How are we to worship God? (Answered)

[JM3]

Last year, I started a thread called ‘How are we to worship God?’. The answers I received, it seemed to me, were not very clear. Recently, I have been reading a book called Holy Wisdom, written in the 17th century, and came upon the following (I have changed the &c to etc);

Third Treatise, On Prayer, First Section

Chapter IV

1. As touching the first point, to wit, the extension of prayer, it is our Lord’s command that we should never omit this duty of prayer (oportet semper orare et non deficere), we ought always to pray, and not to cease (or faint in it). And St. Paul exhorts indifferently all Christians (sine interinissione orate), pray without intermission. Now in this precept of our Lord there is an obligation so express, so universal, and so confirmed, and repeated both affirmatively and negatively, that all exception and derogation seems to be excluded, and that it binds both semper et ad semper. In all the Gospel we can scarce find a precept so fast-binding and so unquestionable.

5…for most manifest it is that we are obliged to aspire unto uninterrupted prayer, and yet most certain also it is that besides simple prayer there are many other duties required of us. The sense, therefore, and importance of our Lord’s precept of praying continually without failing may be cleared by two passages of St. Paul. The first is this (1Tim. iv.), Cibos creavit Deus ad percipiendum, etc.; that is, God hath created meats to be received with giving of thanks by His faithful servants, and those which have known the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected which is received with giving of thanks; for it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer. The second is (1 Cor. x.), Sive ergo manducatis sive, etc.; that is, therefore, whether you eat or drink, or what other thing soever you do, do all to the glory of God. From which text it appears, 1. That all creatures are in their use unsanctified unto us, that is, profane, unless they be used with prayer. 2. That we are obliged not only in the use of creatures by eating and drinking, etc., but also in all our other actions whatsoever, to join prayer and a consecrating of them to God’s glory, so that if we comply with these our obligations and duties, we must continually either be in actual prayer or busied in something done in virtue of prayer.

1. And the ground of this obligation is both very firm and manifest, which is this, that even reason dictates that all the things we do we ought to do them in order to our last end, which is God; that is, with a sanctified intention (for whatsoever is not done with a right intention in order to God is of no worth at all, being only a work of corrupt nature). Now, since there are only two things which do sanctify all things and actions, to wit, the word of God and prayer: the word of God generally, that is the certain and revealed will of God, that the thing is in itself lawful to be used or done, and prayer in particular, proceeding from faith or assurance that the thing is lawful, and thereupon acknowledging it to be God’s gift, desiring His blessing on it, and referring it to His glory, etc.: hence it evidently follows that since without prayer all things are unsanctified or profane, not at all conducing to our last end, but rather prejudicial to it, therefore all are bound to endeavour to sanctify all their actions and works by prayer.

1. Now it is impossible for a soul to continue without interruption in vocal prayer, there being so many necessary occasions hourly occurring to employ the tongue other ways, besides that, it would utterly exhaust the spirits. And as for meditation, the exercise thereof is so painful that it would destroy the head to force the imagination continually to invent and discourse internally on divine or spiritual objects.

1. Therefore by no other manner of prayer but the internal exercise of the will in holy desires, etc., can this precept of our Lord be perfectly accomplished. For the soul is naturally in a continual exercise of some one desire or other, the which are not at all painful to her, being her natural employment, so that if by practice we can so rectify our desires as to place them upon their only true and proper object, which is God, it will necessarily follow that the soul should be in continual prayer.

1. It remains, therefore, that, ordinarily speaking, the only efficacious and immediate disposition to the habit of uninterrupted prayer is a constant exercise of internal prayer of the will, by which the soul being daily forced to a serious attendance and tendance to God in spirit, by little and little becomes more and better affected to a frequent conversation with Him, and in time loses all relish or taste of pleasures in creatures.

The answer, then, to the question, ‘How are we to worship God?’, is ‘by continual prayer’. This is, also, what the Catechism teaches;

CCC

2703 This need also corresponds to a divine requirement. God seeks worshippers in Spirit and in Truth, and consequently living prayer that rises from the depths of the soul. He also wants the external expression that associates the body with interior prayer, for it renders him that perfect homage which is his due.

2742…For “we have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast constantly, but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing.”