ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

and standing in the midst of the church, cried out: 'O ye Saints of heaven, whose sacred relics are in this church, come and witness the great act of justice about to be executed by the Sovereign Judge.' At this cry many Saints appeared, and also the twelve Apostles as assessors of this judgment; and finally Jesus Christ entered, and seated Himself on one of the chairs that had been prepared. Mary then appeared, accompanied by many holy virgins, and her Son seated her on the other chair. The Judge now commanded the criminal to be brought, and it was the miserable Udo. Saint Maurice spoke, and on the part of the scandalized people, asked that justice should be executed on the Prelate for his infamous life. All raised their voices, and exclaimed, Lord, he deserves death.' 'Let him die immediately,' answered the Eternal Judge. But before the execution of the sentence (see how great is the compassion of Mary) the compassionate Mother, that she might not assist at that tremendous act of justice, left the church; and then the heavenly minister, who entered with a sword amongst the first, approached Udo, and with one stroke cut off his head, and all disappeared. All remained in darkness. The canon trembling went to get a light from a lamp, which was burning under the church, and found the decapitated body of Udo, and the pavement all covered with blood. On the following morning, when the people had assembled in the church, the canon related the vision, and the whole history of the horrible tragedy he had witnessed. On the same day poor Udo appeared, in the flames of hell, to one of his chaplains, who knew nothing of what had taken place in the church. Udo's dead body was thrown into a marsh, and his blood remained on the pavement as a perpetual memorial, and was always kept covered with a carpet. From that time forward, it became the custom to uncover it when a new bishop took possession of his see, that at the sight of such a chastisement, he might learn how to regulate his life, and not be ungrateful for the graces of our Lord, and those of His most Holy Mother.

PRAYER.

O holy and heavenly Infant, Thou, who art the destined Mother of my Redeemer, and the great Mediatress of miserable sinners, pity me. Behold at thy feet another ungrateful sinner, who has recourse to thee, and asks thy compassion. It is true, that for my ingratitude to God and to thee, I deserve that God and thou should abandon me; but I have heard, and believe it to be so (knowing the greatness of thy mercy), that thou dost not refuse to help any one who recommends himself to thee with confidence. O most exalted creature in the world, since this is the case, and since there is no one but God above thee, so that compared with thee the greatest Saints of heaven are little; O Saint of Saints, O Mary, abyss of charity, and full of grace, succour a miserable creature, who by his own fault has lost the Divine favour. I know that thou art so dear to God that He denies thee nothing. I know also that thy pleasure is, to use thy greatness for the relief of miserable sinners. Ah, then! show how great is the favour that thou enjoyest with God, by obtaining me a Divine light and flame so powerful, that I may be changed from a sinner into a Saint; and detaching myself from every earthly affection, Divine love may be enkindled in me. Do this O Lady, for thou canst do it. Do it for the love of God, who has made thee so great, so powerful, and so compassionate. This is my hope. Amen.

DISCOURSE III.

OF THE PRESENTATION OF MARY.

The Offering that Mary made of herself to God was prompt, without delay, and entire without reserve,

66

HERE never was, and never will be, an offering on the part of a pure creature, greater or more perfect than that which Mary made to God, when, at the age of three years, she presented herself in the temple, to offer Him, not aromatical spices, nor calves, nor gold, but her entire self, consecrating herself as a perpetual victim in His honour. She well understood the voice of God, calling her to devote herself entirely to His love, when he said, Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come!"1 Therefore her Lord willed that from that time she should forget her country, and all, to think only of loving and pleasing Him: "Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear; and forget thy people, and thy father's house."2 She with promptitude, and at once, obeyed the Divine call. Let us then consider how acceptable was this offering which Mary made of herself to God; for it was prompt and entire. Hence the two points for our consideration are, first, Mary's offering was prompt and without delay; secondly, it was entire and without reserve.

First Point.-Mary's offering was prompt. From the first moment that this heavenly child was sanctified in her mother's womb, which was in the instant of her Immaculate Conception, she received the perfect use of reason, that she might begin to merit. This is in accordance with the general opinion of theologians, and with that of Father Suarez in particular, who says, that as the most

1 Surge, propera amica mea... et veni.-Cant. ii, 10.

2 Audi filia, et vide, et inclina aurem tuam: et obliviscere populum tuum, et domum patris tui.-Ps. xliv, 11.

[ocr errors]

perfect way in which God sanctifies a soul is by its own merit, as Saint Thomas also teaches,1 it is thus we must believe that the Blessed Virgin was sanctified: 'To be sanctified by one's own act is the more perfect way. Therefore it is to be believed that the Blessed Virgin was thus sanctified.'2 And if this privilege was granted to the angels, and to Adam, as the angelic doctor says,3 much more ought we to believe that it was granted to the Divine Mother, on whom, certainly, we must suppose that God, having condescended to make her His Mother, also conferred greater gifts than on all other creatures. From her,' says the same holy doctor, He received His human nature, and therefore she must have obtained a greater plenitude of grace from Christ than all others." 'For being a Mother,' Father Suarez says, 'she has a sort of special right to all the gifts of her Son;'5 and as, on account of the hypostatic union, it was right that Jesus should receive the plenitude of all graces, so, on account of the Divine Maternity, it was becoming that Jesus should confer, as a natural debt, greater graces on Mary than He granted to all other Saints and angels.

24

Thus, from the beginning of her life, Mary knew God, and knew Him so that no tongue' (as the angel declared to Saint Bridget) 'will ever express how clearly this Blessed Virgin understood His greatness, in that very first moment of her existence.'6 And thus enlightened, she instantly offered her entire self to her Lord, dedicating herself, without reserve, to His love and glory. Immediately,' the angel went on to say, 'Our Queen determined to sacrifice her will to God, and to give Him all her love, for the whole of her life. No one can understand how

13 p. Q. xix, art. 3, concl.

2 Sanctificari per proprium actum est perfectior modus

Ergo credendum

est hoc modo fuisse sanctificatam Virginem.-De Incarn. P. ii, Q. xxvii, art. 6, disp. 4, sect. 8.

1 p. Q. lxiii, art. 5.

Ex ea accepit humanam naturam. Et ideo præ cæteris majorem debuit a Christo gratiæ plenitudinem obtinere.-3 p. Q. xxvi, art. 5.

5 Unde fit ut singulare jus habeat ad bona Dei Filii sui.-De Incarnat. P. ii, Q.xxvii, art. 1, disp. 1, sect. 2.

Serm. Ang. cap. xiv.

entire was the subjection in which she then placed her will, and how fully she was determined to do all according to His pleasure.'1

But the Immaculate Child, afterwards understanding that her holy parents, Joachim and Anne, had promised God, even by vow, as many authors relate, that if He granted them issue, they would consecrate it to His service in the temple; as it was, moreover, an ancient custom amongst the Jews to take their daughters to the temple, and there to leave them for their education (for which purpose there were cells contiguous), as it is recorded by Baronius, Nicephorus, Cedrenus, and Suarez, with Josephus, the Jewish historian, and also on the authority of Saint John Damascen, Saint George of Nicomedia, Saint Anselm, and Saint Ambrose, and, as we may easily gather from the Second Book of Machabees, where, speaking of Heliodorus, who besieged the temple, that he might gain possession of the treasure there deposited, says, "Because the place was like to come into contempt . . and the virgins also that were shut up came forth, some to Onias."4 Mary hearing this, I say, having scarcely attained the age of three years, as Saint Germanus and Saint Epiphanius attestthe latter of whom says, ' In her third year she was brought to the temple'-an age at which children are the most desirous, and stand in the greatest need of their parents' care, she desired to offer, and solemnly to consecrate herself to God, by presenting herself in the temple. Hence of her own accord she requested her parents, with earnestness, to take her there, that they might thus accomplish their promise. And her holy mother, says Saint Gregory of Nyssa, 'did not long delay leading her to the temple, and offering her to God.'5

Behold now Joachim and Anna, generously sacrificing to God the most precious treasure that they possessed in

2 De Form. et Mor. B. M.

3 De Virg. lib. i. cap. 3. Virgines, quæ con

1 Loc. cit. Pro eo quod in contemptum locus esset venturus clusæ erant, procurrebant ad Oniam.-2 Machab. iii, 18, 19.

5 Illam igitur, cum jam grandiuscula esset, nec ubere matris amplius indigeret ducens ad templum Deo reddidit.-Or, in Nat. D. N. J. C.

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »