,,mater ,,christi ,,meditations ,,on ,,our ,,lady ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author ,with a ,preface to each volume by the ,rev4 ,,joseph ,,rickaby1 ,s4,j4 ,,sponsa ,,christi4 ,meditations on the ,religious ,life4 ,,passio ,,christi4 ,meditations for ,lent4 ,,dona ,,christi4 ,meditations for ,ascension-tide1 ,whitsun-tide1 and ,corpus ,christi4 ,,longmans1 ,,green1 ,,and ,,co4 ,,london1 ,,new ,,york1 ,,bombay1 ,,calcutta1 ,,and ,,madras ,,mater ,,christi ,,meditations ,,on ,,our ,,lady ,,by ,,mother ,,st ,,paul ,,house ,,of ,,retreats1 ,,birmingham ,,author ,,of ,,sponsa ,,christi1 ,,passio ,,christi1 ,,etc4 ,,with ,a ,,preface ,,by ,,rev4 ,,joseph ,,rickaby1 ,s4,j4 ,mater ,christi1 ora pro nobis ,,new ,,impression ,,longmans1 ,,green ,,and ,,co4 #ci ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london ,,fourth ,,avenue ,,and #cj,,th ,,street1 ,,new ,,york ,,bombay1 ,,calcutta1 ,,and ,,madras #aibj ,all rights reserved ,nihil obstat ,,josephus ,,rickaby1 ,s4,j4 ,censor deputatus4 ,imprimatur ,,eduardus ,archiep4 ,birmingamien4 ,die #ca ,oct4 #aiah4 ,,preface ,,jesus ,,christ1 yesterday and to-day1 the same also for ever4 7,heb4 xiii4 #h47 ,his salvation extends to all generations4 ,my salvation shall endure for ever1 and ,my righteousness shall not fail4 7,isaias li4 #f47 ,also ,he says3 ,my words shall not pass away4 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ce47 ,he is the ,teacher of all times1 and that as well by ,his actions as by ,his words1 by what ,he said and by what ,he did4 ,it was ,his to do and to teach4 7,acts i4 #a47 ,it is ours1 ours in this twentieth century1 to listen to what ,he says1 and to mark what ,he does4 ,it is ours to hear ,him and to see ,him1 spiritually4 ,that we do by reading of ,his gospel1 by listening to sermons1 and very particularly by meditation1 or by what ,st ,ignatius calls contemplation of the mysteries of ,his life4 ,to contemplate in the ,ignatian sense is to make yourself present at some scene of our ,saviour's life and behold it all1 as it were1 re-enacted before your eyes4 ,it is the process called in modern philosophy visualisation4 ,these ,meditations are composed on the ,ignatian plan of visualising what ,our ,lord did1 said1 and suffered4 ,blessed are they who hear the word of ,,god and keep it4 7,luke xi4 #bh47 ,blessed are they who take pains thus to hear what their ,saviour says1 to contemplate and visualise what ,he does4 ,they are the persons most likely1 with ,mary1 to keep all these words in their heart 7,luke ii4 #ea71 and in their measure to fulfil the teaching of the ,teacher of all nations4 7,matt4 xxviii4 #ai47 ,,joseph ,,rickaby1 ,s4,j4 #bjth ,october #aiah4 ,dignare me laudare te1 ,virgo sacrata ,,contents ,,page ,prayers before and after ,meditation #a ,meditations #a4 ,immaculate6 #b #b4 ,mary's ,birthday #f #c4 ,her ,presentation in the ,temple #i #d4 ,her ,marriage #ad #e4 ,hail ,mary6 #ah #f4 ,mary's ,first ,word4 7,how shall this be done87 #bc #g4 ,her ,second ,word4 7,behold the ,handmaid of the ,lord7 #bg #h4 ,her ,third ,word4 7,her ,salutation to ,elizabeth7 #cj #i4 ,her ,fourth ,word4 7,the ,magnificat7 #ce #aj4 ,her ,silence #ch #aa4 ,her ,expectation #db #ab4 ,the ,stable #de #ac4 ,the ,circumcision of her ,son #di #ad4 ,her ,purification #eb #ae4 ,wise ,men and ,babes #ef #af4 ,egypt #fj #ag4 ,mary's ,fifth ,word4 7,son1 why hast ,thou done so to us87 #fe #ah4 ,nazareth #fh #ai4 ,mary's ,sixth ,word4 7,they have no wine7 #gd #bj4 ,her ,seventh ,word4 7,whatsoever ,he shall say to you1 do ye7 #gg #ba4 ,who is ,my ,mother8 #hj #bb4 ,the ,fourth and ,fifth ,dolours4 7,meeting ,,jesus with ,his ,cross1 and ,the ,crucifixion7 #hd #bc4 ,the ,sixth and ,seventh ,dolours4 7,the ,taking down from the ,cross and ,the ,burial7 #hh #bd4 ,the ,first ,glorious ,mystery #ib #be4 ,the ,second and ,third ,glorious ,mysteries #ie #bf4 ,mary's ,exile #ii #bg4 ,her ,death #ajd #bh4 ,her ,tomb #ajg #bi4 ,who is ,she8 7,the ,fourth ,glorious ,mystery7 #aaj #cj4 ,mary's ,coronation4 7,the ,fifth ,glorious ,mystery7 #aad #ca4 ,salve ,regina #aah ,,mater ,,christi ,,prayers ,before ,meditation ,o ,holy ,ghost1 give me a great devotion and a great attraction towards ,mary1 ,thy spouse2 a great support in her maternal bosom1 and an abiding refuge in her mercy2 so that in her and by her ,thou mayest form in me ,,jesus ,christ4 7,blessed ,grignon de ,montfort47 ,memorare1 ,o piissima ,virgo ,maria1 non esse auditum a saeculo1 quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia1 tua implorantem auxilia1 tua petentem suffragia1 esse derelictum4 ,ego1 tali animatus confidentia1 ad te ,virgo virginum1 ,mater1 curro4 ,ad te venio2 coram te gemens peccator assisto4 ,noli1 ,mater ,verbi1 verba mea despicere2 sed audi propitia et exaudi4 ,amen4 ,remember1 ,o most gracious ,virgin ,mary1 that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection1 implored thy help1 and sought thy intercession was left unaided4 ,inspired with this confidence1 ,i fly to thee1 ,o ,virgin of virgins1 my ,mother4 ,to thee ,i come2 before thee ,i stand1 sinful and sorrowful4 ,o ,mother of the ,word ,incarnate1 despise not my petitions1 but in thy mercy hear and answer me4 ,amen4 7#cjj days1 each time47 ,after ,meditation ,my ,queen and my ,mother1 to thee ,i offer myself without reserve2 and to give thee a mark of my devotion1 ,i consecrate to thee during this day1 my eyes1 my ears1 my mouth1 my heart1 and my whole person4 ,since then ,i belong to thee1 ,o my good ,mother1 preserve and defend me1 as thy property and possession4 ,amen4 7#ajj days1 once a day1 if said morning and evening47 ,sub tuum praesidium confugimus1 sancta ,dei ,genitrix6 nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus nostris1 sed a periculis cunctis1 libera nos semper ,virgo gloriosa et benedicta4 ,we fly to thy patronage1 ,o holy ,mother of ,,god4 ,despise not our petitions in our necessities1 but deliver us always from all dangers1 ,o glorious and blessed ,virgin4 ,immaculate6 ,thy ,holy ,tabernacle which ,thou hast prepared from1 the beginning4 7,wisdom ix4 #h47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture or medal of the ,immaculate ,conception4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to understand4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,preparation ,,of ,,the ,,tabernacle ,why should ,mary be called a ,tabernacle8 ,she tells us herself--for the ,church applies these words to ,mary3 ,he that created me rested in my tabernacle4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #ab47 ,he sojourned there for a time ,who was made flesh and dwelt 7tabernacled the ,greek word means7 among us4 ,when did ,,god begin to prepare ,his ,tabernacle8 ,was it on the day of the ,holy and ,immaculate ,conception8 ,was it when ,he spoke to our first parents of the seed of the woman8 ,was it just before the ,war in ,heaven1 when ,he revealed ,his plans to the first creatures of ,his ,hands8 ,long1 long before6 ,from the beginning1 the ,holy ,tabernacle was being prepared4 ,and ,he says this1 ,who had no beginning1 with ,whom is neither beginning of days nor end of life1 7,heb4 vii4 #c71 ,who says of ,himself3 ,i am ,alpha and ,omega1 the beginning and the end4 7,apoc4 i4 #h47 ,from all ,eternity1 then1 the ,holy ,tabernacle was being prepared in the mind of ,,god4 ,what care ,,god took in the preparation of ,mary1 because she was to be the ,mother of ,his ,son6 ,and what care ,he takes in ,his preparation of me6 ,i1 too1 have always been in the mind of ,,god4 ,from the beginning ,he has prepared me to fulfil the end for which ,he created me4 ,here on earth we are very careful about the training of those who are destined to fill certain offices1 and the higher the office the more careful the training4 ,how carefully are princes of royal blood trained6 ,how careful is the preparation of a ,priest1 of a ,religious6 ,but ,,god has been at work at the preparation long before we begin ours1 and ,he is training for a most important office1 namely1 the salvation of the soul--the end for which ,he created every single child of ,adam4 ,all the chequered picture of the life of ,,god',s child forms a part of ,his preparation--all the ups and downs1 and windings and turnings1 and things that seemed at the time1 perhaps1 so useless4 ,mistakes and failures--even sin itself1 ,he can1 by means of the contrition which it causes1 turn to good account1 as ,he did in the cases of ,st ,mary ,magdalen1 of ,st ,peter1 and of innumerable others4 ,he knows how to bring good out of evil1 and to make all work together for good to those who love ,him4 ,what have ,i got to do1 then1 in the matter8 ,do as ,mary did1 prove my love to ,him by co-operation in ,his plans for me4 ,there must be no complaint about what ,he arranges4 ,faith must be strong enough to believe that1 not only now in the present1 all things are working together to enable me to fulfil the end for which ,,god created me2 but that in the past1 too--that past which ,i so often allow to disturb my peace--,,god was working1 and preparing me step by step for what ,he intended me to be4 ,it is want of faith1 really1 which is often at the bottom of all my problems and difficulties4 ,i will not believe that ,he forgives and forgets and brings good out of the evil4 ,this it is which interferes in ,,god',s preparation of me1 and makes me unfit for the work for which ,he has so patiently been preparing me4 ,let me think to-day of ,mary's perfect co-operation1 and ask her to obtain for me more faith and more love4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,holy ,,tabernacle ,what was it8 ,a human body and soul specially prepared by ,,god to be the ,tabernacle where ,his ,son should rest--a body1 we may well believe1 more than usually beautiful1 for that body from which ,he that was fairer than the sons of men was to take flesh1 must needs be fair too4 ,thou art all fair4 ,but it was the soul which made the ,tabernacle holy4 ,here the preparation had been special and unique4 ,mary's soul had a beauty all its own1 for neither original sin nor any of its effects had ever touched it4 ,not only was it sinless1 as my soul was after ,baptism1 but1 instead of being prone to evil1 it was upright1 and ever aspiring after good4 ,never once was there a wilful imperfection in ,mary's soul4 ,it is probable1 too1 that her understanding was enlightened1 and that she had the full use of reason from the moment of her ,conception1 that is1 from the moment when her body and soul were joined together4 ,in her will there was no weakness1 it was in perfect conformity with ,,god',s ,will2 and in her heart there was no concupiscence4 ,her body1 too1 shared in this wondrous liberty1 for it knew neither sickness nor corruption4 ,but are we not making ,mary almost equal with her ,son8 ,no1 for the gulf between them is that between the ,creator and the creature4 ,could any gulf be wider8 ,her ,son was ,,god1 and was impeccable by nature4 ,mary was impeccable by grace4 ,mary was sinless because ,,god her ,creator chose to make her so1 so that at the moment of her conception ,he was able to say3 ,thou art all fair--there is no spot in thee4 ,such was the ,holy ,tabernacle prepared from the beginning4 ,and ,mary is my model6 ,does it seem impossible8 ,does it almost weary me to have such perfection given me to copy8 ,let me answer my question by another3 ,could ,,god do otherwise8 ,would it be worthy of ,himself if ,he were to give me anything less than a perfect copy8 ,if for our pupils1 who are studying merely things of time1 we seek ever the best models1 can we expect ,,god1 ,who is training for eternity1 to give ,his pupils a copy that is less than perfect8 ,and the task need not discourage us4 ,,god is not a hard master expecting to reap where ,he has not sown4 ,he does not expect more than ,he has given2 ,he does not expect perfection2 but ,he does expect generous efforts4 ,he does expect fidelity1 and correspondence to the grace ,he has given4 ,it was her constant perseverance in these virtues which kept ,mary always full of grace and pleasing to ,,god1 not the privilege of her ,immaculate ,conception4 ,o ,mary1 conceived without sin1 pray for us who have recourse to thee4 ,pray that ,i1 who with all a child's love and admiration desire to copy my ,mother1 may never be discouraged1 but may go on1 ever aiming at perfection1 and never surprised at the want of it2 full of faults and failings always1 but full1 too1 of love and confidence and conformity to ,,god',s ,will4 ,so shall ,i one day1 with my ,mother's prayers and help1 be presented spotless before the presence of ,his glory with exceeding joy4 7,jude #bd47 ,colloquy4 ,o ,,god1 ,who by the ,immaculate ,conception of a ,virgin didst prepare a worthy habitation for ,thy ,son1 we beseech ,thee that ,thou1 ,who through the foreseen death of ,thy same ,son didst preserve her from all stain of sin1 wouldst grant also to us through her intercession to come pure to ,thee4 7,collect for the ,feast of the ,immaculate ,conception47 ,resolution4 ,to strive to copy my model4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,be diligent1 that ye may be found undefiled and unspotted to ,him in peace4 7#b ,peter iii4 #ad47 ,mary's ,birthday ,in me is all grace4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #be47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture of ,our ,lady's ,nativity4 ,st ,anne is holding up her babe1 just swaddled1 and offering it to ,,god2 the nurse is waiting to put the little one in its cradle4 ,st ,joachim is coming into the room4 ,a ,dove is hovering over the babe's head4 ,angels are looking on4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to look on with the ,angels1 and try to understand4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,angels ,what does it all mean8 ,why are the ,angels so full of interest8 ,was the birth of this little one so different from any other8 ,it was indeed miraculous1 but ,joachim and ,anne were by no means the only ones thus favoured4 ,no1 there is something beyond this which is engaging the interest of the ,angels4 ,they see in this little babe1 whom ,anne is offering to ,,god1 a sight to make them wonder and adore--they see a soul which has never been touched by original sin4 ,they had seen ,adam created in grace2 they had seen ,jeremias1 and later would see ,john ,baptist1 both spotless from their birth1 but spotless because they had been cleansed from original sin before birth4 ,in these souls1 however1 they saw no more than they see in each little soul as it leaves the baptismal font1 grace having taken the place of original sin4 ,but in ,mary they see a sight which they have never seen before--a soul whose sanctity surpasses that of angels and of men1 a soul which will glorify ,,god more perfectly than any other creature ever has done1 or will do4 ,no wonder the ,angels are lost in admiration6 ,they have known about the ,incarnation ever since the ,war in ,heaven2 now they see one of the steps by which it was to be accomplished4 ,they see the tabernacle prepared1 and at its side they will never cease to wonder and praise ,,god1 as long as that pure soul stays in this land of exile4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,babe ,mary was born with an end to fulfil1 just as ,i was4 ,she was created to praise1 reverence1 and serve ,,god1 just as ,i was2 created to save her soul1 just as ,i was4 ,and because of her absolute purity1 she understood her end perfectly from the first moment of her existence1 and followed it always without swerving4 ,while her mother was offering her to ,,god1 she1 with the full use of her reason 7as many hold7 offered herself to fulfil the end for which she had been created4 ,she did not know what the particular end was to be--,,god did not reveal to her till the day of the ,incarnation1 that she was to be the ,mother of ,,god--but she offered herself to do what ,,god wished1 she put herself at ,his disposal4 ,and this is what ,i must do every day of my life if ,i would fulfil the end for which ,,god has created me4 ,here ,i am1 ,lord1 to do ,thy bidding1 to do whatever ,thou didst intend me to do to-day4 ,i may not know1 any more than did the ,immaculate babe in her cradle1 what the particular end is for which ,he has destined me2 but that does not matter4 ,if ,i am found faithfully doing my duty of the moment1 whatever it may be--doing it1 that is to say1 for ,,god1 praising1 reverencing1 and serving ,him in it--,i shall not miss the important moment in my life when ,,god calls me to the special work for which ,he has destined me4 ,i can1 if ,i will1 do each little duty of my everyday life for ,,god1 with the pure motive of giving ,him pleasure4 ,it is the surest way of making myself indifferent as to whether or not the duty gives me pleasure6 ,and it ensures that1 from one point of view1 all duties will be a pleasure4 ,i was created by ,,god to do this particular thing for ,him at this particular moment1 so ,i do it4 ,what an uplifting thought6 ,it puts me at once on to another plane--the supernatural plane--where the whole aspect is different4 ,this is the truth1 which the little one whose birthday ,i am thinking about to-day understood so perfectly4 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord1 was her cry even then4 ,it was because ,mary understood the value of the ,sacrament of the moment1 as it has been called1 that when the moment of her life came1 and her great end was revealed to her1 she was able to say3 ,ecce ancilla ,domini6 ,she was used to saying it2 it was the most natural thing for her to say4 ,and so will it be for me1 if only ,i will practise as ,mary did4 ,i shall bow to ,his ,will in the great crises of my life--not naturally but supernaturally--because ,i have formed the habit in all the little things that make up my life4 ,point ,,iii4--,,the ,,dove ,overshadowing ,his spouse is the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he it was ,who filled her with grace at the moment of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,he it is ,who will keep her full of grace at every moment of her life4 ,never for one instant will ,he leave her4 ,never for one instant will she cease to be the ,temple of the ,holy ,ghost4 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #ai47 ,always will ,he be able to say to her3 ,thou art all fair1 ,o my love1 and there is not a spot in thee4 7,cant4 iv4 #g47 ,why8 ,because ,mary will never extinguish the ,holy ,spirit4 7#a ,thess4 v4 #ai47 ,she will never grieve ,him4 7,eph4 iv4 #cj47 ,and not only will she never resist a single one of ,his inspirations1 but she will never let one pass by unnoticed4 ,her correspondence to grace will be perfect4 ,oh1 what need ,i have to turn to the little one in her cradle to-day1 and say3 ,pray for me now6 ,pray that ,i may never extinguish the ,holy ,spirit1 but live always in a state of grace4 ,pray that ,i may never grieve ,him1 ,whose temple ,i am1 by resisting ,his pleadings with me4 ,colloquy with the babe in her cradle4 ,resolution4 ,to make much of the ,sacrament of the moment to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,in me is all grace4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #be47 ,mary's ,presentation in the ,temple ,in the holy dwelling-place ,i have ministered before ,him4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #ad47 #ast ,prelude4 ,the child on the ,temple steps4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to present myself to ,,god4 ,point ,i4--,,mary ,at the age of three years1 tradition tells us1 ,mary left her home to go and live in the ,temple--not merely1 as other little girls of her time1 to attend the ,temple school1 but to dedicate herself to ,,god1 and to live continually under the shadow of ,his ,presence1 as ,samuel of old had done4 ,her desire1 even at that tender age1 was to confirm her parents' dedication of her at her birth1 by giving herself up entirely to ,,god1 to live a hidden life with ,him away from everything1 however lawful1 that might disturb her union with ,him4 ,she waited only for ,his call1 and as soon as it was given1 she left all and followed--even her parents must take a second place4 ,so1 joyously and eagerly1 did ,mary fulfil her end of the moment4 ,,god called her1 and she went to ,him4 ,she did not know what ,he wanted her for1 nor did she seek to know4 ,sufficient for her that ,he wanted her1 and was calling4 ,at once she presented herself before ,him as the little ,samuel of old4 ,here am ,i1 for ,thou didst call me4 ,speak1 for ,thy servant heareth4 7#a ,kings iii4 #i47 ,she was ready for anything that ,he might want4 ,and this should be the attitude of all who would serve ,him--a constant presentation of themselves to ,him for whatever ,he wants4 ,this attitude can only be arrived at by the spirit of sacrifice4 ,to be always at liberty for ,,god',s service1 the soul must be disentangled from all else1 free from all that would hold it back4 ,and this means sacrifice4 ,mary1 presenting herself at the ,temple1 is specially1 though not exclusively1 the model of those who are called to the ,religious ,life4 ,but do not let us make any mistake--a ,religious is not free to give himself to ,,god because he has left parents and home and possessions4 ,he may go through all these preliminaries1 and yet not be1 by any means1 at ,,god',s service4 ,the great work of disentangling the soul and setting it free is done inside the ,cloister1 while the ,religious is learning that it is self which stands in the way1 and that until that is crushed1 he is not able to render to ,,god free and joyous service1 such as ,mary did4 ,and this lesson has to be learned by those outside the ,cloister too1 if they would follow ,mary in being always ready to answer ,,god',s calls and do ,his biddings4 ,it is not their home and friends and possessions that they are asked to quit1 but themselves4 ,,god will constantly want them in the midst of their busy lives1 and they will never be too much occupied or engrossed to answer ,his calls1 if self is out of the question4 ,present your bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1 pleasing unto ,,god1 your reasonable service4 7,rom4 xii4 #a47 ,present yourselves each day1 each hour1 each moment1 with each joy1 each sorrow1 each duty1 each difficulty--present all as an offering to ,him1 ,who expects your reasonable service4 ,this is the lesson which the child on the ,temple steps teaches us to-day--the lesson of self-sacrifice4 ,point ,,ii4--,,joachim ,,and ,,anne ,her parents did not thwart her in her wish4 ,they had made their sacrifice three years before1 and they were not likely to take it back now4 ,they had probably told ,mary the story of their long1 childless years2 of their earnest prayers to ,,god2 and of their promise to give the child back to ,him should ,he bless them with one4 ,they would have told her1 too1 that they had offered her to ,,god at birth1 and that1 as soon as she was old enough1 she would present herself in ,,god',s ,temple1 as something dedicated to ,his service4 ,and now1 to-day1 they accompany their little one to the holy dwelling-place where she is to minister before ,him1 and watch her climbing the ,temple steps1 at the top of which the ,priest is waiting to receive her in ,,god',s name4 ,desolate though their home would now be1 ,joachim and ,anne would rather have it so than interfere in any way with the call of ,,god to their child4 ,they recognised that ,,god has ,his rights1 and that these must come first4 ,what an honour ,,god shows to parents1 when ,he gives a vocation to a child of theirs2 and what a blessing is thereby bestowed on the whole family6 ,and surely1 if there is merit laid up for the one who1 in answer to ,,god',s call1 leaves father1 mother1 brother1 sister1 friend1 to follow ,him1 there is merit also for those who make perhaps an equally great sacrifice1 even if it is somewhat grudgingly made4 ,,god will not forget the hearts and homes which have been made desolate because ,he has ravished a heart there4 ,he is never outdone in generosity4 ,those who have given up their treasure on earth will find treasure in ,heaven4 ,children sometimes give themselves unnecessary pain by presuming too readily that their parents' consent will be withheld4 ,they will often find their parents more ready than they think to make the sacrifice4 ,it is not likely that ,,god would give a vocation in a family without making some sort of preparation there for it4 ,his ways are not our ways1 and so it happens that there are many surprises4 ,point ,,iii4--,,mary',s ,,vow ,it is not known exactly when she made it--probably not on the day of her ,presentation4 ,she would take then the ,temporary ,vow of ,virginity1 as all the pupils at the ,temple school did till they left to be married4 ,but some time during her stay in the ,temple1 ,mary1 probably unknown to anyone but ,,god1 ,who inspired her1 took a vow of ,perpetual ,virginity4 ,she could keep nothing back from ,,god2 ,he must have all4 ,she presented herself wholly acceptable unto ,,god4 ,to understand what a strange thing this ,vow of ,mary's was1 we must remember that in those days everyone married1 even priests and ,high ,priests1 and everyone hoped--and especially now that the expectation was getting keener--that his would be the favoured family in which the ,messias was to be born4 ,mary had more reason to hope than many others1 for was she not of the tribe of ,judah1 and of the ,house of ,david8 ,yet she took a vow which cut her off from all hope that this greatest of blessings would be hers4 ,why8 ,because her sacrifice of self was perfect4 ,self was laid entirely on one side1 and1 as a consequence1 her humility was so great that she never thought it possible that the honour of being the ,mother of the ,messias could be hers1 and she cut herself off from all prospect of it4 ,it was this very self-abnegation which was fitting ,mary for the destiny ,,god intended for her4 ,her ,vow of ,virginity1 made in response to ,,god',s inspirations1 was the necessary means for the carrying out of ,his plans4 ,,god',s ways are not our ways4 ,behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a ,son1 and ,his name shall be called ,emmanuel4 7,is4 vii4 #ad47 ,but there were no virgins2 and the fact that every ,mother in ,israel was hoping to be the ,mother of the ,messias was a proof that this sign1 which ,,god ,himself gave1 was wholly ignored4 ,it was contrary to the spirit of the age4 ,and this was ,,god',s moment4 ,clearly ,he gave ,his call3 ,hearken1 ,o daughter1 and see1 and incline thy ear1 and forget thy people and thy father's house2 and the ,king shall greatly desire thy beauty4 7,ps4 xliv4 #aa1 #ab47 ,and as the little one1 in answer to the appeal1 joyously mounted the ,temple steps1 the ,angels were already saluting her as ,queen of ,virgins4 ,she was the first2 how many would follow in her train6 ,after her shall virgins be brought to the ,king2 her neighbours shall be brought to ,thee2 they shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing2 they shall be brought into the ,temple of the ,king4 ,instead of thy fathers1 sons shall be born unto thee4 7,verses #ae-ag47 ,may there not be a warning here for those who1 having1 in imitation of ,mary1 taken the ,vow of ,virginity1 desire too ardently to be the spiritual ,mothers of children8 ,mary had no such desires4 ,her whole desire was for union with ,,god--there was not a tinge of self in it4 ,the soul which thinks itself unworthy of being used is the one ,,god uses1 the soul which is wrapped up in seeking after its own perfection1 hiding itself in its interior life1 living its life in solitude with ,,god and for ,,god4 ,blessed are the ,mothers of spiritual children6 ,yes1 but rather blessed are they who hear the word of ,,god and keep it4 ,there should be no limit to our zeal for souls1 but it should be covered up by an annihilation of self1 and an unobtrusive humility--a humility which teaches us to act1 not to talk1 as if we could never be the ones chosen by ,,god to do ,his work4 ,humility1 far from being an obstacle1 always makes it easier for ,,god to carry out ,his plans4 ,colloquy4 ,o ,mary1 ,queen of ,virgins1 grant that by thy intercession we may deserve to be presented one day to the ,most ,high in the ,temple of ,his glory4 7,collect for the ,feast of the ,presentation1 ,b4,v4,m41 ,nov4 #ba47 ,resolution4 ,to present myself often to ,,god to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,congratulate me1 all ye that love the ,lord1 because when ,i was a little one1 ,i pleased the ,most ,high4 7,common ,office of ,our ,lady47 ,mary's ,marriage ,joseph1 the husband of ,mary1 of whom was born ,,jesus1 ,who is called ,christ4 7,st ,matt4 i4 #af47 #ast ,prelude4 ,picture of the marriage of ,our ,lady and ,st ,joseph4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,the grace of confidence in ,,god4 ,point ,i4--,,mary ,twelve years have passed since the little child mounted the ,temple steps to present herself to ,,god4 ,never1 during that time1 has she taken back the smallest part of her offering4 ,always has she been presenting herself as a living sacrifice2 always has she been full of grace1 doing ,,god',s will perfectly1 glorifying ,him by her every thought1 word1 and action1 as no human creature had ever glorified ,him4 ,how much ,mary added during those twelve years to the ,treasury of merits from which the ,church was to draw1 through all time1 in answer to the appeals of her children1 who were anxious to make satisfaction for their sins6 ,in return for a little ,indulgenced ,prayer1 or ,act1 the ,church unlocks the ,treasury1 and the superabundant merits of ,mary1 added to the infinite merits of her ,divine ,son1 are given to the suppliant1 either to make satisfaction for his own sins1 or1 if he will1 to be applied to the souls in ,purgatory1 and thus lessen the debt they owe to ,,god1 and shorten the distance that lies between them and the ,beatific ,vision1 for which they so earnestly long4 ,oh1 blessed ,treasury of merits6 ,,jesus1 ,who poured into it ,his infinite merits1 has an interest in it4 ,mary1 whose wondrous merits all went into it1 has an interest in it4 ,the ,saints1 whose superabundant satisfactions are stored up there1 have an interest in it4 ,the ,holy ,souls must watch with the keenest interest for the moments when the ,church1 coming with the keys1 entreats from ,him1 ,who alone has jurisdiction in ,purgatory1 that her treasures may be handed to this or that particular soul2 and ,he1 ,whose justice1 as well as ,his mercy1 is infinite1 will distribute them as ,he will4 ,and shall not ,i1 too1 take an interest in this wondrous ,treasury8 ,let me never forget to make use of it2 and let my prayer every morning be a fervent and a heart-felt one3 ,i desire to gain all the ,indulgences that ,i can this day4 ,but the time came when ,mary had to leave the seclusion of the ,temple1 and give herself in marriage4 ,she was helpless to prevent this1 for her ,vow was a secret1 unknown even to her parents4 ,all she could do was to leave the matter in ,,god',s ,hands4 ,it was to ,him she had offered her virginity1 and she trusted ,him to guard it4 ,how simple and child-like was her trust6 ,the path pointed out to her appeared to be directly opposite to the one she had chosen1 but it was pointed out by those whom ,,god had chosen to represent ,himself to her--the priests of the ,temple1 or her parents1 or both4 ,her faith was great enough to believe that ,,god can make no mistakes1 that ,he cannot call in two different directions1 that all will work together to fulfil ,his ,will1 if only ,his ,will is put first4 ,what a lesson for us6 ,how often in my life has something happened1 some way opened1 which seemed to cut at the very root of some cherished plan6 ,and yet1 on looking back1 ,i see that had ,i not followed ,,god',s call along the path which seemed to be leading the wrong way1 ,i should never have been able to carry out that plan which ,i had made for ,his glory4 ,why was ,abraham called the friend of ,,god8 ,was it not because of his confidence in ,,god--confidence shown in his readiness to follow wherever ,,god called--even when ,he called him to sacrifice the child of the promises8 ,,god loves to lead us about1 by circuitous paths1 and thus to bring out our love and trust and obedience4 ,had ,mary taken a line of her own1 and refused to marry because of her ,vow1 she would have frustrated ,,god',s plans for the ,incarnation4 ,i do not want to frustrate ,his plans for me4 ,let me remember this the next time ,i am tempted to turn a deaf ear to a call of ,his1 which does not fit in with my tastes and desires and hopes4 ,point ,,ii4--,,joseph ,the husband1 chosen by ,,god for this most delicate and most responsible position1 was our dear ,st ,joseph4 ,he was the one man in all the world of whom ,,god could be sure4 ,he was a just man1 one who would put no obstacle to ,,god',s designs1 but would1 by his silence1 tact1 self-sacrifice1 and fidelity lend himself to further them4 ,let me dwell for a little while on these qualities--qualities which ,,god values and looks for1 when ,he wants someone to whom ,he can entrust ,his work or ,his secrets2 and perhaps ,i shall discover things which may help me to be more zealous in ,his service1 to be less for self and more for ,him4 ,some have thought that ,mary confided her secret to ,joseph2 and that he showed his sympathy1 and readiness to enter into all her interests1 by taking the ,vow of ,virginity too1 thus preparing himself to be the husband of ,mary and the foster-father of ,,jesus4 ,point ,,iii4--,,the ,,marriage ,and so this most beautiful marriage took place2 and the ,holy ,spirit1 ,who was ever watching over ,his spouse1 blessed and sanctified the union of these two virgin souls4 ,it was a union in which the body was forgotten--or rather1 the spiritual life had reached such heights by means of the body1 that is1 of the senses1 that the soul was able to live entirely in those heights4 ,the soul was helped upwards by the body1 as ,,god intended it to be4 ,when the body is dead1 the soul can grow no more4 ,the level of the spiritual life1 at which ,i am found at death1 will be mine through all eternity4 ,the converse of this truth is1 that the body is necessary for the growth of the spiritual life1 and that the soul grows in proportion to the help it gets from the body4 ,these thoughts will help me to understand how much the chaste marriage of ,joseph and ,mary must have aided their spiritual life1 and how the ,angels must have rejoiced at a union which savoured so much more of ,heaven than of ,earth4 ,now1 all was ready4 ,the ,virgin who was to conceive and bear a child1 ,whose name was to be ,emmanuel--,,god with us--had got a guardian4 ,,god could work ,his stupendous miracle1 and keep it hidden1 as ,he willed it to be for the present1 from the curious gaze of unbelievers4 ,mary1 by her self-abandonment1 was supplying ,,god with all ,he needed1 never thwarting ,him1 nor putting the least obstacle in ,his way4 ,and so we leave her1 doing the work of the little cottage at ,nazareth1 while her carpenter-husband labours to support her4 ,mary has changed her abode2 her outward circumstances have altered2 but her union with ,,god suffers no change2 it remains unbroken1 undisturbed2 nothing has the power to disturb her thoughts of ,him4 ,and ,mary is my model4 ,what ,i have to aim at1 too1 is a union with ,,god so real and so close that the changes and chances of this mortal life have no power to interrupt it4 ,this blessed lot will be mine when ,i have faith enough to see ,,god',s ,hand in every circumstance of my life4 ,if ,i know that ,he is there1 why need ,i trouble so much about the ups and downs8 ,the sea of life is bound to have waves4 ,what ,i have to do is to see to it that my little barque rides on the top of them in the most perfect security and peace4 ,the ,master is at the helm1 and ,i am with ,him in the boat4 ,my thoughts1 surely1 will be fixed on ,him rather than on the changes in the weather6 ,colloquy with ,our ,lady1 asking her to get me more faith4 ,resolution4 ,to let nothing interrupt my union with ,,god4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,sancta ,virgo virginum1 ora pro nobis4 ,hail ,mary6 ,the ,angel ,gabriel was sent from ,,god into a city of ,galilee1 called ,nazareth1 to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was ,joseph1 of the house of ,david2 and the ,virgin's name was ,mary4 ,and the ,angel1 being come in1 said unto her3 ,hail6 full of grace1 the ,lord is with thee3 blessed art thou among women6 7,st ,luke i4 #bf-bh47 #ast ,prelude4 ,gabriel saying the first ,hail ,mary4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to say my ,hail ,maries well4 ,when all was ready and ,,god',s moment had arrived--when the fulness of the time was come 7,gal4 iv4 #d7--;heaven opened1 and one of ,,god',s messengers1 ,gabriel1 an ,archangel1 was sent to ,nazareth on a secret errand to ,mary4 ,he knew her well1 and he expressed his knowledge in the first ,hail ,mary that was ever said4 ,let us meditate on these familiar words1 and try to find a few thoughts which may help us to say our ,hail ,maries better4 ,point ,i4--,,hail6 ,reverently he salutes her2 for though she is not yet the ,mother of ,,god1 she is immaculate1 and worthy of all honour2 besides1 he is in the secret1 and knows ,,god',s designs4 ,hail6 full of grace4 ,what does it mean--this word ,ave1 ,hail6 with which ,gabriel begins his message8 ,it is an expression of respect1 honour1 and reverence4 ,it was the salutation always given to the ,roman ,emperor3 ,ave6 ,caesar ,imperator4 ,but it is not only a form of greeting2 it implies also that he who uses it is anxious to attract attention because he has something to say or some favour to ask4 ,how often ,i say it6--,hail ,mary6 ,what do ,i mean by it8 ,i ought to mean that ,i am saluting the ,queen of ,heaven with all respect1 honour1 and reverence2 and also that ,i1 her child1 am calling my ,mother's attention4 ,when she hears my ,hail6 she expects that ,i have something to say to her1 or that ,i want something4 ,is it so8 ,and if ,mary turned and said3 ,yes1 my child1 what is it8 should ,i know8 ,my ,hail6 should be also to call my ,mother's attention to the fact that ,i am there if she has anything to say to me1 or if she wants anything4 ,hail ,mary6 ,your child is here1 ready to do anything for you4 ,when she turns at my ,hail6 to ask me for something1 does she always get it8 ,or is she disappointed to find that her child's thoughts are not really with her at all8 ,what shall ,i do1 for ,i know that ,i stand convicted2 and much though ,i should like each ,hail ,mary that ,i say to mean all this1 ,i know that it does not8 ,would it be better not to say it at all1 than to risk any want of respect to that ,mother whom ,i love so dearly8 ,oh no4 ,does not a mother love to hear the voice of her babe in its cradle1 even though the sounds it makes are quite inarticulate1 and it cannot say what it wants8 ,she always understands1 and is able to interpret the baby language1 and will give it what is good for it1 though it may be all unconscious of its needs4 ,none but the mother would recognise that the babe was calling her attention--not even the babe itself4 ,is not this something like my ,hail ,maries carelessly and lightly said8 ,i say them because ,i am ,mary's child2 it is the most natural thing to do2 and she will interpret them as her ,mother's heart knows how4 ,and1 like the babe in its cradle1 ,i love to feel that she is at my side1 because ,i have attracted her attention1 even though ,i may have done it almost from habit1 and may not know exactly why4 ,hail ,mary6 ,i will say the blest words as often as ,i can1 putting into them all the meaning and fervour of which ,i am capable1 and leaving it to my ,mother to make up all deficiencies4 ,point ,,ii4--,,full ,,of ,,grace ,how is ,mary full of grace8 #a4 ,because she was conceived without sin3 that is1 her soul was full of grace instead of original sin4 ,she was full of grace always--even before she was the ,mother of the ,author of grace4 #b4 ,because of her correspondence to grace4 ,she was always faithful to grace4 ,she never let one single opportunity pass by her unused4 ,the more faithful ,i am to the inspirations of grace1 the fuller shall ,i be of grace4 ,it is a question of my fidelity1 not of ,,god',s generosity4 ,he never fails--the grace is always there waiting for me4 #c4 ,because she was always meriting grace4 ,each correspondence to grace entitled her to more1 as it does me4 ,it is by virtue of her merits that she can obtain from her ,divine ,son all the grace that her children need4 ,confidently may they appeal to her1 for she is the ,mother of ,divine ,grace4 ,in me is all grace of the way4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #be47 ,so ,mary says to her children1 and she has all ,i need for the way--that is1 for my journey through life4 ,the way is hard--it is the ,highway of the ,cross1 the way that ,,jesus trod before me4 ,let me never attempt to tread it alone--not for a single hour1 for the pitfalls are many2 but let me ask ,mary to accompany me--,mary with her never-failing supply of grace4 ,it was ,,jesus ,himself ,who gave me ,his ,mother1 and ,he gave her also all the grace that ,he knew ,i should need for the way4 ,what a provision ,he has made for me6 ,if ,i drew upon my stores more confidently1 ,i should be much fuller of grace than ,i am4 ,hail ,mary6 full of grace1 thou art my ,mother4 ,let me put my hands in thine and keep close to thee4 ,so shall the way have no terrors for me1 and so shall ,i be able to tread in the ,footsteps of thy ,son1 along ,his ,own ,highway of the ,cross4 ,point ,,iii4--,,the ,,lord ,,is ,,with ,,thee4 ,,blessed ,,art ,,thou ,,among ,,women ,the ,lord is with thee4 ,these words were often said of or to those to whom ,,god was about to entrust some special work4 ,he was with ,joseph while he was in ,putiphar's prison1 preparing him for the great work of serving the nation during the famine4 7,gen4 xxxix4 #ba47 ,i will be with thee1 ,,god said to ,moses at the burning bush1 when ,he told him that it was he who was to bring the children of ,israel out of ,egypt4 7,ex4 iii4 #ab47 ,and to ,josue1 who had to bring the chosen people into the promised land1 ,he said3 ,as ,i have been with ,moses1 so ,i will be with thee4 ,fear not1 and be not dismayed3 because the ,lord thy ,,god is with thee in all things whatsoever thou shalt go to4 7,jos4 i4 #e-i47 ,the ,lord is with thee1 ,o most valiant of men4 ,this was the message the angel brought to ,gedeon at the threshing floor1 for he was to leave his wheat and go to deliver ,,god',s people from idolatry and from their enemies4 7,jud4 vi4 #ab47 ,and now when ,mary is being singled out for the greatest work that was ever entrusted to any child of ,adam--that of being the ,mother of ,him ,who was to save not one nation only1 but the whole world1 ,,god sends an ,archangel and bids him say to her3 ,the ,lord is with thee4 ,,god was with ,mary always2 but now all three ,persons of the ,blessed ,trinity are to be with her in a very special way1 to enable her to co-operate with ,,god',s designs for her4 ,but the message goes further3 ,blessed art thou among women4 ,gabriel tells her that ,,god',s message to her is that she is blessed1 and more blessed than all other women6 ,it is praise indeed1 and praise from ,,god ,himself4 ,but ,,god can trust ,mary with praise4 ,she is full of humility1 for she is full of grace2 and ,,god knows that she will look at things from ,his point of view--not from her own4 ,i may get some consolation from these words for myself4 ,,god sometimes gives me work to do for ,him4 ,how blessed ,i am to be picked out and chosen by ,him6 ,and ,i may be quite sure that ,he is with me for it4 ,it is ,his own work1 and ,he will look after it ,himself2 but ,he needs an instrument4 ,the workman is never far from his tools1 unless he has thrown them on one side as useless4 ,the ,lord is with thee4 ,if ,i see to it that ,i am an instrument fit and ready for ,his service1 ,i need have no other anxiety4 ,he will use me when ,he wants me2 the responsibility of the work will be all ,his1 and ,he will be with me1 doing ,his work by means of me4 ,o ,mary1 my ,mother1 help me to see things from ,,god',s point of view1 as thou didst4 ,obtain for me the grace to be full of confidence about any work with which ,,god may entrust me4 ,and while ,i rejoice to be amongst those blessed ones whom ,he picks out to do ,his work1 obtain for me the grace of humility4 ,and if the ,workman should allow any words of praise to be given to the instrument1 may it be because ,he can count on the humility of ,his instrument--because ,he knows that the praise will all be passed on to ,himself4 ,colloquy with my ,mother as we walk along the way together--a colloquy about correspondence to grace1 about being never alone in my work1 about the blessedness of being chosen by ,him1 about humility4 ,resolution4 ,to let my ,rosary recall some of these thoughts to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,among the blessed she shall be blessed4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #d47 ,mary's ,first ,word ,and ,mary said to the ,angel3 ,how shall this be done1 because ,i know not man8 7,st ,luke i4 #cd47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture of the ,annunciation4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,that my love for ,,god may be great enough to separate me from all else4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,silence ,we do not know what ,mary was doing when the heavenly visitor arrived with his message4 ,she is generally represented as kneeling in contemplation4 ,she may have been3 or she may have been about her work4 ,in any case1 she was engaged in prayer1 for ,mary's heart and mind were ever lifted up to ,,god2 and that is prayer4 ,and ,,god can reveal ,his secrets just as easily to those who are working as to those who are given up to contemplation4 ,no wonder ,mary's attention is arrested1 for not only does she see one of ,,god',s ,archangels1 but it is to her that he has come1 to her that he is showing such reverence and honour1 to her that he is now delivering his message3 ,hail6 444 full of grace2 the ,lord is with thee4444 ,blessed art thou among women4 ,each sentence of the message seems more wonderful and startling than the last4 ,mary does not speak1 but she is troubled1 as she thinks within herself what manner of salutation this is4 ,her intelligence is perfect1 and she knows at once what the message means4 ,it means that she1 the one woman who has cut herself off from every prospect of being the ,mother of the ,messias2 that she1 who has felt herself so utterly unworthy that legend tells us she used to pray that she might be ,his ,mother's servant2 that she has been singled out by ,,god as the one who was to be blessed among women4 ,and she is troubled4 ,it is not the presence of the ,angel nor the dignity of his message which is disquieting her--her trouble goes deeper2 but still she does not speak--she waits in silence for ,,god to explain ,himself or to direct her4 ,how much wiser in most cases it would be for me1 if ,i kept silence1 for a time at any rate1 when ,i am face to face with trouble1 or difficulty1 or perplexity4 ,of one thing ,i may be sure--that the trouble is a message from ,,god1 and if ,i wait patiently1 ,he will reveal more to me1 and throw light upon what seems so obscure4 ,nothing is gained by making complaints1 and losing my calm and self-possession4 ,much is gained by silence2 for silence to man1 at such times1 generally means converse with ,,god1 and to obtain this more intimate union with my heart is one of ,his chief reasons for sending me ,his messages4 ,gabriel1 seeing that she is troubled1 hastens to reassure her3 ,fear not1 ,mary4 ,he is ,,god',s messenger1 and he is giving ,,god',s consolation1 so he calls her by her name4 ,consolation is never far off when it is to ,,god alone that we turn for it4 ,gabriel then tells her quite plainly what are ,,god',s intentions concerning her1 if she gives her consent and co-operation--that she is indeed to be the ,mother of the ,messias2 that she is to call ,him ,,jesus2 that her ,son is to be great1 and is to be called the ,son of the ,most ,high2 that ,,god will give ,him a throne and a kingdom2 and that of ,his kingdom there shall be no end4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary',s ,,first ,,word ,she has pondered in her heart1 and now she speaks3 ,how shall this be done8 ,st ,bernardine1 who calls the seven recorded words of ,our ,lady1 ,seven ,flames of ,love1 calls this first word ,a ,flame of ,separating ,love 7flamma amoris separantis74 ,let us try to find out why4 ,how shall this be done8 ,her question shows clearly what is the cause of her trouble4 ,it is the thought of her vow of virginity--that precious offering which1 as a little child1 she had made to ,,god4 ,this it is which forces ,mary1 who so values silence1 to speak4 ,how shall this be done1 and yet my vow be left intact8 ,to it at any cost ,i must be faithful4 ,mary1 by her first word1 shows that her love for ,,god is so intense that it separates her from all else besides4 ,it was out of love for ,him that she made that vow4 ,it was a flame of separating love that burnt within her1 making a clear division between ,,god and anything1 however lawful and even desirable in itself1 which might hinder her union with ,him4 ,and it is the same flame of love which now impels her to speak3 ,how shall this be done8 seeing that ,i am separated1 consecrated to ,,god4 ,her love so detaches her from all else that even the honour of being singled out to be the ,mother of ,,god has no attraction for her in comparison with keeping that contract made with ,,god1 by which she promised to be wholly ,his4 ,am ,i1 like ,mary1 absolutely faithful to any contract that ,i may have made with ,,god8 ,do ,i say3 ,how can this be done8 seeing ,i have made that promise1 seeing ,i am a ,christian1 seeing ,i have been to ,holy ,communion1 seeing ,i have taken certain vows4 ,all these are so many cords of love which should separate me from the world4 ,my contract with ,,god must come before everything else--all turns upon my fidelity to it4 ,mary was troubled because she feared her vow was in danger2 and her trouble was pleasing to ,,god4 ,mary's separating love for ,,god was the outcome of ,,god',s separating love for ,mary4 ,her very vow of virginity1 which1 humanly speaking1 made it impossible for her to be the ,mother of the ,messias1 was part of ,,god',s plan1 separating her from the rest of the world for this honour4 ,when ,,god wants something done1 ,he separates the soul which ,he has chosen to do it1 though at the moment the soul may be wholly unconscious of the reasons for the process which gives it so much pain4 ,the separation may be one of place1 or family1 or affections1 or cherished hopes and plans4 ,,god',s separating love takes various forms3 but in some way or other ,he must and will separate from self those whom ,he intends to use for ,his service4 ,st ,paul says of himself that ,,god separated him from his earliest infancy4 7,gal4 i4 #ae47 ,none would have guessed that he was separated when he was haling the ,christians to death and persecuting the ,church of ,,god beyond measure4 ,we understand so little of ,,god',s plans1 and of ,his preparation of souls for ,his service4 ,st ,paul tells us that later he was separated unto the ,gospel of ,,god4 7,rom4 i4 #a47 ,and when ,our ,lord wanted him for a special mission1 the order went forth to the ,church3 ,separate me ,saul and ,barnabas for the work whereunto ,i have taken them4 ,help me1 my ,mother1 to co-operate with grace1 lest ,i hinder ,,god',s designs for me2 and while ,his love is a separating one1 may mine be the same--a love strong enough to separate me from all but ,his ,will4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 asking her to obtain for me the grace to say with her3 ,how shall this be done8 whenever the least thing comes between me and my duty to ,,god4 ,resolution4 ,to let nothing to-day separate me from the love of ,,god4 7,rom4 viii4 #ci47 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,how shall this be done8 ,mary's ,second ,word ,the ,holy ,ghost shall come upon thee1 and the power of the ,most ,high shall overshadow thee4 ,and therefore also the ,holy1 which shall be born of thee1 shall be called the ,son of ,,god4 ,and ,mary said3 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord2 be it done to me according to ,thy word4 7,st ,luke i4 #ce1 #ch47 #ast ,prelude4 ,picture of the ,annunciation4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to meditate more deeply on the ,first ,joyful ,mystery4 ,point ,i4--,,gabriel',s ,,explanation ,in answer to ,mary's question1 the ,angel explains quite simply how ,,god',s plans are to be brought about4 ,the ,holy ,ghost shall come upon thee4 ,no prophecy had ever said a word of this2 the agency of the ,holy ,ghost had never been hinted at till the ,angel made it known to ,mary to quiet her legitimate trouble4 ,and as soon as ,mary knew that it was to be the work of the ,holy ,ghost1 she was at rest--all trouble disappeared4 ,do ,i follow my ,mother's example in this8 ,as soon as ,i know that whatever is being asked of me is the ,holy ,spirit's doing1 am ,i at rest8 ,is there no more trouble1 no more indecision1 no more questioning1 even though the inspiration may seem to be going to upset my plans1 and may be contrary to all that has hitherto seemed right8 ,it is not necessary to understand ,,god',s dealings with me1 but as soon as ,i know that they are ,his dealings1 it is necessary to co-operate at whatever cost--otherwise there will be trouble in my soul4 ,the co-operation with the work of the ,holy ,spirit will produce a calm and a peace which no exterior things1 however changed they may be1 will have the power to disturb4 ,and then the ,angel tells her about her cousin ,elizabeth and the miraculous things which are happening to her1 in order to prove to ,mary that no word is impossible with ,,god--that ,he1 the ,,god of nature1 has power over nature's laws--that when he makes such promises as she has just heard1 the ,holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the ,son of ,,god1 all will be fulfilled4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary',s ,,second ,,word ,then ,mary speaks again3 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord2 be it done to me according to ,thy word4 ,she gives her consent1 shows herself ready to co-operate with ,,god2 and at the same moment1 the ,word is made ,flesh2 ,gabriel adores the ,,god-,man1 as he had pledged himself to do at the time of the ,war in ,heaven1 and1 his mission accomplished1 departs from her4 ,st ,bernadine calls this second word3 ,a flame of transforming love 7flamma amoris transformantis74 ,it was certainly love that prompted the word1 but in what sense was it a transforming love8 7#a7 ,it was a transformation for ,mary4 ,her first word separated her for ,him ,who loved her2 her second word transformed her into ,him ,who loved her4 ,it made them for ever one4 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord4 ,here ,i am for ,thee to do whatever ,thou wilt with me4 ,i put no obstacle in ,thy way4 ,fiat4 ,be it done to me according to ,thy word4 ,this word was not only the outcome and the proof of her perfect union with ,,god1 it was also the turning point of her life--and not only of her life but of the life of the whole world4 ,heaven--and earth too1 though unconsciously--was waiting for this word of ,mary's1 a word which she could have withheld4 ,the word was spoken1 and by it she lent herself to ,,god as ,his co-worker2 by it she was transformed from a maid into a mother1 and in that moment of transformation she saw all that it meant--she saw ,calvary1 and she said ,fiat4 ,be it done to me4 ,she saw herself transformed into the image of ,christ 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #ah7 by pain and suffering1 and yet she would not withhold her ,fiat4 ,why8 ,because she loved1 and from that moment the transforming process was ever going on in her soul2 and the flame of transforming love was ever burning more brightly1 showing her the way to greater heights and deeper depths of the love of ,,god1 and so transforming her at each further step1 that she shrank from nothing4 7#b7 ,it was a transformation for the world4 ,this word of ,mary's1 by which she gave her consent to ,,god',s plan of ,redemption1 changed the face of the whole world4 ,it began a new era--,a4,d4 instead of ,b4,c4 ,it settled the moment of the arrival of the fulness of time 7,gal4 iv4 #d7--of ,,god',s time4 ,as a result of it1 ,,god was already tabernacling among men4 ,the leaven of the ,gospel1 which was to leaven the whole world1 was already beginning to work4 ,mary's word produced a transformation in the world1 and though it knew ,him not1 it was never the same world again4 7#c7 ,this word is a transformation for the soul which makes it its own4 ,any soul which really says3 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord3 be it done to me according to ,thy word1 is transformed1 for it is made conformable to the image of ,his ,son4 7,rom4 viii4 #bi47 ,nothing but love has the power to bring about this transformation in the soul1 for it means the effacement of self2 it means a readiness to do ,,god',s will at whatever cost2 it means a holy indifference to one's own plans and theories and even judgment--it means what it says3 ,fiat1 for everything that ,,god arranges4 ,when this is so there is a complete transformation2 the selfish soul becomes selfless2 the weak1 strong2 the timid1 courageous2 the hesitating1 decided2 the doubting1 confident2 the agitated1 peaceful and calm4 ,heaven has already begun in the soul4 ,love--,,god',s love for it first1 and then its love for ,,god--has transformed it4 ,are these great things possible for me8 ,yes1 quite possible4 ,how was ,mary transformed8 ,by ,christ dwelling within her4 ,how was the world transformed8 ,by ,christ dwelling within it4 ,and this is how ,i am to be transformed1 by ,christ dwelling within me4 ,each ,communion should be to me a flame of transforming love4 ,it is then that1 in answer to the appeal3 ,my child1 give ,me thy heart1 ,i say to ,him3 ,be it done to me according to ,thy word1 and ,he comes to do what ,he will in my heart2 and if only ,i put no obstacles in ,his way1 ,his love will transform me into all that ,he wants me to be4 ,colloquy with ,our ,lady1 asking her to get me the grace of submission1 which alone can transform me4 ,resolution4 ,to do nothing to-day to hinder the transforming process in me4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,angelus ,domini nuntiavit ,mariae et concepit de ,spiritu ,sancto4 ,mary's ,third ,word ,and she entered into the house of ,zachary1 and saluted ,elizabeth4 7,st ,luke i4 #dj47 #ast ,prelude4 ,mary saluting ,elizabeth4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,the grace of ,charity4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,charity ,when the ,angel left her1 ,mary's thoughts seem to have been fixed1 not1 as we should have expected1 on the part of the heavenly message which concerned herself1 but on what had been incidentally revealed to her about her cousin ,elizabeth4 ,what a total oblivion of self there is in ,mary and what charity6 ,she picks out just the little bit of the message that concerns somebody else1 decides that it is not for nothing that she has been told this--it may be that her cousin has need of her2 and so1 instead of giving herself up to dwelling on the great things that have been said and done to her1 she rises up in those days and goes into the hill country1 with haste1 to pay a visit of charity4 ,and she takes ,,jesus with her4 ,mary is my model1 and ,i can surely find some lessons to study here4 ,one is that charity passes before everything1 even sometimes before spiritual exercises and contemplation and meditation1 going to ,mass and ,benediction4 ,i see too that though ,i must be ever mindful of ,,god',s benefits1 ,i need not dwell too much--if at all--on the interior graces ,he has given to my soul2 on any words of praise--though they may have come almost directly from ,himself2 on any piece of work that ,he has effected through my instrumentality4 ,it is far more wholesome to be rising up to go to the next duty1 starting forth into the hill country of difficulties1 if need be1 and thus taking my thoughts off myself by doing something for somebody else4 ,i shall not1 by thus acting1 lose any of the graces or any of the sweetness1 for ,i shall take ,,jesus with me1 and together we shall face the difficulties of the next bit of life's journey4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary',s ,,salutation ,she saluted ,elizabeth4 ,we are not told what this salutation was1 but we know that words were spoken1 because ,elizabeth heard them4 ,the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears1 she says4 ,it was probably just the form of salutation customary among the ,jews3 ,the ,lord is with you6 ,but what a different meaning the words have on ,mary's lips6 ,she1 the ,mother of the ,word ,incarnate1 has brought ,him with her to the house of ,zachary4 ,the ,lord ,himself is indeed there in a way that ,he has never been before4 ,john the ,baptist1 yet unborn1 understands the salutation1 and leaps to adore his ,,god2 and at that moment ,,jesus1 ,whose work on earth has already begun1 cleanses ,his ,forerunner from the stain of original sin4 ,elizabeth also understands in what sense the words are spoken2 for the ,holy ,ghost1 ,who has been doing great things for her too1 has communicated to her the heavenly secret about the ,mother and the ,child4 ,she is expectant and ready for her ,visitors1 and when ,mary gives her wondrous salutation3 ,the ,lord is with you1 filled with the ,holy ,ghost she answers3 ,blessed art thou among women1 and blessed is the ,fruit of thy womb2 and then she thinks of the great honour which ,,god is showing to her home by permitting ,mary with her ,child to visit it4 ,whence is this to me1 that the ,mother of my ,lord should come to me8 ,next she tells ,mary of the joy that has been caused within her1 and adds3 ,blessed art thou that hast believed1 for all that the ,lord hath spoken about the ,child will now be accomplished4 ,thus ,mary receives the blessed assurance that all is true--not that she doubted1 and not that she needed any confirmation1 but it must1 nevertheless1 have been a comfort to her to hear herself called ,the ,mother of my ,lord1 and that by one who had not heard the news from any human lips4 ,it was because ,elizabeth was filled with the ,holy ,ghost that she saw all so clearly and believed that ,mary was indeed the ,mother of ,,god4 ,it is a truth which many people in the twentieth century have not yet grasped4 ,the reason is that they have not yet grasped the meaning of the ,incarnation4 ,nos cum prole pia benedicat ,virgo ,maria4 7,may ,mary the ,virgin bless us with her ,holy ,child47 ,point ,,iii4--,,mary',s ,,third ,,word ,st ,bernardine describes this third word as a flame of communicating love 7flamma amoris communicantis47 ,no sooner has ,mary become the ,mother of fair love than she wants to communicate that love to others--not to communicate her secret--no1 of that she does not speak--but to let the flame of love1 which is burning within her1 reach others also4 ,so it is not ,mary only1 but ,,jesus within her1 ,who makes haste to go into the hill country4 ,he is in a hurry to begin ,his work4 ,it is ,,jesus1 ,divine ,love1 ,who enters into the house of ,zachary and salutes ,elizabeth4 ,it is the ,heart of ,,jesus1 burning already with love for sinners1 which speaks to the heart of ,john4 ,it is because ,,god1 ,who for love of us men became incarnate1 is communicating that love to her1 that ,elizabeth is able to grasp so clearly the mysteries by which she is surrounded4 ,ah1 yes1 ,mary's third word is indeed one of communicating love1 because she communicates to all around her1 ,,jesus1 ,who is love4 ,o ,mother of fair love1 why do the poor banished children of ,eve so continually turn to thee8 ,is it not just because of this flame of communicating love8 ,is it not because they know that to go to ,mary is to go to ,,jesus2 that when they appeal to the heart of ,mary it is the ,heart of ,,jesus which answers through her2 that her chief work is to communicate ,his love to them8 ,three months ,mary abode in ,zachary's house1 and all that time the flame of communicating love abode there too1 burning ever more brightly within her4 ,what a privilege for the house of ,zachary6 ,we read in ,sacred ,history that once the ,ark of the ,lord abode in the house of ,obededom the ,gethite for three months2 and the ,lord blessed ,obededom and all his household4 7#b ,kings vi4 #aa47 ,what then must have been the blessings bestowed on ,zachary's household1 while ,mary the ,ark of the ,covenant abode there6 ,foederis arca1 ora pro nobis4 ,pray that we too may get the blessings of those who receive thee as their constant guest4 ,but ,mary is my example4 ,is there anything in which ,i can copy her in her visit to her cousin ,elizabeth8 ,let me make a self-examination on a few points suggested by this meditation4 ,am ,i in haste to perform acts of charity1 especially when the request for them comes at inconvenient moments8 ,do ,i always take ,,jesus with me when ,i go to visit my friends8 ,do those whom ,i visit feel that ,i create an atmosphere--an atmosphere which makes them more ready to bless ,,jesus and ,mary8 ,these things can only be so by my having a flame of communicating love within me4 ,where can ,i get it8 ,at each communion1 when ,,jesus comes to me in the ,sacrament of ,his ,love4 ,and if ,i put no hindrance in ,his way1 ,he will communicate ,himself to others through me4 ,let me1 then1 aim at being a ,christ-bearer4 ,glorify and bear ,christ in your body4 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #bj47 ,it is often through ,his children that ,,jesus does ,his work in the world1 and communicates ,his love to others4 ,colloquy with our ,lady4 ,resolution4 ,to be a ,christ-bearer to all whom ,i greet1 remembering that even a little act of politeness may turn the scale in the conversion of a soul4 ,a visit paid1 a word dropped in conversation1 may be a necessary part of ,,god',s plans4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,flamma amoris communicantis4 ,mary's ,fourth ,word ,and ,mary said3 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord4 #ast ,prelude4 ,mary saying the ,magnificat4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to catch something of the spirit in which she said it4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,magnificat ,as soon as ,elizabeth has finished crying out with a loud voice her praise of ,mary and of ,,jesus1 and of the benefits ,,god has wrought for herself and her son1 ,mary speaks1 and in the longest of her recorded words gives vent to the thoughts pent up in her breast4 ,she at once closes the door against any praise given to herself3 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord--,he it is ,whom we must praise and make much of--and my spirit hath rejoiced in ,,god my ,saviour4 ,mary understands what it is that is making her so full of joy4 ,it is the presence of ,,jesus her ,saviour4 ,she has ,him within her1 ,who has saved her from the stain of original sin1 and ,who will save her each moment that she lives from actual sin4 ,well may her spirit rejoice6 ,she goes on to explain more fully the cause of her joy and exultation4 ,it is because ,,god has done such great things for her4 ,he has regarded the humility of ,his handmaid4 ,the word used means humiliation rather than humility4 ,mary is too humble to speak of her humility4 ,she is referring rather to her humble circumstances1 her low estate4 ,the same word is translated in ,st ,james i4 #i as low condition4 ,he whose name is ,holy has regarded me6 ,and ,his mercy is not only for me1 but for all that fear ,him4 ,it is because of the great things ,he has done to me that all generations shall call me blessed4 ,mary passes on all the praise and honour to ,,god4 ,she speaks of herself only to recall her low estate--only to let her littleness magnify ,,god',s greatness in the eyes of others--only that in calling her blessed they may be lifted up to the ,,god and ,father of our ,lord ,,jesus ,christ1 ,who is blessed for ever4 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #ca47 ,gabriel stands at the head of all generations4 ,when he was delivering ,,god',s message he called her blessed4 ,elizabeth1 inspired by the ,holy ,ghost1 did the same4 ,and yet there are those to-day 7and their name is legion67 who think it would defile their lips to speak of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary6 ,can it be that they do not believe that ,,god did great things for her8 ,can it be that they prefer to be among the proud whom ,he scatters in the conceit of their heart1 among the mighty whom ,he puts down from their seat1 among the rich whom ,he sends away empty8 ,can it be that they refuse to listen to the inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit ,who tells them that ,mary is blessed among women8 ,and yet they sing the ,magnificat1 which tells them how ready ,,god is to exalt the humble and to fill the hungry with good things4 ,o ,blessed ,virgin ,mary1 ,mother of ,,god1 pray for all those who honour thee by singing thy ,magnificat1 that they may honour thee also by understanding it4 ,grant that they too may fulfil thy prophecy--,all generations shall call me blessed--and get in return the blessings thou art so ready to bestow on thy children4 ,before ,i go on1 let me ask myself to what extent ,i am copying my ,mother in at once passing on to ,,god all praise that may come to me8 ,he it is ,who does all for me1 and in me1 and by me2 and the more ,he gives1 the more ,he ought to get4 ,he knew it would be so with ,mary1 and therefore ,he could trust her with great things4 ,he knew that ,he would have all the glory4 ,let me see how much ,i take into account ,,god',s glory4 ,is it my first motive and object8 ,if ,he gives me some little thing--for example1 an original thought1 a happy idea1 a solution to a problem1 some word to help another--is my first thought to thank ,him and to praise ,him because this will bring glory to ,him8 ,is it not rather to go and tell it to someone else--to quote my words and deeds--not with the object of edifying others 7,satan1 to quiet my conscience1 tells me that this is the reason71 but of gaining glory and praise for myself out of something that is not mine at all8 ,thus do ,i rob ,,god of ,his glory1 deliberately taking for myself what belongs to ,him6 ,oh1 my ,mother1 teach thy child what real humility means1 and that all praise belongs of right to ,,god4 ,point ,,ii4--,a ,,flame ,,of ,,joyful ,,love ,this is the name that ,st ,bernardine gives to ,mary's fourth word--,flamma amoris jubilantis4 ,her love for ,,god was so strong that it made her burst out into this joyful song of praise4 ,she could no longer keep to herself all that ,,god had done to her2 she must tell others2 she was so full of joy that she must sing ,,god',s praises4 ,and all her love and joy found expression in the ,magnificat--a song of thanksgiving for the ,incarnation--a song which showed clearly that ,mary's joy was caused by the glory that was given to ,,god by the ,incarnation4 ,all through those blessed three months during which ,mary abode with ,zachary and ,elizabeth1 she was singing ,magnificat4 ,all through her life she sang ,magnificat1 even though she was the ,mother of ,sorrows1 for the thought of ,,god',s glory ever lifted her out of herself and made her praise ,him for all ,he did4 ,it was because ,mary had said her ,fiat that she could say her ,magnificat4 ,what do ,i know of this flame of joyful love8 ,if it is caused by the great things ,,god has done1 surely it ought to be burning in me4 ,surely ,he has done enough for me to make my love so great that it is a flame of joy within me4 ,is it so8 ,does the joy that is in my heart show itself in my countenance1 in my manner1 in my actions1 and sometimes perhaps in my words8 ,does my happiness1 even in the midst of trial1 make others understand what great things ,,god can do for those who love ,him8 ,if so1 ,i am praising ,him and obtaining praise and glory for ,him4 ,oh1 my ,mother1 look upon thy child1 so often discontented1 sad1 distrustful1 murmuring1 and obtain for me the oil of joy for mourning1 and a garment of praise for the spirit of grief4 7,isaias lxi4 #c47 ,teach me to say my ,fiat for everything1 and out of it will spring a joyful ,magnificat4 ,teach me to love ,,god',s will1 and to praise ,him for all ,he does4 ,colloquy with ,our ,lady4 ,resolution4 ,to let others see my joy to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,our ,lady sings ,magnificat in songs surpassing sweet4 ,mary's ,silence ,mary abode with ,elizabeth about three months1 and she returned to her own house4 7,st ,luke i4 #ef47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a statue of ,our ,lady4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to leave all that concerns me in ,,god',s ,hands4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,return ,we know nothing of what went on during those three months1 but we may presume that things continued as they began4 ,it is not likely that ,elizabeth said her ,ave only once1 and only once spoke of the honour she considered it to have the ,mother of ,,god in her house4 ,it is not likely that the unborn ,forerunner never again saluted ,his ,master1 in ,whose presence he so continually was4 ,it is impossible to conceive that ,mary sang ,,god',s praises and her own unworthiness no more during those three months4 ,and what about ,,jesus8 ,these were the first three months of ,his life on earth1 and grace was surely going out from ,him to ,his ,blessed ,mother first1 and then to all who knew the secret4 ,and we must not forget the head of the household1 ,zachary4 ,he1 at any rate after the birth of his son1 knew the secret too1 for he spoke in his song of praise of the ,orient from on ,high 7which7 hath visited us4 7,st ,luke i4 #gh47 ,dumb he had been and unable to speak1 but ,mary with her ,son had been sojourning in his house1 with the result that his doubts had all disappeared1 and that he understood already something of the joy and gladness which ,gabriel had promised should be his 7verse #ad71 and understood also how it came to pass that his son was filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 even from his mother's womb4 7verse #ae47 ,but the time comes when ,mary has to leave this highly favoured household and go home4 ,her work of charity is over4 ,elizabeth no longer needs her1 and her thoughts turn to ,joseph1 her husband1 and to ,nazareth--to the spot where ,gabriel had visited her1 and where the ,holy ,ghost had wrought such great things in her4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary',s ,,silence ,,to ,,st ,,joseph ,when last we thought about ,st ,joseph1 he was abandoning himself to a life of self-sacrifice by his vow of virginity4 ,since then he has made the sacrifice of sparing ,mary from their little home to go and do an act of charity for her kinswoman1 and now that that is over1 it is probably ,joseph himself who goes to fetch her home again4 ,of the visit of the ,archangel to his wife ,joseph knows nothing1 and ,mary keeps the secret locked within her heart4 ,she has not revealed it to anyone4 7,it was the ,holy ,ghost who told ,elizabeth1 and ,,jesus ,himself who saluted ,john47 ,but trouble is in store for those two faithful souls4 ,this is natural4 ,it would be strange if ,,god did not take us at our word when we make the sacrifice of ourselves to ,him6 ,it would look as if ,he did not believe us4 ,mary was found with child of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,whereupon ,joseph her husband1 being a just man and not willing publicly to expose her1 was minded to put her away privately4 7,st ,matt4 i4 #ah1 #ai47 ,how much is told in those few simple words6 ,what anguish of soul do they cover6 ,how could ,joseph bear to have suspicions of his wife1 whom he considered to be purity itself1 and whom he loved so tenderly8 ,and yet he was forced to suspect1 and as a just man was obliged to keep the law--namely1 write a bill of divorce1 give it in her hand1 and send her out of his house4 7,deut4 xxiv4 #a47 ,he made up his mind to do this as privately as possible1 shielding her secret from everyone except the two witnesses who were necessary for the bill of divorce4 ,how nobly ,joseph acted6 ,he was ready1 for the sake of right1 to sacrifice what was most dear to him1 to crush at one blow his most cherished affections6 ,no wonder the ,holy ,spirit calls him a just man6 ,no wonder that he was the one in all the world whom ,,god could trust to co-operate with ,himself6 ,and if ,joseph suffered1 how much more did ,mary in seeing him thus troubled1 and knowing that she was the cause of his distress4 ,one word from her would have been sufficient to clear away all the difficulties--and it almost seemed as if it would be for the glory of ,,god to say the word--at any rate it would have justified her1 put an end to ,joseph's trouble1 and saved her from suspicion1 and even perhaps shame and humiliation4 ,but ,mary has made her sacrifice--has said her ,fiat--and this is her first great trial1 caused entirely by the fact of her nearness to ,,jesus1 and of the union between her life and ,his4 ,and so she does not say the word--she does not take back her sacrifice1 but meets it generously4 ,it is not for her to publish ,,god',s secrets4 ,his dealings with her are for herself1 and are not to be shared even with one as dear to her as is ,st ,joseph1 unless ,,god bids her4 ,mary is silent and abandons herself and her trouble and all that concerns her to ,,god4 ,and this is ,,god',s moment--when the need is at its height1 when both ,his children have proved their fidelity1 and their readiness to abandon themselves to ,him and ,his ,will1 cost what it may4 ,in his sleep an ,angel appears to ,joseph and reveals the secret to him1 and his sorrow is changed to an unspeakable joy4 ,if ,i am striving to tread the way trodden by ,mary and the ,saints1 ,i shall do well to let self-justification alone4 ,i am not likely to be put to as great a test as were ,mary and ,joseph1 but there are sure to be many little occasions in my life when it is left to my choice either to clear myself of suspicion or to leave the matter in ,,god',s ,hands1 and out of love to ,him keep silence1 and thus sacrifice a little of my self-love4 ,it is a difficult question1 perhaps1 when to keep silence and when to speak2 but at any rate ,i need not be in such a hurry to excuse myself and shield myself from blame as ,i generally am4 ,nothing will be lost by waiting4 ,mary and ,joseph waited1 with the result that ,,god ,himself cleared things up for them and brought them consolation4 ,if ,joseph had questioned ,mary1 or if ,mary had allayed ,joseph's suspicions1 both would have acted in a most natural way2 but ,,god would not have been glorified1 and they would have missed the consolation which ,he reserves for those who are generous in their sacrifices to ,him4 ,colloquy with ,mary4 ,resolution4 ,to be silent the next time fault is found with me4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,fear not1 ,joseph4 ,mary's ,expectation ,his left hand is under my head1 and ,his right hand shall embrace me4 7,cant4 ii4 #f47 ,my ,beloved to me and ,i to ,him4 7verse #af47 #ast ,prelude4 ,mary and ,joseph waiting4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to believe that ,,god',s plans are the best4 ,point ,i4--,,at ,,nazareth ,we should like to penetrate into those remaining six months1 which ,mary and ,joseph spent together1 before the birth of the ,holy ,child4 ,scripture is silent about them1 but it is not difficult for a sanctified imagination to picture something of what was taking place4 ,perhaps the thought of the ,altar of ,repose on ,maundy ,thursday will bring the realities home to us better than anything else could4 ,though ,he is hidden from our sight1 all know that ,he is there4 ,angels are in constant adoration1 and the faithful do not forget ,him4 ,all try to get near and to hold silent communion with ,him2 and all are expecting the great day when ,he will rise again and show ,himself to them4 ,and ,he is spending the time in giving ,his blessing and ,his grace to all who1 by faith1 seek ,him4 ,the house at ,nazareth was in very deed ,,god',s ,sanctuary1 containing the ,altar of ,repose1 where the ,saviour of the world was resting4 ,angels were in constant adoration before their ,king4 ,the faithful consisted of ,mary and ,joseph1 whose thought and conversation could be about nothing else but the ,child ,who was coming into the world4 ,and who shall measure the graces and blessings1 which that ,child was showering upon ,mary and her faithful spouse1 during those months of waiting and prayer and holy converse1 while they planned and arranged with such care and minuteness1 as parents are wont to do1 every detail connected with the birth of the firstborn8 ,but man proposes and ,,god disposes4 ,,god1 ,who ordereth all things sweetly1 7,wisdom viii4 #a71 was stirring up the whole civilised world so that the ,scripture might be fulfilled which said3 ,and thou1 ,bethlehem ,ephrata1 444 out of thee shall ,he come forth to me1 that is to be the ,ruler in ,israel2 and ,his going forth is from the beginning1 from the days of eternity4 7,micheas v4 #b47 ,it was in ,bethlehem--not at ,nazareth1 that the ,child was to be born4 ,and to effect this1 in those days there went out a decree from ,caesar ,augustus1 that the whole world should be enrolled4444 ,and all went to be enrolled1 every one into his own city4 ,and ,joseph also went 444 out of the city of ,nazareth 444 to the city of ,david1 which is called ,bethlehem 7because he was of the house and family of ,david71 to be enrolled with ,mary his espoused wife4 7,st ,luke ii4 #a-e47 ,what a trial this order must have been to ,mary6 ,to leave home1 to forego all her plans1 to take a long journey1 to interrupt her days of solitude and calm and peace--and all at the bidding of a heathen ,emperor4 ,but ,mary knew how to take her trials4 ,fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum4 ,be it done to me according to ,thy word4 ,for her there were no second causes4 ,it was ever ,,god ,who was ordering all things sweetly for her1 and she had nothing to say but ,ecce ancilla--fiat4 ,she waited for nothing but ,,god',s will4 ,and as ,he arranged it1 she could spend her time of waiting just as well on the public highway to ,bethlehem as in the seclusion of ,nazareth4 ,oh1 my ,mother1 teach me this lesson too3 if ,i could only learn it1 how different my life would be6 ,my life--every detail of it--is in ,,god',s ,hands4 ,he is ordering it sweetly1 and ,i complain6 ,how little is my faith6 ,when my faith is great enough1 ,i shall take all things1 as sweetly as ,,god orders them1 even though they may upset my most cherished plans4 ,point ,,ii4--,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,bethlehem ,and so1 in obedience to the command1 ,mary and ,joseph leave the calm and quiet and solitude of their little home1 and go to face poverty and difficulties and the unknown4 ,but ,,jesus is with them1 and this makes them independent of exterior circumstances--their calm and quiet are unbroken1 and they can find solitude even in the busy thoroughfares4 ,mary is communing with her ,child1 and is peaceful with the peace ,he gives4 ,joy1 too1 fills her heart as she thinks how fast the time is approaching when she will see ,his face4 ,oh1 how ,i should love to be allowed to go with them on this journey6 ,at my request1 ,mary readily consents to take me as her servant1 and ,i am so glad to be in that blessed company that ,i forego everything else--,i know that the ,family ,i have come to live with is poor1 and ,i am determined not to ask them to get any special things for me4 ,the table has the barest necessities--perhaps hardly these1 for true poverty consists in the want of necessities2 but it is the company that ,i care about1 and nothing else matters4 ,i can see that all sorts of inconveniences and privations and hardships will be mine1 but ,i cannot be an exception in that ,family2 and somehow1 now that ,i am so close to the ,blessed ,mother1 ,i do not wish to be4 ,my great desire is to be like her1 and to share all with her and her ,son4 ,at ,bethlehem ,joseph begins his weary and anxious search for a lodging2 but all in vain--no one wants the ,holy ,family4 ,how ,joseph suffers at each refusal--not for himself but for ,mary6 ,mary is too much taken up with her joy to heed the suffering4 ,and the servant--does she regret that she is not in one of the big hotels1 as she might have been1 or does she turn with joy to follow the ,holy ,family to the cave1 saying3 ,with ,,jesus and ,mary ,i have all ,i want1 and ,i love every hardship and every privation which comes to me1 because ,i have made myself one with them8 ,oh1 my ,mother1 ,i thank thee for allowing me to be thy servant2 ,i thank thee for bringing me into such close contact with thy ,son2 ,i thank thee for every privation1 every difficulty1 every hardship1 every inconvenience1 every crossing of my own will which has come to me1 because ,i chose to be in thy company and in that of thy ,son4 ,help me to persevere bravely1 thinking all worth while for the sake of the company4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 asking her to get me grace to be always joyous1 because ,i am living my life with her and her ,blessed ,son4 ,resolution4 ,to show myself worthy of the company ,i am in1 by the way ,i face the little difficulties of my everyday life4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,i am ,thy servant and the son of ,thy handmaid4 7,ps4 cxv4 #af47 ,the ,stable ,mary kept all these words1 pondering them in her heart4 7,st ,luke ii4 #ai47 #ast ,prelude4 ,mary and ,joseph1 and the ,infant lying in the manger4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to ponder with ,mary ,point ,i4--,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,her ,,son ,she brought forth her firstborn ,son1 and wrapped ,him up in swaddling clothes and laid ,him in a manger4 ,she has seen ,his face at last2 she has folded ,him in her arms and pressed ,him to her bosom--her ,son and her ,,god4 ,and she ponders--she meditates--she cannot tell her thoughts to any human soul--but she can tell them to her ,son4 ,dico ego opera mea ,regi4 ,i will speak of my works to the ,king4 7,ps4 xliv4 #b47 ,many works had been wrought in and through ,mary by the ,holy ,ghost1 but they were all the ,king's secrets1 and she pondered over them1 speaking of them to ,him alone4 ,there was her vow of virginity1 which she did not even speak of to her parents2 there was the visit of the ,king's messenger1 of which she spoke to no one--not to ,elizabeth1 nor even to ,st ,joseph2 there was the painful journey to ,bethlehem1 and the difficulty about finding a lodging4 ,she might have told ,st ,luke all about it1 and had it all written down in the ,gospel--but no1 there is not a word except the mere fact that they went to ,bethlehem1 and that there was no room for them in the inn4 ,her sufferings were those of the ,king1 and she shared them with ,him alone4 ,and now that she has got her ,,jesus1 she spends her time in pondering--in telling ,him her thoughts and her secrets1 which are ,his too4 ,how much ,i should gain if ,i could be a little more like my ,mother in this6--if1 instead of being so ready to go and talk of all the things that have been said and done to me1 or of what ,i have said or done1 or of what ,i have had to suffer1 ,i were just to speak to my ,king about it--let it be something between us which nobody else knows anything about4 ,it may often be my duty to speak1 as it was ,mary's later on1 when she was obliged1 for example1 to tell ,st ,luke all about the ,angel's visit and what he said to her1 because ,,god wanted that piece of revelation to be written4 ,but this was later4 ,she did not go at once and tell ,elizabeth all about it4 ,let us learn from ,mary to let our first words1 at any rate1 be for our ,king2 and1 if this is so1 it is probable that in many cases the matter will go no further1 and others as well as ourselves will be saved from the miseries which so often follow from our being too ready to talk4 ,dico ego opera mea ,regi4 ,to ,him ,i can never say too much1 and ,he loves those silent heart-to-heart colloquies4 ,he loves the things which are talked over with ,him only--the ,king's secrets4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,shepherds ,they came with haste1 and they found ,mary and ,joseph1 and the ,infant lying in a manger4 ,and during their visit they understood1 and went away to tell the good news to wondering listeners1 leaving ,mary still pondering4 ,each moment of her ,son's life on earth brings her fresh matter for meditation4 ,she has scarcely time to think of the miraculous birth before she hears a multitude of the ,heavenly ,army proclaiming the birth1 praising ,,god1 and telling of the glory that is being given to ,him1 and of the peace that is being brought to earth4 ,and ,mary realises that she no longer has her ,babe all to herself1 that ,heaven and earth claim ,him4 ,then the ,shepherds arrive2 and after they have adored the ,saviour ,who is born to them1 they tell ,his ,mother of all the wonders of that night3 of the ,angel of the ,lord who suddenly stood by them in the night watches2 of the brightness of ,,god2 of how they feared2 of how the ,angel bid them3 ,fear not2 of the good tidings that he brought1 and of the great joy which was to be for everyone2 that the ,angel had actually told them that the ,child was the ,messias1 and that he had given them the strangest sign by which they could know ,him--,he will be wrapped in swaddling clothes1 and lying in a manger6 ,and lastly1 how they had come in haste1 as soon as the ,angels had gone back to ,heaven1 and had found it all to be true4 ,what joy this beautiful1 simple1 story must have brought to the ,mother's heart6 ,what fresh subjects for meditation now were hers6 ,what a tender welcome she would give to these simple shepherds1 whom ,,god had picked out for such signal favours1 and had allowed to be the first worshippers of her ,son6 ,how she would realise all the great things that ,,god was doing now that she heard them from the mouths of these little ones to whom ,,god had revealed them6 7,st ,matt4 xi4 #be47 ,how graciously she would accept the poor offerings of these poor men to her ,child ,who had chosen to be poor6 ,and how proud she would be that she1 as ,his ,mother1 had the right to lift that little ,hand1 to convey the blessing which ,his ,heart was giving to those who were going to be ,his first witnesses and apostles4 ,mary kept all these words1 pondering them in her heart4 ,how easy meditation was to ,mary6 ,why8 ,because she lived always in the closest possible union with ,,jesus4 ,if ,i find my meditations difficult1 let me examine myself1 and see whether the cause may not be that my union with ,him is not so close as it was1 that ,i have let something come between us1 that ,i am not telling all my secrets to the ,king4 ,if this is so1 let me hasten to put things right with ,him2 and then ,i shall find again that my most precious moments are those in which ,i can devote my thoughts entirely to my ,king and ponder over the simple stories told of ,him and ,his ,blessed ,mother4 ,colloquy4 ,the ,alma ,redemptoris ,mater3--,sweet ,mother of our ,redeemer1 gate whereby we enter ,heaven1 and star of the sea1 help us1 we fall2 yet do we long to rise4 ,nature looked upon thee with admiration when thou didst give birth to thy ,divine ,creator1 thyself remaining before and after it a pure ,virgin4 ,gabriel spoke his ,hail to thee2 we sinners crave thy pity4 7,anthem from ,advent to the ,purification47 ,resolution4 ,to ponder more and speak less4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,dico ego opera mea ,regi4 ,the ,circumcision of ,mary's ,son ,and after eight days were accomplished that the child should be circumcised1 ,his name was called ,,jesus1 which was called by the ,angel before ,he was conceived4 7,st ,luke ii4 #ba47 #ast ,prelude4 ,mary with her ,child4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to learn more about them both4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,circumcision ,after one week of peace and joy1 ,mary is called upon to suffer with1 and on account of1 her ,son4 ,the ,law of ,,god is clear4 ,on the eighth day1 the infant shall be circumcised4 7,lev4 xii4 #c47 ,and there is no doubt in the minds of ,mary and ,joseph1 that1 though the ,holy ,child has no need of the rite which probably cleansed away original sin1 ,he must nevertheless submit to it1 as being part of ,his ,father's law1 every jot and tittle of which ,he has come to fulfil4 ,so ,,jesus1 of ,his own free will1 classes ,himself with sinners1 and offers to ,,god the firstfruits of that ,blood which ,he will shed for them on ,calvary4 ,the ,circumcision of her ,son means much to ,mary2 she sees ,him suffer2 she hears ,his cry of pain2 she sees the ,blood flow2 and she understands that to be the ,mother of ,,god means being the ,mater ,dolorosa2 and now she has fresh matter for her ,meditations4 ,her ,son is to be the ,victim for sin1 and she unites her sacrifice to ,his4 ,the rite of ,circumcision was to the ,jew a sign of the ,covenant that ,,god had made with his nation--it marked him out as one of ,,god',s own people2 it was a mark of his dependence on ,,god1 and also of his slavery to sin till ,,god set him free4 ,circumcision is that of the heart1 ,st ,paul tells us1 in the spirit1 not in the letter2 whose praise is not of men1 but of ,,god4 7,rom4 ii4 #bi47 ,by assisting with ,mary at the ,circumcision of her ,son1 ,i mean that ,i want to understand something of this circumcision of the heart--understand1 that is1 that ,,god has made a covenant with me1 that ,i belong to ,him1 and am dependent on ,him2 ,i mean that ,i am ready with the knife of mortification to cut away all that prevents me from being a good servant1 ready to resist unto blood1 if need be1 but1 at any rate1 ready to make myself a victim with ,,jesus1 as ,mary did1 willing to suffer anything which ,he calls upon me to suffer4 ,point ,,ii4--,,his ,,name--,,jesus ,his ,name was chosen by ,his ,heavenly ,father1 and revealed both to ,mary and ,joseph before ,his birth--to ,mary by the ,angel ,gabriel at the ,annunciation1 and to ,joseph by the ,angel who was sent to allay his suspicions about his wife4 ,,jesus--the name which is above every name6 ,,god gave it ,him because ,he humbled ,himself1 becoming obedient unto death--even the death of the cross4 7,phil4 ii4 #h47 ,he earned ,his ,name by the ,cross1 and it was given ,him at the moment when ,he shed the first drops of ,his ,precious ,blood4 ,he could have allowed this first shedding of ,his ,blood to redeem the world1 had ,he so willed4 ,he could have made it the redeeming ,blood1 but it was not yet ,his ,will2 ,his time had not yet come2 ,he wished to live and to suffer long years on earth before ,he shed the ,blood which ,he intended to be efficacious for the ,redemption of the world4 ,thou shalt call ,his ,name ,,jesus1 for ,he shall save ,his people from their sins4 7,st ,matt4 i4 #ba47 ,and when at length ,he did shed ,his redeeming ,blood on ,calvary1 there was a title nailed to the ,cross1 proclaiming ,his ,name to all3 ,this is ,,jesus1 the ,saviour4 ,he is saving ,his people from their sins4 ,it cost ,him much to be the ,saviour1 and it cost ,mary much to be the ,mother of the ,saviour2 but both cheerfully made the sacrifice in advance--both entered into ,,god',s plan for my salvation4 ,,jesus had come to do ,his ,father's will--,he was content to do it--and ,his ,mother was content to be identified in everything with her ,son1 and to say her ,fiat4 ,if my salvation cost ,,jesus and ,mary so much1 ought it not to cost me something too8 ,would it be fair if all were easy and smooth for me8 ,surely not4 ,surely1 if ,i have a part in the ,saviour1 ,i ought to have a part in ,his ,cross4 ,let the thought of the ,holy ,babe shedding ,his first drops of ,blood on ,his ,mother's knee brace me up to meet suffering1 of whatever kind ,,god chooses for me2 let it hush my murmurs and my discontent2 let it make me not only willing but anxious to suffer1 and thus to have an opportunity of being like ,him1 ,who was in such a hurry to shed ,his ,blood1 that it seemed as though it were too long for ,him to wait till ,calvary4 ,he must make the sacrifice in advance1 and offer at any rate the firstfruits of ,his ,blood to ,his ,father4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 who is identifying herself with the sufferings1 intentions1 and desires of her ,son4 ,teach me1 my ,mother1 not only to expect but to appreciate suffering4 ,how can ,i be like ,,jesus1 and a child of thine without it8 ,i want to look upon it always as a sign of love1 as a sign that ,i am recognised as one of the ,holy ,family4 ,resolution4 ,to understand that my very existence on earth means suffering1 and that my identification with ,,jesus and ,mary means suffering willingly and cheerfully4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,i come to do ,thy ,will1 ,o my ,,god4 ,her ,purification ,they carried ,him to ,jerusalem to present ,him to the ,lord4 #ast ,prelude4 ,,jesus1 ,mary1 and ,joseph going to the ,temple4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to go too1 and learn the lessons4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,purification ,it is the fortieth day after the birth of her ,son1 the day when it is ,mary's turn to keep the legal observances1 and so to identify herself in all things with her ,son4 ,there is no need for her to be purified1 before she is allowed to enter ,,god',s ,temple2 neither is there any need for her to present her ,firstborn in the ,temple and pay the ransom money for ,him1 for ,his ,name is ,saviour and ,he is ,himself the ,ransom for ,his people4 ,there is no need2 but ,mary gladly does both1 that she may enter more closely into the spirit of her ,son1 ,who had undergone the rite of circumcision4 ,how many unnecessary humiliations and unpleasant duties do ,i undertake just for the sake of identifying myself with ,,jesus and ,mary1 and sharing their spirit8 ,we may imagine the ,holy ,family quietly setting out for their two hours' walk to the ,temple1 attracting no more notice than was usually attached to an event so common4 ,passing remarks were probably made as to its being the first time she was out2 as to the disparity in their age2 as to their poverty1 for ,joseph was carrying two doves1 the offering of the poor1 to be offered by ,mary for her ,purification4 ,ah1 how little the world sees6 ,extraordinary things are going on1 though they are hidden1 as is ever ,,god',s wont1 under things most ordinary4 ,mary1 the purest of creatures1 the ,virgin of virgins1 the ,queen of ,heaven1 of ,angels and of men1 is bearing in her arms the ,lord of glory1 ,who is on ,his way to visit ,his ,temple for the first time1 and thus to fill it with a greater glory than ever ,solomon's ,temple had possessed4 ,angels are worshipping and adoring at every step of that journey1 and presently they will throw open wide the gate of the ,temple to let the ,king of ,glory in4 ,and the humble and silent ,joseph is playing a part which no ,jew before or since has ever played2 for though the verdict of the world is that he is too poor to afford to take a lamb1 in reality he is too rich to need one1 for is he not bringing to the ,temple the ,lamb of ,,god--an offering which no one has ever been rich enough to make before8 ,let us try to see things and judge them from ,,god',s point of view--not from the world's4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,presentation ,,of ,,her ,,son ,this involved three sacrifices4 7#a7 ,the sacrifice made by ,,jesus4 ,ecce ,venio4 ,lo1 ,i come to do ,thy will1 ,o my ,,god4 ,he has come to the ,temple to offer ,himself as a sweet-smelling sacrifice to ,his ,father4 ,this is the morning sacrifice--the evening sacrifice will be on ,calvary4 ,this is like the ,offertory at ,mass1 when the ,priest offers to ,,god the ,bread and ,wine which ,he will use presently to accomplish the sacrifice at the ,consecration4 ,he is the ,firstborn amongst many brethren1 7,rom4 viii4 #bi71 that is why ,he must be presented in the ,temple4 ,he is our ,elder ,brother4 ,he represents us all1 and answers to ,,god for all those who are united to ,him4 ,he offers ,himself as a ,ransom that all the rest of the family may go free4 ,am ,i prepared to ratify this offering that my ,elder ,brother made in my name8 ,have ,i any right to claim the privileges8 ,yes1 if ,i am united with ,him1 identified with ,him2 if ,i am saying as ,he did3 ,behold1 ,i come to do ,thy ,will1 and this in the little sacrifices of my everyday life4 7#b7 ,the sacrifice made by ,mary4 ,ecce ancilla4 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord4 ,mary knows perfectly well what she is doing when she puts her ,,jesus into the arms of the ,priest4 ,she knows that she is offering to ,,god the firstfruits--the earnest of what is to come2 and she makes her sacrifice whole-heartedly1 zealously1 lovingly4 ,she said her ,fiat at the ,incarnation1 and she will never take it back4 ,she is ,his ,mother--it is with ,blood drawn from her veins that ,he will one day redeem the world2 and she offers to ,,god now1 not only the ,victim ,who is to be the ,redeemer1 but herself as a co-victim--herself to suffer with ,him4 ,behold the ,handmaid of the ,lord--ready to give ,him all that ,he requires4 ,how perfectly ,mary identifies herself with ,,jesus6 ,it is her intense love which enables her to copy so exactly4 7#c7 ,the sacrifice made by ,joseph4 ,ecce adsum4 ,behold1 ,i am here too1 ready for any sacrifice4 ,joseph is so closely connected with ,,jesus and ,mary that he must share their spirit and do what they do4 ,but his sacrifice is made in the dark1 as ours are for the most part4 ,he does not know what ,,jesus and ,mary are doing4 ,he cannot gauge the extent of their sacrifices--enough for him to unite his intention with theirs1 and to offer with perfect detachment his two treasures to ,,god1 begging ,him to use them as ,he will4 ,am ,i ready to make my sacrifice--even a blind one--ready to say3 ,ecce adsum--,behold1 here ,i am--and to trust where ,i cannot understand8 ,point ,,iii4--,,the ,,first ,,dolour ,the sacrifice was no sooner made than ,,god took ,mary at her word4 ,simeon1 holding the ,christ of the ,lord in his arms1 called ,him the salvation which ,thou hast prepared2 a light to the revelation of the ,gentiles and the glory of ,thy people ,israel4 ,and while ,his father and mother were wondering at these things which were spoken concerning ,him1 ,simeon addressed himself to ,mary ,his ,mother1 and spoke in no hidden language of the ,passion2 and the sword pierced her soul1 for though she knew it all1 it was the first time she had heard it from the lips of another4 ,it was the first of the ,seven ,dolours4 ,she heard that her ,child was to be3-- #a4 444 for the fall of many3 that is1 the ruin of many4 ,what a lifelong sorrow for the heart of ,mary to know that for many her ,son's ,passion would be in vain--that ,he was to be the touchstone1 with the result that1 in many cases1 ,he would be rejected of men6 #b4 444 for a sign which shall be contradicted4 ,war was to be waged against ,him in all places1 and that to the end of time4 ,this was the treatment ,he1 ,who had come to be the ,saviour and the ,light of the ,world1 was to receive4 ,and then ,simeon added3 ,thy own soul a sword shall pierce4 ,he identified ,mary with her ,son1 and spoke not only of ,his ,passion but of her ,compassion4 ,the ,queen of ,sorrows was now on her throne2 there was no longer any doubt about it4 ,,god had accepted her sacrifice4 ,,jesus was the ,victim1 and she was ,his ,mother--the ,mater ,dolorosa4 ,but ,simeon's prophecy was not the last word that ,mary was to hear before she left the ,temple courts1 which she loved so well4 ,,god1 ,who in ,his love had permitted the wound1 had provided also some balm to be poured into it4 ,a little act of courtesy was waiting for ,mary to do before she was free to ponder over all that had happened in the ,temple1 and especially over the new revelation which had stabbed her to the quick4 ,well did old ,anna1 the ,prophetess1 know the maiden whose happy childhood had been spent in the ,temple6 ,how gladly ,mary went up to her and renewed her friendship with her6 ,how proud she was to show her little ,son to her6 ,mary was wondering how much ,anna knew2 but she did not speak1 she revealed nothing4 ,soon she found out that the holy old woman had been rewarded for her fasting and prayers and vigils1 by a special revelation1 in consequence of which she confessed to the ,lord and spoke of ,him to all that looked for the redemption of ,israel4 ,and ,mary heard1 and balm was poured into that first sword-wound4 ,can ,i1 sweet ,mother of ,sorrows1 pour balm into that terrible wound8 ,i cannot bear to think of thee going home1 pressing thy ,babe against thy aching heart4 ,let me accompany thee2 ,i will keep close to thee1 and ,i will speak continually of thy ,child4 ,never will ,i speak against ,him--to me1 at least1 ,he shall not be a contradiction1 but a resurrection from all from which ,he has come to save me4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 about the ,fourth ,joyful ,mystery1 and the ,first ,dolour4 ,resolution4 ,to throw in my lot with ,,jesus and ,mary4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,ecce adsum4 ,wise ,men and ,babes ,thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged when the strength of the ,gentiles shall come to ,thee4 7,isaias lx4 #e47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture of the ,wise ,men4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to understand that nearness to ,,jesus and ,mary means the ,cross4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,wise ,,men ,mary had much to meditate about as she turned her steps homewards to ,bethlehem4 ,she knew1 for the ,angels had said so at ,his birth1 that her ,son was to be the ,saviour for all the people2 but ,simeon in his song of praise had gone further1 and said that ,he was to be for all peoples1 emphasising the fact that ,he was to be a light to the revelation of the ,gentiles4 ,and so the subjects to ponder over were ever increasing1 and ,mary's heart was ever enlarging4 ,she had now to pray for the great world outside1 as well as for ,,god',s chosen people4 ,thus was her heart being prepared to receive the next worshippers at the shrine of the ,infant ,,god1 and it may be that when they arrived--perhaps soon after the first anniversary of her ,son's birth--it was no surprise to her that they were ,gentiles4 ,gentiles shall walk in ,thy light1 and kings in the brightness of ,thy rising2 they shall come from afar1 bringing gold and frankincense and showing forth praise to the ,lord4 7,isaias lx4 #c-f47 ,all this was fulfilled in the little house at ,bethlehem4 ,the ,wise ,men1 firstfruits of the ,gentile world1 had had faith enough to overcome every obstacle1 and during their journey of1 perhaps1 some months1 had had but one idea--namely1 to follow the star which ,,god had put in the heavens for them1 and by its means to find the new ,king1 ,who was to be their ,saviour4 ,mary's prayers had no doubt helped them to make light of their many difficulties1 and when their star had brought them right to the house which they sought1 they entered in and found the ,child with ,mary1 ,his ,mother4 ,they were quite at home at once2 their faith was so strong1 that the unexpected surroundings and the poverty did not strike them as incongruous4 ,they had found what they sought1 and their joy and satisfaction were complete4 ,as soon as they were in the ,real ,presence their conversion was an accomplished fact4 ,mary showed them her ,child1 and falling down they adored ,him4 ,it was to ,mary that they offered their gifts out of gratitude for all that the ,holy ,child1 to ,whom they felt that they now belonged1 had done for them4 ,it was ,mary whom they thanked for her gracious hospitality4 ,it was ,mary who guided the little ,hand to bless them ere they took their departure4 ,it was to ,mary that they explained that from henceforth their lives would be devoted to the service of the new ,king and the spreading of ,his kingdom among the ,gentiles4 ,it was ,mary1 the ,mother of the ,way1 who bade them ,godspeed on their journey4 ,how interested she was in those first great converts from the ,gentiles6 ,how their visit widened her outlook1 and enlarged her maternal heart6 ,she is not less interested now in converts than she was then4 ,she has been praying for them ever since4 ,mary's prayers shall bring them back4 ,let us remember this when we are dealing with them2 we are not working alone4 ,mary1 the great advocate1 is pleading with ,her ,son4 ,let us bring them1 as often as we can1 into the ,real ,presence--they may be all unconscious1 but ,he is not4 ,he will act upon them4 ,virtue will go out of ,him to them3 they will not go empty away1 for it is impossible for them to be under the direct rays of ,his ,presence without being influenced4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,baby ,,martyrs ,their visit over1 the three ,kings took leave of the ,holy ,child and ,his ,mother1 and1 warned by ,,god not to go and give their good news to ,herod1 they returned to their country by another way4 ,this so exasperated ,herod that he gave an order which plunged not only ,bethlehem but all the neighbourhood into the most profound grief and desolation4 ,how the heart of ,mary went out in sympathy to the bereaved mothers6 ,how big her heart felt as it dilated to take them all in6 ,she understood now what it meant to be the ,mother of ,sorrows1 and that only by having this title could she have the other--,consolatrix afflictorum 7,consoler of the afflicted74 ,how quickly ,simeon's prophecy was being fulfilled6 ,her ,son was already a sign being contradicted1 in those ,hebrew mothers and their innocent babes4 ,each mother was sacrificing her babe that ,mary might not have to sacrifice hers4 ,each babe was giving its life to save the life of ,,jesus4 ,their sufferings were all because of ,,jesus and ,mary4 ,how the sword pierced ,mary's heart as she heard the bitter cries of mothers and children6 ,poor banished children of ,eve1 born to sorrow and trouble6 ,but from henceforth their cause will be espoused by a most gracious ,advocate1 who will take a special interest in all troubles and sufferings that come to her children on account of the sacrifices that they make for her ,son1 or which are caused by their nearness to ,him4 ,at that moment of anguish the ,jewish mothers were making a sacrifice1 though it was an unwilling one and made in ignorance4 ,,god1 in ,his mercy1 rewards even such4 ,had their children lived1 they might have been among the murderers of ,,jesus2 now they are saved from all sin1 they escape ,purgatory1 and1 the first to give their lives for ,him1 they will follow the ,lamb for ever4 ,happy little ,innocents6 ,happy those who have the honour to be their mothers6 ,happy all those who make the least sacrifice for ,him6 ,and happy1 thrice happy1 the ,queen of ,martyrs1 who is now entering into the possession of her new kingdom6 ,the more closely ,i am identified with ,,jesus and ,mary1 the more ,i must expect suffering4 ,the training for the kingdom is the same1 whether for ,wise ,men or ,babes4 ,the ,wise ,men learnt from the child on ,mary's knee to view suffering in a new light1 and they went back to their country prepared to sacrifice all for the ,child and ,his ,mother1 shrinking from nothing till they laid down their lives for ,him ,whose star they had so diligently followed4 ,so ,simeon's sword is piercing2 the ,cross is already showing that the followers of the ,babe are to be victims too--all is getting clearer and clearer to ,mary1 and as she wonders her heart is enlarged4 ,colloquy with ,mary4 ,resolution4 ,to follow the generosity of the ,wise ,men and the ,babes4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,mater ,dolorosa1 ,consolatrix afflictorum1 ,regina ,martyrum1 ora pro nobis4 ,egypt ,that it might be fulfilled which the ,lord spake by the prophet1 saying3 ,out of ,egypt have ,i called ,my ,son4 7,st ,matt4 ii4 #ae47 #ast ,prelude4 ,picture of ,,jesus1 ,mary1 and ,joseph4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to believe that no circumstances in which ,,god has placed me can hinder my spiritual life4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,flight ,,into ,,egypt ,only one child escaped the cruel sword of ,herod1 and that one was ,mary's ,son4 ,he was safe in the arms of ,his ,mother1 who was fleeing with ,him into ,egypt1 with an anguish of heart so great that it constituted the ,second ,dolour4 ,but no design of ,herod1 however powerful and clever1 could touch that life before ,his hour was come4 ,the child knew it1 and ,his ,mother knew it--yet they fled from those who sought ,his life2 for in all things ,mary's ,son must be made like unto ,his brethren4 ,he could have protected ,himself1 had ,he so wished1 without giving so much trouble and anxiety to ,his parents4 ,he heard ,rachel bewailing her children2 ,he heard the cry of each one of those little ,innocents1 who was giving his life for ,him--yet ,he did not raise a finger to prevent all the misery1 because ,he had come to do ,his ,father's ,will1 and ,he left all in ,his ,hands2 and also because ,he is our model1 and ,he was showing us how to act4 ,he wants us to have a perfect acquiescence in ,,god',s ,will1 a boundless confidence1 a profound peace1 and even joy1 in the midst of the most trying and perplexing circumstances4 ,he wants us to lie quiet in ,,god',s arms1 as ,he lay in ,his ,mother's1 content to know nothing except that ,,god',s will is being done4 ,he who knew least about it all1 and yet had apparently to take the chief part and bear all the anxiety1 was ,joseph4 ,he it was who received the warning message from the ,angel2 he it was who had to break the news to ,mary that the ,child's life was in danger and that they must fly immediately--even in the middle of the night4 ,he it was who took the ,child and ,his ,mother into ,egypt1 in accordance with what to anyone else but ,joseph would have seemed a very arbitrary and unreasonable command4 ,but those who live their lives close to ,,jesus and ,mary do not criticise ,,god',s dealings3 such an idea never occurs to them2 they have only one thing to do--to obey4 ,when a criticising1 discontented spirit comes over me1 ,i shall find that the reason is always the same--,i have not been keeping close to ,,jesus and ,mary4 ,how much ,mary suffers during that long journey across the desert--anxiety1 fatigue1 hunger1 thirst1 want of shelter6 ,but it is all on account of her ,son2 the sword is piercing her heart every day1 but the ,babe is pressed against the wounds4 ,angels are following and longing to help their ,queen1 but they cannot without a permission from their little ,master1 and the permission will not be given1 for ,he and ,his ,mother have made their sacrifice--they have laid themselves on the ,altar as victims and are already being consumed2 and the desert is rejoicing and flourishing like the lily1 7,isaias xxxv4 #a71 because ,mary with her child is passing through it4 ,o ,mary1 look upon thy children who are crossing the desert of this world4 ,the wilderness has lost all its terrors since thou with thy ,son didst pass through it4 ,thou knowest its difficulties and its hardships2 turn1 then1 thine eyes of mercy towards us1 and after this our exile show unto us the blessed ,fruit of thy womb1 ,,jesus4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,land ,,of ,,egypt ,mary now finds herself in a heathen land1 and her interest in the ,gentiles must have greatly increased4 ,but her heart is also enlarged in another direction--namely1 towards the ,jews of the ,dispersion4 ,legend tells us that it was at ,heliopolis1 one of the cities where the ,egyptian ,jews lived and where they had built a ,temple1 that the ,holy ,family took up their abode while they stayed in ,egypt4 ,what a blessing and a joy to those faithful souls to have the ,holy ,family living amongst them6 ,how it must have stirred up their zeal and courage6 ,it may have been ,mary's influence on many a mother's heart1 and the influence of ,,jesus on many a little playmate1 which produced in after years some of the great preachers to the ,gentiles who came from amongst the ,jews of the ,dispersion4 ,it was not for nothing that ,mary and her ,son were sent into ,egypt4 ,,god has ,his reasons1 though ,he does not often reveal them1 because ,he loves to have our confidence4 ,now1 for a time--perhaps only for a few months1 for ,herod died soon after the slaughter of the ,innocents--,egypt was the centre of the world2 nobody guessed it1 but the ,angels were there worshipping1 adoring1 wondering4 ,it is a true picture of the ,blessed ,sacrament1 hidden away in so many ,tabernacles1 surrounded by people who do not suspect ,its presence4 ,it is nothing to thousands who pass by4 ,but what is ,it to those who know8 ,what was ,,jesus to ,mary in the land of her exile8 ,he was her all--with ,him exile was no exile2 with ,him ,,god',s ,will was easy1 ,,god',s arrangements the best2 with ,him it was impossible to complain1 impossible to have any regrets about the past1 or impatient wonderings about the future4 ,she was absorbed in the present1 because she had ,,jesus with her4 ,he had to be taken care of1 fed1 taught1 thought about1 worked for1 lived for4 ,what a lesson for those who are inclined to look upon their surroundings as ,egypt1 who say too readily3 ,how shall we sing the song of the ,lord in a strange land8 7,ps4 cxxxvi4 #d47 ,how can ,i do this or that here8 ,it was in ,egypt that the ,child grew1 and it was there that ,mary heard ,his first words1 watched ,his first tottering steps1 and taught ,him ,his first 7vocal7 prayers4 ,and while her ,child grew in wisdom and age1 ,mary was growing too--growing in grace and virtue2 imbibing more and more of the spirit of her ,son from the services she rendered to ,him2 making great progress in her new school1 the school of the ,cross2 getting daily more food for meditation and prayer2 enlarging her heart and preparing herself to be a second ,eve--the ,mother of all living4 ,it is possible1 then1 to grow in ,egypt6 ,and not only is it possible1 but if ,,god sends me there1 it is the soil most suitable for my growth at that particular epoch of my life4 ,how many of ,,god',s children have had to live in uncongenial surroundings1 and with those who have no sympathy with their faith1 from the earliest confessors and martyrs to the present-day converts to the ,faith6 ,if ,,jesus had spent all ,his lifetime in the ,holy ,land1 such might have been tempted to say3 ,he is my ,model1 but ,he was never in my circumstances6 ,but no1 ,,jesus spent some time with ,his ,mother in ,egypt1 and ,he grew there4 ,let me learn the lesson that ,,god is with me wherever ,i am and in whatever circumstances2 and let me try to copy ,mary in being so absorbed by ,him1 and by all that ,i have to do for ,him1 in the person of ,his least brethren1 that my surroundings matter little4 ,point ,,iii4--,,the ,,return ,,from ,,egypt ,be thou there until ,i shall tell thee1 was the only order given to ,joseph--there was no hint of how long the time would be2 and so ,mary said her ,fiat each day1 ready either to stay in ,egypt or to go back to her own land--both were the same to her as long as they were the expression of ,,god',s ,will4 ,at last the ,angel came again with a message3 ,arise and take the ,child and ,his ,mother1 and go into the land of ,israel2 for they are dead that sought the life of the ,child4 ,their own dear land1 then1 was no longer dangerous to them4 ,,god gave ,his reasons this time--but when ,he does not1 what then8 ,then my faith must be strong enough to believe that the fair land1 which looks as if it would be so congenial1 holds dangers for me which ,egypt does not2 there are enemies there who seek after my soul to destroy it1 and whom ,i can only escape by the hard discipline of ,egypt4 ,then ,i will be thankful for ,egypt as long as it lasts1 and thankful1 too1 that my life--every detail of it--is arranged for me by one who knows4 ,and so the faces of ,mary and ,,jesus were set towards the land of ,israel--and to them both it meant ,calvary4 ,mary would doubtless have preferred to take her ,son back to ,bethlehem1 and bring ,him up near the ,temple1 but again the warning voice told them that it was not ,,god',s will4 ,and so they retired into the quarters of ,galilee1 and ,mary found herself back again in ,nazareth--the city of so many memories2 and two more of the prophecies concerning her ,son have been fulfilled3 ,out of ,egypt have ,i called my ,son1 and1 ,he shall be called a ,nazarene4 ,colloquy4 ,o ,mary1 get thy child grace to learn some of the precious lessons that ,egypt has to teach--that blind obedience and submission which bring perfect rest2 that waiting for ,,god',s orders without any complaining1 or impatience1 or suggestions of something else2 that quiet uniting of all sufferings with those of ,,jesus2 that entire acquiescence in all ,his plans for me4 ,resolution4 ,to put no obstacle in the way of ,,god',s direction of me to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,fly into ,egypt1 and be there until ,i shall tell thee4 ,mary's ,fifth ,word ,and ,his ,mother said to ,him3 ,son1 why hast ,thou done so to us8 ,behold1 ,thy father and ,i have sought ,thee sorrowing4 7,st ,luke ii4 #dh47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture of ,mary and ,joseph finding ,,jesus in the ,temple4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to seek ,,jesus as ,our ,lady sought ,him4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,loss ,,of ,,her ,,son ,once more the ,holy ,family has come up to the ,temple2 and it is here that ,mary speaks her next recorded word4 ,her ,son was not yet born when she spoke her last4 ,since then ,he has been her constant companion through infancy and boyhood1 in trouble and in joy1 at ,bethlehem1 in ,egypt1 and at ,nazareth4 ,he is twelve years old now1 and counts under the law as a man2 it is time to decide ,his calling in life4 ,he is old enough to go with ,his parents to the ,passover ,feast at ,jerusalem4 ,so once again the real ,passover ,lamb goes up to ,his ,temple2 and we can think of ,mary and ,joseph praying there to the ,child ,who is kneeling between them1 ,mary pondering over her last visit to the ,temple with ,him1 when she presented ,him to the ,lord as a little baby and when the sword pierced her soul for the first time4 ,when it was all over1 the ,child ,,jesus remained in ,jerusalem1 without saying anything to ,his parents6 ,it was only when they halted for the night that ,mary and ,joseph would find out their loss1 for the men and women left the ,temple by different gates1 and the children might go with either group4 ,mary had lost her ,child6 ,it was the third of the ,seven ,dolours1 and it has been revealed to the ,saints that her spiritual desolation was greater than that ever experienced by any of ,,god',s children4 ,not only was she suffering intense desolation1 but her grief was enhanced by the fear that ,he had left her because she had done something of which ,he did not approve4 ,she also had to bear the sight of her dearly loved spouse sorrowing1 perhaps blaming himself for his want of care1 and in any case not so well able as she to bear the anxiety and grief4 ,mary shows us how to act in our times of desolation4 ,diligently she searched for ,him during those three days1 in the company among their kinsfolks and acquaintance1 and in all the places where ,he had been4 ,then they retraced their steps to ,jerusalem4 ,no time was lost1 no pains were spared2 they sought ,him sorrowing for ,his loss1 and for any fault that might be theirs4 ,how ,,jesus loves to be sought thus6 ,it is one of ,his reasons for hiding ,himself1 to force us back to the company where we enjoyed ,his presence1 to the places where we had ,him with us1 and to everything that reminds us of what ,he said to us and what we said to ,him4 ,he is not far from the souls that thus seek ,him4 ,point ,,ii4--,,they ,,found ,,him ,,in ,,the ,,temple ,it was the most natural place to find ,him4 ,do ,i in my times of desolation turn instinctively to ,his ,house1 where ,i know that ,he is hidden8 ,do ,i feel that ,i must spend all the time ,i possibly can close to the ,tabernacle1 that my body1 at any rate1 may be near to ,him1 while my spirit is calling out in its distress3 ,oh1 that ,i knew where ,i might find ,him6 ,who can measure what must have been ,mary's joy and relief when she saw her ,son sitting in the midst of the doctors1 listening to their teaching6 ,she wondered2 she was perplexed2 and then it was that she uttered her fifth word4 ,it was a word of reproach rather than of joy1 though it was joy that caused it1 and the reproach was full of tenderness4 ,st ,bernardine calls this word1 flamma amoris saporantis1 a flame of savouring or relishing love1 because1 he says1 it belongs to love to distinguish and discern1 and1 as it were1 taste the divine effects and qualities of that which is loved4 ,it was her love which made ,mary savour the intense pain caused by the absence of her ,son and by the anxiety of her spouse4 ,the flame of love within her enabled her to relish both the love and the pain4 ,mary does not try to conceal her pain--that is not the outcome of true love4 ,she says straight out what she is feeling1 with that holy familiarity to which her love gives her a right3 ,son1 why hast ,thou done so to us8 ,behold1 ,thy father and ,i have sought ,thee sorrowing4 ,why8 ,none knew better than ,he what the agony of those three days had been to ,his ,mother1 and ,he could have prevented it4 ,why1 then1 has ,he done so8 ,because ,he was beginning the principle which ,he carried out all through4 ,he was the ,man of ,sorrows1 and she was the ,mother of ,sorrows1 and ,he would not spare her one drop in the cup of suffering4 ,he knew its value too well1 and ,his love for her was too great4 ,when we have to undergo suffering that seems so unnecessary and that could 7perhaps we think7 with a little forethought have been so easily avoided1 instead of allowing ourselves to give way to discontent1 and regrets1 and even rebellion1 how much better it would be to say3 ,yes1 it is quite true1 ,,jesus could have prevented this1 but ,he is treating me in some degree as ,he treated ,his ,blessed ,mother1 not saving me the pain and trouble and inconvenience1 but letting me have the opportunity of sanctifying my soul and of gaining greater merit4 ,why hast ,thou done so8 ,and ,he answers3 ,did you not know that ,i must be about ,my ,father's business8 ,by ,his answer ,he prepares ,his ,mother for the future2 ,he raises her above the human in ,him to the ,divine2 ,he announces ,himself1 though obscurely1 to the ,doctors as the ,messias2 ,he teaches the great lesson of detachment1 and shows that even our best natural affections must be supernaturalised4 ,my ,father's business--that must ever come first4 ,for this came ,i into the world1 7,st ,john xviii4 #cg71 and ,i must be about it1 even if by so doing ,i give pain to those dearest to me4 ,they were her ,son's first recorded words1 and ,mary understood them not2 they were words full of mystery and full of meaning2 her mingled feelings of pain and relief1 of sorrow and joy1 would prevent her from seeing the gist of their meaning at once2 but as time went on1 and her spiritual horizon increased1 she would understand more and more what ,his ,father's business was1 though perhaps not till she stood at the ,foot of the ,cross did she understand the words in all their fulness4 ,why hast ,thou done so8 ,it is a question ,mary often puts to her other children--sometimes in surprise and amazement1 sometimes in anxiety and sorrow1 sometimes in love and tenderness4 ,well for us if we can always answer1 like our ,elder ,brother3 ,the ,father's business4 ,this is an answer which will always satisfy the flame of love within her which prompts the question4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 asking for grace that ,i may be so taken up with my ,father's business that ,i cause her no anxiety4 ,resolution4 ,to put my ,father's business first1 to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,why hast ,thou done so to us8 ,nazareth ,and ,he went down with them1 and came to ,nazareth1 and was subject to them4 ,and ,his ,mother kept all these words in her heart4 ,and ,,jesus advanced in wisdom and age1 and grace with ,,god and men4 7,st ,luke ii4 #eb47 #ast ,prelude4 ,,jesus1 ,mary1 and ,joseph going back to ,nazareth4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to go there too1 and to study its lessons4 ,point ,i4--,,mary ,,with ,,jesus ,,and ,,joseph ,the lesson has been given now2 ,,jesus has shown ,his parents that ,he is the ,son of ,,god before ,he is the ,son of ,mary2 that ,,god',s will1 and ,,god',s business1 and ,,god',s work1 are the reasons for ,his being on earth4 ,now1 because ,he is perfect man1 ,he will live for eighteen years in subjection to ,his parents1 to show us that subjection is one of ,,god',s laws2 that the ,father's business can only be done by a perfect submission to ,his will and to ,his orders1 expressed and given by those under whom ,his providence places us4 ,all the direction needed for the spiritual life is contained in these two sentences3 ,i must be about ,my ,father's business1 and ,he was subject to them4 ,the ,father's business is to be done in ,his way--not in mine2 it will only be done by a perfect submission of my will to ,his1 by subjection all along the line1 by the crushing of self4 ,his ,mother kept all these words in her heart4 ,as she went home she was pondering and meditating again4 ,she had no need to make a ,composition of ,place1 as she had to do a few hours ago1 for her ,boy was at her side once again2 it was upon ,his words that she was meditating4 ,they had made her realise that ,he was a man now1 that ,he would have business to do that she must no longer expect wholly to understand4 ,no doubt she prepared herself in her meditation to be ready from henceforth to find that ,his sweet1 childish1 obedience was over4 ,just as we1 in our meditations1 make the sacrifice beforehand about something that we dread1 and then when we come up to it during the day1 it is not there6 ,but ,,god is pleased1 nevertheless1 that we made our sacrifice4 ,one of the many uses of meditation is that we may be fore-armed for the day's battles4 ,so it was with ,mary4 ,when she got back to ,nazareth1 it is true that there was a change2 it is true that the boyhood of her ,son was fast passing into manhood2 but ,his subjection was the same--only it was far more touching to ,his ,mother's heart just because ,he was no longer a child4 ,and what was ,mary's part8 ,if ,,jesus was subject1 ,mary had to command2 if ,,jesus obeyed1 it was because ,mary gave her orders--and this till ,he was thirty years old6 ,what an absolute repression of self and of her own ideas there must have been in ,mary before she could bring herself to give an order to ,him ,whom she was worshipping as her ,,god6 ,with what reverence1 and honour1 and humility1 and searchings of heart1 and preparation1 and care she would give her orders6 ,only the knowledge that it was ,his wish that she should stand in ,,god',s place to ,him1 could have given her courage4 ,her authority over ,him was ,,god',s authority1 and it was only by constantly referring it to ,,god that she dared to maintain it4 ,what a lesson ,mary gives here to parents and superiors and to all whose duty it is to command others6 ,whether they have to command the unruly and the unsubmissive1 or those whom they know to be in every way superior to themselves1 a few thoughts suggested by the contemplation of ,mary commanding her ,son at ,nazareth may help to make easier a position which must often be irksome and difficult3-- #a4 ,,god has put me into this position because ,he intends me to be ,his delegate4 #b4 ,my orders are all given in ,his ,name1 and all my authority refers back to ,him4 #c4 ,my only sure weapons are--humility1 that is1 a real belief in my own weakness2 and self-effacement1 to the extent of letting those who are under me see1 not me1 but ,,god1 in my orders4 #d4 ,i must see ,,jesus in all whom ,i command4 ,if they are thankless and unruly1 they are nevertheless amongst ,his least brethren1 and ,he wants them trained to live with their ,elder ,brother in ,his ,father's house4 ,if they are already so like ,him in their docility and humility that the very sight of them makes me adore ,,god in them1 ,i will remember that ,mary gave her orders to ,,jesus because ,,god wished it2 and that thought will give me courage to be ,his faithful representative and to give those under my care every possible opportunity of advancing in wisdom and grace by the submission of their will4 #e4 ,i must be firmly persuaded that ,,god never puts anyone into a position without giving the grace to fill it4 ,mary needed far more grace to command ,,jesus than ever ,i shall need6 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary ,a ,,widow ,neither sacred nor profane history gives the exact date of that sad day in ,mary's life when death deprived her of her beloved spouse4 ,joseph had shared all ,mary's sacred joys and sorrows from her school-days4 ,he it was who had trained her ,son in ,his work as a carpenter2 and to him alone could she speak freely of ,him4 ,what a wonderfully happy and blessed death must have been ,st ,joseph's--the last people he saw1 ,,jesus and ,mary2 his last messages given to ,,jesus and ,mary2 all he had to leave1 left to ,,jesus and ,mary2 the last words he heard1 those of ,,jesus and ,mary6 ,he is the ,patron of a good death3 that is1 he will help those who invoke him1 to die with ,,jesus and ,mary4 ,and now from henceforth ,mary will have no one to talk to about her ,son1 no one to share her joy in all these new lessons which she is ever learning from ,him4 ,but1 on the other hand1 from henceforth her ,son will be her all4 ,he1 who later raised the dead man because he was the only son of his mother and she was a widow1 knew how to wipe away the tears from ,his ,mother's eyes4 ,he knew how to be to her more than a husband4 ,from henceforth the ,son and the ,mother were all in all to each other--,he her sole support1 and she keeping the little home for ,him alone4 ,they were alone for their meals1 and alone in the evenings when the day's work was done4 ,it may have been during those blessed evenings that ,,jesus explained to ,mary what ,his ,father's business was1 so that she might understand all about it2 that ,he unfolded to her the wonderful plan of ,redemption2 that ,he told her about ,his public life1 about the ,church that ,he was going to found1 and which she was to nurse during its infancy4 ,perhaps ,he told her1 too1 of the extension of the ,incarnation--,his great secret1 the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,who had a greater right to know it than ,mary1 through whose means the ,incarnation took place8 ,and as the time of the ,hidden ,life drew to a close1 ,he would explain to her that ,his ,father's business was calling ,him away from ,nazareth1 that ,he would have to give up ,his home and ,his life with her1 but that they would still work together for the ,redemption of the world1 their interests would still be one4 ,oh1 blessed converse6 ,the secrets of ,,jesus and ,mary6 ,more than ever was her heart being enlarged2 more than ever would she have need to ponder these things in her heart4 ,with the undivided attention of such a ,master1 what progress she must have made in virtue and in grace6 ,point ,,iii4--,,mary ,,alone ,but the day came at last when her ,son was to leave their little home4 ,mary knew that it would come2 again she had made her sacrifice beforehand1 and she was ready4 ,she was saying her ,fiat while ,simeon's ever-active sword was piercing her heart4 ,there was the last meal1 the last kiss1 the last blessing--and ,he was gone4 ,she watched ,him till ,he was out of sight and then turned to her empty house4 ,it would never be the same again4 ,never again would she have ,him all to herself4 ,but ,mary was a valiant woman1 and no grief of hers would spoil her ,son's work4 ,three thoughts supported her in her trial2 and the same three will support us in our trials too4 #a4 ,this separation was ,,god',s will--and that was always dearer to ,mary than anything else4 #b4 ,the very sacrifice of her ,son that she was called upon to make1 was a proof of her union with ,him and with ,his interests4 #c4 ,the knowledge that the separation was no real separation4 ,it is true that never again will ,he come in from ,his work and share the simple meal with her2 true that there will be no more talking over their plans together2 but such a perfect union as theirs cannot be broken by separation4 ,does not everything in the house speak of ,him8 ,mary has had her time of consolation2 now she is to have her time of desolation4 ,let me learn from her how to act under these changed conditions1 which are sure to be mine at some time or other in my life4 ,how does ,mary act8 ,does she sit still and mourn over the days that are gone8 ,not at all4 ,she acts as though they were not gone2 as though there were no difference between consolation and desolation2 there is no difference really1 but faith and love must be very strong before this fact can be grasped4 ,mary does her work as usual with her ,son and for her ,son4 ,her heart is with ,him all the time2 everything reminds her of ,him1 and she is thinking of ,him1 talking to ,him1 telling ,him everything just as she did before4 ,how far am ,i like her8 ,sedes sapientiae1 ora pro nobis4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 asking her to get me grace to ponder over these wonderful mysteries4 ,resolution4 ,never to allow myself to make any change in my spiritual life during a time of desolation4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,he was subject to them4 ,mary's ,sixth ,word ,the ,mother of ,,jesus saith to ,him3 ,they have no wine4 7,st ,john ii4 #c47 #ast ,prelude4 ,the ,marriage ,feast4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to remember the interest that ,mary takes in her children4 ,point ,i4--,,they ,,have ,,no ,,wine ,it looks1 from the context1 as though ,our ,blessed ,lady were staying in the house at ,cana where the wedding feast took place1 for while ,st ,john tells us that ,,jesus and ,his disciples were invited1 he says that the ,mother of ,,jesus was there4 ,we need not suppose that she remained long at ,nazareth after her ,son began ,his public ministry--it is more probable that she stayed with friends in the neighbourhood of ,his work4 ,after this first miracle of her ,son's1 she went with ,him and ,his disciples to ,capharnaum1 but remained there not many days1 ,st ,john tells us4 7chap4 ii4 #ab47 ,at all events1 she was at ,cana at the time of the marriage feast1 and it may be that it was in ,st ,john's house that she was staying2 for there is a very old tradition which tells that the bridegroom was none other than ,john himself4 ,if the tradition be true1 it lends an additional significance to this sixth word of ,our ,lady2 for1 as ,st ,bernardine suggests1 it would probably be the miracle produced by this word which made him decide to give up the wedded state1 even before he had entered upon it1 for one of perpetual virginity--a decision which endeared him to the hearts of ,our ,lord and ,his ,blessed ,mother4 ,eighteen years had passed since ,mary's last recorded word4 ,it was spoken to ,our ,lord ,himself1 as also was this one4 ,st ,bernardine calls the sixth word a word of compassionating love 7flamma amoris compatientis74 ,we shall see why as we continue our meditation4 ,it is not difficult to picture that little family feast in which ,,jesus and ,mary took part4 ,their presence produced1 as it ever must1 joy1 peace1 and harmony4 ,but now1 apparently1 there was going to be a hitch in the proceedings2 ,mary's watchful eyes noticed that the wine was running short2 she wanted to save the newly married pair from any confusion and humiliation that would spoil their mirth on this glad day1 and she showed her compassionating love by anticipating their need4 ,mary is the same now2 she is full of compassionating love1 pity1 and thought for her children2 she anticipates their needs and will save them1 if possible1 from the dangers which threaten them1 by telling ,,jesus4 ,what a comfort it should be to me to remember that ,i have a ,mother in ,heaven who is looking out for the difficulties and dangers which threaten me1 and doing her best to avert them6 ,how far am ,i like my ,mother in this8 ,do ,i1 by my tact and forethought and observation1 try to smooth away difficulties and avert little unpleasantnesses that ,i see lying in the path of another8 ,to what extent is this flamma amoris compatientis burning in me8 ,do others feel that if ,i am there1 not only will there be more joy and mirth1 but also more harmony and good feeling--in short1 that things are sure to run smoothly1 because one of ,mary's children--a child of ,mary--is there4 ,the ,mother of ,,jesus was there4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,answer ,,of ,,jesus ,,jesus1 too1 had noticed that the wine was running short1 and ,he knew that ,he was going to work a wonderful miracle of transubstantiation1 foreshadowing the miracle worked at every ,mass4 ,he knew also that ,he would not work the miracle till ,his ,mother had intervened4 ,at ,nazareth ,he made her a participator in all ,his work4 ,though separated from ,him1 she was still to have her share2 and her share was prayer--the great work of intercession4 ,by this means1 doubtless1 she had had her share in her ,son's ,baptism1 in the ,fasting and ,temptation in the wilderness1 in the calling of the first six ,apostles4 ,now1 in this first miracle1 ,he will give a lesson to these ,apostles and show them the position ,his ,mother is to occupy in ,his ,church4 ,she understands that ,he addresses her as ,woman rather than as ,mother1 to show them that ,he1 and they too1 must be detached from all natural affections and ties4 ,he has ,his ,father's business to do1 and they have been chosen to help ,him in it1 and she is acting in her official position as ,intercessor4 ,my hour for working this miracle is not yet come1 but now that you have spoken it soon will come1 seems to be the meaning of ,his answer4 ,it was by this miracle that ,,jesus manifested forth ,his glory1 so that ,his disciples believed on ,him4 ,and one of ,mary's reasons for saying3 ,they have no wine1 and thus asking for the miracle1 may have been that she knew it would confirm the faith of the new ,apostles in her ,son4 ,what a loving1 compassionating ,mother she already is6 ,how her heart is enlarging to take in all that concerns her ,son--,his work1 ,his interests1 ,his miracles1 ,his ,apostles6 ,she notices the needs1 and just hints them to ,,jesus2 there is no need to explain and go into details2 they understand each other--it is heart-to-heart work4 ,if the flame of compassionating love is burning in her heart1 it is because it has been lighted at the fire of the ,sacred ,heart4 ,in after years1 especially during the ,passion and after the ,ascension1 when the ,apostles must so often have turned to ,our ,lady for consolation1 help1 and direction1 how they would look back to the time of the feast in ,cana of ,galilee1 when they heard her say her first official word3 ,they have no wine6 ,and how the remembrance of it would strengthen their faith1 not only in ,him1 in ,whom from that moment they believed1 but also in her whom ,he had then so clearly pointed out as ,his co-worker1 and as the one from whom they might expect help in their needs4 ,if ,mary did so much for her children when she was on earth1 without even being asked2 and if she supplied needs1 of which they were scarcely conscious1 what will she not do now1 when1 as the great ,intercessor at her ,son's right hand in ,heaven1 she hears the entreaties of her children on earth8 ,she still co-operates with ,,jesus2 her work is still to find out the needs of her children and to tell ,him of them4 ,when ,i am in need1 perplexity1 or trouble1 what a consolation and strength it would be to remember that this very need of mine is a subject of conversation between ,,jesus and ,mary2 and that1 when ,his hour is come1 her pleadings for me will be heard1 and the need will be supplied6 ,colloquy with the ,mother of ,compassion4 ,mater misericordiae1 ora pro nobis4 ,resolution4 ,to try to-day to prevent little unpleasantnesses happening to others4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,the ,mother of ,,jesus was there4 ,her ,seventh ,word ,his ,mother saith to the waiters3 ,whatsoever ,he shall say to you1 do ye4 7,st ,john ii4 #e47 #ast ,prelude4 ,the ,marriage ,feast4 ,mary speaking to the waiters4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to obey4 ,point ,i4--,,love',s ,,consummation--,,obedience ,the perfect understanding that existed between ,mary and her ,son made her quite sure from ,his answer that all would be well1 that a miracle would be worked1 and the need supplied2 and so she prepared the way for it by speaking her seventh recorded word4 ,it is to the waiters that she speaks--to those whose work it is to minister to the needs of ,,jesus and ,his brethren4 ,whatsoever ,he shall say to you1 do ye4 ,st ,bernardine calls this word a flame of consummating love1 7flamma amoris consummantis71 because ,mary shows by it that her love for her ,son and for all her other children is so great1 that she desires that all should obey ,him1 and accomplish ,his commandments perfectly4 ,she is not content with loving and serving ,him herself1 the flame of love that makes her own obedience so perfect1 burns that others too may consummate their love by their obedience3 ,whatsoever ,he shall say to you1 do ye4 ,if you want my ,son to show you some special favour1 be very careful about your obedience4 ,mary's word is for all her children1 but it is intended principally for the waiters1 to whom it was primarily addressed4 ,it is those who have1 in any way1 to minister to ,,jesus under the guise of ,his least brethren1 who have to remember so specially that they are to do only what ,he says--that they are only ,his agents waiting for ,his orders4 ,how much better ,his servants would do their work if they carried out ,his ,mother's direction1 and did all that ,he says and only what ,he says6 ,his least brethren1 who are sick1 would never feel neglected1 would never hear that impatient word which makes them long to get up1 and wait on themselves1 instead of being left to the tender mercies of the servants of ,,jesus and ,mary6 ,his least brethren who are tiresome and difficult to get on with--perhaps only because they are lonely and in need of sympathy--would be quite sure of never getting an unkind1 cutting1 or thoughtless word from those who are waiting on ,,jesus and ,mary2 it is what ,he saith that they will say and do--nothing else4 ,and amongst the waiters themselves there would be no jealousies1 and heart-burnings1 and envyings1 and criticisms2 no thinking that others are preferred to them1 that they are left out and taken no notice of1 that their services are not wanted4 ,the waiters would remember that they are waiting upon ,his ,brethren1 and that they have no right to do or say or plan anything that ,he does not tell them2 and if ,he tells them nothing for the moment1 and they have to stand by1 and see others do ,his work1 they are nevertheless ,his servants1 waiting for ,his next orders4 ,whatsoever ,he shall say1 do4 ,obedience1 then1 is love's consummation4 ,mary's love--strong flame though it is--cannot get beyond obedience2 there is nothing higher2 it is the proof1 the crown1 the consummation of love4 ,when1 for the moment1 her request seems unheeded--even rejected--her consolation is3 ,whatsoever ,he shall say will be right2 whatever it is1 it will be the answer for me4 ,ecce ancilla ,domini4 ,behold the servant waiting4 ,point ,,ii4--,,result--,,water ,,changed ,,to ,,wine ,the waiters have not long to wait for their orders4 ,when ,his ,mother has prepared us and we are standing waiting ready to do whatsoever ,he shall say1 the order is quite clear4 ,we know exactly what ,he means1 and what it is that ,he wants done2 and though the order may seem unreasonable1 and we run the risk of humiliating ourselves before others1 yet we shall do it1 for ,his ,mother said3 ,whatsoever4 ,and by doing it we shall prove that our love1 like hers1 is a consummating love--a love that finds its consummation in obedience4 ,this kind of love is like a fairy's wand2 it changes all that it touches1 water is wine everywhere--that is1 we get the best out of everything2 not perhaps immediately1 or at any rate we are not so quick to detect the good wine as the steward of the feast was2 the path of obedience is often1 as it was for ,mary1 a path beset with difficulty and sorrow2 but love has touched it1 the result is the same1 the water is changed1 and changed into good wine4 ,it would not be good for us to drink of it to the full now4 ,,god reserves the good wine till the end1 and when we have well drunk of the cup of suffering and sorrow here1 ,he will hand us the cup of joy that inebriates4 ,here we may only taste and see that the ,lord is sweet2 7,ps4 xxxiii4 #i72 but one day1 when the flamma amoris consummantis is perfected in us1 when we have done all that ,he saith to us1 and paid our debts even to the last farthing1 7,st ,matt4 v4 #bf71 then we shall drink to the full of the joy of ,his countenance1 7,ps4 xv4 #aa71 and ,he will say3 ,i have inebriated the weary soul1 and ,i have filled every hungry soul4 7,jer4 xxxi4 #be47 ,colloquy with ,our ,lady1 asking that ,i may always hear her voice telling me to obey her ,son4 ,resolution4 ,to remember that obedience turns water into wine4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,whatsoever ,he shall say to you1 do ye4 ,who is my ,mother8 ,my mother and my brethren are they who hear the word of ,,god and do it4 7,st ,luke viii4 #ba47 #ast ,prelude4 ,our ,lady standing waiting on the outskirts of the crowd4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to hear the word of ,,god and do it4 ,point ,i4--,,his ,,mother ,,standing ,,without ,this one incident in which ,mary is mentioned between the time of the ,marriage at ,cana and ,holy ,week1 happened during the second year of her ,son's ministry4 ,we do not know whether or not she had been near ,him during this time4 ,according to the opinion of some1 she was one of the little band of women who followed ,him about1 to minister to ,his needs and those of ,his ,apostles4 ,but whether she followed ,him actually or not1 we know that her spirit was ever with ,him1 and that she followed ,him with her prayers1 and interest1 and sympathy1 knowing ,him more as ,he manifested ,himself more by ,his healing and miracles1 and therefore loving ,him and imitating ,him more1 and therefore1 growing in grace1 of which she was ever full4 ,such1 we are quite sure1 is a true picture of ,mary1 though this one instance at ,capharnaum is the only occasion on which we are able to make an actual picture of her4 ,her ,son had probably come to ,capharnaum for a rest after one of ,his missionary rounds2 it may be that ,he had come to have a little time of refreshment with her4 ,and she and ,his brethren--,his relatives--went to meet ,him1 desiring to speak to ,him4 ,we are not told what it was that they were so anxious to tell ,him4 ,when they arrived ,he was already addressing a crowd which was sitting about ,him1 and which was so great that ,his ,mother and ,his brethren could not get near ,him2 and so they stood without--on the outskirts--and thus attracted the notice of someone who attracted ,his notice2 someone1 in fact1 who interrupted ,him in the middle of ,his discourse1 by telling ,him that ,his ,mother and ,his brethren wanted ,him4 ,such is the simple incident1 and by it ,mary affords her ,son the opportunity of giving two most important lessons to ,his ,apostles1 and also to those who would1 during all time1 have any kind of apostolic work to do4 ,point ,,ii4--,a ,,lesson ,,on ,,interruptions ,he is preaching1 and ,he is interrupted4 ,what does ,he do8 ,shows1 as ,he had shown so clearly before1 when ,he was only twelve years old1 that ,his ,father's business must come first--that ,he is perfectly indifferent to all natural ties when that is concerned1 and that ,his followers have got to be the same4 ,he is preaching to the people--that is ,his work1 and not even for a desire of ,his ,mother will ,he interrupt it4 ,he preaches by example what ,he had already preached by word3 ,he that loveth father or mother more than ,me is not worthy of ,me2 and he that taketh not up his cross and followeth ,me is not worthy of ,me4 7,st ,matt4 x4 #cg47 ,incidentally1 ,he shows us what we may do with our interruptions4 ,we are so prone to let them worry us1 to think that they spoil our work1 to say3 ,but for these endless interruptions1 ,i could do so much more6 ,what did our ,lord do with ,his interruption1 which was a very real one1 and far more disturbing than are many of ours of which we complain so readily8 ,he turned it into good use1 so that ,his work was the gainer by it and not the loser4 ,if we cannot always follow ,his example literally by making the interruption a direct help to our work1 we can always make it help indirectly by taking it as a message from ,,god1 ,who would give ,his ,apostle an opportunity of practising patience1 self-control1 and self-repression4 ,our work will gain more by these divinely planned interruptions than by the smooth1 easy1 methods which we had planned for ourselves4 ,point ,,iii4--,a ,,lesson ,,on ,,relationships ,to the interrupter ,he said3 ,who is ,my mother8 and who are ,my brethren8 ,and1 looking round on them who sat about ,him1 ,he saith3 ,behold ,my mother and ,my brethren6 ,for ,my mother and ,my brethren are they who hear the word of ,,god and do it4 ,it is the same lesson that ,he gave to the woman1 who probably was one of the very crowd ,he was now addressing1 and who could not refrain from proclaiming before everyone the blessedness of ,his ,mother4 ,to her ,he said3 ,yea1 rather1 blessed are they who hear the word of ,,god and keep it4 7,st ,luke xi4 #bg1 #bh47 ,the lesson1 then1 is that ,he holds as ,his nearest and dearest those who do ,his ,father's ,will4 ,his ,mother was1 it is true1 dearer to ,him than all besides1 was1 it is true1 blessed above all women2 but only because she did ,his ,father's ,will more perfectly than any other4 ,who is ,my mother8 ,any of these in the crowd have as much right to ,me as she has1 if they do ,my ,father's ,will as she does it4 ,this is the lesson that ,mary is giving ,him the opportunity of teaching4 ,would ,i be dear to ,him as ,his ,mother was2 would ,i have that close union of heart2 would ,i see things from ,his point of view2 would ,i be willing to be put in the background and kept standing there if it furthers the ,father's business2 would ,i be ready to suffer anything for the spread of ,his ,kingdom8 ,there is only one way--do as she did4 ,whosoever shall do the will of ,my ,father that is in ,heaven1 the same is ,my mother4 ,colloquy with ,mary standing in the background4 ,thou whose unique privilege it is to be the ,mother of ,,god1 teach me to do ,his will in such a way that ,i may share in some degree thy spiritual maternity4 ,this was thine by detachment--even from the visible presence of ,,jesus1 by a perfect performance of the will of ,,god1 and by suffering4 ,by thy ceaseless intercession help me to struggle ceaselessly till ,i know something of these three things4 ,resolution4 ,to prove my close relationship with ,,jesus and ,mary to-day by the way ,i do ,,god',s will4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,his ,mother stood without4 ,the ,fourth and ,fifth ,dolours ,and thy own soul a sword shall pierce4 7,st ,luke ii4 #ce47 #ast ,prelude4 7#a7 ,mary meeting ,,jesus with ,his ,cross4 7#b7 ,mary witnessing the ,crucifixion of ,her ,son4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to understand what a precious gift suffering is4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,suffering ,mary1 with the knowledge which she had all her life of her ,son's ,passion1 must have known when the hour was approaching4 ,she had noticed the ever-increasing envy and hatred of the ,chief ,priests4 ,she knew of the various attempts on ,his life1 and of the organised plot to kill ,him4 ,and when the ,passion itself began1 we may be quite sure that1 even if she were not actually a witness of some of the scenes1 the ,apostles kept her informed of what was going on4 ,she would hear of the ,agony in the ,garden1 of ,judas' betrayal1 of the desertion of the ,apostles2 then of the trials1 of the scourging and crowning with thorns1 of ,pilate's vain attempts to save ,him2 she knew that they would be vain4 ,and when at length the death sentence was passed1 she set out with the other ministering women to be as near to ,him as she could while ,he carried ,his ,cross to ,calvary4 ,once1 at any rate1 on the ,way of the ,cross they caught sight of each other1 and had that unspeakable consolation which no one could give to ,,jesus but ,mary1 and no one to ,mary but ,,jesus4 ,but though it was a consolation1 it was also an anguish so great1 that this meeting of ,,jesus with ,his ,blessed ,mother is counted as one of the seven swords that pierced her heart4 ,it is the ,fourth ,dolour4 ,then1 on ,calvary's hill1 she must have heard1 even if she did not see1 the nails being driven in2 and heard1 too1 something that gave her strength and courage at that terrible moment--her ,son speaking to ,his ,father1 the crowning point of ,whose business ,he had now reached3 ,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do4 ,who can measure what the pain of this ,fifth ,dolour was to ,mary6 ,what was it that gave her an almost superhuman courage8 ,the firm belief that everything she saw and heard was ,,god',s will2 and such was the intensity with which she had said her ,fiat1 that ,his will was nearer to her even than her own sufferings4 ,in proportion as this is the case with us shall we get the good that ,,god intends out of suffering1 and join1 as ,mary did1 our prayers with those of ,,jesus by asking ,,god',s forgiveness for all who cause us suffering4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary',s ,,sacrifice ,then1 as soon as the darkness permitted her to draw near without observation1 she allowed ,john to take her to the ,foot of the ,cross1 and there took up her stand4 ,her sacrifice was very near to its completion now4 ,this is what she meant when she said her ,fiat to the ,angel ,gabriel thirty-three years ago4 ,this is what she meant when she presented ,him to the ,lord when ,he was forty days old4 ,the three days' loss1 and the separation when ,he left ,his home at ,nazareth1 had been a foreshadowing of this4 ,now the consummation of her sacrifice had arrived3 ,and there stood by the ,cross of ,,jesus ,his ,mother6 ,she had never flinched1 had never looked back4 ,it had been ,fiat all along the line4 ,she was a valiant woman to the end1 bravely doing her part1 and offering her ,son to ,,god4 ,this was ,mary's sacrifice--but what is her part in the ,sacrifice that her ,son is offering to ,his ,father for the world's redemption8 ,just this1 that she provided the ,victim4 ,she did not withhold her ,son--her only ,son4 7,gen4 xxii4 #af47 ,,jesus on ,calvary offered ,himself to the ,father2 and ,mary assisted--not only by the perfect union of her will and intention with ,his1 but actually1 by providing ,him with the ,body which ,he was offering to ,his ,father4 ,her position was that of the ,deacon at ,high ,mass4 ,his part is not the offering of the ,sacrifice--the ,priest alone can do that--but ,he provides the ,priest with the bread and wine which he is going to use for the ,sacrifice1 and without which there could be no ,sacrifice4 ,a ,body hast thou prepared ,me2 and that ,body came from ,mary--it was with ,blood drawn from her veins that ,he redeemed the world4 ,but the ,sacrificial ,act was ,his1 and ,his alone3 ,i have trodden the wine-press alone4 7,isaias lxiii4 #c47 ,point ,,iii4--,,mary',s ,,legacy ,as she stood there taking her part1 how her heart was enlarging6 ,he was dying for the whole world--for the whole human race1 past1 present1 and future--and she was ,his ,mother2 she was standing by and assisting2 all ,his interests were hers4 ,she had seen the conversions worked by ,him on the ,way of the ,cross2 she had seen the change in the dying thief2 now ,,jesus addressed ,himself to her1 and by ,his ,third ,word from the ,cross made her the ,second ,eve1 the ,mother of all living--of all for whom ,he was dying4 ,woman1 behold thy son6 ,again ,he used the official title--,woman2 ,he was not treating her now as ,his ,mother1 but rather as the ,mother of all4 ,behold thy son2 take ,john for thy son1 and with him take the whole human race4 ,he counted on her power of suffering1 and it was through that suffering that she became the universal ,mother4 ,he knew how the sword would stab when she heard that she was to take ,john in ,his place1 but ,he knew also that the wound made by that sword-thrust would enlarge her heart to take in her new family4 ,he was dying1 and ,his legacy to ,his ,mother was the whole human race4 ,the idea was not a new one to her1 for ,he had been gradually training her up to it1 as we have seen1 ever since the ,incarnation4 ,he added another word to make all sure4 ,he spoke now to ,john as the representative of the human race3 ,behold thy ,mother6 ,the immediate meaning of ,his words ,john very well understood--that he was to cherish1 support1 and take care of her2 be a son to her now that her own ,son was being taken from her4 ,but ,he had an intention in that word for each one of us4 ,to each and all ,he said3 ,behold ,thy ,mother6 and from that moment all who will1 have the right to take her to their own4 ,to what extent have ,i taken this word seriously8 ,have ,i really believed that ,,jesus had me in ,his mind as well as ,st ,john when ,he said3 ,behold thy ,mother6 that it was of me that ,he thought and to me that ,he spoke8 ,have ,i felt the responsibility as well as the honour of being a child of ,mary1 and that it is my bounden duty to love and cherish her1 to support and take care of her--that is1 to stand up for her and shield her from those who will not behold her as their ,mother8 ,o my ,mother1 ,i want more than ever to take thee to my own1 as thy first adopted son did4 ,come home with me1 live side by side with me1 talk to me of ,,jesus1 and thus help to pass the time when you see me getting weary2 help me to imitate ,him as thou didst1 and to share ,his work by my prayer and sacrifice as thou didst4 ,and then1 ,mother1 thou wilt always be there to show me what sacrifice really means--how it enters into all the little details of everyday life--to show me what having my will united to thy ,son's means4 ,thou wilt be there to put a restraining hand upon me and make me live as a child of ,mary should2 thou1 to whom ,,jesus was subject1 wilt teach me what real submission means4 ,yes1 ,i am decided that to-day it shall be recorded of me in ,heaven3 ,from that hour that disciple took her to his own4 ,colloquy with ,mary4 ,resolution4 ,to take ,mary as the special gift of ,,jesus to me4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,there stood by the ,cross of ,,jesus ,his ,mother4 ,the ,sixth and ,seventh ,dolours ,and ,joseph1 buying fine linen and taking ,him down1 wrapped ,him in the fine linen1 and laid ,him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of a rock4 7,st ,mark xv4 #df47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture of the ,thirteenth ,station4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to be unselfish in my grief4 ,point ,i4--,,mater ,,dolorosa ,as ,mary stands at her post1 praying for her new family for whom her ,son is dying1 and uniting herself more closely than ever with ,his intentions1 the sword never ceases to pierce afresh her wounded heart4 ,she has to listen to the cry3 ,i thirst6 from the parched lips and throat of ,him from ,whom she had never heard a complaint2 and she has to appear to be deaf to ,his needs4 ,again she hears a cry1 more full of agony even than the last3 ,my ,,god1 ,my ,,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me6 and she who once lost her ,son for three days 7the ,third ,dolour7 can understand in some small degree the anguish of that cry4 ,then after ,his next words3 ,all is consummated1 she hears ,him commend ,his ,soul to ,his ,father1 and she watches ,him die4 ,she is alone6 ,and not only is she alone1 but she has a sense of responsibility4 ,just as on the occasion of a death among us1 the one next has to rise to the responsibility and act at once1 so it was with ,mary4 ,she was the one next4 ,she knew that it was to her that the ,apostles and all ,his friends would turn to know what to do--what ,he would like done4 ,he who had died on the ,cross was indeed the ,son of ,,god1 and she was ,his ,mother2 she1 if anyone did1 must know all about ,him4 ,so1 although all is over1 there is no time for ,mary to relax and give way to her grief4 ,there is work to be done--work that ,he has left her4 ,it is finished for ,him1 but she is only just beginning her work as ,mother of the ,church4 ,and so she still stands at the ,foot of the ,cross1 reverently worshipping the dead ,body to which the ,divinity is still united4 ,her meditation was suddenly interrupted--,one of the soldiers with a spear pierced ,his ,side2 and again ,simeon's prophecy was fulfilled3 ,thine own soul a sword shall pierce4 ,soon followed what is called her ,sixth ,dolour--the taking down of her ,son from the ,cross4 ,he was in the hands of friends now1 and all was done with the greatest reverence and loving tenderness4 ,but nothing could stay the sword from piercing ,mary's heart when she received into her hands the blood-stained ,crown of ,thorns and the rough nails4 ,nothing could stay it when she had her ,,jesus once more in her arms1 and was able to see for herself the cruel wounds as she washed them and bound them up4 ,then when the precious ,body had been wrapped in the winding sheet1 she accompanied the little cortege which carried ,it to the tomb4 ,and when1 after a few minutes' adoration1 she beckoned them all away1 and the great stone was rolled to its place1 the sword pierced her heart again--it was the ,seventh ,dolour--the burial of ,,jesus4 ,she allowed ,john to escort her past the three crosses1 along the way which ,he had trodden1 back to the ,cenacle4 ,that disciple took her to his own4 ,the next time we make the ,way of the ,cross1 let us make it with ,mary as ,john did4 ,she will explain to us better than anyone else can1 the meaning of each station4 ,mary has left ,him now1 but she is with ,him still in spirit and in heart--hence her strength4 ,what a lesson she gives us on how to act in times of bereavement6 ,we are never to lose sight of the fact that this particular kind of suffering is intended for our sanctification4 ,this will prevent us from allowing it to make us morbid1 selfish1 gloomy1 inconsiderate1 ungrateful1 acting as though our suffering were greater than that of everybody else1 being exacting and fastidious about things that remind us of our lost one--even of having the name mentioned in our presence6 ,what about our sacrifice8 ,are not all such things as these a part of it8 ,we have no business to add to the trials of others by our tyrannical selfishness4 ,sorrow ought to brace the soul up to greater heights of sanctity2 if it depresses it to a lower level of spirituality1 there is something very wrong with us4 ,we are not copying ,mary1 neither are we uniting our sufferings to those of ,,jesus--the only way of making them meritorious4 ,let us see to it that our grief is a source of joy and blessing to everyone else in the house4 ,this means self put on one side2 it means a smiling face1 a bright1 cheery1 voice in spite of a breaking heart4 ,it means a great sympathy with the grief of others--and it often means that we shall get the credit of not really caring1 of not having much depth of affection1 not much heart6 ,but this again is part of the sacrifice which we gladly offer if only it may aid suffering in doing its blessed work4 ,there were those1 no doubt1 who were ready enough to say that ,mary's calm courage was unnatural4 ,but we know that it was supernatural3 let us try to copy her in it4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mater ,,misericordiae ,what must have been the grief of the ,apostles--their ,friend1 ,teacher1 and ,lord dead1 their hopes all dashed1 and their consciences ill at ease as they thought of their base desertion of ,him in ,his hour of need6 ,they were scattered everyone to his own1 but probably one by one they found their way back to the ,cenacle4 ,it was the last house where they had been all together with ,him1 and it seemed natural to go there again--and besides1 ,his ,mother was there4 ,she was next to ,him1 and therefore more to them than anyone else could be4 ,she had been faithful to the end4 ,she could tell them more about ,him than anyone else could4 ,her very voice and manner reminded them of ,him4 ,somehow1 they felt that she would look at things from ,his point of view1 and that if she forgave them for the wrong they had done to her ,son1 ,he would4 ,then they would learn from ,john what ,,jesus had said about her with ,his dying lips--that they might now regard her in very deed as their ,mother2 that she was now in fact the ,mother of the ,church which ,he had founded2 and that they could turn to her in their times of perplexity and difficulty4 ,behold thy ,mother--the ,mother of ,good ,counsel and the ,mother of ,mercy6 ,was it not just what they wanted8 ,how well ,he knew6 ,how thoughtful it was of ,him to leave us ,mary6 ,and so we may think of ,mary on ,holy ,saturday rallying her new family round her1 loving them for her ,son's sake1 making excuses for their weaknesses1 as a mother ever does1 and putting fresh heart and courage into them4 ,and then we may think of her stealing away to ponder--to make the first ,meditation on the ,passion1 presenting willingly her heart to the sword once more1 that her compassion might fit her for her position as ,mother of ,mercy4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 who says to me3 ,for you1 too1 my child1 ,i am the ,mother of fair love1 and of fear1 and of knowledge1 and of holy hope4 ,come over to me1 all ye that desire me1 and be filled with my fruits4 ,he that hearkeneth unto me shall not be confounded2 and they that work by me shall not sin4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #bd-cj47 ,resolution4 ,to take my troubles and difficulties to ,mary to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,mater ,dolorosa1 ,mater misericordiae1 ora pro nobis4 ,the ,first ,glorious ,mystery ,he shall reign for ever1 and of ,his ,kingdom there shall be no end4 7,st ,luke i4 #cb1 #cc47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture or statue of ,our ,lady4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to learn from ,mary how to rejoice4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,easter ,,day ,of ,his ,kingdom there shall be no end4 ,it was to ,mary that these words were said1 before her ,son was born2 and she believed them4 ,she knew1 therefore1 that ,he would rise again2 she knew that all was not finished when she left the precious ,body in ,joseph's new tomb4 ,in all probability1 too1 ,,jesus had told her1 as ,he told the ,apostles1 that ,he would rise again on the third day4 ,and while they believed not nor understood1 she did both4 ,but this supernatural gift of faith1 which she exercised to the full1 had not the power to prevent the sword from piercing on ,good ,friday and ,holy ,saturday4 ,she felt the full weight of all her sorrow1 but she sorrowed1 as all ,christian mourners should do1 not without hope4 ,what must her expectation have been as she knelt on that ,holy ,saturday night counting the minutes till the day dawned6 ,she knew that ,he would rise again--but would she see ,him8 ,would ,he come to her8 ,he had kept her so much in the background during ,his ministry1 perhaps ,he will do so still1 and it will be to those who need ,him most that ,he will come4 ,no1 sweet ,mother1 the meek and lowly of heart ever attract ,him2 it is to the heart which desires ,him most that ,he will come4 ,a pure1 disinterested desire to have ,,jesus ever proves to ,him an invincible attraction4 ,no one on earth desired to see ,,jesus as ,mary did1 and it was to her1 as the traditions of the ,holy ,fathers testify1 that ,he came first--as soon as the ,easter ,day dawned and death could no longer be holden of ,him4 ,the ,evangelists are silent about this appearance of ,,jesus to ,his ,blessed ,mother1 for the very good reason that she told them nothing about it4 ,there was no need to do so1 as1 for example1 there was to tell various little details about ,his ,birth1 because ,,god wished us to know them4 ,at this meeting of the ,son and the ,mother even ,angels would fear to intrude2 and we ordinary mortals simply should not understand what took place1 even were it narrated to us4 ,all those to whom ,he appeared would take it for granted that ,his ,mother had seen ,him--why write down a thing that everybody knew8 ,according to thy faith be it unto thee4 ,mary was the only one who had faith enough to believe that her ,son would rise again1 and it was only natural that she should be the first to see ,him4 ,she was the one who had entered most deeply into ,his sorrows1 and she would be the one to whom ,he would first communicate the ,easter joy4 ,let us now think a little about ,mary's joy4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary',s ,,joy ,,and ,,its ,,causes ,what joy it must have been to ,mary to see that precious ,body which ,he had taken from her1 which she had nurtured and tended and loved1 which she had seen so recently covered with scars and gaping wounds6 ,what joy it must have been to her to see ,it in all the beauty of ,its ,resurrection--to see ,it glorified6 ,her joy was so intense that the saints tell us it was only by a miracle that her body could master her soul and keep it still a prisoner4 ,and then the consolation of knowing that never again would ,he suffer--the joy of seeing the ,five ,wounds and knowing that ,he would keep them always1 as precious memorials of ,his death and of ,his victory over death1 of ,his undying love for ,his ,church1 and of ,his right to give it all that it should ever claim1 because with those wounds ,he had more than paid for all that it would ever need4 ,mary entered into all these truths as no one else could1 and therefore her ,easter joy was greater than that of anybody else4 ,her joy was greater1 too1 because her love was greater4 ,her love for ,,jesus was wholly unselfish1 and so was her joy2 it was wholly on account of the joy of her ,son4 ,she forgot her own joy for the moment2 she forgot the long exile that lay before her2 she forgot everything but ,his joy4 ,her suffering also was indirectly another cause of her joy4 ,our capacity for joy is in proportion to our capacity for suffering4 ,we have seen something of what ,mary's capacity for suffering was1 and so we can understand in some small measure how full was her cup of joy4 ,mary had other joys too1 which were incidental to the joy of seeing her ,son risen and glorified4 ,she saw the saints who rose with ,him1 for ,he would be sure to present them to ,his ,mother4 ,some would need no introduction--her dear spouse ,st ,joseph1 her parents ,st ,joachim and ,st ,anne4 ,yes1 ,mary's joys more than made up for her sorrows4 ,one day1 if we try to receive our cup of sorrow as ,mary did1 that is1 take it for ,,jesus and with ,,jesus1 we too shall receive the cup of joy1 and we shall be able to say with ,st ,paul as we put the two side by side3 ,the sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory4 7,rom4 viii4 #ah47 ,teach me1 ,o holy ,mother of ,,god1 something of this real joy--the joy that is arrived at through faith1 through suffering1 through a perfect union of heart with the ,sacred ,heart of ,,jesus1 and through conformity to ,,god',s will2 the joy of the risen life--the new life that rises out of the death to self4 ,colloquy4 ,the ,regina ,coeli3-- ,queen of ,heaven1 rejoice1--,alleluia ,for ,he ,whom thou wast made worthy to bear--,alleluia ,hath risen as ,he said--,alleluia4 ,pray for us to ,,god--,alleluia4 7,anthem from ,easter to ,trinity47 ,resolution4 ,to say my ,fiat bravely with ,mary1 as the surest way of sharing her joy4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,causa nostrae laetitiae1 ora pro nobis4 ,the ,second and ,third ,glorious ,mysteries ,all these were persevering with one mind in prayer1 with the women1 and ,mary the ,mother of ,,jesus1 and with ,his brethren4 7,acts i4 #ad47 #ast ,prelude4 7#a7 ,a picture of the ,ascension--,our ,lady kissing the ,footprints4 7#b7 ,a picture of the ,descent of the ,holy ,ghost--a tongue of fire resting on the head of ,our ,lady1 who is seated in the midst of the ,apostles4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to enter into the dispositions of ,mary4 ,point ,i4--,,mary ,,on ,,ascension ,,day ,many1 no doubt1 were the visits that ,,jesus paid to ,his ,blessed ,mother during the forty days that ,his glorified ,body still lingered in this world of ours1 as though ,he were loath to leave it4 ,he was bracing her up for the time of exile that lay before her1 filling her with stores of consolation upon which she would be able to draw in her times of desolation4 ,she probably knew that the fortieth day was the last1 and that1 when ,he led ,his little flock out as far as ,bethania1 it was ,his last walk with them4 ,she knew of the mountain appointed where ,he wished all ,his brethren to assemble--more than five hundred at once4 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #f47 ,she heard ,his last words1 heard ,him charge ,his witnesses3 ,going1 therefore1 teach 7make disciples of7 all nations3 and behold ,i am with you all days1 even to the consummation of the world4 7,st ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai1 #bj47 ,she was not to be a witness--though she was ever the silent witness of ,his ,humanity--but it was only fitting that she should hear all the orders that were given to her children4 ,she heard of the promise of the ,father1 and that they were to stay in the city till it was fulfilled4 ,she saw ,him lift up ,his hands in blessing--the last blessing2 she watched with the rest ,his glorified ,body raised up from their midst--watched till a cloud received ,him out of their sight1 then she knelt in humble acquiescence to ,,god',s will and kissed the ground where ,he had just stood--the favoured bit of earth which was the last to be touched by ,his blessed ,feet4 ,when she looked up1 it was to see two angels asking the astonished disciples why they were gazing into ,heaven1 and telling them that the same ,,jesus who was taken up from them into ,heaven would so come again as they had seen ,him go4 ,it was not to her that the angels were speaking--she was not gazing up4 ,she knew the lesson that the others were being taught1 knew that her ,son was already in ,heaven1 sitting at the right hand of ,,god4 7,st ,mark xvi4 #ai47 ,when the ,apostles realised sufficiently what had happened1 they1 adoring1 went back to ,jerusalem with joy1 7,st ,luke xxiv4 #eb71 and ,mary led them to the ,cenacle to wait for the promise of the ,father1 as her ,son had bidden them4 ,thus she taught them the lesson she would teach all her children--that the only thing to do in times of desolation and sorrow is to follow closely the commands of ,,jesus3 ,whatsoever ,he shall say to you1 do ye4 ,it is no use to stand gazing after what has gone2 this is no time for regrets2 ,he gave a clear command3 ,go to ,jerusalem and wait4 ,we shall always find that there is no balm for sorrow like fidelity to duty4 ,it costs something2 human nature longs to stay and hug its sorrow2 but it is far wiser to turn away from the loved spot and go bravely hand in hand with the ,mother of ,sorrows to do the next thing to which duty--that is the voice of ,,jesus--calls us4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary ,,on ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,pentecost ,nine days they spent with ,mary the ,mother of ,,jesus1 persevering with one mind in prayer1 7,acts i4 #ad71 and going constantly to the ,temple to praise and bless ,,god4 7,st ,luke xxiv4 #ec47 ,it was a ,novena of prayer and thanksgiving4 ,it was ,mary's first official act as ,mother of the ,church4 ,she kept the little flock together1 kept them close to her ,son by obedience to ,his last command1 by intercession for the great gift that ,he had promised to send them1 and by thanksgiving for all that ,he had been to them and done for them4 ,it was the first ,retreat1 and they made it with ,mary1 the ,mother of ,,god4 ,what must ,mary's prayers have been during those nine days6 ,she was now more united than ever to her ,son2 her eye of faith saw ,him at the ,right ,hand of ,,god in ,heaven2 she saw eye to eye with ,him2 she knew all ,his interests and intentions2 she had still a ,mother's right to command ,him2 she knew that nothing in their relationship was changed1 and that ,he would not refuse her behests in ,heaven any more than ,he had done on earth4 ,and so1 as her eyes swept the wide horizon which was now hers1 the ,mother of the ,church made a ,novena for ,pentecost1 praying with all her knowledge and all her power1 for the ,holy ,ghost to come down upon her children--to come and fill that ,church of which she was the ,mother1 that ,church which her ,son had founded1 for which ,he had given ,his life4 ,these first ,retreatants had no books4 ,they needed none--their lives were so closely bound up with the life of ,,jesus2 the ,holy ,spirit prayed within them2 and ,mary was ever with them directing1 and setting them an example4 ,in proportion as these things are true of us are we independent of exterior help in our prayers4 ,and the more we are able to dispense with exterior help1 the more interior and real will be our prayers4 ,then when the days were accomplished--when the ,novena was over--the ,holy ,ghost came down as ,,jesus had promised that ,he should--came down as a tongue of fire upon each one3 a proof that ,he had entered into each one of those expectant1 faithful souls1 filling each according to his capacity1 and giving each the power needful to carry on the work that was appointed for him to do4 ,what1 then1 must have been the measure with which ,mary was filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 for what was the ,apostles' work compared with hers8 ,she had always been full of grace--she had long been the spouse of the ,holy ,ghost1 ever since ,he had overshadowed her at the ,incarnation1 and ,he had always been filling her according to her ever-increasing capacity4 ,we have seen how1 under her ,son's training1 her horizon was ever enlarging--how much wider it became on ,calvary1 how pain and joy had dilated her heart1 how her intercourse with her ,divine ,son during those forty days had still more widened her outlook2 and now1 with all the fresh territory over which she was to reign1 in her mind and in her heart1 she had been praying--the ,holy ,ghost had been praying within her--for ,him to come and overshadow her once again1 and fill her with grace that she might be able to meet all her new responsibilities as ,mother of the ,church4 ,mary had more need of the ,holy ,ghost than any of the hundred and twenty souls gathered in the ,cenacle2 her desire to receive ,him too was greater than theirs2 and so we may well believe that she received ,him in a fuller measure4 ,she had no need of the gifts of tongues and miracles1 which were a necessity to the ,apostles1 to help them in the beginning of their difficult work4 ,her work during the remaining years of her life was that of intercession1 and it was to be carried on in secret and obscurity4 ,the gifts she needed from the ,holy ,ghost were those of hiddenness1 patience1 humility1 conformity to ,,god',s will4 ,she needed ,him in all ,his plenitude to pray within her with unutterable groanings for all the needs of the ,church throughout all time4 ,her work was still1 as it ever had been1 to ponder in her heart--to meditate and hold colloquies with her ,divine ,son1 through the agency of the ,holy ,spirit1 about all the interests which they had in common4 ,colloquy4 ,our ,lady of ,light1 ,spouse of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,i offer thee my whole heart1 my soul and my body1 to keep for ,,jesus1 that ,i may be ,his for ever4 ,our ,lady of ,light1 pray for me4 7,prayer of ,blessed ,grignon de ,montfort47 ,resolution4 ,to think more of the ,holy ,spirit praying within me4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,sacrarium ,spiritus ,sancti1 ora pro nobis4 7,sanctuary of the ,holy ,spirit1 pray for us47 ,mary's ,exile ,woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged4 7,ps4 cxix4 #e47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a statue or picture of ,our ,lady4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to learn how an exiled child of ,eve should live4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,exile ,tradition tells us that ,st ,john took the ,holy ,mother to his house in ,jerusalem1 and that it was there that she died1 though she spent some of the time of her exile at ,ephesus4 ,in solitude and silence she pondered over all the wonderful mysteries of her life2 she interceded for her new-born child1 the ,church1 which had already so many needs2 and she helped the ,apostles by her prayers4 ,they were soon scattered in different directions1 making disciples of all nations1 as their ,master had bidden them2 and it would only be at rare intervals that they could come and see their ,mother1 and talk over their difficulties1 and get the advice of her who saw eye to eye with her ,son4 ,but what a comfort and strength it must have been to them to know that she was always there1 telling her ,divine ,son of their needs6 ,and during those long years--according to some opinions fifteen1 to others1 twenty-three--what was ,mary's strength8 ,the same as it had ever been--union with her ,son4 ,every day1 tradition tells us1 she received ,him in the ,blessed ,sacrament at the hands of ,st ,john4 ,what ,communions must those have been1 when ,mary said again3 ,ecce ancilla ,domini1 fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum1 and her ,,god was again incarnate within her6 ,what made those ,communions so intense8 ,the fact that ,his love and desire in coming were reciprocated4 ,the love and desire are never wanting on ,his side1 but unfortunately there is so little of either on ours6 ,it takes more than one to make a good ,communion4 ,a joining together of two is the meaning of the word4 ,if the union is to be strong1 fervent1 real1 lasting1 each must do his part4 ,oh1 teach me1 dear ,mother1 how to receive thy ,son in ,holy ,communion4 ,thy whole life was centred in ,him2 thy every thought was with ,him2 everything thou didst was done for ,him2 every moment of thy exile gladly borne for ,him2 every sigh a spiritual ,communion2 and when each day the glad moment of actual ,communion came1 it was just ,his embrace--,he pressed thee to ,his ,heart for a few minutes1 telling thee it would not be long before thy exile would be over1 and thou wouldst see ,his ,face again4 ,thy ,communions were an ecstasy of love--help me to put a little more love into mine2 teach me to regard them as the ,bread from ,heaven sent specially for the exile2 teach me to make them the centre of my life2 teach me to live my whole life with ,him1 so that my ,communion may never be interrupted4 ,this should be the aim1 surely1 of every communicant2 it is the ideal life2 it is the life that ,,jesus intended when ,he said3 ,he that eateth ,me1 he shall live by ,me4 ,it is possible2 but oh1 how far ,i come short6 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,reason ,,for ,,mary',s ,,exile ,why did her ,son leave her behind to suffer so intensely1 as ,he well knew she would1 from the separation8 ,would not the ,beatific ,vision in ,heaven have been better than her ,communions on earth8 ,could not her intercession for the ,church have been even more effectual had she been close to her ,son's throne in ,heaven8 ,could she not have been the ,mother of ,good ,counsel in ,heaven for those who had to guide the ,church in its infancy1 as she has been ever since8 ,we can think of many reasons why ,,jesus left her in exile for a time3-- #a4 ,she had to nurse the new-born ,church by strengthening and encouraging the ,apostles with her example1 so like that of the ,master ,himself1 and by supplying the ,evangelists with many details of ,his life1 which they could not have learnt from any lips but hers4 #b4 ,she had to establish her position as ,mother of the ,church--the tradition was to be handed down by the ,apostles that it was she who guided1 and tended1 and cared for the ,church during the early and tender years of its existence2 that it was to her they turned in times of perplexity and doubt2 that her constant intercession for them was their strength4 ,this could not have been so had she left the earth with her ,son4 ,during those long years of exile the new child learnt to regard ,mary as its ,mother1 and when she was taken away into ,heaven1 it was quite natural to it still thus to regard her1 and to teach all who came after to do the same4 #c4 ,our ,lord would give her still more time to increase her merits by suffering4 ,he wanted her crown to be the most beautiful possible1 and even for the ,mother of ,,god there was only one way to make it so--the way of suffering1 which intensified her love and humility and submission to ,,god',s will4 #d4 ,may not another reason have been in order that she might be the better able to sympathise with the exiled children of ,eve 7exules filii ,evae78 ,had ,he taken her with ,him1 they would surely have felt that their ,mother could not quite understand their position4 ,and what is such an effectual barrier to sympathy as the feeling that we are not understood8 ,so ,mary was left in exile to gain much that she could not have gained otherwise4 ,i am one of the exiled children of ,eve4 ,what have ,i got to do as an exile8 #a4 ,i have to establish my position4 ,there is a certain place prepared for me in ,heaven1 which may be mine through all eternity4 ,what is to decide whether ,i get it or not8 ,the way ,i pass the time of my sojourning here4 ,by the time my exile is over1 ,i must so have lived that there must be no doubt about it that ,i belong to the ,heavenly land2 that ,i am a child of ,,god and an heir to ,his ,kingdom2 that ,i seek not the things of earth but those which are above2 that ,heaven is my ,home4 ,and what will be my position there8 ,mary earned her position as ,queen of ,angels1 of ,patriarchs1 ,prophets1 ,martyrs1 ,virgins1 as ,mother of the ,church4 ,what position shall ,i earn8 ,that depends1 as ,mary's did1 on my fidelity to grace4 ,i shall have just that degree of glory and merit to which ,i have attained when ,i am called hence to give an account of my stewardship--no less and no more4 ,the position ,i have to establish1 then1 during my exile1 is that of being known by all the inhabitants of ,heaven--all the ,angels and ,saints--as one who is sure to join them one day4 ,make your calling and election sure4 #b4 ,i have to suffer4 ,one of the actual reasons for my being here on earth is that ,i may suffer--not that suffering is in itself good1 but it gives me the means--perhaps the greatest means--of developing the virtues which must be mine if ,i am to enter the ,kingdom one day4 ,our ,lord chose for ,himself and for ,his ,mother a life of suffering1 to make us understand and to show us how suffering may aid us--yes1 the very same suffering which hardens the sinner4 ,what is the secret1 then1 of suffering8 ,that by means of it1 and because of it1 we may make ,acts of ,love and ,contrition and ,submission to ,,god',s ,will4 ,suffering is too powerful an instrument to leave our human nature untouched by it2 we must do something under it--either curse ,,god and die1 as ,job's wife advised him to do1 or bless ,him all the more fervently1 as ,job did4 ,let me remember1 then1 that one of the things ,i have to do as an exile is to see to it that ,,god gets1 out of each piece of suffering that ,he sends me1 the extra love that ,he expected would result from it4 #c4 ,to do the work ,,god wants me to do2 to work in my little corner of ,his vineyard2 to co-operate with ,him in ,his great work of the salvation of souls2 and to show sympathy and kindness to my fellow-exiles4 ,colloquy4 ,the ,salve ,regina3--,hail1 holy ,queen1 ,mother of ,mercy2 hail1 our life1 our sweetness1 and our hope6 ,to thee do we cry1 poor banished children of ,eve2 to thee do we send up our sighs1 mourning1 and weeping in this vale of tears4 ,turn then1 most gracious ,advocate1 thine eyes of mercy towards us2 and after this our exile1 show unto us the blessed ,fruit of thy womb1 ,,jesus3 ,o clement1 ,o loving1 ,o sweet ,virgin ,mary4 7,anthem from ,trinity to ,advent47 ,resolution4 ,to learn the exile's lessons4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,for we have not here a lasting city1 but we seek one that is to come4 7,heb4 xiii4 #ad47 ,mary's ,death ,they that work by me shall not sin4 7,from the ,epistle for the ,vigil of the ,assumption1 ,ecclus4 xxiv4 #cj47 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture of ,mary's death4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,to prepare for death by living by ,mary4 ,point ,i4--,,the ,,sting ,,of ,,death ,,is ,,sin 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #ef7 ,sin had never touched ,mary2 there was therefore for her no sting in death4 ,she had no penalty to pay1 neither had she to die for others as her ,son died4 ,why1 then1 should ,mary die8 #a4 ,because she had a mortal nature4 ,she belonged to the great human race1 and it was therefore appointed unto her to die4 7,heb4 ix4 #bg47 #b4 ,because she chose to die 7the ,fathers say her ,son gave her the choice7 that she might be conformable in all things to her ,son1 and also that she might be the better able to help1 and pray for1 and sympathise with her children1 who throughout all time would be constantly saying3 ,pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death4 #c4 ,because ,our ,lord wanted her to have a specially chosen death--one that came neither from old age nor sickness1 but simply from love4 ,her love for ,him was so great that her body could no longer hold her soul captive4 #d4 ,because ,,god would not deprive her of the inestimable privilege of making the sacrifice of her life to ,him1 and such a life6 ,this practice it is which makes the death of ,his ,saints precious in the sight of the ,lord4 7,ps4 cxv4 #ae47 ,let us learn two lessons3-- #a4 ,to choose to be in all things conformable to ,,jesus1 even though this choice means death to self4 #b4 ,how precious a thing in ,,god',s sight is the sacrifice of their lives to ,him by ,his children6 ,let us resolve to make ,him this sacrifice often beforehand--at least every night before we take from ,his ,hands the precious gift of sleep which ,he giveth ,his beloved4 ,point ,,ii4--,,mary',s ,,preparation ,,for ,,death ,we are told that some little while before her death an ,angel 7probably ,gabriel7 was sent to tell her that her time was at hand4 ,she answered3 ,ecce ancilla ,domini 7,behold the handmaid of the ,lord71 and made once again the sacrifice of her life4 ,she then told the news to ,john1 who made it known to the faithful4 ,how great their sorrow must have been at the prospect of losing such a ,mother6 ,st ,denis tells us that ,our ,lord brought all the ,apostles and missionaries1 who were scattered all over the world1 to witness her death4 ,she blessed them1 and encouraged them to continue their work1 saying that she would help them powerfully in ,heaven4 ,her joy was full because the time1 which was to unite her to her ,son1 had come at last2 but ,mary was not selfish in her joy any more than she had been in her grief4 ,she did not forget the sorrow of her children2 they were still to be exiles1 but exiles with a ,mother in the ,homeland--a ,mother who would be there to befriend them and take an interest in all they were doing4 ,do ,i realise this--that while ,i am an exile here ,i have a ,mother in ,heaven who is taking the keenest interest in all that concerns me1 in all that is preparing me for my ,home2 a ,mother who is waiting there for me1 ready to welcome me8 ,point ,,iii4--,,how ,,mary ,,died ,there was no sickness1 no wearing out nor decay of that beautiful body1 no effects in it of original sin4 ,of what1 then1 did ,mary die8 ,of two things--love and desire2 and these were so intense that even her body1 strong and perfect though it was1 had not the power to detain the soul captive any longer4 ,mary died of love1 as her ,son had died of grief--a grief which was the outcome of an immense love4 ,did ,mary receive the ,last ,sacraments8 ,the ,sacrament of ,penance was out of the question for her sinless soul2 we may doubt about ,extreme ,unction2 but with what intensity of love and desire must she have received her ,viaticum6 ,and when ,,jesus came with all ,his court to fetch her immaculate soul1 we are told that she said3 ,thy will be done2 for a long time ,i have sighed after ,thee1 my ,son and my ,,god2 nothing can be more delightful than to join ,thee and be where ,thou art for ever4 ,then the ,angels began to sing--all who were present heard them--and while they sang1 ,mary said her ,fiat and died1 and her most pure soul began its eternal happiness in the sight of the ,beatific ,vision4 ,the ,eternal ,trinity gave it the glory which was its due--the reward of her love so pure1 so generous1 so constant4 ,she had a higher degree of glory and a clearer vision of ,,god than all the ,saints1 because glory depends on grace1 virtue1 and merit1 of which she had far more than any of them4 ,what does ,mary's death say to me8 ,they that work by me shall not sin4 ,you cannot be sinless1 as ,i was1 you cannot die of love1 as ,i did1 7,st ,theresa and ,st ,philip of ,neri did71 but you can1 by keeping close to me1 and doing all your work at my side1 keep from all wilful sin1 and you can thus love ,,jesus so much that when ,he comes to fetch you1 death will have no terrors for you1 and you1 too1 will be able to say3 ,ecce ancilla ,domini1 ,here ,i am1 ,thy servant1 doing ,thy work4 ,blessed is that servant whom the ,lord when ,he cometh shall find watching2 and the best way to watch is to work at ,mary's side4 ,and let me never forget that my degree of glory in ,heaven will be according to the amount of grace and merit that ,i have at the moment of my death4 ,how thankful ,i should be that ,i still have power to increase these6 ,and how eager and zealous to use my time to the best advantage6 ,death cometh when no man can work--when no more merit1 no more reparation will be possible4 ,the point ,i have then reached will be mine through all eternity4 ,as the tree falls1 so will it lie4 ,holy ,mary1 ,mother of ,,god1 pray for me now and at the hour of my death4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 my ,mother in ,heaven1 who is pleading for me2 who is letting me do all my work close to her side2 and who will be there at the hour of my death1 to put me back into the ,hands of her ,son1 ,who gave me to her when ,he was on the ,cross1 saying3 ,take this child and nurse it for ,me4 ,and ,he will see to it that none shall pluck me out of ,his ,hands1 for it is impossible for a child of ,mary to be lost4 ,resolution4 ,to let love for her ,son keep me close to ,mary's side to-day1 listening to all her directions about my work1 so that ,i may do it to please ,him4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,they that work by me shall not sin4 ,mary's ,tomb ,i gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatical balm2 ,i yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #bj47 ,in the ,holy ,city likewise ,i rested1 and my abode is in the full assembly of the ,saints4 7verses #ae1 #af47 #ast ,prelude4 ,the ,apostles carrying the body of their ,mother to the grave4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,the grace of faith and love to penetrate into these mysteries4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,body ,the ,angels still continued singing1 while the ,apostles and missionaries and women wept around the body4 ,but the heavenly music was catching1 and it was not long before the mourners dried their tears and joined in the ,angels' hymn of praise4 ,we are told that the sick and the blind and the lame were allowed to come and kiss the precious body1 and that in so doing they were instantly healed4 ,why was ,mary's body so precious8 ,because it had been the tabernacle of the ,son of ,,god4 ,why is mine so precious8 ,because it1 too1 is so often the tabernacle of ,,jesus ,christ4 ,do ,i realise that this makes my body holy8 ,and do ,i regard it as something precious1 consecrated and dedicated1 ,,god',s ,temple1 ,his own dwelling-place8 ,often have ,angels adored before it6 ,how much respect1 then1 ought ,i to show it6 ,how careful ,i ought to be as to what ,i do with it1 and to what use ,i put it6 ,we are told that when the ,apostles carried the bier to the grave1 near the ,garden of ,gethsemani1 all the faithful accompanied them1 and the ,angels never ceased their singing4 ,the precious body exhaled a sweet fragrance which perfumed every place the procession had to pass through1 and there were miracles and conversions all along the route4 ,they laid their precious burden in the grave1 put a great stone over it1 and then dispersed4 ,but they did not leave the grave alone4 ,the ,apostles watched and prayed there in turn1 listening to1 and rejoicing in the ,angels' song4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,empty ,,tomb ,on the third day1 ,st ,thomas arrived from the ,indies 7the ,apostles felt sure that it was ,our ,lord's plan that he should be late71 and naturally wanted to look once again on his ,mother's face4 ,so they removed the stone1 but only to find an empty tomb4 ,they found the linen and clothes all in order1 and they noted the delicious fragrance1 but the body was gone2 the soul had come back for it and fetched it to share in its glory4 ,then the ,apostles remembered that during the morning the celestial singing had suddenly stopped1 and they knew that their ,mother1 clothed in her glorified body1 was even then sitting at the ,right ,hand of her ,son in ,heaven4 ,why was it8 ,why was her body not left in the tomb8 ,because it was impossible for that body1 from which the ,word had taken ,flesh1 and which had never been touched by sin1 to see corruption4 ,also1 although ,mary had to die1 and to bear the separation of soul and body1 there was no necessity in her case for that penalty to be prolonged4 ,,god would not keep her--a perfect human creature--in an imperfect state1 which the soul without the body must ever be4 ,so1 though not yet a dogma1 the ,assumption of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary has ever been a belief of the ,church4 ,if we need a proof1 let us call to mind the fact that no one has ever pretended to possess relics of ,our ,lady's body4 ,our ,lord would surely never have deprived the ,church of such treasures1 had they existed4 ,point ,,iii4--,,the ,,fourth ,,glorious ,,mystery ,let me turn from the empty tomb1 and try to realise the other side of the picture--,mary in ,heaven4 ,this ,fourth ,glorious ,mystery was foretold more than once in ,holy ,scripture3 ,arise1 ,o ,lord1 into ,thy resting-place2 ,thou1 and the ,ark which ,thou hast sanctified4 7,ps4 cxxxi4 #h47 ,what is this ark sanctified by ,,god but ,mary's body1 of which the ,son of ,,god took flesh8 ,the ,queen stood on ,thy ,right ,hand in gilded clothing surrounded with variety4 ,who is this but the ,queen of ,heaven clothed with her glorious body of immortality8 ,a ,throne was set for the ,king's ,mother1 and she sat on ,his ,right ,hand1 7#c ,kings ii4 #ai71 in all the dazzling beauty of her glorified body1 surrounded by adoring ,saints and ,angels4 ,her ,son on ,his ,throne is saying to her3 ,ask1 ,my ,mother1 for ,i will not say thee nay4 ,the beauty of the scene is so entrancing1 the light is so dazzling1 the music is so enchanting1 the mystery is so wonderful1 that ,i feel almost bewildered and want to shut my eyes and think what it all means4 ,it means this--that ,i have a ,mother in ,heaven1 and that when her ,son bends towards her from ,his ,throne1 and when all the hosts of ,heaven hold their breath to catch what their ,queen is saying1 they hear her ask some little favour for me1 her child on earth4 ,why8 ,because ,i am saying3 ,holy ,mary1 ,mother of ,,god1 pray for me now4 ,let me1 with the eye of faith and love1 penetrate the thin veil1 which hides these wondrous mysteries from my sight4 ,let me try to see things as they really are1 and then my prayers will be less formal4 ,colloquy with ,mary on the ,right ,hand of ,,jesus in ,heaven4 ,resolution4 ,to think of her there when ,i say my ,rosary to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,holy ,mary1 ,mother of ,,god1 pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death4 ,who is ,she8 7,the ,fourth ,glorious ,mystery7 ,quae est ista quae progreditur quasi aurora consurgens1 pulchra ut luna1 electa ut sol1 terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata8 ,who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising1 fair as the moon1 bright as the sun1 terrible as an army set in array8 7,cant4 vi4 #i47 #ast ,prelude4 ,the ,angels asking three times3 ,who is she8 7,cant4 iii4 #f2 vi4 #i2 viii4 #e47 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to understand who she is4 ,point ,i4--,,who ,,is ,,she8 ,who is she8 ask the ,angels1 as they see ,mary coming into ,heaven4 ,once before had ,one clothed in the robe of ,his beautiful1 glorified ,body passed through ,heaven's portals2 and the ,angels had said3 ,who is this that cometh with dyed garments from ,bosra1 this beautiful ,one in ,his robe8 7,isaias lxiii4 #a71 and they had opened wide ,heaven's gate to let in the ,conqueror of sin and death1 the ,king of glory1 the ,lord mighty in battle4 ,but who is she--a woman1 who1 though she is beautiful as the morning rising1 fair as the moon1 and bright as the sun1 is also terrible as an army set in array8 ,she also has come from the battlefield2 she also is a conqueror1 for she has crushed the serpent's head2 she has undone ,eve's terrible work1 and1 as far as a creature can1 has made reparation for it4 ,she it is who has stood like a rock amidst the most crushing sorrows4 ,her strength is terrible to the devil1 but the ,angels rejoice in it1 and her children flee to her as the ,refugium peccatorum1 saying3 ,da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos4 7,give me1 too1 strength against thy enemies47 ,and so the ,angels open wide ,heaven's gates again1 to let in the ,mother of the ,king--the ,queen of ,heaven--their ,queen--who has earned her right to her throne2 not by being the ,mother of ,,god1 but by nobly fighting the battle against sin1 the world1 the flesh1 and the devil4 ,maria ,mater gratiae1 ,dulcis ,parens clementiae1 ,tu nos ab hoste protege1 ,et mortis hora suscipe4 7,o ,mary1 ,mother of grace1 sweet fount of gentleness1 do thou protect us from the enemy1 and receive us in the hour of our death47 ,and she will2 she is there for her children4 ,who is she8 ,she is our ,mother2 she will never forget it1 though she is the ,queen of ,heaven1 of ,angels1 and of ,saints2 and she will ever be terrible to all who dare to attack her children4 ,point ,,ii4--,,who ,,is ,,she8 ,who is she that goeth up by the desert as a pillar of smoke1 of aromatical spices1 of myrrh and frankincense1 and of all the powders of the perfumer8 7,cant4 iii4 #f47 ,that is3 ,who is she who is adorned with all possible graces and virtues8 ,who is she8 ,she is the fairest among women 7chap4 i4 #g7 because of her humility1 answers the ,angel who heard her say3 ,ecce ancilla ,domini1 at the most exalted moment of her life4 ,who is she8 ,she is the fairest among women because of her conformity to ,,god',s will1 say those who have heard over and over again her ,fiat when the sword was piercing her soul4 ,who is she8 ,we1 too1 can answer the question1 for we know her4 ,we have watched her1 and meditated upon her life1 from the moment of her ,immaculate ,conception till her holy death of love and desire2 and we have seen that she has always been growing in grace and in conformity to her ,divine ,son4 ,yes1 she is the fairest among women1 and she is my ,mother and my model4 ,how is it with me8 ,am ,i known to my friends1 to those who live with me1 to my ,guardian ,angel1 yea1 to the ,blessed ,trinity1 as one1 who is growing in virtue and grace2 as one1 whose conformity to ,,jesus and ,his will1 is apparent from the use ,i make of the ,ecce ancilla and the ,fiat8 ,there must be some resemblance between the child and the ,mother4 ,point ,,iii4--,,who ,,is ,,she8 ,for the third time the ,angels ask the question3 ,who is she that cometh up from the desert flowing with delights1 leaning upon her ,beloved8 7chap4 viii4 #e47 ,there is no doubt about it now--she is ,his ,mother1 and her ,beloved is ,,jesus1 the ,son of ,,god and of ,mary4 ,what unspeakable joy is hers to find herself once more in the arms of her ,beloved6 ,his left hand is under my head1 and ,his right hand shall embrace me1 7chap4 ii4 #f71 and she leans upon ,him4 ,she had never left ,him really2 she had been leaning on ,him all the time of her exile3 by her memory1 by her love1 by her ,communions1 by her constant doing of ,his will4 ,this is why ,i can so safely lean on ,mary1 the ,mother of ,good ,counsel1 because to lean on her is to lean on ,,jesus1 on ,whom she leans4 ,she nurses her children for ,him4 ,who is she that cometh up from the desert8 ,in spirit ,mary had ever been coming up4 ,always had she sought the things that are above1 where ,christ sitteth at the right hand of ,,god4 ,her treasure was in ,heaven1 and nothing on earth had power to attract or attach her4 ,how far do ,i copy my ,mother in this8 ,are my affections set on things above1 where ,,jesus and ,mary are8 ,have things of earth no attraction for me in comparison with heavenly things8 ,am ,i ready to give them up to ,him to ,whom they belong when ,he asks for them8 ,is my whole heart in ,heaven because my treasure is there8 ,this is what is meant by going up from the desert4 ,it means striving always after what is more perfect4 ,it means that each day finds me more charitable1 more faithful1 more careful about occasions of sin1 more like my ,mother4 ,and it means also ,sursum corda 7,lift up your hearts7 whenever the difficulties and sorrows of the desert seem too much4 ,colloquy with ,mary4 ,resolution4 ,to ask myself the question often to-day3 ,who is she8 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,pulchra es et decora filia ,jerusalem1 terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata4 7,thou art fair and comely1 ,o ,daughter of ,jerusalem1 terrible as an army set in array47 ,mary's ,coronation 7,the ,fifth ,glorious ,mystery7 ,thou wast made exceeding beautiful and wast advanced to be a ,queen4 7,ezech4 xvi4 #ac47 #ast ,prelude4 ,the great sign which appeared in ,heaven3 ,a woman clothed with the sun1 and the moon under her feet1 and on her head a crown of twelve stars4 7,apoc4 xii4 #a47 #bnd ,prelude4 ,the grace so to live and die1 that ,i may one day be crowned4 ,point ,i4--,,mary',s ,,coronation ,specie tua et pulchritudine tua1 intende1 prospere procede1 et regna4 7,in thy comeliness and thy beauty go forth1 proceed prosperously1 and reign47 ,the culminating point is reached1 and ,mary is led in triumph to receive her crown from the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,,god the ,father crowns her as a ,victor2 ,,god the ,son as a ,queen2 and ,,god the ,holy ,ghost as a ,bride4 ,we give our crowns on earth to victors1 to queens and to brides4 ,mary was all of these for she had conquered the devil2 she was the ,king's ,mother1 and she was the spouse of the ,holy ,ghost4 #a4 ,she was crowned as a ,victor1 as a sign of her courage and bravery4 ,,god the ,father had seen the world1 which ,he had created and had pronounced to be very good1 spoiled by sin4 ,the ,arch-fiend had entered ,paradise1 and had stolen away the hearts of ,his children1 robbing them of ,his grace1 and leaving them and all their descendants stained by sin4 ,to ,satan ,,god had spoken of a woman whose ,child would be his enemy2 and of her ,he said3 ,she shall bruise thy head4 ,now the old prophecy has been fulfilled1 and ,mary stands before ,him waiting for her crown4 ,she has crushed the serpent2 she has been terrible to all ,,god',s enemies2 and the crown that the ,eternal ,father places on the head of ,his daughter is a token that she is indeed a ,victor4 ,how did ,mary win the ,victor's crown8 ,by her fidelity to grace4 ,no one ever had so many occasions of grace1 and she did not miss one of them4 ,there is1 somewhere in the heavenly courts1 a crown laid up for me4 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #h47 ,but the ,lord1 the just ,judge will only give it me if ,i have fought a good fight4 7verse #g47 ,to him that shall overcome will ,i give to sit with ,me in ,my ,throne4 7,apoc4 iii4 #ba74 ,be thou faithful unto death1 and ,i will give thee a crown of life4 7chap4 ii4 #aj47 ,hold fast that which thou hast1 that no man take thy crown 7chap4 iii4 #aa74 ,all1 then1 depends on my efforts4 ,i have got to be faithful1 to fight1 to overcome1 and to hold fast4 ,my consolation is that my ,mother is interceding for me2 my enemies are the same as hers1 and she has overcome them4 ,da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos4 #b4 ,she is crowned as a ,queen4 ,her ,son is the ,king of ,heaven1 and ,he crowns her as the ,queen-,mother4 ,a throne was set for the ,king's ,mother1 and she sat on ,his ,right ,hand4 7#c ,kings ii4 #ai47 ,the ,queen stood at ,thy ,right ,hand in gilded clothing1 clothed round about with varieties4 7,ps4 xliv4 #ad47 ,kings and ,queens wear their crowns in token of their power and authority4 ,,jesus crowned ,his ,mother in token of her power and authority4 ,he made her ,queen of ,angels1 of ,patriarchs1 ,prophets1 ,apostles1 ,martyrs1 ,confessors1 ,virgins1 and gave her not only authority over all these1 but also1 in a certain sense1 if we may say so reverently1 over ,himself4 ,he allowed her still to keep the sweet authority which she had exercised over ,him at ,nazareth1 when ,he was subject to her2 for ,he says to her3 ,my ,mother1 ask1 for ,i must not turn away thy face4 7#c ,kings ii4 #bj47 ,how ,he loves us--even to the extent of pledging ,himself to answer the intercessory prayer of one who ,he knows will make full use of her privilege--one who is even now turning to me1 her child1 and saying3 ,i will speak for thee to the ,king4 7verse #ah74 ,let me determine to have my share in this blessed compact between the ,son and the ,mother1 by continually asking my ,queen-,mother for her intercession4 ,sancta ,dei ,genitrix1 ora pro nobis4 #c4 ,the ,holy ,ghost crowns her as ,his ,spouse4 ,come from ,libanus1 my spouse2 come and thou shalt be crowned4 7,cant4 iv4 #h47 ,faithful unto death she had been2 ever since her ,immaculate ,conception she had always listened to the least inspiration of grace which her ,divine ,spouse had suggested1 and now she receives her reward1 the crown of life4 ,the end is attained1 and there is joy in the presence of the ,angels of ,,god4 ,point ,,ii4--,,the ,,joy ,,of ,,the ,,angels ,de cujus ,assumptione gaudent ,angeli et collaudant ,filium ,dei4 ,at whose ,assumption the ,angels rejoice and praise together the ,son of ,,god4 7,introit for the ,feast of the ,assumption47 ,what were the causes of their joy8 #a4 ,mary's joy at her re-union with her ,son4 #b4 ,her reception and coronation as their ,queen4 #c4 ,her being placed on the throne at her ,son's ,right ,hand4 #d4 ,the sight of her beautiful glorified body--the means of the ,incarnation--before which1 as before the ,tabernacle1 they had so often worshipped their hidden ,,god4 #e4 ,the likeness between the ,mother and the ,son--a likeness which had been increasing during her years of exile1 by means of the ,blessed ,sacrament4 #f4 ,hearing ,,jesus call her ,mother4 ,my ,mother1 ask4 #g4 ,seeing the great ,intercessor at her work praying for sinners1 in whom they take such an interest4 ,and the result of their joy is that they praise together the ,son of ,,god--that is1 they perfectly fulfil the end for which they were created1 teaching us the great lesson that the more we know ,mary and rejoice in her joy1 her position and her work1 the more we shall know and praise her ,divine ,son1 and so fulfil the end for which we were created4 ,but it is not only the ,angels who are rejoicing4 ,she is ,queen of all ,saints as well as ,queen of ,angels1 and the ,church ,triumphant is swelling the chorus of joy4 ,each member of that spotless multitude has already been a cause of joy in ,heaven1 for there is joy in the presence of the ,angels of ,,god over every sinner that doeth penance4 7,st ,luke xv4 #g47 ,joy cometh in the morning after the night of doing penance4 ,no cross1 no crown4 ,it is because ,mary is the ,mother of ,sorrows that she is able to be the ,cause of our joy1 and we must all pass by the same route4 ,help me1 my ,mother1 to share the joy of the ,angels and ,saints even in the valley of tears4 ,it is possible1 but it can only be done by a faith strong enough to see things as they really are4 ,and what about ,mary's joy8 ,as she stands in the midst of that great multitude of ,angels and ,saints1 who are vying with each other to do her honour1 her heart too is overflowing with joy1 but it is all for her ,son4 ,the honour and worship that are being paid to her are ,his2 they are because of the great things ,he has done for her4 ,she is only ,his handmaid1 and she is always singing her ,magnificat3 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord1 my spirit doth rejoice in ,,god my ,saviour4 ,humility is ever her greatest virtue1 and she shows it on her ,coronation ,day by casting her crown at the ,feet of ,him ,who redeemed her with ,his ,blood--her ,son1 her ,saviour1 and her ,,god4 ,colloquy4 ,the ,ave ,regina ,caelorum3--,hail1 ,queen of ,heaven6 ,hail1 ,lady of the ,angels6 ,hail1 blessed root and gate1 from which came light upon the world6 ,rejoice1 ,o glorious ,virgin1 that surpassest all in beauty6 ,hail1 most lovely ,queen6 and pray to ,christ for us4 7,anthem from ,purification to ,easter47 ,resolution4 ,to work for my crown to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,ora pro nobis1 ,sancta ,dei ,genitrix1 ut digni efficiamur promissionibus ,christi4 ,salve ,regina 7,according to the ,second ,method of ,prayer#a7 ,,salve4 ,this anthem of the ,blessed ,virgin1 which the ,church bids her children use from ,trinity to ,advent1 begins with a salutation4 ,in addressing our ,mother1 we are to copy the ,archangel who1 when he came with a message to the lowly child at ,nazareth1 begins by saluting her4 ,hail6 full of grace4 ,but though the word1 which is here put into the lips of us sinners1 means1 ,be thou safe and well1 it is not a wholly disinterested salutation2 there is an idea of wanting a favour implied in it1 though we do not actually ask for it4 ,it is like the cheerful ,good-morning1 sir6 of the beggar4 ,our ,hail here has not so much the majesty of the salutation of an ,archangel as the cry of distress of a banished child4 ,,regina4 ,she is appealed to as a ,queen2 she asks as a ,queen2 she is answered as a ,queen2 she gives as a ,queen4 ,i pray thee speak to the ,king1 for he cannot deny thee anything4444 ,i will speak for thee to the ,king4444 ,and the ,king arose to meet her1 and bowed to her1 and sat down upon his throne4 ,and a throne was set for the ,king's ,mother1 and she sat on his right hand4 ,and she said to him3 ,i desire one small petition of thee2 do not put me to confusion4 ,and the ,king said to her3 ,my ,mother1 ask1 for ,i must not turn away thy face4 7#c ,kings ii4 #ag-bj47 ,such is the beautiful picture ,holy ,scripture portrays for us of ,king ,solomon and his mother ,bethsabee4 ,but a greater than ,solomon is here2 and we are addressing ,his ,mother4 ,with what confidence then may we say our ,salve ,regina6 ,she has pledged herself to speak to the ,king for us1 and her ,royal ,son will give her all that she asks4 ,she is the ,queen of ,patriarchs1 ,prophets1 ,apostles1 ,martyrs1 ,confessors1 ,virgins--yes1 ,queen of all ,saints4 ,why8 ,because when they were poor banished children on earth they recognised her as their ,queen1 and did not address their ,salve to her in vain4 ,,mater4 ,not only is she ,queen of ,heaven and my ,queen1 but also she is the ,mother of each one of the banished children4 ,i will not leave you orphans1 ,,jesus said when ,he was leaving the sorrowing disciples2 and a little later1 when ,his last moment drew near1 ,he showed them their ,mother1 saying to ,st ,john1 who represented the whole human race3 ,behold thy ,mother6 and to her3 ,behold thy son1 and in him all thy banished children6 ,what a consolation it would be to me if ,i realised more that ,i have a ,mother in ,heaven6 ,my first thought in any trouble1 difficulty1 or perplexity would be3 ,salve sancta ,parens6 ,,misericordiae4 ,she is the ,mother of so many virtues--of fair love1 of knowledge1 of good counsel1 of holy hope1 of divine grace--yes1 and the ,mother of ,sorrows too2 but here her children love to call her ,mother of mercy1 of pity1 for they are exiles1 and it is she who can effect their ransom4 ,mercy--this is what they who say the ,salve ,regina need4 ,they are poor1 banished1 weeping children1 and they need the pity1 the mercy1 the sympathy of their ,mother4 ,how comes it that there is no sorrow with which the ,heart of ,mary cannot sympathise8 ,how is it that never is it heard of that her children turn to her in vain8 ,because the sword pierced her own heart also4 ,no heart except that of her ,divine ,son can sympathise like the seven-times pierced heart of ,mary4 ,it is because she understands so well the sorrows of a bleeding heart1 that not the smallest need of any one of her smallest children1 who appeals to her1 is overlooked4 ,how merciful should they be who have such a merciful ,mother6 ,go thou and do in like manner1 was our ,blessed ,lord's injunction when ,he had been telling of the mercy of the ,good ,samaritan4 7,st ,luke x4 #cg47 ,am ,i merciful in my judgments of others2 merciful when ,i am talking of them2 merciful to those who have wronged me2 merciful to those who come to me for pardon2 merciful in my thoughts8 ,o ,virgin most merciful1 pray for me6 ,,vita4 ,she is our life1 for it was she who gave life to our ,redeemer4 ,it was from ,mary's veins that ,he took the ,blood which ,he shed for our salvation4 ,she did not spare her ,son1 her only ,son1 7,gen4 xxii4 #af71 but offered ,him up for a sacrifice for us4 ,in every truth she can say3 ,in me is all hope of life4 7,ecclus4 xxiv4 #be47 ,,dulcedo4 ,our sweetness4 ,think of her sweetness all through her life--when the ,angel came to her2 during the three months that she helped ,elizabeth2 when there was no room for her in the inn at ,bethlehem2 when her ,son seemed to take no notice of her during ,his ministerial work2 when she met ,him on the ,way of ,sorrows2 when she stood by the ,cross2 when she gently bathed ,his wounds and prepared ,his ,body for the grave2 when she consoled the mourning disciples2 when ,he appeared to her on ,easter ,day2 when she kissed ,his footprints as ,he ascended to ,heaven2 when the ,holy ,ghost came down upon her4 ,even from her body after the soul had left it1 and even from her grave after the body had left it1 there came a delicious odour1 reminding all who enjoyed it of the sweetness of the ,mother who had left them4 ,and this sweetness her children must try to copy4 ,is my sweetness for ever proclaiming itself to all with whom ,i come in contact--by my patience under the little trials of everyday life1 by the kind word with which ,i meet the sharp1 sarcastic one1 by my extreme care of the feelings of others1 by my universal kindness1 by the humility with which ,i bear humiliations1 by the ready way in which ,i prefer everybody else to myself8 ,o my ,mother1 pray for thy child1 and teach me how to copy thee6 ,,et ,,spes ,,nostra4 ,how necessary is hope to the poor banished children6 ,without it they would indeed be in a desperate condition2 but ,mary is ever inspiring them with hope4 ,ego ,mater sanctae spei4 7,i am the ,mother of holy hope47 ,and her hope is all for her children3 she has no need of it for herself4 ,she is a true ,mother--always hopeful of her children1 never giving them up4 ,it is impossible for a child of ,mary not to share her ,mother's holy hope4 ,a child of ,mary cannot despair6 ,when we think about death and final perseverance1 what holy hope at once fills our hearts as we remember that we have put that terrible moment into the hands of our ,mother6 ,ora pro nobis1 nunc et in hora mortis nostrae4 7,pray for us now and at the hour of our death47 ,hail1 our hope6 ,before these words all fears disappear4 ,for never has it been known that those who appeal to the ,mother of holy hope appeal in vain4 ,,salve4 ,we repeat our salutation4 ,we do not want her to forget us4 ,the importunate are ever dear to the heart of ,mary as they are to the ,heart of her ,divine ,son4 ,let us constantly greet her with our ,salve--it will be enough to appeal to her ,mother-heart1 and she will give us whatever we are needing4 ,,ad ,,te4 ,to thee4 ,to whom should we go if not to the ,mother whom ,,jesus has given us4 ,behold thy ,mother6 ,it is only natural that we should turn to thee4 ,monstra te esse matrem4 ,show thyself to be a mother by hearkening to our cry4 ,,clamamus--do we cry4 ,it is a direct cry for help now--we make no secret of it--the children are calling aloud for their ,mother--their need is so great that they care not who hears them4 ,,exules4 ,at last we describe ourselves2 one word is sufficient--exules4 ,we are exiles2 we are not at home2 we are banished from our country4 ,there is something so pathetic about an exile4 ,how he cherishes any news of his dear country6 ,how he writes every little detail of his life and of the strange land to his mother at home6 ,how he longs for her letters6 ,mary is my ,mother1 and ,i am an exile4 ,do ,i love to hear about my own country8 ,do ,i tell my ,mother of all the difficulties of the way and allow her to console me with stories of the ,homeland8 ,how shall we sing in a strange land8 ,it is possible1 by keeping in touch with ,mary4 ,she will so inspire us with hope and with love for our heavenly country that we shall often find our hearts light enough to soar beyond this land of exile1 and to join in the ceaseless praises of those who have reached home4 ,queen of ,heaven1 give me a real desire for ,heaven4 ,,filii ,,evae4 ,we account for our exile by explaining that we are children of ,eve4 ,we had another mother once1 and she brought misery on all her children1 and they were all with her driven out from ,paradise1 and an angel with a flaming sword was put at the entrance to prevent their getting back4 ,poor children6 ,is there any use in crying for re-admittance8 ,yes1 for before the justice of ,,god drove out ,eve and her children1 ,he spoke of another ,mother1 who was1 through her ,divine ,son1 to undo all the harm that ,eve had done1 and to open the ,kingdom of ,heaven to all believers4 ,to whom1 then1 is it more natural for the poor banished children of ,eve to turn than to the ,mother whose one idea is to get them back8 ,and with our cries are joined those of other banished children whose cry3 ,how long6 is ever ascending to ,heaven4 ,it is their ,mother ,mary whom they long to see2 for as the turn of each one's banishment expires1 she it is who comes to open the gate and bring them to the better country which they have so long desired4 ,when we say our ,salve1 let us remember those souls who1 though they are holy1 are still banished children1 and let us intercede with their ,mother for them4 ,,ad ,,te ,,suspiramus4 ,to thee do we send up our sighs4 ,the idea is that each breath is a sigh1 and a sigh meant for our ,mother to hear4 ,well would it be for us if this were true6 ,it would change the character of our exile4 ,a sigh meant for ,our ,blessed ,lady could not be one of discontent and murmuring and rebellion against our lot4 ,the very fact that it is intended for her would make it full of love and hope and submission to ,,god',s will4 ,it would be like the sigh of a child whose mother has promised it some little pleasure4 ,the time seems very long to the little one1 and as she sits patiently by her mother's side1 a sigh escapes her now and then--a very marked and intentional sigh6 ,what does it mean8 ,it means that though she will not speak or do anything that her mother might not like1 yet she would remind her mother of her presence and let her know that she is feeling the time very long4 ,does the mother mind the sighs8 ,oh no1 for each one tells her of the love of her child1 and makes her anxious to shorten the time of waiting if she can4 ,,gementes ,,et ,,flentes4 ,the sighs become more audible--groaning and weeping--the exiles are mourning the loss of things they can never have again till they get home4 ,it is one of the times when they feel that the harps must be hung up1 7,ps4 cxxxvi471 when mirth and joy are altogether out of place4 ,such times will come in our land of exile2 and these are the times when we shall do well to cry out to our ,mother4 ,o ,mary1 look upon thy weeping children1 and as the great wail of suffering humanity rises up to thee1 show thyself a ,mother1 the ,mother of ,consolation4 ,come to the suffering hearts that cry for thee1 and make them understand that joy and gladness is for them1 even in the land of their exile ever since the ,sun of justice has risen over it with healing in ,his wings4 ,whisper to each heartbroken one1 words of hope and consolation2 tell of reparation1 of mortification1 of detachment1 of the immense value of suffering1 till the sorrowing heart is willing1 yea glad1 to suffer4 ,,in ,,hoc ,,lacrymarum ,,valle4 ,in this vale4 ,our land of exile is a ,valley of ,humiliation4 ,it was here that ,,jesus came to stay1 when ,he humbled ,himself even to the death of the ,cross2 and here it is that ,he would have each one of ,his children wait till the humiliations of the valley have taught them to conquer self-love4 ,be you humbled1 therefore1 under the mighty hand of ,,god1 that ,he may exalt you in the time of visitation4 7#a ,pet4 v4 #f47 ,it is a vale of tears--a vale where ,,jesus wept2 a vale which has been sanctified by the tears of a ,magdalen1 and a ,peter1 and of multitudes of others who have learnt here to be saints2 a vale where every tear shed by ,his children is treasured by ,,god4 ,thou hast set my tears in ,thy sight4 7,ps4 lv4 #i47 ,we read of two occasions on which ,,jesus wept--once for the sorrows of ,his friends 7,st ,john xi4 #ce71 and once for the sins of ,his enemies4 7,st ,luke xix4 #da47 ,i need not then be ashamed of tears--not even if ,i have to say with the ,psalmist3 ,my tears have been my bread day and night4 7,ps4 xli4 #d47 ,but ,i must be careful that they resemble those of ,,jesus1 that the cause of them is never self-love or self-pity1 but sorrow for my own sins and those of others1 and for anything which grieves the ,heart of ,,jesus4 ,they that sow in tears shall reap in joy1 for ,he ,himself will wipe away all tears from their eyes4 7,ps4 cxxv4 #e1 and ,apoc4 vii4 #ag47 ,,eia ,,ergo ,,advocata ,,nostra4 ,therefore1 just because of our misery and need--it is our only plea1 and one which appeals more than any other to a ,mother's heart--we appeal to her as our ,advocate3 one who will plead our cause1 who will speak to the ,king for us and tell ,him of our needs1 as she did long ago at ,cana of ,galilee4 ,had ever banished children such an advocate--one to whom the ,judge has pledged ,himself3 ,i must not turn away thy face6 ,o ,advocata nostra1 plead for me with thy ,son when ,i stand before ,him to be judged6 ,in that terrible moment remember my ,salve1 for ,i shall be unable to say it then4 ,,misericordes ,,oculos ,,ad ,,nos ,,converte4 ,turn thy merciful eyes upon us4 ,we only ask her to look4 ,it is quite enough for a mother to see her child in trouble4 ,she does not need to be told what to do4 ,,et ,,jesum ,,benedictum ,,fructum ,,ventris ,,tui ,,nobis ,,post ,,hoc ,,exilium ,,ostende4 ,here we get to the point of the prayer--the sighs1 and groans1 and cries1 and tears of the banished children are all because they want to see ,,jesus4 ,and after this our exile show unto us the ,blessed ,fruit of thy womb1 ,,jesus4 ,we would see ,,jesus 7,st ,john xii4 #ba71 and we come to ask ,his ,mother to show ,him to us4 ,this is her great work2 and she turns to the children and says3 ,whatsoever ,he shall say to you1 do ye1 and you shall see ,his ,face one day4 ,after this our exile4 ,when the voyage is o'er1 ,o stand on the shore ,and show ,him at last to me4 ,it is because ,i cannot see ,,jesus that ,i am so often in trouble in the land of exile4 ,if my faith were strong enough ,i should see ,him continually1 and sorrow would flee away4 ,we have not got to wait till the voyage is o'er before seeing ,him4 ,many and many a glimpse of the ,blessed ,fruit of her womb does our ,mother give us4 ,to be near her means that we are near ,him too4 ,each ,communion1 each absolution--yea1 each humiliation and sorrow is our ,mother letting us see ,,jesus if we will only look2 and when she stands on the shore to show ,him at last1 we shall see that it is the same ,,jesus ,who so often walked with us in the land of our exile1 though our eyes were for the most part holden by our want of faith1 and we did not recognise ,him4 ,o ,,clemens1 ,o ,,pia1 ,o ,,dulcis ,,virgo ,,maria4 ,o clement1 ,o loving1 ,o sweet ,virgin ,mary4 ,we multiply our words in trying to express to our ,mother something of what we feel towards her1 but they all mean the same thing--that she is a ,mother4 ,her sweetness is as ointment poured forth1 and attracts all to it4 ,her kindness and love1 too1 have been known to all since she stood at the ,foot of the ,cross1 and received all her banished children into her stricken heart4 ,never in vain can we appeal to our sweet ,mother4 ,and so with renewed confidence we will say our ,salve1 rejoicing even in this vale of tears because we have a ,mother who knows all about us1 and who will never forget us2 whose one desire is to show us the ,blessed ,fruit of her womb1 ,,jesus2 who will teach us to sing the ,lord's song in a strange land1 even as she sang her ,magnificat2 and who will one day1 when the days of our exile are over1 sing with us the ever new song of ,redemption to ,him ,who loved us and washed us in ,his ,blood4 ,till then1 dear ,mother1 help us to be patient1 and help us to learn the lessons of the valley1 remembering that they will never be learned at all if they are not learned here4 ,colloquy4 ,the ,salve ,regina4 ,,footnote3 ,footnote #a3 ,note4--,there are times when we get a little tired of ,preludes and ,points1 and feel that a change of method would be a help to our ,meditation4 ,st ,ignatius knew this1 and knew also that to some minds ,preludes and ,points would be a positive hindrance2 and so he has given us1 in his book of the ,spiritual ,exercises1 ,three 7other7 methods of prayer4 ,our ,meditation to-day is according to the ,second ,method1 which consists in considering the signification of each word of a prayer4 7,text of the ,exercises47 ,st ,ignatius says that if one or two words give us sufficient matter for thought and spiritual relish and consolation1 we are not to be anxious to pass on1 even though the whole time of the ,meditation be spent on one word1 but leave the rest till the next day4 ,so we may take to-day as many words of the ,salve ,regina as we find spiritual relish for4 ,this method1 ,st ,ignatius tells us1 may be applied to any other prayer whatsoever4 ,dei ,genitrix1 intercede pro nobis4 ,,printed ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,by ,,neill ,,and ,,co41 ,,ltd41 ,,edinburgh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,obvious spelling and punctuation errors were repaired1 but unusual period spellings and grammar uses were retained4 ,original placed punctuation such as semi-colons outside closing quotation marks2 this was retained4 ,table of ,contents entries do not always agree with chapter headings in the original2 these differences were retained4 ,gospel references throughout the main text begin with ,st as in ,st ,luke4 ,in two exceptions--,p4 #bc and #ig--the ,st was missing and has been added by the transcriber for consistency4 ,the preface1 by a different author1 does not use ,st before gospel references4 ,a few uses of ,god were left out of small-caps in the original4 ,these were placed in small-caps to agree with majority use4 ,three uses of ch4 were changed to match three uses of chap4 for consistency4 ,p4 #ec3 ,transcriber added a paragraph break between sacrifices4 and 7#a7 for consistent treatment of numbered paragraphs4 ,blocking of numbered paragraphs on ,p4 #gj-ga and #gc is faithful to the original4