St. Augustine, How Does Prayer Impact the Soul?
Question 037. What effects does prayer bring about in the soul? Prayer produces a certain conversion of the heart towards him who is already ready to give inasmuch as we are in condition to receive. And in this conversion a purification of the interior eye is wrought in such a way that those things in the temporal order which we used to desire are excluded. In this way the inner eye, having become pure, can [...]
St. Augustine, How Does Charity Relate to Prayer?
Question 036. What relation does charity have to prayer? Whoever has brotherly charity, and his heart withstands the interrogation of a just examination of conscience, discovering nothing but the true root of charity from which good fruits come, by this man has confidence in God and shall indeed receive from him whatever he asks, because he keeps his commandments. from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger. When one prays, what [...]
St. Augustine, How Does Increasing Prayer Increase Faith?
Question 035. So there seem to be degrees of faith. Can we say that the degree of faith we have is determined by our degree of prayer? Consider the Apostles: they would never have left all they had, trodden this world’s hopes underfoot, and followed the Lord if their faith were not great. And yet, if their faith were perfect, they would not have said to the Lord, “increase our faith.”... “Lord, I believe. Help [...]