Chapter IX.
Pharaoh is accused because of his delay in obeying. Humility, secrecy, and brevity are commended in prayer, with a rebuke of verbosity. The Lord has taught the form of prayer; and finally, for what things should one especially pray?
33. But Pharaoh, who was devoted to beliefs and vain superstitions (Egypt being filled with frogs, which produced empty sounds and noisy clamor), when Moses said to him: 'Appoint a time for me to pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, so that the Lord may exterminate the frogs' (Exod. VIII, 9); though he should have been compelled by such great necessity to pray, and not delay any longer, he replied: 'Tomorrow'; idle and negligent, intending to destroy Egypt by incurring the punishment of delay. And so, when he obtained these things, he became ungrateful; and being lifted up in his mind with his flesh, he forgot God.
34. However, humility commends prayer. For indeed, that Pharisee was rebuked who enumerated his fasts as if they were benefits, and as if he were reproaching God, and he recounted himself as devoid of sins. But the tax collector who stood far off was commended, for he refused to lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying: 'Lord God, be merciful to me, a sinner' (Luke 18:13). And for this reason, divine judgment preferred him, saying: 'For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted' (Ibid., 14). For he is justified who confesses his own sin, as the Lord Himself has spoken: 'Declare your iniquities, that you may be justified' (Isaiah 43:26). And David says: 'A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit' (Psalm 51:19). And again: 'A contrite and humbled heart, O God, You will not despise' (ibid.). Jeremiah also says: 'The soul in distress and the anxious spirit cry out to You' (Baruch 3:1). Therefore, Pharaoh (Exodus 5:2) and the Assyrian king who said, 'Which of the gods of these nations can deliver his land out of my hand? Because the Lord your God will deliver Jerusalem out of my hand' (2 Kings 18:35). They were cast down by their exaltation. But the righteous, like Jacob, refers all the good things he has achieved to God the Author, saying about all the things he knows have prospered for him: 'For the Lord God delivered them into my hands' (Gen. 27:20). Therefore, this is a better fulfillment of their wishes, as David also says: 'Sacrifice the sacrifice of praise to God, and pay your vows to the Most High' (Ps. 49:14). To praise God is to commend and fulfill a vow. And so that Samaritan is preferred to others, who, having been cleansed from leprosy according to the Lord's command, alone returned to Christ praising God and giving thanks. Concerning him, Jesus says: 'Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?'... And he said to him: 'Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well' (Luke 17:18).
And there is also the discipline of commendable speech and prayer, that we do not divulge the prayer, but we hold hidden mysteries, just as Abraham held, who made cakes of ashes (Gen. XVIII, 6). The fathers also held, who cooked the sprinkled dough that they had brought from Egypt, making cakes of ashes, which are called in Greek 'egkryphia', because they are hidden in ashes; signifying that yeast which that Gospel woman concealed (Luc. XIII, 21) in three measures of flour, until the whole was leavened, also indicating the need to pound down the teaching of mysteries. What the Lord taught more explicitly in the Gospel, saying: But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions (Matth. 6:5). And further on: For your Father knows the things you have need of, before you ask Him (Ibid., 8). Your room is the secret place of the mind and the hidden sanctuary of the soul. Enter into this room of yours, that is, enter into the deep recesses of your heart, leaving behind the outward court of your body, and shut your door.
36. Learn what your door is: Place, O Lord, a guard at my mouth, and a door protector around my lips (Ps. CXXXIX, 3). And Paul asks to be prayed for: That a door may be opened to me, he says, to speak the mystery of Christ (Col. IV, 3). But as he was chosen to preach the Gospel, he rightly desired that the door of the word be opened to him; for from his mouth salvation of the nations went forth, from his mouth came forth the life of the people. But we shut the door, lest fault enter, lest any slip of speech should go out. Fault enters if a slip goes out. Listen how fault enters. In much speaking, it says, you will not avoid sin (Prov. X, 19). Much speaking went out, sin entered; because in much speaking, the word that goes out is not at all examined. It slips foolishly, though speaking excessively is a great sin in itself.
37. And so be careful not to speak indiscreetly; for the lips of the foolish lead him to evil. Be careful not to exalt yourself in prayer; for the prayer of the humble will pierce the clouds. Be careful not to reveal the mysteries of the Creed or the Lord's Prayer thoughtlessly. Do you not know how serious it is to commit a sin in prayer, where you hoped for a remedy? Certainly the Lord taught through the Prophet that this is a serious curse, saying: And let his prayer be turned into sin (Ps. 108:7); unless perhaps you think it to be of little consequence. For to doubt is to distrust in the power of God, to think that you will not be heard unless you cry out. Let your works cry out, let faith cry out, let your affections cry out, let your passions cry out, let your blood cry out, like holy Abel, of whom God said to Cain: 'The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to Me' (Gen. 4:10). For He hears you in secret, who cleanses in secret. We can only hear someone speaking. To God, they do not speak words, but thoughts. And so that you may know this is true, the Lord Jesus said to the Jews: 'Why do you think evil in your hearts?' (Matt. IX, 4) This is not the voice of one asking, but of one knowing. This is made clear to you by the Evangelist saying: 'But Jesus knew their thoughts' (Luke VI, 8). Just as the Son knows, the Father knows as well. You have come to know the Son, know the Father, hear the counselor and witness of the Father saying: 'For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him' (Matt. VI, 5). Therefore, cook under the ashes of your vapor of the Holy Spirit; also cook the passions of the soul with the heat of the word. And if your passions are more raw, perhaps recently coming out of Egypt, cover them and cook them slowly; so that they cannot bear a stronger fire and instead they are half-burned rather than cooked. For there are many things that are displeasing when raw, but delightful when cooked. Therefore, cherish in your heart the deep mysteries; do not commit them with premature speech and to unfaithful or weak ears, as if they were uncooked, and the listener turns away and is disgusted with horror, but if he tasted something more cooked, he would perceive the sweetness of spiritual food.
But the Lord Jesus taught divinely and the goodness of the Father, who knows how to give good things (Luke XI, 13); so that you may ask for what is good from the One who is good: and he strongly and frequently admonished to pray; not so that prayer is continued out of pride, but so that it is poured out frequently with diligence (Ibid., 9). For often empty glory hinders prolonged prayer, and neglect completely creeps in when it is interrupted. Then he advises (Matt. XVIII, 15) that when you ask for forgiveness for yourself, you should especially know how to grant it to others, so that you may commend your prayer with the voice of your actions. The Apostle also teaches (I Tim. II, 8) to pray without anger and argumentation, so that your prayer may not be disturbed or corrupted. He also teaches to pray in every place, as the Savior says: Enter into your room (Matt. VI, 6). But understand that it is not a room closed by walls, where your limbs are confined: but it is a room within you, in which your thoughts are enclosed, in which your senses move. This room of your prayer is with you everywhere, and it is a secret everywhere, of which the only judge is God alone.
39. But especially you are to pray and teach for the people (1 Tim. 2:1), that is, for the whole body, for all the members of your mother, in which mutual charity is evident. For if you pray only for yourself, you will pray for yourself alone. And if individuals pray only for themselves, the grace of the intercessor is less than that of the sinner. But now, because individuals pray for all, all also pray for individuals. Therefore, to conclude, if you pray only for yourself, you will pray for yourself alone, as we have said. But if you ask for everyone, everyone will ask for you. Indeed, you are in everything. Such is the great reward, that the support of the entire population is obtained through the prayers of individuals. In this there is no arrogance, but rather a greater humility and a higher fruit.