Chapter V.
On the disorderly debate of the praying ones, and on the modesty with which women ought to pray: also on the beginning of prayer, and its middle and end; with a repeated exposition of the Lord's Prayer, which leads the treatise to its conclusion.
Now let us consider about argument. Most of the time a merchant comes to speak, either a greedy one: one thinks about money, another about profit, another about honour, another about desire; and thinks that God can hear him. And therefore when you pray, it is fitting for you to prefer the divine to the human.
Similarly, women, he says, should pray not boasting themselves in adornments, nor in pearls, says the apostle Paul. But also the apostle Peter: The grace of a woman, he says, is very powerful so that her husband's affections are turned by her good conversation, and the unbeliever turns to the grace of Christ. The gravity and modesty of a woman, and her good conversation, have this power to call her husband to faith and devotion, which the speech of a wise man often accomplishes. Therefore, the woman, he says, should not have her adornment in the arrangement of her hair, nor in curled hair, but in prayer from a pure heart; where is the hidden person of the heart, who is always rich before God (Ibid. 3, 4). So you have in what you are rich. In Christ, your riches are purity and chastity, faith, devotion, and mercy. These are the treasures of righteousness, as the prophet has mentioned (Isaiah 33:6).
Then where you should begin. Tell me, if you want to ask a person, and thus begin: Give me, behold that which I ask of you; does the speech not seem arrogant? And therefore the speech should begin with praise of God, so that you ask the Almighty God, to whom all things are possible, who has the will to grant. The supplication follows, as the Apostle taught, saying: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made (I Tim. II, 1). Therefore, the first prayer ought to have praise of God; the second, supplication; the third, petition; the fourth, thanksgiving. You should not begin with the food, like a hungry person, but with praises of God.
And so these wise orators have this discipline, that they present themselves as an advocate to the judge: they begin with praises of him, to make him friendly towards them as a knower. Then they gradually begin to ask the judge to deign to listen patiently. He dares to put forth his request for the third time, to express what he asks for. Just as he began with praises of God, so he must end in praise.
You have this in the Lord's Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven (Matt. VI, 9). It is the praise of God that the Father is preached: in Him is the glory of piety. Praise to God, for He dwells in heaven, not on earth. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, that is, that He may sanctify His servants; for His name is sanctified in us, when Christian men are preached. Therefore, it is the wish that thy name be sanctified. Your kingdom come (Ibid., 10). The request, that the kingdom of Christ may be in us. If God reigns in us, the adversary cannot have a place. Sin does not reign, wrongdoing does not reign: but virtue reigns, chastity reigns, devotion reigns. Then: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread (Ibid., 11). This is the greatest request of those that are requested. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Ibid., 12). Therefore, receive daily, so that daily you may seek forgiveness for your debts. And do not allow yourself to be led into temptation: but deliver us from evil. (Ibid., 13) What follows? Listen to what the priest says: through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is to you, with whom is to you honor, praise, glory, magnificence, power with the Holy Spirit from ages, and now, and always, and unto all ages of ages, Amen.
Another: Although the Psalms of David are contained in one book, having the qualities of prayer that we mentioned above (Sup., no. 22); yet often all these parts of prayer are found in one psalm, as we find in the eighth psalm. Finally, it begins like this: O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth! (Psalm VIII, 2). Therefore, the first part is a prayer. Then, a supplication: For I will see thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: that is, I will see the heavens, the moon and the stars, which thou hast founded (Ibid., 4). Certainly, I will not see heaven, but I will see the heavens, in which the grace and celestial splendor begin to appear. The Prophet promised these heavens to those who would deserve heavenly grace from the Lord. He calls the moon and the stars which you have established: the moon the Church, and the stars he calls the saints shining with heavenly grace. Then see his petition: What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you visit him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of your hands. (Psalm 8:5) And another thanksgiving: You have put everything under his feet, all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, etc. (Psalm 8:7-8).
We have taught according to our ability, perhaps what we have not learned; and as much as we could, we have expressed. Your holiness, informed by priestly institutions, may strive to hold what you have received from God: and may the offering, like a pure sacrifice, always recognize its seal in you, so that you yourselves may be able to attain grace and rewards of virtues, through our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom is glory, honor, praise, perpetuity from age to age, now and always, and in all ages of ages. Amen.