THE word 'prayer' is applied to at least four distinct procedures—petition, intercession, adoration, contemplation.
- Petition is the asking of something for ourselves.
- Intercession 중재is the asking of something for other people.
- Adoration 동경is the use of intellect, feeling, will and imagination in making acts of devotion directed towards God in his personal aspect or as incarnated in human form.
- Contemplation 묵상is that condition of alert passivity in which the soul lays itself open to the divine Ground within and without, the immanent and transcendent Godhead.
Psychologically, it is all but impossible for a human being to practise contemplation without preparing for it by some kind of adoration and without feeling the need to revert at more or less frequent intervals to intercession and some form at least of petition.
On the other hand, it is both possible and easy to practise petition apart not only from contemplation, but also from adoration and, in rare cases of extreme and unmitigated egotism, even from intercession.
Petitionary and intercessory prayer may be used—and used, what is more, with what would ordinarily be regarded as success—without any but the most perfunctory and superficial reference to God in any of his aspects.
To acquire the knack of getting his petitions answered, a man does not have to know or love God, or even to know or love the image of God in his own mind.
All that he requires is a burning sense of the importance of his own ego and its desires, coupled with a firm conviction that there exists, out there in the universe, something not himself which can be wheedled or dragooned into satisfying those desires.
If I repeat 'My will be done,' with the necessary degree of faith and persistency, the chances are that, sooner or later and somehow or other, I shall get what I want.
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“Thy will be done” means 'may Gods will be done'. It is the will of God that should be done in the world, not man's will, because God is the one who created the heavens and the earth, man, and everything else in it that has life.
What is the meaning of 'thy will be done' in The Lord's Prayer?
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What does my will be done and They will be done ? mean?
So.. "My will be done" means that the speaker is saying that what he want (his will) is what should happen. "They will be done" means that it will happen.
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In the words of Aquinas, it is legitimate for us to pray for anything which it is legitimate for us to desire. There are some things that nobody has the right to desire—such as the fruits of crime or wrong-doing.
About intercession, as about so many other subjects, it is William Law who writes most clearly, simply and to the point.
Intercession, then, is at once the means to, and the expression of, the love of one's neighbour. And in the same way adoration is the means to, and the expression of, the love of God—a love that finds its consummation in the unitive knowledge of the Godhead which is the fruit of contemplation. It is to these higher forms of communion with God that the authors of the following extracts refer whenever they use the word 'prayer.'
'What God is in Himself,' 'God and his mysteries as they are in themselves'—the phrases have a Kantian ring. But if Kant was right and the Thing in itself is unknowable, Bourgoing, Dc Condren and all the other masters of the spiritual life were engaged in a wild-goose chase. But Kant was right only as regards minds that have not yet come to enlightenment and deliverance. To such minds Reality, whether material, psychic or spiritual, presents itself as it is darkened, tinged and refracted by the medium of their own individual natures. 156 But in those who are pure in heart and poor in spirit there is no distortion of Reality, because there is no separate selfhood to obscure or refract, no painted lantern slide of intellectual beliefs and hallowed imagery to give a personal and historical colouring to the 'white radiance of Eternity.'
By prayer I do not understand petition or supplication which, according to the doctrines of the schools, is exercised principally by the understanding, being a signification of what the person desires to receive from God.
Whether my will coincides with the will of God, and whether in getting what I want I shall get what is spiritually, morally or even materially good for me, are questions which I cannot answer in advance.
Only time and eternity will show.
Meanwhile we shall be well advised to heed the warnings of folk-lore. Those anonymous realists who wrote the world's fairy stories knew a great deal about wishes and their fulfilment.
They knew, first of all, that in certain circumstances petitions actually get themselves answered; but they also knew that God is not the only answerer and that if one asks for something in the wrong spirit, it may in effect be given—but given with a vengeance and not by a divine Giver.
Getting what one wants by means of self-regarding petition is a form of hubris거만, which invites its condign and appropriate nemesis.
As nouns the difference between arrogance and hubris is that
arrogance is the act or habit of arrogating, or making undue claims in an overbearing manner; that species of pride which consists in exorbitant claims of rank, dignity, estimation, or power, or which exalts the worth or importance of the person to an undue degree; proud contempt of others; lordliness; haughtiness; self-assumption; presumption while
hubris is excessive pride, presumption or arrogance (originally toward the gods).
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nemesis. a downfall caused by an inescapable agent.
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Thus, the folk-lore of the North American Indian is full of stories about people who fast and pray egotistically, in order to get more than a reasonable man ought to have, and who, receiving what they ask for, thereby bring about their own downfall.
From the other side of the world come all the tales of the men and women who make use of some kind of magic to get their petitions answered —always with farcical or catastrophic consequence. Hardly ever do the Three Wishes of our traditional fairy lore lead to anything but a bad end for the successful wisher.
Picture God as saying to you, 'My son, why is it that day by day you rise and pray, and genuflect, and even strike the ground with your forehead, nay, sometimes even shed tears, while you say to Me: "My Father, my God, give me wealth!"
Picture God as saying to you, 'My son, why is it that day by day you rise and pray, and genuflect, and even strike the ground with your forehead, nay, sometimes even shed tears, while you say to Me: "My Father, my God, give me wealth!"
If I were to give it to you, you would think yourself of some importance, you would fancy you had gained something very great.
Because you asked for it, you have it. But take care to make good use of it. Before you had it you were humble; now that you have begun to be rich you despise the poor.
What kind of a good is that which only makes you worse? For worse you are, since you were bad already. And that it would make you worse you knew not; hence you asked it of Me. I gave it you and I proved you; you have found—and you are found out!
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Ask of Me better things than these, greater things than these. Ask of Me spiritual things. Ask of Me Myself.'
St. Augustine
O Lord, I, a beggar, ask of Thee more than a thousand kings may ask of Thee. Each one has something he needs to ask of Thee; I have come to ask Thee to give me Thyself.
Ansari of Herat
In the words of Aquinas, it is legitimate for us to pray for anything which it is legitimate for us to desire. There are some things that nobody has the right to desire—such as the fruits of crime or wrong-doing.
Other things may be legitimately desired by people on one level of spiritual development, but should not be desired (and indeed cease to be desired) by those on another, higher level.
Thus, St. François de Sales had reached a point where he could say, 'I have hardly any desires, but if I were to be born again I should have none at all.
We should ask nothing and refuse nothing, but leave ourselves in the arms of divine Providence 신의 섭리without wasting time in any desire, except to will what God wills of us.'
But meanwhile the third clause of the Lord's Prayer is repeated daily by millions, who have not the slightest intention of letting any will be done, except their own.
(A dervish was tempted by the devil to cease calling upon Allah, on the ground that Allah never answered, 'Here am I.' The Prophet Khadir appeared to him in a vision with a message from God.)
The savour of wandering in the ocean of deathless life has rid me of all my asking;As the tree is in the seed, so all diseases are in this asking.
Kabir
Lord, I know not what to ask of thee. Thou only knowest what I need. Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself. Father, give to thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. Smite or heal, depress me or raise me up: I adore all thy purposes without knowing them. I am silent; I offer myself up in a sacrifice; I yield myself to Thee; I would have no other desire than to accomplish thy will. Teach me to pray. Pray Thyself in me.
Fénelon
254 (A dervish was tempted by the devil to cease calling upon Allah, on the ground that Allah never answered, 'Here am I.' The Prophet Khadir appeared to him in a vision with a message from God.)
Was it not I who summoned thee to my service?Was it not I who made thee busy with my name?Thy calling 'Allah!' was my 'Here am I.'
Jalal-uddin Rumi
I pray God the Omnipotent to place us in the ranks of his chosen, among the number of those whom He directs to the path of safety; in whom He inspires fervour lest they forget Him; whom He cleanses from all defilement, that nothing may remain in them except Himself; yea, of those whom He indwells completely, that they may adore none beside Him.
Al-G/za,a1i
About intercession, as about so many other subjects, it is William Law who writes most clearly, simply and to the point.
By considering yourself as an advocate with God for your neighbours and acquaintances, you would never find it hard to be at peace with them yourself. It would be easy for you to bear with and forgive those, for whom you particularly implored 간청하다the divine mercy and forgiveness.
William Law
Intercession중재is the best arbitrator of all differences, the best promoter of true friendship, the best cure and preservative against all unkind tempers, all angry and haughty passions.
William Law
255You cannot possibly have any ill-temper, or show any unkind behaviour to a man for whose welfare you are so much concerned, as to be his advocate with God in private. For you cannot possibly despise and ridicule that man whom your private prayers recommend to the love and favour of God.
William Law
Intercession, then, is at once the means to, and the expression of, the love of one's neighbour. And in the same way adoration is the means to, and the expression of, the love of God—a love that finds its consummation in the unitive knowledge of the Godhead which is the fruit of contemplation. It is to these higher forms of communion with God that the authors of the following extracts refer whenever they use the word 'prayer.'
The aim and end of prayer is to revere, to recognize and to adore the sovereign majesty of God, through what He is in Himself rather than what He is in regard to us, and rather to love his goodness by the love of that goodness itself than for what it sends us.
Bourgoing
In prayer he (Charles de Condren) did not stop at the frontiers of his knowledge and his reasoning. He adored God and his mysteries as they are in themselves and not as he understood them.
Amelote
'What God is in Himself,' 'God and his mysteries as they are in themselves'—the phrases have a Kantian ring. But if Kant was right and the Thing in itself is unknowable, Bourgoing, Dc Condren and all the other masters of the spiritual life were engaged in a wild-goose chase. But Kant was right only as regards minds that have not yet come to enlightenment and deliverance. To such minds Reality, whether material, psychic or spiritual, presents itself as it is darkened, tinged and refracted by the medium of their own individual natures. 156 But in those who are pure in heart and poor in spirit there is no distortion of Reality, because there is no separate selfhood to obscure or refract, no painted lantern slide of intellectual beliefs and hallowed imagery to give a personal and historical colouring to the 'white radiance of Eternity.'
For such minds, as Olier says, 'even ideas of the saints, of the Blessed Virgin, and the sight of Jesus Christ in his humanity are impediments in the way of the sight of God in his purity.' The Thing in itself can be per-ceived—but only by one who, in himself, is no-thing.
By prayer I do not understand petition or supplication which, according to the doctrines of the schools, is exercised principally by the understanding, being a signification of what the person desires to receive from God.
But prayer here specially meant is an offering and giving to God whatsoever He may justly require from us.
Now prayer, in its general notion, may be defined to be an elevation of the mind to God, or more largely and expressly thus: prayer is an actuation of an intellective soul towards God, expressing, or at least implying, an entire dependence on Him as the author and fountain of all good, a will and readiness to give Him his due, which is no less than all love, all obedience, adoration, glory and worship, by humbling and annihilating the self and all creatures in his presence; and lastly, a desire and intention to aspire to an union of spirit with Him.
Now prayer, in its general notion, may be defined to be an elevation of the mind to God, or more largely and expressly thus: prayer is an actuation of an intellective soul towards God, expressing, or at least implying, an entire dependence on Him as the author and fountain of all good, a will and readiness to give Him his due, which is no less than all love, all obedience, adoration, glory and worship, by humbling and annihilating the self and all creatures in his presence; and lastly, a desire and intention to aspire to an union of spirit with Him.
Hence it appears that prayer is the most perfect and most divine action that a rational soul is capable of. It is of all actions and duties the most indispensably necessary.
Augustine Baker
257Lord, teach me to seek Thee and reveal Thyself to me when I seek Thee. For I cannot seek Thee except Thou teach me, nor find Thee except Thou reveal Thyself. Let me seek Thee in longing, let me long for Thee in seeking: let me find Thee in love and love Thee in finding.
Lord, I acknowledge and I thank Thee that Thou hast created me in this Thine image, in order that I may be mindful of Thee, may conceive of Thee and love Thee: but that image has been so consumed and wasted away by vices and obscured by the smoke of wrong-doing that it cannot achieve that for which it was made, except Thou renew it and create it anew. Is the eye of the soul darkened by its infirmity, or dazzled by Thy glory? Surely, it is both darkened in itself and dazzled by Thee. Lord, this is the unapproachable light in which Thou dwellest. Truly I see it not, because it is too bright for me; and yet whatever I see, I see through it, as the weak eye sees what it sees through the light of the sun, which in the sun itself it cannot look upon. Oh supreme and unapproachable light, oh holy and blessed truth, how far art Thou from me who am so near to Thee, how far art Thou removed from my vision, though I am so near to Thine! Everywhere Thou art wholly present, and I see Thee not. In Thee I move and in Thee I have my being, and cannot come to Thee, Thou art within me and about me, and I feel Thee not.
St. Ans6lm
Oh Lord, put no trust in me; for I shall surely fail if Thou uphold me not.
St. PAilip Neri
To pretend to devotion without great humility and renunciation of all worldly tempers is to pretend to impossibilities. He that would be devout must first be humble, have a full sense of his own miseries and wants and the vanity of the world, and then his soul will be full of desire after God. A proud, or vain, or worldly-minded man may use a manual of prayers, but he cannot be devout, because devotion is the application of an humble heart to God as its only happiness.
William Law
The spirit, in order to work, must have all sensible images, both good and bad, removed. The beginner in a spiritual course commences with the use of good sensible images, and it is impossible to begin in a good spiritual course with the exercises of the spirit.
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Those souls who have not a propensity to the interior must abide always in the exercises, in which sensible images are used,and these souls will find the sensible exercises very profitable to themselves and to others, and pleasing to God. And this is the way of the active life. But others, who have the propensity to the interior, do not always remain in the exercises of the senses, but after a time these will give place to the exercises of the spirit, which are independent of the senses and the imagination and consist simply in the elevation of the will of the intellective soul to God.... The soul elevates her will towards God, apprehended by the understanding as a spirit, and not as an imaginary thing, the human spirit in this way aspiring to a union with the Divine Spirit.
Augustine Baker
You tell me you do nothing in prayer. But what do you want to do in prayer except what you are doing, which is, presenting and representing your nothingness and misery to God When beggars expose their ulcers and their necessities to our sight, that is the best appeal 호소 항소 애원 they can make. But from what you tell me, you sometimes do nothing of this, but lie there like a shadow or a statue. They put statues in palaces simply to please the prince's eyes. Be content to be that in the presence of God: He will bring the statue to life when He pleases.
St. FrwzçoLc de Sales
I have come to see that I do not limit my mind enough simply to prayer, that I always want to do something myself in it, wherein I do very wrong.. . . I wish most definitely to cut off and separate my mind from all that, and to hold it with all my strength, as much as I can, to the sole regard and simple unity. By allowing the fear of being ineffectual to enter into the state of prayer, and by wishing to accomplish something myself, I spoilt it all.
St. Jeanne Chantal
So long as you seek Buddhahood, specifically exercising yourself for it, there is no attainment for you.[?]
Yung.c/&ia Thsk
29
'How does a man set himself in harmony with the Tao?' 'I am already out of harmony.'
Si/,-t'ou
How shall I grasp it? Do not grasp it. That which remains when there is no more grasping is the Self.
PancAadasi
I order you to remain simply either in God or close to God, without trying to do anything there, and without asking anything of Him, unless He urges it.
St. François de Sales
Adoration is an activity of the loving, but still separate, individuality. Contemplation is the state of union with the divine Ground of all being.
The highest prayer is the most passive.
뭔가를 바라지 않는 (간절한) 기도,
"나"라는 것이 없어지는 기도,
"신성"에 가까와지는 기도
Inevitably; for the less there is of self, the more there is of God.
That is why the path to passive or infused contemplation is so hard and, for many, so painful—a passage through successive or simultaneous Dark Nights, in which the pilgrim 순례자must die [?]
- to the life of sense [?] as an end in itself,
- to the life of private and even of traditionally hallowed 신성한 thinking and believing, and finally
- to the deep source of all ignorance and evil, the life of the separate, individualized will.[self?]
