Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/110

 and free  from  distraction. We should,  as  far as practicable,  prefer  reciting  those  vocal prayers which  the  Church  has  enriched  with indulgences, for  we  thereby  gain  a  twofold advantage —  the  benefit  of  the  beautiful  and devout prayers  themselves,  and  the  indulgences, which  help  us  to  acquit  ourselves  of the  great  temporal  debt  which  we  have  contracted toward  the  divine  justice  on  account  of our  numerous  sins. Or we  may  also  apply  said indulgences, when  so  applicable,  to  the  souls  in purgatory,  who  will  be  relieved  thereby  and will not  fail  to  intercede  for  us  in  our  wants.

"It would  be  well  to  join,  to  a  certain extent,  mental  prayer  with  our  vocal  prayers, for  the  merit  of  the  latter  would  be  thereby greatly  increased.  We  may  do  so  in  this  wise. During  the  recitation  of  our  vocal  prayers  we pause  at  short  intervals  to  reflect  either  on their  meaning  or  on  some  supernatural  truth; or,  without  at  all  pausing,  we  reflect  thereon while  actually  pronouncing  the  prayers  with our  lips.  The  Rosary  is  the  most  common and  readily  understood  example  of  this  manner of  praying.  While  we  are  reciting  the Our  Father  and  the  Hail  Marys  of  each  decade of  the  Rosary,  we  meditate  or  reflect  on  some mystery  connected  with  the  life  of  Jesus Christ  or  of  His  blessed  Mother.