Page:MaryHelpOfChristians.djvu/39

 on account  of  circumstances,  positively  indifferent, must  be  excluded  from  the  general  plan  of God's  providence  when  there  is  question  of  His positive agency,  and  not  simply  of  His  permission. It is  obvious  that  temporal  goods,  such  as  health, wealth, etc.,  are  classed  with  things  indifferent, in as  far  as  they  are  not  connected  with  the  moral order.

Thus considered,  the  various  goods  of  the  temporal order  do,  or  at  least  may,  under  certain  conditions, co-operate  unto  man's  salvation,  and  then they belong  to  the  supernatural  order. As such, the efficacy  of  prayer  in  their  regard  must  be judged  according  to  the  principles  applying  to  the latter.

3. All  those  things  which  any  one  can  obtain himself  without  extraordinary  effort,  are  not comprised  within  the  scope  of  prayer.  This  restriction results  from  the  very  nature  of  prayer. Obviously, prayer  is  not  the  only  means  by  which man can  obtain  those  things  which,  on  the  one hand, he  momentarily  does  not  possess,  and which, on  the  other  hand,  are  necessary  or  advantageous for  his  supernatural  life. As a  rule,  man can, by  labor  and  application,  procure  his  sustenance. Persons unable  to  work  can  have  recourse to  the  charity  of  their  fellow-men,  and will, as  a  rule,  find  the  necessary  assistance. In regard to  salvation,  it  must  first  be  ascertained