virginity, but conferred that admirable gift of purity on those who beheld her.'1 This is confirmed by Saint Thomas, who says, that sanctifying grace not only repressed all irregular motions in the Blessed Virgin herself, but was also efficacious for others; so that, notwithstanding the greatness of her beauty, she was never coveted by others.' 2 For this reason she was called myrrh, which prevents corruption, in the words of Ecclesiasticus, applied to her by the Church: "I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh."3 The labours of active life, when engaged in them, did not interrupt her union with God. In her contemplative life she was wrapped in Him, but not so as to cause her to neglect her temporal affairs, and the charity due to her neighbour. She had to die, but her death was unaccompanied by its usual sorrows, and not followed by the corruption of the body. In conclusion, then, this Divine Mother is infinitely inferior to God, but immensely superior to all creatures; and as it is impossible to find a Son more noble than Jesus; so is it also impossible to find a Mother more noble than Mary. This reflection should cause the clients of so great a Queen, not only to rejoice in her greatness, but should also increase their confidence in her powerful patronage; for, says Father Suarez, as she is the Mother of God, she has a certain peculiar right to His gifts,' to dispense them to those for whom she prays. Saint Germanus, on the other hand, says, 'that God cannot do otherwise than grant the petitions of this Mother; for He cannot but acknowledge her for His true and immaculate Mother.' Here are His words addressed to this Blessed Virgin : 'For thou, who by thy maternal authority hast great power with God, obtainest the very great grace of reconcilia 1 Tanta erat ejus gratia, ut non solum in se virginitatis gratiam reservaret, sed etiam his quos viseret, integritatis insigne conferret.-De Inst. Virg. cap. vii. 2 Gratia sanctificationis non tantum repressit in ipsa (B. V.) motus illicitos, sed etiam in aliis efficaciam habuit; ita ut quamvis esset pulchra corpore, a nullo unquam concupisci poterat.—In 3 lib. Sent, dist. 3, q. i, art. 2, questiuncula 1, ad 4. 3 Quasi myrrha electa dedi suavitatem odoris.-Eccles, xxiv, 20. 4 Unde fit, ut singulare jus habeat ad bona Dei Filii sui.-De Incarnat. p. 2, q. xxvii, art. 1, disp. i, sect. 2. tion even for those who have been guilty of grievous crimes. It is impossible that thou shouldst not be graciously heard; for God in all things complies with thy wishes as being those of His true and spotless Mother.' 1 Therefore power to succour us is not wanting to thee, O Mother of God, and Mother of us all. The will is not wanting, Neither the power, nor the will can fail her.' 2 For thou well knowest (will I say, addressing thee in the words of thy servant the Abbot of Celles) that God did not create thee for Himself only; He gave thee to the angels as their restorer, to men as their repairer, to the devils as their vanquisher; for through thy means we recover Divine grace, and by thee the enemy is conquered and crushed.'3 If we really desire to please the Divine Mother, let us often salute her with the Hail Mary.' She once appeared to Saint Matilda,4 and assured her that she was honoured by nothing more than by this salutation. By its means we shall certainly obtain even special graces from this Mother of Mercy, as will be seen in the following example. EXAMPLE. The event recorded by Father Paul Segneri, in his Christian Instructed,' is justly celebrated. A young man of vicious habits and laden with sins, went to confession to Father Nicholas Zucchi in Rome. The confessor rereceived him with charity, and, filled with compassion for his unfortunate state, assured him, that devotion to our Blessed Lady could deliver him from the accursed vice to which he was addicted; he therefore imposed on him as his 1 Tu vero materna, qua polles, apud Deum auctoritate, ad quantumvis enormia lapsis peccata superabundantem impetras veniam. Neque enim unquam datur te non exauditam dimitti, cui per omnia, et propter omnia, et in omnibus, ut veræ et intemeratæ Matri suæ obsequitur Deus.-In Dorm. B. M. V. Orat. ii. 2 Nec facultas ei deesse poterit, nec voluntas.-Serm. i de Assump. B. M. V. 3 Non solum sibi Ipsi te fecit; sed te angelis dedit instaurationem hominibus et nostræ naturæ in reparationem, inferiori creaturæ in liberationem, Sibi in matrem, dæmonibus in hostem, detentis in Limbo in ereptionem. Nam in principio cum ceciderunt Angeli, natura erat corrupta, Deus offensus, et diabolus victor. Sed per te O super-benedicta Virgo Maria, innocentia reparatur, vita angelica reducitur, Deus homini pacificatur et unitur, diabolus vincitur et couteritur.-Contempl. Virg. cap. iv. * P. iii, Rag. 34. † penance, that he should say a 'Hail Mary' to the Blessed Virgin every morning and evening, on getting up and on going to bed, until his next confession; and, at the same time, that he should offer her his eyes, his hands, and his whole body, beseeching her to preserve them as something belonging to herself, and that he should kiss the ground three times. The young man performed the penance, but at first there was only slight amendment. The father, however, continued to inculcate the same practice on him, desiring him never to abandon it, and, at the same time, encouraged him to confide in the patronage of Mary. In the mean time the penitent left Rome with other companions, and during several years, travelled in different parts of the world. On his return, he again sought out his confessor, who, to his great joy and admiration, found that he was entirely changed, and free from his former evil habits. My son,' said he, 'how hast thou obtained so wonderful a change from God?' The young man replied: 'Father, our blessed Lady obtained me this grace on account of that little devotion which thou taughtest me. Wonders did not cease here. The same confessor related the above fact from the pulpit: a captain heard it who for many years had carried on improper intercourse with a certain woman, and determined that he also would practise the same devotion, that he too might be delivered from the horrible chains which bound him a slave of the devil (for it is necessary that sinners, should have this intention, in order that the Blessed Virgin may be able to help them), and he also gave up his wickedness and changed his life. ་ But still more. After six months, he foolishly, and relying too much on his own strength, went to pay a visit to the woman, to see if she also was converted. But on coming up to the door of the house, where he was in manifest danger of relapsing into sin, he was driven back by an invisible power, and found himself as far from the house as the whole length of the street, and standing before his own door. He was then clearly given to understand that Mary had thus delivered him from perdition. From this we may learn how solicitous our good Mother is, not only to withdraw us from a state of sin, if we recommend ourselves to her for this purpose, but also to deliver us from the danger of relapsing into it. ine. PRAYER. دو Oh immaculate and holy Virgin! O creature the most humble and the most exalted before God! Thou wast so lowly in thine own eyes, but so great in the eyes of thy Lord, that he exalted thee to such a degree as to choose thee for His Mother, and then made thee Queen of heaven and earth. I therefore thank God, who so greatly has exalted thee, and rejoice in seeing thee so closely united with Him, that more cannot be granted to a pure creature. Before thee, who art so humble, though endowed with such precious gifts, I am ashamed to appear, I who am so proud in the midst of so many sins. But miserable as I am, I will also salute thee, "Hail Mary, full of grace.' Thou art already full of grace; impart a portion of it to "Our Lord is with thee.' That Lord who was always with thee from the first moment of thy creation, has now united himself more closely to thee, by becoming thy son. "Blessed art thou amongst women. O Lady, blessed amongst all women, obtain the Divine blessing for us also. "And blessed is the fruit of thy womb." blessed plant, which hath given to the world so noble and holy a fruit! Holy Mary, Mother of God!' O Mary, I acknowledge that thou art the true Mother of God, and in defence of this truth, I am ready to give my life a thousand times. Pray for us sinners.' But if thou art the Mother of God, thou art also the Mother of our salvation, and of us poor sinners; since God became man to save sinners, and made thee His Mother, that thy prayers might have power to save any sinner. Hasten then, Ọ Mary, and pray for us, now, and at the hour of our death.' Pray always: pray now, that we live in the midst of so many temptations and dangers of losing God; but still more, pray for us at the hour of our death, when we . t are on the point of leaving this world, and being presented before God's tribunal; that being saved by the merits of Jesus Christ, and by thy intercession, we may come one day, without further danger of being lost, to salute thee and praise thee with thy Son in heaven for all eternity. Amen. Mary is the Treasurer of all Divine Graces; therefore, whoever desires Graces, must have recourse to Mary; and he who has recourse to Mary may be certain of obtaining the Graces he desires. 66 FORTUNATE does that family consider itself which is visited by a royal personage, both on account of the honour that redounds from such a visit, and the advantages that may be hoped to accrue from it. But still more fortunate should that soul consider itself which is visited by the Queen of the world, the most holy Virgin Mary, who cannot but fill with riches and graces those blessed souls whom she deigns to visit by her favours. The house of Obededom was blessed when visited by the ark of God: 'And the Lord blessed his house."1 But with how much greater blessings are those persons enriched who receive a loving visit from this living ark of God, for such was the Divine Mother! Happy is that house which the Mother of God visits,' says Engelgrave. This was abundantly experienced by the house of Saint John the Baptist; for Mary had scarcely entered it when she heaped graces and heavenly benedictions on the whole family; and for this reason, the present feast of the Visitation is commonly 1 Et benedixit Dominus domui ejus, et omnibus quæ habebat.-1 Paralip xiii, 14. ? Felix illa domus quam Mater Dei visitat. † |