Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/9



E who  prayeth  shall  certainly  save  his  soul;  he who  prayeth  not  shall  certainly  lose  it.  This justly celebrated  sentence  finds  a  fitting  place at the  commencement  of  a  book  which  contains  "the most  beautiful  prayers"  of  our  modern  Doctor,  of him  who  may  well  be  called  the  Doctor  of  Prayer.

May these  words  be  borne  in  mind  by  all  who  are called to  life  everlasting;  in  other  words,  by  all  still living on  the  face  of  the  earth! May they  be  indelibly graven  on  all  hearts! Especially may  prayer be the  dearest  occupation  of  all  men's  lives! For it cannot  be  too  often  repeated  that:  ''He  who  prayeth shall  certainly  save  his  soul;  he  who  prayeth  not  shall certainly  lose  it. ''

It was  neither  lightly  nor  by  chance  that  St. Alphonsus  wrote  these  grave  and  solemn  words: their truth  had  been  impressed  upon  his  mind  during his long  experience  as  a  missionary  priest,  and  in confirmation  of  it  he  has  adduced  many  irrefragable proofs  taken  from  Holy  Writ  and  from  tradition. We will  give  a  few  examples.

rayer is  a  sure  and  indispensable  means  of obtaining  salvation  and  all  the  graces  leading thereto. Convinced as  I  am  of  the  necessity of prayer,  I  say  that  all  books  treating  of  spiritual subjects, all  preachers  in  their  sermons,  all  confessors in  every  confession  which  they  hear,  should attach the  greatest  importance  to  inculcating  the necessity of  constant  prayer  on  the  minds  of  their