Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/54

 consider God's  refusal  a  real  benefit  rather  than  a  misfortune. In beseeching  God  for  temporals  we  should  be indifferent  as  to  the  result  of  our  prayers,  being  equally ready to  accept  a  refusal  or  a  favorable  hearing  from Him. If such  should  be  our  dispositions,  God,  when refusing our  request,  will  not  fail  to  compensate  us  by bestowing  on  us  more  excellent  favors  which  we  do  not think of  asking. 'In vain  does  a  child  cry  for  a  sword or a  live  coal,'  remarks  St.  John  Chrysostom;  '  his  parents justly refuse  him  what  may  prove  very  hurtful  to  him. In like  manner,  God  justly  and  kindly  refuses  us  what  is injurious  to  us;  but,  in  His  goodness,  He  will  give  us something  better  instead.'  Let  us  in  all  our  prayers  aim principally at  the  salvation  of  our  soul,  and  we  shall  obtain also  temporal  favors  from  God,  according  to  this saving of  our  loving  Redeemer:  'Seek  ye  therefore  first the kingdom  of  God,  and  His  justice:  and  all  these things shall  be  added  unto  you'  (Matt.  vi.  33).

"For whom  should  we  pray?  We  should,  first  of  all, pray  for  ourselves,  because  our  salvation  is  our  first  and most  important  duty.  Although,  by  the  law  of  charity, we  are  bound  to  pray  for  all  men,  there  are,  nevertheless, some  for  whom  we  have  a  special  obligation  or  special reasons  to  pray.  Children  should  daily  pray  for  their parents,  parents  for  their  children,  members  of  the  same family  and  household  or  community  for  one  another, inferiors  for  their  superiors,  both  ecclesiastical  and  civil, and  superiors  for  their  inferiors.  It  is  also  incumbent on  us  to  pray  for  our  benefactors,  both  spiritual  and temporal,  for  our  relatives,  for  those  who  ask  our  prayers and  who  pray  for  us,  for  our  friends,  and  for  our  enemies also,  whosoever  they  may  be  or  whatever  evil  they  may have done  or  may  wish  us. We ought,  likewise,  to  pray for the  perseverance  of  the  just  and  for  the  conversion  of sinners,  of  heretics,  schismatics,  Jews,  and  unbelievers. It is  a  most  praiseworthy  custom  to  pray  for  the  sick, for those  who  are  in  their  agony,  for  all  who  are  in  danger