Now it remaineth that we do treat of the last part of all, which is petition: which containeth in it two parts: in the one part, we make petition unto almighty God for our neighbors: and in the other, for ourselves.
The first part may be continued with thanks giving, desiring that all creatures may serve and praise our Lord, who is so worthy to be praised, and served, for that he is so merciful and bountiful unto all his creatures. And with this affection and desire of the glory of almighty God, let him pray first and principally for all the universal world, that all nations and people may know and serve so mighty a Lord. Then for all the Catholic Church, and for all the governors in the same. As for example, we must pray for the Pope, and for all the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and for all other inferior Prelates, Pastors, and Curates: that they may be careful of their duty in directing all the faithful in the knowledge and service of their Creator.
Likewise let him pray for all the members of the Catholic Church: For the just persons, that it may please almighty God to continue them in their virtuous life: For sinners, that it may please him to pardon them: And for the souls departed out of this world, that it may please him to deliver them out of the grievous pains of Purgatory, and bring them to rest of life everlasting. Let him pray also for his parents, and for his godfathers, and godmothers, and for his ghostly father, and for all his kinsfolk, friends, and benefactors, and for all that be in tribulation, and captivity, and for all prisoners, and sick persons, unto whom he may (without any distraction or intermission of his prayer) do the works of mercy, in recommending them unto almighty God who created them, and referring the necessities of all persons into those hands, which were stretched upon the cross for them all.
After this, he may desire such things for himself, as he perceiveth himself to stand in need of, according to the particular necessities and miseries that he feeleth in his soul, and especially when he desireth help and remedy of almighty God against such vices, and passions, as do most trouble and molest him, and to grant him such virtues as be most needful for him. This kind of petition (among other commodities) hath this withal, that it reneweth daily in the soul good purposes, and desires of virtues, and moveth it to be the more earnest in doing that thing, which he hath so often times and so heartly desired, and it maketh him to be the more ashamed of himself when he doth it not, by calling to mind with how great desire and instancy he hath desired our Lord to grant him grace to do it. And of this mind is St. Chrysostom, where he saith thus: Such as pray earnestly in very deed will not suffer their heart to commit any thing that is unseemly for such an exercise, but have ever their eye upon almighty God, with whom a little before they talked, and were conversant. And so by that cogitation they put away from them all the suggestions of the devil, when they think and consider what a heinous matter it were, that he who had a little before talked with almighty God, and desired of him chastity, and holiness, with all other virtues, should immediately run to his enemies side, and open the gate of his soul to receive in filthy and dishonest delights, and suffer the devil to place himself in that heart, where a little before the holy Ghost made his abode.
But it is very much to be lamented, that there be some persons that think to excuse themselves, by saying, that they know not what thing to desire of almighty God. Surely, this is no sufficient excuse. For what beast is so insensible, but that he knoweth some manner of way how to signify the need he standeth in? What sick man is there, that can not say, here it grieveth me? Consider therefore (O man) thyself. Consider (I say) with what vices and passions thou art most troubled, and molested: If with covetousness, if with anger, if with detraction, if with vain glory, if with stubbornness of thine own will, if with looseness of tongue, if with lightness of heart, if with the love of honor, estimation, and delights, if with inconstancy in such good purposes as thou intendest, if with self love, or any other the like passions, and pestilences of the mind, and discover all these wounds plainly, one by one, unto that heavenly physician, that he may heal and cure them with the ointment of his grace.
After that thou hast demanded remedy against thy vices, desire him then to grant thee all such virtues as be most behooveful for thy salvation. And because this is a principal part of this exercise of prayer, wherein often times is spent all the time thereof, with very great taste, and profit, I think it good to note here unto the devout reader those principal virtues which be as it were the pillars of the spiritual life, that thou mayest always long and sigh for them, and always desire them very instantly of our Lord in thy prayer.
OF PRAYER AND MEDITATION 