PAID PRAYERS, 05/ 03/ 2013.

Theme: Paid prayers. Source: The gospel according to Spiritism, XXVI: 3-4.

PAID PRAYERS 3. Then in the audience of all the people He said unto His disciples, Beware of the Scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; which devour widows houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation (Luke, 20: 45-47; also Mark, 12: 38-40 and Matthew, 23: 14). 4. Jesus also said: Do not make charges for your prayers; do not do as the Scribes who 'on pretext of long prayers, devoured the homes of widows,' that is to say; they took possession of their fortunes. Prayer is an act of charity, an ecstasy of the heart. To charge someone for the prayers we direct to God in their name is to transform oneself into a paid intermediary. Then prayer becomes a mere formula whose length is in proportion to the amount it cost. Moreover only one of the following can be true: either God measures or does not measure His blessings by the number of words used in a prayer. If these were necessary in large numbers, why then are so few said, or even none, for those who cannot pay? This is a lack of charity. If one word is sufficient then an excess of words is useless. How then can we charge for these prayers? This would be a corrupt practice. God does not sell His benefits; He concedes them. How then can one who is not an agent and cannot guarantee results, charge for a petition which may produce no results? It is not possible that God makes an act of clemency, kindness and justice, asked for because of His infinite mercy, subject to the payment of a sum of money and that if the sum were not paid, or was insufficient, then the justice, kindness and clemency would be suspended. Reason, good sense and logic tell us it is impossible that God, Who is absolute perfection, could delegate to imperfect beings the right to establish a price for His justice, which is like the Sun: it exists for all, rich and poor alike. As it is considered immoral to trade in the favors of any earthly sovereign, could it then be licit to commercialize those of the Sovereign of the Universe? Yet another drawback is presented by paid prayers; which is that the one who buys them judges oneself, in most cases, to be relieved from the need to pray. They consider themselves exonerated, since they gave their money. We know that Spirits are touched by the fervor of the thoughts of those who are interested in them, but what fervor can be felt by one who arranges a third party to pray for them on payment of money? What kind of fervor has this third party when he delegates his task to another, and that one yet another and so on? Does this not reduce the efficiency of prayer to the value of currency?

CONSIDERATIONS:
QUALITY OF A PRAYER 1)-. [5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. [7] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. [8] Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew, VI: 5-8.

***** 2)- . 25] And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

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[26] But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark, XI: 25-26. ***** 3)- . [9] And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: [10] Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke, XVIII: 9-14. ***** 4)- [24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. [25] And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. [26] But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark, XI: 24-26. *****

Some teachings from the Spirits from the Gospel according to Spiritism in chapter 27 items 22-23 and 28 item, 1:
ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SPIRITS. THE WAY TO PRAY 22. The first duty of all human beings, the first act which should mark the return to activity each day, is prayer. Most people pray, but only a very few really know how to pray! Of what importance to God are sentences which are mechanically linked together from habit, a duty to perform which weighs as heavily as any other duty? The prayers of a Christian, of a Spiritist, or of whatever cult, must be made as soon as the Spirit returns to the fleshly yoke; it should be raised up to the feet of the Divine Majesty with humility and profundity, in an impulse of gratitude for all the many benefits received till that day; for the night just past during which it was permitted, although without knowing, to get close to friends and guides so as to be able to absorb new strength and more perseverance through this contact. You should lift yourself up humbly to the feet of the Lord, so as to offer up your weaknesses, plead for help, indulgence and mercy. This prayer should be profound, because it is your soul that should raise itself up to the Creator, and in doing so, it should become transfigured, as was Jesus on the mount when He showed the radiant splendour of His hope and love. Your prayer should include a request for His blessings for all those things you really need. Therefore it is useless to ask the Lord to shorten your tests and trials, or to give you happiness and riches. Preferably ask for more precious items, such as patience, resignation and faith. Do not say, as many do, "It is not worth praying because God does not answer my prayers." In most cases what do your ask Him for? Have you ever remembered to ask Him to help you with your own moral betterment? Oh no! Seldom have you done this. What you most remember to ask for is success in all your Earthly projects and then you complain that God does not bother about anyone and that if He did there would not be so many injustices! How foolish! How ungrateful! If you searched deep into your conscience you would almost always find the motive for your suffering. So then, before all else ask that you may become a better person and you will see that you are showered with consolations and blessings (See chapter 5, item 4).

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You should pray constantly without seeking your chapel or falling on your knees in public. Daily prayer is th fulfillment of your duty without any exception of any kind whatsoever. Is it not an act of love towards God when you help your brothers and sisters in any moral or physical need? It is an act of gratitude to lift up your thoughts to Him when something happy occurs, when you avoid an accident, or even when some simple triviality grazes our soul. So do not forget to say: Blessed be my Father in Heaven! Is it not an act of contrition to humble yourself before the Supreme Judge when you feel yourself weakening, even if only by means of a fleeting thought, so as to say: Forgive me, Father, for l have sinned (from pride, selfishness or lack of charity); give me the strength not to fail again and courage to make reparation for my fault! This is quite apart from regular morning and evening prayer and those for sacred days. As you see, prayer can be for all moments without interrupting your activities. On the contrary, in this manner it sanctifies them. You can be sure that just one of these thoughts, if sent from the heart, is listened to by our Celestial Father even more than those long repetitious prayers said out of habit and almost always without any determined motive behind them only because the habitual hour is calling mechanically - V. MONOD (Bordeaux, 1862). PRAYER IS A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS 23. Come hither all who wish to believe! The Celestial Spirits are come to announce great things! My children, God is opening up His treasures so as to distribute them for your benefit. 0 incredulous Man! If only you knew what a great benefit to our hearts is faith and how it induces the soul to repentance and prayer! Prayer! Ah!... How touching are the words which fall from the lips of one who prays! Prayer is the Divine Dew which lessens the excessive heat of our passions. Favorite daughter of faith, it leads us along the pathway which takes us to God. In moments of reclusion and solitude you will find yourselves together with the Lord. For you the mysteries disappear because He reveals them to you. Apostles of thought, life is meant for you. Your soul liberates itself from matter and launches itself into the infinite and etheric worlds which poor humanity does not know. March forward! March forward along the path of prayer and you will hear the voices of the angels! What harmony! No longer the confused noises and strident sounds of the Earth; but the sound of the lyres of the archangels, the soft and gentle voices of the Seraphim, which are more delicate than the morning breeze when it plays among the foliage of the woodlands. Amongst what delights you will walk! Your earthly language cannot express such bliss, so quickly does it enter into all your pores, so alive and refreshing is the spring from which, through prayer, you are able to drink. Sweet voices and heady perfumes are what the soul hears and breathes when you launch yourself into prayer, into those unknown and inhabited spheres! All aspirations are divine when liberated from carnal desires. You too can pray, as did Jesus, while taking His Cross from Golgotha to Calvary. So take up your burden, and you will feel sweet emotions which will pass through your soul, even though you bear the weight of some infamous cross. He was going to die, but only in order to live the Celestial Life in the House of His Father. SAINT AUGUSTIN (Paris, 1861).

A COLLECTION OF SPIRITIST PRAYERS PREAMBLE 1. The Spirits have always said: "The form means nothing but the thought is everything. Say your prayers in accordance with your convictions and in the manner which is most agreeable to you since a good thought is worth more than numerous words which do not touch the heart." The Spirits do not prescribe an absolute formula for prayers. When they do give us one it is merely to help us form our ideas and above all to call our attention to certain principles of the Spiritist Doctrine. Or perhaps to offer guidance to those who find it difficult to express their ideas, because there are some who believe they have not prayed properly if they have not been able to formulate their thoughts well. The collection of prayers contained in this chapter are a selection of some that the Spirits have dictated on several occasions. They could beyond doubt have dictated other prayers, in different terms, appropriate to various ideas and special cases. But the style is of little importance if the thought is essentially the same. The object of prayer is to elevate our soul to God. The diversity of forms should not establish any difference between those who believe in Him and even less between the adepts of Spiritism, because God accepts all of them when they are sincere. Therefore you should not think of this collection of prayers as an absolute formula, but rather as a varied selection of those received from the Spirits. It is a way of applying the moral principles as taught by Christ which have been developed in this book, a complement to their writings based on our duties before God and our neighbour, in which we are again reminded of all the principles of the doctrine.

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Spiritism recognizes the prayers of all cults as being good, as long as they come from the heart and not just from the lips. It does not impose them nor does it condemn them. God is far too great, according to Spiritism, to consider repelling a voice which implores Him or which sings His praises, just because it is not done in this or that manner. Anyone who wants to launch anathema against any prayers which are not within their own formulas will prove they know nothing of the greatness of God. To believe that God has some kind of attachment to a certain formula is to attribute to Him the smallness and the passions of humanity. According to Saint Paul, one of the essential conditions of prayer (See chapter 27, item 16) is that it be understandable, so as to move our spirit. Nevertheless, for this it is not enough that it be said in ordinary language, since there are prayers which although they are couched in modern terms, say nothing more to our intelligence than an unknown foreign language does, and for this reason do not touch our hearts. The few ideas which they contain are usually suffocated by the overabundance of words and the mysticism of the language. The principal quality of a prayer is clarity. It should be simple and concise, without useless phraseology or an excess of adjectives which are nothing more than decoration. Each word should be of value in expressing an idea and in touching a fiber of the soul. In short, it should cause you to reflect This is the only way in which it can reach its objective, since in any other manner it is nothing but a noise. However, in most cases it can be seen with what distraction and inconstancy they are said. We see lips which move, but by the expression on the faces, by the sound of the voices, we can verify that it is only mechanical, a solely exterior act, to which the soul remains indifferent. The prayers in this collection are divided into five categories, as follows: 1) General Prayers. 2) Prayers for oneself. 3) Prayers for the living. 4) Prayers for the dead. 5) Special prayers for the sick and the obsessed. With the objective of calling special attention to the aims of the various prayers and making their meaning more comprehensive, they are preceded by preliminary comments giving an explanation of the motives behind each one, entitled preface. Please Note: For further study of prayers see in the Gospel according to Spiritism some more items. ********* CONSIDERATIONS: n 2: As God being our father and Creator and if we understand that God is Spirit, it is logic and obvious that so as for us to worship Him or have communion we ought Through prayer from our innermost, that is, from our soul to reach out God according as Jesus has directioned us, God listens the desires of our innermost, as He reads the reasons and the inner self of every one, thence, if our request be made by someone else, God takes into consideration, but someone else not always succeeds to intermediate correctly for the need of whomever comes to him asking some help, because the innermost of each one only God can see and read.. Thence, the right way it is as Jesus taught: that when one wishes to pray, one should pray intimately or secretly or in the secrets of our inner self or heart, so that our communion be correct and accepted by God, we do not have that habit, but Jesus had the habit to live in constant union of prayer to God, it is not as being fanatic, but to live in harmony with God and life itself, in a continuous union by thought, even so because it is the thought which links us to God and the spiritual beyond, in which there is a hierarchy of Superior Spirits who in union with our guardian Angel watches closely us in the name of God.. For us to pray it is not necessarily in a Temple or church that we should look for, the old Indians of the Americas had the habit to climb up the mountains to pray to God and I agree that God appreciated them, because they humbly called God Great Spirit; Jesus used to pray on some mountains which there was in the holy land, for praying it is necessary the willingness, the inner sentiment and the desire to do so, in communion it is not Always necessary many words, sometimes it is enough to think of God, meditate a little about God and His Laws, to feel out His presence Through the Nature and in the every days tasks demanded feeling ourselves that we are living a dignified life, because God does not demand more than our effort or willingness, because He knows that we all are here in this world for not having as yet the merits for a better world, because it was of Hiss will to have given us the free-will in simplicity and ignorance, so that we may deserve the ascension to the spiritual summits in the approachement of God. Spiritism is a Doctrine that leads us to good, demanding from us efforts for us to conquer our inferiorities, and asks us for us to help ourselves, because as our willingness Heaven will help us, Yes, Heaven will help, will inspire us, but will not do for us what it is demanded of us, not at all, for us to leave something to be done and ask help waiting that God or some Spirit will do it, not at all, because it will stay there awaiting for us to do it, that is a law, an example there is if we go to bed leaving off the kitchen sink full of dishes to be washed, in the morning when waking up the dishes will be there waiting, that is obvious. Spiritism does not offer miracles, because it was revealed to it that God is just, kind, perfect and omniscient and as He is omniscient His Laws are perfect and do not need to be rectified, if someone receives a blessing it is by

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own merit in the list of credits and debts, by example, in past lives someone did somewhat of good which retains in credit, when in a future reincarnation something happens and asks for help, as he has credit he receives attention and his pray is attended, it is also there is the Law of causes and effects in which a person may be in the world in order to rescue somewhat bad of previous lives, now, if all of a sudden in his current life he pays what he owes, so if happening a need thereon he already has merit Jesus healed a blind man from birth, it is Well probable that he already deserved that blessing for having suffered from birth; I reckon also that within the known Laws there is also which are not known to us that explains apparently there to be miracles, however, miracles it is our point of view, because God does constantly miracles in our life and we do not notice or we do not accept as miracles, yes, we do constantly in miracle, but not of a derogation of the Laws of God which are perfect; example our heart beats billions of times in our entire life, the lungs elaborate the oxygen in distribution through our body miraculously in association with the heart, and so it goes. In morals, it is not God who modifies Himself as if it was Him that were developing and having progress, repenting Himself and improvising Himself, what does happen it is that it is us who are developing and having progress, thence on understanding more and more much better God and His Laws, and in our ignorance of the past God was molded to our image; could it! In praying within the Laws of God we as His children do have rights which we hardly know, because there is powers planted in us which we do not know or know how to use, there is powers of thought for good, example if we think positively within the Will of God things happen as miraculously and one can only explain saying: I have had much faith in God; Jesus much better than anyone knew that, for he taught: if you have faith you shall remove mountains. Folk! We are bigger than we think, for we are children of God. The Spirits more ancient due to having been refined in their many reincarnations which they had, do not need to incarnate again unless in mission sent by God, we still need the teachings which the Earth offers us in Science, intelligence, in morals; Jesus is our older Brother, He mentioned: that before Abraham was he already was, and St. Paul said that: Jesus already existed before the formation of the Earth, and there are studies which leads to the indication that Jesus was one of the Elohim, that is, Creator Spirits who took part in the formation of the Earth; and it was given Him the charge of being the Governor of the Earth. Yes, our journey is not only material, it is also spiritual, it is of that which comes the great need of prayer and for us to take that obligation seriously, that sentiment, that means of us opening, of us to release burdens of the heart, for us to get comfort on the shoulders of God, of Jesus or in conformity with the light which we may have; to request aid, to ask for light, to ask for wisdom, to ask for understanding, to ask for faith, to ask for hope, to ask for patience, to ask for strength to be able to hold our cross and have faith in life, in heights or downs, in the material difficulties which although they may be temporarily sometimes they bring afflictions which do seem to be giants due to our little being, because small problems only are big when our soul is small and may God enlarge our faith in this case our soul. Now, all being so our living with God is something particular, therefore paid prayers are suspected of being effective, because our responsibility before God is not as buying bonds which is enough to seek a broker, hence some who say: but we have priests, yes, but the curtains of the Temples altar were rent off splited out with the death of Jesus so as that might come to God personally, hence in the innermost of each one is given that privilege or blessing. We ought encourage ourselves to pray and encourage others to the praying, many do not succeed praying in sharing with other people, but, when alone Always succeed once in a while to be open with God, Jesus said: come unto me you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest; but, strange as it might be a lot of people is afraid to come to Jesus as their hearts are full: that Jesus is God, thence the fear they have, then they do come to the Virgin Mary or saints, nobody has the right to criticize them, because all have their own quantity of light and Spiritism explains us that God reads the heart, the thoughts and the intention, he does not expect that everyone should have deep knowledge about God. Jesus asked the disciples: what do they say that Jesus is, some thought of Jesus as a prophet etc., nowadays also many continue to suppose Jesus to be this or that and many times they are wrong, but let us reason that Jesus had in mission to exemplify love and he was full of love towards all! We do conclude therefore, as we all are incarnated Spirits we all need to be in communion with God in preference humbly and patiently in a natural manner; Always respecting God and behaving ourselves in a dignified sentiment without having feelings of being better than anyone else, bringing in our heart the sense of love towards everyone and the one of worship to God. Good, may God be with us as formerly, today and Always.

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THE GIFT OF HEALING 1. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils,' freely ye have received, freely give (Matthew, 10: 8). 2. "Give for free what has been received gratuitously," is what Jesus told His disciples. With this recommendation it is prescribed that no one be charged for something for which nothing has been paid. Now what they had received gratuitously was the faculty of healing those who were sick, and that of expelling devils, that is to say bad spirits. God gave them this faculty gratis for the alleviation of those who suffer and as a means of propagating faith. Jesus, then, recommended that they did not turn this into an object of commercialization, neither speculation, nor a means of livelihood. THE LORD'S PRAYER 2. PREFACE. - The Spirits recommended that we begin this anthology with the Lord's Prayer, not simply as a prayer, but also as a symbol. Of all the prayers, this one is considered the most important because it came from Jesus Himself (see Matthew, 6: 9-13) and because it can substitute all others, according to the intention and the thoughts that are joined to it. It is the most concisely perfect model; a truly sublime work of art in its simplicity. With effect, in its very reduced form, it manages to summarize all Man's duties before God, before himself and before his neighbor. It includes a mark of faith, an act of adoration and submission, a request for those things necessary to terrestrial life and the principle of charity. Whoever says this prayer for another, asks for them what they would ask for themself. Nevertheless, because of its shortness, the deep meaning of some of its words escapes most people. This is usually because they say it without thinking of the meaning of each of its phrases. They say it just like a mechanical formula, whose efficiency is proportional to the number of times it is repeated. This number is almost always cabalistic: three, seven or nine, in view of the ancient superstitious belief in the power of numbers and of their practical use in magic. A COLLECTION OF SPIRITIST PRAYERS In order to fill the void often felt by the shortness of this prayer, the Spirits recommended and helped us to odd a commentary to each of the phrases which increases their meaning and shows the best way to make use of each one. In accordance with individual circumstances and the time at your disposal at any given moment, you con say the Lords Prayer in its simple form or in the more developed way. ]3. PRAYER: (1) Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name! Lord, we believe in thee, because everything about us reveals Your goodness and Your power. The harmony of the Universe is proof of a wisdom, a prudence and a foresight which surpasses all human faculties. The Name of a Being Who is supremely great and wise is written on all the works of Creation, from the humble grass and the smallest insect up to the stars and planets in space. On all sides we see proof of a paternal solicitude. Blind then is the one who does not recognise Your works, prideful is the one who does not worship You, and ungrateful is the one who does not give thanks to You.

(2) Thy kingdom come! Lord, you gave Man laws full of wisdom, which would make him happy if only he observed them. With these laws, justice and peace could be established, and all could help each other instead of causing mutual harm as they do. The strong should uphold the weak instead of crushing them. All the evils which are born of abuses and excesses of all kinds could be avoided. AH the miseries of this world stem from the violation of Your laws, because there is not one infraction that does not bring its fatal consequences. You gave the animals an instinct which traces the limits of their necessities and to which they respond mechanically. But to Man, as well as instinct, You also gave intelligence and reason. Still more, You gave the liberty to keep or to violate those of Your laws which concern each one personally, or rather the faculty to choose between good and bad, so that we have the merit and the responsibility for our acts. No one can protest ignorance of Your laws, because in Your paternal providence You desired that they be recorded in the consciousness of each one, without distinction as to cults or nationality. In this manner those who violate them do so because they despise You. The day will come when according to Your promise, all will practise these laws. Then incredulity will have disappeared; all will recognise in You the Supreme Lord of all things and the reign of Your laws will herald Your Reign here on Earth. Lord, deign to hasten Your accession by giving to Man the necessary enlightenment which will conduct him along the pathway of truth! (3) Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven! If submission is the duty of a son towards his father, of the inferior towards his superior, how much greater is that of a being towards his Creator! By the words: 'Your will be done, Lord,' it is for us to observe Your laws and to submit ourselves without lamentations to all Your divine designs. Man will become submissive when he understands You are the source of all wisdom and that without You he can do nothing. Then he will do Your bidding on Earth as do Your elected ones in Heaven. (4) Give us this day our daily bread! Give us the necessary food for the maintenance of our physical strength and give us also spiritual nourishment for the development of our spirits. The animals find their pastures, but Man depends on his own activity and his mental resources to produce his food because You gave him freedom. You have said: "You will earn your bread by the sweat of your brow," and with these words You made work an obligation, which makes us exercise our intelligence in the search for the means to provide our necessities and to attend to our well-being: some by their material work, others by their intellectual work. Without work, Man would remain stationary and could not aspire to the happiness of the Superior Spirits. Please help those of goodwill, who depend on You for what is necessary, but not those who take pleasure in being lazy and like to receive all things without any effort, nor those who seek superfluity (See chapter 25). How many succumb throught their own fault, through negligence, through being improvident, through ambition, or through not being content with what You had given them! These are the authors of their own misfortunes and do not have the right to complain, since they are punished according to the manner in which they sinned. But You will not abandon even these because You are infinitely merciful and will extend a providential hand to them, if they return to You with sincerity, like the prodigal son (See chapter 5, item 4).

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Before lamenting our bad luck, help us ask ourselves if it is not our own work; at each misfortune which befalls us, help us to verify if we could have avoided it; help us repeat to ourselves that God has given us intelligence so as to be able to get ourselves out of any slough and that it depends on us to put this intelligence to good use. Seeing that Man is subject to the law of labour here on Earth, give us the courage and the strength to fulfill this law, Give us also prudence and moderation so that we may not lose its fruits. Give us then, Lord, our daily bread, or rather the means of acquiring our necessities through work, because no one has the right to ask for superfluity. If we are unable to work, help us have confidence in Your divine providence. If it is within Your design to test us with great privation, despite our efforts, we accept this as a just expiation for the faults which we have committed in this life or in a previous one, because we know that You are just, and that there are no undeserved penalties since You never punish without cause. Lord, preserve us from envying those who have what we have not, or of those who have superfluous things at their disposal, when we are wanting in what is necessary. Forgive them, Lord, if they forget the law of charity and of love towards one's neighbour, which You have taught (See chapter 16, item 8). Withdraw also from our spirit the idea of denying the existence of Your justice when we see evil prosper, and the unhappiness which sometimes falls upon the godly man. Thanks to the new enlightenment which You have given us, we know that Your justice never fails and does not make any exceptions; the material prosperity of one who is evil is as fragile as his bodily existence and he will experience terrible reverses; whereas life will be eternal bliss for those who suffer with resignation (See chapter 5, items 7, 9,12 & 18). (5) Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us! Lord, each one of our infractions against Your laws is an offence we commit against You, a debt contracted, which sooner or later will have to be paid. We implore that You forgive us through Your infinite mercy, subject to the promise we make to employ all our strength in not contracting others. You made charity an express law for everyone; but charity does not only consist of helping our fellow beings in all their needs, but also in the forgetfulness and the forgiving of offences. With what right do we demand your indulgence, if we lack charity towards those who have given us motive for complaint? Dear Lord, give us the strength to stifle within ourselves all resentment, hate and rancour. Do not let death surprise us with a desire for vengeance in our hearts. If You approve of our being taken from this world today, help us to be able to present ourself to You completely cleansed of animosity, just like Christ, Whose last words were in favour of His tormentors (See chapter 10). The persecutions which those who are evil inflict upon us constitute part of our earthly tests; we should accept them without complaint, as we should accept all other tests, without cursing those who by their wrongdoing, open up a pathway for us to eternal happiness seeing that You said, through the intermediary of Jesus: "Blessed be those who suffer for the sake of justice!" Consequently, blessed be the hand that injures and humiliates us, as the mortifications of the body strengthen our soul, and we shall then be raised up from our humiliations (See chapter 12, item 4). Blessed be Your name Lord, because You have taught us that our destiny is not irrevocably fixed after death; we will find in yet other existences, the means by which we may make atonement and repay all our past debts, and be able to realise in a new life, all those things to help our progress that we were unable to do in this one (See chapter 4; chapter 5, item 5). In this manner all the apparent irregularities of life are finally explained. The light is cast over our past and our future, as a brilliant sign of Your supreme justice and of Your infinite goodness. (6) Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil. (1) Lord, give us the necessary strength to resist all impulses towards evil which will try to divert us from the path of goodness by inspiring us with bad thoughts. But nevertheless we too are also imperfect Spirits incarnated on Earth so as to expiate our sins and to be able to better ourselves. The cause of evil lies deep within our souls and the bad Spirits only take advantage of these inferior tendencies so as to be able to tempt us. Each imperfection is an open door to their influences; just as they are powerless and give up any attempt against perfect beings. We are only unable to get rid of them as long as we do not put up a decided and unshakable desire for goodness, together with total renunciation of all evil. Therefore it is against ourselves that our strength must be directed and if we do this, the bad Spirits will naturally leave us since it is the evil which attracts them, whereas goodness repels them (See further on in this chapter: Prayers for the obsessed). Dear Lord, uphold us in our weakness, inspire us through the voices of our Guardian Angels and the good Spirits, with the desire to correct our imperfections so that we may prevent access to our soul by the evil Spirits (See further on, item 11). Evil is not Your work Lord, because the source of all goodness cannot engender any badness. It is ourselves who create it when we infringe Your laws and through the bad use we make of the liberty You concede to us. When Man has learnt to keep Your laws then evil will disappear from Earth, just as it has already disappeared from more advanced worlds. Evil does not constitute a fatal necessity for anybody and only appears to be irresistible to those who take pleasure in it. So if we have a desire to practise evil, we can also have a desire to practise good. For this reason, dear God, we beg Your assistance and that of the good Spirits so we may resist temptation. __________ (1) There are some translations of the Bible which say: do not induce us to temptation (et nos inducas in tentationem). This sentence gives us to understand that temptation stems from God and that He voluntarily impels Man towards evil; which is a blasphemous idea putting God on an equal basis with Satan and therefore, could not have been in the mind of Jesus. Actually, it is in accordance with the popular idea that exists about the part played by Devils (See HEAVEN & HELL, 1st part, chapter 9 - THE DEVILS). (7) So be it! O God, may the realisation of our desires be accomplished! But we nevertheless bow down before Your infinite wisdom. In all things that we are unable to understand, may Your blessed Will be done and not ours, since You only desire our improvement and know better than us what is best for us. We offer You this prayer, Lord, not only for ourselves, but also for all suffering creatures, both incarnate and discarnate, for our friends and our enemies, for all those who demand our help, and especially for X . . . We beseech Your mercy and blessing for all. (NOTE: Here you can offer thanks to God for all that has been conceded to you and formulate any request you may have, either for yourself or for others (See further on, prayers No. 26 & 27).

Estudo feito no Centro Esprita Joana dArc, SJ Meriti RJ. a 05/ 03/ 2013.