e Psalms (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25, 27, 30, 34, 43, 54,
55, 56, etc.); no more sublime expressions of praise exist than in the
Psalms 8, 9, 17, 18, 20, 21, etc. Time spent in studying the history of
the Breviary, the structure and the growth of the contents of each Hour,
the meanings of the prayers and hymns, is time well spent.

B.--THE IMMEDIATE PREPARATION FOR THE RECITATION OF THE HOURS.

First. It is necessary to foresee from the reading of the _Ordo_ what is
to be said, and to mark all the psalms, lessons, responses, antiphons
and prayers. By this practice, St. Bonaventure says, all is recited and
recited in order. _Libri et alia necessaria ad officium praeparantur et
legenda studiose ante praevisa, quando et quomodo sint dicenda
dicuntur_ (Intit. Novit, p. I., c. 4). Unless this matter be arranged
before the prayer, _Aperi_ is begun, a priest is certain to suffer from
distractions, to run the risk of violating the rubrics and to lose some
of the spiritual profit which arises from preparation. This point of
preparation is attended to by all thoughtful priests and it was ever the
practice of the great students and lovers of liturgy.

Second. It is necessary to recollect ourselves. This is simply to draw
off from profane thoughts the mind and the heart, and to apply them to
the sublime work of conversing with God, which we do in the Divine
Office. This recollecting of our wandering thoughts before prayer is
impressed on us by Holy Scripture, by the example of the saints, and by
our own common sense. Holy Scripture warns us "Before prayer prepare thy
soul and be not as a man that tempteth God" (Ecclus. 18. 23). And as
typical of the preparation made by saintly priests, the example of St.
Charles Borromeo may be mentioned. The saint always spent a quarter of
an hour in preparatory prayer before beginning the Church's official
prayer. The Venerable John D'Avila made the same practice general
amongst his disciples. This holy man narrates, how one day he met a
priest of the Society of Jesus, who asked him to recite the Hours with
him, and that before beginning their prayer the Jesuit fell on his
knees, saying, "There are some who speak of saying the Office as if it
were a trifle. Come, they say, let us say our Hours together, and so
immediately begin. This is showing very little appreciation for so holy
a duty, for it well merits a few moments at least of recollection"
(Bacquez). Our own common sens