Victor R. Claveau,MJ
Because Catholicism includes a rich tradition of formal prayer, some non-Catholics accuse Catholics of praying “in vain repetition” despite the admonition against it in Matthew 6:7. Their understanding is that repeated prayers, in lieu of repetition itself, are “vain” in the context of being empty, worthless or ineffectual.
First, let it be understood that Catholics pray in their own words in addition to their formal prayers. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (§2688) states that “the memorization of basic prayers offers an essential support to the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savor their meaning.” In other words, formal prayer isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) thoughtless lip service but a verbal expression of clearly understood and heartfelt sentiments.
Also, the verse referenced in Matthew 6:7, in the King James Version, reads, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” The operative Greek word used in this text for “vain repetitions” is battalogeo, or babbling. That is, the heathens had a magical perception of prayer and they believed that the more they babbled to their gods, the more their god would respond: I Kings 18:26: “And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us.’ But there was no voice, nor any that answered.”
Two verses after the warning in Matthew against “vain repetitions,” Jesus gave us the “Our Father” prayer, which most Protestant Christians pray with no qualms about praying “in vain.” The same command in Luke 11:2 reads: “And he said unto them, when you pray, say, Our Father…”
Take heed…that Christ Himself prayed in repetitions. “And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words”[1]
“…that the angels apparently pray repetitiously. “…and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”[2]
…that God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to pray repeatedly: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one LORD; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”[3]
…that the Psalms are a collection of prayers and litanies which were prayed formally in the pre-Christian synagogues and early Christian churches, are still prayed in synagogues and Catholic churches today— and were even prayed by Christ from the Cross.
…that the liturgy of the synagogue was (and is) filled with repetition and formalized prayer. Christ said, “Use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do.” Were the Jews heathens? They prayed (and still pray) the sh’ma twice daily and, in their liturgy, the Shemoneh Esrei, the Kaddish, the morning blessings, the Aleinu, etc. Examine a Jewish siddur (missal) sometime; does it appear more typically Protestant or Catholic?
…that hymns are prayers. Is it “vainly repetitious” to sing “Amazing Grace” or “The Old Rugged Cross” more than once?
In addition, the earliest Christians (being Catholics) understood Christ’s words, as do modern Catholics. The 1st century Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) instructs us to pray the Our Father three times each day:
Do not pray like the hypocrites, but rather as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, like this:
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one; for Thine is the power and the glory forever.”
Regarding prayer, Saint John Chrysostom (A.D. 347 A.D.-407) stated in his Homily 19 on St. Matthew:
“…He dissuades them; calling frivolousness, here, by the name of vain repetition: as when we ask of God things unsuitable, kingdoms, and glory, and to get the better of enemies, and abundance of wealth, and in general what does not at all concern us.
“for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. For He knoweth,” saith He, “what things ye have need of.” [4]
And herewith He seems to me to command in this place, that neither should we make our prayers long; long, I mean, not in time, but in the number and length of the things mentioned. For perseverance indeed in the same requests is our duty: His word being, “continuing instant in prayer.”[5]
And He Himself too, by that example of the widow, who prevailed with the pitiless and cruel ruler, by the continuance of her intercession; and by that of the friend, who came late at night time, and roused the sleeper from his bed, not for his friendship’s, but for his importunity’s sake; what did He, but lay down a law, that all should continually make supplication unto Him? He doth not however bid us compose a prayer of ten thousand clauses, and so come to Him and merely repeat it. For this He obscurely signified when He said, “They think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”[6]
Therefore, should we infer that it is “repetitions” that are considered wrong, or was Our Lord speaking of “vain repetitions,” meaning vainglory, and frivolousness? Our Lord prayed the same prayer more than once, repeating the same words in the Garden of Gethsemane. The angels in Heaven sing out the Sanctus unceasingly (“Holy, Holy, Holy”). God told Israel to pray the sh’ma throughout the day. The echoic reading of the Psalms is a good and wholesome practice. Israelite, early Christian (Catholic), and modern Jewish, Catholic and Orthodox liturgists have been praying in this manner for millennia.
Formal prayers can be regarded as the “phonics” of prayer life. Just as one learns to read by memorizing the sounds of letters, diphthongs, and digraphs, one learns to pray by imitating the great prayers of those who have gone before us. These prayers act as templates, which, in turn, act to catechize; the child who learns the Glory Be learns something about the nature of the Trinity. The child whose parents teach him the Prayer to his Guardian Angel not only learns of God’s protecting angelic emissaries, but of God’s goodness itself—and he falls asleep safe in that knowledge. You may conclude that it is safe to say that the rosary i not a vain repetition.
The following are a few of the many passages from early Church Fathers which testify that they not only recognized the biblical teaching that Mary and others in heaven, can and do, intercede for us.
Clement of Alexandria
“In this way is he [the true Christian] always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him [in prayer].”[7]
Origen
“But not the high priest [Christ] alone prays for those who pray sincerely, but also the angels . . . as also the souls of the saints who have already fallen asleep.”[8]
Anonymous
“Atticus, sleep in peace, secure in your safety, and pray anxiously for our sins.”[9]
“Mother of God, [listen to] my petitions; do not disregard us in adversity, but rescue us from danger.”[10]
Methodius
“Hail to you for ever, Virgin Mother of God, our unceasing joy, for to you do I turn again. You are the beginning of our feast; you are its middle and end; the pearl of great price that belongs to the kingdom; the fat of every victim, the living altar of the Bread of Life [Jesus]. Hail, you treasure of the love of God. Hail, you fount of the Son’s love for man…. You gleamed, sweet gift-bestowing Mother, with the light of the sun; you gleamed with the insupportable fires of a most fervent charity, bringing forth in the end that which was conceived of you . . . making manifest the mystery hidden and unspeakable, the invisible Son of the Father—the Prince of Peace, who in a marvelous manner showed himself as less than all littleness.”[11]
“Therefore, we pray [ask] you, the most excellent among women, who glories in the confidence of your maternal honors, that you would unceasingly keep us in remembrance. O holy Mother of God, remember us, I say, who make our boast in you, and who in august.”[12]
Cyril of Jerusalem
“Then [during the Eucharistic prayer] we make mention also of those who have
already fallen asleep: first, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition….”[13]
One of the Oldest (recorded) Prayers Asking Mary’s Intercession—250 A.D. – Henri de Villiers, Paris (via New Liturgical Movement).
The Sub tuum praesidium is probably the oldest Christian prayer dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer was long used in both Eastern and Western rites. In 1917, the John Rylands Library in Manchester managed to acquire a large panel of Egyptian papyrus—the exact area where they were discovered is unknown—including an 18 cm by 9.4 cm fragment containing the text of this prayer in Greek.
English Translation: We fly to thy protection, O Holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
[1] Matthew 26:44; Mark 14:39.
[2] Revelation 4:8.
[3] Deuteronomy 6:4-7.
[4] Matthew 6:8.
[5] Romans 12:12.
[6] Matthew. 6:7.
[7] Miscellanies 7:12 [A.D. 208].
[8] Prayer 11 [A.D. 233].
[9] Funerary inscription near St. Sabina’s in Rome.” [A.D. 300].
[10] Rylands Papyrus 3 [A.D. 250].
[11] Oration on Simeon and Anna 14 [A.D. 305.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Catechetical Lectures 23:9 [A.D. 350].