small Hours into scraps of time (e.g., in
the intervals between hearing confessions in the confessional, at a
session) is fatal to careful and pious reading. Another hint is, to read
everything, every word (_e.g., Pater Noster, Ave, Credo_), and to repeat
nothing from memory, because the printed words meeting the eyes and the
spoken words reaching the ears help to fix the attention and there is
less risk of their passing unnoticed. This was the practice of St.
Charles Borromeo. St. Philip Neri never recited from memory even in
saying the small Hours. St. Vincent de Paul always spent a great time in
saying his Breviary. His intense fervour was helped by his careful
reading of every word, and this practice of keeping his eyes fixed
steadily on the printed matter of the book he recommended to his
congregation of priests. Some holy priests maintained that they could
recite from memory with greater fervour than from the reading of the
pages of the Breviary; but the practice is not one for the many. Another
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 fertu