Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/143

 would like  never  to  lose  sight  of  it,  and  if  the mind is  at  times  drawn  off  by  other  objects, the heart  never  is. Just so  is  it  with  prayer. We have  the  merit  to  be  always  praying  when we wish  so  to  be,  when  at  every  moment  we are  ready  to  follow  the  movements  of  grace. It would  be  quite  a  mistake  to  imagine  that the avocations  of  life  are  an  obstacle  to  this prayer. On the  contrary,  they  are,  or  at least  may  be,  an  exercise  of  it,  and  there  is  a prayer  that  is  correctly  called  the  prayer  of action. Every action  done  for  God,  as  being His will,  and  in  the  way  in  which  God  wills, is a  prayer,  better  even  than  an  actual  prayer that might  be  made  at  this  time. It is  not even necessary  that  the  action  be  good  and holy in  itself;  an  indifferent  act  is  no  less  a prayer  in  virtue  of  the  intention  with  which we do  it. Thus the  Apostle  virtually  enjoins the faithful  to  pray  always  when  he  says: 'All whatsoever  you  do  in  word  or  in  work, all things  do  you  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus Christ, giving  thanks  to  God  and  the  Father by Him'  (Col.  iii.  17). And again:  'Whether you eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  else  you  do, do all  to  the  glory  of  God'  (i  Cor.  x.  31). We are always  praying,  if  we  are  doing  our  duty, and are  doing  it  to  please  God.

"As there  is  a  prayer  of  action,  so  is  there