,,the ,,month ,,of ,,mary4              
,,the      ,,month ,,of ,,mary1         
,,according ,,to ,,the ,,spirit ,,of    
,,st4 ,,francis ,,of ,,sales2      ,,or1
      ,thirty-one ,considerations       
,,with     ,,examples1 ,,prayers1 ,,etc4
          ,,by      ,,don ,,caspar      
,,gilli4      ,translated and abridged  
from the ,italian by a    ,,sister ,,of 
,,the ,,institute ,,of ,,charity4       
,,robert ,,washbourne1    #ah           
,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london4    #ahij4
        ,nihil ,obstat  ,,fr4 ,t4 ,a4   
,,smith1 ,o4,p4  ,censor deputatus      
,imprimatur  ,,henricus ,,eduardus1     
,card4 ,archep4 ,westmonast4    ,die #ad
 ,martii1 #ahij4        ,,contents4     
,author's ,preface  ,protestation       
,preliminary ,instruction  ,the ,eve of 
the ,month of ,mary3 ,the ,immaculate   
,conception     ,example3 ,devotion of  
,st4 ,francis of ,sales to the ,blessed 
,virgin  ,mary  ,first ,day3 ,mary1 a   
,model of ,perfect ,self-denial from her
 ,birth     ,example3 ,the ,miraculous  

,medal of the ,immaculate ,conception   
,second ,day3 ,mary consecrates herself 
to ,god in the ,temple     ,example3    
,the two ,invocations of ,st4 ,philip   
,neri  ,third ,day3 ,continuation of the
 ,preceding ,subject     ,example3 ,the 
,feasts of the ,blessed ,virgin  ,fourth
 ,day3 ,fidelity of ,mary in following  
the ,call of ,god     ,example3 ,lamps  
and ,candles burnt in ,honour of ,mary  
,fifth ,day3 ,mary is a ,model to       
,religious ,persons in her ,presentation
 in  the ,temple     ,example3 ,the     
edifying ,death of ,st4 ,jane ,frances  
de ,chantal  ,sixth ,day3 ,the          
,annunciation of the ,most ,holy ,virgin
     ,example3 ,st4 ,bernard's ,love for
 ,mary  ,seventh ,day3 ,the ,excellence 
of the ,virginity of ,mary     ,example3
 ,the ,love of ,st4 ,alphonsus for ,mary
  ,eighth ,day3 ,the ,visitation        
,example3 ,the ,pilgrimage of ,st4      
,francis of ,sales to ,loreto  ,ninth   
,day3 ,the ,charity of ,mary in the     
,visitation     ,example3 ,consecration 

of the ,saturday to ,mary  ,tenth ,day3 
,by the ,visit of ,mary1 ,elizabeth is  
filled with the ,holy  ,ghost           
,example3 ,devotion of ,st4 ,thomas     
,aquinas to the ',ave ,maria'  ,eleventh
 ,day3 ,humility of ,mary     ,example3 
,origin of the ,rosary  ,twelfth ,day3  
,through the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary1    
,st4 ,john the ,baptist  receives the   
most special ,graces     ,example3      
,conversion of the celebrated ,pianist1 
,hermann ,cohenn  ,thirteenth ,day3 ,the
 ,trials and ,consolations of the       
,blessed ,virgin     ,example3 ,a       
,fortunate ,mistake  ,fourteenth ,day3  
,mary at ,bethlehem     ,example3 ,the  
,devotion of the ,saints to the         
',angelus'  ,fifteenth ,day3 ,the ,union
 of ,charity and ,humility in the ,heart
 of ,mary  at the ,incarnation          
,example3 ,the ,efficacy of the ',salve 
,regina'  ,sixteenth ,day3 ,the         
,purification of the ,blessed ,virgin   
,example3 ,punishment of the ,profaners 
of a ,sanctuary of the ,blessed  ,virgin

  ,seventeenth ,day3 ,mary1 the ,model  
of ,perfect ,obedience1 in the ,mystery 
of the ,purification     ,example3 ,a   
,conquest of the ,blessed ,virgin's     
,eighteenth ,day3 ,the ,flight into     
,egypt4--,trust in ,providence          
,example3 ,the ,excellence of the ',hail
 ,mary'  ,nineteenth ,day3 ,mary1 at the
 ,marriage of ,cana1 teaches us the     
,best  ,method of ,prayer     ,example3 
,the ,advantages of the ',hail ,mary'   
,twentieth ,day3 ,the ,petition of ,mary
 at the ,marriage of ,cana was full  of 
,confidence     ,example3 ,further      
,advantages of the ',hail ,mary'        
,twenty-first ,day3 ,mary obtains the   
first ,miracle from ,jesus by her       
lively ,faith     ,example3 ,most       
pleasing to ,our ,blessed ,lord is our  
,devotion to ,his  ,mother              
,twenty-second ,day3 ,mary chose the    
,better ,part     ,example3 ,beauty of  
the ',ave ,maris ,stella'  ,twenty-third
 ,day3 ,the ,blessed ,virgin did not    
neglect the ,duties of  ,martha         

,example3 ,the ',magnificat'            
,twenty-fourth ,day3 ,mary in her ,sleep
     ,example3 ,devotion to the ',salve 
,regina'  ,twenty-fifth ,day3 ,mary on  
,calvary is the ,mother of all          
,christians     ,example3 ,the ',regina 
,coeli'  ,twenty-sixth ,day3 ,mary after
 the ,ascension of ,christ     ,example3
 ,a courageous ,son of ,mary            
,twenty-seventh ,day3 ,mary in the      
,upper ,room at ,jerusalem     ,example3
 ,the ,prayer ',memorare'               
,twenty-eighth ,day3 ,how precious in   
the ,sight of ,god was the ,death of    
,mary     ,example3 ,letters addressed  
to the ,most ,holy ,virgin              
,twenty-ninth ,day3 ,mary1 like ,jesus1 
dies of ,divine ,love     ,example3 ,the
 ,fourteen ,joys of the ,most ,holy     
,virgin  ,thirtieth ,day3 ,the ,death of
 ,mary was sweet and tranquil           
,example3 ,novenas in ,honour of the    
,blessed ,virgin  ,thirty-first ,day3   
,the ,resurrection and ,assumption of   
the ,blessed  ,virgin     ,example3 ,the

 ,novena of ,st4 ,gertrude to the       
,blessed ,virgin  ,act of ,consecration 
of ,st4 ,francis of ,sales to the ,most 
,holy ,virgin          ,,preface4       
,,of the many who by their writings have
 laboured to celebrate the  sublime     
prerogatives and virtues of the ,mother 
of ,god1 there is not  one whose        
language is more adapted to the         
devotions of the month of  ,mary than   
,st4 ,francis of ,sales4 ,everything1   
says a pious author1 in  this admirable 
,saint enchants and fascinates us2      
whoever reads his  writings attentively1
 feels constrained1 not only to honour  
and  venerate him1 but also to love him4
 ,with him there is a peculiar grace  to
 console1 as well as to perfect1 the    
soul4 ,he adapts himself to the         
capacities of humble minds1 whilst no   
one has more knowledge than he  of the  
most exalted perfection4    ,the sweet  
mildness of this ,saint sprang from the 
meekness of which his  soul was full4   
,it is a difficult task to preserve     

peace in the soul1  and well he knew it1
 declaring that he 'lived in a continual
 fear of  losing1 in one quarter of an  
hour1 all that meekness which he had    
acquired by twenty years of combat4'    
,st4 ,bonaventure learnt all his        
science at the foot of the ,crucifix1   
and it was there1 also1 that ,st4       
,francis acquired all his benignity1    
fighting for it1 we may say1 hand-      
to-hand against his natural impetuosity4
 ,this virtue by degrees  penetrated the
 inmost parts of his soul1 so that it   
was not only  manifested in all the     
actions of his life1 but it directed    
also his  pen1 and enabled him to make  
use of the most delicate comparisons and
  ingenious images4 ,all that is sweet1 
and pure1 and amiable in ,nature--      
doves1 bees1 flowers1 all took hold of  
his imagination4 ,from his lips1  as    
well as from his pen1 issued loving     
invitations to perfection4 ,his         
singular privilege1 however1 is that    
this meekness and grace appear  always  

fresh to the devout reader1 and are ever
 pleasing1 even when he  lays open the  
festering wounds of the heart4 ,the     
great ,fenelon1 whose  spirit and heart 
so vividly retraced the holy ,bishop of 
,geneva1 thus  wrote to a lady3 ',the   
books most useful for you are those of  
,st4  ,francis of ,sales4 ,everything in
 them is amiable and consoling2         
everything is solid experience1 simple  
practice1 and the feeling and  light of 
grace4 ,to have become accustomed to    
this kind of food is a  mark of great   
perfection4' ,bishop ,parisis also says3
 ',everything that  can contribute to   
make this most amiable of ,saints more  
known to the  world1 is of the greatest 
utility to the cause of religion4'      
,for this reason we have composed this  
little work4 ,it is a sort of  resume of
 the doctrine of ,st4 ,francis of ,sales
 upon the prerogatives  and virtues of  
the august ,queen of ,heaven1 and we may
 gather a  delicious bouquet for her    
month of ,may4 ,hence the devout reader 

will  always meet with the genuine text 
of the ,saint without any paraphrase1   
though not always in consecutive order4 
,in each of the thirty-one              
considerations we have been obliged to  
discard those matters which did  not    
relate to our subject4 ,however1 such   
suppressions only produce  greater      
clearness in the whole work4 ,we must   
say two words upon the  manner in which 
this exercise can be rendered fruitful3 
#a4 ,if you are not able to assist at   
the public services or devotions  in    
honour of the ,blessed ,virgin in your  
own church1 erect a little  altar to    
,mary in your house1 and adorn her      
picture1 or statue1 with  flowers1 and  
there1 every day1 either alone or with  
others of your  household1 meditate upon
 her virtues1 and implore her powerful  
intercession4    #b4 ,it will be an     
excellent preparation to spend the last 
day of ,april  in holy recollection1 and
 to examine what is the principal       
passion  that you will sacrifice to     

,mary during the course of the month1   
and  the grace or virtue that you       
propose to obtain from ,god by recurring
  to her intercession4 ,do not fear to  
ask too much1 she is the ,mother of     
,god1 and our ,mother also4    #c4 ,read
 every day the appointed meditation1    
with tranquillity and  recollection1    
that your soul may relish the subject1  
and apply what is  read to its own      
necessities4 ,after your lecture1 follow
 this advice of  ,st4 ,francis of       
,sales3 ',when you have concluded your  
prayer1 take a  little walk and gather a
 small nosegay of devotion from the     
considerations you have made1 that you  
may inhale its spiritual odour          
throughout the day4'    #d4 ,you should 
consider it a duty to approach the holy 
,sacraments more  frequently than usual 
during the month1 and never leave the   
,altar of  ,mary without having made a  
spiritual communion4    #e4 ,let no day 
pass1 or1 at least1 no ,saturday1       
without practising some  mortification1 

sanctified and directed by obedience4   
',our devotion1  however small1' said   
,st4 ,john ,berchmans1 'is always       
pleasing to ,mary1  provided it be      
constant4' ,but let us not forget that  
interior  mortifications are the most   
perfect2 such as to abstain from        
speaking  or looking about without      
necessity1 etc41 because in such        
mortifications there is less danger of  
vainglory1 and they attack our  passions
 in the innermost depths of the heart4  
#f4 ,endeavour also to become familiar  
with ejaculatory prayers to ,mary4      
',this kind of prayer1' says ,st4       
,francis of ,sales1 'may supply for     
every other kind1 but no other kind of  
prayer can supply for this4  ,spiritual 
exercises without aspirations are like a
 firmament without  stars1 or a tree    
without leaves4'    #g4 ,the month      
should be concluded by an offering of   
the heart to ,jesus  and ,mary1 after   
,holy ,communion4 ,and that you may more
 securely  persevere in the service of  

the best of all ,mothers1 let it be your
  care to renew your resolutions every  
,saturday1 to examine in what  manner   
you have kept them1 and by a            
protestation of sorrow for past         
omissions1 and a determination of       
greater fidelity for the future1 to     
repair the failings of the week4    ,the
 sovereign ,pontiff ,pius ,,vii4 has    
granted to all who shall say some       
public or private prayers in honour of  
the most holy ,virgin ,mary  during the 
course of the month of ,may1 three      
hundred days ,indulgence  each day1 and 
a ,plenary ,indulgence once in the month
 if1 having  confessed and              
,communicated1 they pray for the holy   
,church4    ,the same sovereign ,pontiff
 has granted to all the faithful who1   
with a  contrite heart1 shall recite the
 ,litany of ,loreto1 three hundred days 
,indulgence each time4 ,all these       
,indulgences are applicable to the      
souls in ,purgatory4                    
,,protestation4    ,,in conformity with 

the decree of the sovereign ,pontiff    
,urban ,,viii41 ,i  declare that ,i wish
 to give only a purely human authority  
to all the  miraculous facts related in 
this work1 excepting those that are     
confirmed by the decisions of the ,holy1
 ,catholic1 ,apostolic1 and ,roman      
,church1 to whose infallible judgment ,i
 intend to submit my person and  my     
writings2 nor shall ,i cease to declare 
myself her respectful son1  believing   
all that she proposes to my belief1     
because she is the sole  depositary here
 on earth of sound doctrine1 of faith1  
and of catholic  unity4                 
,,preliminary ,,instruction4            
,doctrine of ,st4 ,francis of ,sales    
upon ,devotion to ,mary4    ,,holy      
,church1 speaking of the most ,blessed  
,virgin1 says that she went  up from the
 desert of this world flowing with      
delights1 leaning upon  her ,beloved4   
,in fact1 all the praises bestowed upon 
the ,saints1 and  upon ,mary in         
particular1 terminate in ,christ our    

,lord2 because all  these praises should
 be directed to the glory of her ,divine
 ,son1 ,who  led her by ,his grace to   
the most exalted degree of merit and    
happiness4    ,it is related in         
,scripture that the ,queen of ,saba1    
taking a multitude  of gifts to         
,jerusalem1 offered them all to         
,solomon4 ,it is thus that  all the     
,saints act--and the ,mother of ,god    
especially4 ,she is ever  attentive to  
recognise that her virtues1 her         
perfections1 her merits1  and her       
happiness proceed from the mercy of her 
,divine ,son1 ,who is  alone their      
source1 their origin1 and perfection3   
,soli ,deo honor et  gloria4 ,all honour
 and glory to ,god alone2 all should    
return to ,him1  because from ,him alone
 is every perfect gift4    ,if ,mary be 
holy1 who is it that sanctified her but 
her ,divine ,son8 ,if  she be saved1 who
 was her ,saviour but ,jesus            
,christ8--,innixa super  dilectum suum4 
,her whole happiness has its foundation 

in the mercy of  her ,divine ,son4 ,she 
may be called a lily of purity and      
innocence4 ,this  lily has acquired all 
its purity by being washed in the ,blood
 of the  ,immaculate ,lamb4 ,she is a   
rose1 on account of the ardour of her   
love1  and her rich vermilion can be    
nought else than the ,blood of her ,son4
  ,if she is likened to fumes of        
odoriferous sweetness1 the fire which   
produces them is the charity of her     
,divine ,son and the wood of the        
,cross2 in a word1 everywhere and in    
everything1 ,mary is leaning upon  her  
,beloved4 ,behold1 devout souls1 how we 
ought to be jealous of the  honour of   
,jesus ,christ4 ,do not imitate the     
enemies of holy ,church1 who  think that
 they honour the ,son more perfectly by 
refusing all honour  to the ,mother4 ,on
 the contrary1 the worship of the       
,mother is referred  to the ,son1 and   
thus exalts ,his glory and mercy all the
 more4    ,in order to show more clearly
 the purity of the worship which holy   

,church pays to the most ,blessed       
,virgin1 ,i will mention two contrary   
heresies1 both equally injurious to the 
veneration deservedly due to  ,our      
,lady4 ,one of these heresies sinned by 
excess2 calling ,mary the  ,goddess of  
,heaven1 and offering sacrifices to her 
as such2 the other  sinned by default1  
condemning all honour paid to ,our      
,lady4 ,the ,church1  who walks in the  
royal road of moderation1 in which      
virtue consists1  condemned both these  
heresies1 defining against the former   
that no  sacrifice whatever could be    
offered to ,mary1 as she was a pure     
creature2 and against the latter1 that  
this holy ,virgin1 being ,mother  of    
,god the ,son1 was worthy of special    
worship1 infinitely less than  that of  
her ,son1 but incomparably greater than 
that of all the other  ,saints4 ,to the 
first1 she says1 that the ,virgin is    
simply a creature1  yet so holy1 so     
perfect1 so closely united to her ,son1 
and so much  loved by ,god1 as to render

 it impossible to love the ,son         
sincerely  without loving and honouring 
the ,mother4 ,to the second1 she says1  
sacrifice is the supreme worship of     
latria1 due to the ,creator alone1  and 
the ,blessed ,virgin is simply a        
creature1 although most excellent4      
,indeed1 in speaking of ,mary1 ,i call  
her more the creature of ,god and  of   
her ,son than the rest of creation2     
because ,god created greater            
perfections in her than in all other    
creatures1 and she had a greater  share 
in the ,redemption than all others1     
being rescued not only from  sin but    
from the power and inclination to sin4  
,and who does not know  that it is a    
greater benefit to rescue a person from 
slavery before he  is made a slave1 than
 to deliver him after he has become     
captive6 ,how  far are we then from     
placing the ,son and the ,mother on an  
equality1 as  our adversaries falsely   
assert8    ,it is true that we call her 
beautiful1 and the most beautiful       

amongst  creatures2 but she is beautiful
 as the moon1 which receives its  light 
from the sun2 because all her glory is  
communicated to her by  her ,son4 ,pliny
 writes that the thorn1 named           
aspalathum1 is not  naturally           
odoriferous1 but that if the rainbow    
rests upon it1 it  quickly exhales a    
rare and sweet odour4 ,the holy ,virgin 
is a thorn of  that burning bush which  
,moses saw and which was not consumed1  
as the  ,church says3 ',rubum quem      
viderat ,moyses incombustum1 conservatam
  agnovimus tuam laudabilem             
virginitatem'4 ,of herself alone1 she is
  certainly unworthy of our worship1 for
 she is without odour4 ,but when  the   
great sign of reconciliation between    
,god and men came and rested  upon this 
holy thorn--first1 by ,his grace in her 
,immaculate  ,conception1 and afterwards
 at the ,incarnation1 when ,god became  
her  ,son1 and reposed in her immaculate
 bosom--then1 indeed1 so great  became  
the fragrance of this thorn that no     

other plant ever could  produce before  
,god so sweet and pleasing an odour4    
,nor will ,he ever  reject the prayers  
that are perfumed in this fragrance4 ,we
 repeat that  all this perfume came to  
her from her ,divine ,son4    ,jesus    
,christ is our ,advocate1 and so is     
,mary2 but with what  difference6 ,in   
right of justice1 the ,saviour is alone 
our ,advocate1  because when ,he pleads 
our cause ,he justifies ,his petition by
 showing  ,his ,blood and ,his ,cross4  
,he does not hide our debts from ,his   
,father2  but at the same time ,he urges
 the value of the price that ,he has    
laid  down for our salvation4 ,mary and 
all the ,saints exercise1 also1 the     
office of advocate in our favour2 it is 
only by way of intercession4  ,they     
entreat the ,divine ,justice to pardon  
our iniquities2 but it is  through the  
merits of the ,passion of ,jesus        
,christ4 ,in a word1 they do  not add   
their prayers to the prayers of the     
,saviour1 but to ours2 in  order to help

 us to obtain the graces which are      
necessary for our  eternal salvation4   
,,the ,,month ,,of ,,mary4     ---      
,,the ,,immaculate ,,conception4        
,,the wonderful variety which is        
observable in the works of nature gives 
us a very high idea of the immeasurable 
riches of the ,almighty  ,creator4 ,and 
yet ,he manifests ,his power still more 
in the supernatural  order1 and the     
wonderful diversity of the works of     
grace preaches more  loudly the         
munificence of ,his mercy4 ,god1 in the 
excess of ,his  goodness1 did not merely
 grant a general redemption to men1     
sufficient  for the salvation of each   
one1 but ,he diversified and multiplied 
the  supernatural gifts which accompany 
this redemption with infinite           
liberality and wonderful variety4 ,but  
,his highest favours were  lavished upon
 the most holy ,virgin4 ,from all       
eternity the ,heavenly  ,father had     
ordained in ,his love to form her heart 
to the perfection of  charity1 that she 

might love ,his ,divine ,son with the   
most perfect  maternal love--as ,he had 
loved ,him from all eternity with the   
most  perfect paternal love4 ,the ,son  
of ,god cast ,his eyes upon this        
,virgin1  and chose her for ,his        
,mother1 and co-operator in the great   
work of the  world's redemption1 a      
merciful ,mother1 a most powerful       
advocate of  mankind--the most amiable1 
the most loving1 and the most beloved of
  all creatures4    ,it is the opinion  
of many theologians that our ,lord      
sanctified ,st4  ,john the ,baptist in  
the womb of ,st4 ,elizabeth1 by a ray of
 ,his light  and grace1 and gave him the
 use of reason together with the gift of
  faith1 so that he knew his ,god1      
hidden in the immaculate womb of ,mary1 
adored ,him1 and consecrated himself to 
,his service4 ,if such a grace  were    
granted by ,our ,lord to ,his precursor1
 who can doubt for a moment  that ,he   
should have granted not only a similar1 
but a much greater  privilege to her    

whom ,he ,himself had chosen for ,his   
,mother1 and that  ,he should not only  
have sanctified her in the womb of her  
mother1 ,st4  ,anne1 but should have1   
moreover1 raised her from the very first
  instant of her conception to a state  
of purity and sanctity8    ,the adorable
 ,redeemer of the human race1 the       
eternal object of the  love of ,his     
,heavenly ,father1 considered ,his      
,mother from that first  moment1 as a   
delicious garden which was to produce   
the fruit of  eternal life1 and ,he     
cultivated this garden in order that    
every kind  of perfection should        
flourish therein4 ,he adorned her with  
the gold of  charity and with a wondrous
 variety of virtues1 that she might be  
able  to sit at ,his side as a          
,queen--that is to say1 occupy the first
 place  amongst the elect1 and1 in this 
manner1 enjoy the delights that are     
found at the right hand of the ,eternal 
,god4    ,this ,divine ,mother was      
redeemed1 therefore1 in a manner        

becoming the  dignity of the ,son1 for  
,whom she was created4 ,hence she was   
preserved  from reprobation and from all
 danger of it1 because she was enriched 
with the perfection of grace and with   
everything necessary for its            
preservation4 ,well is she compared to a
 beautiful aurora1 or dawn1  which1 from
 its very beginning1 went on increasing 
until it reached  its perfect day4 ,o   
first-fruit of the ,redemption6 ,o      
masterpiece of the  ,redeemer6 ,it is   
just1 indeed1 ,o my ,divine ,saviour1   
that as a ,son full  of love and        
devotion towards ,thy ,mother1 in       
preventing her with the  blessings of   
,heaven1 ,thou shouldest have preserved 
her1 not only from  sin like the        
,angels1 but even from every danger of  
sinning1 and  shouldest1 moreover1 have 
removed from her path all that could    
hinder  or even retard her in the       
exercise of ,thy holy love4 ,it was     
written in  ,thy eternal decrees that   
,thou wouldest at one day prefer her to 

all  rational creatures who were dear to
 ,thy ,divine ,heart1 and that ,thou    
wouldest call her the beloved object of 
,thy predilection1 ,thy dove1  ,thy     
spotless and beautiful one1 perfect     
beyond compare4    ,a special privilege 
was reserved for ,mary1 worthy of a ,son
 ,who loved  her with an infinite love1 
and ,who1 being infinitely good1 wise   
and  perfect1 was to choose for ,himself
 a ,mother1 and form her according to   
,his own heart4 ,he willed then that the
 grace of ,redemption should be  applied
 to her as a preservative remedy4 ,like 
the waters of the ,jordan  that1 in the 
days of ,josue1 interrupted their course
 through respect  for the ,ark of the   
,covenant1 so the stream of original    
corruption  stayed its course at the    
feet of ,mary1 at the conception of this
  living tabernacle of the ,eternal     
,covenant4    ,from the first instant of
 her conception1 ,mary knew her ,god1   
and loved  ,him sovereignly2 from that  
moment she became impeccable1 through   

the  special assistance of the divine   
protection1 and through the continual   
inflow of efficacious and preventing    
graces1 to which she never  offered the 
slightest resistance4 ,god not only     
adorned her with the  most abundant     
habitual grace1 but ,he preserved it in 
her1 keeping her  always free from every
 evil inclination1 every idle thought1  
and every  feeling in the slightest     
degree contrary to the most perfect     
sanctity4    ,as to her body1 we may    
believe it was endowed with singular    
perfections4 ,st4 ,joachim and ,st4     
,anne received her from ,god through a  
particular1 and we may say1 even a      
miraculous grace1 so that she was  one  
of the most excellent works of the ,holy
 ,ghost1 and breathed only  sanctity and
 purity4 ,this ,queen loved1 then1 her  
virginal body1 not  only because it was 
docile1 humble1 pure and obedient to    
,divine ,love1  but still more because  
from it was formed the ,body of her     
,saviour4    ,truly has this holy       

,virgin been called elect as the sun1   
because as  the sun shines resplendent  
above all the stars1 through the        
excellence  of its prerogatives1 so     
there is no one amongst all the ,saints 
who has  obtained1 or can ever obtain1  
graces superior to those bestowed upon  
,mary4 ,there are ,saints who have      
received signal graces from our ,lord1  
and these1 compared with the rest of the
 world1 are like queens  crowned with   
charity1 and occupy a distinguished     
position in the love  of our ,divine    
,saviour4 ,but ,his most blessed ,mother
 is the ,queen of all  ,queens1 for she 
is not only crowned with charity1 but   
with the  perfection of charity1 and to 
use an expression of the ,holy ,spirit1 
,who says that the ,son is the crown of 
the ,father2 her crown is in  truth her 
,son2 that is to say1 the sovereign     
object of charity1 the  ,eternal ,love1 
forms her crown4    ,,spiritual         
,,flowers4    ,how lovely is the rose6  
and yet it causes great sadness in my   

soul4 ,it  reminds me of my sin1 on     
account of which the earth was condemned
 to  produce thorns4--,st4 ,basil4      
,mary1 conceived without sin1 is        
compared to the incorruptible cedar1    
the scent of which puts serpents to     
flight4--,st4 ,alphonsus ,liguori4      
,how great will be our happiness in     
heaven1 where we shall be able to       
contemplate ,mary1 to love her and be   
loved by her2 for she alone forms  a    
paradise of delights4 ,mary is truly1   
after ,god1 all that is  beautiful1     
sweet1 glorious and amiable in that     
celestial realm2 all is  in ,mary1 all  
through ,mary1 all1 in fine1 is         
hers4--,st4 ,bonaventure4    ,nothing is
 of greater service to our soul1 nor    
more sustains and  strengthens it1 than 
the frequent thought of ,mary4--,st4    
,teresa4    ,,example4    ,devotion of  
,st4 ,francis of ,sales to the ,blessed 
,virgin ,mary4    ,of all the festivals 
of the most holy ,virgin there was none 
more dear  to the tender piety of ,st4  

,francis of ,sales than the ,immaculate 
,conception4 ,when but a subdeacon he   
instituted a confraternity of           
penitents1 under the title of the       
,immaculate ,conception4 ,every year he 
prepared for this feast by fasting and  
prayer1 and his zeal induced  him to    
proclaim this day a festival of         
obligation throughout his  diocese4 ,in 
order to place his episcopate under the 
protection of the  ,immaculate ,virgin1 
he chose this solemnity for the day of  
his  consecration1 and during the       
ceremony he was rapt in ecstasy1 and saw
  the most ,holy ,trinity working in his
 heart all that the ,bishops were  doing
 exteriorly1 and moreover1 he saw the   
most holy ,virgin take him  under her   
protection4    ,once1 as he was making  
the visitation of his diocese1 he       
arrived at  the foot of a steep and     
rugged hill1 upon the summit of which   
was the  church of the most ,blessed    
,virgin of ,nancy-sur-,cluses4 ,he      
climbed it  with great difficulty1      

whilst blood streamed from his feet2 but
 in  reply to those who would dissuade  
him from the attempt1 he said3 ',it  is 
true that ,i am almost sinking from     
fatigue1 but whilst ,i am ashamed  to be
 so unaccustomed to labour for the      
service of ,god1 ,i feel the  greatest  
joy to shed my blood in honour of the   
,mother of ,god4'    ,continuing his    
visitation he found three parish        
churches in succession  which were      
dedicated to ,mary4 ',what a consolation
 ,i feel1' said he1  'to see so many    
churches in my diocese dedicated to the 
,mother of ,god6  ,whenever ,i enter a  
place consecrated to this august ,queen1
 well do the  beatings of my heart tell 
me that ,i am in the house of my        
,mother2 for  ,i am the son of her who  
is the refuge of sinners4'              
,prayer4--,o ,mary6 ,immaculate ,lily of
 ,purity1 ,i rejoice with you that  you 
have been filled with grace1 endowed    
with the use of reason1 and  have loved 
,god more than the ,seraphim from the   

first instant of your  ,immaculate      
,conception4 ,may the most ,holy        
,trinity be eternally thanked  and      
adored for so many and such rare        
privileges bestowed upon you4 ,i  humble
 myself profoundly before you1 seeing   
that ,i am so devoid of  graces and poor
 in merits4 ,o my most loving ,mother1  
make me a partaker  of the graces which 
you have received so abundantly1 that ,i
 also may  be able to love ,god ardently
 during life1 and not be separated from 
,him in death4 ,amen4                   
,practice4--,recite three ,paters1 three
 ,aves1 and three ,glorias1  to thank   
the most ,holy ,trinity for the grace of
 the ,immaculate  ,conception conferred 
upon ,mary4    ,aspiration4--,o ,mary1  
conceived without sin1 pray for us who  
have  recourse to you4        ,,first   
,,day4    ,,mary1 ,a ,,model ,,of       
,,perfect ,,self-,,denial ,,from ,,her  
,,birth4    ,,let all who are devout to 
the most holy ,virgin approach the      
cradle in  which lies the royal infant1 

,mary4 ,consider attentively this sacred
  child1 and you will see how perfectly 
she practises every virtue4 ,ask  the   
,angels1 the ,cherubim and ,seraphim1   
who surround her1 if they equal  this   
little creature in perfection1 and they 
will all reply that they  are immensely 
inferior to her in graces1 in merits1   
and in virtue4  ,contemplate1 ,children 
of ,mary1 those heavenly spirits around 
her  cradle1 and you will hear them     
repeat in ecstasies of admiration of    
her beauty the words of the ,canticle of
 ,canticles3 ,who is she that  goeth up 
by the desert as a pillar of smoke of   
aromatical spices of  myrrh1 and        
frankincense 4 4 4 ,who is she that     
cometh forth as the  morning rising1    
fair as the moon1 bright as the sun1    
terrible as an  army set in battle      
array8    ,this virgin child is not yet 
glorified1 but glory is already promised
  her2 she expects it1 not like others1 
in hope1 but with certainty4 ,on  this  
account the celestial spirits1          

enraptured by such incomparable         
perfection1 cease not to celebrate her  
praises4    ,meanwhile1 this most       
perfect ,virgin lies in her poor crib1  
and there  practises1 in a most special 
manner1 the virtue of self-abnegation4  
,consider1 ,i beseech you1 how1 amidst  
angelic praises1 she wishes to  appear  
like all other children of ,adam4 ,who  
will not be filled with  admiration and 
love1 to behold ,mary in her cradle1    
full of grace1  endowed with the perfect
 use of reason from the first instant of
 her  ,immaculate ,conception1 able to  
meditate upon the perfections of ,god1  
filled with ,his love1 and entirely     
resigned to ,his holy will2 and yet1    
notwithstanding such privileges1 wishing
 to be considered and treated  as a poor
 little infant1 without in any way      
manifesting the precious  gifts she     
possessed8 ,o my ,god6 how attractive is
 such a spectacle2 and  not only        
attractive1 but wonderful2 and how      
clearly does it convince  us of her     

perfect renunciation of all that savours
 of worldly pomp and  glory and         
ambition6    ,the second kind of        
abnegation which this august ,virgin    
teaches us to  practise1 is the         
renunciation of the flesh1 of which in  
her nativity  and infancy she offers us 
most moving examples4 ,children are     
obliged  to make many sacrifices1 and   
the more they are attended to1 the more 
are their affections and inclinations   
opposed4 ,these mortifications1         
nevertheless1 are not occasions of merit
 to them1 for they have not  yet        
acquired the use of reason4 ,but the    
most holy ,virgin1 being  endowed from  
her infancy with the perfect use of     
reason1 exercised the  virtue of        
self-abnegation in a wonderful degree1  
enduring voluntarily  all these         
contradictions and mortifications4      
,the third kind of renunciation is that 
of our own judgment and will1  even in  
things which seem to us better than     
those that are commanded  us4 ,this     

includes what is most difficult and     
meritorious in the way of  ,christian   
perfection4 ,how excellently did the    
most holy ,virgin  practise this        
abnegation in her nativity6 ,although   
possessed of the  use of reason1 she    
never made use of her liberty to        
manifest it4 ,we  always see in her a   
constant state of dependence4 ,when she 
goes to the  ,temple she is led by her  
parents2 through obedience to them she  
gives  her hand to a humble carpenter1  
although she had consecrated her        
virginity to ,god4 ,she leaves ,nazareth
 for ,bethlehem1 flees into ,egypt1  and
 returns to ,nazareth2 and in all these 
journeys1 as well as in all  the other  
vicissitudes of her life1 she maintains 
perfect subjection  and docility4 ,she  
even assists at the death of her ,son   
and her ,god1  through submission to the
 decrees of ,heaven1 her will being     
perfectly  united to that of the        
,eternal ,father4 ,it was not by        
constraint1 but  with the full          

concurrence of her will1 that she       
assented to the death  of this ,divine  
,son1 and with humble resignation       
embraced and adored a  hundred times    
that ,cross upon which she saw1 without 
shedding a tear1  her only ,son expire4 
,what abnegation do we not find in the  
most holy  ,virgin6 ,the tender loving  
soul of this most sorrowful ,mother was 
pierced by unheard-of dolours2 indeed1  
who can ever describe the pains  and    
anguish of her most sacred heart1 as she
 stood immovable at the  foot of the    
,cross8 ,she knew that the ,eternal     
,father willed that ,jesus  ,christ     
should thus die1 and that she should be 
present at ,his death1  and this        
knowledge gave her strength to stand    
there and endure it all4    ,in         
imitation of ,mary1 let us resolve to   
die to everything and to our  own will1 
that we may live for ,god alone4 ,jesus 
,christ tells us to  deny ourselves1 to 
take up our cross and to follow ,him4   
,the way of  perfection is a ,calvary1  

where it is necessary to crucify        
ourselves  continually1 in company with 
our ,saviour2 thus forcing nature to    
die1  that grace may live and reign     
within us4 ,in a word1 it is necessary  
to  strip ourselves of the old ,adam1   
and clothe ourselves with the new       
,adam1 and this cannot be done without  
suffering4 ,i will not deceive  you2    
,christian perfection is difficult1 and 
very great courage is  required for so  
high an undertaking4 ,this perfection   
consists in an  entire self-abnegation1 
and in a total renunciation of all      
earthly  things4 #a    ,o my ,god6 when 
will ,our ,lady be1 as it were1 born in 
our hearts8 ,as  for myself ,i see      
clearly that ,i am quite unworthy of    
such a favour2  and as for you1 what are
 your sentiments8 ,her ,divine ,son was 
born in a  stable4 ,let us take courage 
and prepare ,him a place in our hearts2 
a  place made deep by humility1 low by  
simplicity1 and wide by charity4  ,it is
 such a heart as this that ,our ,lady   

loves to visit1 ,she dwells  willingly  
near the manger and at the foot of the  
,cross4 ,little matters  it to her that 
she lives unknown in ,egypt1 provided   
her ,divine ,child  lives with her4     
,whether our ,lord sends us to the right
 or to the left1 or howsoever ,he       
treats us1 or makes us as a sign against
 which all the evils of the  world are  
turned1 we will never abandon ,him until
 ,he has blessed us  with eternal       
blessing4 ,let us be assured that ,he is
 never so near to  us as when ,he       
appears to be furthest from us2 never   
does ,he guard us  with more jealousy   
than when ,he seems to abandon us1 and  
never does ,he  engage in combat with   
us1 but to take more intimate possession
 of our  heart1 and load us with ,his   
blessings4 ,meanwhile1 let us go on2 let
 us  walk through the valley of humble  
virtues1 and how many roses shall we    
not find amongst the thorns6 ,charity1  
which shines in the midst of the  most  
trying afflictions1 as well interior as 

exterior1 the lily of  purity1 the      
violet of mortification1 and how many   
more6 ,but the lowly  virtues that are  
dearest to me are these three3 meekness 
of heart1  poverty of spirit1 simplicity
 of life1 together with the practices of
  visiting the sick1 serving the poor1  
consoling the afflicted1 and such  like4
 ,however1 all must be done without     
solicitude1 and in true  liberty of     
spirit4 ,our arms are not long enough to
 reach to the cedars  of ,lebanon--let  
us then be content with the hyssop that 
grows in the  valleys4      #a ,in the  
way of prayer1 at first everything seems
 painful1 and with  good reason2 because
 it is a continual war against          
ourselves4 ,but when  we set to work1   
our ,lord on ,his side assists us so    
powerfully1 and  loads us with so many  
favours1 that all the pains and labours 
of this  life become as nothing4--,st4  
,teresa4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4      
,there shall come forth a rod from the  
root of ,jesse1 says ,isaias1 and  a    

flower shall rise up from its root4     
,this root1 writes ,st4 ,jerome1 is  the
 ,mother of the ,saviour2 a plain and   
simple root1 but fruitful in  its unity1
 like the ,eternal ,father4 ,the flower 
of this root is ,jesus  ,christ1 like to
 a flower of the field and to a lily of 
the valley4  ,this flower is possessed  
of as many leaves as there are functions
 and  examples4 ,if you wish to have the
 flower you must first bend the stem  by
 your prayers4 ,if this flower rises    
high through the excellence of  its     
,divinity be not afraid2 because through
 excess of love its stem  may be        
bowed4--,st4 ,bonaventure4    ,i am     
firmly resolved to desire no other heart
 than that which shall be  given me by  
this ,mother of hearts1 this ,mother of 
holy love4 ,o my ,god6  how much do ,i  
desire not to lose sight1 not even for  
an instant1 of  this gracious ,star1    
during the whole course of my           
journey6--,st4  ,francis of ,sales4     
,as the lily has no fixed season for its

 growth1 but flowers sooner or  later1  
according to its depth in the earth1 in 
like manner the heart  which aspires to 
,divine ,love will blossom very late1   
and with much  difficulty1 if it be     
absorbed in earthly cares4 ,however1 if 
it be  attached to the world only so far
 as is necessary for its engagements  in
 life1 it will flourish in charity and  
spread around it gracious               
fragrance4--,the same4    ,,example4    
,the ,miraculous ,medal of the          
,immaculate ,conception4    ,perhaps ,i 
can relate nothing more suitable in     
regard to the origin of  this celebrated
 medal1 so justly styled 'miraculous1'  
than by  transcribing the letter        
addressed to the author of the book1    
',mary  ,conceived without ,sin1' by the
 spiritual ,director of the ,sister of  
,charity to whom the medal was revealed3
    ',paris1 #agth ,march1 #ahcd4       
',towards the close of the year #ahcj1  
,sister ,m41 a novice of one of the     
communities in ,paris1 dedicated to the 

service of the ,poor1 saw1  whilst in   
prayer1 a picture representing the      
,blessed ,virgin1 standing  with her    
arms extended4 ,she wore a white        
garment1 a blue and silver  cloak1 and a
 veil coloured like the aurora1 whilst  
rays of dazzling  splendour issued from 
her hands4 ,at the same time the ,sister
 heard  these words3 ,these rays are the
 symbol of the graces which ,mary       
obtains in favour of mankind2 and that  
part of the globe upon which  they fall 
with greater abundance is ,france4      
,around the picture was  written the    
invocation1 ,o ,mary1 conceived without 
sin1 pray for us  who have recourse to  
you4 ,the ,sister having considered it  
for a  moment1 cast her eyes upon the   
other side of the picture1 and saw the  
letter ,m surmounted by a ,cross1 and   
below it1 the ,sacred ,hearts of  ,jesus
 and ,mary4 ,then the voice said again3 
,a medal must be struck  according to   
this model2 and whoever shall wear it1  
properly blessed  and indulgenced1 shall

 be protected by the ,mother of ,god in 
a most  special manner4    ',the novice 
came quickly to narrate the vision to   
me2 and ,i1 supposing  it to be a mere  
pious illusion1 simply addressed a few  
words to her  upon true devotion to     
,mary1 pointing out to her that the     
imitation of  her virtues ever was1 and 
will be1 the true means of honouring    
her4    ',after about six months1 she   
had the same vision1 and ,i made her the
  same reply4 ,finally1 after another   
interval of six months1 she saw the     
picture again1 and heard the same words1
 except that the voice  expressed how   
much it displeased the ,blessed ,virgin 
that there was so  much delay in having 
the medal struck4    ',this time1       
however1 ,i attached greater importance 
to the revelation1  without allowing the
 novice to perceive it2 and ,i began to 
reflect and  fear lest ,i was not       
seconding the designs of her who is so  
justly  invoked by the ,church under the
 sweet name of ,refuge of ,sinners4     

',a short time afterwards ,i had the    
opportunity of seeing the  ,archbishop1 
and gave him an accurate account of     
these visions4 ,he  answered me that he 
saw nothing whatever objectionable in   
this medal  being struck1 as it was     
conformable to the faith of the ,church 
and to  the piety of the faithful       
towards the ,mother of ,god2 and that it
 might  certainly contribute to the     
promotion of her honour4    ,the medal  
was finally struck in the month of      
,june1 #ahcb4    ',in one of the three  
visions1 the novice asked if it were not
  necessary to insert some words on that
 part of the medal where the  letter ,m 
and the ,cross1 with the two ,hearts1   
are represented2 but  she was answered  
that these objects spoke with sufficient
 eloquence to  the faithful soul4       
',when the medal was struck1 it was     
quickly circulated amongst the  ,sisters
 of ,charity1 who1 when they learnt its 
origin1 wore it with  much devotion1 and
 began to hang it on the necks of the   

sick under  their charge1 and these     
shortly experienced happy results4      
,three cures  and three conversions were
 wrought in a miraculous manner in      
,paris1  and in the diocese of ,meaux4  
,then the desire to possess the         
miraculous medal1 or the medal that     
cures1 became universal4  ,mothers of   
families gave it as a ,new ,year's gift 
to their children1  and as a            
preservative to their innocence4 ,as    
soon as it became known  in a place1    
pious persons hastened to become        
possessed of it4 ,but what  greatly     
surprised and edified me1 from the      
beginning of its  propagation1 was that 
all the children of two of our provinces
 agreed  together to take this medal as 
the protection of their youth4 ,in many 
places entire populations addressed     
themselves to their ,pastor to  procure 
it2 and1 at ,paris1 an officer purchased
 sixty for as many  private soldiers who
 had asked him for it4    ',whilst the  
medal was miraculously propagated in all

 classes and  provinces1 the most       
consoling accounts were sent me by the  
,parish  ,priests1 ,vicar-,generals1 and
 even by ,bishops4 ,they say that it    
reanimates fervour in populous towns as 
well as in the country2 it  gains our   
entire confidence2 we look upon it as a 
means sent by  ,providence to enkindle  
faith1 which in our days has so visibly 
decreased2 and in reality it daily      
awakens this faith in many hearts1  in  
which it seemed to be extinguished2 it  
re-establishes peace and  concord in    
many families2 and there is no one who  
wears this medal who  does not          
experience its salutary effects4'       
,not only in ,france which is specially 
under the protection of ,mary  ,most    
,holy did the faithful of every age1    
sex1 and condition1 rival one  another  
in zeal and solicitude to possess the   
miraculous medal2 it  spread also like  
lightning throughout ,switzerland1      
,piedmont1 ,spain1  ,italy1 ,belgium1   
,england1 ,america1 in the ,levant1 and 

even in ,china2  and we can certify that
 in the present day the number of these 
medals  exceeds thirty millions4 ,in    
every place it is asked for by          
indifferent  ,christians1 by obstinate  
sinners1 by the impious1 by             
,protestants1  ,jews1 and ,turks1 and   
worn with veneration4 ,heaven grant that
 it may  not be without fruit6--that    
she1 to whom the ,church applies those  
words of ,holy ,scripture1 ',he who     
shall find ,me shall find life1 and     
have salvation from the ,lord1' may     
conduct and confirm us in the way  of   
salvation6    ,plenary ,indulgences at  
the hour of death1 and on all the       
principal  festivals of the year1 and on
 the feasts of the ,apostles are        
attached  to this medal when blessed by 
anyone who possesses the faculty4       
,prayer4--,o ,lovely ,child1 who1 in    
your happy ,nativity1 didst console  the
 world1 rejoice ,heaven1 terrify hell1  
and become the relief of  sinners1 the  
consolation of the afflicted1 the health

 of the sick1 and  the joy of all men1  
,i entreat you1 with all the fervour of 
my soul1 to  be spiritually born in my  
heart through your holy love4 ,attach my
 soul  once for all to your happy       
service1 and my heart to yours1 that my 
life may be adorned with the virtues    
which will render me dear to you4  ,o   
,mary6 produce in me the salutary       
effects of your sweet name1 and  obtain 
that the invocation of this holy name   
may be my strength in  sufferings1 my   
hope in dangers1 my shield in spiritual 
conflicts1 and  my support and comfort  
in the agonies of death4 ,may it be     
honey to my  mouth1 music to my ears1   
and the only joy of my heart6 ,amen4    
,aspiration4--,morning ,star1 pray for  
me4    ,practice4--,visit the altar of  
the ,blessed ,virgin1 after having      
adored the ,most ,holy ,sacrament of the
 ,altar4        ,,second ,,day4         
,,mary ,,consecrates ,,herself ,,to     
,,god ,,in ,,the ,,temple4    ,,mary was
 no sooner born than she consecrated her

 entire being to the  service of ,divine
 ,love1 and as soon as she acquired the 
use of her  tongue she employed it in   
chanting the praises of the ,lord4 ,he  
inspired her1 when she had attained the 
age of three years1 to leave  the home  
of her parents and retire into the      
,temple to serve ,him more  perfectly4  
,during her tender years the life of    
this glorious ,virgin  was full of      
wisdom and discretion1 and the cause of 
astonishment to  her parents1 for her   
actions and words were very different   
from those  of other children1 since she
 had the full use of her reason4 ,it was
  therefore necessary to hasten the     
period for taking her to the ,temple    
and consecrating her to the ,divine     
service1 amongst the other maidens      
already consecrated4 ,they1 therefore1  
took the little ,virgin and  partly led 
and partly carried her to the ,temple of
 ,jerusalem4 ,mary  certainly had       
nothing to fear from the influences of  
her home1 but she  wished to teach us by

 her example that we should omit        
nothing1 as ,st4  ,paul so earnestly    
teaches1 to make our calling and        
election sure4    ,all who repaired to  
the ,temple to present their offerings  
chanted as  they went the ,psalm3 ,beati
 immaculati in via qui ambulant in lege 
,domini--',blessed are the undefiled in 
the way1 who walk in the law of  the    
,lord'4 ,with what grace and melody must
 not our glorious ,queen and  ,mistress 
have intoned this canticle when she     
walked towards the  sanctuary where her 
,god wished to prepare her to become1   
not only ,his  ,spouse1 but ,his        
,mother1 the blessed among all women6   
,the very ,angels  were so pleased at   
the sight of such love1 fervour1 and    
humility1 that  they descended in choirs
 to listen to the harmony4 ,with what   
joy was  she not filled when she arrived
 at the threshhold of the ,temple1 and  
when she mounted the fifteen steps of   
the sanctuary6 ,she came to  dedicate   
herself unreservedly to ,god4 ,if her   

youth had not forbidden  it1 she might  
thus have addressed the holy matrons who
 had charge of  the consecrated children
 in the ,temple3 ,here am ,i2 consider  
me in your  hands as a piece of soft    
wax2 dispose of me as you will1 ,i shall
 never  make any resistance4 ,she was so
 docile that she allowed herself to be  
guided by others in such a manner as    
never to show the slightest  inclination
 to one thing more than another4 ,she   
abandoned herself  totally and perfectly
 to the ,divine ,will1 so that she was a
 marvel to  all who knew her4    ,in    
order to profit in a ,christian manner  
by the example that ,mary  gives us in  
this mystery1 three points can be       
considered3 firstly1  that ,mary was    
presented to ,god in ,his ,temple from  
her tenderest  infancy1 and thus        
separated from her parents2 secondly1   
that she makes  a great part of the     
journey on foot1 and the rest of the    
journey she  is carried in the arms of  
her parents2 thirdly1 that she dedicates

 and  offers herself entirely to ,god1  
without any reserve4    ,as to the first
 point1 which is to dedicate one's self 
to ,god from  one's infancy1 how1 you   
will ask1 can we imitate ,mary in this1 
for we  have already passed the age of  
childhood1 and it is impossible to      
recover lost time8 ,you are deceived4   
,if virginity can be repaired by  means 
of humility1 cannot lost time be        
repaired by making a fervent  and good  
use of the present8 ,i acknowledge that 
the happiness of those  who have        
dedicated themselves entirely to ,god   
from their infancy is1  indeed1         
enviable1 and ,he seems to receive such 
an offering with  special complacency4  
,he complains1 through one of ,his      
prophets1 that  'men had so perverted   
their way1 that even from their youth   
they had  abandoned the path of         
salvation for that of perdition4'       
,children are  neither good nor bad so  
long as they are incapable of           
distinguishing  good from evil4 ,but    

when they have attained the use of      
reason1 too  often they turn to that    
which is evil4 ,hence ,god says by ,his 
prophet3  ,dereliquerunt me fontem aquae
 vivae--',they have forsaken ,me1 the   
fountain of living water1 to follow the 
way of iniquity4'    ,another proof of  
the ardent desire of the ,divine        
,goodness for our  youthful service is  
found in the words of the same prophet2 
,bonum est  viro cum portaverit jugum ab
 adolescentia sua--',it is good for a   
man  to have borne the yoke from his    
youth4' ,but it need not be supposed    
that the youth of which the prophet     
speaks is only that of years4 ,when  the
 ,beloved in the ,canticle of ,canticles
 turns to her ,spouse and says  to ,him3
 ,oleum effusum nomen tuum1 ideo        
adolescentulae dilexerunt te--  ',thy   
name is as oil poured out1 therefore    
young maidens have loved  ,thee1' do you
 believe she speaks of maidens who are  
young in years8  ,no2 but of those who  
are young in fervour and courage1 but   

who have  consecrated to the service of 
,holy ,love all the moments of their    
life  and all the affections of their   
hearts4    ,it is the present time1 the 
present moment1 that we should turn to  
profit2 because the past has escaped us1
 and the future is not in our  power4   
,but you ask1 ,how can we repair lost   
time8 ,you can do it by the  use of     
fervour and diligence during the time   
that remains for your  pilgrimage upon  
earth4 ,stags do not always run at an   
extraordinary  speed1 but yet1 when     
pursued by the hunter1 they quicken     
their  movement and seem rather to fly  
than to run4 ,this is a model for us4   
,we must not only run1 but fly in the   
way of perfection4 ,therefore let  us1  
with holy ,david1 beg our ,lord to give 
us the wings of a dove1  that we may fly
 without stopping1 until we gain our    
hiding-place in  the walls of the holy  
city of ,jerusalem2 that is to say1     
until we find  ourselves united to our  
,lord crucified upon ,calvary1 through  

an entire  and perfect mortification of 
all our inclinations and affections4    
,oh1 how happy are those souls who      
follow the example of this ,sacred      
,virgin1 and dedicate themselves from   
their tender years to the service  of   
,god6 ,fortunate are they to have       
retired from the world before they  were
 known to it6 ,like delicate flowers    
scarcely yet open1 nor touched  by the  
heat of concupiscence1 they exhale a    
most sweet odour in the  ,divine        
,presence by means of their virtues and 
innocence4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4    
,mary was like a most beautiful flower1 
which diffuses its perfume from  its    
very first budding4 ,flowers differ in  
their method of diffusing  fragrance1   
as1 for instance1 roses and carnations4 
,roses smell sweeter  in the morning    
before mid-day2 but carnations and pinks
 shed a more  pleasing scent in the     
evening4 ,the glorious ,virgin was like 
a most  beautiful rose amongst thorns1  
and although never for an instant did   

she cease to diffuse an odour of        
surpassing sweetness1 yet the  fragrance
 of her infancy was the most acceptable 
to the ,divine  ,majesty4--,st4 ,francis
 of ,sales4    ,chastity is the lily of 
virtues1 because it renders men equal to
 the  ,angels2 if virtues be separated  
from purity1 they are no longer         
virtues4 ,purity is chastity1 and it    
possesses a glory of its own1 for  it   
clothes both soul and body with its     
beauty4--,the same4    ,as the busy bee 
flies to all the flowers1 and sucks from
 each its  purest juice with which to   
form honey1 so should a religious soul  
observe the virtues of others1 and      
learn1 for instance1 modesty from  one1 
science from another1 and obedience from
 a third2 in a word1 he  should take    
from each one that which he perceives to
 be most perfect1  and copy it in his   
own person4--,st4 ,antony4    ,,example4
    ,the two ,invocations of ,st4       
,philip ,neri4    ,of the many          
ejaculatory prayers of ,st4 ,philip     

,neri to the ,most ,holy  ,virgin1 two  
were very familiar to him4 ,the first   
was1 ',virgin ,mary1  ,mother of ,god1  
pray to ,jesus for us'2 the second      
consisted in the two  words1 ',virgin   
and ,mother'4 ,he used to say that they 
contain all the  panegyrics of ,mary1   
both because they express her admirable 
name1 and  because they declare her two 
miraculous privileges of ,virginity and 
,maternity1 and the incomparable title  
of ,mother of ,god4 ,he  composed a     
rosary with these two invocations1 which
 he recited  frequently with his        
penitents1 and had always in his hands4 
,a pious person1 who was continually    
tormented by evil thoughts1 asked  him  
one day for a remedy4 ,the ,saint       
counselled her to recite this  rosary of
 his1 which consisted in repeating these
 two invocations  alternately1          
sixty-three times4 ,she followed his    
advice1 and in a  short time recovered  
her peace of soul4    ,prayer of ,st4   
,gertrude4--,o ,mary1 ,mother of ,jesus1

 and my own dear  ,mother6 clothe me    
with the fleece of the true ,lamb1 your 
,son ,jesus1  that ,his love may receive
 me1 nourish me1 possess me1 and        
sanctify me4  ,shining ,lily1 my only   
hope1 after ,god1 deign to speak to your
 ,beloved  ,son in my favour2 say an    
efficacious word to ,him1 and faithfully
 and  earnestly plead my cause4 ,i      
beseech you1 ,o my ,mother6 by your love
 for  ,jesus1 to accept me as your      
child2 be solicitous for my welfare     
throughout the whole course of my life1 
and especially at the hour of  my death 
take me entirely under your protection4 
,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,mary1 ,virgin 
and ,mother6 make me a ,saint4          
,practice4--,let all your actions this  
day be done in union with ,jesus  and   
,mary4        ,,third ,,day4            
,,continuation ,,of ,,the ,,preceding   
,,subject4    ,,the second point        
presented to our consideration in the   
presentation of  ,our ,lady is that in  
order to consecrate herself to ,god in  

the ,temple  she was carried part of the
 way by her parents1 and walked the     
remainder1 being1 however1 always       
assisted by them4 ,when ,st4 ,joachim   
and ,st4 ,anne arrived at a spot where  
the road was level they placed  the     
little maiden on the ground1 and allowed
 her to walk1 but even  then she lifted 
up her little hands to clasp theirs1    
that she might  not stumble1 and when   
they came to the rougher parts of the   
road they  again took her in their arms4
 ,it should not be supposed that the    
intentions of her parents in allowing   
her to walk was to relieve  themselves2 
they allowed it because of the          
satisfaction which they  experienced in 
seeing their little daughter directing  
her first steps  to the ,temple of the  
,lord4    ,now1 it is in these two ways 
that our ,lord leads ,his faithful      
servants  in their pilgrimage through   
this miserable life4 ,at times ,he      
conducts  us by the hand1 making us walk
 with ,him2 and very often ,he carries  

us  in the arms of ,his ,providence4 ,he
 leads us by the hand when ,he makes  us
 walk along the path of the exercise of 
virtues1 because if ,he did  not help us
 it would be impossible for us to take  
one step along this  blessed road4 ,and 
do we not perceive that the steps of    
those who have  abandoned the paternal  
hand of ,providence are almost always so
 many  falls8 ,the ,divine ,goodness    
wishes to lead us by the hand along our 
road1 but ,he also wishes us to make use
 of our feet2 that is to say1  that we  
ourselves do all that is in our power1  
by the assistance of  ,his grace4       
,therefore ,holy ,church1 like a tender 
mother desirous of the  good of her     
children1 teaches us to recite daily a  
prayer by which we  beg ,god to deign to
 accompany us during the whole course of
 our  pilgrimage upon this earth1 and to
 succour us by ,his preventing and by   
,his accompanying grace1 because without
 both these graces all our  efforts to  
make one step in the way of virtue would

 be unavailing4    ,but after our ,lord 
has led us by the hand along the road of
 good works  which require our          
co-operation in order that they may     
become  meritorious1 ,he carries us in  
,his arms1 producing certain effects    
within us1 in which we seem to take no  
part1 as1 for instance1 in the          
,sacraments4 ,tell me candidly1 what is 
it that we do in order to merit  the    
reception of the ,most ,holy ,sacrament 
of the ,altar1 which contains  all the  
sanctity and sweetness of heaven and    
earth8 ,does not our ,lord  carry us in 
,his arms in permitting us to receive   
,him in this  ,sacrament8    ,oh1 how   
happy are those souls who so pass       
through this mortal life as  never to   
leave the arms of ,his ,divine ,majesty1
 except to do all in  their power to    
labour in the practice of virtue1 still 
keeping hold of  the hand of their      
,lord6 ,let us never believe ourselves  
capable of  doing the least good of     
ourselves4 ,the ,sacred ,spouse of the  

,canticles  teaches us this truth when  
she says to her ,beloved3 ,trahe me post
 ,te  in odorem curremus unguentorum    
tuorum--',draw me1 and we will run after
  thee to the odour of thy ointments4'  
,she says 'draw me1' to teach  us that  
our soul can do nothing of itself unless
 it be drawn1  assisted1 and anticipated
 by ,divine ,grace4 ,but to show us that
 she  corresponds voluntarily to this   
attraction1 she quickly adds3 ',we  will
 run1' as if she wished to say3 ,if     
only1 my ,beloved1 ,thou stretch  out   
,thy hand to draw me1 ,i shall not cease
 to run1 until ,thou hast  received me  
into ,thine arms1 and united me to ,thy 
,divine ,will4    ,let us now pass to   
the third point3 the consecration and   
dedication  our glorious ,lady made of  
her whole self unreservedly to the      
,divine  ,majesty2 it is this1 ,o       
faithful souls1 that we should try to   
imitate4  ,our ,lord does not certainly 
expect us to be more liberal to ,him    
than  ,he is to us2 nevertheless1 if ,he

 shows the greatness of ,his goodness   
to us by giving us ,his whole ,self1 is 
it not just that ,he should  require of 
us the total dedication of ourselves to 
,him8 ,but what means  this total       
dedication of ourselves to ,god8 ,it    
means that we make no  reserve whatever 
in our consecration1 not even of the    
least of our  affections or desires2 it 
is this that ,he requires of us4        
,listen1 in  fact1 to this ,divine      
,saviour of our souls3 ,fili praete mihi
 cor tuum--',my  ,son1' says ,he to each
 one of us in particular--',my ,son1    
give ,me  thy heart4' ',ah6' you will   
add1 'how shall ,i dare to give my heart
 to  ,god when it is so full of         
imperfections and sins8 ,how can ,he    
accept  the offering of this heart in   
which ,he finds nothing but disobedience
  to ,his ,most ,holy ,will8' ,ah6 be   
not troubled on this account1 but offer 
it to ,him all the same1 because ,he    
does not require of you a pure and      
spotless heart1 like that of the ,angels

 and of ,our ,lady1 but ,he says3       
',give ,me thy heart1' such as it is4   
,ah6 let us not refuse it to ,him  then1
 although it be full of miseries1       
weaknesses1 and imperfections1  for we  
know that all that is placed in the hand
 of ,his ,divine ,goodness  is converted
 into good4 ,let us not fear1 then1 for 
when ,he holds this  heart of ours in   
,his hands ,he will know well how to    
render it perfect4  ,to make it less    
unworthy of ,god let us resolve to      
imitate ,mary2 for  amongst all the     
,saints who are proposed to us as a     
model we should in  a special manner    
consider our most glorious and dear     
,patroness1 the  ,queen of all ,saints4 
,what mirror more beautiful1 more       
precious1 or  purer1 can we place before
 our eyes8 ,is she not the most         
excellent  example of evangelical       
teaching8 ,who amongst creatures is more
 adorned  and enriched with every kind  
of virtue and grace8 ,multae filiae     
congregaverunt divitias1 tu supergressa 

es universus--',many daughters  have    
gathered riches1 but thou hast surpassed
 them all4' ,certainly it  is beyond all
 doubt that there is no ,saint          
comparable to her1 because  this        
glorious ,virgin surpasses in dignity   
and excellence not only the  greatest   
,saints1 but the very ,cherubim and     
,seraphim4 ,she consecrated  herself    
perfectly to the ,divine service1 from  
the very first instant  of her          
,immaculate ,conception4    ,,spiritual 
,,flowers4    ,when the senses are not  
well guarded1 they are mysterious inlets
 by  which our enemies insinuate        
themselves into our souls4 ,a glance of 
curiosity changed holy ,king ,david into
 an adulterer and a murderer4  ,how many
 have reason to exclaim with ,jeremiah1 
',my eye hath been the  thief that has  
robbed my soul of every good'6--,riva4  
,the choice of a state of life is so    
important that it constitutes the  only 
foundation of a good or of a bad        
life4--,st4 ,greg4 ,naz4    ,the        

,christian who abandons himself into the
 hand of ,god1 lives for ,god           
alone4--,st4 ,francis of ,sales4        
,,example4    ,the ,feasts of the       
,blessed ,virgin4    ,the days upon     
which the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary shows  
herself bountiful of  her favours1 are  
the feasts celebrated in her honour2 and
 if we desire  to profit by them1 we    
must sanctify them fervently4 ,let us   
approach  the ,sacraments on those days1
 and propose to practise some particular
  virtue of the ,blessed ,virgin1       
adapted to the mystery of the day4 ,for 
instance1 on the ,feast of the          
,immaculate ,conception1 let us propose 
to  practise purity of intention2 on    
that of her ,nativity1 a renewal of     
fervour1 banishing all tepidity from our
 soul2 on that of the  ,presentation1   
detachment from those desires which     
require to be  mortified2 on the ,feast 
of the ,annunciation1 of the            
,visitation1 on the  ,feast of the      
,purification1 obedience to ,superiors2 

and on the ,feast of  the ,assumption1  
preparation for death4 ,such was ever   
the practice of  all the true servants  
of ,mary2 amongst others1 of ,st4       
,bernardine of  ,siena1 of ,st4         
,gertrude1 and of ,st4 ,vincent ,ferrer4
    ,mary herself made known to ,st4    
,gertrude1 as we read in the tenth      
chapter of the ',revelations' of this   
,saint1 that she rewards this  practice 
with every kind of favour4 ,on the      
,feast of the ,assumption1  whilst the  
,divine ,sacrifice of the ,mass was     
being celebrated1 the  ,blessed ,virgin 
showed the ,saint a great number of     
young girls1 whom  she carefully guarded
 under her rich mantle4 ',my dear       
daughter1' said  she to her1 'behold    
here those souls who do all in their    
power to  celebrate this festival       
worthily4'    ,brother ,gerard1 one of  
the first lay-brothers of the           
,congregation of  ,st4 ,alfonso de      
,liguori1 had the most tender confidence
 in ,mary4 ,at the  approach of her     

feasts he took care to adorn all the    
altars of the  monastery1 and his       
devotion was especially great to the    
,immaculate  ,conception4 ,he wished    
that the faithful would fast on all the 
vigils  of her feasts2 on which days his
 nourishment was but a little bread  and
 water1 and he gave himself the         
discipline to blood4 ,during all her    
novenas1 he performed some abstinence or
 good work in her honour4 ,when  he was 
allowed by his ,superior1 he spent the  
night preceding her  festivals prostrate
 before her altar in fervent prayer4 ,it
 is narrated  by ,fathers ,petrella and 
,giovenale that the ,blessed ,virgin1   
touched by  the love of her servant1    
appeared to him during one of those     
nights1  and enriched him with favours  
of many kinds4    ,prayer of ,st4       
,gertrude to the ,sacred ,heart of      
,mary4--,o ,immaculate  ,heart of ,mary1
 ,i have nothing to offer you that is   
worthy of you2 yet  how many thanks     
should ,i not render you for all the    

favours that you  have obtained for me  
from the ,heart of ,jesus6 ,what        
reparation should ,i  not offer you for 
my languor during ,divine service6 ,i   
would wish to  render you love for love3
 the only good that ,i possess is the   
,sacred  ,heart of ,jesus1 which you    
have yourself given to me4 ,i offer you1
  then1 this treasure of infinite       
value--,i can do nothing more1 and      
nothing less do you merit from me4      
,accept1 then1 this gift1 which is  so  
dear to you2 and nothing more do ,i     
desire except that you will  deign to   
accept1 also1 my poor heart4 ,amen4     
,ejaculation4--,mother of ,good         
,counsel1 pray for me4                  
,practice4--,make a sincere act of      
contrition for the time that you  have  
spent away from ,god4        ,,fourth   
,,day4    ,,fidelity ,,of ,,mary ,,in   
,,following ,,the ,,call ,,of ,,god4    
,,let us consider in this meditation the
 punctual care with which ,mary  always 
followed her vocation4    ,god had      

uttered in her ears1 or rather in the   
interior of her heart1  the words of the
 psalm3 ,audi ,fili1 inclina aurem tuam1
 et obliviscere  populum tuum1 et domum 
patris tui et concupiscet rex decorem   
tuum--  ',hearken1 my child1 incline    
thine ear to ,me2 forget thy people and 
thy  father's house1 and the ,king shall
 desire thy beauty4'    ,ponder         
attentively these words3 ',hearken1     
child'--,audi ,fili4 ,they  imply that1 
in order to hear well1 it is necessary  
to listen1 first1  very                 
attentively--'inclina aurem tuam2' it is
 to the humble alone  that ,god deigns  
to make known ,his ,will4 ',forget thy  
people and thy  fathers house1 and the  
,king will greatly desire thy beauty4'  
,this is  as if ,he would say1 do not   
confine thyself to listening to the word
 of  inspiration1 and abasing thyself in
 order that thou mayest understand  it1 
but further strip thy heart of all      
affection for thy country and  thy      
relations1 and then ,i shall be         

delighted with thy beauty4 ,o1 holy  and
 ,divine seed which our ,lord sows in   
the hearts of so many6 ,and yet  how    
many there are who hear the ,divine     
call1 without making one step  to leave 
their country and go whither ,god calls 
them6 ,diligence is  taken to examine   
and consider attentively whether the    
inspiration  comes from ,god1 or from   
the enemy of all good1 or if it be the  
deception of self-love2 and meanwhile1  
through our own fault1 the  ,divine     
vocation fails in its effect4 ,i do not 
wish to condemn the  considerations     
which ought to be made in order to      
discern well the  nature of the         
inspiration4 ,by no means2 but after    
having made your  examen with           
simplicity1 in the presence of ,god1 and
 recognised ,his  voice1 go forth       
quickly and enter the land which ,he    
points out to you4  ,listen no longer to
 so many discourses and reasonings      
suggested by the  spirit of the world1  
because procrastination under such      

circumstances  exposes you to very      
serious dangers4 ,do not1 then1 lull    
yourself to  sleep1 but follow          
diligently the ,divine attraction4      
,with what assiduity and with what      
solicitude did not the glorious  ,virgin
 obey the sacred call of ,god6 ,she had 
no need of protracted  self-examination1
 because she was endowed with the grace 
of  discernment4 ,therefore1 although   
but a child1 she repaired without  delay
 whither her ,god led her1 and the ,king
 of ,heaven1 won by her  beauty1 chose  
her not only for ,his ,spouse1 but also 
for ,his ,mother4  ',blessed are they   
that hear the word of ,god and keep it4'
    ,certainly1 all are not called to   
follow the same path1 and yet they  may 
all follow the ,divine inspirations4 ,we
 will explain4 ,the ,church  may be     
considered as the ,court of a great     
,prince or ,king1 in whose  kingdom are 
many vassals or under-lords4 ,all these 
vassals are invited  to ,court1 and all 
share in the favours of their           

,sovereign1 but  differently4 ,some are 
favoured in a very special manner1 and  
,he treats  them with greater confidence
 than the rest1 and repeats to them ,his
  secrets4 ,but besides the graces which
 ,he grants in general to all the       
members of ,his ,church1 to some amongst
 them ,he bestows more precious         
favours2 for instance1 religious        
persons1 whom ,he admits into ,his      
,cabinet--that is to say1 into holy     
religion--in order to entertain         
,himself with them familiarly1 and      
disclose ,his secrets to them in the    
closest union of ,heart4    ,amongst    
those who have received this grace1 the 
,most ,holy ,virgin has  been singularly
 privileged1 ,our ,lord having made     
known to her secrets  and mysteries     
which have been revealed to no other    
creature4 ,happy was  she to have heard 
the word of ,god and kept it1 and how   
happy also will  you be1 pious souls1 if
 you endeavour1 in imitation of her1 to 
follow  promptly the inspirations by    

which ,god manifests to you ,his ,most  
,holy  ,will6    ,i am well aware that  
for many it is necessary that they      
should live in  the world4 ,these       
persons should use1 but not abuse the   
riches1 honours  and dignities which    
they are allowed by the law of ,god to  
possess2 and  if they endeavour1 in the 
use of these possessions1 to conform    
their  affections to the commandments of
 ,god1 without following the counsels1  
they will be as truly blessed1 and will 
attain to the joys of eternal  life4    
,there are many persons who wish to     
consecrate themselves to ,god1 but  at  
the same time wish to reserve always    
something for themselves4 ,they  will   
say1 for instance1 ,i will give to ,god 
what belongs to ,god1 and  reserve for  
the world what is due to the world1     
without however doing  what would be an 
offence to ,his ,divine ,majesty1 or    
contrary to ,his  most holy law4 ,such  
as these listen1 it is true1 to the     
inspirations  of ,god1 but do not       

correspond to them with their whole     
heart1 and  although they may be saved1 
yet they never will reach a high degree 
of  perfection and glory4    ,there are 
others who are quite resolved to follow 
steadily the  inspirations and ,will of 
,god1 and also desire to live united to 
,him1  but not in a perfect manner4     
,observe well that there is a great     
difference between being all given to   
,god and wholly given to ,god4  ,these  
persons of whom we speak wish to reserve
 to themselves the  choice at least of  
their spiritual exercises1 in order1 as 
they say1  that they may the better     
serve ,god4 ,but to how much danger of  
being  deceived do not they expose      
themselves6 ,regulating themselves      
according to their own notions1 they    
refuse to submit to others1 and  they   
mark out for themselves a mode of life  
according to their own  caprices4 ,i    
would say to such souls3 ,do you not    
perceive that with  these ideas you do  
not belong wholly to ,god8 ,their answer

 would be3  ,but ,i act so in order to  
serve ,god4 ,but this is not the example
 that  our most ,blessed ,lady1 the     
glorious ,virgin1 gives us4 ,on the day 
of  her presentation she consecrated    
herself to ,god entirely1 without any   
reserve1 and never again made use of her
 own will or choice4 ,o  faithful souls1
 you ought continually to keep before   
your eyes the  life of our dear ,lady1  
and meditate upon it1 so as to be able  
to  conform all your actions and        
affections to this perfect model4 ,you  
are  her children1 and therefore you    
ought to follow her1 to imitate her1    
and make use of her as a mirror in which
 you should always view and  study      
yourselves well4 ,the sweetness which   
will flow from the  consideration of her
 virtues will be received in earthen    
vessels2  nevertheless1 its fragrance   
will be none the less sweet4 ,the balsam
  that is contained in an earthen vase  
is as sweet as that in a vase of        
crystal4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4      

,most yellow flowers keep turned        
continually to the sun1 but the         
sunflower turns not only its flowers but
 also its leaves towards the  great     
luminary4 ,in like manner the elect turn
 the flower of their  hearts--that is1  
their obedience--to the commands of     
,god's will4--,st4  ,francis of ,sales4 
,the virtues of the friends of ,god are 
ennobled and raised to the  dignity of  
holy works by the excellence of the     
heart which produces  them4 ,all their  
virtuous actions are dedicated to ,god1 
for how can a  heart that has given ,him
 itself not give to ,him all that       
belongs to  it8 ,does not he who gives a
 whole tree give also the leaves1 and   
flowers1 and fruit8--,the same4    ,the 
rose possesses the property of killing  
by its odour all the snails  that come  
around it4 ,similarly1 the devout soul1 
who is as a rose  before ,god1 should   
chase away and destroy all the creeping 
things that  gather around her          
heart--that is to say1 the coldness and 

tepidity  which are an obstacle to her  
advancement in the way of ,god4--,the   
same4    ,,example4    ,lamps and       
,candles burnt in ,honour of ,mary4     
,it is a custom amongst ,catholics to   
have lamps or candles burning upon      
altars1 or before pictures of the august
 ,mother of ,god for one1 or  three1 or 
nine consecutive days1 so as to obtain  
spiritual or temporal  favours4 ,this   
touching practice1 springing from the   
love of ,mary1  comes down from the     
remotest antiquity4 ,oil and wax1 as all
 know1 have  a deep signification4 ,the 
flame is a symbol of the vivacity of our
  faith and of the firmness of our      
confidence2 fire symbolizes the  ardour 
of charity1 and the ascent of the flame 
is a type of our hope4  ,these flames   
intimate that we must keep the fire of  
charity ever  burning in our hearts1 so 
as to be always ready to receive our    
,divine  ,master whensoever ,he shall   
call us to the nuptials of the ,lamb4   
,lamps  lighted before the statues or   

pictures of ,mary represent to us more  
specially the prayer of intercession1   
which goes direct to the ,heart  of     
,god4 ,they awaken a singular emotion in
 the heart of him who has  faith4 ,the  
oil that feeds the flame has often cost 
the poor man the  sweat of hard labour1 
but he thinks little of this voluntary  
sacrifice1 because it was the fruit of  
love4 ,no one who has not  visited      
,italy1 and in particular ,rome and     
,naples1 can form an idea of  the honour
 that is paid to the ,blessed ,virgin4  
,you will find her image  on all the    
roadsides1 in the public squares1 houses
 and shops1 with  lamps1 often many at a
 time1 burning before them1 and the     
amount of  oil that is consumed in this 
manner is considerable4 ,this is a      
voluntary contribution of the poor as   
well as of the rich1 and it is  an      
expense that every pious family         
considers as necessary as their  daily  
bread4 ,at ,rome there exists a sweet   
custom of writing a short  prayer1 often

 with the indulgence attached to its    
repetition1 under  each image or        
picture1 and it is repeated by the      
passers-by4 ,who can  say how many      
passions are repressed1 how many unhappy
 creatures  consoled1 and how many hopes
 aroused by this short invocation8      
,prayer of ,st4 ,germanus4--,o you1 who 
are1 after ,god1 my powerful            
protectress and my true consolation in  
this world1 you who are the  celestial  
dew that sweetens my pains2 the light of
 my soul when  plunged in darkness1 my  
guide in my journeys1 my strength in my 
weaknesses1 my treasure in poverty1 the 
remedy of my wounds1 my joy in  all my  
sorrows1 my refuge in all dangers1 the  
hope of my life and of  my salvation1   
deign to hear my prayers1 to take an    
interest in my  woes1 and to show me    
that compassion which peculiarly belongs
 to the  ,mother of a ,god ,who         
entertains such love and goodness       
towards men4 ,he  is their ,father1 and 
,he has constituted you their ,mother4  

,ah6 place me  then amongst the number  
of your dearest children1 and obtain for
 me  from ,god all the graces which you 
know to be necessary for the  salvation 
of my soul4 ,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,o 
,mary6 be my guiding star4              
,practice4--,examine what has been your 
fidelity in following your  vocation1   
and how its obligations have been       
fulfilled4        ,,fifth ,,day4        
,,mary ,,is ,a ,,model ,,to ,,religious 
,,persons ,,in ,,her ,,presentation ,,in
 ,,the  ,,temple4 #a    ,,god had       
commanded all the ,hebrews to visit the 
,temple1 but all1 rich  and poor1 were  
forbidden to enter it empty-handed3 ,non
 apparetis in  conspectu meo vacuus4    
,the offering1 however1 was not the same
 for  all4 ,the rich were to give       
according to their riches1 the poor     
according to their poverty1 and thus all
 were able to observe the  precept4     
,from this we may understand that when  
seculars come to ,god  and offer ,him   
the desire and will1 they entertain to  

follow and  observe ,his ,divine        
commandments4 ,he will be satisfied with
 this  offering1 and if they put it in  
practice faithfully1 they will obtain   
eternal life4 ,but let those souls who  
are rich in means for doing  great      
things for the glory of ,god1 such as   
religious persons1 beware  lest they    
present themselves with the offering of 
the poor--that is1  of seculars2 for    
,god will not be satisfied with such an 
offering4 ,our  ,lord1 in calling you1  
my dear sisters1 into ,holy ,religion1  
enriched  you with ,his graces1 and on  
this account ,he requires much from you2
  that is1 ,he will have your offering  
to be of all that you are1 and of  all  
that you possess1 without any reserve4  
,the ,blessed ,virgin1 in her           
,presentation1 made an offering pleasing
 to  ,god2 offered not only the dignity 
of her person 7the most excellent       
amongst pure creatures71 but all that   
she possessed4 ,how happy are the       
,religious who1 by means of their vows1 

have consecrated all to ,god1           
dedicating to ,him their bodies1 their  
hearts1 and all that they  possess2     
renouncing riches by the vow of poverty1
 pleasures by the vow  of chastity1 and 
their whole will by the vow of          
obedience6 ,worldlings1  you may enjoy  
your riches if you will1 but do not     
abuse them1 nor  wrong anyone4 ,the     
pleasures that ,holy ,church permits are
 lawful2 you  are not prohibited in a   
thousand circumstances from following   
your own  will1 provided it be not      
contrary to that of ,god4 ,but you1     
,religious1  should offer all to ,god1  
without any reserve4 ,he wishes your    
offering  to be entire1 such as is the  
gift ,he makes to you of ,himself in the
  ,divine ,sacrament of the ,altar4     
,forget not that you cannot deceive     
,him1  and if you say that you wish to  
consecrate yourselves perfectly to ,his 
,divine ,majesty1 and do not really do  
so1 you are in danger of being  punished
 like ,ananias and ,sapphira1 who lied  

to the ,holy ,ghost4    ,now1 the       
,blessed ,virgin was always perfectly   
obedient to the ,will of  ,god1 from the
 first instant of her conception1       
without ever changing  or suspending for
 a moment the resolution she had formed 
to serve ,him4    ,do we not daily      
experience how changeable is man in his 
good  resolutions8 ,how often1 even in  
one hour1 do we not like and dislike    
the same thing1 and allow ourselves to  
be moved by excessive joy or  excessive 
sadness6 ,this was not the case with    
,our ,lady2 she hourly  became more     
perfectly united to ,god1 and merited   
fresh graces1 and the  more she         
received1 the more did she render her   
soul worthy to receive  them4 ,by these 
means she was always strengthening her  
first  resolution1 so that the only     
change that could have been perceptible 
in her was the progress she made from   
one degree of perfection to  another1   
through the practice of every virtue4   
,it was for this purpose  that she      

wished to retire into the ,temple1 not  
through any need she  had of this       
retreat1 for her perseverance was       
assured by her  consecration at the     
first moment of her existence1 but in   
order to  instruct us1 who are so       
changeable and inconstant1 that it is   
our duty  to make use of every means in 
our power to strengthen and preserve our
  good resolutions4    ,imitate the     
,most ,holy ,virgin also in this4       
,dedicate1 therefore1  yourselves       
entirely to ,god2 and whenever you renew
 your consecration1  you will acquire   
new strength and vigour in the service  
of ,his ,divine  ,majesty4 ,renew your  
resolutions1 renew them frequently and  
with  fidelity1 to the end of your life4
 ,this was the careful practice of  all 
the ,saints of both the ,old and of the 
,new ,testament4 ,our nature is  of     
itself weak and easily depressed when   
there is a question of  virtuous        
resolutions4 ,the earth itself has its  
periods of weakness1  and refuses to be 

always yielding its produce2 so it lies 
barren in  winter4 ,but when the spring 
arrives it renews itself1 and having    
recovered fresh vigour1 it gives us the 
benefit of its fruits4    ,for this     
reason ,holy ,church1 like a wise       
,mother1 puts before us from  time to   
time1 during the course of the year1    
special festivals1 to  animate us to    
renew our good resolutions4 ,who will   
not renew his soul  on the solemn       
festivals of ,easter1 ,pentecost1 and   
,christmas1 by holy  affections and firm
 resolutions to live more virtuously8   
,but besides  the observance of all     
these festivals1 it has ever been a     
laudable  custom for persons more       
especially consecrated to ,god1 such as 
,religious1 to choose one day in        
particular during the course of the     
year upon which to renew their vows1 and
 by so doing to obey the great          
,apostle1 who counsels us to confirm our
 vocation4    ,divine ,providence has   
permitted for our instruction1 that ,our

 ,lady  should renew in her             
,presentation the sacrifice which she   
had made of  her whole self at the      
moment of her ,immaculate ,conception4  
,do you1  then1 religious souls1 make   
this renewal in imitation of her1 and do
  it with great fervour of spirit1 with 
profound humility1 and ardent  charity4 
,place your hearts1 your souls1 and your
 entire being in the  hands of this     
,holy ,virgin2 she will present you to  
the ,most ,holy  ,trinity1 and you will 
obtain a thousand blessings in this     
life1 and  will be enabled to arrive at 
eternal glory in the next4      #a ,it  
is an ancient and well-grounded         
tradition that ,mary was led to  the    
,temple to be presented to the ,lord at 
three years of age1 and that  she dwelt 
in that sacred abode until the age of   
fourteen that is to  say1 as long as was
 permitted by the laws of the           
,sanhedrim4 ,st4  ,bonaventure relates  
to us the life led by the ,most ,holy   
,virgin in that  voluntary retirement4  

',we may learn1' says this ,father1     
'what ,mary did  in the ,temple from her
 own revelations to one of her faithful 
servants1 supposed to be ,st4           
,elizabeth4' ,amongst other things we   
read  as follows3 ',as soon as ,i was   
left in the ,temple by my parents1 ,i   
determined in my heart to look upon ,god
 as my ,father4 ,i often  considered    
what ,i could do to merit ,his grace1   
and ,i began to instruct  myself in ,his
 holy law4 ,but of all the ,divine      
precepts1 these three  principally      
occupied my attention3 7#a7 ,thou shalt 
love the ,lord thy  ,god with thy whole 
heart1 with all thy soul1 and with all  
thy  strength2 7#b7 thou shalt love thy 
neighbour as thyself2 7#c7 thou shalt   
hate thy enemy4    ',i kept the         
commandments in my heart1 and ,i quietly
 embraced all the  virtues that they    
contain4 ,it is thus that ,i wish you to
 conduct  yourself4 ,in fact1 the soul  
can possess no virtue whatever if it do 
not love ,god with all its powers1      

because it is from this love alone  that
 the fulness of grace 7without which    
virtue will never be  preserved in the  
soul7 descends to us2 but it will pass  
like running  water and vanish if the   
soul hates not its enemies1 which are   
sin  and vice4 ,he who desires to       
acquire and preserve grace must accustom
  his heart1 then1 to the exercise of   
this love and of this hatred1 and  it is
 in this that ,i wish to be imitated by 
you4'    ,the faithful servant of ,mary1
 having heard these words1 replied3 ',my
  sweetest ,lady1 wast thou not already 
full of grace and virtue8' ,the         
,blessed ,virgin replied3 ',be certain  
that ,i believed myself to be the       
vilest sinner1 and1 like you1 unworthy  
of grace4 ,you perhaps believe1  my     
daughter1 that all the grace which ,i   
possessed was acquired without          
difficulty4 ,but it was not so4 ,on the 
contrary1 ,i received no grace or       
favour without constant prayer1 ardent  
desire1 deep devotion1 and many  tears1 

with long afflictions1 excepting1       
however1 the grace of  sanctification1  
which was given to me from my conception
 in my  mother's womb1 and1 as far as ,i
 knew1 ,i never said or thought of      
anything but what was pleasing to my    
,god4' ,she added3 ',be assured also    
that no grace descends into the soul1   
except through the channel of  prayer   
and corporal mortification4 ,but as soon
 as we have given to ,god  all that we  
possess1 ,he ,himself comes quickly to  
dwell within us1  bringing with ,him    
such inestimable gifts that the soul    
feels her heart  to fail2 she loses the 
remembrance of having ever done or said 
anything acceptable to ,god1 and she    
becomes more and more vile and          
contemptible in her own eyes4'--,maria  
,regina e ,madre ,dei ,santi1 by        
l',abate ,guyard1 ,vic4 ,gen4 of        
,montalbano4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4  
,flowers fade quickly if they are much  
handled1 but if they are not  touched   
they may be preserved a long time4--,a  

,kempis4    ,the root of the plant is   
hidden under ground and trodden under   
foot2  it has neither odour nor beauty1 
and yet it gives life to the flower4    
,thus a humble soul may1 like ,mary1 be 
despised1 it may be trodden  upon1      
forgotten2 but this is the way for it to
 produce flowers and  fruits for eternal
 life4--,nouet4    ,the lily is the     
symbol of chastity2 it preserves its    
whiteness and  sweetness in the midst of
 thorns1 so long as it is left          
untouched1 but  as soon as ever it is   
plucked it emits so overpowering an     
odour that  it causes headache4--,st4   
,francis of ,sales4    ,whiteness is not
 an essential property of the           
rose--indeed1 red roses  are more       
beautiful and of sweeter odour2 but it  
is the property of the  lily4 ,let us   
endeavour to be what we are1 and as     
justly and perfectly  as possible1 that 
we may do honour to our ,maker4--,the   
same4    ,,example4    ,the edifying    
,death of ,st4 ,jane ,frances de        

,chantal4    ,it was on the ,feast of   
the ,immaculate ,conception of ,mary    
that this  ,saint was attacked by the   
first serious symptoms of her fatal     
illness4  ,on the eve of the feast she  
was in the refectory1 and after the     
blessing of the table she knelt down1   
and with her arms in the form of  a     
cross repeated twice these words3 ,o    
,mater ,dei1 memento mei4 ,she  then    
commented upon these words thus3 ',holy 
,mother of ,god1 by your  ,immaculate   
,conception1 remember me and assist me  
always1 especially at  the hour of my   
death4' ,she remained for a long time   
afterwards in the  same posture1        
absorbed in profound recollection4      
,the following day she was confined to  
her bed to rise no more4 ,her  illness  
increasing every hour1 she knew that her
 end approached1 and  thought only of   
preparing herself to appear before ,god4
 ,she received  the last ,sacraments    
with striking fervour1 and preserved her
 calmness  and serenity amidst the tears

 and sobs of all the community4 ,during 
her intense sufferings she was heard to 
address the following prayer  to the    
,most ,holy ,virgin3 ',o ,mary1 ,mother 
of ,grace1 ,mother of ,mercy1  defend me
 from the snares of the infernal enemy1 
and receive my soul  into your hands at 
the moment of my death4' ,she kept a    
picture of her  ,protectress always near
 her bed2 and when her speech failed she
 made  great efforts to turn her eyes   
frequently towards this dear picture1   
and before she breathed her last asked  
to kiss it once more1 and to  have it   
buried with her in the tomb4            
,prayer4--,o ,mary1 the purest of       
,virgins6 terrified at my weakness and  
at the dangers that surround me1 ,i     
recommend to thy loving care with  all  
confidence the chastity of my soul and  
body4 ,permit me not1 ,o  ,queen of the 
,angels1 to be defiled by the least     
stain after having  been adorned with   
purity and innocence1 like a vessel of  
honour and  glory4 ,banish from my heart

 all sensual desires1 evil thoughts1 and
  irregular affections4 ,to thy love1 ,o
 my good ,mother1 do ,i confide my      
heart2 purify it1 render it worthy to be
 offered to thy ,beloved ,son1  that1   
having here on earth imitated thee in   
the most beautiful of thy  virtues1 ,i  
may enjoy with thee for ever in heaven  
the happiness  promised to the clean of 
heart4 ,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,grant1 
,o my ,god1 that through ,mary ,i may   
belong  entirely to ,jesus6             
,practice4--,if you should meet with any
 contradiction to-day1  preserve your   
peace of soul4        ,,sixth ,,day4    
,,the ,,annunciation ,,of ,,the ,,most  
,,holy ,,virgin4    ,,we read in the    
,gospel that the ,angel ,gabriel visited
 ,our ,lady in the  town of ,nazareth2  
and1 as the word ',nazareth' signifies  
'flowers1'  well is the ,church         
represented in this town6 ,what1 in     
fact1 is the  ,church but a house or a  
town adorned with flowers8 ,all actions 
performed according to her laws are as  

so many flowers4  ,mortifications1      
humiliations1 prayers--in short1 all    
pious exercises  are acts of virtue1    
which1 like most beautiful flowers1     
diffuse a  pleasing fragrance before    
,god4 ,most justly1 then1 may we call   
the  ,christian religion a garden of    
flowers1 that are delightful to the     
sight and most salutary to those who    
breathe the air impregnated by  their   
fragrance4 ,our ,lady herself was a     
flower distinguished for  beauty and    
excellence above all other flowers--a   
flower of  incomparable fragrance1      
possessed of the power of producing many
 other  flowers3 ,hortus conclusus1     
soror mea1 sponsa--',thou1' says the    
sacred ,spouse in the ,canticles1 'art a
 garden enclosed3' a garden  all studded
 with the most magnificent flowers that 
can be produced4  ,now1 tell me to whom 
belong so many charming and             
sweet-scented  flowers1 with which the  
,church is so gloriously adorned1 but to
 the  ,most ,holy ,virgin1 since they   

were produced by her example8 ,it is    
through her that ,holy ,church is so    
well furnished with roses in the        
martyrs who were invincible in their    
constancy2 with every kind of  flower1  
in the confessors who were nursed in her
 bosom2 and with sweet  violets1 in so  
many holy widows1 who lowly1 humble1 and
 hidden1  diffuse the most odoriferous  
sweetness4 ,in fine1 is it indeed not to
  her that belong1 in a special manner1 
so many lilies of purity and  spotless  
virginity1 innocent souls1 bright and   
clear as a resplendent  mirror8 ,there  
can be no doubt1 that if so many virgins
 have  consecrated their hearts and     
bodies to ,his ,divine ,majesty1 by     
indissoluble vows1 it was that they     
might imitate the example of the  ,most 
,holy ,virgin4    ,she was the first to 
consecrate her body1 her heart1 and her 
whole  self to ,god1 by the vow of      
virginity4 ,hardly had she been drawn by
  ,god than she quickly drew after her a
 large number of souls who  consecrated 

themselves to ,god in like manner1 under
 her sacred  auspices1 in order that    
they might run in the way of inviolable 
chastity and virginity3 ,adducentur regi
 virgines post eam4 ,you1  beloved      
souls1 were seen by the glorious        
,virgin1 when she exclaimed3            
,curremus--',we shall run1 thus assuring
 her ,beloved that many would  follow   
her standard1 and that under her        
protection they might combat  and       
vanquish every kind of enemy4    ,what  
an honour for us to be able to walk     
under the standard of the  ,queen of    
,virgins6 ,our ,lady is undoubtedly the 
honour1 the ,protectress1  and model of 
all ,christians1 of men and women of all
 classes who live  virtuously2 yet1     
undoubtedly1 young virgins contract by  
their  virginity a closer alliance with 
her than other ,christians1 for their   
resemblance to her in purity enables    
them more easily and more closely  to   
approach her4 #a    ,it is said that    
when the ,angel came down from heaven to

 venerate the  spotless ,virgin1 and    
announce to her the ,incarnation of the 
,son of ,god  in her most chaste womb1  
she was alone in her room4 ,faithful    
souls are  here instructed to have a    
love of retirement from the world1 but  
this  is not enough2 they ought also to 
retire within themselves that they  may 
lead a solitary life1 and thus render   
themselves better prepared  to enjoy the
 conversation of their ,beloved4 ,each  
should look upon his  heart as a        
celestial cabinet where he lives alone  
with ,him4 ,o faithful  souls1 if you   
conceal yourselves thus1 the ,angels    
will know how to  find you1 as the      
,archangel ,gabriel found ,mary because 
she was alone4    ,nothing should be so 
pleasing to holy virgins and to true    
,religious as  this state of withdrawal1
 because they then contemplate better   
the  beauty of their ,divine ,spouse    
dwelling in the depths of their hearts4 
,on this account the ,psalmist said that
 ',all the beauty of the ,king's        

,daughter is within'--,omnis gloria     
filiae regis ab intus4 ,the  greatest   
diligence is necessary to preserve and  
increase this interior  beauty1 and at  
the same time to guard it continually   
from everything  that could tarnish it1 
remembering that although men see only  
the  exterior1 the ,divine ,spouse      
penetrates into the inmost recesses of  
the  heart4 ,this is the motive which   
induces the loving spouse 7,i speak of  
a soul consecrated to the ,divine       
service1 in order to please ,god        
alone71 to live retired within her own  
heart1 and thus prepare an  acceptable  
abode for ,his ,divine ,majesty4 ,it is 
on this account that  solitude is so    
much recommended to religious persons2  
its utility is  seen by the diligence   
with which ,our ,lady practised it1 and 
which  merited for her the sublime      
privilege of being chosen to be the     
,mother  of ,god6    ,our ,lord being   
the only rest of those who have         
abandoned all worldly  cares in order to

 listen to ,him speaking to their hearts
 in solitude1  it follows that if they  
do not attend to the interior word of   
,jesus  ,christ that solitude becomes a 
long martyrdom to them4 ,instead of     
being the habitation of peace and       
tranquillity their solitude is a  cause 
of sadness and disquiet4    ,those who  
lead like ,martha a life of great       
activity may still enjoy  the           
tranquillity of ,mary1 if they are      
careful to refer all their works  to    
,god3 this one aim being the eye which  
touches the heart of the  ,divine       
,spouse4 ,in order not to lose the      
security of our habitation1  we must    
seek it1 not so much in a cell1 as in   
,god ,himself4 ,thrice  happy are they  
who dwell in this ,house1 which not only
 belongs to ,god1  but is ,god ,himself1
 for ,he will be their abiding rest     
throughout ages  of ages4      #a ,it is
 the opinion of a ,doctor of the ,church
 that the ,holy ,virgin  ,mary          
instituted some congregations of young  

girls1 and that when she  lived at      
,ephesus with the ,apostle ,st4 ,john   
she gave rules and  constitutions to one
 of them4 ,how happy were those         
,religious to have  been instituted by  
the ,queen of ,doctors1 who gathered her
 wisdom from  her ,son1 who is the      
,wisdom of the ,eternal                 
,father6--',month of ,mary4'  ,st4      
,francis of ,sales4      ,,spiritual    
,,flowers4    ,whatever flower the bee  
rests upon1 it always extracts honey    
from it4  ,so will it be with an        
interior soul3 if she never leave her   
home but  when it is necessary for the  
glory of ,god1 she will always return to
  it laden with the honey of good       
works4--,a ,father of the ,desert4      
,when grace speaks it is time to act1   
not to hold discourse4 ,long  prayers   
unaccompanied by mortification are      
nothing in the sight of  ,god1 but time 
spent uselessly4--,st4 ,teresa4         
,whoever abandons prayer casts himself  
into hell4--,the same4    ,holy prayer  

is a water of benediction1 which        
refreshes the plants of  our good       
desires and makes them flourish4 ,it    
washes our souls from  their            
imperfections1 and extinguishes the fire
 of passion in our  hearts4--,st4       
,francis of ,sales4    ,,example4       
,st4 ,bernard's ,love for ,mary4    ,the
 luminous star of the ,middle ,ages1    
,st4 ,bernard1 who was the soul of  the 
,crusades instituted for the defence of 
religion and of civilized  ,europe1 the 
counsellor of ,bishops1 ,popes1 and     
,kings1 may be said to  have had infused
 into him at his baptism a special      
devotion to the  ,most ,holy ,virgin4   
,in his tenderest infancy he leaped for 
joy when he  saw by chance a picture of 
,mary1 or when he heard her name        
pronounced4  ,he was ever thinking of   
her1 and wished everyone to be speaking 
to him  always of her4 ,to correct in   
him those defects which are common to   
childhood1 it sufficed to tell him that 
such and such a thing was  displeasing  

to ,mary1 and he immediately took care  
not to repeat the  fault1 and he eagerly
 embraced those practices of piety which
 he was  told were dear to her4 ,she1 on
 her side1 did not delay to manifest the
  care she took of him1 and undoubtedly 
the great love he had for holy  purity  
was a special gift from the ,queen of   
,virgins4 ,other favours1  however1 were
 in store for him in the hands of his   
powerful  benefactress4    ,on          
,christmas ,eve the young ,bernard was  
waiting in the church with his          
relations for the commencement of the   
midnight service1 when1 having  inclined
 his head1 he fell into a kind of       
ecstasy1 and saw in spirit1  by means of
 supernatural light1 the mystery of     
,bethlehem1 and he  quietly contemplated
 the ,divine ,infant miraculously born  
from the  virginal womb of ,his ,mother4
 ,this vision penetrated him with so    
warm a  feeling of gratitude towards    
,jesus and ,mary1 that he immediately   
promised to consecrate himself entirely 

to their love and service  henceforth4  
,the writings of ,st4 ,bernard breathe a
 tender piety towards  ,mary1 and unite 
all the most beautiful and moving       
expressions of love  and veneration for 
her1 which were written in former ages1 
and he  united in his heart all the     
affections of the most zealous of her   
servants4 ,with what respect1           
confidence1 and love towards this good  
,mother are we penetrated when we read  
the pious works that he has  written for
 her glory6 ,his emotion1 when under the
 influence of these  sentiments1        
frequently rapt him in ecstasy4         
,prayer of ,st4 ,andrew of              
,crete4--,hail1 ,mary1 full of grace1   
the ,lord  is with you6 ,hail you1 ,o   
source of our joy6 through you the      
sentence  of our condemnation was       
changed into a sentence of benediction6 
,hail1  ,o ,temple of the glory of ,god1
 sacred dwelling of the ,king of the    
heavenly kingdom6 ,you are truly blessed
 amongst all women1 because you  were   

chosen to be the ,mother of your        
,creator1 and all nations shall  call   
you blessed4    ,o ,mary1 ,i place in   
you a holy confidence1 and from you ,i  
expect my  salvation4 ,i shall walk     
without fear in the midst of all my     
enemies1  if you will deign to number me
 amongst those whom you protect4        
,sincere  love of you is the safest     
weapon with which to fight and overcome2
  number me1 then1 amongst your         
children1 for ,i have chosen you for my 
tender ,mother4 ,amen4                  
,ejaculation4--,sub tuum praesidium     
confugimus1 sancta ,dei ,genitrix--,we  
put ourselves under your powerful       
protection1 ,o ,holy ,mother of ,god6   
,practice4--,recite to-day the ,angelus 
with great fervour4        ,,seventh    
,,day4    ,,the ,,excellence ,,of ,,the 
,,virginity ,,of ,,mary4    ,,let us    
consider attentively the virtues that   
were practised by the  ,most ,holy      
,virgin on the day of her glorious      
,annunciation4 ,the first  was virginity

 and purity so perfect that nothing can 
be compared to it  amongst the purest   
creatures4 ,secondly1 a most profound   
humility1  united with a most ardent    
charity4    ,although the angelic virtue
 of perfect chastity belongs more       
particularly to ,angels than to men1    
nevertheless1 ,our ,lady infinitely     
surpassed all the ,angels in this       
virtue1 because it possessed three      
great excellences not conceded to the   
,angels4    ,the first is that in ,mary 
it is fruitful1 whilst in the ,angels it
 is  sterile4 ,the virginity of ,mary is
 not only fruitful in having produced   
and borne the sweet fruit of life1 our  
,blessed ,saviour1 but it is  fruitful  
also because it produces a multitude of 
virgins1 for 7as we  observed in the    
preceding consideration7 if so many     
young persons  dedicate and consecrate  
their purity to ,god1 it is that they   
may  follow her example4 ,but the pure  
virginity of ,mary not only possesses   
the property of being fruitful1 it can  

also restore virginal purity in  those  
souls who have defiled this virtue by   
the contrary vice4 ,in her  lifetime she
 had already called many virgins to     
follow her1 who became  her inseparable 
companions2 among others1 ,st4 ,martha  
and ,st4 ,marcella4  ,but it was also   
through her means that ,st4 ,mary       
,magdalen1 who had been  the scandal of 
,jerusalem1 was enrolled after her      
conversion under the  standard of       
virginal purity1 and became like a      
brilliant crystal vase1  capable of     
receiving and containing the most       
precious waters of grace4    ,the       
virginity of ,our ,lady1 therefore1 is  
not sterile1 like that of the  ,angels1 
but it is so fruitful that from the     
moment she vowed it to  ,god1 until the 
present time1 it has always borne its   
fruit4 ,a soul  that is perfectly       
dedicated to the service of ,god is     
never alone2 many  others1 drawn by the 
sweetness of its perfumes1 flock after  
to copy  its example4 ,it is on this    

account that the ,spouse says to her    
,beloved3 ,trahe me post te1            
curremus--',draw me and we shall run4'  
,secondly1 the virginity and chastity of
 the ,blessed ,virgin surpassed  that of
 the ,angels in this1 that they are     
chaste by nature2 and we do  not1       
properly speaking1 praise a person for  
the gifts of nature1 since  praise is   
not due where there is no merit4 ,but   
the virginity of the  ,most ,holy       
,virgin is1 on the contrary1 worthy of  
praise1 because it was  chosen and      
preferred by her1 and consecrated by her
 to ,god4 ,although  she was united in  
marriage to ,st4 ,joseph1 it was without
 any prejudice  to her virginity1       
because he to whom she was espoused had 
also  consecrated his virginity to ,god4
    ,thirdly1 the virginity of ,our     
,lady surpassed that of the ,angels1    
because it was subjected to the severest
 trials1 whilst that of the  ,angels    
could never be tempted or tried4 ,in    
this sense ,st4 ,augustine1  addressing 

the ,angels1 says3 ',it is not difficult
 for you1 ,o blessed  spirits6 to be    
pure and remain virgins1 because you    
neither are1 nor  can be1 tempted4'     
,some may1 perhaps1 wonder that ,i have 
said that the purity of ,our ,lady  was 
exposed to the severest trials2 and yet 
so it was4 ,but we must not  suppose    
that these trials were similar to our   
own4 ,as she was all  purity1 these     
assaults could not be like our own4 ,the
 temptations  which come to us1 who1    
unhappily1 bear their incentives within 
our  hearts1 could never have ventured  
to approach that wall of her  virginal  
integrity4 ,but was it not a great trial
 for ,our ,lady when the  ,angel        
appeared to her in human form8 ,and did 
she not manifest this in  the fear and  
perturbation which assailed her1 so that
 the ,angel was  obliged to reassure her
 in these words3 ,ne timeas1            
,maria--',fear not1  ,mary'8 ,by them he
 wished to remove the disquiet which her
 virginal  purity suffered2 it was as if

 he were to say3 ,you see me in human   
form1 but ,i am no man1 nor do ,i come  
to you on the part of any man4          
,modesty1 says a holy ,doctor1 is1 as it
 were1 the sacristan of  chastity4 ,the 
sacristan of a church keeps an eye      
always to the altars1  that nothing may 
be stolen1 and he fastens the door with 
care4 ,in like  manner virginal souls   
are jealous to preserve this virtue     
unspotted1  and no sooner do they       
perceive danger1 or even the shadow of  
danger1  than they are quickly alarmed4 
,thus it was with the ,most ,blessed    
,virgin1 who was not only the ,virgin   
par excellence of all in heaven  and on 
earth1 but also the most humble of all1 
and she manifested in  this mystery of  
the ,annunciation1 the most sublime act 
of humility  that a pure creature could 
make4 ,when she heard herself called by 
the  ,angel full of grace1 and received 
the announcement that she should  become
 the ,mother of a ,son ,who was to be   
both ,god and ,man1 she was  troubled1  

and filled with fear2 because1 although 
she had conversed  familiarly with the  
,angels1 she had never heard them utter 
a single  word in her praise4    ,the   
,most ,holy ,virgin would here teach us 
the dangers to which purity  is exposed 
by the desire of praise4 ,humility is   
the inseparable and  necessary companion
 of virginity1 which could not long be  
maintained  in a soul that was not      
humble4 ,it is true that in persons who 
live in  the world one of these virtues 
may subsist without the other1 as we    
see in the married life1 but in regard  
to virgins1 it must be  absolutely      
asserted that one who does not profess  
both these virtues  has neither of them 
except in appearance4    ,our ,lady1    
being reassured by the ,angel1 and      
having understood what her  ,lord had   
decreed to work within her1 made a      
sublime act of humility1  saying3 ,ecce 
ancilla ,domini1 fiat mihi secundum     
verbum tuum--',behold  the handmaid of  
the ,lord1 be it done unto me according 

to ,thy word4'  ,it was thus she        
expressed herself at the very moment    
when she saw  herself raised to the     
sublimest dignity that can be imagined4 
,an  incomparable dignity1 indeed1 is   
that of ,mother of ,god1 but it does    
not disturb the humility of ,mary4      
,although she is raised above all       
creatures1 nevertheless she simply      
declares that she is1 and ever will  be1
 the servant of ,his ,divine ,majesty2  
and to show the truth of her  protest   
she adds3 ,fiat mihi secundum verbum    
tuum3 ',be it done unto  me according to
 ,thy word4' ,she abandons herself to   
the ,divine ,will1  and proclaims that  
of her own choice she would never have  
come forth  from her state of humility  
and lowly self-esteem4 ,how well did the
  ,most ,holy ,virgin know that humility
 is ever the inseparable and  necessary 
companion of virginity6    ,although1 as
 we have said1 humility and virginity   
can dwell singly in  persons who live in
 the world1 yet such a separation can   

never be made  between humility and     
charity1 these virtues being absolutely 
inseparable4 ,they are like the ladder  
of ,jacob1 by which the ,angels         
ascended and descended4 ,this was not   
done simultaneously1 but  alternately2  
the ,angels descending first1 and then  
ascending  afterwards4 ,similarly1 as   
soon as humility has abased us1 charity 
quickly raises us up towards heaven4 ,it
 might seem that the virtue of  humility
 in some degree removes us from ,god1   
,who is at the summit of  this          
mysterious ladder1 because it causes us 
to descend very low in  self-abasement4 
,on the contrary1 however1 in proportion
 as we lower  ourselves we become more  
and more worthy to mount towards the    
summit  of this mystical ladder of      
perfection1 where our ,heavenly ,father 
awaits us4 ,our ,lady1 then1 obtained   
the dignity of ,mother of ,god by       
abasing herself1 and acknowledging      
herself unworthy of it2 for  scarcely   
had she protested her lowliness1 and    

abandoned herself1 by an  act of        
incomparable charity1 to the ,divine    
,will1 than the mystery was             
accomplished4 ,if we thus regulate our  
conduct1 and1 in imitation of  ,mary1   
unite virginity with humility1 we shall 
be certainly helped by  charity4 ,this  
,divine gift will lift us up the        
mystical ladder of  ,jacob1 and         
introduce us into the presence of the   
,eternal ,father1 ,who  will enrich us  
with every kind of heavenly consolation4
 ,we shall sing  canticles of ,divine   
praise with our most holy ,patroness1   
and eternally  glorify ,our ,lord for   
the grace we have obtained to imitate   
her  virtues1 and fight under her       
standard4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4     
,humility made the ,son of ,god descend 
from ,heaven into the immaculate  bosom 
of ,mary1 and by the same virtue we may 
also cause ,him to descend  into our    
souls4--,st4 ,teresa4    ,it is not     
humility to acknowledge ourselves to be 
miserable1 for this  needs but a little 

understanding of our condition1 but to  
wish and  desire to be treated as such  
is true ,christian humility4--,st4      
,francis of ,sales4    ,we ought never  
to make use of our heart1 eyes1 and     
words for the  indulgence of our own    
humours and inclinations1 but only for  
the  service of the ,celestial          
,spouse4--,the same4    ,,example4      
,the ,love of ,st4 ,alphonsus for ,mary4
    ,the love of ,st4 ,alphonsus        
,liguori for the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary 
was so  burning that he desired to      
inflame with it the hearts of all       
mankind4  ,he was often heard to say3   
',o men1 what are you doing8 ,why so    
much  affection for earthly creatures1  
for false deceivers1 who make you  lose 
both body and soul1 both ,paradise and  
,god8 ,how is it you love not  ,mary1   
who is ever most amiable1 most loving1  
and most faithful2 and  who1 after      
having enriched you with consolations   
and graces in this  life1 will obtain   
for you from her ,divine ,son the       

eternal glory of  ,paradise8'    ,he    
loved her so tenderly from his          
childhood1 that one day he said to  her 
quite simply3 ',o my sweet ,virgin      
,mary1 ,i do not wish that there  should
 be anyone in the world who loves and   
hononrs you more than ,i  do2' and this 
desire of his heart was fully gratified4
 ,he thought of  her even in sleep1 and 
made use of this tender aspiration3 ',o 
,mary1  how beautiful you are6 ,o how   
beautiful you are6' ,no one could speak 
to  him without receiving a             
recommendation to be devout to ,mary4   
',be  devout to the ,holy ,virgin       
,mary1' he would say2 'whoever is devout
 to  her will certainly be saved4' ,he  
inculcated the pious practices of       
visiting her images1 reciting the       
,rosary1 and fasting in her honour1  on 
,saturdays and on the vigils of her     
festivals4 ,but in a special  manner he 
wished all to recite1 every morning and 
evening1 three ,ave  ,marias in         
commemoration of her ,immaculate        

,conception and perpetual  virginity1   
adding this ejaculation to each ,ave    
,maria3 ',by your sacred  virginity and 
,immaculate ,conception1 ,o ,mary1      
obtain for me purity and  sanctity of   
soul and body4' ,he gave pictures of her
 to everyone1  saying3 ',here is the    
image of your ,heavenly ,mother2 give   
her your love  and confidence4' ,at     
other times he repeated3 ',love the good
 ,virgin  much1 because ,mary is the    
,mother of perseverance2 and whoever    
loves  ,jesus and ,mary will become     
holy4'    ,prayer4--,o ,mary6 you are   
truly the valiant woman in whom the     
,lord  found rest1 and whom ,he has     
chosen to be the depositary of all ,his 
treasures4 ,the universe honours you as 
the most pure sanctuary of the          
,divinity1 the true ,temple of the      
,lord1 in which was begun the  salvation
 of the world1 and in which took place  
the grand  reconciliation between ,god  
and man4 ,you are that privileged field 
which sin could not enter and devastate2

 you are that magnificent  garden in    
which ,our ,lord planted all the flowers
 that adorn ,his  ,church4 ,you1 ,o     
,mary1 are the ,paradise of ,god1 whence
 springs the  fountain of living water  
which waters and fructifies the earth3  
obtain  for me1 by your powerful        
intercession1 that1 being washed in this
 most  pure water1 ,i may be admitted   
with you to the nuptials of the         
,immaculate ,lamb4 ,amen4               
,ejaculation4--,most pure ,virgin1 pray 
for us4    ,practice4--,in temptations  
against holy purity invoke ,mary1       
,virgin  and ,mother4        ,,eighth   
,,day4    ,,the ,,visitation4           
,,though ,mary had thus humbled herself 
before ,god1 she did not stop  there1   
because she knew that humility and      
charity do not attain their  highest    
degree of perfection until1 for ,god's  
sake1 they are exercised  in behalf of  
our neighbour4 ,true fraternal charity  
proceeds from the  love of ,god1 and in 
proportion as this increases1 the love  

of our  neighbour becomes more intense4 
,the ,apostle of ,charity teaches us    
this  truth1 when he says3 ,qui enim non
 diliget fratrem suum quem vidit1  ,deum
 quem non videt1 quomodo potest         
deligere8--',for he that loveth  not his
 brother whom he seeth1 how can he love 
,god whom he seeth not8'  ,if we desire1
 then1 to show our love to ,god1 we must
 love our  neighbour1 we must serve him1
 help him1 and relieve him in his       
necessities according to our power4 ,how
 profoundly was the ,blessed  ,virgin   
penetrated with this truth6 ,no sooner  
had she heard that her  cousin had      
conceived in her old age1 than she arose
 and went with  haste 7the ,gospel says1
 cum festinatione7 over the mountains of
  ,judea to the city of ,ephrem4        
,consider that ,mary is become the      
,mother of the ,son of ,god1 and having 
with all humility and sweetness obtained
 leave of her ,holy ,spouse to  go and  
visit her cousin ,elizabeth1 she bade a 
painful adieu to all her  neighbours4   

,with great eagerness did the ,most     
,holy ,virgin undertake  her long and   
fatiguing journey1 as the ,gospel says1 
she went with  haste6 ,the first        
movements of ,him ,whom she bears in her
 womb  increased her fervour1 and she   
began her journey with haste but        
without mental flurry4 ,the ,angels are 
ready to accompany her1 and ,st4        
,joseph gladly conducts her4 ,one would 
wish to have known something of  the    
conversation of these two great souls1  
and willingly should we  listen to the  
account thereof4 ,it is probable that   
the ,holy ,virgin  conversed only of    
,him ,whom she bore within her1 and     
breathed only for  her ,saviour4 ,st4   
,joseph1 on his side1 thinks only of his
 ,redeemer1 ,who  moves his heart with a
 thousand sentiments and affections4 ,as
 wine  locked up in the cellar acquires 
the scent of the flowery vines1 so  the 
heart of this ,holy ,patriarch          
insensibly participates in the  perfume 
and the vigour of the ,divine ,infant   

,who blooms in ,his  beautiful vineyard4
 ,the profound humility which ,mary     
exercised in  serving one who was in    
every respect her inferior1 is indeed   
most  worthy of our admiration4 ,it is  
true that ,elizabeth was of noble       
birth1 because she was of the royal race
 of ,david1 and was1 moreover1  united  
in marriage to the ,high ,priest of the 
tribe of ,levi4 ,however1  this nobility
 is nothing in comparison with that of  
the ,most ,holy  ,virgin1 whose         
incomparable greatness can only be      
expressed by the  title of ,mother of   
,god--,mater ,dei--and yet where can we 
find more  profound humility8 ,her      
humble heart is not satisfied with      
calling  herself the handmaid of the    
,lord1 but she leaves her house1 and for
  three entire months is as a handmaid  
to her venerable cousin4 ,the  ,gospel1 
moreover1 gives us to understand that   
when the ,divine ,mother  entered the   
house of ,zacharias she was the first to
 give the  salutation1 and this through 

her great humility3 ,intravit in domum  
,zachariae et salutavit ,elizabeth4     
,remark also the conduct of ,our ,lady  
amidst the praises and blessings  which 
,elizabeth bestowed upon her4 ,assuredly
 it was very different  from that of    
women in the world1 who instead of      
humbling themselves  when they are      
praised1 become more puffed up4 ,was it 
not vanity that  possessed our poor     
mother ,eve1 who1 on hearing that she   
was created to  the image and likeness  
of ,god1 became thereby so presumptuous 
that she  strove to become equal to     
,him1 and gave ear to all the           
suggestions of  the infernal enemy8 ,but
 as the ,most ,holy ,virgin had come    
into the  world to regain all that ,eve 
had lost by her vanity and pride1 she   
thinks only of the abyss of her         
nothingness1 and calls herself the      
handmaid of the ,lord1 although         
proclaimed by the ,angel ,his ,mother2  
when she is declared by ,elizabeth to be
 the most blessed of women1 she  replies

 that her blessings are accorded because
 the ,lord has looked  down upon her    
lowliness and her littleness3 ,quia     
respexit humilitatem  ancillae suae4    
,what an excellent sign is humility of  
heart in a soul  that has made progress 
in the spiritual life6 ,when such souls 
humble  themselves before ,god and      
before all creatures1 in proportion to  
the  greatness of the favours received1 
and place all their happiness1 like     
,mary1 in this alone1 that the ,divine  
,goodness has looked down upon  their   
lowliness and misery1 it is a sure      
indication that the graces of  ,god are 
not received in vain4    ,the effects of
 grace in the heart of the ,most        
,blessed ,virgin were a  profound       
humility and a burning charity towards  
,god and towards her  neighbour4 ,the   
,apostle ,st4 ,paul in relating to us   
the love that our  ,saviour bore to the 
virtue of humility1 says that ',he      
humbled ,himself  unto death1 even to   
the death of the ,cross'--,humiliavit   

semetipsum  usque ad mortem1 mortem     
autem crucis2 and he would have us learn
 from  this that we should not be       
satisfied to have practised this virtue 
in  some particular circumstances1 nor  
for a certain time1 but that we  must   
practise it always and on all occasions4
 ,we must practise this  virtue not only
 until death but unto the death of the  
,cross2 that  is to say1 unto the       
perfect mortification of ourselves1     
humbling our  self-esteem and our       
self-love4 ,let us not deceive ourselves
 by a  certain appearance of humility2  
as1 for instance1 in speaking of our    
imperfections1 or in performing external
 acts of reverence and  humility1 for   
the virtue of humility does not consist 
in this4 ,true  and ,christian humility 
makes us esteem ourselves absolutely as 
nothing1 as unworthy to live1 as        
deserving only of universal contempt4   
,it moves us to embrace generously the  
precept of our ,saviour1 that we        
renounce ourselves if we wish to follow 

,him3 ,si quis vult post me  venire1    
abneget semetipsum4    ,,spiritual      
,,flowers4    ,humility is the root of  
every virtue4 ,as the flower receives   
its  nourishment from the root1 and     
withers when it is cut off from it1 so  
virtue1 however perfect it may be1      
languishes and dies if it be not  rooted
 in humility4--,nouet4    ,bees suck    
honey from the lily1 the iris and the   
rose2 but they draw it  also from the   
smallest flowers1 such as rosemary and  
thyme4 ,indeed1  they gather more honey 
from the latter1 and it is of a better  
quality2  because more closely confined 
in the smaller flowers and better       
preserved4 ,thus is charity practised1  
both more frequently and with  more     
humility1 in lowly exercises of         
devotion1 and consequently with  greater
 perfection and holiness4--,francis of  
,sales4    ,,example4    ,the           
,pilgrimage of ,st4 ,francis of ,sales  
to ,loreto4    ,st4 ,francis of ,sales  
was always thinking of the honour of the

 ,most  ,blessed ,virgin1 and had made a
 vow from his youth to visit the holy   
,chapel of ,loreto4 ,in his travels     
through ,italy1 made by order of his    
father1 his great desire was to fulfil  
the promise he had made to  venerate the
 ,most ,holy ,virgin in the ,sanctuary  
where she had received  the visit of the
 ,angel and the sublime dignity of      
becoming the ,mother  of ,god1 and he   
did so with wonderful piety4 ,he was    
rapt in admiration  in beholding those  
walls that had enclosed such wonders4   
,he prayed  motionless for a long time  
before the ,altar of the ,queen of      
,heaven1  thanking her devoutly for all 
she had done for himself1 exhorting her 
to continue her holy protection1 and    
renewing his promise to imitate  her    
angelic virtue of purity during his     
whole life4 ,ineffable were the  graces 
and consolations that he then received2 
his mind was illumined  by celestial    
light1 and his heart was inflamed with  
such ardent  charity1 that from that    

moment nothing appeared to him          
impossible1  when there was question of 
the glory of ,god and the salvation of  
souls4    ,prayer of ,st4               
,germanus4--,hail ,mary6 you are the    
hope of ,christians1  and it is in this 
quality that ,i turn myself to you4     
,receive1 ,o tender  ,mother1 the prayer
 addressed to you by a poor sinner1 but 
a penitent  sinner1 who honours you1 and
 who1 after ,god1 places in you all his 
hope for his conversion and salvation4  
,i am indebted to you for so  many      
graces1 but grant me1 ,i beseech you1   
one grace more4 ,confirm me  and        
establish me in the grace and love of   
your ,divine ,son4 ,you are the         
consolation of the afflicted2 deign1    
then1 to intercede in my favour  with   
your ,divine ,son1 my ,saviour1 ,jesus1 
that ,he may deliver me from  the burden
 of my sins1 dissipate the darkness of  
my understanding1  remove every         
irregular affection from my heart1 and  
restrain all the  efforts and           

temptations of my enemies1 that1 being  
aided by this  grace1 ,i may henceforth 
so order my life that1 under your       
protection1  ,i may arrive at the happy 
port of eternal life4 ,amen4            
,ejaculation4--,o ,holy ,virgin6 may ,i 
always remember you1 and have  recourse 
to you in all my necessities4           
,practice4--,visit the altar of ,mary1  
either in the church or in your  room1  
to obtain from her sorrow for your sins4
        ,,ninth ,,day4    ,,the         
,,charity ,,of ,,mary ,,in ,,the        
,,visitation4    ,,we must not imagine  
that the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary was     
moved to  undertake this long journey to
 visit her cousin1 ,st4 ,elizabeth1 by  
curiosity to know if what the ,angel had
 told her were true1 for she  had not   
the slightest doubt of it4 ,our ,blessed
 ,lady was moved by a  secret impulse of
 ,god1 ,who wished to commence the work 
of ,redemption  and the sanctification  
of souls in this visit1 by the          
sanctification  of the infant ,st4      

,john4    ,the most ardent charity and  
most profound humility animated her1 and
  gave her wings to fly across the      
mountains of ,judea1 and these two      
virtues were also the cause of her      
journey4 ,as ,st4 ,ambrose says1        
charity or grace knows no delays nor    
cold deliberations3 ,nescit tarda       
molimina sancti spiritus gratiae4 ,it   
need not therefore surprise us  if the  
,most ,holy ,virgin1 filled as she was  
with charity 7because she  bore in her  
womb ,him ,who is ,love itself71 should 
exercise it in  continual acts towards  
,god1 to ,whom she was closely united by
 the  sacred bond of perfect love1 and  
towards her neighbours1 whom she  loved 
so tenderly and sincerely that she      
sighed for the salvation and            
sanctification of the whole world4 ,she 
went with all alacrity1 because  she    
knew with what happy results her visit  
would be attended1 in the  person of    
,st4 ,john1 and also because she wished 
to congratulate her  cousin who1        

notwithstanding her age and sterility1  
had conceived the  long-predicted       
precursor of the ,word ,incarnate4 ,she 
went that they  might rejoice together1 
and excite each other to glorify the    
,god of  all mercy1 and to thank ,him   
for so many favours and benedictions4   
,st4 ,luke would teach us by the words1 
,exurgens ,maria abiit cum  festinatione
 in montana in civitatem ,juda--',mary  
arose and went into  the mountain       
country with haste1 into a city of      
,judea'--the care and  readiness with   
which we also ought to correspond to the
 ,divine  inspirations4 ,as it is the   
work of the ,holy ,spirit to banish all 
tepidity and negligence from the heart1 
so ,he would have us execute  ,his      
,divine ,will with all care and         
diligence1 and ,he is offended by any   
kind of delay4 ,the virginal purity of  
,mary1 which so dearly loved  solitude1 
also caused her to go with haste1 for   
the best protection  for virginal purity
 is to appear as little as possible in  

the tumult  of the world4    ,having    
reached the house of ,zachary1 she      
entered it4 ,she saluted  ,elizabeth4   
,the ,evangelist does not relate that   
she saluted ,zachary  also1 for her love
 of purity was so great that she spoke  
little with  men4 ,let virgins learn    
from this that they cannot take too     
great care  for the preservation of this
 virtue4    ,who can imagine the sweet  
fragrance of this most beautiful lily in
 the  house of ,zachary during the three
 months that she remained there8 ,how   
well did she spend every instant6 ,what 
honey1 what precious balsam1  must those
 sacred lips have distilled in the few  
but excellent words  that they uttered6 
,indeed1 ,mary could speak only that    
which filled her  heart1 and that was   
,jesus6    ,let us consider the meaning 
of the words1 that ',elizabeth was      
filled  with the ,holy ,ghost'--,et     
repleta est ,spiritu ,sancto            
,elisabeth--that  ,elizabeth1 who had   
already received the ,holy ,ghost with  

all ,his gifts1  received a new fulness 
and a new increase of grace by this     
visit4  ,although the ,lord grants ,his 
graces to the just in full measure1     
yet1 as the ,gospel says1 this measure  
can be so augmented as to  overflow on  
all sides3 ,mensuram bonam confertam et 
coagitatam et  supereffluentem dabunt in
 sinum vestrum4    ,let us well         
understand this important truth4 ,the   
grace of the ,holy  ,ghost can never be 
granted to us in this life in such full 
measure  that it cannot be augmented2   
therefore1 let us beware of saying3 ',it
  is enough2 ,i am sufficiently enriched
 with graces and virtues4  ,mensura     
conferta est--the measure is filled up1 
further progress in  mortification is   
unnecessary4' ,he who should speak thus 
would only  show too clearly his misery1
 or1 rather1 his presumption1 and the   
great danger to which he exposes        
himself4 ,omni habenti dabitur et       
abundabit1 ei autem qui non habet et    
quod videtur habere auferetur ab  eo4   

,this text signifies that to him who has
 received much--that is to  say1 who has
 laboured much1 and never gives up--much
 shall be given4  ,such a one believes  
that he has never done enough2 but1     
conscious of  his own misery1 he        
continues to labour with holy and       
sincere humility4  ,he1 then1 who       
possesses much1 shall receive with      
usury1 and  superabundantly2 but from   
him who profits not by the grace        
received1  letting it lie idle and      
fruitless1 because he believes he is    
rich  enough1 from him shall be taken   
that which he thinketh himself to       
possess and that which he does not      
possess4 ,this means1 that graces       
already received shall be taken away1   
because he has not traded with  them1   
and those which have been prepared for  
him shall not be bestowed  upon him1    
since he has rendered himself unworthy  
of them by his  negligence4 ,all this1  
however1 is not to be understood of     
sufficient  grace1 which is never denied

 by ,god to anyone1 but of efficacious  
grace1 which1 by a just judgment of     
,god1 is not granted to tepid and       
ungrateful souls4    ,the thirst for    
riches and honours1 by which worldlings 
are tormented1  never allows them to    
say1 ,enough4 ,and yet they ought to be 
contented  with a little1 for experience
 teaches us that the highest dignities  
and honours and great wealth frequently 
occasion the loss of souls4 ,it  is in  
regard of such temporal matters that we 
should say1 ,i have  sufficient4 ,but1  
with regard to spiritual goods1 let us  
never believe  that we possess them in  
sufficient abundance1 so long as we     
remain in  this land of exile1 but let  
us make every possible effort to advance
  day by day from virtue to virtue4     
,experience teaches us that plants and  
fruits do not attain maturity  until    
they have produced their seeds1 which   
are necessary for the  reproduction of  
their species4 ,in the same way our     
virtues will never  be sufficiently     

perfected1 or reach their maturity1     
until they produce  within us an ardent 
desire to make further progress4 ,this  
desire is  the spiritual seed which     
produces new degrees of virtue4         
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,mary is a    
most beautiful rose1 which dared not    
open its petals even to  the gentle     
breeze of an ,angel6--,st4 ,ambrose4    
,how precious and how delicate a flower 
is purity6 ,a sigh1 a look1 a  word is  
enough to wither it6 ,on this account   
chaste souls continually  distrust      
themselves1 and flee from the slightest 
occasions of  danger4--,nouet4    ,the  
rose is the symbol of love and charity2 
its petals are red1 and  formed like a  
heart4 ,such should be the actions of   
the spouses of  ,jesus ,christ4 ,they   
should have as many hearts as they have 
petals--  that is to say1 hearts full of
 love1 and like petals in the little    
esteem they should have of their        
actions4--,st4 ,francis of ,sales4      
,,example4    ,consecration of the      

,saturday to ,mary4    ,holy ,church is 
ever desirous to maintain a tender      
devotion in the  hearts of the faithful 
towards the ,most ,blessed ,virgin1 and 
from the  earliest ages of ,christianity
 she has encouraged the consecration of 
the ,saturday to her4 ,it is related    
that there was in the church of  ,santa 
,sofia at ,constantinople a picture of  
the ,mother of ,god which was  veiled   
during the rest of the week1 but on     
,friday evening the veil was  raised    
without human aid1 and lowered on the   
evening of ,saturday4 ,thus  did        
,almighty ,god manifest ,his ,will that 
,saturday should be dedicated  to ,mary4
 ,it was on ,saturday she took so great 
a part in the work of  our redemption1  
and it was fitting that on the morrow of
 the day when  she so bitterly wept over
 the sorrowful scene of ,calvary we     
should  remember her tears shed for us  
in a special manner4 ,again1 on         
,saturday  ,god rested from ,his work in
 the creation of the world1 and the     

,church  consecrates this day to her1 to
 honour the mysterious repose of the    
,holy ,ghost in her ,immaculate ,heart1 
and that of ,our ,blessed ,saviour in   
her chaste womb4 ,saturday is the       
introduction to ,sunday--the symbol of  
eternal rest--and the ,holy ,virgin is  
truly invoked under the title of  ',gate
 of ,heaven'--,janua ,coeli4            
,saturday1 moreover1 is the day between 
,friday1 the day of mourning1  and      
,sunday1 the day of joy--and the ,holy  
,virgin is the mediatrix  between ,god1 
,who is ,eternal ,beatitude1 and man1   
who is subject to  endless evils and    
miseries4 ,mary is the way to arrive at 
,jesus1 and  ,saturday is a prelude to  
the solemnity of ,sunday4 ,saturday is  
as a  magnificent portal consecrated to 
the ,mother of ,god1 by which we enter  
the ,sanctuary of ,god ,himself4 ,the   
,saints held this day in great          
esteem--on it they redoubled their pious
 exercises--and many begged1  as a      
signal favour1 that they might die on a 

,saturday4    ,prayer4--,o ,sovereign   
,queen of ,angels6 you are the ,mother  
of ,orphans1  as your faithful servant1 
,st4 ,bonaventure1 says3 ,mater         
,orphanorum4  ,sinners are truly        
orphans--for they have had the          
misfortune to lose  their ,god1 the most
 tender of ,fathers4 ,to you1 therefore1
 ,i have  recourse1 ,o ,mother of       
,mercy4 ,i have had the misfortune to   
lose my true  ,father1 by sin2 and yet1 
since you have not abandoned me1 ,o my  
,mother1  ,i feel a lively hope that    
through your goodness you will deign to 
intercede for me1 and reconcile me to my
 ,father1 ,whom ,i have so  grievously  
offended4 ,o ,holy ,virgin6 he alone can
 perish who does not  have recourse to  
you4 ,i confess1 indeed1 that ,i am a   
most unworthy  sinner1 and1             
nevertheless1 to you do ,i fly1 animated
 by sweet  confidence in your love4     
,your mercy is greater than all my      
miseries2  and1 although my iniquities  
are enormous1 they will never exhaust   

the  treasures of your ,son's mercy1 nor
 your own4 ,i sincerely detest1 from  my
 heart1 all my sins1 and hope1 through  
your intercession1 for a  general       
pardon4 ,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,o     
,mother of ,god and my ,mother1 the     
confidence ,i place  in you is to me a  
pledge of my eternal salvation4         
,practice4--,let all your prayers and   
actions this day be offered in  suffrage
 for the holy souls in ,purgatory4      
,,tenth ,,day4    ,,by ,,the ,,visit    
,,of ,,mary1 ,,elizabeth ,,is ,,filled  
,,with ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost4    ,,let us
 continue our ,meditation on the sweet  
mystery of the ,visitation4    ,the     
visit which this incomparable ,virgin   
made to ,st4 ,elizabeth was not         
useless1 nor1 like the visits of worldly
 people1 a matter of ceremony4  ,such   
visits result in harm to the conscience1
 in offences against  chastity or       
charity4 ,the ,most ,holy ,virgin was   
induced to visit her  cousin ,elizabeth 
from pure motives of charity1 and the   

days she spent  with her were not       
employed in useless occupations1 but in 
praising and  magnifying ,god4 ,how     
holy1 pious1 and devout was not this    
visit6 ,it  filled the whole house of   
,zachary with the ,holy ,spirit1 and    
admirable  effects were produced in ,st4
 ,elizabeth4 ,the first effect was      
humility4  ,as soon as ,our ,lady       
appeared in the house of her cousin the 
,saint was  filled with astonishment at 
such a favour1 and exclaimed3 ,unde hoc 
mihi ut veniat ,mater ,domini mei ad    
me8--',whence is this to me1 that  the  
,mother of my ,god should come unto me8'
 ,this is the virtue that the  ,holy    
,ghost first produces within us2 a      
profound humility1 which forces  us to  
annihilate ourselves in the sight of the
 infinite greatness of  ,god1 and       
acknowledge our own baseness and        
worthlessness4    ,the second effect was
 to confirm ,st4 ,elizabeth in faith1 as
 is  gathered from the words she ad     
dressed to the ,most ,holy ,virgin3     

',blessed art thou that hast believed2  
blessed art thou among women1  and      
blessed is the fruit of thy             
womb'--,beata es quae crededisti2       
benedicta tu inter mulieres1 et         
benedictus fructus ventris tui4         
,indeed1 one of the chief operations of 
the ,holy ,spirit is to ground us  in   
faith and convert us entirely to ,god1  
and make us acknowledge ,him  as the    
,source of all the graces and blessings 
granted to mortal  beings4    ,truly may
 ,st4 ,elizabeth have said1 you are     
blessed amongst all women1  but your    
blessedness proceeds from the ,fruit of 
your womb1 the ,god of  blessings4 ,we  
do not usually praise the fruit on      
account of the tree1  but the tree on   
account of the excellence of its fruit4 
,thus1 although  we ought to render to  
the ,most ,holy ,virgin a worship or    
veneration  beyond that which we render 
to the ,saints1 yet our homage and      
veneration should never equal that which
 we give to ,god4 ,god alone  should be 

sovereignly adored2 but1 as the ,most   
,holy ,virgin is the  ,mother of ,our   
,saviour1 and a co-operator in our      
redemption1 she is  worthy of such a    
special worship as all true ,christians 
have ever  given to her4 ,when the ,holy
 ,spirit dwells within us1 we love and  
praise ,god alone above all things1 as  
our ,sovereign ,creator2 and after      
,him1 ,mary1 ,his ,most ,holy ,mother4  
,the third effect that the ,holy ,ghost 
produces in those upon whom ,he         
descends is a complete change of heart1 
as is represented in the joy  of the    
,baptist yet unborn3 ,ecce enim ut facta
 est vox salutationis  tuae in auribus  
meis1 exultavit infans in utero         
meo--',behold1 as soon  as the voice of 
thy salutation sounded in my ears1' said
 ,elizabeth to  ,our ,lady1 'the ,infant
 leaped in my womb4' ,thus was ,st4     
,john  sanctified1 going forth as it    
were out of himself1 and casting himself
  before his ,maker4 ,and so it is with 
those who receive the ,holy ,spirit3    

they go out of themselves and lose      
themselves in ,god2 that is to say1     
they live no longer according to nature 
and the senses1 but they  follow the    
inspirations of grace4 ,if you desire1  
then1 to know whether  you have received
 the ,holy ,ghost1 examine your actions4
    ,it was through the intervention of 
,most ,holy ,mary that ,st4 ,elizabeth  
received the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this       
teaches us that we should make use of   
her as a mediatrix with her ,divine ,son
 in order to obtain heavenly  graces4   
,it is true that we can address         
ourselves directly to ,god in  our      
petitions1 without employing the        
mediation of the ,most ,holy ,virgin  or
 the ,saints2 but this is not according 
to the order ordained by ,god1  ,who    
wished that there should be a           
communication between us and ,his       
,saints4 ,hence the ,church militant and
 triumphant form but one ,church1       
directed and governed equally1 though   
differently1 by ,god ,himself2 and  ,he 

wishes us to have recourse to ,him      
through the ,most ,holy ,virgin and  the
 ,saints1 and ,he bestows the most      
precious graces upon us by their        
intercession4    ,for the concluding    
point of this meditation we may add that
 it is of  the greatest advantage to our
 souls to be visited by the ,most       
,blessed  ,virgin2 and her visits are   
always accompanied by many blessings and
  graces1 as in the case of ,st4        
,elizabeth4 ,o ,god6 you will say1 ,i   
do1  indeed1 desire that she would deign
 to honour me with one of her  visits   
during prayer1 since her visits fill the
 soul with sweet  consolation4 ,however1
 we must bear in mind that ,mary often  
visits us  with inspirations and        
interior lights1 to aid our progress in 
perfection2 and these are precisely the 
visits that we are unwilling  to        
receive4    ,endeavour to receive ,holy 
,communion devoutly1 and you will       
contract a  spiritual relationship with 
the ,most ,holy ,virgin1 since the ,most

  ,precious ,body of ,our ,saviour1     
which we receive in ,holy ,communion1   
was  formed by the ,holy ,ghost of her  
most pure blood4    ,in this manner1 and
 by the imitation of her virtues1 the   
relationship  which you will contract   
with her will be much more excellent and
 more  pleasing to her than that of     
,elizabeth1 which was merely of flesh   
and  blood4 ,our ,lord says3 ',whosoever
 shall do the will of ,my ,father ,who  
is  in heaven1 he is ,my brother1 and   
sister1 and mother' 7,matt4 xii4 #ej74  
,in order to have some share in the     
visits of this ,holy ,virgin1 we must   
not look for consolations1 but          
generously resolve to accept even       
contempt and sorrow4 ,in fact1 ,mary did
 not visit ,st4 ,elizabeth until  she   
had suffered the ignominy and           
humiliation of her sterility4 ,it is    
impossible to lead a devout life without
 trouble1 and merit is in  proportion to
 suffering4 ,finally1 if we desire to   
receive the favour  of this visitation1 

we must be transformed2 we must die to  
self1 and  live only to ,god and for    
,god3 in a word1 we must humble         
ourselves  profoundly1 according to the 
example of ,st4 ,elizabeth4 ,be faithful
  then1 pious souls1 in this exercise1  
during this short and miserable  life1  
that you may afterwards chant eternally 
in heaven with the ,most  ,holy ,virgin3
 ,magnificat anima mea ,dominum6--',my  
soul doth magnify  the ,lord6'    ,my   
,god6 how ashamed ,i am to be still so  
full of myself1 when ,i have so  often  
come to ,holy ,communion6 ,o dear       
,jesus6 may we always bear ,thee in  our
 hearts1 that we may no longer breathe  
but ,thee8 ,how is it that ,i  am so    
little united to ,thee1 since ,thou art 
always in me8 ,why do ,i  stray so far  
from ,thee1 whilst ,thou art always     
close to me8 ,thou  dwellest in my      
heart1 how is it that ,i do not abide in
 ,thine8    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4      
,chastity is the unblemished beauty of  
the ,saints1 which1 like the  rose1     

adorns the soul and body1 and fills them
 with sweet and pleasing                
fragrance4--,st4 ,ephrem4    ,a slight  
breath of wind suffices to make the     
flowers fall from the  trees in spring2 
and sometimes one flattering word1 of   
itself1 is  enough to ruin a chaste     
soul1 which is infinitely more delicate 
and  tender than any flower4--,nouet4   
,as the bee gathers from flowers the dew
 of heaven and the sweetest  juice of   
the earth1 forming it into honey and    
carrying it to its hive1  so the ,priest
 takes from the altar our ,blessed      
,saviour 7the true ,son  of ,god1 ,who  
descended like dew from heaven1 and came
 forth from the  ,virgin ,mary as a     
flower from the earth of our humanity71 
and places  ,him in your mouth1 and ,he 
becomes to you a delicious and spiritual
  food4--,st4 ,francis of ,sales4       
,,example4    ,devotion of ,st4 ,thomas 
,aquinas to the ',ave ,maria4'    ,the  
most tender devotion towards ,mary was1 
as we may say1 innate in  ,st4 ,thomas  

,aquinas4 ,one day1 when he was a little
 child1 his nurse  observed that he kept
 a piece of paper in his hands1 which   
she wished  to take from him3 but the   
child resisted with loud cries1 and made
  every effort to retain it4 ,this      
singular resistance excited the         
curiosity of his pious mother1 the      
,countess ,theodora4 ,she therefore     
took hold of the piece of paper1 opened 
it1 and found1 to her  surprise1 written
 upon it the ,angelical ,salutation4    
,whilst she was  reading it1 the infant 
redoubled his cries and tears1 so that  
she was  obliged to return it to him4   
,thomas had no sooner received it1 than 
putting it into his mouth he swallowed  
it with great eagerness4 ,this  fact    
foreshadowed the devotion which the     
,saint ever had for the  ,angelical     
,salutation1 on which he has left us a  
most pious and learned  commentary1 full
 of the praises of ,mary4               
,prayer4--,holy ,virgin and my tender   
,mother6 ,you are the channel by  which 

the graces of ,god reach us2 you are the
 depositary of all  celestial treasures1
 and you yourself declare to us that you
 possess  all the wealth of heaven1 to  
enrich those that love you3 ut ditem    
diligentes me4 ,o ,divine ,mother6 you  
see that my poverty is great1 and  my   
indigence extreme2 but remember1 ,i     
beseech you1 that ,i trust in  you1 and 
hope that you will be moved to          
compassionate my miseries1 and  to      
obtain for me a remedy4 ,i love you1 ,o 
,holy ,virgin2 you are1 after  ,god1 the
 great object of my affections4 ,have   
compassion on me then1  and never       
abandon me to the snares of the enemies 
of my salvation1 but  succour me during 
the whole course of my life1 and above  
all at the  moment of my death1 so that 
,i may come one day to your feet1 in the
  abode of eternal happiness4 ,amen4    
,ejaculation4--,o ,holy ,virgin1 help   
those who groan in misery6              
,practice4--,mortify self-love1 by some 
act of obedience or meekness4           

,,eleventh ,,day4    ,,humility ,,of    
,,mary4    ,,the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary 
surpassed all the ,angels and ,saints in
  perfection and merit2 and of all      
creatures none as she was so pleasing   
to ,god4 ,who1 indeed1 ever possessed so
 ardent a charity and so  profound a    
humility8 ,where shall we find humility 
equal to that which  appeared in ,mary  
when1 in answer to ,elizabeth1 she      
confessed that the  cause of her        
happiness was that the ,lord had deigned
 to regard the  humility of ,his        
handmaid1 and that therefore all        
generations should  call her            
blessed8--,quia respexit humilitatem    
anciliae suae2 ecce enim  ex hoc beatam 
me dicent omnes generations4    ,many   
,doctors of the ,church are of opinion  
that1 when ,mary said1 'the  ,lord hath 
regarded the humility of ,his handmaid1'
 it was not her  intention to speak of  
her virtue of humility1 because1        
although she  was profoundly humble1 she
 did not believe herself to be so2 but  

that  she thought only of her lowly     
state1 her baseness1 and abjection as a 
creature of ,god1 and of the nothingness
 from which she had been drawn4  ,there 
are others1 however1 who hold a         
contrary1 and perhaps more  probable1   
opinion1 and say that ,our ,lady        
intended to speak of her  virtue of     
humility1 being well aware that it was  
this virtue that had  attracted ,our    
,saviour to her chaste womb4 ,we may    
well believe that  ,mary was aware that 
she possessed this virtue1 and that she 
had no  fear of losing it1 being        
intimately persuaded that it was the    
effect  of the grace of ,god within her 
and not of her own merits4    ,indeed1  
we find the great ,st4 ,paul            
acknowledging that he possessed the     
virtue of charity1 and in such decisive 
terms as would seem in others           
presumptuous rather than humble4 ,he    
writes3 ',who shall separate me  from   
the charity of ,christ8'--,quis me      
separabit a charitate ,christi8  ',shall

 tribulation1 or distress1 or hunger1 or
 nakedness1 or danger1  or persecution1 
or the sword8 ,i am sure that neither   
death nor life  nor ,angels shall be    
able to separate us from the love of    
,god1 which is  in ,christ ,jesus our   
,lord4' ,see ,rom4 viii4 #ce-ci4        
,notice the confidence with which this  
great ,apostle speaks when he  protests 
that there is no power in the world1 or 
in hell1 that is  capable of separating 
him from the charity of his ,god4 ,he   
believed  that he possessed this virtue 
of charity2 and in speaking thus he     
confided entirely in grace1 and in his  
own merits by grace4 ,the  glorious     
,virgin knew well that the virtue of    
humility has more power  to attract the 
,heart of ,god to our hearts than all   
other virtues4 ,the  ,divine ,spouse in 
the ,canticles seems to signify this1   
when he  expresses his admiration for   
the beauty of the footsteps of his      
beloved3 ,quam pulchri sunt gressus tui 
in calceamentis1 filia                  

principis6--',how beautiful are thy     
steps in shoes1 ,o ,prince's  daughter6'
 7,cant1 vii4 #a71 and then enumerates  
her other beauties4  ,judith did not    
captivate ,holofernes so much by the    
rare beauty of her  countenance and the 
splendour of her attire as by her       
sandals1 or her  shoes1 which were      
probably embroidered with gold4    ,in  
like manner the ,eternal ,father1       
considering the variety of virtues  that
 adorned ,our ,lady1 was in admiration  
of her beauty2 but when ,he  cast ,his  
eyes upon her sandals ,he was so pleased
 that ,he sent ,his ,only  ,son to      
become ,incarnate in her chaste womb4   
,what is signified by these  sandals or 
shoes of ,mary but her humility8 ,these 
articles are the  least valuable part of
 our attire1 and the soonest covered    
with dust4  ,now1 the spirit of true    
humility continually abases the souls   
who  possess it1 and annihilates them in
 their own eyes1 and keeps them  under  
the feet of everyone4 ,such is the      

property of this virtue of  humility1   
which is the foundation of the whole    
spiritual life4 ,it was  this lowliness 
that the ,lord looked upon in the ,most 
,holy ,virgin with  so much complacency1
 and this look of ,his formed her whole 
greatness3  ,quia respexit humilitatem  
ancillae suae1 ecce enim ex hoc beatam  
me  dicent omnes generations4 ,all      
generations shall call her blessed      
because ,god had regarded her4          
,whichever of the two significations    
given to these words3 ,god hath         
regarded the humility of ,his ,handmaid 
be accepted1 we find that the  ,holy    
,virgin always spoke with so much       
humility as to leave no doubt  whatever 
that she considered all her happiness to
 proceed from her  ,lord having looked  
upon her lowliness4 ,on this account the
 words of  the ,spouse of the ,canticles
 are applied to her3 ,dum esset ,rex in 
accubitu suo nardus mea dedit odorem    
suum--',while the ,king was at his      
repose1 my spikenard sent forth the     

odour thereof4' ,the plant on which  the
 spikenard grows does not grow up high  
like the cedars of ,lebanon4  ,but lowly
 as it is1 it delights all by the       
sweetness it diffuses  around4 ,what a  
precious plant was the ,most ,holy      
,virgin1 who never  sought to exalt     
herself1 although enriched by ,god with 
the most signal  favours6 ,she was      
always penetrated by the sense of her   
own abjection  and nothingness2 and in  
virtue of this humility she spread      
around1  like the spikenard plant1 so   
sweet a perfume that it ascended to the 
,throne of the ,divine ,majesty1 and    
attracted the ,son of ,god to descend   
and take flesh in her immaculate womb4  
,we see1 then1 how dear humility is to  
,god6 ,our ,saviour taught this  truth  
in ,his memorable reply to the woman who
 exclaimed aloud3 ,beatus  venter qui   
,te portavit et ubera quae              
suxisti--',blessed is the womb  that    
bore ,thee1 and the paps that gave ,thee
 suck4' ',yea1' said ,our  ,lord1       

'rather1 blessed are they that hear the 
,word of ,god and keep  it'--,quinimmo  
beati qui audiunt verbum ,dei et        
custodiunt illud4 ,that  is to say3 ',my
 ,mother is indeed blessed on account of
 having borne ,me  in her womb2 but more
 blessed is she on account of the       
humility with  which she listened to the
 words of ,my ,heavenly ,father1 and    
kept them4'  ,and this ,he again taught 
when ,he said that they who heard the   
,word of  ,god and practised it were to 
,him as ,his ,mother and ,his ,brethren4
    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,jesus    
,christ built ,his throne upon the ruins
 of the world4 ,before the  fruits of   
grace can be gathered the flowers of    
prosperity must fall4    ,the present   
moment's grace may be that which will   
decide our  eternity4--,nepveu4    ,the 
,heart of ,mary is a garden of delights1
 in which we can gather the  most       
precious fruits4 ,this most beautiful   
garden is closed against the  impure    
spirit2 it is full of ,divine perfumes1 

cultivated by a ,heavenly  ,hand1 and   
adorned with the most charming flowers  
of virtue4 ,of these  there are three   
which particularly attract our          
admiration1 and fill  the house of ,god 
with the sweetest fragrance--they are   
the violet of  humility1 the lily of    
chastity1 and the rose of charity4--,st4
  ,bernard4    ,the less you seek after 
praise and your own interests1 the more 
do you  deserve to be praised and       
rewarded by ,god4    ,,example4         
,origin of the ,rosary4    ,the ,rosary 
of the ,b4 ,v4 ,m4 in its present form  
was instituted by ,st4  ,dominic4 ,but  
as early as the year #ajid ,peter the   
,hermit had invented a  kind of rosary  
of beads of wood1 upon which the        
,crusaders1 who were  generally         
uneducated men1 recited a certain number
 of ,paters and  ,aves1 varied according
 to the solemnity of the feasts4        
,historians also relate that even before
 that time pious persons were  in the   
habit of reciting a series of ,paters   

and ,aves upon knotted  cords4 ,in the  
,east it was the custom to present      
crowns of roses to  persons of          
distinction4 ,st4 ,gregory ,nazianzen1  
moved by ardent piety  towards the      
,mother of ,our ,redeemer1 offered to   
her1 instead of a  material crown of    
roses1 a spiritual crown of prayers4 ,it
 consisted of  a long string of the     
highest praises and most glorious titles
 and  excellent prerogatives of ,mary4  
,st4 ,bridget1 ,patroness of ,ireland1  
who lived in the fifth century1         
developed this pious idea of ,st4       
,gregory by substituting for those      
prayers which were unknown to the people
 the more popular and more  beautiful   
prayers of the ,credo1 the ,pater1 and  
the ,ave ,maria4  ,and to regulate the  
number of prayers to be recited1 the    
,saint adopted  the method of the       
anchorets of threading beads of stone or
 of wood  together in the form of a     
crown or chaplet4    ,the word ',rosary'
 signifies a crown of roses1 and the    

prayers1 the  expression of the heart's 
affections1 of which it is composed1 are
  spiritual roses with which we adorn   
the head of our dear ,blessed  ,mother4 
,it is said that a holy solitary was    
watching one day a poor old woman       
reciting her rosary with great devotion1
 when he observed an ,angel by  her side
 holding a golden thread1 upon which he 
strung a rose for  every ,ave1 and a    
lily for every ,pater2 afterwards he    
placed this  garland in the form of a   
crown upon the head of the old woman1   
and  disappeared1 leaving behind him a  
sweet fragrance of roses4 ,this         
fragrance was often perceived in former 
days in churches1 after the  recital of 
the ,rosary4    ,prayer4--,o ,mary1 my  
good ,mother6 obtain for me an ardent   
love for  your ,divine ,son1 my ,saviour
 ,jesus ,christ4 ,from ,him you can     
obtain all  that you desire2 obtain1    
then1 for me the grace to be always so  
united  to the ,divine ,will that ,i may
 never again be separated from it4 ,i   

ask  you not1 my ,mother1 for earthly   
goods1 nor honours1 nor riches2 but ,i  
ask of you that which you have much more
 at heart1 the grace to love  my ,god4  
,is it possible that you should refuse  
to assist me in a work  which is so     
agreeable to you8 ,no2 you will help me1
 my good ,mother--  you will pray for   
me4 ,pray then1 ,o ,sacred ,virgin1 and 
cease not to  pray for me1 until you see
 me in heaven1 out of danger of losing  
my  ,god1 and certain of loving ,him    
throughout eternity4 ,may ,i be able to 
thank ,him for ever1 with you1 my good  
and charitable ,mother1 for so  great a 
mercy4 ,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,make me
 like unto you1 ,o ,mary1 who were so   
sweet and  humble of heart4             
,practice4--,make an act of external    
humility in union with ,mary4           
,,twelfth ,,day4    ,,through ,,the     
,,blessed ,,virgin ,,mary1 ,,st4 ,,john 
,,the ,,baptist ,,receives ,,the  ,,most
 ,,special ,,graces4    ,,who could     
number all the graces and favours       

showered upon the house of  ,zachary1   
when the ,holy ,virgin entered it8 ,if  
,abraham received many  graces for the  
hospitality he gave to three ,angels2 if
 ,jacob was the  cause of so many       
blessings to ,laban1 an idolater1 in    
whose house he  dwelt2 if ,lot was saved
 from the fire of ,sodom1 for having    
given  shelter to two ,angels2 if the   
,prophet ,elias filled with oil all the 
vessels of the poor widow who           
entertained him2 if ,eliseus raised to  
life the son of the ,sunamitess his     
hostess2 if ,obededom obtained so  many 
favours from ,heaven1 for receiving into
 his house the ,ark of the              
,covenant--how great and precious must  
have been the graces and  blessings     
poured upon the house of ,zachary for   
having lodged for three  months the     
,angel of the great ,council1 the       
,divine ,prophet1 the real  ,ark of the 
,covenant1 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ    
inclosed in the immaculate  womb of     
,mary6 ,who could understand the ,divine

 sweetness poured into  the heart of    
,elizabeth during the time of that      
,divine visitation8 ,how  profound must 
have been her meditation on the mystery 
of the  ,incarnation1 and what thanks   
must she have offered to ,god for all   
the  favours bestowed upon her4 ,but1   
above all1 very special favours were    
conferred by ,our ,lord upon ,his       
precursor ,st4 ,john ,baptist4          
,firstly1 according to the common       
opinion of the ,fathers1 ,st4 ,john     
received the use of reason2 secondly1   
from that moment he was  sanctified2 and
 thirdly1 he was filled with the        
knowledge of ,god and  of ,his ,divine  
mysteries4 ,even then he loved his      
,saviour1 he adored  ,him1 and leaped   
for joy in ,his presence1 as we learn   
from ,elizabeth  herself1 in the words  
she addressed to the ,holy ,virgin3     
,ecce enim ut  facta est vox            
salutationis tuae in auribus meis1      
exultavit infans in  gaudio in utero    
meo--',behold1 as soon as the voice of  

the ,salutation  sounded in my ears1 the
 ,infant in my womb leaped for joy4'    
,such extraordinary joy was not         
surprising4 ,jesus ,christ1 speaking to 
the ,jews1 says3 ,abraham frater vester1
 exultavit ut videret diem              
,meum--',abraham1 your father1 rejoiced 
to see ,my day4' ,all the  prophets     
desired ardently the promised ,messiah1 
and rejoiced that at  ,his coming their 
predictions would be fulfilled4 ,we may 
well believe1  therefore1 that ,st4     
,john rejoiced at the presence of this  
long-desired  ,messiah1 in the          
immaculate womb of the ,holy ,virgin1   
,who had come to  visit him and begin   
the work of ,redemption1 delivering him 
from  original sin4 ,it would not have  
been fitting that he1 who was chosen  to
 prepare the way of the ,lord1 should1  
at his birth1 bear the stain  of        
original sin4 ,on this account1         
therefore1 ,our ,lady repaired to the   
house of ,st4 ,elizabeth1 that the      
,child1 ,whom she bore and ,who was the 

,sanctifier of souls1 might1 in this    
visit1 purify the glorious ,st4  ,john  
from original sin and sanctify him4     
,this ,he did with such fulness  of     
grace that many ,doctors are of opinion 
that he never sinned even  venially4    
,the charity1 of which the heart of our 
glorious ,queen was  full1 caused her to
 co-operate in this work of             
sanctification4 ,no  wonder that she    
should have been so ardent in love and  
zeal for the  salvation of men when she 
bore in her bosom ,charity ,itself1 the 
,saviour and ,redeemer of the world6    
,all faithful souls should rejoice  when
 they are visited by our ,divine        
,saviour in the ,most ,holy ,sacrament  
of the ,altar1 or by the interior graces
 which are so often vouchsafed  them1 or
 by the many inspirations and loving    
words which ,he addresses  to them when 
knocking at the door of their hearts4   
,under what an  obligation are they not 
to correspond to so many favours1 and   
with  what care and fidelity should they

 not fulfil the ,most ,holy ,will of    
their ,divine ,saviour6    ,o my dear   
,sisters1 ,daughters of the ,visitation 
of ,our ,lady and of ,st4  ,elizabeth1  
since you have ,mary for your ,mother1  
you should have  nothing so much at     
heart as to imitate her particularly in 
her  humility and charity4 ,these are   
the two virtues which especially        
animated her when she visited the house 
of ,zachary4 ,like her1 you  should     
visit1 diligently and joyfully1 your    
,sisters1 when they are  suffering1 and 
endeavour to aid each other in your     
spiritual and  temporal infirmities4 ,be
 most careful and diligent in those     
things in  which humility and charity   
are most required4 ,to be numbered      
amongst  the ,daughters of ,our ,lady1  
it is not sufficient to live in a house 
of  the ,visitation and wear the        
,religious habit4 ,if you would not     
wrong  such a ,mother1 you must imitate 
her in her virtues and the sanctity of  
her life4 ,be careful1 then1 to conform 

your life to hers4 ,be mild1  sweet1    
humble1 charitable1 good2 magnify ,our  
,lord continually with  her1 and be     
assured1 beloved souls1 that1 if you    
fulfil your duties  with humility and   
fidelity during the whole course of your
 life1 you  will1 after death1 be       
admitted to the ,holy ,virgin in heaven1
 singing1  ',magnificat anima mea       
,dominum4' #a      #a ,as soon as the   
,most ,humble ,virgin heard herself     
praised by ,st4  ,elizabeth1 she humbled
 herself1 and referred all the glory to 
,god in  that most beautiful and        
admirable canticle of the ,magnificat1  
which  far surpasses the canticles by   
the women of the old ,law4 ,it is far   
more excellent than that of ,judith2    
more beautiful than that of the  ,sister
 of ,moses1 after the passage of the    
,red ,sea2 more sublime than  that of   
,deborah and ,baruch1 after the victory 
gained over the enemies  of the ,hebrew 
people4 ,the canticles of ,zachary and  
of ,simeon1 with all  those of the ,old 

,testament1 cannot be put in comparison 
with this  ,divine ,canticle4           
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,a soul       
dedicated to ,god entirely1 in act and  
in will1 deserves that  ,god should give
 ,himself entirely to her4--,st4 ,john  
of the ,cross4    ,we ought always to   
have our eye fixed upon the ,will of    
,god alone1  recognising it1 and with   
all joy1 or at least courage1 following 
it  carefully in all our actions4 ,but  
even this is not enough2 we should  also
 love this ,will of ,god1 whatever it   
may cost us4--,st4 ,francis of  ,sales4 
,it is a highly valuable exercise of    
piety1 to follow always the ,will  of   
,god1 instead of our own natural humours
 and inclinations4--,the  same4         
,,example4    ,conversion of the        
celebrated ,pianist1 ,hermann ,cohenn4  
,the compassionate mercy of the ,most   
,holy ,virgin has at times been         
admirably displayed in behalf of the    
,sons of ,israel4 ,to the name of  the  
,abbe ,ratisbonne1 so well known to the 

servants of ,mary1 we must  add that of 
another ,jew1 converted by the ,mother  
of ,divine ,grace4    ,hermann ,cohenn1 
a ,german by birth1 and a ,jew in       
religion1 had acquired  great fame in   
,paris as a pianist and composer of     
music4 ,he says of  himself3 ',i was    
courted and applauded in society1 and as
 ,i possessed  understanding beyond my  
years1 ,i soon had instilled into me all
 the  fearful doctrines that the powers 
of hell have taught in the earthly  hell
 of ,paris4 ,atheism1 pantheism1        
socialism1 licentiousness of  manners1  
etc41 all found a place in me1 so that  
,i had become one of  the most zealous  
propagandists1 and therefore a great    
favourite of all  the new prophets of   
hell4 4 4 4 '    ,whilst this second    
,saul was thinking out ingenious        
projects for the  perversion of innocent
 hearts1 he was requested by the ,prince
 of  ,moscow to take the direction1     
during his absence1 of a choir of       
singers who were going to sing the      

praises of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary   
at a church in ,paris during the month  
of ,may of #ahdg4 ,although he was  a   
,jew1 still he consented2 and it was    
there1 before the ,altar of ,mary1  that
 grace awaited him4 ,whilst he was      
rendering external honour to the  august
 ,mother of ,god1 she pleaded his cause 
before her ,divine ,son4 ,his  moment of
 grace and benediction came at the very 
moment when he was  looking with scorn  
and derision upon the piety of the      
faithful4 4 4  ,suddenly he feels an    
invisible weight upon his shoulders1    
which forces  him1 in spite of the      
obstinate resistance of his will1 to bow
 his head  and bend his knees2 his mind 
is quickly illuminated by the light of  
,faith1 and he feels his heart opening  
to the salutary impressions of  grace4  
,it would take too long to narrate the  
many obstacles which hell  opposed to   
his conversion1 but at last he triumphed
 over all1 and on  the ,feast of ,st4   
,augustine1 he was washed in the waters 

of ,baptism1  with the most heart-felt  
emotion2 and upon the ,feast of the     
,nativity  of ,mary1 had the ineffable  
consolation of making his first         
,communion1  and of receiving the       
,scapular4    ,some time afterwards1    
finding himself called to ,religion1 he 
retired  into a community of ,marist    
,fathers1 that he might there meditate  
seriously on his vocation2 and finally1 
by the counsel of his  ,director1 he    
chose to enter the austere ,order of    
,carmel4    ,having visited ,rome and   
obtained the necessary dispensation1 he 
was  afterwards ordained ,priest1 and   
consecrated himself entirely to the     
glory and honour of ,jesus and ,mary4   
,he employed his great musical talent   
for the honour of the ,queen of         
,angels4 ,in order that all ,christian  
tongues might bless the mercy of  that  
,divine ,mother1 who had delivered him  
so wonderfully from the  darkness of    
error1 he composed a collection of hymns
 for the month of  ,may1 and for the    

principal festivals of the year1 set to 
music for  the organ or pianoforte4     
,the following extract from the         
dedication of these compositions will   
show his tender devotion to the ,blessed
 ,virgin3 ',morning ,star6 you  appeared
 to me in the obscure night1 in which ,i
 was lost6 ,health of  the sick1 you    
cured the mortal wounds of my heart6    
,refuge of sinners1  you opened to me an
 asylum in your ,immaculate ,heart6 4 4 
4'    ,glory then to ,mary1 and to the  
sweet and salutary devotion of the      
month of ,may1 which procured us a new  
brother in ,christ1 and a new           
masterpiece of the grace of ,god and of 
the mercy of ,mary6    ,prayer 7from    
,st4 ,augustine and ,st4                
,bernard74--,remember1 ,o most          
compassionate ,virgin ,mary6 that it was
 never heard in any age that  anyone who
 implored your protection has been      
abandoned by you4  ,animated by this    
confidence1 ,i have recourse to you1 ,o 
,mother of ,god1  ,virgin of virgins4   

,do not despise my prayers1 ,mother of  
the ,divine  ,word1 but graciously hear 
and answer me4    ,o ,mother of ,god6   
you pray for all1 and above all1 for    
sinners2 deign1  then1 to pray for me1 a
 more obstinate sinner than any other1  
and  therefore a more worthy object of  
your pity6 ,you see plainly the  urgent 
need ,i have of your intercession2      
therefore interest yourself  in my      
regard1 and obtain for me1 from your    
,divine ,son1 the grace of  sincere     
conversion and holy perseverance4 ,amen4
    ,ejaculation4--,i place myself for  
the whole of my life under your         
protection1 ,o ,mother of my ,god6 ,o   
show that you are my true ,mother6      
,practice4--,be very attentive in all   
your exercises of piety during  the day4
        ,,thirteenth ,,day4    ,,the    
,,trials ,,and ,,consolations ,,of ,,the
 ,,blessed ,,virgin4    ,,we can never  
meditate too much upon the great and    
cruel sorrows with  which the heart of  
the august ,virgin ,mary was afflicted  

during the  whole course of her life2   
yet she was the most holy of creatures1 
the  most beloved by ,god4 ',you1'      
exclaims ,st4 ,chrysostom1 'who bitterly
  weep and lament1 under the            
contradictions and afflictions that     
assail  you1 are you not ashamed to     
desire and seek for such a happiness as 
even the ,holy ,family did not enjoy8   
,ponder1 ,i beg of you1 the             
vicissitudes and changes to which they  
were exposed6'    ,mary receives the    
glad tidings that1 by the operation of  
the ,holy  ,ghost1 she should conceive a
 ,son1 the ,lord and ,saviour of the    
world4  ,what a joy to her heart is     
this6 and what rapturous delight filled 
her  soul at the moment of the          
,incarnation of the ,word in her most   
chaste  womb6 ,but this celestial joy is
 quickly followed by sorrow4 ,her       
,spouse1 ,st4 ,joseph1 is alarmed at the
 prodigy1 and thinks of secretly        
abandoning her4 ,oh6 the affliction of  
,mary when she sees the  perplexity of  

,st4 ,joseph1 whom1 through her humility
 and modesty1 she  is unable to comfort4
 ,after this most excruciating trial1   
the ,angel  discloses the celestial     
secret to her ,spouse1 and orders him to
 remain  with her4 ,what consolation    
fills the heart of these two ,angelic   
,spouses at this announcement6 ,but ,god
 had prepared new afflictions for  them4
 ,they must abandon their happy         
retirement1 and journey to  ,bethlehem  
in obedience to the order of the        
,emperor ,augustus4 ,faithful  souls1   
lose not sight of ,mary in this mystery2
 remain near this  ,mother1 and abandon 
her not for an instant1 whilst she      
journeys from  ,nazareth to ,bethlehem4 
,without any painful solicitude1 but    
with most  ardent desires1 she awaits   
the birth of the ,blessed ,fruit of her 
immaculate womb4 ,you will see this     
beautiful ,lady1 the fortunate          
,daughter of ,sion1 beg hospitality1 and
 not find a shelter in the whole  of    
,bethlehem1 although she is the ,mother 

of the ,king of ,glory4  ,however1 she  
blushes not for her poverty and misery1 
but considers it  rather an honour to   
have to endure it4    ,many holy        
affections are awakened in our hearts by
 this ,divine birth2  but we are        
especially taught the spirit of perfect 
detachment from all  worldly pomps and  
worldly gratifications4    ,it seems as 
if there were no mystery that so much   
unites tenderness  with austerity1 love 
with rigour1 bitterness with sweetness1 
as this  mystery of the ,nativity4      
,where can we find a poorer1 and yet a  
more  illustrious birth1 or a ,mother so
 blessed8 ,she who gives birth to the   
,son of ,god has certainly no need of   
the consolations of the world6    ,let  
us then delight to dwell near the sacred
 manger1 where the ,saviour  of our     
souls so powerfully speaks to us in ,his
 silence and teaches us  so many        
virtues2 and let the joy and consolation
 of the ,son and of the  ,mother form   
all the happiness of our souls6 ,how    

well it becomes ,mary  to caress this   
,infant6 ,how enchanting her charity in 
allowing all who  wish it to look at    
,him1 to touch and embrace ,him6 ,do you
 also ask her  to give ,him to you1 and 
she will do so4    ,o my ,jesus6 what a 
sweet night is this6 ,the ,church sings 
that the  heavens everywhere distil     
honey4 ,it would seem that those blessed
  ,angels1 who make the air resound with
 their song1 gather this  celestial     
honey from the breast of the sweet      
,virgin ,mary1 and from her  chaste     
,spouse ,st4 ,joseph4    ,what is there 
that we can give to our little ,king    
that we have not  received from ,his    
,divine abundance8 ,let us1 then1 give  
,him our hearts1  which ,he prizes above
 all4 ,o ,saviour of our souls1         
transform our  hearts into gold1 through
 charity2 into myrrh1 through           
mortification2  into incense1 by prayer2
 and then receive us within the arms of 
,thy  ,divine ,protection1 and let us   
hear ,thee say1 from ,thy ,sacred       

,heart1 ',i  am thy ,salvation for ages 
of ages4'    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4     
',a bundle of myrrh is my ,beloved to   
me4 ,he shall abide between my  breasts'
 7,cant4 i4 #ab71 in order that ,i may  
incessantly inhale its  bitterness4     
,the afflictions of this life are like  
the flowers that precede the  fruits of 
glory2 and the blood which we shed is as
 a royal unction  which consecrates us  
to immortality4--,st4 ,greg4 ,nyssen4   
,the rose grows amidst thorns2 and the  
most beautiful and most solid  virtues  
grow amidst the severest                
contradictions4--,st4 ,francis of       
,sales4    ,no one will be crowned with 
roses1 if he be not first crowned with  
the  thorns of ,our ,saviour4--,the     
same4    ,our actions are like roses1   
which1 though more pleasing when fresh1 
are yet sweeter and more agreeable when 
faded4 ,thus1 although works  performed 
with consolation are more pleasing to   
us2 yet if they be  done in the state of
 aridity1 they have a sweeter odour1    

higher value  before ,god4--,the same4  
,,example4    ,a ,fortunate ,mistake4   
,the following is related by an         
eye-witness of the event3 ',one evening1
  in ,december1 #ahee1 a ,priest named  
,b---1 having returned to his house     
after a hard day's work1 sat down and   
began to recite his ,office1 when  he   
heard a knock at his door4 ,he opened   
it1 and saw a young girl1 who  asked him
 to go and visit a dying lady1 living at
 ,no4 #bh1 --- ,street4  4 4 4 ,the good
 ,priest was ready to interrupt his     
prayer to follow the  little messenger1 
but she told him there was no hurry1    
provided he  went in the course of that 
evening2 so he wrote down the address of
  the sick person1 and told her to say  
that he was coming shortly4    ',after  
finishing his ,office1 the good ,priest 
went to the street named1  and entered  
,no4 #ah1 thinking this was the number  
mentioned4 ,it was a  wretched house1   
and as there was no one in charge of the
 door he  walked in1 groped up the poor 

staircase1 and knocked at the first door
  that he came to4 ,a man opened it1 and
 at the sight of the  ecclesiastical    
dress1 fell into a passion1 and to the  
inquiry made as  to whether this were   
the house of the sick lady1 he made an  
impudent  answer1 and shut the door in  
the face of the ,priest4 ,patient and   
mild1  like his ,divine ,master1 the    
,priest knocked at the next door1 and   
met  with no better reception4 ,he then 
went up to the second story1 where  he  
found a boy playing in a passage4 ,can  
you tell me1 my child1 said  he1 where  
,i can find a poor lady dangerously ill1
 who lives in this  house1 and is called
 ,g---8 ,yes2 down there1 ,reverend     
,sir2 my father  said that she would not
 be able to live through the night2 but 
,i do  not think that you have said her 
name correctly4 ,never mind the  name2  
lead me1 ,i beg of you1 to her door4    
',the ,priest1 preceded by the child1   
entered the room and found a woman  in  
her agony2 a man about fifty was sitting

 near her bed1 and at the  sight of the 
,priest he immediately arose1 evidently 
annoyed4 ,are you  ,mr4 ,g8--- said the 
,priest2 how is your sick wife8 ,no1    
replied the  man bluntly1 ,i am not2 who
 has sent you here to meddle with other 
people's affairs8 ,i was requested to   
come1 replied the ,priest with          
surprise4 ,i was told that a poor lady1 
named ,g---1 was seriously ill1  and    
wished for the last consolations of     
religion4 ,i may have mistaken  the     
street1 or the house1 or room2 but      
undoubtedly this sick woman has  much   
need of my ministry4 ,the ,divine ,mercy
 has certainly led me here1  and allowed
 this mistake to occur4 ,yes1 man of    
,god6 murmured the  dying woman1 yes1 it
 is ,god ,who has led you hither4       
,nothing of the  sort1 said the husband 
angrily2 for ten years no ,priest has   
set his  foot in my house2 you shall not
 confess my wife4 ,i am her master2 mind
  your own business4 ,you are much      
mistaken1 sir1 answered the ,priest1    

firmly and mildly2 the first ,master of 
your wife is ,god1 and you have  no     
right over her soul4 ,if she desire1 ,i 
shall hear her confession1  and ,i can  
only withdraw when she freely and of her
 own will refuses my  ministry4 ,then1  
approaching the sick woman1 he said3    
,madam1 do you  desire to be reconciled 
with ,god1 and die a ,christian death8  
,the poor  woman raised her hands to    
heaven1 and shed tears of joy1          
exclaiming3  ,blessed be the ,divine    
,goodness that has allowed this mistake6
 for  three days ,i have been asking my 
husband for a ,priest1 and he has       
answered me only with insults4 ,i do    
truly wish to be reconciled to my  ,god1
 ,who has had so much compassion on my  
poor soul4 ,do you hear1  sir8 said the 
,priest to the husband2 be pleased to   
leave me alone  with her for a few      
moments4 ,these words1 pronounced with  
much  firmness and resolution1 forced   
the man to retire1 although he did so   
grumbling4    ',the dying woman then    

pointed to a rosary hanging over her    
bed1 and  said3 ,see1 this has saved me2
 ,i had the weakness to fear my husband 
more than ,god1 and to avoid            
disturbances and quarrels1 for ten years
 ,i  have given up every practice of    
religion4 ,one only thing have ,i       
preserved--the love of the ,most ,holy  
,virgin1 and confidence in her          
intercession4 ,i have recited her       
,rosary almost every day2 it is she     
alone who has led you here1 and she1 the
 true ,mother of ,mercy and  refuge of  
sinners1 saves my soul4 ,the ,priest was
 deeply moved by this  touching         
narrative4 ,he consoled the sick woman1 
helped her to make her  confession1 and 
then told her to prepare to receive the 
,holy ,viaticum  and ,extreme ,unction1 
whilst he went to give notice thereof to
 the  ,parish ,priest4    ',on leaving  
the house he looked at the address which
 the little girl  had given him1 and saw
 that the number was not #ah but #bh4   
,blessing ,god  for this fortunate      

misunderstanding he hastened to ,no4    
#bh1 where he  found the sick lady      
expecting him4 ,after complying with the
 duties of  his sacred ministry here    
also he immediately went to the ,parish 
,priest  to see about the other         
,sacraments which the two sick persons  
required2  but meanwhile1 the poor woman
 at ,no4 #ah died4 ,she had received the
  pardon of her sins by the sacramental 
absolution1 and the fervour of  her will
 would assuredly supply before the ,god 
of ,all ,mercies for the  other succours
 of religion4    ',the man of ,god1 full
 of faith and gratitude towards the     
,most ,holy  ,virgin--the refuge of     
sinners and consolation of the          
afflicted--then  proceeded to fulfil the
 duties of his sacred ministry towards  
the  other dying lady4'    ,this most   
touching fact shows once again the      
treasures of benediction  that result   
from piety towards the ,most ,blessed   
,virgin1 and the great  ,mercy of ,our  
,adorable ,saviour towards those who    

love ,his ,holy ,mother4    ,prayer of  
,st4 ,bernard4--,o ,mother of ,mercy6   
even when on earth you  were deserving  
of our veneration and confidence2 but   
now that you are  raised to the highest 
heavens your faithful servants look to  
you as  the help of all nations4 ,we    
beseech you1 then1 ,all ,holy ,virgin1  
to  succour us by your patronage and    
prayers4 ,your prayers are more dear  to
 us and more valuable than all the      
treasures of earth2 they are so         
efficacious that they obtain from ,god  
the abundance of ,his graces2 so        
powerful that they suppress and bring to
 naught all the efforts of our  enemies1
 who labour for our destruction4        
,scatter them1 ,o ,mother of  ,mercy6   
confound all their designs1 strengthen  
our weakness against  their malice1 and 
show yourself the true ,mother of all   
the faithful  who place their confidence
 in you4 ,you are all my hope1 and will 
be so  as long as ,i have breath4 ,amen4
    ,ejaculation4--,i place all my      

confidence1 after ,god1 in you1 ,o      
,mary1  my dear ,mother4                
,practice4--,bear patiently1 and in a   
spirit of penance1 all the              
contradictions you may meet with this   
day4        ,,fourteenth ,,day4         
,,mary ,,at ,,bethlehem4    ,,god       
resolved to confer on mankind the most  
signal and loving benefit  of the       
,incarnation1 and came down upon earth  
into the desert of this  world like a   
celestial manna1 that ,he might become  
our food1 during  our journey to the    
promised land of ,paradise4 ,our        
adorable ,saviour  rendered ,himself    
visible to us at ,his birth1 as a       
beautiful little  ,infant1 lying in a   
manger1 and this was in the night1 when 
the world  was covered with darkness4   
,the ,divine ,nature of ,our ,lord      
,jesus ,christ  is represented by the   
honey contained in the manna--because   
honey is a  celestial liquor gathered by
 the bees from flowers1 and it is not   
distilled from their sap1 but collected 

by them as it descends from  heaven with
 the dew4 ,in like manner the ,divine   
,nature of our adorable  ,redeemer came 
down from ,heaven1 at the moment of the 
,incarnation1 upon  this blessed flower 
of the earth1 the ,most ,holy ,virgin1  
and1 having  become united with a human 
nature1 preserved it in the bosom of the
  ,most ,chaste ,mary1 as a sweet hive1 
during the space of nine months4    ,but
 let us consider more at length this    
miracle of ,divine ,mercy4    ,the ,most
 ,holy ,mother of ,god gave birth to her
 ,divine ,son as the stars  produce     
their light2 and on this account her    
name ,mary truly signifies  ,star of the
 ,sea1 or ,morning ,star4 ,the star of  
the sea is the ,polar  star1 towards    
which the mariner's needle continually  
turns2 and  through this star those who 
navigate the ocean know how their course
  is directed4    ,the ,patriarchs1     
,prophets1 and ,fathers of the ,church  
turned their eyes  towards the ,most    
,holy ,virgin1 and she was ever the     

,polar ,star and the  chosen ,port for  
all poor mortals who navigate the sea of
 this  miserable world1 and by her means
 they may avoid those shipwrecks  which 
occur so often on the rocks and         
precipices of sin4    ,mary was1 also1  
that beautiful ,morning ,star which     
brought the joyful  news of the coming  
of the ,sun of ,justice4 ,the ,prophets 
knew well that  a ,virgin would conceive
 and give birth to a ,son1 at once ,god 
and ,man1  through the operation of the 
,holy ,ghost1 and would still remain a  
,virgin1 though she became a ,mother3   
,ecce ,virgo concipiet et pariet        
,filium et vocabitur ejus ,emanuel4 ,how
 should ,he ,who selected her for  ,his 
,mother1 on account of her virginity1   
impair her integrity8 ,how  could the   
,eternal ,word1 ,purity itself1 lessen  
the virginal purity of  ,his ,mother8   
,from eternity ,he is generated and     
virginally produced in  the bosom of    
,his ,father2 and although receiving    
from ,him the ,divinity1  it is not     

divided1 but the ,word is always one and
 the same ,god with  the ,father4 ,the  
,most ,holy ,virgin here on earth also  
produces  virginally her ,divine ,son1  
,our ,lord4 ,there is this difference1  
however1 that ,he will never again enter
 the bosom of ,mary1 but ,he will  be   
eternally generated in the bosom of ,his
 ,father1 being ,one with ,him1  in     
virtue of the unity of the ,divine      
,essence4    ,this ,divine generation   
may indeed be made the foundation of our
  meditations on the mystery of ,our    
,lord's ,nativity2 but it does not      
admit of a curious inspection1 nor      
should we weary our mind by             
endeavouring to examine into that which 
is too sublime for our weak             
understanding3 ,generationem ejus quis  
enarrabit8--',who shall declare  ,his   
generation8' says the ,prophet ,isaiah4 
,but now1 after having considered the   
virginal purity of the ,most ,holy      
,virgin in giving birth to her ,divine  
,son1 let us turn our eyes to this      

,divine ,infant1 and see how ,he allows 
,himself to be cared for by ,his  ,holy 
,mother1 as if ,he could not do         
otherwise4 ,why is this8 ,it is to      
teach us how to act1 ,religious         
especially1 who are bound by the sweet  
chains of the holy vow of ,obedience4   
,our ,lord certainly could not make  bad
 use of ,his ,will1 or of ,his liberty1 
being the ,eternal ,wisdom2             
nevertheless ,he concealed ,his         
knowledge1 and all ,his perfections as  
,god and those of ,his perfect human    
intellect1 under the swathing bands  of 
infancy4 ,he keeps hidden under the veil
 of holy obedience to the  ,eternal     
,father1 ,who had willed that ,he should
 be1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 in  all things 
like to ,his brethren1 excepting sin4   
,behold our ,model6 ,let  us often visit
 this ,child1 lying in a manger2 and let
 us learn from  ,him how to act in all  
things according to ,his ,most ,holy    
,will4    ,but shall we visit ,him      
empty-handed8 ,the shepherds took with  

them some  of their little lambs to     
present to ,him4 ,what can we offer more
  acceptable to this ,divine ,pastor of 
our souls than our hearts as a  little  
offering of our love and the choicest   
part of our spiritual  flock8 ,how dear 
will this offering be to ,him6 ,he will 
look upon us  with mercy in return for  
our gift2 and we shall gladden the ,most
 ,holy  ,virgin1 who so much desires our
 welfare4 ,let us take with us from her 
,divine ,infant one of ,his precious    
tears1 the sweet dew of ,heaven1 and    
place it on our heart1 that it may      
henceforth feel no other sorrow  than   
that which rejoices this ,blessed       
,infant--that is1 sorrow for sin6  ,we  
should all be like so many simple       
shepherds watching over the  flocks of  
our affections1 ready to adore this our 
,infant ,saviour1 as  soon as the       
,angels call us4 ,we should offer ,him1 
as a pledge of our  eternal service1 the
 finest lamb we possess2 that is1 all   
our love1  without any reserve or       

exception4    ,oh1 how happy shall we   
be1 and what great consolation shall we 
receive1 if we thus visit the ,saviour  
of our souls6    ,as the manna had the  
taste of every kind of food1 so this    
,divine  ,infant contains in ,himself   
every kind of consolation4 ,each one can
  find in ,him what he desires1 and     
proportionate to his capacity1  provided
 that he possess the requisite          
dispositions4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4 
,no flower could be a better emblem of  
the resplendent virtue of ,mary  and her
 singular privilege than the lily2 whose
 three petals may  signify that she was 
a ,virgin in her conception of ,jesus1 a
 ,virgin at  ,his birth1 and a ,virgin  
ever afterwards4--,nouet4    ,mary is   
the ,mystical ,lily without spot1 in    
which the ,eternal ,word  espoused our  
nature4--,the same4    ,the flower falls
 from the tree when the fruit is formed2
 but the  ,mother of ,god1 who is the   
tree of life1 preserves her flower and  
her  fruit1 and by an unheard-of miracle

 unites maternity to virginity4--  ,the 
same4    ,as the lily lifts its stem on 
high1 so the soul who often receives    
,jesus ,christ should direct its hopes  
towards heaven in imitation of  ,jesus1 
,who is the ,flower of the field and the
 ,lily of the valley4 ,the  virtue of   
such a soul has roots deeper than the   
cedars of ,lebanon1  which defy the     
winds and the storms4 ,in the           
fruitfulness of her good  works and in  
her charity towards the poor1 her glory 
is like that of  the olive4 ,the        
fragrance of her holy life and of her   
sweet  conversation is spread around    
like the odour of the flowers which bud 
forth on ,mount ,lebanon in             
spring-time4--,st4 ,cyril4    ,,example4
    ,the ,devotion of the ,saints to the
 ,angelus4    #a4 ,st4 ,alfonso di      
,liguori omitted no favourable          
opportunity for  showing his tender     
devotion to the ,most ,blessed ,virgin4 
,whenever he  heard the clock strike1   
whatever might be his occupation or     

conversation1 he interrupted it to      
recite the ,angelical salutation1       
saying that one ,ave ,maria was more    
valuable than the entire world4  ,he was
 most exact in the recital of the       
,angelus4 ,as soon as he heard  the     
sound of the bell1 he went down on his  
knees1 even when he  happened to be in  
the public streets4 ,when he became deaf
 he desired  to be warned of the ringing
 of the bell1 and even when at his meals
 he  would break off and kneel down to  
recite it4 ,often was he rapt in        
ecstasy during this prayer from the     
fervour of his devotion4    #b4 ,st4    
,charles ,borromeo1 who was so          
celebrated for piety and learning1  was 
not ashamed1 when ,archbishop of ,milan1
 to descend from his  carriage or his   
horse in the open streets to recite the 
,angelus in  honour of ,mary4    #c4    
,st4 ,vincent de ,paul1 wherever he     
might be1 or in whatever society1  even 
at court1 would recollect himself1 and  
kneel down as soon as he  heard the     

sound of the ,angelus4 ,he considered   
himself happy to be able  to give public
 testimony of his filial love of the    
,most ,holy ,virgin  ,mary1 and those   
who were present always followed his    
example4    ,all who devoutly recite the
 ,angelus on their knees morning1 noon1 
and evening at the ringing of the bell  
gain a hundred days' ,indulgence  each  
time1 and if they continue to say it at 
least once a day during  the course of a
 month1 they may gain a ,plenary        
,indulgence on the usual  conditions4   
,those who are unable to hear the sound 
of the bell may  gain the same          
,indulgence by reciting the ,angelus at 
the time that it  is usually rung4 ,as  
to those who are much engaged1 and who  
wish to  supplicate the ,blessed ,virgin
 thrice a day1 they can supply for the  
,angelus the following invocations3     
,virgin before the birth of your        
,divine ,son1 pray for us2 ,virgin at   
,his birth1 pray for us2 ,virgin  after 
,his birth1 pray for us4 ,lastly1 those 

who do not know the  prayers can say the
 ,paters and ,aves in memory of the     
,incarnation  of the ,word in the womb  
of ,mary4    ,prayer of ,st4            
,anselm4--,we beseech you1 ,o ,queen of 
,heaven and  ,sovereign of the          
,universe1 by the grace which ,our ,lord
 conferred upon  you in raising you to  
so sublime a degree of glory1 to        
intercede for  us1 that the fulness of  
grace with which you were enriched may  
render  us one day partakers of your    
glory and happiness4 ,o ,mother1 full of
  mercy1 interest yourself in our       
behalf1 that we may be able to enjoy    
the ineffable happiness for which our   
,god deigned to inclose ,himself  for   
nine months in your most holy womb4 ,if 
you deign to pray for us to  your       
,divine ,son1 you will be assuredly     
heard4 ,let the bowels of your  maternal
 mercy speak in our favour4 ,if you1 our
 tender ,mother1 have no  compassion for
 us1 what will become of your most      
miserable children8  ,what will be our  

destiny when your ,divine ,son1 as      
,judge of the living  and the dead1 will
 call us to ,his judgment-seat8 ,have   
pity on us then1  ,o ,mother of ,mercy6 
,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,see1 ,o ,mary1
 the many dangers by which we are       
surrounded1 and have pity on our        
miserable condition4    ,practice4--,let
 all your actions be done this day for  
the sole end of  pleasing ,god1 that you
 may thus be able to offer ,him the     
tender lamb  of your love4              
,,fifteenth ,,day4    ,,the ,,union ,,of
 ,,charity ,,and ,,humility ,,in ,,the  
,,heart ,,of ,,mary ,,at ,,the          
,,incarnation4    ,,god is ,one2 hence  
,he loves unity and union1 and hates all
 that is not  in accordance with this   
unity4 ,the reason is this--that as ,he 
is  perfect in all ,his attributes1 ,he 
must have a sovereign love for all  that
 is perfect1 and unity is perfection4   
,he must also be averse to  all         
disunion1 because whatever is disunited 
is so far imperfect4    ,as then ,god   

wished to show us how dear to ,him is   
union1 ,he effected  three distinct     
modes of union in the ,most ,holy       
,virgin on the day of  ,his             
,incarnation4    ,firstly1 ,he united   
the ,divine to the human nature2 and so 
admirable  and sublime is this union1   
that it infinitely surpasses all that   
human  or angelic intelligence can      
comprehend4 ,nor could the ,seraphim or 
,cherubim have ever imagined anything so
 wonderful4 ,indeed1 two  opposite      
extremes were to meet--the ,divine      
,nature1 which is essential  perfection1
 and human nature1 the deepest misery3  
the contraries being  the greatest that 
can be conceived4 ,nevertheless1 ,god in
 ,his ,wisdom  and infinite ,goodness   
was able to find a method of uniting the
 two  natures so intimately through ,his
 ,incarnation in the womb of ,our ,lady 
that in one ,person man was made ,god   
and ,god became ,man1 without           
disparagement to ,his ,deity4    ,the   
second union was that of ,maternity with

 ,virginity4 ,this certainly  is most   
admirable and beyond all the laws of    
nature4 ,a virgin becomes  a mother1 and
 remains still a virgin after maternity4
 ,this miraculous  and supernatural     
union could only be effected by the     
omnipotent hand  of ,god1 ,who granted  
this privilege to ,mary2 and as this    
union has been  effected in her alone1  
so she alone will be eternally both a   
,virgin  and a ,mother1 and the ,mother 
of a ,son ,who is both ,god and ,man4   
,the third union accomplished by ,god in
 our glorious ,lady was that of  the    
most ardent charity with the most       
profound humility4    ,reflect on these 
two virtues1 and you will ask how it is 
possible that  charity can be united    
with humility1 if the nature of one is  
to soar  on high1 and that of the other 
to abase itself8 ,naturally1 indeed1 it 
is impossible but ,god1 ,who is ,one1   
and ,who loves and desires unity1       
manifested the greatness of ,his power  
by uniting these two dissimilar  virtues

 in the soul of ,mary4    ,in her1      
charity was so united to humility that  
one depended on the  other1 and whilst  
her charity continues humble1 her       
humility is ever  full of charity4      
,charity raised her soul above all      
creatures1 and  humility abased it below
 them all1 and yet the union of these   
two  virtues was continuous4    ,to what
 a high degree of humility and charity  
did not the ,most ,holy  ,virgin attain 
at the moment of the ,incarnation6      
,ponder her words to  the ,archangel3   
,ecce ancilla ,domini1 fiat mihi        
secundum verbum tuum--  ',behold the    
handmaid of the ,lord1 be it done unto  
me according to ,thy  word4' ,no sooner 
did she hear herself proclaimed the     
,mother of ,god1  the ,queen of ,angels 
and of men1 than she abased herself     
beneath all1  saying3 ',behold the      
handmaid of the ,lord6' ,this is a great
 act of  humility4    ,the ,most ,holy  
,virgin in that moment had so clear a   
knowledge of the  misery and nothingness

 of human nature1 and of the infinite   
distance  between ,god and man1 that1   
seeing herself raised above all         
creatures1  she abased herself beneath  
them all1 considering her own           
nothingness  and the infinite greatness 
of ,god ,who had chosen her for ,his    
,mother4  ,true it is1 then1 that ,mary 
never humbled herself so profoundly as  
when she pronounced these words3 ,ecce  
ancilla ,domini--',behold the  handmaid 
of the ,lord6'    ,but see how the ,most
 ,blessed ,virgin united the most       
perfect charity to  her humility when   
consenting to the proposal the ,angel   
made her in the  ,name of ,god3 ,fiat   
mihi secundum verbum--',be it done unto 
me  according to ,thy word'--were her   
words2 and thus1 by charity1 she was    
raised above the ,cherubim and          
,seraphim1 and at that very moment the  
,eternal ,son of ,god took flesh in her 
virginal womb1 and she became ,his      
,mother6    ,let us learn from the      
example of ,our ,lady that humility does

 not  merely consist in diffidence in   
ourselves1 but it must be accompanied   
by confidence in ,god4 ,this confidence 
in ,god is produced by this  diffidence 
in ourselves and in our own powers4     
,this confidence is also  the source of 
generosity of soul1 of which ,our       
,blessed ,lady gives an  example on this
 occasion when she says the words3 ',be 
it done unto me  according to ,thy      
word4' ,it is true1 would she say1 that 
,i am unworthy  of this grace1 in regard
 to what ,i am only in myself2 but as   
all that  is good in me is from ,god1   
and as that which you announce to me is 
,his  ,most ,holy ,will1 ,i believe that
 it can and will be done1 and1          
therefore1 let it be accomplished in me6
    ,humility conceals the virtues of a 
soul1 in order the better to  preserve  
them2 nevertheless1 when charity        
requires1 it allows them to  be known   
for their increase and perfection4 ,thus
 it resembles those  plants which close 
their beautiful flowers at night and    

open them only  when the sun is high1 so
 that people speak of those flowers as  
sleeping during the night4 ,humility1 in
 the same way1 conceals all our         
virtues1 and never allows them to       
appear1 except for the exercise of      
charity1 which1 being a celestial1      
,divine gift1 not an acquired  virtue1  
is truly as a sun amidst all the        
virtues1 and should always  rule over   
them4 ,hence the humility1 which is     
prejudicial to charity1  is undoubtedly 
a false humility4    ,,spiritual        
,,flowers4    ,let us have a supreme    
contempt for all that is not ,god4 ,oh1 
how sweet  it is to abandon one's self  
into ,his hands6 ,daily experience      
proves to  us that the less we trust in 
our miserable efforts1 the more does    
,god  work in us by ,his omnipotent     
virtue4 ,all consists in being a docile 
instrument in ,his hands1 and seemingly 
dead4--,p4 ,milley4    ,it is good to   
leave ,our ,lord sometimes to serve     
others for ,his sake2  and we should do 

so1 if we can prevent our devotion from 
causing  annoyance4--,st4 ,francis of   
,sales4    ,as the olive1 when planted  
in vineyards1 communicates its savour to
  the vine1 so charity communicates its 
perfection to the virtues amidst  which 
it flourishes4 ,it is also true that    
when the vine is engrafted  on the      
olive1 it not only receives its taste1  
but also its sap2 thus  we should not be
 satisfied with the possession of       
charity and with the  exercise of all   
other virtues1 but it is necessary that 
all our  virtues be accompanied and     
produced by charity1 and be attributed  
to  this virtue alone4--,the same4      
,,example4    ,the ,efficacy of the     
',salve ,regina4'    ,the following     
appeared in the ,french journal1 the    
,univers3 ',we have  already announced  
the departure of five ,nuns of the      
,cross1 on their  way to apply their    
admirable spirit of unselfishness to the
 exercise  of works of charity in the   
,diocese of ,natchitoches1 in ,america4 

',after a painful misfortune at sea1    
these worthy ,sisters have landed  at   
,havre4 ,they were to set out from this 
port1 and in a letter  addressed to the 
,bishop of ,saint ,brieux1 the ,mother  
,superior of the  ,sisters of the ,cross
 thus writes3    ',our ,sisters started 
about eleven1 on the morning of the     
#ajth of  ,november1 #ahef4 ,they had   
received the blessing of our ,chaplain1 
and  did not expect ever to return2 but 
,divine ,providence had disposed        
otherwise4 ,the steamer was already     
before ,cherbourg1 when1 at about       
eleven o'clock in the night following   
their departure1 a fearful noise  was   
heard throughout the steamer4 ,all the  
passengers were called to go  on deck1  
and they came up exclaiming3 ',we are   
lost6 ,we are lost6'    ',one of the    
boilers had burst1 and the explosion had
 wounded six men  and set fire to the   
vessel4 ',have you a ,priest on board8' 
said a lady  to one of our ,sisters4    
',no1' she replied4 ',so much the       

worse1' said  the lady1 'because our    
death is certain4' ',no1 madam1' calmly 
and  confidently replied ,sister ,mary  
,agatha2 'let us invoke the ,most ,holy 
,virgin1 and she will save us4' ,our    
,sisters immediately went down on  their
 knees1 with their hands crossed on     
their breast1 and recited the  ,salve   
,regina4 ,many passengers and sailors   
joined them1 and their  cries reached   
the heart of the ,mother of ,god4 ,a few
 moments after1  when the ,sisters1 who 
had gone down into a cabin1 were        
continuing  their prayers1 they were    
informed that the fire had been         
miraculously  extinguished1 and that    
there was no further danger4 ,no one    
doubted  that their salvation was owing 
to the prayers which had been addressed 
to the ,blessed ,virgin                 
,mary4'--,univers1 #cjth ,november1     
#ahef4    ,prayer4--,o most humble of   
,virgins1 holy ,mother of ,god1         
,mistress of  life and ,lady of the     
universe1 teach me humility and the true

 love of  this precious virtue4 ,how    
great is the pride of my heart1 who am  
but  dust and ashes2 ,i have eagerly    
sought for the praises of men1 when     
shame and confusion for my innumerable  
infidelities should have made  me feel  
my nothingness6 ,take pity on me1 ,o    
,holy ,virgin2 banish the  proud        
thoughts that arise in my soul1 and let 
me imitate your humility  here on earth1
 that ,i may be worthy to experience1   
with you1 the truth  of these words3    
',the humble shall exult in the         
abundance of peace4'  ,amen4            
,ejaculation4--,pray for us1 ,o most    
humble of all ,virgins6                 
,practice4--,endeavour to-day to neglect
 no opportunity of practising  humility 
and charity4        ,,sixteenth ,,day4  
,,the ,,purification ,,of ,,the         
,,blessed ,,virgin4    ,,let us meditate
 attentively upon the virtues of which  
,mary gives us so  moving an example in 
the mystery of her ,purification in the 
,temple4  ,first of all1 what more      

profound humility can be imagined than  
that  practised by ,our ,saviour and    
,our ,lady in their visit to the        
,temple8 ,he  comes to be offered1 like 
all the sons of sinful men2 she1 to be  
purified like all other women4 ,with    
regard to our adorable ,redeemer1  it is
 of ,faith that ,he1 being essential    
purity1 could not be under the          
obligation of this ,law1 which was      
promulgated for sinners4 ,with regard   
to the ,most ,holy ,virgin1 what need   
had she to purify herself1 who1  from   
the instant of her ,immaculate          
,conception1 had been endowed with      
purity so excellent1 and with such a    
fulness of grace1 that the  highest     
,seraphim and ,cherubim could not be    
compared to her8 ,and yet1  behold1 the 
,son and the ,mother1 notwithstanding   
their incomparable  purity1 present     
themselves in the ,temple1 as if they   
were sinners like  other children of    
,adam6 ,o truly wonderful act of        
humility6 ,if the  value of this act    

increases in proportion to the dignity  
of the person  who humbles himself1 how 
full of useful instruction to souls     
tending  to perfection is the humility  
practised by the ,sovereign ,creator of 
all things4    ,he shows us that this   
virtue was so dear to ,him that ,he     
preferred  death rather than relinquish 
its practice2 for after teaching that   
there can be no greater love than to    
give one's life for the object  beloved1
 ,he lays down ,his life for the        
exercise of humility4 ,by  submitting to
 die ,he1 the immortal ,god1 practised  
the most excellent  and most sublime act
 of humility that can be conceived4     
,some persons  deceive themselves by    
regarding humility as a virtue necessary
 merely  to novices and beginners in the
 spiritual life1 and the practice of    
which can be laid aside after some      
advance4 ,but our adorable ,saviour     
shows us how erroneous is this opinion1 
by humbling ,himself unto  death4    ,oh
 if we could well understand the        

necessity of perseverance in this       
virtue6 ,how many1 after beginning well1
 have miserably fallen away  because    
they did not persevere in the practice  
of humility6 ,but ,jesus  ,christ did   
not say he who shall begin1 but he who  
shall persevere  until death1 shall be  
saved3 ,qui perseveraverit usque in     
finem hic  salvus erit4    ,genuine     
virtue may be distinguished from that   
which is only apparent1  as true balsam 
is distinguished from false4 ,balsam is 
tested by  dropping it into water2 if it
 sinks to the bottom of the vessel it   
may  be considered very pure and        
precious4 ,we may know if a person be   
truly  prudent1 generous and noble1 by  
observing if these virtues tend to  make
 him humble1 modest1 submissive2 for in 
such a case they are truly  valuable    
gifts2 but if they stay only on the     
surface1 and love to show  themselves   
and to win admiration1 they are so far  
false and  counterfeit4    ,the ,angels1
 and1 after them1 our first parents1    

prevaricated through  pride4 ,upon this 
account1 ,our ,lord1 like a wise and    
loving physician  of our souls1 applied 
the remedy to the root of the evil1 and 
came  into the world to plant in the    
place of pride the beautiful and useful 
virtue of ,divine humility1 become very 
necessary on account of the  contrary   
vice being so general4 ,indeed1 so      
common an evil is pride1  that humility 
can never be sufficiently inculcated2   
and on this  account1 our adorable      
,saviour and our ,immaculate ,lady would
 obey the  law1 not made for them1 to   
teach us to esteem this virtue4 ,for us1
 who  deserve only humiliation and      
contempt1 to abase ourselves is no great
  thing4 ,however1 humiliation acquires 
an inestimable value when  embraced by  
,jesus ,christ and ,his ,most ,holy     
,mother2 and this  humiliation was      
continual with them throughout the whole
 course of  their life4 ,wherefore the  
,apostle1 speaking of the humility of   
,our  ,redeemer1 said that ',he humbled 

,himself unto death1 even to the death  
of the ,cross'--,humiliavit semitipsum  
usque ad mortem1 mortem autem  crucis4  
,but if we miserable creatures humble   
ourselves on some slight  occasion1 we  
quickly seek by every means in our power
 to indemnify  ourselves for the        
transient exercise of this virtue1 and  
the very  thought of persevering in the 
practice of it alarms us4 ,we are       
convinced1 it is true1 that we are very 
imperfect1 and yet we desire  to be     
looked upon as holy and perfect1        
notwithstanding the example of  ,mary1  
who consented to be clothed in the      
semblance of a sinner1  although        
confirmed in grace and possessed of a   
more than angelic  purity4    ,observe  
any other daughter of ,eve1 and see how 
eagerly she seeks for  honour and       
esteem2 and although this defect be     
common to all mankind  in general1 it   
seems to be more marked in the female   
sex4 ,now1 ,our  ,lady and glorious     
,mistress is not the ,daughter of ,eve  

according to the  spirit1 but only      
according to the flesh1 and therefore   
she always  persevered in the most      
profound humility1 and could say in her 
sacred  ,canticle of the ,magnificat    
that on this account ',all generations  
would call her blessed'--,beatam me     
dicent omnes generationes4    ,how      
beautiful is it to behold the ,holy     
,virgin presenting herself and  the     
,infant ,jesus in the ,temple1 and      
making her offering of two doves6       
,happier is she than all the princes of 
earth6 ,and what shall ,i say of  the   
aged ,simeon1 who takes the ,divine     
,infant in his arms8 ,let us also       
embrace ,him1 let us live and die in    
these tender embraces4    ,place this   
sweet ,jesus in your heart1 like another
 ,solomon upon his  ivory throne4 ,let  
your soul follow ,his steps1 that you   
may hear the  holy words ,he continually
 breathes4 ,remember that your heart    
should be  like ivory in purity and     
firmness2 firm in its resolutions1 and  

pure  in its affections4    ,,spiritual 
,,flowers4    ,anything we do1 however  
little1 will have an inestimable value  
if it  be done for the love of          
,god4--,st4 ,teresa4    ,it is an       
exalted degree of perfection to         
assimilate and conform  ourselves to the
 spirit of the sacred ,infancy of our   
most humble and  most obedient          
,saviour4--,st4 ,francis of ,sales4     
,whoever wishes to acquire virtue1 and  
does not possess humility1 is  like to  
one who carries dust in his hands when  
there is a high wind4--  ,the same4     
,,example4    ,punishment of the        
,profaners of a ,sanctuary of the       
,blessed ,virgin4    ,the holy          
,hermitage of ,voiron did not escape the
 profanations of the  heretics4 ,they   
invaded it with arms in their hands1 as 
if they were  going to besiege a        
fortress2 they ill-treated and expelled 
the ,monks1  took away the sacred       
vessels1 the papers1 documents1         
indulgences1  etc41 committed horrible  

sacrileges1 and at last set fire to the 
place  and entirely destroyed it1 and   
rolled the remaining stones down the    
mountain4    ,this atrocious impiety was
 not left unpunished1 for soon          
afterwards  all who had taken part in   
the destruction of the hermitage        
perished  miserably4 ,it is remarkable1 
however1 that in spite of all the       
devastation effected by these impious   
men1 they could not gain their          
principal object1 which was to carry off
 the statue of the ,most ,holy  ,virgin1
 which was preserved miraculously4      
,john ,burgnard1 a native of ,chablais1 
who had embraced the heresy of  the     
,bernese1 and was the leader of these   
profaners1 had no sooner  reached the   
hermitage1 than he mounted the ,altar to
 carry away the  statue of the ,most    
,blessed ,virgin4 ,he threw a rope round
 its neck1 and  descending from the     
,altar was walking out of the ,church1  
dragging the  statue after him1 and     
uttering at the same time these words3  

',come  along with me1 come along with  
me1 little black woman' 7the face of    
the statue was black72 'if you are as   
powerful as the ,papists say1 let  me   
now have a proof of it4 ,why do you     
allow yourself to be thus  shamefully   
dragged on the ground8 ,why do you not  
defend yourself8' ,he  had no sooner    
uttered these blasphemies than the      
statue became  immovable4 ,the wretched 
man1 finding that he was unable to drag 
it  further1 turned his head round to   
see what was hindering him1 and by a    
second miracle his head remained turned 
in that direction1 so that he  could    
never again place it in its right       
position2 and1 moreover1 he  became     
crippled in an arm and a shoulder4      
,being obliged to leave the  statue1 he 
left the spot with great difficulty1 and
 bore the  chastisement of his impiety  
throughout his life1 giving an          
undeniable  proof of the sovereign power
 of the ,queen of ,heaven4 ,but more    
terrible  is the fact that he persevered

 in heresy1 and died in despair in the  
presence of many of the parishioners of 
,bons4 ,amongst these were  ,michael    
,novello and ,claude ,ippolito          
,cortager1 who gave testimony of  this  
fact on oath ,a4,d4 #afbi4    ,his      
,highness ,duke ,charles ,emmanuel1 when
 at ,tortona during the time  that ,st4 
,francis of ,sales was converting the   
people of ,chablais1  verified the fact 
we have related1 and ordered the        
secretary of the  ,town ,corporation to 
register it1 that the miracle might be  
transmitted  to posterity4 7,see ',life 
of ,st4 ,francis of ,sales1' by         
,augustus de  ,sales47                  
,prayer4--,holy ,virgin6 when you       
presented your ,divine ,son to the      
,eternal ,father1 you became dear to all
 the ,heavenly ,court4 ,o present  also 
our hearts1 that1 fortified by grace1 we
 may never fall into  mortal sin6       
,most humble ,virgin6 when you placed   
the adorable ,jesus in the arms of  the 
aged ,simeon1 you filled his soul with1 

heavenly sweetness4 ,o place  our hearts
 in the hands of ,god1 that ,he may fill
 them with ,his ,divine  ,spirit6 ,most 
diligent ,virgin1 you co-operated in the
 redemption of the  world1 when you     
redeemed your ,son ,jesus with two      
turtle-doves2 be  pleased to redeem our 
hearts from the slavery of sin1 that    
they may be  always pure and holy before
 ,god4 ,most clement ,virgin6 when you  
heard  from the lips of the holy ,simeon
 the prophetic announcement of all  your
 dolours1 you submitted yourself quickly
 and perfectly to the ,will  of ,god4 ,o
 help us to support always with patience
 and resignation all  the tribulations  
of life6    ,most merciful ,virgin6     
bymeans of your ,divine ,son you        
illuminated the  ,prophetess ,anna with 
supernatural light1 so that she         
magnified the  mercies of ,god and      
acknowledged and proclaimed ,jesus as   
the ,saviour of  the world4 ,o fill us  
with heavenly grace1 that in the        
abundance of joy  we may be able to reap

 the precious fruits of ,redemption4    
,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,o ,mary6 watch
 over me4    ,practice4--,take every    
possible care to-day not to commit any  
sin1  however venial it may seem4       
,,seventeenth ,,day4    ,,mary1 ,,the   
,,model ,,of ,,perfect ,,obedience1 ,,in
 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,the             
,,purification4    ,,let us consider in 
this meditation how our adorable        
,saviour and ,his  ,most ,holy ,mother  
united perfect obedience to profound    
humility4    ,our ,lord preferred the   
death of the ,cross rather than fail in 
obedience4 ',jesus ,christ1' says the   
great ,apostle1 'was obedient unto      
death1 even to the death of the         
,cross'--,factus obediens usque ad      
mortem1 mortem autem crucis4 ,and what  
signal obedience did not ,mary  exercise
 at the death of her ,son1 the only     
object of her heart's  affection6 ,she  
stood firm and constant at the foot of  
the ,cross1  pierced with the sword of  
sorrow1 perfectly resigned to the ,will 

of  the ,eternal ,father4 ,all the      
actions of ,our ,divine ,saviour were   
regulated by obedience1 as ,he ,himself 
declared1 saying3 ',i am come not  to do
 ,my ,will1 but the ,will of ,him that  
sent ,me'--,descendi de coelo  non ut   
faciam voluntatem meam sed voluntatem   
ejus qui miset ,me4 ,thus  ,he teaches  
us that the ,will of ,his ,heavenly     
,father was the sole guide  of all ,his 
thoughts4 ,notice ,our ,lady's life1 and
 you will always see  her obedient4 ,so 
highly did she esteem this virtue of    
obedience1 that  she obeyed the command 
to espouse ,st4 ,joseph1 although she   
was bound  by a vow of virginity4 ,she  
always persevered in the practice of    
this  virtue1 and as the mystery of the 
,purification shows us1 she presented   
herself in the ,temple1 that she might  
observe the ,law she was not  bound to  
observe4 ,thus her obedience was the    
more precious as it was  voluntary4     
,indeed1 this is the only virtue that   
she has recommended to  the practice of 

mankind4 ,the ,gospel tells us that when
 she spoke to  the attendants at the    
marriage of ,cana1 she said to them3    
',whatsoever  ,he shall say to you1     
do'--,quodcumque dixerit vobis facite4  
,here she  teaches the practice of holy 
obedience1 which is inseparable from the
  virtue of humility1 because it springs
 from this virtue4 ,only those  who are 
truly humble subject themselves to the  
,will of ,god4    ,our ,lady had no fear
 of being disobedient1 because she was  
not obliged  to obey the ,law1 but she  
shunned its very shadow4 ,many would    
have  misunderstood her conduct1 if she 
had not gone to the ,temple to offer    
her ,divine ,son and perform the        
ceremony of her ,purification4 ,she     
would1 therefore1 remove all suspicion  
of disobedience1 and at the  same time  
teach us not merely to avoid sin1 but   
also its very  appearance1 and the      
occasions which may expose us to it4    
,let us learn1  also1 not to be         
satisfied with the testimony of our     

conscience alone1  but to try to remove 
from others every occasion of thinking  
ill of us  and of our actions4    ,the  
example of ,our ,saviour and of ,his    
,most ,holy ,mother should animate  us  
to submit not only in those things that 
are commanded us1 but in  those that are
 merely of counsel1 that we may thus    
become more dear to  the ,divine        
,goodness4 ,o ,god6 is it then so great 
a work to subject  ourselves to         
obedience1 when for this alone we have  
been sent into the  world1 and when the 
,supreme ,king1 to ,whom all things     
should be  subject1 practised it8    ,we
 must learn then from the example of our
 adorable ,saviour and of ,his  ,most   
,holy ,mother1 to be docile1 pliable1   
and easily ruled1 not only  for a       
certain time1 and in some actions1 but  
even unto death4 ,but two  fundamental  
conditions of this virtue of ,obedience 
must be observed4  ,these are--firstly1 
that to obey perfectly we must love ,god
 ,who  commands2 and secondly1 we must  

love the action that is commanded4 ,all 
the faults committed against obedience  
proceed from the want of one of  these  
conditions4 ,many love the thing        
commanded1 but not ,god ,who  commands  
it4 ,for instance1 some will perform    
their devotions1 not out  of obedience  
to the ,will of ,god1 but on account of 
the consolation  they experience in this
 exercise4 ,in this there is nothing but
  self-love2 and it will be perceptible 
by the repugnance1 or discontent1  which
 is felt in the performance of those    
observances that are not  according to  
our inclinations4 ,in this case1 it is  
plain that it is  not ,god ,whom we     
love1 but only the thing that ,he       
commands4 ,if we loved  ,god ,who       
commands1 our hearts would be           
indifferent as to our  occupation1      
because in all we should be equally sure
 to find the ,will  of ,god4    ,others 
will love ,god ,who commands1 but not   
the action commanded4 ,these  will say3 
,i know very well that it is the ,will  

of ,god that ,i should do  this or that1
 but ,i feel so great a repugnance1 that
 ,i cannot resolve  to do it1 and were  
,i to strive to obey1 the person who1 in
 the name of  ,god1 desires me to       
perform the action1 enjoins it so       
ungraciously1 as  to rob me of all the  
satisfaction ,i might experience in an  
act of  obedience4    ,the source of all
 our difficulties is that we obey       
readily only when  our superiors        
accommodate themselves to our natural   
inclinations4 ,on  all other occasions1 
the smallest obligations appear to us   
difficult  and disagreeable4 ,it is     
therefore evident that we do not regard 
,god  ,who commands us through another1 
but we look at the person who speaks  to
 us in ,his ,name1 to see how he is     
clothed so to speak2 that is to  say1 we
 look only at his external deportment4  
,o ,god6 what a mistake6  ,we ought to  
submit to the ,will of ,god in          
obedience1 without any  exception1 and  
from whatever quarter the order may     

come2 and not only  love ,god ,who      
commands1 but also the thing that is    
commanded2 taking  the command and      
placing it upon our heads--that is1 in  
our inmost  heart1 to execute it with   
all fidelity and sincere goodwill4      
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,bless ,god   
for having given you ,mary as your      
,mother4 ,imitate her1 and  consider    
what a blessing it is for you to have so
 powerful an advocate  in ,heaven4--,st4
 ,teresa4    ,humility cannot subsist   
without love1 nor love without          
humility--and  one can never be acquired
 without the other4--,the same4    ,the 
more we mortify our natural             
inclinations1 so much the more do we    
merit to receive supernatural           
inspirations4--,francis of ,sales4      
,,example4    ,a ,conquest of the       
,blessed ,virgin's4    ,father ,paul    
,stub1 a ,barnabite1 became a conquest  
of grace1 and an  ,angel in virtue and  
learning1 through the intercession of   
the ,blessed  ,virgin ,mary4 ,he himself

 thus relates his conversion in his     
excellent  book for the ,month of ,mary1
 entitled ',the ,school of ,mary'3      
',a ,protestant youth set out from the  
,north1 in #ahbf1 to take a post at     
,genoa1 in the family of the ,consul of 
,sweden and ,norway1 who was a  very    
good ,catholic4 ,but the wife of the    
,consul1 fearing that this  youth might 
by his conversation have an evil        
influence on a nephew who  lived with   
them1 went to the sanctuary of ,our     
,lady of ,graces1 and made  the         
following prayer to the ,queen of       
,heaven and ,earth3    ',o ,mary6 if you
 see that this ,protestant youth will   
become a ,catholic  and be virtuous1    
then let him arrive1 but if otherwise1  
send his ship  to ,america4    ',the    
ship arrived safely at ,genoa1 and the  
boy entered on his  situation4 ,he was  
edified by the examples of virtue that  
he witnessed1  but had no thoughts      
whatever of becoming a ,catholic--until 
after some  time1 when he was in        

trouble1 calling to mind the devotion   
which  ,catholics bear to ,our ,lady1 he
 said to her3 ,o ,mother of ,jesus6 it  
is  the first time that ,i invoke you1  
but if you do me the favour ,i desire   
,i will invoke you all my life4    ',the
 favour was obtained most completely1   
and after that time the  young man began
 to pray to ,god to know the truth1     
entered upon the  study of religion1 and
 became a ,catholic in #ahbi1 to his own
 great joy  and that of many others4 ,he
 afterwards took the ,religious habit1  
and  has since exercised his zeal for   
the glory of the ,most ,blessed ,virgin 
in preaching2 and1 to give her a new    
proof of his gratitude1 he  composed    
this little book in her honour4'        
,prayer4--,most pure ,virgin6 obtain for
 me the grace to understand  henceforth 
the ,divine sweetness of union with     
,god4 ,may my adorable  ,saviour abide  
with me under the veil of ,faith as ,he 
dwelt with you in  the seclusion of a   
hidden life6 ,may ,he live in me through

 the union of  my heart with ,his       
adorable ,heart as ,he lived in you1    
forming one heart  and soul with you6   
,oh that henceforth ,i may know how to  
love1 to  desire1 and to relish only    
,jesus6 ,may ,he alone1 during the whole
  course of my life1 be my strength1 my 
life1 the heart of my heart1 the  soul  
of my soul1 that after having been      
frequently nourished with ,his  virginal
 ,body1 which was conceived and born of 
you a ,virgin1 ,i may be  able to say   
with the ,apostle3 ',i live now1 not ,i1
 but ,christ liveth  in me4' ,amen4     
,ejaculation4--,my heart is prepared to 
obey you in everything1 ,o my  ,mother6 
,practice4--,do everything you do to-day
 be done in the spirit of  obedience4   
,,eighteenth ,,day4    ,,the ,,flight   
,,into ,,egypt4--,,trust ,,in           
,,providence4    ,,the unspeakable joy  
which ,mary and ,joseph experienced     
after the birth  of ,jesus was of short 
duration4    ,the ,angel of the ,lord   
came again to visit ,joseph in sleep1   

and said to  him1 ',arise1 and take the 
,child and ,his ,mother and fly into    
,egypt1 and  be there until ,i shall    
tell thee1 for it will come to pass that
 ,herod  will seek the ,child to destroy
 ,him4'    ,see how the heavenly        
messenger treats ,mary and ,joseph1     
precisely as if  they were true         
,religious6 ,how many pretexts might    
they not have found  to be dispensed    
from obeying8 ,could we not wait till   
to-morrow8 might  they have said4 ,what 
provisions have we for so long and      
tedious a  journey8 ,who knows what we  
may have to suffer from the ,egyptians1 
the  declared enemies of the            
,israelites8 ,who will give us shelter  
in that  country8 ,these and a thousand 
other excuses would have been made by us
  had we been in their place4 ,but      
perfect models as they were of          
submission and of confidence1 they set  
out without delay1 certain that  ,god   
would provide for all their necessities4
 ,and so it proved1 for  they found     

lodging and food1 either by means of the
 trade exercised by  ,st4 ,joseph1 or by
 the alms bestowed upon them4    ,that  
we may not lose even one of the many    
instructions given us in  this touching 
mystery1 let us consider first that ,our
 ,lord1 the  ,eternal ,wisdom1 does not 
,himself take the charge of ,his        
,family4 ,being  perfect ,god and       
perfect ,man1 ,he already possessed the 
use of reason1  and from the first      
instant of ,his ,conception ,he could   
have made known  to ,joseph and to ,his 
,blessed ,mother all that was to happen 
to them4  ,however1 ,god the ,father had
 conferred upon the ,angel ,gabriel the 
care  of the ,holy ,family1 and         
therefore ,our ,lord would take no part 
in it4  ,the ,angel commands and is     
obeyed most faithfully1 although he was 
inferior to ,jesus and also to ,mary1   
who1 as ,mother of ,god1 was endowed    
with greater graces and perfections than
 all the celestial spirits4    ,but this
 is not all4 ,observe the order that    

reigns in this ,holy  ,family4 ,who can 
doubt that ,our ,lady was superior to   
,st4 ,joseph in  discretion1 as well as 
in all the other qualities required for 
good  government8 ,and1 nevertheless1   
the ,angel does not inform her of all   
that is to be done1 but he informs her  
,spouse1 ,st4 ,joseph4 ,it might  appear
 strange that he addresses himself to   
him rather than to ,mary1  the ,mistress
 of the house1 who carries the ,treasure
 of the ,eternal  ,father4 ,had she not 
every reason to be offended at this     
proceeding of  the ,angel1 who seemed   
thus to ignore her8 ,she could          
undoubtedly have  said to her ,spouse1  
',why should ,i go into ,egypt1 when    
neither my ,son  nor the ,angel have    
made it known to me8' ,but ,our ,lady is
 silent1 and  obeys with all simplicity1
 without being in the least concerned   
that  the ,angel had only spoken to ,st4
 ,joseph4 ,she knew well that all had   
been ordained by ,god2 she does not even
 inquire the reason1 but the  knowledge 

that such is the ,will of ,god is       
sufficient to secure her  prompt        
submission4 ,it is thus ,god acts       
towards men--to teach them holy  and    
loving submission4 ,a merely human mind 
does not wish to yield and  to adore the
 secret mysteries of ,god and of ,his   
,most ,holy ,will until  it is able to  
ascertain the why and the wherefore of  
this and that4  ,a thousand reasons are 
brought forward as of greater           
discernment or  experience1 and so on2  
but they only cause disquiet1           
ill-temper1 and  complaints4 ,from the  
time we begin to criticise everything   
disturbs  us4 ,let us be satisfied to   
know what ,god wants of us1 and let this
  suffice4 ,but 7some will say7 who can 
assure us that such is the ,will  of    
,god8 ,this shows that our hearts would 
prefer that ,god should  manifest       
everything directly to us by means of   
secret inspirations1 or  that ,he should
 send an ,angel to announce to us ,his  
,will4 ,and yet he  did not thus reveal 

it even to ,our ,lady1 but wished her to
 come to the  knowledge of it through   
,st4 ,joseph1 to whom she was subject1  
as to her  superior4 ,our self-love     
would like to be instructed sometimes by
 ,god  ,himself by means of ecstasies1  
visions1 etc4 ,we indulge ourselves in  
follies such as these that we may not be
 subject to the common and  ordinary    
path of subjection to our rules and our 
superiors4 ,let it  suffice for us to   
know that ,god wills our obedience      
without reflecting  on the mental       
capacities of those who command us1 and 
we shall  accustom ourselves to walk    
with all simplicity in the happy road of
  holy and tranquil humility1 which will
 render us pleasing to ,god4 ,o6  how   
many wonderful examples of obedience to 
the ,will of ,god did not  this glorious
 ,virgin leave us during her whole life1
 and1 above all1  in her flight into    
,egypt6 ,whither1 ,o glorious ,virgin1  
do you direct  your steps with that     
little ,infant in your arms8 ,i am going

 into  ,egypt1 she replies4 ,but why do 
you go there8 ,because it is the ,will  
of  ,god4 ,for how long8 ,as long as it 
pleases ,god4 ,when will you return8    
,when ,he shall command me to do so4    
,but when you return will your heart  be
 more happy than at present8 ,o no1     
certainly not4 ,and why8 ,because ,i    
fulfil the ,will of ,god equally in     
going1 in remaining there1 and in       
returning4 ,when you return1 will you go
 into your own country8 ,she  replies1  
,i know no country but the              
accomplishment of the ,will of my  ,god 
in everything4    ,o admirable example  
of obedience6 ,let us1 in imitation of  
the ,blessed  ,virgin1 endeavour to     
submit to authority at all times and in 
every  circumstance1 whether it be      
pleasing to us or not4 ,let us go with  
all  simplicity even as far as          
,egypt--that is1 into the midst of      
enemies--  because ,god ,who sends us   
there will know how to protect us1 and  
assuredly we shall not perish4 ,on the  

contrary1 if we remain in ,israel  with 
our enemy1 self-will1 it will certainly 
be the destruction of us4  ,in imitation
 of ,mary and ,joseph1 let us answer the
 suggestions of the  enemy of our soul  
when he urges us to disobedience in     
these words3  ,deus providebit--',god   
will provide4' ,o my ,god6 happy we if  
we could  accustom ourselves to answer  
our heart always thus when it becomes   
anxious1 and thus banish all solicitude 
and trouble4 ,great indeed is  the      
confidence which ,god asks of us in ,his
 ,paternal care and  ,providence2 but   
why do we refuse it to ,him when we know
 that no one  has ever been deceived in 
,him1 but1 on the contrary1 has always  
reaped  therefrom the most copious      
fruits8 ,and was not this the promise   
which  ,our ,saviour made to ,his       
,apostles when ,he urged them to this   
loving  confidence8 ',your ,father in   
heaven knoweth that ye have need of     
these  things4'    ,,spiritual          
,,flowers4    ,obedience has the        

property of changing the flower of our  
desires into  the fruits of good works4 
,shun singularity as far as possible1   
and do  not make yourselves different   
exteriorly in any way from others4--,st4
  ,teresa4    ,as the best honey is     
gathered from the flowers of the thyme1 
which is  a small and bitter herb1 so   
when virtues are exercised in the       
bitterness of the most humble           
tribulations1 they become truly         
excellent4--,st4 ,francis of ,sales4    
,as the sun gives its heat no less to a 
rose amidst a thousand other  flowers   
than if it were alone1 so ,our ,lord    
does not diffuse ,his love  the less    
upon one soul because ,he also loves an 
infinity of others4  ,the power of ,his 
love never diminishes on account of the 
multitude of  rays that it diffuses1 but
 is always unchangeable in its          
immensity4--  ,the same4    ,,example4  
,the ,excellence of the ',hail ,mary4'  
,the first ,hail ,mary pronounced by an 
,angel produced the greatest of  all    

miracles1 and was the source of the     
salvation of sinful men4 ,if  our       
redemption began with the ,angelic      
,salutation1 it follows that our        
salvation depends in a special manner   
upon this prayer4 ,if it gave  birth to 
the fruit of eternal life upon this dry 
and barren earth when  it was brought by
 the messenger of ,heaven1 it will1 if  
we recite it  devoutly1 give birth to   
,jesus ,christ in our soul4 ,it is a    
celestial  dew which fertilizes souls1  
and those that are not refreshed by it  
do  not produce fruit but only briars   
and thorns4 ,the ,most ,holy ,virgin    
made the following revelation to the    
,blessed ,alan3 ',know1 my son1 and  do 
not forget to make it known1 that it is 
a probable sign of  damnation to have   
tepidity1 aversion1 and negligence in   
the recital of  the ,angelical          
,salutation which brought salvation to  
the world4'    ,i know nothing1 ,o      
,mary1 says ,thomas a ,kempis1 that is  
so glorious for  you and so consoling   

for us as the ,angelical ,salutation3   
its sweetness  is so great that no words
 can express it4 ,most certain it is1   
says  another servant of ,mary1 that    
this prayer never ascends to ,heaven    
without obtaining great favours for the 
body as well as the soul2  because this 
tender ,mother always responds with some
 grace when we  salute her with the     
,hail ,mary4 ,the ,blessed ,virgin      
promised ,st4  ,gertrude as many favours
 at the hour of her death as she had    
recited  ,ave ,marias during her life2  
and she also counselled ,st4 ,bridget to
  recite this prayer to obtain the      
pardon of some acts of impatience4 ,we  
know that this ,mother of ,mercy taught 
,st4 ,dominic the ,holy ,rosary as  the 
most efficacious means for obtaining the
 conversion of heretics  and sinners4   
,and1 in fact1 the historians of that   
period relate that  the first-fruits of 
this new devotion were manifested by the
  abjuration of more than a hundred     
thousand heretics1 and the  conversion  

of an incredible number of sinners4     
,let us also quote the beautiful words  
of a ,saint4 ',the ,ave ,maria1  well   
recited1 is the enemy that puts the     
devil to flight1 and the  weapon that   
kills him4 ,it is the sanctification of 
the soul1 the  gladness of ,angels1 the 
melody of the predestinated1 the        
,canticle of  the ,new ,testament1 the  
joy of ,mary1 and the glory of the ,most
 ,holy  ,trinity4 ,the ,ave ,maria is a 
celestial dew that fertilizes the soul1 
a beautiful rose which we present to    
,mary1 and a precious pearl which  we   
bestow upon her4 ,finally1 it is the    
most magnificent eulogium which  can be 
offered in her honour1 and the          
attractions it possesses have so  much  
power over her heart1 that she is       
constrained to love him who  recites it 
well4'    ,another great servant of the 
,immaculate ,virgin says of himself1    
that  whenever he pronounced these      
words1 ,hail ,mary1 the world in his    
eyes  lost all beauty1 he felt an       

increase of ,divine love1 a more fervent
  devotion1 more firmness in hope1      
greater joy1 and a renewal of virtue    
and strength in his whole being4        
,prayer of ,st4 ,bernard4--,o sovereign 
,mistress of ,angels and of men1  to you
 do we turn our eyes6 ,we must all      
appear one day before the  ,eternal     
,judge2 alas6 how shall we dare to      
present ourselves before  ,him1 loaded  
as we are with so many sins1 and who    
shall appease ,his  just indignation8   
,no one1 ,o ,mother of ,mercy1 can so   
assuredly do this  but you who loved    
,him so much1 and who were so tenderly  
loved by ,him4  ,open then1 ,o ,mother  
of ,grace1 your compassionate ears to   
our sighs1  and the bowels of your mercy
 to our tears2 to you do we run as to   
our  dear ,mother4 ,ah6 appease the just
 indignation of your ,divine ,son1 and  
restore us to ,his favour4 ,you do not  
abhor the sinner1 nor do you  reject    
him1 however unworthy he may be1 if1    
repentant1 he implores  your patronage4 

,to you1 then1 do ,i have recourse1 ,o  
my ,mother2 animate  me to hope1 sustain
 my weakness1 abandon me not for a      
single instant1  and reconcile me to my 
,eternal ,judge1 that ,i may be able to 
find mercy  at the moment of my death4  
,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,monstra te    
esse matrem--,show me1 ,o ,mary1 that   
you  are my mother6                     
,practice4--,whatever contradiction you 
may meet with this day1 accept  it with 
resignation1 and with the reflection    
that ,god wills it4        ,,nineteenth 
,,day4    ,,mary1 ,,at ,,the ,,marriage 
,,of ,,cana1 ,,teaches ,,us ,,the ,,best
 ,,method ,,of ,,prayer4    ',,there was
 a marriage1' says ,st4 ,john1 'in ,cana
 of ,galilee1 and the  ,mother of ,jesus
 was there4 ,and ,jesus also was invited
 and ,his  disciples4'    ,let us       
consider the goodness of our adorable   
,saviour in not refusing  the invitation
 to the wedding4 ,he had come to redeem 
and reform man1  and therefore would not
 assume a rigid and austere manner4 ,he 

was  always gentle and courteous1 so as 
to draw men to follow ,him4 ,his        
presence at the wedding was a restraint 
upon all levity and excesses  that so   
often occur on these occasions4 ,o      
faithful souls6 what modesty  must have 
reigned at these nuptials1 in the       
presence of ,our ,lord and  of the ,most
 ,holy ,virgin6 ,the failing of the wine
 was pre-ordained by  the ,will of ,god1
 ,who wished1 by a miracle1 to manifest 
,his power to  those assembled1 and in  
particular to ,his ,apostles4 ,the ,most
 ,holy  ,virgin1 in her wisdom and      
prudence1 knowing that the wine failed1 
was  moved by the most ardent charity to
 find an expedient for supplying  it4   
,and how does she act8 ,well aware of   
the power and goodness of her  ,divine  
,son1 and of ,his charity and mercy1 she
 was certain that ,he  would supply what
 was required1 all the more as the      
married couple  were not rich1 and she  
knew ,he took pleasure in relieving the 
poor and  conversing with them4 ,she    

turned1 therefore1 to her ,divine ,son2 
and  notice well how ,our ,blessed ,lady
 acted1 and what she said3 ,vinum non   
habent--',they have no wine4' ,these    
words imply1 ',these good people  are   
poor1 and although their poverty is     
pleasing and dear to ,you1              
nevertheless1 in itself1 it is a        
misfortune1 and is often the cause of   
confusion before men4 ,you are          
,omnipotent1 and can relieve their      
wants1  and ,i doubt not ,your charity  
and mercy will make some return for the 
kind invitation they have given us to   
assist at this feast by  providing for  
them in their present need4' ,the ,holy 
,virgin1 however1  did not utter so many
 words when she asked this miracle2 she 
was most  skilled in the art of praying 
well1 and made use of the shortest and  
most suitable method that could be      
found1 saying3 ',they have no wine4'    
,mary speaks to ,our ,lord with the     
greatest possible reverence4 ,she does  
not address ,him in terms of arrogance  

or presumption1 like many  thoughtless  
and indiscreet persons when they ask1   
but she simply  represents to ,him the  
need of the guests1 sure that ,he would 
hear her  petition4 ,what an excellent  
manner of prayer is this1 to expose our 
necessities simply to ,god1 and then    
abandon ourselves into ,his  adorable   
hands1 certain that ,he will succour us 
in that way which is  most to our       
advantage6 ,for instance1 to say to     
,him3 ,lord1 behold one  of ,thy poor   
creatures1 who is desolate1 afflicted1  
full of aridity1 of  miseries and sins1 
but ,thou knowest my wants1 and it is   
enough for me  to manifest to ,thee my  
state4 ,to ,thee it belongs to deliver  
me from so  many miseries1 in the manner
 and at the time that thou knowest to be
  most conducive to ,thy glory and my   
salvation4    ,we may ask ,god1 also1   
for temporal blessings2 of this there is
 no  doubt2 for ,our ,lord ,himself has 
taught us1 in the ,our ,father to ask   
first that the ,kingdom of ,god may come

 as the end to which we  aspire1 and    
that ,his ,holy ,will be done as the    
sole means to attain  this end2 and     
afterwards to ask ,almighty ,god to give
 us our daily  bread 7,panem nostrum    
quotidianum da nobis hodie74 ,therefore 
,holy  ,church has authorized particular
 prayers for temporal blessings2 for    
peace1 in times of war2 rain1 in seasons
 of drought1 and so on2 and  also       
special ,masses for procuring relief in 
times of pestilence1 and  in other      
necessities4 ,no doubt we can have      
recourse to ,god in all our  wants1 both
 spiritual and temporal1 in two ways3 by
 merely exposing to  ,him our           
necessities1 as did the ,most ,holy     
,virgin1 or by asking ,him for  that    
grace which in particular we require1   
but always with this  condition1 that   
,his ,will be done and not ours4 ,and   
yet1 in general1  even when spiritual   
persons ask ,god for ,his holy love1    
which softens  and lightens every       
difficulty1 they take care not to       

include in their  petition those virtues
 that mortify nature4    ,,spiritual    
,,flowers4    ,however slight the       
services we render to the ,blessed      
,virgin ,mary1 they  are always dear to 
,god1 and ,he rewards them with eternal 
glory4--,st4  ,teresa4    ,when you find
 yourself in any great difficulty1 do   
not take any step  without having first 
considered eternity4--,st4 ,francis of  
,sales4    ,he who is capable of        
exercising mildness in sufferings1      
generosity  under ill-treatment1 and    
peace amidst discord1 is almost perfect4
  ,mildness1 sweetness of heart1 and    
evenness of temper are virtues as  rare 
as is the virtue of chastity4--,the     
same4    ,,example4    ,the ,advantages 
of the ',hail ,mary4'    ,after having  
considered in the preceding example the 
esteem in which  this prayer was held by
 the ,saints1 let us now consider its   
advantages4    ,mary rejoices greatly   
when she is addressed in the ,angelical 
,salutation1 as she herself revealed to 

,st4 ,mechtild1 saying that of  all the 
honours that can be rendered her none is
 more pleasing1 or  gives more joy1 than
 this prayer1 to which are added the    
words1 ',holy  ,mary1 ,mother of ,god1  
pray for us sinners1 etc4' ,this prayer 
reminds  her of the obligation she is   
under to have compassion on poor        
sinners1  to pray for them1 to love     
them4 ,sinners are the occasion of all  
her  happiness1 'because1' said she1 ',i
 should not have found grace if they    
had not lost it2 ,i should not have been
 chosen to be the ,mother of the        
,saviour if it had not been necessary to
 save them2 and lastly1 ,i  should not  
have received such an abundance of      
graces had it not been  necessary that  
,i should become the ,mother of ,mercy  
and the ,refuge of  ,sinners4'    ,but  
the recitation of the ,hail ,mary does  
not form the joy of ,mary  alone2 it is 
also the joy of the ,angels and of the  
,saints4 ,blessed  ,alan says that the  
words of this prayer convey joy to all  

the  inhabitants of heaven4 ,the        
,angelical ,salutation is the           
distinctive  salute of the ,angels to   
,mary2 and these blessed spirits enjoy a
  special delight in offering it to her 
frequently every day4 ,but whilst  this 
admirable prayer causes all ,paradise to
 exult with joy1 and is a  source of    
grace to faithful souls1 it is also the 
terror of the  demons1 who take flight  
as soon as they hear it pronounced4     
,when the  ,hail ,mary was brought from 
heaven by an ,angel1 the earth leapt for
  joy1 on account of its approaching    
deliverance4 ,but hell seemed  already  
to foresee the formidable presence of   
the ,omnipotent ,who was  to destroy the
 empire of ,satan2 and it trembled with 
fear when this  salutation was uttered4 
,no wonder1 then1 that the impious1 who 
are  children of the accursed spirits1  
should adopt their sentiments and  hate 
all that relates to the mystery of the  
,incarnation1 and speak  contemptuously 
of the ,holy ,rosary and of devotion to 

the ,blessed  ,virgin4 ,however1        
experience shows us that the more a soul
 gives signs  of predestination1 the    
more does she love1 relish1 and gladly  
recite  the ,hail ,mary2 and the more   
she loves ,god1 the more does she love  
this prayer4 ',i have no surer secret   
for ascertaining if a person love       
,god1' says the venerable ,louis ,marie 
de ,montfort1 'than to examine if  he   
love to recite the ,ave ,maria or the   
,rosary4'    ,prayer4--,help us1 ,o     
,mother full of mercy1 and do not allow 
the  multitude of our sins to weaken    
your love for us4 ,remember that our    
adorable ,saviour deigned to take from  
you a mortal body1 not to  condemn but  
to save sinners4 ,if it were for your   
own personal glory  alone that you were 
chosen to be the ,mother of ,god1 it    
might be said  that our eternal         
salvation1 or damnation1 matters but    
little to you2  but it was for the      
salvation of all men that your ,divine  
,son clothed  ,himself with our flesh4  

,what advantage would accrue to us from 
your  happiness and power if you did not
 make use of your power to render us    
partakers of your happiness8 ,you know  
the need we have of your  assistance2   
and therefore we recommend ourselves    
earnestly to you4  ,help us1 that we may
 not have the misfortune to lose our    
souls1 but  may eternally love and serve
 your ,divine ,son with you in ,his     
kingdom  of glory4 ,amen4               
,ejaculation4--,obtain for us1 ,o ,mary1
 by your powerful intercession1  the    
grace not to lose the place which ,our  
,saviour has prepared for us  in        
,paradise4    ,practice4--,ask ,mary to 
obtain for you from ,god all the graces 
you  are in need of to-day4             
,,twentieth ,,day4    ,,the ,,petition  
,,of ,,mary ,,at ,,the ,,marriage ,,of  
,,cana ,,was ,,full ,,of ,,confidence4  
,,let us endeavour1 by the ,divine      
assistance1 to discover all the  lessons
 contained in the petition of ,mary and 
in the answer of ,jesus4    ,mary turns 

to ,jesus1 and says to ,him3 ,vinum non 
habent--',they have  no wine2' and ,he  
replies3 ,quid mihi1 et tibi est1       
mulier8 ,nondum  venit hora             
mea--',woman1 what is there in common   
between ,me and thee8  ,my hour is not  
yet come4'    ,this reply at first sight
 seems harsh1 and it surprises us1      
coming  from such a ,son and addressed  
to such a ,mother4 ,is it possible that 
so  respectful a ,son should reject with
 asperity a prayer made with so  much   
reverence and humility by the most      
loving and the most loved of  ,mothers8 
,has the creature no part with her      
,creator from ,whom she  receives her   
being and her life8 ,has the ,mother    
nothing to do with her  ,son1 nor the   
,son with the ,mother1 from whom ,he    
received ,his ,body and  ,his ,blood8   
,these words seem1 as ,i have said1     
somewhat strange1 and are  difficult to 
understand2 indeed1 they have been      
misinterpreted by some  who1 having kept
 merely to the letter1 have unhappily   

originated  several forms of heresy4    
,however1 the reply was most loving1 and
 the  ,holy ,virgin1 who well understood
 its genuine sense1 considered herself  
the happiest of ,mothers4 ,this she     
expressed1 with a heart full of         
confidence1 in her answer to the        
waiters4 ',you have heard1' she said1   
'the reply my ,son has made me1 and     
perhaps1 not understanding the  language
 of love1 you fear that ,he is indignant
 at my petition2 but it  is not so1 fear
 not2 whatsoever ,he shall say to you1  
do ye'--  ,quaecumque dixerit vobis1    
facite4    ,the opinions of the ,doctors
 upon the words of ,our ,blessed        
,saviour are  various2 many think that  
,his meaning was3 ',it does not belong  
to us to  meddle in this affair2 as we  
are merely amongst the invited1 we      
should  not observe what is required or 
not required at the wedding4' ,however1 
the greater number of the holy ,fathers 
of the ,church think that ,our  ,lord   
thus replied to ,his ,most ,holy        

,mother1 in order to teach those of     
high position in the ,church not to make
 use of their influence in  favour of   
their relations1 in things which are    
contrary to the law of  ,god or to the  
perfection of their state4 ,to give this
 lesson to the  world1 ,he made use of  
the tender ,heart of ,mary1 and1 in     
doing so1 ,he  certainly gives us a very
 great proof of ,his love4 ,his words   
signified  that ,he knew well the       
tenderness and perfection of the love   
,his ,mother  bore ,him1 and the        
firmness of her will1 and therefore was 
well assured  that the apparent         
harshness of ,his words would in no way 
trouble her  soul4 ,on this account the 
,most ,holy ,virgin did not lose        
confidence  when she received ,his      
answer1 but said to the waiters3        
',whatsoever ,he  shall say to you1 do  
ye4' ,our ,lord loves most tenderly     
those who  abandon themselves1 like ,his
 ,most ,holy ,mother1 completely to ,his
 care1  allowing themselves to be       

governed by ,his ,divine ,providence1   
without  caring whether the result be   
sweet or bitter1 certain that the       
parental ,heart of ,god will never      
permit the least thing to happen  which 
will not turn to their advantage1 if    
they have a perfect and  filial         
confidence in ,him4 ,we ought1 then1 to 
imitate this example of  ,mary on all   
occasions1 whether prosperous or        
adverse2 allowing  ourselves to be led  
by the ,divine ,will without ever       
seeking the  accomplishment of our own4 
,it is true that great confidence is    
necessary to enable us to abandon       
ourselves thus unreservedly to  ,divine 
,providence2 but1 if we do so1 ,our     
,lord takes care of  everything1 and    
conducts all for our advantage2 while if
 we reserve  something to ourselves1 not
 confiding entirely in ,him1 then ,he   
abandons us4 ,it is as if ,he were to   
say3 ,you believe that you are  capable 
of succeeding without ,my succour1      
therefore ,i shall withdraw1  and you   

will see what will be the result4       
,this perfect abandonment must be       
grounded upon the infinite goodness  of 
,god1 and upon the merits of the        
,passion and ,death of ,our ,lord ,jesus
  ,christ1 and accompanied by a firm and
 perfect resolution to give  ourselves  
entirely to ,god leaving all things to  
,his loving ,providence4    ,,spiritual 
,,flowers4    ,in ,arabia ,felix1 not   
only the plants which are called        
aromatical are  sweet scented1 but all  
plants without distinction1 because they
 all  experience the influence of the   
sun's intense heat4 ,so all the works   
of a soul that is replenished with      
charity or the virtue of holy love1     
even the very least1 have a most        
pleasing fragrance before the ,divine   
,majesty1 ,who rewards them with an     
increase of charity4--,st4 ,francis  of 
,sales4    ,if you sincerely love ,god1 
you will often speak of ,him4 ,as bees  
gather  honey only with their mouths1 so
 your tongue will be always honeyed     

with the words you speak of your ,god2  
and never will your mouth taste  such   
sweetness as when you sing the praises  
and blessings of ,his ,most  ,holy      
,name4--,the same4    ,as some herbs1   
when well masticated1 produce so great  
sweetness as to  appease hunger and     
thirst1 so one who receives from ,god   
the celestial  manna of interior        
consolation cannot in any way desire the
  consolations of the world1 though it  
be only to receive a momentary          
satisfaction4--,the same4    ,,example4 
,further ,advantages of the ',hail      
,mary4'    ,let us glory1 says a pious  
author1 in repeating this salutation    
with  the ,angel ,gabriel1 the          
,apostles1 the ,martyrs1 and all the    
,christian  world4 ,let this ,ave       
,maria1 which comes to us fragrant as a 
,canticle  of heaven1 and repeated by as
 many echoes as there are faithful souls
  on earth1 be sweet to our lips1 and   
sweeter still to our hearts4 ,it is  a  
rare and enviable favour indeed to be   

able to salute a queen1 and  yet every  
day1 at every moment1 men and women1 old
 and young1 all of  every condition1 can
 salute the ,queen of heaven and earth1 
who  contains in her hands all the      
treasures of ,god1 and can be sure of   
being always heard1 and that each       
salutation addressed to her will  meet  
with a corresponding benefit4 4 4 4 ,but
 can the sinner also dare  to approach  
her8 ,yes1 certainly2 let him also come 
with humble  confidence and salute her  
who is his refuge1 for she will in no   
wise  be offended by his prayer2 and if 
the ,hail ,mary from his lips be a  cry 
of sorrow and repentance1 it will become
 omnipotent1 and will  obtain mercy1    
pardon1 grace1 and salvation4    ,hail  
,mary6 ,ave ,maria6 4 4 4 ,a sweet and  
beautiful word it is1 which  heaven sent
 to earth1 and earth again returns so   
frequently to heaven6    ,the ,ave      
,maria is the universal prayer of each  
and all4 ,the infant  begins to lisp it1
 and on his knees1 with his hands raised

 to heaven1  says ,ave ,maria6 ,the     
aged1 weakened by infirmity1 may be     
incapable of  reciting long prayers1 but
 they will always have sufficient       
strength  to repeat devoutly the ,ave   
,maria4 ,this is the favourite prayer of
  just souls4 ,oh1 how many times in the
 day does it rise from their  hearts    
full of burning love1 and ascend1 like  
purest burning incense  to the throne of
 ,mary6 ,ave ,maria6 4 4 4 it is also   
the prayer of  sinners1 and perhaps     
their only prayer4 ,in the great number 
of these  there are some1 alas6 who have
 forgotten all other prayers1 but they  
still know and repeat the ,ave ,maria4  
,yes2 amidst the universal wreck  of all
 other prayers and practices of         
religion1 the ,ave ,maria or  ,hail     
,mary has remained for them ever a means
 of salvation4 4 4 4 ,how  many poor    
wrecked souls have been led back to the 
haven of salvation  by this means6      
,prayer4--,o ,jesus6 only ,son of ,god1 
,who from the bosom of ,thy ,eternal    

,father1 descended into the bosom of    
,mary1 ,thy ,mother1 receive the  homage
 of my adoration and love4 ,through     
,thee ,i go to ,thy ,father1 and        
through ,thy ,mother ,i come to ,thee4  
,like the spouses at ,cana1 ,i dare  not
 address my prayer directly to ,thee1   
but ,i fear nothing when ,i  direct it  
through ,thy ,blessed ,mother4 ,o ,lord6
 well ,thou knowest that ,i  have no    
wine1 no courage1 nor strength1 nor holy
 and generous  resolutions2 ,i have lost
 all6 ,ah6 say not to ,thy ,mother1 who 
intercedes in my favour3 ',woman1 what  
is there in common between us8'  because
 ,i know for certain that she is        
all-powerful over ,thy filial  ,heart4  
,add not ',my hour is not yet come6'    
,ah1 no2 ,thy hour1 ,o my ,god1  to     
benefit those who pray to ,thee1 through
 ,thy ,blessed ,mother1 is ever  at     
hand4 ,o ,lord6 behold1 the vessel of my
 heart is full of the insipid  waters of
 earth2 change this water into the      
delicious wine of holy  affections for  

heaven1 where the ,saints celebrate the 
nuptials of the  ,lamb amidst eternal   
joys4 ,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,succour 
my weakness1 ,o most powerful ,virgin6  
,practice4--,endeavour to preserve      
confidence in ,god1 when ,he delays  the
 graces you desire4                     
,,twenty-,,first ,,day4    ,,mary       
,,obtains ,,the ,,first ,,miracle ,,from
 ,,jesus ,,by ,,her ,,lively ,,faith4   
,,that we may conceive a just idea of   
the power the ,most ,holy ,virgin       
possesses over the ,heart of ,jesus1 let
 us meditate upon those other  words    
which ,he addressed to her at the       
marriage of ,cana3 ,nondum venit  hora  
mea--',my hour is not yet come4'        
,without discussing the opinion of      
certain ,doctors1 who think that ,our   
,lord1 by these words1 meant to say that
 the wine was not yet wanted1 ,i  shall 
call your attention to this reflection3 
that there are certain  times ordained  
by ,divine ,providence upon which our   
conversion and  salvation depend4    ,it

 is certain that ,god had from all      
eternity determined the hour and  moment
 when ,he would work the great miracle  
of ,his ,incarnation1 and  give to the  
world the first sign of ,his power1 but 
yet this  determination could be        
accelerated by prayer4    ,the greater  
number of the ,fathers assert that      
,mary1 by her loving  sighs and         
aspirations1 merited the acceleration of
 the ,incarnation of  ,our ,lord4 ,not1 
indeed1 that ,he became ,incarnate      
before the time that  ,he had           
determined1 but that1 from all eternity 
,he foresaw that the  ,holy ,virgin     
would beg ,him to hasten the time of    
,his coming into the  world2 and        
therefore1 in consideration of the great
 merit of her  intercession1 ,he        
ordained to become ,man sooner than ,he 
would have done  had ,he not been       
petitioned to do so4 ,the same may be   
said of the first  miracle1 wrought by  
,our ,lord at the wedding of ,cana4     
,nondum venit  hora mea--',my hour is   

not yet come1' said ,jesus to ,his ,holy
 ,mother1  but as ,i can refuse you     
nothing1 ,i shall hasten to hear your   
prayer4    ,oh1 how precious is that    
hour in which ,divine ,providence wills 
to  impart to us those special graces   
and blessings that are necessary for    
our salvation1 ,happy the soul who      
awaits this hour patiently1 and who     
endeavours to prepare herself for it    
when it arrives4 ,the ,samarian  woman  
assuredly was converted at this hour1   
and upon its arrival will  depend also  
our own conversion and spiritual        
regeneration4 ,we will now  consider how
 ,our ,lord acted when ,he worked this  
miracle4    ,in the hall were seven     
stone urns1 prepared for the            
purification1  practised by the ,jews4  
,our ,lord ordered them to be filled    
with water1  ,implete hydrias aqua2 and 
as the waiters had already been directed
  by ,mary to follow punctually the     
orders of her ,divine ,son1 they filled 
them 'up to the brim1' as the ,sacred   

,text expresses it4 ,afterwards ,our    
,saviour said something interiorly1 not 
understood by anyone1 and the  water was
 instantly changed into most excellent  
wine4 ,these words  which ,he spoke were
 similar1 without doubt1 to those by    
which ,he drew  all things out of       
nothing1 or by which ,he gave being and 
life to man1  or by which1 also1 at ,his
 last supper with ,his disciples1 ,he   
changed  wine into ,his adorable ,blood1
 and thus instituted the ,most ,holy    
,sacrament of the ,eucharist1 giving to 
us1 through it1 that most  excellent    
wine which nourishes us for eternal     
life4    ,this fact in the ,gospel shows
 us1 moreover1 the great confidence we  
should have in the powerful intercession
 of ,our ,lady4 ,but in order  that she 
may represent our necessities to her    
,divine ,son1 we must  invite her and   
our adorable ,saviour to our banquet1   
because wine can  never fail when ,jesus
 and ,mary are present2 this ,mother of 
,mercy being  ever prepared to ask it   

for us1 and her ,divine ,son ever ready 
to  bestow it4    ,however1 if we desire
 ,our ,lady to intercede with her       
,divine ,son that  ,he may change the   
water of our tepidity into the wine of  
,his fervent  love1 we must imitate the 
waiters at the marriage of ,cana1 and do
 all  that ,our ,lord shall tell us4    
,obey ,him1 then1 with fidelity1 ,o ye  
servants of ,god1 fill your hearts well 
with the penitential water of           
repentance1 and ,he will change it into 
the wine of ,his holy love4 ,in  order  
to obtain the spirit of fervour1 nourish
 your mind with holy  thoughts2 make    
frequent ejaculations1 and1 as a general
 rule1 if you  wish to be recollected in
 time of prayer1 avoid dissipation      
during the  day1 and waste no time in   
useless reflections upon yourself1 or on
  what happens around you4 ,keep        
yourself in the presence of ,god1 and   
repose in the loving arms of ,his       
,providence4 ,bless this adorable       
,providence continually during life1 and

 you will glorify ,it eternally  in     
heaven1 with all the ,saints and blessed
 spirits4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4     
,the ,spouse in the ,canticles says that
 her hands distil myrrh--a liquor  which
 preserves from corruption2 her eyes are
 like those of the dove1  in their      
purity2 from her ears hang pendants of  
gold1 as a sign of  chastity2 her lips  
are vermilion1 the symbol of her modesty
 in speech2  and her nose like the tower
 of ,lebanon1 of incorruptible wood4    
,such  should be the devout servant of  
,god--chaste1 pure and unspotted in her 
whole soul and body4--,st4 ,francis of  
,sales4    ,clasp ,jesus closely to your
 breast2 let ,him be a beautiful and    
sweet  bouquet of flowers upon your     
heart1 so that whoever approaches you   
may  be conscious of the perfume1 and   
know that the fragrance of your life    
should be of myrrh--the symbol of       
mortification4--,the same4    ,keep     
always close to ,jesus ,crucified1 in   
spirit1 in meditation1 and in  reality  

by ,holy ,communion4 ,as he who is      
accustomed to lie down upon a  certain  
species of herb becomes chaste and pure1
 so your soul and your  heart will be   
very quickly purified from every spot   
and from every  unruly desire when ,our 
,lord1 ,who is the true ,lamb of ,god1  
reposes upon  your heart4--,the same4   
,,example4    ,most pleasing to ,our    
,blessed ,lord is our ,devotion to ,his 
,mother4    ,st4 ,teresa relates the    
following3    ',don ,bernadino de       
,mendoza1 to testify his devotion to the
 ,most ,holy  ,virgin1 came to offer me 
his house1 at ,pico de ,olmos1 near     
,valladolid1  for a ,convent of ,our    
,lady of ,carmel4 ,to say the truth1 ,i 
felt some  repugnance to found a        
religious house far from a town1 yet the
  offering had been made so cordially1  
and for so holy a purpose1 that ,i      
considered ,i ought not to refuse it1   
and thus deprive the young  gentleman of
 so much merit4    ',about two months   
afterwards he was seized by a mortal    

illness1  deprived of the power of      
speech1 and died without having been    
able to  make his confession4 ,the      
,divine ,master then said to me3 ,his   
salvation1 my dear daughter1 was in     
great danger2 but ,i showed him  mercy1 
in reward of the house he had made over 
for the foundation of a  ,convent       
consecrated to ,my ,mother1 under the   
title of ,carmel4 ,however1  he will not
 be released from ,purgatory until the  
first ,mass is  celebrated in that      
,convent4    ',from that time my mind   
was ever occupied with the thought of   
his  sufferings4 ,the foundation of     
,valladolid could not be formed as      
quickly as ,i desired4 ,one day1 when ,i
 was stopping at ,st4 ,joseph's1 at     
,medina del ,campo1 whilst ,i was at    
prayer1 ,our ,lord said to me3 ,make    
haste1 because this soul suffers much4  
,after this nothing could  induce me to 
delay4 ,being arrived at ,valladolid1   
although the house  was unhealthy1 ,i   
prepared some cells1 just for the time  

being1 and  provided merely what was    
absolutely necessary4 ,when ,sunday     
arrived1  notwithstanding the delay of  
the formal authorization1 permission was
  granted to have ,mass celebrated on   
the spot which was destined for the     
,church4 ,i did not1 indeed1 believe    
that the promise of ,our ,lord          
regarding this gentleman would be       
fulfilled then2 on the contrary1 ,i  was
 persuaded that the words1 until the    
first ,mass1 related to that  ,mass when
 the ,blessed ,sacrament would be       
reserved for the first time  in the     
,church4 ,but when the ,priest turned   
towards us1 with the sacred  ciborium in
 his hand1 to communicate us1 and ,i had
 approached the  ,altar to receive the  
sacred ,host1 ,i saw the gentleman by   
the side of  the ,priest1 full of joy   
and resplendent with light4 ,he thanked 
me for  all ,i had done to deliver him  
from the flames of ,purgatory1 and then 
ascended to heaven4    ',oh1 how        
precious is any service1 however small1 

that we are able to  render the ,most   
,holy ,virgin6 ,who can tell how        
pleasing it is to ,our  ,lord1 and how  
mercifully ,he rewards it8'             
,prayer4--,o ,mother6 full of love and  
clemency towards us1 you are  penetrated
 with the same sentiments as your       
,divine ,son1 and you also  say with    
,him3 ',whenever the sinner returns to  
me with sincere sorrow  for his         
offences1 he always finds me ready to   
receive him with  kindness and          
tenderness4 ,i think not of the malice1 
or the number of  his sins1 but ,i only 
look at the desire he has to be         
converted2 and ,i  am always disposed to
 implore a remedy for his wounds1       
because ,i am1  in deed and in name1 the
 ,mother of ,grace and of ,mercy6'    ,o
 ,mary6 since you never reject the      
sinner who returns to you with a        
resolution to amend1 and since you have 
the power1 as well as the  will1 to     
obtain the cure of all the wounds of the
 heart1 behold me at  your feet1 full of

 confidence4 ,behold1 ,i beseech you1   
the deep and  cankered wounds of my     
soul1 and if you will deign to offer    
your  prayers to your ,divine ,son for  
me1 ,i shall hope everything for my     
eternal salvation4 ,amen4               
,aspiration4--,through your             
intercession1 ,o tender ,mother1 ,i hope
 to  obtain the eternal happiness of    
heaven6    ,practice4--,let all the good
 works of this day be directed to obtain
  the conversion of sinners4            
,,twenty-,,second ,,day4    ,,mary      
,,chose ,,the ,,better ,,part4    ,,we  
read in the ,gospel that ,martha1 into  
whose house ,our ,lord had  entered1 was
 busy and troubled about many things in 
her anxiety to  serve ,him1 whilst her  
sister ,mary remained at ,his feet1     
listening to  ,his words4 ,martha was   
concerned about ,our ,lord's bodily     
comfort1 but  ,mary1 laying aside every 
other thought1 nourished her soul with  
the  sacred instructions of her ,divine 
,master4 ,a soul1 recollected           

interiorly before ,god1 is sometimes so 
sweetly attentive to the  goodness of   
her ,beloved as not even to be aware of 
its attentiveness1  so simply and gently
 is it exercised4 ,such souls are like  
those who  navigate rivers the waters of
 which flow on so calmly that they      
neither see nor feel any motion4 ,this  
delightful repose of the soul is  called
 by ,st4 ,teresa ',the ,prayer of       
,quiet4'    ,martha1 moved by a slight  
sentiment of envy 7which is an almost   
universal vice1 affecting even devout   
souls71 complained thus to ,our  ,lord3 
',master1 hast ,thou no care that my    
sister hath left me alone to  serve8    
,speak to her1 therefore1 that she help 
me4' ,our ,lord1 ,who is  ,infinite     
,goodness1 would not reprehend her      
seriously1 although ,he knew  the       
imperfection of her sentiments1 but ,he 
called her by name1 gently  and         
affectionately 7for the whole ,gospel is
 love71 and said to her3  ',martha1     
,martha1 thou art careful and troubled  

about many things2 but  one thing is    
necessary4 ,mary has chosen the better  
part1 which shall  not be taken from    
her6'--,martha1 ,martha1 sollicita es et
 turbaris  erga plurima2 porro unum est 
necessarium4 ,maria optimam partem      
elegit1  quae non auferetur ab ea4      
,whilst ,martha was thus busy serving   
,our ,divine ,saviour1 ,mary had but    
one thought--to remain with ,him and    
hear ,his words4 ,this was also the  one
 thought of ,our ,blessed ,lady1 the    
,most ,holy ,virgin4 ,observe her at    
,bethlehem1 where all her efforts to    
find a lodging were vain2 she says  not 
a word1 utters no complaint1 but retires
 into a stable and places  the newborn  
,infant in a manger6 ,after a few days  
the ,magi come to  adore ,him1 and she  
receives in silence the praises         
addressed to her4  ,she flies into      
,egypt1 but shows no sign of grief2 she 
returns to ,judea  without any          
manifestation of joy4 ,on ,calvary1 at  
the feet of her  ,divine ,son1 she opens

 not her mouth1 but listens to ,his     
words1 for to  hear them is all her     
desire4 ,indifferent to all things else1
 'happen  what will1' says she1 'whether
 ,he console me or afflict me1 ,i am    
equally contented1 provided ,i be near  
,him and possess ,him4'    ,thus does a 
soul abandoned to the ,will of ,god     
remain in ,his arms1 like  a child on   
the bosom of his mother4 ,when she      
places him on the ground  he walks1 and 
when she takes him again in her arms he 
allows himself  to be carried1 and is in
 no way troubled to know whither he is  
taken4  ,thus the soul cultivates       
tranquillity of heart1 and advances     
continually in union with the ,divine   
,goodness4    ,the exercise of union    
with ,god can be practised by means of  
short but  frequent aspirations of the  
soul to ,god1 such as3 ',ah1 ,jesus1 who
 will  give me to be but one spirit with
 ,thee8 ,i renounce all creatures and   
desire ,thee alone1 for this is the one 
thing needful4 ,ah6 plunge my  soul into

 the ocean of ,thy ,goodness1 from      
whence it proceeds1 and make  me1 ,o    
,lord1 wholly ,thine4 ,draw me1 and ,i  
will run after ,thy  attractions1       
casting myself into ,thy paternal arms1 
and never again  withdrawing myself from
 them4'    ,a soul immersed in ,god dies
 not4 ,how could it die if immersed in  
,him  ,who is life8 ,it lives1 then1 but
 not in itself4 ,as the planets do not  
shine in the presence of the sun1 but   
the sun shines in them1 so does  it     
live1 not1 indeed1 a natural life1 but  
the life of ,jesus ,christ1  ,who lives 
in it4    ,in imitation of the ,blessed 
,virgin we must make it our whole study 
to  unite ourselves to ,our ,lord by    
advancing in perfection4 ,let us not1   
however1 forget that our best means for 
attaining to this is to remain          
tranquil1 and place all our confidence  
in ,him ,who alone can give  increase to
 that which we have sown and planted4   
,our ,lord desires from  us a peaceful  
solicitude1 which will lead us to obey  

those who direct  us and walk with all  
fidelity in the paths they point out4   
,we should  abandon ourselves in all    
things to ,his ,paternal care1 and      
maintain  peace of soul as far as       
possible1 because ,our ,lord reposes in 
tranquil  and peaceful hearts4 ,when the
 waters of a lake are not agitated by   
the  wind1 the firmament with its stars 
is so vividly represented therein  that1
 looking down into the deep1 we can see 
its beauty as perfectly  as if we were  
looking up to the heavens4 ,so also when
 our souls are  tranquil and undisturbed
 by superfluous cares or distractions1  
we are  then well prepared to receive   
within us the image of ,our ,lord4 ,but 
if  the soul be disquieted1 darkened1   
and agitated by the various tempests  of
 the passions1 and allows itself to be  
guided by them1 and not by  reason1     
which renders us like to ,god1 it cannot
 reflect the beautiful  image of ,jesus 
,christ ,crucified and ,his most        
excellent virtues1 nor  can ,he rest in 

the soul4 ,we must abandon the thought  
of ourselves to  ,divine ,providence1   
for anxiety of mind and the desire to   
know if we  advance in virtue is not    
pleasing to ,god1 and serves only to    
satisfy  self-love1 which is a great    
busybody that seeks to have a hand in   
everything4 ,one work well done with    
peace of mind is more meritorious  than 
many works performed with agitation and 
anxiety4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4      
,when the lily springs up from the earth
 it produces a number of long  leaves1  
but as it grows higher the leaves near  
the flower are fewer  and much smaller4 
,these leaves represent our words4 ,the 
more a soul  progresses in the way of   
,god and of perfection the fewer are her
  words4--,pere ,st4 ,jure4    ,as the  
bees go all round their hive gathering  
honey here and there1  and when they    
have collected it take pleasure in      
working it up1 on  account of its       
sweetness1 so we meditate that we may   
acquire the love  of ,god2 and then we  

contemplate ,him1 and are attracted by  
,his goodness  through the sweetness    
which ,his love causes us to experience4
 ,hence  the soul is never satiated with
 considering and looking upon the       
,divine ,beauty4--,st4 ,francis of      
,sales4    ,the occupations that are    
necessary for each one in his state of  
life  are no hindrance to piety1 but    
increase it and adorn the work of       
devotion4 ,the nightingale loves its own
 melody when it is silent as  much as   
when it sings2 the devout heart also    
cherishes ,divine love no  less when it 
is distracted by the external duties of 
life than when it  prays4 ,its action   
and its contemplation1 its occupation1  
as well as  its repose1 equally chant   
the canticle of love4--,the same4       
,,example4    ,beauty of the ',ave      
,maris ,stella4'    ,in this hymn are   
celebrated all the prerogatives of      
,mary4 ,she is the  powerful ,mother of 
,god and the most glorious of           
,virgins--,dei ,mater  alma atque semper

 ,virgo--and at the same time the most  
sweet and  humble of ,virgins--,virgo   
singularis inter omnes mitis4    ,the   
,most ,holy ,virgin performs the        
function of advocate with her ,divine   
,son in our favour1 and offers ,him our 
prayers--,monstra te esse  ,matrem4     
,she is the ,gate of ,heaven4 ,she      
loosens the chains of sinners1 guides   
the blind in the way of virtue1 removes 
every kind of evil from us1  and asks in
 our name for every grace necessary for 
us to reach the  port of eternal        
life4--,solve vincla reis4    ,nothing  
is more appropriate to inspire us with a
 tender confidence in  ,mary than the   
,ave ,maris ,stella1 for its verses     
contain  considerations of time and     
eternity4 ,let us1 then1 repeat it      
often1  and ,mary will load us with     
benedictions1 as many miraculous facts  
in  the lives of the ,saints attest4    
,indeed1 this ,queen of ,heaven herself 
showed how dear to her is this hymn when
 she appeared one day to ,st4  ,bridget1

 and thus addressed her3 ',my ,son1 the 
,sovereign ,master of  heaven1 of earth1
 and of hell1 can ,himself alone        
suppress all the  powers of evil1 from  
whatever source they may arise4 ,i shall
  henceforth be a shield of defence for 
you and for the others against  all the 
attempts of the enemies of your souls   
and bodies1 on  condition1 however1 that
 all your community meet together to    
sing  every evening the ,ave ,maris     
,stella4'    ,the ,saint did not fail to
 fulfil punctually the will of the ,most
 ,holy  ,virgin1 and her example was    
followed by her ,confessor1 and her     
daughter1 ,st4 ,catherine of ,sweden1   
who caused this pious practice to  be   
adopted by all the convents of the      
,order of ,st4 ,saviour4 ,let us  then  
be glad to salute our most amiable      
,mother frequently with this  hymn of   
the holy ,abbot of ,clairvaux4 ,however1
 we must not be satisfied  with merely  
singing it2 let us also carry it in our 
minds and in our  hearts2 and1 above    

all1 strive to be penetrated with all   
the  affectionate sentiments it         
contains4 ,let us pray to ,st4 ,bernard 
to  recommend us himself to the ,queen  
of ,angels1 and obtain for us that  she 
may be to us all that she was to him to 
the last instant of his  life4 ,most    
,blessed ,virgin6 be my strength1 my    
guide1 my ,mother6 and  let me never    
become unworthy to bear the beautiful   
title of ,child of  ,mary4 ,monstra te  
esse ,matrem4    ,prayer4--,o ,holy     
,virgin and ,mother of ,god6 deign to   
succour those who  implore your         
assistance4 ,cast an eye of compassion  
upon us1 and be  moved at the sight of  
our miseries4 ,o ,mother of ,grace6 have
 you  forgotten men in their            
tribulations and need1 by reason of the 
sublime  dignity to which you have been 
raised8 ,no1 without doubt your heart   
will be ever interested in our favour1  
nor can your great mercy ever  forget   
misery so profound as ours4 ,turn then  
towards us1 and consider  the many      

dangers to which we are continually     
exposed4 ,god ,almighty has  constituted
 you the depositary of ,his power and of
 ,his graces2 pour  them upon us in     
abundance1 we beg of you4 ,the more     
powerful you are1  the more do ,i trust1
 ,o ,mother of ,mercy1 that you will be 
singularly  merciful to your afflicted  
children who have recourse to you4      
,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,o ,mary6 you  
are able to succour me1 and ,i hope your
  goodness will not refuse me this      
favour4    ,practice4--,endeavour to    
recollect yourself frequently during the
  day1 that you may act with greater    
purity of intention4                    
,,twenty-,,third ,,day4    ,,the        
,,blessed ,,virgin ,,did ,,not ,,neglect
 ,,the ,,duties ,,of ,,martha4    ,,the 
conduct of ,martha and ,mary give us    
another touching subject for  our       
meditation4 ,these two sisters well     
represent to us ,our ,lady4 ,like       
,martha the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary      
received her ,son ,our ,lord into her   

house1 and into her most chaste womb1   
when ,he came into this world1  and with
 incomparable care she always served    
,him whilst ,he lived on  earth1 in     
reward of which ,he exalted her in      
heaven to an unparalleled  glory4 ,like 
,mary1 she listened to ,his words in    
uninterrupted silence1  and occupied    
herself only in loving ,him4 ,this      
glorious ,virgin  exercised admirably in
 the course of her life the offices of  
both of  these sisters4 ,but as regards 
the office of ,martha1 with what care   
and  attention did she not serve ,our   
,lord when an ,infant6 ,what diligence  
did she employ in avoiding the anger of 
,herod1 and all the dangers  with which 
,his life was threatened6    ,take      
notice that ,our ,lord reprehended      
,martha because she was disturbed  and  
troubled1 not because she was careful4  
,our ,lady1 like ,martha1 took  great   
care to serve our ,divine ,master       
well--but her care was devoid of  all   
disquiet and anxious trouble4 ,the      

,saints in heaven are zealous for  the  
glory of ,god1 but are not disquieted4  
,the ,angels are careful in  all that   
regards our salvation1 and ,god ,himself
 has care of ,his  creatures1 but always
 in peace and undisturbed calm4 ,to us1 
miserable  creatures1 however1 this is  
difficult4 ,some become suddenly        
disturbed  because they cannot do what  
they desire2 others wish to console and 
visit the sick1 but if they meet with   
some hindrance they are  immediately    
troubled2 others will have a great      
affection for mental  prayer1 and       
although this relates only to ,god1 yet 
even here human  nature enters1 and they
 will be disturbed and troubled if they 
are  constrained to occupy themselves in
 some other employment4    ,now would   
,martha have been so much troubled if   
she had had no other  end in view than  
to please ,our ,lord8 ,no1 certainly2   
because one only  kind of food1 well    
prepared1 was sufficient for ,his       
nourishment1 and1  moreover1 because she

 saw that the whole pleasure of her     
,divine ,master  was to be listened to1 
as was done by her sister ,mary4 ,but   
,martha  mingled a little self-esteem   
with her desire to provide all that was 
necessary for our ,divine ,master2 and  
this moved her to wish that her         
hospitality1 in receiving those who     
honoured her with their visits1  should 
be recognised4 ,the good lady believed  
that by this external  service she would
 become a great servant of ,god1 and    
surpass others2  and through love for   
her sister she wished that she also     
should be  solicitous to serve the      
,beloved ,master1 and thus1 as she      
thought1  acquire more merit4 ,but our  
,divine ,redeemer was more pleased with 
the  practice of ,mary1 into whose heart
 ,he poured forth1 through ,his divine  
words1 graces surpassing all conception4
 ,this was the truth ,he wished  also to
 inculcate1 when ,he said1 that those   
alone were blessed who  should have     
listened to ,his word and practised it4 

,all that anxious restlessness and eager
 desire to do something for ,our  ,lord1
 which some devout persons look upon as 
real virtue1 is then a  manifest error1 
reproved by our ,divine ,master1 when   
,he said3 ,porro  unum est              
necessarium--',but one thing is         
necessary4'    ,you may ask1 in reply1  
,but how are we to prevent being uneasy 
when we  are under an obligation of     
practising virtue8 ,this solicitude is  
certainly not blamable1 provided it be  
not overanxious and troubled4  ,invoke  
frequently the one beautiful ,dove of   
the ,heavenly ,spouse1 that  she may    
truly obtain for you the heart of a     
dove1 and that you may not  only be a   
dove in your flight towards heaven1 by  
prayer1 but also a  dove in your nest1  
and with all those who surround you4    
,unite the  office of ,mary with that of
 ,martha3 diligently fulfil the duties  
of  your state4 ,often cast yourself at 
the feet of ,jesus1 and say to ,him     
from your heart3 ,o my ,divine ,master1 

whether ,i go or stay1 ,i am all  ,thine
 and ,thou art all mine4 ,thou art my   
only ,spouse1 and all that ,i  am going 
to do shall be for ,thee4    ,as the    
birds have their nests in which to hide 
themselves when  needful1 so our heart  
should select and take possession of    
some spot  every day1 either on ,calvary
 or in the ,sacred ,wounds of ,our      
,lord1 or  near ,him1 whither it may    
retire on every occasion to defend      
itself in  temptations and recreate     
itself after the many exterior affairs  
of the  day4 ,happy the soul that can   
truly say to ,our ,lord3 ,you are my    
house  of refuge1 my secure home2 my    
roof1 in time of rain1 and my           
refreshment under burning heats4    ,a  
remedy1 however1 against so many anxious
 cares and troubles is to  copy the     
practice of ,mary1 because it was       
praised by ,our ,lord ,himself1  ,who   
called it the best and the one thing    
necessary4 ,now1 this one  thing        
necessary is nothing else than the      

exercise of ,divine ,love1  which1 as it
 contains in itself the perfection of   
all other virtues1  produces their acts 
in due time and place1 according to     
circumstances4  ,in one word1 then3     
,possess holy ,charity1 and no virtue   
will be  wanting to you1 because all    
virtues are comprised in ,charity4      
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,the ,most    
,holy ,virgin ,mary is compared to an   
orange-tree laden with  fruit1 and      
diffusing the sweetest odour of         
,lebanon4 ,this means that  all her     
thoughts1 words1 and actions were so    
perfect that1 like an  exquisite        
perfume1 they delighted both ,heaven and
 earth3 and that1  like the pomegranate1
 they wore the crown of                 
perfection4--,pere ,s4  ,jure4    ,the  
bee sucks honey from flowers without    
injuring them1 and leaves  them as      
entire and fresh as he found them4      
,devotion has this higher  excellence1  
that it adds new beauty to all that it  
touches4--,st4  ,francis of ,sales4     

,remember that when the bees make honey1
 they take bitter food2 so1  also1 we   
can never make acts of greater patience 
and sweetness1 nor  form better the     
honey of excellent virtues than by      
eating the bread of  bitterness and     
living a life of tribulation4--,the     
same4    ,,example4    ,the             
',magnificat4'    ,the ,magnificat is   
the first ,canticle of the ,new         
,testament and the  most magnificent    
,canticle of ,holy ,scripture4 ,it      
presents us with most  sublime ideas of 
the greatness of ,god1 and is sung on   
solemn  festivals1 whilst ,priests stand
 and incense the ,altar4    ,we recite  
the ,magnificat to thank ,god for all   
the graces bestowed  upon the ,most     
,holy ,virgin4 ,it is the only work she 
ever composed1 and  contains mysteries  
far surpassing our understanding4 ,hence
 this  proverb was familiar amongst the 
ancient authors when they spoke of  one 
who meddled with things beyond his      
capacity2 such a one would  correct the 

,magnificat4    ,the ,blessed ,juliana  
had a special affection for this        
,canticle4  ,speaking of it one day to  
the ,superior of a convent1 she declared
 that  she would not sacrifice the      
sweetness she experienced in reciting it
  for all the gold that the convent     
could contain4 ,she repeated it nine    
times a day1 in memory of the nine      
months that the ,most ,holy ,virgin     
bore the ,redeemer of the world in her  
womb2 and she desired ardently  that all
 would follow her example1 believing it 
impossible that ,mary  would not hear   
those who share in the joy she manifests
 in this  ,canticle4    ,cardinal ,j4 de
 ,vitry1 in the life of ,ste4 ,marie de 
,ogniez1 relates  that when this ,saint 
was near death1 and was singing the     
,magnificat1  the ,mother of ,god       
appeared to her and told her to receive 
,extreme  ,unction1 and she remained by 
her bedside in company with her ,divine 
,son until the ,saint expired4    ,st4  
,anselm relates of himself that when he 

was afflicted with various  infirmities1
 which occasioned him the most acute    
suffering1 he was  perfectly cured by   
reciting the ,magnificat4               
,prayer4--,august ,mother of ,god1 you  
are the ,queen of ,mercy1 and ,i am  the
 most miserable of sinners1 and         
consequently your subject4 ,you  should 
then have greater compassion for me than
 for anyone less  sinful4 ,eia ergo     
advocata nostra1 illos tuos misericordes
 oculos ad  nos converte4    ,o1 our    
refuge and our advocate1 turn one look  
of mercy towards us2  interest yourself 
in our behalf2 be moved to compassion   
for our evils1  and obtain their cure4  
,deliver us from our miseries1 and we   
shall  never cease to sing the hymn of  
praise to your mercy1 of which we have  
experienced the salutary effects4 ,amen4
    ,ejaculation4--,pray for me1 ,o     
,mother of ,grace1 ,o ,mother of ,mercy6
    ,practice4--,whilst you fulfil the  
duties of your state in imitation  of   
,martha1 endeavour to have your mind and

 heart turned to ,jesus as  ,mary had4  
,,twenty-,,fourth ,,day4    ,,mary ,,in 
,,her ,,sleep4    ,,we can begin to love
 ,god in this life1 but it is only in   
the next that  we shall be able to love 
,him perfectly4 ,in the expression we ,i
 do  not intend to speak of the ,most   
,holy ,virgin1 because she is the       
,daughter of beautiful ,love1 the one   
only dove1 the perfect ,spouse4  ,yes2  
the charity of ,mary surpassed that of  
the ,seraphim4 ',if all the  daughters  
have gathered riches1 thou hast         
surpassed them all4'    ,the ,saints and
 ,angels are compared to stars1 but     
,mary is beautiful as  the moon1        
distinguished amidst the ,saints as the 
moon amidst the  stars4 ,as her charity 
surpasses in heaven that of all the     
blessed1 so  did she exercise it with   
greater excellence on earth2 for never  
having  sinned1 even venially1 her love 
never met with any obstacle1 and thus   
increased at every instant4 ,what       
progress1 then1 must she not have  made 

in the exercise of holy love8 ,say not  
that the ,most ,holy ,virgin1  like all 
men1 was subject to the necessities of  
life4 ,it may be said1  in the words of 
the ,canticles1 that her sleep was the  
sleep of ,love1  the celestial ,spouse  
saying1 ',i adjure you1 daughters of    
,jerusalem1  that you stir not nor awake
 my love till she please4'    ,the      
,queen of heaven and earth granted to   
her chaste body that repose  only which 
was necessary to restore its strength1  
in order to serve  ,god more perfectly2 
and we may say that her sleep never     
interrupted  the exercise of holy love1 
because it proceeded from an act of most
  excellent charity4 ,does not ,st4     
,augustine teach that we must love our  
body1 that it may serve us in those     
works which ,god requires of us1  and   
because it forms part of ourselves1 and 
is one day to share our  eternal        
felicity8    ,the ,most ,holy ,virgin1  
indeed1 had other reasons to love her   
body with  a virtuous love1 because it  

was not only pure1 submissive1 and      
docile  to all the functions of holy    
love and embalmed by ,divine sweetness1 
but it was1 moreover1 the living source 
of the ,sacred ,body of ,our  ,saviour4 
,thus it belonged to her in an          
incomparably singular manner1  so that  
before yielding to sleep she could truly
 say to it1 ',rest from  your fatigues1 
,o throne of the ,divinity1 tabernacle  
of the new  ,covenant1 ark of all       
,sanctity2 recruit your strength through
 the  repose which ,i allow you to      
take4'    ,ah6 sweet ,jesus6 what must  
have been the thoughts of your ,most    
,holy  ,mother whilst sleep refreshed   
her body and her heart was watching6 ,we
  may imagine that her most frequent    
thought was of her ,divine ,son1 ,who   
had so often slept upon her bosom as the
 lamb reposes upon the soft  wool of its
 mother4 ,she would also feel that she  
rested in ,his  adorable side1 opened by
 the lance on ,calvary1 as a white dove 
rests  in the cleft of a rock4 ,thus her

 sleep1 which was a sweet repose and  an
 agreeable solace to her body1 became a 
kind of ecstasy to her soul1  through   
the spiritual effects and operations it 
produced4    ,if she also represented to
 herself her future glory1 like ,joseph1
 the  saviour of ,egypt1 and saw herself
 clothed with the sun and the moon      
under her feet--that is to say1         
surrounded by the glory of her ,divine  
,son1 and resplendent with the glory of 
the ,saints who form her crown  as she  
rules over the universe1 of which she is
 the ,queen2 or if1 like  ,jacob1 she   
foresaw the wonderful fruits that       
,angels and men would  obtain through   
the ,redemption1 ,o6 conceive1 if       
possible1 children of  ,mary1 the       
delights caused by such spiritual       
entertainments6    ,there is one kind of
 diamond which has this special         
property--that  nothing can diminish its
 fine water or the brilliancy which     
nature has  given it4 ,the ,heart of the
 ,virgin ,mother1 like this diamond1    

never  ceased to glow with the sacred   
fire of love that she had received from 
her ,divine ,son4 ,however1 though the  
brilliancy of precious stones does  not 
diminish1 yet it does not increase2     
whilst the love of the ,most  ,holy     
,virgin never remained in the same      
state1 but made continual and           
incredible progress until she entered   
heaven4 ,with good reason1 then1  is    
,our ,lady called the ,mother of pure   
,love--that is to say1 the most  lovable
 amongst all creatures1 and the most    
beloved by her only ,son1  ,who is loved
 by her as the most lovable and loving  
of ,sons4    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4     
,forgetfulness of ,god is the sleep of  
the soul4 ,the soul has been  asleep all
 the time that it has forgotten its     
,god4--,st4 ,augustine4    ,the sleep of
 the ,saints is a prayer before         
,god4--,st4 ,jerome4    ,it is great    
blindness and misery to seek repose     
where it is impossible  to find         
it4--,st4 ,teresa4    ,,example4        

,devotion to the ',salve ,regina4'      
,st4 ,bernard is celebrated for his love
 of the ,blessed ,virgin and for  the   
praises he has rendered to her4 ,his    
language is of such sweetness1  that it 
surpasses that of all preceding ages for
 beauty and tenderness  in discoursing  
of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary4 ,this    
saint seems to have  gathered together  
and made his own all the most loving    
affections of  the most fervent         
servants4 ,mary was his ruling thought1 
and he could  not restrain the          
transports of his heart when he spoke of
 her4 ,the  very mention of her name    
sufficed to render him ecstatic4 ,with  
good  reason1 then1 did ,peter the      
,abbot of ,st4 ,remigius1 at ,rheims1   
say to  one of ,st4 ,bernard's          
adversaries3 ',if you have the courage  
to touch  the pupil of ,mary's eye1     
write against ,st4 ,bernard4'    ,this  
,saint was commissioned to preach the   
second general ,crusade  throughout     
,europe1 and when he had traversed      

,france1 ,belgium and the  ,rhenish     
countries1 he retired to the ,abbey of  
,effinghem1 to recollect  his soul in   
that pious solitude4 ,one evening the   
,monks were moved to  tears by a        
discourse of ,st4 ,bernard's in praise  
of ,mary1 and they  begged him to intone
 the ,salve ,regina1 which they sang    
every evening  before her image4 ,as the
 ,saint could not excuse himself1 he    
devoutly  intoned the ,salve with his   
powerful voice1 and was accompanied by  
all the ,monks4 ,when the sweet words   
,et ,jesum benedictum fructum  ventris  
tui1 nobis post hoc exilium ostende had 
been sung1 all were  silent 7because at 
that time the anthem ended with these   
words74  ,however1 the inspired voice of
 ,bernard continued1 and he gave        
expression to the sentiments of his     
heart in the three invocations  with    
which it is now concluded3 ,o clemens1  
,o pia1 ,o dulcis ,virgo  ,maria6 ,these
 words were afterwards adopted by the   
whole ,church4    ,it is in             

commemoration of this event that the    
,salve ,regina is  solemnly sung every  
evening in the ,cathedral of ,spire4    
,st4 ,vincent de ,paul used to say that 
no prayer is so suitable to us          
miserable exiles in this valley of tears
 as this3 ,salve ,regina1 ,mater        
misericordiae 4 4 4 ,ad te clamamus1    
exules filii ,hevae4    ,st4 ,philip    
,neri1 having heard the confession of a 
famous criminal1  spoke thus to him3    
',my son1 ,i shall require but little   
from you1 and  if you fulfil it ,i      
assure you that you will be saved4      
,promise me to  place all your          
confidence in the ,most ,blessed        
,virgin1 the ,mother of  ,divine ,grace1
 and for this purpose recite the ,salve 
,regina seven  times every day in her   
honour1 and kiss the ground the same    
number of  times1 saying3 ,i may die    
this moment4' ,the penitent made the    
promise  and kept it4 ,he died holily   
fourteen years after1 full of gratitude 
and love towards his good ,mother ,mary4

    ,prayer4--,most amiable ,heart of   
,mary1 object of the complacency of  the
 adorable ,trinity1 and worthy of the   
veneration of ,angels and of  men2      
,heart like unto that of ,jesus ,christ 
and its most perfect image2  ,heart full
 of goodness and compassion for our     
miseries6 ,oh1 break the  ice of our    
hearts1 turn our affections towards the 
adorable ,heart of  ,our ,saviour1 and  
impress on them the love of your        
virtues4 ,watch over  ,holy ,church1    
protect it1 and be to it an impregnable 
fortress1 so that  it may be secure     
amidst all the assaults of its enemies4 
,be you our  way to ,god1 our succour in
 our trials1 our consolation in         
sufferings1  our strength in            
temptations1 and our refuge in          
persecutions4 ,above all  things assist 
us at the point of death1 when hell will
 exert all its  efforts for our eternal 
ruin4 ,let us then1 indeed1 experience  
the  power you have over the ,heart of  
,jesus1 that we may find a secure       

asylum in the bosom of ,his ,mercy1 and 
then1 with you1 praise ,him  throughout 
ages and ages4 ,amen4                   
,ejaculation4--,i sleep1 ,o ,mother1 but
 my heart watches4                      
,practice4--,endeavour to be reflecting 
upon some eternal truth when  you fall  
asleep4        ,,twenty-,,fifth ,,day4  
,,mary ,,on ,,calvary ,,is ,,the        
,,mother ,,of ,,all ,,christians4       
,,our ,beloved ,saviour had instituted  
the ,sacrament of ,love that ,he might  
remain amid ,his children4 ,he had      
poured forth all ,his ,blood for us1    
and ,he wished moreover to bequeath us a
 legacy in the last ,testament  of ,his 
,love4 ,but what more could ,he give us8
 ,he casts a compassionate  look upon   
,his tender ,mother1 who stands         
immovable at the foot of the  ,cross    
with ,his beloved disciple4 ,it is not  
to enrich her with ,his  grace1 for she 
already possessed it most excellently2  
nor is it to  promise her glory1 she was
 sure of it2 but it is to infuse into   

her  heart1 before ,he died1 a more     
tender and ardent love for men than she 
yet possessed4 ',woman1' says ,he to    
her1 pointing to the beloved  disciple1 
'behold your son6' ,what an exchange was
 this6 ,the servant  instead of the     
,only ,son--the creature in place of the
 ,creator6 ,and yet  she does not refuse
 it1 well knowing that she accepted for 
her  children1 in the person of ,john1  
all the followers of the ,cross of      
,jesus1 and that she was to become the  
beloved ,mother of all  ,christians4    
,although ,our ,lady gave birth to none 
but our adorable ,saviour1 yet1 in  a   
spiritual sense1 she brought forth all  
,christians in the ,person of  ,our     
,saviour2 because this ,blessed ,seed   
has begotten us all by ,his  death4 ,a  
seed when planted produces a tree1 from 
which are produced  other seeds1 all of 
which may be said to belong to the      
original fruit  from which the tree came
 forth4 ,thus1 as the ,most ,holy       
,virgin brought  forth this mystic      

,seed1 which when cast on earth1 budded 
and brought  forth many other seeds1 she
 has consequently brought us all forth  
and  has become the ,mother of us all4  
,how much we ought to love the ,son and 
the ,mother6 for they are our ,divine   
parents1 and it is impossible to  love  
one without loving the other4 #a    ,as 
,holy ,church wishes to teach us to go  
to ,jesus through ,mary1 she  directs   
that the ,angelical ,salutation should  
follow the ,our ,father1  that we may   
thus petition1 through her1 for all     
benefits1 both  spiritual and temporal1 
as far as these latter are conducive to 
our  eternal salvation4 ,we also implore
 the intercession of ,mary in order  to 
receive the ,holy ,ghost1 as it was     
through her that ,st4 ,elizabeth        
received ,his gifts4    ,honour and     
revere with especial love the holy and  
glorious ,virgin  ,mary1 for she is the 
,mother of ,our ,god and ,saviour ,jesus
 ,christ1 and  therefore our most       
excellent ,mother4 ,let us then have    

recourse to her  as little children2 let
 us cast ourselves upon her bosom on    
every  occasion1 and at every moment1   
with perfect confidence4 ,let us appeal 
to her maternal love1 endeavour to      
imitate her virtues1 and cherish in  our
 heart the true sentiments of children4 
,in the ancient ,law much honour was    
paid to the ,ark1 in which were         
preserved the manna1 the rod of ,aaron1 
and the tables of the ,law4 ,with  much 
greater reason should we honour this    
living ,ark of the new  ,covenant4      
,indeed1 what does the manna prefigure  
but the ,divinity of  the ,son of ,god1 
come down from heaven to unite ,himself 
with our  humanity8 ,he is1 also1 the   
,miraculous ,rod and the ,living ,stone 
upon  which the commandments of the ,law
 of ,grace were written1 being  engraved
 upon ,his ,sacred ,body by the         
scourges1 the thorns1 the nails1  and   
the lance4 ,the immaculate bosom of ,our
 ,lady is then incomparably  more worthy
 of honour than the ancient ark which   

prefigured it4    ,o ,most ,holy and    
,most ,happy ,lady1 raised in ,paradise 
to the highest  degree of beatitude and 
happiness6 we beg you to have compassion
 on us  who groan in the desert of this 
world4 ,you are in the abundance of     
delights1 and we in the abyss of        
miseries2 obtain for us strength to     
endure our tribulations virtuously1     
always leaning on your ,beloved  ,son1  
the only pledge of our hopes and remedy 
of our evils4 ,o ,glorious  ,virgin1    
pray for the ,church1 assist the ,holy  
,father1 the ,prelates1  ,bishops1 and  
all ,superiors2 and assist ,england     
especially1 which by  your devoted      
servant ,st4 ,edward1 was consecrated to
 you as your dowry3  ,dota ,mariae4     
7,translator47    ,you are the ,mother  
of ,jesus1 ,who has deigned to become   
our ,brother1  and hence you are our    
,mother2 why1 then1 shall we not cast   
ourselves  into your arms with perfect  
confidence1 invoking your maternal love 
and imitating your virtues8 ,o ,god1    

what a blessing for us to be sons  of   
such a ,mother6 ,if we love and serve   
her with a truly filial love1  she will 
enrich us with her favours4 ,and1       
meanwhile1 let us present  her with the 
flowers of every virtue3 but1 above all1
 with the lily of  purity1 the rose of  
ardent charity1 and the violets of holy 
humility  and simplicity4 ,she loves    
nothing so much as hearts deepened by   
humility1 opened by simplicity1 and     
enlarged by charity2 and she  prefers to
 be in the company of souls near the    
manger and at the foot  of the ,cross2  
that is1 with the poor and the          
afflicted1 in order to  succour and     
console them4      #a ,happy the soul   
who1 like a good child in regard of her 
parents1  sees only ,jesus and ,mary1   
converses only with ,jesus and ,mary1   
and  whose only joy and desire in this  
world is to know ,mary in ,jesus and    
,jesus in ,mary4 ,this is a wonderful   
means1 given us by ,god1 of spending    
our lives holily during our sorrowful   

sojourn in this present life4--  7,j4   
,j4 ,,olier47      ,,spiritual          
,,flowers4    ,mary is like a lily      
amidst thorns3 she loves and suffers at 
the same  time4 ,when the thorns are    
blown about by the wind1 they tear the  
lily  on all sides2 but it revenges     
itself by causing to exhale1 through the
  apertures of its wounds1 a sweet      
fragrance1 which perfumes the thorns    
that have so cruelly wounded it4 ,in    
imitation of ,mary1 figured by the  lily
 amidst thorns1 let your only revenge   
for your afflictions be to  increase    
your love for those who are the cause of
 your pains4--,pere  ,avrillion4        
,mary is compared to the white lily1 on 
account of her innocence and  exemption 
from all sin2 and as the lily is        
beautiful amongst the  thorns where it  
has sprung up1 so was ,mary             
distinguished amidst the  women of      
,judea4 ,the lily loses nothing of its  
whiteness1 although  amongst thorns1 and
 the august ,virgin1 tortured in the    

,person of her  ,son1 by the ,jewish    
,deicides1 preserved the innocency of   
her soul and  the purity of her heart1  
rendering good for evil4--,st4 ,francis 
of  ,sales4    ,mary is that most       
beautiful and lofty cedar1 from which   
,god detached  the finest branch1 to    
transplant it on ,calvary4--,the same4  
,lose not sight of eternity1 and the    
adversities of this life will not       
trouble you4--,the same4    ,,example4  
,the ',regina ,coeli4'    ,baronius and 
,st4 ,gregory of ,nyssa relate that in  
the year #fij the city  of ,rome was in 
danger of becoming a desert1 on account 
of the number  of persons who became    
victims to a terrible pestilence4 ,st4  
,gregory1  surnamed the ,great1         
successor to ,pope ,gelasius ,,ii41 who 
had fallen a  victim to this disease1   
saw that all human precautions and      
resources  were of no avail1 and he     
resolved to have recourse to the ,mother
 of  ,god4 ,he gave orders that the     
picture of the ,most ,holy              

,virgin--which is  believed to have been
 painted by ,st4 ,luke--should be       
carried in a  general procession of all 
the ,clergy and laity1 as far as ,santa 
,maria  ,maggiore4 ,the violence of the 
plague was such that eighty persons     
perished during the procession2 but     
before its termination an ,angel  was   
seen in human form above ,adrian's      
,tower 7called afterwards the  ,castle  
of ,st4 ,angelo1 in memory of this      
event71 sheathing a sword  tinged with  
blood1 as in the time of ,david2 and    
from that moment the  pestilence        
completely ceased4 ,at the same time    
many voices were heard  in the air1     
singing3 ,regina coeli1 laetare1        
alleluia2 quia quem  meruisti portare1  
alleluia2 resurrexit sicut dixit1       
alleluia--  ',rejoice1 ,o ,queen of     
,heaven1 for ,he ,whom you deserved to  
bear has  risen1 as ,he said1 from the  
grave2 ,god be praised4' ,the ,holy     
,pontiff  immediately added3 ,ora pro   
nobis ,deum1 alleluia--',pray to ,god   

for  us1 ,god be praised4'    ,this     
having occurred at ,easter1 the ,church 
from that time ordered all  the ,clergy 
and faithful to recite this ,antiphon   
during ,paschal season4                 
,prayer4--,oh6 most desolate of         
,mothers6 what a sword has pierced your 
,heart6 ,all the blows which wounded    
your ,son ,jesus fell upon you4 ,by     
,his pains you were tortured1 by ,his   
wounds you were torn4 ,his last  adieu  
renewed all your sorrows2 but when ,he  
breathed ,his last sigh  with what      
anguish was your heart oppressed1 ,o    
,mother of love and of  sorrow6 ,obtain1
 ,i beg of you1 that ,i may follow your 
example in loving  and suffering6 ,yes1 
,queen of ,martyrs1 let me share your   
martyrdom4  ,love gave you the ,cross1  
let the ,cross fill my heart with love2 
and  if1 to enable me to love1 it be    
necessary that ,i suffer and die1       
obtain for me this grace1 that ,i may   
love all that comes to me from  ,god1   
whether it be sorrows1 afflictions1 or  

death4 ,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,pray   
for me1 ,o ,queen of ,martyrs6          
,practice4--,when you are tempted to    
complain1 or to be impatient  under     
opposition1 reflect upon ,mary at the   
foot of the ,cross4                     
,,twenty-,,sixth ,,day4    ,,mary       
,,after ,,the ,,ascension ,,of ,,christ4
    ,,god placed two beautiful          
luminaries in the heavens on the fourth 
day  of the ,creation2 one called the   
greater1 the other the lesser  light2   
the former to rule over the day1 the    
latter1 over the night4  ,although ,god 
decreed that darkness should succeed the
 day1 ,he1 the  increated ,light1 would 
not allow the night to be entirely      
deprived of  light4 ,when1 in ,his      
,providence1 ,he wished to create the   
spiritual  world in ,his ,church1 ,he   
placed in it1 as in a ,divine firmament1
 two  great luminaries4 ,the greatest is
 ,jesus ,christ1 ,our ,saviour and      
,master--an abyss of light1 and the     
source of splendour1 the true ,sun  of  

,justice2 the lesser luminary is the    
,most ,holy ,mother of this ,divine     
,saviour2 a most glorious ,mother1      
resplendent and beautiful as the  moon4 
,the ,son of ,god came down upon earth1 
like the sun upon our atmosphere1  to   
clothe ,himself with our humanity1 and  
formed our light and day2 a  most       
longed-for day1 which lasted about      
thirty-three years1 during  which time  
,he illumined the ,church with the      
splendour of ,his miracles1  ,his       
example and ,his doctrine4 ,but the hour
 having at last arrived when  this      
precious ,sun was to set and cast ,its  
rays over the other  hemisphere--that   
is1 heaven--what else could remain on   
earth but  darkness and obscurity8 ,and1
 in fact1 night quickly spread          
around--the  night of the many          
persecutions raised against the         
,apostles4 ,but that  its darkness might
 be more tolerable1 it also had its     
luminary in the  person of the ,most    
,holy ,virgin1 who remained with the    

disciples and  the faithful1 after the  
,ascension of her ,divine ,son4 ,this we
 learn  from ,st4 ,luke3 the ,most ,holy
 ,mary was with the disciples in the    
upper  room on the day of ,pentecost1   
and persevered with them in communion   
and prayer4    ,jesus ,christ would     
leave her still in the world3 firstly1  
that as a  luminary she might be the    
comfort of the faithful immersed in the 
night of tribulations2 secondly1 that by
 surviving her ,divine ,son she  might  
acquire greater merit1 so that it might 
be truly said of her--  many daughters  
have gathered riches1 you have surpassed
 them all2  thirdly1 that her presence  
might be a convincing proof against the 
heresy that arose after the ,ascension  
of ,our ,lord1 which held that ,he  had 
not taken a natural ,body but one merely
 in appearance4 ,thus1 even  in her     
lifetime1 were verified in her regard   
the words of ,holy ,church1  ',you1     
august ,virgin1 have destroyed all      
heresies4'    ,the ,most ,holy ,virgin  

lived after the ,ascension of her       
,divine ,son until  she reached the age 
of sixty-three2 and thus this mystic    
,ark of the  new ,covenant dwelt under  
tents in the desert of this world4      
,our ,divine ,lord1 wished that ,his    
,most ,holy ,mother should1 after having
  been an example to virgins and to     
mothers1 become the model of widows  by 
her modesty and her love for the hidden 
life4 ,widows may be  compared to the   
little lowly violet1 which has no       
brilliancy in its  colour but has a     
scent which1 without being too strong1  
is  marvellously sweet4 ,oh1 what a     
beautiful flower in the ,church is the  
,christian widow6 ,lowly1 through       
humility1 and without splendour in the  
eyes of the world1 since she flies from 
it2 she is unable to meet the  gaze of  
men when her heart no longer desires    
their love4    ,the ,apostle ,st4 ,paul 
orders his disciple ,st4 ,timothy1 to   
honour those  who are widows indeed2    
that is1 those who are so in heart and  

mind4  ',blessed1' says ,our ,lord1 'are
 the pure of heart and poor in spirit4' 
,widows in spirit and in desire are     
deserving of the highest esteem2  for   
what means the word 'widow' but need and
 destitution4 ,honour1  then1 be        
rendered to those who are such in mind  
and heart1 for they  are humble and     
their ,protector is the ,lord6          
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,let it be    
your desire to see ,god1 your fear to   
lose ,him1 your sorrow  not yet to      
possess ,him1 and your joy to do        
everything that can lead  you to ,him2  
you will then live in the abundance of  
peace4--,st4  ,teresa4    ,remember that
 you have but one soul2 that you will   
die but once2 that  you have but one    
life1 and that a very short one2 but one
 glory1 and  that eternal2 your heart   
will then detach itself from            
everything4--  ,the same4    ,the soul  
that loves ,god lives more in the next  
world than in this2  because the soul   
lives more in the object of its love    

than in the  subject which it           
animates4--,st4 ,john of the ,cross4    
,the true widow of the ,church is a     
little ,march violet4 ,by her devotion  
she spreads a sweet perfume4 ,she       
usually keeps herself hidden under  the 
leaves of her abjection1 and her        
mortification is seen by her  quiet1    
modest demeanour4--,st4 ,francis of     
,sales4    ,,example4    ,a ,courageous 
,son of ,mary4    ,the ,saints are      
accustomed to say ',my ,mother' when    
speaking of the  ,blessed ,virgin ,mary2
 and some time ago1 under the influence 
of this  idea1 a touching scene took    
place4 ,a countryman was at ,leipsic1 a 
town  which may be called the heart of  
,protestantism1 where he entered by     
mistake the hall of a university1 in    
which some ,lutheran ,doctors were      
disputing upon religion4 ,he was        
recognised as a fervent ,catholic1 by a 
medal attached to his rosary hanging    
from his pocket2 and he soon  became the
 object of the bitter derision of the   

,lutherans4    ,the good man1 without   
being disconcerted1 took a dollar from  
his old  purse1 and1 throwing it on the 
table where the ,doctors were seated1   
exclaimed1 ',well1 then1 who will bet   
with me which of us is the most  learned
 in matters of religion8'    ,the       
president laid down his piece of money2 
and then casting a glance  of contempt  
upon the peasant's rosary1 said to him1 
',what is the name  of the ,mother of   
,god8' ,the pious peasant replied1 in a 
most respectful  tone of voice1 ',her   
name is ,mary4' ,then1 quickly turning  
to the  ,doctor1 he said1 ',tell me the 
name of my ,mother4'    ,this question  
contained a mystery2 a ,catholic would  
have penetrated  it4 and would have     
replied1 ',she is called ,mary4'        
,however1 the  ,protestant ,doctor was  
not sufficiently instructed to          
understand it4 ,he  remained silent1    
filled with spite at the ingenious and  
pious trick of  the countryman1 who1    
judging that he had come off victor1    

took up the  two pieces of money1 and   
said1 with admirable calmness1          
',gentlemen1  when you dispute again    
upon religion1 ,i beg of you to let me  
know4' ,he  then retired2 and the lesson
 was as perfect as it was well merited4 
,prayer4--,o ,mary1 my ,sovereign6 ,o   
,mother of my ,saviour6 ,you are        
blessed amongst all women1 pure amongst 
all virgins1 the ,queen of all          
creatures4 ,all nations call you        
,blessed4 ,let me exalt your greatness  
as much as it is possible for me to     
exalt it1 and love you1 as much as  ,i  
can love you4 ,may ,i call upon you     
continually and contribute to make  you 
honoured1 as far as ,i am able4 ,i      
should wish to see the whole  universe  
prostrate at your feet1 and all hearts  
burning with your  love1 that they may  
all love your ,divine ,son1 as you loved
 ,him in this  world1 and will love ,him
 for all eternity4 ,i earnestly entreat 
this  grace1 ,o my ,mother1 although ,i 
acknowledge and confess myself unworthy 

to obtain it4    ,ejaculation4--,o ,holy
 ,virgin1 enable me to speak of your    
greatness4    ,practice4--,examine if   
the virtues of ,mary are to you as that 
lesser  luminary in whose light you walk
 on in the way that leads to ,paradise4 
,,twenty-,,seventh ,,day4    ,,mary ,,in
 ,,the ,,upper ,,room ,,at ,,jerusalem4 
,,the ,eternal ,father bestowed an      
incomparable gift upon the world when   
,he gave it ,his ,only ,son4 ,jesus     
,christ ,himself said3 ',god hath so    
loved  the world as to give it ,his     
,only ,son2' and ,st4 ,paul exclaims3   
',how has  ,he not with ,him given us   
all things8'--,quomodo non etiam omnia  
cum  illo nobis donavit8    ,almighty   
,god1 in the ancient ,law1 had bestowed 
an infinity of  blessings upon ,his     
chosen people2 but they were given      
according to  measure4 ,in the ,law of  
,grace1 however1 ,he had no sooner seen 
,his  ,beloved ,son ascended into heaven
 than ,he opened ,his ,hands to pour    
forth ,his graces and gifts upon all the

 faithful1 according to the  prophecy of
 ,joel1 that supra omnem carnem--'over  
all men' would ,he  diffuse ,his ,holy  
,spirit4    ,if we desire to receive    
this ,divine ,spirit1 let us beg ,our   
,lord to  bestow ,him upon us through   
the merits of his ,most ,holy ,mother1  
the  glorious ,virgin ,mary1 and through
 the love ,he bore to her2 and we  shall
 thus1 like the ,apostles1 be with ,mary
 the ,mother of ,jesus4 ,we  shall never
 understand how necessary is this       
condition4 ,st4 ,elizabeth  had no      
sooner spoken to the ,most ,holy ,virgin
 than she was immediately1  says ,st4   
,luke1 'filled with the ,holy ,ghost4'  
,nor is this a subject of  wonder1      
because ,mary is the ,spouse of the     
,holy ,ghost1 the ,daughter of  the     
,eternal ,father1 and the ,mother of the
 ,eternal ,son4    ,the ,evangelist ,st4
 ,luke1 by observing that men and women 
were  assembled in the room1 admonishes 
us that we must all hope to receive  the
 ,holy ,ghost2 but he mentions in       

particular the presence of ,mary  the   
,mother of ,jesus1 to insinuate that she
 was there as the ,queen of  the        
,apostles4 ,how mistaken1 then1 are     
those who say that we honour the  ,most 
,holy ,virgin too much6 ,this august    
,virgin1 it is true1 had already        
received the ,holy ,spirit and the      
fulness of grace in the ,annunciation1  
but in the upper room she received a    
great superabundance of grace4          
,whoever1 then1 desires to receive the  
,holy ,ghost1 let him unite  himself to 
,mary2 because he who separates himself 
from her1 does not  gather but scatters4
 ,let us serve her1 honour her1 that ,he
 ,who comes  into our hearts1 by her    
mediation1 may also receive us by the   
same  mediation4    ,to conclude1 we may
 learn a very useful lesson from the    
words of ,st4  ,luke about the          
,disciples when they had received the   
,holy ,ghost3 ',all  spoke in divers    
tongues according as the ,holy ,ghost   
gave them to  speak'--,prout ,spiritus  

,sanctus dabat eloqui illis2 that is1   
that  though all spoke1 yet they did not
 speak in the same manner4 ,the         
,apostles preached the new ,law2 and    
those who did not preach publicly1      
animated one another to praise and      
magnify the ,lord4 ,let us1 however1    
understand that there is an efficacious 
method of speaking without  even        
uttering a word1 and it is by the good  
example which we give to  our neighbour4
    ,david says3 ',the heavens declare  
the glory of ,god4 ,day unto day        
uttereth speech1 and night unto night   
showeth knowledge4' ,these words        
signify that the beauty of the heavens  
invites men to admire the  magnificence 
of the ,creator4 ,indeed1 when on a     
clear night we  contemplate the beauty  
of the heavens1 we do not feel less     
animated to  admire and adore the       
,omnipotence and ,wisdom of ,god1 ,who  
has studded it  with such beautiful     
stars1 than when we observe the         
inaccessible light  of the sun in its   

full meridian splendour4 ,what          
conclusion are we to  draw from all this
 but that we1 who are something more    
than all the  rest of creation 7since   
all things were made for us1 and not we 
for  them71 should1 by our good example1
 announce the glory of ,god more        
perfectly than the heavens and the      
stars4 ,good example is a silent but  a 
most efficacious influence4 ,in this    
manner we can all preach1  although we  
have not all received the gift of       
tongues4 ,is it a less  wonder to see a 
soul adorned with many sublime virtues  
than to see the  heavens decorated with 
magnificent stars8 ,how much1 my ,god1  
do ,i need  the ,spirit of strength when
 ,i feel myself so weak and infirm6     
,however1  ,i glory in my infirmity that
 the ,power of my ,god may dwell in me4 
,let us glory in our weakness1 which    
makes us fitting receptacles of  the    
,power of ,god4 ,may ,he grant that this
 sacred fire1 which can  entirely change
 us into ,him1 may transform our hearts 

into ,his pure  ,love1 that we may be   
all love and not lovers only4 ,may ,he  
grant me  also to receive and make good 
use of the gift of understanding1 that  
my mind may be more enlightened to      
penetrate clearly the sacred  mysteries 
of our holy ,faith2 for this            
understanding has a wonderful  power to 
subjugate the will to the service of    
,him ,whom it recognises  to be so good 
and so worthy of love1 ,yet1 as true    
love is active1 we  need counsel1 that  
we may be able to discern how to        
exercise this  love2 and then our soul  
is excellently endowed with the sacred  
gifts  of ,heaven4    ,may the ,holy    
,spirit1 ,who favours us with ,his      
gifts1 form our whole  consolation1 and 
be eternally adored by my mind and by my
 heart6 ,may  ,he be always our wisdom  
and our understanding1 our counsel and  
our  fortitude1 our knowledge and our   
piety1 and fill us with the spirit of   
the fear of the ,lord4    ,,spiritual   
,,flowers4    ,mary is the root of      

,jesse1 upon whom the ,holy ,spirit     
rested4 ,the ,son  of the ,virgin is the
 flower thereof2 a red and white flower1
 chosen  amongst thousands--the flower  
upon which the ,angels gaze with        
continuous desire2 a flower whose       
fragrance renews life2 a flower of      
everlasting bloom1 whose beauty is      
incorruptible1 and whose glory will     
never fade4--,st4 ,bernard4    ,mary is 
the root of that beautiful flower upon  
which the ,holy ,spirit  rests with the 
fulness of ,his gifts4 ,whoever then    
desires to obtain  the seven gifts of   
the ,holy ,ghost1 must seek the flower  
upon the stem2  because we reach the    
flower through the stem1 and through the
 flower  we find the ,holy ,spirit1 ,who
 thereon reposes4 ,let us go to ,jesus1 
through ,mary2 and by means of ,jesus1  
we find the grace of the ,holy          
,spirit4--,st4 ,bonaventure4    ,give   
your soul to ,god a thousand times in   
the day2 fix your interior  eyes upon   
,his sweetness1 in imitation of ,mary2  

place ,him upon your  breast as a       
delicious nosegay1 and make every       
possible effort to  excite within you an
 impassioned love for this ,divine      
,spouse4--,st4  ,francis of ,sales4     
,there is no doubt that he who perfumes 
the world by the odour of his  good     
example1 thus teaching others the way of
 justice1 will one day  shine in        
eternity as a most splendid star in the 
firmament4--,the  same4    ,,example4   
,the ,prayer ',memorare4'    ,st4       
,francis of ,sales had received1 in his 
youth1 a miraculous proof of  the       
protection of ,mary4 ,being assaulted by
 a violent temptation to  believe       
himself reprobated by ,god1 he          
experienced such anguish that he        
compared it to the sorrows of death and 
the torments of hell4 ,after a  month   
passed in these desolating trials1      
earnestly desiring to be  delivered from
 them1 he humbly prostrated himself     
before a statue of  the ,blessed        
,virgin1 and with great confidence      

recited the ,memorare1  beseeching ,our 
,lady to obtain from her ,divine ,son   
that1 if he should  ever have the       
misfortune of being eternally separated 
from his ,god1 he  might at least love  
,him during the present lifetime with   
all his  powers4    ,the ,most ,holy    
,virgin could not be deaf to such a     
petition1 and ,francis  quickly         
recovered the peace of heart he had     
lost4 ,from that time he  had the       
greatest confidence in this prayer1 and 
recited it in every  difficult          
undertaking1 and recommended it warmly  
to all whom he  directed4    ',i        
remember1' says the ,bishop of ,belley1 
'to have learnt this prayer  from him1  
and in order to impress it more deeply  
in my heart1 and to  make use of it in  
all my afflictions1 ,i wrote it down at 
the beginning  of my breviary4 ,i know1 
moreover1 that he commended it much to  
the  ,nuns of the ,visitation4 ,he      
wished it to be repeated above all in   
times  of great temptations1 because the

 ,mother of ,god is as terrible to the  
enemy as an army in battle array2 the   
blessed fruit of her womb having        
crushed the head of the infernal        
serpent4'    ,it is generally believed  
that ,st4 ,bernard was the author of    
this  prayer4    ,prayer to ask for the 
,seven ,gifts of the ,holy              
,ghost4--,august ,spouse  of the ,holy  
,ghost1 ,most ,holy ,virgin ,mary1 the  
inexhaustible source of  grace1 deign to
 obtain for me from your ,divine ,spouse
 the gift of  ,wisdom1 which may detach 
me from the goods of the world1 and make
 me  love those of heaven2 the gift of  
,understanding1 which may teach me my   
duties2 the gift of ,counsel1 which may 
enlighten me in the way of  salvation2  
the gift of ,fortitude1 which may       
sustain my weakness2 the  gift of       
,knowledge1 which may teach me the      
eternal truths2 the gift of  ,piety1    
which may render the service of ,god    
sweet to me2 and the gift  of ,fear1    
which may inspire me with a holy respect

 and tender love  towards the ,god of   
infinite mercy4 ,ah6 my continued       
resistance to the  inspirations of the  
,holy ,spirit have rendered me unworthy 
of such a  benefit1 but1 aided by your  
prayers1 ,i confidently hope to obtain  
from  the author of every perfect gift  
the graces that are necessary to  live  
holily in this life1 and thus one day   
attain to the eternal  beatitude of     
heaven4 ,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,pray  
for me1 ,o ,spouse of the ,holy ,ghost4 
,practice4--,accustom yourself in every 
difficulty to say at once3 ,o  ,mother  
of ,good ,counsel1 inspire me6          
,,twenty-,,eighth ,,day4    ,,how       
,,precious ,,in ,,the ,,sight ,,of ,,god
 ,,was ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,mary4       
,,according to the common opinion of the
 ,doctors of the ,church1 when the      
,blessed ,virgin ,mary had attained the 
age of sixty-three she died1 or  rather1
 she slept the sleep of death4 ,but how 
is it1 some will say1  that ,our ,lord1 
,who loved ,his ,holy ,mother so        

tenderly1 did not grant  her the        
privilege of exemption from death1 since
 death is the wages of  sin1 and she had
 never sinned8 ,how contrary are such   
thoughts to those  of ,god1 and how far 
removed are such judgments from ,his6   
,we know that  death became precious    
when ,our ,lord permitted that its blow 
should  fall upon ,him1 on the ,tree of 
the ,cross4 ,certainly1 the ,most ,holy 
,virgin thought it no advantage or      
privilege not to die1 but she always    
desired death1 for she saw it lovingly  
embraced by her ,divine ,son4 ,he  had  
rendered it so sweet and desirable that 
the ,angels would consider  themselves  
most fortunate to be able to die1 and   
the ,saints looked  upon it as a        
happiness1 and therefore experienced    
great consolation in  it4 ,our adorable 
,saviour1 who is ,life ,itself1 gave    
life to death by  ,his own death1 so    
that to those who die in the grace of   
,god1 it is the  beginning of eternal   
life4    ,consider this ,queen1 dying of

 a fever1 that was sweeter to her than  
health1 because it was the fever of     
,divine love1 which1 by burning up  her 
heart1 consumed it so completely as to  
open to her soul the way by  which it   
flew into the arms of her ,divine ,son4 
,all the ,saints die in the habit of    
holy ,love2 but some amongst them  die  
in the exercise of this ,divine love2   
others1 on account of it1 as  the       
,martyrs2 and others1 by its power4 ,but
 the most sublime degree of  holy love  
is to die of love itself2 and this      
occurs when the soul is  so inflamed by 
charity that it can no longer be        
detained by the bonds  of the flesh4    
,if it be true that such as is the life 
of a man such will be his  death1 what  
else can have been the death of the     
,most ,holy ,virgin but  the death of   
love8 ,this is certain2 because she who 
is called in the  language of ,sacred   
,scripture1 the ,mother of fair ,love   
could only die  the death of love4 ,we  
read not of ecstasies and raptures in   

the life  of ,our ,lady1 and for this   
reason1 that they were continual4 ,she  
loved  ,god with so tender1 so strong1  
and so ardent a love1 at the same time  
so tranquilly1 and with so much peace1  
that although her love went on          
increasing1 the increase was not        
impetuous1 but she continually1 and     
almost imperceptibly1 hastened towards  
this so greatly desired union  of her   
soul with ,god1 like a river that calmly
 flows to the ocean4    ,the hour having
 then arrived when the ,most ,holy      
,virgin was to leave  the earth1 ,divine
 ,love separated her soul from her body1
 and  incomparably pure as it was1 it   
flew directly to heaven4 ,ah6 what      
obstacle could detain her whom the      
,celestial ,spouse calls ',his  beloved1
 all fair and without spot'8 ,our       
imperfections and the stains  of our    
sins are the only obstacle to our       
entrance into heaven at the  moment of  
our death2 and it is these that are the 
origin of the flames  of ,purgatory4    

,the ,saints are ever burning with the  
fire of ,divine love2 and by their      
exemplary lives spread a continual odour
 of sanctity in the presence  of men and
 of ,god4 ,this odour is incomparably   
increased at their  death2 hence the    
,prophet says3 ',precious in the sight  
of the ,lord is  the death of the       
,saints4'    ,if1 then1 the ,saints are 
odoriferous and burning lamps1 what     
shall we  say of the ,most ,holy        
,virgin1 whose perfection immeasurably  
surpassed  that of all the ,saints      
united together8 ,if in life she was a  
,burning  ,lamp1 fed with the perfumed  
oil of every virtue1 what a fragrance   
must  she have exhaled at the hour of   
her death6 ,so great was this fragrance 
that young virgins1 as we read in the   
,canticles1 were attracted by it3  ',we 
will run after thee to the odour of thy 
perfumes1' 'the young  maidens have     
loved thee4'    ,,spiritual ,,flowers4  
,the soul of ,mary was released from her
 body as naturally as fragrance  sent   

from a flower and as the ripe fruit     
falls from the tree4--,st4  ,francis of 
,sales4    ,as the palm conceals its    
flower until the heat of the sun causes 
it to  expand1 so the just soul conceals
 the flowers of its virtue by  humility1
 until ,our ,lord1 by calling her to    
,paradise1 gives the  highest degree of 
perfection to her love4--,the same4     
,the thought of death is not sad for a  
soul who loves ,god1 because it  is the 
beginning of her eternal                
happiness4--,st4 ,john of the ,cross4   
,o ,death1 most beautiful ,death6       
wherefore shall we fear thee1 if in     
thee is found life8 ,he alone should    
fear thee who has persevered in  sin    
until his last breath4--,st4 ,teresa4   
,,example4    ,letters addressed to the 
,most ,holy ,virgin4    ,persons filled 
with lively faith often write letters to
 the ,blessed  ,virgin ,mary1 placing   
them at the feet of her image1 or upon  
their  heart1 on some solemn occasion2  
and this practice is very dear to her4  

,it is no new practice3 for we see1 from
 the ,sacred ,books and the  history of 
the ,church1 that the most remarkable   
men made use of it to  obtain some      
special grace4 ,king ,ezechias carried  
into the ,temple the  insulting letter  
addressed to him by ,zennacherib1 and   
laid it on the  ,altar as if to invite  
,almighty ,god to read it1 and his      
prayer was  heard1 as we read in the    
,fourth ,book of ,kings4    ,the        
,emperor ,theodosius1 about to fight    
against ,eugenius1 wrote to ,st4        
,ambrose1 to beg him to recommend the   
expedition to the ,god of armies4  ,the 
,saint1 during ,mass1 took the letter   
into his hands1 and presented  it to    
,god4 ,the result of the battle is well 
known4    ,when the ,angelic ,doctor1   
,st4 ,thomas1 met with some difficult   
passage  in ,holy ,scripture1 he wrote  
down the difficulty and placed it on his
  heart when he went to celebrate ,mass1
 and the difficulties vanished4    ,our 
,lord looks upon prayers addressed to   

the ,blessed ,virgin and to the  ,saints
 as though they were made to ,himself4  
,if we wish to obtain some  grace1 let  
us write a letter to ,mary1 and place it
 upon our heart  before we approach     
,holy ,communion4 ,st4 ,stanislaus      
,kostka1 desired to  die on the ,eve of 
the ,assumption1 that he might assist at
 its  celebration in heaven4 ,he wrote a
 letter to ,our ,blessed ,lady for this 
purpose1 and1 on the feast of ,st4      
,lawrence1 placed it on the ,altar1     
asking the ,saint to present it to the  
,queen of ,heaven4 ,the same day he  was
 attacked by a most burning fever1 and  
after four days went to  celebrate the  
feast of his dear ,mother ,mary in      
heaven4    ,prayer 7of ,st4 ,alphonsus  
,liguori to obtain a happy death74--,o  
,mary6  what will be my death8 ,when ,i 
think of the moment which is to decide  
my eternal destiny1 ,i fear and tremble 
at the sight of my sins4 ,o  ,mother1   
full of goodness1 the ,blood of ,jesus  
,christ and your patronage  are alone my

 hope4 ,ah1 console me in that terrible 
moment1 ,o ,consoler  of the afflicted6 
,if ,i am now tormented by remorse for  
my offences1  through the uncertainty of
 pardon1 the danger of falling again1   
and  the judgments of ,god1 what will it
 be at that moment8 ,i am lost if you   
do not fly to my relief4 ,o my sovereign
 ,lady1 obtain for me1 before my  death1
 lively sorrow for sin1 true amendment1 
and entire fidelity to  ,god2 and may ,i
 at that moment invoke you more         
frequently1 that ,i may  not despair at 
the sight of my sins4 ,pardon me my     
rashness1 ,o my  ,queen2 but ,i beg you 
also to come yourself to console me by  
your  presence1 ,you have granted this  
favour to so many of your servants1  and
 why should not ,i also hope for it8 ,it
 is true ,i do not merit it2  but ,i    
love you1 ,o ,mary1 and confide in you4 
,i expect then your  presence and       
assistance1 that ,i may go forth from   
this world loving  ,god1 and you also1  
my ,holy ,mother1 and never cease to    

love you through  all eternity4 ,amen4  
,ejaculation4--,do not abandon me at the
 hour of my death1 ,o my ,most  ,holy   
,mother6    ,practice4--,spend this day 
as if it were the last of your life4    
,,twenty-,,ninth ,,day4    ,,mary1      
,,like ,,jesus1 ,,dies ,,of ,,divine    
,,love4    ,,our ,lady died of ,divine  
love1 like her adorable ,son4 ,the      
foundation of  this belief is1 that     
having but one life with her ,divine    
,son1 she  could have but one and the   
same death4 ,in reality1 they were two  
distinct persons2 but they had one      
heart1 one soul1 one mind1 one  life6   
,if this was said of the first          
,christians2 if ,jesus ,christ lived in 
,st4  ,paul1 because his spirit was dead
 in the ,heart of his ,saviour1 with    
much greater truth could it be said that
 ,jesus ,christ and ,his ,most  ,holy   
,mother had but one heart and one soul1 
and1 consequently1 one  life2 for there 
never was a ,mother so loving or so much
 loved2 and the  quality of ,mother and 

only ,son gives us the idea of all that 
is most  perfect and most excellent in  
love4    ,if the ,apostle ,st4 ,paul    
could say that he had no other life than
 that  of his ,divine ,master1 with     
greater reason could ,mary1 the ,mother 
of  this amiable ,master1 say3 ',i have 
no other life than that of my ,divine   
,son3 ,he lives in me and ,i in ,him4'  
,and having lived the life of her  ,son1
 she must have died the death of her    
,son4 ,this death was  prophesied to    
her1 by holy ,simeon1 in these words3   
',thy own soul a  sword shall pierce4'  
,three kinds of swords can pierce the   
soul3 the first1 the sword of the  ,word
 of ,god1 which1 in the saying of the   
,apostle1 'is more penetrating  than a  
two-edged sword'2 the second1 the sword 
of suffering and  sorrow1 according to  
the prophecy of ,simeon2 and the third1 
the sword  of ,divine ,love1 of which   
,jesus ,christ speaks3 ',i came not to  
bring  peace1 but the sword4' ,now1 the 
soul of ,our ,lady was pierced by all   

these three kinds of swords in the death
 of her ,son4    ,when a heavy blow     
falls upon an object1 everything near it
 feels its  effects4 ,thus1 although the
 body of the ,most ,holy ,virgin was not
  united to that of her ,divine ,son in 
,his ,passion1 yet1 her soul being      
inseparably united to ,him1 it follows  
that all the blows with which  ,his     
,blessed ,body was bruised wounded her  
soul4    ,love causes us to feel the    
afflictions of those we love1 as we see 
in  ,st4 ,paul1 who was weak with the   
weak1 afflicted with those in           
tribulation2 and yet the soul of this   
,apostle certainly was not so  closely  
united to the faithful as the soul of   
,our ,lady to the soul and  body of     
,jesus4 ,no wonder1 then1 that the      
thorns1 the nails and lance1  which     
pierced the head1 hands1 feet and side  
of ,our ,lord1 pierced also  through and
 through the soul of ,his ,mother4      
,truly may we exclaim3 ,o ,most ,holy   
,virgin6 how deeply was your soul       

pierced by the love1 the suffering1 and 
the words of your ,son6 ,and1  oh1 how  
deep a wound love gave you1 when you saw
 the ,son1 ,who loved  you so much1 and 
,who possessed all the affections of    
your heart1  expiring through love6 ,how
 bitterly did sorrow1 too1 wound your   
soul1  when you saw the sufferings that 
led your only ,son to death6 ,and1 as   
for ,his words1 like a strong wind they 
inflamed your love1 excited  your       
sorrow1 and almost engulfed the vessel  
of your heart in an ocean  of grief4    
,love caused ,mary to be penetrated with
 sorrow2 and the sufferings of  her ,son
 were expressed in words that pierced   
her heart like darts4  ,and1 as a stag  
wounded by the hunter1 flees with the   
arrow fixed in  the wound1 to die afar  
off1 and sometimes1 long after it has   
received  the blow2 so ,our ,lady1      
wounded by the sword of sorrow in the   
,passion  of her ,son upon ,calvary1    
survived the wound she had received many
  years1 but at last it caused her      

death4 ,oh1 loving wound6 ,oh1 sword of 
charity6 how dear and beloved wast thou 
to the tender heart which thou  didst   
pierce6    ,the philosopher ,aristotle  
narrates that when the wild goats of    
,candia  are wounded by a dart1 they    
have recourse to the herb dittany1 and  
by  means of this plant the dart comes  
out of the wound4 ,ah6 who is there     
that does not feel his heart wounded by 
the thought of the ,passion of  ,jesus  
,christ1 contemplating ,him scourged1   
crowned with thorns and  crucified8     
,but1 alas6 ,i scarcely dare to say it3 
the greater number  who are pierced by  
this dart run quickly1 like those goats1
 to the  dittany of worldly consolations
 in order to remove from their heart    
the wound of ,divine love4 ,the ,blessed
 ,virgin1 on the contrary1  zealously   
preserved this dart1 and it formed all  
her glory and her  triumph4             
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,thorns are   
the flowers of ,calvary1 and sufferings 
the flowers of the  ,cross2 and this is 

the support sought for by the           
languishing love of  ,mary4--,bossuet4  
,oh how sweet will death be to the      
,christian who has done penance for  his
 sins during life6 ,he will pass        
instantly to the ineffable joys of      
,paradise4--,st4 ,teresa4    ,mystical  
death is accompanied by a sweetness and 
a satisfaction a  thousand times greater
 than the full life of the senses4--,p4 
,milley4    ,the more a soul knows the  
perfections of ,god1 the more does the  
desire  to see ,him increase within     
itself4--,st4 ,john of the ,cross4      
,the happiness of dying without regret  
well repays us for living  without      
pleasures4--,the same4    ,,example4    
,the ,fourteen ,joys of the ,most ,holy 
,virgin4    ,st4 ,thomas of ,canterbury 
had the pious custom of reciting seven  
,ave  ,marias every day in honour of the
 ,seven ,joys of ,our ,lady upon earth3 
the ,annunciation1 the ,visitation1 the 
,birth of ,our ,lord1 the ,epiphany1    
the ,finding in the ,temple1 the        

,resurrection1 and the ,ascension4 ,one 
day the ,blessed ,virgin appeared to    
him1 and said3 ',thy devotion1  ,thomas1
 is very pleasing to me2 but why dost   
thou commemorate only the  joys ,i      
experienced whilst on earth8            
,henceforth1 be mindful also of  those  
that ,i enjoy in heaven2 ,i assure thee 
that ,i will console and  present to my 
,son1 at the hour of their death1 all   
those who during  life shall have       
honoured the latter1 as well as the     
former joys4' ,the  holy ,archbishop1   
filled with consolation at these words1 
exclaimed3  ',but how can ,i do so1     
,most ,holy ,virgin1 when ,i know not   
these joys8'  ,the august ,mother of    
,god then taught the ,saint to recite   
seven ,ave  ,marias in honour of the    
following joys3 the honour that the     
,most ,holy  ,trinity conferred upon her
 above all creatures2 the excellence of 
her  ,virginity1 which raised her above 
the ,angels and the ,saints2 the        
splendour of her glory1 which           

illuminates heaven2 the veneration paid 
to her by the ,blessed1 on account of   
her dignity of ,mother of ,god2 her     
power with her ,divine ,son in our      
behalf2 the graces with which she was   
enriched when on earth1 and the reward  
reserved in heaven for those  who are   
devout to her during life2 finally1 her 
accidental glory1  which will           
continually increase until the ,day of  
,judgment4    ,many ,saints have        
practised this devotion with fruit1 and 
a great  number of the devoted servants 
of ,mary have made use of it to honour  
their august ,mother4    ,prayer of ,st4
 ,alfonso ,maria di ,liguori4--,mary6 ,i
 acknowledge that  you are the most     
beautiful1 the most holy1 and most      
amiable of all  creatures4 ,ah6 would   
that all knew you1 ,o ,holy ,virgin1 and
 loved you  as you deserve4 ,i rejoice  
that you are so revered by all the      
,blessed  in heaven1 and by so many     
faithful souls on earth1 but especially 
that  you are so much loved by ,god4    

,most amiable ,queen6 ,i also love you1 
miserable sinner that ,i am1 and ,i     
desire to love you more2 obtain for  me1
 then1 this love1 ,o my dear ,mother1   
because it is a sign of  predestination4
 ,i know that you will help me1 and by  
your help ,i shall  conquer1 if ,i cease
 not to recommend myself to you4 ,but ,i
 fear that ,i  may not always invoke you
 in occasions of danger2 succour me then
  always1 ,o ,mary1 my good ,mother1 and
 never permit me to offend my ,god4     
,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,in your love  
do ,i wish to live and die1 my ,blessed 
,mother6    ,practice4--,offer an act of
 mortification to ,god1 through the     
,blessed  ,virgin1 for those who are to 
die this day4        ,,thirtieth ,,day4 
,,the ,,death ,,of ,,mary ,,was ,,sweet 
,,and ,,tranquil4    ,as the peaceful   
morning dawns1 not by fits and starts1  
but steadily  and gradually1 so that its
 progress is scarcely perceptible1 so   
did  ,divine love increase in the heart 
of ,our ,lady1 the glorious ,virgin     

,mary4 ,her progress in charity was     
tranquil1 uniform and uninterrupted1  so
 that she continually pursued her course
 towards the ,divinity ,whom  she loved4
    ,consider that love is1 in its      
nature1 calm1 tranquil1 and full of     
sweetness1 and becomes violent only when
 it meets with some  opposition4 ,but if
 its dominion in a soul be undisputed1  
and if  nothing oppose its progress1    
then it works steadily and gains its    
victories with ease4 ,we may understand1
 then1 how the heart of the  ,mother of 
pure ,love experienced all its power1   
without any impetuous  movement1 for in 
her there was no resistance to overcome4
    ,observe the course of great rivers3
 when the bed is not level and the      
current is encumbered with masses of    
rock1 the waters splash and foam1  and  
roll back again with a great noise2 but 
when the bed is smooth the  waters flow 
on placidly and without effort4 ,such is
 the case with holy  love1 when it meets
 with obstacles1--and where does it not 

find them8  ,it is constrained to       
struggle with a kind of violence against
 the  human inclinations that oppose it2
 to use force1 and make great  efforts  
in order to bend the will1 to remove    
impediments1 and to open  a passage for 
itself to the heart it seeks to possess4
 ,in the ,blessed  ,virgin1 however1    
everything favoured and seconded the    
attractions of  grace and of ,divine    
love1 and although her love was         
incomparably  greater than that of any  
other creature1 it continually went on  
increasing with the greatest calm and   
sweetness4    ,if iron were not held    
down by its weight it would find no     
obstacle to  the continued attraction of
 the magnet1 and its strong and even    
motion  would continually increase in   
proportion as the iron and magnet drew  
nearer to each other4 ,thus it was with 
the ,most ,holy ,virgin at her  death4  
,as there was nothing in her that could 
impede the action of  ,divine love1 she 
became more and more closely united to  

her adorable  ,son through sweet        
ecstasies1 until she became1 so to      
speak1 immersed  in the bosom of ,his   
goodness2 and thus1 without even knowing
 it1 she  quitted her body and was      
reunited to her ,divine ,son in heaven4 
,it was fitting that as love had        
produced the sorrows of death in this   
,divine ,mother at the foot of the      
,cross1 so death should in its turn1    
produce the sovereign delights of love4 
,ah6 may this ,most ,holy ,virgin       
obtain for us1 by her prayers1 grace to 
live in holy love1 and may it  alone be 
the object of all our desires1 and of   
all the affections of  our hearts6      
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,st4 ,gregory 
says that the pomegranate1 by its bright
 red colour1 its  beautiful corona1 and 
numerous seeds so well arranged1 sweetly
  represents charity4 ,charity is red1  
by the ardour with which it burns  for  
,god1 is adorned with the variety of    
every virtue1 and obtains and  wears for
 ever the crown of eternal              

rewards4--,st4 ,francis of ,sales4      
,bees never sting so sharply as when    
they are themselves mortally  wounded4  
,how can we fail to be wounded with love
 for our adorable  ,saviour1 when we    
contemplate ,him wounded for us1 even   
unto death and  the death of the ,cross2
 to be wounded1 ,i say1 with a wound the
 more  painfully loving1 as ,his was    
more lovingly painful2 nor can we ever  
love ,him as much as ,his death and ,his
 love merit4--,the same4    ,,example4  
,novenas in ,honour of the ,blessed     
,virgin4    ,in the various tribulations
 of life1 in great afflictions1 dangers 
and  temptations1 when we require       
special assistance from ,god1 an almost 
certain means to obtain it is to make a 
,novena in honour of the ,most  ,blessed
 ,virgin ,mary4 ,how many souls have    
been heard by ,god1 by having  had      
recourse to the ,most ,holy ,virgin     
through a ,novena6    ,the ,children of 
,mary apply themselves with special     
devotion and  fervent piety to the      

celebration of her festivals1 and1 in   
return1 the  ,blessed ,virgin obtains   
for them an abundance of heavenly       
blessings4  ,st4 ,gertrude saw one day a
 great number of souls under the mantle 
of  ,mary1 guarded by her with warm     
affection1 and she understood that they 
had prepared themselves1 by devout      
exercises of piety1 for celebrating  the
 ,feast of the ,assumption of ,our      
,lady4    ,prayer4--,o ,queen of        
,paradise6 raised above all the heavenly
 choirs1  seated at the right hand of   
your ,divine ,son1 ,i prostrate myself  
at  your feet1 miserable sinner that ,i 
am1 and conjure you to cast upon me     
those eyes of mercy which bring grace   
and the friendship of ,almighty  ,god   
wherever they are turned4 ,observe1 ,o  
,most ,holy ,mary1 in how many  dangers 
,i am of losing my soul1 and shall      
always be as long as ,i am on  earth2   
but ,i place all my hopes in you4 ,i    
love you1 my ,mother1 with  all my      
heart1 and wish to love you for ever4   

,ah6 pray to your ,divine  ,son for me2 
tell ,him to protect me1 and ,he will   
assuredly have  compassion on my poor   
soul4 ,o my sweetest and most           
compassionate  ,mother1 in this hope do 
,i rest1 and wish also to live and die4 
,amen4    ,ejaculation4--,o ,mary6 love 
gave you the ,cross6 ,may the ,cross    
give us  love6    ,practice4--,examine  
what would give you most fear if you    
were going  to die now1 and begin       
earnestly to amend4                     
,,thirty-,,first ,,day4    ,,the        
,,resurrection ,,and ,,assumption ,,of  
,,the ,,blessed ,,virgin4    ,,there can
 be no doubt whatever that ,our ,lord   
fulfilled towards ,mary  the precept    
which ,he gave in general to all        
children to honour their  parents4      
,indeed1 where is the son who would not 
raise his mother from  the grave to lead
 her to ,paradise1 if he had it in his  
power8 ,the  great triumph of the       
,assumption of the ,blessed ,virgin is  
celebrated by  all the ,saints1 and by  

the whole ,church ,militant4    ,after  
the ,ark of the ,covenant had dwelt for 
a long period under tents  and          
pavilions1 ,king ,solomon ordered it to 
be placed in the marvellous  ,temple he 
had prepared for it4 ,the joy of the    
,hebrews on that occasion  was so great 
that the blood of the sacrifices flowed 
through the  streets of ,jerusalem2 the 
air was filled with clouds of incense1  
and  the houses and public squares      
resounded with harmonious music4        
,but1 ,o ,god6 if the solemnity of the  
reception of the ,ark was so great1     
what must have been that of the ,most   
,glorious ,virgin1 ,mother of the  ,son 
of ,god1 the true ,ark of the ,new      
,covenant1 upon the day of her          
,assumption6 ,o incomprehensible joy6   
festival of wonders6 which makes  all   
devout souls who are the true daughters 
of ,jerusalem1 exclaim3  ',who is she   
that goeth up from the desert leaning   
upon her ,beloved8'  ,the entrance of   
the ,most ,blessed ,virgin into heaven  

was the most  magnificent that ever     
could or can be witnessed after that of 
,jesus  ,christ4 ,she ascends from the  
desert of this lower world1 so perfumed 
with spiritual gifts that1 except in the
 ,person of her ,divine ,son1 she  has  
no equal in heaven4 ,the ,queen of      
,saba1 coming to ,jerusalem to have  a  
proof of the wisdom of ,solomon1 brought
 with her a great quantity of  perfumes1
 gold1 and precious stones4 ,but1 when  
the ,most ,holy ,virgin  entered heaven1
 she carried with her such an amount of 
the pure gold  of charity1 so much      
perfume of devotion and of virtue1 and  
so many  precious gems of patience and  
of suffering1 that we can safely say no 
one ever had so great an accumulation of
 merits to offer her ,divine  ,son6     
,yes1 indeed1 she abounded in delights1 
because during her life on  earth she   
had abounded in good works and in       
sufferings4    ,we may say that1 in one 
sense1 the ,assumption of ,our ,lady was
 even  more glorious than the ,ascension

 of ,jesus ,christ2 because the ,angels 
only were present at the ,ascension1    
whilst at the ,assumption of ,our  ,lady
 the ,king of ,angels ,himself attended 
her4    ,what a triumph was it for      
,heaven1 and what a consolation for     
earth6  ,ah1 let us in spirit dwell and 
live in heaven1 because there is our    
treasure and our life4 ,o my ,god6 how  
beautiful is heaven now that its  sun is
 ,our ,blessed ,saviour1 and ,his bosom 
is the ,source of ,love1 where  the     
,blessed drink and quench their thirst6 
,if we look up there1 we  shall see our 
names written in characters of ,love1   
which can be read  only by ,love1 and   
engraved only by ,love4 ,o ,god6 and    
will my name also  be there8 ,let me    
trust so2 because although my heart     
burns not with  ardent ,charity1 it has1
 however1 its desire and its principle1 
and  bears written upon it the ,sacred  
,name of ,jesus1 which ,i hope nothing  
will be able to cancel4 ,o what a joy   
for us when we shall see those          

characters denoting our eternal         
happiness6 ,as for me1 although those   
eternal blessings occupy all my desires 
and affections1 yet all  ,paradise would
 be nothing to me if ,i did not find    
there the  never-ending ,love of the    
,eternal ,god1 ,who lives and reigns for
 ever  and  ever4    ,let us bear in    
mind that ,jesus ,christ looks upon us  
from heaven1 and  sweetly invites us to 
come and enjoy the delights of ,his     
goodness and  the abundance of ,his     
love4 ,the ,most ,holy ,virgin also     
invites us as a  ,mother1 saying to each
 of us3 ',courage1 my child2 despise not
 the  ardent desires of my ,son1 and my 
sighs and petitions for thy  salvation4'
 ,and yet1 how often have we not        
preferred the miserable  vanities and   
bitter pleasures of earth to those      
incomparable joys6 ,ah1  faithful souls2
 let us henceforth accept the favours   
which the ,most  ,holy ,virgin and the  
,saints offer us4 ,let us promise them  
to walk  quickly on towards heaven2 and 

let us take hold of the hand of our     
good ,angel-guardian1 that we may never 
again stumble1 but happily  reach the   
gates of a blessed eternity4            
,,spiritual ,,flowers4    ,the qualities
 of the material rose vividly represent 
the attributes of  ,mary1 the ,mystical 
,rose4 ,the perfume of the rose         
signifies the joys of  the ,most        
,blessed ,virgin2 its thorns represent  
to us her sorrows2 and  the beauty of   
its colour her glory in heaven4    ,mary
 is the beautiful ,lily who looks down  
from her high throne upon  all other    
flowers1 and sees them inferior to      
herself4--,st4 ,john  ,damascen4    ,the
 difference between material and        
spiritual rose-trees is this1 that  in  
the former1 the roses fade and the      
thorns remain2 whilst1 in the  latter1  
the thorns pass away and the roses      
remain4--,st4 ,francis of  ,sales4      
,,example4    ,the ,novena of ,st4      
,gertrude to the ,blessed ,virgin4      
,st4 ,gertrude1 a ,benedictine nun1     

cherished a great devotion to the  ,most
 ,blessed ,virgin4 ,on the eve of the   
,annunciation she had a vision1  in     
which she seemed to see her religious   
,sisters offering nosegays of  sweet    
flowers to ,our ,lady4 ,these were      
collected by ,our ,lady and placed  on  
her bosom1 and she then adorned them    
with precious stones1 and  offered them 
to her ,divine ,son4 ,the ,saint        
understood that those  flowers were the 
afflictions which these ,daughters of   
,mary and ,spouses  of ,jesus had       
endured with ,christian resignation1    
during the course of  the ,novena1      
preceding the festival4    ,another     
time1 whilst ,st4 ,gertrude was reciting
 the ,ave ,maria in  choir with her     
religious ,sisters1 she saw three       
streams come forth  from the ,most ,holy
 ,trinity and meet together in the heart
 of the  ,blessed ,virgin1 descending   
from her and flowing over those who     
during  these days recited this         
angelical salutation4 ,it was on this   

occasion  that she was taught to salute 
,our ,lady1 at least once a day1 in     
these  words3 ,illos tuos misericordes  
oculos ad nos converte1 and was         
promised that1 if she per severed in    
this practice during her whole  life1   
she would receive the greatest          
consolations at the hour of her  death4 
,prayer4--,o ,mary1 sovereign of the    
universe6 our joy1 our support and  our 
defence6 interest yourself in my favour 
before ,god1 and obtain  that ,i may be 
one day called to enjoy the happiness of
 heaven6 ,i  beseech you1 ,o ever       
immaculate ,virgin2 ,i know you to be   
omnipotent  with your ,divine ,son1 for 
the salvation of sinners1 and for the   
consolation of the afflicted1 and ,i    
also know that you have need of no      
other recommendation than that of our   
miseries1 for you are by  excellence the
 ,mother of ,mercy4 ,amen4              
,ejaculation4--,o my tender ,mother6    
help me to live always united to  your  
,divine ,son ,jesus4                    

,practice4--,consecrate yourself        
generously to ,mary1 and renew this     
consecration every ,saturday4    ,,act  
,,of ,,consecration ,,of ,,st4 ,,francis
 ,,of ,,sales ,,to ,,the ,,most ,,holy  
,,virgin4    ,in concluding these pious 
exercises of the ,month of ,mary let us1
 in  the spirit of ,st4 ,francis of     
,sales1 recite the following ,act of    
,consecration1 which he often repeated  
to the ,queen of ,heaven1 and in  which 
the beauty of his soul and the purity of
 his heart are well  depicted4    ,i    
salute you1 most sweet ,virgin ,mary1   
,mother of ,god2 you are my ,mother  and
 my ,mistress2 and therefore1 ,i entreat
 you to accept me as your son  and your 
servant2 ,i wish to have no other       
,mother than you4 ,i beg you1  then1 my 
good1 and gracious1 and most sweet      
,mother1 to deign to  console me in all 
my troubles and tribulations1 both      
spiritual and  corporal4 ,remember1 most
 sweet ,virgin ,mary1 that you are my   
,mother1  and that ,i am your son4 ,you 

all powerful1 and ,i poor1 weak and     
vile4  ,nevertheless1 ,i beseech you1 ,o
 sweetest ,mother1 to keep me and defend
  me in all my ways and in all my       
actions1 for1 alas6 ,i am poor and      
wretched1 and in need of your most holy 
protection4 ,do1 then1 my  beloved      
,mother1 preserve and deliver my soul   
and body from all dangers  and evils1   
and make me share in your blessings1    
your virtues1 and1 in  particular1 in   
your holy humility1 your surpassing     
purity and your  ardent charity4        
,tell me not1 gracious ,virgin1 that you
 cannot do so1 because your ,son  gave  
you all power in heaven and on earth4   
,neither tell me that you  ought not to 
hear me1 for you are the common ,mother 
of all poor  mortals1 and of me in      
particular4 ,if you could not grant my  
prayer1  then ,i should excuse you1     
saying3 ,it is true that she is my      
,mother1  and that ,i am her son1 but   
she is not able to help me4 ,if you were
 not  my ,mother1 then1 indeed1 ,i      

should have patience1 saying3 ,she is   
rich  enough to be able to assist me1   
but1 alas6 not being my ,mother1 she    
does not love me4 ,but since1 most sweet
 ,virgin1 you are not only my  ,mother1 
but are also powerful1 how can you be   
excused if you do not  console me1 and  
come to my relief and assistance8 ,you  
see1 my ,mother1  that it is difficult  
for you to reject any request that ,i   
may make  you4    ,be1 then1 exalted in 
heaven and on earth1 glorious ,virgin   
and dear  ,mother ,mary1 and1 for the   
honour and glory of your ,divine ,son   
,jesus1  accept me for your son1 without
 regard to my miseries and sins4        
,deliver me from all evil of soul and   
body1 obtain for me every virtue1  and  
first of all humility2 and bestow upon  
me all the benefits and  graces         
necessary to make me pleasing to the    
,most ,holy ,trinity1 ,father1  ,son1   
and ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4        ,,the   
,,end4        ---    ,r4 ,,washbourne1  
,,printer1 #ah ,,paternoster ,,row1     

,,london4        ,miraculous ,prayer4   
,,august ,queen of ,heaven6 ,sovereign  
,mistress of the ,angels6 ,thou1 who    
from the beginning hast received from   
,god the power and mission to  crush the
 head of ,satan2 we humbly beseech thee 
to send thy holy  legions that1 under   
thy command and by thy power1 they may  
pursue the  evil spirits2 encounter them
 on every side3 resist their bold       
attacks1  and drive them hence into the 
abyss of everlasting woe4 ,amen4        
',who is like unto ,god6'    ,an        
,indulgence of #dj days is attached to  
the devout recital of this  prayer4     
,,etienne1 ,bishop of ,lausanne4    --- 
,all ye holy ,angels and ,archangels    
keep us and defend us4 ,amen4    ---    
,o good and tender ,mother6 ,thou shalt 
ever be our love and our hope4    ---   
,a ,prayer in time of ,temptation4    ,o
 ,divine ,mother6 ,send thy ,angels to  
defend me1 and drive the cruel  enemy   
from me4    ,these prayers were approved
 by the ,archbishop of ,tours1 and the  

,bishops of ,bayonne and ,nantes in the 
year #ahfc4    ---    ,,origin ,,of     
,,the ,,miraculous ,,prayer4    ,a pious
 priest of the ,diocese of ,bayonne1 the
 ,abbe ,cestac1 is the  founder of two  
,religious ,congregations in the        
aforesaid city1 viz41  the ,servants of 
,mary1 who devote themselves to the work
 of the ,sisters  of the ,good          
,shepherd1 though not cloistered3 and   
the ,bernardines1 who  are              
contemplatives4 ,to one of these devout 
,religious the ,blessed  ,virgin deigned
 to make the following communication1   
which is contained  in a letter from the
 ,abbe ,cestac to ,m4 ,dupont of ,tours4
    ',anglet1 near ,bayonne4    ',,sir1 
',it is not exactly correct to say that 
the ,blessed ,virgin appeared to  a     
good1 simple saint of the ,community1   
but rather1 ,i should say1 that  this   
soul received a supernatural            
communication from this ,divine         
,mother1 or at any rate conceived she   
had received such communication  from on

 high4 ,she was at prayer1 when a ray of
 divine light illumined  her soul4 ,she 
saw in spirit the vast desolation caused
 by the devil  throughout the world1 and
 at the same time she heard the ,divine 
,mother  telling her that it was true   
that hell had been let loose upon the   
earth2 but that the time had come when  
we were to pray to her as ,queen  of    
,angels1 and when we were to ask of her 
the assistance of the  heavenly legions 
to fight against these deadly foes of   
,god and of men4    ',but1 my ,good     
,mother1 answered this soul1 you who are
 so kind1  could you not send them      
without our asking you8    ',no1 she    
answered2 because prayer is one of the  
conditions required  by ,god ,himself   
for obtaining favours4    ',and the soul
 believed she heard the prayer ,i send  
you4 ,naturally1 ,i  was made the       
depositary of this prayer1 and my first 
duty was to  submit it to my ,lord      
,bishop1 who has benignly deigned to    
approve of  it4 ,it was then that ,our  

,lady made known to me that ,i should   
get it  printed at the expense of her   
,work1 and distribute it gratis4 ,since 
that time1 this prayer has received the 
approbation of their ,lordships  the    
,archbishops and ,bishops of ,tours1 of 
,toulouse1 of ,besancon1 of  ,tarbes4   
,it is being reprinted at ,lille1 it is 
being translated into  ,spanish1 and    
spread far and wide4    7,signed7       
',,cestac1  ',priest of the ,diocese of 
,bayonne4'    ,it would appear that the 
devil was terribly enraged at the       
publication  of this prayer1 for the    
,abbe ,cestac in a recent letter to ,m4 
,dupont  tells him that the very day on 
which he sent to ,tours #bj1jjj copies  
with an offering of #cjj francs for the 
tomb of ,st4 ,martin 7sent to him  for  
that purpose71 a large building three   
storeys high1 was cast to  the ground3  
while a similar misfortune befell the   
same ,community at  another of their    
establishments1 some distance off4 ,in  
neither case1  however1 was anyone hurt6

 ,this occurred on the #aath of         
,november1 #ahfc1  ,feast of ,st4       
,martin of ,tours4 ,the ,abbe ,cestac   
adds that ,providence  came to the aid  
of the good ,religious1 and enabled them
 to restore  their injured property4 ,it
 is likewise affirmed that seven        
printing  presses were broken while in  
the act of printing the prayer1 and that
  the only place at which it could be   
printed was at ,le ,puy1 where there  is
 a celebrated ,shrine of ,our ,blessed  
,lady1 to which crowds of devout        
pilgrims flock4    ---    ,copies of    
this ,miraculous ,prayer at #as4 the    
#ajj can be had of    ,r4 ,,washbourne1 
#ah ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london4      
,concise ,portrait of the ,blessed      
,virgin4    ,she was3--    #a4 ,a true  
admirer of ,god4  #b4 ,a real lover of  
her ,son4  #c4 ,a ,virgin1 both in body 
and mind4  #d4 ,humble of heart4  #e4   
,grave in speech4  #f4 ,prudent in      
counsel4  #g4 ,given to labour4  #h4    
,reserved in discourse4  #i4 ,fond of   

reading4    ,she excelled3--    #aj4 ,in
 ,faith4  #aa4 ,in ,modesty4  #ab4 ,in  
,piety4  #ac4 ,in ,silence4    ,never   
did ,she3--    #ad4 ,offend her parents4
  #ae4 ,despise little ones4  #af4      
,deride the weak4  #ag4 ,slight the     
poor4    ,it was a principle with       
,her3--    #ah4 ,to serve ,god above    
all4  #ai4 ,to live in retirement4  #bj4
 ,to cause nobody trouble4  #ba4 ,to do 
good to all4  #bb4 ,to honour the aged4 
#bc4 ,not to envy her equals4  #bd4 ,to 
shun vainglory4  #be4 ,to love virtue4  
#bf4 ,to follow right reason in all     
things4    ,there never appeared        
anything light or frivolous3    #bg4 ,in
 her gait4  #bh4 ,in her air4  #bi4 ,in 
her discourse4  #cj4 ,in her behaviour  
#ca4 ,in her looks4  #cb4 ,in her       
actions4    ---    ,copies of this      
,concise ,portrait at #as4 the #ajj can 
be had of    ,r4 ,,washbourne1 #ah      
,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london4          
,,books ,,for ,,the ,,month ,,of ,,may4 
---    ,our ,lady's ,month2    ,or1     

,short ,lessons for the ,month of ,mary1
 and the ,feasts of ,our ,lady4  ,by    
,very ,rev4 ,a4 ,p4 ,canon ,,bethell4   
#ahmo41 cloth1 #as4    ,our ,lady's     
,month2    ,extracts from the ,writings 
of ,cardinal ,manning1 ,cardinal        
,newman1 the  ,saints1 and others4 ,by  
,j4 ,s4 ,,fletcher4 #cbmo41 cloth1      
#f;d42 better  bound1 #as4    ,corona   
,beatae ,mariae ,virginis4    ,thoughts 
about the ,blessed ,virgin1 for every   
day in the year1 taken  from the        
,writings of the ,saints4 #cbmo41 cloth1
 #as4    ,regina ,saeculorum2    ,or1   
,mary ,venerated in ,all ,ages4         
,devotions to the ,blessed ,virgin from 
,ancient ,sources4 ,fcap4 #hvo41 cloth1 
#bs4    ,mary ,foreshadowed2    ,or1    
,considerations on the ,types and       
,figures of ,our ,blessed ,lady in the  
,old ,testament4 ,by the ,very ,rev4    
,father ,,thaddeus1 ,o4,s4,f4 ,fcap4    
#hvo41  cloth1 #cs4    ,the ,child of   
,mary's ,manual4    ,compiled from the  
,french4 ,with ,ordinary of the ,mass4  

#cbmo41 cloth1 #i;d4    ,rules of the   
,children of ,mary in the ,world4       
#a;d4    ,children of ,mary ,card of    
,enrolment4    ,beautifully designed1   
exquisitely coloured4 ,with             
,inscription4 ,folio1  #as4    ,little  
,office of the ,immaculate ,conception4 
,in ,latin and ,english4 ,the ,latin    
,text has the approval of the           
,congregation of ,sacred ,rites 7#agth  
,may1 #ahgf71 and to which the          
,indulgence is attached4 ,the ,english  
version is by ,provost ,husenbeth4      
,with ,imprimatur of the ,cardinal      
,archbishop of ,westminster4 #cb mo41   
cloth1 #f;d4    ,chats about the        
,rosary4    ,by ,,margaret ,,plues4     
,fcap4 #hvo41 prettily bound1 #bs4 #f;d4
    ,the ,lord's ,prayer and the ,hail  
,mary4    ,tales for the ,young4 ,by    
,,edward ,cox4 ,fcap4 #hvo41 prettily   
bound1 #as4    ---    ,,london3    ,r4  
,,washbourne1 #ah ,,paternoster ,,row4