St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-30
ALTERATION OF THE VIRGIN.
Father Fitzpatrick Reminds His
Flock of Their Duty in, Nav


Father Fitzpatrick preached the ser
mon at the cathedral yesterday. He
took his text from the words of st.
Paul: LET us go to the throne of
grace that we may find mercy"
ga devotion that has become almost
universal in the Catholic church is the
beautiful devotion to the Mother of
God, which obtains during the month
of May, month suitable above all
the first flowers of spring are brought
to adorn the Blessed Virgins altar
and the sweet and balmy zephyrS
make the evenings delightful.
There are many Catholics, though 9TH
erwise piously disposed, who take little
OF no part in these devotions to the
mother of God. After they attain GER
tain age they begin to reason for them
selves, and, in consequence, drop all
minor devotions. 1t is then question
whether this devotion is one of senti-
ment or piety. To refute the idea of
sentiment we only have to consider that
the mother of God is the parent and the
guide and light of every Christian. She
is the pureSt guide of every Christian.
1t is physical fact that man is an imi-
tative being. He moulds his life after
some pattern he has in view. His life,
then, will be elevated or lowered accord
ing as he selects his model. The mother
amiable, the most sublime. God created
man pure and innocent, after His own
image and likeness. but after he had
fallen from this state, a consciousness
of his fallen dignity came over him, and
since then he has been trying to elevate
his life. Nations and states have had
erected monuments and statues to their
great men to do honor to their memo
ries. The church, too, has erected to
her saints statues and monuments to
commemorate their virtues; but
high above them all stands the
Blessed Virgin. She alone knew
not the stain of sin. She came
into this world without sin and re-
manned through life pure and undefiled.
Hence she can be held up before all as
pure and noble model, and as one
looking into the pure and limpid waters
of some beautiful lake sees mirrored
there the beauties of the surrounding
scenery, so one looking into the soul of
the Blessed Virgin sees there the per-
more like that of our Saviour than that
of the mother of God? She was raised
above every human creature. The
Canticles, referring to her, say: ''Thou
are most fair" She is model sub
lime and simple. Men are of unequal
intelligence, some being more gifted
than others; the model must satisfy all.
When men contemplate God they are
filled, to some extent, with sentiments of
fear. No so, however, with the Blessed
Virgin. Unlike God. she was creature
knowing and experiencing human trials
and hardships. She was mother, and
therefore with the heart of a mother.
Simple, she isg alike amiable, and adj
dresses herself to the hearts of men.
She knows the sufferings. and misfOrt-
uneS of mankind, for did she not follow
/! her son from the stable at Bethlehem to
! the cross on Calvary? Amiable, she is
alike simple and accessible. She re-
and Sufferings. st. Bernard says:
i"She is mercy ITSELF" No sooner was
it manifested that God would become
man than a sentiment of love went
(. out for God; no sooner was it
understood that God was to have
mother, than deep and mighty senti-
ment of love went out to her. She fig
ures from the beginning in the cata-
combs, and when the artists in those
days wished torepresentt the ideal woman
they made paintings of the Blessed Vir-
gin. In antiquity the type of woman
was represented as the mother; the
virgin mother is the typical woman of
christianity. A natural devotion arose
ito the blessed Virgin Mary. There
always have been souls in the world
who loved purity. In antiquity there
was no sanctity without purity, and so
to-day there are souls who despise
sensual pleasures and find in the
mother of God a pattern from
which to model their lives.
She is clear-sighted because she is a
mother. Does not the mother read the
heart of her child? Has she not pre-
sentiments of impending evil? But the
mother of God is the most clear-Sighted
of all. She sees our sorrows, our Attic
tons, our misfortunes. Who is more
powerful to intercede for us than the
Blessed Virgin? Did she not hasten the
redemption OF man by her vows and
tears, and join her sufferings with those
of her son? Hence it is that confidence
in her is just, rational. and legitimate.
Our faith in her should be constant, and
our confidence filial.