The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-10-25

honor shown TO the saints of God. She
stands before them all, on account of
the heavenly mystery accomplished in
her. But we adore no saint; and as
this worship is not given TO angels,
much less can it be allowed to the daugh-
ter of Ann. Let Mary then be honor,
ed. but the Father, Son, aud Holy Ghost
alone be adored let no one adore Mary"
The foregoing is merely intended as a
brief exposition of the manner in which
the church regards the position OF the
Blessed Virgin Mary. She neither a.
dores her nor asks her for forgiveness,
but Mary being the Mother of God, she
believes that she can neither too much
honor or praise her. She believes that
our Lord Jesus Christ. when dying up.
on the cross, gave her to us, through
the person of St. John, ls our Mother,
aud that she will be our most powerful
intercessCr at the throne Of Grace. In
the Gospel according to St. John we
read: " Now there stood 10y the cross OF
Jesus, His Mother. and His Mothers
sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary
Msgielene.
When Jesus, therefore, saw His
mother and the de'ciple standing, whom
He loved, He saith to His mother: wo.
man, behold thy son.
After that He saith TO the disciple: {:
Behold thy mother. And from that
hour the disciple took her to his own,
In thus receiving from God Himself
His mother to be a mother to US, what
is more natural than that We should re.
gard her with the most tender affection !;
what more beautiful than that in all
eur difficulties, we sholftd fly to her in
spirit and ask her assistance, her pray
ers and her intercession. II it should
be asked, why not appeal to God Him.
self without employing any mediator, !
would say that God although a God of
mercy, is also a God of justice, and
that His Divine justice would often de.
mand the punishment of the sinner
rather than his forgiveness; but Mary
is peculiarly the Queen Of Mercy, az
she is called 10y the church to her does
not belong the attribute of justice, but
Of compassion and Of sympathy her low
ing heart ovcrhoHs with pity for the poor
sinner for whose redemption the blood
q! her Divine Son was shed, aud rather
than tGat divine sacrifice shonld he in
vain, she begs of her Son his pardon
and forgiveness How beautiful is the
idea Of the sinner, laden down with
| crimes and transgressions, trembling
with dread before the majesty and the
Justice OF God, and not darin2Io appear
before Him, or to address Him, lest the
thunGerhots Of His just wrath should be
hurled upon him, casting himself at
the feet Of Mary aud begging her to in.
ter ccde for him. Logging her, pure and
unGyflcd, To ask her son to suspend IIis
justice and allow her 60 exercise her at.
tribute of mercy. When the sinner
has recourse to Mary, she only requires
him to have the intention TO reform.
She does not regard the sins with viii n
he is laden, when he implores his mere cy,
but only the intention with which he
comes. Though he have committed all
the sins iu the world, she embraces him
and iutcrccdcs for him, for she is rot
only called by US the Mother of Mercy,
but she is such, and shows herself such
by The love and tenderness with which
she succors us. What has been said of
the manner in which the church regards
the position of Mary, will also spply to
the otker saints in heaven. We honor
Mary more than we honor them, that is
we pay to her a higher honor, because
she is the Mother of God; we honor
them because, in this life, they were His
faithful servants, becauso they fulfilled
His laws aud obeyed His commandments,
aud are, in consequence, now enjoying
with Him, the GLORY of His Kingdom.
They arc now reaping the reward which
lie has promised to all who faithfully
serve Him, and as they honored Him in
life, 50 He now honors them in eternity.
As We ask Mary, so we only ask them,
for their iutercession and prayers And,
in this connection, if l may be allowed
to digress for moment, l would SPEAK
of the erroneous ideas entertained by
fhnsa uho difIar from rs rapardinp Our