3. As to Meditation, in most cases one could hardly expect the
ordinary half-hour before mass, and if one's holiday is to be
successful, one must necessarily ease off some of one's spiritual
exercises. But there is really no reason for abandoning Meditation
altogether. A short period, even five or ten minutes, whether as
thanksgiving after mass, or at some other time of day, will be more
valuable than double that time in the ordinary working part of the
year. About this, as about other exercises, it is important to have a
rule, and to keep to it, save in exceptional circumstances; but the
exact nature of the rule depends so largely on the personal equation
that one hesitates to put forward any suggestion too definitely.
4. The Divine Office of course cannot be omitted for any ordinary
reason. But it can easily be put into odd times--more easily during a
holiday than during the working part of the year--or left to the end
of the day, when it is said without devotion, as fast as possible,
simply to get it over. The loss by this is the greater from the very
fact that the Divine Office is the one devotion which is binding even
in holiday season. A definite rule is a help in such cases, and if the
burden of anticipating Matins and Lauds is felt too great, a rule, for
example, to finish to the end of Prime before midday ought not to be
too difficult to be usually kept. But what precise rule to make, like
many other details, must depend on the nature of our holiday and where
we find ourselves. At least let there be some rule to aim at: don't
let it be simply a case of drifting.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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