Arnold of Chartres, 'that we have the Son as our mediator with the Eternal Father, and the Mother as a mediatress with the Son, we have full access, and can go to God with entire confidence and hope for every good thing. How,' he goes on to say, 'can the Father refuse to hear the Son who shows Him His side and wounds, the marks of His sufferings endured for sinners; and how can the Son refuse to hear his Mother when she shows Him her bosom and the breasts that gave him suck ?'1 Saint Peter Chrysologus says, that a gentle maiden having lodged a God in her womb, asks as its price, peace for the world, salvation for those who are lost, and life for the dead.' 'Oh how many,' exclaims the Abbot of Celles, 'who deserved to be condemned by the justice of the Son are saved by the mercy of the Mother! for she is God's treasure, and the treasurer of all graces; and thus our salvation is in her hands, and depends on her.'3 Let us then always have recourse to this compassionate Mother, and confidently hope for salvation through her intercession; for she, according to the encouraging assurance of Bernardine de Bustis, is our salvation, our life, our hope, our counsel, our refuge, our help.'4 Mary,' says Saint Antoninus, 'is that throne of grace to which the Apostle Saint Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, exhorts us to fly with confidence, that we may obtain the Divine mercy, and all the help we need for our salvation: "Let us therefore go with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid."5 To the throne of grace, that is to Mary,' says Saint Antoninus; and for this reason

1 Securum accessum jam habet homo ad Deum, ubi mediatorem causæ suæ Filium habet ante Patrem, et ante Filium Matrem. Christus nudato latere, Patri ostendit latus et vulnera: Maria Christo pectus et ubera.-De Laud. Virg.

2 Una puella sic Deum sui pectoris capit, recipit, oblectat hospitio, ut pacem terris, cœlis gloriam salutem perditis, vitam mortuis... pro ipsa domus exigat pensione.-Serm. clx.

3 Sæpe quos justitia Filii potest damnare, Matris misericordia liberat, quia Thesaurus Domini est, et thesauraria gratiarum ipsius. . . quia salus nostra in manus illius est.-Prol. in Contempl. Virg.

Hæc est nostra salus, vita, spes, consilium, refugium, auxilium nostrum.P, i, Serm. 6 de Com. Mar.

5 Adeamus ergo cum fiducia ad thronum gratiæ: ut misericordiam consequamur, et gratiam inveniamus in auxilio opportuno.—Hebr. iv, 16.

Saint Catharine of Sienna called Mary 'the dispenser of Divine mercy.

Let us conclude with the beautiful and tender exclamation of Saint Bonaventure on these words, 'O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary!' 'O Mary, thou art clement with the miserable, compassionate towards those who pray to thee, sweet towards those who love thee: clement with the penitent, compassionate to those who advance, sweet to the perfect. Thou showest thyself clement in delivering us from chastisement, compassionate in bestowing graces, and sweet in giving thyself to those who seek thee.'2

EXAMPLE.

Father Charles Bovius relates, that in the principality of Dombes in France, there was a married man whose wife was jealous of another woman, and did nothing but call down both on her husband and the woman, the judgments of God; and this she did especially one day that she went before an altar of the Blessed Virgin to pray for justice against this woman. The woman, however, was in the habit of going every day to recite a 'Hail! Mary' before the same image. One night, the Divine Mother appeared in a dream to the wife, who, on seeing her, began as usual to exclaim, 'Justice, O Mother of God, justice!' But our Blessed Lady replied, 'Justice! chastisements! dost thou seek them of me? No, go to others, for I will not grant what thou askest; for know,' she added, 'that that sinner recites every day a salutation in my honour, and by whomsoever it is recited, it deprives me of the power of allowing her to suffer or to be chastised for her sins. In the morning the wife went to hear mass in the above-named church of our Blessed Lady, and on returning home met this woman and immediately began to abuse her, and then declared that she was a witch, and that she

1 Administratrix misericordiæ.

2 O clemens indigentibus! O pia exorantibus! O dulcis diligentibus! O clemens pænitentibus! O pia proficientibus! O dulcis contemplantibus! O clemens laborando! O pia largiendo! O dulcis te donando!-Sup. Salv. Reg.

had succeeded even in enchanting the Blessed Virgin herself. The people who were present told her to hold her tongue. Be silent! indeed, I will not, for what I say is true; for last night our Blessed Lady appeared to me, and when I demanded justice, she told me that she could not grant it on account of a salutation offered her every day by this wretch.' The woman was then asked what salutation it was that she offered every day to the Mother of God, and she replied that it was the 'Hail, Mary.' On hearing that for that trifling devotion the Blessed Virgin had shown her such mercy, she went and cast herself before the holy image, and there, in the presence of all, she asked pardon for the scandal she had given, and made a vow of perpetual chastity. She then clothed herself with the habit of a nun, built herself a little room near the church, and there remained until her death, leading a life of continual mortification and penance.

PRAYER.

O Mother of Mercy, since thou art so compassionate, and hast so great a desire to render service to us poor creatures, and to grant our requests, behold I, the most miserable of all men, have now recourse to thy compassion, in order that thou mayest grant me that which I ask. Others may ask what they please of thee,-bodily health, and earthly goods and advantages; but, I come, O Lady, to ask thee for that which thou desirest of me, and which is most in conformity with, and agreeable to thy most sacred heart. Thou art so humble; obtain for me humility and love of contempt. Thou wast so patient under the sufferings of this life, obtain for me patience in trials. Thou wast all filled with the love of God, obtain for me the gift of His pure and holy love. Thou wast all love towards thy neighbour, obtain for me charity towards all, and particularly towards those who are in any way my enemies. Thou wast entirely united to the Divine will, obtain for me entire conformity with the will of God in

whatever way He may be pleased to dispose of me. Thou, in fine, art the most holy of all creatures; O Mary, make me a saint. Love for me is not wanting on thy part; thou canst do all, and thou hast the will to obtain me all. The only thing, then, that can prevent me from receiving thy graces is, either neglect on my part in having recourse to thee, or little confidence in thy intercession; but these two things thou must obtain for me. These two greatest graces I ask from thee; from thee I must obtain them; from thee I hope for them with the greatest confidence, O Mary, my Mother Mary, my hope, my love, my life, my refuge, my help, and my consolation. Amen.

CHAPTER X.

O SWEET VIRGIN MARY.

Of the sweetness of the name of Mary during life and at death.

HE great name of Mary, which was given to the

2

nor was it given to her by the mind or will of man, as is the case with all other names that are imposed in this world; but it came from heaven, and was given her by a Divine ordinance. This is attested by Saint Jerome,1 Saint Epiphanius, Saint Antoninus,3 and others. The name of Mary came from the treasury of the Divinity,' says Saint Peter Damian. Ah! yes, O Mary, it was from that treasury that thy high and admirable name came forth; for the most Blessed Trinity, says Richard of Saint Lawrence, bestowed on thee a name above every other name after that of thy Son, and ennobled it with such majesty and power, that He willed that all heaven, earth, and hell, on only hearing it, should fall down and venerate it; but I will give the author's own words: "The whole Trinity, O Mary, gave thee a name after that of thy Son above every other name, that in thy name every knee should bow, of things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.'5 But

1 De Nat. S. M.

2 Oratio de Præs. Deip.

3 P. i, Hist. tit. 4, c. 6. t

De thesauro Divinitatis Mariæ nomen evolvitur. -Tom. ii, Serm. 11 de Annun. B. V.

5 Dedit enim ei, tota Trinitas, nomen quod est super omne nomen, post nomen Flii sui; ut in nomine ejus omne genu flectatur... cælestium, terrestrium et infernorum.-De Laud. Virg. lib. i, cap. ii.