,,our ,,lady ,,saint ,,mary    ,,by     
,j4 ,g4 ,h4 ,,barry1 ,d4,d4    #aibb    
,would that it might happen to me that  
,i should be called a       fool by the 
unbelieving1 in that ,i have believed   
such       things as these4             
--,origen4          ,,to ,,the ,,members
    ,,of ,,the    ,,league ,,of ,,the   
,,blessed ,,virgin    ,,this ,,volume   
,,is ,,hopefully    ,,dedicated         
,,preface      ,the two papers in ,part 
,i have been published in the ,american 
,church  ,magazine4 ,of ,part ,,ii      
,chapter #a has been published          
separately2 ,chapters  #b1 #d1 #g1 #i   
and #ab have been published in the ,holy
 ,cross ,magazine4 ,the  rest of the    
volume is here published for the first  
time4    ,i would emphasise the fact    
that the contents of ,part ,,ii is a    
series of  sermons which were prepared  
as such1 and were preached in the       
,church of  ,s4 ,mary the ,virgin1 ,new 
,york ,city1 for the most part in the   
,winter of  #aiba-bb4 ,in preparing them

 for publication in this volume no      
attempt has  been made to alter their   
sermon character4 ,it is not a          
theological  treatise on the ,blessed   
,virgin that ,i have attempted1 but a   
devotional  presentation of her life4   
,i have added to the text as originally 
prepared certain prayers and  poems4    
,the object of the selection of the     
prayers1 almost exclusively  from the   
,liturgies of the ,catholic ,church1 is 
to illustrate the  prevalence of the    
address of devotion to our ,lady        
throughout  ,christendom4 ,the poems are
 selected with much the same thought1   
and have  been mostly gathered from     
mediaeval sources1 and so far as        
possible1  from ,british4 ,i have no    
special knowledge of devotional poetry1 
but  have selected such poems as ,i have
 from time to time copied into my note  
books4 ,this fact has made it impossible
 for me to give credit for them  to the 
extent that ,i should have liked4 ,i    
trust that any one who is  entitled to  

credit will accept this apology4        
,much of the difficulty felt by         
,anglicans at expressions commonly found
  in prayers and hymns addressed to our 
,lady is due to prevalent  unfamiliarity
 with the devotional language of the    
,catholic ,church  throughout the ages4 
,those whose background of thought is   
the theology  of the ,catholic ,church1 
not in any one period1 but in the whole 
extent  of its life1 will have no       
difficulty in such language because the 
limitations which are implied in it will
 be clear to them4 ,to others1 ,i  can  
only say that it is fair to assume that 
the great saints of the  ,church of ,god
 in all times and in all places did not 
habitually use  language which was      
idolatrous1 and our limitations are much
 more likely  to be at fault than their 
meaning4 ,it is not true in any degree  
that the  teaching of ,catholics as to  
the place of the ,virgin intrudes on the
  prerogative of our ,lord4 ,it is1 as  
matter of fact ,catholics1 and not      

those who oppose the ,catholic ,religion
 who are upholding that  prerogative4   
,this has been excellently expressed by 
a modern ,french  theologian4 ,we are   
established in the friendship of ,god1  
in the divine  adoption1 in the heavenly
 inheritance1 solely in virtue of the   
covenent  by which our souls are bound  
to the ,son of ,god1 and by which the   
goods1  the merits1 and the rights of   
the ,son of ,god are communicated to our
  souls1 as in the natural order1 the   
property of the husband becomes the     
property of the wife4 ,surely1 one can  
say nothing more than we say here1  and 
assuredly the sects opposed to the      
,church have never said more3  indeed1  
they are far to-day from saying so much 
to maintain intact this  truth1 that    
,jesus ,christ is our sole ,redeemer1   
and to give that truth  the entire      
extent that belongs to it4              
,,contents    ,,part ,i4    ,,chapter   
,i4 ,,of ,,loyalty4 ,,ii4 ,,the         
,,meaning ,,of ,,worship4    ,,part     

,,ii4    ,i4 ,,mary ,,of ,,nazareth4    
,,ii4 ,,the ,,annunciation ,i4 ,,iii4   
,,the ,,annunciation ,,ii4  ,,iv4 ,,the 
,,visitation ,i4 ,v4 ,,the ,,visitation 
,,ii4 ,,vi4 ,s4 ,,joseph4 ,,vii4 ,,the  
,,nativity4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,magi4 ,,ix4 
,,the ,,presentation4 ,x4 ,,egypt4 ,,xi4
 ,,nazareth4  ,,xii4 ,,the ,,temple4    
,,xiii4 ,,cana ,i4 ,,xiv4 ,,cana ,,ii4  
,,xv4 ,,who ,,is ,,my ,,mother8 ,,xvi4  
,,holy ,,week ,i4 ,,xvii4 ,,holy ,,week 
,,ii4 ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,crucifixion4     
,,xix4 ,,the  ,,descent ,,and ,,burial4 
,,xx4 ,,the ,,resurrection4 ,,xxi4 ,,the
 ,,forty ,,days4 ,,xxii4 ,,the          
,,ascension4 ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,descent   
,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit4 ,,xxiv4     
,,the ,,home ,,of ,s4  ,,john4 ,,xxv4   
,,the ,,assumption4 ,,xxvi4 ,,the       
,,coronation4        ,,part ,,one       
,,chapter ,i    ,,of ,,loyalty    ,o    
,god1 who causes us to rejoice in       
recalling the joys of the  conception1  
the nativity1 the annunciation1 the     
visitation1 the  purification1 and the  

assumption of the blessed and glorious  
virgin  ,mary2 grant to us so worthily  
to devote ourselves to her praise and   
service1 that we may be conscious of her
 presence and assistance in all  our    
necessities and straits1 and especially 
in the hour of death1 and  that after   
death we may be found worthy1 through   
her and in her1 to  rejoice in heaven   
with thee4 ,through c4    ,,sarum       
,,missal4    ,the dream of the ,middle  
,ages was of one ,christian society of  
which the  ,church should be the        
embodiment of the spiritual1 and the    
,state of the  temporal interests4 ,as  
there is one humanity united to ,god in 
,incarnate  ,god1 all its interests     
should be capable of unification in     
institutions  which should be based on  
that which is essential in humanity1 and
 not on  that which is accidental3 men  
should be united because they are human 
and ,christian1 and not divided because 
of diversity of blood or color or       
language4 ,the dream proved impossible  

of realization1 and the struggle  for   
human unity went to pieces on the rocks 
of the rapidly developing  nationalism  
of the later ,middle ,ages4    ,the     
,reformation was the triumph of         
nationalism and the defeat of  ,catholic
 idealism4 ,it resulted in a shattered  
,christendom in which the  interests of 
local and homogeneous groups became     
supreme over the purely  human          
interests4 ,in state and ,church alike  
patriotism has tended more  and more to 
become dominant over the interests that 
are supralocal and  universal4 ,the last
 few years have seen an intensification 
of localism4  ,we have seen bitter scorn
 heaped on the few who have labored for 
internationalism in thought and feeling4
 ,we have seen the attempt of  labor at 
internationalism utterly break down     
under the pressure of  patriotic motive4
 ,we are finding that the same          
concentration on  immediate and local   
interests is an insuperable bar to the  
realization  of an ideal of             

internationalism which would effectively
 deal with  questions arising between   
nations and put an end to war4 ,the     
,church  failed to establish a spiritual
 internationalism2 the indications are  
that it will be long before humanitarian
 idealists will be able to  effect a    
union among nations still infected with 
patriotic motive1 such  as shall bring  
about a subordination of local and      
immediate interests to  the interests of
 humanity as such4 ,that the general    
interests are also  in the end the local
 interests is still far from the vision 
of  the patriot4    ,what the growth of 
nationalities with its consequent rise  
of  international jealousies and        
hostilities has effected in civil       
society1  has been brought about in     
matters spiritual by the divisions of   
,christendom4 ,the various bodies into  
which ,christendom has been split up    
are infected with the same sort of      
localism as infects the state4 ,they    
dwell with pride upon their own         

peculiarities1 and treat with suspicion 
if not with contempt the peculiarities  
of other bodies4 ,the effort to  induce 
the members of any body of ,christians  
to appreciate what belongs  to others1  
or to try to construe ,christianity in  
terms of a true  ,catholicity1 is almost
 hopeless4 ,all attempts at the         
restoration of the  visible unity of the
 ,church have been wrecked1 and seem    
destined for  long to be wrecked1 on the
 rocks of local pride and local         
interests4 ,the  motives which in       
secular affairs lead a man to put1 not  
only his body  and his goods1 as he     
ought1 at the disposal of his country2  
but also  induce him to surrender his   
mind to the prevailing party and shout1 
,my  country1 right or wrong1 in matters
 ecclesiastical lead him to cry1 ,my    
,church1 right or wrong4 ,it is only by 
transcending this localism that  we can 
hope for progress in ,church or         
,state--can hope to conquer the  wars   
and fightings among our members that    

make peace impossible4    ,this         
infection of localism is not peculiar to
 any body of ,christians4  ,the         
,oriental ,churches have been largely   
state-bound for centuries1 and1  in     
addition1 have been mentally immobile4  
,the ,roman ,church with its  claims to 
exclusive ownership of the ,christian   
,religion has lost the  vision it once  
had and subordinated the ,catholic      
interests of the ,church  to the local  
interests of the ,papacy4 ,the fragments
 of ,protestantism are  too small any   
longer to claim the universalism claimed
 by the ,east and  ,west1 and perforce  
acknowledge their partial character2 but
 it is only  to indulge in a more acute 
patriotism1 and assertion of rights of  
division1 and the supremacy of the local
 over the general4 ,the ,churches  of   
the ,anglican ,rite are less bound1     
perhaps1 than others4 ,they are         
restless under the limitations of       
localism and are haunted by a vision  of
 an unrealized ,catholicity2 but they   

are torn by internal divisions  and find
 their attempts at movement in any      
direction thwarted by the  pull of      
opposing parties4    ,one result of the 
mental attitude generated by the        
conditions indicated  above is that any 
attempt to deal with subjects other than
 those which  are authorized because    
they are customary1 or tolerated because
 they  are familiar1 is liable to be    
greeted with cries of reproach and      
accusations of disloyalty4 ,such and    
such teachings we are told1 without     
much effort at proof1 are contrary to   
the teachings of the ,anglican  ,church1
 or are not in harmony with that        
teaching1 or are illegitimate  attempts 
to bring in doctrines or practices which
 were definitely  rejected by our       
fathers at the ,reformation4 ,those who 
are implicated in  such attempts are    
told that they are disturbers of the    
peace of the  ,church and are invited to
 go elsewhere4    ,as one who is not    
guiltless of such attempts1 and as one  

who is becoming  accustomed to be       
charged with novelty in teaching1 and   
disloyalty in  practice to that which is
 undoubtedly and historically ,anglican1
 ,i have  been compelled to ask myself1 
,what is loyalty to the ,anglican       
,church8  ,is there1 in fact1 some      
peculiar and limited form of            
,christianity to  which ,i owe          
allegiance8 ,i had got accustomed to    
think of myself as a  ,catholic         
,christian whose lot was cast in a      
certain province of the  ,catholic      
,church which was administratively      
separated from other parts of  that     
,church4 ,this ,i felt--this            
separation--to be unfortunate2 but ,i   
was  not responsible for it1 and would  
be glad to do anything that ,i could to 
end it4 ,i had not thought that this    
administrative separation from other    
provinces of the ,catholic ,church meant
 that ,i was pledged to a different     
religion2 ,i had not thought of there   
being an ,anglican ,religion4 ,i have   

all my life1 in intention and as far as 
,i know1 accepted the whole  ,catholic  
,faith of which it is said in a ,creed  
accepted by the ,anglican  ,church that 
except a man believe faithfully he      
cannot be saved4 ,i do  not intend to   
believe any other ,faith than that1 and 
,i intend to believe  all of that2 and  
,i have not thought of myself as other  
than a loyal  ,anglican in so doing4    
,but criticism has led me to go back    
over the whole question and ask  whether
 there is any indication anywhere in the
 approved documents of  the ,anglican   
,communion of an intention at all to    
depart from the ,faith  of ,christendom 
as it was held by the whole ,catholic   
,church1 ,east and  ,west1 at the time  
when an administrative separation from  
,rome was  effected4 ,was a new faith at
 any time introduced8 ,has there at any 
time  been any official action of the   
,anglican ,church to limit my acceptance
  of the historic ,faith8 ,that many    
,anglican writers have denied many      

articles of the ,catholic ,faith ,i of  
course knew to be true4 ,that some      
,anglican writer could be found who had 
denied every article of the  ,catholic  
,faith ,i thought quite possible4 ,but  
,i was not interested in the  beliefs or
 practices of individuals4 ,i am not at 
all interested in what  opinions may or 
may not have been held by ,cranmer at   
various stages of  his career1 or what  
opinions may be unearthed from the      
writings of ,bale  by experts in immoral
 literature2 ,i am interested solely in 
the official  utterances of the         
,anglican ,communion4    ,in following  
out this line of investigation ,i have  
spent many weeks in  the reading of many
 dreary documents3 but fortunately      
documents are not  important in         
proportion to the element of excitement 
they contain4 ,i  have read the         
documents contained in the collection of
 ,gee and ,hardy  entitled ,documents   
,illustrative of ,english ,church       
,history4 ,i have read  the ,formularies

 of ,faith ,put ,forth by ,authority    
during the ,reign of  ,henry ,,viii4 ,i 
have read ,cardwell's ,synodalia4 ,and  
,i have also read  ,certain ,sermons or 
,homilies ,appointed to be read in      
,churches at the  time of ,queen        
,elizabeth of ,famous ,memory4 ,i doubt 
whether any other  extant human being   
has read them4    ,and the upshot of the
 whole matter is that in none of these  
documents  have ,i found any expressed  
intention to depart from the ,faith of  
the  ,catholic ,church of the past as   
that ,faith had been set forth by       
authority4 ,no doubt in the ,homilies   
there are things said which cannot  be  
reconciled with the ,faith of ,catholic 
,christendom4 ,but the ,homilies  are of
 no binding authority1 and ,i have      
included them in my  investigation only 
because ,i wanted their point of view4  
,that is  harmonious with the rest of   
the authoritative documents--the        
intention  is to hold the ,faith3       
unfortunately the knowledge of some of  

the writers  was not as pure as their   
intention4    ,the point that ,i am     
concerned with is this3 there is no     
intention  anywhere shown in the        
authoritative documents of the ,anglican
 ,church to  effect a change in         
religion1 or to break with the religion 
which had  been from the beginning      
taught and practised in ,england4 ,the  
,reformation  did not mean the          
introduction of a new religion1 but was 
simply a  declaration of governmental   
independence4 ,i will quote somewhat at 
length from the documents for the       
purpose of showing that there is no     
indication of an intention to set up a  
new ,church4    ,one or two quotations  
from pre-reformation documents will make
 clear the  customary phraseology in    
,england during the ,middle ,ages4 ,king
 ,john's  ,ecclesiastical ,charter of   
#abad uses the terms ,church of ,england
 and  ,english ,church4 ,the ,magna     
,charta of #abae grants that the ,church
 of  ,england shall be free and have her

 rights intact1 and her liberties       
uninjured4 ,the ,articuli ,cleri of     
#acaf speak of the ,english ,church4    
,the ,second ,statute of ,provisors of  
#acij uses the title ,the ,holy ,church 
of ,england4 ,the ,english ,church is   
the form used in the ,act ,de  ,hretico 
,comburendo of #adja1 as it is also in  
the ,remonstrance against  the ,legatine
 ,powers of ,cardinal ,beaufort of      
#adbha4    ,footnote #a3 ,documents in  
,gee  ,hardy4    ,these quotations will 
suffice to show the customary way of    
speaking of  the ,church in ,england4   
,if this customary way of speaking went 
on during  and after the ,reformation   
the inference is that there had no      
change  taken place in the way of men's 
thinking about the ,church2 that they   
were unconscious of having created a new
 or a different ,church4 ,we know  that 
the ,protestant bodies on the ,continent
 and the later ,protestant  bodies in   
,england did change their way of        
thinking about the ,church from  that of

 their fathers and consequently their   
way of speaking of it4 ,but  the formal 
documents of the ,church of ,england    
show no change4 ,the  ,answer of the    
,ordinaries of #aecb appeals as         
authoritative to the  determination of  
,scripture and ,holy ,church1 and to the
 determination  of ,christ's ,catholic  
,church4 ,the ,conditional ,restraint of
 ,annates of  #aecb protests that the   
,english as well spiritual as temporal1 
be as  obedient1 devout1 catholic1 and  
humble children of ,god and ,holy       
,church1  as any people be within any   
realm christened4 ,in the ,act for ,the 
,restraint of ,appeals of #aecc1 which  
is the act embodying the legal          
principle of the ,english ,reformation1 
it is the ,english ,church which  acts4 
,the statement in the ,act ,forbidding  
,papal ,dispensations and the  ,payment 
of ,peter's ,pence of #aecd is entirely 
explicit as to the  intention of the    
,english authorities4 ,it declares that 
nothing in this  ,act shall be hereafter

 interpreted or expounded that your     
grace1 your  nobles and subjects intend1
 by the same1 to decline or vary from   
the  congregation of ,christ's ,church  
in any things concerning the very       
articles of the ,catholic ,faith of     
,christendom#b4    ,footnote #b3 ,gee   
,hardy4    ,these documents date from   
the reign of ,henry ,,viii4 ,in the same
 reign  another series of authoritative 
documents was put forth which contains  
the same teaching as to the ,church4    
,the ,institution of a ,christian ,man  
set forth in #aecf1 in the article on   
the ,church has this3 ,i believe        
assuredly--that there is and hath been  
from the beginning of the world1  and so
 shall endure and continue forever1 one 
certain number1 society1  communion1 or 
company of the elect and faithful people
 of ,god4444 ,and ,i  believe assuredly 
that this congregation 444 is1 in very  
deed the city  of heavenly ,jerusalem   
444 the holy catholic church1 the temple
 or  habitacle of ,god1 the pure and    

undefiled espouse of ,christ1 the very  
mystical body of ,christ1 ,the          
,necessary ,doctrine and ,erudition for 
any  ,christian ,man of #aedc in        
treating of the faith declares that all 
those  things which were taught by the  
apostles1 and have been by an whole     
universal consent of the church of      
,christ ever sith that time taught      
continually1 ought to be received1      
accepted1 and kept1 as a perfect        
doctrine apostolic4 ,it is further      
taught in the same document in the      
eighth article1 that on ,the ,holy      
,catholic ,church1 that the ,church is  
catholic1 that is to say1 not limited to
 any one place or region of the  world1 
but is in every place universally       
through the world where it  pleaseth    
,god to call people to him in the       
profession of ,christ's name  and faith1
 be it in ,europe1 ,africa1 or ,asia4   
,and all these churches in  divers      
countries severally called1 although for
 the knowledge of the one  from the     

other among them they have divers       
additions of names1 and for  their most 
necessary government1 as they be        
distinct in places1 so they  have       
distinct ministers and divers heads in  
earth1 governors and rulers1  yet be all
 these holy churches but one holy church
 catholic1 invited and  called by one   
,god the ,father to enjoy the benefit of
 redemption wrought  by our ,lord and   
,saviour ,jesu ,christ1 and governed by 
one ,holy ,spirit1  which teacheth this 
foresaid one truth of ,god's holy word  
in one faith  and baptism#c4            
,footnote #c3 ,formularies of ,faith in 
the ,reign of ,henry ,,viii4    ,with   
the accession of ,edward ,,vi4 the      
,protestant element in the  ,reformation
 gained increased influence4 ,our       
question is1 ,did it succeed  in        
imprinting a new theory of the nature   
and authority of the ,church on  the    
formal and authoritative utterances of  
the ,church in ,england8 ,the  first    
,act of ,uniformity of #aedi contains   

the now familiar appeal to  ,scripture  
and to the primitive ,church1 and the   
,book set forth is called  ,the ,book of
 ,common ,prayer and ,administration of 
the ,sacraments1 and  other ,rites and  
,ceremonies of the ,church1 after the   
,use of the ,church of  ,england4 ,the  
,second ,act of ,uniformity1 #aeeb1 uses
 the same language  about the ,church of
 ,england and the primitive ,church4    
,passing on to the  reign of ,elizabeth1
 in the ,injunctions of #aeei there is  
set forth a  form of bidding the        
prayers1 which begins3 ,ye shall pray   
for ,christ's  ,holy ,catholic ,church1 
that is for the whole congregation of   
,christian  people dispersed throughout 
the whole world1 and especially for the 
,church of ,england and ,ireland4 ,in   
the ,act of ,supremacy of the same  year
 it is provided that an opinion shall be
 ordered1 or adjudged to be  heresy1 by 
the authority of the canonical          
,scriptures1 or by the first  four      
general ,councils1 or any of them1 or by

 any other general ,council  wherein the
 same was declared heresy by the express
 and plain words of  the said canonical 
,scriptures4 ,this test of doctrine is  
repeated in  ,canon ,,vi of the ,canons 
of #aega4 ,preachers shall 444 see to it
 that  they teach nothing in the way of 
a sermon 444 save what is agreeable to  
the teaching of the ,old or ,new        
,testament1 and what the ,catholic      
fathers  and ancient bishops have       
collected from this self-same           
doctrine#d4    ,footnote #d3 ,documents 
in ,gee  ,hardy4    ,it is hardly worth 
while to spend much time on the         
,homilies4 ,i will  simply note that    
they continue the appeal to the         
primitive ,church which  is asserted to 
have been holy1 godly1 pure and         
uncorrupt2 and to the  old holy fathers 
and most ancient learned doctors which  
are quoted as  authoritative against    
later innovations4 ,they still speak of 
the ,church  of ,england as continuous  
with the past4 ,i do not find that they 

treat  the contemporary reformers as of 
authority or quote them as against the  
traditional teaching of the ,church4    
,we will go on to one more stage1 that  
is1 to the ,canons of #afjd which       
represent the mind of the ,church of    
,england at the time of the accession   
of ,james ,i4 ,they declare that        
whosoever shall hereafter affirm1 ,that 
the ,church of ,england1 by law         
established under the ,king's majesty1  
is  not a true and an apostolical       
church1 teaching and maintaining the    
doctrine of the apostles2 let him be    
excommunicated4 7,,iii7 ,they appeal  to
 the ,ancient fathers of the ,church1   
led by the example of the  apostles4    
7,,xxxi7 ,in treating of the use of the 
sign of the ,cross in  baptism they     
assert that its use follows the rules of
 ,scripture and the  practice of the    
primitive ,church4 ,and further1 ,this  
use of the sign of  the ,cross in       
baptism was held in the primitive       
,church1 as well by the  ,greeks as the 

,latins1 with one consent and great     
applause4 ,and replying  to the argument
 from abuse the canon goes on3 ,but the 
abuse of a thing  doth not take away the
 lawful use of it4 ,nay1 so far was it  
from the  purpose of the ,church of     
,england to forsake and reject the      
,churches of  ,italy1 ,france1 ,spain1  
,germany1 or any such like ,churches1 in
 all things  that they held and         
practised1 that1 as the ,apology of the 
,church of  ,england confesseth1 it doth
 with reverence retain those ceremonies1
  which do neither endanger the ,church 
of ,god1 nor offend the minds of  sober 
men4 7,,xxx7    ,it appears clear from a
 study of the passages quoted and of    
many others  of kindred nature that the 
,anglican ,church did not start out upon
 its  separate career with any intention
 of becoming a sect2 it did not         
complain of the corruption of the       
existing religion and declare its       
purpose to show to the world what true  
and pure religion is4 ,it did not  put  

forward as the basis of its action the  
existing corruption of  doctrine1 but   
the corruption of administration4 ,its  
claim was a claim to  manage its own    
local affairs1 and was put into         
execution when the  ,convocation of     
,canterbury voted in the negative on the
 question  submitted to it1 viz41       
,whether the ,roman pontiff has any     
greater  jurisdiction bestowed on him by
 ,god in ,holy ,scripture in this realm 
of  ,england1 than any other foreign    
bishop8    ,the attitude indicated is   
one that has been characteristic of the 
,anglican ,church ever since4 ,it has   
always been restless in the presence  of
 a divided ,christendom2 the sin of the 
broken unity has always haunted  it4 ,it
 never has taken the smug attitude of   
sectarianism1 a placid                  
self-satisfaction with its own          
perfection4 ,it has felt the constant   
pull  of the ,catholic ideal and has    
been inspired by it to make effort after
  effort for the union of ,christendom4 

,it has never lost the sense that it    
was in itself not complete but a part of
 a greater whole4 ,it has never  seen in
 the existing shattered state of the    
,christian ,church anything  but the    
evidences of sin4 ,its appeal has       
constantly been1 not to its own         
sufficiency for the determination of all
 questions1 but to the  ,scriptures as  
interpreted by the undivided ,church4   
,if it has at times  been prone to      
overstress the authority of some ideal  
and undefined  primitive ,church1 it was
 because it thought that there and there
 only  could the ,catholic ,church be   
found speaking in its ideal unity4      
,this the attitude of the ,anglican     
,church of the past is its attitude     
to-day4 ,the ,lambeth ,conference of    
#aibj gave voice to it3         ,the    
,conference urges on every branch of the
 ,anglican       ,communion that it     
should prepare its members for taking   
their       part in the universal       
fellowship of the re-united ,church1 by 

setting before them the loyalty which   
they owe to the       universal ,church1
 and the charity and understanding which
 are       required of the members of so
 inclusive a society4    ,commenting    
upon this utterance of the ,lambeth     
,conference the three  bishops who are  
the joint authors of ,lambeth and       
,reunion say3         ,the bishops at   
,lambeth beg for loyalty to the         
universal       ,church4 ,the doctrinal 
standards of the undivided ,church must 
not be ignored4 ,nor must modern        
developments1 consistent with       the 
past1 be ruled out merely because they  
are modern4 ,men       must hold        
strongly what they have received2 but   
they must       forsake the policy of   
denying one another's positive          
presentment of truth4 ,that only must be
 forbidden which the       universal    
fellowship cannot conceivably accept    
within any one       of its groups#e4   
,footnote #e3 ,lambeth and ,rennion4 ,by
 the bishops of ,peterborough1          

,zanzibar and ,hereford4    ,the bishops
 just quoted add3 ,we rejoice indeed at 
this new mind of the  ,lambeth          
,conference4 ,whether it is a new mind  
in ,lambeth ,conferences we  need not   
consider2 it is certainly no new mind in
 the ,anglican ,church1  but is         
precisely its characteristic attitude of
 not claiming perfection  or finality   
for itself1 but of looking beyond itself
 to ,catholic  ,christendom1 and longing
 for the time when reunion of the       
churches which  now make up its broken  
unity will enable it to speak with the  
same  voice of authority with which it  
did in its primitive and  undivided     
state4    ,in attempting to decide what 
as a priest of the ,anglican ,communion 
one  may or may not teach or practice1  
one is bound to have regard1 not to     
what is asserted by anyone1 even by any 
bishop1 to be disloyal or  unanglican1  
but to the principles expressed or      
implied in the  utterances of the       
,church itself4 ,from those utterances  

as ,i have  reviewed them1 it appears to
 me that a number of general principles 
may  be deduced for the guidance of     
conduct4    ,i4 ,the ,churches of the   
,anglican ,communion are bound by the   
entire body  of ,catholic dogma         
formulated and accepted universally in  
the  pre-,reformation ,church4    ,the  
,anglican documents1 to be sure1 speak  
constantly of the ,primitive  ,church1  
but they do not anywhere define what    
they mean by that2 and  frequently1 by  
their appeal to the undivided ,church1  
and to general  ,councils1 they seem to 
include in their undefined term much    
more than  is commonly understood4 ,in  
any case1 the ,church has no special    
authority  because it is primitive3 its 
authority results not from its being    
primitive but from its being ,church4   
,the only point of the ,anglican  appeal
 would be the universal acceptance of a 
given doctrine4 ,such  universal        
acceptance must be taken as proof of its
 primitiveness1 that  is1 of its being  

contained1 explicitly or implicitly1 in 
the original  deposit of faith4 ,the    
,anglican ,church was content with the  
summing up of  this ,faith in the ,three
 ,creeds1 and attempted to formulate no 
new ,greed  of her own--the ,,xxxix     
,articles are not strictly a ,creed3    
they are not  articles of ,faith but of 
,religion4 ,but the very history of the 
,creeds  implies that they are not      
final1 that is1 complete1 but that they 
are a  summing up of the ,catholic      
,religion to date4 ,there are truths    
which the  circumstances of the ,church 
in the ,conciliar period had not brought
 into  prominence which later events    
compelled the ,church to express its    
mind  upon4 ,such a truth is that of the
 ,real ,presence of our ,lord in the    
,sacrament of the ,altar4 ,this truth   
had attained explicit acceptance        
throughout the ,church before the       
,reformation1 sufficiently witnessed by 
the liturgies in use4 ,it is also       
embodied in the ,anglican liturgy4 ,if  

anyone thinks the language of the       
,anglican ,church doubtful on this      
point1 the principles enunciated by the 
,church compel interpretation in  accord
 with the mind of the universal ,church4
 ,there are other truths  which are     
binding on us on the same basis of      
universal consent1 but ,i am  not       
seeking to apply the principle in every 
case but only to  illustrate it4        
,,ii4 ,there is another class of truths 
or doctrines widely held in             
,christendom1 which yet cannot be       
classed as dogmas of the faith4 ,such a 
doctrine is that of the ,immaculate     
,conception of the ,blessed ,virgin     
,mary4 ,this doctrine has been made of  
faith in the ,roman communion1 but  has 
not yet ecumenical acceptance1 and      
therefore may be doubted without  sin by
 members of the ,greek or ,anglican     
,churches4 ,what we need to avoid1  as  
the ,lambeth ,conference has reminded   
us1 is a purely insular and  provincial 
attitude in relation to doctrines which 

have not been  formally set forth by    
,anglican authority4 ,the ,anglican     
,church has tried  its best to impress  
upon us that there is no such thing as  
an ,anglican  ,religion2 there is but   
one ,religion--the ,religion of ,god's  
,catholic  ,church4 ,what we are to seek
 to know is not the mind of the         
,anglican  reformers1 or the mind of the
 ,caroline divines1 but the mind of the 
,catholic ,church4 ,wherever we shall   
find that mind expressed1 though in     
terms unfamiliar to us1 we are bound to 
treat it with respect4 ,we are to  seek 
to know the truth that the truth may    
make us free--from all pride  and       
prejudice1 as well as from heresy and   
blasphemy4 ,and we shall best  come at  
this mind in its widest meaning by the  
study of the writings of  the saints of 
all ages and of all parts of the        
,church4 ,it may fairly be  inferred    
that those who have attained great      
perfection in the ,catholic  life have  
achieved it by the application of       

,catholic truth to every  day living4   
,,iii4 ,the members of the ,anglican    
,church have the same freedom as other  
,catholics in the matter of theological 
speculation4 ,what was done at the      
,reformation was not final in the sense 
that we are never to believe or  to     
teach anything that is not found in     
,anglican formularies4 ,the fact  that a
 certain doctrine like that of the      
,invocation of ,saints was  omitted from
 the ,anglican formularies is not fatal 
to its practice4 ,the  grounds of its   
omission in practice may or may not have
 been well  judged4 ,but the theory of  
it was never denied1 it is indeed       
contained in  the ,creeds themselves1   
and change in circumstances may justify 
its  revival in practice4    ,moreover1 
the theology of the ,christian ,church  
is not a body of static  doctrine1 but  
is the expression of the ceaseless      
meditation of the  saints upon the      
truths revealed to us by ,god4 ,to      
suppose that any age  whatever has      

exhausted the meaning of the ,revealed  
,truth would be  absurd4 ,it is         
inexhaustible4 ,so long as the mind of  
the ,church is  pondering it1 it brings 
out from it things old and new4 ,among  
ourselves  it is perhaps at present more
 desirable that we should bring out the 
old  things than seek to find the new4  
,the historic circumstances of the      
,anglican ,church have been such as to  
lead to the practical disuse of  much   
that is of great spiritual value in the 
treasury of the ,church4 ,it  is largely
 in the attempt to bring into use the   
riches that have been  abandoned that   
some are to-day incurring the charge of 
disloyalty--a  charge that they are not 
careful to answer1 if they may be       
permitted to  minister to a larger      
spiritual life in the ,church they love4
    ,at the same time the development of
 doctrine is a real mode of  enrichment 
of the theology of the ,church4 ,the    
devout mind pondering  divine truth will
 ever penetrate deeper into its meaning4

 ,thus it was  that in the course of    
centuries the ,church arrived at a      
complete  statement of the doctrine of  
our ,lord's person4 ,and what it could  
rightly do in the supreme case1 it      
surely can rightly do in cases of       
lesser moment4 ,we need not be afraid of
 this movement of thought1 for  the mind
 of the united ,church may be trusted   
not to sanction any error4  ,our ,lord  
has promised that the gates of hell     
shall not prevail against  the ,church4 
,we can trust ,him to fulfil ,his       
promise4 ,he has also promised  us that 
the ,holy ,spirit shall lead us into all
 the truth4 ,can ,he trust  us not to   
thwart the work of the ,spirit by a     
provincial attitude as of  those who    
already in the utterances of the        
,anglican formularies claim to  possess 
all truth8    ,,iv4 ,there is one other 
inference to be drawn from what ,i      
conceive to be  the ,anglican position1 
and that is one that relates1 not       
primarily to  doctrine but to practice4 

,for many years now the ,anglican       
,churches have  been greatly disturbed  
by varieties of practice1 though it is  
difficult  to see why varieties of      
practice should be in themselves        
disturbing4  ,but without going into    
that matter1 which would carry us far   
afield1 ,i  would simply state that the 
principle already laid down in regard to
  doctrine seems to apply here in the   
matter of practice3 that is1 the        
,anglican has the right to use any      
practice which has not been explicitly  
forbidden by the authorities of the     
local ,church4 ,the ,churches of the    
,anglican ,communion have never set     
forth any competent guide for the       
conduct of worship1 and by refraining   
from so doing have left the matter  in  
the hands of those who have to conduct  
services and provide for the  spiritual 
needs of those over whom they have been 
given cure of souls4  ,there is nothing 
more absurd than to assume that nothing 
rightly can be  done in these matters   

except what has been directed by        
authority2 that  no services can be held
 but such as have formal authorization2 
that no  ceremonies can be introduced   
but such as the custom of the time since
  the ,reformation has made familiar to 
many4    ,in such matters authority     
naturally and necessarily goes along    
with the  cure of souls2 the priest of  
the parish must perforce provide for the
  spiritual needs of his parish4 ,if he 
finds those needs satisfied with  the   
rendering of ,morning and ,evening      
,prayer--well and good2 but those  who  
do not find the needs of their parish so
 satisfied must seek to  satisfy them by
 the providing of other spiritual means4
 ,and in seeking  thus to provide for   
the spiritual growth of souls committed 
to his care1  the priest1 on the        
principles of the ,anglican formularies1
 is justified  and entitled to make use 
of the means in use throughout ,catholic
  ,christendom4 ,he is quite justified  
in calling his people together for a    

prayer meeting1 if in his judgment that 
will be for their spiritual  good2 or if
 his judgment is different1 he is       
equally justified in  inviting them to  
join him in saying the rosary4 ,he may  
incite to greater  devotion by a        
shortened form of ,evening ,prayer or by
 popular ,vespers4 ,i  do not think that
 there is anything in the ,christian    
,religion or in the  formularies of the 
,anglican ,church that forbids him to   
have moving  pictures or special musical
 services4 ,nor is there any reason why1
 if it  be in his judgment promotive of 
holiness1 he should not provide for his 
parish such services as ,benediction of 
the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,there can  be 
no legitimate criticism of a service on 
the ground of its  provenance4    ,it is
 a common reproach against the ,anglican
 ,communion that is does not  know its  
own mind4 ,it would be much truer to say
 that there are many  members of it who 
have been at no pains to ascertain      
whether it have a  mind or what that    

mind is3 who have been content to       
confound the mind of  the ,church with  
the mind of the party to which they are 
attached by the  accident of birth or of
 preference4 ,i do not for a moment     
contend that  the party 7to use an ugly 
but necessary word7 to which ,i am      
attached  stands1 in all things1 in     
perfect alignment with the ,anglican    
,formularies4 ,there are circumstances  
in which it appears to me to be         
necessary to appeal from ,anglican      
action to the mind of that larger       
,body1 the whole ,church of ,christ     
throughout the world1 to which the      
,anglican ,church points me as its own  
final authority4 ,in so doing ,i do  not
 feel that ,i am disloyal1 but that ,i  
am actually doing what  authority tells 
me to do4 ,these are cases in point4 ,i 
do not believe  that a local ,church can
 suppress and permanently disuse        
sacraments of  the universal ,church4   
,the ,anglican ,church by its           
suppression of the  sacraments of       

,unction and by its almost universal    
disuse for centuries  of the sacrament  
of ,penance1 compelled those who would  
be loyal to the  ,catholic ,church to   
which it appealed to act on their own   
initiative in  the revival of the use of
 those sacraments4 ,i do not believe    
that the  local ,church has the right or
 the power to forbid or permanently     
disuse  customs which are of universal  
currency in the ,catholic ,church4 ,i do
 not  believe that it has the right to  
neglect and fail to enforce the         
,catholic custom of fasting1 and        
especially of fasting before communion4 
,i do not believe that any ,christian   
who is informed on these things has  the
 right to neglect them on the ground    
that the ,anglican ,church has not      
enforced them4 ,on the basis of its own 
declarations the ecumenical  overrides  
the local2 and if it be said1 ,what is a
 priest1 that he  should undertake to   
set the practice of his ,church right8  
the answer is  that he is a man having  

cure of souls for whose progress in     
holiness he  is responsible before ,god1
 and if those who claim authority in    
such  matters will not act1 he must act1
 though it be at the risk of his        
immortal soul4    ,these things seem to 
be true with the truth of self-evidence4
 ,and  because they seem to be true1 ,i 
have not hesitated to preach1 and now to
  print1 the sermons on the life and    
words of our ,lady contained in this    
volume4 ,i am told by many that such    
teaching is dangerous1 but ,i am not    
told by any of any danger that is       
intelligible to me4 ,that such          
devotions to our ,lady as are here      
commended trench on the prerogative of  
,god1 and exalt our ,lady above the     
place of a creature is sufficiently     
answered by the fact that the very act  
of asking the prayers of ,blessed  ,mary
 is an assertion of her                 
creaturehood--one does not ask the      
prayers  of ,god4 ,and when it is said  
that devotion to her takes away from    

devotion to her ,son1 one has only to   
ask in reply1 who as a matter of  fact  
have maintained and do maintain         
unflinchingly the divinity of our       
,lord8 ,certainly the denials of the    
divinity of our ,lord are found where   
there is also a denial that any honor is
 due or may rightly be given to  ,his   
,blessed ,mother2 and where that ,mother
 receives the highest honor1  there we  
never for a moment doubt that the full  
,godhead of ,jesus will be              
unflinchingly and unhesitatingly        
maintained4         ,wherefore in       
praise1 the worthiest that ,i may1      
,jesu6 of thee1 and the white           
,lily-flower       ,which did thee bear1
 and is a ,maid for aye1       ,to tell 
a story ,i will use my power2       ,not
 that ,i may increase her honour's      
dower1       ,for she herself is honour1
 and the root       ,of goodness1 next  
her ,son1 our soul's best boot4         
,o ,mother ,maid6 ,o ,maid and ,mother  
free6       ,o bush unburnt2 burning in 

,moses' sight6       ,that down didst   
ravish from the ,deity1       ,through  
humbleness1 the spirit that did alight  
,upon thy heart1 whence1 through that   
glory's might1       ,conceived was the 
,father's sapience1       ,help me to   
tell it in thy reverence4         ,lady6
 thy goodness1 thy magnificance1        
,thy virtue1 and thy great humility1    
,surpass all science and all utterance2 
,for sometimes1 ,lady1 ere men pray to  
thee       ,thou goest before in thy    
benignity1       ,the light to us       
vouchsafing of thy prayer1       ,to be 
our guide unto thy ,son so dear4        
,my knowledge is so weak1 ,o blissful   
,queen6       ,to tell abroad thy mighty
 worthiness1       ,that ,i the weight  
of it may not sustain2       ,but as a  
child of twelve months old or less1     
,even so fare ,i2 and therefore1 ,i thee
 pray1       ,guide thou my song which  
,i of thee shall say4         ,chaucer4 
,the ,prioress' ,tale4 ,version by      
,wordsworth4        ,,part ,,one        

,,chapter ,,ii    ,,the ,,meaning ,,of  
,,worship    ,o ,lord ,jesus ,christ1   
from whom all holy thoughts do come2 who
 hast  taught thy servants to honour thy
 glorious mother2 mercifully grant us   
so to celebrate her on earth with the   
solemn sacrifice of praise and  with due
 devotion1 that by her intercession we  
may be found worthy to  reign in joy in 
heaven4 ,who livest c4    ,,sarum       
,,missal4    ,there are thoughts and    
actions which so enter the daily conduct
 of our  lives that we take them for    
granted and never pause to analyse them4
 ,if  perchance something occurs to make
 us ask what these thoughts and  actions
 truly and deeply mean we are surprised 
to find that we have1 in  fact1 no      
adequate understanding of them4 ,we have
 a feeling about them  and we are quite 
sure that this feeling is a good and    
right one4 ,we have  ends that we are   
seeking and we are satisfied that the   
ends are in all  ways desirable4 ,but   
suddenly confronted with the question   

why1  unexpectedly asked to explain1 to 
justify ourselves1 we find ourselves    
dumb4 ,we cannot find adequate          
exposition for what we nevertheless know
  that we are justified in4 ,it is so   
with much that we admire2 we have  never
 tried to justify our admiration1 have  
never thought that it needed  an        
explanation2 and then1 unexpectedly1 we 
find ourselves challenged1 we  find our 
taste criticised1 and in our efforts at 
self-defence we blunder  and stumble and
 hesitate about what we still feel that 
we are quite  right in holding fast4    
,it is common things that we thus take  
for granted2 it is daily  activities    
that we thus assume need no explanation4
 ,for us who  habitually gather to the  
services of the ,church there is no more
  taken-for-granted act than worship4   
,worship is a part of our daily         
experience4 ,at certain times each day  
we offer to ,god stated and formal  acts
 of worship4 ,many times a day most     
likely we pause and for a moment  lift  

our thought to our blessed ,lord for a  
brief communion with ,him4 ,it  is a    
part of our settled experience thus to  
draw strength from the  inexhaustible   
source which at all times is at our     
disposal4 ,we know how  the tasks of the
 day are lightened and our strength to  
meet them renewed  by these momentary   
invasions of the supernatural4 ,there   
are also special  times in each week    
when we meet with other members of the  
,one ,body of  ,christ in the offering  
of the unbloody ,sacrifice4 ,we know    
that in that  act heaven and earth join1
 and that not only our brethren who are 
kneeling beside us are uniting with us  
in the offering of the ,sacrifice1  not 
only are we one with all those other    
members of the ,body who on this  same  
morning are kneeling at the numberless  
altars of ,christendom1 but  that all   
those who are in ,christ are with us    
partakers of the same  ,sacrifice1 and  
that in its offering we are joined with 
all the holy  dead1 and by our partaking

 of ,christ are brought close to one    
another4  ,we therefore lovingly take   
their names upon our lips1 and enkindle 
their  memory in our hearts2 and find   
that death1 which we had thought of as a
  separation1 has but broken the        
barriers to the deepest and most blessed
  communion1 and that we are now1 as    
never before1 united to those whom we   
find in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4       
,and then comes the unexpected          
challenge3 what does all this mean3     
these  repeated and diverse acts that   
you are accustomed to speak of and to   
think of as acts of worship8 ,what1     
ultimately1 do you mean by worship1  and
 can there possibly be found any common 
feature in these so diverse  acts which 
can justify you in regarding them as    
essentially one8 ,this  act which is in 
truth presenting yourself before the    
majesty of ,god in  humble adoration1 in
 the guise of a suppliant child         
depending upon the  love of the ,father 
for the supply of the daily needs2 or   

this other act  which is of such deepest
 mystery that we approach any attempted 
statement of it with awe1 which is in   
fact the representation of the          
sacrifice of ,calvary2 and then these   
invocations by which we ask the  loving 
co-operation of our fellow members of   
,christ that they may  associate        
themselves with us in the work of prayer
 and mutual  intercession--how can all  
these acts be brought together under a  
common  rubric1 how can they all be     
designated as worship8 ,what in fact is 
it  that you mean by worship8    ,so are
 we challenged4 ,so are we thrown back1 
and in the end thrown back  most        
beneficially1 to the analysis of our    
acts4 ,worship1 we tell  ourselves1 is  
worth-ship2 it is the attribution of    
worth or honor to  whom these are       
properly due4 ,honour to whom honour is 
due1 we hear the  ,apostle saying4      
,worship is therefore not an absolute   
value but a varying  value1 the content 
of any act of which will be determined  

by the nature  of the object toward     
which it is directed4 ,it is greatly    
like love in  this respect2 its nature  
is always the same1 but its present     
value is  determined by the object to   
which it is directed4 ,we are to love   
the  ,lord our ,god1 and we are also to 
love our neighbour2 the nature of the   
love is in each case the same2 and yet  
we are not to love our neighbour  with  
the limitless self-surrender with which 
we love ,god4 ,the love of  ,god is the 
passionate giving of ourselves to ,him  
with all our heart and  with all our    
soul and with all our mind and with all 
our strength4 ,the  love of the         
neighbour is measured and restrained1   
having in view his  good that we are    
seeking1 the promotion of his salvation 
as our fellow  member in the ,body of   
,christ4 ,in the same way worship will  
take its  colour1 its significance1 its 
tone1 its intensity1 not from some      
abstract conception1 but from the end it
 seeks4 ,this is made plain1 too1  when 

we look at our ,bibles and ,prayer      
,books for the actual use of the  word4 
,there we find much of the worship of   
,god3 but we also find a  limited use of
 the word4 ,then shalt thou have worship
 in the presence  of them that sit at   
meat with thee4 7,s4 ,luke1 ,,xiv1 #aj47
 ,and in the  marriage service of the   
,english ,prayer ,book we read3 ,with   
this ring ,i  thee wed1 and with my body
 ,i thee worship4 ,the same limited     
content of  the word is found in the old
 title of respect--,your ,worship4      
,but so thoroughly has the word worship 
become associated with our  approach to 
,god1 that we still1 many of us1 no     
doubt1 feel the shock of  the           
unaccustomed when we hear the worship of
 the ,blessed ,virgin or of  the saints 
spoken of4 ,it does not help us much to 
fall back on the ,latin  word1 ,cultus1 
for we understand that the meaning is   
the same4    ,we are helped1 ,i think1  
if we substitute the parallel word      
honour for  worship in the places of its

 use4 ,we meet in the ,church to honour 
,god1  and we offer the ,blessed        
,sacrifice as the act of supreme honour 
which is  due to ,him alone2 but in     
connection with the supreme honour      
offered to  ,god we also honour the     
saints of ,god by the observance of     
their  anniversaries with special       
services including the ,holy ,sacrifice4
 ,the  word honour does not sound so ill
 to ears unaccustomed to a certain type 
of ,catholic expression as the word     
worship3 but the meaning is  untouched4 
,let us go on then to the analysis of   
the notion of worship4 ,in the  writings
 of theologians we find an analysis of  
the notion of worship  into three       
degrees4 ,there is1 first of all1 that  
supreme degree of  worship which is     
called latria and which is the worship  
due to ,god  alone4 ,if we ask what     
essentially it is that differentiates   
latria  from all other degrees of       
worship or honour we find that it is the
  element of sacrifice that it contains4

 ,sacrifice is the supreme act of       
self-surrender to another1 of utter     
self-immolation1 and it can have no     
other legitimate object than ,god       
,himself4 ,the central notion of        
sacrifice is the surrender of self4 ,the
 sacrifices of the ,old ,covenant  were 
of value because they were the          
representatives of the nation and of    
the individuals who offered them2       
because of the self-identification of   
nation or individual with the thing     
offered1 which must therefore be in     
some sense the offerer's1 must1 so to   
say1 contain him3 must be that  in which
 he merges himself4 ,so the one         
,sacrifice of the ,new ,covenant  gets  
its essential value in that it is the   
surrender of the ,son to the  will of   
the ,father4 ,i am come to do ,thy will1
 ,o ,god4 ,christ's  sacrifice is       
self-sacrifice3 the voluntary surrender 
of the whole life  to the divine        
purpose4    ,and when we actually       
worship ,god1 worship ,him with the     

worship of  latria1 our act must be of  
the same essential nature2 it must be an
  act of sacrifice1 of self-giving2 the 
offering of ourselves to the will  of   
the ,father4 ,so it is in our           
participation in the offering of the    
,blessed ,sacrifice4 ,the full meaning  
of our joining in that act is that  we  
are uniting ourselves with our ,lord's  
offering of ,himself1 and as  members of
 ,his ,body share in the sacrifice of   
the ,body which is the  supreme act of  
worship4 ,and our other acts of worship 
lay hold on and  proceed from this which
 is the ground of their efficacy4 ,all  
our  subordinate acts of worship1 so to 
call them1 have their character and     
vitality as ,christian acts of the      
worship of ,god because of the relation 
of the worshipper to ,god as a member of
 the ,body of ,his ,son4 ,they are      
offered through the ,son and derive     
their potency from their association    
with ,him and ,his sacrifice4 ,they     
reach ,god through the sacrifice of the 

,one ,mediator4    ,worship1 then1 in   
this complete sense1 is due to ,god     
alone2 and it is  separated by a whole  
heaven from any worship1 that is1       
honour1 which can  be offered to any    
creature1 however exalted4 ,no          
instructed person would  for a moment   
imagine that the prayers which we       
address to the saints are  in any degree
 such worship as is offered to ,god2 but
 in as much as those  who are unfamiliar
 with the forms of the ,catholic        
,religion in its  devotional expression 
may easily be led astray1 it seems      
needful to  stress this fact of the     
difference between simple petition and  
such  acts and prayers as involve the   
highest degree of worship4    ,one of   
the chief sources of confusion in this  
matter is the failure to  distinguish   
between the nature of the act of        
worship1 which is  determined by the    
person to whom it is directed1 and the  
mere adjuncts  of the act4 ,but an act  
of latria is not constituted such by the

 fact  that it is aided in its          
expression by such circumstances as     
banners1  lights1 incense and so on4    
,these are quite appropriate to any act 
of  honour1 and have been customarily so
 used in relation to human beings4      
,there was a certain hesitation in the  
,church for some time in the matter  of 
incense which under the older ,covenant 
had been especially  appropriated to    
,god1 because in the experience of the  
early ,church it  was demanded1 and     
necessarily refused1 as an              
acknowledgment of the  divinity of the  
,emperor4 ,but with the passing of the  
pagan empire  incense as the universal  
symbol of prayer came into use in all   
manner of  services wherein intercession
 was a part4    ,such adjuncts therefore
 are not foreign to those subordinate   
acts of  worship or honour which are    
technically known as dulia4 ,dulia--this
  word means service--is such honour as 
may be rightly rendered to  creatures   
without at all encroaching upon the     

majesty of ,god4 ,it is  that degree of 
worship that we have in mind when we    
speak of the  worship of the saints4    
,that dulia of the saints is expressed  
when we  ask for the intercession of    
this or that saint1 and is not          
essentially  different from the asking  
for the prayers of any other human      
beings4 ,we  commonly ask for one       
another's prayers and feel that in doing
 so we are  exercising our brotherhood  
in the ,body of ,christ in calling into 
action  its mutual love and sympathy4   
,we should be beyond measure astonished 
if  we were told that such requests for 
the prayers of our brethren were        
encroachments upon the honour of ,god   
and the sin of idolatry6 ,but if in     
this case our surprise is justified1 it 
is difficult to see how the case  is at 
all altered by the fact that the fellow 
members of the ,body whose  prayers we  
are asking happen to be dead1 that is1  
as we believe and  imply in our request 
for their intercession1 have passed into

 a new and  closer relation to our      
,blessed ,lord4 ,nor1 again1 does the   
case seem to  be at all altered1 if the 
brother whose prayers we ask has been   
dead a  long time1 and has1 by the      
common consent of ,catholic             
,christendom1 been  received into the   
number of the saints4 ,the ways in which
 the human mind  works under the        
influence of prejudice are always       
interesting4 ,there are  many devout    
persons who feel that it is a valuable  
element in their  religion to have the  
privilege of following the ,kalendar of 
the ,church  and to keep the saints'    
days therein indicated by attendance at 
divine  service2 who yet would be       
horrified if it were suggested that a   
prayer  should be offered to the saint  
whose day is being observed1 and that   
the  saint should be made the object of 
an act of worship4 ,but what            
essentially is the keeping of a saint's 
day1 with a celebration of the  ,holy   
,communion with special collect1 epistle

 and gospel1 but an act of  worship     
7dulia7 of the saint8 ,the nature of the
 act would be in no way  changed if in  
addition to our accustomed collects     
there were added one  which plainly     
asked for the prayers of the saint in   
whose honour we are  keeping the feast4 
,in the worship of the ,church of ,god a
 place apart is assigned to the  honour 
to be paid to the blessed ,mother of our
 ,lord4 ,as the highest of  all         
creatures1 as highly favoured above all1
 as she whom ,god chose to be  the      
,mother of ,his ,son1 the devout thought
 of generations of ,christians  has felt
 that their recognition of her relation 
to ,god in the  ,incarnation called for 
a special degree of honour rightly to   
express it4  ,the thought of the        
faithful lingers about all that was in  
any degree  associated with the coming  
of ,god in the flesh3 so great was the  
deliverance thereby wrought for man that
 man's gratitude ever seeks new  means  
of expression and ever finds the means  

inadequate to his love4  ,many of the   
expressions that are found in devotional
 writers associated  with the cultus of 
the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary are an       
outcome of this  attitude of mind4 ,to  
those who are unused to them they seem  
exaggerated2  in the vast mass of the   
devotional writings of ,catholic        
,christendom  there is no difficulty in 
finding expressions which are           
exaggerated2  but it is well to remember
 when thinking of this that the         
exaggeration  is the exaggeration of    
love4 ,the tendency of love is to       
exaggerate the  forms of its expression4
 ,it is1 however1 we feel on reflection1
 an error  to judge by the exaggeration 
rather than by the love4 ,it is perhaps 
well  to ask ourselves whether we are   
saved from exaggeration by greater      
sanity or by lesser love4    ,but       
exaggeration apart1 this feeling of the 
unique position of the  blessed ,mother 
in relation to the ,incarnate ,son1 as  
calling forth a  special honour for her 

is embodied in the designation of the   
honour to  be rendered her as           
hyperdulia--a specially devoted service4
 ,it is  hardly necessary after what has
 been said to point out that even here  
in  the highest honour rendered to any  
saint there is no passing of the        
infinite gulf which separates ,creator  
from creature1 any infringement  upon   
the honour of ,god4 ,no ,catholic could 
dream that blessed ,mary would  be in   
any wise honoured by the attribution to 
her of what belongs to her  ,son4 ,these
 are no doubt commonplaces1 but it is   
better to be commonplace  than to be    
misunderstood4 ,the intercession that is
 asked of the blessed  ,mother is the   
intercession of one who by ,god's       
election is more closely  associated    
with ,god than any other human being is 
or can be4 ,her power  of prayer is felt
 to proceed from the depth of her       
sanctity2 from1 in  other words1 the    
perfection of her relation to her       
blessed ,son ,who is  the only ,mediator

 and the ,saviour of us all4    ,let me 
say in conclusion that this giving of   
honour to our ,lord1 and to  all ,his   
saints as united to ,him1 and the       
celebration of their days  according to 
the ,church's year1 and the asking of   
the help of their  intercession in all  
the needs of our lives1 is not simply a 
thing to be  tolerated in those who are 
inclined to it1 is not simply a         
privilege  which we are entitled to if  
we care for it1 but is a duty which all 
,christians ought to fulfil because     
otherwise they are failing to make  real
 to them a very important article of the
 ,christian ,creed4 ,the  ,communion of 
,saints1 like all other articles of the 
,creed1 needs to be  put into active    
use1 and will be when we believe it as  
distinguished  from assent to it4 ,when 
we believe that all who live unto ,god  
in the  ,body of ,his dear ,son are     
inspired with active love one toward    
another1  we shall ourselves feel the   
impulse of that love1 and be compelled  

both  to seek an outlet for it toward   
all other members of the ,body1 and also
  will equally feel compelled to seek   
our own share in the action of that     
love by asking for the prayers of the   
saints for ourselves and for all  in    
whom we are interested4 ,then will we   
find in the worship of the  saints one  
great means whereby we can worship the  
,god of the saints by  the devout       
recognition of the greatness of ,his    
work in them1 ,may ,god be  praised and 
glorified in all ,his saints4         ,o
 ,virgin ,mother1 daughter of thy ,son1 
,lowly1 and higher than all creatures   
raised1         ,term by eternal council
 fixed upon1       ,thou art she who    
didst ennoble man1         ,that even   
,he who had created him         ,to be  
,himself ,his creature disdained not4   
,within thy womb rekindled was the love1
         ,by virtue of whose heat this  
flower thus         ,is blossoming in   
the eternal peace4       ,here thou art 
unto us a noon-day torch         ,of    

charity1 and among mortal men           
,below1 thou art a living fount of hope4
       ,lady1 thou art so great and so  
prevailest1         ,that who seeks     
grace without recourse to thee1         
,would have his wish fly upward without 
wings4       ,thy loving-kindness       
succors not alone         ,him who is   
seeking it1 but many times              
,freely anticipates the very prayer4    
,in thee is mercy1 pity is in thee1     
,in thee magnificence1 whatever good    
,is in created being joins in thee4     
,dante1 ,par4 ,,xxxiii1 #a-ba4 7,trans4 
,h4 ,johnson47        ,,part ,,two      
,,chapter ,i    ,,mary ,,of ,,nazareth  
,mary1 of whom was born ,jesus4         
,s4 ,matt4 ,i4 #af4    ,my ,maker and   
,redeemer1 ,christ the ,lord1 ,o        
,immaculate1 coming forth from  thy     
womb1 having taken my nature upon him1  
hath delivered ,adam from the  primal   
curse2 wherefore1 to thee1 ,immaculate1 
the ,mother of ,god and  ,virgin in very
 sooth1 we cry aloud unceasingly the    

,ave of the ,angel1  ,hail1 ,o ,lady1   
protection and shelter and salvation of 
our souls6    ,,byzantine4    ,the      
silences of the ,holy ,scriptures have  
always provoked speculation as  to what 
is left untold4 ,the devout imagination 
has played about the  hints we receive  
and woven them into stories which far   
outrun any true  implication of the     
facts4 ,thus has much legendary matter  
gathered about  the childhood of our    
,lord1 containing the stories1 not      
always very  edifying according to our  
taste1 which are set down in the        
,apocryphal  ,gospels4 ,the same        
eagerness to know more than we are told 
has produced  the developed legend of   
the childhood of our ,lady4 ,we can of  
course  place no reliance on most of the
 statements that are there made2 perhaps
  the most that we can lay hold of is   
the fact that ,s4 ,mary's father was    
,joachim and her mother ,anna4 ,the rest
 may be left to silence4    ,but if the 
facts of the external life of ,mary of  

,nazareth cannot be  hoped for1 certain 
general truths evidently follow from    
,god's plan for  her and from her       
relation to our ,blessed ,lord4 ,there  
are certain  inferences from her        
vocation which are irresistible and     
which the  theologians of the ,church   
did not fail to make as they thought of 
her  function in relation to the        
,incarnation4 ,we know that the work of 
,redemption by which it was ,god's      
purpose to lead back a sinful world to  
,himself was a purpose that worked from 
the very beginning of man's fatal       
separation from the source of his life  
and happiness4 ,the essential  meaning  
of ,holy ,scripture is that it is a     
history of the origin of ,god's  purpose
 and of ,his bringing it to a successful
 issue in the mission of  our ,lord4 ,in
 the ,scriptures we are permitted to see
 the unfolding of the  divine purpose   
and the preparation of the instruments  
by which the  purpose is to be effected4
 ,we see the divine will struggling with

 the  human will1 and in appearance     
baffled again and again by the          
selfishness  and the stupidity of man4  
,we see too that the divine will is in  
the long  run successful in securing a  
point of action in humanity1 in winning 
the  allegiance of men of good will to  
co-operation with the purpose of ,god4  
,we see spiritual ideals assimilated1   
and sympathy with the work of ,god      
generated1 until we feel that that work 
has gained a firm and enduring  ground  
in humanity from which it can act4 ,god 
is able to consummate ,his  purpose1 and
 men begin to understand in some measure
 the nature of the  future deliverance  
and to look forward to the coming of    
,one ,who should  be the embodiment of  
the divine action and the               
,representative of ,god  ,himself with a
 completeness which no previous         
messenger of ,god had  ever attained4   
,it we would understand the ,old        
,testament we must find that its        
intimate  note is preparation1 just as  

the intimate note of the ,new ,testament
 is  accomplishment4 ,god is working to 
a foreseen end1 and is working as fast  
as men will consent to co-operate and   
become the instruments of ,his  purpose4
 ,the purpose is not one that can be    
achieved by the exercise of  power2 it  
is a purpose of love and can be effected
 only through  co-operating love4 ,and  
as we watch the final unfolding of that 
purpose  in the ,incarnation of ,god1 we
 more and more become conscious of the  
preparation of all the instruments of   
the purpose which are working in        
harmony for the revelation of the       
meaning of ,god4    ,of all the         
instruments of this divine purpose1 one 
figure has  preeminently fascinated the 
devout imagination because of her unique
  beauty1 and has been the object of    
profound speculation because of the     
intimacy of her relation to ,god1--,mary
 of ,nazareth4 ,the vocabulary of  love 
and reverence has exhausted itself in   
the attempt to express our  estimate of 

her4 ,the literature of ,mariology is   
immense4 ,and no one who  has at all    
entered into the meaning of the         
,incarnation1 of what is  involved in   
eternal ,god taking human flesh1 can    
wonder at this4 ,here at  the crisis of 
the divine redeeming action1 when the   
crowning mystery  which angels desire to
 look into is being accomplished1 we    
find the  figure of a village maiden of 
,israel as the surprising instrument of 
the  advent of ,god4 ,we wonder3 and we 
instinctively feel1 that as all the     
other steps and instruments in ,god's   
redemption of man had from the          
beginning been carefully prepared1 so   
shall we find preparation here4 ,we     
understand that as ,god could not come  
in the flesh at any time1 but only  when
 the fulness of time had come2 so ,he   
could not come of any woman1  but only  
of such an one as ,he had prepared to be
 the instrument of ,his  ,incarnation4  
,it is involved in the very intimacy of 
the relation which exists  between our  

,lord and ,his blessed ,mother that she 
should be unique in the  human race4 ,we
 feel that we are right in saying that  
the ,incarnation  which waited for the  
preparation of the world socially and   
spiritually1  must also be thought of as
 waiting for the coming of the woman who
 would  so completely surrender herself 
to the divine will that in her obedience
  could be founded the antidote to the  
disobedience which was founded in  ,eve4
 ,the race waited for the coming of the 
new mother who should be the  instrument
 in the abolishing of the evil of which 
the first mother was  the instrument4   
,and from the very beginning of the     
thought of the ,church  about blessed   
,mary there was no doubt that it was    
implied in her office  in bearing the   
,god-,man that she should be without    
sin--sinless in the  sense of never     
having in any least degree consented to 
evil the thought  of the ,church has    
ever held her to be4 ,it was held       
incredible that she  who by ,god's      

election bore in the sanctuary of her   
womb during the  months of her          
child-bearing ,him who was ,lord and    
,creator and was come to  save the world
 from all the stain and penalty of sin  
should herself be a  sinner4 ,without   
actual sin1 therefore1 was ,mary held to
 be from the time  that the thought of  
the ,church was turned upon her relation
 to our  ,blessed ,lord#f4    ,footnote 
#f3 ,it is true that a few writers among
 the ,fathers see in  blessed ,mary     
traces of venial sin2 who think of her  
intervention at ,cana  as presumptuous  
c4 ,but such notices are not of         
sufficient frequency or  importance to  
break the general tradition4    ,for    
some time this seemed enough4 ,it was   
not felt that any further  thought about
 her sinlessness was needed4 ,but as the
 uniqueness of ,mary  forced itself more
 and more upon the brooding thought of  
theologians and  saints they were       
compelled to face the fact that her     
freedom from actual  sin was not a full 

appreciation of her purity1 was not an  
exhaustive  treatment of her relation to
 our ,lord4 ,the doctrine of the nature 
of sin  itself had been becoming clearer
 to the minds of ,christian thinkers4   
,all  men are conceived and born in sin1
 it was seen4 ,after ,s4 ,paul's        
teaching1 the problem of sin was not the
 problem of sins but the  problem of    
sinfulness4 ,the matter could not be    
left with the statement  that all men do
 sin2 the reason of their sinning must  
be traced out4 ,and  it was traced out1 
under ,s4 ,paul's guidance1 to a ground 
of sin in  nature itself1 to a defect in
 man as he is born into the world4 ,he  
does  not become a sinner when he       
commits his first sin3 he is born a     
sinner4  ,in other words1 the problem of
 man's sinfulness is the problem of     
original sin4    ,what then do we mean  
by original sin8 ,briefly1 we mean this4
 ,at his  creation man was not only     
created innocent1 but he was created in 
union  with ,god1 a union which         

conferred on him many supernatural      
gifts1 gifts1  that is1 which were not a
 part of his nature1 but were in the way
 of an  addition to his nature4 ,by     
created nature man is endowed with moral
  sense1 and is thus made responsible   
for righteousness2 but he is unequal  to
 its fulfilment4 ,the all-righteous     
,creator could be trusted to  complete  
,his work4 ,he endowed primitive man    
with superadded gifts of  grace1        
especially the supernatural gift1 donum 
supernaturale1 of the  ,holy ,spirit#g4 
,footnote #g3 ,hall1 ,dogmatic          
,theology1 ,v1 #bfc4    ,our purpose    
does not require us further to          
particularize these gifts and  our time 
does not permit it4 ,we are concerned   
with this3 the effect of  man's sin was1
 what the effect of sin always is1 to   
separate man from  ,god4 ,to sin1 man   
has to put his will in opposition to the
 will of ,god4  ,this our first parents 
did2 and the result of their act was the
  destruction of their union with ,god  

and the loss of their supernatural      
endowments4 ,they lapsed into a state of
 nature1 only it was a state in  which  
they had forfeited what had been        
conferred upon them at their  creation4 
,this state of man1 with only his       
natural endowments1 is the  state into  
which all men1 the descendants of ,adam1
 have been born4 ,this  is the state of 
original sin4 ,original sin means in    
,catholic theology a  state inherited   
from our first human parents in which we
 are deprived of  the supernatural grace
 and original righteousness with which  
they were  endowed before they sinned1  
and are naturally prone to sin4 7,hall1 
,dogmatic ,theology1 ,vol4 ,v1 p4 #bha47
 ,we can state the same fact  otherwise1
 and more simply for our present        
purposes1 by saying that by  sin was    
forfeited the grace of union or         
sanctifying grace2 and when we  say that
 a child is born in sin we mean that it 
is born out of union  with ,god1 or     
without the supernatural gift of        

sanctifying grace4 ,you  will note here 
no implication of original sin as an    
active poison handed  on from generation
 to generation4 ,it will be important to
 remember this  presently4    ,when1    
therefore1 the thought of the ,church   
began to follow out what was  involved  
in its belief in the actual sinlessness 
of blessed ,mary1 in its  holding to the
 fact that her relation to ,god was of  
such a close and  indeed unique         
character that her actual sinfulness    
would be  incomprehensible2 it was at   
length compelled to ask1 ,what1 in that 
case  are we to think of original sin8  
,if the first ,eve was created in       
innocence and endowed with supernatural 
gifts1 are we to think that she  whom   
the ,fathers of the ,church from the    
earliest times have constantly  called  
the second ,eve1 she whom ,god chose to 
be the ,mother of ,his ,son1  should be 
less endowed8 ,is it a fact any more    
conceivable that the  virgin ,mother of 
,god should be born in original sin than

 that she should  be the victim of      
actual sin8 ,if by the special grace of 
,god she was kept  from sin from the    
time that she was able to know good and 
evil1 is it  not probable that the      
freedom from sin goes further back than 
that1 and  is a freedom from original as
 well as from actual sin8 ,what is the  
meaning of the ,angelic ,salutation1    
,hail1 thou that art full of  grace1    
unless it refer to a superadded grace1  
to such donum  supernaturale as the     
first ,eve received8 ,there is indeed no
 precedent  to guide in the case3 the   
prophet ,jeremiah and ,s4 ,john ,baptist
 had been  preserved from sin from the  
womb1 but this did not involve freedom  
from  original sin4 ,still the fact that
 there was no precedent was not in      
anywise fatal2 the point of the         
situation was just that there was no    
precedent for the relation to ,god into 
which ,blessed ,mary had been  called4  
,it was precisely this uniqueness of    
vocation which was leading  theological 

thought to the conclusion of the        
uniqueness of her  privilege3 and this  
uniqueness of privilege seemed to call  
for nothing  less than an exemption from
 sin in any and all forms4 ,so a belief 
in the  ,immaculate ,conception grew up 
despite a good deal of opposition while 
its implications were being thought out1
 but was found more and more  congenial 
to the mind of the ,church4 ,she whose  
wonderful title for  centuries had been 
,mother of ,god could never at any      
moment of her  existence have been      
separate from ,god4 ,she must1 so it was
 felt1 have  been united to ,god from   
the very first moment of her existence4 
,but what does this exemption from the  
common lot of men actually mean8 ,i     
think that the simplest way of getting  
at it is to ask ourselves what it  is   
that happens to a child at baptism4     
,every human child that is born  into   
the world is born in original sin1 that 
is1 is born out of union  with ,god1    
without sanctifying grace4 ,it is then  

brought to the font and  by baptism     
regenerated1 born again1 put in a       
relation to ,god that we  describe as   
union1 made a partaker of the divine    
nature4 ,this varying  description of   
the effect of baptism means that the    
soul of the child  has become a partaker
 of sanctifying grace1 the grace of     
union with ,god4  ,original sin1 we say1
 is forgiven3 that is1 the soul is      
placed in the  relation to ,god that it 
would have had had sin not come into    
existence1  save that there remains a   
certain weakness of nature due to its   
sinful  heredity4 ,this that happens to 
children when they are baptised is what 
is held to have happened to ,blessed    
,mary at her creation4 ,her soul        
instead of being restored to ,god by    
grace after her birth1 was by ,god's    
special grace or favour created in union
 with ,him1 and in that union  always   
continued4 ,the uniqueness of ,s4       
,mary's privilege was that she  never   
had to be restored to union with ,god   

because from the moment of  her         
existence she had been one with ,him4   
,this would have been the common  lot of
 all men if sin had not come into the   
world4    ,in view of much criticism of 
this belief it is perhaps necessary to  
emphasize the fact that a belief in     
,mary's exemption from original sin     
does not imply a belief that she was    
exempt from the need of redemption4     
,she is a creature of ,god1 only the    
highest of ,his creatures3 and like  all
 human beings she needed to be redeemed 
by the ,blood of ,christ4 ,the          
privileges which are our ,lord's        
,mother's1 are her's through the        
foreseen  merits of her ,son--she1 as   
all others1 is redeemed by the sacrifice
 and  death of ,christ4 ,there is in the
 doctrine of the ,immaculate ,conception
  no shadow of encroachment on the      
doctrine of universal redemption in     
,christ2 there is simply the belief that
 for the merits of the ,son the  ,mother
 was spared any moment of separation    

from the ,father4    ,it will1 of       
course1 be said that this doctrine is   
but the relatively  late and newly      
formulated doctrine of the ,latin       
,church and is of no  obligation        
elsewhere2 that we are in no wise bound 
to receive it4 ,in  regard to which     
there are one or two things to be said4 
,that we are not  formally bound to     
believe a doctrine is not at all the    
same thing as to  say that we are       
formally bound not to believe it4 ,i am 
afraid that the  latter is a not        
uncommon attitude4 ,there is no         
obligation upon us to  disbelieve the   
,immaculate ,conception of blessed      
,mary2 there is an  obligation upon us  
to understand it and to appreciate its  
meaning and  value4 ,we must remember   
that a doctrine that is not embodied in 
our  ,creed may nevertheless have the   
authority of the ,church back of it4    
,the  doctrine of the ,real ,presence is
 not stated in the ,creed2 yet it is and
  always has been the teaching of the   

,church everywhere in all its           
liturgies4 ,though any particular       
statement of the ,real ,presence is not 
binding1 the fact itself is binding on  
all ,christians1 and may not  be        
doubted4    ,in much the same way it    
will be found that theological doctrines
 of  relatively late creedal formulation
 yet have behind the formulation a  long
 history of actual acceptance in the    
teaching of the ,church4 ,they  are     
theologically certain long before they  
are embodied in authoritative  formulae4
 ,what the individual ,christian has to 
do is to try to  assimilate the meaning 
of theological teaching and to find a   
place for  it in his devotional practice
 and experience4 ,his best attitude is  
not  one of doubt and scepticism1 but of
 meditation and experiment4 ,it is      
through this latter attitude that each  
one is helping to form the mind  of the 
,church1 and aiding its progressive     
appreciation of  revealed truth4    ,i  
do not see how any one who has entered  

into the meaning of the  ,incarnation   
can feel otherwise than that the        
uniqueness of the event  carries with it
 the uniqueness of the instrument4 ,it  
can of course be  said that truth is not
 a matter of feeling but of revelation4 
,but is it  not true that ,god reveals  
,himself in many ways1 and that our     
feelings as  well as our intellects are 
involved in our perception of the truth 
revealed8 ,do we not often feel that    
something must be true far in  advance  
of our ability to prove it so8 ,and in  
truths of a certain order  is there not 
an intuitive perception1 a perception   
growing out of a  sense of fitness1 of  
congruity1 which outruns the slow       
advance of the  intellect8 ,love and    
sympathy often far outrun intellectual  
process4 ,this  is not to say that      
feeling is all2 that a sense of fitness 
and  conformity is a sufficient basis of
 doctrine4 ,there is always need of  the
 verification of the conclusions of the 
affections by the intellect2  and the   

intellect in the last resort will have  
to be the  determining factor4    ,and  
,i think it can be said without         
hesitation that the intellectual work   
of theological students has quite       
justified the course that the           
affections of ,christendom have taken in
 their spontaneous appreciation  of     
,mary1 the ,ever-,virgin ,mother of ,our
 ,lord4 ,what the heart of  ,christendom
 has discovered1 the mind of            
,christendom has justified4 ,but  here  
more than in any other doctrinal        
development it is love that has  led the
 way1 often with an eagerness1 an lan1  
with which theology has  found it       
difficult to keep up4    ,and as we     
to-day try to appreciate the place of   
,blessed ,mary in the life  of the      
,church of ,god must we not feel it to  
be our misfortune that our  past has    
been so wrapped in clouds of controversy
 that we have been  unable to see her   
meaning at all clearly8 ,must we not    
feel deep sadness  at the thought that  

the very mention of ,mary's name1 so    
often stirs1 not  love and gratitude1   
but the spirit of suspicion and dislike8
 ,we no doubt  have passed beyond such  
feelings1 but the traces of their evil  
work  through the centuries still       
persist4 ,they persist in certain       
feelings of  reserve and hesitation when
 we find that our convictions are       
leading us  to the adoption of the      
attitude toward her which is the common 
attitude  of all ,catholicity1 both     
,east and ,west4 ,when we feel that the 
time has  actually come to abandon the  
narrowness and barrenness of devotional 
practice which is a part of our         
tradition1 we nevertheless feel as      
though we were launching out on strange 
seas and that our next sight of  land   
might be of strange regions where we    
should not feel at home4 ,if  such be   
our instinctive attitude1 it is well to 
remember that progress1  spiritual as   
well as other1 is conquest of the 7to   
us7 new2 but that the  acquisition of   

the new does not necessarily mean the   
abandonment of the  old4 ,we shall in   
fact lose nothing of our hold on the    
unique work of our  ,lord because we    
recognise that ,his ,blessed ,mother's  
association with it  implies a certain  
preparation on her part1 a certain      
uniqueness of  privilege4 ,there is one 
,god1 and one ,mediator between ,god and
 man1 the  ,man ,christ ,jesus2 and all 
who come to ,god1 come through ,him4    
,but they  come also in the unity of the
 ,body of many members and of many      
offices4  ,and the office of her who in 
,god's providence was called to be the  
,mother of the ,incarnate is surely as  
unique as is her vocation4 ,she  surely 
is entitled to receive from us the deep 
affection of our hearts  and the highest
 honour that may be given to any        
creature4           ,,the ,,garland ,,of
 ,,the ,,blessed ,,virgin ,,marie4      
,here are five letters in this blessed  
name1       ,which1 changed1 a five-fold
 mystery design1       ,the ,m the      

,myrtle1 ,a the ,almonds claim1       ,r
 ,rose1 ,i ,ivy1 ,e sweet ,eglantine4   
,these form thy garland1 when of ,myrtle
 green       ,the gladdest ground to all
 the numbered five1       ,is so implexd
 fine and laid in1 between1       ,as   
love here studied to keep grace alive4  
,thy second string is the sweet ,almond 
bloom       ,mounted high upon ,selines'
 crest3       ,as it alone 7and only it7
 had room1       ,to knit thy crown1 and
 glorify the rest4         ,the third is
 from the garden culled1 the ,rose1     
,the eye of flowers1 worthy for her     
scent1       ,to top the fairest lily   
now1 that grows       ,with wonder on   
the thorny regiment4         ,the fourth
 is the humble ,ivy intersert       ,but
 lowly laid1 as on the earth asleep1    
,preserved in her antique bed of vert1  
,no faiths more firm or flat1 then1     
where't doth creep4         ,but that1  
which sums all1 is the ,eglantine1      
,which of the field is cleped the       
sweetest briar1       ,inflamed with    

ardour to that mystic shine1       ,in  
,moses' bush unwasted in the fire4      
,thus love1 and hope1 and burning       
charity1       7,divinest graces7 are so
 intermixt       ,with odorous sweets   
and soft humility1       ,as if they    
adored the head1 whereon they are fixed4
        ,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,ii  
,,the ,,annunciation ,i         ,and the
 angel came in unto her1 and said1      
,hail1 thou that art       highly       
favoured1 the ,lord is with thee2       
blessed art thou       among women4     
,s4 ,luke1 ,i4 #bh    ,oh ,god1 whose   
will it was that thy ,word should take  
flesh1 at the  message of the ,angel1 in
 the womb of the blessed ,virgin ,mary1 
grant to  us thy suppliants that1 we who
 believe her to be truly the ,mother of 
,god1 may be assisted by her            
intercession with thee4 ,through c4     
,,roman4    ,when we attempt to         
reconstruct imaginatively any scene of  
,holy  ,scripture it is almost          
inevitable that we see it through the   

eyes of  some great artist of the past4 
,the ,crucifixion comes to us as ,drer  
or  ,guido ,reni saw it2 the            
,presentation or the ,visitation        
presents itself to  us in terms of the  
imagination of ,raphael2 we see the     
,nativity as a  composition of          
,corregio4 ,so the ,annunciation rises  
before us when we  close our eyes and   
attempt to make the composition of place
 in a  familiar grouping of the actors3 
a startled maiden who has arisen        
hurriedly from work or prayer1 looking  
with wonder at the apparition of  an    
angel who has all the eagerness of one  
who has come hastily upon an  urgent    
mission4 ,the surroundings differ1 but  
artists of the ,renaissance  like to    
think of a sumptuous background as a    
worthy setting for so  great an event4  
,we keep close to the meaning of        
,scripture if we set the ,annunciation  
in  a room in a cottage of a            
,palestinian working man4 ,and ,i like  
to think of  ,s4 ,mary at her accustomed

 work when ,gabriel appeared1 not with a
 rush of  wings1 but as a silent and    
hardly felt presence standing before her
 whom  the ,lord has chosen to be the   
instrument of ,his coming4 ,wonder there
  would have been1 the kind of          
awe-struck wonder with which the        
supernatural always fills men2 and yet  
only for a moment1 for how could  she   
who was daily living so close to ,god   
fear the messenger of ,god8 ,the        
thought of angels and divine messengers 
would be wholly familiar to her4  ,they 
had been the frequent agents of ,god in 
many a crisis of her  people's history1 
and appeared again and again in the     
story of her  ancestors on whose details
 she had often meditated4 ,yet in her   
humility  she could but think it strange
 that an angel should have any message  
to  bear to her4    ,it is a striking   
enough scene1 as the artists have felt  
when they tried  to put it before us4   
,but no artist has ever been able to go 
below the  surface and by any hint lead 

us to an appreciation of the vast       
implications of the moment4 ,this moment
 of the ,annunciation is in fact  the   
central moment of the world's history4  
,no moment before or since has  equalled
 it in its unspeakable wonder1 in its   
revelation of the meaning  of ,god4 ,not
 the moment of the creation when all the
 ,sons of ,god sang  together at the    
vision of the unfolding purpose of ,god2
 not the morning  of the ,resurrection  
when the empty tomb told of the         
accomplished  overthrow of death and    
hell4 ,this is the moment toward which  
all  preceding time had moved1 and to   
which all succeeding ages will look     
back--the moment of the ,incarnation of 
,god4    ,it is well to ask ourselves at
 this point what the ,incarnation means1
  because our estimate of ,blessed ,mary
 as the chosen instrument of ,god's     
grace will be influenced by our estimate
 of that which she was chosen to  do4   
,one feels the failure to grasp her     
position in the work of our  redemption 

often displays a weak hold upon that    
which is the very heart  of ,god's      
work--the fact of ,god made man4 ,the   
moment of the ,annunciation  is the     
moment of the ,incarnation3 ,god in ,his
 infinite love for mankind  is sending  
forth ,his ,son to be born of a woman in
 the likeness of our  flesh4 ,god the   
,son1 the second ,person of the ever    
adorable ,trinity1 is  entering the womb
 of this maiden1 there to wrap ,himself 
in her flesh and  to pass through the   
common course of a human child's        
development till ,he  shall reach the   
hour of the ,nativity4 ,when we try to  
grasp the reach of  the divine ,love1   
its depth1 its self-forgetfulness1 we   
must stand in the  cottage in ,nazareth 
and hear the angelic salutation4 ,and   
then surely our  own hearts cannot fail 
to respond to the revelation of the     
divine love2  and something of our love 
that goes out to our hidden ,lord1 goes 
out too  to the maiden-mother who so    
willingly became ,god's instrument in   

,his  work for our redemption4 ,in      
imagination ,i see ,s4 ,gabriel kneeling
 before  her who has become a living    
,tabernacle of ,god ,most ,high1 and    
repeating  his ,hail1 thou that art     
highly favoured1 with the deepest       
reverence4    ,hail1 thou that art full 
of grace4 ,we linger over this ,ave of  
,s4  ,gabriel1 and often it rises to our
 lips4 ,perhaps it is with ,s4 ,luke's  
narrative1 almost naked in its          
simplicity1 in our hands as we try once 
more to push our thought deep into the  
meaning of the scene1 that we may       
understand a little better what has     
resulted in our experience from the     
,incarnation of ,god1 and our thought   
turns to ,s4 ,mary whom ,god chose and  
brought so near to ,himself4 ,perhaps it
 is when1 with chaplet in hand1  we try 
to imagine ,s4 ,mary's feelings at this 
first of the ,joyful  ,mysteries when   
the meaning of her vocation comes       
clearly before her4  ,hail6 thou that   
art full of grace1 of the ,living       

,grace1 the very  ,presence of the      
divinity itself4 ,the plummet of our    
thought fails always  to reach the depth
 of that mystery of ,mary's ,child4 ,it 
was indeed  centuries before the ,church
 under the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit
  thought out and fully stated the      
meaning of this ,child2 it was centuries
  before it fully grasped the meaning of
 ,mary herself in her relation to  her  
divine ,son3 and after all the centuries
 of ,spirit-guided statement  and       
saintly meditation it still remains that
 many fail to understand and  to make   
energetic in life the fact of the       
,incarnation of ,god in the womb  of the
 ,virgin ,mary4    ,and what was ,s4    
,mary's own attitude toward the         
announcement of the  ,angel8 ,her first 
instinctive word--the word called out by
 her imperfect  grasp of the meaning of 
the message of ,s4 ,gabriel1 is3 ,how   
can this be  seeing ,i know not a man8  
,are we to infer from these words1 as   
many have  inferred1 that in her secret 

thoughts ,s4 ,mary had resolved always  
to  remain a virgin1 that she had so    
offered herself to ,god in the virgin   
state8 ,possibly when we remember that  
such was ,god's will for her it is  not 
going too far to assume that she had    
been prompted thus to meet and  offer   
herself to the divine will4 ,be that as 
it may there is an obvious  and         
instantaneous assumption that the       
child-bearing which is predicted  to her
 lies outside the normal and accustomed 
way of marriage4 ,she  clearly does not 
think that the archangel's words look to
 her  approaching union with ,s4        
,joseph1 even if the nominal nature of  
that  marriage were not agreed upon4 ,it
 is clear that her instantaneous        
feeling is that as the message is       
supernatural in character1 so will its  
fulfilment be1 and the wondering how    
arises to her lips4    ,the answer to   
the how is that what is worked in her is
 by the power of  the ,holy ,spirit3    
,the ,holy ,ghost shall come upon thee1 

and the power of  the ,highest shall    
overshadow thee3 therefore also that    
holy thing which  shall be born of thee 
shall be called the ,son of ,god4    ,as
 so often in the dealing of ,god with   
us1 that which is put forward as  an    
explanation actually deepens the        
mystery4 ,it was no abatement of        
,mary's wonder1 nor did it really put   
away her how when she was told  that the
 ,holy ,ghost should come upon her and  
that the child should be  the ,son of   
the ,highest4 ,and yet this was the only
 answer to such a  question that was    
possible4 ,our questions may be met in  
two ways3 either  by a detailed         
explanation1 or by the answer that the  
only explanation is  ,god--that what we 
are concerned with is a direct working  
of ,god outside  the accustomed order of
 nature and therefore outside the reach 
of our  understanding4 ,such acts have  
no doubt their laws1 but they are not   
the  laws in terms of which we are wont 
to think4    ,the question of ,s4 ,mary 

was not a question which implied doubt4 
,it is  therefore the proper question   
with which to approach all ,god's works4
  ,there is a stress with which such    
questions may be asked which implies  on
 our part unbelief or at least          
hesitation in belief4 ,it is a not      
uncommon accent to hear to-day in       
questions as to divine mysteries4 ,our  
recitation of the creed is not rarely   
invaded by restlessness1 shadows  of    
doubt1 which perhaps we brush aside1 or 
perhaps let linger in our  minds with   
the feeling that it is safer for our    
religion not to follow  these out4 ,i am
 afraid that there are not a few who    
still adhere to the  ,church who do so  
with the feeling that it is better for  
them to go on  repeating words that they
 have become used to rather than to     
raise  questions as to their actual     
truth2 who feel that the faith of the   
,church rests on foundations which in   
the course of the centuries have  been  
badly shaken1 but that it is safer not  

to disturb them lest they  incontinently
 fall to pieces4    ,in other words     
there is a wide-spread feeling that such
 stories as this  of the ,annunciation  
and of the ,virgin birth of our ,lord   
are fables4 ,when  we ask1 why is there 
such a feeling8 the only answer is that 
the modern  man has become suspicious of
 the supernatural4 ,has there anything  
been  found in the way of evidence1 we  
ask1 which reflects upon the truth of   
the story in ,s4 ,luke8 ,no1 we are     
told2 the story stands where it always  
did1 its evidence is what it always was4
 ,what has changed is not the  story or 
the evidence for it but the human       
attitude toward that and all  such      
stories4 ,the modern mind does not      
attempt to disprove them1 it just       
disapproves of them1 and therefore      
declines to believe them4 ,it sets  them
 aside as belonging to an order of ideas
 with which it no longer  has any       
sympathy4    ,it is no doubt true that  
we reach many of our conclusions1       

especially  those which govern our      
practical attitude towards life1 from   
the ground  of certain hardly recognised
 presuppositions1 rather than from the  
basis  of thought out principles4 ,the  
thought of to-day is pervaded by the    
denial of the supernatural4 ,it insists 
that all that we know or can know  is   
the natural world about us4 ,it rules   
out the possibility of any  invasions of
 the natural order and declines to      
accept such on any  evidence whatsoever4
 ,all that one has time to say now of   
such an  attitude is that it makes all  
religion impossible1 and sets aside as  
untrustworthy all the deepest           
experiences of the human soul4 ,if ,i   
were  going to argue against this       
attitude 7as ,i am not able to now7 ,i  
should  simply oppose to it the past    
experience of the race as embodied in   
its  best religious thought4 ,i should  
stress the fact that what is noblest    
and best in the past of humanity is     
wholly meaningless unless humanity's    

supposition of a life beyond this life1 
and of the existence of  spiritual      
powers and beings to whom we are        
related1 holds good4 ,no  nation has    
ever conducted its life on the basis of 
pure materialism1  save in those last   
stages of its decadence which preluded  
its downfall4    ,but without going so  
far as to reject the supernatural and   
reject the  truth of the immediate      
intervention of ,god in life1 there are 
multitudes  of men and women whose whole
 life never moves beyond the natural    
order4  ,they have no materialistic     
theory2 if you ask them1 they think that
  they are1 in some sense not very well 
defined1 ,christians4 ,but they have  no
 ,christian interests1 no spiritual     
activities of any sort4 ,for all        
practical purposes ,god and the         
spiritual order do not exist for them4  
,they are not for the most part what any
 one would call bad people2  though     
there seems no intelligible meaning of  
the word in which they can  be called   

good4 ,the best that one can say of them
 is that they have a  certain usefulness
 in the present social order though they
 are not  missed when they fall out of  
it4 ,they can be replaced in the social 
machine much as a lost or broken part   
can in an engine4 ,and just as the  part
 of an engine which has become useless  
where it is1 can have no  possible      
usefulness elsewhere1 so we are unable  
to imagine them as  capable of          
adaptation to any other place than that 
which they have  filled here4 ,perhaps  
that is what we mean by hell--incapacity
 to adapt  oneself to the life of the   
future4    ,all this implies a temper of
 mind and soul that has rendered itself 
incapable of vision4 ,for just as our   
ordinary vision of the beauty of  this  
world depends not only on the existence 
of the world but on a  certain capacity 
in us to see it1 so that the beauty of  
the world does  not at all exist for the
 man whose optic nerve is paralysed2 so 
the  meaning and beauty1 nay1 the very  

existence of the supernatural order     
depends for us upon a capacity in us    
which we may call the capacity of       
vision4 ,the sceptic waves aside our    
stories of supernatural happenings  with
 the brusque statement1 ,nobody to-day  
sees angels4 ,they only appear  in an   
atmosphere of primitive or medival      
superstition1 not in the  broad         
intellectual light of the twentieth     
century4 ,but it may be that  the fact  
7if it be a fact7 that nobody sees      
angels in the twentieth  century is due 
to some other cause than the            
non-existence of the angels4  ,after    
all1 in any century you see what you are
 prepared to see1 what in  other words1 
you are looking for4 ,it is a common    
enough phenomenon that  the man who     
lives in the country misses most of the 
beauty of it4 ,in his  search for the   
potato bug he misses the sunset1 and    
disposes of the  primrose on the river's
 brim as a common weed4 ,it is true that
 in order  to see we need something     

beside eyes1 and to hear we need        
something  beside ears4 ,when on an     
occasion the ,father spoke from heaven  
to the ,son  many heard the sound1 and  
some said1 ,it thundered2 others got so 
far  as to say1 ,an ,angel spake to him4
    ,let us then in the presence of     
narratives of supernatural happenings   
ask  our how with a good deal of        
reverence and a good deal of modesty1   
not  as implying a sceptical doubt on   
our part1 but as a wish that we may be  
admitted deeper into the meaning of the 
event4 ,scepticism simply closes  the   
door through which we might pass to     
fuller knowledge4 ,the  questioning of  
faith holds the door open4 ,to those who
 have not closed  the door upon the     
supernatural it is evident that it is   
permeated with  forces and influences   
which are not material in their origin  
or their  effects2 that ,god acts upon  
the world now as ,he has ever acted upon
 it4  ,if we cannot believe this ,i do  
not see that we can believe in ,god at  

all  in any intelligible sense4 ,there  
is to me one attitude toward the        
supernatural that is even more hopeless 
than the attitude of  materialistic     
scepticism which says1 ,miracles do not 
happen2 and that  is the attitude which 
says1 ,miracles happened in ,bible      
times1 but have  never happened since4  
,as the one attitude seems to imply that
 ,god made  the world1 but after ,he had
 made it left it to go on by itself and 
no  more expresses any interest in it2  
so the other implies that after ,god    
put the ,christian religion in the world
 ,he left that to go on by itself  and  
no longer pays any attention to it4     
,either to me is wholly  unintelligible 
and inconceivable4    ,and what is      
worse1 is wholly out of touch with the  
revelation of ,god  made in ,holy       
,scripture4 ,that displays ,god working 
in and through the  material universe1  
and it displays ,god working in and     
through the spirit  of man2 and it in no
 place implies that either the material 

world or the  human order is so perfect 
as to need no further divine action4    
,revelation implies the constant        
presence and action of ,god in nature   
and  in the ,church2 it implies that    
both have a forward look and are not    
ends  in themselves but are moving on   
toward some ultimate perfection4 ,the   
whole creation groaneth and travaileth  
444 waiting for the adoption1  that is1 
the redemption of our body4 ,we look for
 a new heaven and a new  earth2 and     
human society looks to a perfect        
consummation in the  fellowship of the  
saints in light4    ,looking out on life
 from the spiritual point of vantage1 we
 may  hopefully ask our how1 and there  
will be an answer4 ,to blessed ,mary ,s4
  ,gabriel replied3 ,the ,holy ,ghost   
shall come upon thee1 and the power of  
the ,highest shall overshadow thee3     
therefore also that holy thing which    
shall be born of thee shall be called   
the ,son of ,god4--,an answer that  was 
full of light and of deepest mystery4   

,the immediate question--the  mode of   
her conception--was cleared up2 it would
 be through the direct  action of ,god  
the ,holy ,spirit3 but the nature of the
 ,child to be born is  filled with      
mystery4 ,we can imagine ,s4 ,mary in   
the days to come finding  her           
child-bearing quite intelligible in     
comparison with the mystery that        
brooded over ,his nature4    ,this is   
the common fact in our dealing with     
,god4 ,we express it when we  say that  
we never get beyond the need of faith4  
,we pray that one thing  may be made    
clear1 and the result of the clearing is
 the deepened sense  of the mystery of  
the things beyond1 just as any increase 
in the power  of the telescope clears up
 certain questions which had been       
puzzling the  astronomers only to carry 
their vision into vaster depths of      
space1  opening new questions to        
tantalize the imagination4 ,we find it  
so  always4 ,the solution of any        
question of our spiritual lives does not

  lead as perhaps we thought it would   
lead to there being no longer any       
questions to perplex us and to draw on  
our time and our energy2 rather  such   
solution puts us in the presence of new 
and1 it may well be1 deeper  and more   
perplexing questions4 ,are there no     
limits to the demands of  ,god upon us1 
we sometimes despairingly ask8 ,and the 
answer is1 ,no3  there are no limits    
because the end of the road that we are 
travelling  is in infinity4 ,the limit  
that is set to our perfecting is the    
perfection of ,god1 and if we grow      
through all the years of eternity we    
shall still have attained only a        
relative perfection4    ,so the         
successful passing of one test cannot be
 expected to relieve us  from all tests 
in the future4 ,it is the dream of the  
child that manhood  will set it free2   
and he reaches manhood only to find that
 it imposes  obligations which are so   
pressing that he reverses his dream and 
speaks  of his childhood as the time of 

his true freedom4 ,the meeting of       
spiritual tests is but the proving of   
spiritual capacity to meet other  tests4
 ,to our ,lady it might well seem that  
the acceptance of the  conditions of the
 ,incarnation was the severest test that
 ,god could  assign her2 that in the    
light of the promise she could look on  
to joy4  ,but the future concealed a    
sword which should pierce her very      
heart4 ,the  promise contained no doubt 
wonderful things--this wonder of ,god's 
blessing that she was now experiencing  
in the coming of the ,holy ,ghost1  in  
the very embrace of ,god ,himself3 this 
is but the first of the ,joyful         
,mysteries which were ,god's great gifts
 to her4 ,but her life was not to  be a 
succession of ,joyful ,mysteries1       
ultimately crowned with the  ,mysteries 
of ,glory4 ,there were the ,sorrowful   
,mysteries as well4 ,they  were as true1
 and shall we not say1 as necessary1 as 
valuable1 a part of  her spiritual      
training as the others4 ,she1 our       

,mother1 was now near ,god1  with a     
nearness that was possible for no other 
human being1 and it is  one of the      
traditional sayings of our ,lord3 ,he   
that is near ,me is near  fire4 ,and    
fire burns as well as warms and lights4 
,she is wonderful1 the  ,virgin of      
,nazareth1 in this moment when she      
becomes ,mother of ,god3 and  we share  
in the rapture of the moment when in the
 fulness of her joy she  hardly notices 
,s4 ,gabriel's departure3 but we feel1  
too1 a great pity  for her as we think  
of the coming days4 ,so we kneel to her 
who is our  ,mother1 as well as ,mother 
of ,god1 and say our ,ave1 and ask her  
priceless intercession4                 
,gabriel1 that angel bright1            
,brighter than the sun is light1        
,from heaven to earth he took his       
flight1         ,letare4         ,in    
,nazareth1 that great city1             
,before a maiden he kneeled on knee1    
,and said1 ,mary1 ,god is with thee1    
,letare4         ,hail ,mary1 full of   

grace1       ,god is with thee1 and ever
 was2       ,he hath in thee chosen a   
place4         ,letare4         ,mary   
was afraid of that sight1       ,that   
came to her with so great light1        
,then said the angel that was so bright1
         ,letare4         ,be not aghast
 of least nor most1       ,in thee is   
conceived of the ,holy ,ghost1       ,to
 save the souls that were for-lost4     
,letare4         ,fifteenth ,century4   
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,iii    ,,the
 ,,annunciation ,,ii    ,and ,mary said1
 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord2 be  
it unto me according  to thy word4      
,s4 ,luke ,i4 #ch    ,o ,god1 who       
through the fruitful virginity of       
blessed ,mary didst bestow  on mankind  
the rewards of eternal salvation3 grant1
 we beseech thee1  that we may          
experience her intercession for us      
through whom we were made  worthy to    
receive the author of life1 even ,jesus 
,christ thy ,son  our ,lord4    ,roman4 
,s4 ,mary's momentary hesitation had    

been due to the surprise that she  felt 
at the nature of the angelic message and
 the difficulty that there  was in      
relating it to her state of life4 ,that 
she1 a virgin1 should bear  a son was   
vastly perplexing2 but the answer of ,s4
 ,gabriel speedily  cleared away the    
difficulty3 ,the ,holy ,ghost shall come
 upon thee1 and  the power of the       
,highest shall overshadow thee4         
,blessed ,mary had no difficulty about  
the supernatural2 she was not  afflicted
 with the modern disease that there are 
no things in heaven and  earth save such
 as are contained in our philosophy4    
,she was not of those  who cannot       
believe what they do not understand1 ,it
 was enough for her  that a message had 
come from ,god3 and no matter how little
 she was able  to understand the mode of
 ,god's proposed action within her1 she 
was  willing to offer herself to be the 
instrument of the will of ,god4 ,no     
doubt that was an habitual attitude and 
not one taken up on the spur of  the    

moment4 ,it is indeed very rarely that  
what seem spontaneous actions  are      
really such2 and ,s4 ,mary's first word 
was nearer spontaneity than  the second4
 ,her exclamation in answer to the      
angelic ,ave was the  natural expression
 of her surprise at so unexpected a     
message3 its  variance from all her     
thought about her life was the thing    
that struck  her2 and therefore her     
instinctive1 ,how can this be8    ,in   
this second word we have a quite        
different attitude4 ,here is  revealed  
to us the profound and perfect humility 
of the ,blessed ,virgin4  ,this answer  
comes from the experience of her whole  
life4 ,it is of such  utterances that we
 say that they are revealing4 ,what we  
at any time say1  does in fact reveal   
what we are--what we have come to be    
through the  experience of our past     
life4 ,and no doubt it is these         
instinctive  utterances which are called
 out by some unexpected occurrence that 
reveal more of us than our weighed and  

guarded words4 ,back of every word  we  
utter is a life we have lived4 ,we have 
been spending years in  preparing for   
that word4 ,perhaps when the time comes 
to speak it1 it is  not the word we     
thought we were going to speak1 it was  
not the prelude  to the action we       
thought that we were going to perform2  
it reveals a  character other than the  
character that we thought we had4 ,how  
often the  ,gospel brings that before   
us6 ,we see the young ,ruler come       
running with  his brave and perfectly   
sincere words about inheriting eternal  
life2 and  then we see him going away   
when the testing of our ,lord           
demonstrated  that he only partly meant 
what he said4 ,it was not ,s4 ,peter's  
brave  words1 ,though ,i should die with
 thee1 yet will ,i not deny thee1 that  
revealed the truth about the ,apostle2  
but the words that were called out  by  
the accusation that he was of the       
company of ,jesus3 ,then began he to    
curse and swear1 saying1 ,i know not the

 man4 ,we have no doubt that he  knows  
himself better when he catches the eye  
of the ,master turned upon  him and goes
 and weeps bitterly4 ,and it is true1 is
 it not1 that it is  through words      
called out and thoughts stirred by the  
unexpected that we  often get new       
insight into our real state4 ,a sudden  
temptation reveals a  hidden weakness1  
and we go away shamed and crushed1      
saying1 ,i did not  suppose that ,i was 
capable of that4    ,but1 thank ,god1   
the revelation is sometimes the other   
way2 the testing  uncovers unexpected   
strength4 ,of many a man1 after some    
strong trial1 we  say1 ,i did not know  
that he had so much courage1 or so much 
patience4  ,the quiet unassuming        
exterior was the mask of an heroic will 
of which  very likely not even the      
possessor suspected the true quality4   
,the  annals of martyrdom are full of   
these revelations of unsuspected        
strength4 ,here in the case of ,blessed 
,mary the quality revealed is that  of  

humility so perfect that it dreams not  
of revolt from the most  searching      
trial4 ,it reveals the character of our 
,mother better than  pages of           
description can do4 ,what we see in     
response to the bewildering  messages   
brought by ,s4 ,gabriel is the          
instinctive movement of the soul  toward
 ,god4 ,there is utter absence of any   
thought of self or of how she  may be   
affected by the purpose of ,god2 it is  
enough that that purpose is  made plain4
    ,it seems well to insist on this    
instinctive movement of the soul in     
,blessed ,mary because it is one item of
 the evidence that the ,catholic        
,church has to offer for its belief in  
her sinlesssness4 ,any momentary        
rebellion1 no matter how soon recovered 
from1 or how sincerely  regretted1      
against the will of ,god1 would be      
evidence of the existence  of sin4 ,but 
where sin is not1 where there is an     
unstained soul1 there  the knowledge of 
the will of ,god will send one running  

to its  acceptance2 there will be active
 acceptance and not just submission to  
,god's will4 ,submission implies a      
certain effort to place ourselves in    
line with the will of ,god2 it often    
seems to imply that we are accepting  it
 because we cannot do anything else4    
,but with ,blessed ,mary there is a     
glad going forth to meet ,god2 the word 
,behold springs out to meet the  will of
 ,god half-way4 ,it is as though she had
 been holding herself  ready1 expectant1
 in the certainty of the coming of some 
message1 and  now she offers herself    
without the shadow of hesitation1 as to 
a purpose  which was a welcome vocation3
 ,behold the ,handmaid of the ,lord2 be 
it  unto me according to thy word4 ,how 
wonderful is the humility of  obedience6
    ,and humility--we must stress       
this--is not a virtue of youth2 it is   
not  one of the virtues which ripen     
quickly1 but is of slow development and 
delayed maturity4 ,modesty we should    
expect in a maiden1 and lack of         

self-assertion2 and perhaps obedience of
 a sort4 ,but those do not  constitute  
the virtue of humility4 ,we are humble  
when we have lost self2  and ,mary's    
wondering answer reveals the fact that  
she is not thinking of  herself at all1 
but only of the nature of the divine    
purpose4 ,that that  purpose being known
 she should at all resist it would seem 
to her a  thing incredible1 for all her 
life she had had no other motive of     
action4 ,her will had never been        
separated from the will of ,god4        
,this state of union which was hers by  
divine election and privilege1 we       
achieve1 if we achieve it at all1 by    
virtue of great spiritual  discipline4  
,we are1 to be sure1 brought into union 
with ,god through the  sacraments1 but  
the union so achieved is1 if one may so 
express it1 an  unstable union2 it is   
union that we have to maintain by daily 
spiritual  action and which suffers many
 a weakening through our infidelity1    
even  if it escape the disaster of      

mortal sin4 ,we sway to and fro in our  
struggle to attain the equilibrium of   
perfection which belonged to  ,blessed  
,mary by virtue of the first embrace of 
,god which had freed her  from sin4 ,our
 tragedy is that we have almost         
universally lost the first  engagements 
of the ,spiritual ,combat before we have
 at all understood  that there is any   
combat4 ,the circumstances of life of   
child and youth  are such that we become
 familiar with sin before we have the   
intelligence to understand the need of  
resisting1 even if we are  fortunate    
enough to have such an education as to  
awaken a sense of sin  as opposition to 
,god4 ,there is nothing more appalling  
than the tragedy  of life thus defiled  
and broken and put at a disadvantage    
before it even  understands the ideals  
that should govern its course4 ,when the
 vision of  perfection comes and we face
 life as the field where we are to      
acquire  eternal values1 we face it with
 a poisoned imagination and a depleted  

strength4 ,our battle is not only to    
maintain what we have1 but to win  back 
what we have lost4    ,under such       
conditions there is much consolation in 
learning that we do  not fight alone but
 have the constant help and sympathy of 
those who are  endued with the strength 
of perfect purity4 ,their likeness to us
 in  that they have lived the life of   
the flesh assures us of their           
understanding1 and it assures us too of 
their active co-operation4 ,we  cannot  
understand the saints standing outside  
human life and from the  vantage point  
of their achievement looking on as      
indolent spectators4  ,the spectacle    
offorded by the ,church ,militant must  
call out the active  intercession of all
 the saints2 but especially do we look  
for helpful  sympathy from her who is   
our all-pure ,mother1 whose very purity 
gives  her intercession unmeasured      
power4 ,she is not removed from us      
through  her spotlessness1 but by virtue
 of her clearer understanding of the    

meaning of sin and of separation from   
,god that it brings her1 she is  ready  
to fly to the help of all sinners by her
 ceaseless intercession4    ,the        
difficulty of our spiritual lives rises 
chiefly out of the clash of  wills4 ,a  
disordered nature1 a tainted            
inheritance1 a corrupt environment      
conspire to make the life of grace      
tremendously difficult4 ,it is only in  
a very limited sense that we can be said
 to be free1 and there is no            
possibility at all of overcoming the    
handicap of sin1 except firm and        
careful reliance on the grace of ,god4  
,that grace1 no doubt1 is always at  our
 disposal as far as we will use it4     
,grace moves us1 but it does not  compel
 us2 and we are free always to reject   
the offer of ,god4 ,we have  only to    
open our eyes upon the world about us to
 see how rarely is the  grace of ,god   
accepted in any effective way4 ,even in 
convinced ,christians  the attempt to   
live the divided life is the commonest  

thing possible4 ,it  sometimes seems as 
though the prevalent conception of the  
,christian  life were that it is        
sufficient to offer ,god a certain      
limited  allegiance and that the        
remainder of the life will be thereby   
ransomed  and placed at our disposal to 
use as we will4 ,we find the theory well
  worked out in the current attitude of 
,christians toward the observance  of   
the ,lord's ,day4 ,it appears to be held
 that an attendance at ,mass or  ,matins
 is a sufficient recognition of the     
interests of religion and that  the rest
 of the day may be regarded1 not as the 
,lord's ,day1 but as  man's--as a day of
 unlimited amusement and                
self-indulgence4 ,the notion  of        
consecration is abandoned4 ,the only    
possible outcome of such theories  of   
life is what we already experience1     
spiritual lawlessness and moral         
degradation4 ,i suppose that it will    
only be through social disaster that    
society will come 7as usual1 too late7  

to any comprehension that the  will of  
,god is what it is because it is only by
 following the road that  it indicates  
that human life can reach a successful  
development4 ,god's  laws are not       
arbitrary inflictions2 they are the     
expression of the  highest wisdom in the
 guidance of human life4    ,our        
elementary duty therefore as sane       
persons is to find what is the  will of 
,god in any given circumstances2 there  
should be no action until  there has    
been an effort to ascertain that will4  
,it were as sensible to  set about      
building a house without ascertaining   
what strength of  foundation would be   
needful1 or without knowing the sort of 
material we  were going to use4 ,one has
 heard of a house being built in which  
it  turned out that there was a room    
with no doorway1 or floor to which no   
stair led up2 but we do not commend such
 exploits as the last word in           
architecture1 nor would we commend a    
farmer who planted his crops  without   

attention to the nature of the soil4    
,there are certain  elementary          
principles of common sense which we     
pretty uniformly hold to  in every      
matter with the exception of religion2  
that seems to be held to  be a separate 
department of human activity with laws  
of its own1 and in  which the principles
 which govern life elsewhere do not     
hold4 ,we do not  profess this theory1  
of course1 but we commonly act upon it1 
while we  still profess to respect the  
will of ,god4 ,it is strange too that   
after  having habitually neglected that 
will1 we are greatly disappointed1 not  
to say indignant1 when after a life of  
disobedience and scorn of ,god's        
thought for us we do not find ourselves 
in possession of the fruits of          
righteousness4 ,if it were not so tragic
 it would be amusing to hear men        
declaim against the justice of a ,god   
whose existence they have  habitually   
disregarded4    ,but1 it is often said1 
it is not by any means easy to find out 

,god's  will4 ,you talk about it as     
though it were as easy to know ,god's   
will as  it is to know the              
multiplication table4 ,well1 at least it
 can be said  that one does not get to  
know the multiplication table without   
effort6  ,what objections as to the     
obscurity of the will of ,god will seem 
to mean  is that it does take effort to 
ascertain it4 ,i do not know of any     
reason  for regarding that as unjust4   
,if the will of ,god is what religion   
maintains that it is1 of primary        
importance to our lives1 we might well  
be glad that it is ascertainable at all1
 at the expense of  whatever effort4    
,an ,almighty ,god has implanted within 
every human heart the knowledge  that   
,his will exists and is important2 that 
is1 ,he has endowed every man  with a   
conscience which is the certainty of the
 difference between right  and wrong1   
and the conviction that we are          
responsible for our conduct to  some    
power outside ourselves2 that we are not

 at liberty to conduct life  on any     
lines we will4 ,having so much          
certainty1 it surely becomes us to  set 
about ascertaining the nature of the    
power and the details of the  will4 ,the
 very nature of conscience1 as a sense  
of obligation1 rather  than a source of 
information1 should create a desire for 
a knowledge of  what ,god's will is in  
detail1 that is1 what is the content of 
the notion  of right and wrong4    ,and 
while it is true that such content can  
only be ascertained by work1  it is not 
true that the work is a specially       
difficult one4 ,the  ,revelation of     
,god's mind made through ,holy          
,scripture and through the  life of ,his
 ,incarnate ,son is an open book that   
any one can study2 and to  any objection
 that such study has led chiefly to     
difference of opinion  and darkness     
rather than light1 the answer is that   
such disaster follows  for the most part
 only when the guidance of the ,catholic
 ,church is  repudiated2 when1 that is1 

we pursue a course in this study which  
we  should not pursue in relation to any
 other4 ,if we were studying geology  we
 should not regard it as the best course
 to scorn all that preceding  students  
have done1 and betake our unprepared    
selves to field work6 ,but  that is the 
,bible and the ,bible only theory of    
spiritual knowledge4 ,if  we want to    
know the meaning of the ,biblical       
teaching1 we must make use  of the helps
 which the experience of the ,church has
 richly provided4    ,but the nature of 
the divine will and the particulars of  
our obligation  are not merely1 perhaps 
one ought to say1 not chiefly1 to be    
assimilated  through our brains4 ,the   
best preparation for the doing of the   
will of  ,god and the progressive       
entering into ,his mind1 is an obedient 
life4  ,purity of character will carry  
us farther on this path than cleverness 
of brains4 ,our ,lord's own rule is3 ,he
 that doeth the will shall know of  the 
doctrine4 ,in other words1 we understand

 the mind of ,god and attain  to the    
illumination of the conscience1 through 
sympathetic response to  the will so far
 as we have seen it4 ,and each new      
response1 in its turn1  carries us to a 
deeper and clearer understanding of the 
will4 ,that is to  say1 our conscience1 
by habitual response to ,god's will1 so 
far as it  knows it1 is so illumined as 
to be able to make trustworthy judgments
 on  new material submitted to it4      
,this is1 of course1 to be otherwise    
described as the working of ,god the    
,holy ,spirit4 ,he is the ,spirit that  
dwelleth in us and directs us to  right 
judgments if we will listen4 ,our danger
 is that self-will  constantly crops up 
and complicates the case by representing
 that the  line suggested by the ,holy  
,spirit is not in reality in accord with
 our  interests4 ,this opposition       
between the seeming interests suggested 
by  self-will1 which indeed often       
contribute to our immediate             
gratification1  and our true interests  

as indicated by the monitions of the    
,holy  ,spirit1 constitutes the real    
struggle of the life during the period  
of  probation4 ,the will of ,god in     
every circumstance is usually plain     
enough2 but it is silenced by the       
clamour of the passions and desires     
demanding immediate gratification3 and  
we are all more or less children  in our
 insistence on the immediate and our    
incapacity to wait4 ,but ,i  must insist
 again that it is not knowledge that is 
wanting but sympathy  with the course   
that knowledge directs4 ,we pursuade    
ourselves that we do  not know1 when the
 real trouble is that we know only too  
well4 ,one feels  that much that is put 
forward as inability to understand      
religion is at  bottom merely           
disinclination to obey it4    ,not that 
there is not room for genuine           
perplexity4 ,often it happens that  we  
are not at all certain in this or that  
detail of conduct4 ,in that  case it is 
well to consider whether it is necessary

 to act before we can  attain certainty 
through study or advice4 ,but if act we 
must1 we can at  least act with honesty1
 not making our will the accomplice of  
our  passions or interests4    ,i do not
 believe that there are many cases in   
which we shall go wrong if  we make use 
of all the means at our disposal4 ,a    
diligent doing of the  will of ,god does
 undoubtedly bring light on unknown     
problems and  unexpected situations in  
which we from time to time find         
ourselves4 ,if  our constant attitude   
has been one of free and glad obedience 
we need  not fear to go astray4 ,behold 
the handmaid of the ,lord1 ,blessed     
,mary  said2 and such an attitude has   
never failed to meet the divine approval
  and call out the help of ,god4 ,just  
to put ourselves utterly at ,god's      
disposal is the clearing of all life4   
,into ,thy hands1 is the solution  of   
all difficulties4         ,i sing a     
maiden         ,that is matchless2      
,king of all kings         ,to her ,son 

she ches4         ,he came all so still 
,to ,his ,mother's bower1       ,as dew 
in ,april         ,that falleth on the  
flower4         ,mother and maiden      
,was never none but she2       ,well    
might such a lady         ,god's ,mother
 be4                ,english1 ,fifteenth
 ,century4        ,,part ,,two          
,,chapter ,,iv           ,,the          
,,visitation ,i         ,and ,mary arose
 in those days1 and went into       the 
hill country with haste1 into a city of 
,judah2       and entered into the house
 of ,zacharias1 and       saluted       
,elizabeth4                             
,s4 ,luke ,i4 #ci1 #dj4         ,grant1 
we beseech thee1 ,o ,lord ,god1 to us   
thy servants1 that       we may evermore
 enjoy health of mind and body1 and by  
the       glorious intercession of      
blessed ,mary1 ever a virgin1 be        
delivered from present sorrows and enjoy
 everlasting       gladness4 ,through4  
,,roman4    ,those who were faithful in 
,israel and were looking forward to the 

fulfilment of ,god's promises would be  
drawn together by close bonds of        
sympathy4 ,it oftentimes proves that the
 bonds of a common ideal are  stronger  
than the bonds of blood4 ,it was to     
prove so many times in the  history of  
,christianity when in accordance with   
our ,lord's words the  closest blood    
relation would be broken through        
fidelity to ,him1 and a  man's foes be  
found to be those of his own household4 
,but also it is  true that the          
possession of common ideals becomes the 
basis of relations  which are stronger  
than race or family4 ,we may be sure    
that the members  of that little group  
of which we catch glimpses now and then 
in the  progress of the ,gospel story   
found in their expectation of the       
,lord's  deliverance of ,israel such a  
bond4 ,we feel that ,s4 ,mary and ,s4   
,joseph  must have been members of this 
group and that they were filled with the
  hope of ,god's manifestation4 ,another
 family which shared the same hope  was 

that of the priest ,zacharias whose wife
 ,elizabeth was the cousin of  ,mary of 
,nazareth4 ,it is to their house in the 
hill country of ,judah we  now turn our 
thoughts4    ,it was a part of the      
angelic message to ,s4 ,mary that her   
cousin  ,elizabeth had conceived a son  
in her old age2 and this is the sixth   
month with her who was called barren4   
,overwhelmed as ,s4 ,mary was by the    
vocation which had come to her1         
perplexed as to what should be her next 
step1 she may well have seized upon the 
words of the angel as a hint as  to her 
present course4 ,she must confide in    
some one1 and that some one1  we        
instantly feel1 must be a woman4 ,in her
 own great joy she would need  some one 
with whom to share it4 ,in her          
unprecedented case she would need  a    
counselor1 and who better could afford  
aid than her cousin whose case  was in  
so many respects like her own1 who was  
already cherishing a child  whose       
conception was due to the intervention  

of ,god8 ,we understand  therefore1 why 
it is that without waiting for the      
further development of  events1 ,mary   
arises1 and goes with haste to the home 
of her cousin4    ,it is just now a     
house full of joy4 ,for many years there
 had been  happiness there1 but a       
happiness over which a cloud rested4    
,the  affliction of barrenness was their
 sorrow4 ,to the ,hebrew there was no   
true family until the love of the father
 and the mother was incarnated  in the  
child2 and through many weary days      
,zacharias and ,elizabeth had  waited   
until hope quite failed as they found   
themselves beyond the  possibility of   
bearing a child to cheer them and to    
hand on their name4  ,we may be sure    
that they were reconciled to the will of
 ,god1 for it is  written of them that  
they were righteous1 and the central    
feature of  righteousness is the        
acceptance of the divine will4 ,but     
though one  cheerfully accepts the      
divine will there may still remain a    

consciousness of a vacancy in life2 and 
therefore we can understand the  joy    
that came to ,zacharias when the angel  
appeared to him in the temple  when he  
was exercising the priest's office and  
offering the incense of  the daily      
sacrifice with the message that he      
should have a son4 ,it was a  joy that  
would be unclouded by the ,god-sent     
dumbness which was at once a  punishment
 for his lack of immediate faith and a  
sign of the  faithfulness of ,god4 ,it  
was a joy that would hasten his steps   
homeward  with the glad tidings1 a joy  
that would fill the heart of ,elizabeth 
when  she heard the message of ,god4    
,soon the consciousness of the babe in  
her  womb would be a growing wonder and 
a growing happiness4 ,there would be a  
new brightness in the house where the   
aged mother waits through the  months   
and the dumb father with his writing    
tablet at his side meditates  upon the  
meaning of the providence of ,god and   
upon the prophecies of the  angel as to 

his child's future4 ,but what that      
future would be he could  hardly expect 
to witness2 he was too old to live to   
the day of his  child's showing unto    
,israel4    ,it is to this house that we
 see ,s4 ,mary hastening1 sure of       
finding there  a heart in which she can 
confide4 ,she entered into the house of 
,zacharias and saluted ,elizabeth4 ,we  
are not told what the words of her      
salutation were1 but no doubt it was the
 customary ,jewish salutation of  peace4
 ,there could have been no more         
appropriate salutation exchanged        
between these two in whose souls was    
abiding the peace of a perfect          
possession of ,god4 ,the will of ,god to
 which they had been accustomed to      
offer themselves all their lives was    
being accomplished through them in      
unexpected ways2 but it found them as   
ready of acceptance as they had  been in
 any of the ordinary duties of life     
wherein they had been  accustomed to    
wait upon ,god4 ,we may seem sometimes  

to go beyond ,holy  ,scripture in our   
interpretations of feelings and thoughts
 which we are  sure must have been those
 of the actors in the drama of salvation
  unfolded to us in the ,scriptures2 but
 are we not entitled to infer from      
,god's actions a good deal of the nature
 of the instruments ,he uses8 ,are  we  
not quite safe in the case of ,s4 ,mary 
in the deduction from the  nature of her
 vocation of the spiritual perfection to
 attribute to her8  ,does not ,god's use
 of a person imply qualities in the     
person used8 ,it is  on this ground that
 ,i feel that we are quite safe in      
inferring the  spiritual attitude of ,s4
 ,mary and of ,s4 ,elizabeth from the   
choice ,god  made of them to be the     
instruments of ,his purpose of          
redemption4    ,but we are not          
inferring1 we have the record with us1  
when we think of  the joy of the mothers
 transcended in the joy of the children4
 ,the  unborn ,forerunner becomes       
conscious of the approach of ,him of    

whom he is  to say later3 ,behold the   
,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin  
of the  world2 and there is an          
instantaneous movement that can only be 
that of  recognition and worship4 ,the  
movement of the child is at once        
understood  and translated by ,s4       
,elizabeth3 ,and she spake out with a   
loud voice1  and said1 ,blessed art thou
 among women1 and blessed is the fruit  
of thy  womb4 ,and whence is this to me1
 that the mother of my ,lord should come
  to me8 ,for1 lo1 as soon as the voice 
of thy salutation sounded in mine  ears1
 the babe leaped in my womb for joy4    
,in the presence of such joy and such   
sanctity we feel that our proper        
attitude is the attitude of adoring     
wonder that ,s4 ,elizabeth expresses4   
,we worship our hidden ,lord as the     
unborn prophet worships ,him4 ,we have  
no question to ask1 nor curiosity at the
 mode of ,god's action4 ,we are  quite  
content to accept ,his action as it is  
revealed to us in ,scripture2  a        

revelation of the divine presense in    
humanity which has been  abundantly     
verified in all the history of the      
,church4 ,that verification  in         
experience--a verification that we      
ourselves can repeat--is worth          
infinitely more than all the argument   
that the centuries have seen4           
,blessed art thou among women1 ,s4      
,elizabeth cries2 and in doing so she   
is but repeating the words of the angel 
of the ,annunciation4 ,this word1  too1 
we presently hear ,s4 ,mary taking up1  
and under the inspiration of  the ,holy 
,ghost saying3 ,from henceforth all     
generations shall call  me blessed4     
,and so they have4 ,all generations1    
that is1 that have been faithful to  the
 ,gospel teaching and have assimilated  
in any degree the consequences  of ,s4  
,mary's nearness to ,god4 ,when we speak
 of ,blessed ,mary we are but  doing    
what angels and holy women have done1   
and it is great pity if in  doing so we 
have to make a conscious effort1 if the 

words do not spring  spontaneously from 
our lips4 ,surely1 we have not gone far 
toward the  mastery of ,god's coming in 
the ,incarnation if we have not felt the
  purity of the instrument through whom 
,god enters our nature4 ,the outward    
and visible sign of our understanding is
 found in our ability to  complete the  
,ave as the ,holy ,spirit has taught the
 ,church to complete  it3 ,holy ,mary1  
,mother of ,god1 pray for us sinners now
 and in the hour  of our death4    ,this
 reiterated attribution of blessedness  
to ,mary our ,mother calls us  to pause 
and ask just what blessedness means4 ,it
 is of course the  characteristic       
,scripture locution for those who in    
some way enjoy the  special favour of   
,god4 ,blessedness is the state of those
 who have  received special divine gifts
 of favour4 ,a characteristic scriptural
  description of the blessedness of the 
righteous in contrast with the  disaster
 of the unrighteous may be studied in   
the first ,psalm4 ,in the  ,new         

,testament we naturally turn to the     
,sermon on the ,mount where the         
,beatitudes give us our ,lord's thought 
about blessedness4 ,i think that we  can
 describe the notion of blessedness     
there presented as being the  state of  
those who have taken ,god at ,his word  
and chosen ,him1 and by  that act of    
choice1 while they have forfeited the   
world and the world's  favour1 have     
attained to the spiritual riches of the 
,kingdom of ,god4  ,they are those to   
whom ,god is the ,supreme ,good1 in     
whose possession they  gladly count all 
things but loss4 ,these are they who    
here in the pilgrim  state have already 
attained to the enjoyment of ,god       
because they want  nothing other or     
beside ,him4    ,supremely blessed1     
therefore1 is ,mary our ,mother1 who    
never for a moment  even in thought was 
separate from ,god4 ,from the earliest  
moment of her  existence she could say1 
,my beloved is mine and ,i am ,his4 ,we 
try to  think out what such a fact may  

mean when translated into terms of      
spiritual energy1 and it seems to mean  
more than anything else boundless  power
 of intercession such as the ,church has
 attributed to ,s4 ,mary from  the      
earliest times4 ,we see no other way of 
estimating spiritual power  save as the 
power of prayer4 ,it is through prayer  
that we approach  ,god--for we remember 
that sacrifice is but the highest form  
of prayer4  ,the blessedness of ,s4     
,mary1 that peculiar degree of          
blessedness which  seems signalized by  
the reiterated attribution of the       
quality to her1  must for our purposes  
to be understood as power with ,god1    
power of  intercession4 ,it means that  
our ,lord has chosen her to be a special
  medium of approval to ,him1 and that  
through her prayers ,he wills to  bestow
 upon men many of ,his choicest gifts4  
,naturally1 her prayers1 like  our      
prayers1 are mediated by the merits of  
her divine ,son2 nevertheless  they have
 a peculiar power which is related to   

her peculiar blessedness  in that she is
 the mother of ,incarnate ,god1 and by  
special privilege is  herself without   
sin4 ,of all those to whom we are       
privileged to turn in  the joys and     
tragedies of our lives for the sympathy 
which helps through  enlightened1 loving
 prayer1 we most naturally resort to her
 who is all  love and all sympathy1     
,mary1 the ,mother of ,jesus1 blessed   
among  women forever4    ,although we   
are told nothing of these days that ,s4 
,mary spent with her  cousin ,elizabeth1
 we do gather that she remained with her
 until her  child was born and that she 
saw ,s4 ,john in his mother's arms1 and 
was a  partaker in the joy of the aged  
parents4 ,she was present when          
,zacharias1  his speech restored1       
uttered the ,benedictus in thanksgiving 
for the  birth of his son4 ,it was then1
 having seen her own ,son's ,forerunner 
that  ,s4 ,mary went back to ,nazareth  
filled more than ever with the sense    
that  ,god's hand was in the events that

 were taking place1 and of the approach 
of some crisis in her nation's history4 
,it must have been that she  talked     
intimately with ,zacharias and          
,elizabeth and with them tried to       
imagine what was the future in which    
these two children were so closely      
concerned4 ,when we consider the        
,magnificat and the ,benedictus not as  
the ,gospel ,canticles to be sung in    
,church but as the utterances of  pious 
,israelites under the inspiration of the
 ,holy ,ghost1 we feel how  very vivid  
must have been their expectation of     
,god's action in the  immediate future1 
and with what intense love and interest 
they thought  of the parts to be taken  
by their children in the deliverance    
,god was  preparing4 ,how often they    
must have pondered the ,god-inspired    
saying3  ,he shall be great1 and shall  
be called the ,son of the ,highest2 and 
the  ,lord ,god shall give unto him the 
throne of his father ,david2 and he     
shall reign over the house of ,jacob    

forever2 and of his kingdom there  shall
 be no end4 ,and thou1 child1 shalt be  
called the prophet of the  ,highest3 for
 thou shalt go before the face of the   
,lord to prepare his  ways2 to give     
knowledge of salvation unto his people  
by the remission of  their sins1 through
 the tender mercy of our ,god2 whereby  
the ,dayspring  from on high hath       
visited us1 to give light to them that  
sit in darkness  and in the shadow of   
death1 and to guide our feet into the   
way  of peace4    ,we think too of a    
more intimate sympathy that there would 
have been  between these two women1     
drawn now so close together1 not only by
 the  blood bond1 but by the bond of a  
common experience4 ,what wonderful      
hours of communing during these three   
months6 ,the peace of the hills of      
,judah is all about them and the peace  
of ,god is in their souls4 ,what        
ecstatic joy1 what ineffable love was   
theirs in these moments as they  thought
 of the children who were ,god's        

precious gift to them4 ,i fancy  that   
there were many hours when they ceased  
to think of the mystery that  hung over 
these children's destiny1 and became    
just mothers lost in love  of the coming
 sons4    ,as we try to think out their 
relation to each other it presents      
itself  to us as a relation of sympathy4
 ,sympathy is community of feeling2 it  
is  maimed and thwarted when there is   
feeling only on one side4 ,we speak of  
our sympathy in their affliction for    
others whom we do not know and who  do  
not know us1 but that is a very         
imperfect rendering of the perfect      
thing4 ,no more than love does sympathy 
reach its perfection in solitude4  ,but 
here in this village of ,judah we know  
that we have the perfect                
thing--sympathy in its most exquisite   
form4    ,this capacity for sympathy is 
one of the greatest of human endowments1
  and1 one is glad to think1 not like   
many human endowments1 rare in its      
manifestation4 ,in its ordinary         

manifestation it is instinctive1 is     
roused by the spectacle of need calling 
us to its aid4 ,there come to our       
knowledge from time to time instances of
 what seem to us very grievous  failures
 in sympathy1 but investigation shows   
that ignorance is very  commonly at the 
bottom of them4 ,when human beings are  
convinced of a  need they are quite     
ready to respond4 ,indeed this readiness
 to respond  makes them the easy victims
 of all sorts of impostures1 of baseless
  appeals which play upon sentiment     
rather than convince the  understanding4
 ,and just there lies the weakness of   
sympathy in that it  is so easily turned
 to sentimentality4 ,but the            
sentimentalist who gushes  over ills1   
real or imaginary1 can commonly be      
brought to book easily  enough4 ,for one
 thing the sentimentalist is devoted to 
publicity4 ,he  loves to conduct        
campaigns and drives1 to get up a       
demonstration or an  entertainment4 ,i  
do not mean that he is a hypocrite but  

only that he  loves the lime-light4     
,when any tragedy befalls man his       
impulse is to  organise a dance in aid  
of it4 ,it is extraordinary how many    
people there  are who will aid a charity
 by dancing to whom one would feel it   
quite  hopeless to appeal for the amount
 of the dance tickets4 ,and yet they are
  not wholly selfish people2 there does 
lie back of the dance a certain         
sympathetic impulse4 ,we easily deceive 
ourselves about ourselves1 and it  is   
well to be sure that we have true       
sympathy and not just sentiment4 ,it  is
 not so difficult to find out4 ,we can  
test ourselves quickly enough by        
examining our giving4 ,do we give only  
when we are asked8 ,do we yield to      
spectacular appeals or only to those    
that we have examined and found  good8  
,do we put the spiritual interests of   
humanity first8 ,is there any           
appreciable amount of quiet spontaneous 
giving which is known to no one8  ,do we
 prefer to be anonymous8 ,such tests    

soon reveal what we are like4  ,one who 
never gives spontaneously1 without being
 asked1 we may be sure  is lacking in   
sympathy4    ,but of course one does not
 mean that sympathy is so closely       
related to  what we call charity as what
 ,i have just said1 if left by itself1  
would  seem to imply4 ,that is indeed   
the common form assumed by sympathy     
which  has to be called out4 ,but the   
best type of sympathy is the expression 
of  our knowledge of one another2 it is 
based on our knowledge of human  nature 
and our interest in human beings4       
,because it is based on  knowledge it is
 not subject to be swept away by the    
sweet breezes of  sentimentalism4 ,to   
its perfect exercise it is needful to   
know  individuals not merely to know    
about them4 ,the ordinary limitations of
  sympathy come from this1 that we do   
not want to take time and pains to  know
 one another4 ,that1 for example1 is    
where the ,church falls short in  its   
mission to constitute a real brotherhood

 among its members--they  have no time  
nor inclination really to know one      
another1 or they find  the artificial   
walls that society has erected          
impassable4 ,it is1 in  fact1 not very  
easy to know one another1 and it is     
impossible to develop  the complete type
 of sympathy with a crowd4 ,for one must
 insist that  this highest type of      
sympathy requires1 what the word        
actually does  mean1 mutual sharing in  
life1 the participation in the lives of 
our  fellows and their partaking in our 
lives4    ,so we understand why perfect 
sympathy is conditioned on spirituality4
  ,unless we are spiritually developed  
and spiritually at one we cannot  share 
in one another's lives fully4 ,where    
there are lives separated by a  gulf of 
spiritual differences the completest    
sympathy is impossible4 ,and  we        
understand why ,incarnate seems so much 
nearer to us than ,god  unincarnate4 ,it
 is true that the ,father ,himself      
loveth you2 it is  true that it is the  

love of the ,blessed ,trinity that is   
expressed in the  ,incarnation4 ,the    
,incarnation did not create ,god's love 
and sympathy1 it  only reveals it4 ,yet 
it is precisely the ,incarnation that   
enables us to  lay hold on ,god's       
sympathy with a certainty and sureness  
of grasp that  we would not otherwise   
have4 ,the sight of ,god in ,christ     
reconciling the  world unto ,himself is 
more to us in the way of proof than any 
amount of  declaration can be4 ,to be   
told of the sympathy of ,god is one     
thing1 to  see how it works is another4 
,our personal need in this matter is to 
find the sympathy that will help  us in 
something outside ourselves1 outside the
 limitations of human  nature4 ,much as 
we value human sympathy1 precious as we 
find its  expression1 yet we do find    
that it has for the higher purposes of  
life  serious limitations4 ,it has very 
little power to execute what it finds   
needs to be done4 ,a man may understand 
another's weakness and may  utterly     

sympathise with it2 he may advise and   
console1 but in the end he  finds that  
he cannot adequately help4 ,the case is 
hopeless unless he can  point the       
sufferer to some source outside himself 
on which he can draw1  unless he can    
lead him to the sympathy of ,god4 ,god  
can offer not only  consolation1 not    
only the spectacle of another life which
 has triumphed  under analogous         
circumstances1 but ,he can give the     
power to this present  weak and         
discouraged life to triumph in the place
 where it is4 ,he can  make a way of    
escape4    ,but there is another form of
 sympathy which we crave and need which 
is  just the communion of soul with     
soul4 ,we are not asking anything more  
or  other than to show ourselves4 ,we   
are overwhelmed with the loneliness of  
life4 ,it comes upon us in the most     
crowded places1 this sense of           
separation from all about us4 ,oh1 that 
,i might flee away and be at rest1  is  
our feeling4 ,it is here that we        

specially need our ,lord4 ,blessed are  
we if we have learned to find in ,him   
the rest we need for our souls1 if  we  
have learned to open the door that leads
 always to ,him2 or1 perhaps  to knock  
appealingly at that door which ,he will 
never fail to open4 ,it  is then that we
 find the joy of the invitation ,come   
unto me all ye that  are weary and heavy
 laden and ,i will give you rest4       
,but ,christ1 the perfect ,sympathiser1 
has associated others with ,himself4    
,if we can go to him1 so can others2 the
 ,way is open to all4 ,and those  who go
 and are associated with ,him are       
gathered into a family4 ,here  among    
those who have followed the interests   
which are ours1 and have  pursued the   
ends that we are pursuing1 and          
cultivated the qualities  which we      
value1 we feel sure of that sympathetic 
understanding of life  which we seek4   
,and especially among those members of  
the ,body who have  gone on to the end  
in fidelity to the ideals of the life   

which is hid  with ,christ in ,god shall
 we look for understanding and help4 ,it
 is from  this point of view that the   
,communion of ,saints will mean so much 
to us4  ,we value the strength of mutual
 support which inevitably grows out of  
associated life4 ,we cannot think of the
 saints of ,god as having passed  beyond
 us into some place of rest where they  
are content to forget the  problems of  
earth3 rather we are compelled to think 
of them as still  actively sharing in   
those interests which are still the     
interests of  their divine ,head4       
,until1 ,jesus ,himself cease to think  
of us who are  still in the ,pilgrim    
,way1 and cease to offer ,himself on our
 behalf1 we  cannot think of any who are
 in ,him as other than intensely        
interested in  us of the earthly        
,church1 or as doing other than helping 
by prayer for  us that we with them may 
attain our end4 ,and especially shall we
 feel  sure that at any moment of our   
lives we may turn to the ,mother in     

confident expectancy of finding most    
helpful sympathy and most ready  aid4   
,her life to-day is a life of           
intercession1 of intercession which  has
 all the power of perfect understanding 
and perfect sympathy4 ,let us  learn to 
go to her2 let us learn that as ,god is 
praised and honoured in  ,his saints1 as
 our ,lord choses to work through those 
who are united to  ,him1 so it is ,his  
will that great power of prayer shall be
 hers of whom  ,he assumed our nature1  
that nature through which ,he still     
distributes  the riches of ,his grace4  
,as ,i lay upon a night1       ,my      
thought was on a ,lady bright           
,that men callen ,mary of might1        
,redemptoris ,mater4         ,to her    
came ,gabriel so bright       ,and said1
 ,hail1 ,mary1 full of might1       ,to 
be called thou art adight2              
,redemptoris ,mater4         ,right as  
the sun shineth in glass1       ,so     
,jesus in ,his ,mother was1       ,and  
thereby wit men that she was            

,redemptoris ,mater4         ,now is    
born that ,babe of bliss1       ,and    
,queen of ,heaven ,his ,mother is1      
,and therefore think me that she is     
,redemptoris ,mater4         ,after to  
heaven ,he took ,his flight1       ,and 
there ,he sits with ,his ,father of     
might1       ,with ,him is crowned that 
,lady bright1       ,redemptoris ,mater4
         ,english1 ,fifteenth ,century4 
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,v    ,,the   
,,visitation ,,ii    ,and ,mary said1   
,my soul doth magnify the ,lord1 and my 
spirit hath  rejoiced in ,god my        
,saviour4    ,s4 ,luke ,i4 #df1 #dg4    
,forasmuch as we have no excuse1 because
 of the multitude of our sins1  we plead
 through thee1 ,o ,virgin ,mother of    
,god1 with ,him whom thou  didst bear4  
,lo1 great is thine intercession1 strong
 and acceptable with our ,saviour4    ,o
 ,stainless ,mother1 reject not us      
sinners in thine intercession with ,him 
,whom thou didst bear4    ,,coptic4     
,wonderful was this day in the little   

town of ,judah where these two  women1  
each in her way an instrument of ,god in
 the upbuilding of ,his  ,kingdom1 met  
and rejoiced together4 ,there is        
revealed to us something of  the        
possibilities of our religion when we   
try to follow the thought of  these two 
women4 ,they are so utterly devoted to  
,god that ,god can speak  to them4 ,i   
think that it is well for us to dwell on
 this fact for a  moment4 ,we are apt to
 look upon inspiration1 what is         
described as being  filled with the     
,holy ,ghost1 as somewhat of a          
mechanical mode of ,god's  operation4   
,our mistaken view is that ,god takes   
control of the faculties  of a human    
being and uses them for ,his own        
purposes4    ,but that is quite to      
misunderstand ,god's method4 ,god uses  
the faculties  of a man in proportion as
 the man yields himself to ,him2 and one
 who is  living a sincere religion      
becomes in a degree the medium of ,god's
  self-expression4 ,this possibility of 

expressing ,god increases as we         
increase in sanctity4 ,those who have   
completely yielded themselves to  ,god  
in a life of sanctity become in a deep  
sense the representatives of  ,god3 they
 have1 in ,s4 ,paul's phraseology1 ,his 
mind4 ,to be capable of so  becoming the
 divine instrument it is necessary1 not 
only to offer no  opposition to ,god's  
purposes1 but to make ourselves the     
active  executants of them4 ,our        
,christian vocation is thus to be the   
instrument  of ,god1 to be the visible  
demonstrations of ,his power and        
presence4  ,there is a true inspiration1
 a true speaking for ,god to-day1 no    
doubt1  as true as at any time in the   
,church's history1 wherever there is    
sanctity4 ,what is lacking to present   
day utterances of sanctity is not  the  
action of the ,holy ,spirit1 but        
authentication by the ,church3 that is  
given only under certain special        
circumstances and for special purposes4 
,but there is no need to limit the      

inspiring action of the ,holy ,spirit to
  such utterances as for special reasons
 have received official  recognition4   
,what we need to feel is the constant   
action of the ,holy ,spirit--that ,he   
wants to speak through every man4 ,and  
it helps to clear our minds if we  go to
 our ,bibles with the expectation of    
finding here1 not exceptions to  all    
rules which obtain in common life1 but  
types of the divine action4  ,the       
isolation of ,bible history has done    
much to create a feeling of its         
unreality4 ,what has happened only in   
the ,bible can1 we are apt to feel1     
safely be disregarded in daily life in  
the twentieth century4 ,but if  what we 
find there is customary modes of divine 
action in life1  exceptional in detail  
rather than in principle1 the attitude  
we shall  take will be wholly different4
 ,we shall then study them with the     
feeling  expressed in ,s4 ,paul's       
saying1 ,these things are written for   
our  learning1 and we shall expect to   

find in us and about us the same order  
of divine action1 we shall learn to look
 on our lives as having their  chief    
meaning in the fact that they are       
possible instruments of ,god2 we  shall 
learn to regard failure as failure to   
show forth ,god to the world4    ,in a  
way we can read our facts backward3 the 
fact that ,elizabeth was  filled with   
the ,holy ,ghost1 and the fact that     
,mary under the same  divine impulse    
gave utterance to the words of the      
,magnificat1 is a  revelation of the    
character of these two women which would
 satisfy us of  their sanctity had we no
 other evidence of it4 ,the choice of   
them by ,god  to be ,his instruments is 
evidence of the divine approval2 and    
that  approval can never be false to the
 facts2 what ,god treats as holy  must  
be holy4    ,so we come to holy ,mary's 
,song with the feeling that in studying 
it we  shall find in it a revelation of 
,s4 ,mary herself4 ,she is not an       
instrument on which the ,holy ,spirit   

plays1 but an intelligent being  through
 whom ,he acts4 ,she1 like ,s4          
,elizabeth1 is filled with the ,holy    
,spirit--she had never been in the      
slightest degree out of union with      
,god--but still the ,magnificat is her  
utterance2 it represents her  thought2  
it is the measure1 if one may so put it1
 in modern terminology1  of her degree  
of spiritual culture4 ,much that we say 
about ,s4 ,mary1 her  simplicity1 her   
social place1 and so on1 seems to carry 
with it the  implication of the         
ignorance and spiritual dullness that we
 associate  with the type of poverty we 
are accustomed to to-day4 ,but the poor 
folk  whom we meet in association with  
our ,lord are neither ignorant nor      
spiritually dull2 and it would be a vast
 mistake to think of ,blessed  ,mary as 
other than of great intelligence and    
spiritual receptivity1 or  as deficient 
in understanding of the details of her  
ancestral religion4  ,we have no reason 
to be surprised that she should sing    

,magnificat1 or to  think that the ,holy
 ,spirit was speaking through her       
thoughts which were  quite beyond her   
comprehension4 ,inspired she was1 but   
inspired1 no  doubt1 to utter thoughts  
that had many times filled her mind4    
,her spiritual attitude as revealed in  
the ,magnificat is but the attitude     
which must have been hers               
habitually--the attitude that exalts    
,god and  not self4 ,my soul doth       
magnify the ,lord1 and my spirit hath   
rejoiced in  ,god my ,saviour4 ,that is 
the starting-place of all holy          
souls--the  adoration of ,god4 ,true    
humility is never self-conscious because
 self is  lost in the vision of ,god4   
,s4 ,mary was bearing in her pure body  
the very  ,son of ,god4 ,admit1 if you  
will1 that as yet she did not understand
 the  full reach of her vocation2 but   
she did know that she had been chosen by
  ,god in a most signal manner to be the
 instrument of ,his purpose4 ,that      
which ,s4 ,elizabeth spoke under divine 

impulse1--,whence is this that the      
mother of my ,lord should come to       
me8--must have had clear meaning for    
her4 ,but the wonder of all that ,god is
 accomplishing through her only  brings 
her to ,god's feet4 ,that ,he that is   
mighty hath done me great  things1 is   
but the evidence of ,his sanctity1 not  
of her greatness4    ,one never gets    
through wondering at the beauty of      
humility2 and it is  one of the marks of
 how far we are from spiritual          
apprehension when we  find this splendid
 virtue unattractive4 ,it does indeed   
cut across many  of the instinctive     
impulses of our nature2 it can hardly be
 said to have  dawned on humanity as a  
virtue until the ,incarnation of ,god4  
,therein it  has revealed to us ,god's  
attitude in ,his work and1 by           
consequence1 the  natural attitude of   
all such as would associate themselves  
with ,god4 ,it  is not so much a        
self-denying as a self-forgetting       
virtue4 ,it is ruined  by the very      

consciousness of it4 ,such phrases as   
practicing humility  seem               
self-contradictory--when one begins to  
practice humility it becomes  something 
else4 ,we do not conceive of our ,lady  
as setting out to be  humble1 of        
thinking of what a humble person would  
do under such and such  circumstances4  
,she does not1 as ,i was saying1 think  
of herself at all1  but thinks of ,god4 
,the great things she has are ,his gift4
 ,that ,he has  looked upon her low     
estate1 and that in consequence of ,his 
visitation  all generations shall call  
her blessed1 is a manifestation of the  
divine glory and goodness1 not an       
occasion of pride to the recipient of   
,god's gifts4    ,we who are so         
self-seeking1 who are so greedy of      
praise1 who are  constantly wanting what
 we feel is our due1 who hunger to be   
appreciated1 who are full of proud      
boasting about our accomplishment1  will
 do well to meditate upon this point of 
view4 ,we acknowledge the  supremacy of 

,god with our lips1 but in our acts we  
are quite prone to  assume that we are  
independent actors in the universe where
 whatever we  have is due to our own    
creative powers4 ,we claim a certain    
lordship over  life1 a certain          
independent use of it4 ,we resent the   
pressure of  religious principle as     
setting up a sort of counter-claim to   
control  that which it is ours to       
dispose of as we will4 ,most of our     
difficulties  come from this godless    
attitude which claims independence of   
life4 ,it  results in a religion which  
is willing to pay ,god tribute1 but is  
not  willing to belong to ,god4 ,but the
 humble person has nothing of his own   
and moreover wants nothing2 he wants    
simply that ,god shall use him1 that  he
 shall be found a ready instrument in   
,god's hands4    ,it is this readiness  
that we find in ,blessed ,mary when she 
answered the  astonishing announcement  
of the angel with her1 ,behold the      
,handmaid of  the ,lord4 ,it is that    

quality which we find in her here when  
she  construes ,god's purpose in terms  
which go out far beyond her individual  
life and sees in her experience but one 
item in ,god's dealing with  humanity in
 ,his age-long work of bringing ,his    
wanderers home4 ,we  should have far    
less difficulty and find our lives far  
more significant  if we could get rid of
 our wretched egotism and find it       
possible to lose  ourselves in the work 
of ,god4 ,we should then find the work  
important  because it is ,god's work and
 not because we are associated with it4 
,we  should also find it less easy to be
 discouraged because we should not      
understand our failure to be the failure
 of ,god4 ,discouragement is but  one of
 the aspects of egotism1 and not the    
most attractive4    ,we cannot rise to  
anything like a passion of holiness     
unless we have  found ,god to be all in 
all4 ,only so can we lose ourselves in  
,god4 ,and ,i  must1 at whatever risk of
 over-dwelling1 stress the fact that we 

can  only attain this point of view by  
dwelling on ,god and not on self4 ,let  
,god be the foreground of our thought4  
,let our souls magnify the ,lord4  ,let 
us dwell upon the great things ,god has 
done for us4 ,in every life  there is   
such a wonderful manifestation of the   
divine goodness--only we  do not take   
time to look for it4 ,it is well to take
 the time3 to write  out1 if need be1   
our spiritual history4 ,we shall then   
find abundant  evidence of the goodness 
of ,god4 ,it may be that it is a        
goodness that is  seen chiefly in       
offers1 in opportunities to be something
 which we have  declined or have only   
imperfectly realized4 ,be that as it    
may1 there is  no life1 ,i am quite     
convinced1 that has not a spiritual     
history which is  a marvellous history  
of what ,god at least wanted to do for  
it4 ,it is  also a history of what ,he  
actually has done3 a history of graces1 
of  rich gifts1 of deliverances4 ,it    
matters not that we have been so        

heedless as to miss most of what ,god   
has done4 ,the facts stand and are      
discoverable whenever we care to pay    
enough attention to them to  ascertain  
their true meaning4 ,when we do that1   
then surely we shall be  compelled to   
do1 what blessed ,mary never needed to  
do1 fall at ,god's  feet in an act of   
penitence1 seeing ourselves1 perhaps for
 the first  time1 in the light of ,god's
 mind4    ,the ,magnificat1 if we       
consider it as a personal expression1 is
 a  wonderful expression of selfless    
devotion1 where the perception of the   
glory and majesty of ,god excludes all  
other thoughts4 ,it is1 too1 a          
thanksgiving for the personal gift which
 is her vocation to be the  ,mother of  
the ,saviour4 ,out of her lowliness she 
has been exalted--how  highly she       
herself cannot at the time have dreamed4
 ,we can see what was  necessarily      
involved in ,god's choice of her1 and   
to-day we think of her  as in her       
perfect purity exalted in heaven far    

above all other  creatures4 ,mother of  
,god most holy we call her1 and in the  
words of her  canticle ever repeat her  
thanksgiving as our thanksgiving1 too1  
for the  vocation that ,god sent her and
 for the gift which through her has     
come to us4    ,but there is a more     
universal aspect of the ,magnificat4    
,essentially it  is the presentation of 
the constant antithesis which runs      
through all  revelation between the     
flesh and the spirit1 between the       
,kingdom of ,god  and the ,kingdom of   
this world4 ,it embodies the conception 
of ,god  striving to save a world which 
has revolted from ,him1 and now at last 
entering upon that stage of ,his work   
which is the beginning of a triumph     
over all the powers of the adversary4   
,in ,mary's song the contrasted  powers 
are still presented under the ,old      
,testament terminology which was  the   
natural form of her thought4 ,the       
adversaries of ,god are the proud1  the 
mighty1 the rich2 while those who are on

 ,god's side are the humble1  the       
god-fearers1 the hungry4 ,the form of   
the thought and its essential  meaning  
remain the same through the centuries1  
though our terminology  changes         
somewhat4 ,presently in the pages of the
 ,new ,testament we shall  get the      
presentation as the contrast between the
 children of this world  and the sons of
 ,god4 ,we shall find the briefest      
expression of the latter  to be the     
saints4    ,we no longer feel that rich 
and poor express a spiritual contrast4  
,nor  do we1 who are quite accustomed to
 the action of labour leaders1 regard   
social position as being the exclusive  
seat of arrogancy4 ,but we know  that   
the spiritual values which are expressed
 in the varying terminology  are        
constant2 we know that the warfare      
between ,god and not-,god is still  the 
most important phenomenon in the        
universe4 ,and it happens as we look    
out on the battlefield where the forces 
of good and evil contend1 where  before 

our eyes they seem to sway back and     
forth on the field of human  life with  
every varying fortunes1 that we not     
seldom feel that the  battle is not     
obviously falling to the side of        
righteousness4 ,there come  moments when
 we are oppressed by what seems to us   
the lack of power in  the ideals of     
righteousness4 ,the appeal of the proud 
and of the rich is  so dazzling2 the    
splendour of the visible kingdom of the 
world is so  intoxicating1 the contagion
 of the crowd which follows the uplifted
  banner of ,satan is so penetrating1   
that we hardly wonder to see the new    
generations carried away in the sweep of
 popular enthusiasm4 ,here is           
excitement1 exhilarating enjoyment1 the 
throb and sting of the flesh1  the      
breathless whirl of gaiety1 the physical
 quiet of satisfied desires4  ,what is  
there to appeal on the other side8 ,as  
the crowds troop past to  the sound of  
music and dancing they for a moment     
raise their eyes1 and  above them rises 

a hill whereon is a ,cross and on the   
,cross an emaciated  ,victim is nailed1 
and at the foot of the ,cross a small   
group of  discouraged folk--,s4 ,john1  
,the blessed ,mother1 the other         
,mary--stunned  by the grief born of the
 death of ,son and ,friend4    ,these   
two utterances stand in eternal         
contrast3 ,all these things will  ,i    
give thee1 if thou wilt fall down and   
worship me3 and1 ,i1 if ,i be  lifted   
up1 will draw all men unto me4 ,as yet  
the appeal made from an  exceeding high 
mountain visibly seems to prevail       
against that made  from the place which 
is called ,calvary4    ,and what have we
 to counteract the depression which is  
the natural  reaction from the spectacle
 of the world-rejection of ,christ8 ,we 
have  the truth which is embodied in    
,mary's ,magnificat1 we have the fact of
  ,mary's vocation to be the ,mother of 
,god4 ,the revelation of ,god's meaning 
and purpose is a basis of optimism which
 no promise of ,satan can  overthrow4   

,when all is said1 the view from the    
exceeding high mountain  is a view of   
the ,kingdom of this world only2 from   
the place called  ,calvary you can see  
the ,kingdom of ,god as well4 ,from this
 point of  vantage alone the permanent  
values of life are visible2 and to the  
taunt  flung at us1 the taunt so        
terrifying to the young1 ,you are losing
  life1 the enigmatic reply from the    
,cross is that you have to lose life  to
 gain it2 that permanent and eternal    
values are acquired by those who  have  
the self-restraint and the foresight not
 to sacrifice the substance  to the     
shadow1 nor to mistake the toys of      
childhood for the riches of  manhood4   
,in the meantime life is passing and the
 shadows draw in and  you have not      
attained so they say4 ,true3 we count   
not ourselves to have  yet attained2 but
 we press on toward the mark of our high
 calling in  ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4  
,we are not in a hurry1 because the     
crown we are  seeking is amaranthine1   

unfading4 ,we are not compelled to      
compress our  enjoyment within a given  
time2 we do not awake each morning with 
the  thought that we may not outlast the
 daylight2 we are not hurried and       
fevered with the sense of our fragility4
 ,the kingdoms of the world and  the    
glory of them must be seized now3 ,satan
 cannot afford to wait  because his     
kingdom has an end4 ,but ,god can afford
 to wait because of  ,his ,kingdom there
 is no end4    ,we are content then with
 promises and with such partial         
fulfilment as  we find on our           
pilgrim-way4 ,we are content because we 
see the end in the  beginning4 ,to those
 who in the first days of the ,church   
objected that  though the promises were 
wonderful and abundant the fulfilment   
was  small2 to those who said we do not 
yet see the perfection of the  kingdom2 
the answer of inspiration was3 ,true1 we
 do not yet see the  accomplishment of  
all of ,god's promises1 but we do see   
,jesus4 ,and there  is where we stand   

to-day4 ,the work that ,god has to do in
 the  spiritualising of the human race  
is tremendous2 but we actually see its  
beginning in ,jesus1 and we are content 
to wait with ,god for the perfect       
accomplishment4    ,and we must remember
 when we think of the work of ,god in   
terms of time1  that the length of time 
that is required to accomplish the      
spiritualisation of the human race is   
not to be estimated in terms of  the    
divine will but in terms of the human   
will4 ,it is not divine power  but human
 resistance which is the determining    
factor1 for ,god will not  compel us to 
obey ,him1 nor would compelled obedience
 have any spiritual  value4 ,and we can 
estimate something of the human         
resistance that has to  be overcome by  
concentrating attention upon one unit of
 that resistance4  ,that is1 we can     
learn from the study of our own life    
what is the  resistance of one human    
being to the triumph of the will of     
,god2 and1  taking oneself as a fair    

sample of the race can multiply our     
resistance  to ,god's will by the       
numbers of the race4 ,we are perfectly  
certain of  the will of ,god3 ,god wills
 that all men shall come to the         
knowledge of  the truth and be saved4   
,this is the will of ,god1 even your    
sanctification4 ,so far as we are       
thwarting that will we are playing  into
 the hands of the power of evil4 ,but   
that power is of limited  existence2 it 
draws to its end4 ,its death knell was  
struck when the  noon-day darkness      
lifted from ,calvary4    ,therefore the 
rejoicing of blessed ,mary1 whose ,song 
reads the necessary  end in the         
beginning1 is well considered2 and we   
rejoice with her and in  her4 ,it is our
 privilege--and it is a vast            
privilege--to rejoice in  blessed ,mary 
as the instrument of ,god in bringing   
the triumph of ,his  ,kingdom one stage 
nearer its accomplishment4 ,and in      
especial we rejoice  because we see in  
her one more1 and the most marked1      

illustration of the  divine method4 ,he 
hath regarded the low estate of ,his    
,handmaiden4 ,he  hath exalted them of  
low degree4 ,he hath filled the hungry4 
,the  method of ,god is to work to ,his 
results through those who are           
spiritually receptive4 ,the less of self
 there is in us the more room  there is 
for ,god4 ,the ,kingdom of ,god is      
within you1 that is1 the  starting-point
 of ,god's work in the building of the  
,kingdom is within  the soul of man4 ,he
 must master the inner man1 must win the
 allegiance  of our souls1 before ,his  
work can make any progress at all4 ,the 
,kingdom  of ,god cometh not with       
observation1 that is1 from the outside  
in an  exhibition of power2 it must of  
necessity come from the inside in       
demonstration of the ,spirit4 ,as many  
as are led by the ,spirit of ,god1  they
 are the sons of ,god4    ,in blessed   
,mary we see the new starting-point in  
this last stage of the  work of ,god4   
,for the foreseen merits of her ,son she

 is brought into  union with ,god and   
spared the taint of sin1 and becomes the
 second ,eve1  the ,mother of the new   
race4 ,acting upon her pure humanity1   
the ,holy  ,spirit produces that        
humanity which joined to the divinity in
 the ,second  ,person of the ,blessed   
,trinity becomes the ,christ1 the ,son  
of the ,living  ,god4 ,in ,mary's       
rejoicing in this so great fact1 the    
bringing of human  redemption1 we       
rightly share4 ,it is with a right      
understanding of her  ,song that the    
,church throughout the ages has embodied
 it in its worship  and through it      
constantly rejoices in ,god its         
,saviour4 ,the actual  detailed         
accomplishment of ,god's work in man's  
redemption is going on  under our eyes4 
,it is regrettable that human stupidity 
seems to prefer  dwelling upon what seem
 ,god's failures1 and are actually our  
own1 rather  than upon the constant     
triumphs of grace4 ,but ,god reigns2 and
 we can  always find grounds of optimism

 if we can find that ,he is day by day  
reigning more perfectly in us4 ,when we 
pray ,thy ,kingdom ,come1 the  field to 
examine for the fulfilment of our       
prayers is the field of our  own souls4 
,our ,lady took the road       ,to      
,zachary's abode2       ,o'er mountain1 
vale and lea1       ,full many a league 
sped she       ,toward ,hebron's holy   
hill1       ,by ,god's command and will4
         ,full light did ,mary1 make    
,of trouble for his sake4       ,god's  
,very ,son of yore       ,within her    
breast she bore2       ,and angels      
bright and fair1       ,unseen1 her     
fellows were4         ,she1 ere she took
 her way1       ,an orison would say1   
,that ,god her steps might tend         
,safe to their journey's end2       ,and
 there1 in manner meet1       ,her      
cousin she 'gan greet4                  
,elizabeth full fain       ,eft bowed   
her head again2       ,she wist 'twas   
,god's own ,bride1       ,as1 worshipful
 she cried3       ',o ,lady1 ,full of   

,grace1       ,whence do ,i see thy     
face8'         ,o ,house and ,home of   
bliss1       ,o earthly ,paradis--      
,nay1 ,heaven itself on ground          
,wherein the ,lord is found1       ,the 
,lord of ,glory bright1       ,in       
goodness great and might--              
,clean ,maiden thou that art1           
,come1 visit this my heart2       ,and  
bring me chief my ,good1       ,god's   
,son in ,flesh and ,blood2       ,bless 
body1 soul2 and bide       ,for ever by 
my side4         ,from the ,kln         
,gesang-,buch4 ,,xvi ,cent4             
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,vi    ,s4   
,,joseph         ,joseph1 her husband1  
being a just man--         ,s4 ,matt4   
,i4 #ai4         ,o ,god1 our refuge and
 our strength1 look down in mercy upon  
thy people who cry to thee2 and by the  
intercession of the       glorious and  
immaculate ,virgin ,mary1 mother of     
,god1 of ,st4       ,joseph her spouse1 
and of thy blessed apostles ,peter and  
,paul1 and of all saints1 in mercy and  

goodness hear our       prayers for the 
conversion of sinners1 and for the      
liberty       and exaltation of our holy
 mother the church4 ,through4           
,,roman4    ,when we read the ,gospels1 
not simply as a record of events but as 
revelation of the method of ,god1 we are
 constantly impressed with what  we     
cannot otherwise describe than as the   
care of ,god for detail4 ,there  is a   
curious type of mind which finds it     
possible to think of ,god as  ,creator  
and ,ruler of the universe1 but         
impossible to conceive ,him as          
interested in or concerning ,himself    
with the minutiae of human life2 who    
can conceive ,god as caring for a solar 
system or a planet1 but not as  caring  
for a baby4 ,surely it is a strange     
notion of ,god that thinks of  ,him as  
estimating values in terms of weight and
 measure3 surely much  more intelligible
 is the ,gospel presentation of ,him as 
concerned with  spritual values and     
exercising that minute care over human  

life which is  best expressed by the    
word ,father4 ,it is very significant   
that as the  volume of revelation       
unrolls1 the earlier notions of ,god as 
,ruler1  ,governor1 ,king1 give way to  
the notion of ,father1 until in our     
,lord's  presentation of the character  
of ,god it is ,his ,fatherhood which    
stands  in the forefront4 ,what our     
,lord emphasises in the character of    
,god are  precisely the qualities of    
love and care and sympathy which the    
word  ,father connotes4    ,and nowhere 
do we see this loving care of ,god which
 we call ,his  ,providence better set   
out for our study than in the detailed  
preparation  which preceded and attended
 the birth of ,his ,son into this world4
 ,there  was that preparation of the    
,mother who was to be the source of the 
humanity of the ,child ,jesus which we  
have been dwelling upon2 there was  also
 the preparation for the proper         
guardianship of both ,mother and  ,child
 during the years of ,jesus' immaturity4

 ,there are certain things  which are   
self-evident when once we turn our minds
 to them2 and it is  thus self-evident  
that the care of our ,lord and of ,his  
,blessed ,mother  would require the     
preparation of the man to whom they     
should be  committed4 ,in the state of  
society into which our ,lord was born1  
,he and  ,his ,mother would need active 
guardianship of a peculiar nature4 ,the 
man  who should provide for our ,lord's 
infancy must be a man1 in the nature  of
 the case1 who was receptive of         
spiritual monitions and devoted to the  
will of ,god4 ,it was a delicate matter 
to live before the world as the  husband
 of ,mary of ,nazareth1 and to live     
before ,god as the guardian of  her     
virginity and as the foster-father of   
her divine ,son4 ,only a very  choice   
nature could respond to the demands thus
 made upon it1 a nature  which had been 
habitually responsive to the will of    
,god and long  nurtured by the richness 
of ,his grace4    ,we know very little  

of ,st4 ,joseph2 but ,god's choice of   
him for the  office he was to fulfil    
near the blessed ,virgin ,mary and her  
,son reveals  the nature of the man4 ,he
 is described to us as a just man1 one  
whose  judgment would not be swayed by  
prejudices1 but who would be open to the
  consideration of any case upon its    
merits3 a man who would not view  events
 in the light of their effect upon      
himself and his plans1 but who  can     
calmly consider what in given           
circumstances is due to others4 ,such   
men are rare at any time for their      
production is a matter of slow          
discipline4    ,we gather that both ,s4 
,joseph and ,s4 ,mary were of the same  
lineage1 were  descended from the same  
ancestor1 ,david4 ,we gather also that  
,s4 ,joseph  was much older than his    
bethrothed wife1 for he had been already
 married  and had a family4 ,all the    
notices of these brothers and sisters of
 the  ,lord imply that they were        
considerably older than the ,child of   

,mary1 and  that they felt that they had
 the sort of authority over ,him which  
commonly belongs to the elder children  
of a family2 the sort of doubt  and     
criticism of ,his course which would be 
the instinctive attitudes of  elders    
toward the unprecedented course of a    
younger4 ,we have1 ,i think1 a  right to
 infer from the terms of the narrative1 
that ,s4 ,joseph would  have been well  
acquainted with ,s4 ,mary and was not   
taking a wife who was  a stranger to    
him4 ,indeed1 considering the actual    
development of the  situation1 ,i myself
 feel quite certain that those are right
 who maintain  that the proposed        
marriage was intended to be merely a    
nominal union1  the ultimate design of  
which was the protection of the         
virginity of  ,mary4 ,i find it         
impossible to think of that virginity as
 other than of  deliberate purpose from 
the beginning1 and prompted by the      
,spirit of ,god  for the purposes of    
,god for which it served4 ,there is1 to 

be sure1 no  revelation of this in ,holy
 ,scripture1 but there are facts which  
suggest  themselves to the devout       
meditations of saints which we feel that
 we may  safely take on the authority of
 their spiritual intuitions4 ,such a    
fact  is this of ,mary's purposed       
virginity which ,i am content to accept 
on the  basis of its congruity with ,s4 
,mary's life and vocation4 ,of the fact 
of  her perpetual virginity there can be
 no dispute among ,catholic             
,christians4    ,to ,s4 ,joseph thus    
preparing himself to be the guardian of 
the blessed  ,virgin it could only come 
as a tremendous shock that she should be
 found  with a child4 ,our character    
comes out at such times of trial as when
  something that we had taken quite for 
granted fails us1 and we are left       
breathless and bewildered in in the face
 of what would have seemed  impossible  
even had we thought of it4 ,what was ,s4
 ,joseph's attitude8 ,the  beauty and   
sanity of his character at once shows   

itself4 ,grieved and  disheartened as he
 must have been1 disappointed as he     
could not but be1  he yet thinks at once
 of his bethrothed1 not of himself4 ,how
 far could  he save her8--that was his  
first thought4 ,he would at least avoid 
publicity4 ,being a just man1 and not   
willing to make her a public  example1  
he was minded to put her away privily4  
,it is the quality that  we express by  
the word benevolence--the quality of    
mature and deliberate  wisdom4 ,we feel 
that such a man could be trusted under  
any  circumstances of life4    ,we feel1
 too1 that ,god would not leave ,s4     
,joseph in doubt as to the  course he   
was to pursue1 or as to the character of
 ,mary herself4 ,there  could no shade  
of suspicion be permitted to rest upon  
her4 ,hence while  he thought on these  
things1 behold1 the angel of the ,lord  
appeared unto  him in a dream1 saying1  
,joseph1 thou son of ,david1 fear not to
 take  unto thee ,mary thy wife3 for    
that which is conceived in her is of the

  ,holy ,ghost4 ,and she shall bring    
forth a son1 and thou shalt call his    
name ,,jesus3 for he shall save his     
people from their sins4    ,it is not   
difficult to imagine the joy of ,s4     
,joseph at this angelic  message4 ,we   
all know the sense of relief which comes
 when1 after facing  a most trying      
situation1 and being forced to make up  
our minds to act  when action either way
 is almost equally painful1 we find that
 we are  delivered from the necessity of
 acting at all1 that the whole state of 
things has been utterly misunderstood4  
,it was so with ,s4 ,joseph2 and in  his
 case there was the added joy which     
springs from the nature of the  coming  
,child as the angel explains it to him4 
,he who had accepted the  charge of     
,mary was now to add to that charge the 
charge of her ,child3  and the ,child is
 the very ,saviour whom his soul and the
 souls of all  pious ,israelites had    
longed for4 ,thou shalt call his name   
,jesus1 for he  shall save his people   

from their sins4 ,we cannot expect that 
,s4 ,joseph  would have taken in the    
full meaning of this message1 but he    
would have  understood that he was      
called to a wondrous co-operation with  
,god in the  work of the redemption of  
,israel4    ,as we think of ,s4 ,joseph 
it is this co-operation which is the    
significant thing in his life4 ,as we   
study human life in the only way in     
which it is much worth while to study   
it1 in the light of revelation1 it      
becomes clear to us that there is       
purpose in all human life4 ,often we    
observe a purpose that we are not able  
to grasp1 but in the light of  what we  
know from revelation we do not doubt of 
its presence4 ,even lives  that seem    
obscure and insignificant we feel sure  
must have a divine  meaning2 and the    
pathetic thing about most human life is 
that it never  dreams of its own        
significance4 ,we are consumed with the 
notion that  ,god's instruments must be 
great1 while it is on the face of       

revelation  that they are commonly      
humble and of seeming insignificance4   
,it is the  work that is important1 and 
the instrument becomes important through
 its  relation to the work4 ,we all at  
least have the common vocation of the   
,christian1 and it would be difficult to
 exaggerate the spiritual  significance 
of that4 ,s4 ,joseph seems to us at once
 set apart by his  vocation to be the   
guardian of the divine ,child1 to       
protect and to  nurture the years of    
,his human immaturity4 ,this is no doubt
 a unique  vocation1 but is it quite so 
far separated from ordinary ,christian  
experience as we assume8 ,you and ,i are
 also constituted guardians of the      
divine ,presence4 ,this very morning1 it
 may be1 we have received within  the   
,tabernacle of our breast the same      
,presence that ,s4 ,joseph  guarded--the
 ,presence of ,incarnate ,god4 ,in that 
,presence of ,his humanity  our ,lord   
abode with us but a few minutes and then
 the ,presence withdrew3  but ,he left  

behind ,him a real gift1 the gift of an 
increase in  sacramental grace4    ,was 
that a light thing3 ,was it indeed so   
much less than the vocation of  ,s4     
,joseph8 ,and how have we guarded this  
,presence8 ,those few moments  after the
 reception of our ,incarnate ,lord at   
the altar--how do we  habitually spend  
them8 ,do we spend them in guarding the 
,presence8 ,there  is much to be learned
 about the meaning and the value of     
guarding the  ,eucharistic ,gift4 ,our  
thanksgiving after ,communion is fully  
as important  as our preparation for    
receiving it4 ,i am more and more       
inclined to  think that much of the     
fruitlessness of communions which is so 
sad a  side of the life of the ,church  
is due to careless reception and        
inadequate thanksgiving4 ,it is the     
adoration of our ,lord within the       
,tabernacle of our body and thanksgiving
 to ,him for having come to us  that is 
the appropriation of the ,gift of the   
,sacrament4 ,he comes to us  and offers 

,himself to us with all the benefits of 
,his life and death2  and then having   
offered ,himself ,he makes as though he 
would go  farther1 and he does actually 
go1 unless we are awake to our spiritual
  opportunity1 and constrain ,him1      
saying1 abide with us1 for it is toward 
evening and the day is far spent4    ,we
 think of ,s4 ,joseph then1 as with a   
relieved and rejoicing heart he  enters 
upon his new realised vocation as the   
head of the ,holy ,family4  ,the        
marriage which he had been upon the     
point of abandoning he now  enters that 
he may give ,s4 ,mary and her coming    
,child his full  protection4    ,so ,s4 
,joseph took unto him his wife2 and knew
 her not till she had  brought forth her
 first-born ,son4 ,these words have been
 so  misunderstood as to imply that the 
marriage of ,s4 ,joseph and ,s4 ,mary   
was  consummated after the birth of our 
,lord4 ,grammatically they convey no    
such implication2 the mode of expression
 is perfectly simple and well  known by 

which a fact is affirmed to exist up to 
a certain time without  any implication 
as to what happens after4 ,and the      
meaning of the passage  which is not at 
all necessitated by its grammatical     
construction is  utterly intolerable in 
,catholic teaching4 ,the constant       
teaching of the  ,church is the         
perpetual virginity of ,mary--that she  
was a virgin before  and in and after   
her child-bearing4 ,there was to be sure
 an heretic  named ,helvidius who taught
 otherwise1 but he was promptly         
repudiated by  all ,catholic teachers   
and but served to emphasize the depth   
and  clearness of the ,catholic         
tradition4 ,upon this point there has   
never  been any wavering in the mind of 
the ,church1 and to hold otherwise shows
  a lamentable lack of a ,catholic      
perception of values and but a          
superficial grasp upon what is involved 
in the ,incarnation4    ,the impression 
we get of ,s4 ,joseph is that of a man  
of great simplicity  and gentleness of  

character--that childlikeness which was 
later praised  by his foster ,son4 ,such
 qualities do not produce much          
impression on the  superficial observer1
 but they are of great spiritual value4 
,they are  the concomitants of a special
 type of open-mindedness4               
,open-mindedness  is a quality much     
praised and little practiced4 ,but the  
open-mindedness  which is commonly      
praised is not the open-mindedness which
 is  praiseworthy4 ,what is at present  
meant by open-mindedness is in reality  
failure to have any mind at all upon a  
given subject4 ,it is the attitude  of  
doubt which never proceeds so far as to 
arrive at a solution4 ,to have  an open 
mind means to the contemporary man to   
hold all conclusions  loosely1 to       
consider all things open to question1 to
 be ready to  abandon what now appears  
to be true in favour of something which 
to-morrow may appear to be more true4   
,in other words1 we are invited to  base
 life on pure scepticism4    ,now no    

life can be so conducted4 ,we live by a 
faith of some sort1  whether it be a    
faith in ,god or no4 ,the most sceptical
 mind has to  believe something to act  
at all4 ,it cannot even doubt without   
affirming  a belief in its own          
intellectual processes4 ,the open mind  
that never  reaches any certainty to    
fill it is a very poor possession       
indeed4 ,and  it is not at all what we  
mean when we say of ,s4 ,joseph that he 
was  open-minded4 ,we mean that he was  
receptive of new spiritual impressions  
and capable of further spiritual        
development4 ,there are minds1 and they 
are not unusual among people of a       
certain degree of spiritual             
development1 which we can best describe 
as having reached a given stage  of     
growth and then shut up4 ,or1 to vary   
the figure1 they impress one as  having 
a certain capacity1 and when that has   
been reached1 being able to  contain    
nothing further4 ,they come to a stop4  
,from that point they try  to maintain  

the position they have acquired4 ,but   
that is impossible3  they inevitably    
fall away unless they are going forward4
 ,when the power  of spiritual          
assimilation is dead1 we are spiritually
 in a dying  condition4    ,what we mean
 by having an open and childlike mind1  
then1 is that one has  this power of    
spiritual assimilation and1             
consequently1 a power of  growth4 ,the  
sceptic is afflicted with spiritual     
indigestion2 he is an  invalid who is   
quite certain that any food that is     
offered him is  indigestible4 ,his soul 
withers away through its incapacity to  
believe4  ,the open-minded saint has a  
healthy spiritual digestion4 ,this does 
not  mean that1 in vulgar parlance1 he  
can1 swallow anything2 it does mean  a  
power of discrimination between food    
offered him1--that he assimilates  what 
is wholesome and rejects the rest4 ,the 
sceptic is pessimistic as to  the       
existence of any wholesome food at all2 
he starves his soul for fear  that he   

should believe something that is not    
true4 ,the saint1 with the  test of     
faith1 sorts the food proposed to him1  
and grows in grace1 and  consequently in
 the knowledge and the love of ,god4    
,open-mindedness is sensitiveness to    
spiritual impressions1 readiness for    
spiritual advance1 even when such       
impressions cut across much that has    
seemed to us well settled1 and such     
advance involves the upset of his       
established ways of thought4 ,what      
distinguishes the evolution in the      
thought of the sceptic from that in the 
thought of the saint is that in  the one
 case the result is destructive and in  
the other constructive4  ,the sceptic is
 like a man who starts to build a house1
 and then  periodically tears down what 
he has so far built and begins again on 
a  new plan2 the saint is like the house
 builder who broadens his plan in  the  
course of construction1 and who finds   
that within the limits of his  general  
scheme there is room for indefinite     

improvement4 ,the one never  gets any   
building at all2 the other gets a palace
 of which the last  stages are of a more
 highly decorated school of architecture
 than he  had conceived1 or indeed1     
could conceive1 when he began his work4 
,in ,s4 ,joseph's case nothing could be 
more revolutionary in appearance  than  
the truth he was asked to accept4 ,he   
was asked to believe in the             
virgin-motherhood of his bethrothed1 and
 in the fact that the ,child soon  to be
 born was ,he ,who was to save ,israel  
from his sins4 ,he was asked to  accept 
these incredible statements and to act  
upon them by taking ,mary  to wife as he
 had proposed4 ,and he did not hesitate 
to accept the  evidence of a dream and  
act in accordance with it4 ,how could he
 do this8  ,because the required action 
which seemed so revolutionary of all his
  previous notions was1 in fact1 quite  
in accordance with his knowledge of     
,god and of the promises of ,god4       
,though a simple man1 perhaps because he

  was a simple man1 he would know       
something of the teaching of the        
prophets4 ,that teaching would have     
given him thoughts about ,god which     
would have1 unconsciously1 prepared him 
for these new acts of ,god4  ,though we 
cannot see before how a prophecy is to  
be fulfiled1 after the  event we can see
 that this is what is intended by it4   
,we were actually  being prepared by the
 prophecy for what was to take place4   
,and thus1 no  doubt1 ,s4 ,joseph's     
mind1 being filled with the teaching of 
the  ,scriptures which he had heard read
 in the ,synagogue every ,sabbath day1  
would find that this new act of ,god on 
which he was asked to rely was1  in     
fact1 but a new step in the unfolding of
 that ,providence which had  for        
centuries been shaping the history of   
his nation4    ,it is a quality to      
cultivate1 this simple open-mindedness  
which is  ready to respond to new       
spiritual impulses4 ,it is precisely    
what  prevents that deadly attitude of  

soul which proceeds as though religion  
were for us exhausted3 as though we had 
reached the limit of expectancy4  ,but  
to expect nothing is to receive nothing1
 because it is only  expectancy that    
perceives what is offered4 ,we move in a
 world which is  thronged with spirtual 
impulses and energetic with spiritual   
powers4 ,god  is trying to lead us on to
 new spiritual experiences by which we  
may  attain to a better understanding of
 ,him4 ,there is no assignable limit to 
our possible growth4 ,but we fix a limit
 when we close our souls to  further    
experiences by the practical denial that
 they exist4 ,if we are  childlike1 we  
are always expecting new things of our  
,father2 if we are  open-minded we are  
alive to the activities of the spiritual
 world4 ,we  are conscious of possessing
 a growing religion1 a religion truly   
evolutionary1 constantly bringing to our
 knowledge unsuspected riches  stored in
 the very principles whose meaning we   
had assumed that we had  exhausted4     

,perhaps one of the treasures of our    
religion of which we have not  achieved 
full consciousness is ,god's choice of  
us to be the guardians of  ,his         
revelation4 ,it is our charge to keep   
the faith4 ,i suppose that  this        
responsibility is commonly regarded as  
belonging to some vaguely  imagined     
,church which hands it on from          
generation to generation1 to us  among  
others1 but without imposing on us an   
obligation of any active  sort4 ,but we 
are the ,church--members in particular  
of the ,body of  ,christ4 ,and in the   
dissemination of the faith the last     
appeal is to us1  not to some outside   
tribunal4 ,when the ,church wishes to   
discover its  faith and make it         
articulate1 its place of search is in   
the minds and  hearts of the faithful4  
,our responsibility is to testify to the
 ,catholic  ,faith1 not so much by      
positively asserting it as by making it 
active and  vivid in our lives so that  
its presence and power can by no means  

be  mistaken4 ,you1 for instance1 in    
common with the rest of the faithful1   
are the custodians of this truth of the 
perpetual virginity of the  ,blessed    
,virgin ,mary4 ,it may seem a small     
matter1 but it is not4 ,that it  is not 
is readily seen from this fact1 that    
when the perpetual virginity  of our    
,blessed ,mother is denied then also the
 ,incarnation of her ,son is  denied or 
is held only in a half-hearted way4 ,the
 ,church stresses such  facts1 not only 
because they are facts1 but because by  
their character  they form a hedge about
 the truth of the ,incarnation of our   
,lord4 ,and we  who are ,catholic       
,christians must feel an obligation to  
hold fast this  fact4 ,we ought actively
 to show our firm adherence to it4 ,how8
 ,chiefly  by our attitude towards      
,blessed ,mary herself1 by the devotion 
that we  show her4 ,if we are quite     
indifferent to devotion to ,blessed     
,mary1 if we  show her no honour1 if we 
likewise fail in honour to her guardian1

 ,s4  ,joseph1 is it not to be expected 
that our grasp upon the truths which    
are enshrined in such devotion will be  
feeble1 and that we shall hold  them as 
of small moment8 ,the whole system of   
,catholic thought is so  nicely         
articulated1 so consistently held       
together1 that failure to hold  even the
 smallest constituent indicates a faulty
 conception of the  whole4 ,catholics   
are constantly accused of over-stressing
 devotion to  blessed ,mary and the     
saints and thereby encroaching upon the 
honour due  to our ,lord4 ,the answer to
 the reproach is to be found in the     
question3  ,who to-day are defending to 
the very death the truth of our ,lord's 
,incarnation and the truths that hang   
upon it8 ,are they those who deny  the  
legitimacy of invocation1 or those in   
whose religious practise it  holds an   
important and vital place8           ,a 
,,panegyrick ,,on ,,the ,,blessed       
,,virgin ,,mary4         ,i do not      
tremble1 when ,i write       ,a         

,mistress' praise1 but with delight     
,can dive for pearls into the flood1    
,fly through every garden1 wood1        
,stealing the choice of flow'rs and     
wind1       ,to dress her body or her   
mind2       ,nay the ,saints and ,angels
 are       ,nor safe in ,heaven1 till   
she be fair1       ,and rich as they2   
nor will this do1       ,until she be my
 idol too4       ,with this sacrilege ,i
 dispense1       ,no fright is in my    
conscience1       ,my hand starts not1  
nor do ,i then       ,find any quakings 
in my pen2       ,whose every drop of   
ink within       ,dwells1 as in me my   
parent's sin1       ,and praises on the 
paper wrot       ,have but conspired to 
make a blot3       ,why should such     
fears invade me now       ,that writes  
on her8 to whom do bow       ,the souls 
of all the just1 whose place       ,is  
next to ,god's1 and in his face         
,all creatures and delights doth see    
,as darling of the ,trinity2       ,to  
whom the ,hierarchy doth throng1        

,and for whom ,heaven is all one song4  
,joys should possess my spirit here1    
,but pious joys are mixed with fear3    
,put off thy shoe1 'tis holy ground1    
,for here the flaming ,bush is found1   
,the mystic rose1 the ,ivory ,tower1    
,the morning ,star and ,david's bower1  
,the rod of ,moses and of ,jesse1       
,the fountain seald1 ,gideon's fleece1  
,a woman clothd with the ,sun1          
,the beauteous throne of ,salomon1      
,the garden shut1 the living spring1    
,the ,tabernacle of the ,king1          
,the ,altar breathing sacred fume1      
,the ,heaven distilling honeycomb1      
,the untouched lily1 full of dew1       
,a ,mother1 yet a ,virgin too1          
,before and after she brought forth     
7,our ransom of eternal worth7          
,both ,god and man4 ,what voice can sing
       ,this mystery1 or ,cherub's wing 
,lend from his golden stock a pen       
,to write1 how ,heaven came down to men8
       ,here fear and wonder so advance 
,my soul1 it must obey a trance4        

,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,vii    ,,the
 ,,nativity         ,she brought forth  
her firstborn son1 and wrapped him in   
swaddling clothes1 and laid him in a    
manger2 because there       was no room 
for them in the inn4         ,s4 ,luke  
,,ii4 #g4         ,it is very meet to   
bless thee who bore the ,christ1 ,o ever
       ,blessed and ,immaculate ,mother 
of ,god4 ,more wondrous than the        
,cherubim and of greater glory than the 
,seraphim art thou who       remaining  
,virgin didst give birth to ,god the    
,word4 ,verily1 do       we magnify     
thee1 ,o ,mother of ,god4 ,in thee1 ,o  
full of grace1       all creation       
exults1 the hierarchy of angels and the 
race of       men4 ,in thee sanctified  
temple1 spiritual paradise1 glory of    
virgins1 of whom ,god took flesh1       
through whom our ,god ,who was          
before the world became a ,child4 ,of   
thy womb ,he made a       throne1 and   
its dominion is more extensive than the 
heavens4       ,in thee1 ,o full of     

grace1 all creation exults3 glory to    
thee4         ,,russian4    ,we see a   
man and a woman on the road to          
,bethlehem where they are going  to be  
taxed according to the decree of        
,augustus4 ,bethlehem would be  known to
 them as the home of their ancestors1   
for they were both of the  lineage of   
,david4 ,it was a painful journey for   
them for ,mary was near  the time of her
 delivery4 ,we follow them along the    
road and into the  village1 as the      
twilight fades1 and see them seeking    
shelter for the  night4 ,bethlehem is a 
small place and the inn is crowded with 
those who  have come on the errand with 
them1 and the only place where they can 
find refuge for the night is a stable4  
,but they are not used to luxury1  and  
the stable serves their purpose4    ,it 
also serves ,god's purpose4 ,one        
understands as one reads this  narrative
 of the ,nativity what is meant by the  
,providential government  of the world4 
,we see how various lines of action1    

each free and  independent1 yet converge
 to the production of a given event4    
,the  different characters in the drama 
are all pursuing their own courses and  
yet the result is a true drama1 not an  
unrelated series of events4  ,caesar's  
action1 ,joseph's lineage1 our ,lord's  
conception1 all working  together1 bring
 about the fulfilment of prophecy by the
 birth of the  ,messiah in ,bethlehem4  
,there is in the universe an over-ruling
 will which  works to its ends by       
co-operating with human freedom1 and not
  destroying it4 ,we are not the sport  
of chance1 not the slaves of fate1  but 
free men2 and yet through our freedom1  
through our blunders and  rebellions and
 sins as well as through our obedience1 
the work of ,god is  moving to its      
conclusion4 ,man did all that he could  
to defeat the ends  of ,god and to      
thwart ,god's purpose of redemption4    
,yet on a certain night  in ,bethlehem  
of ,judea the light of ,god overcame the
 human darkness1 and  the voices of     

,god's angels pierced the human tumult1 
and ,jesus ,christ  was born4 ,god of   
the substance of his ,father begotten   
before all  worlds1 man of the substance
 of his mother1 born in the world2      
perfect  ,god and perfect man1 of a     
reasonable soul and human flesh         
subsisting4    ,the manifestation came  
to certain shepherds watching their     
flocks in the  fields about ,bethlehem2 
simple men1 quite unable to take in the 
meaning  of what they see and hear4 ,one
 cannot help thinking of what it would  
have meant in the way of an intellectual
 revolution if to some ,greek or  ,roman
 philosopher1 speculating on the destiny
 of humanity1 the truth  could have come
 that the future of the world was not in
 the court of  ,augustus1 that it was   
not dependent on the ,roman armies or   
,greek  learning1 but that it was bound 
up in the career and teaching of a ,baby
  that night born in a stable in an     
obscure village in ,judea4 ,as we       
imagine such a case we see in the       

concrete the meaning of the revolution  
set in motion by this single event2 and 
we are led to adore the ways of  ,god in
 that ,he has chosen for the final      
approach to man for the purpose  of     
redemption1 this way of simplicity and  
humbleness4 ,man would not  have thought
 of this as the best path for ,god to   
follow in this purpose  of rescue1 but  
we can be wise after the event and see  
that this ,child  born in poverty and   
obscurity would have fewer entanglements
 to break  through1 fewer obstacles to  
overcome4    ,but these thoughts are far
 away from the night in ,bethlehem4 ,in 
the  stable there where a ,baby is lying
 in ,mary's arms and ,joseph stands     
looking on1 there is no speculation     
about the world-consequences of the     
event4 ,there is rather the splendour of
 love3 the love of the mother in  the   
new found mystery of this her ,child2   
the love of ,god who has given  her the 
,child4 ,and all is a part of the great 
mystery of love1 of the  love wherewith 

,god loves the world4 ,god so loved the 
world that ,he gave  ,his only begotten 
,son4 ,here is the ,son1 lying in       
,mary's arms1 wrapped  in swaddling     
clothes1 and ,mary looks into ,his face 
as any human mother  looks into the face
 of her child4 ,but through the eyes    
that smile up  into ,mary's face1 ,god  
is looking out on a world of sorrow and 
pain and  sin that ,he has come to      
redeem1 and for which1 in redeeming it1 
to die4  ,presently1 the shepherds come 
in and complete the group1 the          
representatives of universal humanity at
 the birth of their ,king1 ,we  have the
 whole world-problem in small1 but here 
there is no  consciousness of it4 ,no   
echo of world-politics or of movements  
of  thought break in here4 ,but we know 
that here is the beginning of that      
which will set at naught world-politics 
and revolutionise movements of  thought1
 that here is the centre about which    
humanity will move in the  coming time4 
,here is that which is fundamental and  

abiding because here  is the one        
invincible power of the universe--love4 
,all else will fail3  prophecies1       
systems of philosophy1 religions1       
political and social  structures2 each  
in the time of its flourishing1         
proclaiming itself the  last word of    
human wisdom1--these in bewildering     
succession have arisen  and passed away4
 ,but love has survived them all4 ,love 
never faileth2  through the slow        
succession of the centuries it is       
winning the world  to ,god4    ,it were 
well if we could learn to look on the   
happenings of this world  as the        
miracles of divine love4 ,we think of   
the power1 the justice1 the  judgment of
 ,god as visible in this world's        
history2 but these are but  the         
instruments of love1 and all that ,he   
does has its foundation in love  and    
receives its impulse from love4 ,this   
,nativity is the divine love  coming    
into the world on its last adventure1   
determined to win man1 all  other means 

failing1 by the extremity of sacrifice4 
,the final word about  this ,child will 
be that having loved his own ,he loved  
them unto the  uttermost1 he loved them 
without stinting1 with the uttermost    
capacity  of love4 ,understanding this  
meaning of the love of ,god1 we are     
prepared  for the further fact that ,god
 uses all sorts of instruments as the   
instruments of ,his love4 ,he shares    
,himself4 ,he pours ,himself into human 
life4 ,he takes men into partnership in 
the work of redemption4 ,whenever  a    
soul is mastered by love1 it becomes a  
tool in ,god's hands4 ,the  progress of 
the ,church--of ,god's ,kingdom--might  
be described as the  accumulation of    
these tools wherewith ,god works--souls 
who are so  devoted to ,him as to be the
 medium of bringing ,his power1 the     
power of  love1 to bear on the souls of 
their brethren4    ,to be the highest1  
the most perfect1 of all the instruments
 of  redemption ,god chose ,mary of     
,nazareth to be the ,mother of ,his     

,son4 ,she  is the most complete human  
embodiment of ,god's love4 ,she1 in her 
perfect  purity1 can transmit that love 
as power with the least loss of energy  
in  the process of transmission4 ,when  
we think of the saints as the means of  
,god's action1 we think of blessed ,mary
 as the highest of the saints and  the  
means most perfectly adapted to ,god's  
ends4 ,here at ,bethlehem she  holds    
,god in her arms and looks into the     
human face that ,he has taken  for this 
present work and all her being is       
absorbed in love4 ,oblivious1  we think 
her1 of her mean surroundings1 of the   
animals that share with  her their      
stable1 of the shepherds who come in and
 look on in wonder1 of  ,s4 ,joseph     
standing by in sympathy4 ,love is all4  
,love is a passion  consuming her       
being--what can the attendant           
circumstances matter8 ,and  to-day1     
after all these centuries3 to-day the   
,child is the ,ascended and  ,enthroned 
,redeemer1 ,his risen and glorified     

humanity1 transmitting  something of the
 divine glory1 seated at the right hand 
of the ,majesty  of ,god4 ,and ,mary1   
the ,mother8 ,can we have any other     
thought than that  she who on the first 
,christmas morning looks into the face  
of her ,baby1  still1 to-day1 looks up  
into the face of her divine ,son1 and   
the look is  the same look of love8 ,and
 can we think of the look that comes    
back to  her from eyes that are human1  
taken from her body1 though they be in  
very truth the eyes of ,god--can we     
think1 ,i say1 of the eyes of her       
,child and her ,god bringing anything   
else than the message of love8 ,can  we 
think that when in answer to our        
invocation she presents our prayers  in 
union with her own1 that love will fail8
    ,but let us come back to earth--to  
,bethlehem--on that first ,christmas eve
  and listen to the songs of the angels 
as they sing over the star-lit  fields4 
,how near heaven seems6 ,how real is    
,god6 ,how joyful is this  season of    

peace to men of good will6 ,the message 
is of peace1 but that  peace will need  
to have its nature explained in the     
coming years if  men's hearts are not to
 fail them and their faith wither away4 
,it is not  a general peace to the world
 that is being proclaimed4 ,later on our
 ,lord  will say3 ,my peace ,i give unto
 you2 not as the world giveth1 give ,i  
unto you4 ,it is such a gift as can be  
enjoyed only by men of good will2       
converted men1 that is to say1 men whose
 will is close set with the will  of    
,god4 ,for how should there be peace in 
any world on any other terms8  ,how can 
there be peace for those who are in     
rebellion against ,god8 ,our  ,lord can 
promise peace1 and can fulfil ,his      
promise because ,he is  bringing a new  
potency into human life4 ,he is a new   
way of approach to  ,god1 a new way into
 the ,holiest of all4 ,through ,his     
humanity ,god is  united to man1 and    
through it man1 any man1 can be united  
to ,god4 ,and  one of the results of    

that union is this gift of peace1 and   
the fact  that it arises from the union 
explains its new character1 why our     
,lord  calls it ,his peace4    ,this    
peace is the ,christmas gift of the     
divine child to us4 ,this is the  method
 of ,god's work1 from the inside out2   
from the spiritual fact to  its external
 result4 ,we do not begin by finding    
peace with this world3  in the world ye 
shall have tribulation4 ,and most of the
 failure to  attain peace1 and much of  
men's loss of faith is due to           
repudiation of  the divine method4 ,we  
live in a disordered and pain-stricken  
world where  human life is uniformly a  
life of trial and struggle1 and our easy
  yielding to temptation is an attempt  
at some sort of an adjustment with  the 
world such as we think will produce     
peace and quiet4 ,we constantly  demand 
of religion that it should effect this  
for us4 ,so far as one can  see much of 
the revolt against religion to-day has  
its ground in the  failure of religion  

to meet the demands made upon it for a  
better world4  ,men look out on a world 
seething with unrest and filled with    
injustice1  and they turn upon the      
,church and ask1 ,why have you not      
changed all  this8 ,are you not1 in     
fact1 neglecting your duty in not       
changing it8 ,or  if you are not        
neglecting your duty1 you must at least 
confess to your  impotence4 ,your       
self-confessed business is to make a    
better world4    ,true2 but only on the 
conditions which love imposes4 ,religion
 does not  propose to improve the world 
by a more skilful application of the    
principles of worldliness4 ,it does not 
propose to turn stones into bread  at   
the demand of any devils whatsoever4 ,it
 does not say1 ,if you will  support me 
and give me a certain superficial       
honour1 ,i will bless your  efforts and 
increase the success of your            
undertakings4 ,religion  proposes to    
improve the world on the condition that 
the principles of  religion shall be    

accepted as the working principles of   
life2 on  condition1 that is1 that love 
shall be made the ground of human       
association4 ,religion can make a better
 world1 it can make the kingdoms  of    
,god and of ,his ,christ2 but it can    
only do so on the condition that it  is 
whole-heartedly accepted and thoroughly 
applied4 ,the proof that it  can do this
 is in the fact that it can and does    
make better individuals4  ,wherever men 
and women have lived by the principles  
of the ,gospel they  have brought forth 
the fruits of the ,gospel4 ,it has done 
this1 not under  some specially         
favourable circumstances1 but it has    
done it under all  circumstances of life
 and in all nations of men4 ,what has   
been done in  unnumbered individual     
cases1 can be done in whole communities 
when the  communities want it done4 ,it 
is quite pointless in times of great    
social  distress to ask passionately1   
why does not ,god make a better world8  
,the only question which is at all to   

the point is1 why has ,god not made  me 
better8 ,the problem of ,god's dealing  
with the world is1 in  essence1 the     
problem of ,god's dealing with me4 ,if  
,he has not reformed  me1 if ,i do not1 
in my self-examination1 find that ,i am 
responding to  the ideals of ,god1 as   
far as ,i know them1 there is small     
point in  declamations about the state  
of society4 ,society that is godless1 is
  just a mass of godless individuals2   
and ,i can understand why ,god does  not
 reform the world perfectly well from   
the study of my own case4 ,what  in me  
prevents the full control of ,god is the
 same that prevents that  control over  
the whole of society3 and ,i know that  
that is not lack of  knowledge1 but lack
 of love4 ,men ignore the primary       
obligation of life3  ,thou shalt love   
the ,lord thy ,god 444 and thy neighbour
 as thyself4 ,as  long as they ignore   
that1 there can be no reformed world1 no
 world  reflecting the divine purpose1  
no society1--whatever may be its widely 

multiplied legislation1--securing to men
 conditions of life which are  sane and 
satisfactory4    ,therefore the ,child  
who is born of ,mary in ,bethlehem while
 the angels  are singing their carols   
over the fields where the shepherds     
watch1 the  ,child ,who brings peace to 
men of good will1 still1 after nearly   
two  thousand years1 finds ,his gift    
ignored and ,his longing to lift men to 
,god unsatisfied4 ,he came unto ,his own
 and ,his own received ,him  not--and   
the conditions are not vitally changed  
to-day4 ,when we think  of a world of   
fifteen hundred million human beings1   
the number of those  who profess and    
call themselves ,christians is          
comparatively small2 the  number of     
actually practicing ,christians1 of men 
and women who do live  by the ,gospel1  
without reserve and without compromise1 
is vastly  smaller4 ,the resistance of  
the principles of the ,gospel is to-day 
intense2 the demand for compromise is   
insistent4 ,we are asked to throw  over 

a system which has obviously failed1 and
 to accept as the  equivalent and to    
permit to pass under the same name a    
system which is  fundamentally          
different2 a system whose end is man and
 not ,god1 whose  means are natural and 
not supernatural1 which seek to produce 
an  adjustment with this world that     
means comfort1 rather than an adjustment
  with the spiritual world which means  
sanctity4    ,the ideal achievement of  
peace is here in ,bethlehem where the   
mother  holds the ,holy ,child to her   
breast1 while her spirit is utterly in  
union  with ,him ,who is both man and   
,god4 ,there is never any break in the  
pure  peace of ,s4 ,mary because there  
is never any moment when her will is    
separated from the will of ,god1 when   
her union with ,him fails4 ,this  peace 
of perfect union has1 through the merits
 of her ,son1 been hers  always2 she has
 never known the wrench of the will that
 separates itself  from ,god4 ,she has  
always been poor2 she has been perplexed

 with life2  she has suffered and will  
suffer intensely1 suffer most where she 
loves  most2 but peace she has never    
lost1 because her will has never wavered
  in its allegiance4 ,what visibly she  
is doing in these moments of her  great 
joy1 holding ,god to her breast in a    
passion of love1 she in fact  is doing  
always--always is she one with ,god4    
,that undisturbed peace of a never      
broken union is never possible for us4  
,we have known what it is to reject the 
will of ,god and go our own way  and    
indulge the appetites of our nature in  
violation of our recognised  standards  
of life4 ,if we are to come to peace it 
must be along the rough  road of        
repentance4 ,and it is wholly just that 
it should be so2 that we  should win    
back to ,god at the expense of shame and
 suffering2 that we  should retrace the 
road that we have travelled1 with weary 
feet and  bleeding heart4 ,this after   
all does not much matter3 what does     
matter  immensely is that there is a    

road back to ,god and that we find it4  
,what  matters is that we discover that 
repentance and reformation are the only 
road to peace4 ,we are offered many     
other roads alleged to lead to the  same
 place2 but not even a child should be  
deceived by the modern  substitutes for 
repentance1 by the shallow teaching     
whereby it is  attempted to persuade men
 of the innocence of sin4 ,they are     
never worth  discussing1 these modern   
substitutes for repentance4 ,men accept 
them1  not because they are rational or 
convincing1 but because they offer a    
justification for going the way that    
they have already made up their  minds  
to go4 ,but it is plain that whatever   
else they do they do not  afford a basis
 for peace4 ,they are no rock foundation
 for eternity4  ,other foundation for   
peace can no man lay or has laid than   
the  acceptance of the salvation offered
 in ,jesus ,christ4 ,he is our peace2   
and when we discover that1 ,he makes    
peace in us by the application to  our  

souls of the ,blood of ,his ,cross4     
,this is the peace ,he came to bring4   
,this the peace that the angels         
announced as they sang over ,bethlehem4 
,this is the peace which is ceaselessly 
proclaimed from the altars of the       
,christian ,church1 the peace of ,god   
which passeth understanding1 the  peace 
which is offered to all men of good     
will4    ,how shall we attain it8 ,by   
being men of good will1 plainly4 ,but   
what  constitutes good will in a man8   
,that which ,i have already discussed1  
perhaps abundantly1 simplicity and      
childlike obedience of character4 ,s4   
,joseph1 the guardian of ,mary and her  
,child here in ,bethlehem1 is the  best 
example we can have of a man of good    
will1 a man who under the most          
difficult circumstances responded with  
perfect readiness and complete          
obedience to the heavenly message that  
came to him4 ,this is to be his  course 
through the few years that he will live1
 to give himself to the  will of ,god in

 the care of ,jesus4 ,we are men of good
 will if we do  whatsoever our ,lord    
says to us1 if we are seeking first of  
all the  ,kingdom of ,god and its       
righteousness1 if our estimate of values
  corresponds to our ,lord's4    ,there 
is our trouble--that old trouble of     
feebly trying to live the life  of the  
,kingdom when what we actually want is  
the offer of this world4  ,there is1    
there can be1 no peace in a divided     
life4 ,there is a certain  spiritual    
sloth which has the exterior look of    
peace1 as a corpse looks  peaceful1 but 
it has no relation to the peace which   
,god gives4 ,it is in  fact the wages of
 sin1 wages easily earned and long      
enjoyed4 ,but so long  as we are        
spiritually alive1 so long we cannot    
enjoy whole-heartedly  even the most    
fascinating of sins because there is    
lurking in the  background the sense of 
the transitoriness of our sin and of the
  imminence of death and judgment4      
,there is the skeleton in every man's   

closet until he finally makes choice on 
one side or the other4 ,for we  are not 
ignorant of the spiritual obligations of
 life4 ,we always know  more than we    
have achieved4 ,when we talk about our  
ignorance and  perplexity1 we are not   
meaning ignorance and perplexity about  
the  obligation to live in a certain    
way1 and to perform certain duties1 on  
this particular day3 rather we are      
making this alleged ignorance of the    
future an excuse for not taking action  
in the present1 action which we  know to
 be obligatory4    ,and peace is so     
wonderful a gift6 ,to feel oneself in   
harmony with ,god1  to know that one is 
carefully seeking ,his will and making  
it one's first  and highest duty to     
perform it4 ,to have found the peace of 
the forgiven  soul as the result of     
absolution1 at the expense of much shame
 and  repugnance1 it may be1 but with   
what marvellous compensations when we go
  away with a sense of restored purity  
and the friendship of ,god--life  looks 

so different when we look at it through 
purified eyes6 ,the old  life has held  
us so tightly1 the old sins have clung  
so close2 and then  there was a day when
 we gave up self and turned to ,god and 
the ,gift of  ,god in ,jesus ,christ2   
and then we saw how miserable and vile  
and naked we  had been all through the  
time of our boasted freedom2 and we came
 as  children to ,mary's ,child and     
offered ourselves to ,him for cleansing4
 ,we  kneel and offer to ,him our wills 
and ask that they may be made good1 and 
kept good in union with ,his most holy  
will4 ,then we find how true this  word 
is3 ,in ,me ye shall have peace3 in the 
world ye shall have  tribulation2 but be
 of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the    
world4 ,it is  true1 is it not8 not only
 as we commonly interpret1 that the     
disciples  of ,christ shall have        
tribulation in this world2 but that much
 that we1  giving ourselves to the      
world1 counted joy1 was in reality      
tribulation1  and we are glad to be rid 

of it4         ,a babe is born to bliss 
us bring4       ,i heard a maid lulley  
and sing4       ,she said3 ,dear ,son1  
leave ,thy weeping3       ,thy1 ,father 
is the ,king of bliss4          ,now    
sing we with ,angelis3          ,gloria 
in excelsis4         ,lulley1 she said  
and sung also1       ,my own dear ,son1 
why are ,thou wo8       ,have ,i not    
done as ,i should do8          ,now sing
 we with ,angelis3          ,gloria in  
excelsis4         ,nay1 dear mother1 for
 thee weep ,i nought1       ,but for the
 woe that shall be wrought       ,to ,me
 ere ,i mankind have bought4       ,was 
never sorrow like it i-wis4             
,now sing we with ,angelis3             
,gloria in excelsis4         ,peace1    
dear ,son6 ,thou grievest me sore3      
,thou art my child1 ,i have no more4    
,should ,i see men mine own ,son slay8  
,alas1 my dear ,son1 what means all     
this8          ,now sing we with        
,angelis3          ,gloria in excelsis4 
,my hands1 ,mother1 that ye now see1    

,shall be nailed to a tree2       ,my   
feet also fast shall be1       ,men     
shall weep that shall see this4         
,now sing we with ,angelis3             
,gloria in excelsis4         ,ah1 dear  
,son1 hard is my happe       ,to see my 
child that lay in my lap1--       ,his  
hands1 ,his feet that ,i did wrappe1--  
,be so nailed2 they never did amisse4   
,now sing we with ,angelis3             
,gloria in excelsis4         ,ah1 dear  
,mother1 yet shall a spear       ,my    
heart asunder all but tear3       ,no   
wonder if ,i care-ful were       ,and   
wept full sore to think on this4        
,now sing we with ,angelis3             
,gloria in excelsis4        ,,part ,,two
    ,,chapter ,,viii    ,,the ,,magi    
,now when ,jesus was born in ,bethlehem 
of ,judea in the days of ,herod the     
king1 ,behold1 there came ,magi from the
 ,east to ,jerusalem1 ,saying1 ,where   
is he that is born king of the ,jews8   
,s4 ,matt4 ,,ii1 i4    ,hail to thee1   
,mary1 the fair dove1 which hath borne  

for us ,god the  ,word4 ,we give thee   
salutation with the ,angel ,gabriel1    
saying1 ,hail1 thou  that art full of   
grace2 the ,lord is with thee4    ,hail 
to thee1 ,o ,virgin1 the very and true  
,queen2 hail1 glory of our  race4 ,thou 
hast borne for us ,emmanuel4    ,we pray
 thee1 remember us1 ,o thou our faithful
 advocate with our ,lord  ,jesus        
,christ1 that ,he may forgive us our    
sins4    ,,coptic4    ,out of the ,east1
 over the desert1 we see coming to      
,bethlehem the train  of the star-led   
,magi4 ,the devout imagination of the   
,church1 dwelling  upon the significance
 rather than the bare historical        
statements of  the ,gospel1 have seen   
them as the representatives of the whole
 ,gentile  world4 ,we often think of the
 treatment of the sacred story by the   
teachers and preachers of the ,church as
 embroidering the original  narratives  
with legendary material4 ,we can look at
 it in that way2 and  by so doing1 ,i   
think1 miss the meaning of the facts4   

,what we call  ecclesiastical legend    
will often turn out on examination to be
 but the  unfolding of the meaning of an
 event in terms of the creative         
imagination4 ,the object is to present  
vividly what the event actually  means  
when the meaning is of such widely      
reaching significance as far to         
overpass the simple facts4 ,it is thus1 
,i take it1 that we must  understand the
 story of the ,magi as it takes shape in
 pious story4 ,that  the ,magi were     
kings1 and that they were three in      
number1 emphasises the  felt importance 
of their coming to the cradle of our    
,lord4 ,actually1  they were understood 
to represent the ,gentile world offering
 its  allegiance to our blessed ,lord1  
and therefore they would naturally      
represent the three branches of the     
,gentile world as it was understood  at 
the time4 ,the importance of their      
mission was reflected in the            
presentation of them as kings--no less  
persons were required to fill  the      

dignity of the part4 ,there was1 too1 a 
whole mass of prophecy to be  reckoned  
with and interpreted in its relation to 
the event1 the most  obvious of which   
was that of ,isaiah3 ,and the ,gentiles 
shall come to thy  light1 and kings to  
the brightness of thy rising4    ,the   
,church story is essentially true1 is   
but a dramatic rendering of the  ,gospel
 story4 ,we may however content         
ourselves with the more simple          
rendering4 ,we can hardly think of the  
stable as the setting of the  reception 
of the ,eastern ,sages4 ,just when they 
came we cannot tell2 but  we seem       
compelled to put the ,epiphany where the
 ,church puts it in her  year1 somewhere
 between the ,nativity and the          
,presentation1 and the scene  of it will
 still be1 the ,gospel implies1         
,bethlehem4 ,now when ,jesus was  born  
in ,bethlehem of ,judea in the days of  
,herod the king1 ,behold1 there  came   
,magi from the ,east to ,jerusalem4 ,and
 at the direction of ,herod1  and guided

 by the ,star they came to ,bethlehem   
and offered their gifts  and their      
worship4 ,they saw the young child with 
,mary his mother1 and  fell down1 and   
worshipped him3 and when they had opened
 their treasures1  they presented unto  
him gifts2 gold1 and frankincense1 and  
myrrh4    ,we try to get before us what 
would have been the mind of ,s4 ,mary   
through  all these happenings which     
attended the birth of her ,child4 ,what 
is  written of her here is no doubt     
characteristic3 ,mary kept all these and
  pondered them in her heart4 ,wonder at
 the ways of ,god had been hers for  so 
many months now--wonder1 with devout    
meditation upon their meaning4  ,where  
there is no resistance to ,god's will   
but only the desire to know  it more    
fully there is always the gradual       
assimilation of the truth4 ,s4  ,mary   
moves in a realm of mystery from the    
moment of the ,annunciation to  the very
 end of her life4 ,it is so difficult to
 understand what is the  meaning of ,god

 in this unspeakable gift of a ,son     
conceived by the power  of the ,holy    
,spirit1 and in the constant            
accompaniment of pain and  disaster and 
disappointment which is the unfolding   
experience of her  life in relation to  
,him4 ,but we feel in her no            
speculation1 no  rebellion1 no          
insistence on knowing more2 but we feel 
that there must  have been a growing    
appreciation of the work of ,god1       
unhesitating  acceptance of ,his will4  
,just to keep things in one's heart is  
so often  the best way of arriving at an
 understanding of them2 is the best way1
  at least1 of arriving at the          
conviction that what we in fact need to 
understand is not so much what ,god does
 as that it is ,god ,who does it4  ,our 
true aim in life is to understand ,god1 
and through that  understanding we shall
 sufficiently understand life4 ,failure 
in human  life is commonly due to an    
attempt to understand life without any  
attempt to understand it in relation to 

,god4 ,it is like an attempt to         
understand a work of art without an     
attempt to understand the artist1 to    
estimate in terms of mechanical effort1 
rather than in terms of mind4 ,a  work  
of art means what the artist means when 
he creates it3 life means  what ,god    
means in ,his creation and government of
 it1 and it is hopeless  to expect to   
understand it without reference to the  
mind of ,god4    ,therefore ,mary's way 
is the right way--the way of acceptance 
and  meditation4 ,so she sought to      
follow the mind of ,god4 ,we are told   
little  of her1 but we are told quite   
enough to understand this4 ,we know well
  her method1 that she kept things in   
her heart4 ,and we have one splendid    
example of the result of the method in  
the ,magnificat4 ,there the results  of 
her communion with ,god break forth in  
that ,canticle which ever since  has    
been one of the priceless treasures of  
the ,church4 ,the ,gospels never  tell  
us very much2 but if we will follow     

,mary's method they tell us  enough to  
let us see the very hand of ,god in the 
working out of our  salvation2 they give
 us sample events from which we easily  
infer ,god's  meaning otherwhere4       
,and we may be sure that the months that
 followed the ,annunciation would  have 
been months of ever-deepening spiritual 
communion1 resulting in a  rapidly      
advancing spiritual maturity4 ,one      
necessary result would have  been to    
prepare the blessed ,mother to receive  
new manifestations of  ,god's           
,providence1 and to fit them into the   
whole body of her experience4  ,she     
would not at any time be lost in        
helpless surprise before a new          
development of the purpose of ,god4     
,surprised as she must have been when   
the ,eastern ,sages came to kneel before
 the ,child she carried at her  breast1 
and hail ,him as born ,king of the      
,jews1 she would have set to  work to   
fit this new experience into what her   
acquired knowledge of the  divine       

meaning had become4 ,and one can have no
 doubt that these visitors  from afar   
would have told her enough of the       
grounds of their action to  illumine for
 her the prophecies concerning her ,son4
    ,the special incidents that the     
,gospel select for record leave us      
always  conscious that they are a       
selection and therefore must have       
special  significance4 ,that we are told
 that the ,magi offered certain gifts1  
rather than told the words of homage    
wherewith they presented them turns  our
 attention to the nature of the gifts as
 presumably having a  significance in   
themselves rather than because of any   
actual value4 ,in  the gifts of these   
,gentiles come from afar to kneel before
 ,him ,whom they  recognise as ,king of 
the ,jews1 we are compelled to see a    
certain  attitude of humanity toward    
,him ,who is revealed to be not only the
 ,king  of the ,jews1 but ,lord of      
,heaven and earth2 they give what       
humanity needs  must always give--the   

gold of a perfect oblation1 the incense 
of  perpetual intercession1 the myrrh of
 a humble self-abandonment4    ,these   
which are offered as the ideal tribute  
of humanity by the star-led  ,magi are  
found in their highest human perfection 
exemplified in the  ,mother of the      
,child to ,whom the tribute is made4    
,perfect are they in our  ,lord2 and she
 who is nearest ,him in nature is       
nearest ,him in the  perfection of      
nature4 ,we turn from ,god's ideal as   
set out in our blessed  ,lord to see it 
reflected as in a glass in the life of  
her whose  perfection is the perfect    
rendering of ,his grace4 ,mary is so    
perfect  because1 by ,god's election1   
she is full of grace4    ,we1 alas6 limp
 after the ideal at a long distance4    
,one pictures the  life of sanctity     
under the familiar symbol of the race   
course1 where  many start in the race1  
and many1 one by one1 fall out by the   
wayside4  ,those who go on the race's   
end1 go on because of certain qualities 

of  endurance that we discover in them4 
,in those who run the spiritual race    
for the amaranthine crown these         
qualities of endurance are not natural1 
but supernatural3 they come not of birth
 but of rebirth4 ,they are  qualities   
which we draw from ,god4 ,it is not of  
him that willeth1 nor of  him that      
runneth1 but of ,god that showeth mercy4
 ,the hand that sets the  race confers  
the gifts that enable one to win it4 ,so
 run that ye  may obtain4    ,and       
perhaps the chiefest of all those gifts 
is that which makes us1 the  children of
 ,god1 capable of the adoration of our  
,father4 ,worship is no  other than the 
utter giving of ourselves1 giving as    
,christ gave1 ,who  being originally in 
the form of ,god1 thought it not a thing
 to be  grasped at to be equal with     
,god1 but emptied ,himself1 and took    
upon ,him  the form of a servant1 and   
was made in the likeness of men2 giving 
as  the blessed ,virgin gave when she   
gave1 as she must have thought and have 

been willing to give1 her whole         
reputation among men in response to the 
call of ,god2 giving complete1 in which 
there is no withholding4 ,that is       
worship1 sacrifice1 the pure gold of    
self-oblation4    ,but it is possible to
 think of the power of worship from     
another point  of view4 ,god never takes
 but ,he gives4 ,what ,he appears to    
take ,he gives  back with ,his blessing1
 and we find the restored gift          
multiplied  manifold4 ,so in the very   
act of our worship ,god confers on us   
power4    ,for it is true1 is it not1   
that in the very act of worship we      
experience1 not exhaustion but          
exhilaration4 ,in the very act of giving
  ourselves to ,god1 ,god gives ,himself
 to us1 and in overflowing abundance4   
,that is what we find to be true in our 
highest act of worship1 the  blessed    
,eucharist4 ,here ,god and man meet in a
 perfect communion4 ,here we  offer     
ourselves in sacrifice--ourselves1 our  
souls and bodies--in union  with the    

sacrifice of our ,lord2 and here our    
,lord1 ,who is the sacrifice  itself1   
not only offers ,himself1 but also ,he  
imparts ,himself to those  who are      
united with ,him4 ,and out of this      
sacrifice1 thus issuing in an  act of   
union1 there flows the perpetual        
renewing of the vitality of the         
spiritual life4 ,we are sustained from  
day to day by this sacrificial  feeding2
 our strength which is continually being
 drawn upon by the  demands of life1 by 
the temptations we have to resist1 by   
the exertion  that is called for in all 
spiritual exercise1 is renewed by our   
participation in the ,body and ,blood of
 our ,lord4 ,i am sure that all  those  
who are accustomed to frequent communion
 feel the drain upon their  strength    
when at any time they are deprived of   
their great privilege4 ,i  am also sure 
that many who feel that their spiritual 
life is but  languid1 or those other    
many who seem only dimly to feel that   
there are  spiritual problems to be met1

 and spiritual strength needed for the  
meeting of them1 would find themselves  
immensely helped1 would find  their     
minds illumined and their strength      
sustained in more frequent              
participation in the sacrificial worship
 and feasting of the ,church4  ,the     
attitude of vast numbers of those who   
are regarded as quite sincere           
,christians is wholly incomprehensible4 
,the life of ,god is day by day  poured 
out at the altars of the ,church1 and   
they go their way in seeming            
unconsciousness of its presence1 of its 
appeal1 of its virtue1 or of  their own 
sore need of it4 ,the ,magi come from a 
far distance on a  hazardous journey    
into an unknown country that they may   
offer the gold  of their adoration to an
 infant ,king2 and the ,christian feebly
 considers  whether he is not too tired 
to get up of a morning and go a short   
distance to receive the ,body and ,blood
 of the ,redeemer of his soul6    ,the  
,magi came also bringing the incense of 

their intercession4 ,their  privilege   
was that they were admitted to the very 
,presence ,chamber of  the great ,king4 
,that the ,infant in ,mary's arms did   
not show any sign of  kingship1 the     
humble room where they were received    
bore no resemblance  to the presence    
chamber of such kings as they were      
accustomed to wait  upon1 was to them of
 no consequence4 ,they were endowed with
 the gift of  faith1 and believed the   
supernatural guiding rather than the    
outward  seeming4 ,the faith that had   
followed the star from so great a       
distance  was not likely to be quenched 
by the antithesis of what must have been
  their imagination of the reality1 of  
all the pictures that had been  filling 
their minds as they pushed on across the
 desert4 ,it was no more  incredible    
that the ,king ,whom they were seeking  
should be found in  humble guise in a   
peasant's cottage than that they should 
have been  guided to ,him by a heavenly 
star4 ,the gift of ,god to them was that

 they  should be permitted to enter the 
presence of the ,king4    ,this right of
 admission to the divine ,presence is   
the precious gift of  ,god to us4 ,since
 the heavens received the ascending     
,lord the ,kingdom of  heaven has been  
open to all believers4 ,prayer is a very
 simple and  common thing in our        
experience2 and yet when we try to think
 out its  implications we are           
overwhelmed with the wonder of it4 ,it  
implies a ,god  ,who waits upon our     
pleasure3 it reveals to us a ,father    
,who is ever ready  to listen to the    
voice of ,his children4 ,no broken      
hearted sinner1  overwhelmed with the   
conviction of his vileness1 cries out in
 the agony  of his repentance but ,god  
is ready to hear4 ,he is more ready to  
hear  than we to pray4 ,no man pours out
 his thanksgivings for the abundant     
blessings he discovers in his life but  
the heart of ,god is glad in his        
gladness4 ,no child kneels at night to  
repeat his simple prayer but ,god  bends

 over him and blesses him4 ,the wonder  
of it is summed up in our  ,lord's      
words3 ,the ,father ,himself loveth you1
 which are as an open door  into the    
inner sanctuary1 an invitation to enter 
to those who are  hesitating on the     
threshold of the ,holy of ,holies4      
,and there is no danger of tiring ,god3 
we come ceaselessly1 endlessly4  ,the   
cries of earth go up to ,him1 pitiful1  
ignorant1 foolish cries2 but  they find 
,god ready to hear and answer1          
fortunately not according to our        
ignorance but according to ,his great   
mercy4 ,we think of the clouds of       
prayer in all ages1 from all nations1 in
 all tongues1 and the very  vastness of 
them gives us an index of the divine    
love4    ,and it is not simply for      
ourselves that we pray1 nor do we pray  
by  ourselves2 it is of ,god's love that
 in the work of prayer we are           
associated with one another4 ,there is  
nothing further from the divine  plan of
 life than our present individualism4   

,our temptation is to be  egotistic and 
self-centred2 to want to approach ,god  
alone with our  private needs and       
wishes4 ,we incline to travel the       
spiritual way by  ourselves2 we want no 
company2 we want no one between our     
souls and ,god4  ,but that precisely is 
not the divine method4 ,we come to ,god 
through  ,christ2 we come in association
 with the members of the ,body4 ,our    
standing as ,christians before ,him is  
dependent upon our corporate  relation  
to one another in ,his ,son4            
,important issues are involved4 ,we     
attain through this associated life of  
the ,christian the power of mutual      
intercession4 ,we find that it is our   
privilege to share our prayers with     
others1 and to be interested in one     
another's lives4 ,we have common        
interests and we work them out in       
common4 ,therefore when we try to put   
before us an ideal picture of the  power
 of prayer1 it will not be the solitary 
individual offering his  personal       

supplications to the ,father1 but it    
will be the community of  the faithful  
assembled for the offering of the divine
 ,sacrifice4 ,it is  the praying ,body  
that best satisfies our ideal of prayer1
 where we are  conscious of helping one 
another in the work of intercession4 ,we
  remember1 too1 when we think of prayer
 as prayer of the ,body of ,christ1     
that it is not just the visible         
congregation that is participating in   
it1 but that all the ,body share in the 
intercessions1 wherever they may        
individually be4 ,our thoughts go up    
from the little assembly in the  humble 
church and lose themselves in the       
splendour of the heavenly  intercession 
where we are associated with prophets   
and apostles and  martyrs1 and with     
,mary the ,mother of ,god4    ,there was
 a third gift that the ,magi brought to 
,him ,whom they hailed  ,king1 a gift   
that is more perplexing as a gift to    
royalty than the other  two4 ,that gold 
and incense should be offered a ,king is

 clearly ,his royal  right2 but what has
 he to do with the bitterness of myrrh8 
,but to this  ,king myrrh is a          
peculiarly appropriate gift1 for it is  
the symbol of  complete                 
self-abandonment4 ,he who came to do not
 ,his own will but the  will of ,him    
that sent ,him2 ,who laid aside the     
robes of ,his glory1  issuing from the  
uncreated light that ,he might clothe   
,himself with the  humility of the      
flesh1 is properly honoured with the    
gift of myrrh4    ,and as it was the    
symbol of ,his humility1 so is it the   
symbol of our  humanity in relation to  
,him4 ,it suggests to us that uttermost 
of  ,christian virtues1 the virtue of   
entire abandonment to the will of ,god4 
,this is a most difficult virtue to     
acquire4 ,we cling to self4 ,we are     
devoted to our own wills4 ,we rely on   
our own judgment and wisdom4 ,we are    
impatient of all that gets in the way of
 our self-determination4 ,we have  in   
these last days made a veritable        

religion out of devotion to self1 a     
cult of the ego4    ,but he who will    
enter into the sanctuary of the divine  
life1 he who  will seek union with ,god1
 he who will be one with the ,father in 
the ,son1  must abandon self4 ,he must  
lose his life in order to save it4 ,he  
must  let go the world to cling to the  
,lord of life4 ,this will of the man    
which is so insistent1 so persistent1 so
 assertive1 so tenacious1 must  be laid 
aside and the ,will of ,another adopted 
in its place4 ,often this  is bitter4   
,very true of us it is that when we were
 young we girded  ourselves and walked  
whither we would2 but it must be in the 
end1 if we  make life a spiritual       
success1 that when we are old another   
shall gird  us and carry us whither we  
would not4    ,the secret of life is    
found when the bitterness of myrrh is   
turned to  sweetness in the discovery   
that the outcome of the sacrificial life
 is  not that it be narrowed but        
enlarged2 and that for the life which we

  have entrusted to ,him ,god will do   
more than we ask or think4 ,when our    
will becomes one with the will of ,god  
we are surprised to find that we  have  
ceased to think of what we once called  
our sacrifices1 because life  in ,christ
 reveals itself to us as of infinite joy
 and richness1 so that  we forget the   
things that are behind and gladly press 
on4         ,queen of heaven1 blessed   
may thou be       ,for ,godes ,son born 
,he was of thee1       ,for to make us  
free4            ,gloria ,tibi1 ,domine4
         ,jesu1 ,godes ,son1 born ,he   
was       ,in a crib with hay and grass1
       ,and died for us upon the cross4 
,gloria ,tibi1 ,dominie4         ,to our
 ,lady make we our moan1       ,that she
 may pray to her dear ,son1       ,that 
we may to ,his bliss come4              
,gloria ,tibi1 ,dominie4                
,sixteenth ,century4        ,,part ,,two
    ,,chapter ,,ix    ,,the             
,,presentation    ,and when the days of 
her purification according to the law of

 ,moses were  accomplished1 they brought
 him to ,jerusalem1 to present him to   
the ,lord4    ,s4 ,luke ,,ii4 #bb4    ,o
 come let us worship the ,holy ,trinity1
 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the  ,holy  
,ghost1--we the ,christian nations1 for 
,he is our true ,god4    ,and we hope in
 ,holy ,mary1 that ,god will have mercy 
upon us through her  prayers4    ,hail  
to thee1 ,mary1 the fair dove1 who hath 
borne for us ,god the ,word4            
,,coptic    ,the reading of a story in  
the ,gospels is often like looking      
through a  window down some long arcade2
 there is in the foreground the group of
  actors in whom we are presently       
interested1 and beyond them is the whole
  background of contemporary life to    
which they belong1 of which they are  a 
part4 ,if we have time to think out the 
meaning of this surrounding  life we    
gain added insight into the meaning of  
our principal characters4  ,it is so now
 as we watch this group of humble       
peasant folk coming up to  the temple to

 fulfil the demands of the law of       
,moses4 ,in the precincts  of the temple
 they are merged in a larger group whose
 interests are  clearly identical with  
their own1 and whom we easily see to be 
the local  representatives of a         
party--the name1 no doubt1 suggests an  
organisation  which they had            
not--scattered throughout ,judea4 ,their
 interest was the  redemption of        
,israel4 ,they were the true heirs of   
the prophets1 and  among them the       
prophecies which concerned the ,lord's  
,christ were the  subject of constant   
study and meditation4 ,amid the         
movements and  intrigues of political   
and religious parties1 they abode       
quietly in the  temple1 as ,simeon and  
,anna1 or in their homes1 as ,zacharias 
and  ,elizabeth1 waiting4 ,their power  
was the silent power of sanctity1 the   
power that flows from lives steeped in  
meditation and prayer4 ,they  constitute
 that remnant which is the depository of
 the hopes of ,israel  and the saving   

salt which prevents the utter           
putrefaction of the body of  the nation4
    ,we cannot for a moment doubt that  
,mary and ,joseph were of this remnant1 
and that they were in complete sympathy 
with those whom they found here  in the 
temple when the ,child ,jesus was       
brought in to do for him after  the     
custom of the law4 ,the actual ceremony 
of the purification was soon  over1 the 
demands of the law satisfied4 ,neither  
,jesus nor ,mary had any  inner need of 
these observances2 their value in their 
case was that by  submission to them    
they associated themselves closely with 
their  brethren1 our ,lord thus         
continuing that divine self-emptying    
which he  had begun at the ,incarnation4
 ,we are impressed with the completeness
 of  this stooping of ,god when we see  
the offering that ,mary brings1 ,a pair 
of turtle doves1 the offering of the    
very poor4 ,our ,lord has accepted  life
 on its lowest economic terms in order  
that nothing in ,his mission  shall flow

 from adventitious aids4 ,he must owe   
all in the accomplishment  of ,his work 
to the ,father ,who gave it ,him to do4 
,it will be the essence  of the         
temptation that ,he must soon undergo   
that ,he shall consent to  call to ,his 
aid earthly and material supports and   
base ,his hopes of  success on something
 other than ,god4    ,accidentally1     
there is this further demonstration     
contained in the  poverty of the ,holy  
,family1 that1 namely1 the completest   
spiritual  privilege1 the fullest       
spiritual development1 is independent of
  possessions4 ,it is no doubt true that
 great possessions do not of  necessity 
create a bar in all cases to spiritual  
accomplishment2 but to  many of us it is
 a consolation to know that the         
completest sanctity  humanity has known 
has been wrought out in utter poverty of
 life4 ,we  shall have occasion to speak
 more of this later2 we now only note   
the  fact that those whom we meet in the
 pages of the ,new ,testament as        

waiting hopefully for the redemption of 
,israel are waiting in poverty  and hard
 work4    ,what we find in ,s4 ,mary as 
she passes through the ceremony of her  
purification from a child-bearing which 
had in no circumstance of it  anything  
impure1 is the spirit of sacrifice which
 submission to the law  implies4 ,she   
has caught the spirit of her ,son1 the  
spirit of selfless  offering to the will
 of ,god4 ,it is the central            
accomplishment of the  life of sanctity4
 ,the life of sanctity must be wrought  
out from the  centre1 from our contact  
with ,god4 ,no one becomes holy by      
works1  whatever may be the nature of   
the works4 ,works1 the external life1   
are  the expression of what we are1 they
 are the externalization of our         
character4 ,if they be not the          
expression of a life hid with ,christ in
  ,god they can have no spiritual value1
 whatever may be their social  value4   
,the kind of works which are done to be 
seen of men have their  reward1 that is1

 the sort of reward they seek1 human    
approval2 they  have no value in the    
realm of the spirit4    ,but the life   
that is lived as sacrifice1 as a thing  
perfectly offered to  ,god1 is a life   
growing up in ,god day by day4 ,it is   
our ,lord's life1  summed up from this  
point of view in the ,i come to do thy  
will1 ,o  ,god4 ,its most perfect       
reflection is caught by blessed ,mary   
with her  acceptance of ,god's will3    
,behold1 the handmaid of the ,lord4 ,but
 it is  the life expression of all      
sanctity2 for the saint is such chiefly 
by  virtue of his sacrificial attitude4 
,it is the completest account of the    
life of sanctity that it leaves all to  
follow a divine call4 ,it is the        
response of the ,apostles who1 as ,james
 and ,john1 leave their father  ,zebedee
 and the boats and the nets and the     
hired servants1 to follow  ,jesus4 ,it  
is the answer of ,matthew who rises from
 the receipt of custom  at the ,master's
 word4 ,it is the answer of all saints  

in all times4  ,sanctity means the      
abandonment of all for ,christ3 it means
 the embracing  of the poverty of ,jesus
 and ,mary4    ,is sanctity then1 or the
 possibility of it1 shut within the     
narrow  limits of a poor life8 ,well1   
even if it were1 the limits would not be
 so  very narrow4 ,by far the greater   
part of the human race at any time has  
been poor1 as poor as the ,holy ,family4
 ,unfortunately1 ,christianity is       
forgetting its vocation of poverty and  
becoming a matter of  well-to-do-ness4  
,but we need not forget that the poor   
are the majority4  ,however1 the fact is
 not that economical poverty is         
automatically  productive of            
spirituality1 but that accepted and     
offered poverty is the  road to the     
heart of ,god4 ,it is not denied that   
the rich man may  consecrate and offer  
his goods to ,god and make them         
instruments of ,god's  service2 but in  
the process he runs great risk of       
deceiving himself and  of attempting to 

deceive ,god--the risk of quietly       
substituting for the  spirit of         
sacrifice the spirit of commercial      
bargaining1 and attempting  to buy the  
favour of ,god1 and of ransoming his    
great possessions by a  well-calculated 
tribute4 ,it is not so much our         
possessions as the way we  hold them    
that is in question2 it is a question   
whether the inner motive  of our life is
 the will to sacrifice or the will to be
 rich4 ,they that  desire to be rich    
fall into temptation and a snare1 and   
into many  foolish and hurtful lusts    
which drown men in destruction and      
perdition1    ,these dangers ,s4 ,paul  
noted as the besetting dangers of riches
 are  counteracted by the possession of 
the spirit of sacrifice which holds  all
 things at the disposal of ,god1 and    
views life as opportunity for the       
service of ,god4 ,and in so estimating  
life1 we must remember that money  is   
not the only thing that human beings    
possess4 ,as ,i pointed out the  vast   

majority of the human race have no      
money3 it by no means follows  that they
 have no capacity or field for the      
exercise of the spirit of  sacrifice4   
,there is1 for instance1 an abundant    
opportunity for the  exercise of that   
spirit in the glad acceptance of the    
narrow lot that  may be ours4 ,probably 
many1 indeed most1 poor are only        
economically  poor2 they fall under ,s4 
,paul's criticism in that they desire to
 be  rich1 and are therefore devoid of  
the spirit of sacrifice that would      
transform their actual poverty into a   
spiritual value4 ,but all the  powers   
and energies of life do in fact         
constitute life's capital4 ,a poor  boy 
has great possessions in the gifts of   
nature that ,god has granted  him4 ,he  
may use this capital as he will4 ,he may
 be governed by the  desire to be rich1 
or by the desire to consecrate himself  
to the will  and service of ,god--and   
the working out of life will be         
accordingly4 ,he  may become very rich  

economically1 or he may devote his life 
to the  service of his fellows as       
physician1 teacher1 missionary1 or in   
numberless other paths4 ,once more1 the 
meaning of life is in its  voluntary    
direction1 and whatever may be his      
economic state1 he may1 if  he will1 be 
rich toward ,god4    ,if what we are    
seeking is to follow the ,gospel-life1  
if we are seeking  to express toward man
 the spirit of the ,master1 we find     
abundant field  for the exercise of this
 spirit of sacrifice in our daily       
relations with  others4 ,s4 ,paul's rule
 of life3 ,look not every man to his own
 things1  but every man also to the     
things of others1 is the practical rule 
of  the sacrificed will4 ,it seeks to   
fulfil the service of the ,master by    
taking the spirit of the ,master--,his  
helpfulness1 ,his consideration1 ,his   
sympathy--with one into the detail of   
the day's work4 ,it is one of the       
peculiarities of human nature that it   
finds it quite possible to work  itself 

up to an occasional accomplishment1     
especially in a spectacular  setting1 of
 spiritual works1 which it finds itself 
quite impotent to do  under the         
commonplace routine of life4 ,the race  
experience is accurately  enough summed 
up in the cynical proverb3 ,no man is a 
hero to his  valet4 ,it expresses the   
fact that in ordinary circumstances1 and
 under  commonplace temptations1 we do  
not succeed in holding life to the      
accomplishment which is ours when we    
are1 as it were1 on dress parade4  ,in  
other words1 we respond to the opinions 
we desire to create in  others2 and the 
spirit of sanctity is a response not to 
public opinion1  but to the mind and    
thought of ,god4 ,when we seek the mind 
of ,christ1 and  seek to reproduce that 
mind in our own lives1 seek to be       
possessed by  it1 then we shall gladly  
render back to ,god all life's riches   
which we  have received from ,him1 and  
acknowledge in the true spirit of       
poverty  that all things come of ,thee1 

,o ,lord1 and of ,thine own have we     
given ,thee4    ,the world has got into 
a very ill way of thinking of ,god as   
force4  ,force seems in the popular mind
 to be the synonym of power4 ,the only  
power that we understand is the power   
that compels1 that secures the          
execution of its will by physical or    
moral constraint4 ,with this  conception
 of power in mind men are continually   
asking3 ,why does not  ,god do this or  
that8 ,if he be ,god and wills goodness1
 why does ,he not  execute goodness1 use
 power to accomplish it8    ,it ought to
 be unnecessary to point out that such a
 conception of power  is quite foreign  
to the ,christian conception of ,god4   
,goodness that is  compulsory is not    
goodness4 ,human legislation1 in its    
enforcement of  law1 looks not to the   
production of goodness but to the       
production of  order1 a quite different 
thing4 ,but ,god's heart is set upon the
  sanctification of ,his children and is
 satisfied with nothing less than  that4

 ,this is the will of ,god1 even your   
sanctification4 ,but  sanctification    
cannot be compelled4 ,the divine method 
is1 that when the  fulness of time was  
come1 ,god sent forth ,his ,son1 born of
 a woman1 born  under the law1 to redeem
 them that were under the law1 that we  
might  receive the adoption of sons4    
,and because ye are sons1 ,god sent     
forth  the ,spirit of ,his ,son into    
your hearts1 crying1 ,abba1 ,father4    
,through  this method we were reconciled
 to ,god by the death of ,his ,son4 ,the
  result is not that we are compelled to
 obey1 but that the love of  ,christ    
constraineth us4 ,the account of the    
apostolic authority is not  that it is a
 commission to rule the universal       
,church1 but now then we  are           
ambassadors for ,christ1 as though ,god 
did beseech you by us2 we pray  you in  
,christ's stead1 be ye reconciled to    
,god4    ,the study of this divine      
method should put us on the right track 
in the  attempt to estimate the nature  

of sanctity and the results we may      
expect  from it4 ,we shall expect       
nothing of spiritual value from force4  
,we shall  be quite prepared to turn    
away from the governing parties in      
,jerusalem  as from those who have      
repudiated the divine method and are    
therefore  useless for the divine ends4 
,we shall turn rather to those who      
gather  about the temple and there1 in a
 life of prayer and meditation1 wait for
  the redemption4 ,it is to these1 who  
are the real temple of the ,lord1  that 
the ,lord shall come suddenly1 that the 
manifestation of ,god will  be made4    
,and their hearts will overflow with joy
 as they behold the  fulfilment of the  
promises of ,god4    ,the power of ,god 
is the power of love2 and it is that    
love1 and that  love alone1 that has won
 the victories of ,god4 ,it is a very   
slow method1  men say4 ,no doubt4 ,but  
it is the only method that has any      
success4 ,the  method of force seems    
effective2 but its triumphs are         

illusory4 ,force  cannot make men love1 
it can only make them hate4 ,the world  
is being won  to ,god by the love of    
,god manifested in ,christ ,jesus our   
,lord4 ,and it is  as well to remember1 
when we are tempted to complain of the  
slowness of  the process1 that the      
slowness is ours1 not ,god's4 ,the      
process is slow  because men will not   
consent to become the instruments of    
,god's love for  the world1 will not    
transmit the crucified love of ,god's   
,son to their  fellows4 ,they           
continually1 in their impatience1 revert
 to force of some  sort1 for the        
attainment of spiritual ends4 ,they     
become the tools of all  sorts of       
secular ambitions which promise support 
in return for their  co-operation4 ,and 
the result may be read by any one not   
blinded by  prejudice in the futility   
and incompetence of modern religions of 
all  sorts4 ,it is seen perhaps most of 
all in the pride of opinion which  keeps
 the ,christian world in a fragmentary  

condition1 and which  approaches the    
undoing of the sin of a divided         
,christendom with the  preliminary      
announcement that no separated body must
 be required to  admit that it has been 
in the wrong4 ,human disregard of the   
divine  method of love and humility can 
hardly go farther2 and the only         
practical result that can be expected to
 follow is such as followed from  the   
negotiations of ,herod and ,pontius     
,pilate--a new ,crucifixion of the      
,ever-sacrificed ,christ4    ,we have   
risen to the divine method when we have 
learned to rely for  spiritual results  
upon ,god alone4 ,then is revealed to us
 the power of  sanctity4 ,we turn over  
the pages of the lives of the saints1 of
 those  who have been great in the      
,kingdom of ,god1 and we are struck by  
the  growing influence of these men and 
women4 ,they are simple men and women   
whose life's energy is concentrated on  
some special work2 they are  confessors 
or directors2 they work among the very  

poor2 they lead lives  of retirement in 
,religious ,houses2 they are preachers  
of the ,gospel2  they are missionaries4 
,the one thing that they appear to have 
in common  is utter consecration to the 
work in hand4 ,and we see1 it may be    
with  some wonder1 that as they become  
more and more absorbed in their special 
work1 they become more and more centres 
of influence4 ,without at all  willing  
it they draw people about them1 become  
centres of influences1  arouse interest1
 become widely known4 ,in short1 they   
are1 without  willing it1 centres of    
energy4 ,of what energy8 ,obviously1 of 
the energy  of love3 the love of ,god   
manifested in them draws men to ,god4   
,the man at  whose disposal is unlimited
 force compels men to do his will2 but  
he  draws no one to him except the      
hypocrite and the sycophant who expect  
to  gain something by their servility4  
,the saint draws men1 not to himself1   
but to ,god2 for obviously it is not his
 power but ,god's power that is  being  

manifested through him4    ,unless we   
are very unfortunate we all know people 
whose attractiveness  is the            
attractiveness of simple goodness4 ,they
 are not learned nor  influential nor   
witty nor clever1 but we like to be with
 them4 ,when we  are asked why1 we can  
only explain it by the attractiveness of
 their  ,christlikeness4 ,what we gain  
from intercourse with them is spiritual 
insight and power4 ,their influence     
might be described as sacramental3  they
 are means our ,blessed ,lord uses to   
impart ,himself4 ,they are so  filled   
with the mind of ,christ that they      
easily show ,him to the world2  and     
withal1 quite unconsciously4 ,for great 
love is possible only where  there is   
great humility4    ,and this power of   
sanctity which is the outcome of union  
with ,god is a  permanent acquisition to
 the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,god's ,kingdom  
is ultimately  a ,kingdom of saints4    
,the sphere of ,god's self-manifestation
 in human  life increases ever as the   

saints increase2 and the power of       
sanctity  necessarily remains while the 
saint remains1 that is1 forever4 ,the   
saint  remains a permanent organ of the 
,body of ,christ1 a perdurable          
instrument  of the divine love4 ,to     
speak humanly1 the more saints there    
are1 the  more the love of ,god can     
manifest itself2 the wider its influence
 on  humanity4 ,and the greater the     
,saint1 that is1 the nearer the ,saint  
approaches the perfection of ,god1 to   
which he is called--,be ye therefore    
perfect1 as your ,father in heaven is   
perfect--the more influential he  must  
be2 that is the more perfectly he will  
show the divine likeness and  transmit  
the divine influence4 ,when we think of 
the power of the saints  as intercessors
 that is what actually we are thinking  
of1--the  perfection of their           
understanding of the mind of ,christ4   
,but to return to this world and to the 
gathering in the temple on the  day of  
the ,purification4 ,these are they in   

whom the hope of ,israel  rests4 ,israel
 is not a failure because it has brought
 forth these4 ,god's  work through the  
centuries has not come to naught because
 in these  there is the possibility of a
 new beginning4 ,the consummate flower  
of  ,israel's life is the ,blessed      
,mother through whom ,god becomes man2  
and  these who meet her in the temple   
are the representatives of those hidden 
ones in ,israel who will be the field   
wherein the seed of the ,word can be    
sown and where it will bring forth fruit
 an hundredfold4 ,jesus1 this  ,child1  
is ,god made man2 and these around ,him 
to-day1 ,mary and ,joseph1  ,simeon and 
,anna1 are those who will receive ,his  
love and will show its  power in the    
universe forever4    ,and so it will    
remain always2 the good ground wherein  
the seed may be  sown and bring forth   
unto eternal life is the spiritual      
nature of man1  made ready by humility  
and love1--,in quietness and confidence 
shall be  your strength4 ,in the        

quietness that waits for ,god to act1   
the  confidence that knows that ,he will
 act when the time comes4 ,it is well   
if our aspiration is to be of the number
 of those who live lives hid  with      
,christ in ,god2 who are seeking nothing
 but that the love of ,god may  be shed 
abroad in their hearts2 who are         
constrained by nothing but the  love of 
,jesus4 ,it is true that this simplicity
 of motive and aim will  bring it about 
that our lives will be hidden lives1    
lives of which the  world will take no  
note4 ,we may be quite sure that none of
 the rulers of  ,israel thought much    
about old ,simeon who passed his time   
praying in the  temple4 ,and if we want 
to be known of rulers it is doubtless a 
mistake  to take the road that ,simeon  
followed4 ,but the reward of that way   
was  that he saw the ,lord's ,christ1   
that it was permitted him to take in    
his arms ,incarnate ,god1 and then1 in  
his rapture1 to sing ,nunc  ,dimittis4  
,we cannot travel two roads at once4    

,when the ,holy ,family goes  out from  
the temple it can go1 if it will1 to the
 palace of ,herod1 or it  can go back to
 ,bethlehem4 ,it cannot go both ways and
 we know the way  that it took4 ,and we 
in our self-examination to-night can see
 two roads  stretching out before us4   
,we can go the way of the world1 the way
 that  seeks 7whether it finds or no7   
popularity and prominence1 or we can    
join  the ,holy ,family and in company  
with ,jesus and ,mary and ,joseph go    
back to  the quietness and hiddenness of
 the ,house of ,bread where the saints  
dwell4 ,with them1 sheltered by the     
,sacrifice of ,jesus and the prayers of 
,mary and ,joseph we can wait for the   
,redemption in the full manifestation   
of the life of ,god in us1 and for the  
time when the love of ,god shall be     
fully shed abroad in our hearts by the  
,holy ,ghost which is given us4         
,o ,sion1 ope thy temple-gates2         
,see1 ,christ1 the ,priest and ,victim1 
waits--          ,let lifeless shadows  

flee3       ,no more to heaven shall    
vainly rise       ,the ancient rites--a 
sacrifice          ,all pure and        
perfect1 see4         ,behold1 the      
,maiden knowing well       ,the hidden  
,godhead that doth dwell          ,in   
him her infant ,son3       ,and with her
 ,infant1 see her bring       ,the      
doves1 the humble offering          ,for
 ,christ1 the ,holy ,one4         ,here1
 all who for his coming sighed          
,behold him1 and are satisfied--        
,their faith the prize hath won3        
,while ,mary1 in her breast conceals    
,the holy joys her ,lord reveals1       
,and ponders them alone4         ,come1 
let us tune our hearts to sing          
,the glory of our ,god and ,king1       
,the blessed ,one and ,three3       ,be 
everlasting praise and love       ,to   
him who reigns in heaven above1         
,through all eternity4        ,,part    
,,two    ,,chapter ,x    ,,egypt    ,the
 angel of the ,lord appeareth to ,joseph
 in a dream1 saying1 ,arise1 and  take  

the young child and his mother1 and flee
 into ,egypt4    ,s4 ,matt4 ,,ii1 #ac4  
,deliver us1 we beseech ,thee1 ,o ,lord1
 from all evils past1 present1 and  to  
come3 and at the intercession for us of 
,blessed ,mary who brought  forth ,god  
and our ,lord1 ,jesus ,christ2 and of   
the holy apostles ,peter1  and ,paul1   
and ,andrew2 and of blessed ,ambrose    
,thy confessor1 and bishop1  together   
with all ,thy saints1 favorably give    
peace in our days1 that1  assisted by   
the help of ,thy mercy1 we may ever be  
both delivered from  sin1 and safe from 
all turmoil4 ,fulfil this1 by ,him1 with
 ,whom ,thou  livest blessed1 and       
reignest ,god1 in the unity of the ,holy
 ,spirit1 for  ever and ever4           
,,ambrosian4    ,those who live in      
intimate union with ,god1 the peace of  
whose lives is  untroubled by the       
constant irruption of sin1 are          
peculiarly sensitive to  that mode of   
the divine action that we call          
supernatural4 ,i suppose that  it is not

 that ,god wishes to reveal ,himself to 
souls only at crises of  their          
experience or under exceptional         
conditions1 but that only souls of  an  
exceptional spiritual sensitivity are   
capable of this sort of  approach4      
,communications of the divine will      
through dream or vision of  inner voice 
are the accompaniment of sanctity2 one  
may almost say that  they are the normal
 means in the case of advanced sanctity4
 ,most of us  are too much immersed in  
the world1 are too much the slaves of   
material  things1 to be open to this    
still1 small voice of revelation4 ,our  
eyes  are dimned by the garish light of 
the world1 and our ears dulled by its   
clamour1 so that our powers of spiritual
 perception are of the  slightest4 ,this
 is quite intelligible2 and we ought not
 to fall into the  mistake of assuming  
that our undeveloped spirituality is    
normal1 and  that what does not happen  
to us is inconceivable as having        
happened at  all4 ,if we want to know   

the truth about spiritual phenomena we  
shall put  ourselves to school to those 
whose spiritual natures have attained   
the  highest development and in whose   
experience spiritual phenomena are of   
almost daily happening4    ,to the man  
whose talk is of oxen1 whose whole life 
is absorbed in the  study of material   
things1 a purely spiritual manifestation
 comes as a  surprise4 ,his instinctive 
impulse is to deny its reality as a     
thing  obviously impertinent to his     
understanding of life4 ,but one whose   
life  is based on spiritual postulates1 
who is1 however feebly1 attempting to   
shape life in accordance with spiritual 
principles1 though he may never  have   
attained anything that can be           
interpreted as a distinct revelation    
from ,god by vision or voice or         
otherwise1 yet must he by the very basic
  assumptions of his life be ready to   
regard such manifestations of ,god as   
intelligible1 and indeed to be expected4
 ,so far from regarding divine          

interventions in life as impossible1 we 
shall regard the ,christian life  which 
has no experience of them as abnormal1  
as not having realised its  inheritance4
 ,the degree and kind of such           
intervention in life will vary2  but it 
is the fact of the intervention that is 
important3 the mode in a  special case  
will be determined by the needs of that 
case4 ,as we think  along these lines we
 reach the conclusion that what we call 
the  supernatural is not the unnatural  
or the abnormal1 but is a higher mode   
of the natural4    ,we are not surprised
 therefore to find that those whose     
spiritual  development was such as to   
make it possible for ,god to choose them
 to  fulfil special offices in relation 
to the ,incarnation2 who could be       
chosen to be1 in the one case1 the      
,mother of ,god-incarnate1 and in the   
other1 to be the guardian of the divine 
,child and ,his ,blessed ,mother1  have 
the divine will in regard to the details
 of the trust committed to  them1       

imparted to them in vision and in dream4
 ,so far from such vision  and dream    
suggesting to us a mythical element in  
the ,gospel  narratives1 they rather    
confirm our faith in that they harmonize
 with  our instinctive conclusions as to
 what would be natural under the        
circumstances4 ,we are prepared to be   
told that at this crisis in the  ,holy  
,child's life the angel of the ,lord    
appeareth to ,joseph in a dream1        
saying1 ,arise1 and take the young child
 and his mother1 and flee into  ,egypt1 
and be thou there until ,i bring thee   
word2 for ,herod will seek  the young   
child to destroy him4 ,when he arose1 he
 took the young child  and his mother by
 night1 and departed into ,egypt4       
,thus early in our ,lord's life is the  
element of tragedy introduced4 ,the     
,incarnation of ,god stirs the diabolic 
powers1 the rulers of this  darkness to 
excited activity4 ,the companion picture
 of the ,nativity1 of  the ,holy ,child 
lying in ,mary's arms1 of the wondering 

shepherds1 of the  ,magi from a far     
country1--the shadow of all this idyllic
 beauty is the  massacre of the         
,innocents1 the wailing of ,rachel for  
her children4 ,it  is1 as it were1 the  
opening of a new stage in the world-old 
conflict  where the powers of evil      
appear to have the advantage and can    
show the  bodies of murdered infants as 
the trophies of their victory4    ,but  
are we to think of the death of a child 
as a disaster8 ,has any  actual victory 
redounded to the ,prince of ,power of   
the ,air8 ,one  understands of course   
the grief and sense of loss that attends
 the death  of any child1 the breaking  
of the dreams which had gathered about  
its  future4 ,what the father and the   
mother dreamed over the cradle and      
planned for the future does not come to 
pass--all that is true4 ,but in a       
consideration of the broader interests  
involved1 does not the death of a  baby 
have a meaning far deeper than a        
disappointment of hopes and  dreams8 ,it

 is true1 is it not8 that the coming of 
the child brought  enrichment into the  
life of its parents8 ,there was a new   
love born for  this one child which is  
not the common property of all the      
children of  the family1 but is the     
peculiar possession of this child and   
its  parents4 ,life--the life of the    
parents--is better and nobler by virtue 
of this love4 ,they understand this1    
because when they stand by the side  of 
the child's coffin they never feel that 
it had been better that this  child had 
not come into existence4 ,and more than 
that3 as they commit  this fragile body 
to the grave they know that there is no 
real sense in  which they can say that  
they have lost this child4 ,rather1 the 
child is  a perpetual treasure1 for the 
moment contemplated through tears1 but  
presently to be thought of with         
unclouded joy4 ,it is so wonderful a    
thing to think of this pure soul caught 
back to ,god2 to think of it  growing to
 spiritual maturity in ,god's very      

presence2 to think of it  following the 
,lamb withersoever ,he goeth4 ,yes3 to  
think of it also as  our child still1   
with our love in its heart1 knowing that
 it has a  father and a mother on earth1
 and1 that1 just because of its early   
death1 it can be to them1 what otherwise
 they would have been to it--the  guard 
and helper of their ,jives4 ,in ,god's  
presence are the souls of  children as  
perpetual intercessors for those whom   
they have left on  earth2 and they may  
well rejoice before ,god in that what   
appeared the  tragedy of their death was
 in fact a recall from the field of     
battle  before the testing of their life
 was made4 ,we wept as over an          
irreparable loss1         ,while into   
nothingness crept back a host       ,of 
shadows unexplored1 of sins unsinned4   
,the artists have imagined the souls of 
those who first died for ,jesus         
attending ,him on the way to ,egypt as a
 celestial guard4 ,in any case we  are  
certain that the angels who watched     

about ,him so closely all ,his  life    
were with the ,holy ,family as they set 
out upon the way of exile4 ,it  would   
have been a wearisome march but that    
,jesus was there4 ,his presence         
lightened all the toils of the desert   
way4 ,egypt1 their place of refuge1     
would not have seemed to them what it   
seems to us1 a land of wonder1 of       
marvellous creations of human skill and 
intelligence1 but a place of  banishment
 from all that was dear1 from the ties  
of home and religion4  ,the religion    
which lay wrapped in the ,holy ,child   
was to break down  barriers and         
hindrances to the worship of ,god2 but  
the time was not yet4  ,for them still  
the ,holy ,land1 ,jerusalem1 the        
,temple1 were the place of  ,god's      
manifestation1 and all else the dwelling
 place of idols4 ,they must  have       
shuddered in abhorrence at those strange
 forms of gods which rose  about them on
 every hand4 ,we cannot ourselves fail  
to draw the contrast  between the       

statues which filled the ,egyptian      
sanctuaries and before  which all       
,egypt1 rich and poor1 mighty and       
humble1 prostrated  themselves1 and this
 ,child sleeping on ,mary's breast4 ,the
 imagination of  the ,christian         
community later caught this contrast and
 embodied it in  the legend that when   
,jesus crossed the border of ,egypt1 all
 the idols of  the land of ,egypt fell  
down4    ,we cannot follow the thought  
of the ,blessed ,mother through these   
strange  scenes and the experiences of  
these days4 ,no doubt in the ,jewish    
communities already flourishing in      
,egypt there would be welcome and the   
means of livelihood4 ,but there would be
 perplexing questions to one  whose     
habit it was to keep all things which   
concerned her strange ,child  hidden in 
her heart1 the subject of constant      
meditation4 ,why1 after the  divine     
action which had been so constant from  
,his conception to ,his  birth1 and in  
the circumstances which attended ,his   

birth1 this reversal1  this defeat and  
flight8 ,why after ,bethlehem1 ,egypt8  
,why after  ,gabriel1 ,herod8    ,it    
brings us back again to the primary fact
 that the ,incarnation is  essentially a
 stage in a battle1 and that the nature 
of ,god's battles is  such that ,he     
constantly appears to lose them4 ,he    
goes forth as a giant  to run ,his      
course2 but the eyes of man cannot see  
the giant--they see  only a ,babe laid  
in a manger4 ,we are tricked by our     
notion of what  is powerful4            
,they all were looking for a king       
,to slay their foes and lift them high2 
,thou cam'st1 a little baby thing       
,that made a woman cry4    ,the battle  
presents itself to us as a demand that  
we choose1 that we  take sides4 ,the    
demand of ,christ is that we associate  
ourselves with  ,him1 or that we define 
our position as on the other side4 ,the 
friendship of the world is enmity with  
,god is a saying that is true  when     
reversed3 ,the friendship of ,god is    

enmity with the world4 ,an open         
disclosure of the friendship of ,god    
sets all the powers of the world        
against us4 ,this may be uncomfortable2 
but there does not appear to be  any way
 of avoiding the opposition4    ,our    
,lord1 in ,his ,incarnation1 not only   
stripped ,himself of ,his glory1  took  
the servant form1 and in doing so       
deliberately deprived ,himself of       
certain means which would have been     
vastly influential in dealing with  men1
 but ,he also declined1 in assuming     
human nature1 to assume it under        
conditions which would have conferred   
upon ,him any adventitious  advantage in
 the prosecution of ,his work4 ,he would
 display to men  neither divine nor     
human glory3 ,he would have no aid from 
power or  position1 from wealth or      
learning4 ,he undertook ,his work in the
 strength  of a pure humanity united    
with ,god4 ,he declined all else4 ,and  
,he found  that almost the first event  
of ,his life was to be driven into      

exile4    ,and they who are associated  
with ,him necessarily share ,his        
fortunes4  ,unless they will abandon the
 ,child1 ,mary and ,joseph must set out 
on the  desert way4 ,they had no doubt  
much to learn2 but what is important is 
not the size or amount of what we learn1
 but the learning of it4 ,when we  are  
called1 as they were1 to leave all for  
,christ1 it often turns out  as hard1   
oftentimes harder1 to leave property as 
riches2 and the reason  is that what we 
ultimately are leaving is neither       
poverty nor riches1  but self3 and self 
to us is always a great possession4     
,therein1 ,i suppose1 lies the solution 
of the problem of the relation of       
property and ,christianity in the common
 life4 ,idleness is sin2 every one  is  
bound to some useful labour1 no matter  
what his material resources  may be4    
,and if we work for our living1 if our  
labour is to be such as  will support   
us1 then there at once arises the       
problem of possessions4  ,useful1 steady

 labour will ordinarily produce more    
than food and  raiment4 ,under present  
social arrangments accumulated property 
is  handed on to heirs4 ,a man naturally
 wants to make some provision for his   
family4 ,or he finds himself in         
possession of considerable wealth and   
the  impulse is to spend in luxuries of 
one sort or another1--modern  invention 
has put endless means of ministering to 
physical or aesthetic  comfort within   
his reach4 ,he can have a motor car1 a  
country house1 an  expensive library2 he
 can have beautiful works of art4 ,and  
then he is  confronted with the picture 
of the ,holy ,family which can never    
have  lived much beyond the poverty     
line4 ,he realises the nature of our    
,lord's  life of poverty and ministry4  
,and though the plain man may not feel  
that  he can go very far in imitating   
this life1 he does feel that there is a 
splendour of achievement in those who   
take our ,lord at ,his word and sell    
all to follow ,him4    ,but the literal 

abandonment of life to the ideal of     
poverty is clearly  not what our ,lord  
contemplated for the universal practice 
of ,his  followers4 ,he nowhere         
indicates that all gainful labour is to 
be  abandoned1 or that having gained    
enough for food and raiment we are to   
idle thereafter1 or even give ourselves 
to some ungainful work4 ,the  ,kingdom  
of heaven does not appear to be society 
organised on the lines  of socialism or 
otherwise4 ,our ,lord contemplated life 
going on as it is1  only governed by a  
new set of motives4 ,it has as the      
result of the  acceptance of the ,gospel
 a new ,orientation2 and as a result of 
that it  will view possessions in a new 
way4 ,the acceptance of the ,gospel     
means  the self surrendered utterly to  
the will of ,god1 and all that self     
possesses held at the disposal of that  
will4 ,we may expect that ,god's  will  
for us will be manifested in the events 
of life and its  opportunities1 and we  
shall hold ourselves alert and ready to 

embrace  that will4 ,it may be that the 
call will come to sell all1 and we need 
to  beware lest the thoroughness of the 
demand terrify us into the  repudiation 
of our ,lord's service2 lest the thought
 of the sacrificed  possessions send us 
away sorrowing4 ,ordinarily the call is 
less  searching than that2 or perhaps   
the mercy of ,god spares us from demands
  that would be beyond our strength4 ,in
 any case1 the truly consecrated  self  
will regard luxury as a dangerous thing1
 replete with entanglements  of all     
kinds1 that it were well to avoid at the
 expense of any  sacrifice4 ,one does   
well to hold possessions in a very loose
 grip1  lest the hold be reversed1 and  
we become their servants rather than    
they ours4 ,and it is well to emphasise 
again that the mere size of  possessions
 is of small importance4 ,there is a not
 very rational  tendency to think of    
this as being a matter of millions1 for 
the man of  moderate income to think    
that there is no problem for him4 ,the  

problem  is as pressing for him as for  
any man4 ,his minimum of comfort may be 
as  tightly grasped as the other man's  
maximum4 ,the only solution of the      
problem will be found in the converted  
self4 ,those who have really given      
themselves to ,god hold all things at   
,his disposal4 ,they are not thinking   
how they can indulge self but how they  
can glorify ,god4    ,egypt to many will
 stand for another sort of abandonment  
which much  perplexes the immature      
,christian3 that is1 the sort of        
isolation in  which the new ,christian  
is quite likely to find himself when    
first he  attempts to put ,christian    
principles into practice4 ,we imagine   
one  brought up in the ordinary mixed   
circles of society1 where there are     
unbelievers and lax ,christians mingled 
together1 and where there are no        
principles firmly enough held to        
interfere with any sort of enjoyment of 
life which offers4 ,such an one--a young
 woman1 let us suppose--in the          

,providence of ,god becomes converted to
 our ,lord1 and comes to see that  the  
lax and indifferent ,christian life she 
had been leading was a mere  mockery of 
,christian living4 ,speedily does she   
find when she attempts to  put into     
action the principles of living which   
she now understands to be  the meaning  
of the ,gospel that a breach of sympathy
 has been opened  between her and her   
accustomed companions2 that many things 
which she  was accustomed to do in their
 society and which made for their common
  fund of amusement are no longer       
possible to her4 ,the careless talk1 the
  shameless dress1 the gambling1 the    
drinking1 the ,sunday amusements--such  
things as these she has thrown over2 and
 she finds that with them she  has      
thrown over the basis of intimacy with  
her usual companions4 ,it is  not that  
they are antagonistic but simply that   
their points of contact  have ceased to 
exist4 ,her own inhibitions exclude her 
automatically from  most of the         

activities of her social circle4 ,she   
finds herself much  alone4 ,her friends 
are sorry for her and think her foolish 
and try to  win her back1 but it is     
clear to her that she can only go back  
by going  back from ,christ4    ,this is
 the common case of the young whether   
boy or girl to-day1 and the  practical  
question is1 ,can they endure the       
isolation8 ,it is easy to say3  ,let    
them make ,christian friends2 but that  
is not always practical1  especially in 
the present state of the ,church when   
there is no cohesion  among its members1
 no true sense of constituting a        
,brotherhood1 of being  members of the  
same ,body4 ,we have to admit that the  
attempt to hold a  high standard usually
 ends in failure1 at least the practical
 failure of  a weak compromise4 ,but    
there are characters that are strong    
enough to  face the isolation and to    
readjust life on the basis of the new   
principles and to mould it in accord    
with the new ideals4 ,the period of     

this readjustment is one of severe      
testing of one's grasp on principles    
and one's strength of purpose4 ,but the 
battle once fought out we attain  a new 
kind of freedom and expansion of life4  
,we look back with some  amusement at   
the old life and the things that        
fascinated us in the days  of our       
spiritual unconsciousness much as we    
look back at the games that  amused us  
in our childish hours4 ,the desert of   
,egypt that we entered  with trepidation
 and fearful hearts turns out not to be 
so dreadful as  we imagined1 and indeed 
the flowers spring up under our feet as 
we  resolutely tread the desert way4    
,these trials must be the daily         
experience of those who attempt to put  
their religion into practice1 and these 
perplexities must assail them so  long  
as the ,christian community continues to
 show its present social  incompetence2 
so long1 that is1 as we attempt to make 
the basis of our  social action         
something other than the principles of  

the spiritual life4  ,a ,christian      
society1 one would naturally think1     
would spring out of the  possession of  
,christian ideals2 and doubtless it     
would if these ideals  were really      
dominant in life1 and not a sort of     
ornament applied to it4  ,any social    
circle contains men and women of various
 degrees of  intellectual development   
and of varying degrees of experience of 
life2  what holds them together is the  
pursuit of common objects1 the objects  
that we sum up as amusement4 ,now the   
,christians in a community certainly    
have a common object1 the cultivation of
 the spiritual life through the         
supernatural means offered by the       
,church of ,god4 ,one would think that  
this object would have a more           
constraining power than the attractions 
of  motoring or golf2 but in fact we    
know that this is not so save in        
individual cases4 ,there is not1 that is
 to say1 anywhere visible a  ,christian 
community which is wrought into a unity 

by the solidifying  forces of its       
professed ideals4 ,those very people    
whose paths converge  week by week until
 they meet at this altar1 as they leave 
the altar1  follow diverging paths and  
live in isolation for the rest of their 
time4    ,one of the constant problems  
of the ,church is that of the loss of   
those  who have for a time been         
associated with it--of those who have   
for a  time seemed to recognise their   
duty to ,god1 and their privileges as   
members of ,his ,son4 ,they drift away  
into the world4 ,we pray and meditate   
and worry over this and try to invent   
some machinery which will overcome  it4 
,but it cannot be overcome by machinery1
 especially by the sort of  machinery   
which consists in transferring the      
amusements that people find  in the     
world bodily into the ,church itself4   
,it cannot and will not be  overcome    
until a ,christian society has been     
created which is bound  together by the 
interests of the ,kingdom of ,god1 and  

in which those  interests are so        
predominant as to throw into the shade  
and practically  annihilate other       
interests4 ,and especially must such    
spiritual interests  be strong enough to
 break down all social barriers so that 
the cultured  and refined can find a    
common ground with the uneducated and   
socially  untrained in the spiritual    
privileges that they share in common4   
,when  the banker can talk with his     
chauffeur of their common experience in 
prayer1 and the banker's wife and her   
cook can confer on their mutual         
difficulties in making a meditation1    
then we shall have got within  sight of 
a ,christian society2 but at present1   
while these have no  spiritual contact1 
it is not within sight4 ,the primitive  
,christian  community in ,jerusalem made
 the attempt at having all things in    
common4  ,their mistake seems to have   
been that they1 like other and more     
modern  people1 by all things understood
 money4 ,you cannot build any society   

which is worth the name on money1 a     
,church least of all4 ,it is            
unimportant whether a man is rich or    
poor2 what is important is his          
spiritual accomplishment3 and it is     
common spiritual aims and               
accomplishments which should make up the
 all things which possessed in  common  
will form the basis of an enduring      
unity4 ,but not until  accomplishment   
becomes the supreme interest of life can
 we expect to get  out of the impasse in
 which we at present find ourselves2 in 
which1 that  is1 the person can be      
converted to ,christianity and enter    
into union  with ,god in ,christ and    
become a citizen of the ,kingdom of     
,heaven1 and  wake to find himself      
isolated from his old circle by his     
profession of  new principles2 but not1 
by his new principles1 truly united to  
his  fellow citizens in the ,kingdom of 
,god6 ,one is tempted to write1 ,what a 
comedy2 but before one can do so1       
realises that it is in fact a tragedy6  

,mother of ,god--oh1 rare prerogative2  
,oh1 glorious title--what more special  
grace       ,could unto thee thy dear   
,son1 dread ,god1 give       ,to show   
how far thou dost all creatures pass8   
,that mighty power within the narrow    
fold       ,did of thy ne'er polluted   
womb remain1       ,whom1 whiles he doth
 th' all-ruling ,sceptre hold1          
,not earth1 nor yet the heavens can     
contain2       ,thou in the springtide  
of thy age brought'st forth       ,him  
who before all matter1 time and place1  
,begotten of th' ,eternal ,father was4  
,oh1 be thou then1 while we admire thy  
worth       ,a means unto that ,son not 
to proceed       ,in rigour with us for 
each sinful deed4         ,john         
,brereley1 ,priest 7,vere ,lawrence     
,anderton1 ,s4,j47 #aege-afdc           
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xi          
,,nazareth         ,and he went down    
with them1 and came to ,nazareth1 and   
was       subject unto them4         ,s4
 ,luke ,,ii1 #ea4         ,the ,holy    

,church acknowledges and confesses the  
pure ,virgin       ,mary as ,mother of  
,god through whom has been given unto us
 the       bread of immortality and the 
wine of consolation4 ,give              
blessings then in spiritual song4       
,,armenian4    ,after the rapid         
succession of fascinating pictures which
 are etched for  us in the opening      
chapters of the ,gospel there follows a 
space of about  twelve years of which we
 are told nothing4 ,the fables which    
fill the  pages of the ,apocryphal      
,gospels serve chiefly to emphasise the 
difference between an inspired and an   
uninspired narrative4 ,the human        
imagination trying to develop the       
situation suggested by the ,gospel and  
to fill in the unwritten chapters of our
 ,lord's life betrays its  incompetence 
to create a story of ,god ,incarnate    
which shall have the  slightest         
convincing power4 ,these ,apocryphal    
stories are immensely  valuable to us   
as1 by contrast1 creating confidence in 

the story of  ,jesus as told by the     
,evangelists1 but for nothing more4     
,we are left to use our own imagination 
in filling in these years of  silence in
 our ,lord's training2 and we shall best
 use it1 not by trying  to imagine what 
may have occurred1 but by trying to     
understand what is  necessarily involved
 in the facts as we know them4 ,we know 
that the home  in ,nazareth whither     
,mary and ,joseph brought ,jesus after  
the death of  ,herod permitted them to  
return from ,egypt was the simple home  
of a  carpenter4 ,it would appear to    
have been shared by the children of     
,joseph1 and our ,lady would have been  
the house-mother1 busy with many  cares4
 ,we know1 too1 that under this         
commonplace exterior of a poor          
household there was a life of the spirit
 of far reaching significance4  ,mary   
was ceaselessly pondering many          
things--the significance of all  those  
happenings which1 as the years flowed on
 without any further  supernatural      

intervention1 must at times have seemed 
as though they were  quite purposeless4 
,of course this could not have been a   
settled feeling1  for the insight of her
 pure soul would have held her to the   
certainty  that such actions of ,god as 
she had experienced would some day      
reveal  the meaning which as yet lay    
hidden4    ,in the meantime other things
 did not matter much1 seeing she had    
,jesus1  the object of endless love4    
,every mother dreams over the baby she  
cares  for and looks out into the future
 with trembling hope2 so ,s4 ,mary's    
thoughts would go out following the     
hints of prophecy and angelic           
utterances1 unable to understand how the
 light and shadow which were  mingled   
there could find fulfilment in her      
,child4 ,but like any other  mother the 
thought would come back to her present  
possession1 the  satisfaction of her    
heart that she had in ,jesus4 ,with the 
growth of  ,jesus there would come the  
unfolding of the answering love1 which  

was  but another mode in which the love 
of ,god she had experienced all her     
life was manifesting itself4 ,jesus grew
 in wisdom and stature and we are  able 
to enter a little into the over-flowing 
love of ,mary as she watched  the       
advance1 this unfolding from day to day4
 ,the wonder that was hers in  guiding  
this mind and will1 in teaching our     
,lord ,his first prayers1 in  telling   
,him the story of the people of whom ,he
 had assumed our nature6  ,there was    
here no self-will1 no resistance to     
guidance1 no perversity to  wound a     
mother's heart4 ,in the training of an  
ordinary child there are  from time to  
time hints of characteristics or        
tendencies which may  develop later into
 spiritual or moral disaster4 ,there are
 growls of the  sleeping beast which    
make us tremble for the future3 there   
are hours of  agony when we think of the
 inevitable temptations which must be   
met1 and  suggestions of weakness which 
colour our imagination of the meeting of

  them with the lurid light of defeat4  
,but as ,mary watched the unfolding     
character of ,jesus she saw nothing     
there that carried with it the least    
suggestion of evil growth in the future1
 no outcropping of hereditary  sin or   
disordered appetite4 ,a constantly      
unfolding intelligence1 and  growing    
interest in the things that most        
interested her1 an eagerness to  hear   
and to know of the will and love of the 
eternal ,father1 these are  her joy4    
,that would have been the centre--would 
it not8--of the  unfolding consciousness
 of ,jesus3 the knowledge of the        
,father4    ,training by love1 so we    
might describe the life in the ,home at 
,nazareth4  ,and we must not forget the 
grave ageing figure who is the head of  
the  household4 ,the ,holy ,family--that
 was the perfect unity that their love  
created4 ,there is a wonderful picture  
of these three by ,sassaferato  which   
catches1 as no other ,holy ,family that 
,i know of does1 the meaning  of their  

association4 ,s4 ,mary whom the artistic
 imagination is so apt1  after the      
,nativity1 to transform into a stately  
matron1 here still  retains the note of 
virginity which in fact she never lost4 
,it is the  maiden-mother who stands by 
the side of the grave1 elderly ,s4      
,joseph1  the ideal workman1 who is also
 the ideal guardian of his maiden-wife4 
,and ,jesus binds these two together and
 with them makes a unity1  interpreting 
to us the perfection of family life4    
,family life is a tremendous test1 it   
brings out the best and the worst  of   
those who are associated in it4 ,the    
ordinary restraints of social           
intercourse are of less force in the    
intimacy of family life3 there is  less 
need felt to watch conduct1 or to mask  
what we know are our  disagreeable      
traits4 ,it is quite easy for character 
to deteriorate in  the freedom of such  
intercourse4 ,it is pretty sure to do so
 unless there  is the constant pressure 
of principle in the other direction4    

,the great  safeguard is the sort of    
love that is based on mutual            
respect1--respect  both for ourselves   
and for others4 ,we talk a good deal as 
though love  were always alike2 as      
though the fact that a man and a woman  
love each  other were always the same   
sort of fact4 ,it does not require much 
knowledge of human nature or much       
reflection to convince us that that is  
not the case4 ,love is not a purely     
physical fact2 and outside its  physical
 implications there are many factors    
which may enter1 whose  existence       
constitute the differentia from case to 
case4 ,it is upon  these varying        
elements that the happiness of the      
family life depends4  ,one of the most  
important is that character on either   
side shall be such  as to inspire       
respect4 ,many a marriage goes to pieces
 on this rock2 it  is found that the    
person who exercised a certain kind of  
fascination  shows in the intimacy of   
married life a character and qualities  

which  are repulsive2 a shallowness     
which inspires contempt1 an egotism     
which  is intolerable1 a laxity in the  
treatment of obligations which destroys 
any sense of the stability of life4 ,a  
marriage which does not grow into  a    
relation of mutual honour and respect   
must always be in a state of  unstable  
equilibrium1 constantly subject to      
storms of passion1 to  suspicion and    
distrust4    ,and therefore such a      
marriage will afford no safe basis on   
which to  build a family life4 ,but     
without a stable family life a stable   
social  and religious life is           
impossible4 ,it is therefore no surprise
 to those  who believe that the powers  
of evil are active in the world to find 
that  the family is the very centre of  
their attack at the present time4 ,the  
crass egotism lying back of so much     
modern teaching is nowhere more  clearly
 visible than in the assertion of the   
right of self-determination  so         
blatantly made in popular writings4 ,by 

self-determination is  ultimately meant 
the right of the individual to seek his 
own happiness  in his own way1 and to   
make pleasure the rule of his life4 ,the
 right to  happiness is claimed in utter
 disregard of the fact that the claim   
often involves the unhappiness of       
others4 ,the supremacy of love1  meaning
 the supremacy of animalism1 is the     
excuse for undermining the  very        
foundations of family life4 ,no         
obligation1 it appears1 can have a      
binding force longer than the parties to
 it find gratification in it4  ,personal
 inclination and gratification is held  
sufficient ground for  action whose     
consequences are far from being         
personal1 which1 in fact1  affect the   
sane and healthy state of society as a  
whole4    ,the decline of a civilisation
 has always shown itself more markedly  
in  the decline of the family life than 
elsewhere4 ,the family1 not the         
individual1 is the basis of the social  
state1 and no amount of  theorising can 

make the fact different4 ,whatever      
assails the integrity  of the family    
assails the life of the state1 and no   
single family can be  destroyed without 
society as a whole feeling the effect4  
,what1 it is  asked1 is to be done8 ,if 
two people find that they have          
blundered1 are  they to go on           
indefinitely suffering from the result  
of their blunder8  ,if an immature boy  
or girl in a moment of passion make a   
mistake as to  their suitability to live
 together1 are they to be compelled to  
do so at  the expense of constant       
unhappiness8    ,it would seem obvious  
to say that justice requires that those 
who make  blunders should take the      
consequences of them2 that those who    
create a  situation involving suffering 
should do the suffering themselves and  
not  attempt to pass it on to others4   
,it is not as though the consequences of
  the act can be avoided2 they cannot4  
,what happens is that the incidence  of 
them is shifted4 ,it is a part of the   

brutal egotism of divorce that  it is   
quite willing to shift the incidence of 
the suffering that it has  created on to
 the lives of wholly innocent people2 in
 many cases upon  children1 in all cases
 upon society at large4 ,for it is      
necessary to  emphasize the fact that   
society is a closely compact body3 so   
interwoven  is life with life that if   
one member suffer the other members     
suffer  with it4 ,breaches of moral     
order are not individual matters but    
social4  ,this truth is implied in      
society's constantly asserted right to  
regulate  family relations in the       
general interest even after it has      
ceased to  think of such relations as   
having any spiritual significance4 ,we  
need  to-day a more vivid sense of the  
community lest we shall see all sense   
of a common life engulfed in the rising 
tide of individual anarchism4 ,we  need 
the assertion in energetic form of the  
right of the community as  supreme over 
the right of the individual4 ,we must   

deny the right of the  individual to    
pursue his own way and his own pleasure 
at the expense of  the rights of others4
 ,and to his insolent question1 ,why    
should ,i suffer  in an intolerable     
situation8 we must plainly answer3      
,because you are  responsible for the   
situation1 and it is intolerable that   
you should be  permitted to throw off   
the results of your wickedness or your  
stupidity  upon other and innocent      
people4    ,and it is quite clear that  
should society assert its pre-eminent   
right  in unmistakable form and make it 
evident that it does not propose to     
tolerate the results of the egotistic   
nonsense of self-determination and  the 
right of every one to live his own life1
 the evils of divorce and of  shattered 
families would presently shrink to      
relatively small  proportions4 ,the     
present facility of divorce encourages  
thoughtless and  unsuitable marriages in
 the first place2 and in the second     
place1  encourages the resort to divorce

 in circumstances of family disturbance 
which would speedily right themselves in
 the present as they have done  in the  
past if those concerned knew that their 
happiness and comfort  for years        
compelled an adjustment of life4 ,when  
as at present any one  who loses his    
temper can rush off to a court and get a
 marriage  dissolved for some quite     
trivial reason1 there is small          
encouragement to  practice self-control4
 ,if a man and woman know that the      
consequences of  conduct must be faced  
by them1 and cannot be avoided by       
thrusting them  upon others1 they will  
no doubt in the course of time learn to 
exercise  a little self-control4    ,the
 family is the foundation of the state  
because1 among other things1  it is the 
natural training place of citizens3 no  
public training in  schools and camps   
can for a moment safely be looked to as 
a substitute  or an equivalent of       
wholesome family influence4 ,if the     
family does not  make good citizens we  

cannot have good citizens4 ,the family  
too is at  the basis of organised       
religious life2 if the family does not  
make good  ,christians we shall not have
 good ,christians4 ,the ,sunday ,school 
and the  ,church societies are poor     
substitutes for the religious influence 
of the  family1 as the school and the   
camp are for its social interests4      
,one is inclined to stress the obvious  
failure of the family to fulfil  its    
alloted functions in the teaching of    
religion as the root difficulty  that   
the ,christian religion has to encounter
 and the most comprehensive  cause of   
its relative failure in modern life4    
,the responsibility for the  religious  
and moral training of children rests    
squarely upon those who  have assumed   
the responsibility of bringing them into
 the world1 and it  cannot be rightly   
pushed off on to some one else4 ,to the 
protest of  parents that they are       
incompetent to conduct such training1   
the only  possible reply is a blunt1    

,whose fault is that8 ,if you have been 
so  careless of the fundamental         
responsibilities of life1 you are       
incompetent to assume a relation which  
of necessity carries such               
responsibility with it4 ,it is no light 
matter to have committed to you  the    
care of an immortal soul whose eternal  
future may quite well be  conditioned on
 the way in which you fulfil your trust4
 ,it would be well  as a preliminary to 
marriage to take a little of the time   
ordinarily  given to its frivolous      
accompaniments and seriously meditate   
upon the  words of our ,lord which seem 
wholly appropriate to the circumstance3 
,whoso shall cause to stumble one of    
these little ones which believe in  me1 
it were better for him that a millstone 
were hanged about his neck1  and that he
 were drowned in the depths of the sea4 
,it is the careless  and incompetent    
training of children which in fact      
causes them to  stumble when the        
presence of word and example would have 

held them  straight4 ,it has been 7to   
speak personally7 the greatest trial of 
my  priesthood that out of the thousands
 of children ,i have dealt with1 in     
only rare cases have ,i had the entire  
support of the family2 and ,i have      
always considered that ,i was fortunate 
when ,i met with no interference  and   
was given an indifferent tolerance4 ,it 
is heart-breaking to see  years of      
careful work brought to naught 7so far  
as the human eye can  see3 the divine   
eye can see deeper7 by the brutal       
materialism of a  father and the silly  
worldliness of a mother4    ,the        
interplay of lives in a family should be
 consciously directed by  those who     
control them to the cultivation1 to the 
bringing out of the  best that is in    
them4 ,education means the drawing out  
of the innate  powers of the personality
 and the training of them for the       
highest  purposes4 ,it is the deliberate
 direction of personal powers to the    
highest ends1 the discipline of them for

 the performance of those ends4  ,the   
life of a child should be shaped with   
reference to its final destiny  from the
 moment of its birth4 ,it should be     
surrounded with an atmosphere  of prayer
 and charity which would be the natural 
atmosphere in which it  would expand as 
it grows1 and in terms of which it would
 learn to  express itself as soon as it 
reaches sufficient maturity to express  
itself at all4 ,it should become        
familiar with spiritual language and    
modes of action1 and meet nothing that  
is inharmonious with these4 ,but  we    
know that the education of the          
,christian child is commonly the        
opposite of all this4 ,it learns little 
that is spiritual4 ,when it comes  to   
learn religion it is obviously a matter 
of small importance in the  family life2
 if there is any expression of it at    
all1 it is one that is  crowded into    
corners and constantly swamped by other 
interests which are  obviously felt to  
be of more importance4 ,too often the   

spiritual state  of the family may be   
summed up in the words of the small boy 
who  condensed his observation of life  
into the axiom3 ,men and dogs do not  go
 to ,church4 ,in such an atmosphere the 
child finds religion and morals  reduced
 to a system of repression4 ,god becomes
 a man with a club  constantly saying1  
,don't6 ,he grows to think that he is a 
fairly virtuous  person so long as he   
skilfully avoids the system of taboos   
wherewith he  feels that life is        
surrounded1 and fulfils the one positive
 family law  of a religious nature1 that
 he shall go to ,sunday ,school until he
 is  judged sufficiently mature to join 
the vast company of men and dogs4       
,nothing very much can come of          
negatives4 ,religion calls for positive 
expression2 and it is not enough that   
the child shall find positive           
expression once a week in the church2 he
 must find it every day in the  week in 
the intimacy of the family4 ,he must    
find that the principles of  life which 

are inculcated in the church are        
practiced by his father and  his mother1
 his brother and his sister1 or he will 
not take them  seriously4 ,if he is     
conscious of virtue and religious       
practice as  repression1 a sort of      
tyranny practiced on a child by his     
elders1 his  notion of the liberty of   
adult life will quite naturally be      
freedom to  break away from what is now 
forced upon him into the life of        
self-determination and indifference to  
things spiritual that  characterises the
 adult circle with which he is familiar4
    ,but consider1 by contrast1 those   
rare families where the opposite of all 
this is true2 where there is the peace  
of a recollected life of which  the     
foundations are laid in constant        
devotion to our ,lord4 ,there you  will 
find the nearest possible reproduction  
of the life of the ,holy  ,family in    
,nazareth4 ,because the life of the     
family is a life of prayer1  there will 
you find ,jesus in the midst of it4     

,there you will find ,mary  and ,joseph 
associated with its life of             
intercession4 ,in such a family  the    
expression of a religious thought will  
never be felt as a discord4  ,the talk  
may quite naturally at any moment turn  
on spiritual things4  ,there are        
families in which one feels that one    
must make a careful  preparation for the
 introduction of a spiritual allusion3  
one does it  with a sense of danger1    
much as one might sail through a channel
 strewn  with mines4 ,there are other   
families in which one has no hesitation 
in  speaking of prayer1 of sacraments1  
of spiritual actions1 as things with    
which all are familiar in practice1 and 
are as natural as food and  drink4 ,in  
this atmosphere it produces no smile to 
say1 ,i am going to  slip into the      
,church and make my meditation2 or1 ,i  
shall be a little  late to-night as ,i  
am making my confession on my way home4 
,religion in  such a circle has not     
incurred contempt through familiarity3  

it still  remains a great adventure1 the
 very greatest of all indeed2 but it is 
an  adventure in the open1 full of joy  
and gladness4    ,the ,holy ,family was 
a family that worked hard4 ,it is no    
doubt true that  our ,lord learned his  
foster-father's trade1 so that those who
 knew him  later on1 or heard ,his      
preaching1 asked1 ,is not this the      
carpenter8  ,but the ,holy ,family was a
 radiant centre of joy and peace because
 ,jesus  was in the midst of it4 ,where 
,jesus dwells there is the effect of his
  indwelling in the spiritual gladness  
that results4 ,mary was never too  busy 
for her religious duties nor ,joseph too
 tired with his week's work  to get up  
on the ,sabbath for whatever services in
 honour of ,god the  ,synagogue offered4
 ,they were perhaps conscious as the    
,child increased  in wisdom and stature1
 and in favour with ,god and man of a   
spiritual  influence that flowed from   
,him1 and sweetened and lightened the   
life of  the home4 ,they were not       

conscious that in ,his ,person ,god was 
in the  midst of them2 but that is what 
we can 7if we will7 be conscious of4 ,we
  are heirs of the ,incarnation1 and    
,god is in the midst of us2 and         
especially does ,jesus wish to dwell1 as
 ,he dwelt in ,nazareth1 in the  midst  
of the family4 ,he wishes to make every 
household a ,holy ,family4 ,he  is in   
the midst of it in uninterrupted        
communion with the soul of the  baptised
 child2 and the father and mother1      
understanding that their  highest duty  
and greatest privilege is to watch and  
foster the spiritual  unfolding of the  
child's life in such wise that ,jesus   
may never depart  from union with it1   
become as ,joseph and ,mary in their    
ministry to it4  ,there is nothing more 
heavenly than such a charge2 there is   
nothing more  beautiful than such a     
family life4    ,there is often a pause 
in ,god's work between times of great   
activity--a  time of retreat1 as it     
seems1 which is a rest from what has    

preceded and  a preparation for what is 
to come4 ,such a pause were these years 
at  ,nazareth in the life of ,blessed   
,mary4 ,the time from the ,annunciation 
to  the return from ,egypt was a time of
 deep emotion1 of spirit-shaking        
events4 ,later on there were the trials 
of the years of the ministry1           
culminating in ,calvary4 ,but these     
years while ,jesus was growing to       
manhood in the quietness of the home    
were years of unspeakable privilege  and
 peace4 ,the daily association with the 
perfect ,child1 the privilege  of       
watching and guarding and ministering to
 ,him1 these days of deepening          
spiritual union with ,him1 although much
 that was happening to the mother  was  
happening unconsciously1--were          
strengthening her grasp on ultimate     
reality1 so that she issued with perfect
 strength to meet the supreme  tragedy  
of her life4 ,how wonderful ,god must   
have seemed to her in those  thirty     
years of peace6 ,to all of us ,god is   

thus wonderful in quiet  hours2 and the 
quiet hours are much the more numerous  
in most of our  lives4 ,but have we all 
learned to use these hours so that we   
may be  ready to meet the hours of      
testing which shall surely come8 ,no    
matter  how quiet the valley of our     
life1 some day the pleasant path will   
lift1  and we must climb the hilltop    
where rises the ,cross4 ,it will not be 
intolerable1 if the quiet years have    
been spent in ,nazareth with ,jesus  and
 ,mary and ,joseph4         ,most holy1 
and pure ,virgin1 ,blessed ,mayd1       
,sweet ,tree of ,life1 ,king ,david's   
,strength and ,tower1         ,the      
,house of ,gold1 the ,gate of ,heaven's 
power1       ,the ,morning-,star whose  
light our fall hath stay'd4             
,great ,queen of ,queens1 most mild1    
most meek1 most wise1         ,most     
venerable1 ,cause of all our joy1       
,whose cheerful look our sadnesse doth  
destroy1       ,and art the spotlesse   
,mirror to man's eyes4         ,the     

,seat of ,sapience1 the most lovely     
,mother1         ,and most to be admired
 of thy sexe1         ,who mad'st us    
happy all1 in thy reflexe1       ,by    
bringing forth ,god's ,onely ,son1 no   
other4         ,thou ,throne of ,glory1 
beauteous as the moone1         ,the    
rosie morning1 or the rising sun1       
,who like a giant hastes his course to  
run1       ,till he hath reached his    
two-fold point of noone4         ,how   
are thy gifts and graces blazed abro'd1 
,through all the lines of this          
circumference1         ,t'imprint in all
 purged hearts this ,virgin sence       
,of being ,daughter1 ,mother1 ,spouse of
 ,god8         ,ben ,jonson1 #aegc-afcg4
        ,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xii 
,,the ,,temple         ,and he said unto
 them1 ,how is it that ye sought me8    
,know ye       not that ,i must be in my
 ,father's house8         ,s4 ,luke     
,,ii1 #di4         ,we give thanks unto 
thee1 ,o ,lord1 who lovest mankind1     
,thou       benefactor of our souls and 

bodies1 for that ,thou hast this        
day vouchsafed to feed us with ,thy     
,heavenly ,mysteries2 guide       our   
path aright1 establish us all in ,thy   
fear1 guard our       lives1 make sure  
our steps through the prayers and       
supplications of the glorious ,mother of
 ,god and ,ever ,virgin       ,mary and 
of all ,thy saints4         ,,russian4  
,the time was come when by the law of   
,his people the ,boy ,jesus must  assume
 the duties of an adult in the exercise 
of ,his religion4 ,therefore  ,his      
parents took ,him with them to          
,jerusalem that ,he might participate in
  the celebration of the ,passover4 ,it 
would be a wonderful moment in the  life
 of any intelligent ,hebrew boy when for
 the first time he came in  contact with
 the places and scenes which were so    
familiar to him in the  story of his    
nation's past2 and we can imagine what  
would have been the  special interest of
 the ,child ,jesus who would have been  
so thoroughly  taught in the ,old       

,testament ,scriptures1 and who would   
have felt an added  interest in the     
places ,he was now seeing because of    
their association  with ,his great      
ancestor1 ,david4 ,still ,his chief     
interest was in the  religion of ,his   
people1 and it was the temple where the 
sacrificial  worship of ,god was centred
 that would have for ,him the greatest  
attraction4 ,this was ,his ,father's    
,house1 and here ,he ,himself felt      
utterly at home4 ,we are not surprised  
to be told that ,he lingered in  these  
courts4    ,and when they had fulfilled 
the days1 as they returned1 the child   
,jesus  tarried behind in ,jerusalem2   
and ,joseph and ,his mother knew it not4
  ,they had perfect confidence in       
,jesus2 and yet it seems strange that   
they  should have assumed that ,he was  
somewhere about and would appear at the 
proper time4 ,when the night drew on and
 the camp was set up there was no       
,child to be found4 ,then we imagine the
 distress1 the trouble of heart1  with  

which ,mary and ,joseph hurry back to   
,jerusalem and spend the ensuing  days  
in seeking through its streets4 ,we     
share something of our ,lord's  surprise
 when we learn that the temple was the  
last place that they  thought of in     
their search4 ,did they think that      
,jesus would be caught by  the life of  
the ,passover crowds that filled the    
streets of ,jerusalem8  ,did they think 
that it would be a child's curiosity    
which would hold him  fascinated with   
the glittering toys of the bazaars8 ,did
 they think that  ,he had mistaken the  
caravan and been carried off in some    
other direction  and was lost to them   
forever8 ,we only know that it was not  
till three  days had passed that they   
thought of the temple and there found   
,him4  ,and when they saw ,him1 they    
were amazed3 and his mother said unto   
,him1  ,son1 why has thou thus dealt    
with us8 ,behold1 thy father and ,i have
  sought thee sorrowing4 ,and he said   
unto them1 ,how is it that ye sought    

me8 ,know ye not that ,i must be in my  
,father's house8    ,s4 ,mary and ,s4   
,joseph were proceeding on certain      
assumptions as to what  ,jesus would do 
which turned out to be untenable4 ,it is
 one of the  dangers of our             
religion--our personal religion--that we
 are apt to  assume too much which in   
the testing turns out to be unfounded4  
,we reach  a certain stage of religious 
attainment1 and then we assume that all 
is  going well with us4 ,when one asks a
 child how he is getting on he          
invariably answers3 ,i am all right4    
,and the adult often has the same       
childish confidence in an untested and  
unverified state of soul4 ,we are  all  
right2 which practically means that we  
do not care to be bothered  with looking
 into our spiritual state at all4 ,we   
have been going on for  years now       
following the rules that we laid down   
when we first realised  that the being a
 ,christian was a more or less serious  
matter4 ,nothing  has happened in these 

years to break the placidity of our     
routine4 ,there  has never been any     
relapse into grievous sin2 we have never
 felt any  real temptation to abandon   
the practice o our religion4 ,we run    
along as  easily and smoothly as a car  
on well-laid rails4 ,we are all right4  
,but in fact we are all wrong4 ,we have 
lapsed into a state of which the  ideal 
is purely static3 an ideal of spiritual 
comfort as the goal of our  spiritual   
experience here on earth4 ,we have      
acquired what appears to be  a state of 
equilibrium into which we wish nothing  
to intrude that would  endanger the     
balance4 ,we are1 no doubt1 quite       
unconsciously1 excluding  from life     
every emotion1 every ambition1 as well  
as every temptation1  which appears to  
involve spiritual disturbance4 ,but we  
need to be  disturbed4    ,for the      
spiritual life is dynamic and not       
static2 its ideal is motion  and not    
rest4 ,rest is the quality of dead      
things1 and particularly of  dead souls4

 ,the weariness of the way1 which is so 
obvious a phenomenon  in the ,christian 
life1 is the infallible sign of         
lukewarmness4 ,what we  need therefore  
is to break with the assumption that we 
know all that it  is necessary to know1 
and that we have done or are doing all  
that it is  necessary to do4 ,it is     
indeed the mark of an ineffective       
religion that  the notion of necessity  
is adopted as its stimulus1 rather than 
the  notion of aspiration4 ,the         
question1 ,must ,i do this8 is a        
revelation of  spiritual poverty and    
ineptitude4 ,i press on1 is the motto of
 a  living religion4    ,personal       
religion1 therefore1 needs constantly to
 be submitted to new  tests1 lest it    
lapse into an attitude of finality4     
,fortunately for us1  ,god does not     
leave the matter wholly in our hands1   
but ,himself1 through  ,his ,providence1
 applies a wide variety of tests to us4 
,it is often a  bitter and disturbing   
experience to have our comfortable      

routine broken  up and to find that we  
have quite miserably failed under very  
simple  temptations4 ,and the sort of   
failure ,i am thinking of is not so much
 the  failure of sin as the failure of  
ideal4 ,it is the case of those who     
think that they have satisfactorily     
worked out the problems of the          
spiritual life1 and have reached a      
satisfactory adjustment of duty and     
practice1 and then find that if the     
adjustment changes their practice  falls
 off4 ,the outer circumstances of life  
change and the change is  followed by a 
readjustment of the inner life on a     
distinctly lower  plane4 ,it is revealed
 to us that the outer circumstances were
  controlling the spiritual practice1   
and not the practice dominating the     
circumstances4 ,the ruling ideal was    
that of comfort1 and under the new      
circumstances the spiritual ideal is    
lowered until it fits in with a new     
possibility of comfort in the altered   
circumstances4 ,it is well to  examine  

ourselves on these matters and to find  
what is the actual  ruling motive in our
 religious practice4    ,we may have    
assumed that we have ,jesus1 when all   
the assumption meant  was that we       
thought that ,he was somewhere about4   
,after all1 it will not  aid us very    
much if ,he is in the company1 if we go 
on our day's  journey without ,him4 ,it 
is a poor assumption to build life upon1
 that  ,jesus exists1 or that ,he is in 
the ,church1 or that ,he is the         
,saviour4 ,it  is nothing to us unless  
,he is our ,saviour1 unless ,he is      
personally  present in us and with us4  
,and it is not wise or safe to let this 
be a  matter of assumption1 even though 
the assumption rest on a perfectly      
valid experience in the past2 we cannot 
live on history1 not even on our  own   
history4 ,that ,jesus is with us must be
 verified day by day1 and we  ought to  
go no day's journey without the         
certainty of ,his presence4 ,we  can    
best do that1 when the circumstances of 

life permit1 by a daily  communion4     
,there at the altar we meet ,jesus and  
know that ,he is with us4  ,when the    
circumstances of life do not permit1    
7and often they do1 when  we lazily     
think they do not7 there are other modes
 of arriving at  spiritual certainty4   
,it is quite easy to lose ,jesus4 ,he   
does not force ,his companionship upon  
us1 but rather when we meet ,him4 ,he   
makes as though he would go  farther4   
,he offers ,himself to us2 ,he never    
compels us to receive ,him as  a guest4 
,and when we have in fact received ,him1
 and asked ,him to abide  with us1 ,he  
does not stay any longer than we want   
,him4 ,we have to  constrain ,him4 ,in  
other words1 we lose ,jesus1 we lose the
 vitality of  our spiritual life 7though
 we may retain the routine practice of  
our  religion71 if we are not from day  
to day making it the most vital issue   
of our lives4 ,that does not necessarily
 mean that we are spending more  time on
 it than on anything else1 but that we  

are putting it first in  the order of   
importance in our lives and are         
sacrificing1 if occasion  arise1 other  
things to it1 rather than it to them4   
,that a man loves his  wife and child   
does not necessarily mean that he       
actually spends more  time on them than 
he does on his business1 but it does    
mean that they  are more important in   
his life than his business1 and if need 
arise it  will be the business that is  
sacrificed to them and not they to the  
business4 ,spirituality is much less a  
matter of time than of energy4 ,a  wise 
director can guide a man to sanctity who
 will probably consecrate  his ,sunday1 
and give the director one half hour on  
week days to  dispose of4    ,to lose   
,jesus does not require the commission  
of great sin1 as we count  sin4 ,the    
quite easiest way to lose ,him is to    
forget ,him and go about our  business  
as though ,he did not exist4 ,that is a 
frequent happening4 ,for  vast numbers  
,jesus does not exist except for an hour

 or so on ,sunday4  ,they give ,him the 
formal homage of attendance at church on
 ,sunday  morning and then they go out  
and forget ,him1 not only for the rest  
of  the week but for the rest of the    
day4 ,the religion which thus reduces   
itself to a minimum of attendance at    
,mass on ,sunday morning is surely  not 
a religion from which much can be       
expected in the way of spiritual        
accomplishment4 ,if it be true that     
there is a minimum of religious         
requirement which will ensure that we go
 to heaven1 then that sort of  religion 
may be useful2 but ,i do not know that  
anywhere such a minimum  is required4   
,the statement that ,i find is ,thou    
shalt love the ,lord  thy ,god with all 
thy heart1 and with all thy soul1 and   
with all thy  mind1 and with all thy    
strength4 ,the outstanding              
characteristic of love  is surely not   
niggardliness1 but passionate           
self-giving4 ,all things are  forgiven1 
not to those who are careful to keep    

within the limits  required1 but to     
those who love much4    ,the study of   
many cases1 the experience of over      
thirty years in the  confessional1      
convinces me that the chief cause of    
spiritual failure  among ,christians is 
not the irresistible impact of          
temptation but the  lack of spiritual   
vision4 ,the average man or woman is not
 consciously  going anywhere2 but they  
are just keeping a rule which is the    
arbitrary  exactment of ,god4 ,it might 
just as well be some other rule4 ,that  
is1 in  their minds1 the practice of the
 spiritual life has no immediate ends2  
it is not productive of spiritual       
expansion2 it is not a ladder set up  on
 earth to reach heaven on which they are
 climbing ever nearer ,god1 and  on the 
way are catching ever broader visions of
 spiritual reality as  they ascend4 ,the
 knowledge and the love of ,god are to  
them phrases1 not  practical goals1     
invitations to paths of spiritual       
adventure4 ,hence1  having no immediate 

ends to accomplish1 they find the whole 
spiritual  routine dull and unattractive
 and naturally tend to reduce it to a   
minimum4 ,it is not at all surprising   
that in the end they drop religion      
altogether1 as why should one keep on   
travelling a road that leads  nowhere8  
,how can one love and serve a ,jesus    
whom one has lost8    ,the problem of   
personal religion is the problem of     
finding ,jesus1 of  bringing life into a
 right relation to ,him4 ,the plain path
 is to follow  the example of ,his      
parents who sought ,him sorrowing4      
,sorrow for having  lost ,jesus is the  
true repentance4 ,repentance which      
springs from fear of  consequences1 or  
from disgust with our own incompetence  
and stupidity  when we realise that we  
have made a spiritual failure of life1  
is an  imperfect thing4 ,true repentance
 has its origin in love and is therefore
  directed toward a person4 ,it is the  
conviction that we have violated the    
love of our ,father1 our ,saviour1 our  

,sanctifier4 ,sorrow springing from     
love is sorrow after a godly sort4 ,it  
is easy for us to drift into  ways of   
carelessness and indifference which seem
 not to involve sin1 to  be no more than
 a decline from some preceding standard 
of practice which  we conclude to have  
been unnecessarily strict2 but the      
result is an  increasing disregard of   
spiritual values1 a growing obscuration 
of the  divine presence in life4 ,then  
the day comes when some quite marked and
  positive spiritual failure1 a failure 
of which we cannot imagine  ourselves to
 have been guilty1 when we were living  
in constant communion  with our ,lord1  
arouses us to the fact that for months  
our spiritual  vitality has been        
declining and that we have ended in     
losing ,jesus4 ,it  is a tremendous     
shock to find how fast and how far we   
have been  travelling when we thought   
that we were only slightly relaxing an  
unnecessarily strict routine3 that when 
we thought that we were but  acting in a

 common sense way1 we were in reality   
effecting a  compromise with the world4 
,well is it then if the surprise of our 
disaster shocks us back to the recovery 
of what we have lost1 if it send  us    
into the streets of the city1 sorrowing 
and seeking for ,jesus4    ,mere        
spiritual laziness is at the bottom of  
much failure in religion4  ,there is no 
success anywhere in life save through   
the constant pressure  of the will      
driving a reluctant and protesting set  
of nerves and muscles  to their daily   
tasks4 ,the day labourer comes home from
 his work with his  muscular strength   
exhausted1 but he has to go back to the 
same  monotonous task on the morrow3 his
 family has to be fed and clothed and   
he cannot permit himself to say1 ,i am  
tired and will stay away from  work     
to-day4 ,the business or professional   
man comes back from his  office with a  
wearied brain that makes any thought an 
effort1 but he  must take up the routine
 to-morrow2 the pressure of competitive 

business  does not permit him to work   
when and as much as he chooses4 ,but the
  ,christian who is engaged in the most 
important work that is carried on  in   
this world1 the work of preparing an    
immortal soul for an unending  future1  
is constantly under the temptation to   
take a day off--to let  down the        
standard of accomplishment till it      
ceases to interfere with the  business  
or the pleasure of life2 is constantly  
too tired or too busy to  do this or    
that4 ,in short1 religion is apt to be  
treated in a manner  that would ensure  
the bankruptcy of any material          
occupation in life4 ,why  then should it
 not ensure spiritual bankruptcy8       
,surely1 to retain ,jesus with us1 to   
live in the intimacy of ,god1 is the    
most pressingly important of our duties2
 it is worth any sort of  expenditure of
 energy to accomplish it4 ,and it cannot
 be accomplished  without expenditure of
 energy4 ,the view of religion which    
conceives it  as a facile assent to     

certain propositions1 the occasional and
 formal  participation in certain       
actions1 the more or less strict        
observance of  certain rules of conduct1
 is so far from the fact that it is not 
worth  discussing4 ,religion is the     
realised friendship of ,god2 it is a    
personal  relation of the deepest and   
purest sort2 and1 like all personal     
relations1 is kept alive by the mutual  
activities of those concerned4  ,the    
action of one party will not suffice to 
keep the relation in healthy  state4    
,the love of ,god itself will not       
suffice to maintain a being in  holiness
 and carry him on to happiness who is   
himself quite indifferent  to the entire
 spiritual transaction--whose attitude  
is that of one  willing to be saved if  
he be not asked to take much trouble    
about it4  ,that lackadaisical attitude 
can never produce any result in the     
spiritual order2 it can only ensure the 
spiritual decline and death of  one who 
has not thought it worth while to make  

an effort to live4    ,jesus can be     
found2 but the finding depends upon the 
method of the  seeking4 ,there are many 
men who claim1 and quite honestly1 to be
 in  pursuit of truth3 to find the truth
 is the end of all their efforts4 ,yet  
they do not succeed in finding it4 ,why 
is this8 ,i think that the  principal   
reason is that they are constituting    
themselves the judges of  the truth2    
they first of all lay down certain rules
 which ,god must obey  if ,he wishes    
them to believe in ,him6 ,they insist on
 having1 before they  will believe1 a   
kind of evidence that is impossible of  
attainment4 ,they  assert that this or  
that is impossible1 and the other thing 
incredible4  ,they partially ascertain  
the laws that govern the material       
universe1 and  they deny to the ,maker  
of the universe the power to act        
otherwise than  in accord with so much  
of the order of nature as they have     
discovered6  ,they deny to ,god the sort
 of personal action in this world that  

they  themselves constantly exercise4   
,the method is not a method that can be 
hopeful of success4 ,and it is  worth   
noting that it is not a method that     
these same men followed in  their       
investigations of the natural world4    
,they have not accumulated  information 
about natural law by first laying down  
rules as to how  natural law must act1  
and refusing to listen to any evidence  
which does  not fall in with these      
rules3 rather1 they have set themselves 
to  observe how nature does act1 and    
then deduced rules from their           
observation4 ,why not pursue the same   
method in religion8 ,why not in an      
humble spirit observe how ,god does act8
 ,why start by saying1 ,miracles  do not
 happen8 ,why reject as incredible the  
,virgin ,birth and the  ,resurrection8  
,why not get a bigger notion of ,god    
than that of a  mechanician running a   
machine1 and think of ,him as a ,person 
dealing with  persons8 ,the relation of 
persons cannot be mechanical or         

predetermined2  they are and must be    
free and spontaneous3 they have their   
origin1 not  in the pressure of         
invariable law but in the impulse of    
love4    ,nor is the search for ,jesus  
that is inspired by mere curiosity      
likely  to be a success4 ,there are many
 people who are curious about religion1 
and they want to know why we believe    
thus and so2 and particularly why  we   
act as we do4 ,why do you keep this day8
 ,what do you mean by this  ceremony8   
,do you think that it is wrong to do    
this or that8 ,such people  wander about
 observing2 but their observation we    
understand is the  observation of an    
idler who does not expect to be         
influenced by what he  observes1 but    
only to be amused4 ,these are they who  
run after the latest  thing in heresy1  
the newest thing in thought4 ,what is   
observable about  them is that they     
never seriously contemplate doing       
anything themselves4  ,they are like    
those multitudes who followed our ,lord 

about for awhile  but were dispersed by 
the test of hard sayings4    ,but ,jesus
 can be found4 ,he is found of all those
 who seek ,him humbly and  sincerely1   
putting away self and desiring simply to
 be led3 who do not  challenge ,him with
 ,pilate's scornful1 ,what is truth8 but
 rather say1  ,lord1 ,i believe2 help   
,thou my unbelief4 ,he is easily found  
of those  who know where to look for    
,him4 ,there is no mystery about        
that1--,he will  certainly be in ,his   
,father's ,house4 ,the surprise of      
,joseph and ,mary that  ,he had thus    
dealt with them is answered by ,jesus'  
surprise that they did  not certainly   
know where ,he would be3 ,wist ye not   
that ,i must be in ,my  ,father's       
,house8    ,in the ,house of ,god1 the  
,church of ,god1 is the ready approach  
to ,jesus4  ,it is in the last degree   
foolish to waive aside the ,church in   
which are  stored the treasures of more 
than nineteen centuries of ,christian   
experience as though it did and could   

have nothing to say in the matter4  ,a  
seeker after information as to the      
meaning of the constitution of the      
,united ,states would be considered a   
madman if he impatiently turned from    
those of whom he made enquiry when they 
suggested the decrees of the  ,supreme  
,court as the proper place to seek      
information4 ,surely1 from any  point of
 view1 the ,church will know more about 
,jesus than any one else3  if in all the
 centuries it has not discovered the    
meaning of ,him ,whom it  ceaselessly   
worships there is small likelihood that 
that meaning will be  discovered by an  
unbeliever studying an ancient book6 ,if
 the ,church  cannot lead us to ,jesus1 
and if it cannot interpret to us ,his   
will1  there is small likelihood that   
any one else will be able to do so4 ,and
  if during all these centuries ,his    
will has been unknown it can hardly be  
of much importance to discover it now4  
,if ,his ,church has failed1 then  ,his 
,mission is discredited4    ,for us who 

have accepted ,his revelation as made to
 the ,church and by it  unfailingly     
preserved1 who have learned to find ,him
 there where ,he has  promised to be    
until the end of time1 there is another 
sense in which we  think of ,his words  
as words of encouragement and           
consolation4 ,there are  hours in life  
which press hard upon us2 there are     
other hours when the  sense of ,god's   
love and goodness fills us with         
thankfulness and joy4 ,in  such hours we
 crave the intimacy of personal         
communion3 we want to tell  our grief or
 our joy4 ,and then we take our way to  
the temple1 and know  that we shall find
 ,him there in ,his ,incarnate ,presence
 in ,his ,father's  ,house4 ,we go in   
and kneel before the ,tabernacle and    
know that ,jesus is  here4 ,here in the 
silence ,he waits for us4 ,here in the  
long hours ,he  watches2 here is the    
ever-open door leading to the ,father   
where any man  at any time may enter4   
,he who humbled ,himself to the hidden  

life of  ,nazareth now humbles ,himself 
to the hidden life of the ,tabernacle3  
and  we who believe ,his ,word1 have no 
need to envy ,joseph and ,mary the      
intimacy of their life with ,jesus1     
because here for us1 if we will1 is a   
greater intimacy--the intimacy of those 
of whom it can be said3 ,they  evermore 
dwell in ,him and ,he in them4          
,lady of ,heaven1 ,regent of the ,earth1
        ,empress of all the infernal    
marshes fell1       ,receive me1 thy    
poor ,christian1 'spite my1 dearth1     
,in the fair midst of thine elect to    
dwell3        ,albeit my lack of grace  
,i know full well2       ,for that thy  
grace1 my ,lady and my ,queen1          
,aboundeth more than all my misdemean1  
,withouten which no soul of all that    
sigh       ,may merit heaven4 ',tis     
sooth ,i say1 for e'en        ,in this  
belief ,i will to live and die4         
,say to thy ,son1 ,i am his--that by his
 birth        ,and death my sins be all 
redeemable--       ,as ,mary of ,egypt's

 dole he changed to mirth1        ,and  
eke ,theophilus'1 to whom befell        
,quittance of thee1 albeit 7so men tell7
       ,to the foul fiend he had        
contracted been4       ,assoilzie me1   
that ,i may have no teen1        ,maid1 
that without breach of virginity        
,didst bear our ,lord that in the ,host 
is seen3        ,in this belief ,i will 
to live and die4         ,a poor old    
wife ,i am1 and little worth3           
,nothing ,i know1 nor letter aye could  
spell3       ,where in the church to    
worship ,i fare forth1        ,i see    
heaven limned with harps and lutes1 and 
hell        ,where damned folk seethe in
 fire unquenchable3       ,one doth me  
fear1 the other joy serene2       ,grant
 ,i may have the joy1 ,o ,virgin clean1 
,to whom all sinners lift their hands on
 high1       ,made whole in faith       
through thee1 their go-between3         
,in this belief ,i will to live and die4
               ,,envoy           ,thou  
didst conceive1 ,princess most bright of

 sheen1       ,jesus the ,lord1 that    
hath no end nor mean1       ,almighty   
that1 departing heaven's demesne        
,to succour us1 put on our frailty1     
,offering to death his sweet of youth   
and green3       ,such as he is1 our    
,lord he is1 ,i ween3         ,in this  
belief ,i will to live and die4         
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xiii        
,,cana ,i         ,and the third day    
there was a marriage in ,cana of        
,galilee2       and the mother of ,jesus
 was there2 and both ,jesus was called1 
and his disciples1 to the marriage4     
,s4 ,john ,,ii1 #a4         ,grant1 ,o  
,lord1 we beseech thee1 that we thy     
servants may       enjoy constant health
 of body and mind1 and by the glorious  
intercession of blessed ,mary1 ever a   
virgin1 be delivered       from all     
temporal afflictions1 and come to those 
joys that       are eternal4 ,through4  
,having received1 ,o ,lord1 what is to  
advance our salvation2       grant we   
may always be protected by the patronage

 of blessed       ,mary1 ever a virgin1 
in whose honor we have offered this     
sacrifice to thy majesty4 ,through4     
,old ,catholic4    ,there was a marriage
 in ,cana of ,galilee1 and the mother of
 ,jesus was  there4 ,to ,s4 ,john       
,blessed ,mary is ever the mother of    
,jesus4 ,he never  calls her by her name
 in any mention of her4 ,jesus who loved
 him and  whom he loved and loves always
 with consuming passion1 held the       
foreground of his consciousness2 all    
other persons are known through  their  
relation to ,him4 ,as he is writing his 
,gospel-story toward the end  of his    
life1 the ,blessed ,virgin has long been
 gone to join her ,son in  the place of 
perfect love4 ,we cannot conceive of her
 living long on  earth after ,his       
,ascension4 ,her conversation would in a
 special way be  in heaven4 ,whatever   
the time she remained here awaiting the 
will of  ,god for her1 we may be sure   
that the days she spent under the       
protection  of ,s4 ,john were wonderful 

days for him1 wherein their communing   
would  have been the continual lifting  
of their hearts and souls to ,him1      
,child  and ,friend1 who is also ,god   
enthroned at the ,right ,hand of the    
,father4  ,it is not unlikely that the  
marvellous spiritual maturity of which  
we  are conscious in the writings of ,s4
 ,john was aided in its unfolding by    
the intimacy of his relations with ,s4  
,mary4 ,but always she remained to  him 
what she was because of what ,jesus was2
 she remained to the end the  mother of 
,jesus4    ,here at the marriage of     
,cana the way in which she is mentioned 
suggests  that she was staying in the   
house where the marriage was celebrated3
 she  was simply there2 ,jesus and the  
disciples were called1 invited1 to the  
wedding4 ,some relationship1 it has been
 suggested1 between ,s4 ,mary and  the  
bride or groom led to her presence in   
the house4 ,that however is  mere       
conjecture4 ,the marriage in any case   
was a wonderful one1 for both  ,jesus   

and ,mary were there4 ,it was therefore 
the ideal of all weddings  which seem to
 lack the true note of the new matrimony
 which springs from  the ,incarnation if
 they take place without such guests4   
,as in  imagination we follow ,mary as  
she goes quietly about the house1 which 
like her own was a home of the poor1    
helping in the arrangements of the      
wedding1 one cannot help recalling many 
weddings with which one has had         
something to do1 and in the arrangements
 of which we cannot think of  ,mary as  
having any part4 ,they were the         
arrangements of the weddings of         
,christians1 and the weddings took place
 in a ,christian church2 but  neither is
 ,mary there nor ,jesus called4 ,we are 
unable to think of ,mary  as present    
amid the tumult of worldiness and       
frivolity1 the endless  chatter over    
dress and decoration1 which so commonly 
precedes the  celebration of a sacrament
 which is the symbol of the mystical    
union  that there is betwixt ,christ and

 ,his ,church4 ,that deep piety which   
puts  ,god and ,god's will before all   
else would strike a jarring note here1  
where the dominant note is still the    
pagan note of the decking of the  slave 
for her new master4 ,it is perhaps not  
without significance of the  direction  
of the movement of the modern mind that 
the protests of the  emancipated woman  
are against the ,christian1 not the     
pagan elements in  matrimony3 she tends 
to regard marriage as a state of        
temporary luxury  rather than the       
perfect union of two souls in ,christ4  
,clearly in  marriages which are        
regarded as purely temporary            
engagements1 dependent  on the will of  
the parties for their continuance1 there
 is no place for  the mother of ,jesus4 
,the purity that emanates from her will 
be a silent  but keenly felt criticism  
on the whole conception underlying a    
vast  number of modern marriages4 ,even 
as ,i write ,i read that in a certain   
great city in the ,united ,states the   

number of divorces granted was one      
fourth of the number of the marriages   
celebrated4    ,clearly at marriages    
which are surrounded with this          
atmosphere of  paganism1 be they        
celebrated where they may1 there is no  
place for the  ,blessed ,mother2 and    
neither is ,jesus called4 ,his priest1  
unfortunately1  is often called1 and    
dares celebrate a sacrament which in the
  circumstances he can hardly help      
feeling is a sacrilege4 ,there are many 
cases in which what purports to be      
,christian marriage is between those    
who are not ,christians1 or of whom only
 one is a ,christian in any  complete   
sense4 ,one hears frequently of the     
sacrament of matrimony being  celebrated
 when only one of the parties is        
baptised4 ,it is of course  possible for
 any priest to act on the authority     
conferred upon him by  the state and in 
his capacity as a state official perform
 marriages  between those whom the state
 authorises to be married3 but why do it

  under the character of a priest8 or   
why throw about the ceremony the        
suggestions of a sacrament8    ,if      
,jesus is really to be called to a      
marriage1 it means that the             
preparations for the marriage will be   
largely spiritual4 ,the parties to  the 
marriage will approach the marriage     
through other sacraments4 ,they  will   
both be members of the ,church of ,god  
by baptism2 and they will be1  or look  
forward to becoming1 communicants4 ,they
 will prepare for the  sacrament of     
matrimony by receiving the sacrament of 
penance1 and  receiving the communion4  
,what better preparation for starting a 
new  life1 for setting out to create a  
new family in the ,kingdom of ,god1 a   
family in which the ideals of the life  
at ,nazareth are to be the ruling       
ideals1 than that cleansing of soul that
 fits them for the beginning of  a new  
life8 ,a priest has great joy when he   
knows that those who are  kneeling      
before him to receive the nuptial       

blessing are souls pure in  ,god's      
sight1 dwellings ready and adorned for  
the coming of ,christ4    ,for it is the
 normal and fitting crown of the        
ceremonies of marriage  that ,jesus be  
there1 that the ,holy ,mass be          
celebrated and that those who  have just
 been indissolubly united may as their  
first act partake of the  ,bread of     
,heaven which giveth life to the world4 
,i myself would rather  not be asked to 
celebrate a wedding unless it is to be  
approached with  the purity of ,mary1   
and sealed by the partaking of ,jesus4  
,it is so great  and wonderful a thing1 
this sacrament of matrimony4 ,here are  
two human  beings setting out to fulfil 
the vocation of man to build up the     
,kingdom  of ,god1 to set up a new      
hearth where the love of ,god may be    
manifest and  where children may be     
trained in the knowledge and love of    
,god2 where  the life of ,christ may    
find contact with human life and through
 it  manifest ,god to the world--how    

wonderful and beautiful and holy all    
that is6 ,and then to remember what     
commonly takes place is to be  overcome 
with a sense of what must be the pain of
 ,god's heart4    ,we go back to look   
into the home where ,mary seems to be   
directing the  arrangements of the      
wedding feast4 ,it was a poor home and  
not much could  be provided2 the wine1  
so essential to the feast1 failed4 ,what
 was to be  done8 ,to whom would ,mary  
look8 ,she could have no money to buy   
wine4 ,one  feels that after ,joseph's  
death she had come more and more to look
 to  ,jesus for help of all sorts4 ,the 
deepening of their mutual love1 the     
completeness of their understanding1    
would make this the natural thing4  ,s4 
,mary feels that if there is any help in
 these embarrassing  circumstances1 any 
way of sparing the feelings of the      
bridegroom1 ,jesus  will know it and    
help4 ,there is no doubt in her mind2   
but the certainty  that ,he can help4   
,so she turns to ,him with her they have

 no wine4 ,the  words as we read them   
contain at once an appeal and a         
suggestion3 an  appeal for help1 advice1
 guidance1 with the hint that ,jesus can
  effectually help if ,he will4 ,it is  
not as some have rather crudely  thought
 a suggestion that ,he perform a        
miracle1 but the appeal of one  who has 
learned to have unlimited trust in ,him4
    ,the reply of our ,lord cannot fail 
to shock the ,english reader2 and the   
very nature of the shock ought to       
indicate that there is something wrong  
with the translation4 ,the words sound  
brusque and ill-mannered2 and our  ,lord
 was never that nor could be1 least of  
all to ,his blessed ,mother4  ,the      
dictionaries all tell us that the word  
translated woman is quite as  well      
translated lady1 in the sense of        
mistress or house mother4 ,there is     
really a shade of meaning that we have  
no word for4 ,perhaps we best           
understand what it is that is missed if 
we recall the fact that when our  ,lord 

addressed ,s4 ,mary from the ,cross ,he 
used the same word3 ,woman1  behold thy 
son4 ,in such circumstances we          
understand that the word on  our ,lord's
 lips is a word of infinite tenderness4 
,i do not believe that  we could do     
better than to translate it mother4 ,we 
might paraphrase our  ,lord's saying    
thus3 ,mother1 we are both concerned    
with the trouble of  these friends2 but 
do not be anxious2 ,i will act when the 
time comes4  ,his words are perfectly   
simple and courteous1 though they do1 no
 doubt1  suggest that her anxiety is    
unnecessary and that ,he will act in due
  time4 ,if we are to understand that   
our ,lady was suggesting that ,he       
perform a miracle1 then ,he certainly   
yielded to her intercession4    ,indeed1
 this short aside in the rejoicing of   
the marriage celebration is  suggestive 
of wide reaches of thought4 ,it         
suggests1 which concerns us  most here1 
something of the mode of prayer4 ,prayer
 is not a force  exercised upon ,god1 it

 is an aspiration that ,he answers or   
not as ,he  sees fit1 according as ,he  
sees our needs to be3 and if ,he        
answers1 ,he  answers in ,his own way   
and at ,his own time--when ,his hour is 
come4 ,the  intercession of the saints1 
and of the highest saint of all1 the    
holy  ,mother1 must thus be conceived as
 aspiration not as force4 ,we hardly    
need to remind ourselves that ,blessed  
,mary though the highest of  creatures  
is still a creature and infinitely      
removed from the uncreated  ,god4 ,when 
we think of her prayers or the prayers  
of the saints as having  influence or   
power with ,god1 we must remember the   
limitations of  human language4 ,it is  
quite possible through inaccurate use of
 language  to create the impression that
 we believe the prayers of the saints to
 be  prevailing with ,god because of    
some peculiar spiritual energy that     
belongs to them1 or1 still worse1       
because we regard them as a sort of     
court favourites who have special       

influence and can get things done that  
ordinary people cannot4 ,we need only to
 state the supposition to see  that we  
do not mean it4 ,when we think what we  
mean by the influence of  the prayers of
 the saints1 of their prevailingness    
with ,god1 we know  that we mean that   
the superior value of the prayers of the
 saints is due  to the superior nature  
of their spiritual insight1 to their    
better  understanding of the mind and   
purpose of ,god4 ,blessed ,mary is our  
most  powerful intercessor because by   
her perfect sanctity she understands    
,god  better than any one else4 ,no     
educated ,christian believes that she   
can  persuade ,god to change ,his mind  
or alter ,his judgment1 or that she or  
any saint would for a moment want to do 
so4 ,nor do we who cry for aid in  the  
end want any other aid than aid to see  
,god's will and power to do  it3 we have
 no wish or hope to impose our will on  
,god4 ,prayer is  aspiration1 the       
seeking for understanding1 the          

submitting our desires to  the love of  
,god2 and the prayer of the saints helps
 us because they are  our brothers and  
sisters1 of the same household1 and join
 with us in the  offering of ourselves  
to ,god that we may know and do ,his    
holy will4 ,and  we can see here in this
 incident at ,cana the whole mode of    
prayer4 ,there  is the just implied     
suggestion of the need1 the hint of her 
own thought  about the matter1 in the   
way in which ,s4 ,mary presents the case
 to  ,jesus4 ,there is the divine method
 which approves the end sought but      
reserves the time and method of         
fulfilling it to the hour which the     
divine wisdom approves4 ,there is the   
ideal ,christian attitude which  accepts
 the divine will perfectly1 and says to 
the servants3 ,whatsoever  he saith unto
 you1 do it4    ,they have no wine3 ,s4 
,mary's word expresses the present      
weakness of  humanity1 ,man is born in  
sin1 that is1 out of union with ,god4   
,that hoary  statement of dogmatic      

theology seems to stir the wrath of the 
modern  mind more than any other dogma  
of the ,christian ,faith1 except it be  
the  dogma of eternal punishment4 ,it is
 rather an amusing phenomenon that      
those who have no visible basis for     
pride are likely to be the most         
consumed with it4 ,the pride of         
,diogenes was visible through the holes 
in  his carpet2 the pride of liberalism 
is visible in its irritability  whenever
 the subject of sin1 especially original
 sin1 is mentioned4 ,yet  the very      
complacency of liberalism about the     
perfection of man1 is but  another      
evidence 7if we needed another7 of his  
inherent sinfulness1 his  weakness in   
the face of moral ideals4 ,if we confess
 our sins we are on  the way to         
forgiveness2 but if we say that we have 
no sin the truth is  not in us4    ,this
 boasting of capacity to be pure and    
strong without ,god1  theologically the 
,pelagian heresy1 is sufficiently       
answered by a  cursory view of what     

humanity has done and does do4 ,even    
where the  ,christian religion has been 
accepted the accomplishment is hardly   
ground  for boasting4 ,the plain fact is
 7and you may account for it how you    
like1 it remains in any case a fact7    
that human beings are terribly weak  in 
the face of moral and spiritual ideals4 
,they are not sufficiently  drawn by    
them to overcome the tendency of their  
nature toward a quite  opposite set of  
ideals4 ,we do run easily and           
spontaneously after ideals  which the   
calm and enlightened judgment of the    
race1 whether ,christian  or            
non-,christian1 has continuously        
disapproved4 ,we know that ,buddha and  
,mahomet and ,confucius would repudiate 
,paris and ,berlin and ,new ,york and   
,london with the same certainty if not  
with the same energy as ,christ4 ,we    
live in a time when a decisive public   
opinion gets its way2 and  therefore we 
are quite safe in saying that the misery
 and sin which go  unchecked in the very

 centres of modern civilisation exist   
and continue  because there is no       
decided public opinion against them4    
,all attempts at reform which are merely
 attempts to reform machinery are       
futile1 they can produce only passing   
and superficial results4 ,there is  only
 one medicine for the disease of the    
world1 and that medicine is the  ,blood 
of ,christ4 ,ultimately1 one believes1  
that will be applied2 but  evidently it 
will not be applied in any broad way as 
a social treatment  till all the quack  
remedies have demonstrated their        
uselessness4 ,the  last two centuries   
have been the flowering time of quacks4 
,the mere  history of their theories    
fills volumes4 ,our own time shows no   
decline  in productiveness1 nor decline 
in hopefulness in the efficacy of the   
last remedy to bid for support4 ,but the
 time of disillusionment must  some time
 come4    ,when that time comes all men 
will lift their eyes1 as individual men 
have always lifted them1 up to the hills

 whence cometh their help4  ,except they
 had kept their eyes so resolutely      
fastened on the earth at  their feet    
they would have seen1 what has always   
been visible to those  who lift up their
 eyes1 a crucified ,figure on the one   
supreme hill of  earth1--the hill called
 ,calvary4 ,there one ,figure stands1   
with  outstretched hands saying1 with   
inextinguishable optimism1 the          
indestructible optimism of ,god1 and ,i1
 if ,i be lifted up1 will draw all  men 
unto me4    ,what in the end will       
prevail with them1 what will make them  
turn to the  ,tree which is for the     
healing of the nations1 is the          
perception that in  it is the remedy for
 the weakness that they have either     
sought to heal  by other means1 or have 
resolutely denied to exist at all4      
,there are men  whose wills are so      
strong that even in the grip of some    
serious disease  they will long go on   
about their business asserting that     
there is  nothing the matter with them  

and overcoming bodily pain and weakness 
by  sheer will power2 but the end comes 
finally with a collapse that is  perhaps
 beyond remedy4 ,we live in a society   
which has the same  characteristics1 but
 it may be that it will see its state   
and turn to  healing4 ,for ,god cannot  
heal except with our co-operation4      
,christ pleads  from the ,cross1 but he 
can do no more4 ,he will not submit to  
our tests2  ,he will not come down that 
we may believe in ,him4 ,we must come to
 ,him1  laying aside all our pride and  
self-will1 and kneel by the ,cross to   
ask ,his help4    ,we know1 do we not8  
that that is the law for the individual2
 that we  found the meaning of ,christ1 
and what ,he can do in life1 when we    
laid  aside pride and self-will and     
humbly asked help and pardon4 ,it may be
  that we resisted a long while1        
struggling against the pull of the      
divine  magnet2 but if we have attained 
to spiritual peace it is because the    
,cross won1 because we found ourselves  

kneeling at the feet of ,jesus4         
,perhaps we have not got there yet1 but 
are only on the way4 ,perhaps our       
religion as yet is a formality and not a
 devotion4 ,perhaps our pride  still    
struggles against the ,catholic practice
 of religion4 ,then why not  give way   
now1 to-night8 ,let ,mary take you and  
lead you to ,jesus4 ,she  will bring you
 to him with her half-suggestion1       
half-prayer3 ,he has no  wine4 ,he has  
got to the end of his strength1 and he  
has found the  weariness of self1 he is 
ready for healing4 ,o my divine ,son1 is
 not this  your opportunity1 your hour8 
,jesus loves to have us bring one       
another to ,him4 ,it is so obviously the
  response to ,his ,spirit1 that        
carrying out of ,his teaching1 so to    
love  the brother that we may bring him 
to the healing of the ,cross4 ,to care  
for the spiritual needs of the brother  
is a real ministry3 it is an  extension 
of ,christ in us that clothes us with   
the power to aid other  souls in work or

 prayer4 ,what a beautiful picture of   
this work there is  in the ,gospel of   
,st4 ,john4 ,and there were certain     
,greeks among them  that came up to     
worship at the feast3 the same came     
therefore to ,philip1  which was of     
,bethsaida of ,galilee1 and desired him1
 saying1 ,sir1 we  would see ,jesus4    
,philip cometh and telleth ,andrew3 and 
again ,andrew and  ,philip tell ,jesus4 
,and this work of presenting souls to   
,jesus which is  so clearly one of our  
chief privileges1 how should not that be
 also the  privilege of all the saints1 
and especially of the ,holy ,mother8    
,blessed  ,mary1 we may be sure1        
delights in leading souls who so        
hesitatingly come  to her1 to the       
presence of her ,son1--just presenting  
them in their need  and with her prayer1
 which is all the plea that is needed to
 attract the  love and mercy of ,jesus4 
,why not1 ask certain people who have   
not  thought out the meaning of         
,catholic dogma1 why not go at once to  

our  ,lord2 why go in this roundabout   
way8 ,why not8 ,because of our human    
qualities4 ,because we need company and 
sympathy4 ,for the same reason          
precisely that makes us ask one         
another's prayers here4 ,the ,father    
,himself loveth you4 ,why in this       
roundabout way ask me to pray8 ,you do  
not come to me because you lack faith in
 ,god or in ,god's love2 you come  to me
 because you feel1 if only implicitly1  
that in the ,body of ,christ            
association in love and sympathy and    
work is a high privilege1 and that  it  
is ,god's will that we should work      
together and bear one another's         
burdens4 ,and the frontiers of the      
,kingdom of ,god are not the frontiers  
of the ,church ,militant1 and its       
citizens are not only the citizens of   
the ,church here below1 but--we believe 
in the ,communion of saints4    ,the    
hour of ,god strikes for any soul when  
that soul yields to  prevenient grace   
and places itself utterly at the        

disposal of ,god1  confiding wholly in  
,his divine wisdom4 ,when our ,lord had 
answered ,his  ,blessed ,mother she     
turned away satisfied4 ,she did not have
 to concern  herself any further2 it was
 now in ,jesus' hands to provide as ,he 
would4  ,it remained but to see that    
,his will should be carried out when ,he
  made it known4    ,submission is a    
difficult attitude to acquire2 but it is
 such a happy  attitude when once one   
has acquired it4 ,the critics of it     
wholly mistake  it and confound it with 
fatalism4 ,it is not fatalism1 or       
passive  acquiescence in another's      
will--a will that we have no part in    
forming  and cannot reject4 ,submission 
is the acceptance of ,god's will as the 
expression of the highest wisdom for us4
 ,it is not true that we have no  part  
in forming it2 it is at any time an     
expression of ,god's will for us  which 
is determined by the way in which we    
hitherto have corresponded to  that     
will4 ,submission means that we have put

 ourselves in a position of  active     
co-operation with that will1 that we    
have made it ours3 because  it is the   
expression of a divine wisdom and love  
we make it wholly ours4  ,and we have   
found in the acceptance of it not       
bondage but liberty4 ,it is  wonderful  
how our preconceived notion of ,god and 
religion vanishes  before the first     
gleams of experience4 ,to the           
unregenerate the service  of ,god is    
utter bondage2 to the regenerate it is  
perfect freedom4 ,and  the difference   
seems to be accounted for by the        
reversal of ideals1 by a  new direction 
of affections4 ,i will run the way of   
thy commandments1  when thou hast set my
 heart at liberty1    ,a true conversion
 is1 perhaps1 signified1 more than in   
any other way1 by  the liberty of the   
heart1--by this change in the object of 
our love4  ,that has been the constant  
exhortation to us1 to love that which is
  worthy of love4 ,set your affection on
 things above4 ,love not the  world1    

neither the things that are in the      
world4 ,and we1 loving the  world and   
the things that are in the world1 listen
 impatiently4 ,but  there is no         
possibility of a sincere conversion     
without a change of  love4 ,a change of 
heart conversion is often called1 and so
 inevitably  it is4 ,and as we go       
through our self-examination one of the 
most  profitable questions we can ask   
is1 ,what do ,i love8 ,that will        
commonly  tell the whole story of the   
life1 for where a man's treasure is1    
there  will his heart be also4          
,richard ,rolle said3 ,truly he who is  
stirred with busy love1 and is          
continually with ,jesu in thought1 full 
soon perceives his own faults1  the     
which correcting1 henceforward he is    
ware of them2 and so he brings          
righteousness busily to birth1 until he 
is led to ,god and may sit with         
heavenly citizens in everlasting seats4 
,therefore he stands clear in           
conscience and is steadfast in all good 

ways the which is never noyed  with     
worldly heaviness nor gladdened with    
vainglory4           ,,cana ,i          
,o ,glorious ,lady1 throned in light1   
,sublime above the starry height1       
,whose arms thine own creator pressed1  
,a ,suckling at thy sacred breast4      
,through the dear ,blossom of thy womb1 
,thou changest hapless ,eva's doom2     
,through thee to contrite souls is given
       ,an opening to their home in     
heaven4       ,thou art the great       
,king's ,portal bright1       ,the      
shining ,gate of living light2          
,come then1 ye ransomed nations1 sing   
,the ,life ,divine 'twas hers to bring4 
,mother of ,love and ,mercy mild1       
,mother of graces undefiled4            
,drive back the foe1 and to thy ,son    
,lead thou our souls when life is done4 
,all glory be to thee1 ,o ,lord1        
,a ,virgin's ,son1 by all adored1       
,with ,sire and ,spirit1 ,three in ,one1
       ,while everlasting ages run4     
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xiv         

,,cana ,,ii         ,and when the wine  
failed1 the mother of ,jesus saith unto 
him1       ,they have no wine4 ,jesus   
saith unto her1 ,woman1 what have ,i    
to do with thee8 mine hour is not yet   
come4         ,s4 ,john ,,ii1 #c1 #d4   
,we1 the faithful1 bless thee1 ,o       
,virgin ,mother of ,god1 and            
glorify thee as is thy due1 the city    
unshaken1 the wall       unbroken1 the  
unbreakable defence and refuge of our   
souls4         ,,byzantine4             
,whatsoever ,he saith unto you1 do it4  
,these words have often been  called the
 ,gospel according to ,s4 ,mary4 ,they  
certainly sum up her whole  attitude in 
life4 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord2
 be it unto me  according to thy word1  
she had said in reply to the message ,s4
 ,gabriel  brought her3 and that is the 
meaning of her whole life-story1 that   
she  is at all times ready to accept the
 will of ,god1 to give herself to the   
fulfilment of the divine purpose4 ,there
 is no more perfect attitude1 for  it is

 the attitude of her divine ,son whose  
meat it was to do the will of  the      
,father and to finish ,his work1 whose  
whole life's attitude was  compressed   
into the words of ,his self-oblation in 
,gethsemane1 ,not my  will1 but thine be
 done4    ,and this is the virtue that  
,jesus ,christ inculcates upon us4 ,when
 ye  pray1 say1 ,our ,father which art  
in heaven 444 thy will be done4 ,there  
is no true religion possible without    
that attitude4 ,and therefore one is    
deeply concerned about the immediate    
future inasmuch as the spirit of        
obedience1 the spirit of ,jesus1 the    
spirit of ,mary1 is so rare4 ,as one    
looks into the social development of the
 ,christian era1 one feels that  the    
life and example of ,s4 ,mary has been  
of immense influence in the  development
 of the ideal of womanhood4 ,the rise of
 woman from a wholly  subordinate and   
inferior condition to a condition of    
complete equality  with man has owed    
more to ,s4 ,mary than to any other     

factor4 ,i am not  concerned with       
political equality2 that under our      
present conditions of  social           
development women should have that      
equality if they want it seems  to me   
just1 but ,i am by no means satisfied   
that in the long run it will  prove a   
boon either to them or to society at    
large4 ,but ,i am at present  thinking  
of their spiritual equality1 which after
 all is the basis of  their other       
claims2 and this comes to them through  
the ,gospel1 and was  shown to the mind 
of the ,church largely through ,s4      
,mary4 ,in the earliest  records of the 
,church woman stands on the same level  
of privilege as  man1 and the same sort 
of spiritual accomplishment is expected 
of her4    ,there are many members of   
the ,body of ,christ and there is a     
certain  spiritual equality among them2 
but all members have not the same       
office4 ,in the ,holy ,spirit's         
distribution of functions within the    
,body  there is a difference4 ,some     

functions1 by the allotment of ,god1    
women  are not called to exercise3 these
 are sacramental and ruling functions4  
,others1 as prophecy 7the daughters of  
,s4 ,philip71 and ministry 7the         
deaconess71 are given them4 ,for        
centuries she recognised this allotment 
and gave her best energies to her       
appointed works4 ,she showed herself a  
true daughter of ,mary in her loyal     
acceptance of the divine will and her   
zeal in its accomplishment4 ,and what   
was the result8 ,the ,calendar of       
,saints1 filled with the names of women1
 is the answer4 ,there are no more      
wonderful works of ,god than the women  
whose names are commemorated at  the    
altars of the ,church and whose         
intercession is constantly asked        
throughout ,catholic ,christendom4      
,there can be no thought of narrowness  
of opportunity or limitations in life as
 we study that wonderful series  of     
women who have illumined the history of 
the ,church from the day of ,s4         

,gabriel's message to this very moment  
when there are many many women who  are 
faithfully following their vocation and 
doing ,god's will1 and who  will one day
 be our intercessors about the throne of
 ,god and of the  ,lamb1 as they are our
 intercessors in the ,church on earth   
to-day4 ,why  any woman should complain 
of lack of opportunity and of the       
narrowness  of the ,church--the ,church 
that has nourished ,s4 ,mary and ,s4    
,monica1 ,s4  ,catherine of ,genoa and  
,s4 ,theresa2 the foundresses of so many
 and so  varied ,religious ,orders1 so  
many who have devoted their lives to    
teaching1 nursing1 conducting works of  
charity1 ,i am at a loss to  understand4
 ,to-day we are witnessing all over the 
world a revolt of  women against the    
,church2 we hear not infrequent threats 
of what is to  be done to the ,church by
 those revolted members4 ,i am afraid   
that woman  is on the edge of another   
tragedy4 ,she is once more looking      
fascinated  at the fruit which is good  

for food1 and pleasant to the eyes and  
to be  desired to make one wise1 and    
listening to a voice that whispers3     
,thou  shalt be as ,god4    ,the        
question which is becoming more urgent  
everywhere is1 ,what are the  women of  
the future to be1--the daughters of     
,eve1 or the daughters of  ,mary8 ,it is
 not a question for declamation1 but a  
question that calls  for immediate      
action3 and the action must be the      
action of women4 ,if  women clamour for 
work in the ,church of ,god1 here it is1
 and here it is  abundantly2 and to     
accomplish it there is no need that they
 seek the  priesthood also4 ,the work in
 the ,church of ,god is in the first    
place a  work that ,god has given       
mothers to do2 it is the primary duty of
 a  mother to bring up her children1 and
 especially her daughters1 in fear  of  
the ,lord4 ,that she can always succeed 
,i do not for a moment claim2  there are
 many adverse factors in the situation  
that she has to deal  with4 ,but she is 

inexcusable if she does not give her    
effort to the work  as the most         
important work of her life4 ,she is     
utterly inexcusable and  must answer to 
,god for the result if she turn her     
children over to the  care of maids and 
teachers while she occupies herself with
 society or  any exterior work4    ,in  
the second place the work of the ,church
 of ,god is a work that ought  to appeal
 to all women and a work that any woman 
can help in4 ,all women  can help the   
spiritual progress of the ,church by    
meditating upon the  life of ,blessed   
,mary and fashioning their lives upon   
her example4 ,we are  all tremendously  
affected by example1 and that is        
especially true of  young girls4 ,their 
supreme terror seems to be that they    
should be caught  doing or saying       
something different from what all other 
girls say or do  or wear4 ,their        
opinions are as imitative as their      
clothes4 ,hence the  need of the        
pressure of a strong ,christian example1

 which would result  most readily in the
 union of ,christian women in a single  
ideal4 ,our  present difficulty is that 
so many of our women who are devout     
members  of the ,church in their private
 capacity1 so far succumb to the        
group-mind in their social relations    
that they are possessed by the same     
terror as the young girl in the face of 
the possibility of being  different4    
,therefore are they careful to hide     
their real feeling for  religion and    
their devotion to spiritual things under
 the mask of  worldly conformity which  
evacuates their example of much of the  
power  that it might have4 ,i am quite  
convinced that fear of the world is     
about  as strong an impulse toward evil 
as love of the world4    ,we need that  
women should clear their ideals and     
realise their public  responsibility for
 the presentation of them4 ,we need     
terribly at this  moment insistence on  
the purity and simplicity of the ,holy  
,mother of  ,god4 ,one is stunned at the

 abandonment of the ideal of reserve and
  modesty that the last few years have  
seen4 ,women seem to take it quite      
gaily3 men1 one notes1 take it much more
 seriously4 ,i have been  consulted by  
more than one father during the past    
year as to the  possibility of sending a
 boy to a school where he would be kept 
out of  the society of half-naked girls4
 ,have mothers no longer any sense of   
the  value of purity8 ,or have they     
simply abandoned all responsibility that
  normally goes with being a mother8    
,one recognises how helpless a man is   
under the circumstances1 that his       
intervention in such matters simply     
casts him for the part of family tyrant2
 but why should a mother abandon  her   
duty simply because her daughter says3  
,you don't understand4 ,girls  are not  
as they were when you were young4 ,all  
the girls do this4 ,no  other mother    
takes the line that you do4 ,you are not
 modern4    ,one knows1 of course1 that 
the whole matter of decline in manners  

and  morals is but a part of the        
world-wide revolt against the morality  
of  ,jesus ,christ that we are          
witnessing everywhere4 ,social and      
religious  teachers1 students of history
 and social movements have seen the     
approach of this revolt for a long time1
 have been watching its rise and        
growth4 ,when they have pointed out the 
end of the path that we have been       
travelling1 they have been disposed of  
by calling them pessimists4 ,these      
pessimists pointed out long ago that the
 denial of the obligation to  believe   
would be followed by an abandonment of  
all moral standards4 ,they  pointed out 
to the devotees of liberal religion that
 they are in  reality the leaders of a  
moral revolt1 that if it does not make  
any  difference what you believe it will
 soon come to make no difference what   
you do4 ,it is a rather silly           
performance to blow up the dam which    
holds  back the mass of water of an     
irrigation system and imagine that no   

more  water will flow out than you want 
to flow out4 ,when the ,protestant      
revolt blew up the restraining dams of  
the ,catholic ,religion they had no     
right to expect that only so much denial
 of ,catholic truth as it suited  them  
to dispense with would be the result4   
,through the broken dams the  whole     
religion of ,christ has been flowing out
 and it is mere empty  pretence to claim
 that all that is of any value is left4 
,it is  impossible to maintain anything 
of the sort now that all the moral      
content of the ,christian system is     
openly thrown overboard by vast  numbers
 of the population of the world1 in     
every country that claims to  be        
civilised4 ,it is useless to say that   
there has always been evil in  the world
 and that the maintenance of the        
,catholic religion has never  anywhere  
abolished sin4 ,that is true1 but it is 
not to the present  point4 ,the social  
situation is one where there are        
definite religious  and moral ideals    

strongly maintained and universally     
recognised1 though  there are many men  
and women who violate them2 it is quite 
another  situation when the ideals      
themselves are repudiated and set aside 
as  superstitions4 ,that is our case    
to-day4 ,the ,christian theory is       
confronted with a theory of naturalism  
in morals1 and those who follow  that   
theory do not do so with a feeling that 
they are violating accepted  ideals1 but
 with the assumption that they are      
missionaries setting forth  a new faith4
 ,those who have revolted from the      
,kingdom of ,god have now  set up       
another kingdom and proclaimed openly1  
,we will not have this ,man  to reign   
over us4 ,the revolt which began with a 
breach in the dogmatic  system of the   
,church and denial of the authority of  
the ,catholic ,church  in favour of the 
right of private judgment1 has ended1 as
 it could not  help but end1 in open    
abandonment of the life-ideal of the    
,gospels4 ,we  now have the application 

of the right of private judgment in the 
theory  that one's morals are one's own 
concern4 ,such things have happened     
before4 ,in those days there was no king
 in ,israel1 but every one did  what was
 right in his own eyes4 ,the social     
state depicted in the ,book  of ,judges 
reflects this revolt4 ,the result of the
 same repudiation of  authority is seen 
in modern society where what is right in
 one's own  eyes is the whole ,law and  
,gospel4 ,are we to remain quiescent1 or
 are we  to make the attempt to generate
 moral force8    ,but how can           
,christendom generate any more moral    
force8 ,the teaching of  the ,gospel    
which it proclaims is perfectly plain4  
,true1 but is the  adherence of the     
,church to its statements perfectly     
plain8 ,is there no  falling away1 no   
compromise1 there8    ,when one speaks  
thus of the ,church one is conscious of 
a confusion of  thought in the use of   
the word4 ,the teaching of the formal   
documents of  the ,church is not here in

 question2 what we necessarily mean is  
the  effect that the existing membership
 of the ,church is having upon          
contemporary life4 ,what we have        
especially in mind is the attitude of   
the clergy and the action of the        
congregation in the way of moral force4 
,what sort of a front is the church     
presenting to the world1 what sort of   
moral influence is it exercising8    ,it
 seems to me perfectly evident that all 
along the line the conventions  of      
contemporary society have been accepted 
in the place of the  life-ideals of the 
,gospel of ,jesus4 ,we have accepted    
plain departures  from or compromises   
with ,christian teaching as the         
recognised law of  action4 ,this is due 
largely to the natural sloth of the     
human being and  his disinclination to  
struggle for superior standards4 ,he    
feels safe and  comfortable if he can   
succeed in losing himself in a crowd3   
thus he  escapes both trouble and       
criticism4 ,a violation of law may      

become so  common that there is no      
public spirit to oppose it4 ,the same   
thing may  happen in morals1--violations
 of the ,christian standard1 if         
sufficiently  widespread1 command almost
 universal acquiesence4 ,what is        
actually  uncovered in the process is   
the fact that the plain man has no      
morals of  his own1 but imitates the    
prevailing morality2 and if fashion sets
  against some particular ruling of the 
,christian ,religion he feels quite     
secure in following the fashion4 ,the   
vox dei in ,holy ,scripture and in      
,holy ,church affect him not at all if  
he be conscious that he is on the  side 
of the vox populi4    ,it is easy to    
illustrate this4 ,the non-,catholic     
,christian world has the  ,bible1 and   
boasts of its adherence to it as the    
sole guide of life2 but  in the matter  
of divorced persons it utterly          
disregards its teachings4  ,by this     
acceptance of an unchristian attitude it
 has vastly weakened the  fight for     

purity in the family relation which the 
,catholic ,church1 at  least in the     
,west1 has always waged4 ,it            
deliberately divides the  ,christian    
forces of the community and to a large  
extent thereby  nullifies their action4 
,the divisions of ,christendom are      
terrible from  every point of view2 but 
there are certain questions on which a  
united  mind might well be presented1   
and in relation to which an united mind 
would go far to control the attitude of 
society4 ,an united ,christian          
sentiment against divorce would go far  
to reduce the evil4    ,on the other    
hand the progress of the movement to    
abolish the evils  growing out of the   
use of alcohol has had its strength in  
the ,protestant  bodies4 ,on the whole  
7there were no doubt individual         
exceptions7 the  ,churches of the       
,catholic tradition have been lukewarm  
in the matter4 ,it  is quite evident    
that the reform could never have been   
carried through  if left to them1 and   

especially if left to the bishops and   
clergy of the  ,roman and ,anglican     
,communions4 ,it is a plain case of     
failure to support  a vast moral reform 
because of the pressure of opinion in   
the social  circles in which they move1 
combined with a purely individualistic  
attitude toward a grave social question4
    ,another instance is ready at hand  
in the practical abandonment of the     
religious observance of ,sunday4 ,to    
,christians ,sunday is the ,lord's day1 
and is to be observed as such4 ,it is   
not true that an hour in the  morning is
 the ,lord's day1 and is to be given to 
worship1 and that the  rest of the day  
is given to us to do what we will with4 
,but in our own  ,communion do we get   
any strong protest in favour of the     
sanctity of the  day8 ,or are not the   
clergy compromising in the hope that if 
they  surrender the greater part of the 
day to the world they will be able to   
save an hour or two for ,god8 ,but is   
anything actually saved by this sort  of

 compromise8 ,do we not know that the   
encroachments of worldliness that  have 
narrowed down ,sunday observance to an  
hour a day will ultimately  demand that 
hour1 that is1 will deny any obligation 
other than the  obligation of           
inclination8 ,are we not bound to stand 
by the ,lord's day8  ,are we to be made 
lax by silly talk about puritanism8     
,those who talk  about the ,puritan     
,sunday would do well to read a little  
of the  ,medieval legislation of the    
,church4 ,are we to keep silent in the  
pulpit  because wealthy and influential 
members of the congregation want to     
play golf and tennis on ,sunday         
afternoons1 or children want to play    
ball  or go to the movies8 ,are we to be
 taken in by talk of hard work during   
the week and consequent need of rest8   
,it is no doubt well that a man  should 
arrange his work with a view to an      
adequate amount of rest2 but  it is also
 well that he should rest in his own    
time and not in ,god's4  ,the ,lord's   

day is not a day of rest4 ,it ought to  
be1 and is intended to  be1 a very      
strenuous day indeed4    ,one could     
easily spend hours in pointing out where
 and how the ,gospel  standard of life  
has been abandoned or compromised1 and  
the life of the  ,christian in          
consequence conformed to the world4 ,the
 result would only  strengthen the      
position that has been already          
sufficiently indicated  that a wholly   
different standard of living has been   
quietly substituted  throughout the     
,western world for the standard that is 
contained in ,holy  ,scripture4 ,now we 
are either bound to be ,christians or we
 are not2 and  we are not ,christians   
solely by virtue of certain beliefs more
 or less  loosely held4 ,our ,lord's    
word is3 ,ye are my friends if ye do    
whatsoever  ,i command you4 ,and the    
,gospel view of life is a perfectly     
plain one1  and is as far removed from  
the common life of ,christians to-day as
 it  possibly can be4 ,the ,gospel      

conception of the ,christian life is    
contained first of all in our ,lord's   
life4 ,that is the perfect human  life2 
and the ,new ,testament optimism is well
 illustrated by its  conviction that    
that life in its essential features can1
 with the grace  of ,god1 be imitated by
 man4 ,and by those who have approached 
it in this  spirit of optimism it has   
been found imitable4 ,innumerable men   
and women  have lived the ,christian    
life in the past and are living it in   
the  present4 ,to-day the possibility of
 living the ,christian life1 of         
bringing life approximately to the      
standard of the ,gospel1 is declared  to
 be an impracticable piece of optimism1 
and our ,lord's teaching  hopelessly out
 of touch with reality4 ,when people    
talk of the difficulty  of living the   
,christ-life under modern conditions1   
the plain answer is  that there is in   
fact only one difficulty in the matter1 
and that is the  difficulty of wanting  
to do it4 ,it is a confession of utter  

spiritual  incompetence to say that we  
cannot follow the ,gospel standards     
under  modern conditions because of the 
isolation in which we at once find      
ourselves if we attempt it4 ,if the     
attempt to be a ,christian isolates  us1
 it tells a pretty plain tale about our 
chosen companionship4 ,it is  asserting 
that it is hard for us to be ,christians
 because we are devoted  to the society 
of those who are not ,christians1 of    
those who ignore it  and habitually     
insult the teachings of our ,saviour4   
,that is surely an  extraordinary       
confession for a ,christian to make6    
,can we imagine a  ,christian of the    
first period of the ,church excusing    
himself for  offering incense to the    
divinity of ,augustus on the ground that
 if he  did not do so certain court     
festivities would be closed to him1 and 
that  his friends would think him odd6  
,ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever  
,i command you1 ,the friendship  of this
 world is enmity with ,god4 ,we have to 

choose4 ,it is not that we  may choose4 
,it is not that it is possible to have a
 little of both4 ,as  ,christians it is 
quite impossible in any real sense to   
have the  friendship of the world1      
though many ,christians think that they 
can4  ,what really is open to us is the 
enmity of the world if we are sincere   
and strict in our profession1 and the   
contempt of the world if we are  not4   
,you have not to read very deep in      
contemporary literature to learn  what  
the world thinks about the ,christian   
who ignores or compromises his          
standards4 ,the world knows perfectly   
well what constitutes a ,christian      
life1 and it shows a well merited scorn 
of those who1 not having the  courage   
openly to abandon it1 yet show by their 
lives that they do not  value it4 ,we   
may not show the same sort of contempt  
for the weak  brother as ,s4 ,paul calls
 him1 but we ought to make it plain that
 we  have no sort of approval of the    
brother who pleads weakness as an excuse

  for laxity4    ,there is one law of   
life and only one2 and that is summed up
 in our  ,lady's direction to the       
servants at ,cana in ,galilee3          
,whatsoever he  saith unto you1 do it4  
,there is no ground for pleading that   
our ,lord's  will is an obscure will1 or
 that circumstances have so changed that
 much  that ,he set forth in word and   
example has no application to-day in the
  ,america of the twentieth century4    
,perhaps if any one feels that there is 
some truth in the last statement1 he    
would do well to examine the case  and  
to find out just what and how much of   
the ,gospel teaching is  obsolete1 and  
how much has contemporary application1  
and to ask himself  whether he is       
constantly putting in action that part  
which he thinks  still holds good4 ,it  
will1 ,i think1 on examination be found 
that none of  our ,lord's teaching is   
obsolete1 though in some cases changed  
circumstances may have changed its mode 
of application4 ,certainly there  is    

nothing obsolete in ,his teaching in the
 matter of purity4 ,the virtues  that   
,he dwells upon--humility1 meekness and 
the rest--are universal  qualities on   
which time and social change have no    
effect4    ,what ,christian conduct     
needs on our part is interest4 ,we have 
to make  clear to ourselves that a      
certain kind of life is like the life of
 ,god1  and therefore is the medium for 
understanding ,god1 and ultimately for  
enjoying ,god4 ,the ,christian life is  
not an arbitrary thing2 it is the       
highest expression of humanity4 ,any    
other life is a distortion of the  human
 ideal4 ,people talk as though they     
thought that by the arbitrary  will of  
,god they were obliged to be good--a    
thing wholly contrary to our  nature and
 to our present interests4 ,but goodness
 is the natural  unfolding of our nature
 as ,god made it3 we find our true      
expression in  the likeness of ,god4    
,perfection is what nature aspires to4  
,religion is  not a curb on nature2     

religion is a help to enable nature to  
express  itself4 ,nature reaches its    
perfect expression when by the grace of 
,god  it becomes godlike4    ,and the   
words of ,christ are our guide to the   
perfect expression of our  best4        
,therefore the earnest ,christian is    
willing to give time to the  careful    
study of them1 and of the whole ideal of
 life that is contained  in them4 ,he is
 not concerned with what they will cut  
him off from2 he is  concerned with that
 to which they will admit him4 ,he is   
concerned to  find the meaning of       
,christ's teaching4 ,this that ,s4 ,paul
 says is  fundamental is his rule of    
life3 ,be not conformed to this world3  
but be  ye transformed by the renewing  
of your mind1 that ye may prove what is 
that good1 and acceptable1 and perfect1 
will of ,god4         ,of one that is so
 fayr and bright         ,velut maris   
stella1       ,brighter than the day is 
light1         ,parens et puella2       
,i crie to thee1 thou see to me1        

,levedy1 preye thi ,sone for me1        
,tam pia1       ,that ,i mote come to   
thee         ,maria4         ,al this   
world was for-lore         ,eva         
peccatrice1       ,tyl our ,lord was    
y-bore         ,de te genetrice4        
,with ,ave it went away       ,thuster  
nyth and comz the day         ,salutis2 
,the welle springeth ut of the1         
,virtutis4         ,levedy1 flour of    
alle thing1         ,rosa sine spina1   
,thu here ,jhesu1 hevene king1          
,gratia divina2       ,of alle thu      
ber'st the pris1       ,levedy1 quene of
 paradys         ,electa3       ,mayde  
milde1 moder es         ,effecta4       
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xv    ,,who 
,,is ,,my ,,mother8    ,whosoever shall 
do the will of my ,father which is in   
heaven1 the same is  my brother1 and    
sister1 and mother1    ,s4 ,matt4 ,,xii1
 #ej4    ,grant1 we beseech thee1       
almighty ,god1 that we may keep with an 
immaculate heart the sacrament which we 
have received in honour of the  blessed 

virgin mother ,mary2 so that we who     
celebrate her feast now1 may  be found  
worthy when we have left this life to   
pass into her company4  ,through c4     
,,sarum ,,missal4    ,our ,blessed ,lord
 had begun his ministry of preaching4   
,the mark of the  early days of that    
preaching was success4 ,crowds came     
about ,him wherever  ,he taught4 ,the   
fact that there were frequent miracles  
of healing no  doubt added to the       
popularity that ,he achieved4 ,it was   
largely the  popularity of a new and    
strange movement1 of a preaching cutting
 across  the normal roads of instruction
 to which the ,jewish people were       
accustomed4 ,there was a fascination    
about its form1 its picturesque way  of 
conveying its meaning1 its use of the   
parable drawn from the everyday         
circumstances of life4 ,there was       
nothing of hesitation in the words of   
the new ,preacher1 but the ring of a    
dogmatic certainty4 ,he taught as  one  
having authority1 and not as the        

scribes4 ,he pushed aside the  rulings  
of the traditional teaching with ,his1  
,ye have heard it said 444  but ,i say4 
,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4 ,and  
yet there are people  who tell us that  
there was nothing dogmatic about our    
,lord and ,his  teaching6 ,one would    
infer from much that is written upon the
 subject of  our ,lord's teaching that  
,he was a very mild giver of good advice
 but  evidently the ,scribes and        
,pharisees did not think so4 ,they saw  
in ,him a  man who was setting himself  
to undermine their whole authority4     
,this popularity was at a high point    
when an interesting event happened  of  
which we have an account in the first of
 the ,gospels4 ,his mother  and ,his    
brethren stood without1 desiring to     
speak with ,him4 ,one gathers  from the 
whole tone of the narrative that they   
were anxious about ,him1  that they     
looked with doubt upon this career of   
popular teacher that ,he  was launched  
upon and felt that ,he was going too    

far4 ,he needed advice  and restraint1  
perhaps2 it may be that there were      
already reports of  possible            
interference by the national            
authorities4 ,the fact that ,his        
brethren were present suggests the well 
meant interference of the  older members
 of the family1 who must always have    
thought ,jesus rather  strange4 ,that   
they had induced ,his mother to come    
with them makes us  think that they were
 counting on the influence naturally    
hers1 an  influence which must always   
have been apparent in their family      
relations4 ,so we reconstruct the       
incident4    ,no doubt ,s4 ,mary herself
 was anxious4 ,she must always have been
 anxious  as to what would be the next  
step in the development of her          
mysterious  ,child4 ,and while there was
 one side of her relation to ,jesus     
which would  always have run out into   
mystery1 the mystery of the as yet      
unrevealed  will of ,god2 on the other  
side she was no doubt a very real normal

 human  mother1 with all a mother's     
anxiety and need of constant            
intervention in  the life of her ,child4
 ,i do not suppose that ,s4 ,mary1 any  
more than any  other mother1 ever       
understood that her ,son had grown up   
and could be  trusted to conduct the    
ordinary affairs of the day without her 
help4 ,she  was no doubt as much        
concerned as any mother with the fact   
that ,his feet  might be wet1 or that   
,he might not have had any lunch1 or    
that he might  have got run over by a   
passing chariot1 or have been taken     
mysteriously  ill4 ,it was1 we may      
think1 this mother-attitude which       
brought her along  with the brethren to 
give some advice as to how to carry on  
the  preaching mission and avoid getting
 into trouble with the religious        
authorities4 ,one said unto him1        
,behold1 thy mother and thy brethren    
stand without1 desiring to speak with   
thee4 ,but he answered and said  unto   
him that told him1 ,who is my mother8   

and who are my brethren8 ,and  he       
stretched forth his hand toward his     
disciples1 and said1 ,behold my  mother 
and my brethren6 ,for whosoever shall do
 the will of my ,father  which is in    
heaven1 the same is my mother1 and my   
sister1 and  my brother4    ,our ,lord  
had a way of turning the passing        
incidents of the moment to  account in  
,his preaching1 making them the texts of
 moral and spiritual  teaching4 ,one    
gathers that more than one of the       
parables and parabolic  sayings was     
suggested by something that was before  
the eyes of ,his  hearers4 ,he was quick
 to seize any spoken word1 any question1
 any  exclamation1 and to turn it to    
immediate account4 ,it was so now4 ,the 
report that ,his mother and ,his        
brethren were seeking ,him1 ,he made the
  occasion of a statement of vast       
import4 ,when we try to think it out1 it
  was not in the least1 as it has been  
perversely understood1 an impatient     
rebuff of an untimely interference1 an  

indication that ,he did not care  for   
their intervention in a work that they  
did not understand4 ,there is  really   
nothing of all that1 but a seizing of a 
passing incident as the  medium of an   
universal truth4 ,it is the skill of one
 who knows that the  human attention is 
caught by a matter1 however trifling1   
which is  vividly present4 ,the scene is
 sharply defined for us3 our ,lord      
interrupted in ,his talk2 the report of 
the mother and the brethren  seeking    
,him2 the obvious interest of the people
 as to how ,he will take  their         
intervention2 and then the rapid seizing
 of this interest to make  ,his         
declaration3 ,whosoever shall do the    
will of my ,father which is in  heaven1 
the same is my mother1 and my sister1   
and my brother4    ,and what are we to  
understand ,him to mean8 ,surely ,he is 
declaring that  through the revelation  
of ,god that ,he is1 there is a new     
stage in ,god's  work for man being     
entered upon1 and that this new stage   

will be  characterised by the emergence 
of a new set of relations1 relations so 
important that they throw into the      
background the ordinary relations of    
life4 ,he is proclaiming to them the    
advent of the ,kingdom of ,god2 and in  
that ,kingdom1 the service of ,god will 
be put first1 before all human          
relations4 ,it will not be antagonistic 
to human relations2 indeed1 it  will    
hallow them and raise them to a higher  
level2 but in case they1 as  not        
infrequently they will1 decline to      
adjust themselves to the work of  the   
,kingdom1 or set themselves in          
opposition to it1 then will they be     
brushed aside1 no matter what they be4  
,if we can consecrate our human         
relations and bring them into ,god1 then
 will they be ours still with a  vast   
enrichment and a rare spiritual beauty2 
but if they remain selfish1  insist on  
absorbing all attention and energy1 then
 they must be broken4  ,the love of     
father and mother and children is an    

holy thing wherever we  find it1 but it 
is capable of becoming a selfish and    
perverse thing1  insistent upon its own 
ends and declining wider                
responsibilities4 ,in  that case it must
 be regarded from the standpoint of a   
higher good3 if  it stand in the path of
 the ,kingdom it must be swept aside4   
,so our ,lord  declared in one of the   
most searching of ,his utterances2 one  
of the  utterances which we feel could  
come only from the lips of ,god3 ,think 
not that ,i am come to send peace on    
earth3 ,i came not to send peace1 but  a
 sword4 ,for ,i am come to set a man at 
variance against his father1 and  the   
daughter against her mother1 and the    
daughter-in-law against her             
mother-in-law4 ,and a man's foes shall  
be those of his own household4 ,he  that
 loveth father or mother more than me is
 not worthy of me3 and he  that loveth  
son or daughter more than me is not     
worthy of me4    ,that is the teaching  
of the incident before us4 ,our ,lord's 

primary  mission is to declare the will 
of ,god1 and to make known the mind of  
the  ,father to all who will heed4      
,their acceptance of this will of the   
,father  will bring them into a new     
relation to ,him more important than1   
and  transcending1 all relations of     
flesh and blood4 ,but--and this is      
important to mark--it does not exclude  
relations of flesh and blood2 but  it   
demands that they shall be put on a new 
basis and be assimilated to  the higher 
relation4 ,in our ,lord's case they were
 in fact so  assimilated4 ,the blessed  
,mother and the brethren did not resist 
,god's  will when they came to          
understand it4 ,they were1 we know1 glad
 of the  higher relation1 the new       
privilege4 ,there is no ground at all   
for the  suggestion of any breach       
between them4 ,they are of the inner    
circle  always in the ,kingdom of the   
regenerate4    ,this fundamental truth  
of ,christ's teaching1 that through ,him
 a new and  closer relation to the      

,father becomes possible1 and that the  
,kingdom is  its embodiment1 is one of  
the truths which have received constant 
lip-service1 but have never been really 
assimilated in the working life  of the 
,church4 ,that the ,church is the ,body 
of ,christ and we ,his members1  and    
that by virtue of this membership in    
,him we are also members one of         
another2 that we are1 at our entrance   
into the ,kingdom1 made1 as the         
,catechism puts it1 members of ,christ1 
children of ,god1 and heirs of the      
kingdom of ,heaven are truths of most   
marvellous reach and of splendid  social
 implications4 ,but can we say that they
 have very wide or real  acknowledgment8
    ,in face of a divided ,christendom  
it seems almost farcical to talk of a   
,christian ,brotherhood4 ,the baptismal 
membership of the ,church of ,god has   
fallen into group organisations whose   
mutual antagonism is of the  bitterest  
kind4 ,the so-called religious press is 
perhaps the saddest  picture of modern  

,christian life4 ,one could name a half 
dozen journals  off hand1 organs of this
 or that group1 every one a sufficient  
refutation of the claim of the          
,christian ,religion to be a            
,brotherhood of  the ,redeemed4 ,there  
is no possible excuse for the tone of   
such  publications4    ,no doubt it is  
an inevitable result of the state of a  
divided  ,christendom that there should 
be disputes and controversies4 ,we shall
  never reach any expression of the     
,brotherhood that is the ,church by     
saying1 ,peace1 ,peace1 where there is  
no ,peace4 ,the unity we look to must   
be reached through painful sacrifice and
 through conflict2 and we know  that the
 wisdom that is from above is first     
pure1 and then peaceable1  ,but it is   
quite possible while holding with all   
firmness to the truth1  to hold it in   
the fear and love of ,god4    ,so long  
as ,christendom is thus divided into    
hostile camps the ideal of  brotherhood 
is impossible of realisation4 ,i do not 

want however to  discuss this matter    
from the point of view of ,church unity4
 ,i want to  point out that within the  
groups themselves there is small vision 
of the  meaning of the oneness of       
,christ4 ,for brotherhood is the        
expression of a  spiritual reality4 ,it 
looked for a moment in the early days of
 the  ,church as though the ideal would 
be realised4 ,the description of the    
,church was that all that believed were 
together1 and had all things in  common3
 and sold their possessions and goods1  
and parted them to all  men1 as every   
man had need4 ,that was1 no doubt1 a    
passing phase of the  life of the       
,church in ,jerusalem1 but we have      
evidence that elsewhere all             
distinctions based upon social          
considerations were for the moment swept
  away4 ,there is neither ,jew nor      
,greek1 there is neither bond nor free1 
there is neither male nor female3 for ye
 are all one in ,christ ,jesus4  ,our   
glimpses of the congregations of the    

early ,church are of men and  women of  
all classes held together by the bond of
 a common membership in  ,christ1 so    
strongly felt as to enable them to      
forget all worldly  distinctions4 ,their
 sense of redemption was strong4 ,they  
thrilled with  the joy of deliverance   
from the old life after the flesh4 ,they
 knew  that they were regenerate1 new   
creations1 and that this was the        
distinction of the brother who knelt    
beside them at their communions4 ,it    
mattered not at all what he was in the  
world1 whether he were ,greek or        
,barbarian1 whether he were patrician or
 freedman1 whether he were of the       
slaves of ,rome or of ,caesar's         
household4 ,the man who knelt to receive
  his communion might be a great        
nobleman1 the priest who communicated   
him  might be a slave3 that did not     
matter2 the significant thing was that  
they were both one in ,jesus ,christ4   
,that did not last4 ,i suppose that it  
could not be expected to last in an     

unconverted or half converted world4 ,it
 could only last on condition of  the   
fairly complete isolation of the        
,christian group from the rest of       
society1 pending the conversion of      
society as a whole4 ,but it proved      
impossible to secure the isolation4 ,the
 only real isolation was in  monastic   
groups which naturally could contain    
only such men and women as  ,god called 
to a special sort of life3 the whole of 
society could not be  so organised4 ,as 
the ,church grew and took in the various
 social  constituents included in the   
,empire1 it took them in differentiated 
as  they were4 ,there seems to have been
 no real effort to break down race      
distinctions or class distinctions4     
,there were no doubt protests1 but  the 
protests were as ineffective then as    
now4 ,you cannot change human  nature1  
men say2 but that in fact is precisely  
what ,christianity  claims to do4       
,unless it can change human nature it is
 a failure4    ,the ideal of            

,christianity is not the abolition of   
inequality 7only a  certain sort of     
social theorists are insane enough to   
expect that74 ,all  men are born unequal
 in a variety of ways1 physical1        
intellectual1  moral2 and under any form
 of society that so far has been        
invented they  are born in social       
classes which remain very hard realities
 in spite of  our theories4 ,what       
,christianity aims at accomplishing is  
to transcend  these inequalities1       
natural and artificial1 by raising men  
to a state of  spiritual equality1 a    
state which ensures true and full       
enjoyment of all  the privileges of the 
child of ,god4 ,in this state there is  
open to all  the gift of sanctifying    
grace which is the possession of ,god   
now1 and in  the future will unfold into
 the capacity of the complete           
participation  of the life of heaven4   
,this belongs to1 is within the grasp   
of1 any  child1 any ignorant peasant1   
any toiler1 as much as it is within the 

grasp of bishop or priest or ,religious4
 ,and this much--and how much it        
is6--the ,church has succeeded in       
accomplishing4 ,it may be slow in       
offering the riches of the ,gospel to   
the unconverted world1 but where it  has
 presented the ,gospel1 it presents it  
to all men as a ,gospel of  salvation   
and sanctification4 ,when tempted to    
discouragement let us  remember that    
whatever the shortcoming of the ,church1
 it is yet true  that every man1 woman  
and child in these ,united ,states of   
,america can  through its               
instrumentality1 become a saint whenever
 he desires4 ,but1  naturally1 to become
 a saint1 effort is necessary4    ,where
 the ,church has failed is not in the   
offer of salvation and  sanctity1 but in
 removing some of of the obvious        
obstacles to its  attainment by many to 
whom it appeals1 to whom its divine     
mission is4 ,it  has not succeeded in   
convincing us that we are members one of
 another1  that is1 it has not succeeded

 in persuading us to act upon what we   
profess in any broad way4 ,the ,church  
is not a fellowship in any              
comprehensive sense4 ,the divisions     
which run through secular society and   
divide group from group run through it  
also4 ,the parish which should be  the  
exemplification of the ,christian       
brotherhood in action is not so4  ,too  
often a parish is known as the parish of
 a certain social group4  ,there are    
parishes to which people go to get into 
society4 ,very likely  they do not      
succeed1 but that is the sort of        
impression that the parish  membership  
has made upon them4 ,then there are     
parishes to which people  in society    
would not be transferred4 ,there are    
churches in which no  poor person would 
set foot1 not that they would be        
unwelcome1 but that  they would feel out
 of place4 ,so long as such things are  
true1 our  practice of brotherhood has  
not much to commend of it4    ,and when 
we go about setting things right ,i am  

not sure that we do not  mostly make    
them worse4 ,i do not believe that it is
 the business of the  ,church to set    
about the abolition of inequalities and 
the getting rid of  the distinctions    
between man and man4 ,apart from the    
waste of time due  to attempting the    
impossible1 what would be gained8       
,pending the arrival  of the social     
millenium we need to do something2 and  
that something1 it  seems to me a       
mistake to assume must be social4 ,we   
must bring people  together3 but what is
 gained by bringing people together when
 they do  not want to be together1 and  
will not actually get together when you 
force them into proximity4 ,there is    
nothing more expressive of the  failure 
of well-meant activity than a church    
gathering where people at  once group   
themselves along the familiar lines and 
decline to mix1  notwithstanding the    
utmost endeavours of clergy and zealous 
ladies to  bring them together4 ,the    
thing is an object lesson of wrong      

method4    ,is there a right method8    
,there must be1 though no one seems to  
have  found it yet4 ,there is in any    
case a right point of departure in our  
common membership in ,jesus ,christ4    
,suppose we drop the supposition that   
we make1 ,i presume because we think it 
pious1 that if they are both            
,christians a dock labourer ought to be 
quite at home at a millionaire's  dinner
 party1 or a scrub-woman in a box at the
 ,metropolitan opera house4  ,suppose we
 drop the attempt to force people       
together on lines which will  be        
impossible till after the social        
revolution has buried us all in a       
common grave1 and fasten attention on   
the one fact that1 from our  present    
point of view1 counts1 the fact that we 
are ,christians4 ,suppose  one learns to
 meet all men and all women simply on   
the basis of their  religion2 when that 
forms the bond that unites us when we   
come together1  we have at once common  
grounds of interest in the life and     

activities of  the ,body of ,christ4    
,suppose the millionaire going down town
 in his motor  sees his clerk walking   
and stops and picks him up1 and instead 
of  talking constrainedly about the     
weather or about business1 he begins    
naturally to talk to him about spiritual
 matters4 ,why could they not  talk     
about the ,mission that has just been   
held1 or the ,quiet ,day that is  in    
prospect8 ,one great trouble1 is it not8
 is that we fight shy of  talking to our
 fellow-,christians of the interests    
that we really have in  common and try  
to put intercourse on some other ground 
where we have  little or nothing in     
common4 ,the things that should1 and    
probably do1  vitally interest us1 we   
decline to talk about at all4 ,we are so
 stiff  and formal and restrained in all
 matter of personal religious experience
  that we are unable to express the fact
 of ,christian ,brotherhood4 ,the  fact 
that you smile at the presentment of the
 case1 that you cannot even  imagine    

yourself talking about your spiritual   
experience with your clerk  or your     
employer1 shows how far you are from a  
truly ,christian  conception of         
,brotherhood4    ,our ,lord's words that
 we are making our subject indicate the 
paramount  importance that ,he laid upon
 the acceptance of ,god's will as the   
ultimate rule of life4 ,whosoever shall 
do the will of ,my ,father which  is in 
heaven1 the same is my mother1 and my   
sister1 and my brother4 ,ye  are my     
friends1 if ye do whatsoever ,i command 
you4 ,that is the common  ground on     
which we are all invited to stand1 the  
ground of a common  loyalty to ,god1 of 
intense zeal for the cause of ,god4 ,our
 ,lord gave ,his  whole life to that    
cause4 ,as ,his disciples watched ,him  
on an occasion1  they remembered that it
 was written3 ,the zeal of thine house  
hath  eaten me up4 ,zeal is not a very  
popular quality because it is always    
disturbing the equanimity and           
self-complacency of lukewarm people4    

,and  then1 we dislike to be thought    
fanatics4 ,but ,i fancy that there will 
always be a touch of the fanatic about  
any very zealous ,christian1 and  it is 
not worth while to suppress our zeal for
 fear of the world's  judgment upon it4 
,what we have to avoid is the           
misdirection of zeal4  ,there is1 no    
doubt1 a zeal which is not according to 
knowledge4 ,we  need to be sure1 in     
other words1 that our zeal is a zeal for
 ,god1 and  not a zeal for party or     
person or cause4 ,it is no doubt quite  
easy to  imagine that we are seeking to 
do ,god's will when we are merely       
seeking  to impose on our own will4     
,self-seeking is quite destructive of   
the  friendship and service of ,god4    
,the ,kingdom whose interests we are    
attempting to forward may turn out to be
 a ,kingdom in which we expect to  sit  
on the right hand or the left of the    
throne because of the  brilliance of the
 service rendered4    ,life is          
simplified very much when the will of   

,god thus becomes its  guiding          
principle1 and all other relations of   
life are subordinated to  our relation  
to our heavenly ,father4 ,then have we  
brought life to that  complete          
simplicity which is near akin to peace4 
,when we have learned in  deciding any  
line of action not to think what our    
neighbours and friends  will feel1 or   
what the world will think1 but only what
 ,god will think1  we have little       
difficulty in making up our minds4      
,suppose that a boy has  to make up his 
mind whether he will study for the      
priesthood1 the vital  thing on which to
 concentrate his thought and prayer is  
whether ,god is  calling him to that    
life1 and if he is convinced that he is 
being called  the whole question should 
be settled4 ,in fact in most cases it is
 far  from being settled because this   
simplicity has not been attained4 ,there
  is a whole social circle to be dealt  
with1 who urge the hardness of the      
life1 the scant reward1 the greater     

advantages of a business career1 and  so
 on2 all of which have absolutely       
nothing to do with the question to  be  
decided4 ,it is so all through life4 ,in
 most questions of life's  decisions1 no
 doubt1 there is no sense of any        
vocation at all1 of a  determining will 
of ,god2 but is not that because we     
assume that ,god has  no will in such   
matters1 and leaves us free to follow   
our own devices8  ,such an assumption is
 hardly justified in the case of ,one to
 ,whom the  fall of a sparrow is a      
matter of interest4 ,it is our weakness1
 or the  sign of our spiritual          
incompetence1 that we have unconsciously
 removed  the greater part of life from 
the jurisdiction of the divine will4 ,we
 do  not habitually think of ,god as    
interested in the facts of daily        
experience2 we do not take ,him with us 
into offices and factories4  ,perhaps we
 think that they are hardly fit places  
for ,god1 and ,i have no  doubt that ,he
 has many things to suffer there4 ,but  

,he is there1 and will  suffer1 until we
 recognise ,his right there1 and insist 
upon ,his there  being supreme4    ,let 
us go back for a moment to ,our ,lady   
standing outside the place where  ,jesus
 was preaching1 perplexed and worried at
 the course ,he was taking4  ,i suppose 
that it is always easier to surrender   
ourselves unreservedly  into ,god's     
hands than it is to so surrender some   
one we love4 ,i suppose  that ,s4 ,mary 
so trusted in ,god that she never       
thought with anxiety of  what ,his      
providence was preparing for her2 but   
she would not quite take  that attitude 
about her ,son2 or rather1 while she did
 intellectually1 no  doubt1 take that   
attitude1 her feelings never went the   
whole distance  that her mind went4 ,but
 surrender to the will of ,god means    
complete  surrender of ourself and ours4
 ,it means absolute confidence in ,god1 
it  means lying quiet in his arms1 as   
the child lies still in the arms of  his
 mother4 ,it means that we trust ,god4  

,rose-,mary1 ,sum of virtue virginal1   
,fresh ,flower on whom the dew of heaven
 downfell2       ,o ,gem1 conjoined in  
joy angelical1        ,in whom rejoiced 
the ,saviour was to dwell3        ,of   
refuge ,ark1 of mercy ,spring and ,well1
       ,of ,ladies first1 as is of      
letters ,a1        ,empress of heaven1  
of paradise and hell--       ,mother of 
,christ1 ,o ,mary1 hail1 alway4         
,o ,star1 that blindest ,phoebus' beams 
so bright1        ,with course above the
 empyrean crystalline2       ,above the 
sphere of ,saturn's highest height1     
,surmounting all the angelic orders     
nine2        ,o ,lamp1 that shin'st     
before the throne divine1       ,where  
sounds hosanna in cherubic lay1         
,with drum and organ1 harp and          
cymbeline--       ,mother1 of ,christ1  
,o ,mary1 hail1 alway1         ,o       
,cloister chaste of pure virginity1     
,that ,christ hath closed 'gainst crime 
for evermo'2       ,triumphant ,temple  
of the ,trinity1        ,that didst the 

eternal ,tartarus o'erthrow2            
,princess of peace1 imperial ,palm1 ,i  
trow1       ,from thee our ,samson      
sprang invict in fray2        ,who1 with
 one buffet1 ,belial hath laid low--    
,mother of ,christ1 ,o ,mary1 hail1     
alway1         ,thy blessed sides the   
mighty ,champion bore1        ,who hath1
 with many a bleeding wound in fight1   
,victoriously o'erthrown the dragon hoar
        ,that ready was his flock to    
slay and smite2        ,nor all the     
gates of hell him succour might1        
,since he that robber's rampart brake   
away1        ,while all the demons      
trembled at the sight--       ,mother of
 ,christ1 ,o ,mary1 hail1 alway1        
,o ,maiden meek1 chief ,mediatrix for   
man1       ,and ,mother mild1 full of   
humility1       ,pray to thy ,son1 with 
wounds that sanguine ran1               
,whereby for all our trespass slain was 
he4         ,and since he bled his blood
 upon a tree1       ',gainst ,lucifer1  
our foe1 to be our stay1         ,that  

we in heaven may sing upon our knee--   
,mother of ,christ1 ,o ,mary1 hail1     
alway1         ,hail1 ,pearl made pure2 
hail1 ,port of paradise2         ,hail1 
,ruby1 redolent of rays to us2          
,hail1 ,crystal clear1 ,empress and     
,queen1 hail thrice2         ,mother of 
,god1 hail1 ,maid exalted thus2         
,o ,gratia plena1 tecum ,dominus2       
,with ,gabriel that we may sing and say1
         ,benedicta tu in mulieribus--  
,mother of ,christ1 ,o ,mary1 hail1     
alway4         ,william ,dunbar1        
,,xv-,,xvi4 ,cents4        ,,part ,,two 
,,chapter ,,xvi    ,,holy ,,week ,i     
,then all the disciples forsook him and 
fled4    ,s4 ,matt4 ,,xxvi1 #ef4        
,through the intercession of the ,holy  
,mother of ,god1 accept1 ,o ,lord1 our  
prayers and save us4    ,may the ,holy  
,mother of ,god and all the saints be   
our intercessors with  the ,heavenly    
,father1 that ,he may deign to be       
merciful to us1 and in pity  save ,his  
creatures4 ,lord ,god all-powerful6 save

 us and have mercy  upon us4    ,through
 the intercession of the ,holy ,mother  
of ,god1 the ,immaculate  ,mother of    
,thine only ,son1 and through the       
prayers of all the saints1  receive1 ,o 
,lord1 our supplications2 hear us1 ,o   
,lord1 and have mercy upon  us2 pardon  
us1 bear with us1 and blot out our sins1
 and make us worthy  to glorify ,thee1  
together with ,thy ,son and the ,holy   
,ghost1 now and ever1  world without    
end4 ,amen4    ,armenian4    ,we try to 
see our ,lord's passion through the eyes
 of ,his ,blessed  ,mother4 ,we feel    
that all through ,holy ,week she must   
have been in direct  touch with the     
experiences of our ,lord4 ,her outlook  
would have been that  of the ,apostolic 
circle the record of which we get in the
 ,gospels4 ,our  ,lord's ministry had   
showed a period of popularity during    
which it must  have seemed to those     
closest to ,him that they were moving   
rapidly to  success2 and then1 after the
 day at ,caeserea ,phillipi1 when ,his  

,messianic claims had been acknowledged1
 they would have been filled with       
enthusiasm for the mission the meaning  
of which was now defined4 ,then  came a 
period of disappointment4 ,our ,lord    
declined to become a popular  leader1   
and by the nature of ,his preaching1 the
 demands that ,he made  upon those who  
were inclined to support ,him lost      
popularity till it was  a question to be
 considered whether the very ,apostles  
would not desert  ,him4 ,then came the  
flash of renewed enthusiasm which is    
evidenced by the  ,palm ,sunday entry1  
bringing1 no doubt1 renewed hopes to    
those nearest  our ,lord who seem to    
have been utterly unable to accept the  
view of ,his  failure and death that ,he
 kept before them4 ,but the hope        
vanished as  quickly as it was roused4  
,in less than a week the rejoicing group
 of  ,sunday followed ,him from the     
,upper ,chamber to the shades of        
,gethsemane4  ,the betrayal1 the trial1 
the end1 come quickly on4    ,this to   

,s4 ,mary was the piercing of the sword 
through the very heart4  ,these were the
 days when the meaning of close         
association with ,incarnate  ,god1 with 
,god ,who was pursuing a mission of     
rescue1 came out4 ,the  mission of the  
,son for the ,redemption of man meant   
submitting to the  extremity of insult  
and torture1 and it meant that those who
 were  closest associated with ,him     
should be caught into the circle of ,his
  pain4 ,as our ,lord was displaying the
 best of which humanity is capable1  so 
was ,he calling out the worst of which  
it is capable4 ,these last days  of the 
life of ,jesus show where man can be led
 when he surrenders  himself to the     
dominion of the ,power of ,evil and     
becomes the servant of  sin4 ,the       
triumph of demoniac malice through its  
instruments1 the ,roman  governor1 the  
,jewish authorities1 of necessity swept 
over all who were  related to our ,lord4
 ,the storm scattered the ,apostolic    
group and left  the ,christ to face ,his

 trial alone4 ,yet not alone3 ,he       
himself tells us  the truth4 ,behold the
 hour cometh1 yea1 is now come1 that ye 
shall be  scattered1 every man to his   
own1 and shall leave me alone3 and yet  
,i am  not alone1 because the ,father is
 with me4 ,it was what the ,prophet had 
foreseen3 ,all ye shall be offended     
because of me this night3 for it is     
written1 ,i will smite the shepherd1 and
 the sheep shall be scattered4    ,we do
 not know where ,s4 ,mary was during    
these days1 but we are sure that  she   
was as near our ,lord as it was possible
 for her to be4 ,we know that  her own  
thought would be of the possibility of  
ministering to ,him4 ,we  know that she 
would not have fled with the ,apostles  
in their momentary  panic4 ,she was at  
the ,cross1 and she was at the grave1   
and she would  have been as near ,him in
 the agony and the trial as it was      
possible for  her to be4 ,and she too   
was in agony4 ,every pang of our ,lord  
found echo  in her4 ,every blow that    

fell upon ,his bleeding back1 she too   
felt4 ,every  insult that the soldiers  
inflicted1 hurt her4 ,our ,lord in the  
consciousness of ,his mission is        
constantly sustained by the thought that
  ,his ,passion and ,death is an        
offering to the will of the ,father1--an
  offering even for these miserable men 
who are brutally treating a man  whom   
they know to be innocent4 ,her sorrow is
 the utter desolation of  seeing the    
,one ,whom she loves above all else     
suffer1 while she can bear  ,him no     
alleviation in ,his suffering1 cannot so
 much as wipe the blood  from off ,his  
wounded brow1 cannot even touch ,his    
hand1 and look her love  into ,his eyes4
 ,she follows from place to place while 
our ,lord is being  hustled from        
,caiaphas to ,pilate and from ,pilate to
 ,herod and back again2  from time to   
time hearing from some one who has      
succeeded in getting  nearer1 how the   
trial is going on1 what the accusation  
is1 how ,jesus is  bearing ,himself1    

what answers ,he has made1 what the     
authorities have  said4 ,once and again1
 it may be1 catching a distant glimpse  
of ,him as ,he  is led about by the     
guards1 seeing ,him always more worn and
 weary1  always nearer the point of     
collapse4 ,herself1 too1 nearer         
collapse2 yet  going on still with that 
strength that love gives to mothers1    
determined  at the cost of any suffering
 to be near ,him1 as near as she can be1
 till  the very end4 ,so we see her on  
that day in the streets of ,jerusalem1  
and think of the distance travelled     
since the morning when ,gabriel said  to
 her1 wondering3 ,hail thou that art    
highly favoured4444 ,blessed art  thou  
among women4    ,we1 too1 follow4 ,we   
have so often followed1 with the ,gospel
 in our  hands1 and wondered at the     
method of ,god4 ,we have tried hour     
after hour  to penetrate the meaning of 
the ,passion1 to find what personal     
message  it brings1 to discover what    
light it throws on our own lives4 ,we   

have  gone out into ,gethsemane and     
placed ourselves with the three chosen  
,apostles while our ,lord went on to    
pray by ,himself2 and we have           
discovered in ourselves the same        
weariness1 the same tendency to sleep1  
in the presence of what we tell         
ourselves is the most important of all  
interests4 ,we call up the scene under  
the olives1 and find that we  wander and
 are inattentive and idle when we most  
want to be attentive  and alert4 ,we    
place ourselves in the group that       
surrounds our ,lord when  the soldiers1 
led by ,judas1 come1 and ask ourselves  
shall ,i too run  away8 ,and our memory 
flashes the answer3 ,you have run away  
again and  again3 you have in the face1 
not of grave dangers1 but of            
insignificant  trifles--how             
insignificant they look now--for fear of
 criticism1 for  fear of being thought  
odd1 for fear of the opinion of worldly 
companions1 for fear of being pitied or 
laughed at1 over and over again  you    

have run away4 ,the things that seemed  
important when they were  present seem  
pitifully insignificant in the          
retrospect4    ,we follow out of the    
garden to the meeting-place of the      
,sanhedrin1 to  the ,judgment seat of   
,pilate1 to the palace of ,herod4 ,any  
impulse to  criticise ,s4 ,peter is     
speedily suppressed3 we have denied so  
often under  such trifling provocation4 
,s4 ,peter was frightened from          
participation in  the act of our ,lord's
 sacrifice through mortal fear of his   
life4 ,we have  stayed away from the    
offering of the ,holy ,sacrifice1 how   
often6 from  mere sloth1 from           
disinclination to effort1 from the fact 
that our  participation would prevent us
 from joining in some act of worldly    
amusement4 ,s4 ,peter1 following to the 
high ,priest's palace to see the  end1  
looks heroic beside our frivolity4 ,we  
follow through the details of  the      
trial1 we go to ,herod's palace and see 
the brutal treatment of our  ,lord1 and 

we remember of these men that their     
conduct was founded in  ignorance4 ,we  
do not for a moment believe that they   
would have spit upon  our ,lord and     
buffeted ,him1 and crowned ,him with a  
crown of thorns1 if  they had believed  
that ,he was ,god4 ,but we believe that 
,he is ,god4 ,our  desertion of ,him    
when we sin1 our contempt of ,his       
expressed ideals when  we compromise    
with the world1 our departure from ,his 
example when we  excuse ourselves on the
 ground of very minor inconveniences    
from keeping  some holy day or fasting  
day1 are not founded in ignorance at    
all4 ,they  can hardly be said to be    
founded in weakness1 so slight is the   
temptation that we do not resist4 ,as we
 meditate on the ,passion1 as we  keep  
,good ,friday1 very pitiful all our     
idleness and subterfuges appear  to us4 
,but we so easily shake off the effect6 
,we emerge from our  meditation almost  
convinced that the stinging sense of the
 truth of our  conduct which we are     

experiencing is the equivalent of having
 reformed  it4 ,we go out with a glow of
 virtue and by night realise that we    
have  sinned again6    ,it is no doubt  
well that we should not be permanently  
depressed about  our spiritual state1   
but only because we have taken all the  
pains we can  to heal the wounds of sin4
 ,there is no need that any one should  
abide in  a state of sin because there  
has been in the ,precious ,blood a      
fountain  opened for sin and for        
uncleanness1 and by washing therein1    
though our  souls were as scarlet1 they 
shall become white as snow4 ,we have the
  right to a certain optimism about     
ourselves if it be founded on actual    
spiritual activity which ceaselessly    
tries to reproduce the                  
,christ-experience in us1 even the      
experience of the ,passion by the       
voluntary self-discipline to which we   
subject ourselves4 ,a brilliant  writer 
has spoken of those whose view of their 
lives is drawn from that  fountain of   

all optimism--sloth4 ,that is a true    
saying3 our optimism is  often no more  
than an idle refusal to face facts2 a   
quaint and  good-natured assumption that
 nothing very much matters and that     
everything will be all right in the end6
    ,this easy going optimism is        
commonly as far as possible from        
representing any spiritual fact4 ,if we 
are seeking any serious and  fruitful   
relation to the ,passion of our ,lord1  
we must seek it along the  ,way of the  
,cross4 ,to follow ,his example means to
 follow ,his experience1  to treat life 
as ,he treated it4 ,the content of our  
lives is quite  different1 but the      
treatment of the given fact must be     
essentially the  same4 ,we need the same
 repulse of temptation1 the same quiet  
disregard  of the appeals of the world1 
whether it offer the alleviation of     
difficulty or the bestowal of pleasure  
as the reward of our allegiance4  ,and  
we1 sinners in so manifold ways1 need   
what our ,lord did not need1  repulsion 

from our sins as the necessary          
preliminary to forgiveness4    ,my      
experience makes me feel very strongly  
that we are apt to be  deficient in the 
first step in repentance--contrition4   
,as we follow the  ,way of ,sorrows we  
know that our ,lord is suffering for us2
 and we feel  that the starting point of
 our repentance must lie in our success 
in  making that a personal matter4 ,in  
our self examination1 in our approach   
to the sacrament of penance1 we are     
compelled to ask ourselves1 ,am ,i in   
fact sorry for my sins8 ,it surely is   
not enough that we fear the results  of 
sin1 or that we are ashamed at our      
failure4 ,this really is not  repentance
 but a sort of pride4 ,there must1 ,i   
feel1 be sorrow after a  godly sort4    
,that is1 true contrition1 true sorrow  
for sin1 is the sort  of sorrow which is
 born of the ,vision of ,god2 it has its
 origin in love4  ,i have found in our  
,lord love giving itself to me1 and ,i  
must find in  myself love giving itself 

to ,him4 ,to my forgiveness it is not   
enough  that ,god loves me4 ,i know that
 ,he loves me and will love me to the   
end1  whether ,i repent or not2 but the 
possibility of forgiveness lies in my   
love of ,him1 whether it takes such hold
 on me as actually to stimulate  me to  
forsake sin4 ,i shall never really      
forsake sin through shame or  fear2 one 
gets used to those emotions after a     
little and disregards  them4 ,but one   
does not get used to love2 it grows to  
be an increasing  force in life1 and so 
masters us as to draw us away from sin4 
,contrition then will be the offspring  
of love4 ,it will be born when we       
follow ,christ ,jesus out on the        
,sorrowful ,way and understand that ,he 
is  going out for us4 ,then we want to  
get as near ,him as possible3 we want   
to take ,his ,hand and go by ,his side4 
,we want to stand by ,him in ,his  trial
 and share ,his condemnation4 ,we want  
constantly to tell ,him how  sorry we   
are that we have brought ,him here4 ,we 

shall not be content that  ,he feel all 
the pain4 ,we are convinced that we     
ought to share in the  pain as we share 
in the results of the ,passion4 ,when we
 have achieved  this point of view we   
shall feel that our approach to ,him to 
ask ,his  forgiveness needs1 it may be1 
much more care than we have hitherto    
bestowed upon it4 ,we have thought of   
penance as forgiveness2 now we  begin to
 see how much the attitude which        
precedes our entrance to the            
confessional counts1 and that we must   
value the gift of ,god enough to  have  
made sure that we are ready to receive  
it4 ,we kneel down1  therefore1 and look
 at our crucifix1 and say3 ,this hast   
,thou done for  me1 and make our act of 
love in which we join ourselves to the  
,cross of  ,jesus4 ,we tell ourselves   
that love is the beginning and end of   
our  relation to ,him4    ,it is to be  
urged that every ,christian should be   
utterly familiar with  the life of our  
,lord1 and should spend time regularly  

in meditation upon  ,his life1 and      
especially upon ,his ,passion4 ,love is 
the constant  counteractive of          
familiarity2 and it is kept fresh in our
 souls by the  contemplation of what our
 ,lord has actually done for us4 ,a     
general  recalling of what ,he has done 
has not the same stimulating force as   
the  vivid placing before us of the     
actual details of ,his work4 ,to most of
 us  visible aids to the realisation of 
our ,lord's action for us are most      
helpful4 ,a crucifix on the wall of     
one's room before which one can say     
one's prayers1 and before which also we 
stop for a moment time and again  in the
 course of the day1 just to say a few   
words1 to make an act of  love1 of      
contrition1 or of union1 keeps the      
thought of the ,passion  fresh4 ,we gain
 in freshness and variety of prayer by  
the use of such  devotions as the litany
 of the ,passion or the ,way of the     
,cross4 ,a set of  cards of the         
,stations help us to say them in our    

homes4 ,it is much to be  desired that  
we accustom ourselves to devotional     
helps of all sorts4 ,we  are quite too  
much inclined to think that there is    
something of  spiritual superiority in  
the attempt to conduct our devotional   
life  without any of the helps which    
centuries of ,christian experience have 
provided4 ,it is the same sort of       
feeling that makes other ,christians    
assume that there is a superiority in   
spiritual attainment evidenced by  their
 dispensing with forms1 especially with 
printed prayers4 ,it is  just as well to
 remember that we did not originate the 
,christian  ,religion1 but inherited it2
 and that the practices of devotion that
 have  been found helpful by generations
 of saints1 and after full trial have   
retained the approval of the greater    
part of ,christendom1 can hardly be     
treated as valueless1 much less as      
superstitious4 ,the fact that saints    
have found them valuable and one has    
not1 may possibly not be a  criticism of

 the saints4    ,the meditation upon the
 ,way of the ,cross1 the vision of      
,jesus scourged1  spitted upon1 crowned 
with thorns1 may well give us some      
searchings of  heart in regard to our   
own easy-going1 luxurious life4 ,nothing
 seems to  disturb the modern person so 
much as the suggestion that the chief   
business of the ,christian ,religion is 
not to look after their comfort4  ,they 
hold1 it would appear1 to the           
pre-,christian notion that prosperity   
is an obvious mark of ,god's favour1 and
 that by the accumulation of  wealth    
they are giving indisputable evidence of
 piety4 ,it is well to  recall that     
there is no such dangerous path as that 
of continual  success4 ,i do not in the 
least mean to imply that success is     
sinful or  indicates the existence of   
sin1 but ,i do mean to insist very      
strongly  that the successful man needs 
to be a very spiritually watchful man4  
,he  is quite apt to think that he may  
take all sorts of liberties with the    

laws of ,god4 ,there are1 no doubt1     
evident dangers to the unsuccessful     
man1 but the ,holy ,scriptures have not 
thought it worth while to spend  much   
time in denouncing him4 ,it has a good  
deal to say of the danger1  not so much 
of wealth1 as of prosperity in general3 
,behold1 this was  the iniquity of thy  
sister ,sodom1 pride1 fullness of bread1
 and  prosperous ease were in her4 ,when
 we find ourselves in a satisfied and   
comfortable home life1 so comfortable   
that we find it difficult to get  up to 
a week-day ,mass1 and disinclined to go 
out to a service after  dinner1 we need 
watching4    ,and the best watchman is  
oneself2 and the best method of         
self-examination is by the ,cross4 ,is  
there any sense in which we can be  said
 to be following our ,lord on the       
,sorrowful ,way8 ,have we taken up the  
,cross to go after ,him1 or are we      
assuming that we can just as well drift 
along with the crowd of those who only  
look on8 ,we all need from time to  time

 to consider the ,catholic teaching as  
to mortification and  self-discipline4  
,i am quite aware that to insist on this
 is not the way  of popularity1 but     
nevertheless ,i learned a long time ago 
that about the  only way that a priest  
can take if he wishes to be saved is the
 way of  unpopularity4 ,and therefore ,i
 am going to insist that the practice of
  rigorous self-discipline is essential 
to any healthy ,christian life4 ,we     
cannot dispense ourselves from this1 for
 the mere fact that we are  dispensing  
ourselves is the proof that we need that
 upon which we are  turning our back4   
,briefly1 what ,i mean is that the      
assumption of the  ,cross by a          
,christian means that he is taking into 
his life1 voluntarily1  personal acts of
 self-sacrifice which he offers to our  
,lord as the  evidence and the means of 
his own ,cross-bearing4    ,the         
unruliness of our nature can only be    
kept in order by continual acts  of     
self-discipline4 ,we1 no doubt1         

recognise the need of the discipline  of
 the passions1 but our theory1 so far as
 we can be said to have one1  would seem
 to be that the discipline of the       
passions means resistence to  special   
temptations as they arise4 ,we may no   
doubt sin through the  passions1 and    
therefore we need a minimum of          
watchfulness to meet  temptations which 
come our way4 ,i submit that such a way 
of conducting  life is quite sufficient 
to account for the vast amount of       
failure we  witness or1 perhaps1        
experience4 ,when from time to time the 
country gets  alarmed about its health1 
when it is threatened with some epidemic
 such  as influenza1 the papers are full
 of medical advice the sum of which is  
you cannot dodge all the disease germs  
that are in the air1 but you can  by a  
vigorous course of exercise and by      
careful diet1 keep yourself in a  state 
of such physical soundness that the     
chances are altogether  favourable for  
your withstanding the assaults of       

disease4 ,no doubt the  vast majority of
 people prefer not to follow this       
advice4 ,a considerable  number of them 
resort to various magic cults1 such as  
letting sudden  drafts of cold air in   
upon the inoffensive bystander with a   
view to  exorcising the germs4 ,but it  
remains that the medical advice is      
sound3  it amounts to saying1 ,keep     
yourself in the best physical condition 
possible and you will run the minimum   
chance of being ill4    ,the ,catholic  
treatment of life and its recommendation
 of discipline and  mortification has   
precisely the same basis as the physical
 advice--an  ounce of prevention is     
better than a pound of cure4 ,we are    
exposed to  temptation constantly1 and  
we need to recognise the fact and       
prepare  ourselves to meet it2 and the  
best preparation is the preparation of  
self-discipline for the purpose of      
keeping rebellious nature under         
control4 ,good farming does not consist 
in pulling up weeds2 it consists  in the

 choice and preparation of the ground in
 which the seed is to be  sown2 it looks
 primarily to the growth of the seed and
 not to the  elimination of the weeds4  
,our nature is a field in which the     
,word of ,god  is sown2 its preparation 
and care is what we need to focus       
attention on1  not the weeds4           
,self-discipline is the preparation of  
nature1 the discipline of the  powers of
 the spiritual life with a view to what 
they have to do4 ,and  one of the       
important phases of our preparation is  
to teach our passions  obedience1 to    
subject them to the control of the      
enlightened will4 ,if  they are         
accustomed to obey they are not very    
likely to get out of hand  in some time 
of crisis4 ,if they are broken in to the
 dominion of  spiritual motive1 they    
will instinctively seek that motive     
whenever they  are incited to act4      
,hence the immense spiritual value of   
the habitual  denial to ourselves of    
indulgence in various innocent kinds of 

activity4  ,i do not at all mean that we
 are never to have innocent indulgences3
 ,i  do mean that the declining of them 
occasionally for the purpose of         
self-discipline is a most wholesome     
practice4 ,how frequently it is         
desirable must be determined by the     
individual circumstances4 ,it is        
utterly disastrous to permit a child to 
have everything it wants because  there 
is sufficient money to spend1 to permit 
it to run to soda  fountains or go to   
the picture houses as it desires4 ,any  
sane person  recognises that2 but does  
the same person recognise the sane      
principle  as applying in his own life8 
,does he feel the value of going without
  something for a day or two1 or staying
 from places of amusement for a  time1  
or of abandoning for a while this or    
that luxury8    ,the principle is of    
course the ascetic principle of         
self-mastery4 ,it is  best brought      
before us by the familiar practice of   
fasting1 which is  very mildly          

recommended to us in its lowest terms in
 the table in the  ,book of ,common     
,prayer4 ,naturally1 its value is not   
the value of going  without this or     
that1 but the value of self-mastery4    
,the very fact that  our appetites rebel
 at the notion shows their undisciplined
 character4  ,the child at the table    
begins to ask1 not for a sensible meal  
founded on  sound reasons of hygiene1   
but for various things that are an      
immediate  temptation to the appetite4  
,the adult is not markedly different    
save  that he preserves a certain order 
in indulgence4 ,the principle of        
fasting is that he should from time to  
cut across the inclination of  appetite1
 and either go without a meal           
altogether1 or select such food  as will
 maintain health without delighting     
appetite4 ,so man gains the  mastery    
over the animal side of his nature and  
shows himself the  child of ,god4       
,the actual practice of the ascetic life
 really carries us much farther  than   

these surface matters of a physical     
nature that have been cited4 ,it        
applies in particular to the disposition
 of time and the ruling of daily        
actions4 ,the introduction of a definite
 order into the day actually  seems to  
increase the time at one's disposal4 ,i 
know1 ,i can hear you  saying3 ,if you  
were the head of a family1 and had      
children to look  after1 you would not  
talk that way4 ,you would know something
 of the  practical difficulties of life4
 ,but indeed ,i am quite familiar with  
the  situation4 ,and if ,i were so      
situated ,i am certain that ,i should   
feel  all the more need of order4       
,families are disorderly because we let 
them  be2 because we do not face the    
initial trouble of making them orderly4 
,a  school or a factory would be still  
more disorderly than a family if it     
were permitted to be4 ,any piece of     
human mechanism will get out of order   
if you will let it4 ,that is precisely  
the reason for the insistence on  the   

ascetic principle--this tendency of life
 to get out of order2 that  is the      
meaning of all that ,i have been saying1
 of the whole ,catholic  insistence on  
discipline4 ,time can be controlled2    
and1 notwithstanding  ,american         
experience1 children can be controlled2 
and control means the  rescuing of the  
life from disorder and sin1 and the     
lifting it to a  level of order and     
sanity and possible sanctity4    ,we    
cannot hope to meet successfully the    
common temptations of life  except we be
 prepared to meet them1 except there be 
in our life an  element of foresight4   
,an undisciplined and untried strength  
is an  unknown quantity4 ,the man who   
expects to meet temptation when it      
occurs  without any preparation is in   
fact preparing for failure4 ,i do not   
believe that there is any other so great
 a source of spiritual weakness  and    
disaster as the going out to meet life  
without preceding discipline1  thus     
subjecting the powers of our nature to  

trials for which we have not  fitted    
them4 ,self-control1 self-discipline1   
ascetic practice1 are  indispensible to 
a successful ,christian life4         ,o
 ,,star of starrs1 with thy streams     
clear1       ,star of the ,sea1 to      
shipman ,light or ,guide1       ,o lusty
 ,living1 most pleasant t'appear1       
,whose bright beames the clouds may not 
hide3       ,o ,way of ,life to them    
that go or ride1       ,haven from      
tempest1 surest up t'arrive1       ,o me
 have mercy for thy ,joys five4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,o goodly ,gladded1 when that ,gabriel  
,with joy thee gret that may not be     
numb'rd1       ,or half the bliss who   
could write or tell1       ,when th'    
,holy ,ghost to thee was obumbrd1       
,wherethrough the fiends were utterly   
encombrd8       ,o wemless ,maid1       
embellished in his birth1       ,that   
man and angel thereof hadden mirth4     
,john ,lydgate of ,bury1       ,,xv     
,cent4       ,from ,chaucerian and      

,other       ,poems1 edited by ,w4 ,w4  
,skeat1       #ahid4        ,,part ,,two
    ,,chapter ,,xvii    ,,holy ,,week   
,,ii    ,and after they had mocked him1 
they took the robe off from him1 and put
  his own raiment on him1 and led him   
away to crucify him4    ,s4 ,matt4      
,,xxvii1 #ca4         ,forgive1 ,o      
,lord1 we beseech thee1 the sins of thy 
people3       that we1 who are not able 
to do anything of ourselves1 that       
can be pleasing to thee1 may be assisted
 in the way of       salvation by the   
prayers of the ,mother of thy ,son4     
,who4         ,having partaken of thy   
heavenly table1 we humbly beseech thy   
clemency1 ,o ,lord1 our ,god1 that we   
who honour the ,assumption       of the 
,mother of ,god1 may1 by her            
intercession1 be delivered       from   
all evils4 ,through4    ,,old           
,,catholic4    ,the way of the ,cross is
 indeed a ,sorrowful ,way4 ,we have     
meditated upon  it so often that we are 
familiar with all the details of our    

,lord's  action as ,he follows it from  
the ,judgment ,seat of ,pilate to the   
,place of  a ,skull4 ,i wonder if we    
enough pause to look with our ,lord at  
the crowds  that line the way1 or at    
those who follow ,him out of the city4  
,it is not  a mere matter of curiosity  
that we should do so1 or an exercise of 
the  devout imagination2 the reason why 
we should examine carefully the faces   
of those men who attend our ,lord on the
 way to ,his death is that  somewhere in
 that crowd we shall see our own faces3 
it is a mirror of  sinful humanity that 
we look into there4 ,all the seven      
deadly sins are  there incarnate4    ,it
 is extremely important that we should  
get this sort of personal  reaction from
 the ,passion because we are so prone to
 be satisfied with  generalities1 to    
confess that we are miserable sinners1  
and let it go at  that6 ,but to stop    
there is to stop short of any           
possibility of  improvement1 because we 
can only hope to improve when we        

understand our  lives in detail1 when we
 face them as concrete examples of      
certain sins4    ,there was pride there4
 ,it was expressed by both ,roman and   
,jewish  officialism which looked with  
scorn on this obscure fanatic who       
claimed  to be a king6 ,pilate had      
satisfied himself of ,his harmlessness  
by a very  cursory examination4 ,this   
,galilean ,prophet with ,his handful of 
followers1 peasants and women1 who had  
deserted ,him at the first sign of      
danger1 was hardly worth troubling      
about4 ,the only ground for any action  
at all was the fear that the ,jewish    
leaders might be disagreeable4 ,those   
,jewish leaders took a rather more      
serious view of the situation because   
they knew that through the purity of    
,his teaching and ,his obvious power  to
 perform miracles1 a power but just now 
once more strikingly  demonstrated in   
the raising of ,lazarus1 ,he had a      
powerful hold on the  people4 ,they1    
these ,jewish leaders1 declined a       

serious examination of  the claims of   
such a man in their pride of place and  
knowledge of the  ,scriptures4 ,they    
were concerned to sweep ,him aside as a 
possible leader  in a popular outbreak1 
not as one whose claim to the           
,messiahship needed  a moment's         
examination4    ,this intellectual pride
 is one of the very greatest sins to    
which  humanity is tempted4 ,it goes    
very deep in its destructive force      
because  it is a sin1 preeminently1 of  
the spiritual nature1 of that in us     
which  is akin to ,god1 ,his very image4
 ,it is1 you will remember1 the sin on  
which our ,lord centres ,his chief      
denunciation4 ,and common as it has     
always been1 it has never been so common
 as it is to-day4 ,pilate and the  chief
 priests are duplicated in every        
community in the thousands who  reject  
,christianity without any adequate      
examination as incredible in  view of   
what they actually hold1 or as          
inconvenient in view of what they       

desire to practice4 ,we have only to    
read very superficially in the  current 
literature of the day1 we have only to  
examine the teaching in  colleges1 to be
 completely convinced of the vast extent
 of the revolt  against the ,christian  
,religion4 ,this revolt is for the most 
part a  revolt without adequate         
examination4 ,it assumes that the       
,christian  ,religion is contrary to    
science1 or to something else that is   
established as true4 ,it looks at       
,christianity superficially through the 
eyes of those who reject it and are     
ignorant of it4 ,the fact is that       
,christianity cannot be understood in   
any complete sense of the word by  those
 who do not practice it4 ,its evidence  
is no doubt of great force2  of         
sufficient force to lead men to         
experiment2 but the actual              
comprehension of ,christ as the ,saviour
 of man is an experience4 ,the          
operation of the ,holy ,spirit in life  
is necessarily proved1 and only         

completely proved1 by the action of the 
,spirit ,himself4    ,another           
demonstration of the same pride is seen 
in the refusal1 without  adequate       
examination1 to accept the ,catholic    
,religion1 and the picking  and choosing
 among articles of belief and sacraments
 and practices as to  what we will use  
or observe4 ,men do not like this or    
that1 and they  therefore decline it4   
,the whole attitude is one of self-will 
and pride4  ,whatsoever comes to us with
 a great weight of ,christian experience
 back  of it certainly deserves careful 
consideration2 it demands of us that we 
treat it as other than a matter of      
taste4 ,pride is the commonest of sins  
and the most dangerous for it attacks   
the very heart of the spiritual  life4  
,it runs1 to be sure1 through a broad   
range of experience and not  all        
manifestations of pride are mortal sin2 
but all manifestations of it  are subtle
 and insidious and capable of expansion 
to an indefinite  degree4 ,for there is 

no difference in nature between the     
spiritual  attitude of the person who   
says1 ,i do not see any sense in that   
and  will not do it1 when the matter in 
question may be the ,church's rule of   
fasting1 and that of the man who before 
,pilate's ,judgment ,seat cried  out1   
,we have no king but ,caesar4    ,it was
 in fact because they found their own   
power and place threatened  that the    
,jewish authorities were so determined  
on our ,lord's death4  ,their sin from  
this point of view was the sin of       
covetousness4 ,this sin  reaches its    
highest point when it is greed for power
 over other men's  lives and destinies1 
when it is ready to sacrifice the lives 
of others  in order to gain or maintain 
its ends4 ,in this broad sense it is the
  most socially destructive of sins4    
,the wars of the world for these many   
years have been wars for commercial     
supremacy4 ,the world is being          
continually exploited by commercial     
enterprises which will stop at  nothing 

to gain their ends4 ,some day a history 
of the last two hundred  years will be  
written which will tell the story of the
 commercial  expansion of the world we  
call civilised1 and it will be the most 
horrible book that has ever been        
written4 ,it will contain the story of  
the ,spanish colonisation of ,america4  
,it will contain the history of the     
slave trade4 ,it will contain the       
history of the ,belgian ,congo1 and of  
the rubber industry in ,south ,america4 
,it will contain the history of the     
,american ,indian and of the opium trade
 of ,india--and of many  like things4   
,but while we shudder at the            
world-torturing ways of the pursuit of  
wealth1 of the world-wide seeking of    
money and power1 we need not forget     
that the sin of covetousness is as      
common as any sin can be4 ,it is so     
common and so subtle that it is almost  
impossible to know how far one is  a    
victim of it4 ,it is deliberately taught
 to us as children under the  guise of  

thrift1 which if it be a virtue is      
certainly one that the  saints have     
overlooked4 ,we are constantly called on
 to strike a balance  between what are  
the proper needs of life and what is an 
improper  concentration of attention    
upon ourselves4 ,waste of money1 like   
waste of  any other energy1 is a sin2   
but it is a very nice question as to    
what is  waste4 ,i think it a pretty    
safe rule to give expenditure the       
benefit of  the doubt when it is for    
others1 and to deny it when it is for   
self4    ,however1 ,i imagine that those
 who are conscientiously trying to      
conduct  their lives as the children of 
,god will have little difficulty in this
  matter4 ,the real trouble is not in   
the matter of expenditure but in the    
matter of gain4 ,the ethics of business 
are very far from being the  ethics of  
the ,gospel1 and we are often frankly   
told by those engaged in  business that 
it cannot be successfully conducted on  
the basis of the  ethics of the ,gospel1

 ,that it is not so conducted is        
sufficiently  obvious from a cursory    
scanning of the advertising columns of  
any  newspaper or magazine4 ,the ideal  
of the business world is success4       
,naturally1 one cannot carry on an      
unsuccessful business1 but need it be   
success by all means and to all extents8
 ,are there no limits to the  methods by
 which business is to be pushed1 except 
legal limits8 ,if there  is no room for 
,christian ethics in the business world 
there can be but  one end2 competitive  
business will lead the civilisation that
 it  controls to inevitable disaster4   
,our ,lord said3 ,take heed and beware  
of  covetousness2 for a man's life      
consisteth not in the abundance of the  
things that he possesseth4 ,and ,he went
 on to speak a parable which has  come  
to be known as the ,parable of the ,rich
 ,fool4 ,the practical man  may be as   
angered as he likes by this teaching1   
but in his soul he knows  that our ,lord
 was right4 ,when such things are       

pointed out from the  pulpit the        
practical man says3 ,what would become  
of the ,church were  it not for the rich
 and the successful8 ,i think that the  
answer is that  in that case the ,church
 would no more represent the rich and   
would have  a fair chance of once more  
representing ,jesus ,christ4    ,it may 
seem at the first sight that of the     
mortal sins lust was not  represented   
here upon the ,sorrowful ,way2 but that1
 ,i think is but a  superficial analysis
 of the nature of lust1 thinking only of
 some  manifestations of it4 ,there is  
however one sin that has its roots deep 
in lust which psychologists tell us is  
one of its commonest  manifestations1   
and that is cruelty4 ,lust is not       
always1 but commonly1  cruel2 and the   
desire to inflict pain on others is a   
very common form of  its expression4    
,there are sights we have seen or       
incidents we have read  of1 it may be a 
boy torturing an animal or another      
child1 it may be a  shouting mass of men

 about a prize-ring1 it may be soldiers 
sacking a  town1--when the action seems 
so senseless that we are at a loss to   
account for it2 but the account of it   
lies in the mystery of our  sensual     
nature1 in the ultimate animal that we  
are4 ,the savage joy that  is being     
expressed by the participants in such   
scenes is ultimately a  sensual joy4    
,these men who delighted in the torture 
of our ,lord were  sensualists2 and     
there are few of us who if we will watch
 our selves  closely will not find      
traces of the animal showing itself from
 time to  time4 ,of this crowd about the
 ,cross relatively few could have known 
anything about the case of our ,lord2   
but they were fascinated by the         
spectacle of a man's torture4 ,if the   
executions of criminals were public     
to-day there would undoubtedly be huge  
crowds to gaze upon them4    ,it is one 
of the lessons we learn from the study  
of sin that what we had  thought was the
 essence of the sin was in fact but one 

of the  manifestations of it1 and that  
we have to carry our study far before we
  arrive at the ideal1 ,know thyself4   
,it is always dangerous to assume that  
we know when we have not been at the    
pains to look at a subject on all       
sides4 ,our sensual nature needs a very 
careful discipline1 and the mere        
freedom from certain forms of the sin of
 lust is not the equivalent of  that    
purity which is the medium of the       
,vision of ,god4    ,it is the sin of   
gluttony which is the least obvious in  
the ,way of the  ,cross4 ,there are no  
doubt plenty of gluttons there1 but that
 is not what  we are trying to find2 we 
are trying to see how each sin          
contributed to  this final act in the   
drama of our ,lord's life1 how each sin 
contributed  to put men in opposition to
 our ,lord4 ,it is not the actual sin of
  gluttony that we shall find in        
operation here but certain inevitable   
effects of it1 ,what is the effect of   
gluttony on the soul of man8            

,absorption in the pursuit of the       
pleasures that spring from material     
things2 the indulgence of the appetite1 
and the natural result of such          
indulgence which is to render the soul  
insensitive to the spiritual4 ,the  man 
whose motto is1 ,let us eat and drink1  
for to-morrow we die1 puts  himself out 
of touch with the spiritual realities of
 life4 ,he is  materialistic1 whatever  
may be his philosophy4 ,he wants        
immediate  results from life4 ,when he  
is confronted with our ,lord1 when he is
 told  that our ,lord makes demands upon
 life for self-restraint and            
self-discipline1 that ,he demands that  
the appetites be curbed rather  than    
indulged1 he declines allegiance4 ,one  
can have no doubt that in our  ,lord's  
time as to-day indifference to ,his     
teaching and failure even to  take in   
what the ,gospel means or how it can be 
a possible rule of life  is largely due 
to the dull spiritual state1 outcome of 
the indulgence of  the appetite for meat

 and drink4 ,men whose brains are       
clogged by over  eating1 and whose      
faculties are in a deadened state       
through the use of  alcohol1 cannot well
 understand the ,gospel of ,god4        
,there is abundant evidence of anger all
 along the ,way of the ,cross4 ,the     
constant thwarting of the purpose of the
 ,jewish authorities by our ,lord1  ,his
 unsparing criticism of them before the 
people1 had stirred them to  fury4 ,if  
our ,lord had seemed to them to threaten
 their place and  nation we can         
understand that they would show toward  
,him intense  hostility4 ,their attitude
 toward the people whose religious      
interests  they were supposed to have in
 charge was one of utter contempt3 ,this
  people which knoweth not the ,law is  
cursed4 ,our ,lord's attitude was  the  
opposite of all this4 ,it was not1 to be
 sure1 as to-day it is  represented to  
be an appeal to the people4 ,he was not 
bidding for  popular support1 but he    
showed unbounded sympathy with the      

people2 ,he  cast ,his teaching in a    
form that would appeal to them and draw 
them to  him4 ,he made a popular appeal 
in that ,he showed ,himself             
understanding of  the popular mind and  
without social prejudice of any sort4   
,this setting  aside of the arrogant    
authorities of ,israel roused them to   
implacable  wrath4 ,they felt that our  
,lord was setting ,himself to undermine 
their  authority1 and as they felt that 
their authority was of ,god their       
indignation translated itself into terms
 of zeal for ,god4    ,this anger that  
manages to wear a cloak of virtue is    
peculiarly  dangerous to the soul4 ,when
 we are just ordinarily mad over some   
offence  committed against us it is no  
doubt a sin2 but it is not a sin of the 
same malignity as when we feel that we  
can go any lengths because we are  not  
angry on our own behalf1 then our anger 
almost becomes an act of  religion in   
our eyes4 ,we have become the defenders 
of a cause4 ,no doubt  there is such a  

thing as righteous indignation1 but it  
is not a virtue  that we are compelled  
to practice1 and we would do well to    
leave it  alone as much as possible lest
 our indignation exceed our             
righteousness1  and we indentify our    
personal interests with the cause of    
,god4    ,the worst feature of          
tempermental flare-ups is the testimony 
they bear  to our lack of discipline4   
,when we excuse ourselves or others on  
the  ground that action is temperamental
 we are in fact no more than  restating 
the fact that there is sore need of     
discipline2 and there is  no more ground
 for excusing one variety of temperament
 for its lack of  discipline than an    
other4 ,in fact1 the more inclined a    
temperament is to  certain sins1 the    
more necessity there is for the         
appropriate sort of  training4 ,people  
without self-control1 who are constantly
 losing their  temper1 are public       
nuisances and ought to be suppressed4   
,there is the  worst kind of arrogance  

in the assumption that ,i do not have to
 control  myself and can speak and act  
as ,i like4 ,no one1 whatever his       
position1  has the right to ignore the  
feelings of others2 and the more the    
position is one of authority1 exempting 
him from a certain kind of  criticism1  
the more is he bound to criticise       
himself and examine himself  as to this 
particular sin4    ,there are sins under
 this caption which do not contain much 
malice but  are disturbing to life1 and 
they are especially disturbing to one's 
spiritual life4 ,there are peevish1     
complaining people1 who do not seem  to 
mean much harm1 but keep themselves in a
 state of dissatisfaction  which renders
 their spiritual growth impossible4     
,they grow old without  any of the grace
 and beauty of character which should   
mark a ,christian  old age4 ,one knows  
old people who have been in intimate    
contact with the  ,church and the       
sacraments for many years but do not    
show any signs of  having reached our   

,lord through them4 ,they are           
dissatisfied and  complaining and       
critical and generally disagreeable so  
that the task of  those who take care of
 them is rendered very disheartening4   
,what is the  trouble8 ,has there never 
been any true spiritual discipline1 but 
only a  certain superficial conformity  
to a spiritual rule8 ,when old age comes
  the will is weakened and the sense of 
self-respect undermined1 with the       
result that what the person has all     
along been in reality1 now comes to  the
 surface and is1 perhaps for the first  
time1 visible to every one4    ,envy is 
closely related to pride on the one hand
 and to covetousness on  the other4 ,it 
begins in the perception of another's   
superiority1 and  carries its victim    
through the feeling of hurt pride at the
 contrast  with himself to desire for   
that which is not his own4 ,the envious 
person  covets the qualities of         
possessions of another1 while vividly   
denying  that they are in fact superior 

to his own1 except1 it may be1 in       
certain  apparent and not very valuable 
aspects4 ,the contrast between the      
superior and the inferior has one of two
 results3 either the inferior is        
stirred to admiration1 or he is stirred 
to a greater or less degree  of envy4   
,it was thus that contact with our ,lord
 revealed the reality of men4 ,it  was a
 very true judgment to associate with   
him4 ,his apostles were simple  men who 
never thought of putting themselves in  
comparison with ,him3 the  more they    
knew ,him the more wonderful ,he seemed 
to them4 ,we feel all  through the      
,gospel story what an overwhelming      
impression ,his personality  made upon  
men4 ,there is no criticism raised on   
,his character from any  point of view4 
,his enemies fell back on the accusation
 of blasphemy  growing out of ,his      
claims1 an accusation that would be     
true1 if the  claims were not true4     
,what we really discover in those who   
oppose ,him is  envy1 envy of the       

influence ,he exercises over others1    
envy stirred by  ,his obvious           
superiority to themselves4    ,envy is  
one of the sins of which we are least   
conscious4 ,when people  affirm that    
they envy others this or that3 their    
leisure1 their beauty1  or what not1    
they clearly do not envy them at all1   
but are mildly  covetous of the things  
that they see others possess4 ,where    
envy does  show its presence and where  
we do not recognise its nature1 is in   
that  horrible inclination to depreciate
 others which is visible in certain     
characters4 ,they seem never to hear    
another mentioned but they try to  think
 of something which limits the praise   
bestowed upon him1 or  altogether       
counteracts it4 ,it seems to be an      
instinctive hostility to  superiority as
 involving an implied criticism of one's
 own inferiority4  ,it is that curious  
love of the worst that lies at the root 
of gossip4    ,and what about the last  
of the deadly sins1 the sin of sloth8   

,one is  almost tempted to say that it  
is at once the least obvious and the    
most  destructive of all the deadly     
sins4 ,that would no doubt be somewhat  
of  an exaggeration1 but it would not be
 very far off the truth4 ,it is         
spiritual sloth that prevents us from   
considering as we should the  spiritual 
problems that are presented to us1 and  
therefore prevents us  from gaining     
their promise4 ,it is the quality in    
humanity that blocks  the consideration 
of the new on the ground that we already
 know and can  gain nothing by further  
exertion4 ,the ,jewish religious leaders
 declined  the intellectual and         
spiritual effort of considering our     
,lord's claims2  they just set them     
aside unconsidered4 ,and is not that    
just what we are  constantly doing1 and 
what constitutes the most pressing      
danger of the  spiritual life8 ,we will 
not consider the future as the field of 
constantly new opportunity and therefore
 new stages of growth4 ,we do not  want 

to make the effort that is implied in   
that attitude4    ,our sloth binds us   
hand and foot and delivers us to the    
enemy4 ,there are  no doubt some who cry
 out3 ,but ,i am not at all slothful2 ,i
 am busy from  morning to night2 of     
whatever else ,i may be guilty1 it is   
not of sloth6  ,my friend1 busy people  
are quite often the most slothful people
 that  there are4 ,they are busy dodging
 their rightful duties and the          
opportunities that ,god offers them1 all
 day long4 ,have you never  discovered  
that when you had something that you    
ought to do and do not  want to do1 that
 the easiest method by which you can    
still your  conscience is to make       
yourself terribly busy about something  
else1 and  then to tell yourself that   
the reason why you have not done what   
you  know that you ought to have done is
 that really you have not had time8  ,do
 you not know that being busy is one of 
the most effective screens  that you can
 put between your conscience and your   

obligation8 ,do you not  know that tens 
of thousands of men and women to-day are
 putting the  screens of good works1 of 
social service of some sort1 between    
their  souls and the worship of ,god and
 the practice of the sacraments8 ,beware
  lest while you wear yourself out with 
activity your besetting sin be  found to
 be sloth6    ,and shall we find there  
on the ,way of ,sorrow the virtues that 
are the  opposite of the ,seven ,sins8  
,perhaps1 if we had time to look1 or had
  sufficient knowledge of the crowd that
 lines the way4 ,there are certain      
women over there wailing and lamenting2 
perhaps they could help us4 ,in  any    
case we know that there is one woman who
 has succeeded in keeping  near whose   
love of ,jesus is so intense that it    
will enable her to  overcome all        
obstacles and be near ,him to the very  
last4 ,jesus as ,he  staggers along the 
way and falls at length under the       
intolerable weight  of the ,cross is the
 embodiment of all virtues and of all   

spiritual  accomplishment1 and his      
blessed ,mother through ,his grace has  
been kept  pure from all sin4 ,she will 
show the perfection of purely human     
accomplishment4 ,she is the best that   
humanity in union with the  ,incarnate  
,son has brought forth4 ,we have        
seen--we have caught glimpses  of her   
life through what the ,scriptures tell  
us of her--how completely  she has      
responded to grace in all the actions of
 her life4 ,not much do  the ,scriptures
 say1 but what they do say is like the  
opening of windows  through which we    
catch passing aspects of her life which 
we feel are  perfectly characteristic   
and revealing4    ,and we have seen     
there1 or we may see1 may we not8 the   
virtues which are  the work of the ,holy
 ,spirit enabling us to overcome the    
deadly sins4 ,we  have seen the humility
 with which1 without thought of self1   
she answered  ,god's call to be the     
,mother of ,his ,son4 ,we have seen the 
liberality with  which she places her   

whole life at ,god's disposal1          
withholding nothing  from the divine    
service4 ,purity undefiled had been     
,god's gift to her  from the first      
moment of her existence4 ,hers too was  
that meekness  which willingly accepted 
all that the appointment of ,god brought
 her1  showing in her acceptance no     
withholding of the will1 no trace of    
self-assertion4 ,hers was the great     
virtue of temperance1 the power of      
self-restraint and self-discipline1     
which suppressed all movements of       
nature that would be contrary to ,god's 
will4 ,there too was the love of  the   
brother and of the neighbour which is   
the contrary of envy2 and  there was the
 eagerness in fulfilling the will of    
,god which is the  opposite of sloth4   
,we have then two spotless              
examples1--how shall we not be stirred  
to  follow them6 ,there is ,jesus       
manifesting the qualities of ,his       
sinless  life1 of the life of ,god's    
election1 of humanity as ,god wills it  

to be1  and as it ultimately will be    
when it gives itself to ,his will2 and  
,mary  in whom we see the work of ,god's
 grace perfectly accomplished by virtue 
of her perfect response to the love of  
her ,sen4 ,we look at these two  lives  
and we see what is possible for us4 ,we 
do not say1 we cannot say1  these things
 are too wonderful and great for me4 ,we
 can only say1  through the grace of    
,god which is given me1 ,i can do all   
things4 ,it is  not my inevitable       
destiny that ,i should abide a sinner4  
,i have the  choice of being a sinner or
 a saint4         ,,mary3 ,ever ,i cried
 full piteously3       ,lordings1 what  
have ye i-brought8       ,it is my ,son 
,i love so much3       ,for ,god's sake 
bury ,him nought4       ,they would not 
stop though that ,i swooned1       ,till
 that ,he in the grave were brought4    
,rich clothes they around him wound3    
,and ever mercy ,i them besought4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,they said there was no better way      

,but take and bury him full snel4       
,they looked on my cousin ,john         
,for sorrow both a-down we fell--       
99       99       99       99       99  
,by ,him we fell that was ,my ,child4   
,his sweet mouth well full oft ,i       
kissed4       ,john saw ,i was in point 
to spill1       ,that nigh mine heart   
did come to break4       ,he held his   
sorrow in his heart still       ,and    
mildly then to me did speak3            
,mary1 if it be thy will       ,go we   
hence2 the ,maudeleyn eke4       ,he led
 me to a chamber then       ,where my   
,son was used to be1--       ,john and  
the ,maudeleyn also2       ,for nothing 
would they from me flee4       ,i looked
 about me everywhere3       ,i could    
nowhere my ,son see4       ,we sat us   
down in sorrow and woe       ,and 'gan  
to weep all three4         ,from ,st4   
,bernard's ,lamentation on ,christ's    
,passion4 ,engl4 version1       probably
 #acth ,cent1 by ,richard ,maydestone4  
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xviii       

,,the ,,crucifixion         ,and they   
crucified him4         ,s4 ,matt4       
,,xxvii1 #ce4         ,in as much as we 
have no confidence because of our many  
sins1       do thou1 ,o ,virgin ,mother 
of ,god1 beseech him who was born of    
thee2 for a ,mother's supplication      
availeth much to gain the               
benignity of the ,master4 ,despise not  
the prayers of sinners1       ,o        
all-august1 for merciful and mighty to  
save is he1 who       vouchsafed to     
suffer for us4         ,,byzantine4     
,we have followed the ,way of ,sorrows  
to the very end and now stand on        
,calvary watching by the ,cross1 waiting
 for the death of the ,son of ,god4     
,the mystery of iniquity is consummated 
here where man in open rebellion        
against his ,god crucifies the          
,incarnate ,son4 ,here is fulfilled the 
saying3 ,he came unto ,his own and ,his 
own received ,him not4 ,all that  man   
can do to prove his own degredation he  
has done4 ,in the person of  ,pilate he 

has condemned to death a man whom he    
knows to be innocent4 ,the              
representative of human justice has     
denied justice for the sake of his  own 
personal ends4 ,in the person of ,herod 
he has permitted the insult  and abuse  
of ,one of whom he knows no ill1 and has
 displayed toward ,him  wanton and      
brutal cruelty4 ,in the person of the   
,jewish authorities he  has rejected the
 ,messenger of the ,god whom he         
recognises as his ,god1 and  will not   
listen to the voice of prophecy because 
he finds his personal  ends countered by
 the fulfilment of the promises of the  
religion whose  subject he professes to 
be4 ,in the person of the disciples he  
shows  himself too cowardly and         
self-regarding to stand by his innocent 
,master  and to throw in his lot with   
,him4 ,in the person of the people he   
shows  himself cruel1 hardened1         
indifferent to suffering and to justice1
 ready  to be made the tool of          
unscrupulous politicians1 unstable and  

ignorant4  ,as we look on1 we succeed in
 retaining any shred of respect for     
humanity only through the contemplation 
of the exceptions--of ,s4 ,john  and the
 little group of women who are faithful 
to the end3 above all in  the sight of  
blessed ,mary standing by the ,cross of 
her ,son4    ,it is the will of ,god    
that our ,lord should follow the human  
lot to the  very depth of its possible  
sufferings4 ,there are no doubt many    
sufferings of humanity that our ,lord   
does not share1 they are those  which   
spring out of personal sin4 ,he in ,whom
 was no sin could not suffer  those     
things which spring from one's own wrong
 doing4 ,that is one broad  distinction 
between the burdens of the crosses on   
,calvary1 a distinction  which the      
penitent thief caught easily when he    
said to his reviling  fellow-criminal1  
,dost thou not fear ,god1 seeing thou   
art in the same  condemnation8 ,and we  
indeed justly2 for we receive the due   
reward of our  deeds3 but this man hath 

done nothing amiss4 ,and in as much as a
 great  part of what we suffer is       
plainly just1 the pain we bear is       
intensified  by the knowledge that what 
we are is the outcome of what we have   
been4  ,but our ,lord1 while ,he does   
not suffer as the result of ,his own    
sin1  does suffer as the result of sin  
in that ,he wills to bear the result of 
men's sin by putting ,himself at their  
mercy4 ,he bears the burden of sin  to  
the uttermost1 looking down from the    
,cross at the faces of these men  whose 
salvation ,he is making possible if in  
the days to come they will  associate   
themselves with ,him4 ,one wonders how  
many of those who saw ,him  crucified   
came1 before they died1 to accept ,him  
as the ,saviour and their  ,god4 ,there 
must have been many wonderful first     
,communions in the early  ,church when  
those who had rejected ,jesus in ,his   
humility came to receive  ,him          
glorified4    ,but as we look at this   
scene of the dying we feel that the     

powers of  evil are working their       
uttermost1 they are driving their slaves
 to  incredible sins4 ,one feels the    
tremendous power that evil is as one    
looks at these human beings who are body
 and soul wholly under its  dominion4   
,the ,power of ,darkness appears utterly
 in control of the world  of humanity2  
but we know that this moment in which   
its triumph seems  most complete is in  
fact the moment in which its defeat is  
at hand4 ,the  victory that is being won
 is the victory of the ,vanquished3 and 
the  moment when the victory of evil    
seems assured by the dying of ,jesus1 is
  in fact the moment when the chains of 
the slaves of sin are broken1 and  men  
who will to be free are henceforth free 
indeed4 ,from that moment a  new freedom
 is within the reach of men1 the freedom
 which comes to them  through their     
participation in the redemption wrought 
for them by ,god4  ,presently ,s4 ,john 
will announce the great message of      
freedom to the  ,church1 a message that 

he will tell in his own wonderful       
simplicity1 a  simplicity which almost  
deceives us as to its unfathomable depth
 of love  and mystery3 ,for whatsoever  
is born of ,god overcometh the world3   
and  this is the victory that overcometh
 the world1 even our faith4444 ,we  know
 that whosoever is born of ,god sinneth 
not3 but ,he that was begotten  of ,god 
keepeth him1 and the evil one toucheth  
him not4 ,and we know that  we are of   
,god1 and the whole world lieth in the  
evil one4 ,and we know  that the ,son of
 ,god is come1 and hath given us an     
understanding1 that we  may know ,him   
that is true1 and we are in ,him that is
 true1 even in ,his  ,son ,jesus        
,christ4 ,this is the true ,god1 and    
eternal life4    ,this is what the dying
 of ,jesus achieved for us1 that we     
should be free  as men had never been   
free1 and that we should be strong as   
men had  never been strong4    ,on their
 crosses the thieves agonise in the     
realisation of the sin that  has brought

 them there2 but our ,lord1 ,who is free
 from sin1 looks out on  the scene      
before ,him in a wonderful detachment   
from ,his personal  suffering4 ,being   
without sin our ,lord is without        
egotism1 and never  treats life from    
that purely personal standpoint that we 
are constantly  tempted to adopt4 ,our  
own needs1 our own interests1 occupy the
  foreground and determine the judgment2
 and we are rarely able to see in       
dealing with the concrete case that our 
own interests are ultimately  indentical
 with the interests of the whole ,body4 
,the lesson that if one  member suffer1 
all the members suffer with it1 that we 
are partners in  joy and sorrow alike1  
is almost impossible of assimilation by 
the  radical individualists that we are4
 ,our theories break down before the    
test of actuality4 ,but our ,lord was   
not an individualist4 ,he1 in ,his      
relations with men1 is the ,head of the 
,body2 and ,he admits no division  of   
interests between ,his members4 ,he     

therefore can think of the needs of     
others while ,he ,himself is undergoing 
the last torture of death4 ,he can      
impartially judge the separate cases of 
,his members2 ,he can attend to  the    
spiritual welfare of a needy soul2 ,he  
can think of ,his own death as  an act  
of sacrifice willed by ,god1 and not as 
a matter concerning  ,himself alone2 and
 in doing these things ,he teaches us a 
much-needed  lesson of the handling of  
life4    ,no lesson is to-day more      
needed because we are more and more     
being  influenced to treat life as a    
private matter4 ,i have spoken of this  
before and need not elaborate it now2   
but ,i do want to insist1 at  whatever  
risk of repetition1 that a ,christian   
must1 if his religion mean  anything at 
all1 look on the interests of the ,body1
 not as a separate  group of interests  
to which he is privileged or obligated  
to contribute  such help as seems to him
 from time to time appropriate1 but as  
in fact  his own primary interests      

because his true significance in the    
world is  gained through his membership 
in the ,body4 ,his life is hid with     
,christ  in ,god and his conversation is
 in heaven4 ,the life that he now lives 
in  the flesh he lives by the faith of  
the ,son of ,god1 who loved him and     
gave ,himself for him4 ,to assert       
separate interests is to break the      
essential relation of his life4 ,he is  
nothing apart from the ,body but a  dry 
and withered branch fit for the burning4
 ,no doubt our egotism rebels  against  
this view of life1 but it is certain    
that it is the view of the  ,christian  
,religion4 ,if we would realise the     
ideals of the ,religion we  must act as 
those who are in constant relations with
 the other members  of the ,body and    
whose life gets its significance through
 those  relations4    ,there is no more 
outstanding lesson of our ,lord's life  
than this4 ,it is  true from whichever  
angle you look at it4 ,if you think of  
our ,lord as a  divine ,person it is at 

once evident how much of ,his meaning is
 included  in ,his relations to the     
other ,persons of the ,blessed ,trinity4
 ,he claims  no independent will2 it is 
the will of the ,father that ,he has    
come to  do4 ,he claims no original     
work3 it is the work that the ,father   
has given  ,him to do that ,he is       
straightened until ,he accomplish4 ,he  
has no  individual possession1 but all  
things that the ,father has are ,his4   
,considered as ,god1 our ,lord is ,one  
,person in the one divine nature1 no    
,unitarian interpretation of ,him is    
possible4 ,on the other hand1 if you    
look at ,him as ,incarnate1 as having   
identified ,himself with humanity1 ,he  
is in that respect made one with ,his   
brethren4 ,he has made their  interests 
,his1 and as their new ,head is opening 
for them the gate of the  future4 ,he is
 inviting them into union with ,himself1
 that in the status  of ,his brethren   
and friends they may be also the true   
children of  the heavenly ,father4      

,there is no hint anywhere that these   
things may be  accomplished apart from  
,him1 in individual isolation3 indeed1  
if they  could be so accomplished the   
,incarnation would be meaningless4 ,he  
is the  ,way and no one cometh to the   
,father but by ,him4 ,he is the ,truth1 
and no  one knows the ,father but he to 
whom the ,son reveals ,him4 ,he is the  
,life1  and no one spiritually lives    
except through ,his self-impartation4   
,he  that eateth my flesh and drinketh  
my blood hath eternal life4 ,he that    
eateth me1 even he shall live by me4 ,in
 this outlook from the ,cross  which we 
recognise in our ,blessed ,lord when1   
forgetting ,his own  sufferings in ,his 
appreciation of the needs of others1 we 
see ,him still  fulfilling ,his ministry
 of mercy and of sympathy1 we are       
certain that  ,his eyes would rest upon 
one group which could not fail to pierce
 ,his  heart with its pathos and        
tragedy4 ,our ,lord's love is not a     
general1  impersonal love of humanity2  

it is always love of a person4 ,he no   
doubt  felt a special love for this     
thief who appealed to ,him from the     
cross by  ,his side4 ,in the whole      
course of ,his life our ,lord had shown 
,his oneness  with us in that ,he loved 
special people in a special way4 ,he    
loved  ,lazarus and his sisters1 ,he    
loved ,s4 ,john4 ,above all others ,he  
loved ,his  ,blessed ,mother4 ,and now  
looking down from the ,cross ,he sees   
that the  disciple whom ,he loved was   
succeeded in leading ,his mother into   
the very  shadow of the ,cross4 ,how ,s4
 ,mary had made her way there we do not 
know3  only love knows how it triumphs  
over its obstacles and comes forth      
victorious4 ,there is ,blessed ,mary1   
looking up into the face so scarred  and
 bleeding1 and there is the ,son1       
looking down through the blinding  blood
 into the face of the mother4 ,this is  
the supreme human tragedy of  ,calvary4 
,we can only stand and watch the        
exchange of love4    ,and then comes the

 word--the word1 by the way1 which when 
it was spoken  years ago in ,cana of    
,galilee1 men have interpreted as a     
harsh and  rebuking word1 with how much 
truth this scene tells--then comes the  
word3 ,woman1 behold thy son4 ,in ,his  
love ,he gives her that which ,he  had  
so much loved1 the friendship of ,s4    
,john4 ,he brings together those  who   
had so supremely loved ,him in an       
association which would support  them   
both in the trial of their loss4 ,woman1
 behold thy son2 behold thy  mother4    
,bitter as was their sorrow in this     
hour1 we know that they were            
marvellously comforted by this power of 
love which is able to transcend         
suffering and death4 ,we know1 because  
we know how utterly our ,lord is  one   
with us1 that it was much to ,him to    
look on the face that bent over  ,him in
 the ,manger in ,bethlehem4 ,we know1   
because we know the perfect  woman that 
was ,mary1 that there was deep joy as   
well as deep agony in  being able to    

stand there at the last beneath the     
,cross4    ,do you think that we are    
going too far when we see in ,s4 ,mary  
not simply  the mother of our ,lord1 but
 when we also see in her a certain      
representative character8 ,does she not 
represent us in one way and ,s4  ,john  
represent us in another1 in this supreme
 exchange of love8 ,do we  not feel that
 in ,s4 ,john we have been recommended  
to the love and care  of ,mary who is   
our mother8 ,do we not feel that in ,s4 
,john the mother has  been committed to 
our love and care8 ,surely1 because we  
are members of  her ,son we have a      
special relation to ,s4 ,mary1 and a    
special claim upon  her1 if it be       
permitted to express it in that way4 ,it
 is no empty form  of words when we call
 her mother1 no exaltation of           
sentimentalism4 ,the  title represents a
 very real relation of love4 ,it brings 
home to us that  the love of ,mary is as
 near infinite as the love of a creature
 can be1  and that like the love of her 

,son it is an unselfish love4 ,she is   
necessarily interested in all the       
members of the ,body1 and their cares   
and joys and sorrows she is glad to make
 her own4 ,she is very close to  us in  
her love and sympathy2 she is very ready
 to help us with her  prayers4 ,we never
 go to her for succour but she hears us4
 ,behold thy  son1 her divine ,son said 
to her on the ,cross in ,his agony1 and 
all who  are members of that ,son are   
her sons too4 ,her place in heaven above
 all  creatures1 most highly favoured as
 she is1 is a place to which our        
prayers penetrate1 and never penetrate  
unheard4 ,for that other ,son1  through 
whose merits she is what she is1 whose  
,face she ever beholds as  the ,face    
alike of her ,redeemer and her ,child1  
is ever ready to hear her  intercessions
 for us because they come to ,him with  
the power and the  insight that perfect 
purity and perfect sympathy alone can   
give4 ,so for  us there is intense      
personal consolation in this word3      

,behold  thy mother4    ,but there is   
another side to this committal4 ,it is  
mutual3 ,behold thy  son4 ,if we can see
 ourselves in ,s4 ,john1 committed to   
the ,blessed  ,mother1 we can also see  
ourselves in ,s4 ,john to whom the      
blessed mother  is committed4 ,behold   
thy mother4 ,there is a sense in which  
the blessed  mother is committed to us2 
to-day she is our care4 ,we see the     
fulfillment of this trust in the love   
and reverence wherewith  ,christendom   
from the beginning has surrounded ,s4   
,mary4 ,it has accepted  the charge with
 a passionate devotion4 ,the growth of  
devotion to her is  recorded in the vast
 literature of ,mariology which comes to
 us from all  parts and all eras of the 
,catholic ,church4 ,the details of the  
expression  of this devotion have been  
wrought out through the centuries with  
loving care1 and the result is that     
wherever there is a ,catholic           
conception of religion1 either in ,east 
or ,west1 there is a grateful  response 

to our ,lord's trust of ,his ,blessed   
mother to ,his ,church in the  person of
 ,s4 ,john4    ,we feel1 do we not8 that
 it is one of the great privileges of   
our  spiritual life that we have found a
 personal part in this trust1 that it   
is permitted us to preserve and hand on 
this reverence for ,blessed ,mary1  and 
in so doing to gain personal contact    
with her as a spiritual power  in the   
,kingdom of ,god4 ,it means much to us  
that we can have the love and  sympathy 
which are blended with her intercession1
 that we can associate  our prayers with
 hers in the time of our need4 ,much as 
we value the  sympathy and prayers of   
our friends here1 we cannot but feel    
that in  ,mary we have a friend whose   
helpfulness is stimulated by a great    
love  and directed by deep spiritual    
insight into the reality of our needs4  
,we  turn therefore to her with the     
certainty of her co-operation4    ,our  
,lord on the ,cross had now fulfilled   
,his mission in the care of  individual 

persons1 had prayed for ,his tormentors1
 had forgiven the  penitent thief1 and  
had commended those who were the special
 objects of  ,his love to one another1  
and could now turn ,his thoughts away   
from earth  to the love of the ,father4 
,his last words are intimate words to   
,him4  ,they express the agony that     
tears ,his soul as the ,face of the     
,father is  for a moment hidden1 and the
 peace of an accomplished work as ,he   
surrenders ,himself into the hands of   
the ,father that sent ,him4 ,he who  had
 been our example all ,his life1 showing
 us how to meet life1 is our  example in
 death1 showing us how to meet death4   
,but just wherein does the dying of     
,christ become an example for us8 ,this 
final surrender to the ,father of a will
 that had never been separate  from the 
,father1--what can we derive from all   
that8 ,there are many lines  of approach
 and application4 ,i can only touch on  
one or two3--    ,i have glorified ,thee
 on the earth1 our ,lord said in the    

last  wonderful prayer1 ,i have finished
 the work that ,thou gavest me to do4   
,and here on the ,cross ,he repeats1 ,it
 is finished4 ,when we think of  this we
 are impressed with the steadiness with 
which our ,lord pursued  ,his purpose1  
with the way ,he concentrated ,his whole
 life upon ,his work4  ,he declined to  
be drawn aside by anything irrelevant to
 it4 ,people came  to ,him with all     
sorts of requests1 from the request that
 ,he will settle  a disputed inheritance
 to the request that ,he will become    
their king2  and ,he puts them all aside
 as having no pertinence to ,his        
mission4 ,it is  interesting to go      
through the ,gospel and note just what  
are the details  of this winnowing      
process2 mark what our ,lord accepts as 
relevant to ,his  mission and what not4 
,he is never too occupied or tired to   
attend to  what belongs to ,his work4   
,an ill old woman or idiot child is     
important  to ,him and ,he attends to   
them2 but ,he declines the sort of work 

that  will involve ,him and ,his mission
 in controversy and politics4 ,he is not
  a reformer of society but a reformer  
of men4 ,he knows that only by the      
reformation of men can society be       
reformed4    ,there is no doubt much to 
be learned from the study of our ,lord's
 method  of the limits of the social and
 political activity of ,his ,church4 ,it
 has  constantly fallen a victim to the 
temptation to undertake the reform of   
the world by some other means than the  
conversion of it4 ,it has shown  itself 
quite willing to be made a judge and    
divider4 ,it has not always  declined   
the invitation it has received to assume
 the purple4 ,your  business is to      
reform this miserable world which so    
sadly and so  obviously needs you1 men  
say to it2 ,you are not living up to    
your  principles and you are neglecting 
your duty by not supporting this great  
movement for the betterment of the race1
 others say4 ,still others urge1  ,you  
are losing great masses of men through  

your inexplicable failure to  adopt     
their cause4 ,and the ,church in the    
whole course of its history  has        
constantly yielded to this temptation1  
and has not seen until too  late that in
 so doing it was making itself the tool 
or the cat's-paw of  one interest or    
another whose sole interest in religion 
was the  possibility of exploiting the  
influence of the ,church4 ,in the stupid
  hope of forwarding its spiritual      
interests the ,church has entangled     
itself with the responsibilities of     
temporal power2 it has made itself  the 
backer of the divine right of kings2 and
 it has found itself bound  hand and    
foot in the character of a national or  
state ,church2 and with a  curious      
incapacity to learn anything from       
experience is now  enthusiastically     
cheering for democracy6 ,poor ,church1  
whose leaders are  so constantly        
misleaders4    ,it is all due to the    
hoary temptation to try to get to one's 
end by some  sort of a short cut3 ,all  

these things will ,i give you if you    
will fall  down and worship me4 ,our    
,lord knew that ,satan could not really 
give ,him  the ends ,he was seeking2 but
 ,his followers are constantly confident
 that  he can1 and are therefore his    
constant and ready tools for this or    
that  party or interest4 ,they sell     
themselves to monarchy or democracy1 to 
capital or labour1 with the same        
guileless innocence of what is          
happening to them1 with the same        
simple-minded incapacity to learn       
anything from the lessons of the past4  
,there are no short cuts to  spiritual  
ends1 and those ends can never be       
accomplished by secular  means4 ,the    
interests of the ,kingdom of ,god can   
never be forwarded by  alliance with the
 powers of this world2 the interests of 
particular  persons or parties in the   
,church may be--but that is quite       
another thing4    ,the lesson is one    
that is not without application to the  
individual  life4 ,there again the      

tendency to mind something other than   
one's own  business is almost           
ineradicable4 ,we have before us the    
work of building  our spiritual house1  
of finishing the work that the ,father  
has given us  to do1 of carrying to a   
successful conclusion the work of our   
sanctification4 ,in view of the         
experience of nearly two thousand years 
of ,christianity and of our own personal
 experience1 that would seem a          
sufficiently difficult and obligatory   
work to occupy the undivided  energies  
of a life-time4 ,but we are accustomed  
to treat this primary  business of life 
quite as though it were a parergon1 a   
thing to play  with in our unoccupied   
hours1 the fad of a collector rather    
than the  supreme interest of an        
immortal being4 ,that spiritual results 
are no  oftener achieved than they are  
can occasion no surprise when one       
understands the sort of spirit wherewith
 they are approached4 ,if the  average  
man adopted toward his business the     

attitude he adopts toward  his religion 
he would be bankrupt within a week1--and
 he knows it4 ,you  know that the       
attention you are paying to religion and
 the sort of  energy and sacrifice you  
are putting into it are insufficient to 
secure  any sort of a result worth      
having4 ,spiritually speaking1 your life
 is an  example of misdirected and      
dissipated energy4 ,there is no         
spiritual  result because there is no   
continuous and energetic effort in a    
spiritual direction4 ,you are not like a
 master-builder planning and  erecting a
 house4 ,you are like a child playing   
with a box of blocks who  begins to     
build a house with them and1 when it is 
half built1 is  attracted by something  
else and runs after that--not even      
waiting to put  the blocks back into the
 box6    ,life1 no doubt1 this modern   
city life into which we are plunged1 is 
terribly distracting4 ,concentration    
upon a single aim is hard to attain4    
,so we plead in our excuse1 but the     

excuse is a false one and we know it4   
,we know it because we know many people 
who have achieved the sort of           
concentration and simplicity of aim that
 we complain of as so difficult4  ,they 
to be sure have other ends than those we
 claim to be ours1 but that  would not  
seem to be important4 ,by far the       
greater part of the male  population of 
this city is intensely concentrated in  
money making4 ,i do  not believe that ,i
 have overheard during the last year two
 men talking  in a car or on the street 
who were not talking about money4 ,there
 is a  good enough example of the       
possibility of concentrating on a single
 end  under the conditions of our life4 
,there are other people1 you know some  
of them1 whose lives are devoted in the 
most thorough manner to the  pursuit of 
pleasure4 ,they find no difficulty in   
such concentration1 and  they afford an 
even better example of what we are      
discussing than the  money-makers4 ,the 
money-maker says1 ,i have to live and my

 family has to  live1 and we cannot live
 unless ,i devote myself to business4   
,it is all  very well to talk about     
spiritual interests1 but those are the  
plain  common sense facts4 ,a man who   
spends all his time on religion will    
find  it pretty difficult to live in    
,new ,york4 ,very well1 that seems      
unanswerable4 ,but go back to the men   
and women whose sole interest is        
amusement--how do they live8 ,in some   
way they seem to have so succeeded  in  
subordinating business to pleasure that 
they get what they want1 and  they      
somehow escape starvation6    ,there1 ,i
 fancy1 is the explanation--they get    
what they want4 ,in a broad  way we all 
get what we want4 ,we accomplish in some
 degree at least the  ends which we make
 the supreme ends of life4 ,we are back 
therefore where  we started3 ,what are  
our supreme ends8 ,are they in fact     
spiritual8 ,have  we mastered the       
technique of the ,christian life        
sufficiently to be  single-eyed and     

pure-hearted in our pursuit of life's   
ends8 ,are we  devoted to the aim of    
manifesting the glory of ,god and       
finishing the  work that ,he has given  
us to do8    ,this1 once more1 was the  
secret of our ,lord's life1 and it is   
the secret  of all those who have at all
 succeeded in imitating ,him4 ,they have
  followed ,him with singleness of      
purpose4 ,they have felt life to be     
before all else a vocation to manifest  
the will of ,god and to finish a  given 
work4 ,that was the attitude of our     
,blessed ,mother2 she began on  that    
note3 ,behold the hand-maid of the      
,lord2 be it unto me according to  thy  
word4 ,it was the ,gospel that she      
preached3 ,whatsoever he saith  unto    
you1 do it4 ,her whole life was a       
response--the response of love  to love4
    ,that no doubt1 goes to the heart of
 the spiritual problem4 ,if we are to   
accomplish anything at all in the way of
 spiritual development1 if we  are to   
conduct life in simplicity toward       

spiritual ends1 it will only be  when   
the source of life's energy is found in 
love4 ,he who does not love  has no     
compelling motive toward ,god and no    
abiding principle to control  life4 ,if 
we conceive the ,christian life as a    
task that is forced upon  us1 and which 
in some way we are bound to fulfil1 we  
may be sure that  the way in which we   
shall fulfil it will be weak and        
halting4 ,we may be  as conscientious as
 you please1 but we shall not be able to
 concentrate  on a work which is merely 
a work of duty and not the embodiment of
 a  great love4 ,our primary activity   
should be devout meditation and study   
of our ,lord's life1 with prayer for    
guidance and help1 till something  of   
the love of ,god is shed abroad in our  
hearts1 till we feel our hearts  burn   
within us and our spirits glow and we   
become able to offer  ourselves1 soul   
and body1 a living sacrifice unto ,him4 
,,mary3       ,i cried3 ,maudeleyn1 help
 now6                   ,my ,son hath   

loved full well thee2                   
,pray ,him that ,i may die1             
,that ,i not forgotten be6              
,seest thou1 ,maudeleyn1 now            
,my ,son is hanged on a tree1           
,yet alive am ,i and thou1--            
,and thou1 thou prayest not for me6     
,,maudeleyn  said3 ,i know no red1      
,care hath smitten my heart sore4       
,i stand1 ,i see my ,lord nigh dead2    
,and thy weeping grieveth me more4      
,come with me2 ,i will thee lead        
,into the ,temple here before           
,for thou hast now i-wept full yore4    
,,mary3      ,i ask thee1 ,maudeleyn1   
where is that place1--                  
,in plain or valley or in hill8         
,where ,i may hide in any case          
,that no sorrow come me till4           
,for ,he that all my joy was1           
,now death with ,him will do its will2  
,for me no better solace is             
,than just to weep1 to weep my fill4    
,the ,maudeleyn comforted me tho4       
,to lead me hence1 she said1 was best3  

,but care had smitten my heart so       
,that ,i might never have no rest4      
,sister1 wherever that ,i go            
,the woe of ,him is in my breast1       
,while my ,sone hangeth so              
,his pains are in mine own heart fast4  
,should ,i let ,him hangen there        
,let my ,son alone then be8             
,maudeleyn1 think1 unkind ,i were       
,if ,he should hang and ,i should flee4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,i bade them go where was their will1   
,this ,maudeleyn and everyone1          
,and by myself remain ,i will           
,for ,i will flee for no man4           
,from ,st4 ,bernard's ,lamentation ,on  
,christ's ,passion4         ,engl4      
version1 #acth ,cent41 by ,richard      
,maydestone4        ,,part ,,two        
,,chapter ,,xix    ,,the ,,descent ,,and
 ,,burial         ,and when ,joseph had 
taken the body1 he wrapped it in a clean
       linen cloth1 and laid it in his  
own new tomb1 which he had       hewn   
out in the rock4         ,s4 ,matt4     

,,xxvii1 #ei1 #fj4         ,it is meet  
in very truth to bless thee the         
,theotokos1 the       ever-blessed and  
all-immaculate and ,mother of our ,god4 
,honoured above the ,cherubim1          
incomparably more glorious than         
the ,seraphim1 thou who without stain   
gavest birth to ,god the       ,word1   
and art truly ,mother of ,god1 we       
magnify thee4         ,,byzantine4      
,the end had come--so it must have      
seemed to those who had loved and       
followed our ,lord4 ,as they came back  
from the burial1 those of them who  had 
remained true to the end1 as they came  
out of their hiding places1  those      
others who forsook ,him and fled1 they  
met in that ,upper ,room  which was     
already consecrated by so many          
experiences4 ,they came back  from      
,joseph's ,garden1 ,s4 ,john leading the
 blessed ,mother1 the ,magdalen  and the
 other ,mary following1 ,s4 ,peter came 
from whatever obscure corner  he had    
found safety in4 ,the other ,apostles   

came one by one1 a  frightened1         
disheartened group1 shame-faced and     
doubtful as to what  might next befall  
them4 ,the thing that to us seems       
strangest of all is  that no one seems  
to have taken in the meaning of our     
,lord's words about  ,his resurrection4 
,not even ,s4 ,mary herself appears to  
have seen any  light through the        
surrounding darkness4 ,i suppose that so
 much of what  our ,lord taught them was
 unintelligible until after the coming  
of the  ,holy ,spirit that they rarely  
felt sure that they understood ,his     
meaning2  and when the meaning was so   
unprecedented as that involved in ,his  
sayings about the resurrection we can   
understand that they should have  been  
so little influenced by them4    ,s4    
,mary's grief would have been so deep1  
so overwhelming1 that she would  have   
been unable to think of the future at   
all save as a dreary waste  of pain4    
,she could only think that her ,son who 
was all to her1 was dead4  ,she had     

stood by the ,cross through all the     
agony of ,his dying3 she had  heard ,his
 last words4 ,that final word to her had
 sunk very deep into her  heart4 ,she   
had once more felt ,his ,body in her    
arms as it was taken down  from the     
,cross2 and she had followed to the     
place where was a ,garden and  a new    
tomb wherein man had never yet lain1    
there she had seen the ,body  placed and
 hastily cared for1 as much as the      
shortness of the time on  the ,passover 
,eve would permit4 ,and then she had    
gone away1 not caring at  all where she 
was taken1 with but one thought         
monotonously beating in  her brain1--,he
 is dead1 ,he is dead4    ,it would not 
be possible in such moments calmly to   
recall what ,he  ,himself had taught    
about death4 ,death for the moment would
 mean what it  had always meant to      
religious people of her time and circle4
 ,what that  was we have very clearly   
presented to us in the talk with ,martha
 that  our ,lord had near the place     

where ,lazarus lay dead4 ,there is a    
fuller  knowledge than we find explicit 
in the ,old ,testament1 showing a growth
  in the understanding of the           
,revelation in the years that fall      
between  the close of the ,old          
,testament canon and the coming of our  
,lord4 ,there  is a belief in survival  
to be followed by resurrection at the   
last day4  ,that would no doubt be ,st4 
,mary's belief about death4 ,that is    
still the  belief of many ,christians   
to-day4 ,i know that he shall rise again
 in  the resurrection at the last day4  
,there are still many who think that    
they have accepted the full ,revelation 
of ,god in ,christ who have not         
appreciated the vast difference that the
 triumph of ,christ over death  has made
 for us here and now4    ,so we have no 
difficulty in understanding the gloom   
that fell on the  ,apostolic circle1    
accentuated as it was by the very vivid 
fear that at  any moment they might hear
 the approaching feet of the ,jewish and

 ,roman  officials and the knock of     
armed hands upon the door4 ,what to do8 
,how  escape8 ,had they so utterly      
misunderstood and misinterpreted ,christ
 that  this is the natural outcome of   
,his movement8 ,had they been the       
victims  of foolish hopes and of a      
baseless ambition when they saw in ,him 
the  ,christ1 the one who should at this
 time restore again the ,kingdom to     
,israel8 ,they had persistently clung to
 this nationalistic interpretation  of  
,his work although ,he had never        
encouraged it2 but it was the only      
meaning that they were able to see in   
it4 ,and now all their expectations  had
 collapsed1 and they were left hopeless 
and leaderless to face the  consequences
 of a series of acts that had ended in  
the death of their  ,master and would   
end1 they knew not how1 for them4 ,was  
it at all likely  that the ,jewish      
authorities having disposed of the      
leader in a dangerous  movement would be
 content to let the followers go free8  

,would they not  rather seek to wipe out
 the last traces of the movement in     
blood8    ,so they would have thought1  
gathered in that ,upper ,room1 while    
outside  the ,jewish authorities were   
keeping the ,passover4 ,what a ,passover
 it was  to them with this nightmare of 
a rebellion which threatened their whole
  place and power passed away4 ,what    
mutual congratulations were theirs on   
the clever way in which the whole matter
 had been handled4 ,there had  been a   
moment when they were on the very point 
of failure1 when ,pilate  was ready to  
let ,jesus go free4 ,that was their     
moment of greatest  danger2 and they    
took their courage in both hands and    
threw the  challenge squarely in the    
face of the cowardly ,governor3 ,if thou
 let  this man go1 thou art not         
,caesar's friend6 ,the chief priests    
knew their  man1 and they carried their 
plan against him with a determined hand1
  declining to accept any compromise1   
anything less than the death of  ,jesus4

 ,great was the rejoicing2 hearty were  
the mutual congratulations  in the      
official circles of ,jerusalem4 ,it had 
been long since they had  celebrated so 
wonderful a ,passover as that6    ,so   
limited1 so mistaken1 is the human      
outlook on life4 ,they had but to  await
 another night's passing and all would  
be changed4 ,but in the  meantime the   
position of the disciples was pitiful4  
,they were in that  state of dull1      
hopeless discouragement that is one of  
the most painful  of human states4 ,it  
is a state to which we who are          
,christians do from  time to time fall  
victims with much less excuse4 ,we are  
hopeless1 we say  and feel4 ,we look at 
the future1 at the problems with which  
we are  fronted1 and we see no ray of   
light1 no suggestion of a solution4 ,we 
have been robbed of what we most valued 
and life looks wholly blank to  us4 ,for
 those others there was this of         
excuse1--they did not know ,jesus       
risen1 they did not know the power of   

the resurrection life4 ,for us  there is
 no such excuse because we have a sure  
basis of hope in our  knowledge of the  
meaning of the ,lord4    ,hope is one of
 the great trilogy of ,christian        
,virtues1 the gift to  ,christians of   
,god the ,holy ,ghost4 ,as ,christians  
we have the virtue of  hope1 the        
question is whether we will excercise it
 or no4 ,it is one of  the many fruits  
of our being in a state of grace4 ,many 
blunder when they  think of hope in that
 they confound it with an optimistic    
feeling about  the future4 ,we hear of  
hopeful persons and we know that by the 
description is meant persons who are    
confident that everything will be  all  
right1 when there seems no ground at all
 for thinking so4 ,they have  a buoyant 
temperament1 by which ,i suppose is     
meant a temperament which  soars above  
facts4 ,that not very intelligent       
attitude has nothing to do  with the    
,christian virtue of hope4 ,hope is born
 of our relation to ,god4  ,it is the   

conviction3 ,god is on my side2 ,i will 
not fear what man can  do unto me4 ,it  
is the serene and untroubled trust of   
one who knows that  he is safe in the   
hands of ,god1 and that his life is     
really ordered by  the will and         
,providence of ,god4    ,this virtue1   
had they possessed it1 would have       
carried the disciples  through the      
crisis of our ,lord's death4 ,they had  
had sufficient  experience of ,him to   
know that they might utterly rely on    
,him in all the  circumstances of their 
lives4 ,he had always sustained them and
 carried  them through all crises4 ,they
 had often been puzzled by ,him1 no     
doubt2  they had felt helpless to fathom
 much of ,his teaching1 but they had    
slowly arrived at certain conclusions   
about ,him which ,he ,himself had       
confirmed4 ,on that day at ,caesarea    
,phillipi they had reached the          
conclusion of ,his ,messiahship1 a      
slumbering conviction had broken into   
flame and light in the great confession 

of ,s4 ,peter4 ,the meaning of          
,messiahship was a part of their        
national religious tradition2 and       
although in some important respects     
mistaken1 they yet1 one would think1    
have been led to perfect trust in our   
,lord when they acknowledged ,his       
,messianic claims4 ,but death8 ,they    
could not get over the apparent         
finality of death4 ,but1 again1 perhaps 
we are not very far beyond this  in our 
understanding of it4 ,to us still death 
seems very final4    ,but it was just   
that sense of its finality--of its      
constituting a  hopeless break in the   
continuity of existence--that our ,lord 
was engaged  in removing during these   
days which to them were days of         
hopelessness  and despair4 ,when they   
came to know what in these days was     
taking place2  and when the ,church     
guided by the ,holy ,spirit came to     
meditate upon the  meaning of our       
,lord's action it would see death in a  
changed light4 ,the  sense of a         

cataclysmic disaster in death would pass
 and be replaced by a  sense of the     
continuity of life4 ,hitherto attention 
had been  concentrated on this world1   
and death had been a disappearence from 
this  world1 the stopping of worldly    
loves and interests4 ,presently death   
would be seen to be the translation of  
the human being to a new sphere  of     
activities1 but involving no cessation  
of consciousness or failure of  personal
 activities4 ,men had thought1 naturally
 enough in their lack of  knowledge1 of 
the effect of death on the survivors1 of
 the break in  their relations with the 
dead4 ,now death would be viewed from   
the point  of view of the interests of  
the person who is dead2 and it would    
emerge  that he continued under         
different conditions1 and in the end it 
would  come to be seen that even in the 
relations of the survivors with the     
dead there was no necessary and absolute
 break1 but that the new  conditions of 
life made possible renewed intercourse  

under altered  circumstances4    ,our   
,lord1 the disciples learned not long   
after1 during these days went  to preach
 to the spirits in prison1 which the    
thought of the ,church has  interpreted 
to mean that ,he carried the news of the
 ,redemption ,he had  wrought through   
,his dying1 to the place of the dead1 to
 the region where  the souls of the     
faithful were patiently waiting the time
 of their  perfecting4 ,the doors of the
 heavenly world could not be opened till
 the  time when ,he by ,his ,cross and  
,passion1 by ,his death and             
resurrection1  opened them4 ,the ,heads 
of the ,gates could not be lifted till  
they were  lifted for the entrance of   
the ,king of ,glory4 ,but once lifted   
they were  lifted forever2 and when ,he 
ascended up on high ,he led ,his troop  
of  captives redeemed from the bondage  
of death and hell4    ,it is through    
these lifted ,gates that the companies  
of the sanctified  have been streaming  
ever since2 and the difference that has 

been made in  our view of death has been
 immense4 ,if we have the faith of a    
,christian  death has been transformed4 
,there remains1 of course1 the natural  
grief  which is ours when we part from  
those whom we love4 ,this grief is      
natural and holy as it is in fact an    
expression of our love4 ,it is not      
rebellion against the will of ,god1 but 
is the expression of a feeling          
wherewith ,god has endowed us4 ,but     
there is no longer in it the sting of   
hopelessness that we find1 for instance1
 in the inscriptions on pagan  tombs1   
nay1 on tombs still1 though created by  
,christians and found in  ,christian    
cemeteries4 ,rather it is the expression
 of a love which is  learning to        
exercise itself under new conditions4   
,we do not find it  possible to reverse 
all our habits in a moment2 and the new 
relation  with the dead is one to which 
we have to learn to accustom ourselves4 
,i  remember a case where a mother and a
 son had never been separated for  more 

than a day at a time1 though he was far 
on in manhood4 ,there came a  time of   
indeterminate separation and the        
mother's grief was intense              
notwithstanding that there was no       
thought of a permanent separation4 ,it  
took some time for her to accustom      
herself to the new mode of              
communication by letter4 ,it is not far 
otherwise in death2 it takes some  time 
for us to accustom ourselves to the new 
mode of intercourse through  prayer1 but
 we succeed1 and the new intercourse is 
very real and very  precious4 ,in a     
sense1 too1 it is a nearer1 more        
intimate intercourse4 ,it  lacks the    
homely1 daily touches1 no doubt2 but in 
compensation it  reveals to us the      
spiritual values in life4 ,we speedily  
learn1 we learn  almost by a spiritual  
instinct1 what are the common grounds on
 which we  can now meet4 ,by our        
intercourse with our dead we get a new  
grasp on the  truth of our common life  
in ,christ3 it is in and through ,him   

that all  our converse is now mediated4 
,we have little difficulty in knowing   
what  are the thoughts and interests    
which may be shared under the new       
conditions in which we find ourselves4  
,our perception of spiritual  interests 
and spiritual values grows and deepens1 
and our communion with  our dead becomes
 an indication of the extent of our own 
spiritual growth4    ,there come times  
in the spiritual experience of most of  
us when we seem  to have got to the end4
 ,there is a deepening sense of failure 
which is  not1 when we analyse it1 so   
much a failure in this or that detail1  
as a  general sense of the futility of  
the life of the ,church as expressed in 
our individual lives4 ,it came to those 
primitive congregations1 you  remember1 
to which ,s4 ,peter was writing2 ,where 
is the promise of his  coming8 ,for     
since the fathers fell asleep1 all      
things continue as they  were from the  
beginning of creation4 ,it is the       
weariness of continuous  effort from    

which we conclude that we are getting   
quite  insufficient results4    ,no     
doubt that is true4 ,the results are    
never what we expect1 possibly  because 
the effort is never what we imagine it  
to be4 ,we continually  underestimate   
the opposing force of evil1 the         
difficulty of dealing with  a humanity  
which falls so easily under the         
slightest temptation4 ,it is  not that  
sinners decline to hear the ,word of    
,god1 but that those who  profess       
themselves to be the servants of ,god1  
and who in fact intend to  be such1 are 
so lamentably weak and ineffective4 ,we 
think of the effort  of ,god in the     
,incarnation2 we have been following    
that effort in some  detail through the 
,passion4 ,we are surprised1 shocked1   
disheartened by  the spectacle of the   
hatred that innocence stirs up1 at the  
lengths men  will go when they see their
 personal ends threatened4 ,we are      
horrified  by ,caiphas1 ,pilate1 ,herod4
 ,but is that the really horrifying     

thing  about the ,passion of our ,lord8 
,to me the supreme example of human     
incomprehension is that all the         
disciples forsook ,him and fled1 that   
,he  was left to die almost alone4      
,there we get the most disheartening    
failure in the tragedy4    ,for we      
expect the antagonism of the world1     
especially that part of the  world that 
has seen and rejected ,christ4 ,there we
 find ,satanic  activities4 ,one of the 
outstanding features of the literature  
of to-day  in the ,western world1 the   
world that had known from childhood the 
story  of ,jesus1 is its utter hatred of
 ,christianity2 its revolt from all that
  ,christianity stands for4 ,this is    
markedly true in regard to the          
,christian teaching in the matter of    
purity4 ,the contemporary ,english      
novel is perhaps the vilest thing that  
has yet appeared on this earth4  ,there 
have been plenty of unclean books       
written in the course of the  world's   
history--we have only to recall the     

literature of the  ,renaissance--but for
 the most part they have been written in
 careless or  boastful disregard of     
moral sanctions which they still        
regarded as  existing2 but the novel of 
the present is an immoral propaganda--it
 is  deliberately and of malice immoral1
 not out of careless levity1 but out  of
 deliberate intention4 ,you do not feel 
that the modern author is just          
describing immoral actions which grow   
out of his story1 but that he is        
constructing his story for the purpose  
of propagating immoral theory4 ,he      
hates the whole teaching of the         
,christian ,religion in the matter of   
purity4 ,he has thrown it overboard on  
the ground that it is an  unnatural     
restraint4 ,to those who have studied   
the development of  thought since the   
,renaissance there is nothing surprising
 in this4    ,but what does still       
surprise those who are as yet capable of
 being  surprised is the light way in   
which the mass of ,christians take their

  religion4 ,occasionally1 in moments of
 frankness1 they admit that they  are   
not getting anything out of it2 but it  
is harder to get them to  admit that the
 reason is that they are not putting    
anything into it4 ,you  do not expect to
 get returns from a business into which 
you are putting  no capital1 and you    
have no right to expect returns from a  
religion into  which you are putting no 
energy4 ,what is meant by that is that  
those  ,christians who are keeping the  
minimum routine of ,christianity1 who   
are  going to ,high ,mass on ,sunday 7or
 perhaps only to low ,mass7 and then    
making the rest of the day a time of    
self-indulgence and pleasure2 who  make 
their communions but rarely2 who do not 
go to confession1 or go  only at        
,easter2 who are giving no active       
support to the work of the  ,gospel as  
represented in parish and diocese have  
no right to be  surprised if they find  
that they do not seem to get any results
 from  their religion2 that it is often 

rather a bore to do even so much as     
they do1 and that they see no point in  
permitting it further to  interfere with
 their customary amusements and         
avocations4 ,i do not know  what such   
persons expect from their religion1 but 
,i am sure that they  will be           
disappointed if they are expecting any  
spiritual result4  ,naturally1 they will
 be disappointed if they look in        
themselves for any  evidence of the     
virtue of hope4 ,the most that can be   
looked for under  the circumstances is  
that mockery of hope1 presumption4      
,we are not to be discouraged in our    
estimate of the ,christian ,religion  by
 this which seems to be the failure of  
,god4 ,we are not to echo the  cry3     
,since the fathers fell asleep1 all     
things continue as they were  from the  
beginning of the creation4 ,s4 ,peter   
pointed out to those  pessimists that   
all things do not continue the same1    
that there are  times of crisis which   
are the judgments of ,god4 ,such a      

judgment was that  of old which swept   
the wickedness of the world away1       
whereby the world  that then was1 being 
overflowed with water1 perished4 ,he    
goes on to  state that the present order
 likewise will issue in judgment3 ,the  
heavens and the earth which are now 444 
are kept in store1 reserved unto  fire  
against the day of judgment and         
perdition of ungodly men4 ,what  renders
 men hopeless is the feeling of ,god's  
inactivity2 but this  declaration of    
impending judgment certifies the active 
interest of ,god4  ,god's dealing with  
the world is a perpetual judgment of    
which we are apt  to decline the        
evidence until the cataclysm reveals the
 final scene4 ,but  every society1 every
 individual life1 is being judged       
through the whole  course of its        
existence1 and there is no need that    
either society or  individual should be 
blind to the fact that such a judgment  
is taking  place4 ,there is no failure  
of ,god4 ,there is a failure on our part

 to  understand the works of ,god4      
,we may very well consider the problem  
an individual one and ask  ourselves    
what ground of hope we have4 ,on the    
basis of our present  effort can we1    
ought we1 to have more than we have8    
,the spiritual life  is not an accident 
that befalls certain people2 it is an   
art that is  acquired by such persons as
 are interested in it4 ,it is attained  
through  the careful training and       
exercise of the faculties wherewith we  
have  been endowed4 ,the answer to our  
question is itself a perfectly simple   
one1 as simple as would be the answer to
 the question3 ,do you speak  ,french8  
,we speak ,french if we have taken the  
trouble to learn ,french2  and we have  
gained results in the way of spiritual  
development and  culture if we have     
taken the trouble to do so4 ,i do not   
know why we  should expect results on   
any other ground than that4    ,but     
certain persons say3 ,i have tried1 and 
have not attained any  results4 ,well1  

,i should want to know what the trying  
means in that  case4 ,it is well for a  
person who aspires to spiritual culture 
to think  of his past history4 ,what    
sort of character-development has so far
 been  going on8 ,commonly it happens   
that there has been no spiritual effort 
that is worth thinking about2 but that  
does not mean that nothing  spiritual   
has been happening4 ,it means on the    
contrary that there has  been going on a
 spiritual atrophy1 the spiritual powers
 have been  without exercise and will be
 difficult to arouse to activity4 ,in   
such a  case as that spiritual awakening
 will be followed by a long period of   
spiritual struggle against habits of    
thought and action which we have        
already formed1 a period in which unused
 and immature spiritual powers  must be 
roused to action and disciplined to use4
 ,the simplest  illustration of this is 
the difficulty experienced by the       
enthusiastic  beginner in holding the   
attention fixed on spiritual acts such  

as the  various forms of prayer4 ,in all
 such attempts at spiritual activity    
there will be the constant drag of old  
habits1 the recurrence of states  of    
mind and imagination that had become    
habitual4 ,these hindrances can  be     
overcome1 but only by steady and rather 
tedious labour4 ,they call for  the     
display of the virtue of patience which 
is not one of the virtues               
characteristic of spiritual immaturity4 
,hence reaction and the feeling  that   
one is not getting on1 the feeling that 
we have quite possibly made  a mistake  
about the whole matter4    ,this is the 
place for the exercise of hope2 and hope
 will come if we  look away from our not
 very encouraging acquirement to the    
ground that  we have for expecting any  
acquirement at all4 ,if we ask3 ,why    
hope8 we  shall see that our basis of   
hope is not in ourselves at all but in  
,god4  ,we hope because of the promises 
of ,god1 because of ,his will for us as 
revealed in ,his ,son4 ,he loved us and 

gave ,himself for us2 and that  giving  
will not be in vain4 ,he gave ,himself  
for me1 ,i tell myself1  and therefore  
,i am justified in my expectation of    
spiritual success4  ,so one tries to    
learn from the present failure as it    
seems2 so one  repents and pushes on2 so
 one learns that it is through tenacity 
of  purpose that one attains results4   
,and again3 ,i am sustained by hope     
because ,i see that the results that ,i 
covet are not imaginary4 ,they exist4 ,i
 see them in operation all about  me4 ,i
 learn of them as ,i study the lives of 
other ,christians past and  present4    
,they are reality not theory1 fact not  
dream4 ,and what has been  so richly and
 abundantly the outcome of spiritual    
living in others must  be within my own 
reach4 ,the results they attained were  
not miraculous  gifts1 but they were the
 working of ,god the ,holy ,spirit in   
lives yielded  to ,him and co-operating 
with ,him4    ,once more3 is it not true
 that after a period of honest labour ,i

 do find  results8 ,perhaps not all that
 ,i would like but all that ,i am       
justified  in expecting from the energy 
,i have spent8 ,i do not believe that   
any one  can look back over a year's    
honest labour and not see that the      
labour  has born fruit4    ,in any case 
the fact that we do not see just what we
 are looking for  does not mean that no 
spiritual work is going on4 ,it may seem
 that our  ,lord is silent and that to  
our cries there is no voice nor any that
  answers2 but that may mean that we are
 looking in the wrong place or          
listening for the wrong word4 ,the      
disciples looked that the outcome of    
our ,lord's life should be that the     
,kingdom should be restored to ,israel2 
and when they turned away from the tomb 
in ,joseph's ,garden they felt  that    
what they had looked for and prayed for 
was hopeless of  accomplishment4 ,but   
the important point was not their vision
 of the  ,kingdom at all1 but that they 
had yielded themselves to our ,lord and 

become ,his disciples and lovers4 ,this 
is not what they intended to do1  but it
 is what actually had happened3 and when
 the grave yielded up the  dead ,whom   
they thought that they had lost forever1
 ,jesus came back with  a mission for   
them that was infinitely wider than     
their dream3 the  mission of founding   
not the old ,kingdom of ,david1 but the 
,kingdom of  ,david's ,son4 ,all their  
aspirations and prayers were fulfilled  
by being  transcended1 and they found   
themselves in a position vastly more    
important than had been reached even in 
their dreams4    ,something like that   
not infrequently happens in our         
experience4 ,we  conceive a spiritual   
ambition and work for a spiritual end1  
and seem  always to miss it2 and then   
the day comes when ,god reveals to us   
what ,he  has been doing1 and we find   
that through the very discipline of our 
failure we have been being prepared for 
a success of which we had not  thought3 
and when we raise our eyes from the path

 we thought so toilsome  and            
uninteresting1 it is to find ourselves  
at the very gate of the ,city  of ,god4 
,it will be with us as with the         
,apostles who in the darkest hour  of   
their imagined failure1 when they were  
gathered together in hiding  from the   
,jews were startled by the appearence   
among them of the risen  ,jesus1 and    
were filled with the unutterable joy of 
,his message of peace4         ,his body
 is wrappd all in woe1       ,hand and  
foot ,he may not go4       ,thy ,son1   
,lady1 that thou lovest so       ,naked 
is nailed upon a tree4         ,the     
,blessd ,body that thou hast born1      
,to save mankind that was forlorn1      
,his body1 ,lady1 the ,jews have torn1  
,and hurt ,his ,head1 as ye may see4    
,when ,john his tale began to tell      
,mary would not longer dwell       ,but 
hied her fast unto that hill            
,where she might her own ,son see4      
,my sweete ,son1 ,thou art me dear1     
,oh why have men hanged thee here8      

,thy head is closed with a brier1       
,o why have men so done to ,thee8       
,john1 this woman ,i thee betake2       
,keep ,my ,mother for ,my sake4         
,on ,rood ,i hang for mannes sake       
,for sinful men as thou may see4        
,this game alone ,i have to play1       
,for sinful souls that are to die4      
,not one man goeth by the way           
,that on my pains will look and see4    
,father1 my soul ,i thee betake1        
,my body dieth for mannes sake2         
,to hell ,i go withouten wake1          
,mannes soul to maken free4             
,pray we all that ,blessed ,son         
,that ,he help us when may no man       
,and bring to bliss each everyone       
,amen1 amen1 amen for ,charity4         
,early ,english ,lyrics1 p4 #adf4 ,from 
an ,,ms4 in the ,sloane collection4     
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xx    ,,the 
,,resurrection    ,and he saith unto    
them1 ,be not affrighted2 ye seek ,jesus
 of ,nazareth1  which was crucified3 he 
is risen2 he is not here4    ,s4 ,mark  

,,xvi1 #f4         ,o ,god1 who wast    
pleased that thy ,word1 when the angel  
delivered his message1 should take flesh
 in the womb of the       blessed       
,virgin ,mary1 give ear to our humble   
petitions1 and       grant that we who  
believe her truly to be the ,mother of  
,god1       may be helped by her        
prayers4 ,through4         ,o ,almighty 
and merciful ,god1 who hast wonderfully 
provided       perpetual succour for the
 defence of ,christian people in the    
most blessed ,virgin ,mary2 mercifully  
grant that1 contending       during life
 under the protection of such patronage1
 we may be       enabled to gain the    
victory1 over the malignant enemy in    
death4 ,through4         ,,old          
,,catholic4    ,whatever may be our     
grief1 however life may seem to have    
been emptied  of all interest for us1   
nevertheless the routine of life        
reasserts  itself and forces us back to 
the daily tasks no matter how savourless
  they may now seem4 ,we speedily find  

that we are not isolated but units  in a
 social order which claims us and calls 
on us to fulfil the duties  of our      
place4 ,blessed ,mary was led away from 
the tomb of her ,son in the  prostration
 of grief2 but her very duty to ,him    
would have forced her  thought away from
 herself and led her to join in the     
preparations which  were being made for 
the proper care of the ,sacred ,body4   
,and in that sad  duty she would find   
solace of a kind2 there is an expression
 of love in  the care we give our dead4 
,this body now so helpless and          
unresponsive1  has been the medium      
through which the soul expressed itself 
to us2 it  has been the instrument of   
love and the sacrament of our union4    
,how well  we know it6 ,how well the    
mother knows every feature of her child1
 how  she now lingers over the          
preparations for the burial feeling that
 the  separation is not quite           
accomplished so long as her hands can   
touch and  her eyes see the familiar    

features4 ,in the pause that the        
,sabbath forced  on the friends of      
,jesus we may be sure that they were    
making what  preparations might be made 
under the restrictions of their         
religion1 and  that they looked eagerly 
for the passing of the ,sabbath as      
giving them  one more opportunity of    
service to the ,master4 ,there was the  
group of  women who had followed ,him   
and ministered of their substance who   
were  faithful still4 ,the ,mother had  
no substance2 she shared the poverty of 
her ,son4 ,her support during the       
,sabbath would be the expectancy of     
looking once more upon ,his ,face4      
,but when the first day of the week     
dawned it proved to be a day of         
stupendous wonder4 ,they1 the ,disciples
 and these faithful women1 seemed  to   
themselves1 no doubt1 to have passed    
into a new world where the              
presuppositions of the old world were   
upset and reversed4 ,there were  visions
 of angels1 reported appearances of     

,jesus1 an empty tomb4 ,through  the    
incredible reports that came to them    
from various sources the light          
gradually broke for them4 ,it was true  
then1 that saying of ,jesus1 that  ,he  
would rise again from the dead6 ,it was 
not some mysterious bit of  teaching1   
the exact bearing of which they did not 
catch1 but a literal  fact6 ,and then   
while they still hesitated and doubted1 
while they still  hid behind the closed 
doors1 ,jesus ,himself came and stood in
 the midst  with ,his message of peace4 
,it is often so1 is it not8 ,while we   
are in  perplexity and fear1 while we   
think the next sound will be the knock  
of  armed hands on the door1 it is not  
the ,jews that come1 but ,jesus with a  
message of peace4 ,our fears are so     
pathetic1 so pitiful2 we meet life  and 
death with so little of the             
understanding and the courage that our  
,lord's promises ought to inspire in us6
 ,we stand so shudderingly before  the  
vision of death1 are so much appalled by

 the thought of the grave6  ,we shudder 
and tremble as the hand of death is     
stretched out toward us  and ours4 ,one 
is often tempted to ask as one hears    
people talking of  death3 ,are these    
,christians8 ,do they believe in        
immortality8 ,have they  heard the      
message of the first ,easter morning1   
the angelic announcement  of the        
resurrection of ,christ8 ,have they     
never found the peace of  believing1 the
 utter quiet of the spirit in the       
confidence of a certain  hope which     
belongs to those who have grasped the   
meaning of the  resurrection of the     
dead8 ,here in ,jerusalem in a few days 
the whole  point of view is changed4    
,the frightened group of disciples is   
transformed by the resurrection         
experience into the group of glad and   
triumphant missionaries who will be     
ready when they are endowed with  power 
from on high to go out and preach ,jesus
 and the resurrection to  the ends of   
the earth4    ,what in these first days 

the resurrection meant to them was no   
doubt  just the return of ,jesus4 ,he   
was with them once more1 and they were  
going to take hope again in the old     
life1 to resume the old mission  which  
had been interrupted by the disaster of 
,calvary4 ,all other feeling  would have
 been swallowed up in the mere joy of   
the recovery4 ,but it  could not be many
 hours before it would be plain that if 
,jesus was  restored to them ,he was    
restored with a difference4 ,a new      
element had  entered their intercourse  
which was due to some subtle change that
 had  passed upon ,him4 ,we get the     
first note of it in that wonderful scene
 in  ,joseph's ,garden when the ,lord   
appears to the ,magdalen4 ,there is all 
the  love and sympathy there had ever   
been2 but when in response to her name  
uttered in the familiar voice the       
,magdalen throws herself at ,his ,feet1 
there is a new word that marks a new    
phase in their relation3 ,touch ,me     
not1 for ,i am not yet ascended4        

,this new thing in our ,lord which held 
them back with a new word that  they had
 never experienced before must have     
become plainer each day4 ,s4  ,mary     
feels no less love in her ,son restored 
to her from2 the grave1 but  she does   
not find just the same freedom of       
approach4 ,s4 ,john could no  longer    
think of leaning on ,his ,heart at      
supper as before4 ,jesus was the  same  
as before4 ,there was the same          
thoughtful sympathy2 the same tender    
love2 but it is now mediated through a  
nature that has undergone some  profound
 change in the days between death and   
resurrection4 ,the humanity  has        
acquired new powers1 the spirit is      
obviously more in control of the  body4 
,our ,lord appeared and disappeared     
abruptly4 ,his control over  matter was 
absolute4 ,and in ,his intercourse with 
the disciples there was  a difference4  
,he did not linger with them but        
appeared briefly from time  to time as  
though ,he were but a passing visitor to

 the world4 ,there were  no longer the  
confidential talks in the fading light  
after the day's  work and teaching was  
over4 ,there was no longer the common   
meal with its  intimacy and             
friendliness4 ,there was1 and this was a
 striking change1 no  longer any attempt
 to approach those outside the apostolic
 circle1 no  demonstration of ,his      
resurrection to the world that had1 as  
it thought1  safely disposed of ,him4   
,he came for brief times and with brief 
messages1 short1 pregnant instructions1 
filled with meaning for the  future into
 which they are soon to enter4    ,what 
did it mean1 this resurrection of       
,jesus8 ,it meant the demonstration  of 
the continuity of our nature in our     
,lord4 ,the ,son of ,god took upon  ,him
 our nature and lived and died in that  
nature4 ,our pressing question  is1 what
 difference has that made to us8 ,how   
are we affected8 ,has  humanity been    
permanently affected by the resumption  
of it by ,god in the  resurrection8 ,if 

the assumption of humanity by our ,lord 
was but a  passing assumption2 if ,he   
took flesh for a certain purpose1 and   
that  purpose fulfilled1 laid it aside1 
and once more assumed ,his              
pre-incarnate state1 we should have     
difficulty in seeing that our  humanity 
was deeply affected by the ,incarnation4
 ,there would have been  exhibited a    
perfect human life1 but what would have 
been left at the end  of that life would
 have been just the story of it1 a thing
 wholly of the  past4 ,it is not much   
better if it is assumed that the meaning
 of the  resurrection is the revelation 
of the immortality of the human spirit1 
that in fact the resurrection means that
 the soul of ,jesus is now in the  world
 of the spirit1 but that ,his ,body     
returned to the dust4 ,we are not  very 
much interested in the bare fact of     
survival4 ,what interests us is  the    
mode of survival1 the conditions under  
which we survive4 ,we are  interested1  
that is to say1 in our survival as human

 beings and not in  our survival as     
something else--souls4    ,a soul is not
 a human being2 a human being is a      
composite of soul and  body4 ,it is     
interesting to note that people who do  
not believe in the  resurrection of our 
,lord1 do not believe in our survival as
 human  beings1 consequently do not     
believe in a heaven that is of any human
  interest4 ,but we feel1 do we not8 a  
certain lack of interest in a future  in
 which we shall be something quite      
different in constitution from what  we 
are now4 ,we can think of a time between
 death and the resurrection in  which we
 shall be incomplete1 but that is       
tolerable because it is  disciplinary   
and temporary and looks on to our       
restitution to full  humanity in the    
resurrection at the ,last ,day4 ,and we 
feel that the  promise1 the certainty of
 this is sealed by our ,lord's          
resurrection from  the dead4 ,we are    
certain that that took place because it 
is needful to  the completion of ,his   

,work4    ,the ,creed is one3 and if one
 denies one article one speedily finds  
that  there is an effect on others4 ,the
 denial of the resurrection is part and 
parcel of the attempt to reduce         
,christianity to a history of something 
that once took place which is important 
to us to-day because it affords  us a   
standard of life1 a pattern after which 
we are to shape ourselves4  ,else should
 we be very much in the dark4 ,we gain  
from the ,christian  ,revelation a      
conception of ,god as a kindly ,father  
,who desires ,his  children to follow   
the example of ,his ,son4 ,that example1
 no doubt1 must  not be pressed too     
literally1 must be adapted to modern    
conditions2 but  we can get some light  
and guidance from the study of it4      
,still1 if you  do not care to follow it
 nothing will happen to you4 ,it is     
merely a  pleasing occupation for those 
who are interested in such things4 ,the 
affirmation of the resurrection1 on the 
other hand1 is the affirmation  of the  

continuity of the work of ,god          
,incarnate2 it is an assertion that     
,christianity is a supernatural action  
of ,god going on all the time1 the      
essence of which is1 not that it invites
 the believer to imitation of  the life 
of ,christ1 so far as seems practical   
under modern conditions1  but that it   
calls him to union with ,christ2 it     
makes it his life's  meaning to recreate
 the ,christ-experience1 to be born and 
live and die  through the experience of 
,incarnate ,god4 ,it fixes his attention
 not on  what ,jesus did but on what    
,jesus is4 ,it insists on a present     
vital  organic relation to ,god1        
mediated by the humanity of ,jesus2 and 
if there  be no humanity of ,jesus1 if  
at ,his death ,he ceased to be          
completely  human1 then there is no     
possibility of such a relation to ,god  
in ,christ  as the ,catholic ,religion  
has from the beginning postulated2 and  
unless  we are to continue human there  
seems no continuing basis for such a    

relation to one another in the future as
 would make the future of any  interest 
to us4 ,for us1 as for ,s4 ,paul1 all   
our hope hangs on the  resurrection of  
,christ from the dead2 and if ,christ be
 not risen from  the dead then is our   
faith vain4    ,for us then1 as for the 
men who wrote the ,gospel1 and for the  
men who  planted the ,church and watered
 it with their blood1 the resurrection  
of  ,jesus means the return of ,his     
,spirit from the place whither it had   
gone  to preach to the spirits in prison
 and its reunion with the ,body which   
had been laid in the tomb in ,joseph's  
,garden1 and the issuing of  perfect    
,god and perfect man from that tomb on  
the first ,easter morning4  ,that       
humanity had1 no doubt1 undergone       
profound changes to fit it to be  the   
perfect instrument of the spirit of     
,christ ,jesus henceforward4 ,it is  now
 the resurrection body1 the spiritual   
body of the new man4 ,we  understand    
that it is now a body fitted for the new

 conditions of the  resurrection life1  
and we also understand that it is the   
exemplar of  what our risen bodies will 
be4 ,they will be endowed with new      
powers and  capacities1 but they will be
 human bodies1 the medium of the        
spirit's  expression and a recognisable 
means of intercourse with our friends4  
,we  lie down in the grave with a       
certainty of preserving our identity and
 of  maintaining the capacity of        
intercourse with those we know and love4
  ,that is what really interests us in  
the future which would be  uninteresting
 on other terms2 and that is what our   
,lord's appearances  after the          
resurrection seem to guarantee4 ,he     
resumed a human intercourse  with those 
whom ,he had gathered about ,him4 ,he   
continued ,his work of  instruction and 
preparation for the future4 ,and when at
 length ,he left  them they were        
prepared to understand that ,his        
departure was but the  beginning of a   
new relation4 ,but also they would feel 

much less that  there was an absolute   
break with the past than if ,he had not 
appeared to  them after the             
,crucifixion1 and they had been left    
with but a belief in  ,his immortality4 
,they would1 too1 now be able to look on
 to the future  as containing a renewal 
of the relations now changed1 to read a 
definite  meaning into ,his promises    
that where ,he is there shall ,his      
servants be4    ,it is much to know that
 we are immortal3 it is much more to    
know that  this immortality is a human  
immortality4 ,one feels in studying the 
pre-,christian beliefs in immortality   
that they had very little               
effectiveness1 and that the reason was  
that there was no real link  connecting 
life in this world with life in the     
next4 ,death was a fearful  catastrophe 
that man in some sense survived1 but in 
a sense that  separated his two modes of
 existence by a great gulf4 ,man        
survived1 but  his interests did not    
survive1 and therefore he looked to the 

future  with indifference or fear4 ,this
 life seemed to him much preferable to  
the life which was on the other side of 
the grave4 ,so far as the ,old          
,testament writings touch on the future 
world1 they touch upon it without       
enthusiasm4 ,there is an immense        
difference between the attitude of the  
,old ,testament saint toward death and  
that1 for instance1 of the early        
,christian martyr4 ,and the difference  
is that the martyr does not feel  that  
death will put an end to all he knows   
and loves and set him1 alive  it may be1
 but alive in a strange country4 ,he    
feels that he is about to  pass into a  
state of being in which he will find his
 finer interests not  lost but          
intensified4 ,at the center of his      
religious expression is a  personal love
 of ,jesus and a martyr's death would   
mean immediate  admission to the        
presence and love of ,his ,master4 ,he  
would--of this he  had no shadow of     
doubt--he would see ,jesus1 not the     

spirit of ,jesus1 but  the ,jesus ,who  
is ,god ,incarnate1 whose earthly life  
he had gone over so  many times1 ,whom  
he felt that he should recognise at     
once4 ,death was not  the breaking off  
of all in which he was interested but   
was rather the  fulfilment of all that  
he had dreamed4 ,and this must be true  
always  where our interests are truly   
,christian interests4 ,it is no doubt   
true  that we find in ,christian        
congregations a large number of         
individuals  whose attitude toward death
 and the future is purely heathen4 ,they
  believe in survival1 but they have no 
vital interest in it4 ,i fancy that     
there are a good many people who would  
experience relief to be persuaded  that 
death is the end of conscious existence1
 that they do not have to  look forward 
to a continuous life under other        
conditions4 ,and this not  at all1 as no
 doubt it would in some cases be1       
because it was the  lifting of the      
weighty burden of responsibility for the

 sort of life one  leads1 because it was
 relief from the thought of a judgment  
to be one  day faced1 but because the   
world to come1 as they have grasped its 
meaning1 is a world in which they have  
no sort of interest4 ,our ,lord in  ,his
 ,presentation of the future does       
actually point us to the natural  human 
interest by which our affection will    
follow that which we do in  fact value4 
,where your treasure is1 there will your
 heart be also4 ,but  the class of whom 
,i am thinking have no treasures4       
,notwithstanding some  sort of          
conformity to the ,christian ,religion1 
conceived most likely  under the aspect 
of a compulsory moral code1 there is    
nothing in their  experience that one   
can call a love of our ,lord1 no        
actually felt  personal affection for   
,him that makes them long to see ,him4  
,there were  those with whom they had   
intimately lived and whom they had loved
 and  who have passed through the       
experience of death1 but in the years   

that  have passed they have become used 
to living without them and there is  no 
passionate longing to be with them      
again4 ,there are no interests in  their
 lives which when they think of them    
they feel that they can carry  with them
 to the world beyond4 ,whatever they    
have succeeded in  accumulating in life 
is hardly to be regarded as heavenly    
treasure6    ,there then is the vital   
centre of the ,christian doctrine of the
 world to  come1--that it is a life     
continuous with this life1 not in bare  
existence1 but in the persistence of    
relations and interests upon which  we  
have entered here4 ,at the center of    
that world as it is revealed to  us1 is 
,jesus ,christ1 ,god in our nature1 and 
about ,him ever the saints of  ,his     
,kingdom1 who are still human with human
 interests1 and who look on  to the time
 when the fulness of humanity will be   
restored to them by the  resurrection of
 the body4 ,the interests that are vital
 here are also the  interests that are  

vital there1 the interests of the       
,kingdom of ,god4 ,as  the ,christian   
thinks of the life of the world to come 
he thinks of it as  the sphere in which 
his ambitions can be and will be        
realised1 where the  ends of which he   
has so long and so earnestly striven    
will be attained4  ,his life has been a 
life given to the service of our ,lord  
and to his  ,kingdom1 and it had1 no    
doubt1 often seemed to small purpose2 it
 has  often seemed that the ,kingdom was
 not prospering and the work of ,god    
coming to naught4 ,and then he looks on 
to the future and sees that the  work   
that he knows is an insignificant       
fragment of the whole work2 and  he     
thinks with longing of the time when he 
shall see revealed all that  has been   
accomplished4 ,he feels like a colonist 
who in some outlying  province of an    
empire is striving to promote the       
interests of his  ,homeland4 ,his work  
is to build up peace and order and to   
civilise  barbarous tribes4 ,and there  

are days when the work seems very long  
and  very hopeless2 and then he comforts
 himself with the thought that this  is 
but a corner of the empire and that one 
day he will be relieved and  called     
home4 ,there at the centre he will be   
able to see the whole fact1  will be    
able to understand what this colony     
means1 and will rejoice in  the slight  
contribution to its upbuilding that it  
has been his mission  to make4 ,the     
heart of the ,christian is really in the
 ,homeland and he  feels acutely that   
here he is on the ,pilgrim ,way4 ,but he
 feels too that  his present vocation is
 here and that he is here contributing  
the part  that ,god has appointed him   
for the upbuilding of the ,kingdom1 and 
that  the more he loves our ,lord and   
the more he longs for ,him the more     
faithfully and exactly will he strive to
 accomplish his appointed work4    ,they
 are right1 those who are continually   
reproaching ,christians with  having a  
centre of interest outside this world2  

but we do not mind the  reproach because
 we are quite sure that only those will 
have an  intelligent interest in this   
world who feel that it does not stand by
  itself as a final and complete fact1  
but is a single stage of the many       
stages of ,god's working4 ,we no more   
think it a disgrace to be thinking  of a
 future world and to have our centre of 
interest there than we think  it a      
disgrace for the college lad to be      
looking forward to the career  that lies
 beyond the college boundaries and for  
which his college is  supposed to be    
preparing him4 ,we do not consider that 
boy ideal whose  whole time and energy  
is given to the present interests of a  
college1  its athletics1 its societies1 
and in the end is found to have paid so 
little attention to the intellectual    
work that he is sent there to  perform  
that he fails to pass his examinations4 
,christians are  interested in this     
world because it is a province of the   
,kingdom of ,god  and that they are set 

here to work out certain problems1 and  
that they  are quite sure that the      
successful solution of these problems is
 the  best and highest contribution that
 they can make to the development of    
life in this world4 ,they do not believe
 that as a social contribution to  the  
betterment of human life a saint is less
 valuable than an agnostic  professor of
 sociology or an atheistic socialistic  
leader2 nor does the  ,christian believe
 that strict attention to the affairs of
 the ,kingdom of  ,god renders him less 
valuable as a citizen than strict       
attention to a  brewery or a bank4 ,a   
whole-hearted ,christian life which has 
in view all  the relations of the       
,kingdom of ,god in this or in any other
 world1 which  loves ,god and loves its 
neighbour in ,god1 is quite the best    
contribution  that a human being can    
make to the cause of social progress4   
,if it were  possible to put in evidence
 anywhere a wholly ,christian community 
,i am  quite convinced that we should   

see that our social problems were there 
solved4 ,i think then we shall be right 
to insist that what is needed is  not   
less otherworldliness but more3 that    
more otherworldliness would  work a     
social revolution of a beneficent       
character4 ,the result might be  that we
 should spend less of our national      
income on preparations for  war and more
 in making the conditions of life       
tolerable for the poor2  that we should 
begin to pay something of the same sort 
of care for the  training of children   
that we now bestow on the nurture of    
pigs and  calves4 ,we might possibly    
look on those whom we curiously call the
  inferior races as less objects of     
commercial exploitation and more as     
objects of moral and spiritual interest4
    ,we shall no doubt do this when we  
have more fully grasped what the        
resurrection of ,christ has done and    
made possible4 ,it is no account of     
that resurrection to think of it as a   
demonstration of immortality4 ,it  only 

touches the fringes of its importance   
when we think of it as  setting the seal
 of divine approval upon the teaching of
 ,jesus4 ,we get  to the heart of the   
matter when we think of the risen       
humanity of our  ,lord as having become 
for us a source of energy4 ,the truth of
 our ,lord's  life is not that ,he gave 
us an example of how we ought to live1  
but that  ,he provided the power that   
enables us to live as ,he lived4 ,also  
,he gave  us the point of view from     
which to estimate life4 ,the writer of  
the  ,epistles to the ,hebrews uses a   
striking phrase when he speaks of the   
power of an endless life4 ,is not that  
an illuminating phrase when we  think of
 our relation to our ,lord8 ,his        
revelation of the meaning of  human life
 has brought to us the vision of what   
that life may become and  the power to  
attain that end4 ,the fact of our       
endlessness at once puts a  certain     
order into life4 ,things1 interests1    
occupations fall into their  right      

places4 ,there are so many things which 
seem not worth while  because of the    
revelation of the importance of our     
work4 ,other things  there are which we 
should not have dared to undertake if we
 had but this  life in which to         
accomplish them4 ,but he who understands
 that he is  building for eternity can  
build with all the care and all the     
deliberation that is needed for so vast 
a work4 ,there is no haste if we  select
 those things which have eternal value4 
,we can undertake the  development of   
the ,christian qualities of character   
with entire  hopefulness4 ,the very     
conception of the beauty and perfectness
 of the  fruits of the ,spirit might    
discourage us if our time were limited4 
,but  if we feel that the work we have  
done on them1 however elementary and    
fragmentary1 as long as it is honest and
 heartfelt1 will not be lost  when death
 comes1 then we can go securely on4 ,we 
can go on in any  spiritual work we have
 undertaken without that sense of       

feverish haste  lest death overtake us  
and put an end to our labour which so   
affects men  in purely secular things4  
,to us death is not an interruption4    
,death does  not destroy our human      
personality1 nor does it destroy our    
interest in  anything that like us is   
permanent4 ,we feel perfectly secure    
when we  have identified ourselves with 
the business of the ,kingdom of ,god4   
,then  we almost feel the throb of our  
immortality2 the power of an endless    
life is now ours4 ,we have not to wait  
for death and resurrection to  endue us 
with that power because it is the gift  
of ,god to us here1 that  gift of       
enternal life which our ,lord came to   
bestow upon us4 ,only the  gift which we
 realise imperfectly or not at all at   
its bestowal we come  to understand in  
something of its real power2 and        
henceforth we live in  the possession   
and fruition of it1 growing up into ,him
 in all things1  which is the ,head1    
even ,christ4         ,hail1 thou       

brightest ,star of ,ocean2       ,hail1 
thou ,mother of our ,god2       ,hail1  
thou ,ever-sinless ,virgin1             
,gateway of the blest abode4       ,ave2
 'tis an angel's greeting--       ,thou 
didst hear his music sound1             
,changing thus the name of ,eva--       
,shed the gifts of peace around4        
,burst the sinner's bonds in sunder2    
,pour the day on darkling eyes2         
,chase our ills2 invoke upon us         
,all the blessings of the skies4        
,show thyself a watchful ,mother2       
,and may ,he our pleadings hear1        
,who for us a helpless ,infant          
,owned thee for ,his mother dear4       
,maid1 above all maids excelling1       
,maid1 above all maidens mild1          
,freed from sin1 oh1 make our bosoms    
,sweetly meek and undefiled4       ,keep
 our lives all pure and stainless1      
,guide us on our heavenly way1          
',till we see the face of ,jesus1       
,and exult in endless day4       ,glory 
to the ,eternal ,father2       ,glory to

 the ,eternal ,son2       ,glory to the 
,eternal ,spirit3       ,blest for ever1
 ,three in ,one4        ,,part ,,two    
,,chapter ,,xxi    ,,the ,,forty ,,days 
,to whom also he showed himself alive   
after his passion by       many         
infallible proofs1 being seen of them   
forty days1 and       speaking of the   
things pertaining to the kingdom of     
,god4    ,acts ,i1 #c4         ,open    
unto us the door of thy loving kindness1
 ,o blessed       ,mother of ,god2 we   
have set our hope on thee1 may we not be
       disappointed1 but through thee   
may we be delivered from                
adversity1 for thou art the saving help 
of all       ,christian people4         
,o ,mother of ,god1 thou who art a deep 
well of infinite mercy1       bestow    
upon us thy compassion2 look upon thy   
people who have       sinned1 and       
continue to make manifest thy power4    
,for thee do       we trust1 and to thee
 do we cry1 ,hail6 even as of old did   
,gabriel1 the chief of the angelic      

hosts4    ,,russian4    ,these ,forty   
,days that intervened between our       
,lord's resurrection and  ascension must
 have been utterly bewildering in the   
experience of the  ,apostles4 ,our ,lord
 was once more with them2 ,he had come  
back from the  grave2 that would have   
been the central experience4 ,but in    
,his  intercourse with them ,he was so  
changed1 the same and yet with a vast   
difference4 ,we think of the perplexed  
group of the disciples gathered in  the 
familiar place1 going over the recent   
facts and trying to adjust  themselves  
to them4 ,just what is the difference   
that death and  resurrection have made1 
we hear them discussing4 ,is it that ,he
 appears  and disappears so strangely1  
not coming any longer to be with them in
  the old way1 with the old familiar    
intercourse8 ,there is obviously no     
failure in ,himself1 no decline in love2
 but there is a decline in  intimacy4   
,they themselves feel a strange awe in  
,his presence such as  they had not been

 accustomed to feel in the past4 ,they  
feel too that  this restrained          
intercourse is but temporary1 that at   
any moment it may  end4 ,the            
instructions ,he is giving them are so  
obviously final  instructions1 fitting  
them for a future in which ,he will not 
be  with them4    ,amid all this        
perplexity we try to see ,our ,lady and 
to get at her mind4  ,she was no doubt  
in the small group eagerly waiting our  
,lord's coming1  dreading each time ,he 
left them that ,he would return no more4
 ,one  thinks of her as less bewildered 
than the others because her interest    
was more concentrated4 ,she had no      
problems to work out1 no perplexities   
to absorb her2 she had simply to love4  
,life to her was just love--love  of the
 ,son ,whom she had brought forth and   
,whom she had followed so far4  ,she    
lived in ,his appearings2 and between   
them she lived in remembrance  of them4 
,one does not think of her as dwelling  
very much on what ,he  says1 but as     

dwelling upon ,him4 ,the thought of ,him
 absorbs her4 ,she has  passed into that
 relation to our ,lord that in the years
 to come many  souls will strive to     
acquire--the state of absorbed          
contemplation1 the  state in which all  
things else for the time recede and one 
is alone with  ,god4 ,god so fills the  
soul that there is room there for       
nothing else4    ,for the ,apostles     
these were days of immense importance as
 days in which  they were compelled to  
reconstruct their whole view of the     
meeting of  our ,lord's mission and of  
their relation to it4 ,they came to     
these days  with their settled notion   
about the renewed ,kingdom of ,israel   
and of our  ,lord's reign on earth which
 ,his teaching hitherto had not been    
able to  expel2 but now they are        
compelled to see that the ,kingdom of   
,god of  which they are to be the       
missionaries is a ,kingdom in another   
sense than  they had so far conceived   
it4 ,it differs vastly from their dream 

of an  ,israelite empire4 ,it is no     
doubt true that this mental revolution  
is of  slow operation1 and that even    
when certain truths are grasped it will 
still take time to grasp them in all    
their implications4 ,for long their     
,judaism will impede their full         
understanding of the meaning of the     
,kingdom of ,god4 ,it will be years     
before they can see that it is a        
non-,jewish fact and that other nations 
will stand on an equality with  them4   
,but they will by the end of the ,forty 
,days have grasped the fact  that they  
are not engaged in a secular revolution 
and are not entering  on a career of    
worldly power4 ,they will be ready for  
their active  ministry after ,pentecost1
 a ministry of spiritual initiation into
 the  ,kingdom of ,god4 ,when in        
response to their preaching men asked   
the  question3 ,men and brethren1 what  
shall we do8 ,they were ready with      
their answer3 ,repent and be baptised   
every one of you in the name of  ,jesus 

,christ for the remission of sins1 and  
ye shall receive the gift of  the ,holy 
,ghost4    ,so the ,forty ,days were    
filled with new meanings emerging from  
the old  teaching1 of suddenly grasped  
significance in some saying of our ,lord
  that they had assumed that they       
understood but in reality had attributed
  little meaning to4 ,it is one of the  
striking things about our relation  to  
spiritual truth that we can go on for   
long thinking that we are  attaching a  
meaning to something which in fact1 it  
turns out1 has meant  almost nothing to 
us4 ,some day a phrase which we have    
often read or  repeated suddenly is     
lighted up with a significance we had   
never dreamed  of4 ,we have long been   
looking some truth in the face1 but in  
fact it has  never laid hold of us2 we  
have made no inferences from it1 deduced
 no  necessity of action1 till on a day 
the significance of it emerges and  we  
are overwhelmed by the revelation of our
 blunder1 of our stupidity4  ,the fact  

is that we assume that our conduct is   
quite right1 and we  interpret truth in 
the light of our conduct rather than    
interpret  conduct in the light of      
truth4 ,it is the explanation1 ,i       
suppose1 of the  fact that so many      
people read their ,bible regularly      
without1 so far as  one can see1 the    
reading having any effect upon their    
conduct4 ,the  conduct is a settled     
affair and they are finding it reflected
 in the  pages of the ,gospel4 ,their   
minds are already definitely made up to 
the  effect that they know what the     
,gospel means1 and that is the meaning  
that they put into the ,bible4 ,one does
 not know otherwise how to account  for 
the fact that it is precisely those who 
think themselves ,bible  ,christians who
 are farthest from accepting the        
explicit teaching of the  ,bible4 ,if   
there is anything plain in the ,new     
,testament it is that the  whole        
teaching of our ,lord is sacramental4   
,if anything is taught there  one would 

think it was the nature and obligation  
of baptism1 the  ,presence of our ,lord 
in the ,sacrament of the ,altar1 the    
gift of  ,confirmation1 the meaning of  
absolution4 ,yet it is to ,bible        
,christians  that sacraments appear to  
have no value1 are things which can be  
dispensed with as mere ornaments of the 
,christian ,religion4    ,i wonder if we
 have wholly got beyond that point of   
view8 ,i wonder if we  have got a       
religious practice which is settled or  
one that is  continually expanding8 ,i  
wonder if we force our meaning on the   
,bible or  if we are trying to find     
therein new stimulus to action8 ,that in
 truth  is the reason for reading the   
,holy ,scriptures at all--to find       
therein  stimulus1 stimulus for life2   
that we may see how little or how much  
our  conduct conforms to the ideal set  
out there4 ,we do not read to learn a   
religion1 but to learn to practice the  
religion that we already have4    ,now  
to take just one point in illustration4 

,the commission of our ,lord  to ,his   
,church in the person of the ,apostles  
was a commission to forgive  sins4 ,he  
breathed on them1 and saith unto them1  
,receive ye the ,holy  ,ghost3          
whosesoever sins ye remit1 they are     
remitted unto them2 and  whosesoever    
sins ye retain1 they are retained4 ,as  
to how in detail1  this commission is to
 be exercised is a matter for the       
,church to order  as the circumstances  
of its life require4 ,as ,i read my     
,bible certain  facts emerge3 ,i am a   
sinner2 ,christ died for my sins2 ,he   
left power in  ,his ,church for the     
forgiveness of sin--of my sin4 ,and then
 the question  arises3 ,what is the     
bearing of all that on my personal      
practice8 ,have ,i  settled a practice  
for myself to which ,i am subjecting the
 teaching of  the ,bible and the        
,church8 ,or am ,i alert to see a       
contrast or a  contradiction between my 
practice and the teaching of the ,bible 
and the  ,church1 if such exist8 ,now   

there are many people in the ,church who
 make  no use of the sacrament of       
penance1 and there are many others who  
make  use of it very sparingly4 ,it is  
clear that either they must be right1 or
  the ,bible and the ,church must be    
right4 ,it is clear that such persons1  
to press it no farther1 are imposing the
 interpretation of their own  conduct on
 the teaching of the ,christian         
,religion and asserting by  their       
constant practice that that             
interpretation is quite inadequate1     
notwithstanding the contrary practice of
 the entire ,catholic world4  ,that1 to 
put it mildly1 is a very peculiar       
intellectual and  spiritual attitude4   
,we can most of us1 ,i have no doubt1   
find by searching somewhere in our      
religious practice parallel attitudes   
toward truth4 ,we have settled many     
questions in a sense that is agreeable  
to us4 ,we cannot tell just how we  got 
them settled1 but settled they are4     
,take a very familiar matter  which     

greatly concerns us in this parish      
dedicated to the ,blessed ,virgin       
,mary1 the question of the honour and   
reverence due to our ,blessed  ,mother4 
,we had got settled in our practice that
 certain things were  right and certain 
wrong4 ,i doubt if a very intelligent   
account of  this--why they were right or
 wrong--could1 in many cases have been  
given4 ,but the settled opinion and     
practice was there4    ,and then came   
the demand for a review2 that we look   
our practice  squarely in the face and  
ask1 ,what is the ground of this8 ,does 
it  correspond with the teaching of     
,scripture and of the ,catholic ,church8
  ,and if it does not1 what am ,i going 
to do about it8 ,have ,i only a         
collection of prejudices there where ,i 
supposed that ,i had a collection  of   
settled truths8 ,do ,i see that it is   
quite possible that ,i may be  wholly   
wrong1 and that ,i am hindered by pride 
from reversing my  attitude8 ,for there 
is a certain pride which operates in    

these matters  of belief and practice as
 well as elsewhere4 ,we are quite apt to
 pride  ourselves on our consistency and
 think it an unworthy thing to change   
our minds4 ,that is rather a foolish    
attitude2 changing one's mind is        
commonly not a mark of fickleness but of
 intellectual advance4 ,it means        
oftentimes the abandonment of prejudice 
or the giving up of an opinion  which we
 have discovered to have no foundation4 
,this is rather a large  universe in    
which we live1 and it is improbable that
 any man's thought  of it at any time   
should be adequate4 ,intellectual       
progress means the  assimilation of new 
truths4 ,the ,christian ,religion is a  
large and  complex phenomenon1 and any  
individual's thought of it at any time  
must  be1 in the nature of things1 an   
inadequate thought4 ,progress in        
religion  means the constant            
assimilation of new truths--new1 that   
is1 to us4  ,surely it is a very        
peculiar attitude to be proud of never  

learning  anything1 making it a virtue  
to have precisely the same opinions this
  year as last6 ,i should be very much  
ashamed of myself if a year were to     
pass in which ,i had learned nothing1   
had changed my mind about nothing4  ,in 
religion1 one knows that the articles of
 the ,faith are expressed in  the       
dogmatic definitions of the ,church2 but
 one will never know1 seek as  one will1
 all that these mean in detail1 all that
 they demand in  practice4 ,and our only
 tolerable attitude is that of learners 
constantly  seeking to fill up the      
lacunae in our beliefs and practice4    
,in fact1 any living ,christian         
experience is always in process of      
adjustment4 ,those who conceive a       
dogmatic religion as an immovable       
religion1 as a collection of cut and    
dried formulae which each  generation is
 expected to learn and repeat and to    
which it has no other  relation1 are    
quite right in condemning that          
conception1 only that is  not1 in fact1 

what the ,christian ,religion is4 ,the  
content of the  ,christian dogmas is so 
full and so complex that there is never 
any  danger of intellectual sterility in
 those who are called to deal with      
them2 and their application to life is  
so rich and so manifold that  there is  
not the least danger that those who set 
out to apply them to  the problems of   
daily existence will become mere        
formalists4 ,the attempt  to live a     
truly ,christian life is a never-ending1
 inexhaustible  adventure4 ,only those  
can miss this fact who have utterly     
misconceived  ,christianity as a barren 
set of prohibitions1 warning its        
devotees off  the field of great        
sections of human experience4 ,there are
 those who  appear to imagine that the  
primary business of ,christianity is to 
deal  with sin1 and that in order to    
keep itself occupied it has to invent a 
large number of unreal sins4            
,unfortunately sin1 as the deliberate   
rejection of the known will of ,god1    

exists2 and1 fortunately1 the grace  of 
our ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,who came into 
the world to save sinners also  exists4 
,we can be unendingly thankful for that4
 ,but it is also true that  the action  
of ,christianity is not exhausted in the
 negative work of  dealing with sin4    
,christianity is primarily a positive   
action for the  bringing about and      
development of the relation of the soul 
with ,god in  the state of union4 ,we   
may say that ,christianity has to turn  
aside from  this its proper business of 
developing the spiritual life to the    
preliminary work of dealing with sin    
which kills spirituality and  hinders   
its development4 ,but it is not         
necessary to make the blunder of        
assuming that this dealing with sin is  
the essential work of  ,christianity    
because it has so continually to be at  
it1 any more than  it is necessary to   
assume that the essential work of a     
farmer is the  digging up of weeds4     
,surely it would be no adequate treatise

 on  agriculture which would confine    
itself to description of the nature of  
weeds and of methods of dealing with    
them4 ,there is a branch of theology    
which deals with sin1 the methods of its
 treatment and its cure2 but  there are 
also other branches of theology3 and the
 direction of the ,holy  ,scripture is  
not to get rid of sin and stop2 but     
having done that1 to go  on to          
perfection4    ,christian experience is 
a constant process of adjustment1 a     
constantly  growing experience4 ,by the 
study of the ,christian revelation it is
  always finding new meanings in old    
truths1 new modes of application of     
familiar practices4 ,this simply means  
that the ,christian is alive and  not a 
fossil4 ,it means that his relation to  
our ,lord is such that it  opens to him 
inexhaustible depths of experience4 ,it 
is easy to see this  in the concrete by 
taking up the life of almost any saint4 
,it is easy to  trace the growth of ,s4 
,john from the young fisherman1 fiery1  

impatient1  who wished to call down fire
 from heaven upon his adversaries as    
,elijah  did1 and gained the rebuke3 ,ye
 know not what manner of spirit ye are  
of1 to the mature and supremely calm and
 simple experience which is  reflected  
in the ,gospel and ,epistles4 ,it is    
easy to trace the  development of the   
impulsive1 zealous ,pharisee that ,paul 
of ,tarsus was1  through all the stages 
of spiritual growth that are reflected  
in his  ,letters1 till he is ,paul the  
aged waiting to depart and be with      
,christ  which is far better4 ,you can  
study it in the confessions of ,s4      
,augustine in its first stage and follow
 it through its later stages in  his    
letters and other writings1 and in many 
another saint beside4 ,if you  have any 
spiritual experience at all you can     
trace it in your own case3  you have    
grown1 not through dealing with sin1 but
 through the pursuit of  ideal          
perfection1 that perfection which is set
 before you by the  ,christian          

,religion4 ,you may not feel that you   
have gone very far3 that  is not the    
point at present2 you know that you have
 found a method by  which you may go on 
indefinitely2 that there is no need that
 you should  stop anywhere short of the 
,beatific ,vision4 ,you do know that    
your  religion is not the deadening     
repetition of dogmas which the          
unbeliever  conceives it to be1 but is  
the never ceasing attempt to master the 
inexhaustible truth that is contained in
 your relation to our ,lord4 ,you  do   
know that however far you have gone you 
feel that you are still but  on the     
threshold and that the path before your 
feet runs out into  infinity4 ,let us go
 back again to our examination of the   
experience of  the ,apostles4 ,when we  
examine their training we find there1 ,i
 think1 two  quite distinct elements    
both of which must have had a formative 
influence upon their ministry4 ,in the  
first place there was the element  of   
dogmatic teaching4 ,there is a class of 

persons who are accustomed to  tell us  
that there is no dogma in the ,new      
,testament1 by which they  appear to    
mean that the particular dogmatic       
affirmations of the ,creed  are not     
formulated in the pages of the ,new     
,testament1 but are of later            
production4 ,that1 no doubt1 is true2   
but nevertheless it would be  difficult 
to find a more dogmatic book than the   
,new ,testament1 or a  more dogmatic    
teacher than was our ,lord4 ,and our    
,lord taught the  ,apostles in a most   
definite way the expected acceptance of 
,his teaching  because ,he taught it4   
,he taught as one having authority1 and 
not as the  scribes1 it was noted4 ,the 
point about the teaching of the scribes 
was  that it was traditional1 wholly an 
interpretation of the meaning of the    
,old ,testament4 ,it made no claim to   
originality but rather based its  claim 
on the fact it was not original4 ,our   
,lord1 it was noticed1 did not  base    
,his claim on tradition4 ,in fact ,he   

often noticed the ,jewish  tradition for
 the purpose of marking the contrast    
between it and ,his own  teaching4 ,ye  
have heard that it hath been said of old
 time 444 but ,i  say unto you4 ,he     
commonly refused to give an explanation 
of what ,he had  said1 but demanded     
acceptance on ,his authority4 ,he       
brought discipleship  to the test of    
hard sayings1 and permitted the         
departure of those who  could not accept
 them4 ,he cut across popular prejudices
 and took small  account of the modern  
mind as expressed by the ,sadducees4 ,he
 expected  the same unhesitating        
submission from the ,apostles whom ,he  
was training1  though it was also a part
 of their training to be the future     
heralds of  the ,kingdom that they      
should have the mysteries of the        
,kingdom  explained to them4 ,but from  
the time when ,jesus began to preach1   
saying  the ,kingdom of ,heaven is at   
hand1 ,he preached and taught with the  
same  unhesitating note of certainty1   

and with the same demand for            
intellectual submission on the part of  
those who heard ,him4    ,and that      
continues to the end4 ,during the ,forty
 ,days1 the few sayings  that have come 
to us have the same ring of authority1  
of dogmatic  certainty4 ,the result was 
that when the ,apostles went out to     
teach they  were equipped with a body of
 truth which they presented to the world
 in  the same unhesitating way4 ,indeed1
 that is the only way in which the      
central truths of the ,christian ,faith 
can be presented4 ,they are not the     
conclusions of argument1 which may be   
taken up and argued over again to  the  
end of the world1--they are the dicta of
 revelation4 ,we either know  them to be
 true because they have been revealed1  
or we do not know them  to be true at   
all4 ,they are mysteries1 that is1      
truths beyond the  possibility of human 
finding which have been made known to   
man by ,god  ,himself4 ,they are the    
appropriate data of religion and what   

distinguishes it from philosophy4 ,the  
presence of mystery in philosophy  is   
annoying1 and the aim is to get rid of  
it1 but a religion without  mystery is  
absurd4 ,religion deals with the        
fundamental relations between  ,god and 
man and the light it brings us must be a
 supernatural light4  ,such a religion  
in its presentation naturally cut across
 the  preconceptions of the             
traditionalists in ,jerusalem to whom   
nothing new  could be true1 as across   
the preconceptions of the sophists of   
,athens1  to whom nothing that was not  
new was interesting4    ,this dogmatic  
equipment was but one side1 however1 of 
the ,apostolic  training for their      
future work1 a training to which the    
finishing  touches1 so to say1 were put 
during the ,forty ,days4 ,the other side
 of  the training was the impression    
upon them of the ,personality of our    
,lord1 the effect of their close        
association with ,him4 ,this has an     
importance that dwarfs all other        

influences of the time2 and we feel all 
through the ,gospel that it was what our
 ,lord himself counted upon in  forming 
them for their mission4 ,in the         
beginning ,he chose twelve to be  with  
,him1 and their day by day association  
with ,him was constantly  changing their
 point of view and reforming their      
character4 ,it was not  the teaching1   
the explanation of parables1 or the     
sight of the miracles2  it was the      
silent effect of a personality that was 
in contact with them  constantly and was
 constantly presenting to them an ideal 
of life1 an  ideal of absolute          
submission to the will of the ,father   
and of utter  consecration to the1      
mission that had been committed to ,him4
    ,we all know this silent pressure of
 life upon life4 ,we have most of us1   
,i suppose1 experienced it either from  
our parents or from friends in  later   
life2 and we can through that experience
 of ours attempt the  explanation of our
 ,lord's influence on the ,apostles4    

,there were not only  the hours of      
formal teaching--they1 in a way1 were   
perhaps the less  important from our    
present point of view4 ,we have more in 
mind the  informal talks that would go  
on as they went from village to village 
in  ,galilee1 or as they gathered about 
the door of some cottage in the  evening
 or sat in the shelter of some grove    
during the noon-day heat4 ,it  was just 
talk arising naturally out of the       
incidents of the day1 but it  was always
 talk guided by ,jesus--talk in which   
,jesus was constantly  revealing        
,himself to them1 impressing upon them  
,his point of view1  making plain his   
own judgment upon life4 ,and when we    
turn to ,his formal  teaching we realise
 how revolutionary was ,his point of    
view in regard to  life1 how ,he swept  
aside the customary conventions by which
 they were  accustomed to guide life1   
and substituted the radical principles  
that  they have left on record in the   
,sermon on the ,mount for the perplexity

  of a world yet far from understanding 
them4 ,evidently the ,apostles would    
find their accustomed values tossed     
aside and a wholly new set of values    
presented to them4    ,i suppose we find
 it difficult to appreciate how utterly 
revolutionary  the ,gospel teaching     
continually is1 not because we have     
become  accustomed to follow it1 but    
because we have got used to hearing it  
and  evacuating it of most of its       
meaning by clever glossing4 ,it was thus
  that the teaching classes in          
,jerusalem avoided the pressure of ,old 
,testament ideals by a facile system of 
interpretation which made void  the     
,word of ,god by their traditions4      
,human nature has not altered2 and  we  
succeed by the same method in making the
 ,gospel of none effect4 ,we  are so    
well accustomed to do this that we lose 
the point and pungency of  much of our  
,lord's teaching4 ,but we know that the 
apostles did not4 ,we  know that they   
presented that teaching in all its      

sharpness to would-be  disciples4 ,it   
could not be otherwise with those who   
for three years had  been in day by day 
intimacy with our ,lord and had         
assimilated ,his point  of view and his 
judgment on life4    ,one effect of     
their contact with our ,lord in the days
 following the  resurrection would be   
that whatever changes the passage to a  
new level  of existence had wrought in  
,him1 it had not changed either the tone
 of  ,his teaching or the beauty and    
attractiveness of ,his ,personality4    
,the  concluding charges that were given
 them1 the great commission of          
proclaiming the ,kingdom with which they
 were now definitely endued1 the  powers
 which were committed to them in the    
great words3 ,all power is  given unto  
me in heaven and in earth4 ,go ye       
therefore and teach all  nations1       
baptising them in the name of the       
,father1 and of the ,son1 and  of the   
,holy ,ghost3 ,teaching them to observe 
all things whatsoever ,i have  commanded

 you3 and1 lo1 ,i am with you alway1    
even unto the end of the  world1 would  
but confirm and strengthen all that had 
gone before in  their experience of     
,him4 ,the ,jesus of the resurrection   
was no pale ghost  returned from the    
grave1 intermittently to appear to them 
to assure them  of the fact of          
immortality4 ,he was the same ,jesus    
,whom they had known  for three years1  
and whose return from the dead          
triumphant over the  powers that had    
opposed ,him1 set quite plainly and     
definitely the seal  of indisputable    
authority upon all the teaching and the 
example that had  gone before4 ,the     
period of their probation was over3 ,the
 commission was  theirs3 ,it remained   
that they should abide in ,jerusalem    
until they  should be endued with power 
from on high4         ,proclaimed ,queen
 and ,mother of a ,god1         ,the    
,light of earth1 the ,sovereign of      
saints1       ,with pilgrim foot up     
tiring hills she trod1         ,and     

heavenly stile with handmaids' toil     
acquaints2           ,her youth to age1 
her health to sick she lends2           
,her heart to ,god1 to neighbor hand she
 bends4         ,a ,prince she is1 and  
mightier ,prince doth bear1         ,yet
 pomp of princely train she would not   
have2       ,but doubtless1 heavenly    
choirs attendant were1         ,her     
,child from harm1 herself from fall to  
save3           ,word to the voice1 song
 to the tune she brings1           ,the 
voice her word1 the tune her ditty      
sings4         ,eternal lights enclosd  
in her breast         ,shot out such    
piercing beams of burning love1         
,that when her voice her cousin's ears  
possessed         ,the force thereof did
 force her babe to move3           ,with
 secret signs the children greet each   
other2           ,but1 open praise each 
leaveth to his mother4         ,robert  
,southwell1 ,s4,j4 #aefj-aeie4          
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xxii        
,,the ,,ascension           ,and it came

 to pass1 while he blessed them1 he was 
parted       from them1 and carried up  
into heaven4                            
,s4 ,luke ,,xxiv1 #ea4         ,o       
,mother of ,god1 since we have obtained 
confidence in thee1       we shall not  
be put to shame1 but we shall be saved4 
,and since we have obtained thy help and
 thy meditation1 ,o1       thou holy1   
pure1 and perfect one6         ,we fear 
not but that we shall put our enemies to
 flight and       scatter them4         
,we have taken unto us the shelter of   
thy mighty help in all       things like
 a shield4         ,and we pray1 and    
beseech thee that we may call upon thee1
 ,o       ,mother of ,god1 so that thou 
deliver us through thy prayers4         
,and that thou mayest raise us up again 
from the sleep of       darkness1 to    
offer praise through the might of ,god  
,who took       flesh in thee4          
,,coptic4      ,there would be no doubt 
of the finality of our ,lord's physical 
withdrawal this time4 ,as the group of  

disciples stood on the hilltop in       
,galilee and watched the clouds close   
about ,him1 they would feel that  this  
was the end of the kind of intercourse  
to which they had been  accustomed4 ,the
 past ,forty ,days would have done much 
to prepare them for  the separation4    
,their conception of our ,lord's work as
 issuing in the  establishment of an    
earthly ,kingdom had been swept away2   
the changed  terms of their intercourse 
with ,him in the resurrection state had 
emphasised the change that had taken    
place2 ,his teaching during these  weeks
 which was centered on the work of the  
future in which they were to  carry on  
the mission ,he had initiated2 all these
 elements prepared them  for the        
definite withdrawal of the ascension4   
,nevertheless we can  understand the    
wrench that must have been involved in  
,his actual  withdrawal4 ,we face the   
dying of some one we love4 ,we know that
 it is a  matter of weeks2 the weeks    
shorten to days1 and we are prepared for

  the death2 but what we mean is that   
the death will not take us by  surprise4
 ,however prepared we may be1 the pain  
of parting will be a  quite definite    
pain2 there is no way of avoiding that4 
,we know that there was no way for the  
disciples to avoid the pain of the      
going of ,jesus4 ,it was not the same   
sort of pain that they felt now1 as     
they gazed up from the hill top to the  
cloud drifting into the  distance1 as   
the pain that had been theirs as they   
hurried trembling and  affrighted       
through the streets of ,jerusalem on the
 afternoon of the  ,crucifixion4 ,this  
pain had no sting of remorse for a duty 
undone1 or of  fear for a danger to be  
met4 ,it was the calm pain of love in   
the  realisation that the parting is    
final4    ,we know that among the group 
that watched the receding cloud the eyes
  that would linger longest and would   
find it hardest to turn away would  be  
those of the ,blessed ,mother4 ,her     
mission about our ,lord during all      

these past years had been a very        
characteristically womanly mission1 a   
mission of silence and help and         
sympathy4 ,she was with the women who   
ministered to ,him1 never obtrusive1    
never self-assertive2 but always  ready 
when need was4 ,it was the silent       
service of a great love4 ,that is  the  
perfection of service4 ,there are types 
of service which claim reward  or       
recognition4 ,we are not unfamiliar in  
the work of the ,kingdom with  people   
who have to be cajoled and petted and   
made much of because of  what they do4  
,verily1 they have their reward4 ,but   
the type we are  considering1 of which  
the ,blessed ,mother is the highest     
expression1 is  without thought of self1
 being wholly lost in the wonder of     
being  permitted to serve ,god at all4  
,to be permitted to give one's time and 
personal ministry to our ,lord in ,his  
,kingdom and in ,his members is so      
splendid a grace of ,god that all       
thought of self is lost in the joy of   

it4 ,we know that ,s4 ,mary could have  
had no other thought than the  offering 
of her love in whatever way it was      
permitted to express  itself2 and we    
know that the quality of that love was  
such that the  moment of the ascension  
would have left her desolate1 watching  
the cloud  that veiled ,him from her    
eyes4    ,all of which does not mean    
that we are wrong when we speak of the  
ascension as one of the ,glorious       
,mysteries of ,s4 ,mary4 ,there we are  
viewing it in its wide bearing as ,s4   
,mary would come to view it in a  short 
while4 ,when the meaning of the         
ascension became plain1 when under  the 
guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,s4 ,mary
 was able to view her ,son as  the ,one 
,mediator between ,god and man1 the man 
,christ ,jesus1 when she  was able to   
think of the human nature that ,god had 
taken from her as  permanently enthroned
 in heaven1--then would all this be to  
her creative  of intense joy4 ,we1      
seeing so clearly what the ascension    

essentially  meant1 can think of it as a
 mystery of intense joy1 but as our     
,lord  passed away from sight the       
passing would for the moment be one last
 stab  of the sword through this        
so-often wounded heart4    ,there would 
be no lingering upon the hill top4 ,the 
angel messengers  press the lesson that 
the life before them is a life of eager 
contest1  of energetic action4 ,jesus   
had indeed gone in the clouds of heaven1
 but  they were reminded that there     
would be a reappearance1 a coming-again 
in  the clouds of heaven1 and in the    
meantime there was much to do1 work     
that would require their                
self-expenditure even unto death4 ,back 
must  they go to ,jerusalem and there   
await the opening of the next act of the
  drama of the ,kingdom of ,god4    ,as 
we turn to the ,epistles of the ,new    
,testament and to the slowly  shaping   
theology of the early ,church1 we find  
set out for us the nature  of our       
,lord's heavenly activity2 we see the   

full meaning of ,his  ,incarnation4 ,the
 human nature which the ,son of ,god    
assumed from a pure  ,virgin1 ,he       
assumed permanently4 ,he took it from   
the tomb on the  resurrection morning1  
he bore it with ,him from the ,galilean 
hill to the  very presence of uncreated 
,god4 ,when the ,gates lift and admit   
the  ,conqueror to heaven1 what enters  
heaven is our nature1 what is enthroned 
at the ,right ,hand of ,god is man1     
forever united to ,god4 ,and when we    
ask1  ,what is the purpose of this8 ,the
 answer is that it is the continual     
purpose of the incarnation1 the purpose 
of mediatorship between the  created and
 the uncreated1 between ,god and man4   
,the constant purpose of  the           
incarnation is mediation--of the need of
 mediation there is no end4  ,our       
,lord's work was not finished1 though   
there are those who appear to  believe  
that it was finished1 when1 as a        
,galilean ,preacher ,he had taught  men 
of the ,father3 nor was it finished when

 ,he bought redemption for us  on the   
,cross1 and triumphing over death in the
 resurrection1 returned to  heaven at   
the ascension4 ,there is a very real    
sense in which we can say  that all     
those acts were the preliminaries of    
,his work1 were what made  the work     
possible4 ,we then mean by ,his work the
 age-long work of  building the ,kingdom
 of ,heaven1 and through it bringing    
souls to the  ,father4 ,to insist       
perhaps over-much3 ,we are not saved by 
the memory of  what our ,lord did1 we   
are saved by what ,he now does4 ,we are 
saved by the  present application to us 
of the work that was wrought in the     
years of  ,his earthly life4    ,we need
 to grasp this living and present       
character of our ,lord's work if  we    
will understand the meaning of ,his     
mediation4 ,there is a gulf between  the
 divine1 the purely spiritual1 and the  
human1 which needs some bridge  to      
enable the human to cross it4 ,that     
bridge was thrown across in the         

incarnation when ,god and man became    
united in the ,person of the second     
,person of the ever blessed ,trinity4   
,when ,god the ,son became incarnate1   
,god and man were forever united and the
 door of heaven was about to  swing     
open4 ,henceforth from the demonstrated 
triumph of our ,lord in the  ,ascension 
the ,kingdom of ,heaven is open to all  
believers1 and there is  an ever-ready  
way of approach to ,god the ,blessed    
,trinity by the  ,incarnate ,person of  
the ,son ,who is the ,one ,mediator     
between ,god and man4  ,whoever         
approaches ,god1 whoever would reach to 
the ,divine1 must approach  by that     
path1 the path of ,jesus ,who is the    
,way1 the ,truth and the ,life4    ,he  
is the ,way to ,god3 and that ,way is   
one that we follow by  participation in 
,his nature1 by being taken up into     
,him4 ,we do not reach  ,god by thinking
 about our ,lord1 or by believing about 
our ,lord3 thinking  and believing are  
the preliminaries of action4 ,there are 

wonderful  riches in the ,king's        
,treasury1 but you do not get them      
because you think  of them or because   
you believe that they are there4 ,you   
get them when  you go after them4 ,and  
you get the ends of the ,christian      
,religion not  because you believe them 
to exist1 but because you go after them 
in the  way in which ,christ directed4  
,inasmuch as ,he is the ,way to the     
,father1  we reach the ,father by being 
made one with the ,son1 by being made a 
member of ,him1 by being taken into ,him
 in the life of union4 ,no man  cometh  
unto the ,father but by me1 ,he says4   
,and the process of coming is  by       
believing all that ,he said and acting  
upon ,his ,word to the uttermost4       
,those who by partaking of the          
,sacraments are in ,christ have passed  
by  ,his mediation to the knowledge of  
the ,father4    ,for a road can be      
travelled in either direction4 ,christ  
is the road by  which we come to the    
,father1 to participation in the life of

 the ,blessed  ,trinity2 but also we can
 think of ,him as the road by which the 
,father  comes to us4 ,we can think of  
ourselves as drawing near to ,god in    
,his  ,beloved ,son3 ,i love to think   
the other way of the road1 of ,god      
drawing  near to me1 of ,god pouring of 
,his riches into human life and         
elevating  that life to ,his very ,self4
 ,i like to think of the ,christian life
 as a  life to which ,god continually   
communicates ,himself1 till we are      
filled  with all the fulness of ,god4   
,can we imagine any more wonderful      
expression of the life of holiness to   
which we are called than that8 ,we  grow
 up into ,him in all things4 ,that is   
the true account of the  ,christian     
life1 not some thin and dull routine of 
moral duty1 but the  spiritual adventure
 of the road that travels out into the  
infinite  pursuit of spiritual          
accomplishment till it is lost in the   
very heart  of ,god4    ,this was the   
starting point of ,blessed ,mary4 ,she  

was filled with all  the fulness of ,god
 from the moment of her conception1 and 
was never  separated from the joy of the
 great possession4 ,we are born in sin  
and  have to travel the road to the very
 end4 ,yet we1 too1 begin in union1     
because we are born of our baptism into 
,christ soon after our natural  birth1  
and our problem is to achieve in        
experience the content of our           
birthright4 ,in other words3 our feet   
are set in the ,way from the  beginning1
 and our part is to keep to the ,way and
 not wander to the  right hand or to the
 left2 that this may be possible for us 
,christ lived  and died and to-day is at
 the ,right ,hand of the ,father where  
,he ever  liveth to make intercession   
for us4 ,we need never walk without     
,christ4  ,the weariness of the journey 
is sustained by ,his constant and ready 
help4 ,the way is lighted by the ,truth 
which is ,himself1 and the life  that we
 live is ,his communicated life4 ,i     
live1 yet not ,i1 but ,christ  liveth in

 me4 ,there are those who find the road 
godward1 the road of  the ,christ-life1 
wearisome because they keep their eyes  
fixed on the  difficulties of the way   
and treat each step as though it were a 
separate  thing and not one step in a   
wonderful journey4 ,the way to avoid the
  weariness of the day's travel is to   
keep one's eye fixed on the end1 to     
raise the eyes to the heavens where     
,jesus sitteth enthroned at the ,right  
,hand of the ,father4 ,the day's song is
 the ,sursum ,corda1--,lift up your     
hearts unto the ,lord6    ,the          
mediatorial office of our ,lord is      
exercised chiefly through ,his          
,sacrifice4 ,he ever liveth to make     
intercession for us2 and this           
intercession is the presentation of the 
,sacrifice that ,he ,himself  offered   
once for all in ,blood upon the ,cross1 
and forever presents to  the ,father in 
heaven one unending sacrifice4 ,this    
heavenly oblation of  our ,lord which is
 the means wherethrough we approach pure

 ,divinity1 is  also the ,sacrifice of  
the ,church here on earth4 ,the heavenly
 ,altar and  the earthly ,altar are but 
one in that there is but one ,priest and
 one  ,victim here and there4 ,the      
,eucharistic ,sacrifice is the ,church's
  presentation of her ,head as her means
 of approach to ,god1 as the ground  of 
all her prayers4 ,these prayers make    
their appeal through ,jesus ,who  died  
and rose again for us and is on the     
,right ,hand of ,power4 ,we know of  no 
other way of approach1 we plead no other
 merit as the hope of our  acceptance4  
,let us be very clear about this        
centrality of our ,lord's  mediation    
because ,i shall presently have certain 
things to say which are  often assumed  
to be in conflict with his ,mediatorial 
,office1 but which  in reality do not so
 conflict1 but exist at all because of  
the ,office4    ,we approach ,divinity1 
then1 through our ,lord's humanity2 and 
we at once  see how that teaching1 so   
common to-day1 which denies the         

,resurrection  of our ,lord's ,body1 and
 believes simply in the survival of ,his
 human  soul strikes at the very heart  
of the ,catholic ,religion4 ,if         
,revelation  be true1 our approach to   
,god is rendered possible because there 
is a  ,mediator between ,god and man1   
the ,,man ,christ ,jesus4 ,all our      
prayers  have explicitly1 or implicitly1
 this fact in view4 ,all our ,masses are
 a  pleading of this fact4    ,how great
 is our joy and confidence when we      
realise this6 ,we come  together1 let us
 say1 on ,sunday morning at the ,high   
,mass4 ,we are coming  to offer the     
,blessed ,sacrifice of our ,lord's ,body
 and ,blood4 ,but who1  precisely1 is to
 make the offering8 ,when we ask what   
this congregation  is1 what is the      
answer8 ,the congregation is the        
congregation of ,christ's  ,flock3 it is
 the ,body of ,christ gathered together 
for the worship of  ,almighty ,god4 ,the
 act that is to be performed is the act 
of a ,body1 not  primarily of           

individuals4 ,our participation in the  
act of worship in the  full sense of    
participation is conditioned upon our   
being members of the  ,body4 ,if we are 
not members of the ,body we have no     
recognised status as  worshippers4 ,no  
doubt we each one have our individual   
aspirations and  needs which we bring   
with us1 but they are the needs and     
aspirations of  a member of the ,body of
 ,christ1 and our ability to unite them 
with the  act that is to be performed   
grows out of our status as members of   
the  ,body2 as such1 we join our own    
intention to the sacrificial act and    
make  our petitions through it4 ,but we 
are here as offerers of the ,sacrifice1 
and may not neglect our official        
significance1 and attempt to turn the   
,mass into a private act of worship4    
,we1 then1 the ,body of ,christ in this 
place1 offer the ,sacrifice of  ,christ4
 ,what is the status of the priest8 ,he 
is a differentiated organ  of the ,body1
 not created by the ,body1 but created  

by ,god in the creation  of the ,body4  
,he is not separate from the ,body1 an  
official imposed upon  it from the      
outside1 nor is he a creation of the    
,body set apart to act  upon its behalf4
 ,he is one mode of the expression of   
the ,body's  life--the ,body could not  
perfectly perform its functions without 
him  any more than a physical body can  
perfectly function without a hand or  an
 eye4 ,but neither has the priest any   
existence apart from the ,body of  which
 he is a function4 ,the ,sacrifice that 
he offers is not his on  behalf of the  
,body1 but the ,body's own ,sacrifice   
which is made through  his agency4      
,but a complete body has a head2 and of 
the ,body which is the ,church the      
,head is ,christ4 ,we1 the members1 have
 our life from ,him1 the ,head2 we  are 
able at all to act spiritually because  
of our union with ,him4 ,he is  our     
life2 and the acts of the ,body are     
ultimately the acts of the ,head4  ,the 
,sacrifice which the ,body offers as the

 means of its approach to  ,divinity is 
,one ,sacrifice of the ,head3 and the   
priestly function of the  ,body has any 
vitality because it is ,christ ,who is  
its life1 ,who  functions through the   
priest1 ,who is1 in fact1 the true      
,priest4 ,he  ,himself is both          
,sacrifice and ,priest2 and that which  
is offered here is  indentical with that
 which is offered there4    ,our life   
flows from our ,head1 is the life of    
,christ in us4 ,so closely  are we      
associated with ,him that we are called 
,his members1 the  instrument through   
which ,his life expresses itself1       
through which ,he  acts4 ,by virtue of  
the life of ,christ of which all we are 
partakers1 we  are not only members of  
,christ1 but members one of another4    
,our  spiritual life is not our own     
affair1 but we have duties one to       
another1  and all the members of the    
,body are concerned in our exercise of  
our  gifts1 have1 in fact1 claims on the
 exercise of them4    ,this mutual      

inherence of the members of the ,body   
and these obligations  to one another   
are in strict subordination to the      
,head2 but they are  very real duties   
and privileges which are ours to        
exercise4 ,what we are  concerned with  
at present is that from1 this view of   
them that ,i have  been presenting there
 results the possibility and obligation 
of  intercession2 the love and care of  
the members for one another is          
exercised in their prayers for one      
another4 ,this privilege of             
intercession is one of the privileges   
most widely valued and most  constantly 
exercised throughout the ,church4 ,days 
of intercession1  litanies1 the offering
 of the ,blessed ,sacrifice with special
 intention1  the constant requests for  
prayers for objects in which people are 
interested1 all testify to the value we 
place on the privilege4 ,here is  one   
action in regard to which there is no   
doubting voice in ,christendom4    ,but 
curiously1 and for some reason to me    

wholly unintelligible1 there  are a     
great many who think of this right and  
duty of intercession  between the       
members of the ,one ,body as exclusively
 the right and duty of  those who are   
living here on earth2 or at least if it 
pertain to the  dead it is in a way in  
which we can have no part4 ,one would   
think--and  so the ,catholic ,church has
 always thought--that those whom we call
 dead1  but who are really alive unto   
,god with a life more intense1 a life   
more spiritually clear-visioned1 than   
our own1 would have a special  power and
 earnestness in prayer1 and that a share
 in their intercessions  is a spiritual 
privilege much to be valued4 ,they are  
members with us of  the same ,body2     
death has not cut them off from their   
membership1  rather1 if possible1 it has
 intensified it1 or at least their      
perception  of what is involved in it4  
,they remain under all the obligations  
of the  life of the ,body and           
consequently under the obligation to    

care for other  members of the ,body4   
,the intercession of the saints for us  
is a fact  that the ,church has never   
doubted and cannot doubt except under   
penalty  of denying at the same time the
 existence of the ,body4 ,that certain  
members of the ,church have of late     
years doubted our right to invoke the   
saints1 to call upon them for the aid of
 their prayers1 is true2 but  there     
seems no ground for rejecting the       
tradition of invocation except  the     
rather odd ground that we do not know   
the mode by which our requests  reach   
them6 ,as there are a good many other   
spiritual facts of which we  do not know
 the mode1 ,i do not think that we need 
be deterred from the  practice of       
invocation on that ground3 certainly the
 ,church has never  been so deterred4   
,it is strange how little people attempt
 to think out their religion1 and       
especially their obligation to religious
 practice4 ,i have so often heard       
people say1 when the practice of        

invocation of saints was urged3 ,why ask
  the saints8 ,why not go directly to   
,god8 ,and these same people are        
constantly asking the prayers of their  
fellow ,christians here on earth6       
,suppose when some pious soul comes to  
me and asks me if ,i will not pray  for 
a sick child1 or a friend at sea1 ,i    
were to reply3 ,why come to me8  ,why   
not go directly to ,god8 ,i should be   
rightly thought unfeeling and           
unchristian4 ,but that is precisely what
 the same person says when ,i  suggest  
that the saints or the ,blessed ,mother 
of ,god be invoked for some  cause that 
we have in hand6 ,a person comes to me  
and asks my prayers1  and ,i go to a    
saint and ask his prayers on precisely  
the same basis and  for precisely the   
same reason1 namely1 that we are both   
members of the  ,body of ,christ and of 
one another4 ,we have the right to      
expect the  interest and to count on the
 love of our fellow-members in ,christ4 
,we go  to the saints with the same     

directness and the same simplicity with 
which we go to the living members of the
 ,body1 living1 ,i mean in the  ,church 
on earth4 ,if it be not possible to do  
that1 then death has made a  very       
disastrous break in the unity of the    
,body of ,christ4    ,and if we can     
count so without hesitation upon the    
love and sympathy and  interest of the  
saints1 surely we can count upon finding
 the same or  greater love and sympathy 
in the greatest of all the saints1 our  
blessed  ,mother1 who is also the       
,mother of ,god4 ,she in her spotless   
purity is the  highest of creatures4    
,she by her special privilege has       
boundless power  of intercession2 not   
power as ,i have explained before1      
because of any  sort of favouritism1 but
 power because her spiritual perfection 
gives  her unique insight into the mind 
of ,god4 ,power in prayer really means  
that1 through spiritual insight we are  
enabled to ask according to ,his  will  
,and this is the confidence that we have

 in him1 that1 if we ask  anything      
according to his will1 he heareth us4   
,that is why  righteousness is the      
ground of prevailing intercession1      
because  righteousness means sympathetic
 understanding of the mind of ,god4     
,and in none is there such sympathetic  
understanding because in none is  there 
such nearness to ,god1 as in ,blessed   
,mary4 ,to go to her in our  prayers and
 to beg her to intercede for us is1 of  
course1 no more a  trenching upon the   
unique mediatorship of our ,lord than it
 is to ask my  human friend to pray for 
me4 ,we tend1 do we not8 to select from 
among  the circle of our acquaintance   
those whom for some reason we feel to   
have what we call a special power in    
prayer when we seek for some one to     
pray for us in our need4 ,is it not     
wholly natural then that we should go   
to our ,blessed ,mother on whose        
sympathy we can unfailingly count and in
  whose spiritual understanding we can  
implicitly trust1 when we want to       

interest those who are dear to our ,lord
 in our special needs8 ,we have  every  
claim upon their sympathy because they  
are fellow-members of the  same ,body2  
and we know1 too1 that ,he ,who has made
 us one in ,his ,body  wills that we    
should receive ,his graces through our  
mutual  ministrations4         ,mary1   
,maiden1 mild and free1       ,chamber  
of the ,trinity1       ,a little while  
now list to me1        ,as greeting ,i  
thee give2       ,what though my heart  
unclean may be1        ,my offering yet 
receive4         ,thou art the ,queen of
 ,paradise1       ,of heaven1 of earth1 
of all that is2       ,thou bore in thee
 the ,king of ,bliss        ,without or 
spot or stain2       ,thou didst put    
right what was amiss1        ,what man  
had lost1 re-gain4         ,the gentle  
,dove of ,noe thou art       ,the       
,branch of ,olive-tree that brought1    
,in token that a peace was wrought1     
,and man to ,god was dear3       ,sweet 
,ladye1 be my ,fort1        ,when the   

last fight draws near4         ,thou art
 the ,sling1 thy ,son the ,stone        
,that ,david at ,goliath flung2         
,eke ,aaron's rod1 whence blossom sprung
        ,though bare it was1 and dry3   
',tis known to all1 who've looked upon  
,thy childbirth wondrous high4          
,in thee has ,god become a ,child1      
,the wretched foe in thee is foiled2    
,that ,unicorn that was so wild         
,is thrown by woman chaste2       ,him  
hast thou tamed1 and forced to yield1   
,with milk from ,virgin breast4         
,like as the sun full clear doth pass1  
,without a break1 through shining glass1
       ,thy ,maidenhood unblemished was 
,for bearing of the ,lord3       ,now1  
sweetest ,comfort of our race1          
,to sinners be thou good4         ,take1
 ,ladye dear1 this little ,song         
,that out of sinful heart has come2     
,against the fiend now make me strong1  
,guide well my wandering soul3          
,and though ,i once have done thee      
wrong1         ,forgive1 and make me    

whole4       ,wm4 ,de ,shoreham's       
translation       from the ,latin1 or   
,french of       ,robt4 ,grosseteste2   
,c4 #acbe4        ,,part ,,two          
,,chapter ,,xxiii    ,,the ,,descent    
,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit         ,and 
there appeared unto them cloven tongues 
like as of fire1       and it sat upon  
each of them4 ,and they were all filled 
with       the ,holy ,ghost1 and began  
to speak with other tongues1 as the     
,spirit gave them utterance4    ,acts   
,,ii1 #c4         ,holy ,mother of ,god1
 ,virgin ever blessed1 glorious and     
noble1       chaste and inviolate1 ,o   
,mary ,immaculate1 chosen and beloved   
of ,god1 endowed win singular sanctity1 
worthy of all praise1       thou who art
 the ,advocate for the sins of the whole
 world2 ,o       listen1 listen1 listen 
to us1 ,o holy ,mary1 ,pray for us4     
,intercede for us4 ,disdain not to help 
us4 ,for we are       confident and know
 for certain that thou canst obtain all 
that thou wiliest from thy ,son1 our    

,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,god              
,almighty1 the ,king of ages1 ,who      
liveth with the ,father and       the   
,holy ,ghost1 for ever and ever4        
,,ms4 ,book of ,cerne1 belonging to     
,ethelwald1 ,,bp4 of ,sherbourne1 #gfj4 
,when the ,day of ,pentecost was fully  
come1 they were all with one  accord in 
one place--,i suppose the all will be   
not merely the  twelve1 but the all that
 were mentioned by ,s4 ,luke a few      
verses  before4 ,he mentions the        
,apostles by name and then adds1 ,these 
all  continued with one accord in prayer
 and supplication1 with the women1  and 
,mary the mother of ,jesus1 and with his
 brethren4    ,we think of our ,lady as 
sharing in the ,pentecostal gift4 ,this 
was the  first act of her ascended ,son1
 this sending forth of the ,holy ,spirit
  whom ,he had promised4 ,it was the    
fulfilment of the prophecy3 ,i will     
pour out my ,spirit upon all flesh2 and 
your sons and your daughters  shall     
prophesy1 and your young men shall see  

visions1 and your old men  shall dream  
dreams4 ,i do not know of anything in   
the teaching of the  ,church to lead us 
to suppose that this gift was to the    
,apostles alone3  rather the thought of 
the ,church is that to all ,christians  
is there a  gift of the ,spirit4 ,the   
,holy ,spirit is imparted to the ,church
 as such1  and within the organisation  
,he functions through appropriate       
organs4  ,there are diversities of      
gifts1 but the same ,spirit4 ,whatever  
the  operations of ,god through the     
,body of ,christ1 the same divine energy
 is  making them possible4 ,all these   
worketh that one and selfsame ,spirit1  
dividing to every man severally as he   
will4    ,that the ,holy ,spirit should 
manifest ,himself in her life was1 of   
course1 no new experience for ,s4 ,mary4
 ,her conscious vocation to be the      
,mother of ,god had begun when the ,holy
 ,ghost had come upon her1 and she  had 
conceived that ,holy ,thing which was   
called the ,son of ,god4 ,and we  cannot

 think that the ,spirit ,who is the     
,spirit of sanctity had ever been       
absent from her from the moment of her  
wonderful conception when by the        
creative act of the ,spirit she was     
conceived without sin1 that is1 in      
union with ,god4 ,but as there are      
diversities of gifts1 so the coming of  
the ,spirit on ,pentecost would have    
meant to her some new or increased  gift
 of ,god4    ,for the ,church as such   
this coming of the ,spirit meant the    
entrance of  the work of the            
,incarnation upon a new phase of its    
action4 ,we may1 ,i  suppose1 think of  
the work of our ,lord during the years  
of ,his ,ministry  as intensive4 ,it was
 the work of preparing the men to whom  
was to be  committed the commission to  
preach the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,they had  
been  chosen to be with ,him1 and their 
training had been essentially an        
experience of ,him1 an experience which 
was to be the essence of their  ,gospel 
and which their mission was to interpret

 to the world4 ,who is  this ,jesus of  
,nazareth ,whom ye preach8 ,what does   
,he mean8 was to be the  question that  
they would have to answer in the coming 
years2 and they  would have to answer it
 to all sorts of men2 to ,jews who would
 find this  conception of a suffering   
and rejected ,messiah a stumbling-block2
 to  the ,greeks who would find ,jesus  
and the resurrection foolishness2 to    
all races of men who would have to be   
persuaded to leave their  ancestral     
religions and revolutionise their lives1
 and before they would  do so would wish
 to know what was the true meaning of   
,christ in whose  name their whole past 
was challenged4 ,as we watch the        
perplexity1 the  bewilderment1 of these 
,apostles in the face of the collapse of
 all their  hopes on the first ,good    
,friday1 as we see them struggling with 
the fact  of the ,resurrection1 and     
attempting to adjust their lives to     
that2 and  then listen to their         
preaching and follow their action in the

 days  succeeding ,pentecost1 we have   
brought home to us the nature of the    
action of the ,holy ,spirit when ,he    
came to them as the ,spirit of ,jesus to
  enable them to carry on the work that 
,jesus had committed to them4    ,we    
understand that the work of the ,spirit 
was first of all the work of            
interpreting the experience of the last 
three years4 ,during these years  they  
had been with ,jesus1 and the result was
 an experience which1  however          
wonderful1 or rather1 just because it   
was wonderful1 was in  their            
consciousness at present little more    
than a chaotic mass of  impressions and 
memories4 ,it was the work of the       
,spirit to enkindle and  illuminate     
their understanding so that they could  
put the experiences of  the last three  
years in order1 if one may put it in    
that way4 ,he enabled  them to draw out 
the meaning of what they had gone       
through4 ,we are at  once impressed with
 the reality of the work of the ,spirit 

when we listen  to the sermon of ,s4    
,peter to those who have witnessed the  
miracle of  ,pentecost4 ,here is another
 miracle of which we have1 perhaps1     
missed  something of the wonder4 ,this  
man who in answer to the mockeries of   
the  crowd--these men are full of new   
wine--stands forth to deliver this      
exposition of ,jesus is the same man who
 but a few days before had denied  his  
,lord through fear2 he is the same man  
who even after the  ,resurrection was   
filled with such discouragement that he 
could think of  nothing to do but to    
return to the old life of a fisherman1  
who had said  on a day1 ,i go a-fishing4
 ,if we wish to understand the meaning  
of the  coming of the ,spirit1 let us   
forget for the moment the tongues of    
fire1  which are the symbol1 and read   
over the words of ,s4 ,peter which are  
the  true miracle of ,pentecost4    ,and
 this action of the ,spirit is not      
sporadic or temporary4 ,we follow  the  
annals of the ,church and we find the   

constant evidence of the  ,spirit's     
power and action in the ,christian      
propaganda4 ,the courage with  which the
 ,christians meet the opposition of     
,jews and ,romans1 in their             
resourcefulness in dealing with the     
utterly unprecedented problems they  are
 called on to face1 in the intellectual 
grip of the ,apologists who  have to    
meet the criticism of very diverse sets 
of opponents1 in their  rapidly growing 
comprehension of what the ,incarnation  
means1 and of all  in the way of action 
that our ,lord's directions             
involve1--all these1  when we recall the
 antecedents of these men1 lead us to a 
clearer  apprehension of the nature of  
the ,spirit's work in the ,church4 ,as  
our  ,lord had promised1 ,he is bringing
 all things to their remembrance and    
leading them into all the truth4 ,if we 
need proof of the constant  supernatural
 action of ,god in the ,church1 we get  
all we can ask in the  preaching of     
,jesus by ,his followers in these       

opening years of  their ministry4    ,i 
said that our ,lord's work in the time  
of ,his ministry was intensive1  the    
preparing of instruments for the        
founding of the ,kingdom4 ,with         
,pentecost and the coming of the ,spirit
 it passes into a new stage2 it  becomes
 extensive in that it now reaches out to
 gather all men into  the ,kingdom4 ,to 
this end there is now a vast development
 of the  machinery 7so to call it7 of   
the ,gospel1 a calling into existence of
 the  means whereby ,christ is to       
continue ,his action in men's souls4    
,for there  must continue a direct      
action of ,christ or the ,gospel will   
sink to the  condition of a twice-told  
tale3 it will be the constant repetition
 of  the story of ,jesus of ,nazareth   
,who went about doing good3 and it will 
have less and less power to be of any   
help to men as it receeds into the      
past4 ,without the means which are      
called into existence to produce        
continual contact between the ,redeemer 

and the ,redeemed we cannot  conceive of
 the ,gospel continuing to exist as     
power4    ,this is not a matter of pure 
theory3 it is a thing that we have seen 
happen4 ,we have seen the growth of a   
theory of ,christianity which  dispenses
 wholly or nearly wholly with the means 
of grace1 and reduces  the presentation 
of the ,gospel to the presentation of   
the ideal of a  good life as an object  
of imitation4 ,when one asks3 ,why      
should ,i  imitate this life which1     
however good in an abstract way1 is not 
very  harmonious with the ideals of     
society at present8 one is told that it 
is the best life ever lived1 the life   
that best interprets ,god1 our  heavenly
 ,father to us4 ,if one asks3 ,what is  
likely to happen if one  does not       
imitate this life1 but prefers some more
 modern type of  usefulness8 the answer 
seems to be3 ,nothing in particular will
  happen4 ,in other words1 the preaching
 of the ,gospel divorced from the  means
 of grace tends more and more to decline

 to the presentation of a  humanitarian 
ideal of life which has little1 and     
constantly less1  driving power4    ,we 
see then as we study the history of the 
early days of the ,church the  constant 
presence and action of the ,holy ,spirit
 in the mode and means by  which the    
,gospel is presented4 ,we see it        
particularly in the development  of the 
ministry and the growth of the          
sacramental system4 ,it seems to me  not
 very important to find a detailed      
justification of all the things  that   
were done or established in explicit    
words or acts in the ,new  ,testament4  
,if we are dealing1 as we believe that  
we are1 with an  organism of which the  
life is ,god the ,holy ,ghost ,who is   
the ,vicar of  ,christ in the building  
and administration of ,his ,kingdom1 ,i 
do not see  why we should not find in   
the action of the ,kingdom as much of   
inspiration as we find in its writings4 
,i do not see why we should  accept     
certain things on the authority of the  

action of the early  ,christian         
community1 as the baptism of infants and
 the communion of  women1 and reject    
others1 as the reservation of the       
,blessed ,sacraments  and prayers for   
the dead4 ,nor do ,i see why we should  
draw some sort of  an artificial line   
through the history of the ,church and  
declare all the  things on one side of  
it primitive and desirable1 and all on  
the other  late and suspect6 ,especially
 as no one seems to be able to explain  
why  the line should be drawn in one    
place rather than in another4    ,if the
 ,holy ,spirit was sent by our ,lord as 
,his ,vicar to preside in the  ,church1 
as ,i suppose we all believe1 it was in 
fulfilment of our ,lord's  promise to be
 with it till the end of the world and  
that the gates of  hell should not      
prevail against it4 ,there is nothing   
anywhere in ,holy  ,scripture indicating
 that the ,holy ,spirit was to be sent  
to the  primitive ,church1 even if any  
one could tell what the primitive       

,church  is1 or rather when the ,church 
ceased to be primitive4 ,the ,holy      
,spirit is  present as a guide to the   
,church to-day quite as fully as ,he was
 in the  first century4 ,his presence   
then was not a guarantee that all men   
should  believe the truth or do the     
right1 nor is it now4 ,the state of     
,christendom is a sufficient evidence of
 the ability of men to defy the  will of
 ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit2 but that does 
not mean that the ,holy  ,spirit has    
withdrawn any more than the state of    
things at ,corinth which  called out ,s4
 ,paul's two ,epistles to that ,church  
is a proof that ,god the  ,holy ,ghost  
never came or did not stay with that    
primitive ,christian  community4 ,the   
power of the ,spirit is not an          
irresistible power1 but a  spiritual    
influence which will guide those who are
 willing to be guided1  who will to be  
submissive to ,his will4 ,but the will  
of ,god can always be  resisted--and    
always is4 ,nevertheless the ,holy      

,spirit is in the ,church4  ,he shaped  
and is shaping its beliefs and          
institutions3 and to-day we  trust that 
,he is leading us back to ,his obedience
 that we may at length  realize the     
unity of the ,spirit in the bonds of    
peace4    ,the work of the ,holy ,spirit
 in the individual ,christian is a      
constructive work2 it has in view the   
growth of the child of ,god in          
holiness4 ,he makes the soul of the     
baptised ,his dwelling-place and  wishes
 to remain there as in ,his ,temple1    
carrying on the work of its             
sanctification4 ,the state of           
guiltlessness that follows absolution is
  not the equivalent of sanctity4       
,guiltlessness is a negative1 sanctity  
is  a positive state1 and is acquired as
 the result of active correspondence    
with the will of ,god4 ,in order that   
there may be this correspondence the    
will of ,god must be known1 not merely  
as we know the things that we have      
learned by rote1 but known in the sense 

of understood and appreciated4  ,the    
will of ,god is knowable3 that is1 it   
has been revealed to man2 but  it needs 
to be effectively made known to the     
individual man4 ,he must be  convinced  
of the importance of divine truth to    
him4 ,we know that just  there is the   
supremely vital point in the teaching of
 the truth4 ,men  assent to truth as    
true2 but they are not thereby          
necessarily moved to  act upon it3 it   
may remain unassimilated4 ,the vast     
majority of the  people of this country1
 if they were questioned1 would assert a
 belief  in ,god2 but a surprising      
number of them are unmoved by that      
belief1 are  led by it to no action4 ,or
 take the membership of any parish2 they
 would  all profess a belief in the     
efficacy of the sacraments3 yet there is
 a  surprisingly large number who do not
 frequent the sacraments4 ,how many  of 
you1 for example1 make your confessions 
and communions with the  frequency and  
regularity that your theory about the   

sacraments implies8    ,now it is the   
work of the ,holy ,spirit to effect the 
passage in life  from theory to         
practice1 from profession to action4 ,he
 illuminates the  mind that we may      
understand2 ,he stirs the will that we  
may act4 ,he aids  us to overcome the   
intellectual and physical sloth which is
 the  arch-enemy of ,christian practice4
 ,he intercedes for us1 and ,he pleads  
with us that we may act as the children 
of ,god that we believe ourselves  to   
be4 ,but all ,he can do is to entice the
 will2 if we remain unwilling1  unmoved1
 ,he is ultimately grieved and leaves   
us4 ,we may hope that that  despair of  
the ,holy ,spirit of a soul rarely      
happens because it is a  spiritual      
disaster awful to contemplate4 ,in most 
men and women we can  see enough impulse
 toward ,god1 enough struggle with evil1
 to encourage  us to think that the     
,holy ,spirit has not utterly abandoned 
them4 ,and it  is never safe for us to  
judge definitely of another's spiritual 

case2  but we do see lives that are so  
given over to malignancy that our hope  
for them is an optimism which has small 
basis on which to rest4    ,in most we  
may be certain that there is going on a 
very active pleading  of the ,holy      
,spirit4 ,he is interpreting the meaning
 of the truth we  accept4 ,he is present
 in a careful reading of the ,bible1 in 
meditation1  in devotional study4 ,he   
receives of ,christ and shows it unto   
us4 ,i am  sure we ought to think more  
of this interpretative assistance of the
  ,holy ,spirit in the work of          
understanding the ,christian ,religion1 
especially in its application to the    
daily life4 ,i am quite certain1 and  ,i
 have no doubt that the experience of   
some of you1 at least1 will bear  me    
out1 that it makes a vast difference in 
the results of our reading  and study if
 we undertake it under the direct       
invocation of the ,holy  ,spirit and    
with the conscious giving ourselves up  
to ,his guidance4 ,we  have to make a   

meditation1 for example1 and we begin   
with prayer to ,god  the ,holy ,ghost   
for guidance and enlightenment4 ,it is  
often well to let  that prayer run on as
 long as it will4 ,it may be in the end 
that instead  of making the meditation  
we had planned we shall have spent the  
time in  a prayer of union with the     
,holy ,spirit and will find ourselves   
refreshed  and enlightened as the       
result4 ,there is need of that sort of  
yielding of  self to the promptings of  
the ,spirit4 ,i think that it not       
infrequently  happens that our rules get
 in the way of ,his action by destroying
 or  checking in us a certain           
flexibility which is necessary if we are
 to  respond quickly to the voice of the
 ,spirit4 ,as in the case just          
mentioned where the ,spirit is leading  
us to communion with ,him we are  apt to
 think3 ,i must get on with my          
meditation or the time will be up  and  
,i shall not have made it1 and we turn  
from the ,spirit and stop the  work that

 ,he was accomplishing4    ,he has so   
much to do for us1 so many things to    
show us1 so many grounds  to urge for   
our more earnest seeking of sanctity4   
,the true point of our  ,bible reading  
is that it is the opportunity of the    
,holy ,spirit to  exhibit truth to us so
 that in us it will become energetic4   
,we already  are familiar with the      
incidents of our ,lord's ,passion4 ,if  
it be a matter  of knowledge there is no
 need to-night to take up the ,gospel   
and read  the chapters which tell of the
 ,crucifixion4 ,there is not much point 
in  reading through a chapter as a      
matter of pious habit4 ,it is           
extraordinary how many there are who    
speak with contempt of medival  prayers 
such as the recitation of the ,rosary1  
who yet read a chapter  once a day in   
the shortest possible time and with the 
minimum of  attention4 ,we can think of 
all religious practices as opportunities
 that  we offer to ,god the ,holy       
,ghost4 ,the few verses of ,holy        

,scripture we read  may well be the     
medium of ,his action upon us4 ,he may  
give us new insight  into their meaning1
 ,he may stir our wills to              
correspondence with their  teaching1 ,he
 may kindle our hearts by the evidence  
of the divine love  that ,he presses    
home4 ,who does not remember moments    
when new meaning  seemed to flash from  
the familiar pages1 when we felt        
ourselves  convicted of inadequate      
response to the knowledge we have1 or   
when we  felt our heart stir and send us
 to our knees in an act of  thanksgiving
 and love8    ,our constant need is the 
clear knowledge of ourselves4 ,we may1  
we often  do1 see clearly ,god's will1  
and then we deceive ourselves as to the 
nature of our response4 ,we think we are
 seeking for ,god when in reality  we   
are seeking our own ends4 ,we make our  
own plans and then seek to  impose them 
on the will of ,god4 ,self-seeking1     
which we mistake for  something else1 is
 at the root of much spiritual failure4 

,we try to  believe that ,god's will is 
our will1 and we succeed in a measure4  
,we  need therefore to be constantly    
examining ourselves by the revealed     
standard of ,god's will1 to let in the  
light of the ,spirit on our  judgments  
and acts4 ,for the struggle of the      
,spirit for control is a  struggle with 
a resisting and sluggish will4 ,we see1 
but we do not  move2 we know1 but we do 
not act4 ,the horrible inertia of       
spiritual  sloth paralyses us1 and the  
call of the ,spirit is heard in vain4   
,like  the man in our ,lord's parable we
 plead the lateness of the hour1 and our
  unwillingness to disturb others as our
 excuse for not rising at the  ,spirit's
 summons4 ,but the ,spirit1 like the    
,friend at midnight1 still  knocks at   
the door1 and the sound of the summons  
penetrates the  quietness of the house  
and breaks in upon our slumbers4 ,well  
is it for  us if in the end we rise and 
open to ,him4    ,it is only as we thus 
become energetic by the yielding to ,god

 of our  wills that ,he can go on to    
,his desired work4 ,the aim of ,god in  
dealing  with our lives is creative4 ,he
 wills that we bring forth fruit1 and   
the  fruit that ,he wills that we bring 
forth is the ,fruit of the ,spirit4 ,the
  general notion of holiness analyses   
into these qualities which are the      
evidence of ,god's indwelling1 of ,his  
actual possession of the soul4 ,when    
the soul yields at last to the divine   
will and begins to follow the  divinely 
indicated course of action1 then it     
loses self and finds ,god1  then the    
results begin to show in the growth of  
the character-qualities  that we call   
fruits or virtues4 ,the presence or the 
absence of these is  infallible evidence
 of the ,spirit's success or failure in 
,his work in  us4 ,if we abide in       
,christ1 then the natural results of    
such abiding must  be forthcoming4 ,i am
 the vine1 ye are the branches3 ,he that
 abideth in  me1 and ,i in him1 the same
 bringeth forth much fruit3 for without 

me ye  can do nothing4    ,a vine bears 
fruit because it assimilates the natural
 elements which  are furnished it by the
 ,providence of ,god through earth and  
air and  water1 and works them into the 
fruit which is the end1 the meaning of  
its existence4 ,our ,lord through the   
constant operation within us of the     
,holy ,spirit gives us the spiritual    
power to work over the endowments of    
nature and the opportunities of life    
into the spiritual product which is     
holiness4 ,we can just as well1 and     
perhaps easier1 work up the same        
natural elements into a quite different 
product4 ,the result of our  life's     
action may be that we can show the works
 of the flesh4 ,but what  is the will of
 the ,spirit1 ,s4 ,paul sets before us  
in these words3 ,for  when ye were the  
servants of sin1 ye were free from      
righteousness4 ,what  fruit had ye then 
in those things whereof ye are now      
ashamed8 ,for the  end of those things  
is death4 ,but now being made free from 

sin1 and  become the servants of ,god1  
ye have your fruit unto holiness1 and   
the  end everlasting life4 ,for the     
wages of sin is death2 but the gift of  
,god  is eternal life through ,jesus    
,christ our ,lord4    ,any adequate     
self-examination1 therefore1 bears not  
only on our sins1  our failures1 but on 
our accomplishment4 ,a tree is known by 
its fruits2  and fruits are things which
 are evident to all men4 ,if indeed the 
work  of the ,spirit in us is love1 joy1
 peace and the rest of the fruits1      
these qualities cannot be hid4          
,certainly they cannot be hid from      
ourselves4 ,they are the evidence to us 
of precisely where we stand in  the way 
of spiritual accomplishment4 ,and we    
must remember that they are             
supernatural qualities1 and not be      
deceived by the existence in us of a    
set of human counterfeits4 ,love is not 
good-natured tolerance2 joy is  not     
superficial gaiety1 peace is not clever 
dodging of difficulties4 ,the  fruits of

 the ,spirit are not of easy growth1 but
 come only at the end of  a long period 
of cultivation1 of energetic striving4  
,but like all the  gifts of ,god they do
 come if we want them to come4 ,if ye   
abide in me1  and my words abide in you1
 ye shall ask what ye will1 and it shall
 be  done unto you4 ,but when we ask our
 ,lord for gifts we must remember that  
the giving is not a mechanical giving4  
,what our ,lord gives is the ,might  of 
the ,spirit to effect what we desire4   
,if a man ask of ,god a good  harvest   
the prayer is answered if there be given
 the conditions under  which a good     
harvest can be produced2 it will not be 
produced without  the appropriate human 
labour4 ,and when we ask of ,god the    
,fruits of the  ,spirit the prayer is   
granted if the conditions are given     
under which  this ,fruit may be brought 
forth4 ,but neither here may we expect  
,fruit  without appropriate action on   
our part4 ,god gives1 but ,he gives to  
those  who want4    ,i    others do of  

grace bereave1 ,when1 in their mother's 
womb1 they life  receive1 ,god1 as his  
sole-borne ,daughter1 loved thee3 ,to   
match thee like  thy birth's nobility1  
,he thee his ,spirit for thy ,spouse did
 leave1 ,of  whom thou didst his only   
,son conceive2 ,and so was linked to all
 the  ,trinity4 ,cease1 then1 ,o queens1
 who earthly crowns do wear1 ,to glory  
in  the pomp of worldly1 things3 ,if men
 such respect unto you bear ,which      
daughters1 wives and mothers are of     
kings2 ,what honour should unto that    
,queen be done ,who had your ,god for   
,father1 ,spouse and ,son8    ,,ii      
,sovereign of ,queens1 if vain ambition 
move ,my heart to seek an earthly       
prince's grace1 ,show me thy ,son in his
 imperial place1 ,whose servants  reign 
our kings and queens above3 ,and1 if    
alluring passions ,i do prove  ,by      
pleasing sighs--show me thy lovely face1
 ,whose beams the angels'  beauty do    
deface1 ,and even inflame the seraphins 
with love4 ,so by  ambition ,i shall    

humble be1 ,when1 in the presence of the
 highest ,king1 ,i  serve all his1 that 
he may honour me2 ,and love1 my heart to
 chaste  desires shall bring1 ,when     
fairest ,queen looks on me from her     
throne1 ,and  jealous1 bids me love but 
her alone4    ,,iii    ,why should ,i   
any love1 ,o ,queen1 but thee1 ,if favor
 past a thankful love  should breed8    
,thy womb did bear1 thy breast my       
,saviour feed1 ,and thou  didst never   
cease to succour me4 ,if love do follow 
worth and dignity1  ,thou all in thy    
perfections dost exceed2 ,if love be led
 by hope of  future meed1 ,what pleasure
 more than thee in heaven to see8 ,an   
earthly  sight doth only please the eye1
 ,and breeds desire1 but doth not       
satisfy3  ,thy sight gives us possession
 of all joy2 ,and with such full        
delights  each sense shall fill1 ,as    
heart shall wish but for to see thee    
still1  ,and ever seeing1 ever shall    
enjoy4    ,,iv    ,sweet ,queen1        
although thy beauty raise up me ,from   

sight of baser  beauties here below1    
,yet1 let me not rest there2 but1 higher
 go ,to him1  who took his shape from   
,god and thee4 ,and if thy form in him  
more fair ,i  see1 ,what pleasure from  
his deity shall flow1 ,by whose fair    
beams his  beauty shineth so1 ,when ,i  
shall it behold eternally8 ,then1 shall 
my love  of pleasure have his fill1     
,when beauty's self1 in whom all        
pleasure is1  ,shall my enamoured soul  
embrace and kiss1 ,and shall new loves  
and new  delights distill1 ,which from  
my soul shall gush into my heart1 ,and  
through my body flow to every part4     
,,henry ,,constable3 #aefb-afac4        
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xxiv        
,,the ,,home ,,of ,s4 ,,john    ,and    
from that hour that disciple took her   
unto his own home4    ,s4 ,john ,,xix1  
#bg4    ,but now we unite to praise     
thee1 ,o ,pure and ,immaculate ,one1    
blessed  ,virgin and sinless ,mother of 
thy great ,son and the ,god of all4 ,o  
perfectly spotless and altogether holy1 

thou art the hope of despairing         
sinners4 ,we bless thee as most full of 
grace1 who didst give birth to  ,christ1
 ,god and ,man4 ,and we fall down before
 thee4 ,we all invoke thee  and implore 
thy help4 ,deliver us1 ,o ,virgin1 holy 
and undefiled1 from  every pressing     
strait and from all temptations of the  
,evil ,one4 ,be thou  our peacemaker in 
the hour of death and judgment4 ,do thou
 save us from  the future unquenchable  
fire and from the outer darkness4 ,do   
thou render  us worthy of the glory of  
thy ,son1 ,o ,virgin and ,mother1 most  
sweet  and clement4    ,a ,,prayer ,,of 
,s4 ,,ephrem ,,the ,,syrian4    ,there  
is no scene in the whole range of       
,scripture narrative which is  more full
 of pathos than this scene of the       
,cross4 ,two agonies meet3 the  agony of
 the nailing1 the lifting1 the dying2   
and the agony that looks  on in silent  
helplessness4 ,but while our ,lord's    
physical agony was in  some sort        
swallowed up in the intensity of the    

love which was the motive  for enduring 
it1 overpassed in the vision of the need
 of those for whom  ,he was dying1 ,s4  
,mary's agony was the pain of a love    
concentrated upon  the ,sufferer ,who   
hangs dying before her eyes4 ,if there  
be anything that  can lighten the pain  
of such love it is that it feels itself 
answered1  that its object is conscious 
of it and is helped by it4 ,and ,s4     
,mary had  that consolation3 the love   
poured to her from the ,cross1 and      
revealed  itself when the suffering ,son
 turned ,his eyes upon her agony and1   
understanding what her desolation would 
be1 committed her to ,his beloved       
disciple3 ,behold thy ,mother2 behold   
thy son4 ,these two great loves  which  
had been our ,lord's human consolation  
were thus committed to one  another4    
,and when the darkness fell1 and death  
relieved the agony1 and  the ,sacred    
,body had been cared for1 then the      
mother found refuge with ,s4  ,john3 and
 from that hour that disciple took her  

unto his own home4    ,from the day of  
,pentecost on1 ,s4 ,mary is no more     
heard of in the history  of the ,church4
 ,as so often1 the ,scriptures are      
silent and decline to  answer our       
interested questions4 ,they go on with  
the essentails of their  story1 the     
founding of the ,church of ,god1 and    
leave other things aside4  ,so we do not
 know any of the last years of the life 
of ,blessed ,mary4  ,where did she live8
 ,how long did she live8 ,the           
traditions1 in any case  of quite an    
untrustworthy nature1 are contradictory4
 ,jerusalem and  ,ephesus contend for   
the honour of our ,lady's residence4    
,jerusalem must  have been the site of  
that home to which ,s4 ,john took her   
after the  crucifixion4 ,did she remain 
there1 or did she follow ,s4 ,john1 and 
at  length come to live with him in     
,ephesus8 ,ephesus puts forward the     
claim1  and we feel that it would be    
well founded in the nature of the       
relation  between these two1 if ,s4     

,mary lived until the settlement of the 
last of  the apostles in the ,asian     
city4 ,our ,lord's committal of ,his    
,mother to  the beloved disciple implies
 their personal association as long as  
,s4  ,mary lived3 if till ,s4 ,john was 
settled in ,ephesus1 then we may be sure
  that she was there4 ,she would be with
 ,s4 ,john as long as she lived1 but    
can we think of her as living long8     
,would not a great love draw her to     
another world and the presence of her   
triumphant ,son8    ,let us1 however    
think1 as one tradition bids us1 of our 
,lady as living  some time with ,s4     
,john at ,ephesus4 ,we can understand   
the situation  because it is so much    
like our own4 ,these ,asia ,minor cities
 of the  imperial period were curiously 
like the great centers of population in 
the ,western world of to-day--,london1  
,paris1 ,new ,york1 ,chicago4 ,there was
  the same over-crowding of population1 
the same intense commercial  activity1  
the same almost insane thirst for       

amusement and excitement1  the same     
degeneracy of moral fibre4 ,the sins    
that sapped the life of  ,ephesus are   
the same that degrade contemporary life4
 ,in some ways  ,ephesus was1 possibly1 
more frankly corrupt2 but on the other  
hand it  had no daily press to advertise
 and promote sin and social corruption4 
,there is more of ,christianity and of  
,christian influence in the modern      
city1 but even here there is a curious  
resemblance between the two4 ,the       
,christian ,religion had but recently   
been introduced into ,ephesus1 but      
already it had precisely that touch of  
ineffectiveness that seems to us  so    
modern4 ,the message of the risen ,lord 
to the angel of the ,church in  ,ephesus
 is3 ,nevertheless ,i have this against 
thee1 that thou hast left  thy first    
love4 ,remember therefore from whence   
thou art fallen1 and  repent1 and do the
 first works2 or else ,i will come unto 
thee quickly1  and will remove thy      
candlestick out of his place1 except    

thou repent4    ,the things that hearten
 us are sometimes strange2 but ,i       
suppose that  there is a feeling of     
encouragement in our present day        
distress and  spiritual ineffectiveness 
in the thought that even under ,s4 ,john
 the  ,church in ,ephesus was not wholly
 ideal4 ,the conditions which baffle us1
  baffled him4 ,the converts who were so
 promising and enthusiastic  declined in
 zeal and fell back under the spell of  
worldliness4 ,zeal is a  quality which  
is maintained with great difficulty1 and
 the pull of the  world1 whether social 
or business1 is steadily exercised4     
,converts in  ,ephesus1 like converts in
 ,new ,york1 felt that their friends    
were right  who declared that they were 
quite unnecessarily strict1 and that in 
order to serve ,christ it was not       
necessary to turn their backs           
absolutely on ,diana4    ,as one tries  
to reconstruct the situation in         
,ephesus1 one feels that our  ,lady     
would have had no prominence in the     

,church in the way of an  actively      
exercised influence4 ,one thinks of her 
as living in retirement1  as not even   
talking very much4 ,if she lived long   
she would be an object  of increasing   
interest and even of awe to the new     
converts1 and an  object of growing love
 to all those who were admitted to any  
sort of  fellowship with her4 ,but one  
cannot imagine a crowd about her1       
inquiring  into her experiences and her 
memories of her divine ,son4 ,once she  
told  of her experience1 for it was     
necessary that the ,church should know  
of  the circumstances of the coming of  
the ,son of ,god into the world1 but    
beyond that necessary communication of  
her experience we cannot think of  her  
as speaking of her sacred memories4     
,silence and meditation1 longing  and   
waiting1 would have filled the years    
till the hour of her release4    ,but in
 the quiet hours spent with ,s4 ,john it
 would be different4 ,between  the      
,blessed ,virgin and ,s4 ,john there was

 perfect understanding and  perfect     
sympathy1 and we love to think of the   
hours that they would have  spent       
together in deep spiritual intercourse4 
,those hours would not be  hours of     
reminiscence merely2 they would rather  
be hours in which these  two would      
attempt with the aid of the ,spirit ,who
 ruled in them so fully  to enter deeper
 and ever deeper into the meaning of    
,incarnate ,god4  ,jesus would be the   
continual object of their thought and   
their love1 and  meditation upon ,his   
words and acts would lead them to an    
ever increasing  appreciation of their  
depth and meaning4    ,we have all felt1
 in reading the pages of ,s4 ,john1 how 
vast is the  difference both in attitude
 toward his subject and in his          
understanding  of it from that of the   
other ,evangelists4 ,the earlier        
,evangelists seem  deliberately to keep 
all feeling out of their story1 to tell 
the life of  our ,lord in the most      
meagre outline1 confining themselves to 

the  essential facts4 ,anything like    
interpretation they decline4 ,in ,s4    
,john  all this is changed4 ,the ,jesus 
whom he presents is the same ,jesus1 but
  seen through what different eyes6 ,the
 same life is presented1 but with  what 
changes in selection of material6 ,the  
,gospel of ,s4 ,john seems  almost a    
series of mediations upon selected facts
 of an already familiar  life rather    
than an attempt to tell a life-story4   
,and so indeed we think  of it4 ,when   
,s4 ,john wrote1 the life of our ,lord  
as a series of events  was already      
before the ,church4 ,the ,church had the
 synoptic ,gospels1 and  it had a still 
living tradition to inform it4 ,what it 
needed1 and what  the ,holy ,spirit led 
,s4 ,john to give it1 was some glimpse  
of the inner  meaning of the            
,incarnation1 some unfolding of the     
spiritual depths of  the teaching of    
,jesus4    ,we know how it is that      
different people listening to the same  
words get  different impressions and    

carry away with them quite different    
meanings4  ,we hear what we are able to 
hear4 ,and ,s4 ,john was able to hear   
what the  other disciples of our ,lord  
seem not to have heard4 ,what dwelt in  
his  memory and was worked up in his    
meditations and was at length           
transmitted to us1 was the meaning of   
such incidents as the interview  with   
,nicodemus1 and the talk with the woman 
of ,samaria1 the discourse on  the ,holy
 ,eucharist and the great ,high-priestly
 prayer4 ,men have felt the  contrast   
between ,s4 ,john and the other         
,evangelists so intensely that  they    
have said that this is another ,christ  
who is presented by ,s4 ,john1  and the 
influences which have shaped the author 
of the ,fourth ,gospel are  quite other 
than those which shaped the men of the  
inner circle of  ,jesus4 ,but no3 it is 
the instinctive1 or rather the          
,spirit-guided1  selection of the       
material afforded by those years of     
association with  ,jesus for the purpose

 of transmitting to the ,church a       
spiritual depth  and beauty1 a spiritual
 significance in our ,lord's teaching1  
that the  earlier ,gospel had hardly    
touched4    ,which perhaps they could   
not touch because when they wrote there 
was not  yet in the ,church the         
spiritual experience which could fully  
interpret  our ,lord4 ,through the life 
of union with the risen ,jesus and all  
the  spiritual experience1 all the      
illumined intelligence that that life   
brought1 ,s4 ,john was enabled to       
understand and interpret as he did4     
,writing far on toward the end of the   
first century he was writing out of  the
 personal experience of ,christian      
living of many years1 which brought     
with it year by year an increased power 
of spiritual vision opening to  him the 
depth and wonder of the fact of ,god    
made man4 ,it is to an  experience of   
our ,lord that he appeals as the basis  
of his teaching4  ,that which was from  
the beginning1 which we have heard1     

which we have  seen with our eyes1 which
 we have looked upon1 and our hands have
  handled1 of the ,word of life3 7for   
the life was manifested1 and we have    
seen it1 and bear witness1 and show unto
 you that eternal life1 which  was with 
the ,father1 and was manifested unto    
us27 that which we have  seen and heard 
declare we unto you1 that ye also may   
have fellowship  with us3 and truly our 
fellowship is with the ,father1 and ,his
 ,son ,jesus  ,christ4 ,and as we read  
on in ,s4 ,john's ,epistles we cannot   
fail to see  how deeply the years of    
meditation have influenced his          
understanding of  our ,lord and ,his    
teaching1 and how much his past         
experience of our ,lord  has been       
illumined by the experience of the risen
 ,jesus which has  followed4 ,at no     
time1 we are certain1 has ,s4 ,john been
 out of touch with  his ,master4    ,and
 can we for a moment think that the     
years of intercourse with our  ,lady    
meant nothing in the spiritual          

development of ,s4 ,john8 ,on the       
contrary1 may we not think that much of 
the spiritual richness which is  the    
outstanding feature of his writings was 
the outcome of his  association with the
 blessed ,mother8 ,no one has ever shown
 the  sympathetic understanding of our  
,lord1 has been so well able            
convincingly to interpret ,him1 as the  
beloved disciple4 ,i myself have no     
doubt that much of his understanding    
came by way of ,s4 ,mary4 ,her          
interpretative insight would have been  
deeper than any one else's1 not  only   
because of her long association with    
,jesus1 but because of her  sinlessness4
 ,no two lives ever touched so closely2 
and there was not  between them the bar 
that so blocks our spiritual            
understanding and  clouds our spiritual 
vision1 the bar of sin4 ,i suppose it is
 almost  impossible for us to appreciate
 the effect of sin in clouding vision   
and  dulling sympathy4 ,our every day   
familiarity with venial sin1 our easy   

tolerance of it1 the adjustment of our  
lives to habits that involve it1  have  
resulted in a lack of spiritual         
sensitiveness4 ,much of the meaning  of 
our ,lord's life and words passes over  
us just because of this dimness  of     
vision1 this insensitiveness to         
suggestion4 ,and therefore we find it   
difficult to imagine what would be the  
understanding1 the insight1 the         
response to our ,lord1 of one between   
whom and ,him there was no shadow of    
sin4 ,and such an one was the blessed   
,mother4 ,with unclouded vision she     
looked into the face of her ,son4 ,as   
,his life expanded she followed with    
perfect sympathy2 indeed1 sometimes1 as 
at ,cana1 her understanding of  what ,he
 was made her precipitate in concluding 
as to ,his necessary  action4 ,when ,he 
became a public teacher and unfolded    
largely in parable  ,his doctrine1 it   
was her sinless soul which would see    
clearest and  deepest1 and with the most
 ready response4 ,and therefore ,i am   

sure that  we cannot go astray in       
thinking that ,s4 ,john's relation to   
,s4 ,mary was  not simply that of a     
guardian of her from the pressure of the
 world1 but  was indeed that of a son   
who listened and learned from the       
experience of  his ,mother4 ,no doubt   
,s4 ,john himself was of a very subtle  
spiritual  understanding2               
notwithstanding that1 and               
notwithstanding his exceptional         
opportunities of learning1 we may still 
believe that there are many  touches in 
his ,gospel which are the result of his 
association with his  ,lord's ,mother4  
,is it not possible for us to have our  
share in that pure insight of  blessed  
,mary8 ,when we try to think out the    
lines of our own spiritual  development 
and the influences that have contributed
 to shape it1 do we  not find that the  
presence or absence of devotion to our  
,lady has been a  factor of considerable
 importance8 ,devotion to her injected  
an element  into our religion which is  

of vast moment1 an element of sympathy1 
of  gentleness1 of purity4 ,you can if  
you like1 in condemnatory accents1  call
 that element sentimentalism1 although  
it is not that but the  exercise of     
those gentler elements of our nature    
without whose exercise  our nature      
functions one-sidedly4 ,you may call it 
the feminine element1  if you like2 you 
will still be indicating the same order 
of activity4  ,surely1 an all around    
spiritual development will bring out the
 feminine  as well as the masculine     
qualities4 ,and it seems to be          
historically true  that those systems of
 religion which represent a revolt      
against the  cultus of our ,lady and    
carefully exclude all traces of it from 
their  worship1 show as a consequence of
 this exclusion a hardness and a        
barrenness which makes their human      
appeal quite one-sided4 ,and when  those
 same systems have realised their       
limitations and their lack of  human    
appeal1 and have tried to supply what is

 lacking1 they have again  failed1      
because instead of reverting to         
historical ,christianity they  have     
taken the road of humanitarianism1      
basing themselves on our ,lord's  human 
life and consequent brotherhood with us1
 rather than upon ,his  supernatural    
,personality as operative through ,his  
mystical ,body4 ,stress  is laid upon   
charitable helpfulness rather than upon 
the power of grace4  ,the modern man    
tries to reform life rather than to     
regenerate it4    ,and1 ,i repeat1 ,i   
cannot help associating with a          
repudiation of the  cultus of the       
saints1 and especially of the ,blessed  
,virgin ,mary1 a  consequent failure to 
understand the ,christian life as a     
supernatural  creation4 ,if one leaves  
out of account the greater part of the  
,kingdom  of ,heaven1 all the multitudes
 of the redeemed1 and their activities1 
and  fastens one's attention exclusively
 upon that small part of the ,kingdom   
which is the ,church on earth1 one can  

hardly fail to miss the  significance of
 the earthly ,church itself4 ,religion  
understood in this  limited way may well
 drift more and more toward ,deism and  
,humanitarianism1 and further and       
further from any supernatural           
implications4 ,this is no theory2 it is 
what has happened4 ,it was the  course  
of ,protestantism from the ,reformation 
to the eighteenth century2  and1 after a
 partial revival of supernaturalism1 is 
once more the rapid  course of          
,protestantism to-day4 ,protestantism   
has lost or is fast losing  any grip on 
the ,trinity or the ,incarnation3 to it 
,god is more and more a  barren unity1  
and ,jesus a good man4 ,and this largely
 because all  interest in the world of  
the ,redeemed has been abandoned and all
  intercourse with the inhabitants of   
that world denied4    ,it is therefore  
of the last importance that we1 infected
 as we are with  ,protestantism1 should 
stress the revival of the cultus of the 
saints1  and should insist upon our     

right and privilege to pay due honour to
 the  ,mother of ,god and ask our share 
in her prayers4 ,we must do all we can  
to  make her known to our brethren4 ,we 
need her sympathy1 her aid1  her        
example4    ,above all1 the example of  
her spotless purity4 ,it is notorious   
that one  of the most marked features of
 our time is the virulent assault on    
purity4 ,we had long emphasised a       
certain quality of conduct which we     
called modesty2 it was1 perhaps1 largely
 a convention1 but it was one of  those 
protective conventions which are        
valuable as preservative of  qualities  
we prize4 ,it was protective of purity2 
and however artificial  it was1 in some 
respects1 it existed because we felt    
that purity was a  thing too precious to
 be exposed to unnecessary risk4 ,well1 
modesty is  gone now1 whether in conduct
 or convention4 ,one hears discussed at 
dinner-tables and in the presence of    
young girls matters which our  mothers  
would have blushed to mention at all4   

,the quality of modesty is  declared    
,puritanical and hypocritical4          
,hypocritical virtue is a phrase  one   
frequently meets2 and we seem fast going
 on to the time when all  virtue will be
 regarded as hypocrisy4 ,customary      
standards are falling  all about us1    
overthrown in the name of personal      
liberty4    ,and by liberty1 one        
gathers1 is meant freedom to do as one  
pleases1 and  especially as one sexually
 pleases4 ,the assault is pushed hardest
 just  now against the sanctity of the  
sacrament of matrimony and the morals of
  that sacrament as they have been      
developed by the ,christian ,church4    
,protestantism long ago assented to the 
overthrow of ,christian standards  in   
the marriage relation and has aided the 
sexual anarchy with which we  are faced 
to-day4 ,to-day the chief attack is on  
the purity of marriage  in the          
interests1 ostensibly1 of humanity4 ,a  
vigorous campaign in favour  of what is 
called birth-control is being carried   

on1 and is being  supported in quarters 
which are professedly ,christian4 ,there
 are many  grounds for opposing the     
movement1 social1 humanitarian and      
other4 ,we  are here concerned with it  
only as it is an attack on purity4 ,from
 the  ,christian point of view the      
marriage relation has for its end the   
procreation of children for the         
upbuilding of the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,if 
circumstances are such1 through reasons 
of health or economy1 that  children    
seem undesirable1 the remedy is plain1  
self control4 ,the theory  that human   
beings have no more control over their  
appetites than beasts1  while it has    
much to support it in contemporary life1
 cannot be admitted  from the point of  
view of religion4 ,self-control is      
always possible1 and  is constantly     
exercised by many men and women who     
choose to be guided by  principle rather
 than by passion4 ,and in any case the  
,christian ,religion  can become no     
partner1 not even a silent one1 in a    

conspiracy to murder1  or in the sort of
 compromise that turns marriage into a  
licensed sodomy4  ,if indeed the        
economic status of the modern world is  
such that the  average couple cannot    
support a family1 then the ,christian   
,church may  well aid in the bringing   
about of an economic revolution2 but it 
can  hardly aid in the destruction of   
its own ideals of purity4    ,what is   
ultimately at stake in the modern world 
is the whole conception  of purity as a 
quality that is desirable4 ,this        
attitude has become  possible among us  
for one reason because we have consented
 to the  suppression of ideals of life  
which were calculated to sustain it4 ,to
  sustain any moral or spiritual        
conception there must be maintained     
certain appropriate ideals which1 while 
out of the reach of the average  man1   
create and sustain in him an admiration 
and respect for the ideal  standard4 ,so
 the standard of purity presented in    
,mary and protected by  the belief in   

her ,immaculate ,conception and her     
assumption1 has the  effect1 not only of
 commending the life of chastity in the 
sense of the  vows of religion1 but also
 in the broad sense of the restraint and
  discipline of appetite whether within 
or without the marriage relation4  ,it  
impresses upon us the truth that purity 
is not only a human quality  but a      
divinely created virtue1 the result of  
the infusion of sanctifying  grace into 
the soul4 ,is it not largely because the
 young are taught  7when they are taught
 anything at all in the premises7 that  
purity is a  matter of the will1 that   
they so often fail8 ,if they were taught
 the  nature of the virtue and were led 
to rely more on the indwelling might  of
 the ,holy ,spirit would they not have  
better success8 ,and if there were  held
 constantly before their eyes the       
example of the saints and  especially of
 ,blessed ,mary ever-virgin1 would not  
they have an increased  sense of the    
value of purity8    ,the life and       

example of ,s4 ,mary are an inestimable 
treasure of the  ,church of ,god1 and   
her removal from the world has only     
enhanced that  value4 ,to-day her       
meaning is clearer to us than ever4 ,the
 spirit-guided  mind of the ,church has 
through the centuries been meditating on
 the  meaning of her office as ,mother  
of ,god4 ,the words in which she accepts
  her vocation1 ,behold the handmaid of 
the ,lord1 implying1 as they do1 an     
active co-operation with the divine     
purpose1 a voluntary association of     
herself with it1 imply1 too1 the        
perpetual continuance of that           
association1 and contain in germ all    
,catholic teaching in regard to her     
office4 ,she passed from this world     
silently1 and to the world unknown2  but
 to the ,church of ,god she ever remains
 of all human beings the  greatest      
spiritual force in the ,kingdom of ,god4
         ,weep1 living things1 of life  
the ,mother dies2         ,the world    
doth lose the sum of all her bliss1     

,the ,queen of earth1 the ,empress of   
the skies2         ,by ,mary's death    
mankind an orphan is4           ,let    
,nature weep1 yea1 let all graces moan1 
,their glory1 grace and gifts die all in
 one4         ,it was no death to her1  
but to her woe1         ,by which her   
joys began1 her griefs did end2         
,death was to her a friend1 to us a foe1
         ,life of whose lives did on her
 life depend3           ,not prey of    
death1 but praise to death she was4     
,whose ugly shape seemed glorious in her
 face4         ,her face a heaven2 two  
planets were her eyes1         ,whose   
gracious light did make our clearest    
day2       ,but one such heaven there   
was1 and lo1 it dies1         ,death's  
dark eclipse hath dimmed every1 ray3    
,sun1 hide thy light1 thy beams untimely
 shine2           ,true light since we  
have lost1 we crave not thine4          
,robert ,southwell1 #aefj-aeie          
,,part ,,two    ,,chapter ,,xxv         
,,the ,,assumption         ,father1 ,i  

will that they also1 whom thou hast     
given me1 be with       me where ,i am2 
that they may behold my glory1 which    
thou hast       given me4         ,s4   
,john ,,xvii1 #bd4         ,hail6 ,holy 
,queen1 ,mother of mercy1 hail6 ,our    
life1 our       sweetness1 our hope1 all
 hail4 ,to thee we cry1 poor exiled     
children of ,eve4 ,to thee we send up   
our cries1 weeping and       mourning in
 this vale of tears4 ,turn1 then1 ,most 
gracious       ,advocate1 thy merciful  
eyes upon us1 and now1 after this our   
exile1 show unto us the blessed ,fruit  
of thy womb1 ,jesus4 ,o       gracious1 
,o merciful1 ,o sweet ,virgin ,mary4    
,anthem from the breviary4 ,attributed  
to ,hermann ,contractus1 #ajac-ed4      
,there is nothing more wonderful or     
beautiful1 nothing that brings to us  a 
more perfect revelation of our ,lord's  
mind1 than this prayer which is         
recorded for us by ,s4 ,john4 ,there is 
in it a complete unfolding of that      
sympathy and love which we feel to      

underlie and explain our ,lord's        
mission4 ,as we come to know what ,god  
is only when we see ,him revealed in    
,jesus2 when we enter into our ,lord's  
saying1 ,he that hath seen me1 hath     
seen the ,father1 so in the revelation  
of ,jesus we understand ,god's  attitude
 toward us4 ,in ,jesus the love of ,god 
shows itself1 not as an  abstract       
quality1 a philosophical conception1 but
 as a burning1  passionate eagerness to 
rescue1 an outgoing of ,god to          
individual souls4  ,there is a deep     
personal affection displayed in this    
final scene in the  ,upper ,chamber4    
,this is our ,lord's real parting from  
,his disciples4 ,he  will see them      
again1 but under conditions of strain   
and tragedy1 or  under such changed     
circumstances that they cannot well     
enter into the  old intimacy4 ,but here 
there is no bar to the expression of    
love4 ,here  ,he gives them the final   
evidence of ,his utter union with them  
in the  humility of the foot-washing4   

,here ,he marvellously imparts ,himself 
in  the ,breaking of the ,bread1 wherein
 is consummated ,his personal union     
with them4 ,this is the demonstration1  
if one were needed1 that having  loved  
,his own1 ,he loved them unto the       
uttermost4    ,it is inconceivable that 
passionate love such as this should ever
 end4  ,it is a personal relation which 
must endure while personality endures4  
,it is really the demands of love which 
more than anything else outside         
revelation are the evidence of          
immortality4 ,we are certain that the   
love  of ,god which in its fulness has  
been made known in ,christ cannot be    
annihilated by death4 ,i have loved thee
 with an everlasting love2  therefore   
with loving kindness have ,i drawn thee4
 ,love such as that  must draw men1 not 
only in this world1 but in all worlds4  
,if it can draw  men out of sin to ,god1
 it must create an enduring bond4 ,if it
 can draw  ,god to men1 it must be the  
revelation of a permanent attitude of   

,god to  man4 ,it is a love that goes   
out beyond the world1 that love of which
 ,s4  ,paul says3 ,for ,i am persuaded1 
that neither death1 nor life1 nor       
angels1 nor principalities1 nor powers1 
nor things present1 nor things  to come1
 nor height1 nor depth1 nor any other   
creature1 shall be able to  separate us 
from the love of ,god1 which is in      
,christ ,jesus our ,lord4    ,our       
instinctive thought of the ,judgment    
seems to be of it as  condemnation1 or1 
at best1 as acquittal4 ,but why not     
think of it as  consummation8 ,why not  
think of it as setting the seal of      
,god's approval  upon our accomplishment
 of ,his will and purpose for us8 ,the  
final  ,judgment is surely that1--the   
entrance of those who are saved into the
  full joy of their ,lord4 ,there once  
more will our humanity be complete      
because it is the whole man1 not the    
soul only1 but the soul clothed  with   
the body of the resurrection1 once more 
clothed upon with its  house from       

heaven1 which is filled with the joy of 
the ,beatific  ,vision4 ,the thought of 
the particular judgment may fill us with
 dread2  but if we are able to look     
beyond that to the general ,judgment at 
the  last day1 we shall think only of   
our perfect bliss in the enjoyment  of  
,god4    ,the belief in the ,assumption 
of our ,lady is a belief that in her    
case  that which is the inheritance of  
all the saints1 that they shall rise    
again with their bodies and be admitted 
to the ,vision of ,god1 has been        
anticipated4 ,in her1 that which we all 
look forward to and dream of for        
ourselves1 has been attained4 ,she      
to-day is in ,god's presence in her     
entire humanity1 clothed with her body  
of glory4    ,this teaching1 one finds1 
still causes some searching of hearts   
among  us1 and is thought to raise many 
questions difficult to answer4 ,and it  
may be admitted at the outset that it is
 not a truth taught in ,holy  ,scripture
 but a truth arrived at by the mind of  

the ,church after  centuries of thought4
 ,unless we can think of the ,church as 
a divine  organism with a continuous    
life from the day of ,pentecost until   
now1 as  being the home of the ,holy    
,spirit1 and as being continuously      
guided by  ,him into all the truth2     
unless we can accept in their full sense
 our  ,lord's promises that ,he will be 
with the ,church until the end of the   
world1 we shall not find it possible to 
accept the assumption as a fact1  but   
shall decline to believe that1 and not  
only that but1 if we are  consistent1   
many another belief of the ,christian   
,church4 ,but if we have  an adequate   
understanding of what is implied in the 
continuity of the  ,church as the organ 
of the present action of the ,holy      
,spirit1 we shall  not find that the    
fact that a given doctrine is not       
explicitly contained  in ,holy          
,scripture is any bar to its acceptance4
 ,we shall have learned  that the       
revelation of ,god in ,christ1 and our  

relation to ,god in ,christ1  are facts 
of such tremendous import and           
inexhaustible content that it  would be 
absurd to suppose that all their meaning
 had been understood  and explicitly    
stated in the first generation of the   
,christian ,church4    ,we shall not1   
then1 find it any bar to the acceptance 
of belief in the  assumption of our     
,lady that its formal statement came1 as
 is said1  late4 ,we simply want to know
 that when it came it came as the       
outcome  of the mature thought of the   
,church1 the ,body of ,christ1 the      
,fulness of  ,him that filleth all in   
all4    ,it is to be noted that the     
assumption is not a wholly isolated     
fact4  ,there are several cases of      
assumption in the ,old ,testament though
 of a  slightly different character in  
that they were assumptions directly from
  life without any interval of death4   
,such were the assumptions of ,enoch    
and ,elijah4 ,moses1 too1 it has been   
constantly believed1 was assumed  into  

heaven1--in his case after death and    
with his resurrection body4 ,a  case    
which is more strangely like what is    
believed to have taken place  in the    
experience of blessed ,mary is that     
closely connected with our  ,lord's     
resurrection and recorded by ,s4        
,matthew4 ,and the graves were  opened1 
and many bodies of the saints which     
slept arose1 and came out of  the graves
 after his resurrection1 and went into  
the holy city1 and  appeared unto many4 
,although it is not asserted that these 
were assumed  into heaven1 it seems     
impossible to avoid the inference2 and  
if many  saints which slept were raised 
from the dead and assumed into the      
heavenly world1 there can be no a priori
 difficulty in believing the  same thing
 to have taken place in the ,blessed    
,mother of ,god4 ,nay if such  a thing  
as an assumption is at all possible for 
any human being one  would naturally    
conclude from the very relation of ,s4  
,mary to our ,lord  that the possibility

 would be realised in her4    ,and there
 were elements in her case which were   
lacking in all the other  cases which   
suggest a certain fitness1 if not       
inevitability1 in her  assumption4 ,she 
was conceived without sin1--never had   
any breath of sin  tainted her4 ,was it 
then possible that she should be holden 
by death8  ,surely1 in any case1 it was 
impossible that her holy body should see
  corruption3 we cannot think of the    
dissolution of that body which had no   
part in sin4 ,if ever an assumption were
 possible1 here it was  inevitable--so  
the thought of the ,church shaped       
itself4 ,the compelling  motives of the 
belief were theological rather than     
historical4 ,the germ  out of           
consideration of which was evolved the  
belief in the assumption  was the       
relation of ,blessed ,mary to her ,son4 
,that unique relation might  be expected
 to carry with it unique consequences1  
and among these the  consequence that   
the body which was bound by no sin      

should be reunited  to the soul which   
had needed no purgation1 but had passed 
at once to the  presence of its ,god and
 its ,redeemer who was likewise ,son4   
,it is well to  stress the fact that the
 assumption is not only a fact but a    
doctrine4  ,fact1 of course1 it was or  
there could be no doctrine2 but the     
truth of  the fact is certified by the  
growing conviction in the mind of the   
,church of the inevitability of the     
doctrine4    ,what is implied in the    
word assumption is that the body of the 
,mother of  our ,lord was after her     
death and burial raised to heaven by the
 power of  ,god4 ,it differed therefore 
essentially from the ascension of our   
,lord  which was accomplished by ,his   
,own inherent power4 ,when this         
assumption  took place we have no means 
of knowing4 ,we do not certainly know   
where  ,s4 ,mary lived1 nor where and   
when she died4 ,jerusalem and ,ephesus  
contend in tradition for the privilege  
of having sheltered her last days  and  

reverently carried her body to its      
burial4 ,there is no way of  deciding   
between these two claims1 although the  
fact that our ,lord  confided ,his      
,mother to ,s4 ,john throws some little 
weight into the scale  of ,ephesus4 ,and
 yet ,s4 ,mary may have died before ,s4 
,john settled in  ,ephesus4 ,we can only
 say that history gives us no reliable  
information  on the matter4    ,in the  
silence of ,scripture we naturally turn 
to the other writings of  the early     
,church for light and guidance on the   
matter2 but there1 too1  there is little
 help4 ,there is1 to be sure1 a group of
 ,apocryphal  writings which have a good
 deal to say about the life of ,s4      
,mary1 where  the ,scriptures and       
tradition are silent4 ,among other      
things these  ,apocryphal writings have 
a good deal to say1 and some very       
beautiful  stories to tell1 of ,s4      
,mary's last days1 of her burial and    
assumption4  ,are we to think of these  
stories as containing any grain of      

truth8 ,if  they do1 it is now          
impossible to sift it from the chaff4   
,these stories  are generally rejected  
as a basis of knowledge4 ,and there has 
been1 and  still is in some quarters1 a 
conviction that the belief of the       
,church in  the assumption rests on     
nothing better or more stable than these
  ,apocryphal stories2 that the authors 
of these ,apocrypha were inventing      
their stories out of nothing1 and that  
in an uncritical age their  legends came
 to be taken as history4 ,thus was a    
belief in the assumption  foisted upon  
the ,church1 having no slightest ground 
in fact4 ,the human  tendency to fill in
 the silences of ,scripture has resulted
 in many  legends1 that of the          
assumption among them4    ,there is a   
good deal to be said for this position1 
yet ,i do not feel  that it is          
convincing4 ,that the incidents of the  
life of the ,blessed  ,virgin ,mary as  
narrated in the ,apocrypha are          
historical1 of course  cannot be        

maintained4 ,but neither is it at all   
probable that such  stories grew up out 
of nothing3 indeed1 their existence     
implies that  there were certain facts  
widely accepted in the ,christian       
community that  served as their starting
 point4 ,while the ,apocryphal stories  
of the life  of our ,lady cannot be     
accepted as history1 they do presuppose 
certain  beliefs as universally1 or at  
least widely1 held4 ,thus one may reject
  all the details of the story of the   
death and burial and assumption of  our 
,lady1 and yet feel that the story is   
evidence of a belief in the  assumption 
among those for whom the story was      
written4 ,what was new to  them was not 
the fact of the assumption but the      
detailed incidents with  which the      
,apocrypha embroidered it4 ,i feel no   
doubt that these  ,apocryphal stories   
are not the source of belief in the     
assumption1 but  are our earliest       
witness to the existence of the belief4 
,they actually  presuppose its existence

 in the ,church as the necessary        
condition of  their own existence4      
,another fact that tells in the same    
direction is the absence of any         
physical relics of our ,lady4 ,at a time
 when great stress was laid upon        
relics1 and there was little scruple in 
inventing them1 if the authentic  ones  
were not forthcoming1 there were no     
relics produced which were  alleged to  
be the physical relics of ,s4 ,mary4    
,why was this8 ,surely1  unless there   
were some inhibiting circumstances1     
relics1 real or forged1  would have been
 produced4 ,the only probable           
explanation is that the  inhibiting     
circumstance was the established belief 
in the assumption4 ,if  the assumption  
were a fact1 there would be no physical 
relics2 if it  were an established      
belief1 there would be no fraud         
possible4 ,add to  this that various    
relics of our ,lady were alleged to     
exist2 but they  were not relics of her 
body4    ,again3 by the seventh century 

the celebration of the feast of the     
assumption had spread throughout the    
whole church4 ,this universal           
establishment of the feast implies a    
preceding history of considerable       
length1 going well back into the past4  
,the feast was kept in many  places1 and
 under a variety of names which seem to 
imply1 not mere  copying1 but           
independent development4 ,it is alleged1
 to be sure1 that  the names by which   
the feast was called do not imply belief
 in the  assumption4 ,the feast is      
called the ,sleeping1 the ,repose1 the  
,passage of the ,virgin1 as well as by  
the ,western title1 the assumption4     
,but a study of the liturgies and of the
 sermons preached in honour of  the     
feast will convince any one that the    
underlying tradition was that  of our   
,lady's assumption4    ,these quite     
separate and yet converging lines of    
evidence seem to me to  show            
convincingly what was the wide-spread   
belief of the early ,christian          

community as to the destiny of ,blessed 
,mary4 ,they imply a tradition  going   
well back into the past1 so far back1   
that in view of the  theological        
expression of the mind of the ,church   
they may well be  regarded as apostolic4
 ,our personal belief in the assumption 
will still  rest primarily upon its     
theological expression in the mind of   
the  ,church1 but having attained       
certainty as to the doctrine1 which is  
of  course at the same time certainty as
 to the fact1 we shall have no          
difficulty in finding in the above      
sketched lines of historical            
development the evidence of the         
primitive character of the belief4      
,it may not be amiss to give a few      
characteristic quotations as  indicating
 the mind of the ,church in this matter4
    ,s4 ,modestus1 patriarch of         
,jerusalem 7d4 #fad71 preaching on the  
,falling  ,asleep of the ,mother of     
,god1 said3--    ,the ,lord of heaven   
and earth has to-day consecrated the    

human  tabernacle in which ,he ,himself1
 according to the flesh1 was received1  
that it may enjoy with ,him forever the 
gift of incorruptibility4 ,o  blessed   
sleep of the glorious1 ever-virgin      
,mother of ,god1 who has not  known the 
corruption of the grave2 for ,christ1   
our all-powerful ,saviour1  has kept    
intact that flesh which gave ,him ,his  
flesh4444 ,hail1 most holy  ,mother of  
,god3 ,jesus has willed to have you in  
,his ,kingdom with your  body clothed in
 incorruptibility4444 ,the most glorious
 ,mother of ,christ  our ,lord and      
,saviour1 ,who gave life and            
immortality1 is raised by her  ,son1 and
 forever possesses incorruptibility with
 ,him ,who called her from  the tomb4   
,s4 ,andrew1 ,archbishop of ,crete 7d4  
#fgf71 also preaching on the ,falling   
,asleep of the ,mother of ,god1         
says3--,it is a wholly new sight1 and   
one  that surpasses the reason1 that of 
a woman purer than the heavens  entering
 heaven with her body4 ,as she was born 

without corruption1 so  after death her 
flesh is restored to life4    ,in one of
 his sermons at the same feast1 ,s4     
,germanus of ,constantinople  7d4 #gcc71
 speaks thus3--,it was impossible that  
the tomb should hold the  body which had
 been the living temple of the ,son of  
,god4 ,how should your  flesh be reduced
 to dust and ashes who1 by the ,son born
 of you1 have  delivered the human race 
from the corruption of death8           
,preaching on the same festival1 ,s4    
,john ,damascene 7d4 #gfj7 said3--,your 
flesh has known no corruption4 ,your    
immaculate body1 which knew no  stain1  
was not left in the tomb4 ,you remained 
virgin in your  child-bearing2 and in   
your death your body was not reduced to 
dust but  has been placed in a better   
and celestial state4    ,there are one  
or two practical consequences of this   
doctrine concerning  which1 perhaps1 it 
may be well to say a few words4 ,the    
first is as the  result of such         
devotions to our ,lady as are implied   

in1 or have in fact  followed1 a belief 
in her assumption4 ,it is objected to   
them that even  granting the truth of   
the fact of the assumption1 still the   
stress laid  on the fact and the        
devotions to our ,lady which are held to
 be  appropriate to it1 are unhealthy in
 their nature1 and do1 in fact1 tend  to
 obscure the worship of our ,lord3 that 
where devotions to our ,lady are        
fostered1 there devotion to our ,lord   
declines4 ,that therefore instead of    
trying to advance the cultus of our     
,lady1 we should do much better to  hold
 to the sanity and reserve which has    
characterised the ,anglican  ,church    
since the ,reformation4    ,these and   
the like arguments seem to me to hang in
 the air and to be  quite divorced from 
facts4 ,they imply a state of things    
which does not  exist4 ,the assertion   
that where devotion to our ,lady        
prevails devotion  to our ,lord declines
 is as far as possible from being true4 
,where to-day  is the ,deity of our     

,lord defended most ardently and        
devotion to ,him most  wide spread8 ,is 
it in ,churches where devotion to our   
,lady is suppressed8  ,on the contrary1 
do you not know with absolute certainty1
 that in any  church where you find     
devotion to our ,lady encouraged1 there 
will you  find the ,deity of our ,lord  
maintained8 ,has the ,anglican sanity   
and  reserve in regard to the ,blessed  
,virgin ,mary saved the ,anglican       
,church  from the inroads of            
unitarianism and rationalism8 ,is it not
 precisely in  those circles where the  
very virginity of our ,lady is denied   
that the  divinity of our ,lord is      
denied also8 ,no1 devotion to ,mary is  
far indeed  from detracting from the    
honour due to ,mary's ,son4    ,and we  
cannot insist too much or too often that
 the doctrines of the  ,christian       
,church form a closely woven system such
 that none1 even the  seemingly least   
important1 can be denied without        
injuring the whole4 ,no  article of     

,christian belief expresses an          
independent truth1 but always a  truth  
depending upon other truths1 and in its 
turn lending others its  support4 ,to   
deny any truth that the mind of the     
,church has expressed is  equivalent to 
the removal of an organ from a living   
body4    ,and to-day we feel more than  
ever the need of the doctrine of the    
assumption4 ,one of the bitterest       
attacks on the ,christian ,faith which  
is  being made to-day1 emanating        
principally from within the ,christian  
community1 and even from within the     
,christian ministry1 is that which is   
being made on the truth of the          
resurrection of the body1 whether the   
resurrection of our ,lord1 or our own   
resurrection4 ,in place of the          
,christian doctrine believed and        
preached from the beginning1 we are     
asked to lapse back into heathenism and 
a doctrine of immortality4 ,not  many   
seem to realise the vastness of the     
difference that is made in our  outlook 

to the future by a belief in the        
resurrection of the body as             
distinguished from immortality4 ,but the
 character of the religions  resulting  
from these two contrary beliefs is      
absolutely different4 ,it  needs only to
 study them as they actually exist to be
 convinced of  this fact4    ,and it is 
precisely the doctrine of the assumption
 of our ,lady which  contributes strong 
support to the ,christian doctrine of   
the resurrection  of the body4 ,it      
teaches us that in her case the vision  
and hope of  mankind at large has been  
anticipated and accomplished4 ,the      
resurrection  of our ,lord is found1 in 
fact1 to extend 7if one may so express  
it7 to  the members of ,his mystical    
body2 and the promise which is fulfilled
 in  ,blessed ,mary1 is that hope of a  
joyful resurrection which is thus       
confirmed to us all4 ,in its stress upon
 the assumption the mind of the         
,christian ,church has not been led     
astray1 has not been betrayed into      

fostering superstitions1 but has been   
led by the ,spirit of ,christ which  ,he
 promised it to the development of a    
truth not only revealing the  present   
place of ,his glorious ,mother in the   
,kingdom of her ,son1 but  encouraging  
and heartening us in our following of   
the heavenly way4         ,whoe is shee 
that assends so high         ,next the  
heavenlye ,kinge1       ,round about    
whome angells flie         ,and her     
prayses singe8         ,who is shee that
 adorned with light1         ,makes the 
sunne her robe1       ,at whose feete   
the queene of night         ,layes her  
changing globe8         ,to that crowne 
direct thine eye1         ,which her    
heade attyres2       ,there thou mayst  
her name discrie         ,wrytt in      
starry fires4         ,this is shee1 in 
whose pure wombe         ,heaven's      
,prince remained2       ,therefore1 in  
noe earthly tombe         ,cann shee be 
contayned4         ,heaven shee was1    
which held that fire         ,whence the

 world tooke light1       ,and to heaven
 doth now aspire1         ,fflames with 
fflames to unite4         ,shee that did
 so clearly shyne         ,when our day 
begunne1       ,see1 howe bright her    
beames decline         ,nowe shee sytts 
with the sunne4         ,sir ,john      
,beaumont1 #aehb-afbh4        ,,part    
,,two    ,,chapter ,,xxvi    ,,the      
,,coronation           ,and there       
appeared a great wonder in heaven2 a    
woman clothed       with the sun1 and   
the moon under her feet1 and upon her   
head       a crown of twelve stars4     
,rev4 ,,xii1 ,i4         ,to-day the    
,angel ,gabriel brought the palm and the
 crown to       the triumphant ,virgin4 
,to-day he introduced to the ,lord of   
all1 her1 who was the ,temple of the    
,most ,high1 and the       dwelling of  
the ,holy ,spirit4         ,,for ,,the  
,,assumption4 ,,armenian4    ,the heaven
 which ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist shows  
us is the continuation of  the earthly  
,church4 ,as we read his pages we feel  

that entrance there  would be a real    
home-coming for the earnest ,christian4 
,we are familiar  enough with           
presentations of heaven which seem to us
 to be so detached  from ,christian     
reality as to lack any human appeal4 ,we
 think of  philosophic presentations of 
the future with entire indifference4 ,it
 is  possible1 we say1 that they may be 
true2 but they are utterly              
uninteresting4 ,it is not so in the     
visions of ,s4 ,john4 ,here we have a   
heaven which is humanly interesting     
because it is continous with the        
present life1 and its interests are the 
interests that it has been the  object  
of our religion to foster4 ,the         
qualities of character which the        
,christian religion has urged upon our  
attention are presented as finding      
their clear field of development in the 
world to come4 ,there1 too1 are         
unveiled the objects of our adoration1  
the ever-blessed ,three who yet  are but
 one4 ,love which has striven for       

development under the conditions  and   
limitations of our earthly life1 which  
has tried to see ,god and has  gone out 
to seek ,him in the dimness of          
revelation1 now sees and is  satisfied4 
,whom now we see in a mirror1           
enigmatically1 we shall then see  face  
to face4    ,and it is a heaven thronged
 with saints1 with men and women who    
have  gone through the same experiences 
as those to which we are subjected1  and
 have come forth purified and           
triumphant4 ,we sometimes in            
discouragement think of life as         
continuous struggle4 ,it is perhaps     
natural and inevitable that we should   
thus concentrate attention upon  the    
present1 but if we lift our eyes so as  
to clear them from the mists  of the    
present we see that it is far from a    
hopeless struggle1 but  rather the      
necessary discipline from which we      
emerge triumphant4 ,those  saints whom  
we see rejoicing about the throne of    
,god1 those who go out  to follow the   

,lamb whithersoever ,he goeth1 passed   
through the struggle  of persecution to 
their triumphant attainment of the      
,vision4 ,it is our  eternal temptation 
to expect to triumph here2 but it is    
only in a very  limited sense that this 
can be true3 our triumph is indeed here1
 but the  enjoyment of it and all that  
is implied in it is elsewhere4 ,here    
even  our most complete achievement is  
conditioned by the limitations of       
earth3 there the limitations are done   
away and life expands in  perfectness4  
,so we look eagerly through the door    
that is opened in heaven as those  who  
are looking into their future home4     
,that is what we all are striving       
for--presumably4 ,we are consciously    
selecting out of life precisely  those  
elements1 are centering on those        
interests1 which have eternal           
significance and are imperishable       
values4 ,as we travel along the ,pilgrim
  ,way it is with hearts uplifted and   
stimulated by the ,vision of the end4   

,we advance as seeing ,him ,who is      
invisible4 ,we live by hope1 knowing    
that  we shall attain no enduring       
satisfaction until we pass through the  
gates  into the ,city1 and mingle with  
the throng of worshippers who sing the  
song of ,moses and of the ,lamb4        
,therefore our life is always           
forward-looking and optimistic3 because 
we are sure of the end1 we wait  for it 
with patience and endurance1 thankful   
for all the experience of  the ,way4 ,as
 the years flow by we do not look back  
on them with regret as  the unrenewable 
experiences of a vanished youth1 but we 
think of them as  the bearers of        
experiences by which we have profited1  
and of goods which  we have safely      
garnered1 waiting the time when their   
stored values can  be fully realised4   
,over all the saints whom the ,church   
has seen rejoicing in the heavenly      
life1 rises the form of ,mary1 ,mother  
of ,god4 ,s4 ,john's vision of the      
great sign in heaven in its primary     

meaning has1 no doubt1 reference  to the
 ,church itself2 but the form of its    
symbolism would be impossible  if there 
were not a secondary reference to the   
,blessed ,virgin ,mary4 ,it  is the     
thought of her and of her office as     
,mother of the ,redeemer that  has      
determined the form of the vision4 ,the 
details are too clear to  permit of     
doubt1 and such has been the constant   
mind of ,catholic  interpreters4    ,and
 how else than as ,queen of the heavenly
 host should we expect her to  be       
represented8 ,what does the ,church     
teaching as to sanctity imply8    ,it   
implies the enjoyment of the ,beatific  
,vision4 ,the normal ,christian  life   
begins in the sacramental act by which  
the regenerate child is made  one with  
,god1 being made a partaker of the      
divine nature1 and develops  through    
sacramental experience and constant     
response to the will of ,god  to that   
spiritual capacity which is the medium  
of the ,beatific ,vision  and which we  

call sanctity or purity4 ,the pure in   
heart shall see ,god4    ,but the       
teaching of the ,church also implies    
that there is a marvellous  diversity in
 the sanctity of the members of the     
,body of ,christ4 ,each  saint retains  
his personal characteristics1 and his   
sanctity is not the  refashioning of his
 character in a common mould but the    
perfecting of  his character on its own 
lines4 ,we sometimes hear it said that  
the  ,christian conception of heaven is 
monotonous1 but that is very far from   
being the fact4 ,it is only those       
conceptions of heaven which have        
excluded the communion of saints1 and   
have thought of heaven as the  solitary 
communion of the soul with ,god2 which  
have in other words1  excluded the      
notion of human society from heaven1    
which have appeared  monotonous4 ,as we 
read any series of the lives of the     
saints1 and  realise that it is these   
men and women and multitudes of others  
like  them1 that make up the society of 

heaven1 we get rid of any other notion  
than that of endless diversity4 ,and    
thus studying individual saints we  come
 to understand that not only is the     
sanctity of them diverse in  experience 
but different in degree4 ,all men have  
not the same capacity  for sanctity1 we 
infer2 all cannot develop to the same   
level of  attainment4 ,we may perhaps   
say that while all partake of ,god1 all 
do not  reflect ,god in the same way or 
in the same degree4    ,but if there be 
a hierachy of saints it is impossible   
that we should  think of any other at   
its head than ,blessed ,mary4           
,whatsoever diversity  there may be in  
the attainments of the saints1 there is 
one saint who  is pre-eminent in all    
things1 who1--because in her case there 
has never  been any moment in which she 
was separate from ,god1 when the bond of
  union was so much as strained1--is the
 completest embodiment of the  grace of 
,god4 ,that is1 ,i think1 essentially   
what is meant by the  ,coronation of our

 ,lady1--that her supremacy in sanctity 
makes her the  head of the heirarchy of 
saints1 that in her the possibilities of
 the  life of union have been developed 
to the highest degree through her       
unstained purity and unfailing response 
to the divine will4    ,it is of the    
last importance1 if the ,catholic       
conceptions are to be  influential in   
our lives1 that we should gain such a   
hold on the life of  heaven1 the life   
that the saints1 with ,saint ,mary at   
their head1 are  leading to-day1 as     
shall make it a present reality to us1  
not a picture  in some sort of          
dreamland4 ,our lives are shaped by     
their ideals2 and  although we may never
 attain to our ideals here1 yet we shall
 never  attain them anywhere unless we  
shape them here4 ,heaven must be grasped
  as the issue of a certain sort of     
life1 as the necessary consequence of   
the application of ,christian principles
 to daily living4 ,it is wholly  bad to 
conceive it as a vague future into which

 we shall be ushered at  death1 if only 
we are good2 it must be understood as a 
state we win to  by the use of the means
 placed at our disposal for the purpose4
 ,those  attain to heaven in the future 
who are interested in heaven in  the    
present4    ,and a study of the means is
 wholly possible for us because we have 
at  hand in great detail the lives of   
those whom the ,church1 by raising  them
 to her altars1 has guaranteed to us as 
having achieved sanctity and  been      
admitted to the ,beatific ,vision4 ,they
 achieved sanctity here--that  is1 in   
the past4 ,they achieved it under an    
infinite variety of                     
circumstanies1--that is the             
encouragement4 ,they now enjoy the      
fruits of  it in the world of           
heaven1--that is the promise4    ,and   
nowhere can we better turn for the      
purpose of our study than to the  life  
of ,blessed ,mary4 ,there is the        
consummate flower of sainthood2 and     
therefore it it best there that we can  

study its meaning4 ,and for two         
principal reasons can we best study it  
there4 ,in the first place because  of  
its completeness3 nowhere else are all  
the elements of sanctity so  well       
developed4 ,and in the second place     
because of the riches of the  material  
for understanding ,blessed ,mary that is
 placed at our disposal  by the labour  
of many generations of saints and       
doctors4 ,all that devout  meditation   
can do to understand the sanctity of    
,blessed ,mary has  been done4    ,our  
limit is necessarily reduced1 our       
selection partial and our               
accomplishment fragmentary4 ,we cannot  
however miss our way if we follow  in   
the steps of ,holy ,revelation in making
 love the central quality4 ,s4  ,mary's 
greatness is ultimately the greatness of
 her love4 ,it began as a  love of the  
will of ,god4 ,she appears as utterly   
selfless1 as having  devoted herself to 
the will of ,god as ,he shall manifest  
that will4 ,and  therefore when the time

 comes she makes the great sacrifice    
that is  asked of her without hesitation
 and without effort3 ,behold1 the       
handmaid of the ,lord2 be it unto me    
according to thy word4 ,and all her     
life henceforth is loving response to   
what is unfolded as the content of  the 
accepted revelation4 ,that is a         
noteworthy thing that ,i fancy is  often
 missed4 ,it is not uncommon for one to 
accept a vocation as a  whole1 and then 
subsequently1 as it unfolds1 shrink from
 this or that  detail of it4 ,but in the
 case of ,s4 ,mary the acceptance of the
 vocation  meant the acceptance of ,god1
 and there was no holding back from the 
result of that4    ,that must be our    
guide in the pursuit of the heavenly    
life3 we must  understand that we are   
not called to accept this or that belief
 or  practice1 but are called to accept 
,god--,god speaking to us through the   
revelation ,he has entrusted to ,his    
,catholic ,church4 ,we do not1 when we  
make our act of acceptance1 know all or 

very much of what ,god is going  to     
mean2 but whatever ,god turns out to    
mean in experience1 there can be  no    
holding back4 ,the note of a true       
acceptance of vocation is precisely     
this limitless surrender1 a surrender   
without reservation4 ,s4 ,mary could  by
 no means understand what was to be     
asked of her3 she only knew it was  ,god
 ,who asked it4 ,she could not foresee  
the years of the ministry when  her ,son
 would not have where to lay ,his head1 
followed by the anxiety of  ,holy ,week 
and the watch by the ,cross on ,good    
,friday2 but as these things  came she  
could understand them as involved in her
 vocation1 in her  acceptance of ,god4  
,and cannot we get the same attitude    
toward life8 ,in the acceptance of  the 
,christian ,religion what we have       
accepted is ,god4 ,we have  acknowledged
 the supremacy of a will outside        
ourselves4 ,we say1 we are  not our own1
 we are bought with a price1 the price  
of the ,precious  ,blood4 ,but if our   

acceptance is a reality and not a theory
 it will turn  out to involve much more 
than we imagined at the first4 ,the     
frequent and  pathetic failures of those
 who have made profession of            
,christianity is  largely accounted for 
by this1--that the demands of the       
,christian  ,religion on life turn out  
to be more searching and far-reaching   
than was  supposed would be the case4   
,religion turns out to be not one       
interest to  be adjusted to the other   
interests of life1 but to be a demand   
that all  life and action shall be      
controlled by supernatural motive4      
,those who  would willingly give a part1
 find it impossible to surrender the    
whole4  ,the world is full of ,young    
,rulers who are willing to contribute   
liberally to the support of religion1   
but shrink from the demand that  they   
sell all4 ,i seek not yours1 but you1   
,s4 ,paul writes to the  ,corinthians2  
and that is also the seeking of         
,god--,not yours but you4  ,and because 

the limit of our willingness is reached 
in contribution and  does not extend to 
sacrifice1 we fail4    ,but ,blessed    
,mary did not fail because there was no 
limit to her  willingness to sacrifice4 
,her will to sacrifice had the same     
limitless  quality as her love2 and     
because of the limitless quality of her 
self-giving her growth in the life of   
union was unlimited1 or limited  only by
 the limitations of creaturehood4 ,when 
therefore we think of her  to-day as    
,queen of ,saints we are not thinking of
 an arbitrarily  conferred position2 we 
are thinking of a position which comes  
to her  because she is what she is4 ,she
 through the unstinting sacrifice of her
  love came into more intimate relations
 with ,god than is possible for any     
other1 and through that relation came to
 know more of the mind of ,god  than any
 other4 ,the power of her intercession  
is the power of her  understanding1 of  
her sympathy with the thoughts of ,god4 
,when we come to  her with our request  

for her intercession we feel that we are
 sure of  her sympathy and her          
understanding4 ,her experience of human 
life1 we  think1 was not very wide3 can 
she whose life was passed under such    
narrow conditions understand the complex
 needs of the modern man or  woman8 ,it 
is true that her actual experience of   
human life was not very  wide2 but her  
experience of ,god is very wide indeed1 
and she is able to  understand our      
experience better than we can understand
 it ourselves  because of her           
understanding of ,god's mind and will4  
,it is seeing life  through ,god's eyes 
that reveals the truth about it4        
,hence the blunder and the tragedy of   
those who seek to know life by          
experience1 when they mean experience   
gained by participation in life's  evil 
as well as in its good4 ,they succeed in
 soiling life rather than in            
understanding it2 for participation in  
evil effectually prevents our           
understandings of good4 ,it is on the   

face of things that the farther a  man  
goes into sin1 the less is righteousness
 intelligible to him4 ,our  ,lord's rule
 ,he that doeth the will shall know of  
the doctrine is not  an arbitrary maxim1
 but embodies the deepest psychological 
truth4 ,there  is but one path to full  
understanding1 and that is the path of  
sympathy4 ,and therefore are we sure of 
our ,lady's understanding and  come to  
her unhesitatingly for the help of her  
intercession4 ,she  understands our case
 because she sees it revealed in the    
mind of  her ,son4    ,it cannot be     
questioned that much of the weakness of 
religion to-day is  due to the fact that
 ,christian ideals make but faint       
appeal4 ,by many  they are frankly      
repudiated as impossible of attainment  
in a world such  as this1 and as        
weakening to human character so far as  
they are  attained4 ,christians1 of     
course1 are unable to take this point of
 view1  and1 therefore1 they treat the  
ideals with respect1 but continue to    

govern their lives by motives which are 
not harmonious with them4 ,it is        
tacitly assumed on all sides that a     
consistent pursuit of ,christians       
ideals will assure failure in social or 
business life4 ,this1 of course1  is    
tantamount to a confession that social  
and business life are  unchristian1 and 
raises the same sort of grave questions 
as to the duty  of a ,christian as were 
raised in the early days of the ,church 
under the  heathen empire4 ,with that1  
however1 we may not concern ourselves   
now4 ,we  are merely concerned to note  
and to emphasise the fact that1 whatever
  may be true of society or business1   
our religion is lamentably  ineffective 
because of its failure to emphasise the 
ideals of sanctity  and to present those
 ideals as the ideals of all ,christian 
life1 not  as the ideals of a select    
few4 ,while religious teachers asquiesce
 in the  present set of compromises as  
an adequate expression of ,christian    
character1 we may expect a decline in   

the ,church as a spiritual force1       
whatever may be true of it as a social  
force4    ,if ,christian ideals are to  
resume their appeal to the membership of
 the  ,church as a whole it is requisite
 that they be studied by the clergy and 
intelligently presented4 ,but little is 
to be hoped in this direction so  long  
as our theological training ignores     
religion and concentrates its  attention
 on something that it takes for         
scholarship4 ,the raw material  that is 
sent by our parishes to the seminaries  
to be educated for ,holy  ,orders is    
commonly turned out of the seminary with
 less religion that it  entered4 ,the   
outlook for the presentation of         
,christian ideals is not  hopeful4 ,we  
seem destined to drift on indefinitely  
in our habitual  compromises4    ,all   
the more is it necessary that we should 
lift our eyes to the heavens  where     
humility and meekness1 where sacrifice  
and obdience1 are1 in the  person of    
,blessed ,mary1 crowned as the most     

perfect expression of  sanctity1 as the 
qualities that raise man nearest ,god4  
,and what consoles  us in the present   
depressing circumstances of the ,church 
is that we are  permitted to look       
through ,s4 ,john's eyes into the world 
of heaven1 and  there see a great       
multitude1 which no man could number1 of
 all nations1  and kindreds1 and        
peoples1 and tongues1 before the throne 
and before the  ,lamb1 clothed with     
white robes1 and with palms in their    
hands4 ,somehow1  we feel1 under        
whatever distressing and discouraging   
circumstances1 the  work of ,god in the 
regeneration of souls goes on4 ,no doubt
 it is a work  that is largely hidden   
from our eyes1 from those eyes which are
 blinded  to the reality of spiritual   
things4 ,humility and meekness are the  
qualities of a hidden life2 they do not 
flaunt themselves before men's  eyes4   
,but in their silence and obscurity     
great souls are growing up1  growing to 
the spiritual status of the saints of   

,god4 ,in our estimate of  values we    
shall do well to lay to heart the       
utterances of ,,wisdom3 ,then  shall the
 righteous man stand in great boldness  
before the face of such  as have        
afflicted him1 and made no account of   
his labours4 ,when they see  it1 they   
shall be troubled with terrible fear1   
and shall be amazed at  the strangeness 
of his salvation1 so far beyond all that
 they had looked  for4 ,and they        
repenting and groaning for anguish of   
spirit shall say  among themselves1     
,this is he1 whom we had sometime in    
derision1 and a  proverb of reproach3 we
 fools accounted his life madness1 and  
his end  without honour3 how is he      
numbered among the children of ,god1 and
 his  lot is among the saints6 ,verily  
we went astray from the way of truth1   
and the light of righteousness shined   
not unto us1 and the sun of             
righteousness rose not upon us4    ,when
 we have attained to the point of view  
as to life's value which is  expressed  

in the ideal of sanctity then we shall  
know how to estimate at  their true     
worth the constant criticisms which are 
directed against  those ideals and those
 who seek them4 ,the saints1 we are     
told1 were no  doubt estimable men and  
women1 but they were weak1 and for the  
purpose  of the world's work1 useless4  
,but is this true1 to keep to a specific
  example1 of the ,blessed ,virgin      
,mary8 ,what is there about her life    
that  suggests weakness8 ,and what can  
be the meaning of calling such a life   
useless to the world8 ,take but one     
aspect of it4 ,it has for centuries     
furnished an ideal of womanhood4 ,it is 
contended that the women who  have taken
 ,blessed ,mary for their ideal have    
shown themselves weak and               
useless8--that those women are stronger 
in character and of more value  to the  
world who have thrown over the ideals of
 sanctity and built their  lives upon   
the social ideals prevalent at present8 
,i no not care to  attempt any          

characterisation of the feminine ideal  
which is commended to  us at present2 it
 is sufficient to say that it is        
difficult to  understand how it can be  
considered socially valuable2 still less
 how it  can be considered an advance on
 the character qualities which          
distinguish the ,christian ideal of     
sanctity4    ,in the midst of the       
present confusion of values it is for us
 of vast  significance that we have in  
this matter the mind of ,christ4 ,there 
need  be no confusion in our minds4     
,what ,christ commended has proved to be
  practical of accomplishment1 the      
evidence of which is the great          
multitude which no man can number who   
to-day sing about the throne of  ,god   
and of the ,lamb4 ,what ,god approves is
 evidenced by the ,coronation of  the   
,blessed ,mother over all the multitudes
 of the saints of ,god4 ,blessed  ,mary 
is the embodied thought of ,god for     
humanity1 the realised ideal of  a human
 life4 ,he that is mighty hath magnified

 her1 till she shines  resplendent in   
spiritual qualities over all the hosts  
of the elect4    ,but though so highly  
exalted she is not thereby removed to an
  inaccessible distance4 ,she who is    
privileged to bear the incredible       
title1 ,,mother ,,of ,,god is our       
,mother as well4 ,upon the ,cross our   
,lord  said to us in the person of ,his 
beloved ,disciple1 ,behold thy ,mother2 
and it is a mother's love that we find  
flowing to us from the heart of  ,mary4 
,have we been cold to her1 and          
inappreciative of her love8 ,have we    
felt that we have no need of her in the 
conduct of our lives8 ,if so1  what we  
have been doing is to isolate ourselves 
from the divinely  provided fount of    
human sympathy which ever flows from our
 star-crowned  ,mother4 ,is life so rich
 in sources of help and sympathy and    
love that we  can afford to over-pass   
the eagerness of ,god's saints to help  
us1 the  willingness of the very ,mother
 of ,god to intercede8 ,is not the life 

that  shuts out from itself the society 
of heaven pitifully impoverished8       
,too many of us are like the man who    
owned the field wherein was the  buried 
treasure4 ,limitless aid is at our      
disposal1 but on condition that  we want
 it and will seek it4 ,let us try to    
understand what it is to have  at our   
disposal the love and sympathy of the   
saints of ,god1--that they  are not     
remote inhabitants of a distant sphere  
whose present interests  have led to    
forgetfulness of what they once were1   
whose present joy is  so intense as to  
make them self-centred1 but that their  
very attainment  of perfection implies  
the perfection of their love and the    
completeness  of their sympathy4 ,the   
perfection of ,god's saints and their   
attainment  of the end of their course  
in the enjoyment of the ,beatific       
,vision1 has  but made them more        
sensitive of our needs and more eager to
 help4    ,the spiritual wisdom and     
power of the ,mother of ,god is at our  

disposal  to-day4 ,to the feebleness of 
our prayers may be added the spiritual  
wisdom and strength of her intercession4
 ,he ,whose will it is that we  should  
pray for one another1 wills too that the
 prayers of ,his ,blessed  ,mother      
should be at the disposal of all who    
call upon her4 ,let us take  the fact of
 the intercession of the ,queen of      
,saints seriously as a  source of power 
ever open to us4    ,thou who art ,god's
 ,mother and also ours1 thou who lookst 
constantly into  the ,face of the ,son1 
thou who art the fullest manifestation  
of the love  of the ,blessed ,trinity1  
thou ,mary1 our ,mother1 pray for us now
 and in  the hour of our death4         
,all hail1 ,o ,virgin crowned with stars
         and moon under thy feet1       
,obtain us pardon of our sins         of
 ,christ1 our ,saviour sweet2       ,for
 though thou art ,mother of any ,god1   
yet thy humility       ,disdaineth not  
this simple wretch         that flies   
for help to thee4       ,thou knowest   

thou art more dear to me         than   
any can express1       ,and that ,i do  
congratulate         ,with joy thy      
happiness4       ,thou who art the      
,queen of ,heaven and ,earth         thy
 helping hand me lend1       ,that ,i   
may love and praise my ,god         and 
have a happy end4       ,and though my  
sins me terrify1         yet hoping     
still in thee1       ,i find my soul    
refreshd much         when to thee ,i do
 flee2       ,for thou most willingly to
 ,god         petitions dost present1   
,and dost obtain much grace for us      
in this our banishment4       ,the      
honour and the glorious praise          
by all be given to thee1       ,which   
,jesus thy beloved ,son1                
ordained eternally2       ,for thee whom
 he exalts in heaven         above the  
angels all1       ,and whom we find a   
,patroness         when unto thee we    
call4       ,o ,mater ,dei1 memento mei4
 ,amen4         ,dame ,gertrude ,more1  
,o4,s4,b4       ,ob4 #afcc4