THE MONTH OF MARY.

THE

MONTH OF MARY,

ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT OF

ST. FRANCIS OF SALES;

OR,

Thirty-one Considerations

WITH

EXAMPLES, PRAYERS, ETC.

BY

DON CASPAR GILLI.

Translated and abridged from the Italian by a

SISTER OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARITY.

ROBERT WASHBOURNE,
18 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.
1890.

Nihil Obstat.
FR. T. A. SMITH, O.P.
Censor deputatus

Imprimatur.

HENRICUS EDUARDUS,
Card. Archep. Westmonast.

Die 14 Martii, 1890.

CONTENTS.

[Author's Preface]
[Protestation]
[Preliminary Instruction]
[The Eve of the Month of Mary]: The Immaculate Conception
[Example]: Devotion of St. Francis of Sales to the Blessed Virgin Mary
[First Day]: Mary, a Model of Perfect Self-denial from her Birth
[Example]: The Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception
[Second Day]: Mary consecrates herself to God in the Temple
[Example]: The two Invocations of St. Philip Neri
[Third Day]: Continuation of the Preceding Subject
[Example]: The Feasts of the Blessed Virgin
[Fourth Day]: Fidelity of Mary in following the Call of God
[Example]: Lamps and Candles burnt in Honour of Mary
[Fifth Day]: Mary is a Model to Religious Persons in her Presentation in the Temple
[Example]: The edifying Death of St. Jane Frances de Chantal
[Sixth Day]: The Annunciation of the Most Holy Virgin
[Example]: St. Bernard's Love for Mary
[Seventh Day]: The Excellence of the Virginity of Mary
[Example]: The Love of St. Alphonsus for Mary
[Eighth Day]: The Visitation
[Example]: The Pilgrimage of St. Francis of Sales to Loreto
[Ninth Day]: The Charity of Mary in the Visitation
[Example]: Consecration of the Saturday to Mary
[Tenth Day]: By the Visit of Mary, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Ghost
[Example]: Devotion of St. Thomas Aquinas to the 'Ave Maria'
[Eleventh Day]: Humility of Mary
[Example]: Origin of the Rosary
[Twelfth Day]: Through the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist receives the most special Graces
[Example]: Conversion of the celebrated Pianist, Hermann Cohenn
[Thirteenth Day]: The Trials and Consolations of the Blessed Virgin
[Example]: A Fortunate Mistake
[Fourteenth Day]: Mary at Bethlehem
[Example]: The Devotion of the Saints to the 'Angelus'
[Fifteenth Day]: The Union of Charity and Humility in the Heart of Mary at the Incarnation
[Example]: The Efficacy of the 'Salve Regina'
[Sixteenth Day]: The Purification of the Blessed Virgin
[Example]: Punishment of the Profaners of a Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin
[Seventeenth Day]: Mary, the Model of Perfect Obedience, in the Mystery of the Purification
[Example]: A Conquest of the Blessed Virgin's
[Eighteenth Day]: The Flight into Egypt.—Trust in Providence
[Example]: The Excellence of the 'Hail Mary'
[Nineteenth Day]: Mary, at the Marriage of Cana, teaches us the Best Method of Prayer
[Example]: The Advantages of the 'Hail Mary'
[Twentieth Day]: The Petition of Mary at the Marriage of Cana was full of Confidence
[Example]: Further Advantages of the 'Hail Mary'
[Twenty-first Day]: Mary obtains the first Miracle from Jesus by her lively Faith
[Example]: Most pleasing to Our Blessed Lord is our Devotion to His Mother
[Twenty-second Day]: Mary chose the Better Part
[Example]: Beauty of the 'Ave Maris Stella'
[Twenty-third Day]: The Blessed Virgin did not neglect the Duties of Martha
[Example]: The 'Magnificat'
[Twenty-fourth Day]: Mary in her Sleep
[Example]: Devotion to the 'Salve Regina'
[Twenty-fifth Day]: Mary on Calvary is the Mother of all Christians
[Example]: The 'Regina Cœli'
[Twenty-sixth Day]: Mary after the Ascension of Christ
[Example]: A courageous Son of Mary
[Twenty-seventh Day]: Mary in the Upper Room at Jerusalem
[Example]: The Prayer 'Memorare'
[Twenty-eighth Day]: How precious in the Sight of God was the Death of Mary
[Example]: Letters addressed to the Most Holy Virgin
[Twenty-ninth Day]: Mary, like Jesus, dies of Divine Love
[Example]: The Fourteen Joys of the Most Holy Virgin
[Thirtieth Day]: The Death of Mary was sweet and tranquil
[Example]: Novenas in Honour of the Blessed Virgin
[Thirty-first Day]: The Resurrection and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
[Example]: The Novena of St. Gertrude to the Blessed Virgin
[Act of Consecration of St. Francis of Sales to the Most Holy Virgin]

[PREFACE].

OF the many who by their writings have laboured to celebrate the sublime prerogatives and virtues of the Mother of God, there is not one whose language is more adapted to the devotions of the month of Mary than St. Francis of Sales. Everything, says a pious author, in this admirable Saint enchants and fascinates us; whoever reads his writings attentively, feels constrained, not only to honour and venerate him, but also to love him. With him there is a peculiar grace to console, as well as to perfect, the soul. He adapts himself to the capacities of humble minds, whilst no one has more knowledge than he of the most exalted perfection.

The sweet mildness of this Saint sprang from the meekness of which his soul was full. It is a difficult task to preserve peace in the soul, and well he knew it, declaring that he 'lived in a continual fear of losing, in one quarter of an hour, all that meekness which he had acquired by twenty years of combat.' St. Bonaventure learnt all his science at the foot of the Crucifix, and it was there, also, that St. Francis acquired all his benignity, fighting for it, we may say, hand-to-hand against his natural impetuosity. This virtue by degrees penetrated the inmost parts of his soul, so that it was not only manifested in all the actions of his life, but it directed also his pen, and enabled him to make use of the most delicate comparisons and ingenious images. All that is sweet, and pure, and amiable in Nature—doves, bees, flowers, all took hold of his imagination. From his lips, as well as from his pen, issued loving invitations to perfection. His singular privilege, however, is that this meekness and grace appear always fresh to the devout reader, and are ever pleasing, even when he lays open the festering wounds of the heart. The great Fénélon, whose spirit and heart so vividly retraced the holy Bishop of Geneva, thus wrote to a lady: 'The books most useful for you are those of St. Francis of Sales. Everything in them is amiable and consoling; everything is solid experience, simple practice, and the feeling and light of grace. To have become accustomed to this kind of food is a mark of great perfection.' Bishop Parisis also says: 'Everything that can contribute to make this most amiable of Saints more known to the world, is of the greatest utility to the cause of religion.'

For this reason we have composed this little work. It is a sort of résumé of the doctrine of St. Francis of Sales upon the prerogatives and virtues of the august Queen of Heaven, and we may gather a delicious bouquet for her month of May. Hence the devout reader will always meet with the genuine text of the Saint without any paraphrase, though not always in consecutive order. In each of the thirty-one considerations we have been obliged to discard those matters which did not relate to our subject. However, such suppressions only produce greater clearness in the whole work. We must say two words upon the manner in which this exercise can be rendered fruitful:

1. If you are not able to assist at the public services or devotions in honour of the Blessed Virgin in your own church, erect a little altar to Mary in your house, and adorn her picture, or statue, with flowers, and there, every day, either alone or with others of your household, meditate upon her virtues, and implore her powerful intercession.

2. It will be an excellent preparation to spend the last day of April in holy recollection, and to examine what is the principal passion that you will sacrifice to Mary during the course of the month, and the grace or virtue that you propose to obtain from God by recurring to her intercession. Do not fear to ask too much, she is the Mother of God, and our Mother also.

3. Read every day the appointed meditation, with tranquillity and recollection, that your soul may relish the subject, and apply what is read to its own necessities. After your lecture, follow this advice of St. Francis of Sales: 'When you have concluded your prayer, take a little walk and gather a small nosegay of devotion from the considerations you have made, that you may inhale its spiritual odour throughout the day.'

4. You should consider it a duty to approach the holy Sacraments more frequently than usual during the month, and never leave the Altar of Mary without having made a spiritual communion.

5. Let no day pass, or, at least, no Saturday, without practising some mortification, sanctified and directed by obedience. 'Our devotion, however small,' said St. John Berchmans, 'is always pleasing to Mary, provided it be constant.' But let us not forget that interior mortifications are the most perfect; such as to abstain from speaking or looking about without necessity, etc., because in such mortifications there is less danger of vainglory, and they attack our passions in the innermost depths of the heart.

6. Endeavour also to become familiar with ejaculatory prayers to Mary. 'This kind of prayer,' says St. Francis of Sales, 'may supply for every other kind, but no other kind of prayer can supply for this. Spiritual exercises without aspirations are like a firmament without stars, or a tree without leaves.'

7. The month should be concluded by an offering of the heart to Jesus and Mary, after Holy Communion. And that you may more securely persevere in the service of the best of all Mothers, let it be your care to renew your resolutions every Saturday, to examine in what manner you have kept them, and by a protestation of sorrow for past omissions, and a determination of greater fidelity for the future, to repair the failings of the week.

The sovereign Pontiff Pius VII. has granted to all who shall say some public or private prayers in honour of the most holy Virgin Mary during the course of the month of May, three hundred days Indulgence each day, and a Plenary Indulgence once in the month if, having confessed and Communicated, they pray for the holy Church.

The same sovereign Pontiff has granted to all the faithful who, with a contrite heart, shall recite the Litany of Loreto, three hundred days Indulgence each time. All these Indulgences are applicable to the souls in Purgatory.

[PROTESTATION.]

IN conformity with the decree of the sovereign Pontiff Urban VIII., I declare that I wish to give only a purely human authority to all the miraculous facts related in this work, excepting those that are confirmed by the decisions of the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, to whose infallible judgment I intend to submit my person and my writings; nor shall I cease to declare myself her respectful son, believing all that she proposes to my belief, because she is the sole depositary here on earth of sound doctrine, of faith, and of catholic unity.

[PRELIMINARY] INSTRUCTION.

Doctrine of St. Francis of Sales upon Devotion to Mary.

HOLY Church, speaking of the most Blessed Virgin, says that she went up from the desert of this world flowing with delights, leaning upon her Beloved. In fact, all the praises bestowed upon the Saints, and upon Mary in particular, terminate in Christ our Lord; because all these praises should be directed to the glory of her Divine Son, Who led her by His grace to the most exalted degree of merit and happiness.

It is related in Scripture that the Queen of Saba, taking a multitude of gifts to Jerusalem, offered them all to Solomon. It is thus that all the Saints act—and the Mother of God especially. She is ever attentive to recognise that her virtues, her perfections, her merits, and her happiness proceed from the mercy of her Divine Son, Who is alone their source, their origin, and perfection: Soli Deo honor et gloria. All honour and glory to God alone; all should return to Him, because from Him alone is every perfect gift.

If Mary be holy, who is it that sanctified her but her Divine Son? If she be saved, who was her Saviour but Jesus Christ?—Innixa super dilectum suum. Her whole happiness has its foundation in the mercy of her Divine Son. She may be called a lily of purity and innocence. This lily has acquired all its purity by being washed in the Blood of the Immaculate Lamb. She is a rose, on account of the ardour of her love, and her rich vermilion can be nought else than the Blood of her Son. If she is likened to fumes of odoriferous sweetness, the fire which produces them is the charity of her Divine Son and the wood of the Cross; in a word, everywhere and in everything, Mary is leaning upon her Beloved. Behold, devout souls, how we ought to be jealous of the honour of Jesus Christ. Do not imitate the enemies of holy Church, who think that they honour the Son more perfectly by refusing all honour to the Mother. On the contrary, the worship of the Mother is referred to the Son, and thus exalts His glory and mercy all the more.

In order to show more clearly the purity of the worship which holy Church pays to the most Blessed Virgin, I will mention two contrary heresies, both equally injurious to the veneration deservedly due to Our Lady. One of these heresies sinned by excess; calling Mary the Goddess of Heaven, and offering sacrifices to her as such; the other sinned by default, condemning all honour paid to Our Lady. The Church, who walks in the royal road of moderation, in which virtue consists, condemned both these heresies, defining against the former that no sacrifice whatever could be offered to Mary, as she was a pure creature; and against the latter, that this holy Virgin, being Mother of God the Son, was worthy of special worship, infinitely less than that of her Son, but incomparably greater than that of all the other Saints. To the first, she says, that the Virgin is simply a creature, yet so holy, so perfect, so closely united to her Son, and so much loved by God, as to render it impossible to love the Son sincerely without loving and honouring the Mother. To the second, she says, sacrifice is the supreme worship of latria, due to the Creator alone, and the Blessed Virgin is simply a creature, although most excellent. Indeed, in speaking of Mary, I call her more the creature of God and of her Son than the rest of creation; because God created greater perfections in her than in all other creatures, and she had a greater share in the Redemption than all others, being rescued not only from sin but from the power and inclination to sin. And who does not know that it is a greater benefit to rescue a person from slavery before he is made a slave, than to deliver him after he has become captive! How far are we then from placing the Son and the Mother on an equality, as our adversaries falsely assert?

It is true that we call her beautiful, and the most beautiful amongst creatures; but she is beautiful as the moon, which receives its light from the sun; because all her glory is communicated to her by her Son. Pliny writes that the thorn, named aspalathum, is not naturally odoriferous, but that if the rainbow rests upon it, it quickly exhales a rare and sweet odour. The holy Virgin is a thorn of that burning bush which Moses saw and which was not consumed, as the Church says: 'Rubum quem viderat Moyses incombustum, conservatam agnovimus tuam laudabilem virginitatem'. Of herself alone, she is certainly unworthy of our worship, for she is without odour. But when the great sign of reconciliation between God and men came and rested upon this holy thorn—first, by His grace in her Immaculate Conception, and afterwards at the Incarnation, when God became her Son, and reposed in her immaculate bosom—then, indeed, so great became the fragrance of this thorn that no other plant ever could produce before God so sweet and pleasing an odour. Nor will He ever reject the prayers that are perfumed in this fragrance. We repeat that all this perfume came to her from her Divine Son.

Jesus Christ is our Advocate, and so is Mary; but with what difference! In right of justice, the Saviour is alone our Advocate, because when He pleads our cause He justifies His petition by showing His Blood and His Cross. He does not hide our debts from His Father; but at the same time He urges the value of the price that He has laid down for our salvation. Mary and all the Saints exercise, also, the office of advocate in our favour; it is only by way of intercession. They entreat the Divine Justice to pardon our iniquities; but it is through the merits of the Passion of Jesus Christ. In a word, they do not add their prayers to the prayers of the Saviour, but to ours; in order to help us to obtain the graces which are necessary for our eternal salvation.

THE MONTH OF MARY.

[THE] IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

THE wonderful variety which is observable in the works of nature gives us a very high idea of the immeasurable riches of the Almighty Creator. And yet He manifests His power still more in the supernatural order, and the wonderful diversity of the works of grace preaches more loudly the munificence of His mercy. God, in the excess of His goodness, did not merely grant a general redemption to men, sufficient for the salvation of each one, but He diversified and multiplied the supernatural gifts which accompany this redemption with infinite liberality and wonderful variety. But His highest favours were lavished upon the most holy Virgin. From all eternity the Heavenly Father had ordained in His love to form her heart to the perfection of charity, that she might love His Divine Son with the most perfect maternal love—as He had loved Him from all eternity with the most perfect paternal love. The Son of God cast His eyes upon this Virgin, and chose her for His Mother, and co-operator in the great work of the world's redemption, a merciful Mother, a most powerful advocate of mankind—the most amiable, the most loving, and the most beloved of all creatures.

It is the opinion of many theologians that our Lord sanctified St. John the Baptist in the womb of St. Elizabeth, by a ray of His light and grace, and gave him the use of reason together with the gift of faith, so that he knew his God, hidden in the immaculate womb of Mary, adored Him, and consecrated himself to His service. If such a grace were granted by Our Lord to His precursor, who can doubt for a moment that He should have granted not only a similar, but a much greater privilege to her whom He Himself had chosen for His Mother, and that He should not only have sanctified her in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, but should have, moreover, raised her from the very first instant of her conception to a state of purity and sanctity?

The adorable Redeemer of the human race, the eternal object of the love of His Heavenly Father, considered His Mother from that first moment, as a delicious garden which was to produce the fruit of eternal life, and He cultivated this garden in order that every kind of perfection should flourish therein. He adorned her with the gold of charity and with a wondrous variety of virtues, that she might be able to sit at His side as a Queen—that is to say, occupy the first place amongst the elect, and, in this manner, enjoy the delights that are found at the right hand of the Eternal God.

This Divine Mother was redeemed, therefore, in a manner becoming the dignity of the Son, for Whom she was created. Hence she was preserved from reprobation and from all danger of it, because she was enriched with the perfection of grace and with everything necessary for its preservation. Well is she compared to a beautiful aurora, or dawn, which, from its very beginning, went on increasing until it reached its perfect day. O first-fruit of the Redemption! O masterpiece of the Redeemer! It is just, indeed, O my Divine Saviour, that as a Son full of love and devotion towards Thy Mother, in preventing her with the blessings of Heaven, Thou shouldest have preserved her, not only from sin like the Angels, but even from every danger of sinning, and shouldest, moreover, have removed from her path all that could hinder or even retard her in the exercise of Thy holy love. It was written in Thy eternal decrees that Thou wouldest at one day prefer her to all rational creatures who were dear to Thy Divine Heart, and that Thou wouldest call her the beloved object of Thy predilection, Thy dove, Thy spotless and beautiful one, perfect beyond compare.

A special privilege was reserved for Mary, worthy of a Son Who loved her with an infinite love, and Who, being infinitely good, wise and perfect, was to choose for Himself a Mother, and form her according to His own heart. He willed then that the grace of Redemption should be applied to her as a preservative remedy. Like the waters of the Jordan that, in the days of Josue, interrupted their course through respect for the Ark of the Covenant, so the stream of original corruption stayed its course at the feet of Mary, at the conception of this living tabernacle of the Eternal Covenant.

From the first instant of her conception, Mary knew her God, and loved Him sovereignly; from that moment she became impeccable, through the special assistance of the divine protection, and through the continual inflow of efficacious and preventing graces, to which she never offered the slightest resistance. God not only adorned her with the most abundant habitual grace, but He preserved it in her, keeping her always free from every evil inclination, every idle thought, and every feeling in the slightest degree contrary to the most perfect sanctity.

As to her body, we may believe it was endowed with singular perfections. St. Joachim and St. Anne received her from God through a particular, and we may say, even a miraculous grace, so that she was one of the most excellent works of the Holy Ghost, and breathed only sanctity and purity. This Queen loved, then, her virginal body, not only because it was docile, humble, pure and obedient to Divine Love, but still more because from it was formed the Body of her Saviour.

Truly has this holy Virgin been called elect as the sun, because as the sun shines resplendent above all the stars, through the excellence of its prerogatives, so there is no one amongst all the Saints who has obtained, or can ever obtain, graces superior to those bestowed upon Mary. There are Saints who have received signal graces from our Lord, and these, compared with the rest of the world, are like queens crowned with charity, and occupy a distinguished position in the love of our Divine Saviour. But His most blessed Mother is the Queen of all Queens, for she is not only crowned with charity, but with the perfection of charity, and to use an expression of the Holy Spirit, Who says that the Son is the crown of the Father; her crown is in truth her Son; that is to say, the sovereign object of charity, the Eternal Love, forms her crown.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

How lovely is the rose! and yet it causes great sadness in my soul. It reminds me of my sin, on account of which the earth was condemned to produce thorns.—St. Basil.

Mary, conceived without sin, is compared to the incorruptible cedar, the scent of which puts serpents to flight.—St. Alphonsus Liguori.

How great will be our happiness in heaven, where we shall be able to contemplate Mary, to love her and be loved by her; for she alone forms a paradise of delights. Mary is truly, after God, all that is beautiful, sweet, glorious and amiable in that celestial realm; all is in Mary, all through Mary, all, in fine, is hers.—St. Bonaventure.

Nothing is of greater service to our soul, nor more sustains and strengthens it, than the frequent thought of Mary.—St. Teresa.

[EXAMPLE.]

Devotion of St. Francis of Sales to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Of all the festivals of the most holy Virgin there was none more dear to the tender piety of St. Francis of Sales than the Immaculate Conception. When but a subdeacon he instituted a confraternity of penitents, under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Every year he prepared for this feast by fasting and prayer, and his zeal induced him to proclaim this day a festival of obligation throughout his diocese. In order to place his episcopate under the protection of the Immaculate Virgin, he chose this solemnity for the day of his consecration, and during the ceremony he was rapt in ecstasy, and saw the most Holy Trinity working in his heart all that the Bishops were doing exteriorly, and moreover, he saw the most holy Virgin take him under her protection.

Once, as he was making the visitation of his diocese, he arrived at the foot of a steep and rugged hill, upon the summit of which was the church of the most Blessed Virgin of Nancy-sur-Cluses. He climbed it with great difficulty, whilst blood streamed from his feet; but in reply to those who would dissuade him from the attempt, he said: 'It is true that I am almost sinking from fatigue, but whilst I am ashamed to be so unaccustomed to labour for the service of God, I feel the greatest joy to shed my blood in honour of the Mother of God.'

Continuing his visitation he found three parish churches in succession which were dedicated to Mary. 'What a consolation I feel,' said he, 'to see so many churches in my diocese dedicated to the Mother of God! Whenever I enter a place consecrated to this august Queen, well do the beatings of my heart tell me that I am in the house of my Mother; for I am the son of her who is the refuge of sinners.'

Prayer.—O Mary! Immaculate Lily of Purity, I rejoice with you that you have been filled with grace, endowed with the use of reason, and have loved God more than the Seraphim from the first instant of your Immaculate Conception. May the most Holy Trinity be eternally thanked and adored for so many and such rare privileges bestowed upon you. I humble myself profoundly before you, seeing that I am so devoid of graces and poor in merits. O my most loving Mother, make me a partaker of the graces which you have received so abundantly, that I also may be able to love God ardently during life, and not be separated from Him in death. Amen.

Practice.—Recite three Paters, three Aves, and three Glorias, to thank the most Holy Trinity for the grace of the Immaculate Conception conferred upon Mary.

Aspiration.—O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

[FIRST DAY. ]

MARY, A MODEL OF PERFECT SELF-DENIAL FROM HER BIRTH.

LET all who are devout to the most holy Virgin approach the cradle in which lies the royal infant, Mary. Consider attentively this sacred child, and you will see how perfectly she practises every virtue. Ask the Angels, the Cherubim and Seraphim, who surround her, if they equal this little creature in perfection, and they will all reply that they are immensely inferior to her in graces, in merits, and in virtue. Contemplate, Children of Mary, those heavenly spirits around her cradle, and you will hear them repeat in ecstasies of admiration of her beauty the words of the Canticle of Canticles: Who is she that goeth up by the desert as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices of myrrh, and frankincense . . . Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?

This virgin child is not yet glorified, but glory is already promised her; she expects it, not like others, in hope, but with certainty. On this account the celestial spirits, enraptured by such incomparable perfection, cease not to celebrate her praises.

Meanwhile, this most perfect Virgin lies in her poor crib, and there practises, in a most special manner, the virtue of self-abnegation. Consider, I beseech you, how, amidst angelic praises, she wishes to appear like all other children of Adam. Who will not be filled with admiration and love, to behold Mary in her cradle, full of grace, endowed with the perfect use of reason from the first instant of her Immaculate Conception, able to meditate upon the perfections of God, filled with His love, and entirely resigned to His holy will; and yet, notwithstanding such privileges, wishing to be considered and treated as a poor little infant, without in any way manifesting the precious gifts she possessed? O my God! how attractive is such a spectacle; and not only attractive, but wonderful; and how clearly does it convince us of her perfect renunciation of all that savours of worldly pomp and glory and ambition!

The second kind of abnegation which this august Virgin teaches us to practise, is the renunciation of the flesh, of which in her nativity and infancy she offers us most moving examples. Children are obliged to make many sacrifices, and the more they are attended to, the more are their affections and inclinations opposed. These mortifications, nevertheless, are not occasions of merit to them, for they have not yet acquired the use of reason. But the most holy Virgin, being endowed from her infancy with the perfect use of reason, exercised the virtue of self-abnegation in a wonderful degree, enduring voluntarily all these contradictions and mortifications.

The third kind of renunciation is that of our own judgment and will, even in things which seem to us better than those that are commanded us. This includes what is most difficult and meritorious in the way of Christian perfection. How excellently did the most holy Virgin practise this abnegation in her nativity! Although possessed of the use of reason, she never made use of her liberty to manifest it. We always see in her a constant state of dependence. When she goes to the Temple she is led by her parents; through obedience to them she gives her hand to a humble carpenter, although she had consecrated her virginity to God. She leaves Nazareth for Bethlehem, flees into Egypt, and returns to Nazareth; and in all these journeys, as well as in all the other vicissitudes of her life, she maintains perfect subjection and docility. She even assists at the death of her Son and her God, through submission to the decrees of Heaven, her will being perfectly united to that of the Eternal Father. It was not by constraint, but with the full concurrence of her will, that she assented to the death of this Divine Son, and with humble resignation embraced and adored a hundred times that Cross upon which she saw, without shedding a tear, her only Son expire. What abnegation do we not find in the most holy Virgin! The tender loving soul of this most sorrowful Mother was pierced by unheard-of dolours; indeed, who can ever describe the pains and anguish of her most sacred heart, as she stood immovable at the foot of the Cross? She knew that the Eternal Father willed that Jesus Christ should thus die, and that she should be present at His death, and this knowledge gave her strength to stand there and endure it all.

In imitation of Mary, let us resolve to die to everything and to our own will, that we may live for God alone. Jesus Christ tells us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and to follow Him. The way of perfection is a Calvary, where it is necessary to crucify ourselves continually, in company with our Saviour; thus forcing nature to die, that grace may live and reign within us. In a word, it is necessary to strip ourselves of the old Adam, and clothe ourselves with the new Adam, and this cannot be done without suffering. I will not deceive you; Christian perfection is difficult, and very great courage is required for so high an undertaking. This perfection consists in an entire self-abnegation, and in a total renunciation of all earthly things. [1]

O my God! when will Our Lady be, as it were, born in our hearts? As for myself I see clearly that I am quite unworthy of such a favour; and as for you, what are your sentiments? Her Divine Son was born in a stable. Let us take courage and prepare Him a place in our hearts; a place made deep by humility, low by simplicity, and wide by charity. It is such a heart as this that Our Lady loves to visit, She dwells willingly near the manger and at the foot of the Cross. Little matters it to her that she lives unknown in Egypt, provided her Divine Child lives with her.

Whether our Lord sends us to the right or to the left, or howsoever He treats us, or makes us as a sign against which all the evils of the world are turned, we will never abandon Him until He has blessed us with eternal blessing. Let us be assured that He is never so near to us as when He appears to be furthest from us; never does He guard us with more jealousy than when He seems to abandon us, and never does He engage in combat with us, but to take more intimate possession of our heart, and load us with His blessings. Meanwhile, let us go on; let us walk through the valley of humble virtues, and how many roses shall we not find amongst the thorns! Charity, which shines in the midst of the most trying afflictions, as well interior as exterior, the lily of purity, the violet of mortification, and how many more! But the lowly virtues that are dearest to me are these three: meekness of heart, poverty of spirit, simplicity of life, together with the practices of visiting the sick, serving the poor, consoling the afflicted, and such like. However, all must be done without solicitude, and in true liberty of spirit. Our arms are not long enough to reach to the cedars of Lebanon—let us then be content with the hyssop that grows in the valleys.

[1] In the way of prayer, at first everything seems painful, and with good reason; because it is a continual war against ourselves. But when we set to work, our Lord on His side assists us so powerfully, and loads us with so many favours, that all the pains and labours of this life become as nothing.—St. Teresa.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

There shall come forth a rod from the root of Jesse, says Isaias, and a flower shall rise up from its root. This root, writes St. Jerome, is the Mother of the Saviour; a plain and simple root, but fruitful in its unity, like the Eternal Father. The flower of this root is Jesus Christ, like to a flower of the field and to a lily of the valley. This flower is possessed of as many leaves as there are functions and examples. If you wish to have the flower you must first bend the stem by your prayers. If this flower rises high through the excellence of its Divinity be not afraid; because through excess of love its stem may be bowed.—St. Bonaventure.

I am firmly resolved to desire no other heart than that which shall be given me by this Mother of hearts, this Mother of holy love. O my God! how much do I desire not to lose sight, not even for an instant, of this gracious Star, during the whole course of my journey!—St. Francis of Sales.

As the lily has no fixed season for its growth, but flowers sooner or later, according to its depth in the earth, in like manner the heart which aspires to Divine Love will blossom very late, and with much difficulty, if it be absorbed in earthly cares. However, if it be attached to the world only so far as is necessary for its engagements in life, it will flourish in charity and spread around it gracious fragrance.—The same.

[EXAMPLE.]

The Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception.

Perhaps I can relate nothing more suitable in regard to the origin of this celebrated medal, so justly styled 'miraculous,' than by transcribing the letter addressed to the author of the book, 'Mary Conceived without Sin,' by the spiritual Director of the Sister of Charity to whom the medal was revealed:

'Paris, 17th March, 1834.

'Towards the close of the year 1830, Sister M., a novice of one of the communities in Paris, dedicated to the service of the Poor, saw, whilst in prayer, a picture representing the Blessed Virgin, standing with her arms extended. She wore a white garment, a blue and silver cloak, and a veil coloured like the aurora, whilst rays of dazzling splendour issued from her hands. At the same time the Sister heard these words: "These rays are the symbol of the graces which Mary obtains in favour of mankind; and that part of the globe upon which they fall with greater abundance is France." Around the picture was written the invocation, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you." The Sister having considered it for a moment, cast her eyes upon the other side of the picture, and saw the letter "M" surmounted by a Cross, and below it, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Then the voice said again: "A medal must be struck according to this model; and whoever shall wear it, properly blessed and indulgenced, shall be protected by the Mother of God in a most special manner,"

'The novice came quickly to narrate the vision to me; and I, supposing it to be a mere pious illusion, simply addressed a few words to her upon true devotion to Mary, pointing out to her that the imitation of her virtues ever was, and will be, the true means of honouring her.

'After about six months, she had the same vision, and I made her the same reply. Finally, after another interval of six months, she saw the picture again, and heard the same words, except that the voice expressed how much it displeased the Blessed Virgin that there was so much delay in having the medal struck.

'This time, however, I attached greater importance to the revelation, without allowing the novice to perceive it; and I began to reflect and fear lest I was not seconding the designs of her who is so justly invoked by the Church under the sweet name of "Refuge of Sinners."

'A short time afterwards I had the opportunity of seeing the Archbishop, and gave him an accurate account of these visions. He answered me that "he saw nothing whatever objectionable in this medal being struck, as it was conformable to the faith of the Church and to the piety of the faithful towards the Mother of God; and that it might certainly contribute to the promotion of her honour."

The medal was finally struck in the month of June, 1832.

'In one of the three visions, the novice asked if it were not necessary to insert some words on that part of the medal where the letter "M" and the Cross, with the two Hearts, are represented; but she was answered that these objects spoke with sufficient eloquence to the faithful soul.

'When the medal was struck, it was quickly circulated amongst the Sisters of Charity, who, when they learnt its origin, wore it with much devotion, and began to hang it on the necks of the sick under their charge, and these shortly experienced happy results. Three cures and three conversions were wrought in a miraculous manner in Paris, and in the diocese of Meaux. Then the desire to possess the miraculous medal, or the medal that cures, became universal. Mothers of families gave it as a New Year's gift to their children, and as a preservative to their innocence. As soon as it became known in a place, pious persons hastened to become possessed of it. But what greatly surprised and edified me, from the beginning of its propagation, was that all the children of two of our provinces agreed together to take this medal as the protection of their youth. In many places entire populations addressed themselves to their Pastor to procure it; and, at Paris, an officer purchased sixty for as many private soldiers who had asked him for it.

'Whilst the medal was miraculously propagated in all classes and provinces, the most consoling accounts were sent me by the Parish Priests, Vicar-Generals, and even by Bishops. They say that "it reanimates fervour in populous towns as well as in the country; it gains our entire confidence; we look upon it as a means sent by Providence to enkindle faith, which in our days has so visibly decreased; and in reality it daily awakens this faith in many hearts, in which it seemed to be extinguished; it re-establishes peace and concord in many families; and there is no one who wears this medal who does not experience its salutary effects."'

Not only in France which is specially under the protection of Mary Most Holy did the faithful of every age, sex, and condition, rival one another in zeal and solicitude to possess the miraculous medal; it spread also like lightning throughout Switzerland, Piedmont, Spain, Italy, Belgium, England, America, in the Levant, and even in China; and we can certify that in the present day the number of these medals exceeds thirty millions. In every place it is asked for by indifferent Christians, by obstinate sinners, by the impious, by Protestants, Jews, and Turks, and worn with veneration. Heaven grant that it may not be without fruit!—that she, to whom the Church applies those words of Holy Scripture, 'He who shall find Me shall find life, and have salvation from the Lord,' may conduct and confirm us in the way of salvation!

Plenary Indulgences at the hour of death, and on all the principal festivals of the year, and on the feasts of the Apostles are attached to this medal when blessed by anyone who possesses the faculty.

Prayer.—O Lovely Child, who, in your happy Nativity, didst console the world, rejoice Heaven, terrify hell, and become the relief of sinners, the consolation of the afflicted, the health of the sick, and the joy of all men, I entreat you, with all the fervour of my soul, to be spiritually born in my heart through your holy love. Attach my soul once for all to your happy service, and my heart to yours, that my life may be adorned with the virtues which will render me dear to you. O Mary! produce in me the salutary effects of your sweet name, and obtain that the invocation of this holy name may be my strength in sufferings, my hope in dangers, my shield in spiritual conflicts, and my support and comfort in the agonies of death. May it be honey to my mouth, music to my ears, and the only joy of my heart! Amen.

Aspiration.—Morning Star, pray for me.

Practice.—Visit the altar of the Blessed Virgin, after having adored the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

[SECOND DAY.]

MARY CONSECRATES HERSELF TO GOD IN THE TEMPLE.

MARY was no sooner born than she consecrated her entire being to the service of Divine Love, and as soon as she acquired the use of her tongue she employed it in chanting the praises of the Lord. He inspired her, when she had attained the age of three years, to leave the home of her parents and retire into the Temple to serve Him more perfectly. During her tender years the life of this glorious Virgin was full of wisdom and discretion, and the cause of astonishment to her parents, for her actions and words were very different from those of other children, since she had the full use of her reason. It was therefore necessary to hasten the period for taking her to the Temple and consecrating her to the Divine service, amongst the other maidens already consecrated. They, therefore, took the little Virgin and partly led and partly carried her to the Temple of Jerusalem. Mary certainly had nothing to fear from the influences of her home, but she wished to teach us by her example that we should omit nothing, as St. Paul so earnestly teaches, to make our calling and election sure.

All who repaired to the Temple to present their offerings chanted as they went the Psalm: Beati immaculati in via qui ambulant in lege Domini—'Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord'. With what grace and melody must not our glorious Queen and Mistress have intoned this canticle when she walked towards the sanctuary where her God wished to prepare her to become, not only His Spouse, but His Mother, the blessed among all women! The very Angels were so pleased at the sight of such love, fervour, and humility, that they descended in choirs to listen to the harmony. With what joy was she not filled when she arrived at the threshhold of the Temple, and when she mounted the fifteen steps of the sanctuary! She came to dedicate herself unreservedly to God. If her youth had not forbidden it, she might thus have addressed the holy matrons who had charge of the consecrated children in the Temple: Here am I; consider me in your hands as a piece of soft wax; dispose of me as you will, I shall never make any resistance. She was so docile that she allowed herself to be guided by others in such a manner as never to show the slightest inclination to one thing more than another. She abandoned herself totally and perfectly to the Divine Will, so that she was a marvel to all who knew her.

In order to profit in a Christian manner by the example that Mary gives us in this mystery, three points can be considered: firstly, that Mary was presented to God in His Temple from her tenderest infancy, and thus separated from her parents; secondly, that she makes a great part of the journey on foot, and the rest of the journey she is carried in the arms of her parents; thirdly, that she dedicates and offers herself entirely to God, without any reserve.

As to the first point, which is to dedicate one's self to God from one's infancy, how, you will ask, can we imitate Mary in this, for we have already passed the age of childhood, and it is impossible to recover lost time? You are deceived. If virginity can be repaired by means of humility, cannot lost time be repaired by making a fervent and good use of the present? I acknowledge that the happiness of those who have dedicated themselves entirely to God from their infancy is, indeed, enviable, and He seems to receive such an offering with special complacency. He complains, through one of His prophets, that 'men had so perverted their way, that even from their youth they had abandoned the path of salvation for that of perdition.' Children are neither good nor bad so long as they are incapable of distinguishing good from evil. But when they have attained the use of reason, too often they turn to that which is evil. Hence God says by His prophet: Dereliquerunt me fontem aquæ vivæ—'They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, to follow the way of iniquity.'

Another proof of the ardent desire of the Divine Goodness for our youthful service is found in the words of the same prophet; Bonum est viro cum portaverit jugum ab adolescentia sua—'It is good for a man to have borne the yoke from his youth.' But it need not be supposed that the youth of which the prophet speaks is only that of years. When the Beloved in the Canticle of Canticles turns to her Spouse and says to Him: Oleum effusum nomen tuum, ideo adolescentulæ dilexerunt te—'Thy name is as oil poured out, therefore young maidens have loved Thee,' do you believe she speaks of maidens who are young in years? No; but of those who are young in fervour and courage, but who have consecrated to the service of Holy Love all the moments of their life and all the affections of their hearts.

It is the present time, the present moment, that we should turn to profit; because the past has escaped us, and the future is not in our power. But you ask, How can we repair lost time? You can do it by the use of fervour and diligence during the time that remains for your pilgrimage upon earth. Stags do not always run at an extraordinary speed, but yet, when pursued by the hunter, they quicken their movement and seem rather to fly than to run. This is a model for us. We must not only run, but fly in the way of perfection. Therefore let us, with holy David, beg our Lord to give us the wings of a dove, that we may fly without stopping, until we gain our hiding-place in the walls of the holy city of Jerusalem; that is to say, until we find ourselves united to our Lord crucified upon Calvary, through an entire and perfect mortification of all our inclinations and affections.

Oh, how happy are those souls who follow the example of this Sacred Virgin, and dedicate themselves from their tender years to the service of God! Fortunate are they to have retired from the world before they were known to it! Like delicate flowers scarcely yet open, nor touched by the heat of concupiscence, they exhale a most sweet odour in the Divine Presence by means of their virtues and innocence.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Mary was like a most beautiful flower, which diffuses its perfume from its very first budding. Flowers differ in their method of diffusing fragrance, as, for instance, roses and carnations. Roses smell sweeter in the morning before mid-day; but carnations and pinks shed a more pleasing scent in the evening. The glorious Virgin was like a most beautiful rose amongst thorns, and although never for an instant did she cease to diffuse an odour of surpassing sweetness, yet the fragrance of her infancy was the most acceptable to the Divine Majesty.—St. Francis of Sales.

Chastity is the lily of virtues, because it renders men equal to the Angels; if virtues be separated from purity, they are no longer virtues. Purity is chastity, and it possesses a glory of its own, for it clothes both soul and body with its beauty.—The same.

As the busy bee flies to all the flowers, and sucks from each its purest juice with which to form honey, so should a religious soul observe the virtues of others, and learn, for instance, modesty from one, science from another, and obedience from a third; in a word, he should take from each one that which he perceives to be most perfect, and copy it in his own person.—St. Antony.

[EXAMPLE.]

The two Invocations of St. Philip Neri.

Of the many ejaculatory prayers of St. Philip Neri to the Most Holy Virgin, two were very familiar to him. The first was, 'Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for us'; the second consisted in the two words, 'Virgin and Mother'. He used to say that they contain all the panegyrics of Mary, both because they express her admirable name, and because they declare her two miraculous privileges of Virginity and Maternity, and the incomparable title of Mother of God. He composed a rosary with these two invocations, which he recited frequently with his penitents, and had always in his hands.

A pious person, who was continually tormented by evil thoughts, asked him one day for a remedy. The Saint counselled her to recite this rosary of his, which consisted in repeating these two invocations alternately, sixty-three times. She followed his advice, and in a short time recovered her peace of soul.

Prayer of St. Gertrude.—O Mary, Mother of Jesus, and my own dear Mother! clothe me with the fleece of the true Lamb, your Son Jesus, that His love may receive me, nourish me, possess me, and sanctify me. Shining Lily, my only hope, after God, deign to speak to your Beloved Son in my favour; say an efficacious word to Him, and faithfully and earnestly plead my cause. I beseech you, O my Mother! by your love for Jesus, to accept me as your child; be solicitous for my welfare throughout the whole course of my life, and especially at the hour of my death take me entirely under your protection. Amen.

Ejaculation.—Mary, Virgin and Mother! make me a Saint.

Practice.—Let all your actions this day be done in union with Jesus and Mary.

[THIRD DAY.]

CONTINUATION OF THE PRECEDING SUBJECT.

THE second point presented to our consideration in the presentation of Our Lady is that in order to consecrate herself to God in the Temple she was carried part of the way by her parents, and walked the remainder, being, however, always assisted by them. When St. Joachim and St. Anne arrived at a spot where the road was level they placed the little maiden on the ground, and allowed her to walk, but even then she lifted up her little hands to clasp theirs, that she might not stumble, and when they came to the rougher parts of the road they again took her in their arms. It should not be supposed that the intentions of her parents in allowing her to walk was to relieve themselves; they allowed it because of the satisfaction which they experienced in seeing their little daughter directing her first steps to the Temple of the Lord.

Now, it is in these two ways that our Lord leads His faithful servants in their pilgrimage through this miserable life. At times He conducts us by the hand, making us walk with Him; and very often He carries us in the arms of His Providence. He leads us by the hand when He makes us walk along the path of the exercise of virtues, because if He did not help us it would be impossible for us to take one step along this blessed road. And do we not perceive that the steps of those who have abandoned the paternal hand of Providence are almost always so many falls? The Divine Goodness wishes to lead us by the hand along our road, but He also wishes us to make use of our feet; that is to say, that we ourselves do all that is in our power, by the assistance of His grace. Therefore Holy Church, like a tender mother desirous of the good of her children, teaches us to recite daily a prayer by which we beg God to deign to accompany us during the whole course of our pilgrimage upon this earth, and to succour us by His preventing and by His accompanying grace, because without both these graces all our efforts to make one step in the way of virtue would be unavailing.

But after our Lord has led us by the hand along the road of good works which require our co-operation in order that they may become meritorious, He carries us in His arms, producing certain effects within us, in which we seem to take no part, as, for instance, in the Sacraments. Tell me candidly, what is it that we do in order to merit the reception of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, which contains all the sanctity and sweetness of heaven and earth? Does not our Lord carry us in His arms in permitting us to receive Him in this Sacrament?

Oh, how happy are those souls who so pass through this mortal life as never to leave the arms of His Divine Majesty, except to do all in their power to labour in the practice of virtue, still keeping hold of the hand of their Lord! Let us never believe ourselves capable of doing the least good of ourselves. The Sacred Spouse of the Canticles teaches us this truth when she says to her Beloved: Trahe me post Te in odorem curremus unguentorum tuorum—'Draw me, and we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments.' She says 'draw me,' to teach us that our soul can do nothing of itself unless it be drawn, assisted, and anticipated by Divine Grace. But to show us that she corresponds voluntarily to this attraction, she quickly adds: 'We will run,' as if she wished to say: If only, my Beloved, Thou stretch out Thy hand to draw me, I shall not cease to run, until Thou hast received me into Thine arms, and united me to Thy Divine Will.

Let us now pass to the third point: the consecration and dedication our glorious Lady made of her whole self unreservedly to the Divine Majesty; it is this, O faithful souls, that we should try to imitate. Our Lord does not certainly expect us to be more liberal to Him than He is to us; nevertheless, if He shows the greatness of His goodness to us by giving us His whole Self, is it not just that He should require of us the total dedication of ourselves to Him? But what means this total dedication of ourselves to God? It means that we make no reserve whatever in our consecration, not even of the least of our affections or desires; it is this that He requires of us. Listen, in fact, to this Divine Saviour of our souls: Fili præte mihi cor tuum—'My Son,' says He to each one of us in particular—'My Son, give Me thy heart.' 'Ah!' you will add, 'how shall I dare to give my heart to God when it is so full of imperfections and sins? How can He accept the offering of this heart in which He finds nothing but disobedience to His Most Holy Will?' Ah! be not troubled on this account, but offer it to Him all the same, because He does not require of you a pure and spotless heart, like that of the Angels and of Our Lady, but He says: 'Give Me thy heart,' such as it is. Ah! let us not refuse it to Him then, although it be full of miseries, weaknesses, and imperfections, for we know that all that is placed in the hand of His Divine Goodness is converted into good. Let us not fear, then, for when He holds this heart of ours in His hands He will know well how to render it perfect. To make it less unworthy of God let us resolve to imitate Mary; for amongst all the Saints who are proposed to us as a model we should in a special manner consider our most glorious and dear Patroness, the Queen of all Saints. What mirror more beautiful, more precious, or purer, can we place before our eyes? Is she not the most excellent example of evangelical teaching? Who amongst creatures is more adorned and enriched with every kind of virtue and grace? Multæ filiæ congregaverunt divitias, tu supergressa es universus—'Many daughters have gathered riches, but thou hast surpassed them all.' Certainly it is beyond all doubt that there is no Saint comparable to her, because this glorious Virgin surpasses in dignity and excellence not only the greatest Saints, but the very Cherubim and Seraphim. She consecrated herself perfectly to the Divine service, from the very first instant of her Immaculate Conception.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

When the senses are not well guarded, they are mysterious inlets by which our enemies insinuate themselves into our souls. A glance of curiosity changed holy King David into an adulterer and a murderer. How many have reason to exclaim with Jeremiah, 'My eye hath been the thief that has robbed my soul of every good'!—Riva.

The choice of a state of life is so important that it constitutes the only foundation of a good or of a bad life.—St. Greg. Naz.

The Christian who abandons himself into the hand of God, lives for God alone.—St. Francis of Sales.

[EXAMPLE.]

The Feasts of the Blessed Virgin.

The days upon which the Blessed Virgin Mary shows herself bountiful of her favours, are the feasts celebrated in her honour; and if we desire to profit by them, we must sanctify them fervently. Let us approach the Sacraments on those days, and propose to practise some particular virtue of the Blessed Virgin, adapted to the mystery of the day. For instance, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, let us propose to practise purity of intention; on that of her Nativity, a renewal of fervour, banishing all tepidity from our soul; on that of the Presentation, detachment from those desires which require to be mortified; on the Feast of the Annunciation, of the Visitation, on the Feast of the Purification, obedience to Superiors; and on the Feast of the Assumption, preparation for death. Such was ever the practice of all the true servants of Mary; amongst others, of St. Bernardine of Siena, of St. Gertrude, and of St. Vincent Ferrer.

Mary herself made known to St. Gertrude, as we read in the tenth chapter of the 'Revelations' of this Saint, that she rewards this practice with every kind of favour. On the Feast of the Assumption, whilst the Divine Sacrifice of the Mass was being celebrated, the Blessed Virgin showed the Saint a great number of young girls, whom she carefully guarded under her rich mantle. 'My dear daughter,' said she to her, 'behold here those souls who do all in their power to celebrate this festival worthily.'

Brother Gerard, one of the first lay-brothers of the Congregation of St. Alfonso de Liguori, had the most tender confidence in Mary. At the approach of her feasts he took care to adorn all the altars of the monastery, and his devotion was especially great to the Immaculate Conception. He wished that the faithful would fast on all the vigils of her feasts; on which days his nourishment was but a little bread and water, and he gave himself the discipline to blood. During all her novenas, he performed some abstinence or good work in her honour. When he was allowed by his Superior, he spent the night preceding her festivals prostrate before her altar in fervent prayer. It is narrated by Fathers Petrella and Giovenale that the Blessed Virgin, touched by the love of her servant, appeared to him during one of those nights, and enriched him with favours of many kinds.

Prayer of St. Gertrude to the Sacred Heart of Mary.—O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I have nothing to offer you that is worthy of you; yet how many thanks should I not render you for all the favours that you have obtained for me from the Heart of Jesus! What reparation should I not offer you for my languor during Divine service! I would wish to render you love for love: the only good that I possess is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which you have yourself given to me. I offer you, then, this treasure of infinite value—I can do nothing more, and nothing less do you merit from me. Accept, then, this gift, which is so dear to you; and nothing more do I desire except that you will deign to accept, also, my poor heart. Amen.

Ejaculation.—Mother of Good Counsel, pray for me.

Practice.—Make a sincere act of contrition for the time that you have spent away from God.

[FOURTH DAY.]

FIDELITY OF MARY IN FOLLOWING THE CALL OF GOD.

LET us consider in this meditation the punctual care with which Mary always followed her vocation.

God had uttered in her ears, or rather in the interior of her heart, the words of the psalm: Audi Fili, inclina aurem tuam, et obliviscere populum tuum, et domum patris tui et concupiscet rex decorem tuum—'Hearken, my child, incline thine ear to Me; forget thy people and thy father's house, and the King shall desire thy beauty.'

Ponder attentively these words: 'Hearken, child'—Audi Fili. They imply that, in order to hear well, it is necessary to listen, first, very attentively—'inclina aurem tuam;' it is to the humble alone that God deigns to make known His Will. 'Forget thy people and thy fathers house, and the King will greatly desire thy beauty.' This is as if He would say, do not confine thyself to listening to the word of inspiration, and abasing thyself in order that thou mayest understand it, but further strip thy heart of all affection for thy country and thy relations, and then I shall be delighted with thy beauty. O, holy and Divine seed which our Lord sows in the hearts of so many! And yet how many there are who hear the Divine call, without making one step to leave their country and go whither God calls them! Diligence is taken to examine and consider attentively whether the inspiration comes from God, or from the enemy of all good, or if it be the deception of self-love; and meanwhile, through our own fault, the Divine vocation fails in its effect. I do not wish to condemn the considerations which ought to be made in order to discern well the nature of the inspiration. By no means; but after having made your examen with simplicity, in the presence of God, and recognised His voice, go forth quickly and enter the land which He points out to you. Listen no longer to so many discourses and reasonings suggested by the spirit of the world, because procrastination under such circumstances exposes you to very serious dangers. Do not, then, lull yourself to sleep, but follow diligently the Divine attraction.

With what assiduity and with what solicitude did not the glorious Virgin obey the sacred call of God! She had no need of protracted self-examination, because she was endowed with the grace of discernment. Therefore, although but a child, she repaired without delay whither her God led her, and the King of Heaven, won by her beauty, chose her not only for His Spouse, but also for His Mother. 'Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.'

Certainly, all are not called to follow the same path, and yet they may all follow the Divine inspirations. We will explain. The Church may be considered as the Court of a great Prince or King, in whose kingdom are many vassals or under-lords. All these vassals are invited to Court, and all share in the favours of their Sovereign, but differently. Some are favoured in a very special manner, and He treats them with greater confidence than the rest, and repeats to them His secrets. But besides the graces which He grants in general to all the members of His Church, to some amongst them He bestows more precious favours; for instance, religious persons, whom He admits into His Cabinet—that is to say, into holy religion—in order to entertain Himself with them familiarly, and disclose His secrets to them in the closest union of Heart.

Amongst those who have received this grace, the Most Holy Virgin has been singularly privileged, Our Lord having made known to her secrets and mysteries which have been revealed to no other creature. Happy was she to have heard the word of God and kept it, and how happy also will you be, pious souls, if you endeavour, in imitation of her, to follow promptly the inspirations by which God manifests to you His Most Holy Will!

I am well aware that for many it is necessary that they should live in the world. These persons should use, but not abuse the riches, honours and dignities which they are allowed by the law of God to possess; and if they endeavour, in the use of these possessions, to conform their affections to the commandments of God, without following the counsels, they will be as truly blessed, and will attain to the joys of eternal life.

There are many persons who wish to consecrate themselves to God, but at the same time wish to reserve always something for themselves. They will say, for instance, I will give to God what belongs to God, and reserve for the world what is due to the world, without however doing what would be an offence to His Divine Majesty, or contrary to His most holy law. Such as these listen, it is true, to the inspirations of God, but do not correspond to them with their whole heart, and although they may be saved, yet they never will reach a high degree of perfection and glory.

There are others who are quite resolved to follow steadily the inspirations and Will of God, and also desire to live united to Him, but not in a perfect manner. Observe well that there is a great difference between being all given to God and wholly given to God. These persons of whom we speak wish to reserve to themselves the choice at least of their spiritual exercises, in order, as they say, that they may the better serve God. But to how much danger of being deceived do not they expose themselves! Regulating themselves according to their own notions, they refuse to submit to others, and they mark out for themselves a mode of life according to their own caprices. I would say to such souls: Do you not perceive that with these ideas you do not belong wholly to God? Their answer would be: But I act so in order to serve God. But this is not the example that our most Blessed Lady, the glorious Virgin, gives us. On the day of her presentation she consecrated herself to God entirely, without any reserve, and never again made use of her own will or choice. O faithful souls, you ought continually to keep before your eyes the life of our dear Lady, and meditate upon it, so as to be able to conform all your actions and affections to this perfect model. You are her children, and therefore you ought to follow her, to imitate her, and make use of her as a mirror in which you should always view and study yourselves well. The sweetness which will flow from the consideration of her virtues will be received in earthen vessels; nevertheless, its fragrance will be none the less sweet. The balsam that is contained in an earthen vase is as sweet as that in a vase of crystal.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Most yellow flowers keep turned continually to the sun, but the sunflower turns not only its flowers but also its leaves towards the great luminary. In like manner the elect turn the flower of their hearts—that is, their obedience—to the commands of God's will.—St. Francis of Sales.

The virtues of the friends of God are ennobled and raised to the dignity of holy works by the excellence of the heart which produces them. All their virtuous actions are dedicated to God, for how can a heart that has given Him itself not give to Him all that belongs to it? Does not he who gives a whole tree give also the leaves, and flowers, and fruit?—The same.

The rose possesses the property of killing by its odour all the snails that come around it. Similarly, the devout soul, who is as a rose before God, should chase away and destroy all the creeping things that gather around her heart—that is to say, the coldness and tepidity which are an obstacle to her advancement in the way of God.—The same.

[EXAMPLE.]

Lamps and Candles burnt in Honour of Mary.

It is a custom amongst Catholics to have lamps or candles burning upon altars, or before pictures of the august Mother of God for one, or three, or nine consecutive days, so as to obtain spiritual or temporal favours. This touching practice, springing from the love of Mary, comes down from the remotest antiquity. Oil and wax, as all know, have a deep signification. The flame is a symbol of the vivacity of our faith and of the firmness of our confidence; fire symbolizes the ardour of charity, and the ascent of the flame is a type of our hope. These flames intimate that we must keep the fire of charity ever burning in our hearts, so as to be always ready to receive our Divine Master whensoever He shall call us to the nuptials of the Lamb. Lamps lighted before the statues or pictures of Mary represent to us more specially the prayer of intercession, which goes direct to the Heart of God. They awaken a singular emotion in the heart of him who has faith. The oil that feeds the flame has often cost the poor man the sweat of hard labour, but he thinks little of this voluntary sacrifice, because it was the fruit of love. No one who has not visited Italy, and in particular Rome and Naples, can form an idea of the honour that is paid to the Blessed Virgin. You will find her image on all the roadsides, in the public squares, houses and shops, with lamps, often many at a time, burning before them, and the amount of oil that is consumed in this manner is considerable. This is a voluntary contribution of the poor as well as of the rich, and it is an expense that every pious family considers as necessary as their daily bread. At Rome there exists a sweet custom of writing a short prayer, often with the indulgence attached to its repetition, under each image or picture, and it is repeated by the passers-by. Who can say how many passions are repressed, how many unhappy creatures consoled, and how many hopes aroused by this short invocation?

Prayer of St. Germanus.—O you, who are, after God, my powerful protectress and my true consolation in this world, you who are the celestial dew that sweetens my pains; the light of my soul when plunged in darkness, my guide in my journeys, my strength in my weaknesses, my treasure in poverty, the remedy of my wounds, my joy in all my sorrows, my refuge in all dangers, the hope of my life and of my salvation, deign to hear my prayers, to take an interest in my woes, and to show me that compassion which peculiarly belongs to the Mother of a God Who entertains such love and goodness towards men. He is their Father, and He has constituted you their Mother. Ah! place me then amongst the number of your dearest children, and obtain for me from God all the graces which you know to be necessary for the salvation of my soul. Amen.

Ejaculation.—O Mary! be my guiding star.

Practice.—Examine what has been your fidelity in following your vocation, and how its obligations have been fulfilled.

[FIFTH DAY.]

MARY IS A MODEL TO RELIGIOUS PERSONS IN HER PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.

GOD had commanded all the Hebrews to visit the Temple, but all, rich and poor, were forbidden to enter it empty-handed: Non apparetis in conspectu meo vacuus. The offering, however, was not the same for all. The rich were to give according to their riches, the poor according to their poverty, and thus all were able to observe the precept. From this we may understand that when seculars come to God and offer Him the desire and will, they entertain to follow and observe His Divine commandments. He will be satisfied with this offering, and if they put it in practice faithfully, they will obtain eternal life. But let those souls who are rich in means for doing great things for the glory of God, such as religious persons, beware lest they present themselves with the offering of the poor—that is, of seculars; for God will not be satisfied with such an offering. Our Lord, in calling you, my dear sisters, into Holy Religion, enriched you with His graces, and on this account He requires much from you; that is, He will have your offering to be of all that you are, and of all that you possess, without any reserve.

The Blessed Virgin, in her Presentation, made an offering pleasing to God; offered not only the dignity of her person (the most excellent amongst pure creatures), but all that she possessed. How happy are the Religious who, by means of their vows, have consecrated all to God, dedicating to Him their bodies, their hearts, and all that they possess; renouncing riches by the vow of poverty, pleasures by the vow of chastity, and their whole will by the vow of obedience! Worldlings, you may enjoy your riches if you will, but do not abuse them, nor wrong anyone. The pleasures that Holy Church permits are lawful; you are not prohibited in a thousand circumstances from following your own will, provided it be not contrary to that of God. But you, Religious, should offer all to God, without any reserve. He wishes your offering to be entire, such as is the gift He makes to you of Himself in the Divine Sacrament of the Altar. Forget not that you cannot deceive Him, and if you say that you wish to consecrate yourselves perfectly to His Divine Majesty, and do not really do so, you are in danger of being punished like Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Ghost.

Now, the Blessed Virgin was always perfectly obedient to the Will of God, from the first instant of her conception, without ever changing or suspending for a moment the resolution she had formed to serve Him.

Do we not daily experience how changeable is man in his good resolutions? How often, even in one hour, do we not like and dislike the same thing, and allow ourselves to be moved by excessive joy or excessive sadness! This was not the case with Our Lady; she hourly became more perfectly united to God, and merited fresh graces, and the more she received, the more did she render her soul worthy to receive them. By these means she was always strengthening her first resolution, so that the only change that could have been perceptible in her was the progress she made from one degree of perfection to another, through the practice of every virtue. It was for this purpose that she wished to retire into the Temple, not through any need she had of this retreat, for her perseverance was assured by her consecration at the first moment of her existence, but in order to instruct us, who are so changeable and inconstant, that it is our duty to make use of every means in our power to strengthen and preserve our good resolutions.

Imitate the Most Holy Virgin also in this. Dedicate, therefore, yourselves entirely to God; and whenever you renew your consecration, you will acquire new strength and vigour in the service of His Divine Majesty. Renew your resolutions, renew them frequently and with fidelity, to the end of your life. This was the careful practice of all the Saints of both the Old and of the New Testament. Our nature is of itself weak and easily depressed when there is a question of virtuous resolutions. The earth itself has its periods of weakness, and refuses to be always yielding its produce; so it lies barren in winter. But when the spring arrives it renews itself, and having recovered fresh vigour, it gives us the benefit of its fruits.

For this reason Holy Church, like a wise Mother, puts before us from time to time, during the course of the year, special festivals, to animate us to renew our good resolutions. Who will not renew his soul on the solemn festivals of Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, by holy affections and firm resolutions to live more virtuously? But besides the observance of all these festivals, it has ever been a laudable custom for persons more especially consecrated to God, such as Religious, to choose one day in particular during the course of the year upon which to renew their vows, and by so doing to obey the great Apostle, who counsels us to confirm our vocation.

Divine Providence has permitted for our instruction, that Our Lady should renew in her Presentation the sacrifice which she had made of her whole self at the moment of her Immaculate Conception. Do you, then, religious souls, make this renewal in imitation of her, and do it with great fervour of spirit, with profound humility, and ardent charity. Place your hearts, your souls, and your entire being in the hands of this Holy Virgin; she will present you to the Most Holy Trinity, and you will obtain a thousand blessings in this life, and will be enabled to arrive at eternal glory in the next.

[1] It is an ancient and well-grounded tradition that Mary was led to the Temple to be presented to the Lord at three years of age, and that she dwelt in that sacred abode until the age of fourteen that is to say, as long as was permitted by the laws of the Sanhedrim. St. Bonaventure relates to us the life led by the Most Holy Virgin in that voluntary retirement. 'We may learn,' says this Father, 'what Mary did in the Temple from her own revelations to one of her faithful servants, supposed to be St. Elizabeth.' Amongst other things we read as follows: 'As soon as I was left in the Temple by my parents, I determined in my heart to look upon God as my Father. I often considered what I could do to merit His grace, and I began to instruct myself in His holy law. But of all the Divine precepts, these three principally occupied my attention: (1) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength; (2) thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; (3) thou shalt hate thy enemy.

'I kept the commandments in my heart, and I quietly embraced all the virtues that they contain. It is thus that I wish you to conduct yourself. In fact, the soul can possess no virtue whatever if it do not love God with all its powers, because it is from this love alone that the fulness of grace (without which virtue will never be preserved in the soul) descends to us; but it will pass like running water and vanish if the soul hates not its enemies, which are sin and vice. He who desires to acquire and preserve grace must accustom his heart, then, to the exercise of this love and of this hatred, and it is in this that I wish to be imitated by you.'

The faithful servant of Mary, having heard these words, replied: 'My sweetest Lady, wast thou not already full of grace and virtue?' The Blessed Virgin replied: 'Be certain that I believed myself to be the vilest sinner, and, like you, unworthy of grace. You perhaps believe, my daughter, that all the grace which I possessed was acquired without difficulty. But it was not so. On the contrary, I received no grace or favour without constant prayer, ardent desire, deep devotion, and many tears, with long afflictions, excepting, however, the grace of sanctification, which was given to me from my conception in my mother's womb, and, as far as I knew, I never said or thought of anything but what was pleasing to my God.' She added: 'Be assured also that no grace descends into the soul, except through the channel of prayer and corporal mortification. But as soon as we have given to God all that we possess, He Himself comes quickly to dwell within us, bringing with Him such inestimable gifts that the soul feels her heart to fail; she loses the remembrance of having ever done or said anything acceptable to God, and she becomes more and more vile and contemptible in her own eyes.'—Maria Regina e Madre Dei Santi, by l'Abate Guyard, Vic. Gen. of Montalbano.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Flowers fade quickly if they are much handled, but if they are not touched they may be preserved a long time.—À Kempis.

The root of the plant is hidden under ground and trodden under foot; it has neither odour nor beauty, and yet it gives life to the flower. Thus a humble soul may, like Mary, be despised, it may be trodden upon, forgotten; but this is the way for it to produce flowers and fruits for eternal life.—Nouet.

The lily is the symbol of chastity; it preserves its whiteness and sweetness in the midst of thorns, so long as it is left untouched, but as soon as ever it is plucked it emits so overpowering an odour that it causes headache.—St. Francis of Sales.

Whiteness is not an essential property of the rose—indeed, red roses are more beautiful and of sweeter odour; but it is the property of the lily. Let us endeavour to be what we are, and as justly and perfectly as possible, that we may do honour to our Maker.—The same.

[EXAMPLE.]

The edifying Death of St. Jane Frances de Chantal.

It was on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary that this Saint was attacked by the first serious symptoms of her fatal illness. On the eve of the feast she was in the refectory, and after the blessing of the table she knelt down, and with her arms in the form of a cross repeated twice these words: O Mater Dei, memento mei. She then commented upon these words thus: 'Holy Mother of God, by your Immaculate Conception, remember me and assist me always, especially at the hour of my death.' She remained for a long time afterwards in the same posture, absorbed in profound recollection.

The following day she was confined to her bed to rise no more. Her illness increasing every hour, she knew that her end approached, and thought only of preparing herself to appear before God. She received the last Sacraments with striking fervour, and preserved her calmness and serenity amidst the tears and sobs of all the community. During her intense sufferings she was heard to address the following prayer to the Most Holy Virgin: 'O Mary, Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy, defend me from the snares of the infernal enemy, and receive my soul into your hands at the moment of my death.' She kept a picture of her Protectress always near her bed; and when her speech failed she made great efforts to turn her eyes frequently towards this dear picture, and before she breathed her last asked to kiss it once more, and to have it buried with her in the tomb.

Prayer.—O Mary, the purest of Virgins! terrified at my weakness and at the dangers that surround me, I recommend to thy loving care with all confidence the chastity of my soul and body. Permit me not, O Queen of the Angels, to be defiled by the least stain after having been adorned with purity and innocence, like a vessel of honour and glory. Banish from my heart all sensual desires, evil thoughts, and irregular affections. To thy love, O my good Mother, do I confide my heart; purify it, render it worthy to be offered to thy Beloved Son, that, having here on earth imitated thee in the most beautiful of thy virtues, I may enjoy with thee for ever in heaven the happiness promised to the clean of heart. Amen.

Ejaculation.—Grant, O my God, that through Mary I may belong entirely to Jesus!

Practice.—If you should meet with any contradiction to-day, preserve your peace of soul.

[SIXTH DAY.]

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN.

WE read in the Gospel that the Angel Gabriel visited Our Lady in the town of Nazareth; and, as the word 'Nazareth' signifies 'flowers,' well is the Church represented in this town! What, in fact, is the Church but a house or a town adorned with flowers? All actions performed according to her laws are as so many flowers. Mortifications, humiliations, prayers—in short, all pious exercises are acts of virtue, which, like most beautiful flowers, diffuse a pleasing fragrance before God. Most justly, then, may we call the Christian religion a garden of flowers, that are delightful to the sight and most salutary to those who breathe the air impregnated by their fragrance. Our Lady herself was a flower distinguished for beauty and excellence above all other flowers—a flower of incomparable fragrance, possessed of the power of producing many other flowers: Hortus conclusus, soror mea, sponsa—'Thou,' says the sacred Spouse in the Canticles, 'art a garden enclosed:' a garden all studded with the most magnificent flowers that can be produced. Now, tell me to whom belong so many charming and sweet-scented flowers, with which the Church is so gloriously adorned, but to the Most Holy Virgin, since they were produced by her example? It is through her that Holy Church is so well furnished with roses in the martyrs who were invincible in their constancy; with every kind of flower, in the confessors who were nursed in her bosom; and with sweet violets, in so many holy widows, who lowly, humble, and hidden, diffuse the most odoriferous sweetness. In fine, is it indeed not to her that belong, in a special manner, so many lilies of purity and spotless virginity, innocent souls, bright and clear as a resplendent mirror? There can be no doubt, that if so many virgins have consecrated their hearts and bodies to His Divine Majesty, by indissoluble vows, it was that they might imitate the example of the Most Holy Virgin.

She was the first to consecrate her body, her heart, and her whole self to God, by the vow of virginity. Hardly had she been drawn by God than she quickly drew after her a large number of souls who consecrated themselves to God in like manner, under her sacred auspices, in order that they might run in the way of inviolable chastity and virginity: Adducentur regi virgines post eam. You, beloved souls, were seen by the glorious Virgin, when she exclaimed: Curremus—'We shall run, thus assuring her Beloved that many would follow her standard, and that under her protection they might combat and vanquish every kind of enemy.

What an honour for us to be able to walk under the standard of the Queen of Virgins! Our Lady is undoubtedly the honour, the Protectress, and model of all Christians, of men and women of all classes who live virtuously; yet, undoubtedly, young virgins contract by their virginity a closer alliance with her than other Christians, for their resemblance to her in purity enables them more easily and more closely to approach her. [1]

It is said that when the Angel came down from heaven to venerate the spotless Virgin, and announce to her the Incarnation of the Son of God in her most chaste womb, she was alone in her room. Faithful souls are here instructed to have a love of retirement from the world, but this is not enough; they ought also to retire within themselves that they may lead a solitary life, and thus render themselves better prepared to enjoy the conversation of their Beloved. Each should look upon his heart as a celestial cabinet where he lives alone with Him. O faithful souls, if you conceal yourselves thus, the Angels will know how to find you, as the Archangel Gabriel found Mary because she was alone.

Nothing should be so pleasing to holy virgins and to true Religious as this state of withdrawal, because they then contemplate better the beauty of their Divine Spouse dwelling in the depths of their hearts. On this account the Psalmist said that 'All the beauty of the King's Daughter is within'—Omnis gloria filiæ regis ab intus. The greatest diligence is necessary to preserve and increase this interior beauty, and at the same time to guard it continually from everything that could tarnish it, remembering that although men see only the exterior, the Divine Spouse penetrates into the inmost recesses of the heart. This is the motive which induces the loving spouse (I speak of a soul consecrated to the Divine service, in order to please God alone), to live retired within her own heart, and thus prepare an acceptable abode for His Divine Majesty. It is on this account that solitude is so much recommended to religious persons; its utility is seen by the diligence with which Our Lady practised it, and which merited for her the sublime privilege of being chosen to be the Mother of God!

Our Lord being the only rest of those who have abandoned all worldly cares in order to listen to Him speaking to their hearts in solitude, it follows that if they do not attend to the interior word of Jesus Christ that solitude becomes a long martyrdom to them. Instead of being the habitation of peace and tranquillity their solitude is a cause of sadness and disquiet.

Those who lead like Martha a life of great activity may still enjoy the tranquillity of Mary, if they are careful to refer all their works to God: this one aim being the eye which touches the heart of the Divine Spouse. In order not to lose the security of our habitation, we must seek it, not so much in a cell, as in God Himself. Thrice happy are they who dwell in this House, which not only belongs to God, but is God Himself, for He will be their abiding rest throughout ages of ages.

[1] It is the opinion of a Doctor of the Church that the Holy Virgin Mary instituted some congregations of young girls, and that when she lived at Ephesus with the Apostle St. John she gave rules and constitutions to one of them. How happy were those Religious to have been instituted by the Queen of Doctors, who gathered her wisdom from her Son, who is the Wisdom of the Eternal Father!—'Month of Mary.' St. Francis of Sales.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Whatever flower the bee rests upon, it always extracts honey from it. So will it be with an interior soul: if she never leave her home but when it is necessary for the glory of God, she will always return to it laden with the honey of good works.—A Father of the Desert.

When grace speaks it is time to act, not to hold discourse. Long prayers unaccompanied by mortification are nothing in the sight of God, but time spent uselessly.—St. Teresa.

Whoever abandons prayer casts himself into hell.—The same.

Holy prayer is a water of benediction, which refreshes the plants of our good desires and makes them flourish. It washes our souls from their imperfections, and extinguishes the fire of passion in our hearts.—St. Francis of Sales.

[EXAMPLE.]

St. Bernard's Love for Mary.

The luminous star of the Middle Ages, St. Bernard, who was the soul of the Crusades instituted for the defence of religion and of civilized Europe, the counsellor of Bishops, Popes, and Kings, may be said to have had infused into him at his baptism a special devotion to the Most Holy Virgin. In his tenderest infancy he leaped for joy when he saw by chance a picture of Mary, or when he heard her name pronounced. He was ever thinking of her, and wished everyone to be speaking to him always of her. To correct in him those defects which are common to childhood, it sufficed to tell him that such and such a thing was displeasing to Mary, and he immediately took care not to repeat the fault, and he eagerly embraced those practices of piety which he was told were dear to her. She, on her side, did not delay to manifest the care she took of him, and undoubtedly the great love he had for holy purity was a special gift from the Queen of Virgins. Other favours, however, were in store for him in the hands of his powerful benefactress.

On Christmas Eve the young Bernard was waiting in the church with his relations for the commencement of the midnight service, when, having inclined his head, he fell into a kind of ecstasy, and saw in spirit, by means of supernatural light, the mystery of Bethlehem, and he quietly contemplated the Divine Infant miraculously born from the virginal womb of His Mother. This vision penetrated him with so warm a feeling of gratitude towards Jesus and Mary, that he immediately promised to consecrate himself entirely to their love and service henceforth. The writings of St. Bernard breathe a tender piety towards Mary, and unite all the most beautiful and moving expressions of love and veneration for her, which were written in former ages, and he united in his heart all the affections of the most zealous of her servants. With what respect, confidence, and love towards this good Mother are we penetrated when we read the pious works that he has written for her glory! His emotion, when under the influence of these sentiments, frequently rapt him in ecstasy.

Prayer of St. Andrew of Crete.—Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Hail you, O source of our joy! through you the sentence of our condemnation was changed into a sentence of benediction! Hail, O Temple of the glory of God, sacred dwelling of the King of the heavenly kingdom! You are truly blessed amongst all women, because you were chosen to be the Mother of your Creator, and all nations shall call you blessed.

O Mary, I place in you a holy confidence, and from you I expect my salvation. I shall walk without fear in the midst of all my enemies, if you will deign to number me amongst those whom you protect. Sincere love of you is the safest weapon with which to fight and overcome; number me, then, amongst your children, for I have chosen you for my tender Mother. Amen.

Ejaculation.—Sub tuum præsidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix—We put ourselves under your powerful protection, O Holy Mother of God!

Practice.—Recite to-day the Angelus with great fervour.

[SEVENTH DAY.]

THE EXCELLENCE OF THE VIRGINITY OF MARY.

LET us consider attentively the virtues that were practised by the Most Holy Virgin on the day of her glorious Annunciation. The first was virginity and purity so perfect that nothing can be compared to it amongst the purest creatures. Secondly, a most profound humility, united with a most ardent charity.

Although the angelic virtue of perfect chastity belongs more particularly to Angels than to men, nevertheless, Our Lady infinitely surpassed all the Angels in this virtue, because it possessed three great excellences not conceded to the Angels.

The first is that in Mary it is fruitful, whilst in the Angels it is sterile. The virginity of Mary is not only fruitful in having produced and borne the sweet fruit of life, our Blessed Saviour, but it is fruitful also because it produces a multitude of virgins, for (as we observed in the preceding consideration) if so many young persons dedicate and consecrate their purity to God, it is that they may follow her example. But the pure virginity of Mary not only possesses the property of being fruitful, it can also restore virginal purity in those souls who have defiled this virtue by the contrary vice. In her lifetime she had already called many virgins to follow her, who became her inseparable companions; among others, St. Martha and St. Marcella. But it was also through her means that St. Mary Magdalen, who had been the scandal of Jerusalem, was enrolled after her conversion under the standard of virginal purity, and became like a brilliant crystal vase, capable of receiving and containing the most precious waters of grace.

The virginity of Our Lady, therefore, is not sterile, like that of the Angels, but it is so fruitful that from the moment she vowed it to God, until the present time, it has always borne its fruit. A soul that is perfectly dedicated to the service of God is never alone; many others, drawn by the sweetness of its perfumes, flock after to copy its example. It is on this account that the Spouse says to her Beloved: Trahe me post te, curremus—'Draw me and we shall run.'

Secondly, the virginity and chastity of the Blessed Virgin surpassed that of the Angels in this, that they are chaste by nature; and we do not, properly speaking, praise a person for the gifts of nature, since praise is not due where there is no merit. But the virginity of the Most Holy Virgin is, on the contrary, worthy of praise, because it was chosen and preferred by her, and consecrated by her to God. Although she was united in marriage to St. Joseph, it was without any prejudice to her virginity, because he to whom she was espoused had also consecrated his virginity to God.

Thirdly, the virginity of Our Lady surpassed that of the Angels, because it was subjected to the severest trials, whilst that of the Angels could never be tempted or tried. In this sense St. Augustine, addressing the Angels, says: 'It is not difficult for you, O blessed spirits! to be pure and remain virgins, because you neither are, nor can be, tempted.'

Some may, perhaps, wonder that I have said that the purity of Our Lady was exposed to the severest trials; and yet so it was. But we must not suppose that these trials were similar to our own. As she was all purity, these assaults could not be like our own. The temptations which come to us, who, unhappily, bear their incentives within our hearts, could never have ventured to approach that wall of her virginal integrity. But was it not a great trial for Our Lady when the Angel appeared to her in human form? And did she not manifest this in the fear and perturbation which assailed her, so that the Angel was obliged to reassure her in these words: Ne timeas, Maria—'Fear not, Mary'? By them he wished to remove the disquiet which her virginal purity suffered; it was as if he were to say: You see me in human form, but I am no man, nor do I come to you on the part of any man.

Modesty, says a holy Doctor, is, as it were, the sacristan of chastity. The sacristan of a church keeps an eye always to the altars, that nothing may be stolen, and he fastens the door with care. In like manner virginal souls are jealous to preserve this virtue unspotted, and no sooner do they perceive danger, or even the shadow of danger, than they are quickly alarmed. Thus it was with the Most Blessed Virgin, who was not only the Virgin par excellence of all in heaven and on earth, but also the most humble of all, and she manifested in this mystery of the Annunciation, the most sublime act of humility that a pure creature could make. When she heard herself called by the Angel full of grace, and received the announcement that she should become the Mother of a Son Who was to be both God and Man, she was troubled, and filled with fear; because, although she had conversed familiarly with the Angels, she had never heard them utter a single word in her praise.

The Most Holy Virgin would here teach us the dangers to which purity is exposed by the desire of praise. Humility is the inseparable and necessary companion of virginity, which could not long be maintained in a soul that was not humble. It is true that in persons who live in the world one of these virtues may subsist without the other, as we see in the married life, but in regard to virgins, it must be absolutely asserted that one who does not profess both these virtues has neither of them except in appearance.

Our Lady, being reassured by the Angel, and having understood what her Lord had decreed to work within her, made a sublime act of humility, saying: Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum—'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word.' It was thus she expressed herself at the very moment when she saw herself raised to the sublimest dignity that can be imagined. An incomparable dignity, indeed, is that of Mother of God, but it does not disturb the humility of Mary. Although she is raised above all creatures, nevertheless she simply declares that she is, and ever will be, the servant of His Divine Majesty; and to show the truth of her protest she adds: Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum: 'Be it done unto me according to Thy word.' She abandons herself to the Divine Will, and proclaims that of her own choice she would never have come forth from her state of humility and lowly self-esteem. How well did the Most Holy Virgin know that humility is ever the inseparable and necessary companion of virginity!

Although, as we have said, humility and virginity can dwell singly in persons who live in the world, yet such a separation can never be made between humility and charity, these virtues being absolutely inseparable. They are like the ladder of Jacob, by which the Angels ascended and descended. This was not done simultaneously, but alternately; the Angels descending first, and then ascending afterwards. Similarly, as soon as humility has abased us, charity quickly raises us up towards heaven. It might seem that the virtue of humility in some degree removes us from God, Who is at the summit of this mysterious ladder, because it causes us to descend very low in self-abasement. On the contrary, however, in proportion as we lower ourselves we become more and more worthy to mount towards the summit of this mystical ladder of perfection, where our Heavenly Father awaits us. Our Lady, then, obtained the dignity of Mother of God by abasing herself, and acknowledging herself unworthy of it; for scarcely had she protested her lowliness, and abandoned herself, by an act of incomparable charity, to the Divine Will, than the mystery was accomplished. If we thus regulate our conduct, and, in imitation of Mary, unite virginity with humility, we shall be certainly helped by charity. This Divine gift will lift us up the mystical ladder of Jacob, and introduce us into the presence of the Eternal Father, Who will enrich us with every kind of heavenly consolation. We shall sing canticles of Divine praise with our most holy Patroness, and eternally glorify Our Lord for the grace we have obtained to imitate her virtues, and fight under her standard.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Humility made the Son of God descend from Heaven into the immaculate bosom of Mary, and by the same virtue we may also cause Him to descend into our souls.—St. Teresa.

It is not humility to acknowledge ourselves to be miserable, for this needs but a little understanding of our condition, but to wish and desire to be treated as such is true Christian humility.—St. Francis of Sales.

We ought never to make use of our heart, eyes, and words for the indulgence of our own humours and inclinations, but only for the service of the Celestial Spouse.—The same.

[EXAMPLE.]

The Love of St. Alphonsus for Mary.

The love of St. Alphonsus Liguori for the Blessed Virgin Mary was so burning that he desired to inflame with it the hearts of all mankind. He was often heard to say: 'O men, what are you doing? Why so much affection for earthly creatures, for false deceivers, who make you lose both body and soul, both Paradise and God? How is it you love not Mary, who is ever most amiable, most loving, and most faithful; and who, after having enriched you with consolations and graces in this life, will obtain for you from her Divine Son the eternal glory of Paradise?'

He loved her so tenderly from his childhood, that one day he said to her quite simply: 'O my sweet Virgin Mary, I do not wish that there should be anyone in the world who loves and hononrs you more than I do;' and this desire of his heart was fully gratified. He thought of her even in sleep, and made use of this tender aspiration: 'O Mary, how beautiful you are! O how beautiful you are!' No one could speak to him without receiving a recommendation to be devout to Mary. 'Be devout to the Holy Virgin Mary,' he would say; 'whoever is devout to her will certainly be saved.' He inculcated the pious practices of visiting her images, reciting the Rosary, and fasting in her honour, on Saturdays and on the vigils of her festivals. But in a special manner he wished all to recite, every morning and evening, three Ave Marias in commemoration of her Immaculate Conception and perpetual virginity, adding this ejaculation to each Ave Maria: 'By your sacred virginity and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, obtain for me purity and sanctity of soul and body.' He gave pictures of her to everyone, saying: 'Here is the image of your Heavenly Mother; give her your love and confidence.' At other times he repeated: 'Love the good Virgin much, because Mary is the Mother of perseverance; and whoever loves Jesus and Mary will become holy.'

Prayer.—O Mary! you are truly the valiant woman in whom the Lord found rest, and whom He has chosen to be the depositary of all His treasures. The universe honours you as the most pure sanctuary of the Divinity, the true Temple of the Lord, in which was begun the salvation of the world, and in which took place the grand reconciliation between God and man. You are that privileged field which sin could not enter and devastate; you are that magnificent garden in which Our Lord planted all the flowers that adorn His Church. You, O Mary, are the Paradise of God, whence springs the fountain of living water which waters and fructifies the earth: obtain for me, by your powerful intercession, that, being washed in this most pure water, I may be admitted with you to the nuptials of the Immaculate Lamb. Amen.

Ejaculation.—Most pure Virgin, pray for us.

Practice.—In temptations against holy purity invoke Mary, Virgin and Mother.

[EIGHTH DAY.]

THE VISITATION.

THOUGH Mary had thus humbled herself before God, she did not stop there, because she knew that humility and charity do not attain their highest degree of perfection until, for God's sake, they are exercised in behalf of our neighbour. True fraternal charity proceeds from the love of God, and in proportion as this increases, the love of our neighbour becomes more intense. The Apostle of Charity teaches us this truth, when he says: Qui enim non diliget fratrem suum quem vidit, Deum quem non videt, quomodo potest deligere?—'For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not?' If we desire, then, to show our love to God, we must love our neighbour, we must serve him, help him, and relieve him in his necessities according to our power. How profoundly was the Blessed Virgin penetrated with this truth! No sooner had she heard that her cousin had conceived in her old age, than she arose and went with haste (the Gospel says, cum festinatione) over the mountains of Judea to the city of Ephrem.

Consider that Mary is become the Mother of the Son of God, and having with all humility and sweetness obtained leave of her Holy Spouse to go and visit her cousin Elizabeth, she bade a painful adieu to all her neighbours. With great eagerness did the Most Holy Virgin undertake her long and fatiguing journey, as the Gospel says, she went with haste! The first movements of Him Whom she bears in her womb increased her fervour, and she began her journey with haste but without mental flurry. The Angels are ready to accompany her, and St. Joseph gladly conducts her. One would wish to have known something of the conversation of these two great souls, and willingly should we listen to the account thereof. It is probable that the Holy Virgin conversed only of Him Whom she bore within her, and breathed only for her Saviour. St. Joseph, on his side, thinks only of his Redeemer, Who moves his heart with a thousand sentiments and affections. As wine locked up in the cellar acquires the scent of the flowery vines, so the heart of this Holy Patriarch insensibly participates in the perfume and the vigour of the Divine Infant Who blooms in His beautiful vineyard. The profound humility which Mary exercised in serving one who was in every respect her inferior, is indeed most worthy of our admiration. It is true that Elizabeth was of noble birth, because she was of the royal race of David, and was, moreover, united in marriage to the High Priest of the tribe of Levi. However, this nobility is nothing in comparison with that of the Most Holy Virgin, whose incomparable greatness can only be expressed by the title of Mother of God—Mater Dei—and yet where can we find more profound humility? Her humble heart is not satisfied with calling herself the handmaid of the Lord, but she leaves her house, and for three entire months is as a handmaid to her venerable cousin. The Gospel, moreover, gives us to understand that when the Divine Mother entered the house of Zacharias she was the first to give the salutation, and this through her great humility: Intravit in domum Zachariæ et salutavit Elizabeth.

Remark also the conduct of Our Lady amidst the praises and blessings which Elizabeth bestowed upon her. Assuredly it was very different from that of women in the world, who instead of humbling themselves when they are praised, become more puffed up. Was it not vanity that possessed our poor mother Eve, who, on hearing that she was created to the image and likeness of God, became thereby so presumptuous that she strove to become equal to Him, and gave ear to all the suggestions of the infernal enemy? But as the Most Holy Virgin had come into the world to regain all that Eve had lost by her vanity and pride, she thinks only of the abyss of her nothingness, and calls herself the handmaid of the Lord, although proclaimed by the Angel His Mother; when she is declared by Elizabeth to be the most blessed of women, she replies that her blessings are accorded because the Lord has looked down upon her lowliness and her littleness: Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ. What an excellent sign is humility of heart in a soul that has made progress in the spiritual life! When such souls humble themselves before God and before all creatures, in proportion to the greatness of the favours received, and place all their happiness, like Mary, in this alone, that the Divine Goodness has looked down upon their lowliness and misery, it is a sure indication that the graces of God are not received in vain.

The effects of grace in the heart of the Most Blessed Virgin were a profound humility and a burning charity towards God and towards her neighbour. The Apostle St. Paul in relating to us the love that our Saviour bore to the virtue of humility, says that 'He humbled Himself unto death, even to the death of the Cross'—Humiliavit semetipsum usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis; and he would have us learn from this that we should not be satisfied to have practised this virtue in some particular circumstances, nor for a certain time, but that we must practise it always and on all occasions. We must practise this virtue not only until death but unto the death of the Cross; that is to say, unto the perfect mortification of ourselves, humbling our self-esteem and our self-love. Let us not deceive ourselves by a certain appearance of humility; as, for instance, in speaking of our imperfections, or in performing external acts of reverence and humility, for the virtue of humility does not consist in this. True and Christian humility makes us esteem ourselves absolutely as nothing, as unworthy to live, as deserving only of universal contempt. It moves us to embrace generously the precept of our Saviour, that we renounce ourselves if we wish to follow Him: Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Humility is the root of every virtue. As the flower receives its nourishment from the root, and withers when it is cut off from it, so virtue, however perfect it may be, languishes and dies if it be not rooted in humility.—Nouet.

Bees suck honey from the lily, the iris and the rose; but they draw it also from the smallest flowers, such as rosemary and thyme. Indeed, they gather more honey from the latter, and it is of a better quality; because more closely confined in the smaller flowers and better preserved. Thus is charity practised, both more frequently and with more humility, in lowly exercises of devotion, and consequently with greater perfection and holiness.—Francis of Sales.

[EXAMPLE.]

The Pilgrimage of St. Francis of Sales to Loreto.

St. Francis of Sales was always thinking of the honour of the Most Blessed Virgin, and had made a vow from his youth to visit the holy Chapel of Loreto. In his travels through Italy, made by order of his father, his great desire was to fulfil the promise he had made to venerate the Most Holy Virgin in the Sanctuary where she had received the visit of the Angel and the sublime dignity of becoming the Mother of God, and he did so with wonderful piety. He was rapt in admiration in beholding those walls that had enclosed such wonders. He prayed motionless for a long time before the Altar of the Queen of Heaven, thanking her devoutly for all she had done for himself, exhorting her to continue her holy protection, and renewing his promise to imitate her angelic virtue of purity during his whole life. Ineffable were the graces and consolations that he then received; his mind was illumined by celestial light, and his heart was inflamed with such ardent charity, that from that moment nothing appeared to him impossible, when there was question of the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Prayer of St. Germanus.—Hail Mary! you are the hope of Christians, and it is in this quality that I turn myself to you. Receive, O tender Mother, the prayer addressed to you by a poor sinner, but a penitent sinner, who honours you, and who, after God, places in you all his hope for his conversion and salvation. I am indebted to you for so many graces, but grant me, I beseech you, one grace more. Confirm me and establish me in the grace and love of your Divine Son. You are the consolation of the afflicted; deign, then, to intercede in my favour with your Divine Son, my Saviour, Jesus, that He may deliver me from the burden of my sins, dissipate the darkness of my understanding, remove every irregular affection from my heart, and restrain all the efforts and temptations of my enemies, that, being aided by this grace, I may henceforth so order my life that, under your protection, I may arrive at the happy port of eternal life. Amen.

Ejaculation.—O Holy Virgin! may I always remember you, and have recourse to you in all my necessities.

Practice.—Visit the altar of Mary, either in the church or in your room, to obtain from her sorrow for your sins.

[NINTH DAY.]

THE CHARITY OF MARY IN THE VISITATION.

WE must not imagine that the Blessed Virgin Mary was moved to undertake this long journey to visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth, by curiosity to know if what the Angel had told her were true, for she had not the slightest doubt of it. Our Blessed Lady was moved by a secret impulse of God, Who wished to commence the work of Redemption and the sanctification of souls in this visit, by the sanctification of the infant St. John.

The most ardent charity and most profound humility animated her, and gave her wings to fly across the mountains of Judea, and these two virtues were also the cause of her journey. As St. Ambrose says, charity or grace knows no delays nor cold deliberations: Nescit tarda molimina sancti spiritus gratiæ. It need not therefore surprise us if the Most Holy Virgin, filled as she was with charity (because she bore in her womb Him Who is Love itself), should exercise it in continual acts towards God, to Whom she was closely united by the sacred bond of perfect love, and towards her neighbours, whom she loved so tenderly and sincerely that she sighed for the salvation and sanctification of the whole world. She went with all alacrity, because she knew with what happy results her visit would be attended, in the person of St. John, and also because she wished to congratulate her cousin who, notwithstanding her age and sterility, had conceived the long-predicted precursor of the Word Incarnate. She went that they might rejoice together, and excite each other to glorify the God of all mercy, and to thank Him for so many favours and benedictions.

St. Luke would teach us by the words, Exurgens Maria abiit cum festinatione in montana in civitatem Juda—'Mary arose and went into the mountain country with haste, into a city of Judea'—the care and readiness with which we also ought to correspond to the Divine inspirations. As it is the work of the Holy Spirit to banish all tepidity and negligence from the heart, so He would have us execute His Divine Will with all care and diligence, and He is offended by any kind of delay. The virginal purity of Mary, which so dearly loved solitude, also caused her to go with haste, for the best protection for virginal purity is to appear as little as possible in the tumult of the world.

Having reached the house of Zachary, she entered it. She saluted Elizabeth. The Evangelist does not relate that she saluted Zachary also, for her love of purity was so great that she spoke little with men. Let virgins learn from this that they cannot take too great care for the preservation of this virtue.

Who can imagine the sweet fragrance of this most beautiful lily in the house of Zachary during the three months that she remained there? How well did she spend every instant! What honey, what precious balsam, must those sacred lips have distilled in the few but excellent words that they uttered! Indeed, Mary could speak only that which filled her heart, and that was Jesus!

Let us consider the meaning of the words, that 'Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost'—Et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisabeth—that Elizabeth, who had already received the Holy Ghost with all His gifts, received a new fulness and a new increase of grace by this visit. Although the Lord grants His graces to the just in full measure, yet, as the Gospel says, this measure can be so augmented as to overflow on all sides: Mensuram bonam confertam et coagitatam et supereffluentem dabunt in sinum vestrum.

Let us well understand this important truth. The grace of the Holy Ghost can never be granted to us in this life in such full measure that it cannot be augmented; therefore, let us beware of saying: 'It is enough; I am sufficiently enriched with graces and virtues. Mensura conferta est—the measure is filled up, further progress in mortification is unnecessary.' He who should speak thus would only show too clearly his misery, or, rather, his presumption, and the great danger to which he exposes himself. Omni habenti dabitur et abundabit, ei autem qui non habet et quod videtur habere auferetur ab eo. This text signifies that to him who has received much—that is to say, who has laboured much, and never gives up—much shall be given. Such a one believes that he has never done enough; but, conscious of his own misery, he continues to labour with holy and sincere humility. He, then, who possesses much, shall receive with usury, and superabundantly; but from him who profits not by the grace received, letting it lie idle and fruitless, because he believes he is rich enough, from him shall be taken that which he thinketh himself to possess and that which he does not possess. This means, that graces already received shall be taken away, because he has not traded with them, and those which have been prepared for him shall not be bestowed upon him, since he has rendered himself unworthy of them by his negligence. All this, however, is not to be understood of sufficient grace, which is never denied by God to anyone, but of efficacious grace, which, by a just judgment of God, is not granted to tepid and ungrateful souls.

The thirst for riches and honours, by which worldlings are tormented, never allows them to say, Enough. And yet they ought to be contented with a little, for experience teaches us that the highest dignities and honours and great wealth frequently occasion the loss of souls. It is in regard of such temporal matters that we should say, I have sufficient. But, with regard to spiritual goods, let us never believe that we possess them in sufficient abundance, so long as we remain in this land of exile, but let us make every possible effort to advance day by day from virtue to virtue.

Experience teaches us that plants and fruits do not attain maturity until they have produced their seeds, which are necessary for the reproduction of their species. In the same way our virtues will never be sufficiently perfected, or reach their maturity, until they produce within us an ardent desire to make further progress. This desire is the spiritual seed which produces new degrees of virtue.

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Mary is a most beautiful rose, which dared not open its petals even to the gentle breeze of an Angel!—St. Ambrose.

How precious and how delicate a flower is purity! A sigh, a look, a word is enough to wither it! On this account chaste souls continually distrust themselves, and flee from the slightest occasions of danger.—Nouet.

The rose is the symbol of love and charity; its petals are red, and formed like a heart. Such should be the actions of the spouses of Jesus Christ. They should have as many hearts as they have petals—that is to say, hearts full of love, and like petals in the little esteem they should have of their actions.—St. Francis of Sales.

[EXAMPLE.]

Consecration of the Saturday to Mary.

Holy Church is ever desirous to maintain a tender devotion in the hearts of the faithful towards the Most Blessed Virgin, and from the earliest ages of Christianity she has encouraged the consecration of the Saturday to her. It is related that there was in the church of Santa Sofia at Constantinople a picture of the Mother of God which was veiled during the rest of the week, but on Friday evening the veil was raised without human aid, and lowered on the evening of Saturday. Thus did Almighty God manifest His Will that Saturday should be dedicated to Mary. It was on Saturday she took so great a part in the work of our redemption, and it was fitting that on the morrow of the day when she so bitterly wept over the sorrowful scene of Calvary we should remember her tears shed for us in a special manner. Again, on Saturday God rested from His work in the creation of the world, and the Church consecrates this day to her, to honour the mysterious repose of the Holy Ghost in her Immaculate Heart, and that of Our Blessed Saviour in her chaste womb. Saturday is the introduction to Sunday—the symbol of eternal rest—and the Holy Virgin is truly invoked under the title of 'Gate of Heaven'—Janua Cœli.

Saturday, moreover, is the day between Friday, the day of mourning, and Sunday, the day of joy—and the Holy Virgin is the mediatrix between God, Who is Eternal Beatitude, and man, who is subject to endless evils and miseries. Mary is the way to arrive at Jesus, and Saturday is a prelude to the solemnity of Sunday. Saturday is as a magnificent portal consecrated to the Mother of God, by which we enter the Sanctuary of God Himself. The Saints held this day in great esteem—on it they redoubled their pious exercises—and many begged, as a signal favour, that they might die on a Saturday.

Prayer.—O Sovereign Queen of Angels! you are the Mother of Orphans, as your faithful servant, St. Bonaventure, says: Mater Orphanorum. Sinners are truly orphans—for they have had the misfortune to lose their God, the most tender of Fathers. To you, therefore, I have recourse, O Mother of Mercy. I have had the misfortune to lose my true Father, by sin; and yet, since you have not abandoned me, O my Mother, I feel a lively hope that through your goodness you will deign to intercede for me, and reconcile me to my Father, Whom I have so grievously offended. O Holy Virgin! he alone can perish who does not have recourse to you. I confess, indeed, that I am a most unworthy sinner, and, nevertheless, to you do I fly, animated by sweet confidence in your love. Your mercy is greater than all my miseries; and, although my iniquities are enormous, they will never exhaust the treasures of your Son's mercy, nor your own. I sincerely detest, from my heart, all my sins, and hope, through your intercession, for a general pardon. Amen.

Ejaculation.—O Mother of God and my Mother, the confidence I place in you is to me a pledge of my eternal salvation.

Practice.—Let all your prayers and actions this day be offered in suffrage for the holy souls in Purgatory.

[TENTH DAY.]

BY THE VISIT OF MARY, ELIZABETH IS FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.

LET us continue our Meditation on the sweet mystery of the Visitation.

The visit which this incomparable Virgin made to St. Elizabeth was not useless, nor, like the visits of worldly people, a matter of ceremony. Such visits result in harm to the conscience, in offences against chastity or charity. The Most Holy Virgin was induced to visit her cousin Elizabeth from pure motives of charity, and the days she spent with her were not employed in useless occupations, but in praising and magnifying God. How holy, pious, and devout was not this visit! It filled the whole house of Zachary with the Holy Spirit, and admirable effects were produced in St. Elizabeth. The first effect was humility. As soon as Our Lady appeared in the house of her cousin the Saint was filled with astonishment at such a favour, and exclaimed: Unde hoc mihi ut veniat Mater Domini mei ad me?—'Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my God should come unto me?' This is the virtue that the Holy Ghost first produces within us; a profound humility, which forces us to annihilate ourselves in the sight of the infinite greatness of God, and acknowledge our own baseness and worthlessness.

The second effect was to confirm St. Elizabeth in faith, as is gathered from the words she ad dressed to the Most Holy Virgin: 'Blessed art thou that hast believed; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb'—Beata es quæ crededisti; benedicta tu inter mulieres, et benedictus fructus ventris tui. Indeed, one of the chief operations of the Holy Spirit is to ground us in faith and convert us entirely to God, and make us acknowledge Him as the Source of all the graces and blessings granted to mortal beings.

Truly may St. Elizabeth have said, you are blessed amongst all women, but your blessedness proceeds from the Fruit of your womb, the God of blessings. We do not usually praise the fruit on account of the tree, but the tree on account of the excellence of its fruit. Thus, although we ought to render to the Most Holy Virgin a worship or veneration beyond that which we render to the Saints, yet our homage and veneration should never equal that which we give to God. God alone should be sovereignly adored; but, as the Most Holy Virgin is the Mother of Our Saviour, and a co-operator in our redemption, she is worthy of such a special worship as all true Christians have ever given to her. When the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we love and praise God alone above all things, as our Sovereign Creator; and after Him, Mary, His Most Holy Mother.

The third effect that the Holy Ghost produces in those upon whom He descends is a complete change of heart, as is represented in the joy of the Baptist yet unborn: Ecce enim ut facta est vox salutationis tuæ in auribus meis, exultavit infans in utero meo—'Behold, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears,' said Elizabeth to Our Lady, 'the Infant leaped in my womb.' Thus was St. John sanctified, going forth as it were out of himself, and casting himself before his Maker. And so it is with those who receive the Holy Spirit: they go out of themselves and lose themselves in God; that is to say, they live no longer according to nature and the senses, but they follow the inspirations of grace. If you desire, then, to know whether you have received the Holy Ghost, examine your actions.

It was through the intervention of Most Holy Mary that St. Elizabeth received the Holy Spirit. This teaches us that we should make use of her as a mediatrix with her Divine Son in order to obtain heavenly graces. It is true that we can address ourselves directly to God in our petitions, without employing the mediation of the Most Holy Virgin or the Saints; but this is not according to the order ordained by God, Who wished that there should be a communication between us and His Saints. Hence the Church militant and triumphant form but one Church, directed and governed equally, though differently, by God Himself; and He wishes us to have recourse to Him through the Most Holy Virgin and the Saints, and He bestows the most precious graces upon us by their intercession.

For the concluding point of this meditation we may add that it is of the greatest advantage to our souls to be visited by the Most Blessed Virgin; and her visits are always accompanied by many blessings and graces, as in the case of St. Elizabeth. O God! you will say, I do, indeed, desire that she would deign to honour me with one of her visits during prayer, since her visits fill the soul with sweet consolation. However, we must bear in mind that Mary often visits us with inspirations and interior lights, to aid our progress in perfection; and these are precisely the visits that we are unwilling to receive.

Endeavour to receive Holy Communion devoutly, and you will contract a spiritual relationship with the Most Holy Virgin, since the Most Precious Body of Our Saviour, which we receive in Holy Communion, was formed by the Holy Ghost of her most pure blood.

In this manner, and by the imitation of her virtues, the relationship which you will contract with her will be much more excellent and more pleasing to her than that of Elizabeth, which was merely of flesh and blood. Our Lord says: 'Whosoever shall do the will of My Father Who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother' (Matt. xii. 50).

In order to have some share in the visits of this Holy Virgin, we must not look for consolations, but generously resolve to accept even contempt and sorrow. In fact, Mary did not visit St. Elizabeth until she had suffered the ignominy and humiliation of her sterility. It is impossible to lead a devout life without trouble, and merit is in proportion to suffering. Finally, if we desire to receive the favour of this visitation, we must be transformed; we must die to self, and live only to God and for God: in a word, we must humble ourselves profoundly, according to the example of St. Elizabeth. Be faithful then, pious souls, in this exercise, during this short and miserable life, that you may afterwards chant eternally in heaven with the Most Holy Virgin: Magnificat anima mea Dominum!—'My soul doth magnify the Lord!'

My God! how ashamed I am to be still so full of myself, when I have so often come to Holy Communion! O dear Jesus! may we always bear Thee in our hearts, that we may no longer breathe but Thee? How is it that I am so little united to Thee, since Thou art always in me? Why do I stray so far from Thee, whilst Thou art always close to me? Thou dwellest in my heart, how is it that I do not abide in Thine?

SPIRITUAL FLOWERS.

Chastity is the unblemished beauty of the Saints, which, like the rose, adorns the soul and body, and fills them with sweet and pleasing fragrance.—St. Ephrem.

A slight breath of wind suffices to make the flowers fall from the trees in spring; and sometimes one flattering word, of itself, is enough to ruin a chaste soul, which is infinitely more delicate and tender than any flower.—Nouet.

As the bee gathers from flowers the dew of heaven and the sweetest juice of the earth, forming it into honey and carrying it to its hive, so the Priest takes from the altar our Blessed Saviour (the true Son of God, Who descended like dew from heaven, and came forth from the Virgin Mary as a flower from the earth of our humanity), and places Him in your mouth, and He becomes to you a delicious and spiritual food.—St. Francis of Sales.

[EXAMPLE.]

Devotion of St. Thomas Aquinas to the 'Ave Maria.'

The most tender devotion towards Mary was, as we may say, innate in St. Thomas Aquinas. One day, when he was a little child, his nurse observed that he kept a piece of paper in his hands, which she wished to take from him: but the child resisted with loud cries, and made every effort to retain it. This singular resistance excited the curiosity of his pious mother, the Countess Theodora. She therefore took hold of the piece of paper, opened it, and found, to her surprise, written upon it the Angelical Salutation. Whilst she was reading it, the infant redoubled his cries and tears, so that she was obliged to return it to him. Thomas had no sooner received it, than putting it into his mouth he swallowed it with great eagerness. This fact foreshadowed the devotion which the Saint ever had for the Angelical Salutation, on which he has left us a most pious and learned commentary, full of the praises of Mary.

Prayer.—Holy Virgin and my tender Mother! You are the channel by which the graces of God reach us; you are the depositary of all celestial treasures, and you yourself declare to us that you possess all the wealth of heaven, to enrich those that love you: ut ditem diligentes me. O Divine Mother! you see that my poverty is great, and my indigence extreme; but remember, I beseech you, that I trust in you, and hope that you will be moved to compassionate my miseries, and to obtain for me a remedy. I love you, O Holy Virgin; you are, after God, the great object of my affections. Have compassion on me then, and never abandon me to the snares of the enemies of my salvation, but succour me during the whole course of my life, and above all at the moment of my death, so that I may come one day to your feet, in the abode of eternal happiness. Amen.

Ejaculation.—O Holy Virgin, help those who groan in misery!

Practice.—Mortify self-love, by some act of obedience or meekness.

[ELEVENTH DAY.]

HUMILITY OF MARY.

THE Blessed Virgin Mary surpassed all the Angels and Saints in perfection and merit; and of all creatures none as she was so pleasing to God. Who, indeed, ever possessed so ardent a charity and so profound a humility? Where shall we find humility equal to that which appeared in Mary when, in answer to Elizabeth, she confessed that the cause of her happiness was that the Lord had deigned to regard the humility of His handmaid, and that therefore all generations should call her blessed?—Quia respexit humilitatem anciliæ suæ; ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generations.

Many Doctors of the Church are of opinion that, when Mary said, 'the Lord hath regarded the humility of His handmaid,' it was not her intention to speak of her virtue of humility, because, although she was profoundly humble, she did not believe herself to be so; but that she thought only of her lowly state, her baseness, and abjection as a creature of God, and of the nothingness from which she had been drawn. There are others, however, who hold a contrary, and perhaps more probable, opinion, and say that Our Lady intended to speak of her virtue of humility, being well aware that it was this virtue that had attracted Our Saviour to her chaste womb. We may well believe that Mary was aware that she possessed this virtue, and that she had no fear of losing it, being intimately persuaded that it was the effect of the grace of God within her and not of her own merits.

Indeed, we find the great St. Paul acknowledging that he possessed the virtue of charity, and in such decisive terms as would seem in others presumptuous rather than humble. He writes: 'Who shall separate me from the charity of Christ?'—Quis me separabit a charitate Christi? 'Shall tribulation, or distress, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or persecution, or the sword? I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' See Rom. viii. 35-39.

Notice the confidence with which this great Apostle speaks when he protests that there is no power in the world, or in hell, that is capable of separating him from the charity of his God. He believed that he possessed this virtue of charity; and in speaking thus he confided entirely in grace, and in his own merits by grace. The glorious Virgin knew well that the virtue of humility has more power to attract the Heart of God to our hearts than all other virtues. The Divine Spouse in the Canticles seems to signify this, when he expresses his admiration for the beauty of the footsteps of his beloved: Quam pulchri sunt gressus tui in calceamentis, filia principis!—'How beautiful are thy steps in shoes, O Prince's daughter!' (Cant, vii. 1), and then enumerates her other beauties. Judith did not captivate Holofernes so much by the rare beauty of her countenance and the splendour of her attire as by her sandals, or her shoes, which were probably embroidered with gold.

In like manner the Eternal Father, considering the variety of virtues that adorned Our Lady, was in admiration of her beauty; but when He cast His eyes upon her sandals He was so pleased that He sent His Only Son to become Incarnate in her chaste womb. What is signified by these sandals or shoes of Mary but her humility? These articles are the least valuable part of our attire, and the soonest covered with dust. Now, the spirit of true humility continually abases the souls who possess it, and annihilates them in their own eyes, and keeps them under the feet of everyone. Such is the property of this virtue of humility, which is the foundation of the whole spiritual life. It was this lowliness that the Lord looked upon in the Most Holy Virgin with so much complacency, and this look of His formed her whole greatness: Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ, ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generations. All generations shall call her blessed because God had regarded her.