Conference yukon::christian_v7

    James,
    
    The Bible declares that we are to go *boldly* to the throne of grace in
    our prayers.  No worry of VIP status, we are joint heirs with Christ to
    the throne of God.
    
    As far as standing, sitting, laying down, in the shower... all
    throughout the Bible people were talking to the Lord whilst just about
    doing anything.
    
    Kneeling can set the attitude for certain kinds of prayer, such as
    confession, repentance, or reconciliation before a brother/sister.
    
    As far as praying out loud, that depends on the person.  I know folks
    who are shy and would feel rather humilated to pray out loud, but that
    doesn't negate those who can and do. Other times, I've come to find out
    that those who can't pray out loud are young in the Lord, and just feel
    inadequate that their words may stumble.  As they grow, they become
    more *bold* in their prayers.
    
    As far as others saying things like, "Yes, Lord", during an audible
    prayer, it used to be discomforting to me, but what I found is that
    while others are praying [in a roundtable situation], as I concentrate
    on the Spirit and asking Him to be present with us, I began to say,
    "Yes, Lord" too, while others were praying.  :-)
    
    Bottom line for me is that God wants us to talk to Him, and prayer is
    our avenue... I say shout it from a mountaintop, whisper it in your
    room, but pray nonetheless pray... pray without ceasing... that 's what
    God's Word says.  Seems to me if we are to pray without ceasing that
    just about covers, when, where, how and what! :-) :-)
    
    Nancy
    

James,

From my experience, this is not a trivial topic.  Nothing about prayer
is trivial to begin with, and the many responses of Christians make it
a very practical matter to discuss.

I agree that Jesus' direction to pray in secret is a direction that is
a constant reminder to me.  The important point he made appears to me
to be that of keeping your prayers to God, rather than to be heard by
other people.  For this reason, it is important to me, when I
am praying with other Christians, to know that their prayer attitude is
truly felt.  If so, we can then all totally neglect how we sound to
each other.  The reason for looking for this opportunity is also
directly from Jesus.  You will recall that he specifically said that it
matters that two or more are in agreement.  Some will reflect this by
the "Yes" or other words.  However, I also found it to be distracting,
especially since I am rarely (if ever) in disagreement with those I
pray with.  However, as Nancy said, there came a time when I just didn't
notice it anymore.

Personally, I strive to pray anywhere, anytime, and as near to all the
time as I can get.  I am praying now that God will use this topic and
my words and your words for all of us.  Others find certain positions
or settings difficult in that they do not feel the correct attitude at
that time or place.  Since the correct attitude is important, so be it.

Looking forward to "hearing" other input.

Lew

I find that my biggest problem in prayer, particularly when I'm praying alone, 
is that when I just pray in my head silently, with my eyes closed, my mind 
wanders off constantly to what I have to do today, or what I should have done 
yesterday, or what I should do about a situation with my kids, or many other 
random thoughts - some productive, some useless but harmless, some which I 
shouldn't be thinking altogether at any time.  Our inner thoughts go in all 
directions, and I find it difficult to keep my thoughts centered on the Lord.

There are a couple of ways that I've dealt with this.  One of the most 
effective, particularly for intercessory prayer, is to talk out loud to God.
Our minds are conditioned, when speaking, to keep with a thought and pursue it 
to its conclusion.  We have to do that when we speak to other people, if we 
spoke the way our thoughts progress no one would be able to understand us.  I 
find that if I try to pray for half an hour silently in my head to God, I'm
doing well to spend half of the time actually praying - I'll often break into a
thought train and realize that I haven't been praying for 5 minutes.  But if I
pray out loud, it is fairly easy to pray for half an hour without ever straying
from prayer, or straying only very breifly.

Now this works great for praise and confession and thanksgiving and 
intercession, but I find that I need more silence and less directed thought to 
really listen to the Lord.  One thing that I have found that helps here is to 
recite the "Jesus Prayer," which sounds almost new-agey but is really a very old
part of our Christian tradition.  It is just a very short prayer that you repeat
over and over silently in your head:  "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy
on me, a sinner."  Or just "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me," or even just 
"Jesus."  It keeps your mind focused on the Lord, and just occupied enough to 
keep you from following every rabbit-trail of thought that enters your head, 
while at the same time not following an ordered train of thought so that the 
Lord has an opportunity to speak in the silence.

It's interesting to note that in some new-age sorts of meditative techniques,
they do very much the same thing with a mantra.  The main difference is that
these techniques are just that - techniques.  Good techniques, true, but since
they make no attempt to glorify or honor the Lord, the results are vastly
different.

Paul

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

So it would seem that whether you sit, stand, kneel, lie down, or 
jump out of an airplane, you can pray where you are.

Longer answer to follow after I read the rest of the notes.

Longer answer:

I pray differently in several different situations.

On Sunday mornings before service, I gather with some other men in 
the Pastor's office to pray for the worship service and the anointing
of the Pastor by the Holy Spirit to speak His Word.  This is a 'round
the room prayer with us standing.  We're becoming more free to voice
our assent to another's prayer.  It used to be a distraction when I 
was more easily distracted.

When I'm alone (in my car, or wherever), I converse with the Lord.
It's a different prayer, and I usually converse out loud for the reasons
Paul has given.  It's a better focus of my thoughts.  There are times
when I allow my mind to keep my mouth silent and think on the Lord.
Sometimes, He speaks clearly, sometimes, I wander.

My daily prayer occurs online, where you cannot see it.  But, there 
are people with whom I share my prayer.  It is typed prayer, and some of
you in this conference have received a typed prayer at the end of some
electronic mail.  I pray every day for this conference, elsewhere, for
I can get quite specific which is not for public airing.  Yet, I will share
these with a trusted few for their prayer support and assent.

I pray online, (in a sort of journal) for several reasons:

    (1) Where there are two or more gathered, there I will be also.  And
    whatsoever you agree on in My name it shall be done.  I make a seen
    prayer so that if another reads it and assents, then we've acheived
    something we could not separately.

    (2) It keeps *me* accountable.  People know it when I've missed a prayer
    during the work week.  My cohorts also may know when my schedule is 
    pressing, or I'm struggling with how to know what to pray when the prayers 
    are later in the day (I usually pray in the morning).  I use this as a 
    *humbling* exercise for me - though I realize some may think the opposite 
    of me (it has happened before).

    (3) I most often start out my prayers by typing in a verse of a song.
    Just maybe, it might be an encouragement to someone for whom I am
    praying to see the song that the Lord uses to prepare my heart for
    praying for a person.  Sometimes the song is more powerful than my
    feeble prayer and I must lean on its wisdom; after all the writer wrote
    that song out of his heart, and my heart gives assent to it for
    another (and for myself).

    (4) It leaves a record to be pointed at for all to see as testimony
    that God hears our prayers.

In a sense, this is praying out loud for the eyes instead of the ears.

Now, if you mean how should one pray in church? The answers may be the
same... as the Lord leads.  As Nancy said, if you don't feel comfortable
with speaking your prayers in front of others, it doesn't mean that 
they or you have a leg-up (as it were) in spirituality.  Yes, there
can be some who "fill-in" their prayers but the same may be said of
those who pray silently, where the tendency for *me* (like Paul W)
is to begin to wander.

Flower and fluff in the prayers are unnecessary, but neither are they
to be rejected.  The point is the heart attitude.  I've seen some
flower and fluff that have left me flat, and some poor inarticulate 
prayers that lift me up.  BUT!!!  I have seen some poor inarticulate 
prayers fall flat and flower and fluff lift me up - and so we are not
to judge the one who speaks and the one who keeps silent, even though
Solomon says that one who keeps silent is one who *SEEMS TO BE* wise
because the fool speaks and his foolishness is uncovered.  In other words,
we can have wise speakers and foolish mutes, as well as wise mutes and
foolish speakers.

Mark

    RE:4 
    Good morning Paul! 
     
    I practice centering prayer and I use the Jesus prayer that you quoted
    as my reference as well.  

    I was reading a book called "In Search Of Wisdom," which one of the 
    author's, is Fr. Basil Pennington, who is a Trappist monk here in 
    St. Joseph Abbey in Spencer, Mass. The book is a study and series of 
    interviews that another monk (his name is Greek and I couldn't spell it 
    to save my life)did in different Eastern Orthodox monasteries, throughout 
    Eastern Europe and Greece back around 1920. The Jesus prayer is most 
    commonly used. In the interview with one of the monks on prayer, the advice 
    given on what to do when your mind wanders was the same as you said. 
    Return to the Jesus prayer and say it with the lips out loud if
    necessary. Also, it advised, never strain or work ambitiously when you 
    become frustrated with your wandering thoughts. Gently return to 
    the Jesus prayer. This advice has worked well for me. 

    BTW, the history of the Jesus prayer was given in this book and I'll
    try to remember to look it up tonight and post something on it in here.

    Peace
     Jim

    Re: 85.4
    
    I often struggled with my mind wondering when I was praying alone
    during my quiet time.  I began journaling my prayers during my quiet
    time, and I stay focused.  It is also very uplifting to read through
    previous journals and see how I have grown, and how the Lord always
    answers your prayers.
    
    Sasha

    I suppose I would caution anyone judging another's prayer.  While it
    may seen staunch and unmoving to you, based on the character of the
    individual it could very well be from his/her heart.
    
    The most important piece for *all* of us to remember is that when we
    pray, prayer is not praise, though praise can be part of prayer. 
    Prayer is ASKING.  
    
    God is the supplier of all our needs and desires, although He knows our
    hearts, He wants us to acknowledge Him through prayer/asking.
    
    My Pastor's son was 4 years old, he loved the 49'ers, and when it was
    close to his birthday, about a month before, his Dad asked him what he
    wanted.  Tim replied, "Thocks, thoes, thirt and a helmeth like Joe
    Montana."  Over the course of the next few weeks, almost every day Tim
    told his dad he wanted, "thocks, thoes, thirt and a helmeth like Joe
    Montana!!"
    
    The day before Tim's Birthday, my Pastor went to Toys R Us where they
    had the "thocks, thoes, thirt, and a helmeth like Joe Montana", to find
    out they were completely out of them.  Man, my Pastor panicked... what
    was he gonna do, for a month he had been told "thocks, thoes, thirt,
    and a helmeth like Joe Montana"!!
    
    He called his wife, he told his secretary, we will comb the Bay Area
    for "thocks, thoes, thirt, and a helmeth like Joe Montana"!  Finally at
    6 PM, they found a store that had "thocks, thoes, thirt, and a helmeth
    like Joe Montana", but it was 2 hours away.  Pastor drove those 2 hours
    there and 2 hours back to get the "thocks, thoes, thirt, and a helmeth
    like Joe Montana", for Tim because of his love for his son.  He
    couldn't bear the disappointment in Tim's face after Tim had repeatedly
    told him for a month what he wanted for his birthday.
    
    You know, our Heavenly Father is the same way, when we have gone to
    him, praying without ceasing out needs and desires, He wishes to give
    it to us.  
    
    In Him,
    Nancy

 Like .4 and others, I find when praying silently my mind wanders to all sorts
 of things.  So, during my dedicated time of prayer (when I am faithful to it)
 I pray aloud up until recently sitting in a chair, and recently on my knees as
 I am convicted of more and more things in my life that need to get straightened
 out.  I'll also pray in the car, here at my desk at work, etc.


 I too used to get distracted by people saying "yes, Lord" during prayer in 
 church, to the point I included that in my reasons for leaving a particular
 church.  But, now it doesn't seem to bother me as much.

 One thing I have never done is keep a prayer journal, which I believe I will
 start doing.






 Jim

Hi James - 

If you just want a scriptural reference to support sitting to pray, you 
could try David in 2 Samuel 7:18, but it really is *man* that looks on the 
outward appearence.  God is looking at the heart.  As in God's rejection of
the unfaithful prayers of Isaiah 1:15, He wasn't judging the gesture of
uplifted hands (as commended in 1 Timothy 2:8). 

There is a place for all sorts of prayer - aloud, silent, hands raised, or 
wrung together....

He doesn't want us to 'pose', He wants us to be real.  To communicate.

Nehemiah prayed while delivering a cup of wine, in Nehemiah 2:4.  And I 
rather think *that* one was silent ;-)

In Acts 4:24-30, the disciples prayed together out loud, I guess quite a 
cacophony - to us - but to God, it was something so glorious that it opened 
the way for Him to move, in :31 (and I mean them being filled with the Holy 
Spirit, even more than the building shaking).

I used to be shy of praying out loud at a church prayer meeting.  Until I 
suddenly found I'd forgotten that there were other people there.  I was 
speaking to *God*.  Not to them.  They could listen, if they liked, but He 
was so much more important that they no longer affected how I felt about 
praying.  In a sense, to tag it 'praying' is to put it in a falsely 
of-putting category.  It's speaking to God.  The dearest friend we could 
have.  And the most powerful.  And the 'good'est;  Who knows even the 
faults we don't realise we have, but STILL loves us enough to die for us.
If we come, giving Him the place of honour and respect in our hearts that is 
His due, then what does it matter how we are situated?

If our hearts are filled with respect for Him, our physical attitude is
likely to be acceptable.  There's a time to lie prostrate on the floor
before Him, a time to kneel, a time to dance before Him.  And even a time
to pray in the shower, as has been mentioned.  Certainly a time to pray
when you're driving.  Or rather, when I'm driving.... ;-{ 

He's not impressed by our grandness.  He is impressed by our humility.  
Isaiah 57:15 :
 "This is what the High and Holy One says - He who lives for ever, Whose 
  Name is Holy: I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is 
  contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to 
  revive the heart of the contrite..."

The Pharisee and the tax collector both stood, in Luke 18:10-14, but the 
attitudes of their hearts meant that the tax collector alone received 
blessing....

A very important prayer is found in Luke 11:1.  It goes like this:

	"LORD, teach us to pray"

 - He has a vested interest in answering it ....

							love
								Andrew

    Hi everyone,
    
    Absolutely right when saying you can pray anywhere. Nehemiah prayed to
    the lord by shooting an arrow at the sky.
    
    E. Bontonovinchi
    

    I have to agree that the particular position is not the most important
    thing when praying.  However, I believe that a search of the scriptures
    reveals that God's people most often kneeled in prayer.  A few examples
    (with thanks to the latest distribution of CONC):

    1Kings 8:54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of
        praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose
        from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with
        his hands spread up to heaven.

    Ezra 9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness;
        and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees,
        and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

    Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went
        into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward
        Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and
        prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
      
    Acts 9:40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed;
      
    Acts 20:36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed
        with them all.

    Acts 21:5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and
        went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and
        children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the
        shore, and prayed.

    Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our
        Lord Jesus Christ,

    It is interesting in that the above examples seem to contain both
    personal and corporate times of prayer.

    In addition, an example of the Lord Jesus:

    Luke 22:41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and
        kneeled down, and prayed,

    A few other thoughts:  I will in no wise diminish the importance of
    personal prayer.  However, I believe that corporate prayer is also of
    vital importance for the family of God.  (Boy, I really AM getting into
    having this online Bible -- I'm dangerous now :-)  ):
    Matthew 18:18-20 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
        shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth
        shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you
        shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it
        shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where
        two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
        midst of them.
    From the above, I believe that God invests a particular authority in
    the corporate prayers of His people.  Also, thought the KJV doesn't
    make it particularly clear, I have heard that "are gathered" in verse 20
    would be better translated "have been gathered", emphasizing that it is
    not just that a few believers get together to pray (which can be a
    blessing, too), but it is the place that God has gathered His people --
    the place of His testimony in a corporate gathering.

    Well, enough of my mind dump :-) for now.

    Mark L.

>(Boy, I really AM getting into
>  having this online Bible -- I'm dangerous now :-)  ):

Gentlemen (and Ladies): Draw your swords!  Let's see what the Word 
has to say!  :-)

MM

I still come back to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 
	"Pray continually", or "Pray without ceasing".

This speaks to me of a continual walk with the LORD, Who is by our side all 
the time.  

2 Corinthians 10:5 has a parallel thought 
	"Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"

He is right there beside - within us, for us to share our hearts with.  
Our constant companion.  Our loving Friend.  He paid the ultimate price to
purchase our friendship, and it's ours to enjoy. 

Yes - there's the special times, the quiet times set apart, the communal 
times before the LORD, all these are Biblical and right, but what we bring 
then reflects what we are before Him in private.  What sort of resident the 
Holy Spirit is in our lives.  Whether He is there as guest (albeit honoured) 
or whether He is there as Host....

I try to remeber I'm a visitor in this body, as wella s in this world, but
sometimes I forget... 

							Andrew

    My first experience at praying aloud (other than reciting the Lord's
    prayer in the midst of a congregation) was soon after my decision for
    the Lord when I was invited to participate in a Christian Endevour
    group. To my horror they had a chain prayer!! I had never felt more
    humiliated and embarrassed in my life (well, that was only in the first
    18 years). I never returned to the group. Years later, when leading
    Bible study groups I found that my opening and closing aloud in prayer in
    front of the group was appropriate, and I found prayer points scribbled
    in the margins of Bible or notebook helped me not go into a mentally
    "hung" state. And as with all our human endeavours, with practice some
    skill is aquired in time. I never pray aloud in a group for the sake of
    filling a silence, r then the obligation to do so seems to destroyoy the
    channel to God and my words are empty. I only ever pray about one of
    two items in a very conversational manner and try to listen to the
    words of others in the group. So many people have a real gift for
    public prayer and I am hankful; it's not one of mine but I try.
    
    Erwin

	   
    Kneel / Stand / Sit ?          
	
	All of the above!  as the Spirit moves me
    
    Out loud / Silently ?         

	Out loud 90% of the time.  I guess it feels more conversational to
	me.  The other comments about keeping my thoughts focused applies also.
    
    Hands together or apart ?      

	Either, as the Spirit moves.  Often, they're apart from praising
	before prayer, and I keep them that way.
    
    With others or alone ?         

	Definitely both.

	
	As to the finer points... I usually begin my prayer with a praise
	song or two or more.  On occasion, I sing in tongues (your mileage
	my vary ;-)  ).  After some time spent in praise, I begin to pray.

	Often, I organize my prayers - Offering specific praise after singing,
	then cleansing myself before the Lord (repentence and seeking forgiveness
	in areas that I may be feeling conviction), then Thanksgiving, thanking
	the Lord for my home, family, etc., then Requests, both my own requests
	and those offered for others.

	When we attended a baptist church, I attended a bible study for new
	Christians, and this method of organizing our prayers was presented.
	The order of the things has evolved (or maybe it was created ? ;-) )
	over time - I can't quite recall the order the Pastor who taught me
	used.  I don't usually sit down and organize my prayer on paper (though
	I have when I've lots of people to pray for), it's just that this is
	the form my prayers generally follow.


	I do tend to have a problem focusing at times.  I have found this to
	be the case more often when I skip the praise portion of my prayer time,
	or am trying to squeeze my quiet time into a busy schedule and not
	giving it the time I deserve.  When I do need help keeping my mind 
	steady, I pray in tongues, out loud.  Often, this brings me to a point
	when I know just what to pray, and I am once again focused on the Lord.

	I shouldn't have to say this, but I will, just in case.  Don't get
	put off by my mention of tongues - I'm just relating what *I* do...

	Love ya,
	Karen

	Oh, BTW Andrew... your note (written Friday) echoed (or should
	I say foreshadowed) the message delivered by my pastor on Sunday...

	Cool stuff, I say!

Thanks Karen...  Guess they came from the same Source ;-)

Thanks for your prayer experience..... it's good.  

							Andrew

The following notes have been extracted from the I-Net, from the writings
of Tertullian [140-230].
    
PRAYER
  
by Tertullian
    
Chapter 1
  
Jesus Christ our Lord the Spirit of God and the Word of God and the Reason
of God--the Word (which expresses) the Reason, and the Reason (which
possesses) the Word, and the Spirit of both--has prescribed for His new
disciples of the New Testament a new form of prayer. For in this matter,
also, it was fitting that new wine be stored in new wine skins and that a
new patch be sewed upon a new garment. Whatever had prevailed in days gone
by was either abolished, like circumcision, or completed, like the rest of
the Law, or fulfilled, like the prophecies, or brought to its perfection,
like faith itself.
  
(2) Everything has been changed from carnal to spiritual by the new grace
of God which, with the coming of the Gospel, has wiped out the old
completely; and in this grace it has been proved there is the Spirit of God
and the Word of God and the Reason of God, Jesus Christ our Lord; as the
Spirit wherein He prevailed, the Word whereby He taught, and the Reason for
which He came. Consequently, the prayer formulated by Christ consists of
three elements: the spirit whereby it can have such power, the word by
which it is expressed, and the reason why it produces reconciliation.
  
(3) John, too, had taught his disciples to pray, but everything that John
did was a preparation for Christ, until He would increase--even as John
himself announced that He (Christ) must increase, but he himself must
decrease--and the entire work of the servant would pass over, along with
the spirit itself, to the Master. Hence it is that the words in which John
taught men to offer their prayer are not extant, for the earthly have given
place to the heavenly. 'He who is from the earth,' He says, 'of the earth
speaks, and he who comes from heaven bears witness to that which he has
seen.' And what that is of Christ the Lord is not of heaven, as is also
this instruction concerning prayer?
  
(4) Let us then, my blessed ones, consider His heavenly wisdom, in the
first place with regard to the admonition to pray in secret. By this, He
demanded of man the faith to believe that he is seen and heard by Almighty
God even when he is within the house and out of sight; and He desired a
modest reserve in the manifestation of his faith so that he would offer his
homage to God alone who he believed was listening and observing everywhere.
  
(5) The next recommendation in the following precept would, then, pertain
to faith and the proper display of faith; we should not think that the Lord
is to be approached with a barrage of words since we are certain that of
His own accord He has regard for His creatures.
  
(6) Yet, that concise phrase which forms the third point of His teaching
rests for support upon a profound and effective figure of speech: the
thought compressed within such few words carries a flood of meaning to the
mind. For not only does it embrace the proper duties of prayer, namely,
worship of God and man's act of supplication, but practically every word of
the Lord, the whole content of His teaching, so that, really, in (the
Lord's) Prayer, there is contained an abridgment of the entire Gospel.
  
  
  
Chapter 2
  
(1) It begins with a proof of (our belief in) God and a meritorious act of
faith when we say, 'Father, who art in heaven.' For we adore God and prove
our faith, of which this form of address is the result. It is written: 'To
them that believe in God He gave the power to be called the sons of God.'
  
(2) Our Lord very frequently spoke to us of God as a Father; in fact, He
even taught us to call none on earth 'father,' but only the one we have in
heaven. Therefore, when we pray like this we are observing this precept,
too.
  
(3) Happy they who know the Father! This is the reproach made against
Israel, when the Spirit calls heaven and earth to witness saying: 'I have
begotten sons and they have not known me.'
  
(4) Moreover, when we say 'Father,' we also add a title to God's name. This
form of address is one of filial love and at the same time one of power.
  
(5) In the Father, the Son is also addressed. For Christ said, 'I and the
Father are one.'
  
(6) Nor is Mother Church passed over without mention, for in the Son and
the Father the Mother is recognized, since upon her the terms 'Father' and
'Son' depend for their meaning.
  
(7) With this one form, then, or word, we honor God with His own, we heed
His precept, and we reproach those who are unmindful of the Father.
  
  
  
Chapter 3
  
(1) The title 'God the Father' had not been revealed to anyone. Even Moses
who had inquired about God's name had heard a different one. It has been
revealed to us in His Son. For, before the Son (came) the name of the
Father did not exist. 'I have come,' said Christ, 'in the name of my
Father.' And again: 'Father, glorify thy name.' And, more explicitly: 'I
have manifested thy name to men.'
  
(2) We ask that this name be hallowed; not that it would be the proper
thing for men to wish God well as if He were (just) another man and we
could express some wish in his regard; or as if it would hurt Him if we did
not express the wish. Certainly it is right that God should be blessed in
all places and at all times because it is every man's duty to be ever
mindful of His benefits, but this wish takes the form of a benediction.
  
(3) Moreover, when is the name of God not holy and blessed in itself, when
of itself it makes others holy? To Him the attending hosts of angels cease
not to say: 'Holy, holy, holy!' Therefore, we, too--the future comrades of
the angels, if we earn this reward--become familiar even while here on this
earth with that heavenly cry of praise to God and the duty of our future
glory.
  
(4) So much for the glory we give to God. Over and above that, there is
reference to our own petition when we say 'Hallowed be thy name.' We are
asking that it be sanctified in us who are in Him, as well as in all other
men for whom the grace of God is still waiting. In this, too, we obey the
precept by praying for all men, even our enemies. And thus, by an ellipsis,
we say, not: 'May Thy name be hallowed among us,' but, we say: 'Among all
men.'
  

    
Chapter 4
  
(1) Next, we add this phrase: 'Thy will be done in heaven and on earth.'
Not that anyone could prevent the fulfillment of God's will and we should
pray that His will be successfully accomplished, but we pray that in
everything His will may be done. For, by a figure of speech, under the
symbol of flesh and spirit we represent heaven and earth.
  
(2) But, even if this is to be understood literally, the sense of the
petition is the same, namely, that the will of God be done in us on earth,
in order that it may be done (by us) also in heaven. Now, what does God
will but that we walk according to His teaching? We ask, therefore, that He
grant us the substance and riches of His will, for our salvation both in
heaven and on earth, since the sum total of His will is the salvation of
those whom He has adopted as His children.
  
(3) This is the will of God which our Lord accomplished by His teaching,
His works, and His sufferings. For, if He Himself said that He did not His
own will, but the will of His Father, without a doubt what He did was the
will of His Father, to which we are now summoned as to a model, that we,
too, may teach and work and suffer even unto death. That we may accomplish
this there is need of God's will.
  
(4) Likewise, when we say: 'Thy will be done,' we thereby wish well to
ourselves because there is no evil in God's will, even if some adversity be
inflicted upon one according to his deserts.
  
(5) Now, by this phrase we forearm ourselves for patient endurance since
our Lord, too, willed to point out in His own flesh under the intensity of
His Passion the weakness of the flesh. 'Father,' He said, 'remove this cup
from Me,' and then, after reflection, He added: 'Yet not my will but thine
be done.' He Himself was the will and power of the Father, yet He
surrendered Himself to the will of His Father to indicate the patient
endurance which is rightly due.
  
  
  
Chapter 5
  
(1) The phrase, 'Thy kingdom come,' also refers to the same end as 'Thy
will be done,' namely, (May Thy kingdom come) in ourselves. For, when does
God not reign, 'in whose hand is the heart of every king'? But, whatever we
wish for ourselves, we direct our hope toward Him, and we attribute to Him
what we expect from Him. Well, then, if the realization of our Lord's
kingdom has reference to the will of God and to our uncertain condition,
how is it that some ask for an extension of time, as it were, for this
world, since the kingdom of God--for the coming of which we pray--tends
toward the consummation of the world? Our hope is that we may sooner reign,
and not be slaves any longer.
  
(2) Even if it were not prescribed to ask in prayer for the coming of His
kingdom, we would, of our own accord, have expressed this desire in our
eagerness to embrace the object of our hope.
  
(3) With indignation the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar cry aloud
to the Lord: 'How long, O Lord, dost thou refrain from avenging our blood
on those who dwell on the earth?' For, at least from the end of the world
vengeance for them is ordained.
  
(4) Indeed, as quickly as possible, O Lord, may Thy kingdom come! This is
the prayer of Christians; this shall bring shame to the heathens; this
shall bring joy to the angels; it is for the coming of this kingdom that we
are harassed now, or rather, it is for this coming that we pray.
  
  
  
Chapter 6
  
(1) With what exquisite choice has divine Wisdom arranged the order of this
prayer that, after the matters which pertain to heaven--that is, after the
name of God, the will of God, and the kingdom of God--it should make a
place for a petition for our earthly needs, too! For our Lord has taught
us: 'Seek first the kingdom, and then these things shall be given you
besides.'
  
(2) However, we should rather understand 'Give us this day our daily bread'
in a spiritual sense. For Christ is 'our bread,' because Christ is Life and
the Life is Bread. 'I am,' said He, 'the bread of life.' And shortly
before: 'The bread is the word of the living God who hath come down from
heaven.' Then, because His Body is considered to be in the bread: 'This is
my body.' Therefore, when we ask for our daily bread, we are asking to live
forever in Christ and to be inseparably united with His Body.
  
(3) But, since there is admitted also an interpretation of this phrase
according to the flesh, it cannot be devoid of religious sense and
spiritual instruction. Christ commands that we ask for bread, which, for
the faithful, is the only thing necessary, for the pagans seek all other
things. Thus, too, He impresses His teaching by examples and He instructs
by parables, saying, for example: 'Does a father take bread from his
children and cast it to the dogs?' And again: 'If his son asks him for a
loaf, will he hand him a stone?' He indicates what children expect from
their father. That caller, too, who knocked upon the door in the night was
asking for bread.
  
(4) Moreover, He has rightly added: 'Give us this day' in view of what He
had previously said: 'Do not be anxious about tomorrow, what you shall
eat.' To this idea He also referred in the parable of that man who, when
his crops were plentiful, laid plans for an addition to his barns and a
long-range program of security--though he was destined to die that very
night.
  

    
Chapter 7
  
(1) Having considered God's generosity, we pray next for His indulgence.
For, of what benefit is food if, in reality, we are bent on it like a bull
on his victim? Our Lord knew that He alone was without sin. Therefore, He
taught us to say in prayer: 'Forgive us our trespasses.' A prayer for
pardon is an acknowledgment of sin, since one who asks for pardon confesses
his guilt. Thus, too, repentance is shown to be acceptable to God, because
God wills this rather than the death of the sinner.
  
(2) Now, in Scripture, 'debt' is used figuratively to mean sin, because of
this analogy: When a man owes something to a judge and payment is exacted
from him, he does not escape the just demand unless excused from the
payment of the debt, just as the master forgave the debt to that servant.
Now, this is the point of the whole parable: Just as the servant was freed
by his lord, but failed in turn to be merciful to his debtor and therefore,
when brought before his lord, was handed over to the torturer until he paid
the last penny, that is, the least and last of his faults, (Christ)
intended by this parable to get us, also, to forgive our debtors.
  
(3) This is expressed elsewhere under this aspect of prayer; 'Forgive,' He
said, 'and you shall be forgiven.' And when Peter asked if one should
forgive his brother seven times, our Lord said, 'Rather, seventy times
seven times,' that He might improve upon the Law, for in Genesis vengeance
was demanded of Cain seven times, of Lamech seventy times seven.
  
  
  
Chapter 8
  
(1) To complete the prayer which was so well arranged, Christ added that we
should pray not only that our sins be forgiven, but that they be shunned
completely: 'Lead us not into temptation,' that is, do not allow us to be
led by the Tempter.
  
(2) God forbid that our Lord should seem to be the tempter, as if He were
not aware of one's faith or were eager to upset it!
  
(3) That weakness and spitefulness belongs to the Devil. For, even in the
case of Abraham, God had ordered the sacrifice of his son not to tempt his
faith, but to prove it, that in him He-might set forth an example for His
precept whereby He was later to teach that no one should hold his loved
ones dearer than God.
  
(4) Christ Himself was tempted by the Devil and pointed out the subtle
director of the temptation.
  
(5) This passage He confirms (by His words to His Apostles) later when He
says: 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.' They were so tempted
to desert their Lord because they had indulged in sleep instead of prayer.
  
(6) Therefore, the phrase which balances and interprets 'Lead us not into
temptation' is 'But deliver us from evil.'
  
  
  
Chapter 9
  
(1) How many utterances of the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles; how
many of our Lord's sermons, parables, examples, and precepts are touched in
the brief compass of a few little words! How many duties are fulfilled!
  
(2) The honor due to God in the word 'Father'; a testimony of faith in the
very title used; the offering of obedience in the mention of God's will;
the remembrance of hope in the mention of His kingdom; a petition for life
in the mention of bread; the confession of sins in asking for pardon;
solicitude regarding temptation in the request for protection.
  
(3) Yet, why be surprised? God alone could teach us how He would have us
pray. The homage of prayer, then, as arranged by Him and animated by His
Spirit at the very moment it went forth from His divine lips, because of
the prerogative granted to Him, ascends to heaven, recommending to the
Father what the Son has taught.
  
  
  
Chapter 10
  
(1) Since, however, our Lord, who saw the needs of men, after giving them
the method of prayer, said: 'Ask and you shall receive,' and since every
man has petitions to make according to his own circumstances, everyone
first sends ahead the prescribed and customary prayer which will, so to
speak, lay the ground work for his additional desires. He then has the
right to heap upon this (substructure) petitions, over and above--ever
keeping in mind, however, the prescribed conditions, that we may be no
farther from the ears of God than from His teachings.
  

   
Chapter 11
  
(1) The remembrance of these teachings paves the way for our prayers to
reach heaven, and the first of these is not to approach the altar of God
without settling any controversy or quarrel we may have contracted with our
brethren. For, how can one approach the peace of God without peace, or the
forgiveness of sin when he nurses a grudge? How will he please his Father
if he be angry with his brother, when all anger has been forbidden us from
the beginning?
  
(2) For Joseph, sending his brothers home to bring their father, said: 'Do
not quarrel on the way!' He was, in fact, admonishing us--for elsewhere our
manner of life is called our 'way'--that on the way of prayer that has been
set up we must not approach the Father if we are angry.
  
(3) Furthermore, our Lord, clearly enlarging upon the Law, adds anger with
one's brother to the sin of murder. He does not permit even an evil word to
be expressed; even if one must experience anger, it should not outlast the
setting of the sun, as the Apostle reminds us. How foolhardy it is,
moreover, either to pass a day without prayer, while you fail to give
satisfaction to your brother, or to pray to no avail since your anger
persists!
  
  
  
Chapter 12
  
(1) Since the attention of our prayer is bestowed by and directed to the
same Spirit, it should be free not only from anger, but from any and every
disturbance of the mind. For the Holy Spirit does not acknowledge an impure
spirit, neither is a sad spirit recognized by the Spirit of Joy, nor a
spirit that is bound by one that is free. No one extends a welcoming hand
to an opponent; no one admits another unless he is a kindred spirit.
  
  
  
Chapter 13
  
(1) Furthermore, what is the sense of approaching prayer with hands that
have been cleansed but with a spirit that is stained? Why, even the hands
themselves need a spiritual cleansing that they may be raised to heaven
cleansed of falsehood, murder, cruelty, poisoning, idolatry, and all other
stains which, conceived in the spirit, are accomplished by the operation of
the hands. This is the real cleansing, not the kind which many, in
superstitious anxiety, attend to, taking water at every prayer, even when
they come after a complete bath!
  
(2) When I pondered this in detail and sought an explanation, I found it
told of Pilate that he washed his hands in the act of surrendering Christ.
We adore Christ, we do not surrender Him. Surely, we ought rather to follow
a course of conduct different from that of the traitor and for that very
reason not wash our hands; except to wash them because of some stain
resulting from our dealings with men, for our conscience's sake; but the
hands are sufficiently clean which we have washed once and for all,
together with the whole body, in Christ.
  
  
  
Chapter 14
  
(1) Though Israel may wash all its members every day, it is never clean.
Its hands, at least, are always stained, forever red with the blood of the
Prophets and of our Lord Himself. Conscious, therefore, of this hereditary
stain of their fathers, they do not dare to raise their hands to the Lord,
lest some Isaias cry out, lest Christ abominate them. In our case, not only
do we raise them, we even spread them out, and, imitating the Passion of
our Lord, we confess Christ as we pray.
  
  
  
Chapter 15
  
(1) Now, since we have mentioned one detail of religious observance that is
foolish, we shall not be loathe to censure the others, too, in which vanity
deserves to be reproved, inasmuch as they are without the authority of any
precept, either on the part of our Lord or any of the Apostles. Practices
such as this are to be considered superstition rather than devout homage;
affected and forced and indicative of scrupulosity rather than of a
rational service; at any rate, constrained to match those of the pagans.
  
(2) Take, for example, the practice some have of laying aside their cloaks
when they pray. This is the way pagans approach their idols. Now certainly,
if this were necessary, the Apostles would have included it in their
instructions about the dress for prayer; unless there are some who think
that it was during his prayer that Paul left his cloak with Carpus! I
suppose that the God who heeded the prayer of the three holy youths in the
furnace of the Babylonian king when they prayed in their wide oriental
trousers and turbans would not listen to those who wear their cloaks during
prayer!
  

  
Chapter 16
  
(1) Similarly, regarding the custom some have of sitting down when their
prayer is ended: I see no reason for it except that they are acting like
children. What do I mean? If that Hermas, whose writings generally bear the
title 'The Shepherd,' had not sat upon his bed when his prayer was
finished, but had done something else, would we adopt this practice, too?
Certainly not!
  
(2) For the phrase, 'When I had offered my prayer and had seated myself on
the bed,' was set down simply and solely in the course of the narrative,
not as a point of discipline.
  
(3) Otherwise, we would not be obliged to offer prayers anywhere except
where there was a bed!
  
(4) On the other hand, it would be violating his directions to sit upon a
chair or bench!
  
(5) Furthermore, since this is what the pagans do--sit down before the
images of the gods which they adore--it is on this score that what is done
before idols deserves to be reproved in us.
  
(6) For this reason it is set down as a charge of irreverence, and would be
so understood, even by those pagans, if they had any understanding. For, if
it is disrespectful to sit down in the presence and sight of one whom you
hold in very high esteem and honor, how much more is it the height of
disrespect to do so in the presence of the living God with the angel of
prayer standing beside Him? Unless we are offering a reproach to God
because our prayer has wearied us!
  
  
  
Chapter 17
  
(1) On the other hand, when we offer our prayer with modesty and humility,
we commend our petitions to God all the more, even though our hands have
not been raised very high in the air, but only slightly and to a proper
position, and even though our gaze has not been lifted up in presumption.
  
(2) For, even the publican who, not only in his words but in his
countenance as well, was humble and prayed with downcast eyes went away
justified rather than the haughty Pharisee.
  
(3) The tone of voice, too, should be lowered; otherwise, what lungs we
will need, if being heard depended upon the noise we make! But God is not
one who heeds the voice; rather, it is the heart which He hears and
beholds.
  
(4) 'Even the speechless I hear, and the silent petition I answer.' So runs
an oracle of the Pythian demon. Do the ears of God await a sound? If they
did, how could Jonas' prayer from the depths of the whale's belly have made
its way to heaven, up through the organs of such a great beast from the
very bottom of the sea, up through such a vast amount of water?
  
(5) As for those who pray in such a loud voice, what else will they attain
but the annoyance of their neighbors? Let us say, rather, when they thus
publicize their petitions, what else are they doing but praying in public?
  
  
  
Chapter 18
  
(1) There is another custom which has now become established: when those
who are fasting have finished their prayer with their brethren, they
withhold the kiss of peace; yet this is the seal of prayer.
  
(2) But, when is the kiss of peace to be given to our brethren if not when
our prayer ascends to heaven, made more worthy of praise because of our
charity? So that they themselves may share in our charity, who have
contributed to it by passing on their peace to their brother.
  
(3) What prayer is complete without the bond of a holy kiss?
  
(4) With whom does the kiss of peace interfere in his service of the Lord?
  
(5) What kind of sacrifice is it from which one departs without giving the
kiss of peace?
  
(6) Whatever the reason may be, it will not outweigh the observance of the
precept whereby we are bidden to conceal our fasting. For, when we refrain
from the kiss, it is recognized that we are fasting. But, even if there is
some reason for it, still, that you may not be guilty of transgressing this
precept, you may, if you wish, dispense with the kiss of peace at home,
since there you are among those from whom it is not entirely possible to
conceal your fasting. But, wherever else you can conceal your acts of
mortification, you ought to remember this precept; in this way you will
satisfactorily comply with religious discipline in public, and with
ordinary usage at home.
  
(7) Thus, too, on Good Friday, when the fasting is a general and, as it
were, a public religious obligation, we rightly omit the kiss of peace,
having no anxiety about concealing that which we are doing along with
everyone else.
  
  
  
Chapter 19
  
(1) Similarly, with regard to the station days, many do not think that
there should be any attendance at the prayers of sacrifice, because the
station should be ended when the Lord's Body is received.
  
(2) Has the Eucharist, then, dispensed with a duty vowed to God, or does it
place upon us a greater obligation to God?
  
(3) Will not your station be more solemn if you stand at the altar of God?
  
(4) When the Body of our Lord is received and reserved, both are preserved:
the participation in the sacrifice and the fulfillment of a duty.
  
(5) Since 'station' has taken its name from military procedure (for we are
God's militia), certainly no joy nor sadness which befalls the camp
releases the soldiers on guard duty. For, in joy one will perform his duty
more readily, and, in sadness, more conscientiously.
  

  
Chapter 20
  
(1) As regards dress--I refer only to that of women--the difference of
custom since the time of the holy Apostle has caused me, though a man of no
rank (in the Church), to deal with this matter, which is a daring thing to
do; except that it is not so daring if we deal with it as did the Apostle.
  
(2) As for the modesty of their attire and adornment, the admonition of
Peter, too, is clearly expressed. Using the same words as Paul, because
inspired by the same Spirit, he imposes restraint regarding ostentation in
their dress, the proud display of gold, and the overcareful, meretricious
arrangement of their hair.
  
  
  
Chapter 21
  
(1) A point which must be treated, since in general, throughout the Church,
it is regarded as a matter of dispute, is the question of whether or not
virgins should be veiled.
  
(2) Those who grant to virgins the right of having their heads uncovered
seem to support their position by the fact that the Apostle designated
specifically, not that virgins, but that women, are to be veiled; that is,
he referred not to the sex, using the generic term 'females,' but to one
group within the sex, saying 'women.'
  
(3) For, if he had specified the (entire) sex by the term 'females' he
would have laid down an absolute law relating to every woman; but since he
designates one group within the sex, he sets it apart by his silence
regarding another group.
  
(4) For, they say, he could have included them in the general term
'females.'
  
  
  
Chapter 22
  
(1) Those who take this stand ought to give some thought to the basic
meaning of this word. What does 'woman' mean right from the first pages of
holy Scripture? They will discover that it is the term used to designate
the sex, not a group within the sex; for God called Eve, although she had
not yet known man, both woman and female: female, as an over-all term for
the sex; woman, with special reference to a stage of life within the sex.
Thus, since Eve, who up to that time was still unmarried, was designated by
the term 'woman,' this term came to be commonly applied to a virgin, also.
No wonder, then, if the Apostle, actuated by the same Spirit which has
inspired all the sacred Scriptures as well as that Book of Genesis, used
this same word, 'woman,' which, because of its application to the unmarried
Eve, means also a virgin.
  
(2) Everything else, then, is in agreement. For, by the very fact that he
has not named virgins, just as is the case in another passage, where he is
teaching about marriage, he makes it clear that he is speaking about all
women and the entire sex and that there is no distinction between a woman
and a virgin since he does not mention the latter at all. For, since he did
not forget to make a distinction in another passage where the difference
demands it (he distinguishes both classes by designating each with its
proper term), in a passage where he does not distinguish, since he does not
name each, he does not intend any distinction.
  
(3) But what of the fact that in the Greek, in which the Apostle wrote his
epistles, the ordinary usage is to speak of 'women' rather than 'females,'
that is, y~*va;KaS rather than ~as? Well, if this word is the one commonly
used to designate the sex, then the Apostle, in saying yuvalKa, referred to
the (entire) sex (by using) a word which, in translation, means 'females.'
But in the (entire) sex the virgin, too, is included.
  
(4) The form of expression is unmistakable: 'Every woman,' he says,
'praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head.' What
is the meaning of the expression 'every woman' except women of every age,
every rank, and every circumstance? In saying 'every,' he excepts no member
of the female sex, even as he does not command that men should have their
heads covered. For then he would say 'every man.' Therefore, as in the
reference to the male sex, under the term 'man' he forbids that even
unmarried men should have their heads covered, similarly, in reference to
the female sex, under the term 'woman' he commands that even a virgin
should have her head covered. Without discrimination, in the case of both
sexes, the younger should follow the rule for the elder; or else unmarried
men should have their heads covered, too, if unmarried women should not
have their heads covered; for the former are not specifically named in the
regulation; let the (married) man be different from the unmarried if the
woman is different from the virgin.
  
(5) Of course, it is on account of the angels, he says, that the woman's
head is to be covered, because the angels revolted from God on account of
the daughters of men. Who, then, would contend that it is only women, that
is, married women no longer virgins, that are a source of temptation?
  
Unless, of course, unmarried women may not present an attractive appearance
and find their lovers? Rather, let us see whether it was virgins alone whom
they desired when Scripture speaks of the 'daughters of men'; for it could
have used the terms 'men's wives' or 'women' indifferently.
  
(6) But, since it says: 'And they took to themselves wives,' it does so
because they took as their wives those without husbands. Scripture would
have used a different expression for those who had husbands. Now, they
could be without husbands either because they were widows or virgins. So,
in naming the sex in general by the term 'daughters,' he embraced species
in genus.
  
(7) Likewise, when he says that nature itself teaches that women should
cover their heads because it has bestowed hair on woman both as a covering
and an adornment, has not this same covering and this same adornment for
the head been bestowed upon virgins as well? If it is a disgrace for a
woman to have her hair shorn, it is for a virgin then, also.
  
(8) Since, then, one and the same condition is attributed to each in regard
to the head, then one and the same regulation regarding the head is imposed
upon them--even upon those virgins whom their tender age protects. For,
right from the start she is included in the term 'woman.' Finally, Israel
has the same regulation. But even if it did not, our law, amplified and
supplemented, would demand an addition, imposing a veil upon virgins, also.
Granted that at the moment that period of life which is unaware of its own
sex should be excused. (Granted that it should retain the privilege of its
innocence; for both Eve and Adam, when realization came to them,
immediately covered what they had come to know.) At any rate, in the case
of those who have left childhood, their age ought to confer much both by
way of nature and of discipline. For women are revealed by their members
and their duties. No one is a virgin from the time she is of marriageable
age, since the age now in her has become the bride of its own partner, that
is, time.
  
(9) 'But (suppose that) someone has consecrated herself to God.'
Nevertheless, from this time on, she rearranges her hair and changes her
whole appearance to that of a woman. Therefore, let her be earnest about
the whole business and present the complete appearance of a virgin; what
she conceals for God's sake let her keep completely out of sight. It is to
our interest to entrust to the knowledge of God alone what is done for the
sake of God, lest we bargain with men for what we hope to receive from God.
Why do you expose before the eyes of God what you cover in the presence of
men? Will you be more modest in the public street than in church? If it is
a gift from God and 'thou hast received it, why dost thou boast,' says the
Apostle, 'as if thou hadst not received it?' Why do you condemn other women
by this exhibition of yourself? Or are you inviting others to good by your
vanity? Yet you are in danger of losing it yourself if you boast of it, and
you force others to the same dangers. That is easily destroyed which is
assumed with an inclination to vanity. Virgin, cover your head if you are a
virgin, for you ought to blush for shame! If you are a virgin, avoid the
gaze of many eyes. Let no one look in admiration upon your face. Let no one
realize your deceit. It is praiseworthy for you to create the false
impression that you are married by covering your head. Rather, it will not
be a false impression you are creating; for you are the bride of Christ. To
Him you have surrendered your body; act according to the instructions of
your Spouse. If He bids other men's brides to cover their heads, how much
more His own!
  
(10) 'But (suppose that) someone thinks the arrangement of his predecessor
should not be changed.' Many apply their own ideas and persistence in the
same to the custom established by another. Granted that virgins should not
be forced to cover their heads; at any rate, those who are willing to do so
should not be prevented. If some cannot deny that they are virgins, they
should be content, for the sake of preserving their conscience before God,
to risk their reputation.
  
However, in regard to those who are betrothed, I can declare and avow this
with more than my usual firmness: their heads should be covered from the
day when they first trembled at the kiss and handclasp of their future
husband. For, in these symbols they have pledged every bit of themselves--
their life throughout its full development, their flesh throughout their
lifetime, their spirit through their understanding (of the contract), their
modesty through the exchange of a kiss, their hope through their
expectation, and their mind through their willingness. For us, Rebecca
stands as sufficient example; when her future husband had been pointed out
to her, she covered her head with her veil merely because she knew she was
to marry him.
  

  
  
Chapter 23
  
(1) With regard to kneeling, too, prayer allows a difference in custom
because of certain ones--a very few--who stay off their knees on the
Sabbath, an opposing point of view which is just now strongly defending
itself in the churches.
  
(2) The Lord will give His grace so that either they will yield, or else
maintain their own opinion without giving scandal to others. As for
ourselves, according to our tradition, only on the day (which commemorates)
our Lord's Resurrection should we refrain from this custom; and not only
from this, but from every sign that bespeaks solicitude and every ceremony
arising therefrom. This includes deferring business, lest we give any
opportunity to the Devil. The same holds for the season of Pentecost, which
is marked by the same joyous celebration.
  
(3) But who would hesitate every day to prostrate himself before God for at
least the first prayer with which we approach the light of day?
  
(4) Moreover, during the periods of fasting and on the station days no
prayer should be said except on the knees and with every other sign of a
humble spirit. For we are not merely praying, but beseeching and offering
satisfaction to God our Lord.
  
  
  
Chapter 24
  
(1) Regarding the time for prayer there has been no regulation at all,
except that we are to pray at all times and everywhere. But how can we pray
everywhere when we are forbidden to pray in public? 'In every place,' He
said, which circumstance or even necessity provides. For it is not
considered that when the Apostles, within the hearing of their guards,
prayed in prison and sang to God they were acting contrary to the precept
any more was Paul when, aboard ship, in the sight of all, he gave thanks to
God.
  
  
  
Chapter 25
  
(1) With regard to the time, the outward observance of certain hours will
not be without profit. I refer to those hours of community prayer which
mark the main divisions of the day, namely, Terce, Sext, and None. These,
it can be found, are mentioned in holy Scripture as being more deserving of
note.
  
(2) It was at the third hour--Terce--when the disciples were assembled,
that the Holy Spirit was infused into them for the first time.
  
(3) It was at the sixth hour--Sext-- on the day when he had the vision of
all creatures in the sheet that Peter had climbed to a higher spot in order
to pray.
  
(4) Similarly, it was at the ninth hour--None--that he went into the Temple
with John where he restored the paralytic to health. (
  
5) Although these incidents simply happen without any precept of observing
(these hours), it would be good to establish some precedent which would
make the admonition to pray a binding force to wrest us violently at times,
as by a law, from our business to such an obligation so that we may offer
adoration no less than three times a day at least, being debtors to the
three divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And this, too, we read
was observed by Daniel according to the rites of Israel. Of course, we are
excepting the appropriate prayers which are due without any admonition at
the approach of dawn and evening.
  
(6) It is befitting for the faithful not to take food and not to bathe
before saying a prayer. For the refreshment and food of the spirit are to
be put before (the needs) of the flesh, because the things of heaven are to
be put before those of the earth.
  

  
Chapter 26
  
(1) When a brother has entered your home, do not let him go away without a
prayer. ('You have seen,' He said, 'a brother; you have seen your Lord').
Particularly should this be observed in the case of a stranger, lest he
should happen to be an angel.
  
(2) But, even after one has been welcomed by his brethren, you should not
attend to earthly refreshment before the heavenly. For immediately will
your faith be revealed. Or how can you say, according to the precept,
'Peace to this house,' unless you exchange the kiss of peace with those who
are in the house?
  
  
  
Chapter 27
  
(1) Those who are more exact about prayer are in the habit of adding to
their prayers an 'Alleluia' and psalms of such a character that those who
are present may respond with the final phrases. Assuredly, the practice is
excellent in every respect which by its high praise and reverence of God is
competent to offer Him, as a rich victim, a prayer that has been filled out
in every detail.
  
  
  
Chapter 28
  
(1) Now, this is the spiritual victim which has set aside the earlier
sacrifice. 'To what purpose do you offer me the multitude of your victims,'
saith the Lord? 'I am full, I desire not holocausts of rams, and fat of
fatlings, and blood of calves and goats. For who required these things at
your hands?'
  
(2) The Gospel teaches what God demands. 'The hour is coming,' He says,
'when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
For God is spirit,' and therefore He requires that His worshipers be of the
same nature.
  
(3) We are the true worshipers and true priests who, offering our prayer in
the spirit, offer sacrifice in the spirit--that is, prayer--as a victim
that is appropriate and acceptable to God; this is what He has demanded and
what He has foreordained for Himself.
  
(4) This prayer, consecrated to Him with our whole heart, nurtured by
faith, prepared with truth--a prayer that is without blemish because of our
innocence, clean because of our chastity--a prayer that has received the
victor's crown because of our love for one another--this prayer we should
bring to the altar of God with a display of good works amid the singing of
psalms and hymns and it will obtain for us from God all that we ask.
  
  
  
Chapter 29
  
(1) For what will God refuse to the prayer that comes to Him from the
spirit and in truth, since this is the prayer He has exacted? What proofs
of its efficacy do we read of an hear of and believe! To be sure, the
prayer of old would save one from fires and wild beasts and starvation;
yet, had not received its form from Christ. But how much more wrought by
Christian prayer! It does not cause an angel (dew to appear in the midst of
fire, nor does it stop the mouth of lions nor take the breakfast of country
folk to the hungry it does not destroy all sense of pain by the grace that
is conferred; but by patient endurance it teaches those who suffer, those
who are sensitive, and those who have sorrow; by virtue it increases grace
that our faith may know what comes from the Lord and understand what it
suffers for the name of God.
  
(2) Then, too, in the past, prayer would impose stripes, set loose the
armies of the enemy, and prevent the beneficent effects of rain. But now,
the prayer of justice averts the wrath of God, is on the alert for enemies,
and intercedes for persecutors. What wonder if it could wrest water from
the heavens, when it could even ask for fire and obtain it! Prayer alone
overcomes God; but Christ has willed that it work no evil, upon it He has
conferred all power for good. Therefore, it has no power except to recall
the souls of the dead from the very path of death, to make the weak
recover, to heal the sick, to exorcise demons, to open prison doors, to
loosen the chains of the innocent. It likewise remits sins, repels
temptations, stamps out persecution, consoles the fainthearted, delights
the courageous, brings travelers safely home, calms the waves, stuns
robbers, feeds the poor, directs the rich, raises up the fallen, sustains
the falling, and supports those who are on their feet.
  
(3) Prayer is the wall of faith, our shield and weapons against the foe who
studies us from all sides. Hence, let us never set forth unarmed. Let us be
mindful of our guard-duty by day and our vigil by night. Beneath the arms
of prayer let us guard the standard of our general, and let us pray as we
await the bugle call of the angel.
  
(4) All the angels pray, too; every creature prays; the beasts, domestic
and wild, bend their knees, and as they go forth from their stables and
caves they look up to heaven with no idle gaze. Even the birds, upon rising
in the morning, mount into the sky and stretch out their wings as a cross
in place of hands and say something which might seem to be a prayer. What
need, then, is there of further discussion of the duty of prayer? Even our
Lord Himself prayed, to whom be honor and power forever and ever.