The Divine Bridegroom, when speaking of this His beloved bride, calls her a lily: "As the lily is amongst the thorns, so is my beloved amongst the daughters." On these words Cornelius à Lapide makes the reflection, 'that as the lily is a remedy against serpents and venomous things, so is the invocation of Mary a specific by which we may overcome all temptations, and especially those against purity, as all find who put it in practice.'

2

Saint Cosmas of Jerusalem used to say, 'While I keep my hope in thee unconquerable, O Mother of God, I shall be safe. I will fight and overcome my enemies with no other buckler than thy protection and thy all-powerful aid.' 3 And all who are so fortunate as to be the servants of this great Queen can say the same thing. O Mother of God, if I hope in thee, I most certainly shall not be overcome; for, defended by thee, I will follow up my enemies, and oppose them with the shield of thy protection and thy all-powerful help; and then without doubt I shall conquer. For, says James the monk (who was a doctor amongst the Greeks), addressing our Lord on the subject of Mary, Thou, O Lord, hast given us, in Mary, arms that no force of war can overcome, and a trophy never to be destroyed.' 4

It is said in the Old Testament, that God guided his people from Egypt to the land of promise, "By day, in a pillar of a cloud, and by night, in a pillar of fire." This stupendous pillar, at times as a cloud, at others as fire, says Richard of Saint Lawrence, was a figure of Mary fulfilling the double office she constantly exèrcises for our good; as a cloud she protects us from the ardour of Divine Justice; and, as fire, she protects us from the devils. Behold the twofold object for which Mary is given to us ;

1 Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica mea inter filias.-Cant. ii, 2.

2 Sicut lilium valet adversus serpentes et venena: sic B. Virginis invocatio singulare est remedium in omni tentatione vitiorum, et præsertim libidinis, uti experientia constat.-Comment. in Cant.

3 Invituperabilem Deipara spem tuam habens, servabor... Persequar inimicos meos et fugam vertam, solam habens ut thoracem protectionem tuam, et omnipotens auxilium tuum.-Hymn vi, in Depr. ad Deip."

4 Tu arma vi omni belli potentiora, trophæcumque invictum eam præstitisti.--In Nat. S. Mariæ.

5 Per diem in columna nubis, et per noctem in columna ignis.— Exod. xiii, 21,

to shelter us, as a cloud, from the heat of the sun of justice; and, as fire, to protect us all against the devil.' She protects us as a burning fire: for, Saint Bonaventure remarks: As wax melts before the fire, so do the devils lose their power against those souls who often remember the name of Mary, and devoutly invoke it; and still more so, if they also endeavour to imitate her virtues.' 2

The devils tremble even if they only hear the name of Mary. Saint Bernard declares that in the name of Mary every knee bows; and that the devils not only fear but tremble at the very sound of that name.'3 And as men fall prostrate with fear if a thunderbolt falls near them, so do the devils if they hear the name of Mary. Thomas à Kempis thus expresses the same sentiment: The evil spirits greatly fear the Queen of Heaven, and fly at thẹ sound of her name, as if from fire. At the very sound of the word Mary, they are prostrated as by thunder.” And oh how many victories have the clients of Mary gained by only making use of her most holy name! It was thus that Saint Anthony of Padua was always victorious; thus the blessed Henry Suso; thus so many other lovers of this great Queen conquered. We learn, from the history of the missions in Japan, that many devils appeared under the form of fierce animals, to a certain Christian, to alarm and threaten him; but he thus addressed them: 'I have no arms that you can fear; and if the Most High permits it, do whatever you please with me. In the mean time, however, I take the holy names of Jesus and Mary for my defence.' At the very sound of these tremendous names, the earth opened, and the proud spirits cast themselves headlong into it.

1 Ecce duo officia, ad quæ data est nobis Maria: scilicet, ut nos protegat a fervore solis justitia, tamquam nubes... et tamquam ignis... nos protegat contra diabolum.-Lib. viii de Laud. Virg. cap. 12.

2 Pereunt sicut cera a facie ignis, ubicumque invenerint crebram hujus nominis recordationem, devotam invocationem, sollicitam imitationem.--Spec. B. M. V. Lect. xi.

3 In nomine Mariæ omne genu flectitur; et dæmones non solum pertinescunt, sed, audita hac voce, contremiscunt,-Serm. sup. Miss. †

4 Expavescunt coeli Reginam spiritus maligni, et diffugiunt, audito nomine sancto ejus, velut ab igne. Tanquam tonitruum de cœlo factum, sic prosternuntur ad Sanctæ Mariæ vocabulum.-Serm. iv, ad Nov.

Saint Anselm declares that he himself knew, and had seen and heard many who had invoked the name of Mary in time of danger, and were immediately delivered from it.' 1

'Glorious indeed, and admirable,' exclaims Saint Bonaventure, is thy name, O Mary; for those who pronounce it at death, need not fear all the powers of hell ;'2 for the devils on hearing that name instantly fly, and leave the soul in peace. The same Saint adds, "That men do not fear a powerful hostile army as much as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.'3 "Thou, O Lady,' says Saint Germanus, by the simple invocation of thy most powerful name, givest security to thy servants against all the assaults of the enemy.' 4 Oh, were Christians but careful in their temptations to pronounce the name of Mary with confidence, never would they fall; for, as blessed Allan remarks, 'At the very sound of these words, Hail, Mary, Satan flies, and hell trembles.' Our Blessed Lady herself revealed to Saint Bridget that the enemy flies even from the most abandoned sinners, and who consequently are the furthest from God, and fully possessed by the devil, if they only invoke her most powerful name, with a true of amendment. purpose All devils, on hearing this name of Mary, filled with terror, leave the soul.'6 But at the same time our Blessed Lady added, 'that if the soul does not amend and obliterate its sins by sorrow, the devils almost immediately return and continue to possess it.'7

'5

1 Sæpe quippe vidimus et audivimus plurimos hominum in suis periculis recordari horum; et omnis periculi malum illico evasisse.-De Exc. Virg. c. vi. 2 Gloriosum et admirabile est nomen tuum: qui illud retinent, non expavescent in puncto mortis.-In Ps. ex.

3 Non sic timent hostes visibiles quasi castrorum multitudinem copiosam, sicut aëreæ potestates Mariæ vocabulum, patrocinium et exemplum.-Spec. B. M. V. lect. iii.

Tu nequissimi hostis contra servos tuos invasiones, sola tui nominis invocatione sanctissima repellens, tutos atque incolumes servas.-Serm. de Zona Virg. 5 Satan fugit, infernus contremiscit, cum dico, Ave Maria.+

6 Omnes dæmones, audito nomine, meo, statim, relinquunt animam quasi territi. -Lib. i Rev. c. 9.

7 Sed revertuntur ad eam nisi aliqua emendatio subsequatur.-Ib,

EXAMPLE.

In Ratisbon, there was a Canon Regular of the name of Arnold, surnamed the Pious, on account of the sanctity of his life, and who had the most tender devotion to our Blessed Lady. When at the point of death, and having received the last sacraments, he summoned his religious brethren, and begged that they would not abandon him in his last passage. Scarcely had he uttered these words when, in the presence of all, he began to tremble, to roll his eyes, and, bathed in a cold sweat, with a faltering voice said, 'Ah, do you not see the devils who are endeavouring to drag me to hell?' He then cried out, 'Brothers, implore the aid of Mary for me; in her I confide, she will give me the victory. On hearing this, his brethren recited the Litany of our Blessed Lady, and as they said, 'Holy Mary, pray for him,' the dying man exclaimed, Repeat, repeat, the name of Mary, for I am already before God's tribunal.' He was silent for a moment, and then added, 'It is true that I did it, but I have done penance for it.' And then turning to our Blessed Lady, he said, 'O Mary, I shall be delivered if thou helpest me. Again the devils attacked him; but he defended himself with his crucifix and the name of Mary. Thus was the night spent; but no sooner did morning dawn than Arnold exclaimed with the greatest calmness, and full of holy joy, 'Mary, my sovereign Lady, my refuge, has obtained me pardon and salvation.' Then casting his eyes on that Blessed Virgin who was inviting him to follow her, he said, 'I come, O Lady, I come;' and making an effort to do so even with his body, his soul fled after her to the realms of eternal bliss, as we trust, for he sweetly expired.1

PRAYER.

Behold at thy feet, O Mary, my hope, a poor sinner, who has so many times been, by his own fault, the slave of hell. 1 P. Auriemma, Aff. Scamb. p. ii, cap. 8.

I know that by neglecting to have recourse to thee, my refuge, I allowed myself to be overcome by the devil. Had I always had recourse to thee, had I always invoked thee, I certainly should not have fallen. I trust, O Lady, most worthy of all our love, that through thee I have already escaped from the hands of the devil, and that God has pardoned me. But I tremble lest at some future period I may again fall into the same bonds. I know that my enemies have not lost the hope of again overcoming me, and already they prepare new assaults and temptations for me. Ah, my Queen and refuge, do thou assist me. Place me under thy mantle; permit me not again to become their slave. I know that thou wilt help me and give me the victory, provided I invoke thee; but I dread lest in my temptations I may forget thee, and neglect to do so. The favour, then, that I seek of thee, and which thou must grant me, O most holy Virgin, is that I may never forget thee, and especially in time of temptation: grant that I may then repeatedly invoke thee, saying: O Mary, help me; O Mary, help me.' And when my last struggle with hell comes, at the moment of death, ah then, my Queen, help me more than ever, and thou thyself remind me to call on thee more frequently either with my lips or in my heart; that, being thus filled with confidence, I may expire with thy sweet name, and that of thy Son Jesus, on my lips; that so I may be able to bless thee and praise thee, and not depart from thy feet in paradise for all eternity.