Gradually, I learned to purify my prayer and remove the elements of selfishness from it. I learned to pray for my interrogators, for they too are children of God and human beings who need His blessings and grace, not for them to finally agree with my standpoint or acknowledge my innocence, thus ending my suffering. I learned to put an end to requests for more bread for myself and instead to offer my sufferings and pains from hunger for others in the world and in Russia, who had to endure similar torments and suffered even more. Slowly, I came to realize how perfect the Lord's Prayer is. The human mind could not find a better model of prayer than the one we received from the Lord.
(Walter J. Ciszek SJ /1904–1984/, Memories of Soviet Prison, He Leads Me, Chapter 5)
