hint to help pious recitation is to _earnestly wish_ to say the Office
worthily, attentively and devoutly. This wish must bring up before the
mind the thought of how displeasing to God and how great is the daily
loss--not to speak of a lifetime's loss-to the soul of a priest who
prays carelessly, tepidly and mechanically. But in spite of all
precautions, it may be noticed during the recitation of the Hours that,
without our own fault, the words are said too quickly. It is advised,
then, to pause and to say mentally what the Venerable Boudon was wont to
say to his soul in similar circumstances: "To punish and mortify thee, I
will go more slowly; I will devote to my office to-day a longer time"
(Bacquez).

IV. To prevent distractions and to banish them are no easy matters. It
is impossible to avoid all distractions. Involuntary distractions do not
hinder merit; still it is important that an effort be made to diminish
and repress the quality of such disturbing elements in prayer.

First of all, we can never totally avoid all distractions, nor can we
entirely and completely remove them when they enter our souls. The human
soul cannot pray for any notable time without distraction. The greatest
saints knew this well. St. Augustine wrote, "_Vult se tenere ut stet, et
quodammodo fugit a se nec invenit cancellos quibus se includat_" (in
Psalm 95). St. Thomas wrote "_Vix unum Pater noster potest homo dicere
quin mens ad alia fertur_." The author of the _Imitation of Christ_
wrote, "For I confess truly that I am accustomed to be very much
distracted. For oftentimes I am not there where I am bodily standing or
sitting, but am rather there where my thoughts carry me" (Bk. iii. c.
48). The same writer wrote, "And I, a wretch and the vilest of men.... I
can hardly spend one half hour as I ought." St. Teresa wrote, "I am not
less distracted than you are during Office, and try to think that it