Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/551

 omniscient intellect  of  God  requires  no  circumlocutions to  understand  our  needs,  but  His  will  demands perseverance on  our  part  before  it  is  moved  to  relieve them. Thus we  see  Abraham  holding  back  the arm of  God's  wrath  from  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  by a  simple  but  oft-repeated  request. What variety  is there  in  a  holding  up  of  the  hands  or  the  blowing  of a  trumpet? Yet that  simple  act,  persevered  in  all day, procured  for  Moses  a  victory  over  his  enemies, and for  Josue  the  ruin  of  the  walls  of  Jericho. The stern judge  yielding  at  last  to  the  widow's  petition was overcome  not  by  her  eloquence  but  by  her  importunity. The baker  rising  in  the  night  to  serve his customer  yielded  not  to  his  arguments  but  to his  monotonous  knocking. Of Christ  in  His  agony we read  that  He  went  and  fell  prostrate  three  times, and three  times  He  prayed  the  selfsame  prayer. Thus you  see  that  the  recitation  of  the  Rosary,  far from being  a  vain  and  tedious  repetition,  is  of  all prayers the  one  best  suited  to  the  childlike  nature of a  true  Christian,  and  most  closely  resembling  the model Christ  gave  us  by  His  teaching  and  example.

But if  we  analyze  this  devotion  we  will  find  in  itself still further  proof  of  its  excellence. Vocal prayer  is good,  but  it  may  be  rendered  void  by  distractions; mental prayer  is  better,  but  it  may  be  defective through lack  of  vocal  expression;  but  a  prayer  that is at  the  same  time  vocal  and  mental  is,  all  things being equal,  essentially  perfect. Now such  is  the Rosary, the  idea  of  which  is  to  keep  the  mind  engaged in  holy  meditations,  while  the  lips  are  singing