For Whom to Pray According to the Catechism of Trent
"The prayer of thanksgiving should be offered for all... [especially] the Saints [and]... the Blessed Virgin Mary," (7506).
In addressing the question of who we should pray for, the Council of Trent emphatically states, "all", and the first kind of our universal prayer is of thanksgiving. The staggering breadth of this thanksgiving may take a moment to fully realize. It encompasses not only relatives, friends, and acquaintances, but even total strangers whom we have never met or (in most cases) will never meet (in this life), and it encompasses the evil as well as the the good. In this, we imitate our Father who, "maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad," (Mat 5:45). Notice, however, that our thanksgiving for the good is emphasized and particularly singles out the Virgin Mary... “For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much,” (James 5:16).
"Prayers for the dead, that they may be liberated from the fire of purgatory, are derived from Apostolic teaching." (7493)
"It is, however, the part of Christian charity to offer up our prayers and tears for them [who have died in mortal sin], in order, if possible, to obtain their reconciliation with God." (7497)
The other kind of prayer we notice here is that of intercession, particularly for liberation and reconciliation. Often, these are perceived in a very pessimistic light, as though it were unwholesome for us to meditate on such things as imprisonment and loneliness. This must be a delusion, for our slavery and isolation are very real, very tangible, and very terrible whereas the liberation and reconciliation of God are nothing less than the divine, overflowing, superabundant, eternal, and life-giving love of the Father for His Children. Let us pray for it incessantly both for ourselves on the earth and for those suffering under the earth.
"Before all others the pastors of our souls have a right to our prayers..." (7471)
It is important, however, to note that before all others wherever or whoever they may be (including, if it were possible, even the Blessed Virgin, it would seem!), our spiritual fathers should have the "first fruits", as it were, of our prayer. Yet this is only natural, “For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God [and those with him], whom he seeth not?” (John 4:20). We may measure, therefore, our real devotion to the Saints and Blessed Virgin Mary by our devotion to our pastors.
"The Lord has also commanded us, to pray for those that persecute and calumniate us. The practice of praying for those who are not within the pale of the Church, is, as we know on the authority of St. Augustine, of Apostolic origin...” (7487)
Along with the Saints, we are called to single out in particular those who persecute and calumniate us. Notice how this prayer is not merely thought of on an individual basis (eg, someone who interrupts me while I am speaking), but especially on a corporate basis in form of the Church. This means prayer for all those who persecute Christians, who hate Christ, who slander Christianity, and who seek the destruction of the Church. Yet we see from the example of martyrs (especially the ancient ones) that this “prayer” 1) is often performed by actions rather than words and 2) is not necessarily “gentle,” as we think of it. We must remember that our aim in such prayer is not to make ourselves feel good or make others feel good about us, but to awaken our enemies to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, even if this means our death.
“...We pray that the faith may be made known to infidels...” (ibid.)
Of those outside the Church (and who could therefore be generally called our “enemies”), the Council singles out five groups: infidels, idolaters, Jews, heretics, and schismatics. “Infidels” include all those who are not baptized (newadvent.org/cathen/08002b.htm). Many of these, of course, have never heard of Christ, so these souls we are to pray for not because we know and sympathize with their sorrows and hardships (since we are not familiar with them), but solely because they are strangers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and, in fact, this is the only true sorrow for all of us. It is especially the case for infidels, however, and so the Council exhorts us to pray that the Faith may be brought to them. It behooves us to remember, therefore, that though an infidel (or we) may be blessed with all manner of good things in this world, these all melt into insignificance before the radiant beauty of the Faith. All other gifts will be washed into oblivion with the ebbing tide of this fleeting life and be forgotten almost as soon as they are gone.
“...that idolaters may be rescued from the error of their impiety...” (ibid.)
An “idolater” is one who worships idols, that is, an artifact of man’s creation which he honors as divine (newadvent.org/cathen/07636a.htm). True and literal idolatry was a very real and serious problem for men, and even today is by no means unknown. However, the practice of idolization and effective adoration is as prevalent in our time as “true” idolatry ever was. Wealth, knowledge, “world peace”, environmentalism, “ecumenism”, food, health, art, etc. all share the essential traits of their progenitor: the artifaction of things which men adore to achieve happiness instead of Christ. This adoration need not consist in the shedding of blood, for every day we sacrifice our thoughts, time, cares, labors, and even families on the altars of the television, computer, phone, and tablet. The Council of Trent reminds us to pray that we and all men may be rescued from this gross impiety, for if there is anything made clear by God, it is that He alone is to be worshipped and adored. Let us adore Him, then, with all our heart and soul.
“...that the Jews, emerging from the darkness with which they are encompassed, may arrive at the light of truth...” (ibid.)
Though painful for many, the fact that the Jews are in darkness and in need of the light of the Truth is as real now as it was when, in thoughtless and demonic madness, they called out “His blood be upon us and our children,” (Matthew 27:25). From that time the Jews did not cease persecuting (or causing the persecution of) Christians until God saw fit to legalize His Church among the Romans. Historically speaking, therefore, the Jews have been the special and unique enemies of the followers of Jesus Christ. It is of the utmost importance that they abandon their titanic error and be granted the grace to understand that Jesus Christ is their Messiah not only because their souls rely upon this, but also because otherwise they are almost certainly doomed to be deceived by the Antichrist, when he arrives.
“...that heretics, returning to soundness of mind, may be instructed in the Catholic faith...” (ibid.)
“Heresy” is confusing by its very nature. Confusion is its purpose, in fact. Nevertheless, it has meaning. Interestingly, one of its earliest uses is to describe the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes (newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm). In a very real sense, therefore, our Lord came as a theologian to combat heresy! The early Shepherds of the Flock followed this example in their continual exhortations against the false prophets, who seem to have been nearly as prevalent as the true Christians, judging from the amount of space devoted to them in the Epistles. "There are, therefore, two ways of deviating from Christianity: the one by refusing to believe in Christ Himself, which is the way of infidelity, common to Pagans and Jews; the other by restricting belief to certain points of Christ's doctrine selected and fashioned at pleasure, which is the way of heretics... [but] the heretic always retains faith in Christ," (ibid.). Regarding the prayer for their instruction, therefore, the word “Catholic” has a double meaning: not only “Roman” but also “whole” and “complete”, which are the roots of this word. Our prayer for them must also have a double purpose: both to save their souls and to preserve our own from the seductive error of believing what appears attractive and comfortable to us rather than what is passed down to us by the sacred Scripture and its holy guardians: the numberless apostles, evangelists, preachers, priests, martyrs, confessors, theologians, apologists, monastics, and hierarchs.
“...and that schismatics may be united in the bond of true charity and may return to the communion of their holy mother, the Church, from which they have separated." (ibid.)
Lastly, the Council exhorts us to pray for “schismatics.” “Schismatics, says St. Thomas, in the strict sense, are they who of their own will and intention separate themselves from the unity of the Church,” (ibid.). The understanding of this unity is beyond our scope here. Suffice it to say, therefore, that there is good reason to believe that this unity is founded on Peter and that the Catholic Church has taught this from the beginning. Yet schism does not necessarily spring from heresy, “since a man may, from anger, pride, ambition, or the like, sever himself from the communion of the Church and yet believe all the Church proposes for our belief,” (ibid.). Such schism springs not from incorrect faith, but from wayward desires and feelings. Thus, for all schismatics the Catechism emphasizes the need for charity since it is the lack of this grace which, more than anything else, typifies the state of the schismatic in refusing communion with the Bride of Christ.
"...we learn from St. Chrysostom... to pray for ourselves is an inspiration of nature; but to pray for others is an inspiration of grace," (7798).
Who does not know and clearly see that the desire of selfishness is the most innate, potent, and primordial of instincts? From the moment of our fall, mankind was enslaved to himself for generation upon generation until the dawn of Grace. Only then did we see true selflessness. “But God commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8-9). Having forgotten, despised, revolted, and deserted God, He pursued us into Hell while we were yet strangers to Him. God receives nothing that He needs from us. Instead, He pursues us solely for our own sake, and in this we find true charity, true grace. Think how often we pray for others not truely, not purely for their sake, but with some hidden admixture of selfishness. Would we still pray for others if nobody were ever to know we did so? If God were not to reward us? If we were not to have the satisfaction of knowing we had done so? How often do we think of our own comfort first and neglect our intercessions as a result? How often do we sacrifice ourselves in prayer hoping for something in return? Let us heed St. Chrysostom, therefore, and ask for the grace to pray with absolute selflessness.
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