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in order to obtain favours, it is necessary to pray for them with attention and fervour, so he who prays with a mind wandering upon distracting objects, will not obtain the favours which he asks, but will provoke the Lord to indignation: Divinum auxilium est implorandum non remisse, nec mente huc vel illuc evagante; eo quod talis non solum non impetrabit sed magis Dominum irritabit. S. Bas. Serm. de orando Deo.

Our Lord has said by his prophet Malachy, that he curses the praises of those Priests who bless him only with their lips, while their hearts are engaged upon everything else but his honour and glory: Et nunc ad vos mandatum hoc, O Sacerdotes. Si nolueritis super cor, ut detis gloriam nomini meo, ait Dominus exercitrium......maledicam benedictionibus vestris. Mal. xi. 1, 2. Hence may be said of that unhappy Priest, who says his Office in this careless manner, what is written in the 108th Psalm, 6, 7, Diabolus stet a dextris ejus. Cum judicatur exeat condemnatus, et oratio ejus fiat in peccatum.

While he is reciting the divine praises with his lips only, sometimes only half pronouncing the words, at other times conversing or amusing himself with others, his mind dissipated and distracted with the affairs or pleasures of the world, the devil stands by

his side, and his reward for such Office will be eternal damnation, since his very prayer itself will be imputed to him as a sin, on account of the unworthy manner in which he offers it; which is the signification of those words: et oratio ejus fiat in peccatum.

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And hence is the devil so busy in putting into the mind, while we are reciting the Office, so many of the affairs, desires, and pleasures of the world, that engaging our thoughts with such things, he may rob us of all the fruit we might otherwise reap from the Office, and render us culpable in the sight of God, by causing us to treat him with such little respect. On this account we ought to take the greatest care to recite the divine praises with proper attention. good Religious once said, that when pressed for time, we had better shorten our mental prayer, in order to have sufficient leisure to recite the Office with proper devotion. Agreeably with this, we find in the rules of the Carthusians: Spiritus Sanctus gratum non recipit quidquid aliud, quam quod debes, obtuleris, neglecto eo quod debes. Carth. part 3. God is not pleased with any act of devotion which we perform, if by performing it, we neglect that to which duty obliges us.

But omitting other reflections, let us come to the manner in which we are practically to

recite the Office with becoming attention and devotion. Before every thing else, says St. John Chrysostom, when we enter the Church, or take the Breviary in our hands, to discharge our obligation of reciting the Divine Office, let us leave outside the door, and expel from our minds all worldly thoughts. Ne quis ingrediatur templum curis onustus mundanis ; hæc ante ostium deponamus. Chrys. Hom. 2. c. 5. To this does the Holy Spirit exhort us when he says: Ante orationem præpara mentem. Eccl. xviii. 23. Consider, that then the Church charges you as her Minister to go and praise the Lord, and to implore his divine mercies. for all mankind. Imagine to yourself that the angels stand by you, as they were once seen by Blessed Ermando, with thuribles in their hands, ready to offer up your prayers to God as sweet-smelling incense of holy love, as the Psalmist says: Dirigatur, Domine, oratio mea, sicut incensum in conspectu tuo. cxl. Thus the Apostle St. John describes the Angels as habentes......phialas aureas plenas adoramentorum, qua sunt orationes Sanctorum. Apoc. v. 8. In a word, think that you are going to speak with God, and to treat with him of your own welfare, and of that of the whole Church; and reflect that he then regards you with greater love, and listens more propitiously to your petitions.

In the beginning, then, offer to him the praises which you are about to pour forth in his honour, and beseech him to free you from distractions, and to give you light and help to praise him and to pray to him as he deserves; and for this end recite attentively the usual prayer: Aperi Domine os meum ad benedicendum, etc. When you begin the Office, do not hurry yourself in order to get through it as soon as possible, as some do, and would to God they were not the greater number. O my God! the Office is to be said, and at once we are weary. And shall we, in order to spare ourselves the little more time required to recite it devoutly, displease God, and deprive ourselves of the graces and merits which we might otherwise gain by reciting it with proper attention?

We should then place ourselves in a modest and becoming posture. If we do not intend to say it kneeling or standing, but sitting down, let us at least carefully avoid any negligent attitude. It is related of two Religious, that while they were reciting Matins together reclined as on a couch, the devil appeared to them, bringing with him an intolerable stench, and scornfully said to them such prayer deserves such incense. Ad talem orationem tale debetur incensum. Jordan. de Saxon. in Vit. Erem. lib. 2. cap. 15.

It would greatly contribute to our devotion to recite the Office before a crucifix and a figure of the Blessed Virgin, that, casting a look now and then upon them, we may be enabled to renew our intentions and devout affections.

Endeavour, therefore, while you recite the Psalms, if you would derive great advantage from them, to renew from time to time your attention and devout affections: Ne quod tepescere cœperat, says St. Augustine, omnino frigescat, et penitus extinguatur, nisi crebrius inAammetur. Ep. 130. ad Probam. c. 9. Attention during the recital of the Divine Office is of three kinds; and I speak here of internal attention; because as regards external attention it is quite necessary that we should abstain from every thing incompatible with internal attention, as writing, conversation with others, or listening to others speaking, and such like things, which require considerable application of mind. And it will be well here to note, what the learned remark, that such as recite their Office in the squares, streets, and other such places where they are much exposed to distractions, are in great danger of not satisfying their obligation. But to return to internal attention-it regards the words, the sense, and God, as divines in general teach, with St. Thomas,

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