The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-12-01
THE BLEssrD VIRGIN AND TIE SAINTS


venerates her only in the position in whioe
God placed her. God has necessarily prepsred
her TO be the Mother of the Divine Word In
csrnats, Jesus Christ. As Jesus Christ is the
Son of God, the Blessed Virgin is Mother OF
Cod for Christ is God 10 two distinct natures
| and one person forever; therefore, che who fe
truly the Mother Of Christ is also necessarily
the Mother of God, and no man who oalls it in
| question believes in the Incarnation rightly.
She is not the mother Of the Divinity. but she
| is the mother Of the Eternal Son Of God, who
Of the Holy Ghost, God the Son took o true
| body and q reasonable soul, both created
! uniting them at the same indivisible momen I
| of their assumption to His Divine Eternal
| Person and Nature, and thus from that time
| forward was true God, as He always 10, and
| true man, in two distinct natures: the divine
| gin Mary. If, then, this ba the hishest place
GREAT are could have or hold, If it be the near
| est to God possible. il even q command Of God
demands honor to be paid to ordinary parents
annexsd-Ephes. vi, Q. 81 ives that not place
Of honor. nay even the highest honor oonoeiv-
able for . creaturef
II John the Baptist, with the inspiration Of
Divine faith, held in suoh veneration even
the latohets of our Lords Shoes so that he de-
clared himsalf unworthy to looss them, shall
we be deemed guilty of superstition who hold
in infinitely greater venerstion the Mother Of
Jesnsf
Zen the poor woman, Afl oted with IN in
durable disease, said within herself: "If only
tonoh the hem Of His garment: shall be heal
cd, }" was her faith superstition She ap.
preached Jesus in crowd, touched Him, aud
was instantly healed. Our Lord, fully know.
Ing tae difference between superstition and
know it. turned to those standing round, and
asked, "Who touched meP St. Peter, snr-
prised, said, Lord. thou seest how they press
Ne :" Mark v. 20 and 3o). Jesus perceived that
special virtne had gone out from Him by the
touch Of the faithful woman, whereupon the
woman, seeing that she was known, fell upon
her knees and Acknowledged that it was she
then our Lord said, "Thy faith hath made thee
WHOLE" Had Bishop Lee been there he would
have probably cried ont against
THE SUPERSTITION OF THE WOMAN,
and instructed her to approach at once to tho
Lord and not stop at the hem, or auy other
portion of His mere garmentl Our Lord, on
the contrary, took pains to declare through the
surrounding crowd, and in the Gospels to all
futare generations, that the woman was right,
that her faith was genuine. Now this is pre-
oisely the faith which Catholics have now, rs
she had then. We honor God above all things
and for His sake we honor oil things that rels te
Him. Bnt the Blessed Virgin is, in refer
enoe to God and in His honor, the highest OF
all creatures. the most closely united to Him,
can be again, the most instrumental in that
perfect work Of salvation, different from all
other mothers ss knowing and choosing of
whom she would be the mother (for the sword
of sorrow wss also to pierce her breast-St.
Luke ii. 35,) Of Him who, as her loved Son
And God, would bs onr Saviour. God made her
worthy to give Him the substance by which
He became the Man, Christ Jesus. Oar Lord
is the bone of her bone, flesh Of her flesh. !
Could anything be nearer to God than the
flesh and blood Of the Blessed Virgin, except
the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ
II, then, she whom God delighted to honor |
30 highly, she who served God as never God |
was loved and adored before, TO be slighted by |
ass Who arc those who refuse honor to the |
NJ NJ C.oH ,,E.ol
protest against the Church, and they are |
usually hidden HISTORIANS, whose pride, in |
Bpired by heresy, alone forbds them from |
honoring her, or causes them to prohibit sin. !
ners, for whom her Divine Son died, from |
having rec purse to her who became Mother of |
God. knowing the fearful cost that sinners |
night be saved; Heretios claim always to |
teach the Church; they know her doctrines I
even better than she herself knows them; |
sdey come to teach the Church, not to be |
Taught by her. |
honor due to God to any creature. Tne Church !
teaches that tae Blessed Virgin is simply |
'restore, saved also by be: Divine Son by pre- |
Gention rather than cure. We do not honor |
her as God or goddess. The Church honors |
1er only with the honors due to her, and which !
'evelation sothorizes and Directs. Heresy !
alone refases honor TO the Mother of the |
Blessed Oae.
You CAN DISTINGUISH A HERETO
from all others if you hear him discourse upon the |
to tue Virgin Mary and paid to her by the |
catholic Church msy invariably be deemed to |
be, as it is, the touohstone of heresy. Let 8 !
Bible-lovipg B Christian take the first chapter |
Of ST. Luke, With its account of the angelic |
atratious in reference to st. John, tho fore
runner of our Lord, and of the holy ap gel |
Gabriel in TIE snnunciation, and We will be !
more likely to uuderStaud the words of st. |
Z AMI in the first chapter to the Hebrews: "Are !
they not all ministering spiriTs sent to minister
for those who shall receive the inheritance of |
salvation :" 1t is in perfect harmony with one !
Of Gods most universal laws, the dependence OF |
His creatures npon one another. This law is !
expressed in revelation as we'll a. written in |
our hearts regarding corporal or physical mat |
ters. and inaSmuch and as really universal % |
the law of gravitation. Children are depend |
ent upon their parents, people on one another, |
crops upon labor, physical health upon the |
proper ase OF food, remedies, phynioana, etc. |
Now the angels and saints are not useless |
creatures in reference to mans salvation, but |
as we repeat in the creed, "We believe in the !
communion of saints" DO the Church acts, and |
there 10 sill shadow of it among AuglioRus,