On prayer and the contemplative life

by Saint Aquinas Thomas

Idolatry, [46]
Images, veneration of, [37]
Imagination, its function, [195], [201]
Imprecations in Holy Scripture, [100]
Indulgences, [168]
Ingratitude, [94]
"Insinuation" in prayer, [141]
Intelligence, quickness of, [224]
Intellect, the noblest part of man, [79], [80]
Intention, [133]
"Intercession" as a part of prayer, [146]
Intercession of the Saints, [161]
Interior Spirit, the true, [247]
Interpretive prayer, [163]
Isaias, St. Thomas's Commentary on, [10]
Isidore of Seville, St.: his etymologies, [24];
on religion, [27];
on the word sanctus, [48];
on prayer, [68]

Jacob's Vision, [231]
Jeremias prays for the people, though he is in Limbo, [115], [118], [162]
Jerome, St.: on the error of Vigilantius, who said the prayers of the Martyrs were not heard, [115], [162];
on making "a virtue of necessity," [35];
on the term "super-substantial" Bread, [103]
John of St. Julian, O.P., [5]
John XXII., Pope, [23]
Josias, King of Juda, in Limbo, [155]
Joy as an effect of devotion, [62]
Joys of Contemplation, the, [210-216]
Justice, the chief of the Moral Virtues, [37], [55], [221]

Knowledge, its relation to the Moral Virtues, [182]

Latria, [30], [34], [44]
Leo the Great, St., on the Jews, [56]
Lia, the type of the Active Life, [222], [225], [234], [242], [246]
Liberty of Spirit, [237]
Life: definitions of, [169], [170], [171], [187];
considered as intellectual, life may be divided into the Active and the Contemplative, [171], [174];
cf. s.v. [Contemplative Life] and [Active Life];
the Active and Contemplative Life compared, [233-257];
the two Lives distinguished, [169-177];
their relative order, [249-252];
the "mixed" life, [175], [185];
the Life of Beatitude, [191];
the bestial life, [175];
the busy life, [175];
the civil life, [175];
the leisurely life, [175], [185];
the pleasurable life, [175];
the life of repose, [172], [173];
the life of toil, [172], [173];
the voluptuous life, [176]
Limbo, [118], [154-156]
Litany of the Saints, [158]
Living for Eternity, on, [83]
Livy on the Decii, [51]
Lombard, Peter, [25]
Lord's Prayer, the: the seven petitions of, [105-111];
the most perfect form of prayer, [105];
distractions in saying it, [132];
why we say Our Father, and not My Father, [96];
this prayer is recited in the name of the whole Church, [145];
in what sense we are tied to this restricted form of prayer, [136], [137];
the Lord's Prayer as a subject of meditation, [192]
Lyons, the Council of, St. Thomas summoned to it, [14]
Lyra, Nicolas de, his Gloss, [25]

Martyrs: the prayers of the, [162-164];
merits of the Martyrs, [256]
Marvel, what it is to, [189]
Mass, the: to be said distinctly, [122];
the Prayers of, [147];
the Prayer of the Consecration in the Mass, [149], [150]
Maximus Valerius, On Socrates, [84]
Meditation, [188], [190];
causes devotion, [57];
produces sadness as well as joy, [62-65];
the need of it, [61];
not to be neglected for vocal prayer, [123];
fruitful subjects for, [60];
meditation on the Sacred Passion, [59];
on choosing subtle subjects for meditation, [58], [60], [61]
Melancholy, no fruit of devotion, [64], [65]
Merit:
definition of, [166];
source of, [240];
merits and rewards, [242];
none in Heaven, [166], [243];
of the Active and Contemplative Life, [240-244];
the merit of prayer, [141];
those of the Saints, [163];
how we can merit for others, [141]
Military Religious Orders, [256]
Monica, St., [123]
Monte Cassino, [4]
Moral Acts, their nature, [225]
Moral Virtues, the:
Justice is the chief of the moral virtues, [221];
requisites for the moral virtues, [41];
their place in the Contemplative Life [182-186];
their function, [41], [43], [183-185];
their part in the Active Life, [220-226];
how far they remain after death, [230]
Movements of the soul, the three, [172], [203-210]
Mysticism, [1-3]

Necessity, to make a virtue of, [35], [44]
Nestorius's error concerning the Person of Christ, [161]
Novelty of St. Thomas's teaching, [6], [7]

"Obsecration" as a part of prayer, [147-149]
Observance, strictness of, [257]
Occultism, [3]
Office, attention at the Divine, [128]
Origen on sanctity, [47];
on not swearing, [148]

Passion, Meditation on the Sacred, [59], [63], [128]
Perfection, [44]
Peter Lombard, [25]
Philosophy is better than riches, [236]
Postillæ, [24]
Prayer to St. Thomas before study, A, [16]
Prayer: defined, [68], [69], [76], [78], [85], [102], [105], [127], [136], [148];
it is an act, [161];
not an act of the appetitive powers, [68], [71], [77];
it is an act of the virtue of religion, [76-80], [161];
after devotion, prayer is the highest act of the virtue of religion, [77];
it is a conversation with God, [74];
by it we become God's beggars, [110];
it is peculiar to the rational creation, [112-114];
in what sense the brute creatures pray, [114];
prayer is a gift from God, [139];
three requisites for prayer, [146];
four requisites for prayer, [138];
the real meaning of "petition," [78], [79];
the prayer of desire, [92], [105];
in what sense desire is not prayer, [77], [78];
prayer is a real cause, [72], [74], [166]
Why we should pray:
prayer is reasonable, [71-76], [107], [120], [147];
the merit of prayer, [125], [137-143];
the effects of prayer, [71], [120], [125], [132], [138];
prayer causes union with God, [70], [71]
Errors concerning prayer:
in general, [72];
it is not an adjuring of God, [148];
it never wearies God, [79], [80];
"much speaking" in prayer, [135];
it cannot change God's decrees, [72], [73], [86], [107], [161];
it does not "bend" His will, [86];
God knows beforehand what we would pray for, [73], [75], [80], [86], [120]
Of prayers heard and unheard:
the condition necessary if our prayers are to be heard, [89], [96], [141], [144];
of prayers heard in anger, [142], [143];
in what sense the prayers of sinners are heard, [143-146];
the prayers of the poor are speedily heard, [69];
how the prayers of the Saints are heard, [162], [168];
the prayers of the Martyrs and Apostles, [162], [163];
why prayers are not heard, [142];
of unheard prayers, [140];
why our prayers for others are sometimes not heard, [96];
in what sense the prayers of sinners are heard, [143-146]
How we should pray:
at regular intervals, [134];
our attitude in prayer, [150], [151];
beginning occupations with prayer, [70];
prayer "without ceasing," [91], [137];
attention at prayer, [125];
three kinds of attention, [120], [133];
distractions, [121], [127-133];
the length of our prayers, [133-137];
hindrances to prayer, [75];
the recitation of Psalms, [123];
prayer "in spirit and in truth," [126];
weariness in prayer, [134]
What we should pray for:
the impetratory value of prayer, [138], [141];
what we should pray for in general, [129], [142];
for Beatitude, [85-87];
prayer for definite things, [84-88];
for "sufficiency of life," [89];
against death, [83];
for continence, [87];
for knowledge of Holy Scripture, [88];
for deliverance from toothache, [92], [94];
for others, [95], [97], [98], [229];
for the wicked, [97];
for the good, [98];
for our inferiors, [98];
for temporal blessings, [89-95];
for the predestinate, [167];
for our enemies, [99-102];
the Saints in Heaven pray for the resurrection of their bodies, [116]
To whom we should pray:
not to God alone, [80-84];
to the Angels, [81];
to the Saints, [157-161];
to the lesser Saints, [117]
Who pray for us, and how:
the Angels pray for us, how, [114];
in what sense the Son and the Holy Spirit are said to pray, [113], [115];
how the Holy Spirit helps our prayers, [85];
the Saints pray for us, [115-118];
how, [156], [163], [166], [167];
how we merit the prayers of the Saints, [162];
how our prayers are known to the Saints, [152-157];
those in Limbo prayed for those on earth, [118];
those in Purgatory cannot pray for us, [117]
Divers forms of prayer:
vocal prayer, [119-125];
ejaculatory prayer, [134], [135];
prayer in secret, [121];
prayer of the heart, [124];
thanksgiving as a part of prayer, [149];
postulations as a part of prayer, [146-148]
The Lord's Prayer:
we say not "my Father," but "our Father," [96];
the seven petitions of the Lord's Prayer, [102-111];
the Lord's Prayer not said without distractions, [132];
in what sense we are tied to the Lord's Prayer as a formula, [136], [137]
The Church's prayers:
in general, [76], [147], [158];
public and private prayers, [119], [121], [122], [135];
how the prayer "of many" avails, [98];
the prayer of the Consecration at Mass, [149], [150]
Prelates and Contemplative Life, [236]
Prosper, St., the Book of Sentences Gleaned from St. Augustine, [140]
Prudence: its relation to the other Moral Virtues, [224];
it is requisite for the Active Life, [223-226]
Purity of soul, [252]
Purgatory: why the suffrages of the Church do not empty it at once, [167], [168];
the souls in Purgatory do not know our needs, [83];
neither do they pray for us, [83], [116], [118];
Brother Romanus passed sixteen days in Purgatory, [12]

Rabanus Maurus: his Gloss, [25];
on Prayer, [69]
Rachel, a type of the Contemplative Life, [163], [174], [180], [184], [234], [242]
Reading necessary for prayer, [190]
Reason: its function, [206];
the higher and the lower, [249];
the speculative and the practical, [68]
Religion: the virtue of, [27-50];
that it is a virtue, [34];
definition of, [27-31], [39], [49];
its principle is charity, [56];
it is one virtue, [35];
and a Moral Virtue, [40];
and a special virtue, [37-39];
not a Theological Virtue, [39];
the via media in, [41];
the harmony of, [42];
is superior to the other Moral Virtues, [42];
is not for God's profit, but for ours, [43];
demands external acts, [44];
how far it is identified with sanctity, [47-50]
Religious Orders, the Active and Contemplative compared, [253-257]
Religious people, [31], [50], [61];
they are not always Saints, [50]
Reposeful characters, [252]
Romanus, Brother, appears to St. Thomas, [12]

Sacrifice, the real nature of, [38], [46], [244]
Saints, the: what it is to be a Saint, [50];
they are not gloomy, [64], [65];
their knowledge of our needs, [82], [152-157];
their prayers for us, [115-118];
they feel no grief for us on earth, [155];
their wills are perfectly conformed to that of God, [116], [156], [163], [165], [167];
the Communion of Saints, [158], [164];
we ought to pray to them, [157-161];
of devotion to the Saints, [57];
to the lesser Saints, [117], [160];
they are co-workers with God, [154];
in what sense their prayers are always heard, [158], [162-168];
their merits, [163], [166];
how they pray for us, [163], [167]
"Saint of Saints, The," [160]
Scripture, prayer for knowledge of Holy, [88]
Seneca: on petitions, [74];
on idolatry, [46]
Sentences, the Book of, [6], [25]
Sinners, prayer for: [97];
the prayers of sinners, [143-146]
Sins of conversation, [110]
Socrates on prayer, [84]
Solicitude, how far it is forbidden, [90]
Sorrow, as an effect of devotion, [62], [64]
Speculation, [189]
Spirit, the Holy, how He helps us to pray, [85]
"Spirit and truth," prayer in, [126], [127]
Spiritualism, [3]
Stability implied in the notion of sanctity, [49]
Strabo, Walafrid, his Gloss, [24]
Strictness of life not an end in itself, [257]
"Sufficiency of life," prayer for, [89]
Suffrages for the Dead, [167], [168]
Summa Theologica: the broad divisions of, [19], [20];
the method employed in, [21], [22];
the Tertia Pars, [13]
Superiors and Contemplation, [238]
Supererogation, works of, [44]
Superstition, [42]
Supersubstantial Bread, [103]
Supplications as a part of prayer, [146]
Swearing, Origen on, [148]