Year: 1874

oA<SoS
of the great st. Ambrose: Z" What can be more
noble than tho Mother of Godf What can
exceed in brightness her whom the Brightness
itself has chosenf What can be moro chaste
than she who has been raised to the dignity of
q virgin maternity She q virgin, not in
person only, but also in mind. Humble of
heart, grave of utterance, prudent in mind,
| reserved in speech, fond of reading, placing her
| trust not in uncertain riches, but rather in the
prayers of the poor, intent on her work,
modest in her words, wont to refer her
thoughts to God as their judge rather than to
| man. careful to hurt no one, full of good will
to all, enemy to all boasting, listener to
reason, and lover of virtue"


And St. Peter Chrysologus exclaims: %
most Blessed Virgin to whom it has been
given to unite the glory of virginity with the
dignity of Motheri"


The festivals of Mary are beautiful mirrors
world may see reflected therein the grand
truths and the consoling mysteries of our holy
Faith. The life of Mary is the shining warp
on which is woven the marvellous woof of
Gods love and benedictions to man. We can
not separate these divine and human threads,
for the whole exquisite web of Christianity is
~
whiie we contemplate it's sublime workman
ship, we can only wonder at and adore the
infinite grace and power of the Almighty
Artist hand.


The Virgin in her maternal character is held
up before the world as o sweet consolation to
the Christian heart, and as a bright example to
all who wish to walk in the way that leads to
life eternal. We reminded that there are
tyo TO uhou, oil Tod INV
ties of kindred or of grace-Eve, by whom we
lost our robes of innocence, and Mary, by
whom gained crown of happy immor-
talitv. Eve, who drew US far from the
threshold of our Fathers house, and Mary,
whom the Church SO truly styles the "Gate of
Heaven"


This last title of our Blessed Mother reveals
to us the whole mystery of the maternity, aud
presents to us the sacred history of her Son.


The life of Mary is the life of Christ-and it
is wonder that in the ages of Faith, Art
portrayed this Virgin Mother in a thousand
different ways; but representing her as
the type of all that is hoiest, purest, best in
womanhood.


The Madonna and Child, whether delineated
on the painters canvass the glorious Queen
of Heaven with the babe enthroned upon her





ing her infant to her breast ever conveyed 10
the Christian mind the same sweet story of
Gods love for man and the marvellous means
by which the Creator draws to Himself the
hearts of his creatures.


In her Maternity, Mary is truly the Gate of
Heaven, since, through her shining portals, the
Lord passed down to Earth from Heaven, and
through the archway of her prayers, we, poor
al hop dav To To Cnd


Every phase of Mary's life is admirable and
most wonderful-her Immaculate Conception
her Annunciation, are mysteries of Gods conde-
scension and of Mary's excellence; but these
privileges were but the destined way that led
to her sublime maternity. At this point of the
interviewer lives of the creature and it's
Creator, the mind of man loses itself in won
der and in awe, and can but repeat the
rapturous words of st. Cyril: "Hail Mary,
who in your virgin womb contained Him who
is immense and incomprehensible! Through
whom the only begotten Son of God has shone
the light to those who sat in darkness and in
the shades of deathw


The Church in one of her most beautiful
hymns, calls upon Mary as the Mother of
Mercy, and represents the faithful as the poor
banished children of Eve sending up their
sighs and supplications to their holy Queen
from this valley of tears. Thus do we learn
how the maternity of Mary is plea on our
behalf. and how We appeal from the WRONG
worked upon by one mother, to the love and
clemency prepared for us in the heart of an
other.


Behold your mother This was the Ssviours !
legacy to his beloved ones, when from the
throne and altar of the cross, he spoke with |
all the power of a king and all the mercy of O |
priest Given to us thus, the Catholic heart |
clings to the Virgin Mother, and constantly |
reminds her of its claims upon her mercy and |
protection. Protestants, who profess to
honor and believe in Christ, to revere His
words and to follow in His footsteps, are
strangely Indifferent to this, his dying testa-
meut:


Behold your mother! Look at her we'll in |
order to learn true virtue, in order to know
how to be pleasing unto Me!