Untitled - Saints' Books

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INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 303
Lateran 1 has taught, in the celebrated Canon Dolentes.
Care/idly, by pronouncing the words distinctly; devoutly,
that is, with attention, as Cassian teaches: Let that be
2
considered in the heart which is uttered by the lips."
How, asks St. Cyprian, can you expect that God will
hear you when you do not hear yourself
? 3
Prayer made
with attention is the odoriferous incense that is most
agreeable to God, and obtains treasures of grace; but
prayer made with voluntary distraction is a fetid smoke
that provokes the divine wrath, and merits chastisement.
Hence, while we recite the Office, the devil labors stren
uously to make us say
it with distractions and defects.
We should, then, take all possible care to recite it in a
proper manner. We here give some practical advice:
1. It is
necessary to enliven our faith, and to consider
that in
reciting the divine Office we unite with the
angels in "
praising God. begin here upon earth
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the office of the inhabitants of heaven," says Tertullian.
We then perform on earth the office of the citizens of
heaven, who unceasingly praise God, and shall praise
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him for eternity. Hence, as St. John Chrysostom re
marks, before we enter the church or take up the brevi
ary we must leave at the door and dismiss all thoughts
of the world.
2. In reciting the divine Office we must take care that
our affections accompany the sentiments contained in
what we read. It is necessary, says St. Augustine: We
1
Cap. Dolentes, de Cel. Missar.
versatur in corde, quod profertur in voce."
Ep. 211, E. B.
De Or.
Quomodo te audiri a Deo postulas, cum te ipsc non audias ?"
Dom.
Officium futurae claritatis ediscimus." De Or.
In saecula saeculorum laudabunt te." Ps. Ixxxiii. 5.
Ne quis ingrediatur templum curis onustus mundanis; hac
ante ostium deponamus." In Is. honi. 2.