The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-06-03


And what was that priceless gift?
Was it freedom from poverty and
want? No. For she was poorest Of
the poor. Was 1t immunity from care
and pain and sorrow? No; for she
was queen of martyrs. Was it honors
and distinctions and great name in
this world? No; for she was unknown
to men, and her life was hidden and
obscure. Was it anything whatever
that this world admires and prizes
No; nothing. Worldlings may value
wealth and honors and comfort and
ease, and a great name, and the first
place in the courts of kings, and they
may detest want and suffering and
lhumiliations.
But God sees things not as they. ap-
pear to men, but as they really are,
and hence He esteems least what the
world esteems most; and He prizes
most what the world prizes least. To
have decked out His mother, with
perishable worldly wealth and pomp
and glory and renown would have
been but sorry compliment. No.
He would not insult her by offering her
such empty, worthless baubles, any
more than great king would insult
queen whom he wished to honor by
offering her a tinsel crown or a string
of paltry glass beads. No, thousand
times, no. Vile things He leaves to
the vile, and vain things to the vain,
but in dealing with His blessed mother
He would select nothing less than the
most costly jewel in His treasury, and
that He would present to her as a
portion alone worthy of her exalted
dignity.
Hence we see that the gift which
He bestowed upon her was one which
UNNECESSARILY surpasses every other,
viz: the plenitllde of divine grace, and
entire exemption from all sin. He
made her soul so beautiful, so spot
less and so pure that the snow that
crowns the great mountain tops and
which no human foOtstep can reach
to defile, is not so dazzling white.
The very lily as it first unfolds its
petals to the early summer sun is not
so free from stain and blemish.
Jesus Christ, Who died for all, and
for Mary as well as for others, pur-
chased for her even higher privilege
than was granted to the rest of the
race. For, while others are washed
from the stain of their sins by the
streams of His precious blood, Mary
was preserved from ever contracting
any stain.
But, my brethren, what tremen
dous lesson this dogma teaches us
Here we contemplate not an ordinary
king, but the real King of kings, inf
nitely rich and infinitely powerful
about to bestow the greatest favor
He can think of upon her whom He
loves beyond all, yea, above saints and
martyrs and above angels and arch
angels And what is this? What?
1t is spotless purity. Entire freedom
from every sin, and the plentitude OF
grace
Oh, how priceless a thing is limo
cence. Oh great and omnipotent God
is there, then, nothing in all the length
and breadth of Thy infinite treasury
of higher value than this? No!
Assuredly not; for if there were,
| Thou wouldst have bestowed it upon
her who holds the highest place in
Thy affections.
Oh! what indeed must be the
malignity of sin, whose mere breath
can spoil and poison and defile all it
reaches!
God found no difficulty in allowing
Our Lady to suffer: "a sword of
sorrow shall pierce thy heart" nor
did He refuse to let her grieve and
weep; "great as the sea is thy sor-
row." nor to be poor and an outcast,
for there was no room for her in the
inns of Bethlehem" No. He let her
taste all the bitterness of His own
passion. Because these things are
not really evil, but, on the contrary,
most precious to those who can recog-
nize their worth. There was but one
thing He would never permit her to
lendure, and that is the real ignominy
and degradation of sin. No. She at
least, the mother of the infinitely per-
feet God, must know no sin. This
privilege is magnificent, is unique, is
unparalleled! True, but it is hers
Thou art all fair, o Mary, and the
stain of sin is not in thee. Thou art
the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the
| joy of Israel; thou art the honor OF
thy people"