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From earliest infancy he sighed after the service of God. He became a catechumen at the age of ten, and at twelve he wished to retire to the desert; all his thoughts were engaged on monasteries and churches. A soldier at fifteen years of age, he so lived as even then to be taken for a monk. (Sulpit. Sever. Vita. 2 (https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.ii.ii.iii.html))The holy liturgy refers to St. Hilary the honor of the wonderful virtues displayed by Martin. (In festo St Hilarii, Noct II, Lect 2) What were the holy bishop’s reasons for leading his heaven-sent disciple by ways then so little known in the West, he has left us to learn from the most legitimate heir of his doctrine as well as of his eloquence. Says Cardinal Pie:
After a first trial of religious life in Italy, he was brought by St. Hilary to this solitude of Ligugé, which, thanks to him, became the cradle of monastic life in Gaul. To say the truth, Martin, during the whole course of his life, felt like a stranger everywhere else, except at Ligugé. A monk by attraction, he had been forced to be a soldier, and it needed violence to make him a bishop: and even then he never relinquished his monastic habits. He responded to the dignity of a bishop, says his historian, without declining from the rule and life of a monk. (Sulpit. Sever. Vita. 10 (https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.ii.ii.xi.html)) At first he constructed for himself a cell near his church of Tours; and soon afterwards built, at a little distance from the town, a second Ligugé, under the name of Marmoutier or the great monastery. (Cardinal Pie, Nov 25, 1853)
It has ever been the ruling idea of all the saints, that, side by side with the ordinary ministry of the pastors, obliged by their functions to live in the midst of the world, the Church has need of a militia, separated from the world and enrolled under the standard of evangelical perfection, living in self-renunciation and obedience, and carrying on day and night the noble and incomparable function of public prayer. The most illustrious pontiffs and the greatest doctors have thought that the secular clergy themselves could never be better fitted for spreading and making popular the pure doctrines of the Gospel, than if they could be prepared for their pastoral office by living either a monastic life, or one as nearly as possible resembling it. Read the lives of the greatest bishops both in East and West, in the times immediately preceding or following the peace of the Church, as well as in the middle ages: they have all, either themselves at some time professed the monastic life, or lived in continual contact with those who professed it. Hilary, the great Hilary, had, with his experienced and unerring glance, perceived the need; he had seen the place that should be occupied by the monastic order in Christendom, and by the regular clergy in the Church. In the midst of his struggles, his combats, his exile, when he witnessed with his own eyes the importance of the monasteries in the East, he earnestly desired the time when, returning to Gaul, he might at length lay the foundations of the religious life at home. Providence was not long in sending him what was needful for such an enterprise: a disciple worthy of the master, a monk worthy of the bishop. (Cardinal Pie, ubi supra.)Elsewhere, comparing together St. Martin, his predecessors, and St. Hilary himself in their common apostolate of Gaul, the illustrious cardinal says:
Far be it from me to undervalue all the vitality and power already possessed by the religion of Jesus Christ in our diverse provinces, thanks to the preaching of the first apostles, martyrs, and bishops, who may be counted back in a long line almost to the day of Calvary. Still I fear not to say it: the popular apostle of Gaul, who converted the country parts, until then almost entirely pagan, the founder of national Christianity, was principally St. Martin. And how is it that he, above so many other great bishops and servants of God, holds so much preeminence in the apostolate? Are we to place Martin above his master Hilary? With regard to doctrine, certainly not; and as to zeal, courage, holiness, it is not for me to say which was greater, the master’s or the disciple’s. But what I can say is that Hilary was chiefly a teacher, and Martin was chiefly a thaumaturgus. Now, for the conversion of the people, the thaumaturgus is more powerful than the teacher; and consequently, in the memory and worship of the people, the teacher is eclipsed and effaced by the thaumaturgus.His beneficial actions did not cease with his death; they alone explain the uninterrupted concourse of people to his holy tomb. His numerous feasts in the year, the deposition or natalis, the ordination, subvention and reversion, did not weary the piety of the faithful. Kept everywhere as a holiday of obligation, (Council Mogunt., an. 813, Canon 36) and bringing with it the brief return of bright weather known as St. Martin’s summer, the eleventh of November rivaled with St. John’s day in the rejoicings it occasioned in Latin Christendom. Martin was the joy of all, and the helper of all.
Nowadays there is much talk about the necessity of reasoning in order to persuade men as to the reality of divine things: but that is forgetting Scripture and history; nay more, it is degenerating. God has not deemed it consistent with His majesty to reason with us. He has spoken; He has said what is and what is not; and as He exacts faith in His word, He has sanctioned His word. But how has He sanctioned it? After the manner of God, not of man; by works, not by reasons: non in sermone, sed in virtute, not by the arguments of a humanly persuasive philosophy: non in persuasibilibus humanæ sapientiæ verbis, but by displaying a power altogether divine: sed in ostensione spiritus et virtutis. And wherefore? For this profound reason: Ut fides non sit in sapientia hominum, sed in virtute Dei: that faith may not rest upon the wisdom of man, but upon the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+2%3A4&version=DRA))
But now men will not have it so: they tell us that in Jesus Christ the theurgist wrongs the moralist; that miracles are a blemish in so sublime an idea. But they cannot reverse this order; they cannot abolish the Gospel, nor history. Begging the pardon of the learned men of our age and their obsequious followers: not only did Christ work miracles, but He established the faith upon the foundation of miracles. And the same Christ – not to confirm His own miracles, which are the support of all others, but out of compassion for us, who are so prone to forgetfulness, and who are more impressed by what we see than by what we hear – the same Jesus Christ has placed in His Church, and that for all time, the power of working miracles. Our age has seen some, and will see yet more. The fourth century witnessed in particular those of St. Martin.
The working of wonders seemed mere play to him; all nature obeyed him; the animals were subject to him. ‘Alas!’ cried the saint one day: ‘the very serpents listen to me, and men refuse to hear me.’ Men, however, often did hear him. The whole of Gaul heard him; not only Aquitaine, but also Celtic and Belgic Gaul. Who could resist words enforced by so many prodigies? In all these provinces he overthrew the idols one after another, reduced the statues to powder, burnt or demolished all the temples, destroyed the sacred groves and all the haunts of idolatry. Was it lawful? you may ask. If I study the legislation of Constantine and Constantius, perhaps it was. But this I know: Martin, eaten up with zeal for the house of the Lord, was obeying none but the Spirit of God. And I must add that against the fury of the pagan population Martin’s only arms were the miracles he wrought, the visible assistance of angels sometimes granted him and, above all, the prayers and tears he poured out before God, when the hard-heartedness of the people resisted the power of his words and of his wonders.
With these means Martin changed the face of the country. Where he found scarcely a Christian on his arrival, he left scarcely an infidel at his departure. The temples of the idols were immediately replaced by temples of the true God; for, says Sulpicius Severus, as soon as he had destroyed the homes of superstition, he built churches and monasteries. It is thus that all Europe is covered with sanctuaries bearing the name of St. Martin. (Cardinal Pie, Nov 14, 1858)
Martin was born at Sabaria in Pannonia. When ten years old he fled to the church, against his parents’ will, and had himself enrolled among the catechumens. At the age of fifteen he became a soldier, and served in the army first at Constantius and afterwards of Julian. On one occasion, when a poor naked man at Amiens begged an alms of him in the name of Christ, having nothing but his armor and clothing, he gave him half of his military cloak. The following night Christ appeared to him clad in that half-cloak, and said: ‘Martin, while yet a catechumen, has clothed me with this garment.’We here give the beautiful Antiphons of Vespers. The first five are composed of passages from the letter of Sulpicius Severus to Bassula, in which he relates the saint’s death, thus completing the book he had written on the Life of St. Martin, while the holy bishop was still on earth.
At eighteen years of age, he was baptized; and abandoning his military career, betook himself to Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, by whom he was made acolyte. Later on, having become bishop of Tours, he built a monastery, where he lived for some time in a most holy manner, in company with eighty monks. He was seized with a violent fever at Cande, a village in his diocese; and he earnestly besought God to free him from the prison of the body. His disciples hearing, asked him: ‘Father, why dost thou abandon us? Or to whom dost thou leave us in our desolation?’ Martin, touched by their words, prayed to God in this manner: ‘O Lord, if I am still necessary to thy people, I do not refuse to labor.’
When his disciples saw him praying in the height of his fever, lying on his back, they besought him to turn over for a little while, that he might get some rest and relief. But Martin answered: ‘Suffer me to gaze on heaven rather than earth, that my spirit, which is about to depart, may be directed on its way to Our Lord.’ As death drew nigh, he saw the enemy of mankind, and exclaimed: ‘What art thou doing here, thou cruel beast? Thou wilt find no evil in me.’ While uttering these words he gave up his soul to God, at the age of eighty-one. He was received by a choir of angels, whom many, and in particular St. Severinus, Bishop of Cologne, heard singing the praises of God.
The disciples said to blessed Martin: Why father, dost thou abandon us? or to whom dost thou leave us in our desolation? For ravening, wolves will rush upon thy flock.
Lord, if I am still necessary to thy people, I do not refuse the labor: may thy will be done.
O man beyond all praise! neither conquered by labor, nor conquerable by death; who neither feared to die, nor refused to live.
Ever intent with eyes and hands raised to heaven, he never relaxed from prayer his invincible spirit. Alleluia.
Martin is received with joy in Abraham’s bosom: Martin here poor and humble, enters heaven rich, and is honored with celestial hymns.
O blessed man, whose soul is now in possession of Paradise! Wherefore the Angels exult, the Archangels rejoice, the choir of the Saints proclaims his glory, the Virgins crowd around him saying: Remain with us forever.
O blessed Pontiff, who, with his whole inmost being loved Christ the King, and feared not the power of the mighty! O most holy soul, which, though not snatched away by the sword of the persecutor, did not forego the palm of martyrdom!
O Christ our King, Martin’s glory, he is thy praise, and thou art his: suffer us to honor thee in him, yea and him in thee.SEQUENCE (https://books.google.com/books?id=IrtiZ9AIXm0C&pg=PA312)
Thou who causest the Jєωel of Pontiffs to shine throughout the world; grant that through his exceeding great merit, he may deliver us who are oppressed by the weight of our sins.
Poor and humble here on earth, lo! now he enters heaven abounding in riches; the celestial hosts come forth to meet him, and all tongues, tribes, and nations celebrate his triumph!
His death, like his life, was resplendent with light, a glory to earth and to heaven; to rejoice thereat is the duty of all; may this day be to all a day of salvation.
O Martin, equal to the Apostles, succor us who keep thy feast; look upon us, O thou who wast willing alike to live for thy disciples or to die.
Do now what thou didst heretofore: make Pontiffs illustrious in virtue, increase the glory of the Church, and frustrate the wiles of Satan.
Thrice didst thou despoil the abyss of its prey: raise up now those that are buried in sin. As once thou didst share thy mantle with another, clothe us with the garb of holiness.
Remembering what was once thy special glory, succor the monastic Order now well-nigh extinct.
Glory be to the holy Trinity, whom Martin confessed by his life; may he obtain that our faith in that mystery be confirmed by works. Amen.
Rejoice, O Sion, celebrating the day whereon Martin, equal to the Apostles, conquering the world, is crowned among the heavenly citizens.O holy Martin, have compassion on our depth of misery! A winter more severe than that which caused thee to divide thy cloak now rages over the world; many perish in the icy night brought on by the extinction of faith and the cooling of charity. Come to the aid of those unfortunates, whose torpor prevents them from asking assistance. Wait not for them to pray; but forestall them for the love of Christ in whose name the poor man of Amiens implored thee, whereas they scarcely know how to utter it. And yet their nakedness is worse than the beggar’s, stripped as they are of the garment of grace, which their fathers received from thee and handed down to posterity.
This is Martin, poor and humble, the prudent servant, the faithful steward; now rich, he is throned on high in heaven, a fellow-citizen of the Angels.
This is Martin, who, yet a catechumen, clothes the naked, and straightway the next night the Lord himself is covered with that garment.
This is Martin, who, despising the army, is ready to go unarmed and face the foe; for now he has obtained the grace of baptism.
This is Martin, who, while he offers the holy Victim, is all on fire within, through the grace of God, and lo! a fiery globe appears resting above his head.
This is Martin, who opens heaven, gives orders to the sea, commands the earth, heals diseases, and vanquishes monsters: incomparable man!
This is Martin, who neither feared to die, nor refused to live and labor, thus abandoning himself entirely to the will of God.
This is Martin, who never injured any; this is Martin, who was good and kind to all; this is Martin, who was well-pleasing to the majestic Trinity.
This is Martin, who destroys the pagan temples, who initiates the nations to the faith, and what he teaches them does first himself.
This is Martin, who by his singular merits raises three dead men to life; he now beholds God forever without intermission.
O Martin, illustrious pastor, O soldier in the heavenly ranks, defend us from the fury of the ravening wolf.
O Martin, act once more as thou didst of old; offer to God thy prayers for us; be mindful of thine own nation and forsake it never. Amen.
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who celebrate the festival of blessed Mennas thy martyr, may by his intercession be strengthened in the love of thy name. Through our Lord.
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| (https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcusercontent.com%2Fc98bae64255bbd7d863e838ec%2Fimages%2Ff4114f28-f73d-4639-b70f-2d10d31d0727.png&t=1703530967&ymreqid=c6e7b7b9-95b1-37a9-2c3c-8a0367010000&sig=UQBFby7N_e5Hdh.SBykUCw--~D) Christmas Joy
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| c. 5 AD |
| 33–36 AD (aged 28–32) Jerusalem (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem), Judaea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaea), Roman Empire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire) |
| Roman Catholic Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church) Eastern Catholic Churches (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Church) Orthodox Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church) Oriental Orthodox Churches (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Orthodox_Church) Assyrian Church of the East (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East) Anglican Communion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_Communion) Lutheranism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheranism) |
| Pre-Congregation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Congregation) |
| 25 December (Armenian Christianity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Apostolic_Church)) 26 December (Western) 27 December, 4 January, 2 August, 15 September (Eastern) Tobi 1 (Coptic Christianity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Orthodox_Church_of_Alexandria)) |
| Red Martyr (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Martyr), stones, dalmatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalmatic), censer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censer), miniature church, Gospel Book (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_Book), martyr's palm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyr's_palm). In Orthodox and Eastern Christianity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church) he often wears an orarion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orarion) |
| Altar Servers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altar_server)[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen#cite_note-1);Acoma (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoma_Pueblo) Native American Pueblo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueblo); Bricklayers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricklayer); casket (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin) makers; Cetona, Italy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetona); deacons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deacons); headaches (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache); horses (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse); Kessel, Belgium (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessel,_Belgium); masons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonry); Owensboro, Kentucky (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owensboro,_Kentucky); Passau, Germany (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passau); Kigali (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kigali), Rwanda (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda); Dodoma (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodoma), Tanzania (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanzania); Serbia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia); Ligao (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligao); Republic of Srpska (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Srpska); Prato, Italy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prato) [2] (http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-stephen-the-martyr/) |
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The whole revolutionary dogma can be reduced to three chief denials: the denial of original sin, the denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the denial of the authority of the Church. From these three denials proceed the divinization of human reason, its independence, and its pretended sovereignty. Now, to these three denials the dogma of the Immaculate Conception fully responds.The Answer to the Revolution
Indeed, the exception confirms the rule. To confess that Mary was preserved from original sin by a singular privilege from God is to recognize the original sin of all the other descendants of the first man. The mystery of Mary's conception is thus a flat contradiction of the first revolutionary negation. Moreover, Mary obtains this privilege by the future merits of the Redeemer and in order to be the worthy Mother of the Son of God....To admit the dogma of the Immaculate Conception is thus to confess the divinity of Jesus Christ. Finally, from the divinity of Christ proceeds the divinity of the Church and the authority of its visible head, an authority which he exercised in its fullness in defining the Immaculate Conception. To admit this dogma is thus to admit the authority of the Church which commands us to profess it."Pius IX had inaugurated the work of his counterrevolutionary reaction by defining the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary," Dom Besse also remarked. He explained:
There was nothing more theological nor more wise. His contemporaries saw in this act a solemn manifestation of Catholic piety. But there was something more than this. The Revolution had been wrought in the name of the natural goodness of man, with the goal of upholding the three rights which supposedly flow from it [liberty, equality, fraternity]. One might say that its fundamental dogma was the immaculate conception of the human race. To this error it was necessary to oppose the contradictory truth. This the Pope did by declaring that all men were wounded by an original fall, since the Virgin Mary was immaculate by virtue of an incommunicable privilege. It was to confront human reason with a fact which the theoreticians of the Revolution denied or overlooked.The Apparition of a Beautiful Lady
Just as God regarded the humility of His handmaid, so too the Queen of angels and men regarded the lowliness of her handmaid Marie-Bernard Soubirous, called in the world by the gracious name of Bernadette.Bernadette did not know a word of catechism and scarcely knew how to recite the Rosary. She had not yet made her first Holy Communion, and yet it was she, weak and ignorant, who was to be Mary's messenger and who would defend her cause against sly and sometimes brutal adversaries. That the Virgin would choose "such a hussy," as the chief of police called her, is admittedly strange. Nonetheless, the simplicity and common sense of her replies display a heavenly inspiration reminiscent of St. Joan of Arc.
To your minds, the Gospel has not been certified enough, the ordinary ministry of the Church is not sufficiently authorized. The supernatural is finished, the men of the 19th century said. Well, look how the supernatural abounds; see how it overflows, how it seeps from the gravel and rock, how it rises from a spring, how it flows in the long undulations of a river of prayers, hymns, and lights; behold how it descends, how it rushes upon countless crowds.To the proud science that insists on measuring everything according to the dimension of reason and rejects everything it cannot explain, Our Lady of Lourdes makes the supernatural palpable: the spring at the site of the apparition restores sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, restores paralytics, and heals the deepest wounds.
Oh, you free-thinkers, you did not want to believe Moses or the prophets, nor Christ and His Apostles, nor the Church and her solemn judgments. And now behold how, in this mountain gorge, Mary appears and talks to a simple country girl, and the country girl tells what she has seen and heard. Ah, it is thus that the heavenly Physician opposes to all the vices the contrary remedy, He who holds in His hands the sources of grace, and whom the laws of nature obey. God will do so well that you will believe Bernadette, and by that means you will be brought back to believing in Him.
Reflection: In Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, visitors are immediately struck by the large alabaster window on the back wall of the apse that depicts the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Below the window is an ancient wooden chair, believed to have been used by Saint Peter. In the seventeenth century, that ancient chair was encased in bronze by the famous artist Bernini and then placed above the altar in the apse. Surrounding the chair are statues of four early Doctors of the Church. Two of them represent the Eastern Church: Saint John Chrysostom and St. Athanasius. Two of them represent the Western Church: Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine. These great saints represent the universality of the Church, both East and West, as well as the unity of their theological teaching with the authority of the Bishop of Rome. Above the chair are two angels jointly holding the triple crown tiara used by the Bishop of Rome, symbolizing that he is the father of kings, governor of the world, and Vicar of Christ. In their other hands, each angel holds a key, symbolizing the authority of the Bishop of Rome in matters of faith and morals.Quote:
Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ~Matthew 16:17–19 (https://biblia.com/bible/rsvce/Matt 16.17–19)
THE HOLY ABBOT BENEDICT by Leonard Goffine, 1871 Truly, St. Benedict was as his name indicates, a child of blessing. He was born about the year 480 at Nursia in Italy. His parents sent him, when growing up, to Rome, that there he might be instructed in all the fine sciences. Benedict soon perceived the moral corruption of the Romans, and was seized by fear concerning his own innocence. In order to escape the enticements, he left Rome and sought his way into the mountains; thence he went to Subiaco, a day's journey distant from Rome, where he found a desert with inhospitable caverns in the mountain-cliffs. He had resolved to serve his God in solitude and retirement, and to acquire such virtues as would enable him to perform and undergo great labor for the Church and the welfare of his fellowbrethren. On his way to the desert he met with a holy monk, named Romanus, to whom he revealed his intention. Romanus gladly approved of the design, promising him to keep his secret, and gave him a monk's garment. Benedict now chose for his dwelling-place an almost inaccessible narrow grotto at the foot of one of the mountain-cliffs. Romanus daily laid aside a portion of his bread, and secretly brought it to the young hermit, lowering it by means of a rope. The sound of a bell attached to the rope was to announce the arrival of the bread. Benedict spent his whole time in prayer, until God who was with him, made manifest his chosen instrument. Shepherds, feeding their flocks in the vicinity, one day discovered him. At first they believed him to be a beast, because he was clad with the skin of a brute animal, also because he hid in the shrubs, when perceiving himself discovered. They approached him and found to their astonishment that he was a human being. Our saint addressed them in a friendly manner, and availed himself of the opportunity to impress upon their minds the important and holy doctrines of the Christian religion, and thus effected in many of them an entire change of life. In this way the holy man became known. In a very short time the inhabitants of the surrounding countries flocked around him, eager for their salvation. They listened with great attention to the saint's pious instructions, and were so moved and edified by them, that many relinquished the world and all its glory and confided themselves to his care. About this time it pleased God to visit our saint with a severe trial. Base phantoms and representations as also obscene emotions tormented him day and night. He, however overcame them by pious and fervent prayer and by an heroic act of selfcommand which was and will always be admired in him by all following generations; for when the demons already thought themselves victors, our saint undressed, threw himself into a bush of briars near his grotto, and rolled himself most vehemently, until his whole body was dilacerated and formed but one wound. Thus he extinguished the flame of lust. The fame of his sanctity daily increased and spread throughout the country. It also penetrated into a monastery, the monks of which entreated him to come and be their director. The holy man reluctantly consented. But some of the monks who were accustomed to an easy and free life, would not comply with the pious rules and regulations which Benedict introduced. To rid themselves of him, they resolved to mingle poison with his wine. Benedict never ate nor drank without first blessing the victuals. But when he came to bless the wine in the chalice, the latter bursted asunder and the mystery of their malice was unveiled. Benedict rose calmly, saying: "Brethren, may God be merciful unto you! Why have you done this to me? Did I not already tell you, that my habit of life could never be reconciled to yours. Find another guide for yourselves, since you can no longer have me as such." Saying this, Benedict returned to his beloved desert with the intention, to live there in the happy communion with God still more retired than ever. The Almighty however wished that the light which he had kindled in Benedict, should no longer be hidden. The more the saint endeavored to withdraw from the society of men, so much the more disciples flocked around him. Their number daily increased, since they not appeared one by one but in large troops, and demanded that they should all live together and form a community of which Benedict should be the abbot. The means for erecting the necessary edifices and procuring real estates, were not wanting, because the benefactors were numerous. Thus within the course of some years arose twelve monasteries to each of which the saint gave an abbot. He himself lived in his cell on Mount Cavo, and retained with him only few disciples to whom he was a kind teacher, abbot, and instructor. The saint also wrote a rule for the monks of these monasteries, according to which they were to model the lives. This rule is this very day yet the principle of spiritual life of the Benedictines, blessed by God for all ages. The holy life of St. Benedict and of his disciples was not only known in the surrounding country, but the fame of it reached even Rome. The hearts of many young men burned with the desire of entering this holy community, and parents felt greatly consoled at having found a place of refuge, in which they could preserve their children from the allurements of the world. Many came to the saint, entreating him to accept the tutorship of their young sons. Among these were also two Roman senators who begged admission for their sons, named Maurus and Placidus. Maurus was twelve years of age, and brought the baptismal robe unstained into the monastery. He was loved very much by St. Benedict on account of his unfeigned humility, minute obedience and his purity of heart. One day when St. Benedict was in his cell, Placidus whom he no less loved for his pure soul, went to the neighboring sea in order to get some water. Dipping his bucket too hastily into the water, he lost his balance and fell into the sea. Benedict perceiving the danger of the boy, immediately called Maurus. "Maurus," he exclaims, "quick, hasten for the youth that was sent for water, for he has fallen into the sea, and the waves are already carrying him off!" Maurus instantly begged the saint's blessing and hastened in full speed to the sea. He looked at the boy, and thinking of nothing else but the command of saving him, jumped into the water, and, behold the miracle! he runs on the surface of the water as if it were ice. Thus he reached the boy, seized him by the hair and pulled him along with himself. Not until he had reached the shores he became aware that he had been walking on the waters, when he almost fainted from fear and admiration. As soon as he had returned to the house, he narrated to St. Benedict what had taken place. The holy abbot replied that that was the reward of obedience. But Maurus answered that he had only done, what he had been ordered to do, and that on his own part he could not perceive any virtuous act in complying with the command of his father. But behold, when they were thus engaged in holy contest, Placidus entered and acted as the deciding judge, by saying: "I saw when I was drawn out of the water above my head the cloak of the abbot and perceived that it was he who dragged me to the shore." More than thirty years Benedict's light had sent its rays over the Sabine Mountains. Every one pronounced his name with reverence, and saw in him the universal spiritual benefactor, pastor and teacher. Whoever was in need of counsel, came to him; and those that sought instruction, asked it of him; those that felt the necessity of prayer, recommended themselves to him; in short, all had recourse to him in their troubles and anxieties, and St. Benedict in this way gained the hearts of all for the love of their crucified Redeemer. Many renounced the world and offered their necks to the sweet yoke of Him who once said, that His yoke was easy and His burden light. Nevertheless, to the virtues of this great man the crown was wanting. Seven beatitudes he had already acquired, only the eighth was missing, namely: "To suffer persecution for justice sake;" but also that he should obtain. There lived in the neighborhood a priest, named Florentius. This priest could not bear to see the confidence placed by every one in our saint, and sought by all means to avert the people's hearts from him. Not succeeding in this, Florentius was greatly enraged, and becoming daily more embrittered by jealousy resolved to kill the saint. In those times it was yet a pious custom in the Church to send each other in token of holy love a loaf of blessed bread, called Eulogia. Florentius poisoned one these loafs, and sent it to the holy man who accepted it with thanks. St. Benedict immediately discovered what was wrong with it, and had it carried by a raven who daily received his food at the hand of the saint, to a place where it could not injure anybody. Florentius being aware that he was also foiled in his infernal attempt, meditated revenge on the souls of the saint's holy community. When they were laboring in the garden, in which also the holy abbot was with them, he sent seven unchaste women into the neighborhood of it, and ordered them to dance in a circle taking each other by the hand, that thus they might inflame the hearts of the young men with impurity. When St. Benedict saw this, he also frustrated this devilish trick of Florentius. Seized, however, by fear and pain as to the spiritual welfare of his children, Benedict resolved to leave the country, where eternal perdition was threatening them. Having entrusted the different monasteries to the care of some of the elder monks, he left with the rest for Mount Cassino, which is situated between Rome and Naples. Florentius was almost in a transport of joy, when he perceived his ardent desire at last fulfilled; but the joy was of short duration. Suddenly his dwellinghouse fell in joy, burying him below its ruins. St. Benedict found on Mount Cassino many remains of idolatry, as temples and altars, which were visited during the night by the inhabitants of the neighborhood. The saint however was determined on here making an end to heathenism. He tore down the temples and altars of the pagans, and in their places erected two chapels, one in honor of Martin of Tours, the other in honor of St. John the Baptist, adjacent to which he also built a large monastery. While this was done, he did not omit to open the eyes of these blind idolators, and to win them over to the only true faith. Unceasingly he preached on the streets and even penetrated into their houses. Incessant were his prayers to God in their behalf. Gradually he succeeded in gaining them over. At first only some demanded holy baptism, but by and by they all flocked to him, earnestly beseeching him, not to deprive them of the grace of this holy sacrament. But Satan, the father of falsehood and prince of darkness, could not suffer to see himself defeated by our saint, and tried in every way to impede the conversion of these souls. He appeared to Benedict in the most hideous forms, raising hellish shouts and yells. The other monks heard his horrible clamors, although they could not see the hideous forms. Benedict's zeal was by no means impaired by these terrific spectacles, but he continued to propagate the holy faith over the whole country. Whilst the monastery was being erected, Satan appeared in the saint's cell, mocking and deriding him, saying, that he had come to visit the workmen. The holy man immediately informed the monks by a messenger, saying: Brethren, be on your guard, for in this hour Satan will come to you. Hardly had the messenger pronounced these words, when the wall which they were then erecting, fell into ruins, killing a boy who already wore the habit of the order. The monks greatly afflicted, informed the saint of what had occured, who ordered the dead boy to be brought to him. Since, however, not only all the limbs of the body were broken, but even all the bones of it crushed, they picked up the pieces of it into a bedsheet, and thus carried them to the holy abbot. The saint had the body laid upon a matrass in his cell, on which he was wont to say his prayers. Having ordered the monks to leave him, he locked himself up, and began to pray most fervently to God; when lo! even in that hour the boy was sent back to resume his work. Already while the erection of the new monasteries was going on, and especially after they were completed, the number of monks rapidly increased. The saint was most vigilant that the rule, which he had given them, should be observed. He prayed incessantly to God for illumination in order to guide his community in the spirit of prayer and mortification. God granted to him what he had demanded, nay more, for he had the gift to understand things hidden, as also to foresee future events. One day while our saint took his evening repast, a monk, who was a lawyer's son, held the lamp for him, in whose heart arose, while performing this charitable act, thoughts of pride; for he thought by himself, "Who is he whom I have to serve at table thus holding the lamp for him, and who am I, that I tolerate this willingly, and execute so degrading a work?" Benedict's spirit penetrated into the heart of the culprit, and soon rebuked him severely in the following terms: "Brother, cross thy breast! "What are you speaking in your heart? Cross thy breast!" Seeing that his reproach was to no effect, he called the other monks, had the lamp taken out of his hand, dismissed him from his occupation, and ordered that he should remain alone for that hour. The haughty monk was bettered by this chastisement, and afterwards humbly confessed his fault to his fellowbrethren who thereby were greatly edified. The wicked and haughty king of the Goths, Totila, who in his arrogance acknowledged no superior on earth, saw himself nevertheless impelled to bow before the spirit that dwelled in St. Benedict. He had been informed of the prophetic spirit of Benedict, and not believing in this divine gift, he wished to try the holy man. He, therefore, came to Mount Cassino with his servant Riggo whom he ordered to vest in his royal robes and thus appear before the saint. The saint, however, as soon as he saw him approaching, addressed him at a distance: "My son! depose the vestments you have on, they are not yours!" Riggo and all who accompanied him, were terror stricken at these words. At the thought of having intended to deceive so holy a man, Riggo fell prostrate on the ground, after which he hastened to king Totila, informing him of all that had taken place. Totila struck with consternation, did not hesitate himself to come to the saint. He threw himself at his feet, and did not venture to rise, until the saint approached him, and taking him by the hand raised him up. St. Benedict now reproved the penitent king for his conduct, saying: "You perpetrate many crimes, you have perpetrated many already; forsake at last the ways of injustice. You will enter Rome, will cross the ocean, and will reign nine years hence, but in the tenth you will die!" What St. Benedict here predicted, was minutely fulfilled. Not long afterwards when Totila was about to besiege Rome, the bishop of Canosa was with the saint, and remarked to him: the city would be destroyed by this king! and henceforward it would remain uninhabitated. The saint, however, replied, that through these wandering tribes the city would not be destroyed, but that it would be molested by storms, hurricanes and earthquakes in such a manner as finally to dissolve in itself. St. Gregory the great, who afterwards wrote the life of our saint, remarks in relation to this: "The mystery of this prophecy is at hand; it is manifest to us all who witness the downfall of the citywalls, churches and houses by storm and the ruin, of its edifices by age." A noble man Theoprobus, who was an intimate friend of the holy man, one day entered his cell and found him weeping bitterly. For some time he remained at a distance, thinking that the saint was absorbed in prayer and was shedding tears as he was wont to do. Seeing, however, that Benedict was not engaged in prayer, he approached him, enquiring for the reason of his affliction. Immediately the holy man replied: "This entire monastery which I have erected and all that I with my brethren have brought in order, is by decree of the Almighty delivered unto the heathens; hardly could I obtain from His majesty the salvation of the souls (that is, the lives) of the monks." Forty years after this prediction, the monastery was destroyed by the Longobardi who invaded it during the night, yet none of the monks was killed. Like all friends of God, so also St. Benedict had compassion with all who were afflicted, and an unshaken confidence in God. During a famine which at that time ravaged the country, the saint distributed among the poor all that he possessed of eatables. Nothing was left save a little oil, when a subdeacon, named Agapitus, came asking for a little of it. The saint ordered that the scanty remnant should immediately be given him. The steward of the monastery, however, refused it. When St. Benedict asked him whether he had given the oil to the poor subdeacon, the brother steward apologized that if he had given it to him, nothing would have remained for the monks. The saint inflamed with holy anger, ordered him to fling the oil vessel out the window. It was done. Outside of the window was a precipice, from which rocks and cliffs projected. Every one thought, that the vessel would be dashed in a thousand pieces. But it was well preserved, not even a drop of oil having been spilled. The saint then gave it to the petitioner. The monastery was now totally destitute of provisions. To whom should the monks have recourse in order to appease their hunger? The saint, however, was not in the least embarassment concerning the imminent danger. They all had recourse to prayer. In the place where they prayed there was a large oil-vessel with a heavy cover. They prayed for a long time. But behold! the cover of the vessel began to rise and the oil rushed forth in abundance from the vessel. Now St. Benedict terminated his prayer and the oil seized flowing. The saint availed himself of this wonderful event to admonish the diffident steward to be more confident in the goodness of God. The saint also by his faithful prayers raised the dead to life. Thus he restored to life the son of a peasant, who had been most ardently entreating him. Endowed with the gift of prophecy and decorated with the power of miracles, also ornamented with every virtue, especially that of prayer, our saint broadly diffused heavenly blessings, especially by the erection of so many monasteries, even in far distant countries in which his spirit continued to live among his children. Thousands of youths received in them a religious training and an educational instruction. Popes, bishops, and a host of learned and pious men, went forth from these monasteries. The saint had a dear and pious sister, named Scholastica, whose feast the Church celebrates on the 10th of February. She together with other holy virgins led a most holy life in a convent about three miles distant from Mount Cassino. This sister God had taken to Himself. Benedict saw her soul soaring towards heaven in the shape of a dove. He was seized with a longing to be united to his beloved sister in heaven, there to praise God forever. He ardently desired death and foretold the hour of it to his children. On the 15th of March 543, he ordered his grave to be opened. He soon was attacked by a fever and in defiance of the precaution taken in administering him, the illness increased. On the 21st of March he ordered his monks to carry him into the oratory, where he received the holy viaticuм to strengthen himself for the last struggle, and standing upright, supported by his beloved children, with hands raised in prayers towards heaven, he yielded his pure soul into the hands of its creator. |
| (https://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/Litany%20of%20Our%20Lady%20of%20Sorrows.jpg) Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us.* Holy Mother of God,* Holy Virgin of virgins,* Mother crucified,* Mother sorrowful,* Mother tearful,* Mother afflicted,* Mother forsaken,* Mother desolate,* Mother bereft of thy Child,* Mother transfixed with the sword,* Mother consumed with grief,* Mother filled with anguish,* Mother crucified in heart,* Mother most sad,* Fountain of tears,* Mass of suffering,* Mirror of patience,* Rock of constancy,* Anchor of confidence,* Refuge of the forsaken,* Shield of the oppressed,* Subduer of the unbelieving,* Comfort of the wretched,* Medicine of the sick,* Strength of the weak,* Harbor of the wrecked, Allayer of tempests,* Resource of mourners,* Terror of the treacherous,* Treasurer of the faithful,* Eye of Prophets,* Staff of Apostles,* Crown of Martyrs,* Light of Confessors,* Pearl of Virgins,* Consolation of widows,* Joy of all Saints,* Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Jesus. Look down upon us, deliver us from all trouble in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen Imprint, O Lady, thy wounds upon my heart, that I may read therein sorrow and love: sorrow, to endure every sorrow for thee; love, to despise every love for thee. Credo, Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen), Three Ave Marias, in honor of the most holy heart of Mary. The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary (https://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/Seven%20Dolors.jpg) Petition to the Sorrowful Heart of Mary V. Incline unto my aid, O God! R. O Lord, make haste to help me! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. 1. I compassionate you, O sorrowful Mother Mary, on account of that grief suffered by your tender heart at the prophecy of the aged Holy Simeon. O dearest Mother, through this your afflicted heart implore for me the virtue of humility and the Gift of the Fear of God. One Hail Mary.2. I compassionate you, O sorrowful Mother Mary, on account of those distressing fears which your affectionate heart endured on the flight to Egypt and during your sojourn there. O dearest Mother, through this your anxious heart implore for me the virtue of generosity, particularly for the poor, and the Gift of Piety. One Hail Mary.3. I compassionate you, O sorrowful Mother Mary, on account of that anxiety which your worried heart endured in the loss of your beloved Child Jesus. O dearest Mother, through this your exceedingly troubled heart implore for me the virtue of chastity and the Gift of Knowledge. One Hail Mary.4. I compassionate you, O sorrowful Mother Mary, on account of that horror with which your mother-heart was stricken when meeting Jesus, bearing the Cross. O dearest Mother, through this your exceedingly oppressed heart implore for me the virtue of patience and the Gift of Fortitude. One Hail Mary.5. I compassionate you, O sorrowful Mothel Mary, on account of that martyrdom which tortured your magnanimous heart at the death-agony of Jesus. O dearest Mother, through this your martyred heart implore for me the virtue of temperance and the Gift of Counsel. One Hail Mary.6. I compassionate you, O sorrowful Mother Mary, on account of the anguish inflicted upon your tender heart by the thrust of the lance that opened the side of Jesus and pierced His most adorable Heart. O dearest Mother, through this vicarious transfixion of your own heart implore for me the virtue of brotherly love and the Gift of Understanding. One Hail Mary.7. I compassionate you, O sorrowful Mother Mary, on account of that agony of soul which racked your most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. O dearest Mother, through this extreme torment that filled your burdened heart implore for me the virtue of zeal and the Gift of Wisdom. One Hail Mary.V. Pray for us, O Virgin Most Sorrowful! R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us Pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, we beseech You, that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, whose soul was pierced by the Sword of Sorrow in the hour of Your Passion, may be our advocate at the throne of Your Mercy, now, and at the hour of our death. Through You, Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the world, Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen. An indulgence of 5 years each time.Plenary indulgence monthly under the usual conditions. (383) ____________________________ Ejaculation and Invocations Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us. An indulgence of 300 days each time; and an indulgence of 5 years each time, if preceded by seven Hail Marys. (377) Bid me bear, O Mother Blest, On my heart the wounds imprest, Suffered by the Crucified! An indulgence of 50 days each time. Plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions. (375) Mary most sorrowful. Mother of Christians, pray for us. Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us. Indulgence of 300 days; indulgence of 5 years, if, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sorrowing, the Hail Mary is devoutly recited 7 times followed by the above invocation once. (377) ______________________________To the Queen of Martyrs Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen. Indulgence of 500 days. (384) __________________________ In Honor of the Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition. ___________________________To Our Lady of Sorrows O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen. (St. Bonaventure)* The faithful who, during the month of September, pray or perform other devotions in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sorrowing, may gain: an indulgence of 5 years once, on any day of the month; a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, if they persevere daily in this devout practice throughout the entire month. (381) (https://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/O%20quot%20undis.jpg) Hymn: O quot undis What a sea of tears and sorrow ____________________________Did the soul of Mary toss To and fro upon its billows, While she wept her bitter loss; In her arms her Jesus holding, Torn so newly from the Cross. Oh, that mournful Virgin Mother! See her tears how fast they flow Down upon His mangled body, Wounded side, and thorny brow; While His hands and feet she kisses-- Picture of immortal woe. Oft and oft His arms and bosom Fondly straining to her own; Oft her pallid lips imprinting On each wound of her dear Son; Till in one last kiss of anguish All her melting soul is gone. Gentle Mother, we beseech thee By thy tears and troubles sore; By the death of thy dear Offspring, By the bloody wounds He bore; Touch our hearts with that true sorrow Which afflicted thee of yore. To the Father everlasting, And the Son who reigns on high, With the coeternal Spirit, Trinity in Unity, Be salvation, honor, blessing Now and through eternity. Amen Reflection on Our Sorrowful Mother [size=2.5](by Rev. Frederick A. Reuter)[/size] Darkness had come down over the hills of Judea, and, in the gloom, hills and valley were one. It was the last day of the unredeemed world; the morrow would be the dawn of the first day of the world redeemed by the Death of Christ Our Lord. Upon one of those hills stood a sorrowing Mother. It was the evening of her sorrow, near its end. The morning began in the long ago, when in the Temple the prophet had told that Mother of a coming sorrow that would pierce her heart as a sword. It grew in intensity in the hurried, anxious flight into Egypt, when fear broke into that stainless heart lest ruffian hands should steal away the Life that had just begun. That sorrow changed its tone to grief again, in the weary, aching search of the three days' loss in Jerusalem; and again the parting of the Son from His Mother, and her meeting Him cross-laden, seemed to her more than she could bear. But this was not all. It surpasses human words to tell all that Mother suffered. One cannot hope to tell the whole story. But one can always look upon the sweet, sorrowful face of the Mother, think of who she was, think of her Son, gaze upon His dead body, all covered with His precious blood, and then answer what it teaches one's heart of her sorrow. One begins to look upon the face of that Mother, to mourn with her and for one's sins; to ask the grace to know the depth of the bitterness that welled up in Mary's heart. The very meaning of the name of Mary is "sea of bitterness." How truly this word tells the story of that Mother's life. The bitterness of the Passion of Christ, '' great as the sea,'' was in the heart of Mary from that first dread prophecy. The shadow of the Cross hung its gloom over that bright life, which one would say should have been free from sorrow's lightest touch. She had a mother's heart in all its yearning's for the joy of her Son, and its finest fibers were wrung in response to the beating pulses of His pain. The first pang came with the Circuмcision, and increased till the spear opened His side at the crucifixion, till it could increase no more, for the measure of its woe was full; and in that fullness there was no kind of bitterness that she had not tasted. The neglect and the insults at Bethlehem, the inconvenience and fear of the flight were there; and before this, the grief after the Annunciation, when Joseph was "minded to put her away," a sorrow that she bore in silence alone, and such an intensely painful sorrow to her immaculate Heart; the parting and the Agony and the Passion and the scenes of Calvary --all these tell us of that "sea of bitterness" in Mary's name. All this brings her inexpressibly near to us in sympathy. In our trials, and desolation and darkness, we do not realize how near to us she is until we have meditated upon this meaning of her name. In Mary the faculty of sympathy is developed to such a degree that she cannot but feel for each one of our woes. Sympathy would come from the very perfection of that heart, formed with such care and quickened by the greatest graces of God. Mary's heart is the heart of a Mother ever inclining to comfort her little ones in their distress. For, as among the Greeks, that mercy might temper justice, no one was allowed to be a judge, who was not also a father; so in a much greater degree, will a mother's justice be tempered by mercy. Besides being a mother, her Son's sorrows developed still more that character of her soul; and as His sorrows were born for us, even apart from her special relation to us, our sorrows must make a deeper impression on her. When we remember, moreover, that we have been entrusted to her as to our Mother, we understand more fully the meaning of the words of the Salve Regina, that she is a "Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope," and in our sorrow we send up to her a cry of mourning from this vale of tears, that she who was immersed in bitterness may turn her eyes of mercy upon our needs. Sorrows come home to every human heart; sorrows that are sweet and merciful; sorrows that set the heart against the pitiless world, or seek to make it rebellious against God's providence; or, again, sorrows that paralyze the heart's energies, and deaden it to all that is joyful in, life. But, over all these sorrows comes the calm, peaceful glance of the Mother of Sorrows, helping us to sanctify every pang, and to bear all in patience through love for our dear Saviour, her Son. When the morning of her sorrow had grown into noon, and the evening came, the fullest weight of grief was upon her. The Cross is laid upon Him, and He is brought to Calvary. His Mother meets Him on the way. Their eyes meet. Dimly, through the tears and blood that obscure His sight, Our Lord discerns His Mother's face, and His glance carried strength to her soul. He summons her, His well- beloved, to ratify the oblation made at Nazareth in the hour of the Incarnation, when she consented to become the Mother of the Man of Sorrows; the oblation made solemnly in the Temple on the day of His Presentation, and renewed again and again as the time of the Passion drew near: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." At every stage of His Redemption she is His handmaid, waiting upon Him always, His fellow-worker on whose sympathy and absolute fidelity He can rely. No cry of pain escapes her. To bring Him the only comfort in her power--the assurance that she accepts with Him every jot and tittle of the Father's will; that she does not grudge one pang; that she is ready for more, for the consummation of the Sacrifice, for Calvary--this is her one thought. She cannot speak. Her heart would break with a word to Him. But her eyes, her quivering lips, her clasped hands speak for her. It is but for a moment that the Son and the Mother meet. "When they have come to the place where they are to crucify Him, she, in her love, is near; as they stretch Him upon the Cross, she hears the dull thud of the hammer as it falls upon the nail that is to pierce His right hand, and the cruel sound it makes as it forces the nail through His sacred Flesh. Did not that nail drive its way through her own heart? And then comes the nailing of the left hand, and another wound in her heart, and then the strokes that fasten the feet of her Son to the wood of the Cross. The Cross is lifted up, and sinks into the place prepared for it. She hears the sound, and knows that it is increasing the pains in His hands and feet. ''Oh, all you that pass by the way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow." As Mary stands there at the foot of the Cross and looks up to that face--that beautiful face of her Infant of Bethlehem--there comes to her heart the contrast of the joy of that first Christmas and the sorrow of this Good Friday. That little one had grown up beside her, had called her lovingly by the name of mother; and from the gloom of Calvary her heart goes back to the home at Nazareth, and the crib of Bethlehem, and it seems as if her heart is broken. This is the realization of Simeon's prophecy; the sword has pierced her heart, indeed. But when a mother sees her son grow up, and when his life is full of the promise of manhood, in all the glory of his youth he is suddenly taken away from her, who will measure the desolation and the darkness and the sadness that sweep over her life? Her hopes are broken, her dreams scattered, her soul crushed. In the night of her grief, it seems to her that there is nothing in life worth living for. She is alone, and the great sorrowing love welling up in her heart has not whereon to put itself. If this be true of a mother's love for her child, where was there a mother with such a child as Jesus? Where a mother with such great, strong, tender love as the Blessed Virgin Mary had for her Son? And unless we know who Jesus was, unless we understand His infinite holiness His tenderness, His goodness, His divine amiability and His own love for that Mother; unless we can penetrate into the mysteries of that beautiful heart of Mary, we can never fully understand the sorrow of that afternoon on Calvary. As she stood gazing upward there, she heard Him speak. But, oh, how, changed that voice from long ago; She heard Him speak the word "Mother." And after those other words were spoken, as she was looking up, she saw those eyes close, and heard that last word, and Jesus, her Son, was dead. The desolation and the sorrow, and the grief and the resignation of the Mother of Jesus! He was dead! "The most beautiful of the sons of men." Now there was no comeliness in Him. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, one wound from the crown of His head to the soles of His feet. He was wounded for our iniquities, and by His bruises we are healed. When they lift that Body from the Cross, and place it in the arms of His heart-broken Mother; when in her grief she clasps her arms about Him to forget all the world and be alone with Him in spirit, truly we ask: "Was there ever a sorrow like that sorrow?" Can we enter deeper into that mystery of sorrow? There is indeed a deeper depth: but it is enough With these pictures and memories before us, we should let the thought of them sink deep into our hearts. We naturally feel disposed to sympathy with that Mother, and sorrow for the sufferings of Jesu Christ; sorrow and love and sympathy in union with the hearts of Jesus and Mary. There is no better means of offering the reparation in which, as Associates in the Apostleship of Prayer, we are all engaged. The very day of the Feast of Mary's Sorrows, which is kept in September, is our own day for Communions of Reparation. Although a day commemorative of mourning, it still goes by the name of Feast. Feast of the Seven Sorrows, the Church terms it, and so dear is that Feast that the Calendar offers it to our celebration twice a year. It is rightly dear to the Church, and justly named Feast. Mary's Sorrows were a cause of our joy. |
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