The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-09

deed, put. Ills Heavenly Father could
not permit a suffering incompatible
with Divine Majesty, namely, that His
mother who was to personify with
Him an implacable enmity toward
Satan should for moment be sub
ject to Satan. No, my friends! Let
us not forget the beautiful words of
a Father of the Church when he says
that He Who has commanded us to
love father and mother, He Himself
would not neglect to fulfill this COM
mandment when He. became man.
Oh great and holy mystery of Di-
vine Condescension! Sweet as it is
profound, .consoling as it is inscru-
table! the Immaculate conception of
the Mother as n preparation for the
miraculous conception Of her Son! Oh,
blessed Mother OF God before thy sub
lime dignity we. stand abashed and
humbled. Thou art enthroned. on
summit in the hierarchy of rational
creatures next to your. Son After
Him, thou art the sweet intermediary
between God yand ] His. rebellious
creatures. The saints have believed
that all the graces3 the world receives
pass through thy, hands. It's very, re-
demption has hung upon, thy word.
Mother of God, yet daughter of Adam
still, thou hast stood in need of Re-
deemer; but as at the end of thy holy
days was reserved for thee a glorious
Assumption, so AT their. beginning the
most perfect means Of, redemption
were reserved for thee to whom the
king of kings could say. fear not
thou shalt not die, for this law is not
made for. thee, but for all, others"
Truly, oh Mother of God, honor of thy
people many daughters have gathered
together riches but thou hast surpass-
ed them ALL"
Meaning of The Feast.
The feast of our Immaculate Mother
means much more to us than to the
common lot of men. The word
mother as Mary's grand title, holds
for US a particular significance. Mary
is the mother of the priest, for whom
she exhibits all a mothers love and
a mothers undying devotion. From
her the great Highpriest took His
earthly life; to her the gentlest priest
Of all whom Jesus loved was given in
particular sonship. Now, it is the
office of the priest to heal the souls
OF men wounded by original sin. What
Igreater recourse in that healing that
| she, the perfect exemplar OF redeemed
yet unstained nature; recalling the
glory of man before the Fall! 1t is
the honor Of the priest to wear the
royal livery OF the Priesthood of the
Master &
A robe SO costly and so rare.
| So wonderfully rare!
Woe to the hand profane
Woe to the heart ungraciods,
Woe to the tongue unheeding
Would dare cast a stain
On vestme1t made SO precious
BY snch costly bleeding.
The protection of Mary in keeping
that robe unsullied cannot be over.
valued. It is lastly the glory of the
priest to extend the kingdom, of the
Sacred Heart, a kingdom not of this
world. Take then, as your motto ''per
matrem ad cor Fill" through the
mother to the heart OF the Son. Write
| it in your nemery that 1t may never
be effaeed. You, / am sure, viii pass
tby, UNDECIDED those who, unable to
measure the dignity of the Mother of
God, would have us believe that SO
much honor rendered to her is incom-
patible with the supreme worship and
alteration offered to the. Sovereign.
Deity. Rather with the saints who
loved her, q sBerchmanns, an Al
Iphonsus, Dominic make, I beseech
you, your love for the Blessed Virgin
the distinguishing badge OF your
sacred order. Make your heart her
ishrine. Choose as your familiar i'm
vocation Or her for all the days Of your
life until the last, that prayer which
she loves to hear 20 Mary conceived
without sin pray for us who have re.
course to thee.