Saint John Eudes on Prayer
From The Wondrous Childhood of the Most Holy Mother of God
Since the Son of God is the Eternal Truth He can deceive no one, and, being possessed of infinite wisdom, power and good will towards mankind, He is able to accomplish His words and promises. We are not permitted to doubt the fulfillment of the promises He has made us in these words: “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) “Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it to you” (John 16:23) Therefore, the servants of God should never be astonished nor disheartened when He seems to rebuke them and turn a deaf ear to their prayers. God never has, nor ever will reject anyone who comes to Him with humility and confidence. “All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out.” (John 6:37) He has too much love for those who love and serve Him, even imperfectly, not to be attentive to their prayers. It is a very well established truth that the prayers of the friends of God are never without effect, whether they pray for themselves or for others. If their prayers for others are not always answered, it is because it often happens that those for whom they pray place some obstacle in the way that renders them unworthy to receive the effects of such prayer; but, notwithstanding this, the prayer is not fruitless, because the very charity which induces them to pray for their neighbor, augments grace in their own souls, and draws down many blessings from Him Who is all charity towards those who exercise this divine virtue.
When the servants of God pray for themselves, God in his infinite goodness gives them more than they ask. If it happens that, inadvertently, they demand something prejudicial to their salvation, God is too good to accord it to them, but in its place He bestows upon them another gift which perhaps they do not recognize. If they ask for a thin which is good, but not so good as another that He might bestow upon them, He refuses the lesser to give them the greater; He refuses them a pebble to give them a diamond; He refuses to cure their body that He may save their soul; He denies them temporal things, to enrich them with those that are eternal.
When they pray for things quite good and useful towards their salvation and sanctification, God appears at times to waive their requests. This is only to given them what they ask at a time more convenient, or in a manner more advantageous, or to oblige them to ask with more fervor, and to persevere in their petitions; to accompany this perseverance with other acts of virtue, such as humility, confidence, submission to God’s will, and the like, and to join to their prayers, good works, fasting, alms and other acts of virtue.
In order that our prayer may be most agreeable to God, and all-powerful with His Divine Majesty, there must be joined to it the giving of alms, or some other work of charity; abstinence and fasting, when one can fast, with the practice of other virtues, particularly entire submission to God’s will and diffidence in ourselves and all we can do, together with perfect confidence in the Divine Goodness, and profound humility. For the Holy Ghost says: “The prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds: and till it come nigh, he will not be comforted: and he will not depart till the Most High behold.” (Ecclesiasticus 35:21)
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