The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-06-26
Morning Star and Catholic Messenger,
HnW ORLRANH. SUNDAY, JUN1 - 1870
- nlGnitx ~ Xamnn
NJ Dignity u woman

MonsSgnor Capel, whose disc0urses at the
Church of.St. Andrea della Vale produced
20 marked : sensation in Rome, delivered
. series ef dis lrses in London recently
ON !" evottoI - the Blessed Virgin" from
which ~ - following extract
He kSdS - he admitted that Ca
sc9an hish ns%t Eat a could b.
psid to . crXefurc, stiii .fhere was simply
~ abyss between the homage paid to hen
md the alteration due to Almighty God.
Theolorians expressed the difference be-
tween the two devOtiOns by the terms OF
g Latriar and " Duliar Greek terms
, ssEsatria being the supreme homage and
alteration due to God and God alone, and
which could be offered to no other than
God without committing the fearful sin of
idolatry. "Dulia" being an inferior and
relative honor which we paid to the friends
and servants of God, and that, following
the Apostolic precepE of Honor to whom
honor is DUE" it was but just and fitting
that we should love and honor those whom
God himself has SO greatly loved and hon.
ored, and that by SO doing we gave honor
to God, and manifested our love for Him.
If this relative honor was to be paid to all
the friends and sGeEants of God, in an i'm
mensely higher degree was this due to her
who was not only The friend of God, and
the most perfect Of His creatures, but who
was saluted by one of the highest angels az
sfun Of grace" and who was chosen be-
fore all ages, in the eternal counsels OF God,
amongst all women who should live upon
the face of the earth, to be His own Virgin
Mother. Wherever you found devotion to|
the person Of Jesus Christ, strong and
unclouded belief in the Incarnation, and aI
clear recognition of Our Lords triple office
of King, Priest and Prophet, there you|
wonld also And a strong and ardent de, deyo-
had vowed her purity to God, she knew
not man, and would not consent to receiveI
the hiuh dignity of Mother of God until
she had received the angels assurance that
no man should touch her. That sacred
flesh which for us was bruised and mangledI
that blood which was poured out SO freely
for the redemption of the world-was ALL
derived from Mary, and Mary alone. Hence|
her special position, and the singular dig-|
nifty of her office. And to enable helI
worthily to fulfil that sublime Office, sheI
must have received proportionate graces,
hence her wonderful holiness, which gavtI
her q character distinct from, and superior
to, all other created beings. The preacher
then gave sketch of the position of wo,nanI
in pagan Greece and Rome, where, with
all their boasted civilization, woman wasI
degraded to the lowest level-in the East,
where she was a mere puppet, the slave oil
the passion and caprice of a sensual tyrantI
-yHt showed how Christianity had ele-|
vatad woman to the highest pinnacle of
honor, and that the origin of that honor
and dignity was the devotion paid by theI
Church. in all ages to her who was the per-
lection of womanhood, and who was deemed
worthy to be chosen as the Mother of Cod
Himself. Monsignor Capel then alluded tol
, the new agitation for woman's rights, andI
strongly denounced the attempt made toI
unsex her, by Withdrawing her from thai
Shome which was her natural sphere, and
f<>h A ct,rp,A Ir<sr,,
God in the beginning had made her subject
eto. The Blessed Virgin was the pat term
for all women, whether maidens, wives OIL
widows. The elements of her power, theE
virtues, which merited for her the awful
dignity of Mother of God, were her spot
of domesticity. Her whole life was one of
retirement, labor and prayer. Tradition1
told us that, when quite a child, she de-
voted her virginity to God, and her younel
days to meditation, and to ting service oil
the Temple. When the angel appeared
before her in the form of man, she wasl
troubled, and required "a Diyine assurance
that her virginity would Ebe preserved
Notwithstanding her high prer0gatives,E
she was model of humility. She is told
that she is selected to be the Mother off
God, and prostrating herself to he earth,
she confesses herself the lowiy "bond-
maid of the Lord" After the birth of ouI
Blessed Lord she was ever occupied iDE
household duties, living in retirement at I
Nazareth, but amply repaid for and con-
soled in her poverty and toll by the sweet
and loving compapionship of her DIVINE 7
Son. The Church had jealousy watchedE
over the sacred retreats of the consecratedE
spouses of her Lord for fifteen centuries \
The nuns were simply following the evan (
geiical counsel ST Jesus Christ, aud Their !
life, like that df the Blessed Virgin, wask
one of labor, chastity aud prayer. TheE
Gnt1Qlip (NhnrCl unhtlH the thtU
most rigid, code of morality. She heldE
that an impure thought was alone enough
to make us at once the enemy OF God. The
enemies Of our blessed Lord made many
accusations against Him. They called Himf
a blasphemer, and said that He cast oui
devils Ny the power of Dee}ze' ub, the /
Prince of Devils but not one of His accu-
sers was ever permitted to accuse Him oil
impurity. He who was Infinite Holiness
could not allow Himself to be charged with
that vice, which excludes from the sight Off
God. The glory of woman consisted in +
her purity. 1t was her one jewel, preciousf
beyond price. Deprive her of it and she :
was debased sto the dust. She knew itef
value, and would not forgive him who took
it from her. The Blessed Virgins name, ii
has been remarked, was seldom mentionedE
in the Holy Scriptures. This was true. III
was seldom mentioned, but when men,
toned, in the strongest possible manner.
She hardly ever went abroad she lived in :
seclusion at Nazareth with her beloved and
Divine Son, who was subject to her, as the
Gospel tells as, for thirty years. The great