Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-07


powerful than emperors and kings He real
lied that material force which, like every
thing else, comes from God, is yet the most
eflcaciouS means of action in the hands of
his servants, and that he is truly charitable
who constrains humanity to work out its sal
vatonn
"I.n said the father who looked after the
garden prefer Saint Fiacre. lie was, in
this mortal life, only poor man who worked
his best at his trade, and lived in the fear of
God. But, truly, the greater part of the
people in the world are poor and humble,
and we must show them examples of virtues
that they can understand and initiate"
AT that moment peasant passed in the
path at the foot of the terrace with his pick
AK over his shoulder. The prior called him
politely, and said:
eff you We're rich enough 10 build a church,
to whom would you consecrate itl'
The peasant answered:
Il do not wish to speak i'll of God, or of the
Virgin Mary, or any of the other saints in
paradise; but if you wish to know my idea
would choose st. Cucuiin. | have the most
confidence i'll him. for it was he who cured
my COW and caused me to find three pullets
l had lost"
A few moments utter, a young woman APP
peared at the turn of the path. Poorly but
dcccntly clad, she carried nursing in her
arms and held another child 10y the hand.
The Prior asked her the same question he
had propounded to the peasant.
The woman replied without hesitation, Il
would dedicate the church to the Mother of
God"
And why:'
because she is a mother"
Norbert had remained silent until that mo-
..I., 1.l..
of the VESTS gold and purple. When he heard
tue wonlans reply
80, woman, said he, "well hast thou
spoken. But for me it is not to Mary, the
Mother of God, but to the Virgin Mary l
would consecrate this temple
Suddenly, the steward OF the convent, stout
and tOrid with "a fat face and very small
| eyes, advanced into the midst OF the monks
"My fathers, lie said IF you will believe
me, it is not to God the Father, or the Son,
| to the Holy Ghost, to Saint Gregory, Saint
| Onuphre, Saint Fiacro, or Saint Cucuiin,
/ that YOU will dedicate your church 1t would
be--craving your pardon-to the good Saint
| Ildefonse.'
| And your reason Father?n demanded the
/ Prior.
because that is the name of the Duke
whose vassals we are. 1t would please him.
and might perhaps prevent him from levying
eXtortionate taxes upon us under the plea
that we are rich. One must disarm the
! powerful, if possible, by civlity; for the
times are evil, and there is less regard paid
now than formerly, to churchmen and poor
/ monks. Moreover, every temple
belongs first of all to God and after
you have given his part to our worth suzerain,
nothing will prevent you from adjoining your
Ia Of II1l,-
all the saints you please
After Il lively discussion they agreed to
take the stewards advice. 1t was decided
that the great portal should be surmounted
by a statue of Saint Ildefonse. A little above,
the Virgin Mary will be placed and, at the
point of the gable, Christ on the cross.
Norbert was to sculpture these three fig
ures.
He carved without much zeal the figure of
Saint Ildefonse. Not being exactly certain
what profession the saint had followed dur
| ing his lifetime, Norbert made him knight
to please the Duke. He posed him straight
and stiff in his iron armor, joining upon his
breast, with the utmost exacttude, the enor-
nous fingers of his gauntleted hands. This
was quickly finished.
Then from a block of granite, he carved
Jesus upon the cross. Truly, this
Christ seemed to have gathered upoL himself
the vastness OF human mlsery---the despair of
the starving, the distress of the forsaken, the
fortunes of the sick, the madmen, of lepers,
OF those who are filled or tortured-all the
sutIerings of the flesh. Yet, at the same
time, his face counSeled resignation, and
while the bleedlng body SAID anguish, "
the head, though crowned with thorns said
clearly, Hope"
And now, my son. said the prior to him,
"may God guide your hand so that you will
give us a fitting image Of the Virgin Mary
with the infant Jesus in her arms
But" said Norbert, should she not be
represented i'll the aspect that would best
please heri"
"Well," said the prior sis not her noblest
title that of the Mother Of Godl'
YES" answered Norbert: "byt TO nv
mind | would honor her more highly nv
showing her, not in her glory but rather in
tho attitude of the virtues by which she
merited that glory. II she shows herself tc
Us bearing in her arms Cod even though
an infant how can we make our prayers tc