as God, for this reason it was necessary to assign us another Advocate, to whom we might have recourse with less fear and more confidence, and this Advocate is Mary, than whom we cannot find one more powerful with His Divine Majesty, or one more merciful towards ourselves.' The Saint says, 'Christ is a faithful and powerful Mediator between God and men, but in Him men fear the Majesty of God. A Mediator then was needed with the Mediator himself, nor could a more fitting one be found than Mary.'1 'But,' continues the same Saint, 'should any one fear to go to the feet of this most sweet Advocate, who has nothing in her of severity, nothing terrible, but who is all courteous, amiable, and benign, he would indeed be offering an insult to the tender compassion of Mary.'? And he adds, Read, and read again, as often as you please, all that is said of her in the Gospels, and if you can find any, the least trait of severity recorded of her, then fear to approach her. But no, this you can never find, and therefore go to her with a joyful heart, and she will save you by her intercession.'3

How beautiful is the exclamation put in the mouth of a sinner who has recourse to Mary, by William of Paris! 'O most glorious Mother of God, I, in the miserable state to which I am reduced by my sins, have recourse to thee, full of confidence, and if thou rejectest me, I remind thee that thou art in a way bound to help me, since the whole Church of the faithful calls thee and proclaims thee the Mother of Mercy.'4 Thou, O Mary, art that one who, from being so dear to God, art always listened to favourably. Thy great compassion was never wanting to any one; thy most sweet affability never despised any sinner

1 Fidelis plane et potens mediator Dei et hominum, homo Christus Jesus, sed divinam in eo reverentur homines majestatem... Opus est enim mediatore ad mediatorem istum, nec alter nobis utilior quam Maria.-Serm. in Sign. magn.

2 Quid ad Mariam accedere trepidet humana fragilitas? Nihil austerum in eâ, nihil terrible: tota suavis est.-Ib.

3 Revolve diligentius evangelicæ Historiæ seriem universam, et si quid forte austerum increpatorium, si quid durum, si quod denique signum vel tenuis indignationis occurrerit in Maria, de cætero suspectam habeas et accedere verearis. -Ib.

Adibo te, imo etiam conveniam, gloriosissima Dei Genitrix, quam matrem miscricordi et reginam pietatis vocat, imo clamitat omnis Ecclesia Sanctorum. -De Rhet. Dir. cap. xviii.

that recommended himself to thee, however great his sins.'1 And what! Perhaps falsely, and for nothing, the whole Church calls thee its Advocate, and the refuge of sinners.'2 Never, O my Mother, let my sins prevent thee from fulfilling the great office of charity which is thine, and by which thou art, at the same time, our Advocate and a mediatress of peace between men and God, and who art, after thy Son, our only hope, and the secure refuge of the miserable.'3 All that thou possessest of grace and glory, and the dignity even of Mother of God, so to speak, thou owest to sinners, for it was on their account that the Divine Word made thee his Mother.'4 Far be it from this Divine Mother, who brought the source itself of tender compassion into the world, to think that she should ever deny her mercy to any sinner who has recourse to her.'5 Since then, O Mary, thy office is to be the peace-maker between God and men, let thy tender compassion, which far exceeds all my sins, move thee to succour me.'6

Be comforted then, O you who fear,' will I say with Saint Thomas of Villanova; breathe freely and take courage, O wretched sinners; this great Virgin, who is the Mother of your God and Judge, is also the Advocate of the whole human race: fit for this office, for she can do what she wills with God; most wise, for she knows all the means of appeasing Him; universal, for she welcomes all, and refuses to defend no one.'7

1 Tu, inquam, cujus gratiositas nunquam repulsam patitur. Cujus misericordia nulli unquam defuit. Cujus benignissima humilitas nullum unquam deprecantem quantumcumque peccatorem despexit.-De Rhet. Div. cap. xviii.

2 An falso et inaniter, vocat te omnis Ecclesia sanctorum advocatam suam, et miserorum, refugium.-Ib.

3 Absit, ut (peccata mea) possint suspendere te a tam salubri officio pietatis tur, quo, et advocata es, et mediatrix hominum, post filium tuum spes unica et refugium tutissimum miserorum.-Ib.

* Totum siquidem quod habes gratiæ, totum quod habes gloriæ, et etiam hoc ipsum quod es mater Dei, si fas est dicere, peccatoribus debes.-Ib.

5 Absit hoc a matre Dei, quæ fontem pietatis toti mundo peperit, ut cuiquam miserorum, suæ misericordiæ subventionem unquam deneget.--Ib.

6 Officium ergo tuum est mediam te interponere inter ipsum et homines.. Moveat ergo te, gloriosa Dei mater, benignissima misericordia tua, quæ major incogitabiliter est omnibus vitiis meis et peccatis.-1b.

7 Consolamini pusillanimes; respirate miserabiles; Virgo Deipara est humani eneris advocata idonea, sapientissima, universalis.-In Rog. pro exp, adv. Turc. susc. t

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In Rome, there was a woman known by the name of Catherine the Fair,' who was leading a most disorderly life. She once heard Saint Dominic preaching on the devotion of the Rosary, had her name enrolled in the confraternity, and began to recite it, but without changing her life. One evening a young man of noble mien came to visit her she received him with courtesy, but, whilst they were at supper, she remarked, that as he was cutting bread, drops of blood fell from his hands, and then she saw that there was blood on all the food he took. She asked him what was the meaning of this. The young man replied, that the food of a Christian should be tinged with the blood of Jesus Christ, and seasoned with the remembrance of His passion.' Astonished at such an answer, Catherine asked him who he was. Later' he said, 'I will tell you.' Then going into an adjoining room, the appearance of the young man changed; he was crowned with thorns; his flesh all mangled and torn; and he said: 'Desirest thou to know who I am? Dost thou not recognise me? I am thy Redeemer. Oh, Catherine, when wilt thou cease offending me? See what I have endured for thee! Thou hast now tormented me enough; change thy life.' Catherine burst into sobs and tears, and Jesus, encouraging her, said: 'Love me now as much as thou hast offended me; and know, that I have granted thee this grace on account of the Rosary thou hast recited in honour of my Mother.' He then disappeared. On the next morning Catherine went to confession to Saint Dominic, distributed all she had to the poor, and ever afterwards led so holy a life that she attained a very high degree of perfection. Our Blessed Lady appeared many times to her, and our Lord Himself revealed to Saint Dominic, that this penitent had become very dear to him.1

PRAYER.

O great Mother of my Lord, I see full well that my ingratitude towards God and thee,—and this too for so many

1 Diotall, tom. ii, Domen. Quinquag,

years, has merited for me that thou shouldst justly abandon me, and no longer have a care of me, for an ungrateful soul is no longer worthy of favours. But I, O Lady, have a high idea of thy great goodness; I believe it to be far greater than my ingratitude. Continue then, O refuge of sinners, and cease not to help a miserable sinner, who confides in thee. O Mother of Mercy, deign to extend a helping hand to a poor fallen wretch, and who asks thee for pity. O Mary, either defend me thyself, or tell me to whom I can have recourse, and who is better able to defend me than thou,-and where I can find with God a more clement and powerful Advocate than thou, who art His Mother. Thou, in becoming the Mother of our Saviour, wast thereby made the fitting instrument to save sinners, and wast given me for my salvation. O Mary save him who has recourse to thee. I deserve not thy love, but it is thine own desire to save sinners, that makes me hope that thou lovest me. And if thou lovest me, how can I be lost? O my own beloved Mother, if by thee I save my soul, as I hope to do, I shall no longer be ungrateful, I shall make up for my past ingratitude, and for the love thou hast shown me, by my everlasting praises, and all the affections of my soul. Happy in Heaven, where thou reignest, and wilt reign for ever, I shall always sing thy mercies, and kiss for eternity those loving hands, which have delivered me from hell, as often as I have deserved it by my sins. O Mary, my liberator, my hope; my Queen, my Advocate, my own sweet Mother, I love thee; I desire thy glory, and I will love thee for ever. Amen, amen. Thus do I hope.

SECTION III.-Mary is the peace-maker between sinners and God.

The grace of God is the greatest and the most desirable of treasures for every soul. It is called by the Holy Ghost an infinite treasure; for by the means of Divine grace we are raised to the honour of being the friends of

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God. These are the words of the Book of Wisdom: "For she is an infinite treasure to men which they that use become the friends of God." And hence Jesus our Redeemer, and God, did not hesitate to call those his friends who were in grace: "You are my friends." Oh accursed sin, that dissolves this friendship! "But your iniquities," says the Prophet Isaias, "have divided between you and your God." 3 And putting hatred between the soul and God, it is changed from a friend into an enemy of its Lord, as expressed in the Book of Wisdom: "But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike."4 What, then, must a sinner do who has the misfortune to be the enemy of God? He must find a mediator who will obtain pardon for him, and who will enable him to recover the lost friendship of God. Be comforted, O unfortunate soul, who hast lost thy God,' says Saint Bernard; thy Lord himself has provided thee with a mediator, and this is His Son Jesus, who can obtain for thee all that thou desirest: He has given thee Jesus for a Mediator; and what is there that such a Son cannot obtain from the Father ?' 5

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But, O God! exclaims the Saint, and why should this merciful Saviour, who gave His life to save us, be ever thought severe? Why should men believe Him terrible who is all love. Oh distrustful sinners, what do you fear? If your fear arises from having offended God, know that Jesus has fastened all your sins on the cross with His own lacerated hands, and having satisfied Divine justice for them by His death, He has already effaced them from your souls. Here are the words of the Saint: "They imagine Him rigorous, who is all compassion; terrible, who is all love. What do you fear, O ye of little faith? With His own hands He has fastened your sins to the

1 Infinitus enim thesaurus est hominibus: quo qui usi sunt, participes facti sunt amicitiæ Dei.-Sap. vii, 14.

2 Vos amici mei estis.-Joan. xv, 14.

3 Iniquitates vestræ diviserunt inter vos et Deum vestrum.-Isa. lix, 2. Odio sunt Deo impius et impietas ejus.-Sap. xiv, 9.

5 Jesum tibi dedit mediatorem. Quid non apud talem Patrem, filius talis obtineat?-Serm. de Aquæd.