Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.
Blaise PascalRead
Why God has instituted Prayer:— To communicate to his creatures the dignity of causation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Prayer is a means for humans to understand their power in causing outcomes.
In this quote, Blaise Pascal speaks to the profound role of prayer in human existence, suggesting that it is not merely a ritual or formality, but a vital communication from God that conveys to individuals the significant power they have in influencing events and outcomes in their lives through their intentions and actions. It underscores the idea that humans are not passive observers but active participants in the divine plan, entrusted with the ability to affect change through their prayers.
Themes
PrayerCausationDignityFaithInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the power of prayer in personal challenges, one could quote Pascal.
More from Blaise Pascal
All quotes →If we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous . . . There are two equally dangerous extremes: to exclude reason, to admit nothing but reason.
Blaise PascalRead
Those are weaklings who know the truth and uphold it as long as it suits their purpose, and then abandon it.
Blaise PascalRead
Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.
Blaise PascalRead
If he exalts himself, I humble him. If he humbles himself, I exalt him. And I go on contradicting him Until he understands That he is a monster that passes all understanding.
Blaise PascalRead
What use is it to us to hear it said of a man that he has thrown off the yoke that he does not believe there is a God to watch over his actions, that he reckons himself the sole master of his behavior, and that he does not intend to give an account of it to anyone but himself?
Blaise PascalRead
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But I didn't know what to say to him. What do you say to a man that by his own admission has no soul? Why would you say anything?
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The fact about himself that the liar hides is that he is attempting to lead us away from a correct apprehension of reality; we are not to know that he wants us to believe something he supposes to be false. The fact about himself that the bullshitter hides, on the other hand, is that the truth-values of his statements are of no central interest to him . . . He does not care whether the things he says describe reality correctly. He just picks them out, or makes them up, to suit his purpose.
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An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily attention to goods. . . .
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In vain we call old notions fudge, And bend our conscience to our dealing; The Ten Commandments will not budge, And stealing will continue stealing.
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Or about how when you're a child, to stop you from following the crowd you're assaulted with the line "If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?" but when you're an adult and to be different is suddenly a crime, people seem to be saying, "Hey. Everyone else is jumping off a bridge. Why aren't you?
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If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God.
Saint PatrickRead