rist, and in their parish church, or some other church, pray as above.-Benedict XIV, Jan. 15, 1743.

VI. Those who are in the habit of saying the rosary as above, can, in the article of death, having confessed and received the Holy Communion, gain a plenary indulgence, by pronouncing the holy name of Jesus, with sorrow for their sins, at least mentally, if they are unable to do so with their lips.—Ib.

VII. Those who say the rosary as above, every day for a month, can, on a day at their choice within the month, gain a plenary indulgence, by going to confession and communion, visiting a church, and praying as above. -Ib.

VIII. Those who have the rosary with them, and contrite for their sins, examine their consciences, and say an Our Father,' and three Hail Marys,' gain an indulgence of twenty days.--Ib.

IX. Those who have their rosary with them, and hear mass on any day, hear a sermon, or accompany the Holy Viaticum to a sick person, convert a sinner, or perform any act of piety in honour of our Lord Jesus Christ, or of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or of Saint Bridget, and say three Our Fathers,' and Hail Marys,' gain an indulgence of a hundred days.--Ib.

X. All the above indulgences are applicable to the souls in purgatory.

Very many other indulgences have been granted to this devotion by various pontiffs: it would therefore be well for all to have the intention to gain all the indulgences which have been granted. The beads must have had the indulgences of Saint Bridget annexed to them by a priest, who has received the power to do so. Only the first person who uses them, after the blessing, can gain the indulgences. If the beads are given away after they have been once used they must be blessed again. It is also necessary to meditate during the recitation of the rosary, on the mysteries, which may be found in almost all prayer books; but it is sufficient for those who do not know them

to meditate upon any one of the mysteries of the Passion of Jesus Christ, His scourging, death, &c. The rosary should also be said with devotion; and here we may call to mind what the Blessed Virgin said to Saint Eulalia, 'that she was better pleased with five decades, said slowly and devoutly, than with fifteen, said in a hurry, and with little devotion. It is, therefore, well to say the rosary kneeling, before an image of Mary; and, before each decade, to make an act of love to Jesus and Mary, and ask them for some particular grace. It is also preferable to say it with others, rather than alone.

As to the little office of the Blessed Virgin, which is said to have been composed by Saint Peter Damian, Pius V granted indulgences, to those who recited it; and the Blessed Virgin has many times shown how acceptable this devotion is to her, as may be seen in Father Auriemma's little work. She is also much pleased with the Litany of Loretto, for reciting which there is an indulgence of three hundred days each time; and for those who say it every day, a plenary indulgence on Mary's five principal festivals, the Conception, Nativity, Annunciation, Purification, and Assumption, on the usual conditions. The hymn, Hail, Star of the Sea,' is also very pleasing to Mary; she desired Saint Bridget to say it every day but still more is she pleased with the 'Magnificat;' for we then praise her in the very words in which she herself praised God.

:

FOURTH DEVOTION.
Of Fasting.

There are many devout clients of Mary who, to honour her, fast on bread and water on Saturdays, and the vigils of her feasts. It is well known that Saturday is dedicated by the holy Church to Mary, because, as Saint Bernard says, on that day, the day after the death of her Son, she

1 Tom. i, cap. viii.

remained constant in faith. Therefore, Mary's clients are careful to honour her on that day by some particular devotion, and especially by fasting on bread and water, as did Saint Charles Borromeo, Cardinal Toledo, and so many others. Nittardo, bishop of Bamburg, and Father Joseph Arriaga, of the Society of Jesus, took no food at all on that day. The great graces which the Mother of God has dispensed to those who do this, are recorded by Father Auriemma in his little work. Let one example suffice; it is that of a famous captain of brigands, who, on account of this devotion, was preserved in life after his head was cut off, and was thus enabled to make his confession; for the unfortunate creature was in a state of sin. After confession, he declared that, on account of this devotion, the Blessed Virgin had obtained him so great a grace, and immediately expired.8 It would not then be anything very great, for a person who pretends to be devout to Mary, and particularly for one who has perhaps already deserved hell, to offer her this fast on Saturdays. I affirm that those who practise this devotion can hardly be lost; not that I mean to say that if they die in mortal sin the Blessed Virgin will deliver them by a miracle, as she did this bandit: these are prodigies of Divine mercy, which very very rarely occur, and it would be the height of folly to expect eternal salvation by such means; but I say, that for those who practise this devotion, the Divine Mother will make perseverance in God's grace easy, and obtain them a good death. All the members of our little congregation, who are able to do so, practise this devotion.

I

say those who are able to do so; for if our health does not permit it, at least we should on Saturdays content ourselves with one dish, or observe an ordinary fast, or abstain from fruit, or something for which we have a relish. On Saturdays we should always practise some

1 Per illud triste Sabbatum stetit in fide, et salvata fuit Ecclesia in ipsa sola: propter quod, aptissime tota Ecclesia, in laudem et gloriam ejusdem Virginis, diem sabbati per totius anni circulum, celebrare consuevit.De Pass Dom. cap. ii. 2Tom. i, cap. 17.

3 Ap. Auriemma, loc. cit.

devotion in honour of our Blessed Lady, receive the holy communion, or at least hear mass, visit an image of Mary, wear a hair cloth, or something of that sort. But on the vigils of her seven principal festivals, at all events, her clients should offer her this fast either on bread and water, or otherwise as best they can.

FIFTH DEVOTION.

Of visiting the Images of Mary.

Father Segneri says, that the devil did not know how to repair his losses in the overthrow of idolatry better than by attacking sacred images through the instrumentality of heretics. But the holy Church has defended them even with the blood of martyrs; and the Divine Mother has shown by prodigies how pleasing to her are the visits paid to her images. Saint John Damascen had his hand cut off for having defended, by his writings, the images of Mary; but his Sovereign Lady miraculously restored it to him. Father Spinelli relates, that in Constantinople, a veil which covered an image of the Blessed Virgin, on every Saturday drew itself aside, and after vespers again closed of its own accord. The veil of an image of our Blessed Lady, visited by Saint John of God, was once withdrawn in a similar manner; so much so that the Sacristan thought that the Saint was a robber, and kicked him; but his foot instantly withered. Hence all Mary's clients often visit her images and the churches dedicated in her honour with great affection. These are precisely, according to Saint John Damascen, the cities of refuge in which we can find safety from temptations, and the chastisements which we have deserved for our sins. The first thing that the Emperor Saint Henry used to do, on entering city, was to visit a church of our Blessed Lady. Father Thomas Sanchez used never to return home without having visited some church of Mary. Let us

not think it too much to visit our Queen every day in some church or chapel, or even in our own house, where for this purpose it would be well to have in a retired part a little oratory with her image, which should be kept decorated with drapery, flowers, tapers or lamps; and before it we should also recite her litany, the rosary, &c. For this purpose I have published a little book (which has already been reprinted eight times), of visits to the Blessed Sacrament as well as to the Blessed Virgin, for every day in the month. Some devout client of Mary could also have one of her feasts celebrated in a church or chapel, with greater solemnity than it otherwise would be, and have it preceded by a novena, with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and even with sermons.

Here, however, it is well to relate a fact recorded by Father Spinelli, in his book of Miracles of the Madonna,' number 65. In the year 1611, on the vigil of Pentecost, an immense concourse of people had assembled at the celebrated sanctuary of Mary, at Montevergine. The people had profaned the feast with dances, excesses, and immodest conduct, when suddenly it was discovered that fire was bursting forth from the house of amusement in which they were assembled, and in less than an hour and a half it was reduced to ashes, and more than 1500 persons lost their lives. Five persons who escaped, deposed on oath, that they had seen our Blessed Lady herself set fire to the place with two torches. After this, I entreat the clients of Mary to keep away as much as possible from such sanctuaries during festivals, and also, as far as they can, to prevent others from going there; for, on such occasions, the devil gains more profit than the Blessed Virgin derives honour by it. Let those who have this devotion go at a time when there is no concourse of people.