Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that sinners impetrate nothing from God by their prayers. It is written (Jn. 9:31): "We know that God doth not hear sinners"; and this agrees with the saying of Prov. 28:9, "He that turneth away his ears from hearing the law, his prayer shall be an abomination." Now an abominable prayer impetrates nothing from God. Therefore sinners impetrate nothing from God.

Objection 2: Further, the just impetrate from God what they merit, as stated above (Article 15, ad 2). But sinners cannot merit anything since they lack grace and charity which is the "power of godliness," according to a gloss on 2 Tim. 3:5, "Having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof." and so their prayer is impious, and yet piety it required in order that prayer may be impetrative, as stated above (Article 15, ad 2). Therefore sinners impetrate nothing by their prayers.

Objection 3: Further, Chrysostom says: "The Father is unwilling to hear the prayer which the Son has not inspired." Now in the prayer inspired by Christ we say: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us": and sinners do not fulfil this. Therefore either they lie in saying this, and so are unworthy to be heard, or, if they do not say it, they are not heard, because they do not observe the form of prayer instituted by Christ.

On the contrary, Augustine says (Tract. xliv, super Joan.): "If God were not to hear sinners, the publican would have vainly said: Lord, be merciful to me a sinner"; and Chrysostom says: "Everyone that asketh shall receive, that is to say whether he be righteous or sinful."

I answer that, In the sinner, two things are to be considered: his nature which God loves, and the sin which He hates. Accordingly when a sinner prays for something as sinner, i.e. in accordance with a sinful desire, God hears him not through mercy but sometimes through vengeance when He allows the sinner to fall yet deeper into sin. For "God refuses in mercy what He grants in anger," as Augustine declares (Tract. lxxiii in Joan.). On the other hand God hears the sinner's prayer if it proceed from a good natural desire, not out of justice, because the sinner does not merit to be heard, but out of pure mercy , provided however he fulfil the four conditions given above, namely, that he beseech for himself things necessary for salvation, piously and perseveringly.

Reply to Objection 1: As Augustine states (Tract. xliv super Joan.), these words were spoken by the blind man before being anointed, i.e. perfectly enlightened, and consequently lack authority. And yet there is truth in the saying if it refers to a sinner as such, in which sense also the sinner's prayer is said to be an abomination.

Reply to Objection 2: There can be no godliness in the sinner's prayer as though his prayer were quickened by a habit of virtue: and yet his prayer may be godly in so far as he asks for something pertaining to godliness. Even so a man who has not the habit of justice is able to will something just, as stated above (Question 59, Article 2). And though his prayer is not meritorious, it can be impetrative, because merit depends on justice, whereas impetration rests on grace.

Reply to Objection 3: As stated above (Article 7, ad 1) the Lord's Prayer is pronounced in the common person of the whole Church: and so if anyone say the Lord's Prayer while unwilling to forgive his neighbor's trespasses, he lies not, although his words do not apply to him personally: for they are true as referred to the person of the Church, from which he is excluded by merit, and consequently he is deprived of the fruit of his prayer. Sometimes, however, a sinner is prepared to forgive those who have trespassed against him, wherefore his prayers are heard, according to Ecclus. 28:2, "Forgive thy neighbor if he hath hurt thee, and then shall thy sins be forgiven to thee when thou prayest."

Articulus 16

Argumentum 1

Ad sextumdecimum sic proceditur. Videtur quod peccatores orando non impetrent aliquid a deo.

Dicitur enim Ioan. IX, scimus quia peccatores deus non audit.

Quod consonat ei quod dicitur Prov. XXVIII, qui declinat aures suas ne audiat legem, oratio eius erit execrabilis, oratio autem execrabilis non impetrat aliquid a deo.

Ergo peccatores non impetrant aliquid a deo.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, iusti impetrant a deo illud quod merentur, ut supra habitum est.

Sed peccatores nihil possunt mereri, quia gratia carent, et etiam caritate, quae est virtus pietatis, ut dicit Glossa, II ad Tim. III, super illud, habentes quidem speciem pietatis, virtutem autem eius abnegantes; et ita non pie orant, quod requiritur ad hoc quod oratio impetret, ut supra dictum est.

Ergo peccatores nihil impetrant orando.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, chrysostomus dicit, super Matth., pater non libenter exaudit orationem quam filius non dictavit.

Sed in oratione quam christus dictavit dicitur, dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris, quod peccatores non faciunt. Ergo vel mentiuntur hoc dicentes, et sic non sunt exauditione digni, vel, si non dicant, non exaudiuntur, quia formam orandi a christo institutam non servant.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, super Ioan., si peccatores non exaudiret deus, frustra publicanus dixisset, domine, propitius esto mihi peccatori.

Et chrysostomus dicit, super Matth., omnis qui petit accipit, idest, sive iustus sit sive peccator.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod in peccatore duo sunt consideranda, scilicet natura, quam diligit deus; et culpa, quam odit. Si ergo peccator orando aliquid petit inquantum peccator, idest secundum desiderium peccati, hoc a deo non auditur ex misericordia, sed quandoque auditur ad vindictam, dum deus permittit peccatorem adhuc amplius ruere in peccata, deus enim quaedam negat propitius quae concedit iratus, ut Augustinus dicit.

Orationem vero peccatoris ex bono naturae desiderio procedentem deus audit, non quasi ex iustitia, quia peccator hoc non meretur, sed ex pura misericordia, observatis tamen quatuor praemissis conditionibus, ut scilicet pro se petat, necessaria ad salutem, pie et perseveranter.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut Augustinus dicit, super Ioan., illud verbum est caeci adhuc inuncti, idest nondum perfecte illuminati. Et ideo non est ratum. Quamvis possit verificari si intelligatur de peccatore inquantum est peccator.

Per quem etiam modum oratio eius dicitur execrabilis.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod peccator non potest pie orare quasi eius oratio ex habitu virtutis informetur. Potest tamen eius oratio esse pia quantum ad hoc quod petit aliquid ad pietatem pertinens, sicut ille qui non habet habitum iustitiae, potest aliquid iustum velle, ut ex supradictis patet.

Et quamvis eius oratio non sit meritoria, potest tamen esse impetrativa, quia meritum innititur iustitiae, sed impetratio gratiae.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, oratio dominica profertur ex persona communi totius ecclesiae.

Et ideo si aliquis nolens dimittere debita proximo dicat orationem dominicam, non mentitur, quamvis hoc quod dicit non sit verum quantum ad suam personam, est enim verum quantum ad personam ecclesiae. Extra quam est merito, et ideo fructu orationis caret.

Quandoque tamen aliqui peccatores parati sunt debitoribus suis remittere. Et ideo ipsi orantes exaudiuntur, secundum illud Eccli. XXVIII, relinque proximo tuo nocenti te, et tunc deprecanti tibi peccata solventur.