, J o t ì f t 7 , TSSTiTf L Our'u^'i... / T i f* J > yur J aay$ By R E V . J O H N J. B U R K E , C . S . P . Perugino New York T H E PAULIST PRESS 401 West 59th Street C O P Y R I G H T , 1 9 1 5 , B Y T H E M I S S I O N A R Y SOCIETY OF S T . P A U L T H E A P O S T L E I N T H E STATE OF N E W Y O R K . Ì W •ir® PRINTED AND P U B L I S H E D I N T H E U . S. A. " B Y T H E P A U L I S T PRESS, N E W Y O R K , N . Y . Wmm DesxASified O u r L a d y ' s M o n t h First Day. MORNING STAR. "Hail, thou 'Star-of-Ocean,' Portal of the sky, Ever Virgin Mother Of the Lord Most High!" MARY is the Morning Star. In the early dawn it shines clear and brilliant in the heavens. It is the harbinger of another day of God's service. We may well imagine with what a perfect act of consecration Mary's heart offered each day just dawning to Godr with what joy she greeted its opportunities for active resignation, zeal, devotion, true love of service no matter what the outcome. She looked unfailingly to the light of the Holy Spirit within her for counsel and support. Each day was to her a messenger from God asking her what it would bear back to Him Who sent it. Mary is our Morning Star. Her light shines as a beacon to rouse us to greet " the Day-Spring from on h i g h " with our act of consecration, our thanksgiving for His opportunities, our petition for His counsel, our trust in His support. Her light illumines with fuller meaning each Christian day. Morning Star, pray f o r us. " Show thyself a Mother— Offer Him our sighs, Who, for us Incarnate, Did not thee despise. "Still as on we journey. Help our weak endeavor, Till with thee and Jesus, We rejoice for ever" 6 O U R LADY'S M O N T H Second Day. Q U E E N C O N C E I V E D W I T H O U T S I N . "Thou art all fair, O Mary! There is no spot of original sitt in thee." ON E c r e a t u r e alone is a l l - p e r f e c t in G o d ' s s i g h t . T h e E t e r n a l Son, O n e with t h e F a t h e r , in t h e bosom of t h e Trinity, w a s to come in t i m e into t h e womb of a w o m a n , and be m a d e M a n . For t h e all-spotless O n e an all- s p o t l e s s place m u s t be p r e p a r e d . H e would empty Himself and accept t h e h u m i l i a t i o n of h u m a n b i r t h . But of H i s holi- n e s s H e could never empty H i m s e l f . T h e body f r o m which He drew H i s h u m a n life, t h e b r e a s t s t h a t n u r s e d Him, the h a n d s t h a t bathed and c a r e s s e d Him, t h e bosom upon which He slept, t h e voice t h a t s a n g to Him, t h e mind t h a t t r a i n e d Him, and t h e soul t h a t w a s closest to H i s soul, m u s t be p u r e r t h a n t h e cloudless sky, or the f r e s h m o u n t a i n s t r e a m . No s t r a i n of t h e discord t h a t created hell, and o v e r t u r n e d e a r t h could reach to h e r . T h e object of J e s u s ' love w a s to b e t h e spotless, t h e p e r f e c t one. H i s h e a r t w a s to love H i s M o t h e r with a direct and s u p r e m e love. It could know no r e s e r v a t i o n in her. S h e m u s t be most p e r f e c t , most p u r e , most w o r t h y . God made h e r and kept h e r a s H i s own. Every v i r t u e s h o n e p e r f e c t in t h e " C r y s t a l C h r i s t , " every v i r t u e possible f o r a c r e a t u r e s h o n e p e r f e c t in M a r y . S h e who w a s no m o r e t h a n h u m a n trod most f a i t h f u l l y in t h e f o o t s t e p s of h e r divine Son. T h e r e f o r e is M a r y t h e S t a r of Hope. C h r i s t a s k s u s to m i r r o r Him p e r f e c t l y b e f o r e men. " Be ye p e r f e c t even a s y o u r heavenly F a t h e r is p e r f e c t . " T h e s t a i n of o u r original sin h a s been w a s h e d away by B a p t i s m ; P e n a n c e h a s secured u s t h e p a r d o n of o u r actual o f f e n c e s ; t h r o u g h t h e Blessed S a c r a m e n t of t h e E u c h a r i s t , we a r e fed with t h e Body and Blood of J e s u s C h r i s t . S u r e l y we can go f o r w a r d in zeal and love, d e t e r m i n e d to keep o u r s e l v e s s t a i n l e s s in G o d ' s s i g h t , and by t h e power of h i s divine Son to show f o r t h C h r i s t to t h e world. Q u e e n conceived without original s i n , p r a y f o r us. 7 OUR LADY'S MONTH Third Day. HOLY VIRGIN OF VIRGINS. " The God, Whose will by moon and sun, And all things in due course is done, Is borne upon a maiden's breast, By fullest heavenly grace possessed." MARY, " f u l l of grace," is the model of perfection in a creature. Her secret is the secret of all sanctity and all growth—to do the will of God. The Eternal " Wis- dom reacheth from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things s w e e t l y ; " it is the music of the spheres, the order of the universe, the law of growth of every atom of creation. The angels who showed themselves the willing instruments of God's order and wisdom and love, live to His glory and their o w n : those who would " n o t serve," live «part from God in eternal shame and loss. In His loving d e s k e to communicate His glory to creatures, God made man. Apain a sin of dis- obedience put the whole human race out of harmony with the purposes of its Creator. God, f r o m the beginning, longed for perfection in those whom He had made, to whom He had given all. Only one answers completely, Mary, the Virgin of virgins. Mary's Will was to do the will of Him Who m a d e her. Mary found her love not in the peace of God: nor in the knowledge He i n f u s e d : nor in the suffering He ordained—not in any of His gifts, but solely in Himself above all "gifts. If we would follow Mary, the perfect follower of her di- vine Son, we must grow in secret to be the Father's. To have the courage to do this and to cultivate this, is the beginning and end of sanctity. Through t e a r s and penance and good works, to be our F a t h e r ' s and His completely is the end of our progress. This immolation of self must br an entire abandonment to the wisdom and love of the Father— His supreme Providence and our subject hearts. As o f t e n as the grace is within us, and as long as we can stand it, we must seek the Father directly: not indirectly through created t h i n g s : not altogether through good works, but i m m e d i a t e l y - ' " Alone with Him alone." For " in His will is our peace/ 4 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. 8 OUR LADY'S MONTH Fourth Day. VIRGIN MOST FAITHFUL. "Hail, 0 Lady, bright and glorious, Clad in beauty, pure and true, Virgin! o'er sin's stain victorious, Sinners f or thy succor sue." FROM Mary's life we learn the lesson that the will of God is not our will, but what God ordains. Mary at an earljt age determined to give herself to God, but a f t e r the manner that befitted a humble and unworthy creature. Her own will as f a r as it went was to serve God in virginity and self-consecration. Others might be worthy to become the Mother of the Messiah, but not so she. She merited but to lead a quiet, unknown life, serving God in His temple in prayer and penance, and t h u s to pass f r o m earth leaving no name, no f a m e behind her. But we know that God ordained f a r otherwise. God regarded the humility of His handmaid, and exalted her over all His angels and His saints. For He willed the highest call: the greatest t r i a l : the keenest martyrdom. Witness the wonderful example of Mary's f a i t h f u l n e s s and the simplicity of God's action. The Angel told her she was chosen of God for the highest work of a creature. That it would mean to her burdens most heavy, trials most bitter, sacrifices most complete, she who knew the prophecies of her people, could not doubt; but she asked no question, and re- turned the bold yet humble answer of f a i t h : " Behold the hand- maid of the Lord: be it done unto me according to thy word." So God made her the Mother of His Son and co-redemptrix of the human race. At His command she stepped into the d a r k n e s s of the f u t u r e with a personal, intense love of her Creator, with a confidence in Him that knew no hesitation nor complaint. At every step God asked of her sacrifice, but sacrifice with her was but the glad test of love. Our work also is to place ourselves willingly, confidently in God's h a n d s : " Behold the handmaid of the Lord," and to pray that He will make us the instruments of His will: to say with our divine Saviour: " F a t h e r , not my will but Thine be done." 9 OUR LADY'S MONTH Fifth Day. HOLY MARY. " O Mary, highly graced, Your home was as a garden, Made glad with fairest flowers; May. life thus blossom sweetly In every home of ours." MARY spent the greater part of her days* in the humble cares of the home at Nazareth, that " tabernacle of God with m e n " on earth. Often, she must have left the side of her sleeping Child to tend the fire, to sweep the hearth, to prepare the simple meal. For these homely, im- perative duties she must o f t e n have had to forego sweet con- verse with her Son. While He worked with St. Joseph, it was her part to make and keep the home for them both. Often and often she must have ceased to contemplate the beloved face of her J e s u s in order to clothe H i m ; for it was her duty also to spin, to weave, to sew the garments of her husband and her Son. All this demanded her strict attention, her un- ceasing labor. In Mary of Nazareth we have the perfect example of " leaving God for God." 1 She sanctified ever.y moment and every task by her habitual consecration of self to God; she was ever and always " the handmaid of the L o r d ; " her one desire was that it be done unto her ac- cording to His will. Mary teaches u s that every work is good if done for God, that every good work therefore is of itself directed to God. For its perfect fulfillment, we must often give to it such strict attention and intense labor as will not permit con- scious thought of, or explicit consecration to God. From Mary we may learn how to make holy every moment and every t a s k ; how " to leave God for God." The habitual consecra- tion of self to God at morning, at evening: that which pre- vents us f r o m forgetting Him by anger, impatience, conceit, despondence, etc., will consecrate u s as " the servants of the L o r d " and cover with merit our whole life. " M a r y , blessed Maid of maidens, Be our advocate with God." 10 OUR LADY'S MONTH Sixth Day. HOLY MOTHER O F GOD. " O glorious Virgin ever blest, All daughters of mankind above, Who gavest nurture from thy breast To God, with pure maternal love." MARY, the Mother, conceived, gave birth to and» nursed the Son of God. She adored Him Who is her God; and with passionate tenderness, she cared for and caressed Him Who is also her Infant Child. As the Incarnate Word was in human flesh the perfect symbol of the love of God for man, so Mary is the perfect example of a mother's love for her child, and is our Mother and our example in our life for the children of men. Grace comes not to destroy nature but to elevate it. Mary who was f u l l of grace, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, loved intensely the Babe at her breast, the Boy she sought sorrow- ing in Jerusalem, the Man she followed to Calvary. In Mary n a t u r e is not denied, but the love of her Child is made one with her love of God. So, too, with us nature is not to be denied, but to be uplifted and absorbed in the s u p e r n a t u r a l . No saint ever possessed a cold h e a r t : a loving mother will be a self-sacrificing mother, a filial son will be a good re- ligious. " For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, Whom he seeth n o t ? " True love of parents will never drive up from God: grace may urge us and lead up to forego its immediate expression to make it more certain in God's love. If the end of all be love; if love be " the fulfilling of the law," we lose nothing by making the heart a s large as possible. From Mary we learn not to crucify love but to cultivate it, and to let it crucify us with her divine Son. In Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of us all, the love of men is one with the love of God. Holy Mother of God, pray for us. OUR LADY'S MONTH 11 Seventh Day. MOTHER MOST AMIABLE. " O that this low earth of ours, Answering th' angelic strain, With thy praises might reecho, Till the heavens replied again." MARY is called most amiable, that is, most loving, most worthy to be loved. From the standpoint of the world, she surely had every reason to be justly unamiable to- wards a world which rejected her Son, yet history records no harsh or hasty word, no ungracious look. We see her re- ceiving with thanks the shepherds and the wise men at Beth- lehem; we read of the t r u s t f u l peace with which she accepted her exile with Joseph and the I n f a n t in the s t r a n g e land of Egypt; with patient industry she attended her little household, as other Jewish mothers, at N a z a r e t h ; her request to her divine Son, for the sake of others, to give wine at the marriage feast was not a demand, but a sweet suggestion; Mary pon- dered, not questioning, upon those great silences of S c r i p t u r e ; she met her heavy-laden Son upon the road to Calvary and followed Him in silent sympathy, not reviling His enemies; she lived helpfully with J o h n for long years of waiting at Ephesus. Let u s think for a short moment of these things and put to s h a m e our restless, self-important souls. Time is s h o r t ; eternity is long. He who lives i n ' t h e light of Christian truth waits, like Mary, upon God. He who lives, like Mary, with Christ, loves with Him all humankind. His soul may be sorrowful even unto death, as was Christ J e s u s ' , but it will not taste of disgust for its fellows, nor of despair, because He, with Whom Mary lived and we live, knew not these things. The amiable man offers himself as a sacrifice. He is s i l e n t ; he boasts not of his goodness nor his worthy motives; he storms n o t ; he judges not. The sinner may go to him and find in him a mysterious s t r e n g t h ; the worried and depressed, an inexplicable peace; the demonstrative, a silent and s u r e confidant. All feel a power that they know is not of this world, that inevitably raises their thoughts to heaven— the power of Him Who " l i f t s e a r t h to heaven, stoops heaven to e a r t h . " Loving Mother of all-embracing Love, pray for us. 12 OUR LADY'S MONTH Eighth Day. VIRGIN MOST PRUDENT. "Let us come and hold Mary by the feet, let us lie at those blessed feet and most earnestly entreat her. Let us hold her, and not let her go, except she bless us." MARY is the model of that silence which we ought at times to practise assiduously. If we would understand the depth of her virtue of silence, we must ponder the dis- t r e s s of her soul when she realized J o s e p h ' s suspicions and f e a r s . How strong must have been the desire and inclination to speak and vindicate herself, both for her own sake and for the love she bore her husband. A word would have cleared mat- ters, or so, at least, it would seem. Had she not every right to s p e a k ? And if she did not, who w o u l d ? Duty, truth, virtue would seem to have commanded an explanation. Yet Mary held her peace. She restrained her d e s i r e ; she accepted her humiliation; she waited upon God. The secret of God's mercies to her was His secret. It was h e r s only to keep, not to reveal. No impetuosity, no thought Of self, not even the sorrow of Joseph could tempt her to break the seal of God's confidence. We are apt to exalt sensitiveness to honor, into a virtue. Self-vindication is almost thé reflex action of accusation, yet self-vindication effects little, and, still less, the hasty resent- ment of charges. Thè desire always to explain and.to appear in a good light is not of God and does not profit much. We must go on our way with t r u s t in God. He will see to it that those whom He wishes to, will u n d e r s t a n d ; not always im- mediately, perhaps, but, as with Joseph, in His own good time. The secrets of God, His hidden message to the soul, must be kept in sacred silence, s a f e f r o m all save those messengers of God whom He would have stand to us as " other C h r i s t s . " Those who hold inviolable the secrets of God, will win and keep the confidences of men, for there is strength in silence, a strength born of unfaltering faith, abiding hope, constant charity. Virgin most prudent, obtain for us a humble and prudent silence. OUR LADY'S MONTH 13 Ninth Day. MOTHER OF OUR CREATOR. "How blest that Mother in whose shrine That great Artificer divine, • Whose hand contains the earth and sky, Vouchsafed, as in His ark, to lie." IN the quiet room at Nazareth, Mary received the Angel Gabriel, who announced to her that she had found grace with God, that the Holy Ghost would come upon her and that the Holy One that would be born of her would be called the Son of God. Mary became the Mother of God, and her s t a r increased in glory from its rising at Bethlehem even unto its zenith on Calvary. Within the quiet room of the Cenacle, Mary waits again to receive the Holy Spirit. This time she is not alone. This time the Holy Spirit comes not to her, privileged and alone, through the message of an Archangel, but to all equally who are gathered there, and directly as a tongue of fire resting upon each one of them. " And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.". Mary knew that this was the fire that would enkindle the world. These men were to go forth and preach the Gospel to every creature. Their names were to be heralded by the nations and honored by that Church with which her Son had promised to be " a l l days, even to the end of the world." Her mission was ended, her s t a r must decline—at least before the world. She would live on in obscurity at Ephesus with apparently no evident purpose except to give St. Luke the account of the Nativity. The work the " Fruit of her w o m b " had founded would go on without her. At least so might Mary have thought with every w a r r a n t in external evidences. Yet at that very hour the Holy Spirit was making s u r e that all generations would call her blessed. For God does not give and take away. His g i f t s are not always decorated with external evidences. But the ways of God are •very s u r e to those who, like Mary, submit and trust. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 14 OUR LADY'S MONTH Tenth Day. HELP OF CHRISTIANS. "Mother o] grace, O Mary blest, To thee, sweet fount of love, we fly; Shield us through life, and take us hence To thy d-iar bosom when we die. " O Jesf, born of Virgin bright, Immortal glory be to Thee; PmlFe to the Father infinite, •And Holy Ghost eternally." TH E aim and purpose of our Blessed Lotdr rmn -or Hi« Church, with its divine t r u t h s and Sacraments, is to enable u s to p u r i f y ourselves, to mak<: ourselves per- fect, to make ourselves one with God. In this Mary is our example and out- inspiration. His- torically, reverence for her has begotten the Christian virtues in the hearts of men—purity, respect for wcmen, the dignity of motherhood, the love of children, the worth of the home— all that go to make up the Christian life. Reverence for her h a s inspired men and women to consecrate themselves en- tirely to J e s u s Christ. To each and everyone of u s she must be the same inspira- tion. We cannot love her without being drawn to that purity, humility, unselfishness, so characteristic of h e r ; we cannot love her without being urged to p u r i f y ourselves more and more and to give oui' heart wholly, as she did, to Him Who says to each and every one of u s : " M y child, give Me thy h e a r t . " O holy Maiy, be thou a help to the helpless, a strength to the f e a r f u l , «. comfort to the sorrowful. " Pour forth, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, th»t ^ e to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His Passion and Death be brought to the glory of His resurrection through the same Christ, our Lord." O U R LADY'S M O N T H 15 Eleventh Day. S E A T O F W I S D O M . "My soul doth magnify the Lord; And my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid." MARY m a d e m u c h of t h e Lord and rejoiced in God, h e r Saviour. H e r service w a s t h e service of p u r e s t joy to t h e u t m o s t of h e r favored soul. " All t h e s e t h i n g s s h e cherished in h e r h e a r t . " God w a s all in all to her. L i f e m i g h t b r i n g w h a t it would, but s h e lived in and with and f o r God. H e r delight w a s to t h i n k upon H i m : h e r p l e a s u r e to know creation, f r o m t h e least to the g r e a t e s t , a s H i s w o r k : h e r passion to show f o r t h in herself H i s glory. Mary is in t h i s t h e Seat of Wisdom. U n l e s s w e h a v e a t a s t e f o r God we a r e lost. God s e e k s to give it to u s : to n o u r i s h and i n c r e a s e it in u s , but u n l e s s t h e cultivation on our p a r t be s i n c e r e and s u p r e m e , H e will w i t h d r a w it. W e can destroy i t ; t h e h u n d r e d t h o u s a n d voices of s e n s e ; of i n t e r e s t ; of motive may s h u t God out of our h e a r t s . W e can blind ourselves, and t h e n w e cannot see. O r o u r fidelity may be f o r m a l , and t h e n w e cannot t a s t e , nor d e s i r e to t a s t e . T h e t r a g e d y is t h a t w e do not a p p r e c i a t e o u r loss. T h e very power of t h i s s p i r i t u a l t a s t e is f r o m God. Let u s , with Mary, cling to Him and hold Him and never let Him go. " O God, W h o by t h e light of t h e Holy Ghost, dost i n s t r u c t t h e h e a r t s of t h e f a i t h f u l , g r a n t u s , we beseech Thee, by t h a t s a m e Holy Spirit a love and relish f o r w h a t is r i g h t and j u s t , and a c o n s t a n t e n j o y m e n t of H i s c o m f o r t s t h r o u g h C h r i s t o u r L o r d . " S e a t of Wisdom, p r a y f o r u s . IS OUR LADY'S MONTH Twelfth Day. ARK OF THE COVENANT. "It is Almighty God Who girdeth me with strength. And maketh my way perfect." FROM the first moment of her calling, Mary was conscious that it was God Who had called her. Hence her trust in all that God asked her to do was not in herself but in Him. This was the strength of her perfect act of consecra- tion: " B e h o l d the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word." This was the power that led her on to victory. O f t e n the Holy Spirit speaks to the soul; suggests this or t h a t ; gently urges to a more selfless service, and we hesitate or r e f u s e because of ourselves we can-not do it. If God in- vites, He will give the strength, too, although He may not tell us so. Christ s a y s : " Y o u have not chosen Me, but ! have chosen you, that you should go forth and bear f r u i t and that your f r u i t should be abiding." This certainty of God's calling alone can give the greatest requisite for the spiritual l i f e : the intimate, actual, personal sense of God's love. Love begets love and love spells trust. We cannot measure the years that are to come; we cannot direct the actions and cir- cumstances we know not o f ; we cannot stretch s a f e hands now to seize on motives, purposes, desires still unborn, and make secure what as yet is not, but with Mary we can know and believe that the Holy Spirit Who prompts will also accompany and p e r f e c t ; with Mary we can say, in humble t r u s t : " Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me acording to Thy word." " Come Holy Ghost, Creator, come, From Thy bright heavenly throne! Come take possession of our souls, And make them all Thine own! O guide our minds with Thy blest light— With love our hearts inflame— And with Thy strength which ne'er decays Confirm our mortal frame." OUR LADY'S MONTH 17 Thirteenth Day. VESSEL OF SINGULAR DEVOTION. "My Beloved is mine and I am His: Who feedeth among the lilies." "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away. Alleluia." MARY was the perfect lover of our Lord, and by reason of this , all jealousy was excluded f r o m her heart; Her trust was perfect. Her union with His heart and worlf knew not the slightest, discord. J e s u s left her and went forth on His public mission. He made His friends. He gave much of His time to His disciples. He loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus, and was wont to visit at their home. In His Mother's very presence He used her to preach the greater truth, the higher duty of f a i t h f u l n e s s to God's word over every human tie, no matter how precious or sacred. When He was dying He gavi. her to J o h n and J o h n to her with the confident assurance that she would love Him in His friend and His friend in Him. Through all this Mary's heart was in perfect peaceful accord with the heart of her Divine Son. Self was utterly lost in Him. The work that was dear to Him was dear to h e r ; the f r i e n d s that were dear to Him were dear to her. Her joy was to love, to suffer with Him. She gave, asking nothing in return. « No jealous heart can know unselfish love. No suspicious heart, no heart that weighs and m e a s u r e s can know peace in human love, much less joy in the divine. " Love envieth n o t ; dealeth not perversely; is not puffed u p ; is not ambi- tious; seeketh not her own; thinketh no evil; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never falleth a w a y : whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed." Such is the ideal of love realized by Mary, to which we must dare aspire, and, by God's grace, expect to attain. Vessel of singular devotion, intercede for u s with our Lord and thine. 18 OUR LADY'S MONTH Fourteenth Day. MIRROR OF JUSTICE. "She is the brightness of Eternal Light, the unspotted Mirror of God's majesty, and the image of His good- ness." M^RY knew not the taint of original sin. Her soul wa> full of grace. It was the spotless mirror of God's justice: the " g a r d e n e n c l o s e d " wherein no breath 0} sin had entered, and where s u p e r n a t u r a l virtue blossomed. Rare was its beauty; exquisitely fine its perfection; great its t r i a l ; supreme its martyrdom; equally great, we may say, its temptations, for these must have been in proportion to its powers and its perfections. " Blessed art thou who hast be- lieved," Elizabeth said to her. Had Mary yielded to doubt, had Mary refused to t r u s t , there could not have been " t h e performance of those things " which God had destined for her. Yet how great must have been the temptation in the over- whelming n a t u r e of the Annunciation, in the u t t e r destitution of the Nativity, in the black night of Calvary! Had the brightness of Eternal Light shone less clearly in her soul, had she mirrored less truly the Infinite Jusiice, had the image of God's goodness been blurred in her soul, she would have faltered and failed. In the lesser temptations that re- gard the reign of the spirit over the body, she had that habit of purity which knew not the possibility of wavering. The grosser things of sense had no appeal to her. No slightest cloud of impurity ever darkened her soul. To us, born under sin, and knowing actual sin in the flesh, the height of Mary's purity is impossible, but, at least? she can be to u s the brilliant, f a i t h f u l Mirror of God's perfections. By the light of her example, we can endeavor to put s e n s e and sensuality more and more behind u s : to divest the soul of its winding sheet, and to hasten its journey on to t h e habit of absolute purity, of perfect faith and trust. j O God, Who didst keep Mary clean f r o m all stain, g r a n t that by her prayers, we also who are presently defiled, may finally be made pure, and so with her attain unto Thee. Amen." O U R LADY'S M O N T H 19 Fifteenth Day. M O T H E R M O S T A D M I R A B L E . "Ah Mother! bravest of the brave, Wounded at heart by love most pure, Lightly all troubles thou dost bear, And flight's discomforts dost endure. " To thy poor servants gracious be, And make their troubles thy concern, And those, whom sin has exiles made, To their, true country make return." MAR If i s our lesson of patience. H e r youth w a s f u l l of e n t h u s i a s m s , of a r d o r : h e r i n t e n s e n a t u r e , d e s i r i n g to love and accomplish, consecrated itself body and soul in very childhood to t h e s e r v i c e of t h e Almighty God. At N a z a r e t h s h e received the g r e a t s u m m o n s of h e r c a l l i n g : " T h e Holy which s h a l l be b o r n of thee s h a l l be called t h e Son of G o d , " yet H e was born on a cold and lonely night at B e t h l e h e m ; to s a v e Him f r o m death, t h e d i s c o m f o r t s of flight and s o j o u r n in a foreign land w e r e e n d u r e d ; t h e long com- monplace y e a r s at N a z a r e t h followed in which s h e could only watch and wait f o r H i s " h o u r " to come. And t h e n H i s public m i n i s t r y began. Reports would come to h e r of H i s s u c c e s s , of how t h e people would f a i n proclaim Him King, only to be followed by news of how they tried to s t o n e Him. S h e s a w H i s t r i u m p h a l e n t r y into J e r u s a l e m ; she h e a r d t h e r a b b l e s h o u t to " C r u c i f y H i m . " With t h e ad- m i r a b l e c o u r a g e of a patience b o r n of p e r f e c t f a i t h and hope and love, s h e bore t h e o u t r a g e o u s b e t r a y a l on T h u r s d a y , t h e h o r r o r s of t h e Crucifixion on F r i d a y , t h e deathly silence of t h e tomb on S a t u r d a y . For long y e a r s at E p h e s u s s h e crowned h e r patience waiting, oh, so willingly and patiently, u n t i l in H i s own good time God should send H i s angel death to close h e r eyes to e a r t h and open them to heaven. Surely " patience h a t h a p e r f e c t w o r k . " A doubting, r e s t l e s s zeal is b u t t h e cloak of an i m p a t i e n t soul. M o t h e r , m o s t a d m i r a b l e in thy patience, p r a y f o r u s . 20 o U R LADY'S MONTH Sixteenth Day. COMFORTER OF THE AFFLICTED. "Ah! succor us if cares oppress, Or adverse fortune should, impend; With peace serene life's journey bless, Till dawns the day t'.at knows no end." LOVE desires to possess, for possession is the satisfying of love. For twelve years Mary had possessed her Child. Never had day been lengthened, nor night made lonely by His absence. Our hearts rest in the present, they dread to mar its comforting peace by thought of the uncertain f u t u r e . But to her who had heard Simeon's words, the f u t u r e could not but be present. Indeed the present bright, consoling light shot its rays into the f u t u r e and only emphasized its shadows. Terror clutched her heart when, on the return from Jerusalem, s h e found she had lost her Child. What terrible portent was t h i s : was this the " s w o r d of sorrow," or was greater yet to b e ? Mary looked for Him, her Child, and found Him not. He had said nothing. He was gone. Search as she might, she could not find Him. For three days she sought sorrowing Him Whom her soul loved, Whom her womb had borne, and her b r e a s t s had nursed. At last she found Him in the Temple, and in answer to her agonized question, He replied: " K n o w you not that I must be about my F a t h e r ' s b u s i n e s s ? " This, then, was but the beginning; the beginning for her who was to be the Mother of Sorrows. On the way home she begged God earnestly for strength to bear worthily all that was to come. Mary made a perfect offering of herself as " she pondered all these things in her h e a r t . " Sorrow and waiting and parting we have known. God h a s sent us through death the message of heaven. Love has its penalty: the love of our own and of f r i e n d s — t h e penalty of death and loss. The love of God—the penalty of sorrow and penitence, and the s u r r e n d e r of death. By pondering these things in our hearts, holy counsel will beget, even in us, the wisdom of God. Comforter of the afflicted, teach u s the lesson of sorrow and much prayer and penance, f r o m the Holy Spirit Himself. O U R LADY'S M O N T H 21 Seventeenth Day. V I R G I N M O S T M E R C I F U L . " Thou, my Saviour's Cross who bedrest, Thou, thy Son's rebuke who sharest, Let me share them both with thee." TH E flat of Mary w a s t h e p e r f e c t s u r r e n d e r of self into t h e h a n d s of God. H e r life b e f o r e and a f t e r the b i r t h of h e r Son w a s hidden. Self found itself in A n o t h e r . For h e r Son s h e labored. H i s glory alone did s h e seek. H e r sole d e s i r e w a s to s e r v e Him, and f o r over t h i r t y y e a r s s h e did s e r v e Him. S h e felt the p e r s e c u t i o n He endured f r o m t h e h a n d s of men. S h e saw Him condemned and forced to bear t h e C r o s s of ignominy to Calvary. S h e h e a r d Him derided a s H e w a s dying. S h e made herself one with Him in His agony. S h e s o u g h t not self, b u t accepted Hie will and h e r portion t h e r e i n , even to t h e p a r t i n g f r o m Him. T h e m e a s u r e of s a i n t l i n e s s is t h i s : How little do I seek s e l f ; how completely do I seek G o d ? T h e ways to God a r e infinite in variety, because conditions, duties, t e m p e r a m e n t s a r e infinitely v a r i o u s . Saint d i f f e r s f r o m s a i n t in t h e expression of h i s sanctity. But all a r e alike in this, t h a t they t r y to p u r i f y t h e m s e l v e s of self and fill t h e i r s o u l s w i ' h God. T h e g r e a t e s t problem of t n e s u p e r n a t u r a l life is to l e a r n w h a t is self and w h a t is God. Such is the power of self-deception, t h a t w e o f t e n u s e , and even d e s i r e t h e t h i n g s of God for a motive in which self is t h e g r e a t e r f a c t o r . S e l f - a d v a n c e m e n t may be s o u g h t while we c o m f o r t o u r s e l v e s we a r e doing g o o d ; i n j u s t i c e to o t h e r s may be done because self is not will- ing to f o r g e t personalities, and look clearly at objective worth. Self may lay low a c a u s e because of obstinacy, which it t e r m s s t r e n g t h , and b l i n d n e s s , which it t e r m s zeal, t h i n k i n g that it is s e r v i n g God. C h a r i t y is t h e g r e a t e s t g i f t of t h e soul, and f r a t e r n a l charity is its first-born. But f r a t e r n a l charity m e a n s s u c h a n e m p t y i n g of self t h a t f e w of u s a r e able to a t t a i n it. For self to empty i t s e l f ; to r e f u s e to a s s e r t t h a t dignity and d e f e n c e native to i t ; f o r self to lose itself in God and t r y to view m e n and t h i n g s with the l o n g - s u f f e r i n g patience and t r u s t and c h a r i t y of God, is a g i f t t h a t comes, and comes only a f t e r d e a t h . 22 OUR LADY'S MONTH Eighteenth Day. MYSTICAL ROSE. "A garden enclosed is My sister, My spouse, A garden enclosed, a fountain sealed. O Mary, thy perfumes are a garden of delights." THE world loves and admires visible activity and accom-plishment. It is the slave of what it hears and sees. It forgets God and prayer, and boasts of doing things and of the worth Of human efficiency. The heart naturally years for love. When it seeks it solely in human affections, human appreciation, the well-springs of immortal life become dried u p ; choked by worldliness and externalism. Mary's life was a hidden life, f a r apart from the world. Even as a little child she deliberately put herself away from the world; gave herself to the study and s.ervice of God in the Temple. She chose virginity; renounced the desire, com- mon to every Jewess, to become the mother of a man. Mary prepared herself for her life-work in secret, alone with God. We too must prepare ourselves in secret; we too must learn to live alone with God, in inward patience, perfect trust, in- cessant prayer. The unseen is more powerful than the s e e n ; God is more powerful than men. When we live externally, we forget this. The measure of our inward cultivation and' hidden life will be the measure of our real worth, of the worth of our work, of our harmony with God's will. God sees the heart. God judges the heart. As the love of our heart here, so shall our life be for all eternity. " Draw us, Maiden undefiled. We will run a f t e r thee in the odor of thy p e r f u m e s . " OUR LADY'S MONTH 23 Nineteenth Day. VIRGIN MOST RENOWNED. "Rejoice with me, all ye that love the Lord, for while I was yet a little one, I pleased the Most High. And I have brought forth from my bowels God and Man." IN all her wonder and perplexity, in all her trials and sor-rows Mary was much comforted by God: her spirit re- joiced in God, her Saviour. The joy of bringing forth her Child, in spite of the hardships of Bethlehem; the adoration of the s h e p h e r d s ; the coming of the Magi; the s a f e return from the exile of Egypt; the long companionship at Naza- r e t h ; the meetings with her Son a f t e r the opening of His public ministry, all brought consolation and strength to her spirit. She might have said with the P s a l m i s t : " T h y con- solations have brought joy to my soul." From Mary we learn the strength of joy, the courage of t r u e humility. A f t e r Mary's example we must dare to draw strength from those things, those occasions wherein, by God's grace, we know we have been s t r o n g ; ^o acknowledge God's favors as the whisper of His encouraging voice; to measure ourselves by the best that we have donie: not by the worst. For t r u e humility is very conscious of the great things God has done for us. It knows that without God we f a i l : and equally that with God we achieve. True humility dares to cry o u t : " B y the grace of God, I am what I a m ; and His grace hath not been void in m e . " The g r a t e f u l meditation of God's consolations gives u s that joy and confident hope without which achievement is impossible. " I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast lifted me up. And hast not made my foes to rejoice o«er me." 24 OUR L A D V S MONTH Twentieth Day. TOWER OF DAVID. " Thou Tower, against the dragon proof! Thou star, to storm-toss'd voyagers dear! Our course lies o'er a treacherous deep; Thine be the light by which we steer." AGAINST all the ungodly forces of the world, Mary stands as The Tower of David, the tower of the city of God. The mystery of evil and injustice and suffering can be solved only as she solved it, by a supreme confidence in God born of His revelation to us. Mary had to meet and to answer all the difficulties and the trials that the world of men, of sense, of time, could bring to bear upon the soul. What shock is there that she did not suffer and endure ? The exaltation and certainty of her call- ing lessened not, but r a t h e r increased the bitterness of her trial. The power of every attack brought out virtues more sublime, more heroic than humanity h a s ever known. Be- cause her heart was made so tender, so affectionate by divine love, the sword of sorrow sank the more deeply. No h e a r t , save One, was opened so often or so deeply to the p a i n f u l wounds of adversity and suffering as was the heart of Mary. It is hard to bear suffering in ourselves; it is most hard to bear, the suffering of those whom we love. Only divine power can give the strength to b e a r without resentment and with conquering love the u n j u s t persecution and t o r t u r e even unto death of one dearer to u s than our own life. Mary from Bethlehem to Nazareth and to Calvary is the valiant woman who loves and t r u s t s God. At the supreme moment of trial, when her Son was dead upon the Cross, she stood beneath its shadows. O Tower of David, be my help unto the strongest and the best. Enable me through thy intercession not only to ac- cept, not only to endure, but to cooperate with my Saviour, your Son, in His Passion. Beg for me the grace to know but one desire—to be made, through God's mysterious grace, the living expression of H i s will. O U R LADY'S M O N T H 25 Twenty-first Day. H O U S E O F G O L D . " That she who was to conceive and bear the Holy of Holies might be holy in body, she received the gift of vir- ginity; and that she might be holy in mind, she received the gift of low- liness." • TH E humility of M a r y is w o n d e r f u l l y i l l u s t r a t e d by h e r p r e s e n c e in t h e Cenacle. Well might s h e h a v e claimed t h e p r e r o g a t i v e s of t h e most favored of God and have expected some u n i q u e s i g n s of recognition, s o m e t h i n g a p a r t , s o m e t h i n g g r e a t e r t h a n t h e o t h e r s . But Mary, the Mother of J e s u s , and t h e Apostles w e r e together p e r s e v e r i n g with one mind in p r a y e r . They, t h e Apostles, had deserted h e r S o n : s o m e of t h e m were, r e p r i m a n d e d by Him even a f t e r H i s r e s u r r e c t i o n f o r t h e i r incredulity. Yet as one of t h e i r n u m b e r , M a r y waited and prayed. As no g r e a t e r , no w o r t h i e r t h a n o t h e r s , even a f t e r h e r m a r t y r d o m , s h e , like h e r Son, w a s content to t a k e h e r place among s i n n e r s . H o n o r had not set h e r a p a r t : but humility had m a d e h e r most h u m b l e . T h e Apostles m u s t h a v e marveled, and h a v e realized b e t t e r t h a n ever t h e y had b e f o r e t h a t " he t h a t is t h e least among you will be t h e g r e a t e s t in t h e kingdom of h e a v e n . " H u - mility t h a t is so s t r o n g , so g r e a t , is t h e m a r k of a g r e a t soul. If it w a s meet f o r Mary, t h e H o u s e of Gold, t h e t r e a s u r e - h o u s e of h e a v e n , to be t h u s humble, is it not fitting for u s s i n n e r s to t a k e our place a m o n g s i n n e r s ; to know o u r - selves, of o u r s e l v e s , to be no w o r t h i e r , no b e t t e r t h a n t h e w o r s t ; to find t h e lowest place o u r s by right, t h e h i g h e s t only o u r s by G o d ' s mercy and love; to be a s ready to leave t h e h i g h e s t f o r t h e lowest at H i s bidding as we w e r e to leave t h e lowest f o r t h e h i g h e s t ; to know t h a t G o d ' s g i f t s a r e H i s to give or to withhold, f o r " who h a t h first given to H i m , and r e c o m p e n s e shall b e m a d e h i m ? " to s e e ever, in t h e light of G o d ' s b l e s s i n g s t h e h a l o of H i s glory, not our o w n ? " T h e Lord h a t h given, t h e Lord h a t h t a k e n away. Blessed be t h e n a m e of t h e L o r d . " 2 6 O U R LADY'S M O N T H Twenty-second Day. GATE O F H E A V E N . " O Gate, through which hath passed the King! O Hall, whence light shone through the gloom! The ransomed, nations praise and sing The Offspring of thy virgin womb." AT t h e m a r r i a g e f e a s t of C a n a , Mary showed herself the Mother of divine f a i t h . T h r o u g h h e r intercession, o u r blessed Lord p e r f o r m e d H i s first miracle, and t h e first s e e d s of f a i t h w e r e planted in t h e s o u l s of t h e Apostles, f o r " f r o m t h a t moment they b e g a n to believe in H i m . " M a r y is, in h e r s e l f , t h e p e r f e c t e x a m p l e of living f a i t h . Not only w a s h e r belief in t h e revealed t r u t h of God u n f a l - tering, but h e r cultivation of it w a s u n c e a s i n g : s h e " k e p t all t h e s e w o r d s in h e r h e a r t . " F o r f a i t h is an active not a p a s s i v e virtue. It is not e n o u g h to s u b m i t o u r m i n d s to Mother C h u r c h and believe. By t h e g i f t of f a i t h w e i n h e r i t f r o m h e r t h e g r e a t t r e a s u r e of e t e r n a l t r u t h which should be to u s a L i f e — t h e L i f e of F a i t h : " t h a t believing w e may h a v e life in H i s n a m e . " C h r i s t i a n dogma is not a l i f e l e s s t h i n g . It i s t h e light t h a t shows u s t h e l i f e t h a t is to come, and illumines our way h e r e and now w i t h t h e glory of t h e living God. Mary is t h e gate t h r o u g h which p a s s e d to e a r t h t h e heavenly " Light which e n l i g h t e n e t h every m a n . " T h o s e who begin by challenging M a r y ' s title of M o t h e r of God, end by de- t h r o n i n g h e r Son and kill t h e v i r t u e of f a i t h . T h r o u g h M a r y ' s i n t e r c e s s i o n at C a n a of Galilee, t h e light of holy f a i t h in t h e divine power of J e s u s first s h o n e in t h e h e a r t s of the Apostles who w e r e to preach H i s d o g m a s t h r o u g h o u t t h e whole world. Devotion to Mary will beget in u s also an i n c r e a s e of holy f a i t h . T h r o u g h h e r i n t e r c e s s i o n let u s a s k t h e g r a c e to s t u d y and m e d i t a t e t h e t e a c h i n g s of Holy C h u r c h , t h a t f a i t h may b e a r f r u i t in o u r s o u l s and u n f o l d to u s m o r e and m o r e G o d ' s e t e r n a l p u r p o s e in u s and in all creation. " M o t h e r of f a i r love, and of f e a r , and of knowledge, and of holy h o p e , " p r a y f o r u s . O U R LADY'S M O N T H 27 Twenty-third Day. VESSEL OF HONOR. "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." "For thou hast borne in thy breast Him Whom the heavens cannot contain." MARY w a s chosen by t h e ever Blessed Trinity to show f o r t h t h e most p e r f e c t obedience to t h e Divine Will, t h e most p e r f e c t u n i o n with t h e Divine Life. S h e s t a n d s above all o t h e r c r e a t u r e s both in t h e g r e a t n e s s of t h e w o r k s h e w a s called upon to d o ; and t h e u n i q u e p e r f e c t i o n with which t h a t w o r k w a s done. D a u g h t e r of t h e F a t h e r , M o t h e r of t h e Son, S p o u s e of t h e Holy G h o s t , t h e trinity of t h e divine v i r t u e s w a s i n f u s e d into h e r being. Faith deeply rooted in t h e rich soil of h e r innocence, b r o u g h t f o r t h t h e rod of Hope and blossomed unceasingly in C h a r i t y . T h e Blessed Trinity, one God and t h r e e Divine P e r s o n s , is in Itself infinite Life, infinite P e r f e c t i o n . Its peace and joy and love, beyond w h a t h a s ever entered into t h e h e a r t of m a n to conceive, a r e I t s own, infinite, e t e r n a l . No action of any c r e a t u r e can add to, or d e t r a c t f r o m , t h a t Life. Love is e a g e r to c o m m u n i c a t e self, and a l t h o u g h God needs u s not, it is t h e wondrous p u r p o s e of t h e Blessed Trinity to s h a r e t h a t peace and joy and love with u s , to m a k e u s p a r t i c i p a t o r s in t h e Divine Life. We will s h a r e it a s m u c h as God in H i s i n s c r u t a b l e mercy d e c r e e s and our good w o r k s permit. Mary, t h e Mother of J e s u s C h r i s t our Lord, p o s s e s s e s it in all t h e f u l l n e s s possible to a c r e a t u r e . Like Mary, let o u r first t h o u g h t be to make o u r s e l v e s one by o f f e r i n g of p r a y e r with t h e Divine Will, t h a t t h e Divine Word may live in u s in t h e f u l l n e s s of holy L o v e ; t h a t F a i t h deeply rooted in c u r obedient h e a r t s may b r i n g f o r t h Hope and blossom in C h a r i t y . Let u s incessantly crave of t h e H o l j Spirit t h e g r a c e to be a s h a r e r in t h e E t e r n a l Divine Life. " Send f o r t h Thy Holy Spirit and o u r h e a r t s s h a l l b e r e - g e n e r a t e d . And T h o u s h a l t r e n e w t h e f a c e of t h e e a r t h . " 28 OUR LADY'S MONTH Twenty-fourth Day. SPIRITUAL VESSEL. "Blest, in the message Gabriel brought; Blest, by the work the Spirit wrought; From whom the great Desire of earth Took human Flesh and human birth." MARY f r o m the first moment s h e h e a r d : " The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee," surely dwelt in intimate con- verse with the Holy Spirit within her. The work He wrought in her was not only the conception of our blessed Lord, her Child, but it was His work, also, to guide and sustain her through all that the Incarnation meant. With the Holy Spirit she treasured all things in her heart. He it was Who had done great things for her and in h e r ; and Who would make her name blessed among the nations and through all gen- erations. He it was Who sustained her when the sword pierced her h e a r t ; with Him she dwelt in the lonely years at Ephesus. So, too, we may be s u r e that the God Who calls us to His service, will never desert us, for " He Who hath begun a good work in you will perfect it unto the day of J e s u s C h r i s t . " Confirmation is the complement of B a p t i s m ; by Baptism we are made children of God, members of C h r i s t ; by Confir- mation we become full grown and stalwart soldiers in His service. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the flowering and f r u i t a g e of the seed of Baptism. The Holy Spirit should be for u s as for M a r y : " The Living Spring, the Living Fire, Sweet Unction, and T r u e Love." Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Spiritual Vessel pray f o r u s . OUR LADY'S MONTH 27 Twenty-fifth Day. QUEEN OF APOSTLES. "Let flesh, and heart, and lips, and mind, Sound forth our witness to mankind; And love light up our mortal frame Till others catch the living flame." MARY is the Model and Queen of Apostles. We may well imagine how often she spoke to others of her divine S o n : how she gave testimony of Him Who had been with her f r o m the beginning of His earthly c a r e e r : how, when she heard His work discussed: approved by s o m e : condemned by others, she must have striven to direct and to suggest unto a better understanding. We may well ponder how she would try to persuade the doubting: to correct the e r r i n g : to win the h a r d - h e a r t e d : and how, when she failed, her heart was tried. Was any temptation of doubt allowed to come to her concerning the whole heavenly m y s t e r y ? Or did her eyes see so clearly that she knew not the shadow of t e m p t a t i o n ? At least it was cruel pain and sorrow not to have others love J e s u s as she loved H i m ; to have them deaf to the words of Eternal L i f e ; to have them blind to the Light of the world; to love them, to yearn over them and not to be able to help. To have expended herself, and yet seemingly to have done nothing. But that no great, immediate fruit was borrte was not God's failure. Above all was God's mysterious will. Like a true daughter of David she would still " wait on the Lord and be of good courage." Amid disappointment and failure, temptation and distress, Mary, the model of apostles, " magnified the Lord and rejoiced in God, her Saviour." " O blessed Mary, what we ask faithfully, do thou obtain effectively; receive thou that which we o f f e r ; give us that which we e n t r e a t ; save u s f r o m that which we f e a r , for thou art the dinner's only hope." 30 OUR LADY'S MONTH Twenty-sixth Day. TOWER OF IVORY. " 1 shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. Then the Creator of all things commanded and said to me: and He that made me rested in my taber- nacle. And He said- to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inherit- ance in Israel, and take root in My elect." MARY lived with God. To her life was continuity arid hope. The past was never to be forsaken nor denied; the f u t u r e was never to be held certain simply because of the past. Her willingness to accept the Archangel's mes- sage held in germ her glorious martyrdom beneath the C r o s s ; but, had her will wavered, at any time the stem might have been bruised to death and the flower never blossomed. No weakness entered her heart to lead her through false hu- mility to deny or forget the great things God had done for h e r ; no self-confidence led her to deny the one Source of all her worth, or to forget that the Lord exalts only the humble. At times we assert that we are instruments too unworthy for God to handle. But the choice is not ours. The inspira- tion, the call, if God sees fit to give it, should receive our entire acceptance. At times, through present fault or serious sin, we forget all that God has done for u s ; whereas the re- membrance of it, in shame, should be the strongest motive of penance and reform. At times again, when we have grown fat upon the pastures of God, we begin to believe that we can walk alone. The spiritual aspiration and idealism are t h e r e ; but the humility is not. We grow inconsiderate, severe, censorious. In the end we forget, we may even deny, God. We must live with God; we cannot live without Him. His hand h a s supported u s and will support us. In His strength we can do all t h i n g s ; of ourselves we can do nothing. If we loosen our hold of His supporting hand we will no longer be sustained, but will sink in the depths of our own s i n f u l nothingness. Mary, Tower of Ivory, tower of God's strength, pray for us. O U R LADY'S M O N T H 29 Twenty-seventh Day. Q U E E N O F MARTYRS. "Fount of love and holy sorrow, Mother! may my spirit borrow Somewhat of thy woe profound; Unto Christ, with pure emotion, Raise my contrite hearts devotions- Love to read in every wound." WITH g r e a t profit might we m a k e Mary, t h e s o r r o w f u l M o t h e r , t h e Q u e e n of M a r t y r s , our companion in m e d i t a t i n g u p o n t h e P a s s i o n . T h a t s h e is t h e c o - r e d e m p t r i x is proof e n o u g h t h a t t h e P a s s i o n is not solely a. p u n i s h m e n t f o r sin. M a r y w a s s i n l e s s : nor did s h e become one with sin f o r o u r s a k e s as did our blessed Lord. H e r s u f - f e r i n g i s called h e r C o m p a s s i o n : h e r i n t e n s e love of Him crucified h e r with Him. Adversity, i n g r a t i t u d e , t h e agony and t h e b e t r a y a l of h e r Son, Whom s h e k n e w to be God, lashed h e r soul. Every blow t h a t t o r e t h e flesh of H i s sacred body,, cut deep into h e r s o u l ; every t h o r n t h a t pierced H i s sacred head, pierced h e r t e n d e r h e a r t ; every d r o p of blood t h a t flowed f r o m H i s s a c r e d w o u n d s w a s t h e ebbing of h e r own h e a r t ' s b l o o d ; every cry of H i s b r o k e n h e a r t echoed and throbbed within h e r own. She, who would gladly h a v e given h e r l i f e f o r Him w i t h a m o t h e r ' s joy in sacrifice, had to watch Him die in t o r t u r e , and not lift a h a n d to s o o t h e H i s p a i n nor to a s s u a g e H i s t h i r s t . " W a s t h e r e ever s o r r o w like u n t o this s o r r o w ? " Love agonizes love, " d e e p calleth u n t o d e e p . " Well m i g h t M a r y h a v e s a i d : " All Thy waves and Thy billows a r e gone over m e ! B u t t h e w a t e r s could not d r o w n h e r charity. They suffocated h e r ; they t o r t u r e d h e r ; they came in even u n t o h e r h e a r t , but they did not s h a k e her. No t h o u g h t of self t u r n e d h e r g a z e f r o m compassion of H i m ; no com- passion of Him weakened h e r cooperation in t h e b i t t e r d r a u g h t of t h e Chalice which H i s F a t h e r had given Him. W e a r e not entitled to h e r intimacy, b u t a s we s t a n d be- n e a t h t h e c r o s s of o u r Lord, we can at least pray f o r t h e s t r e n g t h to b e a r o u r little i l l s patiently and t h u s , in o u r m e a s u r e , even a s Mary, c o m f o r t t h e h e a r t of o u r Lord. 32 OUR LADY'S MONTH Twenty-eighth Day. VIRGIN MOST POWERFUL. " Very worshipful is blessed John, •who leaned on the Lord's breast at supper." "To him did Christ upon the Cross commit His Mother, Virgin to virgin." FROM the day that Mary, the Virgin Mother, brought forth J e s u s Christ, h e r Divine Son, t r u e God and true Man, she had possessed Him as her own. He was the one,' the sole-satisfying object of her love. When He was dying and about to leave her, He gave to her His beloved disciple, John. He, God and her Son, took Himself away and gave her a disciple in His place. He, the Perfect One, her own, her only Son, was gone. One of His disciples, one of those who had deserted Him, remained to her in His place! Her perfect love of God was not lessened, but r a t h e r in- creased in her love for John whom God had given in His own place. Mary's full and immediate cooperation in the work of Redemption had proved her love for mankind. Now she mani- fests it again most visibly. Love for man is a necessary part of our love of God. " My dearest," says St. John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and having b e f o r e him the memory of Mary, that living example of perfect love for one's neighbor and for God, " this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God, love also his brother." This neces- sary love for man must be real and personal. It should actually fire the heart with affection and sympathy, with a personal concern and care that drive us, for their sake, to s h a r e in the sorrow and sacrifice of Mary beneath the Cross of her Son. It is a hard yoke—true love of our fellows. Only be- cause of His love for humankind did Christ know the Cross and death. It is pleasant to dwell with God in the heaven of our t h o u g h t s ; it is hard indeed to walk and suffer and to be with Christ on earth. Heaven is not yet ours. The Passion of Christ is still ours to fulfill. Mary showed how perfectly s h r had fulfilled that Passion when she permitted J o h n " from tlv-1 h o - * to take her to his own." O U R LADY'S M O N T H 31 Twenty-ninth Day. Q U E E N OF ANGELS. "Maiden most wise, whither goest thou up, like the dawn gloriously rising?" " The Virgin Mary hath been taken into the chamber on high where the King of kings sitteth on a throne amid the stars." IN t h e h o u r of h e r t r i u m p h a n t A s s u m p t i o n ; w h e n , by t h e power of God, h e r s p o t l e s s body w a s lifted with' h e r p u r e spirit u n t o H i m s e l f , Mary still " m a d e m u c h of t h e Lord " and little of h e r s e l f . Had s h e looked back to e a r t h and wit- n e s s e d t h e trail of h e r glory r e a c h i n g f r o m t h e day when s h e w a s espoused of t h e Holy Ghost even to t h i s h o u r when t h e King of k i n g s took h e r to H i m s e l f , s h e would but have r e - peated : " H i s mercy is on t h e m t h a t f e a r Him, f r o m g e n e r a t i o n to g e n e r a t i o n . " At a n y time d u r i n g h e r life journey, had s h e been asked, s h e would h a v e said t h a t s h e had done little o r n o t h i n g , b u t " H e t h a t is mighty h a t h done to m e great t h i n g s : and holy is H i s n a m e . " T h e g e n e r a t i o n s , in calling h e r " b l e s s e d , " would b u t re-echo the w o n d e r s of the Lord Who had " regarded t h e n o t h i n g n e s s of H i s h a n d m a i d . " So M a r y t h o u g h t , yet all the while God w a s m a k i n g h e r s o u l more and m o r e glorious, and s h e w a s p u t t i n g f o r t h more and more evidence of h e r o n e n e s s with the Divine Will, and t h e divine glory. T h u s does God work in o u r souls, secretly, gently. H e a s k s a love big e n o u g h not to need commendation or flattery; a love big e n o u g h to lose self in Him, to s e e k and find o u r glory solely in H i s glory. " Thou who a r t exalted over c h o i r s of a n g e l s , Plead f o r u s with t h e Lord o u r G o d . " 34 O U R LADY'S M O N T H Thirtieth Day. C A U S E O F O U R J O Y . "Rejoice! 0 Queen of heaven, Alleluia, For He Whom thou wast made worthy to bear, Alleluia, Has arisen as He promised, Alleluia. Pray for us to God, Alleluia!" OU R Blessed Lord called M a r y to be t h e Q u e e n of M a r t y r s , t h a t s h e might also be t h e C a u s e of o u r J o y . " H e r soul magnified t h e Lord and h e r s p i r i t rejoiced in God, h e r S a v i o u r , " even while s h e e a r n e d t h e title of t h e M o t h e r of S o r r o w s . S h e w a s given to u s a s o u r m o t h e r , t h a t we who a r e t h e children of s o r r o w , may also be children of joy. F r o m h e r we l e a r n t h a t abiding joy which, even in deepest affliction, finds c o m f o r t in t h e a l l - m e r c i f u l and all-loving will of God. T h r o u g h h e r we h a v e received t h e fellowship of C h r i s t , by W h o s e s t r i p e s w e a r e healed, in W h o s e chastise- ment we have peace. T h e weight of o u r s i n s h a s been lifted by t h e p a r d o n of C h r i s t , and t h e soul k n o w s joy in t h e fact t h a t it is again a child of God. S u f f e r i n g is n o n e t h e less real to u s b e c a u s e C h r i s t , o u r Saviour, h a s b o r n e it in H i m s e l f ; but t h a t H e h a s b o r n e it e n a b l e s u s to see its m e a n i n g , to h a v e joy in i t s p u r p o s e of divine love. It will lead u s to g r e a t e r victories t h a n h u m a n c o m f o r t ever knew. O u r w e a k n e s s e s ; our f a i l u r e s ; t h e d i s t a n c e we h a v e yet to travel even to d r a w n e a r the goal, c o n f o u n d , p e r p l e x and s a d d e n u s . But above all, and g r e a t e r t h a n all, is the joy t h a t o u r Lord loves u s even in o u r w e a k n e s s ; t h a t He came to s a v e s i n n e r s ; t h a t if we put o u r t r u s t in Him instead of ourselves, H i s h e a r t will know joy in our s u r r e n d e r , and o u r h e a r t s will rejoice in a new life. L i f e with Him c h a n g e s o u r own life. Every duty, even t h e s m a l l e s t , f u l f i l l e d ; every t e m p t a t i o n o v e r c o m e ; every trial, however slight, t h a t is e n d u r e d , is known to Him, h a s been e n d u r e d t h r o u g h Him, and will be blessed by Him a h u n d r e d - fold. T h u s t h e h e a r t p o s s e s s e s in joy w h a t it d e s i r e s in t h o u g h t and affection. J o y is p e r f e c t when t h e possession of t h e t h i n g s we love i s complete and e t e r n a l . In t h e knowledge t h a t we a r e no longer o u r own, but C h r i s t ' s , e a r t h becomes illumined with t h e light of heavenly joy. Let u s b l e s s t h e Lord. T h a n k s be to God. O U R LADY'S M O N T H 33 Thirty-first Day. Q U E E N O F ALL S A I N T S . Y The Lord hath clothed her with the garments of salvation, and hath covered her with the robe of righteousness, yea, as a bride He hath adorned her with jewels." GOD gave to Mary not only s u p e r n a t u r a l l i f e , b u t t h e f u l l -n e s s of t h a t life, " Hail Mary f u l l of G r a c e . " God not only m a d e h e r to H i s i m a g e and l i k e n e s s , b u t t h e Blessed Trinity chose h e r a s t h e i n s t r u m e n t of t h a t most glorious work of heaven, in which t h e Blessed T r i n i t y is One, the I n c a r n a t i o n of the Second P e r s o n , t h e Son of God. T h e Blessed Trinity dwelt, t h e r e f o r e , with h e r and in h e r , not only s u b s t a n t i a l l y a s the Trinity dwells in t h e soul of every j u s t m a n , but also in an u n i q u e and p e r f e c t way, b e c a u s e s h e is to t h e Blessed Trinity t h e chosen of all c r e a t u r e s . T h e f u l l n e s s of glory and love which God designed to give to H i s c r e a t u r e s w a s given in divine completeness to Mary. In so f a r a s a c r e a t u r e can compass t h e possession of t h e T r i n i t y in i t s f u l l n e s s Mary compassed it. All t h e glory t h a t t h e Trinity could bestow w a s bestowed upon h e r . All t h e w o r t h i n e s s and worth which a c r e a t u r e could give back to h e r Maker w a s given by Mary. T h e r e f o r e is s h e to-day t h e Q u e e n of Angels and of S a i n t s . We, too, m u s t ever recall t h a t t h e Trinity dwells in u s . W e a r e made in t h e image of t h e F a t h e r ; redeemed by t h e blood of t h e S o n ; t h e Holy Spirit, W h o is Love, fires our h e a r t s with t h e divine love of p e r f e c t i o n . T h e Holy Spirit is t h e evidence of G o d ' s f u l l n e s s of love f o r us. O u r devotion to Him is t h e evidence of our f u l l n e s s of love f o r God. Mary, Q u e e n of all S a i n t s , p r a y f o r u s now and at t h e h o u r of o u r d e a t h . Amen. The members of T H E PAULIST PRESS ASSOCIATION receive two pamphlets a month, including new pamphlet publications of The Paulist Press. Membership is two dollars the year. Paulist Pamphlets Doctrine — Morals Devotion Biography The Saints —Miscellaneous Scripture — Fiction 6 c e a c h , $ 3 . 5 0 p e r 1 0 0 . $ 3 0 . 0 0 p e r 1,000 All o r d e r s for less than $1.00 M U S T be accom- panied by remittance Carriage Extra On All Onlers T h e Paulist Press 4 0 1 W e s t 5 9 t h S t r e e t N e w Y o r k , N . Y . FACE THE FACTSI S P E C I A L S E R I E S Ten new pamphlets on Catholic Doctrine with covers in seven lovely colors. The subject matter is splendid, the work of Rev. Wilfred Hurley, C.S.P. The paper and printing are excellent. And the covers! Well, they are something not yet seen on pamphlets—original paintings reproduced in seven beautiful colors. T I T L E S THERE IS A G O D I RELIGION IS R E A S O N ! THE POPE IS INFALLIBLE I H O N O R M A R Y THY MOTHER I THE C A T H O L I C C H U R C H A N D THE BIBLE! JESUS CHRIST G O D A N D M A N I JESUS LIVING IN THE W O R L D TODAY I SINS ARE FORGIVEN IN C O N F E S S I O N I O N E C H U R C H IS NOT A S G O O D A S A N O T H E R I THE C A T H O L I C C H U R C H IS THE C H U R C H OF CHRIST I Size i'A" x 6" 5c each, $4.00 the 100, $35.00 the 1,000 carriage extra Quantity prices apply on orders for assorted titles Individual Face the Facts Package 60c Postpaid