6

offer her: My beloved children,' the Saint says, serve Mary, whom you love, for you then truly love her if you endeavour to imitate her whom you love.'1 Richard of Saint Lawrence says, that those are, and can call themselves, true children of Mary, who strive to imitate her life.' Let the child, then,' concludes Saint Bernard, endeavour to imitate his Mother, if he desires her favour; for Mary, seeing herself treated as a Mother, will treat him as her child.'

Although there is little recorded in the Gospels, of Mary's virtues in detail, yet, when we learn from them, that she was full of grace, this alone gives us to understand that she possessed all virtues, in an heroical degree. 'So much so,' says Saint Thomas, 'that whereas other Saints excelled, each in some particular virtue; the one in chastity, another in humility, another in mercy, the Blessed Virgin excelled in all, and is given as a model of all.'8 Saint Ambrose also says, 'Mary was such, that her life alone was a model for all.'4 And then he concludes in the following words: Let the virginity and life of Mary be to you as a faithful image, in which the form of virtue is resplendent. Thence learn how to live, what to correct, what to avoid, and what to retain.'5 Humility being the foundation of all virtues, as the holy fathers teach, let us in the first place consider how great was the humility of the Mother of God.

1 Dilectissimæ, amate quam colitis, et colite quam amatis: quia tunc eam vere colitis et amatis, si imitari velitis de toto corde quam laudatis.-Serm. de Assump. int. op. S. Hieron.

2 See note 4,

page 43.

3 Ipsa enim omnium virtutum opera exercuit; alii autem Sancti specialia quædam: quia alius fuit humilis, alius castus, alius misericors; et ideo dantur in exemplum specialium virtutum-sed beata Virgo in exemplum omnium virtutum.-Opusc. viii.

4 Talis fuit Maria, ut ejus unius vita omnium sit disciplina.-De Virginibus, lib. ii, c. 2.

5 Sit igitur vobis tamquam in imagine descripta, virginitas, vita Mariæ, de qua velut speculo refulgeat species castitatis, et forma virtutis. Hinc sumatis licet exempla vivendi ... quid corrigere, quid effingere, quid tenere debeatis ostendunt.-Ib.

SECTION I. Of the Humility of Mary.

'Humility,' says Saint Bernard, is the foundation and guardian of virtues ;'1 and with reason, for without it no other virtue can exist in a soul. Should she possess all virtues, all will depart when humility is gone. But, on the other hand, as Saint Francis of Sales wrote to Saint Jane de Chantal, God so loves humility, that wherever He sees it, He is immediately drawn thither.' This beautiful, and so necessary virtue, was unknown in the world; but the Son of God Himself came on earth to teach it by His own example, and willed, that in that virtue in particular, we should endeavour to imitate Him: "Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart."2 Mary being the first and most perfect Disciple of Jesus Christ in the practice of all virtues, was the first also in that of humility, and by it merited to be exalted above all creatures. It was revealed to Saint Matilda, that the first virtue in which the Blessed Mother particularly exercised herself, from her very childhood, was that of humility.3

The first effect of humility of heart is a lowly opinion of ourselves: Mary had always so humble an opinion of herself, that, as it was revealed to the same. Saint Matilda, although she saw herself enriched with greater graces than all other creatures, she never preferred herself to any one.'4 The Abbot Rupert, explaining the passage of the Sacred Canticles: "Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse, . . . with one hair of thy neck,"5 says, that the humble opinion which Mary had of herself, was precisely that hair of the Spouse's neck with which she wounded the heart of God. Not indeed that Mary considered her

1 Humilitas est fundamentum custosque virtutum.

2 Et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde.-Matth. xi, 29.

3 Prima virtus, in qua Virgo nata, et infans se singulariter exercuit, fuit humilitas.

Ita modeste de se sentiebat, ut cum tot gratias haberet, nulli se prætulit. + 5 Vulnerasti cor meum soror mea sponsa.. in uno crine colli tui.-Cant. iv, 9. 6 In uno crine colli tui, id est, in nimia humilitate cordis tui... Quid uno crine gracilius, et quid humilitate subtilius?... Iste est crinis colli, humilis cogitatus mulieris.-Lib. iii, in Cant. cap. 4.

self a sinner; for humility is truth, as Saint Teresa remarks; and Mary knew that she had never offended God: neither was it that she did not acknowledge that she had received greater graces from God than all other creatures; for an humble heart always acknowledges the special favours of the Lord, to humble herself the more: but the Divine Mother, by the greater light wherewith she knew the infinite greatness and goodness of God, also knew her own nothingness, and therefore, more than all others, humbled herself, saying with the sacred Spouse: "Do not consider that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour." That is, as Saint Bernard explains it, 'When I approach Him, I find myself black."2 Yes, says Saint Bernardine, for the Blessed Virgin had always the Majesty of God, and her own nothingness, present to her mind.”3 As a beggar, when clothed with a rich garment, which has been bestowed upon her, does not pride herself on it in the presence of the giver, but is rather humbled, being reminded thereby of her own poverty, so also the more Mary saw herself enriched, the more did she humble herself, remembering that all was God's gift; whence she herself told Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, that she might rest assured, that she looked upon herself as most vile, and unworthy of God's grace.'4 Therefore, Saint Bernardine says, that after the Son of God, no creature in the world was so exalted as Mary, because no creature in the world ever humbled itself so much as she did.'5

Moreover, it is an act of humility to conceal heavenly gifts. Mary wished to conceal from Saint Joseph the great favour whereby she had become the Mother of God, although it seemed necessary to make it known to him, if only to remove from the mind of her poor spouse any sus

1 Nolite me considerare quod fusca sim, quia decoloravit me sol.-Cant. i, 5. 2 Appropinquans illi, me nigram invenio.

3 Virgo continue habebat actualem relationem ad Divinam majestatem, et ad suam nihilitatem.-Serm. de Concep. B. M. V. art. iii, cap. 2.

Pro firmo scias, quod ita me reputabam ream, et vilissimam, et gratia Dei indignam.-S. Bonav. De Vita C. cap. iii.

5 Sicut nulla post Filium Dei creatura tantum ascendit in gratiæ dignitatem, sic nec tantum descendit in abyssum humilitatis profunda.-Serm. de Concep. B. M. V. art. i, cap. 3.

picions as to her virtue, which he might have entertained on seeing her pregnant; or at least the perplexity in which it indeed threw him; for Saint Joseph, on the one hand unwilling to doubt Mary's chastity, and on the other, ignorant of the mystery, “Was minded to put her away privately." This he would have done, had not the angel revealed to him that his Spouse was pregnant by the operation of the Holy Ghost. Again, a soul which is truly humble refuses her own praise, and should praises be bestowed on her, she refers them all to God. Behold, Mary is disturbed at hearing herself praised by Saint Gabriel; and when Saint Elizabeth said, Blessed art thou among women . . . and whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me . . . Blessed art thou that hast believed, &c.”2 Mary referred all to God, and answered in that humble Canticle-" My soul doth magnify the Lord," as if she had said: "Thou dost praise me, Elizabeth, but I praise the Lord, to whom alone honour is due: thou wonderest that I should come to thee, and I wonder at the Divine goodness, in which alone my spirit exults: "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Thou praisest me, because I have believed; I praise my God, because He hath been pleased to exalt my nothingness: "Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid." 13 Hence Mary said to Saint Bridget: 'I humbled myself so much, and thereby merited such great grace, because I thought, and knew that of myself, I possessed nothing! For this same reason I did not desire to be praised, I only desired that praises should be given to the Creator and Giver of all.'4 Wherefore, an ancient author, speaking of the humility of Mary, says:

1 Voluit occulte dimittere eam.-Matth. i, 19.

2 Benedicta tu inter mulieres. . . Et unde hoc mihi, ut veniat Mater Domin mei ad me?... Et beata quæ credidisti, etc.-Luc. i, 42, 43, 44.

3 Magnificat anima mea Dominum. Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ.-Luc. i, 46, 47.

Ut quid enim ego me tantum humiliabam, aut unde promerui tantam gratiam, nisi quia cogitavi, et scivi, me nihil a me esse vel habere? Ideo et nolui laudem meam, sed solius Datoris et Creatoris.-Rev. lib. ii, c. 23.

O truly blessed humility, which hath given God to men, opened heaven, and delivered souls from hell! '1

It is also a part of humility to serve others. Mary did not refuse to go and serve Elizabeth for three months. Hence Saint Bernard says, 'Elizabeth wondered that Mary should have come to visit her; but that which is still more admirable is, that she came not to be ministered to, but to minister.' Those who are humble are retiring, and choose the last places; and therefore Mary, remarks Saint Bernard, when her Son was preaching in a house, as it is related by Saint Matthew,3 wishing to speak to Him, would not of her own accord enter, but remained outside, and did not avail herself of her maternal authority to interrupt Him.'4 For the same reason also when she was with the Apostles awaiting the coming of the Holy Ghost, she took the lowest place, as Saint Luke relates: "All these were persevering with one mind in prayer, with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus."5 Not that Saint Luke was ignorant of the Divine Mother's merits, on account of which he should have named her in the first place, but because she had taken the last place amongst the Apostles and women; and therefore he described them all, as an author remarks, in the order in which they were. Hence Saint Bernard says, 'Justly has the last become the first, who being the first of all became the last.'6 In fine, those who are humble love to be contemned; therefore we do not read that Mary showed herself in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, when her Son was received by the people with so much honour; but on the other hand, at the death of her Son, she did not shrink

10 vere beata humilitas, quæ Deum hominibus peperit, vitam mortalibus edidit, celos innovavit, mundum purificavit, paradisum aperuit, et hominum animas ab inferis liberavit.-Serm. de Assump. int. Op. S. Augustini.

2 Venisse Mariam mirabatur Elisabeth ... sed jam magis miretur, quod instar utique Filii, et ipsa non ministrari venerit, sed ministrare.--Serm. de Aquæd. 3 Matth. xii.

4 Foris stabat... nec materna auctoritate aut sermonem interrupit, aut in habitationem irruit in qua Filius loquebatur.-Serm. Sign. Magn.

5 Hi omnes erant perseverantes unanimiter in oratione cum mulieribus, et Maria Matro Jesu-Act. i, 14.

6 Merit facta est novissima prima, quæ cum prima esset omnium, sese novis. simam faciebat.-In Sign. Magn.