The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-12-30
Continued from page y
A ROMAN NEW YEARS EVE.

mentioned platform was plainly
discerned a large fresco in various
colors. This is one of the most pre-
cious remains OF ancient Christian art
precious from dogmatic as well as
from an artistic viewpoint. For it is
none other than the Oldest known
picture of our Blessed Lady. In fact
its date has been assigned by the most
eminent archaeologists to the latter
part of the first century-hence not
many years after the precious death
of the Blessed Mother of God.
The Mother and Child.
The picture represents matronly
looking female of noble mien and
great beauty, seated on sort of
divan. On her lap is an infant whose
very glance bespeaks mature judg-
ment and intelligence. united to the
winsomeness so peculiar to young chill
dren of naturally cheerful DISPOSE
ton. The most artless candor beams
forth from the upturned countenance.
What thoughts succeeded one.
another with lightning speed as the
eye remained fixed and riveted on
that ineffable scene! Here in the very
depths of the earth a Christian artist
of the first century, one, perhaps, who
had seen the Immaculate Mary, had
given and consigned to posterity
palpable, visible proof of that devo
ton which has proved the heirloom
of our Christian heritage. In order
to leave no mistake or equivocation as
to his intention, he had placed in front
of the Mother and Child prophet of
venerable aspect, holding volume
under one arm, and with outstretched
finger pointing to a star that cleaned
over the head of the Virgin-the scrip
tural and traditional symbol of her
who is styled, the Star of Jacob.
The equally learned and pious
knight Commander, Professor Horace
Marucchi- of the greatest living
authorities on Roman Archaeology
stood beside me, and in glowing terms
delivered short discourse on the
historic and artistic value of the
painting before us-a discourse that
was also loving tribute to the Mother
Of God. As he waxed eloquent his
voice trembled with emotion, and
turning to friend who had accom-.
| panied me, he suggested that we offer
a prayer to the Queen of Heaven. My
friend intoned that triumphant canticle
of praise-the Magnificent. AS the
notes of the first verse rose sweetly,
everyone present caught the enthusi-
asm of the moment. and the long,
winding galleries soon reechoed with
the glorious and earnest outburst Of
praise from the many persons who
had in the meantime gathered about
That which rendered the scene so I'M
pressive was the fact that there were
there assembled together representa-
tives from every part of the known
world-seminarians from the various
foreign colleges of Rome, and espe-
cially from that great cosmopolitan
center of learning, the Propaganda.
i What a subject for reflection! There
after the lapse of nearly nineteen
centuries, the same faith that sent
myriads of heroes to glorious death
now lived, now thrived, now breathed
forth on the lips of the whole world,
here represented, in those very same
accents first uttered by the. Queen of
Angels. She had foretold: "All nations
shall call me blessed" And was not
this, in way, a literal fulfillment OF
that divine prophecy? Did not the
whole world here rise up and call her
blessed? That same faith had been
borne aloft pure and unsullied through
i tempest and affliction; neither time
nor the power of evil had succeeded
in dimming it's luster. individuals had
proved faithless, nations had partially
fallen away, and yet the faith stood
i firm, and all nations called Mary
blessed. There was but one sad note
in this symposium of joy, and it was
that some had voluntarily placed
themselves outside the number OF
those who were to call Mary blessed.
Our dissenting brethren who, after
their shipwreck in the sixteenth
century, still retained some vestige OF
the Masters teaching, had, more un-
fortunately even than the Oriental
heretics, thrown away that which per-
haps might have regained for them
their lost title to grace-the devotion
| to Mary. And a fervent prayer went
up from the depths Of that first
century oratory that soon, walking in
the fulness OF true light, they also
! might unite their voices with ours,
and the whole world. without distinc-
ton of race. color, or cline, rising up
in its mighty strength, might burst
forth in reverberating tones OF
thunder, singing in grand unison and
accord those sweet and endearing
i words: All nations shall, nay, do and
ever shall call me blessed"