Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/310

 restoring  her  dead  son  to  life,  and  by  confirming  her  in  the  true  faith. Works of  mercy  draw  down  on  us  the  grace  of  God.

The power  of  prayer.  At  Elias’s  prayer  the  heavens  were  shut, so that  no  rain  fell  for  a long  time. By prayer  he  raised  the  dead boy to  life. At the  brook  Carith  he  spent  his  days  in  prayer  and contemplation. His prayer  was  efficacious,  firstly,  because  he  prayed with devotion,  humility  and  confidence;  and  secondly  because  he  was a just man,  lived  in  the  grace  of  God,  and  avoided  sin.

The soul  is  the  life  of  the  body  (chapter  III).  As  soon  as  the  soul is separated  from  the  body,  the  latter  dies; and  if  the  dead  body  is  to be  restored  to  life,  the  soul  must  return  to  it. It was  thus  therefore that Elias  prayed:  “Let  the  soul  &amp;c.”

The raising  of  the  widow's son  by  Elias  is,  according  to  St.  Augustine, a type of  the  spiritual  resurrection  of  the  sinful  world  through  Christ. The world  lay  dead  in  sin;  but  Jesus  Christ  has  restored  it  to  life by stretching  Himself  on  the  cross.

As Elias  stretched  himself  three  times  on  the  body  of  the  boy, breathing on  his  face,  so,  when  administering  holy  Baptism,  the  priest bows himself  three  times  over  the  person  to  be  baptized  and  breathes upon him,  as  a sign  that  by  sanctifying  grace  the  soul  is  raised  to  a supernatural  state  of  life.

Do you  pray  willingly  and  devoutly? He who wishes  to  pray  well,  must  accustom  himself  to  pray  diligently. Each time  you  pray,  place  yourself  in  the  presence  of  God  and say: “Lord,  help  me  to  pray.”

Could you  not  sometimes  give  an  alms  or  do  some  service  of love  to  your  fellow-men,  either  to  your  comrades  or  to  some sick or  poor  person? Make a resolution  to  do  something  of  the sort to-day.

FTER the  earth  had  remained  three  years  and  six  months without rain  or  dew,  the  Lord  spoke  to  Elias:  “Go  and show thyself  to  Achab  that  I may  give  rain  upon  the  face  of