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
