Page 5 - SPIRITUAL EXERCISES 1830

An hour or two after lunch I shall devote ¾ of an hour, or
a whole hour, to Meditation and end it with a visit to St
Aloysius Gonzaga: I shall beg him to intercede for me with
God for the salvation of my soul.
Soon after that, that is, after a tea-break I shall do my
spiritual reading for another half-an-hour, after which I pray
Vespers and Compline of the Office of Our Lady.

Towards evening I shall go to the Church to pay a visit to
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. On my way to church I shall
do the Way of the Cross and in church I shall meditate for
another ¾ of an hour. After that, I shall say my usual vocal
prayers. On my way back from church I shall recite the
Miserere and a few De Profundis.

Before going to bed I shall do the exam on the defects
committed during the day; I shall go through this method, and
prepare the Meditation fixed for the night. I shall lie down to
rest in the Wounds of Jesus, under the Mantle of Mary. As
soon as I wake up during the night, I shall get up from bed and
spend half-an-hour in Meditation, and then recite a Hail Holy
Queen with my hands under my knees.

I shall note down all the inspirations and thoughts that
have struck me most in my Meditations, as well as aspirations
for good. I shall also write down all the defects and failings that
the Lord will let me know of.

I shall keep silence throughout this period, saying only
words that are strictly necessary; in this regard, for these few
days, I will tread underfoot all human respect.

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