Aquinas on the Lord's Prayer: Five Qualities of Prayer (Pt 2/3)

Lord, teach us how to pray... J-J Tissot.

We continue October's posts with the writings of St Thomas Aquinas on the prayers used in the Rosary. From the Angelic Salutation, we have shifted our focus to what he wrote on the Lord's prayer. 

I have included my own (fairly literal) English translation, together with a number of Scriptural references and notes.

Our prayer must also be right for us, so that a person praying should ask from God what is good for him. For St Damascene [1a] says: “prayer is asking from God for those things that are right and fitting.”[1] For many times prayer is not heard because what is sought is not right and fitting: “ You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss:” [Iac. iv. 3] [2] To know, however, what should be asked in prayer is most difficult, since it is most difficult to know what should be desired. Those things which are permitted to ask in prayer may for this reason be desired. Hence the Apostle says: “ For we know not what we should pray for as we ought;” [Rom. viii. 26] [3] But Christ is (our) Teacher: for He Himself teaches us what we should ask for in prayer. For the disciples said to Him:  “ Lord, teach us to pray;” [Luc. xi. 1] [4] These things, therefore, which he Himself taught us to seek in prayer are the most right for us to seek. Whence St Augustine says: “If we pray rightly and in a fitting manner, we can say nothing but that which is contained in the Lord’s Prayer, whatsoever words we actually utter.” [5] 

Debet etiam esse oratio nostra recta, ut petat orans a Deo quae sibi conveniunt. Nam Damascenus dicit: oratio est petitio decentium a Deo. Multoties enim non exauditur oratio, quia indecentia postulantur. Iac. IV, 3: petitis et non accipitis, eo quod male petatis. Scire autem quid sit petendum, difficillimum est, cum difficillimum sit scire quid sit desiderandum. Ea enim quae licite petuntur in oratione, licite desiderantur: et ideo apostolus dicit, ad Rom. VIII, 26: nam quid oremus sicut oportet, nescimus. Ipse autem Christus doctor est: nam ipsius est docere quid nos orare oporteat. Nam discipuli dixerunt ei, Luc. XI, 1: domine, doce nos orare. Ea ergo quae ipse orare docuit, rectissime postulantur: unde Augustinus: quaecumque autem verba dicamus, nihil aliud dicimus quam quod in ista oratione dominica positum est, si recte et congruenter oramus.

Prayer should also be ordered as desire (is ordered), since prayer serves as a means of expressing desire. In this the order should be that in our desires we prefer spiritual to carnal things and in our prayer we prefer heavenly to earthly things; according to what is written: “ Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” [Matt. vi. 33] [6] Here, the Lord teaches us to observe that heavenly things should be sought first and then earthly things.

Debet etiam esse oratio ordinata sicut desiderium, cum oratio sit desiderii interpres. Est autem hic debitus ordo, ut spiritualia carnalibus, caelestia terrenis desiderando et orando praeferamus, secundum illud Matth. VI, 33: primum quaerite regnum Dei et iustitiam eius; et haec omnia adiicientur vobis. Hoc dominus in hac oratione servare docuit: in qua primo petuntur caelestia, et postmodum terrena.

Prayer should also be devout, because the richness of devotion makes the sacrifice of prayer acceptable to God; “In thy name I will lift up my hands: Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness:” [Ps. Lxii. 5-6][7] Devotion, however, is very frequently dulled by prolixity in prayer; whence the Lord taught us to avoid undue longwindedness in prayer, saying:  “ And when you are praying, speak not much” [Matt. vi. 7].[8] St Augustine says to Proba:[8a]  "Let much talking be absent from prayer; but may there not be much provocation if the intention remains ferevent.”[9] Whence the Lord made this prayer short. Devotion arises from charity, which is love of God and neighbour, both of which are shown forth in this prayer. For unto the showing of divine love, we call Him “Father;” and unto the showing of love for neighbour, we pray in common for all when we say: “Our Father… and forgive us our trespasses;” unto which the love of neighbour clothes us.

Debet etiam oratio esse devota, quia pinguedo devotionis facit sacrificium orationis esse Deo acceptum, secundum illud Psal. LXII, 5-6: in nomine tuo levabo manus meas: sicut adipe et pinguedine repleatur anima mea. Devotio autem plerumque propter prolixitatem orationis obtunditur: unde dominus superfluam orationis prolixitatem docuit vitare, dicens Matth. VI, 7: orantes autem nolite multum loqui. Et Augustinus dicit ad Probam: absit ab oratione multa locutio; sed non desit multa provocatio, si fervens perseveret intentio. Unde dominus hanc orationem brevem instituit. Consurgit autem devotio ex caritate, quae est amor Dei et proximi: quorum utrumque in hac oratione ostenditur. Nam ad insinuandum divinum amorem, vocamus eum patrem; ad insinuandum autem amorem proximi, communiter pro omnibus oramus dicentes, pater noster, et dimitte nobis debita nostra: ad quod proximorum dilectio nos induit.

References

[1a] Born at Damascus, about 676; died some time between 754 and 787.

[1] "De fide orthodoxa," III, c. 24.

[2] You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences. Petitis, et non accipitis : eo quod male petatis : ut in concupiscentiis vestris insumatis.

[3] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings. Similiter autem et Spiritus adjuvat infirmitatem nostram : nam quid oremus, sicut oportet, nescimus : sed ipse Spiritus postulat pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilibus.

[4] And it came to pass, that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Et factum est : cum esset in quodam loco orans, ut cessavit, dixit unus ex discipulis ejus ad eum : Domine, doce nos orare, sicut docuit et Joannes discipulos suos.

[5] "Ad Probam," Epist. cxxx.

[6] Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Quaerite ergo primum regnum Dei, et justitiam ejus : et haec omnia adjicientur vobis.

[7] Thus will I bless thee all my life long: and in thy name I will lift up my hands. Sic benedicam te in vita mea; et in nomine tuo levabo manus meas.  Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness: and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. Sicut adipe et pinguedine repleatur anima mea, et labiis exsultationis laudabit os meum.

[8] And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard. Orantes autem, nolite multum loqui, sicut ethnici, putant enim quod in multiloquio suo exaudiantur.

[8a] Anicia Faltonia Proba (died in Africa, 432) was a Roman noblewoman; in 395 she was already a widow and became a devoted handmaid of the Lord.

[9] "Ad Probam," Epist. cxxx.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.