On the Conclusion and the Spiritual Posy.
Finally, the meditation must be ended with three acts, which must be made with the greatest humility possible. The first of these acts is an act of thanksgiving, whereby we give thanks to God for the affections and resolutions which He hath inspired in us, and for the great mercy which He hath displayed in the mystery that formed the subject of our meditation. The second act is an act of oblation, whereby we offer to God His own goodness and mercy, the merits of the death and blood of Jesus Christ, and also our affections and resolutions, in union with the virtues of His divine Son. The third act is an act of supplication, whereby we ask God, and beseech Him to impart to us the graces and virtues of His Son, and to bless our affections and resolutions, that we may faithfully put them into practice: then we pray for the Church, for our pastors, our parents, our friends, and other persons, making use for this of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the angels, and the saints. Finally, I have noted that we must say the _Pater noster_ and the _Ave, Maria_, which are the common and necessary prayers of all the faithful.
To all this, I have added that we must gather a little posy of devotion. Those who have walked in a fair garden are loath to leave without taking four or five flowers, to keep and smell them throughout the day; in like manner, our spirit, having traversed some mystery by meditation, must choose one, two, or three thoughts which we have found most to our liking and most useful to our advancement, that we may call them to mind for the rest of the day and spiritually enjoy their sweet fragrance. Now, this is done in the very place of meditation, by walking there, or by lingering there for some time afterwards, in silence and recollection.
Finally, the meditation must be ended with three acts, which must be made with the greatest humility possible. The first of these acts is an act of thanksgiving, whereby we give thanks to God for the affections and resolutions which He hath inspired in us, and for the great mercy which He hath displayed in the mystery that formed the subject of our meditation. The second act is an act of oblation, whereby we offer to God His own goodness and mercy, the merits of the death and blood of Jesus Christ, and also our affections and resolutions, in union with the virtues of His divine Son. The third act is an act of supplication, whereby we ask God, and beseech Him to impart to us the graces and virtues of His Son, and to bless our affections and resolutions, that we may faithfully put them into practice: then we pray for the Church, for our pastors, our parents, our friends, and other persons, making use for this of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the angels, and the saints. Finally, I have noted that we must say the _Pater noster_ and the _Ave, Maria_, which are the common and necessary prayers of all the faithful.
To all this, I have added that we must gather a little posy of devotion. Those who have walked in a fair garden are loath to leave without taking four or five flowers, to keep and smell them throughout the day; in like manner, our spirit, having traversed some mystery by meditation, must choose one, two, or three thoughts which we have found most to our liking and most useful to our advancement, that we may call them to mind for the rest of the day and spiritually enjoy their sweet fragrance. Now, this is done in the very place of meditation, by walking there, or by lingering there for some time afterwards, in silence and recollection.