Whether Prayer Is Proper to the Rational Creature?
Objection 1: It would seem that prayer is not proper to the rational
creature. Asking and receiving apparently belong to the same subject.
But receiving is becoming also to uncreated Persons, viz. the Son and
Holy Ghost. Therefore it is competent to them to pray: for the Son
said (John 14:16): "I will ask My [Vulg.: 'the'] Father," and the
Apostle says of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 8:26): "The Spirit . . . asketh
for us."
Obj. 2: Angels are above rational creatures, since they are
intellectual substances. Now prayer is becoming to the angels,
wherefore we read in the Ps. 96:7: "Adore Him, all you His angels."
Therefore prayer is not proper to the rational creature.
Obj. 3: Further, the same subject is fitted to pray as is fitted to
call upon God, since this consists chiefly in prayer. But dumb
animals are fitted to call upon God, according to Ps. 146:9, "Who
giveth to beasts their food and to the young ravens that call upon
Him." Therefore prayer is not proper to the rational creatures.
_On the contrary,_ Prayer is an act of reason, as stated above (A.
1). But the rational creature is so called from his reason. Therefore
prayer is proper to the rational creature.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1) prayer is an act of reason,
and consists in beseeching a superior; just as command is an act of
reason, whereby an inferior is directed to something. Accordingly
prayer is properly competent to one to whom it is competent to have
reason, and a superior whom he may beseech. Now nothing is above the
Divine Persons; and dumb animals are devoid of reason. Therefore
prayer is unbecoming both the Divine Persons and dumb animals, and it
is proper to the rational creature.
Reply Obj. 1: Receiving belongs to the Divine Persons in respect of
their nature, whereas prayer belongs to one who receives through
grace. The Son is said to ask or pray in respect of His assumed, i.e.
His human, nature and not in respect of His Godhead: and the Holy
Ghost is said to ask, because He makes us ask.
Reply Obj. 2: As stated in the First Part (Q. 79, A. 8), intellect
and reason are not distinct powers in us: but they differ as the
perfect from the imperfect. Hence intellectual creatures which are
the angels are distinct from rational creatures, and sometimes are
included under them. In this sense prayer is said to be proper to the
rational creature.
Reply Obj. 3: The young ravens are said to call upon God, on account
of the natural desire whereby all things, each in its own way, desire
to attain the Divine goodness. Thus too dumb animals are said to obey
God, on account of the natural instinct whereby they are moved by God.
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