Prayer and good example are essential for the fruitfulness of apostolate works. St. Bernard said, “These three remain: word, example, prayer; but the greatest of these is prayer.”
St. John of the Cross said, “Let the men eaten up with activity, and who imagine they are able to shake the world with their preaching and other outward works, stop and reflect a moment. It will not be difficult for them to understand that they would be much more useful to the Church and more pleasing to the Lord, not to mention the good example they would give to those around them, if they devoted more time to prayer and to the exercises of the interior life.”
Pope St. Pius X said, “To restore all things in Christ by the apostolate of good works, we need divine grace, and the apostle will only receive it if he is united to Christ. Not until we have formed Christ within ourselves will we find it easy to give Him to families and to societies. And therefore all those who take part in the apostolate must develop a solid piety.”
Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard pointed out that the interior life draws down the blessings of God. He wrote, “God might have given His grace according to His good pleasure, without taking any account of the holiness of the minister nor of the dispositions of the faithful. That is the way He acts in the Baptism of infants. But it is the ordinary law of His Providence that these two factors are the measure of His heavenly gifts.”
He added: “All true apostolic workers expect much more from their sacrifices and prayers than from their active work.”
Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen wrote, “There is no substitute for prayer, because prayer draws grace directly from its source, God. Our activity, our words and works can prepare the ground for grace, but if we do not pray, it will not come down to refresh souls.”
Apostolic prayer must be accompanied by sacrifice. Father Gabriel wrote, “The more prayer is nourished and accompanied by sacrifice, the more efficacious it becomes; indeed, it attains its maximum efficacy when sacrifice is total.”
Dom Chautard said, “A man can suffer like a pagan, like the damned, or like a saint. If he wishes to suffer with Christ, he must try to suffer like a saint. For then, suffering is of benefit to our own souls, and applies the merits of the Passion to those of others: ‘I fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for His Body, which is the Church.’”
St. Augustine explained: “The sufferings were filled up, but in the Head only, there was wanting still the sufferings of Christ in His members. Christ went before as the Head, and follows after in His body.” Christ offered His sufferings on the cross to merit grace for all mankind. Now we are invited to offer up our sufferings to help in applying the saving grace of Christ to mankind.
Dom Chautard pointed out that the interior life makes the apostle capable of sanctifying others by his example. He wrote, “The one thing most likely to induce the faithful to lead a really Christian life is precisely the virtue of the one charged with teaching it. On the other hand, his imperfections are almost infallible in turning people away from God.” He added: “Long and frequent discussions did far less to spread Christianity than the sight of Christian conduct, so opposed to the egotism, injustice, and corruption of the pagans.”
St. John Chrysostom said, “Everyone can help his neighbor if he does his duty. There would be no pagans if Christians were real Christians, if they really kept the commandments. A good life sounds clearer and louder than a trumpet.” St. Gregory said, “A man whose mission it is to preach great things is, by that very fact, bound to perform them.”
St. Teresa of Avila said, “A holy, perfect and virtuous man actually does far more good to souls than a great many others who are merely better educated or more talented.”
祈禱掙獲聖寵更新靈魂
祈禱和好的榜樣對宗徒事業的成果至為重要。聖伯爾納鐸說：『保持的三樣：話語，榜樣，祈禱；但最大的是祈禱』。
聖十字若望：『讓人們為他們的活動所吞噬，那些誤以為他們的講道和外展的工作可以震動這世界，請他們停下來。並作一反醒。這不會是困難的讓他們明白 ，若他們奉上更多的時間作祈禱和實踐內修生活，他們會對教會更為有用並更能取悅天主，並且在近人中作好榜樣。』
教宗庇護十世說：『要以使徒工作去在基督內重新一切，我們需要聖寵，使徒只能夠與基督結合才可以得到。直到我們能夠在我們裡面形成基督，我們方可以容易地把祂送到各家庭和社會去。所以，所有參與使徒業務的都一定要建立結實的虔誠。』
若翰肖塔爾院牧指出內修生活掙獲天主的祝福。他寫道：『天主可能按祂自己的喜好施放祂的祝福，不需看神職人員的聖德或信徒的心態。一如祂在嬰孩領洗所作的。但在祂照顧下的一般律法中，這兩個因素是祂上天恩典的尺度。』肖塔爾院牧又說：『真的從事宗徒業務的人，他們期望從犧牲和祈禱來的成果比他們活躍的工作更多。』
聖瑪利亞瑪大肋納佳播神父寫道：『祈禱是沒有代替品的，因為祈禱由它的源頭，天主那裡取得聖寵。我們的活動和工作能夠準備接受聖寵的土地，但如果我們不作祈禱，聖寵不會降來更新靈魂。』
使徒的祈禱應該隨陪著犧牲。佳播神父寫道：『祈禱愈是為犧牲所滋養所陪隨，祈禱愈變得更有效，真的，當犧牲是全面的時候，祈禱便達到最大的效能。』
肖塔爾院牧說：『人受苦可以像一個異教徒，像一個喪亡的人或是像一個聖人。如果他選擇去跟耶穌一起受苦，他便應該嘗試像一個聖人般受苦。因為受苦是對我們自己靈魂有益的，並將受難的功勞施放於他人：「如今我在為你們受苦，反覺高興，因為這樣我可在我的肉身上，為基督的身體――教會，補充基督的苦難所欠缺的」。』
聖奧斯定解釋說：『受苦只注到頭上，仍有在祂軀體內願意接受基督苦難的。基督為首先行，隨後跟隨的是祂的軀體。』基督在十字架上奉獻祂的苦難為全人類掙得聖寵。現在我們被邀請去奉獻我們的受苦去將這救恩的聖寵施與人類。
肖塔爾院牧指出內在的生命讓宗徒們以他們的榜樣去聖化其他的人。他寫道：『一件最可能勸使信徒踏入真正的基督信徒生活的就是教誨者的德行。另一方面，他的不完善幾乎必定會使人遠離天主。』他補充說：『在宣揚基督徒精神方面，冗長和頻繁的討論是遠不及見到基督徒行為的表現，這行為是相反自大、不公和異教徒的腐敗。』
聖金口若望說：『如果每人都履行他的責任，他能夠幫助他的鄰人。如果基督信徒是真的基督徒，如果他們能夠守好誡命，便會沒有異教徒。一個好的生命比喇叭更清，更響。』聖額我略說：『一個人若是有宣講偉大事情的使命，便因此事實而有責任去實踐它們。』
聖女德肋撒說：『一位聖的、完美和具德行的人比很多其他受到更好的教育和具更高天資的人能為衆靈魂做更多的善事。』
