Year: 1876

WHAT ID TO DE INFERRED. By FAITH. FROM ALL


THESE woNDERsf


Before this glorious collection of miracles,
heaped, 80 to say, one on another, and the
idence of which is obvious to the most ignor-
ant, let rejoice that we are children of toe
holy Catholic Church, which God never ceases
to visit, and to which he continues to give the
pre- eminently divine testimony of miracles
In the beginning, miracles were the great
proof of the truth of faith although they be
now no longer necessary, miracles are mono
the less useful to our Intelligence, and expert
ence shows how powerfully they revive and
console our faith.


But if faith is divine and Absolutely certain,
let us be consistent with ourselves let us prac-
tise it faithfully, enereetically, cost what it
may, without calculating. We have the truth,
we possess the true light and the true life let
us be Christians, let us be fervent. In the
second place, as we have said before, let us
conclude from all these wonders, not only the
legitimacy, but also the excellence, of devotion
to the Blessed Virgin. We live in q time Of
half rationalism; when many Christians them
selves are full of prejudice in regard to piety ;
let us not be led away by this half-Protestant-
ism, and, as true children of the Catholic
Church, ,'let us love, serve, and honor, with all
our strength, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of
God, and Queen of the elect. Provided that
we do not adore her (for alteration, every one
knows, is due to God alone )-provided that we
do not adore her, we are always below what
we o,ce her. Tell me what Christian will love
and honor the Blessed Virgin as much as her
divine Son, our Lord, has loved and honored
her3-


In the third place, let draw from the CON-
temptation of the wonders of Lourdes a Ie-
newal of the spirit of faith and an ardent de-
votion to the mystery of the Immaculate Con-
ception. This mystery is the precious pearl of
our century, and tine shield of the Church in
the struggles of tho latter times which are sp-
preaching.


What, in truth, is the grace of 3he mystery
of tue Immaculate Conception, if it be not the
grace of tbe total triumph of tho Blessed Vir-
gin over Satan3 She crushes his head, and, on
that account, he can do nothing against her.
From Mary this grace of Innocence and of VIC
tory flows to the Church, in order that the
Church may also totally triumph over the old
serpent who, for six Thousand years, has Sc
duced the world. Armed with the grace of the
Immaculate Conception, assisted by her Queen,
the Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, the
Church will crush the serpant's head and
triumph over AntichriSt. All of MS faithful
Catholics, children of Mary, living members
Of Jesus, let us arm ourselves with this same
grace, let us walk in this light, and, following
the beloved steps of the immaculate, of the
Virgin without stain, let us lead life pure
and innocent, strong in faith, faithful to the
Eucharist, fervent in prayer.


The great miracle Of Lourdes, unique in it's
kind, is, as it were, the heavenly browning of
the dogmatic definition of December 8, 1854;
it seems to be the echo, the divine reflection,
thereof The immaculate Virgin and Plus X,
the mystery of the Immaculate Conception ana
that of the Papal Infallibility, should not be
separated either in our minds or in our hearts.


Consolipg evidence of Catholic faith and Of
the excellence of the devotion to, and love of,
the Blessed Virgin; fidelity to the sovereign
grace of the mystery of the Immaculate Con-
ception-such, in the eyes of faith, are the
three first conclusions which shine, like rays
of light, from the marvels which the mercy of
God has made manifest in these last years at
the grotto of Lourdes.


concluded next Eoek.I


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