(October 15th, 1860)
Prayer is a sublime aspiration to which God has given a magnificent power constantly claimed by the spirits. Like gentle dew that brings refreshment to the poor exile on Earth and acts as a proven fruitful process for the soul. The prayer operates directly upon the spirit to whom it is addressed. It does not transform thorns into roses but modifies the life of suffering (nothing can be done against the immutable will of God), exciting impulse of the will that raises courage, giving strength to fight against adversities and dominate them. By this means, the path that leads to God is shortened and nothing can be compared to prayer in its wonderful effect. Only an inferior spirit would speak in vain against prayer and would be bound to the earth and behind in evolution not understanding the need to reach out to this anchor of salvation.
Pray, it is a word that descends from heaven; it is the drop of dew on the edges of a flower; it is the support of the reed during the thunderstorm; it is the wooden board to the poor shipwrecked during the storm; it is the shelter to the orphan and the beggar; it is the cradle for the infant to sleep. Prayer, a divine emanation, is what connects us to God through language, calling God’s attention to us. Praying for us is to love God. Begging for a brother or sister is one of the most meritorious acts of love. Prayer that comes from the heart is the key to the treasures of grace; it is the steward that provides benefits in the name of the infinite mercy. A soul that elevates to God through such sublime impulse of prayer, detached from its material envelope, seems to be plentiful of confidence before God; certain that what has been asked with humility will be granted.
Pray! Oh pray, make a reservoir of your holy aspirations to be discharged on the day of justice. Prepare the granary of abundance, so valuable during the famine. Bury the treasure of your prayers until the God chosen day for the distribution of your rich deposit. Accumulate it for you and your fellow beings and that will reduce your anguishes and will help you to transpose more rapidly the distance that separates you from God. Give thought to your miserable nature, counting the deceptions, the risks; probe the deep abyss to where passions can drag you to; look at those who fall around you and you will feel the inexorable need to resource to prayer. It is the anchor of salvation that will prevent the destruction of your ship, when it becomes stricken by worldly storms.
