generally speaking, only imparts to those who ask for it; and, according to St. Augustine,[1] with the exception of the first graces, such as vocation to the faith or to penance (graces which we receive without our own co-operation), all the others, notably that of perseverance, are only given to those who pray.
Our Lord, then, is ready to grant us salvation and all the graces necessary for attaining it, but He exacts that we should demand them unceasingly, even to importunity. Men cannot bear with those who are importunate, but it is quite different with God: He wishes that we should do violence to Him by prayer. This violence is most agreeable to Him, says Tertullian.
V.
Sinners, then, wrongly excuse themselves by alleging that they have not the strength to resist temptation. But, replies the Apostle St. James to them, if your strength is not sufficient, you have not because you ask not (James iv. 2). For, God is faithful, says St. Paul, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able (1 Cor. x. 13). That is to say, God, by His grace, makes us capable of resisting all temptations. When we invoke Him, He imparts His divine strength to us and then we are capable of all things, as the Apostle says of himself: I can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth me (Phil. iv. 13).
We may conclude from what we have said that, he who prayeth shall certainly save his soul; he who prayeth not shall certainly lose it. All the blessed, except the little children, have saved their souls by prayer. All the damned have lost their souls by not having prayed: had they prayed they would not
- ↑ De dono pers. c. 16.
