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 the day. The reason  is  because  in  the  morning  we  are fresh in  mind  and  have  as  yet  hardly  any  cause  for  distractions, while  later  in  the  day  we  are  apt  to  be  more or less  absorbed  by  our  occupations  and  other  worldly matters. Moreover, by  a  good  meditation  in  the morning we  begin  the  day  well,  drawing  down  God's blessing  on  us,  and  deriving  grace  and  strength  to avoid  sin  and  fulfil  our  obligations. When we  make our meditation  in  the  morning,  we  ought  to  prepare its subject  on  the  previous  night  before  retiring  to  rest, and make  thereon  some  brief  reflections  before  falling asleep, and  also  after  rising  in  the  morning. We ought, moreover,  to  recall  our  meditation  to  mind from time  to  time  during  the  day,  recommending  our resolution to  the  Blessed  Virgin  by  a  Hail  Mary.

"We should  endeavor  to  spend  at  least  a  quarter of  an  hour  daily  in  mental  prayer.  The  saints  used daily  to  spend  many  hours  therein;  and  when  they had  much  to  do  they  would  subtract  some  hours  from the  time  allotted  to  their  sleep,  in  order  to  devote them  to  this  holy  exercise.  If  we  can  not  spend  in  it half  an  hour  every  day,  let  us  at  least  devote  to  it  a quarter  of  an  hour.  The  longer  and  the  more  fervent our  mental  prayer,  the  more  we  shall  like  it,  and  we shall  learn  by  our  own  experience  the  truth  of  the  saying of  the  Royal  Prophet:  '  Taste  and  see  that  the Lord  is  sweet '  (Ps.  xxxiii.  9).

"Pope Benedict  XIV  grants  to  all  the  faithful making  mental  prayer  devoutly  for  a  whole  month for  half  an  hour,  or  at  least  a  quarter  of  an  hour  every day,  a  plenary  indulgence,  if,  truly  penitent,  after  confession and  holy  communion,  they  devoutly  pray  for the  intentions  of  the  Church.  This  indulgence  is  applicable to  the  souls  in  purgatory.

"As to  our  petitions  and  resolutions,  in  mental