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 the soul  ceases  to  kneel  in  prayer  before  God, she dies.

St. Ignatius  of  Loyola  says,  Meditation is the  shortest  road  to  perfection."  He  who makes  great  progress  in  mental  prayer  makes great  progress,  also,  in  perfection.  It  is  in the  time  of  meditation  that  the  soul  is  replenished with  holy  thoughts,  devout  aspirations and  desires,  good  resolutions,  and  most fervent  love  of  God.

ord, Thou  hast  made  this  wondrous  soul All for  Thyself  alone; Ah, send  Thy  sweet  transforming  grace To make  it  more  Thine  own!

"In my  meditation  a  fire  shall  flame  out"  (Ps. xxxviii.  4).

ake at  least  a  short  meditation  every  day. Mental prayer is  a  more  appropriate  and  comprehensive term  for  that  spiritual  exercise  which  is  so highly  praised  and  commended  by  the  saints  and  so conducive  to  holiness  and  perfection.

Mental prayer  is  within  the  reach  of  all  who  earnestly desire  their  salvation. Father Wilberforce  says: " In  order  to  pray  with  fruit  and  without  distraction it  is  most  useful  and  almost  necessary  to  spend  some time  in  meditation  or  pious  reflection  on  some  supernatural truth,  and  from  this  fact  the  whole  exercise  is often  called  meditation  instead  of  mental  prayer.