults. In the second place, we must direct this, our resolution, against those faults which are really sinful, and defile our soul in the sight of God, in preference to those faults which are only external. In the third place, the resolution must be directed to the performance of the duties of our state, and of those things which are of obligation, before those which are only of supererogation. To animate us to make our resolution with fervour and devotion, we may imagine that we see the throne of God described by St. John surrounded with great majesty; that we behold the angels standing as witnesses, who will denounce us in the day of judgment if we do not keep our promises.


4thly. An act of diffidence in our own strength on account of our extreme weakness, and of the corruption of our nature by sin.

5thly. An act of confidence in God; for although we have every reason to fear when we reflect on our own weakness, yet when we turn our eyes to God, and call to mind His infinite goodness and mercy, and the powerful assistance of His holy grace, we ought to feel animated with the greatest confidence that we shall be able to keep our promises faithfully, through the help of Him who strengthens us.

6thly. The acts of petition to God, begging for grace and strength to keep our resolutions faithfully until death. These petitions may be made either to God the Father, through His beloved Son, or to God the Son through the merits of His bitter passion and death, or to the Holy Ghost through that ardent love He has ever shewn to men. We may also beg of God to grant our request through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary and our patron Saints, and particularly through the merits of the Saints whose festival the Church celebrates on that day. To perform with fervour this act of petition, we may imagine that we are standing before God as a sick person before his physician, or as a famishing beggar before some rich and merciful lord.


7thly. An act of love, which consists, 1st, in preferring the possession of God to all created objects, to all the riches, honours, and pleasures of this world; 2ndly, in rejoicing in the infinite glory and eternal beatitude of God, and eagerly desiring to see Him still more glorified by every creature; 3rdly, in regretting that we have by our sins in some manner lessened His intrinsic glory.

§3.
On the conclusion of meditation.

The third part of meditation consists in the conclusion, or the examination of meditation, which should last but a few minutes. In order to perform it well, examine,1st, whether you have made your meditation with fervour, as far as human infirmity would permit; 2ndly, whether you have faithfully spent the whole time allotted for your meditation; 3rdly, whether you have attended to the method of meditation with care; or if not, whether this has been occasioned by your following the sweet impulses of the Holy Spirit, or rather by your indulging your own sloth or fancy.
Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 8.(On Mental Prayer Section I) By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

ARTICLE VI.

ON MENTAL PRAYER.

The holy patriarch Jacob, flying from his brother Esau through a desert land, laid himself down to rest; and, whilst he was sleeping, he saw in a vision a ladder that reached from earth to heaven. On this ladder he beheld a multitude of angels constantly ascending and descending; and upon the summit of the ladder he saw Almighty God Himself, who looked down upon him, and renewed to him the promises He had formerly made to Abraham and Isaac, that their children should possess the Land of Promise, and he multiplied like the stars of heaven, or the sands of the sea-shore. This mystical ladder which was shewn to the holy patriarch during his journey through the desert, is a symbol—an image of mental prayer or holy meditation. As the ladder reached from earth to heaven, so mental prayer, which is performed here upon earth, reaches to the throne of God, and unites as it were heaven and earth. The angels whom Jacob saw ascending and descending represent those pious souls who exercise themselves in the practice of meditation; for they ascend into heaven by the consideration of the eternal truths, and descend to the earth again by fulfilling their duties amongst men. Almighty God, who was sitting at the top of the ladder, looking down upon Jacob, and renewing to him His gracious promises, represents the same omnipotent and bountiful Lord, who, from the throne of His glory, looks down with merciful eyes upon those who practise holy meditation, and promises to watch over them in all their ways, to guide them in the path of perfection, to enrich them with the treasures of His grace, and finally to grant to them the possession of the true land of promise—the heavenly Jerusalem.

SECTION I.

On the necessity of meditation for the purification of the soul and the advancement in perfection.

When treating of the necessity of meditation, I do not intend to speak of any particular form or method in which it may be performed; but I take the subject of meditation, in its substance, in the sense of its being the devout consideration of the truths and mysteries of our holy religion, whatever may be the form and manner in which it is done. Thus taken, I say that meditation is necessary, 1st, for sinners, in order that they may rise from the state of sin, and attain the state of grace; 2dly, for the just, in order to preserve themselves from falling into sin, and to enable themselves to advance in perfection.

That meditation is necessary for sinners, in order to rise from the state of sin and attain the state of grace, is clearly proved by what follows. In order that a sinner may be converted from the state of sin, regain the friendship of his offended Maker, and be restored to the state of justice, it is absolutely necessary that his heart should be changed. It is requisite that he should conceive a deep horror and contempt of what he has hitherto esteemed and loved, and be possessed of a sincere esteem and love of what he has formerly hated and despised; that he should feel a lively and bitter sorrow of his sinful life, and be resolved to die a thousand times rather than return to it again; that he should purpose to abandon for ever the ways of sin, and apply himself to the love and service of God with all his heart and soul. But how shall he be able to do this without the help of meditation? how shall he be able to effect this complete change—this total conversion of heart—unless he perceives on the one hand the hatefulness of his crimes, and discovers on the other the treasures of the riches of the mercy and goodness of God? And how shall he be able to see these things unless he enters into himself, and turns his mind to what concerns eternal life?

Contemplate, O Christian soul, the prodigal son, who is proposed to us by our Saviour as a living picture of repenting sinners, and see in what manner does he rise from his wretched state, and resolve to return to his loving father? The Gospel relates that, having abandoned his father's house, he departed to a distant land, sought the company of the wicked, gave loose rein to his unruly passions, and plunged himself into every sin and misery. Now, how did he succeed to deliver himself from so awful, so wretched a state? By what means did he return, from the degraded and miserable condition into which he had fallen, to the embraces of his loving father? He enters into himself, says the Scripture; he begins to meditate upon his miserable lot. He calls to mind the kindness and affection of his loving and tender father; he reflects that even the hired servants in his father's house are living in happiness, in want of nothing; he compares their happy state with his own misery; he thinks on the peace and joy he once experienced in his father's house ; and he resolves to arise and to return to his father's bosom; and he is received with the tenderest embraces, and has the kiss of peace and forgiveness bestowed on him. Thus it is also in the case of the repenting sinner. By reflecting on the enormity of his sins, and on the wretchedness of his state; by calling to mind the goodness and mercy of that infinitely loving Father whom he has abandoned, he is excited to return to Him, and he is received by Him with open arms, and has the most brilliant marks of grace granted to him, whilst His angels look on him with delight, rejoicing at his conversion.

If meditation is necessary to enable sinners to rise from the state of sin, it is no less necessary to the just, in order to their persevering in justice and advancing in perfection. First, it is necessary to them in order to persevere in the path of justice. The prophet Jeremias attributes the awful desolation which filled the whole earth in his times to the want of proper consideration on the part of men. "The earth," says he, "is made desolate, because there is no one that thinketh in his heart." [Jerem. xii.] And the holy David attributes his fidelity to God to meditation on His holy law: "Unless Thy law had been my meditation," says he, " I should have perished in my abjection." [Ps. cxviii. 92.] If, then, the want of consideration be the principal cause of the manifold crimes of men, whilst the practice of meditation is so powerful a preservative against sin, it clearly follows that meditation is necessary to the just, in order that they may preserve the treasure of Divine grace and persevere in justice. It is for this reason that the Wise Man says: "In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin." [Ecclus. vii. 40.] But meditation is necessary to the just, not only in order to persevere in the path of justice, but also in order to improve ever more and more in virtue, and to advance in perfection. The great St. Thomas teaches that, in order to advance in perfection it is requisite first to acquire a clear knowledge of ourselves, of our own baseness and misery, and of the vanity of all worldly things; secondly, to attain a profound knowledge of the excellence and goodness of God; for the more lowly we think of ourselves, the less we esteem the alluring objects of this world; and the more we reflect upon the perfections of God, the more we shall be enabled to despise ourselves, to trample under foot the vanities of this earth, to raise our heart to the perfect love of God, and to attain a strict union with His Divine Majesty. But how shall we acquire this knowledge, so necessary for the advancement in perfection, without the help of meditation? how shall we be able to penetrate deeply into the abyss of our own unworthiness, and attain to a sublime and exalted idea of the goodness and greatness of God, unless we apply ourselves to think seriously upon these things?

The necessity of meditation for advancing in perfection is also evinced, first, from the holy Scripture, which represents meditation as a most efficacious means for enkindling the fire of Divine love in our heart. Hence holy David exclaims, "In my meditation a flame shall be enkindled ;"' secondly, from the authority of the Saints, who, by unanimous consent, have ever regarded the practice of meditation as necessary for the attainment of perfection, and accordingly applied themselves to it with great fervour and devotion, and recommended it most earnestly to the persons entrusted to their care.

Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 8.(Of perseverance in our prayers) By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Of perseverance in our prayers.

The last condition necessary for the good success of our prayers is that of perseverance. We are sure—and our assurance rests on the solemn promise of the Son of God—that our petitions, when made with proper dispositions, cannot be disregarded, but must, sooner or later, attain their effect. We cannot entertain a shadow of douht respecting this; "for heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words of Christ shall last for ever." But though certain of this, yet we have no certainty whether Almighty God will he moved to grant us immediately the object of our prayers; for we know that God sometimes defers to grant our petitions, in order to try our virtue, or to increase our merit, or for some other reason known only to His infinite wisdom. Hence it is necessary that we should continue to pray to God without ceasing, as the Apostle teaches, supported and animated by the thought that our perseverance will be crowned with a happy success. "Blessed is the man," says the Wise Man, "that heareth me, and watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors." [ Proverbs viii. 34.] To animate ourselves to this perseverance, let us often reflect on that beautiful parable of the two friends, related by our Saviour in the holy Gospel, by which He teaches us to pray to Him unceasingly, until we obtain from Him the object of our request. Our Saviour relates that the friend, who had already retired to bed, at first refused to lend his friend the loaves which he asked, because he came at an unseasonable hour; yet afterwards, on account of the importunity of his demand, he rose from his bed and granted what he desired. And then our Saviour immediately adds, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." And as if all this were not sufficient to infuse great confidence into the breast of His disciples, and animate them to perseverance in prayers without despondency, He reminds them of the conduct of a tender and loving father, who feels the greatest delight in giving good things to his well-beloved children, and concludes by saying, that we must expect still more from the goodness and love of our heavenly Father. "Which of you," says He, "if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? or a fish, will he for a fish give him a scorpion? If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask Him!" [Luke xi.]

Let us not, then, be discouraged nor cast down if God at first seems to be insensible to our prayers; but let us urge ever more and more our petitions, and persevere in them with perfect confidence that at length we shall obtain our request. For God,' as St. Gregory says, 'wishes to be invoked, wishes to be compelled, wishes to be overcome by a certain importunity.' And St. Jerome says, that 'our prayers are pleasing to God according to our earnestness and perseverance.' We have in the Gospel two beautiful examples of the wonderful efficacy of the persevering prayer. One is that of the Cananean woman, who, though seemingly repulsed by our Lord as unworthy of His gifts, yet continued her petitions with greater fervour, and at last heard those consoling words: "O woman, great is thy faith; be it done unto thee according to thy word." The other is that of the blind roan of Jericho, who, though commanded by the disciples of Christ to hold his peace, persevered in crying out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" and so merited to receive the favour requested. When, therefore, it happens that we do not succeed in obtaining the object of our petitions so soon as we expected, let us wait patiently for God's hour; let us persist in knocking without ceasing at the door of His mercy, until He is pleased to open to us. "Expect the Lord, do mindfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord." [Psalm.xxvi. 14.] Let us take courage by reflecting on the words of St. Teresa, that 'the person who perseveres in prayer, whatever be the obstacles which the devil raises against her, may stand assured that God, sooner or later, will draw her out of danger, and lead her to the port of salvation.'

We have a most convincing proof of this truth in the life and actions of those Saints who, from the depths of sin, passed, by the help of Divine grace, to the height of perfection. St. Mary of Egypt, after her conversion, was attacked by the most severe temptations for eighteen years; and it was by means of constant and fervent prayer that she was enabled to resist them, as she declared to the holy Abbot Zosimus. St. Augustine also had to endure, during twelve years, the most violent temptations, on account of his former evil habits; and he likewise overcame them by humble and constant prayer. The same also is related of St. Margaret of Cortona, and of other holy penitents, who, by their constancy and perseverance in prayer, have been enabled to overcome all their spiritual enemies, and to attain to a high degree of perfection.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 7. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

SECTION IV.

Of confidence in our prayers.

Another condition which must accompany our prayers is, a firm confidence that we shall obtain the object of our petitions, if it be conducive to God's honour and glory, and to our own sanctification. "Blessed is the man," says holy David, "that trusteth in Thee ; .... mercy shall encompass him that hopeth in the Lord."3 "Ask," says St. James, "in faith, nothing wavering." [James i. 6] The promise of our Saviour is the sufficient reason for which we must have a firm confidence in all our prayers, for He has engaged His word, that, whatever we shall ask of His Father in His name, it shall be granted to us. "Amen, I say to you, whatsoever you shall ask from My Father in My name, it shall be granted you." [John xiv. 13] Let us, then, approach to God with a filial confidence, for "no one ever hoped in the Lord and was confounded." Though indeed we ought to be filled with confusion when we think of our own unworthiness, yet the consideration of the goodness of God, of the promise of our Saviour, and of the merits of His sacred passion and death, ought to inspire us with the greatest confidence, and fill us with the liveliest hope.

This confidence that we shall attain the object of our petitions, through the infinite mercy and goodness of God, is absolutely necessary to the good success of our prayers. This is clearly proved by the doctrine of Christ, who, when exhorting us to pray, urges us to do it with confidence, saying, "All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." [Matt xxi. 22] "All things whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and they will come unto you." [Mark xi. 24.] Hence the Apostle St. James compares those persons who pray without confidence, to the waves of the sea, which are always agitated; and expressly declares, that such persons will never obtain the object of their petition. [James iv. 6.] And St. Augustine says, that * when the confidence fails, then the prayer also loses its value.' Si fides deficit, oratio perit. [Serm. xxx.]

As the confidence with which we ought to perform our prayers is not founded upon our own justice or merit, but simply on the mercy and goodness of God through the merits of His beloved Son our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who has promised to grant our petitions, so also we must never allow it to be diminished on account of our sins and imperfections, however great they may be. But the more weak and sinful we feel ourselves in the presence of God, the more ought we to approach with firm confidence to the throne of His mercy, beseeching Him to look down upon us with pitiful eyes, and to deliver us from our miseries.

Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 6. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

ARTICLE V.

ON THE PRINCIPAL DISPOSITIONS WHICH SHOULD ATTEND OUR PRAYERS.

Experience teaches that there are some Christians who often call upon God, and ask for His blessings, and yet God refuses to hear them. This happens not through any want of good will on the part of God, who is ever faithful to His promises, but through our own fault, because we do not take sufficient care to endow our prayers with those holy dispositions, which are required to render them acceptable to God and profitable to our souls. "You ask, and receive not," says the Apostle St. James, "because you ask amiss." [James iv. 3.]

There are five qualifications which our prayers ought to possess: 1, solidity; 2, devotion; 3, humility; 4, confidence; 5, perseverance.

Section I.
On solidity in our prayers.

The solidity of our prayers consists in asking of God real and substantial blessings; namely, such graces as are truly conducive to the salvation of our souls, and available to the attainment of eternal life. It is most certain that the only thing really good for man is, to serve and love his sovereign Lord here upon earth, and to enjoy Him hereafter in His eternal kingdom. This is the great, the only object for which he was created, and all besides this is vanity and deceit, darkness and illusion. "Fear the Lord," says the Holy Ghost, "and keep His commandments, for this is the whole man." 'Vanity and vanity,' says the Imitation of Christ, 'and all is vanity, except to love God, and to serve Him alone. This is the highest wisdom, to despise the world, and to tend to the everlasting kingdom.'

Setting out from this principle, that all happiness and perfection essentially consist in nothing else hut loving and serving our sovereign Lord in this life, and enjoying Him for ever in the life to come, it follows that we should never ask any thing from God but what can really help and assist us in serving and loving Him, and in securing our eternal salvation. Well did the prophet David understand this truth, when he prayed to the Lord but for one thing, and that earnestly and frequently, which was, that he might obtain the possession of His eternal kingdom. "One thing," says he, "have I asked of the Lord; and this will I seek as long as I live, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord." "Why art thou careful," said Jesus to Martha, "and troublest thyself about many things? there is but one thing necessary." [Luke x. 42] We read in holy Scripture, that the holy Tobias, thinking that he was going to die, called to himself his only son, and spoke thus to him: "Bless God at all times, and desire of Him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in Him." ['Tob. iv. 20.] The same I say to you, O Christian soul,— bless the Lord at all times; and let your mind and heart dwell upon Him alone. In your prayers, ask Him for His grace, His love, His kingdom, and He will not fail to supply all your wants, if expedient for your eternal welfare. "Seek first the kingdom of God," says our divine Redeemer, "and His justice; and the rest shall be added unto you." [Matt. vi. 83] Solomon did not ask God either for long life or riches, or for the overthrow of his enemies, but he petitioned only for wisdom, and the Lord vouchsafed to grant with it long life and riches, and fame and peace, together with a most glorious and prosperous reign. So, in like manner, will He do for you, if you ask for His friendship and love, which are the only true and real wisdom; for in this case you will receive besides them a supply for all your wants, if this be expedient to His glory and to the salvation of your soul. "Inquirentes Dominum," says holy David, "non minuentur omni bono.' [Psalm xxxiii.] —Those who seek the Lord shall not fail to be enriched with every good." "Blessed are they," says Jesus, "that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill." [Matt. v. 6.] "He that spared not even His own Son," writes the Apostle St. Paul, "but delivered Him up for us all, how has He not also with Him given us all things!" [Rom. viii. 32.] Behold, then, how the solidity of our prayers properly consists in asking of God such substantial and solid blessings as are conducive to His glory, and as will be profitable to our immortal souls.

To understand this point better, it will be well to observe, that there are several things which we are certainly assured that are conducive to God's honour and glory, and are useful to our souls; such, for instance, as the knowledge of ourselves, the detestation of sin, the victory over temptations, the fulfilment of His holy will, the attainment of His love, and final perseverance in His holy grace. Now, for these and other such blessings we ought to ask, in the first place, and without any limitation or condition, because we are sure that they cannot do us any harm, but will certainly prove beneficial to our eternal salvation. But as regards those things about which we have no certain knowledge, whether they will be useful or prejudicial to our eternal interests,—such as good health, long life, prosperity in business, and the like temporal advantages,—though we are permitted, and it is sometimes also expedient, to petition for them, yet when we ask for them, we must only do it in the second place, that is, after having asked for spiritual blessings with perfect submission to God's holy will, and with the condition that they be pleasing to God and beneficial to our souls.

SECTION II.
Of devotion in our prayers.

The consideration that during prayer we are addressing that great Being who fills heaven and earth with the majesty of His glory, ought to inspire us with a deep feeling of reverence and devotion. Were we in the presence of any great personage upon earth, as, for example, his Holiness the Pope, how respectful would be our deportment, how modest and recollected our whole behaviour! What, then, should be our conduct when we present ourselves before the God of heaven, our great Lord and Master!

The devotion which ought to accompany our prayer is twofold, exterior and interior. Exterior devotion consists in the proper and becoming posture of the body, and in keeping a strict guard upon our senses, more particularly the eyes; since there is so close a connexion between body and soul, that, unless we mortify ourselves exteriorly, we cannot obtain interior recollection. This was will known to all the Saints, and hence they were most vigilant over their senses during prayer. St. Francis of Salles, during the whole of the time he was at prayer, even when he was alone and unobserved by others, remained before God in an attitude the most edifying, with an air of the sweetest composure, insensible to all around him, and exhibiting the most profound reverence and devotion. The venerable Berkmas was accustomed to pray on his knees, with his eyes closed, his hands clasped on his breast, his countenance beaming with such an angelic sweetness, and lighted up with such a heavenly ardour, that many persons placed themselves on their knees beside him in order to observe him, and to enkindle in their own souls that heavenly flame which burnt so ardently in his heart. It is related of St. Rosa of Lima, that, as soon as she entered the church, she would retire to some secret corner, and there would remain, with her eyes fixed on the adorable sacrament of the altar for hours together, motionless as a statue, insensible to all that passed around her. Of St. Aloysius we read, that he practised such a watchfulness over his senses, and particularly over his eyes, during prayer, that his countenance seemed more like that of an angel than of a man. By this strict guard which he kept over his senses, he attained to such an eminent gift of interior recollection, that in giving an account of his conscience to his director, he once said, that he thought that during the space of six months he had not been distracted in his prayers so much as would fill the space of one 'Hail Mary.'

Interior devotion consists in the proper attention of the mind, and in the pious affections of the heart to God. This interior devotion is necessary to the very nature of prayer, which, according to the doctrine of the Saints, essentially implies the raising of our mind and heart to God. St. Cyprian says it is an intolerable disrespect in the eyes of God, and a kind of mockery, to perform the act of prayer merely with our lips, having our mind and heart far from God. St. Augustine compares the prayer of those persons who pray in this manner to the barking of dogs. And St. Gregory says, 'How can you expect that God will hear you, when you do not hear yourself?' Whoever, therefore, wishes that his prayers should be pleasing to God, and profitable to his soul, must take care, as much as human infirmity permits, to exclude from his mind and heart all wilful distractions, and to fix his thoughts and affections upon his sovereign Lord. If he wilfully neglect to do this, if he knowingly allow his mind and heart to wander from God, and to be drawn after the consideration and the love of creatures, let him be sure that his prayer will be of no avail to him, since Almighty God rejects the prayer of those "who honour Him by their lips, but their heart is far from Him." [Matt. xv. 8.]

SECTION III.

Of humility in our prayers.

The third condition which should accompany our prayers, in order to render them acceptable in the sight of God, and profitable to our souls, is the spirit of humility. "The prayer of him that humbles himself," says the Wise Man, "shall pierce the clouds, and it will not depart until the Most High behold." [Ecclus. xxxv. 21] God treats the proud with scorn, and refuses to grant their petitions; but to the humble He is sweet and liberal, and imparts His favours and blessings in abundance. "God resisteth the proud," says the Apostle St. James, "and gives His grace to the humble." [James iv. 6.] We have a most striking proof of this truth in the conduct of God towards the Pharisee and the Publican of the Gospel; for the proud Pharisee returned from his prayer with added guilt, and became more abominable in the eyes of God; whereas the humble Publican, notwithstanding his own persuasion of his extreme misery and unworthiness, found favour and mercy before God, and returned home renewed and justified.

This humility consists, 1st, in a deep and sincere feeling of the awful majesty of Him whom we are addressing in our prayers; of the greatness and power of God, the immortal King of Glory, the sovereign Lord of the Universe, before whom the angels veil their faces, and the heavens themselves are not without spot. 2dly, It consists in a sincere and true appreciation of our own misery and unworthiness. For reason of which, far from meriting any favour from God, we deserve to be for ever cast away from His face, and deprived of His grace. When we call to mind the original corruption in which we are born, and then add to this our past infidelities, our base ingratitude to God, and the many insults we have offered to Him, we must surely feel convinced that we are unworthy to stand in His presence, that we can claim no right that He should hear our prayers, but that we rather deserve that He should drive us away, and inflict upon us a severe punishment. If we approach God in our prayers, animated by this spirit of humility, we may be sure that He will look down upon us with His merciful eyes, and impart His blessings to us. 'For,' as St. Augustine says, 'when we humble ourselves, God descends and unites Himself to us; but when we raise ourselves on high by pride, God withdraws Himself, and leaves us to our own misery.' He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. "God has regard," says holy David, "to the prayer of the humble," [Psalm ci. 18.] "A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." [Psalm xxxi. 10.]

Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 5. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

ARTICLE IV.

ON THE SWEETNESS OF PRAYER.

By the practice of holy prayer we elevate our minds and hearts to the God of all consolation; we draw near to the fountain of life; we apply ourselves to the source of all happiness. Who can, then, express the ineffable sweetness which this holy intercourse with God must bring to pious souls! It cannot be denied that as long as we live in this mortal pilgrimage, — as long as we travel through this vale of tears, and are surrounded by the earthly tabernacle of our flesh, which weighs down the spirit, we cannot enjoy perfect happiness. We must acknowledge that perfect joy cannot be attained upon earth, but that the possession of this blessing is reserved to those pure souls, who, having fought the good fight, and gained the victory over their enemies, have left the prison of their bodies, and entered into the eternal kingdom. Yet it is also certain that, even in this life, the nearer we approach to our sweet and merciful Lord, the closer our communication is with His Divine Majesty, the more we partake of his happiness, and the greater is the joy which He pours into our hearts. "Taste and see," says holy David, "how the Lord is sweet." The lovers of this world, seeing that the persons addicted to prayer mortify their passions, chastise their body with its concupiscence, abstain from sensual pleasures, despise all worldly enjoyments, cultivate the spirit of recollection, and strive to detach themselves from all sensible objects, and to fix their heart and mind in God alone, imagine that their life is full of sadness and sorrow, and can conceive but very faintly, how they can be said to enjoy true and real delight. But the lovers of God know how greatly they are mistaken who think thus. For the practice of prayer, which to them would be a source of affliction and weariness, is to pious souls the purest fountain of comfort and delight. "Taste and see how the Lord is sweet." Here the holy prophet does not invite us to apply to the corrupted sources of the world in order to find our joy. He does not say, 'Taste and see how sweet and delightful to the heart are riches, honours, and worldly pleasures;' but he invites us to withdraw from the deceitful joys of this world, and to draw near to God. He says, "Taste and see how the Lord is sweet."

And oh, how many persons who had drunk deep of the bitter cup of misery under the slavery of their passions, have found, when converted to God, that, by giving themselves devoutly to holy prayer, they have become entirely changed, and have passed from the state of the deepest affliction to that of the sweetest consolation, to the enjoyment of the peace of God which surpasseth every understanding. What man ever indulged himself more freely in the enjoyment of earthly pleasures, and especially of the delights of the flesh, than St. Augustine? And what were his sentiments after the blissful momentin which he broke asunder the chains that tied him to sin, and embraced a life of prayer? Listen to his own words: 'For me,' says he, 'I have found more pleasure in weeping over my sins at the foot of the crucifix, than I ever experienced in attending the theatre, which formerly afforded me such delight.' Dulciores mihi sunt lacrimts paenitentium quant gaudia theatrorum.

That which happened to St. Augustine after his conversion to God is daily being renewed in the case of hundreds and thousands of Christians, who, after arousing themselves from the state of sin, and turning in good earnest to the practice of prayer, have found therein a hidden manna, which is unknown to all but him who tastes it; who thus enjoys a foretaste of that ineffable sweetness in which the blessed inhabitants of the heavenly Jerusalem are ingulfed. And whenever it pleases God in His inscrutable wisdom to try His faithful servants, by withdrawing from them all sensible delights, and permitting them to suffer desolation in their prayers, He does not deprive them of all comfort, but even then He leaves them, in the bottom of their hearts, a deep and solid feeling of satisfaction in the consciousness that they are fulfilling His holy and adorable will even by their sufferings and aridities; and besides this, He causes His light to shine occasionally amidst their darkness, letting them from time to time experience the inestimable blessing of His Divine presence.

But here it must be observed that, in order to enjoy the sweetness of prayer, we must disentangle ourselves from the ties of the world, and from all inordinate affections to created things, and rest with all our heart and soul in God alone. "Delight in the Lord," says holy David, "and He will give thee the requests of thy heart." [Psalm xxxvi.4.] 'Be pure and free interiorly,' says the Imitation of Christ, 'without being entangled by any creature. Thou must be naked, and carry a pure heart to God, if thou wilt attend at leisure, and see how sweet is the Lord.' ['Book ii. c. 8] . . . 'As soon as thou hast delivered thyself up to God with thy whole heart, and neither seekest this nor that for thy own pleasure, but wholly placest thyself in Him, thou shalt find thyself united to Him and at peace; for nothing wilt thou relish so well, and nothing shall please thee so much, as the good pleasure of the Divine will. Whosoever, therefore, with a single heart, shall direct his intention upwards to God, and purify himself from all inordinate love to created things, he shall be the most fit to receive grace, and worthy of the gift of devotion. For the Lord bestows His blessings there, where He finds the vessels empty. And the more perfectly a soul forsakes things below, and the more she dies to herself for the contempt of herself, the more speedily grace cometh, the more plentifully it entereth, and the higher it elevates the free heart. Then shall he see and abound, he shall admire, and his heart shall be enlarged within him; because the hand of the Lord is with him, and he hath put himself wholly into His hands for ever. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that seeketh God with his whole heart, and taketh not his soul in vain. [Book iv. c. 15.]

Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 4. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

ON THE EXCELLENCE OF PRAYER.

The holy practice of prayer essentially implies, as the Fathers and holy doctors teach, the raising up of our mind and heart to God, and is directed to obtain for us the highest of all possible blessings—the possession of God Himself, and the enjoyment of His eternal glory. This simple reflection ought to he sufficient to inspire us with the highest esteem for prayer; for what can we conceive more excellent and more sublime than to elevate ourselves above all sensible objects, and to penetrate with our spirit into those regions of eternal light where God Himself dwells, and there to transact with Him the interests of our immortal soul? 'What can be more excellent than prayer?' says St. Augustine; 'what is there more profitable in this life? what more sweet to the mind? and what in our holy religion more sublime? [Tract, de Mis. torn. x. 'Lib.] 'Consider,' writes St. John Chrysostom, 'to what a degree of happiness you are raised by prayer, and how great prerogatives are attributed to it You thereby speak to God Himself, you entertain yourself, and converse with Jesus Christ." [Lib. 2. de orando Deum.] Oh, what an honour for poor mortal men such as we are, to he admitted to a direct and immediate intercourse with the God of infinite majesty—with the Lord of glory; to open to Him our hearts, to unfold to Him our wants, and to speak with Him as a child does with his most tender and loving father! No tongue can express, nor mind conceive, the height of honour to which we are raised by such communication with our sovereign Lord.

Another reason which shews the great value and excellence of prayer is, the honour and glory which, by the performance of this holy duty, we render to God's infinite majesty. This is beautifully expressed by St. John in the Apocalypse, where he says, that "there came an angel and stood before the altar, having in his hand a thurible of gold, to whom was given a great quantity of incense, to the end that he should offer up the prayers of all the Saints upon the altar of God, which was before the throne of God; and the smoke of the incense of the prayers raised itself from the hands of the angel to the throne of God." [Apoc. viii. 3, 4.] In another place he represents the prayers of the Saints offered up to God by the hands of the twenty-four elders, and ascending to His throne like odoriferous perfumes. "They had golden cups," says he, "full of perfumes, which are the prayers of the Saints."  [Ibid. v. 8]

St. Bernard, in order to make us understand the value of prayer, says, that though it is certain that the angels are often actually present with God's holy servants, to defend them from the deceits and snares of the devil, and to help them to love God and save their souls; yet they more particularly favour us with their presence when we are employed in prayer. He proves this proposition by divers passages of Scripture, as by these words of the holy David, where he says, " I will sing hymns to thee in the presence of the angels;” [Psalm cxxxvii. 2] and by those of the angel to Tobit: "When thou wast in prayers, and didst pour forth tears, I offered thy prayers to thy Lord." [Tob. xii. 12.] From these and similar passages of holy Scripture it is manifest, that when we are performing the holy duty of prayer, we are surrounded by angels, who receive our supplications, and offer them to the throne of God. Neither need we he astonished at this, since, by the holy practice of prayer, we partake, in some degree, in the office which those blessed spirits perform before the throne of God, and commence here on earth that blessed employment which will be our occupation with them hereafter for all eternity; for which reason they already look upon us as their companions, and favour us in an especial manner with their assistance whilst we are engaged in this holy duty. St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, when she heard the bell ring for the Office, was filled with so much joy, that she hastened immediately to the choir, delighted with the thought that she was going to be engaged in the employment of the angels, whose constant occupation is to praise God. And it is for this reason that the Church has appointed her ministers to say the Divine Office at stated hours, that men on earth may join the blessed in heaven in honouring their sovereign Lord.

ON THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER.

Holy prayer is called by the Saints the ordinary channel through which the Giver of every best gift imparts to us His supernatural blessings; the shield and armour of the valiant soldiers of Christ; the strongest fence against all infernal powers; the key of heaven that unlocks the treasures of God, and gives men a free access to the riches of His divine bounty. 'I cannot wish a greater good to any person I love,' says a pious writer, 'than the gift of prayer; knowing that thereby we enter into a close communication with God, and are made partakers of His choicest blessings.'

Another reason which evinces the wonderful efficacy of holy prayer is, the particular hatred, as Abbot Nilus observes, which the devil bears to those who apply themselves to this holy exercise, and the violent and continual war he wages against them. He suffers us patiently to practise many other good works,—such as fasting, taking the discipline, or wearing the hair shirt; but he cannot endure that we should apply ourselves to prayer, without using his utmost endeavours to prevent it. He knows full well that prayer is a sovereign remedy against all evils; an ever-flowing source, an inexhaustible fountain of spiritual blessings, a most efficacious means for advancing in virtue and attaining perfection; and therefore he makes use of all his power to hinder us from attending to it. Hence St. Thomas, and many holy doctors, teach that it is by reason of the continual war that the devil wages against those who are engaged in prayer, that the Church, directed by the Holy Ghost, ordains that her ministers should begin the canonical hours with this verse: 'O God, incline unto my help; O Lord, make haste to assist me:' whereby we implore God's assistance in prayer against the snares and temptations of the enemy.

But that we may be better able to understand the great efficacy of prayer, let us examine the doctrine of holy Scripture on this point.

We read in the book of Exodus that Almighty God, being grievously offended with the ingratitude and infidelity of the children of Israel, spoke thus to His servant Moses: "Let Me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation." [Exod. xxxii. 10.] The holy Moses, touched to the heart with the deepest sorrow at these words, implored, with humble prayer, the mercy of God in behalf of His unfaithful people, and earnestly besought Him to suspend the awful punishment. Almighty God, overcome by the prayers of His faithful servant, and, as it were, constrained by his fervent supplications, withheld the scourge from His ungrateful people, and forgave their crimes. "The Lord," says the Scripture, "was appeased from doing the evil which He had spoken against His people." Oh, wonderful words! Oh, memorable expressions! The God of all majesty was constrained and prevented from executing His vengeance on His enemies by the prayers of one of His faithful servants. To this we must add the solemn promises which our divine Redeemer has left us in the holy Gospel, that He will grant our prayers, if duly offered to the throne of His infinite mercy. "Ask," says He, "and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you." And in another place He declares, that whatsoever we ask the Father in His name, we shall receive. And again He says, "If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those that ask Him " O my God, what more could our Saviour say to reassure us of the wonderful power and efficacy of holy prayer! It is certain that we shall obtain whatever we ask of God, if it be expedient for the good of our souls. It is certain that the prayers which we offer to the throne of God, when accompanied with proper dispositions, offer a kind of holy violence, as St. John Climachus says, to the heart of our most tender and loving Father, and move Him to grant us our request—Oratio pia vim Deo infert. Jesus Christ has promised this, and His promise cannot fail; for God is not as a man, that He should lie, or as the son of man, that He should be changed. [Numb, xxiii. 19] Oh, how great, then, is our happiness, to have in our hands an instrument so noble, and of such power and efficacy, to obtain from heaven all blessings and graces! 'Prayer,' says Theodoret, 'is but one thing, but it procures for us all things.' 'Prayer ascends to the throne of God,' says St. Augustine, 'and it draws down upon us the heavenly blessings.' 'A man of prayer,' says St. John Chrysostom, 'is all-powerful, and may say with the Apostle: Ail things are possible to me, through the help of Him who strengtheneth me.'

How shall we number the graces which the servants of God have obtained from Him at all times by means of prayer! Elias, by prayer, opened and shut up the floodgates of heaven, and called down fire from on high to consume the sacrifice. Eliseus restored life to a dead body; Moses enabled the Israelites to defeat the army of the Amalekites; Aaron arrested the course of a pestilence; Ezechias obtained a sword from heaven to exterminate his enemies.  [4 Kings xix.] It was by prayer that Daniel was preserved unhurt in the lions' den, and the three Hebrew children were saved from death in the fiery furnace of Babylon. When the shepherd David ventured on the fierce combat with the haughty Goliath, he called on the God of armies, and the giant lay prostrate and vanquished at his feet. When Josaphat was surrounded by a sudden irruption of the Moabite army, he had recourse to God by His holy prophet, and the Moabites were slaughtered [4 Kings iii.] Asa, being suddenly attacked by a powerful army of Ethiopians, implored the aid of heaven, and they were drowned in a sea of blood. [2 Para. xiv]

But what are such victories gained over temporal enemies compared to those which a man of prayer obtains over his spiritual foes? 'However great may be the temptation,' says St. Bernard, 'ifwe know how to use the weapon of prayer well, we shall come off conquerors at last; for prayer is more powerful than all the devils. He who is attacked by the spirits of darkness, needs only to apply himself vigorously to prayer, and he will beat them back with great success; for, as St. John Chrysostom says, prayer is a rock most terrible and fearful to the infernal powers.'

What, then, O Christian soul, is it that makes you so cold in your prayers ?  Ah, let us approach the throne of mercy with a generous and willing heart, and God will not fail to grant us our request. 'How should the Lord fail,' says St. John Chrysostom, 'to grant His graces to him who asks for them from his heart, when He confers so many blessings even on those who do not call upon Him! Ah, He would not so urge, and almost force us to pray to Him, if He had not a most eager desire to bestow His graces on us. St. Augustine says, 'that He is more anxious to communicate His blessings to us, than we are to receive them.—Pins vult ille dare quam nos accipere, plus vult misereri quam nos a miseria liberari.' Some persons, by way of finding some pretext by which they may justify their own faults, complain that they do not receive the Divine aid. But have they not rather reason to complain of themselves, because they neglect to implore, by prayer, the Divine assistance ?' Multi conqueruntur deesse sibi gratiam,' says St. Bernard; 'sed multo juslius gratia conqueritur deesse sibi mnltos.The Loid feels such pleasure in communicating His favours to us, that St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi goes so far as to say that He feels Himself obliged, as it were, to those who pray to Him, and grants them what they ask from their heart.

Such being the power and efficacy of prayer, what can we say of those Christians who continue negligent in the observance of the Divine laws, cold in the practice of piety, and who yield to slight temptations to sin? To whom but to themselves must they attribute their misery? to what but to their own fault, to their neglect of holy prayer, must they ascribe their ruin? Can Jesus Christ fail in His word? Can He prove unfaithful to His promise, that He will come to our help whenever we have recourse to Him by devout and humble prayer? What would you think of a beggar who, knowing that a prince was ready to provide him a home to shelter him, clothes to cover him, and food to supply his necessities, if he would only ask for them? — what would you think or say of him, if he should prefer to continue in his poverty, rather than apply to his willing benefactor? What would you say if you saw him in his ragged clothes, trembling with cold, and half dead with hunger? Would you not reproach him most severely? Would you not say that he deserves to suffer, and to languish and die ?—because he is the sole cause of his own miseries. But, alas, still worse is the case of those persons who prefer to live devoid of all virtues, naked, wretched, and poor, rather than to cast themselves at the feet of the Lord, and implore His heavenly blessings!

Learn, then, O Christian soul, to set the greatest value on prayer, and resolve to avail yourself of this inestimable privilege whereby to attain to eternal life. Imagine that you hear the voice of the Lord addressing you by the following beautiful words, 'Call on Me, and I will deliver thee; ask of Me, and I will grant thy request.—Invoca we, et eruam te; clama ad me, et exaudiam te.'Desirest thou, O beloved soul, to break those ties which bind thee to creatures? to escape from those snares which the devil has laid to effect thy ruin? Pray to Me for help, and I will tear them asunder, and deliver thee from all dangers. Whoever wants support under his evils, assistance in his trials, and aid in his labours, needs only to open his heart to Me, to appeal with sincerity to My mercy, and I will come to his assistance, and grant his request.

Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Necessity Of Prayer For All Adults In Order to Attain Eternal Life, pt. 3. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Section III.

On the especial necessity of prayer for persons engaged in the sacred ministry.

All persons who are consecrated to God in the sacred ministry have renounced the deceitful joys of this world, and taken God for their only inheritance. Speaking to the priests of old, who were but a shadow of those of the new law, our Lord said to them, that He had chosen and separated them from the rest of the people, that they might be entirely His own; and for this reason, whilst He assigned to all the tribes of Israel a portion of the promised land, He would not allot any to the tribe of Aaron, because He Himself was to be their possession, their glory, their happiness, their every good. This high prerogative, which belonged to the priests of the old law, is in a still stricter sense bestowed on the ministers of the Gospel,— on the priests of Jesus Christ, who excel in dignity those of the old law as much as heaven surpasses earth, as the reality exceeds the type. Hence it is that from the very moment a person is ascribed among the clerical host, in his first step towards the sacred ministry, he promises in a most solemn manner to take God for his only possession in these words: 'The Lord is the part of my inheritance and of my cup ; it is Thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me.' From these simple reflections it is clear that the priests of the new law, — the ministers of Christ, * who are taken from among men, and ordained for them in the things that appertain to God,' are persons set apart from the rest of mankind, and appointed to the high privileges of a regular and continual intercourse and communication with their sovereign Lord. But how can this be accomplished, — how can such intercourse he carried on, except by the practice of constant and fervent prayer? Another reason which causes the ministers of God to stand in further need of holy prayer is, the great purity and holiness of life which is demanded of them by the sublimity of their character and their elevation to the rank they possess. We read in the Holy Scripture that even the priests of the old law were expected to be holy: 'They shall be holy to their Lord, and shall not profane His name; for they offer the burnt-offering to the Lord, and the bread of their God, and therefore they shall be holy.[Levit. xxi. 6.] Now, if the priests of the old covenant, whose highest charge was to offer only calves and oxen, were commanded to he holy, what shall we say of the priests of the new covenant, who are appointed to offer up to God by their own hands a victim of infinite value, the real body and blood of the Son of God! Who can describe the degree of holiness which is demanded from them! 'Priests should be so holy,' says St. John Chrysostom, 'that all may look on them as models of sanctity; because God has placed them upon earth that they might live like angels, and be luminaries and teachers of virtue to all around them.' 'Great is the dignity of the priesthood,' says St. Laurence Justinian, 'but great also is the burden which it imposes. The priests being raised to a high degree of honour, must also excel by a high degree of sanctity.' And St. Thomas teaches that the priestly state requires a degree of virtue still higher than that which is required from the religious state. For a simple religious is only obliged, in virtue of his vocation, to aspire after the attainment of perfection, but is not bound to be already in the actual possession of it; whereas a priest, before being admitted to his sublime profession, is already required to be a man actually holy. In another place he says, that, in order to perform worthily the functions of the priestly office, it is not sufficient to have only an ordinary degree of virtue, but it is necessary that he be endowed with an excellent virtue, Ad idoneam executionem ordinum non sufficit bonitas qualisctimque, sed requirilur bonitas excellens' Those who are engaged in the celebration of the divine mysteries, says he in another place, must be perfect in virtue. Interior perfection is necessary to the worthy performance of the priestly functions. From these and similar passages it is manifest that it is expected of priests to possess a firm and well-grounded virtue, and that they should greatly excel the faithful in point of holiness; they ought to he shining luminaries in the house of God, that they may so enlighten and edify by their bright and virtuous examples all around them. But how shall they be able to effect this without the help of frequent and fervent prayer?

The necessity of prayer for priests may be enforced further by the following reason:

The office of priest being one of the greatest dignity, demands a high degree of purity and holiness from all those who are called to it, but is, at the same time, encompassed with many dangers; and the individuals who fulfil its duties meet with continual occasions of sin. Thus if, whilst labouring in Christ's vineyard, their undertakings are blessed by God with a prosperous success, they are in danger of yielding to the spirit of pride; and if their labours prove unsuccessful, and fail to produce the desired effect, they are tempted to give way to anxiety and despondence, and to abandon the good work. If their occupation in the sacred ministry is but light and easy, they are in danger of falling into idleness and sloth, to the great prejudice of their own souls; and if they have abundance of external work, they have to dread the danger to which they are exposed, of leading a life of constant distraction. But the greatest danger to which priests are exposed in the performance of their office arises from their intercourse with the world, from their necessary communication with sinners.

The priests are set by God over His people, that they may destroy and build up; namely, that they may remove scandals from the midst of the people, heal their wounds, cleanse their souls, remedy their evils, and lead them to the port of salvation. Nothing can be more noble, nothing more meritorious, than such an office. But it is at the same time surrounded with so many dangers, that a person must be as it were always on the defence, to be able to overcome them. As he who undertakes to rescue a person on the point of drowning must be careful that he be not himself carried away by the water and destroyed; so those who undertake the office of curing the spiritual maladies of the people, and of healing their wounds, must be on their watch, and take great care lest, instead of effecting their cure, they should become infected by the same evils, and bring ruin upon their own souls.

Thus we see that the priestly office, notwithstanding . all the blessings and advantages which belong to it, is encompassed with many dangers, and that the persons who are engaged in it must use the greatest diligence to shield themselves from them. And where shall they find a better and more efficacious means to guard and strengthen themselves against such dangers, than the practice of frequent and fervent prayer? Ah, woe to the anointed of God, who in the midst of their labours neglect to raise their minds and hearts to their sovereign Lord! Woe to them, if, satisfied with the exterior performance of their duty, they neglect to feed their souls, increase their piety by bumble and fervent prayer! Woe to them, if, in the hour of danger, in the time of temptation, they fail to oppose the shield of prayer against the enemy, and neglect to shield themselves against his fiery darts!

The fourth reason which shews the special obligation under which priests lie of applying themselves to prayer is, the office which they have, by virtue of their holy vocation, of making atonement to God for the sins of the people, of appeasing His wrath against them, and of obtaining for them His mercy and propitiation. The ministers of Christ are placed between God and the people, as Moses was; and it belongs to them to mediate in their behalf, and to arrest, by their humble prayers and supplications, those awful visitations which they deserve for their sins. "Before the porch and the altar," says the prophet Joel, "the priests, the Lord's ministers, shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare Thy people; and give not Thy inheritance to reproach." ['Joel ii. 17] As the High Priest of the new covenant who sitteth at the right hand of God never ceases to pour out prayer and supplication to the throne of His Father in behalf of sinful men, so His holy ministers should be animated by the same spirit; and, prostrate before the face of God, they ought to offer up their warmest prayers and supplications in behalf of sinners.

The last reason which proves the especial obligation which priests have of practising the holy duty of prayer is, that they may labour successfully in their appointed office. Natural undertakings may certainly be executed by natural wisdom, without the help of supernatural strength; but not so with regard to those sublime enterprises which the ministers of Christ are called on to perform for the glory of God and the salvation of souls; for these, being of a far higher character, and possessed of a supernatural value, require superior wisdom and superhuman strength; and that wisdom which will enable them to perform these sublime works with success is not a mere dry knowledge which can be derived from books, but it is the wisdom of Christ,—the science of the Saints, which is acquired by humble and fervent prayer. The priest of God who sincerely wishes to render his ministry fruitful to the glory of God and the good of souls, ought to be able to say with St. Paul, "I judge not myself to know any thing amongst you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified; and my speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the shewing of the spirit and power [1 Cor. ii. 2].

There are some priests who deem the neglect of prayer a matter of very little consequence, provided they spend their time in study, or in performing works of charity; but they are greatly deceived; for although study and acts of charity are of great merit and value before God, when performed at seasonable times, yet if a person neglects the duty of prayer, to devote his whole time to them, they will prove, in reality, an obstacle to the salvation of souls. St. Laurence Justinian says, that the exterior works of Martha without the interior spirit of Mary cannot be perfect. 'He deceives himself,' says the Saint, 'who expects, without the aid of prayer, to succeed in the work of saving souls,— a work as dangerous as it is sublime; without the refection of prayer he shall certainly faint on the way. 'In prayer,' says St. Paulinus, 'we acquire the spirit which we must afterwards communicate to others.Hence the Apostle St. Paul, writing to Timothy, urges him to attend first to himself, and then to doctrine and learning: "Take heed," says he, "to thyself, and to doctrine." [1 Tim. iv. 6.]   Attend first to thyself, that is, to prayer, which is so necessary for securing thy eternal salvation; and then to doctrine, that is, to study, in order to promote the salvation of others. 'Blessed is the man who knoweth God,' says St. Augustine, 'although he be ignorant of every thing else.' If we knew all sciences, and know not how to love Jesus Christ, our knowledge would profit us nothing towards eternal life. Happy, then, the man to whom God has given the science of the Saints, that is, the science of His holy Jove; for a single word from a person who truly loves God will produce more fruit than many sermons of learned men who love God but little. And this science of the Saints is not acquired so much by the study of books as by the practice of prayer, in which the master who instructs is our Lord crucified, and the book which is read that of His blessed life and death. It is related of St. Bonaventure, that being once asked by St. Thomas from what book he had acquired so much learning, he pointed to the crucifix, and said, that there he had acquired all his knowledge. He who tastes honey has a more correct notion of it than all the philosophers who, without tasting it, study and explain its properties. In the same manner, he who tastes God most by the practice of holy prayer, has more knowledge of Him than the wisest men of the world who are strangers to His love. Oh, how much more did St. Philip Neri learn in the cave of St. Sebastian, where he sometimes spent the whole night in meditation, than in all the books which he read! How much more learning did St. Jerome acquire in the solitude of Bethlehem, where he used to spend a great part of his time in prayer, than by his studies whilst in the world! Father Suarez, one of the greatest luminaries of the Society of Jesus, used to say, that he would have preferred to be deprived of all his knowledge rather than lose one hour's meditation appointed by the rules of his Institute. And this has been the common feeling of all truly apostolic men, who have never failed to unite the practice of prayer to their study, and to the performance of works of charity. The holy Apostles laboured more than all others for the salvation of souls, but finding that their exertions for the good of others interfered with their prayers, they appointed deacons for the performance of the exterior works of charity, that thus they themselves might have time "for prayer and the preaching of the divine word ;"' and by this fact they set a most beautiful example to all the pastors of the Church, that they should first attend to prayer, and then to the labours of their sacred ministry. This is what St. Teresa wrote to the Bishop of Osma, who paid great attention to the care of his flock, but devoted little time to prayer: 'Our Lord,' says the Saint, in a letter to him, 'has shewn to me that you are wanting in what is particularly necessary for you, by neglecting mental prayer; from this defect arises the aridity which your soul suffers.' St. Bernard admonished Pope Eugenius in the strongest terms not to omit the practice of prayer on account of external affairs, and added, that he who abandons prayer is in great danger of falling into a fearful insensibility and hardness of heart.⁸ St. Thomas of Villanova used to say, that in order to inflame the hearts of others with the fire of Divine love, we ought ourselves to burn with its heavenly flames. But how shall we enkindle in our hearts this Divine fire without prayer? It is for this reason that St. Dominic, St. Philip Neri, St. Francis Xavier, and other holy labourers in God's vineyard, set so great value upon prayer, and were so careful to practise it in the midst of their external occupations, for the glory of God and for the salvation of souls. They employed the day in labouring for the people, and spent a great part of the night in prayer, after the example of their blessed Lord, of whom it is written, that " He passed the whole night in the prayer of God."

Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.