Praying For All

Orandum autem praecipue et pro populo doceris, hoc est, pro toto corpore, pro membris omnibus matris tuae, in quo mutuae charitatis est insigne. Si enim pro te roges tantum, solus pro te rogabis. Et si pro se tantum singuli orent, minor peccatoris quam intercedentis est gratia. Nunc autem quia singuli orant pro omnibus, etiam omnes orant pro singulis. Ergo ut concludamus, si pro te roges tantum, solus, ut diximus, pro te rogabis. Si autem pro omnibus roges, omnes pro te rogabunt. Siquidem et tu in omnibus es. Ita magna remuneratio est, ut orationibus singulorum acquirantur singulis totius plebis suffragia. In quo arrogantia nulla, sed humilitas major est, et fructus uberior. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, De Cain et Abel, Liber I, Caput IX

You are especially taught that you must pray for the people, 1 that is, for everybody, for all members of your mother, in which is a sign of mutual love. For if for yourself alone you make request, only for yourself you ask. And if for himself alone everyone were to ask, he would become less of a sinner than an intercessor for favors. Now indeed because each pray for all, everyone prays for each one. Therefore we may judge that if you pray only for yourself, you alone pray for yourself. If, however, you pray for everyone, everyone shall pray for you. For truly you are in that everyone. Thus by the prayers of each, each one of the whole people acquires a great reward. In this there is no presumption, but great humility and more abundant fruit. Saint Ambrose, Cain and Abel, Book 1, Chap 9 1 1 Tim 2.1