ne says[261] that prayer is "the asking God for
things that are fitting." Hence it is not exact to distinguish _prayers_
from _postulations_.

But prayer, generally considered, embraces all the
above-mentioned parts; when, however, we distinguish one part
against another, _prayer_, properly speaking, means the
uplifting of the mind to God.

3. Lastly, giving of thanks refers to the past, whereas the other parts
of prayer refer to the future. Hence giving of thanks should not be
placed after the rest.

But whereas in things which are different from one another the
past precedes the future, in one and the same thing the future
precedes the past. Hence giving of thanks for benefits already
received precedes petition; yet those same benefits were first
asked for, and then, when they had been received, thanks were
offered for them. Prayer, however, precedes petition, for by it
we draw nigh to God to Whom we make petition. And _obsecration_
precedes _prayer_, for it is from dwelling upon the Divine
Goodness that we venture to approach to Him.

* * * * *

_Cajetan:_ We might be asked how the mind can be especially elevated to
God at the moment of consecration. For in the consecration the priest
has to express distinctly the words of consecration, and consequently
cannot have his mind uplifted towards God at that moment. Indeed, the
more his mind is uplifted to God, the less he thinks of inferior things,
words, and so forth.

But in the consecration of the Holy Eucharist--in which the priest in a
sense brings God down upon earth--the very greatness of our uplifting of
mind towards the Divine Goodness Which has thus deigned to come amongst
us is the very reason for our attention to the words in the act of
consecration, and makes the priest pronounce them distinctly and
reverently. Some scrupulous folk, however, concentrate their whole
attention on being intent and attentive; but this is really a
distraction, and not attention, for its object is precisely the being
attentive. The uplifting, then, of our minds to God in the consecration
has indeed to be the very greatest, not, indeed, intensively and by
abstraction from the things of sense, but objectively and
concentrated--though always within the limits compatible with
attention--on the endeavour to say the words as they should be said
(_on_ 2. 2. 83. 17.)

* * *