Item No: 3005 Introduction to the Devout Life, Leather Hardback 0 1 0 cm in SECOND PART OF THE INTRODUCTION 51 If you will take my advice, you will say your Pater, your Ave 2 3 and the Credo in Latin; but you will also take care to under- 1 stand exactly what the words mean in your mother tongue, so that, whilst saying them in the language of the Church, you may nevertheless relish the admirable and delicious meaning 4 5 of these holy prayers, which you should say, fixing your atten- tion earnestly upon their meaning and stirring up your affec- 2 tions thereby; not hurrying in order to say many of them, but taking care to say from your heart those which you do say; for 6 7 one single Pater said with feeling is worth more than many recited quickly and in haste. e rosary is a very profitable kind of prayer, provided that 3 you understand how to say it properly; and in order to do so, 8 9 provide yourself with one or other of the little books which ex- plain how it should be recited. It is also good to say the litanies of our Lord, of our Lady, and of the Saints, and all the other 10 vocal prayers which are to be found in approved manuals and 4 prayer-books, yet on the understanding that, if you have the gift of mental prayer, you always reserve for that the principal 11 place; so that if after making mental prayer you cannot say any vocal prayers at all, either because of your many occupations, 12 or for some other reason, be not disturbed on that account, but 5 merely say, before or after your meditation, the Lord’s Prayer, 13 the Angelic Salutation, and the Apostles’ Creed. If, while saying your vocal prayers, you feel your heart 14 drawn and invited to interior or mental prayer, do not resist 15 the attraction, but allow your mind to go gently in that direc- 6 tion, and be not concerned at not having finished the vocal prayers which you had intended to say; for the mental prayer, 16 which you will have made in their stead, is more pleasing to God and more profitable for your soul. I except the office of 17 the Church, if you are under an obligation to say it; for in that 7 case you must fulfil your obligation. 18 19 20 8 21 0 in 1 2 3 4 5 22 6 7 8 9 9 23 0 cm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Please check the horizontal and vertical rulers on this page against a hardware ruler to ensure 24 that the content of this page has not been stretched or shrunk during printing. 25.