AN EASY WAY TO BECOME A SAINT

by
Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P. [E.D.M.] With Eccles. Appr., 1949, Portugal
TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS

Chapter 11
THOUGHTS ON PRAYER

Prayer is the greatest power in the world, even the prayer of the ordinary Christian.

Few, very few know how to pray, and yet it is so easy. Because they do not know how to pray, they are losing immense graces, immense blessings every day. Thousands are going to Hell every day because they do not pray. Thousands and thousands are sad and unfortunate because they do not know how to pray. Our morning and evening prayers, if well said, save us from countless evils and obtain for us countless blessings. Many Catholics have not the faintest idea of the immense importance of these prayers.

They have many pressing occupations, but the gravest of all their duties, the most important and urgent work of the day is morning and evening prayer. As a result of these prayers, God Himself and His Blessed Mother bless and protect us.

PRAYER IS A PLEASURE

Few enjoy prayer, for the same reason: that they have never learned to pray.

The first thing we must understand clearly is that when praying we are talking to God personally, intimately, really. God is looking at us, giving us all His attention, ready to give us all we need. What an immense joy and consolation it is to realize that we are talking to God Himself. But so many pray as if they were gramophones, talking machines, not even thinking of the words they are saying. Many say their prayers in haste! That surely is not speaking to God.

St. Augustine says that God prefers the barking of dogs to prayers said hastily. We must pray intelligently, slowly, thinking of what we are saying. Then our prayer is a pleasure, for we know that it is pleasing to God and that it is bringing us great graces.

The writer had once a long private audience with Pope [St.] Pius X. He was all alone with the Pope in his private room. The Holy Father was most gracious and kind and gave him all he asked for and even more. Yet we have a private audience with God whenever we pray. We are all alone with Him, and He is infinitely sweet and merciful. But how few enjoy this intimate, personal converse with God. If they understood that they were actually speaking to God, they would not think it a penance to pray; they would not be so easily distracted. The Arabs give us a lesson in prayer. When they pray to Allah, they are so wrapt up in their prayer that they think of nothing else. In fact, frequently their enemies, knowing this, choose the moment they are praying to rush on them and kill them.

GOD HEARS EVERY PRAYER

Still another most consoling thing about prayer is that God hears every prayer. Every prayer well said, as any ordinary Christian can say it, brings us back a great grace, a favor, though we may not see it. True, God does not always give us exactly what we ask, because He sees that it would not be good for us, but then He gives us something better, which He knows is good for us. Good businessmen, wise statesmen, great generals, place all their trust in prayer.

THREE CONDITIONS OF PRAYER

We must persevere in prayer; we must storm Heaven as the Apostle tells us.
We must pray with the fullest confidence, for the greater our confidence, the greater will be the graces we receive.
We must pray with humility. God loves the humble and gives them what they ask in rich abundance.

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