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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds A des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film^ d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 12 3 4 5 6 MAY BLOSSOMS FROM THE ieoc22:"z- 3Nvi:oTJiNrrr-A.ii:TS IN HONOR OF THE B. MOTHER OF GOD. ST. IGNATIUS' PRINT. MONTANA. 1886. d^^^^luXxL ■ rij - ^ V f'. ■YO- AM Entorod accordins: to Act of Ci^j-nss, in tlu- year 1886 by L. H. Palladix,), in tl..- otficv of the Librarian of Conj^n-css, at Wasliin-lon, I). C. Superiorum perinissu. Ml PREFACE. 1. These blossoms are little printed slips of different color, or short- readings, each containing a practical suggestion, a little some thing, to be complied with as an act of devotion towards the Blessed Mother of God. 2. A number of these little payiers are thrown together and held out in trays or little baskets by some children at the doors of the church, when the people are leaving, and every one, whilst going out, picks up at ran- dom one of the slips and takes it along, to faithftiUy perform that day, or the next, or 1^ ft'^'^^^1 6 MAY BLOSSOMS during the week, aa the case may be and the reading may require, what little act of viilue has thus fallen to each one^s lot to do. Every one should be very particular and make sure, tasking t)T that, when necessary. Ills or her own ingenuity, 1o do some thing in the h:tter or spuit of the little paper. Thin point can not be insisted upon too much j all should be reminded of it often and made to keex> it constantly befor^ their eyes: (dl the hleaaingH of the devoUon depend upon it. 4. Though intended principj'Uy for the May devotions, the little papers will be found ser- viceable also in all the Novenae of Our Blesn- e continued throughout the year t-o great ad* -N antage. 5. The littl'^ slijjs are not to be returned, PREFACE e still les8 to he destroyed: they should he kept in each one' s prayer book, as marks ; or may simply be placed between the leaves of any book. Thus preserved, they may still benefit you or some one else. ■ ■ ' 6. These little papers are the result of ma- ny yeai-s of experience and observation, and their idea was partially suggested by the ea- gerness with which young and old were often noticed to grab at a bit of candy, for the line of erotic and silly reading that went with it. The slips have been in use in the far West now a number of years, and nearly all of them have a history of their own ; a history on the one hand, of many an adifying exam pie which they were instrumental in bringing about; and on the other, of many a siui^ulnr tavor, with which the most munificent of Queens, the Virgin Mother of God, wiw pietised to ai)prove and bless the little practices. 7. God is never more wonderful than in the 8 MAY BLOSSOMS ways and workings of his grace in what is, in the meaning of St. Dionysius (De Ego. Hieb. C. 3.) ^^ The most divine of aU divine works ", the conversion and salvation of sonls. And when we are assured by our Lord Himself (Matt. X} 42 - XXV, 34, 35,) that a drink of water given in his name will not be left without reward in Heaven, we can easily infer that as in the order of nature, much more so in the order of grace great things may have their start from very small beginnings ; and that even so small an act, as giving a drink of water, may be, as a part, so also the beginning in the happy consummation of that most divine of all divine works, the crown of a saint. Many a saint's life is proof of this, and as Faber well said that "a cross is a crown begun", it will be seen one day, that to some such seemingly casual, in- significant and trifling beginning ; to a word that struck the ear ; t^ a thought that entered the mind ; to a sight, a prayer, an alms ; in a word, to a little some thing, were linked, as from their starting point, some of the brightest % PREFACE 9 1 < crowns in Heaven. ■■ . ^ 8. Bnt, God helps those who help themselves, • and saints might not be saints to-day, if ia the building up of their crowns they had failed to put in what was expected of them, their own cooperation. And this leads us on to another reflection, which is closely connected with our subject and better sets forth the value and im- portance of the little papers. 9. Both reason and faith teach us that, what- ever the immediate and secondary causes at play may be, nothing happens but by the will of God. Even those things, where mere chance ■would seem to have the greater share and be most at play, are regulated by God, as we are plainly told in Holy Writ. " They draw Ms, hut it is by God they are directed" (Peov. xvi 33) What, then, has back of it, Him who is infini- tly wise and omnipotent can never be casual nor trivial. - But, again, as God made us all and each one for Himself, and we are his at all I 10 MAY BLOSSOMS time, and at no instant of our liveH can we without guilt co,si«i' tending to Him, whatever happens in time and phic.e to any of uh indivi- dually must reeds have a be^iring oji our soul, one way or the other, for weal or woe, just Jis GUI- fre'i will in it*i choice in the case will har- monize or not, with the will of God. Whence appeal's at (mce, not only how important the little papere may be, but also how important it is that, as said above, they be faithfully cimiplied with by evc;ry one. For, how seem- ingly small and trivial the act be which one is thus called upon to pertbrm, becoming, as it does under the circumstances, an act specially assigned to, and exj)ect^d of each individual by (jod's Providence, it curries along with it a special giace for each, saint or sinner: and if performed in a state of grace, it wiii add to one's store and merits ; and if performed by a sinner, it will help to bring about and hasten the sinner's conversion. 10. Kay, in the latter case the little practi- ■ . • ■ - ^ - ■ '. PT?EFA(T. U r ceH jwsnnie a special import anc;^ For, every act of rclif^ion bciiij:!^, as St T liomas teaclies, (2.2. Q. 81) an act of subiuisHion of iiian's will to (!o(l, any fciuch act, Low snid] I soever it be, w ill I n;^ly performed by a sinner, is already in it u If a partial submission of the sinner's will to (tO(1, and, as such, a move and an advance in the direction of the sinn<*r's conversion. And further, as hei«- the le w implies the great- er and in the words of our S.iviour (Luk. xvt, 10) *' Ife that is faithful in thai which is least ^ ,'s faithful also in tha^ which is greater''' ^ by submitt- ing itself in that which is least and not of oblig- nticm the sinner's will is disposed and led on to submission also in that which is greater and biudint . This, perhaps, may account, why in great sinnei-s some such little rf^ligious actvS are known to hnve ( ttc^n l>eon followed by the isinn rs' total conver-jion to (><.d: and also why the Saints, guided by the Bpirit- of God, are want to lay so much impoitance on sinneis taking up and holding on to son) e 11' tl-' pra- ci ice. of devotion; whidt. on the contiary, tbe |,B39G1 / 12 MAY BLOSSOMS devil with satanic cunning and persistency is known to be ever at work, in a thousand difife- rent ways, to make sinners neglect, loath and throw off every exercise of religion and piety. (I 11. In connection with what has been said we may further and lastly reflect that, per- haps, not without reason one might say of our times, what the Prophet lamented of his : ( Jer. 12, 11 ) ^\Wiih desolation is all the land made desolate, because there is none that considereth in the JiearV\ There is no denying it, people now a days are so taken up with the things of this earth, are so engrossed with temporal cares and so distracted by the world ^s novel- ties and inventions, that in the hum and din, nay turmoil, of an over busy life, and in the feverish pursuit of gain and pleasure, they have neither will nor time to seriously think, much less to care, about their soul. Whence, even amongst christians, a practical indifference about God, soul and all religious duties that is gimply appalling. And yet, who can wonder! MAY BLOSSOMS 13 IS lid ot What fuel is to fire, ac^ts and works are to faith anoul : for this is, after all, the aim and object of all devotions : and whilst we seek here, as we do, to encompass this end out of devotion to the Blessed Mother of God, it is clear, that not only we thus honor Mary in the very best way we can, but also secure in her the sweetest and most powerful auxili- ary in our behalf, and thus better also attain our object. . M. For all lluit has been said we would fain see the little papers introduced every where, confident that in whatever clime and H)il they may bo ti-aiisplaiited, under tlie fostering hand and care of lier who is ^'our