On prayer and the contemplative life · Aquinas Thomas
XVII
Can We rightly term Supplications," "Prayers," "Intercessions," and "Thanksgivings," parts of Prayer? The Apostle says to Timothy[254]: _I desire therefore first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made by all men._ For prayer three things are required: first of all, that he who prays come nigh to God; and this is signified by the name _prayer_, for prayer is "the uplifting of the mind towards God." Secondly, petition is required, and is signified by the word _postulation_; now a petition may be set forth in definite terms--and this some term _postulation_, properly so called; or it may be set forth in no express terms, as when a man asks for God's help, and this some call _supplication_; or, again, the fact in question may be simply narrated, as in S. John[255]: _He whom Thou lovest is sick_, and this some call _insinuation_. And thirdly, there is required a reason for asking for what we pray for, and this reason may be either on the part of God or on the part of the petitioner. The reason for asking on the part of God is His holiness, by reason of which we ask to be heard: _Incline Thine ear and hear ... for Thine own sake, O my God_;[256] to this belongs _obsecration_--namely, an appeal to sacred things, as when we say: _By Thy Nativity, deliver us, O Lord_!
But the reason for asking on the part of the petitioner is thankfulness, for by giving thanks for benefits already received we merit to receive still greater ones, as is set forth in the Church's _Collect_.[257] Hence the Gloss[258] says that in the Mass "_Obsecrations_ are the prayers which precede the Consecration," for in them we commemorate certain sacred things; "in the Consecration itself we have _prayers_," for then the mind is especially uplifted towards God; "but in the subsequent petitions we have _postulations_, and at the close _thanksgivings_." These four parts of prayer may be noticed in many of the Church's _Collects_: thus in the _Collect_ for Trinity Sunday, the words _Almighty and Everlasting God_ signify the uplifting of the soul in prayer to God; the words: _Who hast granted to Thy servants to acknowledge in their profession of the true faith the glory of the Eternal Trinity, and in the Power of Its Majesty to adore Its Unity_, signify giving of thanks; the words: _Grant, we beseech Thee, that by perseverance in this same faith we may be ever defended from all adversities_, signify postulation; while the closing words: _Through our Lord Jesus Christ_, etc., signify obsecration. In the _Conferences of the Fathers_, however,[259] we read: "_Obsecration_ is imploring pardon for sin; _prayer_ is when we make vows to God; _postulation_ is when we make petition for others; _giving of thanks_, those ineffable outpourings by which the mind renders thanks to God." But the former explanation is preferable.
Some, however, object to these divisions of prayer, thus: 1. _Obsecration_ is apparently _to swear by someone_, whereas Origen remarks[260]: "A man who desires to live in accordance with the Gospel must not swear by anyone, for if it is not allowed to swear, neither is it allowed to swear by anyone." But it is sufficient to remark that _obsecration_ is not a swearing by, or adjuring of God, as though to compel Him, for this is forbidden, but to implore His mercy. 2. Again, S. John Damascene says[261] that prayer is "the asking God for things that are fitting." Hence it is not exact to distinguish _prayers_ from _postulations_. But prayer, generally considered, embraces all the above-mentioned parts; when, however, we distinguish one part against another, _prayer_, properly speaking, means the uplifting of the mind to God. 3. Lastly, giving of thanks refers to the past, whereas the other parts of prayer refer to the future. Hence giving of thanks should not be placed after the rest. But whereas in things which are different from one another the past precedes the future, in one and the same thing the future precedes the past. Hence giving of thanks for benefits already received precedes petition; yet those same benefits were first asked for, and then, when they had been received, thanks were offered for them. Prayer, however, precedes petition, for by it we draw nigh to God to Whom we make petition. And _obsecration_ precedes _prayer_, for it is from dwelling upon the Divine Goodness that we venture to approach to Him.
_S. Augustine: And David went in and sat before the Lord[262]; and Elias, casting himself down upon the earth, put his face between his knees._[263] By examples such as these we are taught that there is no prescribed position of the body in prayer provided the soul states its intention in the presence of God. For we pray standing, as it is written: _The Publican standing afar off_. We pray, too, on our knees, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles;[264] and we pray sitting, as in the case of David and Elias. And unless it were lawful to pray lying down, it would not be said in the Psalms[265]: _Every night I will wash my bed, I will water my couch with my tears_. When, then, a man desires to pray, he settles himself in any position that serves at the time for the stirring up of his soul. When, on the other hand, we have no definite intention of praying, but the wish to pray suddenly occurs to us--when, that is, there comes of a sudden into our mind something which rouses the desire to pray "with unspeakable groanings"--then, in whatsoever position such a feeling may find us, we are not to put off our prayer; we are not to look about for some place whither we can withdraw, for some place in which to stand or in which to make prostration. For the very intention of the mind begets a solitude, and we often forget to which quarter of the heavens we were looking, or in what bodily position the occasion found us (_Of Divers Questions_, iv.).
"Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication; be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled at the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me, and in wrath they were troublesome to me. My heart is troubled within me, and the fear of death is fallen upon me. Fear and trembling are come upon me, and darkness hath covered me. And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?"[266]
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