The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-14
PRAYER AND BRAINS.

In an age Of materialism and Of
purely human progress it may
smack of mediaevalism to speak
of the efficacy of prayer. To many
it appears that the world, and it's
whirling through space and time,
is utterly independent of super
natural influence. To dilate on
the power of prayer often awakens
scorn or eVokes a sheer. And yet,
more things are accomplished
through the operation Of divine
causes and the medium Of prayer
than this world or it's votaries are
aware of.
History turns over page after
page disclosing the widespread
prevalence of this custom, not
alone among the poor and ig-
norant, the afflicted and suffering,
but also in the ranks of intellect.
A Thomas Aquinas startled the
world, and still leads those who
are not too dense to understand
him, as a result of a spirit Of
prayer. He himself tells us that
he learned more through silent
meditation at the foot of his cruel
fix than in the schools of the mas
ters. The greatest of the Fathers,
ST. Augustine, made prayer an in
tegral and the most important
part Of his career. st. Paul, him
self, perhaps, was not more sub
lime in the attitude Of his de-
votion towards God than was the
renowned Ampere, the peerless
scientist, as he knelt in the dark
shadow Of the Paris Notre Dame,
and there piously and devoutly re-
cited his rosary.
The greatest Of Popes, St.
Gregory VII, the immortal Hide
brand, defed tyranny to the
teeth. His was recognized as one
of the most powerful intellects of
the age. Surrounded by a sea of
depravity in Church and State,
threatened by the arrogance of
Henry ", the dauntless Hide
brand hurled the German emperor
from his throne, absolved his sub
jects, and sent the royal penitent
in confusion to Canossa. On the
eve Of this matchless achievement,
Gregory devoted himself not to
cabinet meetings, nor to review
Of armed forces, but to a night of
prayer and supplication to the
Mother of God.
Prayer is ever a sign of deep
penetration. 1t is an indication
Of knowledge of God and Of sub
mission to His sovereignty. When
scourges afflicted humanity in
past ages all ranks, from peasant
to pontiff, from scientist down to
children, threw themselves into
the arms of God through the me-
dunn of prayer. History is re-
plete with instances. Gregory
armed himself with prayer before
unseating the wicked Henry; Plus
| armed the Christian world with
the weapon of the rosary, and the
Turk was sent hurting from LIE
panto to the Bosphorus. Foch
asked the prayers of myriads OF
children last July. He received
them, and before the end of the
month the hosts of central Europe
were started Keeling beyond the
Rhine.
The Holy Father recommends
that during this month Christian
peoples embrace the Apostleshir
of Prayer. Atheists may sheer and
wiseacres may scott: ask the sol.
der who has met death face to face
what were his thoughts on the
lsubject, and he will almost invari'
ably answer that he tried to form
ulate a prayer. Intellect ano
brains are divorced from prayer
only when they meet in SOU
saturated with pride. Science
leads to God, true science awaken'
a love for God: the expression O.
that love is prayer.