Hail Mary, and also to St. Joseph, to our Guardian Angel, and to our holy patrons. These acts should be brief but very earnest and fervent.
"The conclusion of our meditation consists of these three acts: (i) thanksgiving to God for the light He imparted to us; (2) purposing to fulfil our good resolutions at once; and (3) beseeching the eternal Father, for the love of Jesus and Mary, to grant us the grace and strength to put them into practice. Before finishing our meditation let us never omit to recommend to God the souls in purgatory and poor sinners. In concluding our mental prayer let us. after the advice of St. Francis of Sales, pick out a thought or an affection from our mental prayer, in order to reflect on it or repeat it from time to time during the day."
Prayer for Meditation[1]
Preparatory Prayer
ACT OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE
MY God, I firmly believe that Thou art everywhere present and seest all things. Thou seest my nothingness, my inconstancy, my sinfulness. Thou seest me in all my actions; Thou seest me in this my meditation. I bow down before Thee, and worship Thy divine majesty with my whole being. Cleanse my heart from all vain, wicked, and distracting thoughts. Enlighten my understanding, and inflame my will, that I may pray with reverence, attention, and devotion.
- ↑ From Madame Cecilia's "Retreat Manual."
