and men who were His enemies reconciled with God. While grieving, she rejoiced,' says Simonde Cascia, 'that a sacrifice was offered for the redemption of all, by which He who was angry was appeased.'1

So great a love on the part of Mary deserves our gratitude, and that gratitude should be shown by at least meditating upon and pitying her in her sorrows. But she complained to Saint Bridget that very few did so, and that the greater part of the world lived in forgetfulness of them: I look around at all who are on earth, to see, if by chance there are any who pity me, and meditate upon my sorrows, and I find that there are very few. Therefore, my daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do thou not forget me; consider my anguish, and imitate as far as thou canst my grief.' 2 To understand how pleasing it is to the Blessed Virgin, that we should remember her dolours, we need only know, that in the year 1239 she appeared to seven devout clients of hers, (who were afterwards founders of the religious order of the Servants of Mary), with a black garment in her hand, and desired them if they wished to please her often to meditate on her sorrows; for this purpose, and to remind them of her sorrows, she expressed her desire that in future they should wear that mourning dress.3 Jesus Christ Himself revealed to the blessed Veronica da Binasco that He is, as it were, more pleased, in seeing His Mother compassionated than Himself; for thus He addressed her: 'My daughter, tears shed for My Passion are dear to Me; but as I love my Mother Mary with an immense love, the meditation of the torments which she endured at My death is even more agreeable to Me.' 4

Wherefore the graces promised by Jesus to those who are devoted to the dolours of Mary are very great. Pel

1 Lætabatur dolens, quod offerebatur sacrificium in redemptionem omnium> quo placabatur iratus.-De Gest. D. 1. 2, c. 27. +

2 Respicio ad omnes qui in mundo sunt, si forte sint aliqui qui compatiantur mihi, et recogitent dolorem meum, et valde paucos invenio... Ideo filia mea licet a multis oblita, et neglecta sim, tu tamen non obliviscaris me; vide dolorem meum, et imitare quantum potes.-Rev. lib. ii, c. 24.

3 Gian. Cent. Serv. 1. 1, c. 14. †

4 Ap. Bolland. xiii Jan.

1

bert 1 relates, that it was revealed to Saint Elizabeth, that after the assumption of the Blessed Virgin into heaven Saint John the Evangelist desired to see her again. The favour was granted him; his dear Mother appeared to him, and with her Jesus Christ also appeared; the Saint then heard Mary ask her Son to grant some special grace to all those who are devoted to her dolours. Jesus promised her four principal ones: 1st, That those who before death invoke the Divine Mother in the name of her sorrows should obtain true repentance of all their sins. 2nd, That He would protect all who have this devotion in their tribulations, and that He would protect them especially at the hour of death. 3rd, That He would impress upon their minds the remembrance of His Passion, and that they should have their reward for it in heaven. 4th, That He would commit such devout clients to the hands of Mary, with the power to dispose of them in whatever manner she might please, and to obtain for them all the graces she might desire. In proof of this let us see, in the following example, how greatly devotion to the dolours of Mary aids in obtaining eternal salvation.

EXAMPLE.

In the revelations of Saint Bridget we read that there was a rich man, as noble by birth as he was vile and sinful in his habits. He had given himself, by an express compact, as a slave to the devil; and for sixty successive years had served him, leading such a life as may be imagined, and never approaching the sacraments. Now this Prince was dying; and Jesus Christ, to show him mercy, commanded Saint Bridget to tell her confessor to go and visit him, and exhort him to confess his sins. The confessor went, and the sick man said that he did not require confession, as he had often approached the sacrament of penance. The priest went a second time; but

1 Stellar, lib. iii, p. 3, a. 3. †

2 Rev. lib. vi, c. 97.

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this poor slave of hell persevered in his obstinate determination not to confess. Jesus again told the Saint to desire the confessor to return. He did so; and on this third occasion told the sick man the revelation made to the Saint, and that he had returned so many times because our Lord, who wished to show him mercy, had so ordered. On hearing this the dying man was touched, and began to weep: But how,' he exclaimed, can I be saved; I, who for sixty years have served the devil as his slave, and have my soul burthened with innumerable sins?' My son,' answered the Father, encouraging him, doubt not; if you repent of them, on the part of God I promise you pardon.' Then, gaining confidence, he said to the confesssor: Father I looked upon myself as lost, and already despaired of salvation; but now I feel a sorrow for my sins, which gives me confidence; and since God has not yet abandoned me I will make my confession.' In fact, he made his confession four times on that day, with the greatest marks of sorrow, and on the following morning received the holy communion. On the sixth day, contrite and resigned, he died. After his death Jesus Christ again spoke to Saint Bridget, and told her that that sinner was saved; that he was then in purgatory, and that he owed his salvation to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin His Mother; for the deceased, although he had led so wicked a life, had, nevertheless always preserved devotion to her dolours, and whenever he thought of them pitied her.

PRAYER.

Oh my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merit, then, of thy sorrows, obtain me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the sufferings of Jesus, and thy dolours. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of

me, obtain, that at least I, who am deserving of hell, may suffer something for your love. O Lady,' will I say with Saint Bonaventure, if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart: if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded, and thee wounded with Him, and myself without a wound.'1 In fine, O my Mother, by the grief thou didst experience in seeing thy Son bow down His head and expire on the cross in the midst of so many torments, I beseech thee to obtain me a good death. Ah, cease not, O advocate of sinners, to assist my afflicted soul in the midst of the combats in which it will have to engage on its great passage from time to eternity. And as it is probable that I may then have lost my speech, and strength to invoke thy name and that of Jesus, who are all my hope, I do so now; I invoke thy Son and thee to succour me in that last moment, and I say-Jesus and Mary, to you I commend my soul. Amen.

IN

REFLECTIONS

ON EACH OF THE SEVEN DOLOURS OF MARY IN

PARTICULAR.

ON THE FIRST DOLOUR.

Of Saint Simeon's Prophecy.

N this valley of tears every man is born to weep, and all must suffer, by enduring the evils which are of daily But how much greater would the misery of life be, did we also know the future evils which await us! Unfortunate, indeed, would his lot be,' says Seneca, 'who,

Occurrence.

10 Domina... Si te offendi, pro justitia cor meum vulnera. Si tibi servivi, nunc pro mercede peto vulnera. . . . Verecundum enim et opprobriosum est mihi videre Dominum meum Jesum vulneratum, et te convulneratam Dominam, et me servum vilissimum pertransire illæsum.-Stim. Am. p. i, cap. 3.

knowing the future, would have to suffer all by anticipation.' Our Lord shows us this mercy. He conceals the trials which await us, that, whatever they may be, we may endure them but once. He did not show Mary this compassion; for she, whom God willed to be the Queen of Sorrows, and in all things like His Son, had to see always before her eyes, and continually to suffer, all the torments that awaited her; and these were, the sufferings of the Passion and death of her beloved Jesus: for in the Temple, Saint Simeon, having received the Divine Child in his arms, foretold to her that that Son would be a mark for all the persecutions and oppositions of men. "Behold this Child is set... for a sign which shall be contradicted.” And therefore that a sword of sorrow should pierce her soul: "And thy own soul a sword shall pierce.'

The Blessed Virgin herself told Saint Matilda, that, on this announcement of Saint Simeon, all her joy was changed into sorrow. For, as it was revealed to Saint Teresa, though the Blessed Mother already knew that the life of her Son would be sacrificed for the salvation of the world, yet she then learnt more distinctly, and in greater detail, the sufferings and cruel death that awaited her poor Son. She knew that He would be contradicted, and this in every thing: contradicted in His doctrines; for, instead of being believed, He would be esteemed a blasphemer, for teaching that He was the Son of God; this He was declared to be by the impious Caiphas, saying: "He hath blasphemed, He is guilty of death."4 Contradicted

in His reputation; for He was of noble, even of royal descent, and was despised as a peasant: "Is not this the carpenter's Son ?"5"Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary ?"6 He was wisdom itself, and was treated as

1 Calamitosus esset animus futuri præscius, et ante miserias miser.-Ep. xcviii. Ecce positus est hic... in signum cui contradicetur: Et tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius.--Luc. ii, 31, 35.

3 Omnis lætitia mea ad illa verba in mærorem conversa est †

4 Blasphemavit. ... reus est mortis.-Matth. xxvi, 65, 66.

5 Nonne hic est fabri filius ?----Matth. xiii, 55.

6 Nonne hic est, faber, filius Mariæ.-Marc. vi, 3.