The World's First Love by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Part 1.

The Woman the World Loves CHAPTER 1

Love Begins with a Dream

Every person carries within his heart a blueprint of the one he loves. What seems to be "love at first sight" is actually the fulfillment of desire, the realization of a dream. Plato, sensing this, said that all knowledge is a recollection from a previous existence. This is not true, as he states it, but it is true if one understands it to mean that we already have an ideal in us, one which is made by our thinking, our habits, our experiences, and our desires. Otherwise, how would we know immediately, on seeing persons or things, that we loved them? Before meeting certain people we already have a pattern and mould of what we like and what we do not like; certain persons fit into that pattern, others do not.

When we hear music for the first time, we either like or dislike it. We judge it by the music we already have heard in our own hearts. Jittery minds, which cannot long repose in one object of thought or in continuity of an ideal, love music which is distracting, excited, and jittery. Calm minds like calm music: the heart has its own secret melody and one day, when the score is played, the heart answers: "This is it." So it is with love. A tiny architect works inside the human heart drawing sketches of the ideal love from the people it sees, from the books it reads, from its hopes and daydreams, in the fond hope that the eye may one day see the ideal and the hand touch it. Life becomes satisfying the moment the dream is seen walking, and the person appears as the incarnation of all that one loved. The liking is instantaneous because, actually, it was there waiting for a long time. Some go through life without ever meeting what they call their ideal. This could be very disappointing, if the ideal never really existed. But the absolute ideal of every heart does exist, and it is God. All human love is an initiation into the Eternal. Some find the Ideal in substance without passing through the shadow.

God, too, has within Himself blueprints of everything in the universe. As the architect has in his mind a plan of the house before the house is built, so God has in His Mind an archetypal idea of every flower, bird, tree, springtime, and melody. There never was a brush touched to canvas nor a chisel to marble without some great pre-existing idea. So, too, every atom and every rose is a realization and concretion of an idea existing in the Mind of God from all eternity. All creatures below man correspond to the pattern God has in His Mind. A tree is truly a tree because it corresponds to God's idea of a tree. A rose is a rose, because it is God's idea of a rose wrapped up in chemicals and tints and life. But it is not so with persons. God has to have two pictures of us: one is what we are, and the other is what we ought to be. He has the model, and He has the reality: the blueprint and the edifice, the score of the music and the way we play it. God

has to have these two pictures because in each and every one of us there is some disproportion and want of conformity between the original plan and the way we have worked it out. The image is blurred; the print is faded. For one thing, our personality is not complete in time; we need a renewed body. Then, too, our sins diminish our personality; our evil acts daub the canvas the Master Hand designed. Like unhatched eggs, some of us refuse to be warmed by the Divine Love which is so necessary for incubation to a higher level. We are in constant need of repairs; our free acts do not coincide with the law of our being; we fall short of all God wants us to be. St. Paul tells us that we were predestined, before the foundations of the world were laid, to become the sons of God. But some of us will not fulfill that hope.

There is, actually, only one person in all humanity of whom God has one picture, and in whom there is a perfect conformity between what He wanted her to be and what she is, and that is His Own Mother. Most of us are a minus sign, in the sense that we do not fulfill the high hopes the Heavenly Father has for us. But Mary is the equal sign. The Ideal that God had of her, that she is, and in the flesh. The model and the copy are perfect; she is all that was foreseen, planned, and dreamed. The melody of her life is played, just as it was written. Mary was thought, conceived, and planned as the equal sign between ideal and history, thought and reality, hope and realization.

That is why, through the centuries, Christian liturgy has applied to her the words of the Book of Proverbs. Because she is what God wanted us all to be, she speaks of herself as the Eternal blueprint in the Mind of God, the one whom God loved before she was a creature. She is even pictured as being with Him not only at creation, but before creation. She existed in the Divine Mind as an Eternal Thought before there were any mothers. She is the Mother of mothers SHE is THE WORLD'S FIRST LOVE.

"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before He made anything, from the beginning. I was set up from eternity, and of old, before the earth was made. The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived; neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out; the mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth. He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was present; when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths; when he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters; when he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits; when he balanced the foundations of the earth; I was with him, forming all things, and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times, playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men. Now, therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that shall find me shall find life and shall have salvation from the Lord." (Prov. 8:22-35)

But God not only thought of her in eternity, He also had her in mind at the beginning of time. In the beginning of history, when the human race fell through the solicitation of a woman, God spoke to the Devil and said: "I will establish a feud between thee and the woman, between thy offspring and hers; she is to crush thy head, while thou dost lie in wait at her heels" (Gen. 3:15) God was saying that, if it was by a woman that man fell, it would be through a woman that God would be revenged. Whoever His Mother would be, she would certainly be blessed among women, and because God Himself chose her, He would see to it that all generations would call her blessed.

When God willed to become Man, He had to decide on the time of His coming, the country in which He would be born, the city in which He would be raised, the people, the race, the political and economic systems which would surround Him, the language He would speak, and the psychological attitudes with which He would come in contact as the Lord of History and the Saviour of the World.

All these details would depend entirely on one factor: the woman who would be His Mother. To choose a mother is to choose a social position, a language, a city, an environment, a crisis, and a destiny.

His Mother was not like ours, whom we accepted as something historically fixed, which we could not change; He was born of a Mother whom He chose before He was born. It is the only instance in history where both the Son willed the Mother, and the Mother willed the Son. And this is what the Creed means when it says, "born of the Virgin Mary" She was called by God as Aaron was, and Our Lord was born not just of her flesh, but by her consent.

Before taking unto Himself a human nature, He consulted with the Woman, to ask her if she would give Him a man. The Manhood of Jesus was not stolen from humanity, as Prometheus stole fire from heaven; it was given as a gift.

The first man, Adam, was made from the slime of the earth. The first woman was made from a man in an ecstasy. The new Adam, Christ, comes from the new Eve, Mary, in an ecstasy of prayer and love of God and the fullness of freedom.

We should not be surprised that she is spoken of as a thought by God before the world was made. When Whistler painted the picture of his mother, did he not have the image of her in his mind before he ever gathered his colors on his palette? If you could have pre-existed your mother (not artistically, but really), would you not have made her the most perfect woman that ever lived - one so beautiful she would have been the sweet envy of all women, and one so gentle and so merciful that all other mothers would have sought to imitate her virtues? Why then should we think that God would do otherwise? When Whistler was complimented on the portrait of his mother, he said: "You know how it is -one tries to make one's Mummy just as nice as he can." When God became Man, I believe that He, too, would make His Mother as nice as He could and that would make her a perfect Mother.

Vessel of Singular Devotion - THE PURIFICATION 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.

"And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His Mother: Behold this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; and thine own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed." (Luke, ii, 34, 35.)

ACCORDING to the law of Moses, the woman who had brought into the world a man-child, was to abstain from going into the Temple for forty days. After which time, she was to journey to Jerusalem, and there offer for her purification a lamb with a pigeon or turtle-dove; or by concession, if she were poor, a pair of turtle-doves or pigeons. (Lev. xii, 8.)

The conception of Christ in the womb of our blessed Lady was the work of the Holy Ghost, and hence Mary was not subject to this law in as much as it implied satisfaction for any fault whatever. But that same spirit of humility which had induced Jesus, though immune from all stain of origin, to obey the law of circumcision, impelled Mary also to submit to the law of purification.

The Holy of Holies having come upon earth to take away the sins of the world, (John, i, 29.) chose to appear among us as a sinner. It was therefore befitting that His Immaculate Mother, destined to cooperate with Him in the work of our redemption, should teach the world, by her submission to the law of purification, this great truth, that humility is the beginning of our salvation, as pride has been the root of our ruin. And just as Jesus willed to be born in poverty, so also Mary appeared in the Temple stripped of the goods of this world, for which reason she made to God the offering of the poor.

O holy humility, how pleasing art thou in the sight of the Most High, since it was to teach us lowliness, that the Word of God came down upon earth!

Mary went to the Temple of Jerusalem not only to be purified in accordance with the Law, but also to offer to God the Child Jesus, her new-born Son: Ut sisterent eum Domino" (Luke, ii, 22.)

The Law commanded that all newly born male children should be consecrated to the Lord. This precept was designed to recall to the Hebrews the memory of the passage of the destroying-Angel, who slew the first-born of Egypt, but spared the children of the Israelites. Later on however, God having, in place of the first-born of the Hebrews, set apart for the priesthood the entire tribe of Levi, the custom was introduced that the parents should immediately ransom their first-born at the price of five shekels. Mary and Joseph offered therefore this mystic ransom at the Temple, in a spirit of obedience.

But to what purpose was Jesus thus ransomed? Why, having been once offered to God, was He restored again to His parents? Ah, it is because He was the victim destined for the sacrifice of Golgotha, and it was necessary that the victim should be kept for the day of its immolation. Mary and Joseph are well aware of this. Being fully acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, they know that the Messias must accomplish the work of redemption by His death.

But, in order that the designs of God may be brought home to them with greater force, behold the Prophet Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit comes into the Temple, takes into his arms the Divine Infant and, blessing God, turns to Mary, foretelling her the bitter sorrow which, like a sharp sword, must one day pierce her sinless soul.

The holy old man Simeon knew well that the Messias was born only of Mary, and that to her alone would one day belong the offering up of Jesus upon Calvary. Therefore, though his benediction equally included St. Joseph, yet it was to the Mother of God alone that he addressed the prophetic utterance. These words were, for the heart of the Immaculate Virgin, a cause of unspeakable grief, though at the same time of exceeding joy.

In fact, Mary perceived that if Jesus was to be a contradicted sign, it was by reason of the envy of men, which would drive them to such a pitch of malice, as to become guilty of dei-cide. She understood that this persecution must of necessity include herself also, the true Mother of the Redeemer.

But if the Saviour is to be for many an occasion of perdition, He will also prove, for those who are ready and willing to accept His teaching, a source of grace, so that in His name and by His power they will become victors over sin and death. This thought sufficed to console Mary and to animate her for the fulfilment of her mission.

Example The devotion of Pope Clement viii to The Blessed Virgin

Among the Sovereign Pontiffs who have nourished a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, particular mention must be made of Clement VIII, through whom the picture of Our Lady, venerated in St. Mary Major's at Borne and known as St. Luke's picture, became a center of great devotion.

As soon as he was crowned Pope, he proclaimed a jubilee to all who should visit the chapel where the picture is preserved, and, desiring to give an example of true devotion to the Mother of God, he himself went thrice in procession to visit the shrine, followed by the Sacred College of Cardinals, the Pontifical Court, and a large body of the faithful.

When his nephew, John Francis Aldobrandini was about to set out with an army to help the Hungarians against the Turks, the Holy Pontiff wished to put the valiant soldier under the protection of Our Lady, of whom we read that she is splendid as the sun, beautiful as the moon, and terrible as an army in battle array. To this end he held a solemn ceremony in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, during which, under the motherly regard of our blessed Lady, he appointed Francis general, giving him the banner under which the Christian name was to triumph.

But what especially distinguished the devotion of this Pontiff to our blessed Lady was his custom of going every morning on foot with one of the pontifical household to venerate this shrine in the Church of St. Mary Major. On arriving there, he was wont to go up the steps leading to the Basilica, on his knees, out of reverence for the Mother of God. He used to remain there humbly waiting for the "Angelus" to be rung, at which hour the Basilica would be opened. Then he recited the "Angelus" thus honoring her who is known as the heavenly dawn; after which, he went to prostrate himself before the Sacred Picture, which he contemplated in ecstasy, breathing forth the love of his heart for Mary.

Paul V, who succeeded Clement VIII in the Chair of St. Peter, wished to perpetuate the devotion of his predecessor to this sacred shrine by erecting a splendid monument to his memory in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin. Prince Marcantonio Borghese had the body of Pope Clement VIII transferred there from the Vatican, so that even in death he might render homage to her, whom he had loved so much in life.

Prayer

O Mary, who hast given us in thy Purification, so bright an example of true and sincere devotion, and whose sweet heart was at once pierced with sorrow and filled with heavenly joy at the prophecy of Simeon, grant that I may imitate thee, and obey the commandments of Jesus, in such wise, that I may have part in the Redemption which He has won for us. Amen.

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.

Spiritual Vessel - PRESENTATION OF MARY IN THE TEMPLE

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.

"Hearken, daughter, and see, and incline thy ear, and forget thy people and thy father's house. And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty" (Ps. xliv, 11, 12.)

ACCORDING to a tradition, Mary. when three years of age, was prompted by the Holy Spirit to consecrate herself to God in the Temple of Jerusalem. Mary then made a perfect holocaust of herself, dedicating to God her body, by the vow of chastity, and her will, by the vow of obedience, and renouncing forever the goods of this world, by the vow of poverty.

It were indeed impossible to say with what perfection, with what fervor, she made this offering of herself to the Most High, or how pleasing this holocaust was in the eyes of her Maker. The noble-minded Virgin could in all truth say with the Psalmist: "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup; it is thou that will restore my inheritance to me." (Ps. xv, 5.)

On His side, the Almighty could but repay His beloved Spouse with the most precious gifts. We may well believe that, at the moment of her presentation in the Temple, Mary was favored by an invisible mission of the Holy Ghost, in as much as this Divine Spirit imparted to her a fresh increase of extraordinary grace which raised her at once into a higher sphere of sanctity. The same thing happened at other solemn epochs in her life, as for example at the Annunciation and at the death of Jesus upon the cross.

On the day of her presentation in the Temple, Mary laid the foundation of that humble hidden life, in which, by the practice of the sublimest virtues, she was to reach that super-eminent degree of holiness, to which she was predestined as Mother of the Word and inseparable companion of the Redeemer. Attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, she sedulously gathered up all His lessons, preserving them in her soul with a jealous care: "I will lead her into the wilderness," said the Lord, "and I will speak to her heart." (Osee ii, 14.)

All the while that she abode in the Temple, Mary spent her life in the practice of the loftiest virtues. There, in silence $nd solitude, she could ascend the mystical ladder of contemplation, conversing with her Well-Beloved, hearkening to His voice, and saying to Him with accents of fondest love: "Let Thy voice sound in mine ears, for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely." (Cant, ii, 14.)

There also, in the unremitting perusal of the Holy Scriptures, she meditated on the life of the promised Messias, and in the consideration of His future sufferings, she gave vent to sentiments of tenderest compassion. "My heart is turned within me, for I am full of bitterness." (Lament, i, 20.) There she gave herself to works of penance and charity, even so that with her own hands she wrought garments for the poor, or priestly vestments for the service of the Sanctuary, wherein the legal sacrifices took place, typical of the great Sacrifice of the Cross.

Mary's life in the Temple may well serve as a rule of conduct not only for Religious, but also for persons in the world.

The former have only to raise their eyes to that .supreme pattern, in order to feel themselves drawn, after Mary's example, often to renew in their hearts the offering of themselves to God by the reiteration of their religious vows. Let them ponder how jealously the future Mother of God watched over the spotless flower of her chastity, how she shunned worldly pleasures and amusements, with what promptitude and exactness she obeyed the precepts of the Law.

As regards persons in the world, they too may learn from the example of the Mother of God to retire ever and anon into solitude, to muse in. silence upon the eternal truths. Let them bear in mind that earthly things pass away like a breath, and that no time is well employed, that is not somehow expended in the service of God. "They have called the people happy that hath these things: but happy is that people whose God is the Lord." (Ps. cxliii, 15.)

Example - St. Paul of the Cross

St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Congregation of Clerks Regular of the Cross, or Passionists, was one of the most ardent lovers of the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of the sorrows of Mary. By his continued meditation on the sorrows of Jesus and Mary, and by his spirit of penance and mortification, he merited to attain to a high degree of sanctity. He was wont to say that anyone going to the Crucified Lord will also find our blessed Lady, for where the Son is, there is the Mother also. Indeed, one of the fruits of his great devotion to the passion of Jesus, which from his youth he had acquired at the foot of the cross, was a tender compassion for the sorrows of Mary, so that he could not reflect on the sufferings of Jesus without bewailing those of His Mother.

How pleasing were these sentiments of compassion to our blessed Lady, is manifest from the many occasions on which she deigned to appear to him and from the many revelations she made to her faithful servant with regard to the sufferings which she endured with her Son Jesus. It can scarcely be said how St. Paul was confirmed in fervor by these revelations; what great light he received in meditating on the work of our redemption; and what ardor he infused into his Religious and into all with whom he came in contact, for their advancement along the true path of sanctity.

Striking events are recorded in connection with his devotion to the sorrows of Mary. One year, on Good Friday, he wished to deprive himself of the food allowed by his rule, even though he was lying ill in his cell. When some one insisted that he should at least take a little nourishment, he, remembering the sorrows of Our Lady cried out, "O dear Mother, this day thou didst stand at the foot of the cross oppressed with grief, and there was none to console thee."

Later on, he managed to crawl into the chapel to pour out his love freely before the Blessed Sacrament.

When St. Paul of the Cross was on the point of death, Our Lady deigned to appear to him, in company with the Heavenly Court, inviting him into paradise. He was overcome with joy at the invitation and peacefully breathed forth his saintly soul in the year 1775. And thus the words of the Psalmist were verified in him: "They that sow in tears shall reap with joy." (Ps. cxxv, 5.)

Prayer

O Mary, whose heart, like a costly vessel, was filled, during thy sojourn in the Temple, with the sweetest perfume of good works, obtain for me, I pray thee, to serve with faithfulness, Jesus Christ thy Son, all the days of my life, and to die in His holy service. Amen.

Seat of Wisdom - GIFT OF WISDOM 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.

"I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts" (Prov. viii, 12.)

WISDOM is the most precious gift of the Holy Spirit, for it is properly the fruit of charity, the most excellent treasure that one may ever possess in this life.

This holy gift consists in a disposition of our mind to regard and regulate all things by the light of the divine law. Many there are who spend much time to perfect themselves in human science, or the liberal arts. They will toil day and night, in order to succeed in their artistic or scientific undertakings. Others, given over to wickedness, employ all their industry in finding occasion to sin with impunity. But to know Thee, O my God, to discern wisely between Thy paths that lead on to life, and the dangerous ways of the world, there is no need that one should employ so much study nor such toilsome labor: an upright heart, animated by Thy grace, is all that is required, for "the unction of Thy Spirit teacheth him all things." (1 John, ii, 27.)

The man who is taught by the Holy Spirit becomes spiritual, that is to say, his understanding is enlightened and his emotions are regulated in such manner, that he "judges all things," (1 Cor. ii, 15.) not only discerning good from evil and truth from falsehood, but also ordering every one of his actions by reference to his last end, which is the attainment of eternal life.

Just as Mary possessed in a surpassing degree the! virtue of charity, in like manner was she adorned with the precious gift of wisdom. She could discern as if by instinct the things of heaven from the things of the world, and directed all her actions toward God with that purity of intention proper to souls inebriated with divine love. This wisdom filled her soul with a sweetness beyond compare, and communicated to all her exterior actions a heavenly gentleness, for of this virtue it is written that "its conversation hath no bitterness, nor its company any tediousness, but joy and gladness." (Wisd. viii, 16.)

True wisdom bears the impress of seven supernatural qualities, which are, as it were, so many pillars, on which it rests. St James thus describes these seven qualities. 'The wisdom that is from above," says he, "first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation." (James, iii, 17.)

Such were the supports whereon the precious gift of wisdom reposed in Mary. Like a majestic tower which rears itself heavenward, firm and strong, this peerless Virgin, filled with divine wisdom, kept her spirit constantly raised toward the supernatural regions, where she contemplated with grateful wonder, the words of the Most High. Her thoughts were continually in heaven, (Phil, iii, 20.) where, together with the blessed spirits, she adored the ways of the Lord in her regard, conforming herself in all things to His good pleasure. "Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewn her out seven pillars!" (Prov. xi, 1.)

As much as heavenly wisdom is beauteous and resplendent, by so much is earthly wisdom, which St. James does not hesitate to call "sensual, devilish," (James, iii, 15.) dark and unsightly. This worldly wisdom is full of zeal, but a poisonous zeal, spreading everywhere dissension and trouble. It goes in search of the seductions of sense: it is haughty and arrogant, inclined to judge and to weigh in the scales of malevolence the neighbour's actions: it is full of hypocrisy and deceit: its end is to light on all sides the brand of discord: it leads irreparably to eternal ruin.

As day differs from night and life from death, even so does heavenly wisdom differ from the wisdom of this world. To the latter may be applied the words of the book of Proverbs: "There is a way that seemeth just to a man: but the ends thereof lead to death." (Prov. xiv, 12.)

Let us ask of God that He keep us from so great an evil. Let us beseech Him to fill our hearts with the precious gift of heavenly wisdom.

Example - St. Bernard

St. Bernard, the great Doctor of the Church, and, as he is called, the last of the Fathers, was famous for the holiness of his life and the splendor of his doctrine. In an especial way he excels all sacred writers by the sweetness and unction with which he treats of the grandeur and prerogatives of the glorious Mother of God. He was born at Fontaine, in Burgundy, in 1091, of pious and noble parents, who gave him a good Christian education. Thus, even from his youth, he led a virtuous life full of charitable works.

One year, on Christmas night, he was favored with a heavenly vision. The Divine Child appeared to him 'and deigned to instruct him in the glorious mystery of the Incarnation, which the Church celebrates at that time. From this vision there arose in him that tender devotion and ardent love for the Mother of God, which the Saint afterward transfused into the hearts of many, through the sermons he wrote in her honor. Our Lady failed not to correspond to this love of Bernard for her by showing a special predilection for her faithful servant. She granted him extraordinary favors. And so this devotion to the Queen of Heaven, which is the source of great fruit to souls, produced in the heart of St. Bernard this result: it made him realize that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. So, at the age of twenty-two, he left his father's home and asked to be admitted into the Cistercian Order.

So great was his fervor in consecrating himself to God, that he persuaded many of his kinsmen and acquaintances to follow him in the religious life, which they did, although they had previously opposed his decision. In religion he showed himself a perfect example of every virtue. Being placed at the head of his monastery, he restored discipline and founded many abbeys in which the regular observance was kept up for a long time.

As St. Bernard was much given to the study of Holy Scripture and to meditating on the eternal truths, he acquired such treasure of knowledge, that he merited to be numbered among the most shining lights of the Church. The Roman Pontiffs many times entrusted him with important and delicate missions, such as pacifying cities and repressing vice and disorder, all of which the Saint carried out successfully with the help of Mary.

Finally, worn out with fatigue and excessive penances, he peacefully breathed forth his soul to God, on the twentieth of August, 1174, in the sixty-third year of his age.

Prayer

O Mary, obtain for us of thy Son, we pray thee, a large share of the gift of divine wisdom, a gift so precious, that all the treasures of earth are nothing in comparison. In virtue of this heavenly gift, we shall easily come to the possession of that peace which the Saviour brought upon earth. That peace, which is the tranquillity of order, will make us merit the glorious title of "sons of God," (Matt, v, 9.) and will bring us to the blessed country. Amen.

Mirror of Justice - VIRTUE OF JUSTICE 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.

Photo by Antonio Strafella on Flickr

"With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice." (Prov. viii, 18.)

JUSTICE consists in rendering to God what belongs to God and to man what belongs to man, according to the words of Jesus Christ: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." (Matt, xxii, 21.)

Our divine Redeemer was a perfect model of justice. He was not content with rendering to His Father the honor which is His due, adoring Him and fulfilling all His commandments: He willed also to promote justice among men, condemning by word and deed whatsoever is contrary to this virtue.

Further, since fallen man could not satisfy the justice of God, on account of the offenses he had committed against the Divine Majesty, Jesus Christ, true Man, offered Himself to His Eternal Father, to appease His just anger. Thus did our divine Saviour pay to the last farthing the debt contracted by our sins, dying for us on the tree of the cross, a true victim of expiation. It is with reason, then, that Jesus Christ is called the Sun of Justice. In the light of this divine Sun, we are now able to distinguish good actions from those contaminated by sin.

Let us examine our lives by this shining light, before it comes to pass that the Sovereign Judge of angels and men, who holds the scales of life and death in His hands, summons, us before His dread tribunal.

As Jesus is the Sun of Justice, so is Mary a spotless mirror, in which the justice of the Godhead is so faithfully reflected, as to lead us to the knowledge of Its infinite perfections. And just as a mirror reproduces exactly our features, so in the same way the Blessed Virgin is for us a sure means whereby we may be led to know the perfections of our Saviour.

Whether we consider Mary in her attitude toward God, or review her relations with her most chaste Spouse St. Joseph, or again regard the manner with which she fulfilled her duties toward her neighbor, we may say truly that justice never failed her.

Mary paid to God, with all her heart, the homage of adoration which is His due, attributing nothing to herself of all those treasures of divine grace and perfection with which she was favored. As for her relations either with her holy Spouse or with her neighbors at large, these always bore the mark of the most perfect justice.

It is with reason, therefore, that we may apply to the Mother of God, the words of the Prophet Isaias: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, and with the robe of justice He hath covered me, as a bridegroom decked with a crown and as a bride adorned with her jewels (Isai lxi, 10.)

Not only does the consideration of Mary's justice serve to enlighten us as to the perfections of Jesus Christ, but it may also be advantageous in conveying to us a knowledge of the defects of our own justice, whether toward God or toward men. It behoves us to make this self-examination before the day of the Lord comes, that great day of universal reckoning; otherwise the most painful surprises may await us.

When, by comparing our justice to that of Mary, we come to realize our own imperfections and sins, we may well make a true and lowly confession of our wretchedness, saying with the Prophet Isaias: "We are all become as one unclean." (Isai lxiv, 6.) This candid avowal is in itself the beginning of a sincere conversion calculated to lead us on, under the influence of divine grace, to the possession of the kingdom of heaven, where justice and peace shall meet in an everlasting embrace: Justitia et pax osculatae sunt. (Ps. lxxxiv, 11.)

Happy the soul which often applies itself to the consideration of Mary's perfections, who is a true mirror of justice. It will ascend rapidly from virtue to virtue, realizing in itself our blessed Saviour's words: "Be you therefore perfect, as also your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt v, 48.)

Example - Miraculous Picture of The Santissima Annunziata in Florence

When the Seven Holy Founders of the Order of the Servants of Mary were established in the Oratory of Santa Maria di Cafaggio, they decided to have painted a fresco of Our Lady representing her humbly proclaiming herself the handmaid of the Lord when greeted by the Angel. Being desirous that the painting should be worthy of the most holy Mother of God, they entrusted the work to an able and pious artist, named Bartholomew.

The saintly artist, relying on the aid of Heaven more than on his own skill, had recourse to Our Lady, fervently praying her that she would deign to direct his hand, that he might represent her in the most fitting manner. When he had completed the figure of the Angel and most of that of Our Lady, there yet remained to paint the features of the holy Mother of God. But how was he to depict the expression of this heavenly Mother in the act of pronouncing her admirable fiat, by which she became the Mother of God?

In this perplexity of mind the painter fell into a deep sleep. On awaking, how great was his astonishment to find the picture finished by an invisible hand! The faithful then flocked to witness this miracle and fixing their eyes on the Blessed Virgin, they repeatedly exclaimed: "What an angelical face, what heavenly features, what a celestial expression!" So beautiful indeed was the face of the Mother of God, that Michelangelo himself used to say this could not have been depicted by any human hand, but that it was truly a divine work.

Many were the graces bestowed by Our Lady on those who came to pray before this picture. Before long it was given the title of "Our Lady Saint Mary, full of grace." This was the beginning of many further graces which the mercy of God granted, for more than six centuries, to those who came to invoke the Mother of God at this shrine.

Many people eminent for virtue came and knelt before this heavenly picture to implore Our Lady's aid. It was before this wondrous picture that St. Aloysius Gonzaga made his vow of perpetual virginity. Here, also, both St. Charles Borromeo and in after years, Pope Pius IX, knelt in prayer and shed tears of tender devotion.

Prayer

O Mary, when I consider my own justice, I perceive, alas! that it is hardly better than that of the Scribes and Pharisees. (Matt v, 20.) I implore thee, therefore, that thou obtain for me of thy Son the grace ever to grow in this virtue, in order that, like thyself, I may serve the Lord with faithfulness, and thus come at last to eternal bliss. Amen.

Mother Inviolate - GIFT OF FEAR 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.

"If I have found favour in thy sight, 0 king, and if it please thee, give me my life for which I ask, and my people, for which I request." (Esth. vii, 3.)

TIE HOLY GHOST teaches us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Ps. cx, 10.) This fear is not that servile movement which has for its object the chastisement due to sin; it is a sentiment of filial piety, grounded on the one hand on the greatness and majesty of God, and on the other on the deformity of sin.

Servile fear may be found even among those who do not love God, whom the dread of punishment alone keeps back from offending their Lord and Master. Speaking of this fear St. John says that perfect charity casts it out. (1 John, iv, 18.)

On the other hand, filial fear belongs to God's children. These recognize the Most High for their Sovereign Lord, and love Him as their tender Father; hence they have for Him a profound esteem and veneration. Knowing that they are exposed in this life to a thousand occasions of offending Him, by reason of the temptations they must undergo through the frailty of the flesh, the malice of the demon, and the allurements of the world, they fear sin above every other evil.

Lord, give me, I beseech Thee, an ample share of this salutary fear, according as Thou hast said: "I will give my fear in their heart." (Jer. xxxii, 40.)

* * *

Mary, at the moment of her Immaculate Conception, received, together with the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, that of the fear of God. This fear in her was in no sort servile. Filled as she was with divine grace, altogether pure and holy, what chastisement could she apprehend?

Neither was there in Mary, properly speaking, that fear which theologians call "chaste fear," which has for its object the possible danger of falling away from God by sin; for she well knew that by an especial assistance of the Holy Ghost, she would never lose divine grace.

The fear of God was, therefore, in Mary a reverential fear, caused by a keen and lively sense of the awful majesty of the Most High and His limitless power. It was this very sentiment which impelled this glorious Virgin to believe with all her heart the truths revealed by God: to consecrate to the Lord all the affections of her soul: to shelter herself and rest, like a white dove, under the fatherly wings of Divine Providence: "I sat down under His shadow, whom I desired." (Cant, ii, 3.)

* * *

The chief effect of the gift of fear in Mary was to inspire her, in her adorations and supplications, with so great a sense of respect and veneration for the Divine Majesty, that all her petitions merited to be heard: even as we read of Jesus, that He "was heard for His reverence." (Heb. v, 7.) Mary might, therefore, like another Esther, present herself without fear before the throne of the King of kings, and lay her request at His feet, with a certain confidence of being fully heard, whatever the object of her petition might be.

Oh, that we would imitate Mary in the acquisition and exercise of this precious gift of the fear of God! That our prayers might be animated with this reverential and wholesome fear, which is the pledge of divine favours, for it is written that God "will do the will of them that fear Him: and He will hear their prayer." (Ps. cxliv, 19.) Would that we dreaded above all things to commit sin, the greatest of evils, and that we might courageously shun all the occasions of offending our Heavenly Father and losing His grace!

Happy the soul that possesses this salutary fear, the beneficial effect of which is felt especially at the moment of death. For such a soul does not dread the passage from life to eternity: on the contrary, it looks upon that moment as the beginning of all real blessings. "With him that feareth the Lord, it shall go well in the latter end, and in the day of his death he shall be blessed." (Ecclus. i, 18.)

Example - St. Ildephonsus

One of the most strenuous champions of the perpetual virginity of the most holy Mother of God was St. Ildephonsus, Archbishop of Toledo, in Spain. His birth, which took place in the year 606, was the effect of a special grace of Mary. He came to this world on the eighth of December, which is the day that was afterward consecrated to the Immaculate Conception of our blessed Lady. When but ten years old, he was placed under the direction of St. Isidore of Seville, that he might learn, besides human science, the virtues necessary in a minister of the Lord.

After ten years he returned to his country, where, following the impulse of the Holy Spirit, notwithstanding the opposition of his parents, he withdrew into solitude, entering the monastery of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. A short time after, the splendor of his religious virtues moved his brethren to elect him Superior. Later, he was raised to the dignity of Archbishop, succeeding Eugenius in the See of Toledo.

Spain at that time was infested by a crowd of Arian heretics, who taught that Jesus Christ was not equal to His Father but only an adopted Son, and that therefore Mary was not the Mother of God but an ordinary woman. These men, following the false teaching of Elvidius, strove to deprive the Queen of Heaven of the halo of perpetual virginity. Ildephonsus directed all his pastoral care against this nefarious doctrine, and proved both by writing and preaching that Jesus Christ is truly God, equal to the Father, and that Mary is the most holy Mother of God, and yet always a Virgin.

Such zeal, if it excited the wrath of Ildephonsus' enemies, was however not unrewarded by God. One day as Ildephonsus was praying at the tomb of St. Leocadia in the presence of a large multitude of the faithful, among whom was the King Recesvintus, the stone which covered the sacred remains of this virgin, was suddenly lifted and the Saint coming forth from the tomb addressed the holy Bishop, exclaiming: "O Ildephonsus, through thee is my Mistress living." By that, St. Leocadia wished to show how efficacious was the preaching of Ildephonsus for preserving faith and devotion to Mary in the hearts of the people, despite the calumny of the heretics. As witness of this wonderful apparition and to confirm the truth which Ildephonsus had defended, St. Leocadia invited him to detach, a small piece of the white veil which covered her head, and this is preserved to the present day as a precious relic in the cathedral of Toledo. St. Ildephonsus died on the twenty-third of January, 667.

Prayer

O Mary, it was by a special grace of the Holy Ghost that thou wast made sinless during thy mortal life, and that thou wert animated with such a veneration for the Divine Majesty, that thou didst merit to be heard in all thy prayers. Present, I beseech thee, special petitions to the Most High, that I may ever keep alive in me this gift of salutary fear, in order that I may avoid sin, and come to eternal blessedness. 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.

Incomparable Dignity Of The Mother Of God.

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 adored Him whom she brought forth" (Office of the Purification.)

THE human mind can never fully comprehend all that is contained in the title "Mother of God." It is the title by which the faithful love to address Mary, and the Church has sanctioned it by her infallible authority. All the beauties of nature, all the riches of grace, all the splendors of glory pale before the majestic grandeur of such a title as this. For, by the very fact of having conceived the Word Made Flesh, Mary has been united to God by the same ties which unite a mother to her true son.

Just as, therefore, the dignity of the human nature in Jesus Christ is immeasurably raised above all things created, by reason of the hypostatic union with the Divine Word, so also the dignity of Mary belongs to a superior order, on account of her position as Mother of God. This title is precisely the source and the measure of all those gifts of nature, grace and glory, wherewith the Lord was pleased to enrich her. "The Holy Mother of God has been elevated above the choirs of angels in the heavenly kingdom." 1

Admire, O my soul, so great a miracle of the power of the Most High; and since He has deigned to call thee to the service of so great a Queen, render Him thanks and promise to thy Sovereign an eternal fidelity.

The title of Mother of God, with which the Catholic Church honors Mary, is not only the source of incomparable greatness in her, it is also a potent means to ground us firmly in the possession of true faith, and to bring us to a more perfect knowledge of the divine attributes.

In fact, the first step toward a recognition of Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world, is belief in the Divine Maternity: on the other hand, whosoever refuses to acknowledge Mary as true Mother of God, has by the very fact made shipwreck of the faith.

Further, Divine Wisdom shines forth the more clearly by the fact that God deigned to choose Mary for Mother of His Son. Of all God's works, the Incarnation is worthiest of the right hand of the Most High; but how can I sufficiently admire the counsels of Thy wisdom, O my God, since Thou hast willed to oppose to the work of destruction and death, begun in the sin of Eve and completed in that of Adam, a work of reparation, begun in the obedience of Mary, and consummated in the sacrifice of Jesus?

What glory accrues to the goodness of God from the Divine Maternity! For, in predestinating Mary to be the Mother of the Word, God also decreed to give her to us as our Mother also. He willed that she should accomplish in union with her Son the work of our redemption, and that by regenerating us to the life of grace, she should become our Mother in the spiritual order.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are His judgments, and how unsearchable His ways!" (Rom. xi, 88.)

* * *

The Divine Maternity is "indeed the starting-point of the work of our salvation. It is therefore the duty of every Christian fearlessly to proclaim this truth. In believing Mary to be the Mother of God, we believe also that the Word was made Flesh. But in order that this faith be not barren, it must be accompanied by a sincere worship both internal and external; a worship consisting in acts of homage, of veneration and of love for this peerless creature bound to us by so many titles.

The faithful soul cannot, then, do better than follow the example given us by the Church, which never tires of proclaiming this truth to the universe at large, whether by the erection of temples in Mary's honor, by the establishment of sodalities consecrated to her, by the approval of religious Orders devoted to her service, or by the institution of practices of piety in her honor.

Yes, Mary is indeed worthy to be saluted with the words addressed of old by Ozias, the Jewish leader, to Judith: "Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the Most High God, above all women upon the earth." (Judith, xiii, 23.)

Example 

St. Cyril of Alexandria

The devotion to our blessed Lady is so intimately bound up with the whole deposit of Divine Revelation, that it is not possible to deny the prerogatives of this glorious Virgin, without off ending against some truth of the Catholic Faith.

St. Cyril the great Bishop of Alexandria was the glorious champion of the Divine Maternity and as a consequence, of the sacred deposit of Christian Revelation. His exalted virtues are proclaimed not only by private testimony, but by the solemn Acts of the two General Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. Anxious to promote devotion to our blessed Lady and moved by zeal for the salvation of souls, St. Cyril had nothing more at heart than to preserve his flock from the lamentable heresies concerning the Divine Maternity of our blessed Lady, which at that time pervaded some of the eastern churches.

Cyril, being not less versed in sacred learning than exercised in every virtue, was sent by Pope St. Celestine to preside over the Council of Ephesus. In this great assembly the heresy of Nestorius was condemned and the dogma of the Divine Maternity of Our Lady was proclaimed. On this occasion St. Cyril poured forth his heart in a fervent prayer in honor of the Mother of God in the presence of all the bishops gathered for the occasion. This prayer is one of the most beautiful hymns of praise that has ever been composed in honor of the glorious Queen of Heaven.

But it was not long before the holy Bishop had to suffer for this deed, which drew down on him the implacable hatred of the heretics, from whom he had much to suffer. They ended by driving him out of his diocese. However, this did not prevent him from continuing to defend the august dogma of the Divine Maternity of Mary by word and writing. He was only too happy to suffer for this truth; but Our Lady was not slow to recompense her faithful servant with an abundance of heavenly graces. At last, through her intercession, he was allowed to return to his See, where he was received with great joy by his people. He died a saintly death on the twenty-eighth of January, 444, his soul passing from earth to heaven to praise for all eternity the glorious Mother of God whom he had so honored during his lifetime.

Prayer

O Mary, I believe with all my soul that thou art the true Mother of God, through whom the work of our salvation has been accomplished. Grant, I pray thee, that with this faith deeply rooted in my heart, and with the good works springing therefrom, I may surrender my soul to my Lord: do thou thyself present it before the throne of thy Divine Son, for "my life is in thy hand." (Gen, xlvii, 25.) Amen.

1 Versicle of the Magnificat on the Feast of the Assumption.