The Glory bestowed by the Creator on the creature; and the Glory derived from the creature to the Creator. 11

FROM MARY MAGNIFYING GOD. BY WILLIAM HUMPHREY, OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE OBLATES OF ST. CHARLES. AD 1873

But even then, after the reestablishment of the habitual dominion of the will over the inferior faculties, that dominion would be exercised over them not as over obedient servants, as in the days of primeval, unfallen innocence; it would be exercised over them as over subjugated rebels and vanquished enemies, ever inclined to insubordination, and on the alert for an opportunity of revolt.
This is the case with all the redeemed and regenerate. It is so even with the Saints on earth; nay, even with the Apostles of Jesus Christ. It was so with that man of iron will, that vessel of election, the self-subjugated Apostle of the Gentiles. He had to fight for the dominion, and to struggle for the mastery; and such was the strength of his enemies, that he seems to tremble for the issue of the contest. He tells us of the law in his members fighting against the law of his mind, and captivating him in the law of sin. He says he is delighted with the law of God, according to the inward man ; but  'when I have a will to do good, 'evil is present with me.' 'The good which I will, I do not; but the evil which I will not, that I do.' He tells us in another place of 'the sting in hi» flesh' The messenger of Satan' given him to buffet him; and he declares his necessity of keeping under his body, and bringing it into subjection, lest he who had preached to others should himself become a castaway.

The Apostle refers to the fomes peccati' that fuel of sin, which remains in order to their probation, even in those who have had 'power to' become the sons of God,' and 'partakers of the Divine Nature;' that proneness, and promptitude, and facility, and inclination towards the objects of sense which causes the emotions, and feelings, and affections, and appetites, and passions to anticipate-the judgments of the illuminated reason, and to-pervert the will from obedience to its dictates. The-energy of this language of St. Paul, provoked by the vehemence of his struggle, is such that he goes so far as to call this fomes sin. Not that it is really and truly, morally and culpably, sin; but, as the Fathers of Trent explain his words, inasmuch as it proceeds from sin and inclines to sin. It is entailed upon us by the original transgression, and it is the prolific parent of actual sins.

One and one only of the children of Adam was exempt from this consequence of his fall. It was he on whose immaculate soul the stain of his transgression never for an instant lay. She had to fight against the world and against the devil, as he had; but she had not, like him, after he had lost his innocence, to fight against the flesh. There was in her no responsive voice from within to temptations from without. There was no household foe, no traitor in the fortress of the City of our God. But although she was free from sin, and from the fome of sin; although she was, like the first mother of all living, endowed with the preternatural gift of immortality, there being in her no intrinsic principle of dissolution, and no seed of disease; although she enjoyed impassibility, or freedom from all liability to physical suffering from any intrinsic cause, so that, for instance, she had not to bear the curse of Eve, and endure the pangs of travail,—and old age when it came upon her would not bring in its train aught of decrepitude or decay; although she possessed an infused gift of knowledge that preserved her from the defect of ignorance and the infirmity of error, yet a shadow of the fall lay on Mary:—'Mary was amenable to suffering. And this was no disparagement to her prerogatives, no derogation from her perfections, for the selfsame shadow lay on her Divine Son. There is no sin and no shame in suffering.

True, it is the result and issue of sin. It is a punishment, and punishment supposes sin. It is a satisfaction, and satisfaction supposes an offence. But the satisfaction may be offered, and the punishment may be endured, by one for another, by the innocent for the guilty, by the just for the sinner.

Hence Isaias prophesied of the future Son of Mary that He was to be 'a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity;' that He was to 'bear our infirmities' and' carry our sorrows;' that He was to be bounded for our iniquities found' bruised for our sins;' that the chastisement of our peace 'was to be upon Him,' and that by His 'bruises we should be healed.' The Lord was 'to lay upon Him the iniquity of us all:' 'for the wickedness of My people,' said the Almighty, ' have I struck Him.'

Of Him also St. Paul says: ' We have not an High-priest who cannot have compassion upon our infirmities, but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.'

Suffering was a law of the Incarnation. That the Incarnate Word might redeem and satisfy, it became Him to suffer. If He was to satisfy the Justice of the offended God, and redeem the guilty race that through sin lay under captivity and bondage, He must become the Suffering God. Hence
His own words to Cleophas: 'Ought not Christ to have suffered, and so to enter into His glory?'

St. Peter, in his discourse to the people who gathered around him in Solomon's porch, after his miraculous healing of the lame man, declared that the sufferings of Christ were the fulfilment of those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all the prophets.

Again, the argument of St. Paul, when for three Sabbath days he reasoned with the Jews in their synagogue at Thessalonica out of the Scriptures, was this:—that the Christ was to suffer, and to rise again from the dead. This, to use his own words, he declared and insinuated.' He preached it in express words, and it was also the implicit argument that underlay his entire doctrine.

The same Apostle, in presence of the King Agrippa and Bernice, standing before the tribunal of the governor Festus in the hall of audience at Caesarea, and in the hearing of the tribunes and principal men of the city, said that,—aided by the help of God, he witnessed both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come to pass, that Christ should suffer.

The World's First Love by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Part 2.

The Woman the World Loves CHAPTER 1 continued

God never does anything without exceeding preparation. The two great masterpieces of God are Creation of man and Re-creation or Redemption of man. Creation was made for unfallen men; His Mystical Body, for fallen men. Before making man, God made a garden of delights as God alone knows how to make a garden beautiful. In that Paradise of Creation there was celebrated the first nuptials of man and woman. But man willed not to have blessings, except according to his lower nature. Not only did he lose his happiness, he even wounded his own mind and will. Then God planned the remaking or redeeming of man. But before doing so, he would make another Garden. This new one would not be of earth, but of flesh; it would be a Garden over whose portals the name of sin would never be written - a Garden in which there would grow no weeds of rebellion to choke the growth of the flowers of grace - a Garden from which there would flow four rivers of redemption to the four corners of the earth - a Garden so pure that the Heavenly Father would not blush at sending His Own Son into it - and this "flesh-girt Paradise to be gardened by the Adam new" was Our Blessed Mother. As Eden was the Paradise of Creation, Mary is the Paradise of the Incarnation, and in her as a Garden was celebrated the first nuptials of God and man. The closer one gets to fire, the greater the heat; the closer one is to God, the greater the purity. But since no one was ever closer to God than the woman whose human portals He threw open to walk this earth, then no one could have been more pure than she.

A garden bower in flower 
Grew waiting for Gods hand: 
Where no man ever trod, 
This was the Gate of God. 
The first bower was red -
Her lips which "welcome" said. 
The second bower was blue -
Her eyes that let God through.

The third bower was white -
Her soul in Gods sight. 
Three bowers of love -
Now Christ from heaven above.

(Laurence Houseman)

This special purity of hers we call the Immaculate Conception. It is not the Virgin Birth. The word "immaculate" is taken from two latin words meaning "not stained." "Conception" means that, at the first moment of her conception, the Blessed Mother in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, and in virtue of the anticipated merits of the Redemption of her Son, was preserved free from the stains of original sin.

I never could see why anyone in this day and age should object to the Immaculate Conception; all modern pagans believe that they are immaculately conceived. If there is no original sin, then everyone is immaculately conceived. Why do they shrink from allowing to Mary what they attribute to themselves? The doctrine of Original Sin and the Immaculate Conception are mutually exclusive. If Mary alone is THE Immaculate Conception, then the rest of us must have Original Sin.

The Immaculate Conception does not imply that Mary needed no Redemption. She needed it as much as you and I do. She was redeemed in advance, by way of prevention, in both body and soul, in the first instant of conception. We receive the fruits of redemption in our soul at Baptism. The whole human race needs redemption. But Mary was desolid-arized and separated from that sin-laden humanity as a result of the merits of Our Lord's Cross being offered to her at the moment of her conception. If we exempted her from the need of redemption, we would also have to exempt her from membership in humanity. The Immaculate Conception, therefore, in no way implies that she needed no redemption. She did! Mary is the first effect of redemption, in the sense that it was applied to her at the moment of her conception and to us in another and diminished fashion only after our birth.

She had this privilege, not for her sake, but for HIS sake. That is why those who do not believe in the Divinity of Christ can see no reason for the special privilege accorded to Mary. If I did not believe in the Divinity of Our Lord -which God avert -1 should see nothing but nonsense in any special reverence given to Mary above the other women on earth! But if she is the Mother of God, Who became Man, then she is unique, and then she stands out as the new Eve of Humanity as He is the new Adam.

There had to be some such creature as Mary - otherwise God would have found no one in whom He could fittingly have taken His human origin. An honest politician seeking civic reforms looks about for honest assistants. The Son of God beginning a new creation searched for some of that Goodness which existed before sin took over. There would have been, in some minds, a doubt about the Power of God if He had not shown a special favor to the Woman who was to be His Mother. Certainly what God gave to Eve, He would not refuse to His Own Mother.

Suppose that God in making over man did not also make over woman into a new Eve! What a howl of protest would have gone up! Christianity would have been denounced as are all male religions. Women would then have searched for a female religion! It would have been argued that woman was always the slave of man and even God intended her to be such, since He refused to make the new Eve, as He made the new Adam.

Had there been no Immaculate Conception, then Christ would have been said to be less beautiful, for He would have taken His Body from one who was not humanly perfect! There ought to be an infinite separation between God and sin, but there would not have been if there was not one Woman who could crush the cobra's head.

If you were an artist, would you allow someone to prepare your canvas with daubs? Then why should God be expected to act differently, when He prepares to unite to Himself a human nature like ours, in all things, save sin? But having lifted up one woman by preserving her from sin, and then having her freely ratify that gift at the Annunciation, God gave hope to our disturbed, neurotic, gauche, and weak humanity, Oh, yes! He is our Model, but He is also the Person of God! There ought to be, on the human level, Someone who would give humans hope, Someone who could lead us to Christ, Someone who would mediate between us and Christ as He mediates between us and the Father. One look at her, and we know that a human who is not good can become better; one prayer to her, and we know that, because she is without sin, we can become less sinful.

Vessel of Honour - MARY'S VISITATION

THE FAIREST FLOWER OF PARADISE - CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, ENRICHED WITH EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS BY Very Rev. ALEXIS M. LEPICIER, O. S. M.

"And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth." (Luke, i, 39, 40.)

SCARCELY had the most Holy Virgin learned from the mouth of the Angel Gabriel that her cousin Elizabeth was already for six months with child, than, prompted by the Holy Spirit, she started on her journey to go and see her, in order to assist and alleviate her by her presence.

We may suppose that Mary was accompanied in this journey by St. Joseph, to whom she had truly been united by the bonds of matrimony before the Annunciation. This holy pair, recking of nought but the impulse of their charitable hearts, left their own home and hastened whither the Spirit of God summoned them. Thus did Mary begin her mission of Mediatrix between Jesus Christ and mankind, by bearing to Elizabeth and John the Forerunner, the graces which the Saviour held in reserve for these two saintly personages.

Admire, O my soul, the promptitude of Mary's correspondence with the motion of the Holy Spirit. Consider her eagerness in following the inspirations from on High, despite the fatigues and inconveniences of a long journey. Oh, how Elizabeth, seized with amazement at the sight of such charity, had reason to cry out: '^Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my God should come to me?" (Luke, i, 43.)

The joy of Elizabeth and the exultation of John are a striking proof of the copious blessings which Mary's visit brought to the soul of the Precursor and that of his mother. The Holy Virgin showed herself, on this occasion, to be that which in truth she is end always will be to the end of time, the treasure-house, and dispenser of heavenly graces.

Holy Scripture teaches us that when the Ark of the Covenant entered into the house of Obededom, God blessed that house and all that was therein. (l Par. xiii, 14.) In like manner scarcely had the Immaculate Virgin entered into the house of Elizabeth, than the Holy Ghost began to diffuse His choicest graces upon the members of that privileged family: St. John was cleansed of original sin, his mother received an increase of grace, and Zachary was enriched, though somewhat later, with the gift of prophecy.

We may with reason then liken Mary to a field, wherein a costly treasure lies hid. (Matt, xiii, 44.) This treasure is none other than Jesus Christ, the Author of all good, who became incarnate in the most pure womb of the Virgin, and who never ceases tor dwell in her by the plenitude of His grace. Therefore, it is true to say that "all grace of the way and of the truth" (Ecclus. xxiv, 25.) is found in Mary.

If, then, we would possess divine grace, if we would surely find Jesus, it is through Mary that we must seek Him, for it is written of the Wise Kings that they found the Messias promised by the prophets, nowhere else than in the arms of His Blessed Mother: "They found the Child with Mary, His Mother." (Matt, ii, 11.)

The Angel had saluted Mary as full of grace; now it is St. Elizabeth who sounds the praises of the Mother of God: "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." (Luke, i, 42.) Earth and heaven unite their voices to proclaim Mary blessed, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men, for it is through her that all grace and blessing come to us.

It was at this moment that Mary sung her beautiful canticle, the "Magnificat," the first recorded in the pages of the New Testament. The Virgin-prophetess gave free vent to her sentiments of gratitude and love toward the Lord God Almighty, who had been pleased to accomplish in and by her such marvelous works.,

Contemplate, O my soul, the admirable sentiments which breathe through this sublime canticle; see how Mary abandoned herself without reserve to the will of the Most High, humbly acknowledging her own nothingness. Thus, she became more and more dear to the heart of God, whose predilection is for the humble and lowly.

Example - St. Frances Fremiot De Chantal

St. Frances Fremiot de Chantal, being a widow consecrated her time to works of piety and mercy, in all things seeking only the glory of God. When her spiritual director, St. Francis de Sales, told her that it was the will of God that, leaving the world, she should consecrate herself to Him, she received this command as coming from God Himself. So great was her fortitude in carrying out this design, that she did not hesitate, in leaving her home, to pass over the body of her son, who failing in his entreaty to her to change her resolution, had flung himself across the threshold.

Ketiring from the world with some of her companions, she placed herself under the direction of St. Francis de Sales and founded a new Congregation, to which that holy Bishop gave the name of the "Visitation." The beginning of this new foundation was very difficult, because the Sisters were extremely poor and sometimes even in heed of their daily bread.

Moreover, outward enemies continually threatened the existence of the convent. But, trusting in God and encouraged by the charity of St. Francis, the Sisters bore all this cheerfully, serving their heavenly Spouse with great devotion. To the cultivation of such beautiful Christian virtues as charity, humility, simplicity and patience, they united a tender devotion to Our Lady, in order to arrive at a more perfect union with God, who is the end of all things.

Great was the profit that the Religious derived from this last practice. St. Frances herself reached such a stage of perfection, that she wished to make a vow of doing in everything that which was most perfect. So holy a life could not but draw down on the new Congregation the blessing of Heaven. Indeed, the number of Sisters became so great, that the Saint was invited to found another convent. The holy Foundress zealously applied herself to this work and notwithstanding many obstacles, she saw her efforts crowned with success.

She died a holy death at Moulins on the thirteenth of December, 1641. Under the guidance of Mary, the Congregation of the Visitation soon flourished in the Church, and sent forth to heaven many holy souls, among whom must be mentioned St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, to whom Our Lord deigned to reveal how pleasing to Him is the devotion to His most Sacred Heart.

Prayer

O Mary, chosen vessel of honor, treasuress of heavenly graces, deign to visit my soul, bringing with thee Jesus, thy only and true Son, Grant that by His help, I may calm the tumult of my passions, and that all the powers of my soul may breathe forth the fragrance of the most excellent virtues. Amen.

Virgin Most Faithful - MARY, THE FAITHFUL SPOUSE OF ST. JOSEPH

THE FAIREST FLOWER OF PARADISE - CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, ENRICHED WITH EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS BY Very Rev. ALEXIS M. LEPICIER, O. S. M.

"Happy is the husband of a good wife . . . A good wife is a good portion, and she shall be given in the portion of them that fear God, to a man for his good works" (Ecclus., xxxvi, 1,3.)

THE providence of God which governs all things with power and wisdom, was pleased to grant to Mary, as an inseparable companion during a great portion of her mortal life and of the mortal life of Jesus, St. Joseph, the man truly "just," (Matt. i, 19) who, like the Blessed Virgin, was descended from the royal stock of David. Mary and Joseph were then united by the bonds of a true marriage, and the holy Patriarch, by this intimate union, entered into community of goods with the Blessed Virgin. Thenceforth he fulfilled in the Holy Family the office of father and head, while Jesus and Mary were in some sort subject to him.

Oh, with what fidelity did St. Joseph guard these holy treasures which had been entrusted to him! Indeed, in the worthy fulfilment of his office, he had to face a thousand dangers and brave unnumbered persecutions; but the love he bore toward Jesus and Mary made him suffer all with joy.


During those years of closest union with Jesus, his Foster-Son, and Mary, his chaste Spouse, what treasures of grace did he not receive? Truly, the life of St. Joseph, in such a school was like "the path of the just which, as a shining light, goeth forward and increaseth even to perfect day." (Prov. iv, 18.)

In her relations with her chaste Spouse, Mary set herself to practice the virtues becoming a faithful wife. She loved St. Joseph as the inseparable companion of her life; she revered him as the guardian of her virginity; she vowed to him a perfect faithfulness.

This unbounded fidelity never failed. Even when the most anguishing doubt tormented his soul, St. Joseph preserved toward Mary all his affection, reverence and respect, committing himself unreservedly to the Divine Goodness, and firmly trusting that God would shortly put in evidence the honor of his Spouse, by dissipating in one way or another the doubts which troubled him.

What a spectacle worthy of the gaze of the Heavenly Court was this Holy Family! The King of kings and Master of the universe, who made Himself a little child, lavished profusely upon the souls of Mary and Joseph the treasures of divine grace; and these two holy consorts admired with deepest veneration, the humility and goodness of God who had deigned to become their Son! And since only a man adorned with the most perfect purity could be the worthy guardian of such matchless holiness as dwelt in Jesus and Mary, St. Joseph was privileged, as we may firmly believe, never to have committed one single venial sin. How can we find words to express the eminent degree of charity and holiness to which God had been pleased to raise the foster-father of His Son?

The unexampled office with which St. Joseph was invested, and the eminent degree of sanctity which he acquired in the company of Jesus and Mary, fully justify the glorious title which Pius IX solemnly decreed to him, of Protector of the Universal Church.

From his celestial throne on high, St. Joseph watches over all the faithful ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ. His patronage extends to all the needs of this life, and no one has ever called on him in vain, for it is impossible that God, who was subject to him upon earth, should refuse anything to his intercession. Here, then, is the reason why souls truly enamored of divine charity feel themselves so strongly drawn to place all their interest in his hands, and never to disjoin him from the Saviour and His Mother in their devotion. Jesus, Mary and Joseph are the inseparable objects of the love, esteem and devotion of the predestined.

Let us thank God for having given us, in St. Joseph, so powerful a protector. In all our sufferings and sorrows, let us have recourse to this glorious Patriarch, and beg of him in particular to obtain for us the grace of a happy and holy death.

Blessed the Christian, who has the good fortune to die in the company of Jesus, Mary and Joseph! The assistance of this earthly trinity, in the last moments of life, is for him an assured pledge of possessing hereafter the uncreated Trinity which is man's last end.

Example - St. Joseph, Virginal Spouse of Our Lady

St. Joseph, predestined to be the Spouse of the holiest of all creatures and the guardian of the Son of God made Man, was filled by God from his youth with special graces and spiritual gifts, so that he became a model for all the devout servants of our heavenly Queen. Especially is he worthy of being proposed as a perfect example of a faithful spouse and a kind father. To him God entrusted the important and honorable office of guarding the virginity of His Son's Mother and of protecting the Incarnate Word in His early years.

On account of this great dignity, St. Joseph came nearer than any other saint to Jesus and Mary. He must therefore have been more united to them in affection and love, so that we may say that even as he reproduced the virtues of Mary, so he was a spotless mirror, in which was reflected the incomparable sanctity of the Son of God.

The particular merit by which St. Joseph is honored in the Gospel is his justice. "Joseph autem cum esset justus" : by which words is implied the fulness of all virtues and in a special manner his fidelity as the Spouse of our blessed Lady.

The lily sprung from the rod, with which St. Joseph is wont to be represented, portrays for us not only his perpetual virginity but also the first of the bitter sorrows which afflicted his soul. While yet ignorant of the great mystery which was brought to pass in Our Lady, by the power of the Holy Ghost, he reluctantly decided to put her away privately, for fear on the one hand of breaking the law, which forbade anyone to keep an unfaithful spouse, and on the other of exposing to infamy his chosen one, whom he beheld to be filled with the highest virtues, and of whom he could not conceive the least suspicion.

This indeed was the hardest trial to which the holy Patriarch was subjected, but in this trial he did not allow himself to be discouraged, being sure that God would help him. And this came to pass when the Angel appeared to him, revealing the glorious mystery of the Incarnation of the Word as accomplished in the womb of Mary. St. Joseph had the happiness of breathing forth his soul assisted both by his foster-son, Jesus, and his holy Spouse, Mary.

Prayer

O most Blessed Virgin Mary, among the great privileges with which thou wert favored by God, not least must be counted His having appointed as thy spouse and guardian of thy virginity the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph. Obtain for me, I pray thee, that in imitation of this great Saint, I may preserve myself chaste in soul and body, and daily grow in the grace of our Lord. Amen.

Virgin Most Powerful - VIRTUE OF FORTITUDE IN MARY

THE FAIREST FLOWER OF PARADISE - CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, ENRICHED WITH EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS BY Very Rev. ALEXIS M. LEPICIER, O. S. M.

Raphael - Madonna and child

"Who shall find a valiant woman? Far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her. The heart of her husband trusteth in her." (Prov. xxxi, 10, 11.)

WHITHERSOEVER we turn our gaze, we behold around us dangers, difficulties, and calamities of all kinds. The virtue of fortitude is therefore of supreme necessity for the Christian. By strengthening the soul, this cardinal virtue puts it in the way of avoiding dangers, surmounting difficulties, and conquering or, at least, bearing patiently the ills of life.

The supernatural virtue of fortitude helps us, on the one hand, to get the better of that childish fear which habitually oppresses us at the sight of the evils wherewith we are threatened; on the other hand, it tones down and corrects that arrogant self-conceit which, under a show of valor, is in reality, but weakness and cowardice.

It was owing to the virtue of fortitude that the apostles were able to go forth from the presence of the Council, "rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus." (Acts. v, 41.) It is thanks to this same virtue that Confessors fought courageously the good fight and that Virgins triumphed over the frailty of their sex, scoring a complete victory against the flesh, the world and the devil. It was through this virtue that the Martyrs had the courage to despise death rather than deny their Faith.

Oh, how valuable is the virtue of fortitude, and of how great necessity to the Christian, who would fight the good fight of the Lord!

If we wish to know the eminent degree in which Mary possessed the virtue of fortitude, it will suffice us to recall her unshaken patience in bearing the evils of this life. Recrimination or murmur never proceeded from her mouth. Those words which she addressed to Jesus when she found Him again at Jerusalem: "Son, why hast Thou done so to us?" were not the complaint of an impatient soul, but a respectful expression of profound sorrow.

It was especially at the foot of the cross that Mary's fortitude was seen in striking relief. Urged on by the immense love which burned in her heart, the Immaculate Virgin was enabled to assist at the consummation of the awful Sacrifice, and to remain to the end a witness to the mystery of our Redemption.

In truth, no one better than the Holy Virgin could render testimony both to the divinity and humanity of Jesus, as He hung upon the cross, dying for the world's salvation. Was she not the true Mother of the Saviour? Had not the mystery of the Incarnation been accomplished in her chaste womb? Mary, therefore, did not hesitate to expose herself to peril of death, in order to confess Jesus Christ. For we may be sure that it was no wish of the deicide Jews to spare the Mother of their Victim: if danger was averted, it was by the omnipotence of the God-Man, who would not permit that any of His relatives or friends should then undergo a violent death on His account. Had it not been so, we may well believe that Mary would have been the first to be put to death in hatred of Christ. Is it not just, then, that we should proclaim her the most valiant of women?

Since Mary did not shed her blood for the Faith, we cannot call her a Martyr in the strict sense of the word. None the less this title, if taken in a spiritual and mystical sense, belongs eminently to her, by reason of the excellence of the virtue of fortitude which urged her on to suffer, of the ardent charity wherewith she accepted suffering, and of the splendor of her testimony to the faith of Christ. We may, then, salute her in the Church's words: "Hail, O noble-minded Princess: thou art the first rose in the garden of martyrs: to thee belongs the lily of virginity." (8th Resp, in the Office of the Seven Dolors of Mary.)

Endeavor, O my soul, to imitate an example so noble and generous, in bearing with patience the evils, the woes and the persecutions of this present life. Be mindful to confess Jesus even at pain of death, that He in return may bear thee favorable witness before His Heavenly Father: "Every one that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven." (Matt, x, 32.)

Example - St. Joan Of Arc

St. Joan of Arc was born in the village of Domremy in Lorraine. From her parents, who were good and honest peasants, she inherited not material riches, but a tender devotion and sincere faith, to which were united a lively trust in the patronage of Mary. She passed her early years in a life of simple retirement, occupying her time in tending the sheep and in prayer.

She found all her delights at the altar of Our Lady.

At the same time this powerful Queen of Heaven was preparing this second Judith to fight under her protection the battles of her Lord. By many visions God commanded her to go to the aid of the King of France, who was reduced to the last extremity, in order to raise up from the depth of its ruin the Kingdom of France, which was known as the Kingdom of Mary. "Regnum Galliae regnum Mariae."

Joan generously obeyed the divine command, although the hardships of leaving home and leading a military life were very great indeed. Before setting out, she prostrated herself before the statue of Our Lady at Vaucouleurs. When the King set her at the head of the army, she caused three banners to be made: the first, which was carried before the troops, bore the words "Jesus, Mary"; on the second was depicted the Crucifixion with Mary at the foot of the cross; the third, which she bore in her hand, represented the Annunciation of Our Lady.

Admirable was the courage she displayed in the heart of the conflict, reassuring the soldiers that success would be theirs in the end. Before every engagement she would order them to gather together under the banner of Mary, to sing her praises and invoke her help.

After having saved France and restored the King to his throne, Joan was abandoned by the very people for whom she had done so much and given over into the hands of her enemies who, out of extreme hatred, condemned her to be burnt at the state as a heretic and apostate. But the saintly heroine gave abundant testimony of her faith, protesting that she had only been obedient to the command of God. When she arrived at the place of execution she wished that a cross should be held before her eyes, to strengthen her at the hour of death. When the flames were gathering round her, she pronounced the most holy name of Jesus and then bowing her head, she finished her usual ejaculation, by reciting in heaven that other name so dear to her, the name of Mary.

Prayer

Most Holy Virgin Mary, O thou the most valiant of women, who with such constancy and generosity didst confess Jesus Christ at the foot of the cross, sustain me in the trials of life, and do not permit that I should ever be ashamed of the Christian name, but grant that I may show myself worthy of it to the day of my death. Amen.

Mother Most Amiable - MARY MOTHER OF MEN

THE FAIREST FLOWER OF PARADISE - CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, ENRICHED WITH EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS BY Very Rev. ALEXIS M. LEPICIER, O. S. M.

Stabat Mater ~ Woman Behold Thy Son by James Tissot {c.1886-94} ~ Jesus Mary St. John

"When Jesus, therefore, had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, He saith to the disciple: Behold thy Mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own." (John, xix, 26, 27.)

IT WAS when Mary brought forth her Divine Son to the light of day, that she became our spiritual Mother. It was impossible that she should be the Mother of Jesus, without being our Mother as well, for He is the head and we are His members.

Later, Jesus would Himself sanction, by a solemn utterance, this special dignity of Mary. Hanging upon the cross on Calvary, and on the point of rendering His soul to God, He turned suddenly to Mary. Indicating to her St. John, He said: ''Woman, behold thy son"; and to St. John referring to Mary: "Behold thy Mother." Here was the testament of the Saviour of the world.

It is impossible to imagine anything more touching than this consecration, the solemnity of which is enhanced by the circumstances of time and place, as well as by the witnesses that are present. The hour chosen by Jesus is that of His consummation of the Great Sacrifice upon the cross, and of that of Mary in her own heart: the place is Calvary, where the Divine Victim hangs dying: the witnesses are men themselves, of whom Mary becomes Mother.

I thank thee, O my sweet Jesus, for having thus thought of me in the moment of Thine agony, and for having so loved me, as to give me Thine own Mother according to the flesh, as my spiritual Mother.

* * *

The words of Jesus, like the sacraments, produce that which they signify: those which the Saviour uttered on the Cross consecrated Mary as our Mother, and inspired her soul with every tenderest and most exquisite maternal affection toward us.

Mary's motherly care embraces all. Beginning with those who were present on Calvary, she obtained for several of them, especially for the good thief, the grace of conversion and eternal life. The first Christians found also in Mary a Mother ever ready to console, to protect and instruct them in the knowledge of those mysteries, in which she herself had had so conspicuous a part.

And after her departure from this world, Mary ceased not to show men this same maternal affection. Her love is oyer us all, fostering us as her dear children. She defends us against our enemies both visible and invisible. She guards us in danger. She consoles us in affliction. She guides and instructs us in the affair of our salvation. In a word, the kindness, the care, the watchfulness of Mary in our regard, are so great, that no one is a stranger to her benefits. It is even a common teaching in the Church, that God grants no grace, except through Mary's intercession. We may, therefore, truly apply to this Blessed Mother the words of Divine Wisdom: "All good things came to me together with her, and innumerable riches through her hands." (Wisd. vii, 11.)

Rejoice, O my soul, that God has appointed thee so loving a Mother as Mary, who is able to aid thee in the difficulties of this life, and to bring thee to the harbor of eternal peace.

* * *

In appointing Mary to be Mother of men, God inspired her soul with the tenderest feelings of which motherly love is capable. So also in making us her children, He infused into our hearts the purest sentiments of love and veneration that sons can have toward their mother. These sentiments, then, are the work of that Divine Spirit, "who is the pledge of our inheritance," (Eph. i, 14.) and through whom we "have received the adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father)." (Rom. viii, 15.)

Just, therefore, as we have a full confidence in God our Father, who loves us and cares for all our needs, so also we should have a boundless trust in Mary's powerful help. And this trust should be accomplished by those same sentiments of love, reverence and submission which a dutiful child entertains toward its mother.

Let our care be to love, honour and exalt Mary, our loving Mother, in such a manner that she may recognize us as her true children, and may be able to say of us: "These are my sons, whom God hath given me." (Gen. xlviii, 9.)

Example St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was born of pious and honest parents in Verosvres, a small village of Burgundy in France, on the twenty-second of July, in the year 1647.

From her earliest years she was visited by God with extraordinary favours, from which it was apparent that she was destined to perform some great work for the Church. When she had barely come to the age of reason, she manifested a great horror of sin, and at the same time an ardent desire of solitude, to which was united a special love of holy purity. So great was her fear of offending God, even by venial sin, that if she suspected this danger in any of her actions, she desisted from performing the same.

As Margaret Mary advanced in piety, she felt herself drawn in a very special way to honour the most holy Mother of God. In fact, she narrates this of herself: "I had recourse to Mary in my every want, and through her I was delivered from the greatest dangers. Not daring to address myself directly to her Divine Son, I had recourse to her and used to recite the Rosary in her honor, on bare knees, genuflecting at each Hail Mary and frequently kissing the ground." It is not be wondered at, therefore, if, through this devotion to the most holy Mother of God, Margaret was found worthy of that great vocation to which God had destined her, namely, of spreading far and wide throughout the world the devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

When Margaret Mary entered the monastery of Paray-le-Monial, she strove to become more united to her Divine Spouse, by the purity of her life and the endeavour to please Him in all things. Therefore Our Lord appeared to her several times, revealing to her how it was His will that devotion to His most Sacred Heart, should be spread throughout all the world, as a beneficent river to enliven the human race, withered with the leprosy of sin, and how she herself was chosen by Him for this great work.

St. Margaret faithfully corresponded to the invitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in a short time the monastery of the Visitation, where she lived, became the centre of this Devotion, now so widespread and so dear to the hearts of all Christian people. St. Margaret Mary died on the seventeenth of October, 1690, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Prayer

O Mary, I firmly believe that thou hast been given us as our Mother, by the voice of thy Son hanging upon the Cross, and that thou never ceasest to act toward us the part of a most tender Mother. Obtain for us so to respond to thy love, that we may merit to be ever thy devoted children. Amen.

Mother Most Pure. MARY'S DETACHMENT FROM THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD.

THE FAIREST FLOWER OF PARADISE - CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, ENRICHED WITH EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS BY Very Rev. ALEXIS M. LEPICIER, O. S. M.

The Hodegetria is an icon illustrating St. Mary holding the Christ child on her side while gesturing to Him as our source of salvation.

"All the glory of the King's daughter is within in golden borders, clothed round about with varieties." (Ps. xliv, 14.)

Of all earthly goods, honor is that which  is generally the most esteemed. By its nature, honor is the fitting reward of virtue, to the acquisition of which it acts as an incentive. But it becomes a danger, whenever it is sought by unlawful means, or when we attribute it exclusively to ourselves, that is, without reference to God, the source of all true honor. The example of Mary is the shining light which should rule our conduct in this respect.

Chosen amongst all creatures to be Mother of the Word Incarnate, hailed "full of grace" by the Angel Gabriel, proclaimed by St. Elizabeth "blessed among all women" Mary was in no wise puffed up, but she referred to God the praises given to herself. "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my Saviour; because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid." (Luke, I, 46-48.)

Jesus came upon this earth not to be honored but to be humbled and despised, so as to seem "a worm and no man: the reproach of men and the outcast of the people." (Ps. xxi. 7.) After the example of Jesus, Mary, during the whole public life of her Son, fled honors, and appeared in His company only to share with Him the cup of bitterness and scorn: "The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." (Ps. lxviii. 10.)

The soul which fears God and is anxious to procure His glory only, does not shun humiliations; on the contrary, it accepts them with resignation and joy. And together with humiliations it embraces also voluntary poverty. It knows that riches are, of their own nature, an impediment to charity, by minstering to sensuality, by keeping the soul back from the service of God, and blunting its sense of dependence upon Him.

Furthermore, riches tend to make the practice of charity very difficult, that divine virtue being incompatible with attachment to worldly goods. For this reason, our divine Saviour has taught us that the renunciation of the goods of this world is the foundation upon which the perfection of charity rests; and, to unite example with precept, He Himself "being rich, became poor for our sakes." (2 Cor. viii, 9.)

Mary, therefore, although born of royal blood, lived with her faithful spouse St. Joseph, in the greatest poverty. She earned her daily bread by the labor of her hands. Nay more, at the time of the birth of Jesus, her poverty was so great, that she and St. Joseph could find no place in the inns of the town. The Creator of the world must be laid in a rough manger. But Mary's burning love is ample compensation for the poverty of the crib.

O holy poverty, so despised, yet withal so dear to the Heart of Jesus, who has said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit!" (Matt. v. 3.) Oh, that I may make thee mine; that treading under foot the goods of this world, I may aspire only to the imperishable goods of eternity!

The soul that would preserve in itself the fear of God, should take heed lest a disordered attachment to honors and riches may estrange it from the path of virtue. When we seriously reflect that earthly glory is a transitory thing, and that the goods of this world are of short duration, we can experience no difficulty in despising what is incapable of procuring us true happiness.

In order that our hearts may be filled with the love of God, they must be emptied of all earthly attachment. But, further, the soul that would be truly pleasing to Jesus will go beyond this: it will renounce with generosity all the goods of this world, and will embrace the humility and poverty of the cross.

Happy the disciple of Christ, who knows how to tread honors and riches beneath his feet! Together with divine charity, the fear of God will dwell in him, as pledge of a blessed eternity.

Example 

Blessed Francis Patrizi

Blessed Francis Patrizi of Siena seemed predestined to become one of the greatest Servants of Mary. Even before his birth, his mother Reginalda dreamt that she was begetting a most beautiful lily which would adorn the image of Our Lady. As a child he began the habit of often saying five hundred Hail Marys at a time making as many genuflections before the statue of the Queen of Heaven.

At the age of twenty he had a wonderful vision. Our blessed Lady herself appeared to him surrounded by angels and tenderly invited him to consecrate himself entirely to her service in the Order of her Servants. Having complied with Mary's wish, he began to make extraordinary progress in sanctity under the guidance of St. Philip Benizi. When he became a priest he had nothing more at heart than to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass with living faith and devotion.

Penetrated by the greatness of his vocation as a Servant of Mary, he gave himself up, with all the ardor of his soul, to the service of Our Lady, urging every one, both from the confessional and the pulpit, to love and serve faithfully this celestial Queen. By this means, he succeeded in leading many souls to the highest degree of sanctity. All the time he had left over from his ministry, he spent in increasing his prayers, especially in saying the Hail Mary and in singing the praises of our blessed Lady.

Such piety could not go unrewarded. One day, as Francis was going to preach in a neighboring village, and feeling too tired to reach his destination, he sat by the wayside to take a little rest. The Queen of Heaven then appeared to him in the guise of a noble lady and gave him a bunch of fresh roses, the fragrance of which comforted him. But he felt that his end was drawing near. When about to die, he again had the consolation of seeing our blessed Lady, who appeared to him in all her splendor, summoning him to paradise. Full of virtues and merits, he died on the Feast of the Ascension, 1328, saying the words of Christ on the cross: "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit."

After his death, a beautiful lily sprang from his mouth bearing on its leaves the legend Ave Maria, an evident witness and everlasting sign of the pleasure taken by the Queen of Heaven in the numberless and fervent acts of worship and reverence offered to her by this most faithful of her Servants. (Monuments Ord. Serv. B.M.V.)

Prayer

O Mary, whose most pure Heart was exempt from all disorderly attachment to honors and wealth, and so burned always with the most lively flame of charity, obtain for us, after thine example, to tread under foot all earthly honor, and so to despise riches, that we may preserve always within us the holy fear of God. Amen.

Mother of Christ

MARY THE LOVING MOTHER OF JESUS

THE FAIREST FLOWER OF PARADISE - CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, ENRICHED WITH EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS BY Very Rev. ALEXIS M. LEPICIER, O. S. M.

"She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger." (Luke ii, 7.)

LET us transport ourselves in thought to that solemn moment when Mary, having carried in her womb for nine months the Word of God made Man, brought him forth to the light of this world. Men took no heed to provide for the new-born King of heaven and earth a dwelling-place worthy of Him: a poor abandoned stable was all that this world had to offer to its Creator. But Mary's love made amends for this extreme poverty. Who can tell with what tenderness the blessed Mother laid her new-born Son in the crib? Who can measure the intensity of those shafts of love, so pure, so chaste, so generous, which burned in her heart?

O Jesus, from Thy first entrance into this world, the hardness and coldness of mankind already prepares for Thee that bitter cup, which Thou must drink for thirty-three years, until Thou drainest the last drop upon the cross. In return Thou shalt find in the love of Thy Holy Mother an ample recompense. That love never wanes: on the contrary, it waxes in proportion as Thy sufferings increase and Thy pains grow more acute.

The love of the mother does not make Mary forget the humility of the servant. For she calls to mind that, by proclaiming herself the servant of the Most High, she was raised to the unequaled dignity of being Mother of God. Her first act at the birth of Jesus is to cast herself down before Him and adore in deepest humility her first-begotten Son, offering herself to Him as His slave. Mary adores in Jesus the world's Creator: she submits herself wholly to Him, and by this act of supreme submission and lowliest adoration, she makes to the Redeemer an honorable amend for the indifference and pride of men.

But it is to ransom mankind that Jesus came. Consequently Mary, from the first moment of the Incarnation, begins her office of Mediatrix, presenting to the Father this same Jesus, whom she has conceived, for the world's redemption, and offering herself to be with Him one victim of expiation. Thus the deliverance of man from the bondage of sin begins to be wrought out by the infinite merits of the Word Incarnate, to which are joined, not of necessity, but of superabundance, the merits of Mary.

Virgin most holy, I unite myself with thee in adoring Jesus, thy Son. I acknowledge Him for my King, and the King of the entire universe. In union with thee, I offer Him to the eternal Father for the remission of my own sins and those of the whole world.

* * *

The mystery of the birth of Christ, a mystery which carries with it for Mary the glorious title of "Mother of Christ," invites the Christian soul to give vent, in imitation of and in company with Mary, to pious sentiments of faith and wonder. To these sentiments ought to be joined a lively recognition of the benefits which the Incarnation has brought us.

Furthermore, we should endeavor to foster in our hearts a true and sincere love for that God who has loved us to such an extent, as to abase Himself in assuming our miserable nature and abandoning Himself, for love of us, to a life of sorrows and tears.

It is also our bounden duty to adore, with sentiments of profound humility, Him who, without losing anything of His infinite grandeur, has deigned to make Himself like unto us.

Moreover, we should offer our hearts to Jesus through Mary's hands, imploring this King of love to graciously accept the offering of all that we are and of all that we have, for time and eternity.

Above all, it behoves tw to be on our guard against the insinuations of those who, whether by their harmful writings, or by their traitorous words, seek to lay snares for our faith, and so to deprive us of the great benefit of Redemption. Alas! how numberless are these emissaries of Satan, who wage ceaseless war upon the Christian, endeavoring to turn him away from his Master! In order to secure more surely their end, they do not blush to decry her who is the shortest way to come to Jesus, the glorious Virgin Mary, our Mother.

O my soul, guard with a jealous care the devotion thou hast to the Mother of God: this wholesome devotion will infallibly bring thee to salvation.

Example

 St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

Among the saints whom our blessed Lady seems to have particularly favored, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez deserves special mention. He was born in Segovia, a small town of Spain, and was, from his boyhood, so adorned with virtues, that it was easy to foresee to what heights of holiness he would one day attain. Above all, his devotion to Our Lady seemed to have been born with him. From his tenderest years he felt drawn to love and serve her and this good Mother did not cease to lavish graces and favors on him.

One day in the transport of his fervor, he spoke thus to the Mother of God: "O heavenly Lady, I do love thee. Would to God that thou also loved me thus." To which Mary made answer : "It is not as thou sayest, O my son; for the love I bear thee, is greater than the lave thou bearest me."

In the midst of worldly affairs in which he was engaged by his mother's will, the love of Jesus and Mary was what always upheld him and finally detached him from everything on earth. Moreover, Our Lord Himself, in a vision, bade him follow Him more closely; and this he did by becoming a lay-brother in the Society of Jesus. In this vocation he exercised the most heroic virtues, especially patience and charity, keeping himself always united to God in prayer, so that he could say with the Apostle: "For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col iii, 8.)

To what degree of sanctity St. Alphonsus Rodriguez rose, is proved by the fact that his Superiors were bound to restrain the ardor of his charity, which had found expression in over-severe penances. From his devotion to Jesus and Mary he drew the needful strength to withstand the hard temptations which it pleased God to let him undergo. In his last illness he had the consolation of being visited by Our Lady and her Divine Son. Gladdened by the sweet converse of Jesus and Mary, he ended his days uttering these Holy Names, on the thirtieth of October, 1617. He was canonized 1 by Leo XIII, at the same time as the Seven Holy Founders of the Order of the Servants of Mary, on the fifteenth of January, 1888.

Prayer

O Blessed Mother, do thou thyself offer to thy Son Jesus my sentiments of love, adoration and self-surrender. Obtain that I may persevere in these sentiments even unto death, so that I may come to enjoy in heaven the ineffable vision of God, my Redeemer, the first beginning and the last end of all things. Amen.

1 Acta Leonis, Vol. viii, pp. 86, foll.

Holy Mary - Predestination and name of Mary

THE FAIREST FLOWER OF PARADISE - CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, ENRICHED WITH EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS BY Very Rev. ALEXIS M. LEPICIER, O. S. M.

"Thy name and thy remembrance are the desire of my soul: my soul hath desired thee in the night" (Is xxvi, 8-9.)

GOD, having decreed that He would become Man for the salvation of the human race, at the same time decided that He would be born of a woman, so that He might not only be like unto us by nature, but, furthermore, be one of our race.

For the fulfilment of his designs, the Most High had chosen from all eternity a creature whom He 'freely predestinated to the sublime dignity of Mother of the Word, and likewise to be the recipient of all those prerogatives of nature and grace which so high an office requires. For this cause God willed to raise this privileged creature, not only above all men, but also above all the choirs of angels. We need not wonder, then, if so noble a woman was, from the very beginning, by reason of the great mystery to be accomplished in her, the object of the divine complacency : "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways, before He made anything from the beginning." (Prov. viii, 22.)

Admire and adore, O my soul, with all possible humility, the justice and mercy of God's ways. Render thanks to this great Lord, for having deigned to predestine a simple creature, of like nature with thyself, to so high a dignity. At the same time ask of Him grace to be contented and quiet in the place He has assigned thee upon this earth, and remember that the conditions of human life are all by His disposal: so that to wish to alter them is to desire the overthrow of the social order, which after all is God's own work.

It was reasonable to expect that the name of a woman privileged as Mary was, should comprehend in its meaning the office to which she was called, and the lofty privileges resulting from this office.

This blessed Name had been pronounced by God in the very act of predestining this wonderful creature. Further, we may believe that He Himself suggested it, by an interior inspiration, to the parents of this favored Child, when the time of her birth had come. This name is the Name of Mary. It may mean three things: sovereignty, bitterness, and resistance; three ideas which represent the principal prerogatives of our glorious Queen.

In the first place, Mary, by becoming Mother of the Incarnate Word, became also sovereign and mistress of the universe. Furthermore, since she was destined by God to co-operate with Jesus Christ in the ransom of the human race, she had to suffer the greatest torments which a pure creature ever endured. Lastly, by virtue of her Immaculate Conception, she was the first person to shake off the unhallowed yoke of the evil one, and thus in her own person to offer to God the first fruits of the Redemption. The Name of Mary, therefore, is at one time synonymous with her unrivalled greatness, her fathomless sorrows, and her splendid victories.

Blessed and holy Name! Thou art to my soul a source of boundless joy: sweeter than honey to the taste: more pleasing to the ear than the most exquisite melody.

The most holy Name of Mary, joined to that of Jesus, possesses a hidden power which puts to flight the demon, and fills the soul of him who utters it in loving faith, with consolation and hope. It is a certain fact that God has attached a beneficent power of sanctification and life to the devout uttering of these two Names by the faithful, and this precisely because Jesus and Mary are the dearest objects of His love.

It is, then, the duty of every good Christian frequently to pronounce these two holy Names with faith, hope and reverence. We should call upon them in our needs, and do all in our power to prevent their unworthy usage by the lips of the profane. Alas! why is it that Names so great, so holy and at the same time so dear to our hearts, are often-times made the butt of scorn and raillery!

O my God, may thy great and awful Name be ever hallowed in those of Jesus, my Saviour, and Mary, His Blessed Mother! In them, we find our life and our salvation!

Example

THE SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS

In the thirteenth century, when the persecution carried on by Frederick II was raging against the Church, there lived in Florence seven illustrious men who, united by the bonds of Christian charity, strove to make their lives conform as far as possible to the dictates of evangelical perfection. On the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, 1233, when they were absorbed in prayer in the Laudesi chapel, Mary herself deigned to appear among them, inviting them to abandon all things and dedicate themselves to the service of her Son and herself. Promptly and joyfully they followed the summons of the Queen of Heaven and, abandoning wealth and relatives, withdrew to a solitary place to lead a life of austerity and union with God.

In order the better to flee the tumult of the world, after a short time they left Florence and betook themselves to Monte Senario, about nine miles northward of this city. There, for some years they continued their hidden life of penance, enjoying the ineffable sweetness promised to those who faithfully serve our divine Lord and His Holy Mother. On the evening of Good Friday, 1240, while meditating on the sorrowful mysteries which the Church commemorates on that day, the Queen of Heaven appeared to them again, bidding them found a Religious Order, the Order of her Servants, whose aim should be to spread devotion to her sorrows throughout the world. The object of this devotion was to recall the part which Mary had as the associate of Jesus in His work of redeeming mankind from the bondage of sin.

When the foundation of the Order had thus been laid by Mary herself, the Seven Holy Founders abandoned their beloved solitude of Monte Senario and undertook long journeys throughout Italy, France, Germany and Poland, everywhere preaching the sorrows and glories of Mary, converting sinners and pacifying cities. Heavenly signs accompanied the death of each! of these Saints. And as one love united them while they lived, so after their death one tomb received them all. In the course of centuries they were invoked together by the people, under the title of the Seven Holy Founders of the Order of the Servants of Mary, called also the Order of Servites. These holy men were all raised together to the honors of the altar by Pope Leo XIII, of holy memory, in the year 1888.

Prayer

O Mary, my tender Mother, imprint thy Name, with that of Jesus, upon the inmost recesses of my heart. Obtain for me of God, in my last hour, to utter thy blessed Name and that of thy Son, with lively faith and ardent love, in order that by the virtue of these holy Names, the enemies of my salvation may be put to flight, and I may resign my soul into the hands of my Heavenly Father. Amen.

The Lily Of Israel By The Abbe Gerbet. Part 41.

CHAPTER XXXVII. THE CONDEMNATION. Part 3.

Ecce Homo (Bosch, 1470s)

The Procurator pondered a little, weighing the life of Jesus against the favor of the Romans, his own weak will and the clamor of the crowd. He yielded at last to the fear of endangering his interests. "And their voices prevailed." ( St. Luke xxiii, 23.)

Casting fear aside, he ordered Jesus to be scourged, as the usual preliminary to crucifixion. Stripping Our Lord to the waist, the soldiers bound Him to a low pillar, that bending He might be in a better position to receive the lashes of the instrument of torture—a leather thong, loaded at its tips with lead or iron.

The scourging began. The Mother of sorrows heard the blows that descended upon the flesh of her Son and her God*

You, who have suffered through the pain of one you dearly loved ... oh, was your grief like hers? What are torments or sufferings ever endured compared to hers when she beheld that cherished body mangled in such a manner by the hands of men ?

And that Son of man, the fruit of her womb, is divine; that flesh, whipped and torn, is divine! That silent Victim is the Son of God, God of God and Light of Light!

But ... at this very moment . . . . when the Man God is overwhelmed with most frightful physical agony, He looks upon a horrible vision. He sees all who will withdraw themselves from His Redemption, the schisms, the divisions, the incredulity of future ages. Irreligious luxury. Pride that would call itself Philosophy. His soul is burdened with every sin, every crime, every evil which ignorance and blindness commit. The iniquities of earth's creatures tear at His soul as the lashes tear at His body.

But now the scourging was over, and the Roman soldiers, who have no pity for this Victim, who belonged to the hated Jewish race, would carry their sport still further. They clothed Him, therefore, with a purple cloak, and they put a crown of thorns upon His head, and they placed a reed as scepter in His bruised hands.

And then began an hour of cruel jest and ribald play. They mocked Him. They prostrated themselves upon the ground before Him. They struck Him and asked Him to prophesy whose hand inflicted the blow. They laughed and jested and paid court of cruelty to Jesus, the King of the Jews.

When Pilate beheld Jesus in this frightful condition, he was moved with compassion. He could not understand why the people could want Him punished further. He himself, therefore, led Him forward and presented Him.

"Behold the Man!" he exclaimed. "I bring Him forth unto you that you may know that I find no cause in Him!" (St. John xix, 4.)

Behold the Man more bruised by the sins which He has taken upon Himself than by the scourging, more wounded by the crimes of men than by the tearing of His flesh. In the presence of such suffering, such meekness, the people were silent. Then the voices of the chief Priests and their servants sounded clamorously.

"Crucify Him!" they screamed. "Crucify Him!"

Pilate was incensed at this implacable hatred.

"Take Him you, and crucify Him; for I find no cause in Him," he exclaimed, resolved that he would not put Jesus to death. But the crafty Jewish leaders rose up once more.

"We have a law," they cried, "and according to the Law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God!"

Again Pilate wavered between fear and sympathy. He went back to the hall.

"Whence art thou?" he demanded in desperation.

Jesus did not answer.

"Speakest Thou not to me? Knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and I have power to release Thee?"

That thorn-crowned head was raised wearily. Those worn eyes gazed out at him from that bloodstained face.

"Thou shouldst not have any power against Me unless it were given thee from above," said Jesus. "Therefore he that hath delivered Me to thee hath the greater sin."

"I—I can not! I will not condemn this Man to death!" said Pilate. "I—"

"If thou release this Man thou art not Caesar's friend!" said the Priests with a sneer. "For whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar!"

The Roman Procurator was no match for his wily opponents. They threatened him with the thing he feared the most on earth—the displeasure of the Emperor. This decided his course of action. He felt himself compelled to give the final sentence. But first he offered a sop to his own accusing conscience. In the midst of the tumult that now ensued he ordered his servants to bring him water. Standing there, in the sight of the assembled multitude, he washed his hands. This singular action quieted the noise for a moment. The silence that followed allowed the voice of the Roman to be heard most plainly as he disowned all share in this horrible crime.

"I am innocent of the blood of this just Man!" he exclaimed. "Look ye to it."

A yell answered him—and the voice of every demon in every lane and alley and byway of hell joined to make that shout as loud as loudest thunderclap:

"His blood be upon us; and upon our children !"

At this frightful cry, the Virgin moaned, and buried her head in her hands. Magdalen and the others were terror-stricken — they expected the heavens to open and annihilate these unfortunate wretches. Pilate's face whitened. Inside the grated window Claudia, his wife, heaved a great sigh and fell unconscious to the ground. Yet with that same hand which he had just washed and purified, he signed the sentence of Jesus' condemnation. Our Saviour was led forth once more.

"Behold your King!"

"Away with Him! Crucify Him!"

"Shall I crucify your King?"

"We have no king but Caesar!"

The condemnation was given.

"Conduct to the place of punishment Jesus of Nazareth, who incites the people to revolt, despises Caesar, and calls Himself falsely the Messias. Go, lictor, prepare the cross."

Hearing this, Magdalen trembled, and sank almost unconscious to the ground. Salome and the other women supported her. Only Mary remained —Mary, the Mother of the Man condemned. She saw nothing but her Son. Her soul was in her eyes, and across the sea of hatred and passion that surged between them their pure gaze met. She could almost read His thoughts. "The work advances," He was saying to her in His heart, and her heart heard.

In the meantime an echo repeated in the air: "Prepare the cross!" A second repeated it; a third which seemed to come from the heavens above re-echoed the phrase:

"Prepare the cross, whence is to issue salvation to the world."

But the frantic, maddened, devil-driven multitude heard nothing. Neither the voices of heaven nor those of earth; nor the smothered wailings of Mary Magdalen, nor the pitiful sobs and cries for pardon and justice from those who accompanied her.

The Lily Of Israel By The Abbe Gerbet. Part 37.

CHAPTER XXXV. THE BETRAYAL

TOWARD evening, Judas, followed by a body of soldiers from the Temple and the servants of the High Priests, stealthily left the palace of Caiphas and descended the winding streets of the city.

He led the way, crossing the quarter called Area, and reached the Sterquilinarian gate, which he found open, having previously apprised the gatekeeper of his intentions. There a cohort of Roman soldiers awaited them. They passed in silence through Ophel, where dwelt many friends of Jesus, and made their way along the extensive walls of the old palace of Solomon, soon arriving at the dried-up bed of the torrent Cedron. They crossed it, leaving to the right the tomb of David's rebellious son; they marched quickly into Gethsemani and gained the foot of the mountain.

The moon, which at first had illumined the heavens, suddenly hid itself under dense clouds. The darkness became profound, and the wind moaned sorrowfully in the tops of the trees. It was a gloomy night, seldom seen in this beautiful climate. One of the soldiers carried a resinous torch, and him Judas called, making him march beside him. Either from agitation, or because of the obscurity, the traitor staggered at every step. The ascent was rough. Several times he stopped to take breath, and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. Still, the night was cold and the soldiers wrapped their cloaks tightly about them. Once when Judas paused to wipe his streaming brow, the soldier who carried the torch exclaimed:

"If you are so hot, why do you tremble?"

"It is because his heart is the heart of a coward," remarked one of his companions. Several of these knew that they were come to take Jesus of Nazareth prisoner—and they asked themselves: "In what is this Man really guilty? What has He done?"

Judas made no answer. He continued his ascent, but stopped no more until he reached the summit. They had scaled the mountain on the rockiest side, fearing to meet armed partisans of Christ. Useless precaution! All slept. Sin alone was on the watch around Him that night!

At last they reached the garden where Jesus went daily to pray and converse with His disciples. A voice rang out clearly on the night air. It was the voice of Jesus, and at its sound, Judas gave a violent start. He was speaking to Peter, James, and John. "What?" He asked, mournfully. "Could you not watch one hour with Me?"

There was silence. The darkness was intense. Then, farther off, came the low and thrilling tones:

"O My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me." (St. Matthew xxvi, 39.)

So mournful and sad was His voice that it seemed to soften all nature. The rocks themselves, and the echoes lurking among them, responded to it by what seemed almost a moan. Arid the soul of Judas was troubled, though it was not changed. The demon of his terrible crime clung to him like a vulture; he harassed him, goaded him, intoxicated him with fury, preventing him from turning back.

"He has disdained thee! He has laughed at thee! He has preferred all and every one to thee! Revenge thyself! Revenge thyself!"

The garden had but a single entrance; they followed the windings of the hedge until they came to it.

"If there are several within" said the tribune, the officer of the escort, in a low tone, "how am I to recognize Him whom you call Jesus? Should He choose to escape while I seize on one of His followers, He might do so."

"Do not be afraid," Judas answered, in a thick, guttural tone."Order the torches lighted and come near me. He whom I salute with a kiss will be the Man you seek."

"You would betray Him with a kiss?" breathed a voice close to his ear, but when he turned to find out who had spoken, no one seemed paying any attention to him. They were nearing the gate of the garden, which was made of reeds and supported by two high palm-trees, forming a natural arch. Judas opened it—but he staggered, and drove his head against one of the trees. For again that mournful voice was borne to him on the quiet sigh of the night:

"My soul is sorrowful even unto death."

And again:

"My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

And again:

"Behold, the hour is at hand!"

At these words Judas shook.

"Rise! Let us go! Behold, he is at hand that will betray Me!" (St. Matthew xxvi, 46.)

A violent imprecation burst from the traitor's lips. Seizing a torch from the hands of a soldier, he plunged ahead of those who were accompanying Him. Hardly had he taken three steps when a form barred his way, and in the light of the torch upflung in his quivering hand he gazed upon the gentle face of his Lord and Master.

Down Judas, upon your knees, and hope will light its flame once more in your unhappy soul! Down, and beg the pity, the forgiveness of this Saviour, this Redeemer, who loves you!

But the hell in Judas' bosom flamed into greater fury. That mild and beautiful countenance, shining with light, sent a passion of hatred through his wretched heart. Advancing with haggard eyes and foaming mouth, he saluted Jesus. "Hail, Rabbi!"

And he pressed his lips to the adorable cheek of our God.

"Friend, whereto art thou come?" asked Jesus

mildly. And then, in a sterner tone, "Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss?" (St. Luke xxii, 48.)

The grave words, the reproachful tone, seemed to linger, as if their echo could not die away. And at the sound of them Judas the unfortunate came down headlong from the peaks of hatred to the verge of that yawning chasm of despair which was to prove his last undoing. The crime had been consummated! He had betrayed his Master. The name of Judas— Judas the traitor!—was his for all eternity. And Jesus, advanced toward those who had come to arrest Him.

"Whom seek ye?" He said to them. "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am He," He answered.

At this word they fell in fear, with their faces to the earth. For the glory of His converse with His Father still shrouded Him; the agony of that lonely hour, in which the precious blood had oozed from every pore, still remained. And when He, the Christ, the Son of God, thus proclaimed Himself, the weak beings before Him yielded Him in fear the homage they refused to yield Him in love or respect.

But Our Saviour looked down with calm dignity upon them. His Passion was at hand. He wished to enter upon it. He was the Man of sorrow, the Victim offered for all mankind. And He said, again:

"Whom seek ye?"

The guards arose, exchanged glances—wondering glances—for their fear had left them as suddenly as it had come.

"Jesus of Nazareth," one said again—and waited.

"Have I not told you that I am He?" asked Jesus. "If therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way." (St. John xviii, 8.)

Ashamed of an emotion for which they could not account, they surrounded Him, shoving Him among them, so that there might be no opportunity for rescue or escape. As they turned to leave the garden, the disciples, overcome with anger and sorrow at seeing their Master thus maltreated, would have opposed them, and Peter, drawing his sword, with a sudden blow severed from his head the ear of Malchus, one of the High Priest's servants.

The Saviour looked at Peter reprovingly.

"Put up again thy sword in its place," He said, "for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I can not ask My Father, and He will give Me presently more than twelve legions of angels ?" (St. Matthew xxvi, 52, 53.)

Ashamed and ill-at-ease, Peter withdrew a little, and Our Lord, coming forward, touched the wound in 'MaIchus' head and healed it. The astonished man stood lost in the crowd, irritated still by the blow he had received, but of which there was no evidence now save memory.

" Who can He be, this Nazarene, whose touch heals the wounded flesh?"

After this act of violence, the tribune at the head of the cohort ordered the hands of Jesus to be bound and the torches made ready for the march. And he gave the word of command to go to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of the High Priest, Caiphas. Hearing this, and beholding the Saviour treated with such rudeness, fear seized upon the hearts of the disciples. They fled in a panic, as raw soldiers might flee who See their leader captured before their very eyes.

The disciples were then but weak and pusillanimous men, incapable of resisting the great and powerful of this earth. The very name of Annas made them tremble. Yet these men were later to become, by the power of the Holy Ghost, the unconquerable heroes of the new faith.

Judas remained. His eyes followed the flaming lights through the trees until their last glimmer was lost. He was alone in impenetrable darkness. Like a man who, in a moment of frenzy has been about to throw himself into an abyss, and is restored to reason just at the moment of his fall, so Judas now found himself the prey of other thoughts than those of hatred and jealousy. He was in the bottomless gulf, indeed, but he was not alone. The angel of darkness was there, and laid burning fingers on his heart.

"Rejoice, rejoice! Thou hast done what no other being has wished to do! Since the birth of this Man I have vainly sought for one to betray Him. All have refused. Only thou, Judas!"

Judas caught his head in his hands as if to still the tumult in his brain.

"To some I have offered all the wealth of the earth! To others, the dominion of this world! To others, pleasures that would intoxicate my angels. Some have been tempted—but one look alone from His eyes has disarmed them. All—yes, all, have refused this great mission of hell! Only thou, Judas!"

Moans of mortal terror fell from the lips of the unhappy wretch.

"Of thine own will thou hast undertaken this thing! Without effort, without fear! For thirty— pieces—of—silver! Thirty--pieces—of—silver! All the powers of hell are in thy debt. In debt to thee, Judas, only thee!"

The moan of terror rose to a loud shriek as these thoughts burned their way into his soul.

"But, say, Judas, what harm has He done thee? What harm has He done thee? Come, tell me, Judas."

Oh, most unfortunate of men, thine hour of grace is not yet past. Seek the feet of that Jesus who is being led away from thee! Force thy way through the soldiers and let His eyes rest upon thee! Divine eyes, that will cure thy wound and assuage thy treachery! Stumbling like one gone blind, muttering and moaning, his teeth chattering, Judas fled. He encountered no one—he was alone with his crime, alone with his despair. But Satan whispered mockingly:

"And hell is thy portion, forever, forever, forever! Hell is thy portion forever!"

Later, a miserable being with staring eyes and haggard countenance re-entered the city of Jerusalem. It was Judas. Here he learned the issue of his Master's trial, and going to the Temple, threw the silver they had given him at the feet of the Priests assembled in the council hall. Then he went out.

Afterwards it was said that he must have wandered during the night in the valley of Josaphat, and round the tombs of the Prophets. When the day dawned he was found dead under the broken branches of a sycamore that grew at the foot of the Mount of Scandal. A cord, attached to his neck, and to the broken branch, indicated clearly what kind of a death he had chosen.