The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-12-13

conception, and whose soul, from that
instant until her departure from this
world, was like a placid lake receiv-
ing into its bosom from all sides the
rivers and streamlets flowing from
the, ocean of Gods grace, until, at the
close of her life, it ebbed back with
all its sparkling tributaries into the
boundless depths from which they
were derived.
/ Mary is the beautiful bow on life's
dark cloud. Her star shines upon the
child; it sheds its radiance upon the
man; it guides declining age to the
vision of the celestial Sun. It kindles
the fire of love in every heart. 1t is a
light that cannot be put out. If we
travel over life's tempestuous sea and
disregard the Star of the Ocean we
shall be wrecked on the voyage; ii
we sail under the guidance of it's I'm.
dimmed ray we will arrive safely in
the port of Paradise.
Let Us Initiate Mary.
And. my brethren, If we wish to
sail under Mary's protection we must
initiate Mary's virtues. Let us then
copy her faith, who received Gods
message by the angel without a
doubt; her patience, who endured St.
Joseph's surprise without a word;
her Obedience who went up to Bethle-
hem and bore our Lord in the stable;
her fortitude, whose heart the sword
went through. But II there is one
virtue more than another that would
wish to inculcate on this glorious
feast-this feast of her Immaculate
Conception-it is the virtue which is
synonymous with her name, the vir-
tue of purity. Would that we were
without stain as she was; but alas!
that is past. We can only emulate
her fidelity to grace, as it is impossi-
BILE to reach her purity of soul. Let
us then resolve on this day when
heaven and earth triumph in the cele-
bration of her Immaculate Conception
to never, by word or act, do anything
that will pierce her heart anew.
Should we hear scoffers ridicule her
proud prerogative let it only confirm
us in our determination to be faithful
to the Virgin of Virgins. She is, as
a non-Catholic poet has so beautifully
said of her, she is "our tainted ma
lures solitary boast" and let us be
proud of her. Readers of the Sacred
Scripture feel their hearts glow even
yet when they come to that passage
which tells them how the Jewish
maiden went out from her mountain
city into the Vale of Bethulia and
with her own hand smote down the
leader of the hosts that beset her
countrymen. And If Judith of old,
who thus served her people by slay-
ing the tyrant Holofernes, deserved
on her return to be called the glory
of Jerusalem and the Joy of Israel"
may not we, with infinitely more rea'
son, call Mary our glory and our JOY,
she who has not merely killed a pow.
erful general, but who has rescued the
whole human race and crushed with
her virginia. foot it's enslaver? And
as she is our glory and our Joy let us
make her our pattern. What shall
lead us through the narrow way, what
shall make the crooked straight but
the guiding hand of Mary? What
shall ease our minds, what shall COM
fort us in our discouragements but
the silent whisper of Mary? What
shall strengthen us in our conflict
with evil, what shall raise us after
our falls but a loving communion with
her? What shall sustain US when
mortal frame trembles under the
shadow of the tempter, what shall
bring balm to our wounded hearts but
the cool breath of the lily of Israel
and the fragrance of the rose of Sha-
ron? So much did she love her purity
that rather than relinquish her vir-
ginity she was willing to lose Christ
for Son. Oh, let US be prepared to
make sacrifices! When temptations
come-and come they will-let us be
equal to the occasion. You have read
in that beautiful poem how, when the
youth was tempted, he braved the
perils of the mountain pass rather
than incur the danger Of sin. He was
true to the device of his banner.
"A tear stood in his bright blue eye,
But still he answered, with sigh,
'Excelsior!'"
Let our motto be like his! Let our
flag be inscribed with Mary Immacu'
late! Let us be true to our colors!
Let us go to her for the royal heart
of innocence! Let us vindicate the
glory of our Mother by the sanctity
of our words and the purity of our
deeds! Doing this we shall never be
without consolation, we shall never
be without comfort; for, to quote the
words read in the Mass of the Vigil
of this feast: "Her spirit is sweete1
than the honey, and her heritage than
tho honovconnh Thew that pat shall