Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/76

 soul; kneel  and  make  an  act  of  faith  and  an  act  of  adoration with  all  the  intensity  of  your  inmost  being.

As to  the  remote  preparation:  Having  read  the  subject of  the  meditation  over  night,  reflect  what  fruit  you may gather  from  it,  considering  the  actual  need  of  your soul. When in  bed,  dwell  on  no  thought  which  might distract you  from  the  subject  of  the  meditation.

When you  awake  in  the  morning,  after  some  appropriate ejaculatory  prayers,  and  after  offering  to  God  your heart and  your  actions,  banish  every  other  thought;  reflect before  Whom  you  are  about  to  appear,  and  try  to excite  in  yourself  some  affection,  analogous  to  the  fruit which you  desire  to  gather  from  the  meditation.

The acts  of  faith  and  adoration  need  not  occupy  much time. They have  for  object  to  prepare  you  by  devout recollection to  commune  with  God. They form  the immediate preparation,  together  with  the preludes.

1st Prelude. — This is  an  exercise  of  the  imagination which you  can  omit  if  you  do  not  find  it  helpful. Picture to yourself  some  scene  connected  with  the  mystery which forms  the  subject  of  your  meditation,  i.e.,  form your composition  of  place.

2d Prelude. — Ask for  a  grace  in  keeping  with  the mystery on  which  you  intend  to  meditate. Thus, if  you have chosen  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord,  pray  for  a  deep hatred of  sin  or  perfect  contrition.

Having called  to  mind  very  vividly,  by  acts  of  faith and adoration,  that  you  are  in  the  presence  of  God; having made  your  preparatory  prayer;  having  formed your composition  of  place,  if  desirable,  by  means  of  the imagination, and  having  finished  your  preludes,  you  proceed to  the  meditation  proper,  namely,  to  the  second part.

Here we  consider  the  subject  carefully  and  devoutly. If you  have  for  subject  some  maxim  of  Our  Lord,  think