Chapter II: Part 2

Mary's separating love for GOD was the outcome of GOD'S separating love for Mary. Her very vow of virginity, which, humanly speaking, made it impossible for her to be the Mother of the Messias, was part of GOD'S plan, separating her from the rest of the world for this honour. When GOD wants something done, He separates the soul which He has chosen to do it, though at the moment the soul may be wholly unconscious of the reasons for the process which gives it so much pain. The separation may be one of place, or family, or affections, or cherished hopes and plans. GOD'S separating love takes various forms: but in some way or other He must and will separate from self those whom He intends to use for His service. St Paul says of himself that GOD separated him from his earliest infancy. (Gal. i. 15.) None would have guessed that he was separated when he was haling the Christians to death and persecuting the Church of GOD beyond measure. We understand so little of GOD'S plans, and of His preparation of souls for His service. St Paul tells us that later he was "separated unto the Gospel of GOD." (Rom. i. 1.) And when Our Lord wanted him for a special mission, the order went forth to the Church: "Separate me Saul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have taken them."

Help me, my Mother, to co-operate with grace, lest I hinder GOD'S designs for me; and while _His_ love is a separating one, may mine be the same--a love strong enough to separate me from all but His Will.

_Colloquy_ with Mary, asking her to obtain for me the grace
to say with her: "How shall this be done?" whenever the
least thing comes between me and my duty to GOD.

_Resolution._ To let nothing to-day separate me from the love
of GOD. (Rom. viii. 39.)

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "How shall this be done?"

Mary's Second Word

"_The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the
Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy,
which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of GOD.
And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to
me according to Thy word._" (St Luke i. 35, 38.)

_1st Prelude._ Picture of the Annunciation.

_2nd Prelude._ Grace to meditate more deeply on the _First
Joyful Mystery_.

_Point I._--GABRIEL'S EXPLANATION

In answer to Mary's question, the Angel explains quite simply how GOD'S plans are to be brought about. "_The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee._" No prophecy had ever said a word of this; the agency of the Holy Ghost had never been hinted at till the Angel made it known to Mary to quiet her legitimate trouble. And as soon as Mary knew that it was to be the work of the Holy Ghost, she was at rest--all trouble disappeared. Do I follow my Mother's example in this? As soon as I know that whatever is being asked of me is the Holy Spirit's doing, am I at rest? Is there no more trouble, no more indecision, no more questioning, even though the inspiration may seem to be going to upset my plans, and may be contrary to all that has hitherto seemed right? It is not necessary to _understand_ GOD'S dealings with me, but as soon as I know that they are His dealings, it _is_ necessary to co-operate at whatever cost--otherwise there will be trouble in my soul. The co-operation with the work of the Holy Spirit will produce a calm and a peace which no exterior things, however changed they may be, will have the power to disturb.

And then the Angel tells her about her cousin Elizabeth and the miraculous things which are happening to her, in order to prove to Mary that "no word is impossible with GOD"--that He, the GOD of nature, has power over nature's laws--that when he makes such promises as she has just heard, "the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of GOD," all will be fulfilled.

_Point II._--MARY'S SECOND WORD

Then Mary speaks again: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to Thy word." She gives her consent, shows herself ready to co-operate with GOD; and at the same moment, the Word is made Flesh; Gabriel adores the GOD-Man, as he had pledged himself to do at the time of the War in Heaven, and, his mission accomplished, departs from her.

St Bernadine calls this second word: "A flame of _transforming_ love" (_flamma amoris transformantis_). It was certainly _love_ that prompted the word, but in what sense was it a _transforming_ love?

(1) _It was a transformation for Mary._ Her first word _separated_ her for Him Who loved her; her second word _transformed_ her into Him Who loved her. It made them for ever one. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." Here I am for Thee to do whatever Thou wilt with me. I put no obstacle in Thy way. _Fiat._ "Be it done to me according to Thy word." This word was not only the outcome and the proof of her perfect union with GOD, it was also the turning point of her life--and not only of her life but of the life of the whole world. Heaven--and earth too, though unconsciously--was waiting for this word of Mary's, a word which she could have withheld. The word was spoken, and by it she lent herself to GOD as His co-worker; by it she was transformed from a maid into a mother, and in that moment of transformation she saw all that it meant--she saw Calvary, and she said _Fiat_. "Be it done to me." She saw herself transformed into the image of Christ (2 Cor. iii. 18) by pain and suffering, and yet she would not withhold her _Fiat_. Why? Because she _loved_, and from that moment the transforming process was ever going on in her soul; and the flame of transforming love was ever burning more brightly, showing her the way to greater heights and deeper depths of the love of GOD, and so transforming her at each further step, that she shrank from nothing.

(2) _It was a transformation for the world._ This word of Mary's, by which she gave her consent to GOD'S plan of Redemption, changed the face of the whole world. It began a new era--A.D. instead of B.C. It settled the moment of the arrival of the "fulness of time" (Gal. iv. 4)--of GOD'S time. As a result of it, GOD was already tabernacling among men. The leaven of the Gospel, which was to leaven the whole world, was already beginning to work. Mary's word produced a transformation in the world, and though it "knew Him not," it was never the same world again.

(3) This word is a _transformation for the soul_ which makes it its own. Any soul which really says: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to Thy word," is transformed, for it is "made conformable to the image of His Son." (Rom. viii. 29.) Nothing but love has the power to bring about this transformation in the soul, for it means the effacement of self; it means a readiness to do GOD'S will at whatever cost; it means a holy indifference to one's own plans and theories and even judgment--it means what it says: "_Fiat_," for everything that GOD arranges. When this is so there is a complete transformation; the selfish soul becomes selfless; the weak, strong; the timid, courageous; the hesitating, decided; the doubting, confident; the agitated, peaceful and calm. Heaven has already begun in the soul. Love--GOD'S love for it first, and then its love for GOD--has transformed it.

Are these great things possible for me? Yes, quite possible. How was Mary transformed? By Christ dwelling within her. How was the world transformed? By Christ dwelling within it. And this is how I am to be transformed, by Christ dwelling within me. Each Communion should be to me a "flame of transforming love." It is then that, in answer to the appeal: "My child, give Me thy heart," I say to Him: "Be it done to me according to Thy word," and He comes to do what He will in my heart; and if only I put no obstacles in His way, His love will transform me into all that He wants me to be.

_Colloquy_ with Our Lady, asking her to get me the grace of
submission, which alone can transform me.

_Resolution._ To do nothing to-day to hinder the transforming
process in me.

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae et
concepit de Spiritu Sancto."

Mary's Third Word

"_And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted
Elizabeth._" (St Luke i. 40.)

_1st Prelude._ Mary saluting Elizabeth.

_2nd Prelude._ The grace of Charity.

_Point I._--MARY'S CHARITY

When the Angel left her, Mary's thoughts seem to have been fixed, not, as we should have expected, on the part of the heavenly message which concerned herself, but on what had been incidentally revealed to her about her cousin Elizabeth. What a total oblivion of self there is in Mary and what charity! She picks out just the little bit of the message that concerns somebody else, decides that it is not for nothing that she has been told this--it may be that her cousin has need of her; and so, instead of giving herself up to dwelling on the great things that have been said and done to her, she rises up in those days and goes into the hill country, with haste, to pay a visit of charity. And she takes JESUS with her.

Mary is my model, and I can surely find some lessons to study here. One is that charity passes before everything, even sometimes before spiritual exercises and contemplation and meditation, going to Mass and Benediction. I see too that though I must be ever mindful of GOD'S benefits, I need not dwell too much--if at all--on the interior graces He has given to my soul; on any words of praise--though they may have come almost directly from Himself; on any piece of work that He has effected through my instrumentality. It is far more wholesome to be rising up to go to the next duty, starting forth into the hill country of difficulties, if need be, and thus taking my thoughts off myself by doing something for somebody else. I shall not, by thus acting, lose any of the graces or any of the sweetness, for I shall take JESUS with me, and together we shall face the difficulties of the next bit of life's journey.

_Point II._--MARY'S SALUTATION

She _saluted_ Elizabeth. We are not told what this salutation was, but we know that words were spoken, because Elizabeth _heard_ them. "The voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears," she says. It was probably just the form of salutation customary among the Jews: "The Lord is with you!" But what a different meaning the words have on Mary's lips! She, the Mother of the Word Incarnate, has brought Him with her to the house of Zachary. The Lord Himself is indeed there in a way that He has never been before. John the Baptist, yet unborn, understands the salutation, and leaps to adore his GOD; and at that moment JESUS, Whose work on earth has already begun, cleanses His Forerunner from the stain of original sin. Elizabeth also understands in what sense the words are spoken; for the Holy Ghost, Who has been doing great things for her too, has communicated to her the heavenly secret about the Mother and the Child. She is expectant and ready for her Visitors, and when Mary gives her wondrous salutation: "The Lord is with you," filled with the Holy Ghost she answers: "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb"; and then she thinks of the great honour which GOD is showing to her home by permitting Mary with her Child to visit it. "Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" Next she tells Mary of the joy that has been caused within her, and adds: "Blessed art thou that hast believed, for all that the Lord hath spoken about the Child will now be accomplished."

Thus Mary receives the blessed assurance that all is true--not that she doubted, and not that she needed any confirmation, but it must, nevertheless, have been a comfort to her to hear herself called "The Mother of my Lord," and that by one who had not heard the news from any human lips.

It was because Elizabeth was "filled with the Holy Ghost" that she saw all so clearly and believed that Mary was indeed the Mother of GOD. It is a truth which many people in the twentieth century have not yet grasped. The reason is that they have not yet grasped the meaning of the Incarnation.

"_Nos cum prole pia benedicat Virgo Maria._" ("May Mary the Virgin bless us with her Holy Child.")

_Point III._--MARY'S THIRD WORD

St Bernardine describes this third word as a "flame of _communicating_ love" (_flamma amoris communicantis_.) No sooner has Mary become "the Mother of fair love" than she wants to communicate that love to others--not to communicate her secret--no, of that she does not speak--but to let the flame of love, which is burning within her, reach others also. So it is not Mary only, but JESUS within her, Who "makes haste" to go into the "hill country." He is in a hurry to begin His work. It is JESUS, Divine Love, Who enters into the house of Zachary and salutes Elizabeth. It is the Heart of JESUS, burning already with love for sinners, which speaks to the heart of John. It is because GOD, Who for love of us men became incarnate, is communicating that love to her, that Elizabeth is able to grasp so clearly the mysteries by which she is surrounded. Ah, yes, Mary's third word is indeed one of communicating love, because she communicates to all around her, JESUS, Who is love.

O Mother of fair love, why do the poor banished children of Eve so continually turn to thee? Is it not just because of this flame of communicating love? Is it not because they know that to go to Mary is to go to JESUS; that when they appeal to the heart of Mary it is the Heart of JESUS which answers through her; that her chief work is to communicate His love to them?

Three months Mary abode in Zachary's house, and all that time the flame of communicating love abode there too, burning ever more brightly within her. What a privilege for the house of Zachary! We read in Sacred History that once "the Ark of the Lord abode in the house of Obededom the Gethite for three months; and the Lord blessed Obededom and all his household." (2 Kings vi. 11.) What then must have been the blessings bestowed on Zachary's household, while Mary the "Ark of the Covenant" abode there! "_Foederis arca, ora pro nobis._" Pray that we too may get the blessings of those who receive thee as their constant guest.

But Mary is my example. Is there anything in which I can copy her in her visit to her cousin Elizabeth? Let me make a self-examination on a few points suggested by this meditation.

Am I in _haste_ to perform acts of charity, especially when the request for them comes at inconvenient moments?

Do I always take JESUS with me when I go to visit my friends?

Do those whom I visit feel that I create an atmosphere--an atmosphere which makes them more ready to bless JESUS and Mary?

These things can only be so by my having a flame of communicating love within me. Where can I get it? At each communion, when JESUS comes to me in the Sacrament of His Love. And if I put no hindrance in His way, He will communicate Himself to others through me. Let me, then, aim at being a Christ-bearer. "Glorify and bear Christ in your body." (1 Cor. vi. 20.) It is often through His children that JESUS does His work in the world, and communicates His love to others.

_Colloquy_ with our Lady.

_Resolution._ To be a Christ-bearer to all whom I greet,
remembering that even a little act of politeness may turn the
scale in the conversion of a soul. A visit paid, a word
dropped in conversation, may be a necessary part of GOD'S
plans.

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Flamma amoris communicantis."

Mary's Fourth Word

_And Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord."_

_1st Prelude._ Mary saying the _Magnificat_.

_2nd Prelude._ Grace to catch something of the spirit in
which she said it.

_Point I._--THE MAGNIFICAT

As soon as Elizabeth has finished "crying out with a loud voice" her praise of Mary and of JESUS, and of the benefits GOD has wrought for herself and her son, Mary speaks, and in the longest of her recorded "words" gives vent to the thoughts pent up in her breast. She at once closes the door against any praise given to herself: "My soul doth magnify the _Lord_"--He it is Whom we must praise and make much of--"and my spirit hath rejoiced in GOD my Saviour." Mary understands what it is that is making her so full of joy. It is the presence of JESUS her _Saviour_. She has Him within her, Who has saved her from the stain of original sin, and Who will save her each moment that she lives from actual sin. Well may her spirit rejoice!

She goes on to explain more fully the cause of her joy and exultation. It is because GOD has done such great things for her. He has regarded the humility of His handmaid. The word used means _humiliation_ rather than humility. Mary is too humble to speak of her humility. She is referring rather to her humble circumstances, her low estate. The same word is translated in St James i. 9 as "low condition." He whose name is Holy has regarded _me_! And His mercy is not only for me, but for all that fear Him. It is because of the great things He has done to me that "all generations shall call me blessed." Mary passes on all the praise and honour to GOD. She speaks of herself only to recall her low estate--only to let her littleness magnify GOD'S greatness in the eyes of others--only that in calling her blessed they may be lifted up to "the GOD and Father of our Lord JESUS Christ, Who is blessed for ever." (2 Cor. xi. 31.)

Gabriel stands at the head of "all generations." When he was delivering GOD'S message he called her blessed. Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Ghost, did the same. And yet there are those to-day (and their name is legion!) who think it would defile their lips to speak of the _Blessed_ Virgin Mary! Can it be that they do not believe that GOD did great things for her? Can it be that they _prefer_ to be among the proud whom He scatters in the conceit of their heart, among the mighty whom He puts down from their seat, among the rich whom He sends away empty? Can it be that they refuse to listen to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Who tells them that Mary is blessed among women? And yet they sing the _Magnificat_, which tells them how ready GOD is to "exalt the humble" and to "fill the hungry with good things." O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of GOD, pray for all those who honour thee by singing thy _Magnificat_, that they may honour thee also by understanding it. Grant that they too may fulfil thy prophecy--"All generations shall call me blessed"--and get in return the blessings thou art so ready to bestow on thy children.

Before I go on, let me ask myself to what extent I am copying my Mother in at once passing on to GOD all praise that may come to me? He it is Who does all for me, and in me, and by me; and the more He gives, the more He ought to get. He knew it would be so with Mary, and therefore He could trust her with "great things." He knew that He would have all the glory. Let me see how much I take into account GOD'S glory. Is it my first motive and object? If He gives me some little thing--for example, an "original" thought, a happy idea, a solution to a problem, some word to help another--is my first thought to thank Him and to praise Him because this will bring glory to Him? Is it not rather to go and tell it to someone else--to quote my words and deeds--not with the object of edifying others (Satan, to quiet my conscience, tells me that this is the reason), but of gaining glory and praise for myself out of something that is not mine at all? Thus do I rob GOD of His glory, deliberately taking for myself what belongs to Him! Oh, my Mother, teach thy child what real humility means, and that _all_ praise belongs of right to GOD.

_Point II._--A FLAME OF JOYFUL LOVE

This is the name that St Bernardine gives to Mary's fourth word--"_Flamma amoris jubilantis_." Her love for GOD was so strong that it made her burst out into this joyful song of praise. She could no longer keep to herself all that GOD had done to her; she must tell others; she was so full of joy that she must sing GOD'S praises. And all her love and joy found expression in the _Magnificat_--a song of thanksgiving for the Incarnation--a song which showed clearly that Mary's joy was caused by the glory that was given to GOD by the Incarnation.

All through those blessed three months during which Mary abode with Zachary and Elizabeth, she was singing _Magnificat_. All through her life she sang _Magnificat_, even though she was the Mother of Sorrows, for the thought of GOD'S glory ever lifted her out of herself and made her praise Him for all He did. It was because Mary had said her _Fiat_ that she could say her _Magnificat_.

What do I know of this flame of joyful love? If it is caused by the great things GOD has done, surely it ought to be burning in me. Surely He has done enough for me to make my love so great that it is a flame of _joy_ within me. Is it so? Does the joy that is in my heart show itself in my countenance, in my manner, in my actions, and sometimes perhaps in my words? Does my happiness, even in the midst of trial, make others understand what great things GOD _can_ do for those who love Him? If so, I am praising Him and obtaining praise and glory for Him.

Oh, my Mother, look upon thy child, so often discontented, sad, distrustful, murmuring, and obtain for me "the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of grief." (Isaias lxi. 3.) Teach me to say my _Fiat_ for everything, and out of it will spring a joyful _Magnificat_. Teach me to love GOD'S will, and to praise Him for all He does.

_Colloquy_ with Our Lady.

_Resolution._ To let others see my joy to-day.

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Our Lady sings _Magnificat_ in songs
surpassing sweet."

Mary's Silence

"_Mary abode with Elizabeth about three months, and she
returned to her own house._" (St Luke i. 56.)

_1st Prelude._ A statue of Our Lady.

_2nd Prelude._ Grace to leave all that concerns me in GOD'S
Hands.

_Point I._--MARY'S RETURN

We know nothing of what went on during those three months, but we may presume that things continued as they began. It is not likely that Elizabeth said her "_Ave_" only once, and only once spoke of the honour she considered it to have the Mother of GOD in her house. It is not likely that the unborn Forerunner never again saluted His Master, in Whose presence he so continually was. It is impossible to conceive that Mary sang GOD'S praises and her own unworthiness no more during those three months. And what about JESUS? These were the first three months of His life on earth, and grace was surely going out from Him to His Blessed Mother first, and then to all who knew the secret. And we must not forget the head of the household, Zachary. He, at any rate after the birth of his son, knew the secret too, for he spoke in his song of praise of the "_Orient_ from on High (which) hath visited us." (St Luke i. 78.) "Dumb" he had been and "unable to speak," but Mary with her Son had been sojourning in his house, with the result that his doubts had all disappeared, and that he understood already something of the "joy and gladness" which Gabriel had promised should be his (verse 14), and understood also how it came to pass that his son was "filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." (verse 15.)

But the time comes when Mary has to leave this highly favoured household and go home. Her work of charity is over. Elizabeth no longer needs her, and her thoughts turn to Joseph, her husband, and to Nazareth--to the spot where Gabriel had visited her, and where the Holy Ghost had wrought such great things in her.

_Point II._--MARY'S SILENCE TO ST JOSEPH

When last we thought about St Joseph, he was abandoning himself to a life of self-sacrifice by his vow of virginity. Since then he has made the sacrifice of sparing Mary from their little home to go and do an act of charity for her kinswoman, and now that that is over, it is probably Joseph himself who goes to fetch her home again. Of the visit of the Archangel to his wife Joseph knows nothing, and Mary keeps the secret locked within her heart. She has not revealed it to anyone. (It was the Holy Ghost who told Elizabeth, and JESUS Himself who saluted John.) But trouble is in store for those two faithful souls. This is natural. It would be strange if GOD did not take us at our word when we make the sacrifice of ourselves to Him! It would look as if He did not believe us. "Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately." (St Matt. i. 18, 19.) How much is told in those few simple words! What anguish of soul do they cover! How could Joseph bear to have suspicions of his wife, whom he considered to be purity itself, and whom he loved so tenderly? And yet he was forced to suspect, and as a just man was obliged to keep the law--namely, write a bill of divorce, give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. (Deut. xxiv. 1.) He made up his mind to do this as _privately_ as possible, shielding her secret from everyone except the two witnesses who were necessary for the bill of divorce. How nobly Joseph acted! He was ready, for the sake of right, to sacrifice what was most dear to him, to crush at one blow his most cherished affections! No wonder the Holy Spirit calls him a just man! No wonder that he was the one in all the world whom GOD could trust to co-operate with Himself!

And if Joseph suffered, how much more did Mary in seeing him thus troubled, and knowing that she was the cause of his distress. One word from her would have been sufficient to clear away all the difficulties--and it almost seemed as if it would be for the glory of GOD to say the word--at any rate it would have justified her, put an end to Joseph's trouble, and saved her from suspicion, and even perhaps shame and humiliation. But Mary has made her sacrifice--has said her _Fiat_--and this is her first great trial, caused entirely by the fact of her nearness to JESUS, and of the union between her life and His. And so she does not say the word--she does not take back her sacrifice, but meets it generously. It is not for her to publish GOD'S secrets. His dealings with her are for herself, and are not to be shared even with one as dear to her as is St Joseph, unless GOD bids her. Mary is silent and abandons herself and her trouble and all that concerns her to GOD.

And this is GOD'S moment--when the need is at its height, when both His children have proved their fidelity, and their readiness to abandon themselves to Him and His Will, cost what it may. In his sleep an Angel appears to Joseph and reveals the secret to him, and his sorrow is changed to an unspeakable joy.

If I am striving to tread the way trodden by Mary and the Saints, I shall do well to let self-justification alone. I am not likely to be put to as great a test as were Mary and Joseph, but there are sure to be many little occasions in my life when it is left to my choice either to clear myself of suspicion or to leave the matter in GOD'S Hands, and out of love to Him keep silence, and thus sacrifice a little of my self-love. It is a difficult question, perhaps, when to keep silence and when to speak; but at any rate I need not be in such a hurry to excuse myself and shield myself from blame as I generally am. Nothing will be lost by _waiting_. Mary and Joseph _waited_, with the result that GOD Himself cleared things up for them and brought them consolation. If Joseph had questioned Mary, or if Mary had allayed Joseph's suspicions, both would have acted in a most natural way; but GOD would not have been glorified, and they would have missed the consolation which He reserves for those who are generous in their sacrifices to Him.

_Colloquy_ with Mary.

_Resolution._ To be silent the next time fault is found with
me.

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Fear not, Joseph."

Mary's Expectation

"_His left hand is under my head, and His right hand shall
embrace me._" (Cant. ii. 6.)

"_My Beloved to me and I to Him._" (verse 16.)

_1st Prelude._ Mary and Joseph waiting.

_2nd Prelude._ Grace to believe that GOD'S plans are the
best.

_Point I._--AT NAZARETH

We should like to penetrate into those remaining six months, which Mary and Joseph spent together, before the birth of the Holy Child. Scripture is silent about them, but it is not difficult for a sanctified imagination to picture something of what was taking place. Perhaps the thought of the Altar of Repose on Maundy Thursday will bring the realities home to us better than anything else could. Though He is hidden from our sight, all know that He is there. Angels are in constant adoration, and the faithful do not forget Him. All try to get near and to hold silent communion with Him; and all are expecting the great day when He will rise again and show Himself to them. And He is spending the time in giving His blessing and His grace to all who, by faith, seek Him. The house at Nazareth was in very deed GOD'S Sanctuary, containing the Altar of Repose, where the Saviour of the world was resting. Angels were in constant adoration before their King. The faithful consisted of Mary and Joseph, whose thought and conversation could be about nothing else but the Child Who was coming into the world. And who shall measure the graces and blessings, which that Child was showering upon Mary and her faithful spouse, during those months of waiting and prayer and holy converse, while they planned and arranged with such care and minuteness, as parents are wont to do, every detail connected with the birth of the firstborn?

But man proposes and GOD disposes. GOD, Who "ordereth all things sweetly," (Wisdom viii. 1), was stirring up the whole civilised world so that the Scripture might be fulfilled which said: "And thou, _Bethlehem_ Ephrata, ... out of _thee_ shall He come forth to me, that is to be the Ruler in Israel; and His going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity." (Micheas v. 2.) It was in _Bethlehem_--not at _Nazareth_, that the Child was to be born. And to effect this, "in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled.... And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went ... out of the city of Nazareth ... to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and family of David), to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife." (St Luke ii. 1-5.) What a trial this order must have been to Mary! To leave home, to forego all her plans, to take a long journey, to interrupt her days of solitude and calm and peace--and all at the bidding of a heathen Emperor. But Mary knew how to take her trials. _Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum._ "Be it done to me according to Thy word." For her there were no second causes. It was ever GOD Who was ordering "all things sweetly" for her, and she had nothing to say but "_Ecce ancilla--fiat_." She waited for nothing but GOD'S will. And as _He_ arranged it, she could spend her time of waiting just as well on the public highway to Bethlehem as in the seclusion of Nazareth.

Oh, my Mother, teach me this lesson too: if I could only learn it, how different my life would be! My life--every detail of it--is in GOD'S Hands. He is "ordering it sweetly," and I _complain_! How little is my faith! When my faith is great enough, I shall take all things, as sweetly as GOD orders them, even though they may upset my most cherished plans.

_Point II._--ON THE WAY TO BETHLEHEM

And so, in obedience to the command, Mary and Joseph leave the calm and quiet and solitude of their little home, and go to face poverty and difficulties and the unknown. But JESUS is with them, and this makes them independent of exterior circumstances--their calm and quiet are unbroken, and they can find solitude even in the busy thoroughfares. Mary is communing with her Child, and is peaceful with the peace He gives. Joy, too, fills her heart as she thinks how fast the time is approaching when she will see His face.

Oh, how I should love to be allowed to go with them on this journey! At my request, Mary readily consents to take me as her servant, and I am so glad to be in that blessed company that I forego everything else--I know that the Family I have come to live with is _poor_, and I am determined not to ask them to get any special things for _me_. The table has the barest necessities--perhaps hardly these, for true poverty consists in the want of necessities; but it is the company that I care about, and nothing else matters. I can see that all sorts of inconveniences and privations and hardships will be mine, but I cannot be an exception in that Family; and somehow, now that I am so close to the Blessed Mother, I do not wish to be. My great desire is to be like her, and to share all with her and her Son.

At Bethlehem Joseph begins his weary and anxious search for a lodging; but all in vain--no one wants the Holy Family. How Joseph suffers at each refusal--not for himself but for Mary! Mary is too much taken up with her joy to heed the suffering. And the servant--does she regret that she is not in one of the big hotels, as she might have been, or does she turn with joy to follow the Holy Family to the cave, saying: With JESUS and Mary I have all I want, and I love every hardship and every privation which comes to me, because I have made myself one with them?

Oh, my Mother, I thank thee for allowing me to be thy servant; I thank thee for bringing me into such close contact with thy Son; I thank thee for every privation, every difficulty, every hardship, every inconvenience, every crossing of my own will which has come to me, because I chose to be in thy company and in that of thy Son. Help me to persevere bravely, thinking all worth while for the sake of the company.

_Colloquy_ with Mary, asking her to get me grace to be always
joyous, because I am living my life with her and her Blessed
Son.

_Resolution._ To show myself worthy of the company I am in,
by the way I face the little difficulties of my everyday
life.

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "I am Thy servant and the son of Thy
handmaid." (Ps. cxv. 16.)

The Stable

"_Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart._"
(St Luke ii. 19.)

_1st Prelude._ Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in the
manger.

_2nd Prelude._ Grace to ponder with Mary

_Point I._--THE BIRTH OF HER SON

"She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger." She has seen His face at last; she has folded Him in her arms and pressed Him to her bosom--her Son and her GOD. And she ponders--she meditates--she cannot tell her thoughts to any human soul--but she can tell them to her Son. _Dico ego opera mea Regi._ I will speak of my works to the King. (Ps. xliv. 2.) Many works had been wrought in and through Mary by the Holy Ghost, but they were all the King's secrets, and she pondered over them, speaking of them to Him alone. There was her vow of virginity, which she did not even speak of to her parents; there was the visit of the King's messenger, of which she spoke to no one--not to Elizabeth, nor even to St Joseph; there was the painful journey to Bethlehem, and the difficulty about finding a lodging. She might have told St Luke all about it, and had it all written down in the Gospel--but no, there is not a word except the mere fact that they went to Bethlehem, and that there was no room for them in the inn. Her sufferings were those of the King, and she shared them with Him alone.

And now that she has got her JESUS, she spends her time in pondering--in telling Him her thoughts and her secrets, which are His too.

How much I should gain if I could be a little more like my Mother in this!--if, instead of being so ready to go and talk of all the things that have been said and done to me, or of what I have said or done, or of what I have had to suffer, I were just to speak to my King about it--let it be something between us which nobody else knows anything about. It may often be my duty to speak, as it was Mary's later on, when she was obliged, for example, to tell St Luke all about the Angel's visit and what he said to her, because GOD wanted that piece of revelation to be written. But this was later. She did not go at once and tell Elizabeth all about it. Let us learn from Mary to let our _first_ words, at any rate, be for our King; and, if this is so, it is probable that in many cases the matter will go no further, and others as well as ourselves will be saved from the miseries which so often follow from our being too ready to talk. _Dico ego opera mea Regi._ To _Him_ I can never say too much, and He loves those silent heart-to-heart colloquies. He loves the things which are talked over with Him only--the King's secrets.

_Point II._--THE SHEPHERDS

"They came with haste, and they found Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in a manger." And during their visit they "understood," and went away to tell the good news to wondering listeners, leaving Mary still pondering. Each moment of her Son's life on earth brings her fresh matter for meditation. She has scarcely time to think of the miraculous birth before she hears "a multitude of the Heavenly Army" proclaiming the birth, praising GOD, and telling of the glory that is being given to Him, and of the peace that is being brought to earth. And Mary realises that she no longer has her Babe all to herself, that Heaven and earth claim Him. Then the Shepherds arrive; and after they have adored the Saviour Who is born to them, they tell His Mother of all the wonders of that night: of the Angel of the Lord who suddenly stood by them in the night watches; of the "brightness of GOD"; of how they feared; of how the Angel bid them: "Fear not"; of the good tidings that he brought, and of the great joy which was to be for everyone; that the Angel had actually told them that the Child was the Messias, and that he had given them the strangest sign by which they could know Him--He will be wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger! And lastly, how they had come in haste, as soon as the Angels had gone back to Heaven, and had found it all to be true. What joy this beautiful, simple, story must have brought to the Mother's heart! What fresh subjects for meditation now were hers! What a tender welcome she would give to these simple shepherds, whom GOD had picked out for such signal favours, and had allowed to be the first worshippers of her Son! How she would realise all the "great things" that GOD was doing now that she heard them from the mouths of these "little ones" to whom GOD had revealed them! (St Matt. xi. 25.) How graciously she would accept the poor offerings of these poor men to her Child Who had chosen to be poor! And how proud she would be that she, as His Mother, had the right to lift that little Hand, to convey the blessing which His Heart was giving to those who were going to be His first witnesses and apostles.

"Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart." How easy meditation was to Mary! Why? Because she lived always in the closest possible union with JESUS. If I find my meditations difficult, let me examine myself, and see whether the cause may not be that my union with Him is not so close as it was, that I have let something come between us, that I am not telling all my secrets to the King. If this is so, let me hasten to put things right with Him; and then I shall find again that my most precious moments are those in which I can devote my thoughts entirely to my King and ponder over the simple stories told of Him and His Blessed Mother.

_Colloquy._ _The Alma Redemptoris Mater_:--"Sweet Mother of
our Redeemer, gate whereby we enter Heaven, and star of the
sea, help us, we fall; yet do we long to rise. Nature looked
upon thee with admiration when thou didst give birth to thy
Divine Creator, thyself remaining before and after it a pure
Virgin. Gabriel spoke his _Hail_ to thee; we sinners crave
thy pity." (_Anthem from Advent to the Purification._)

_Resolution._ To ponder more and speak less.

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Dico ego opera mea Regi."

The Circumcision of Mary's Son

"_And after eight days were accomplished that the child
should be circumcised, His name was called JESUS, which was
called by the Angel before He was conceived._" (St Luke ii.
21.)

_1st Prelude._ Mary with her Child.

_2nd Prelude._ Grace to learn more about them both.

_Point I._--THE CIRCUMCISION

After one week of peace and joy, Mary is called upon to suffer with, and on account of, her Son. The Law of GOD is clear. "On the eighth day, the infant shall be circumcised." (Lev. xii. 3.) And there is no doubt in the minds of Mary and Joseph, that, though the Holy Child has no need of the rite which probably cleansed away original sin, He must nevertheless submit to it, as being part of His Father's law, every jot and tittle of which He has come to fulfil. So JESUS, of His own free will, classes Himself with sinners, and offers to GOD the firstfruits of that Blood which He will shed for them on Calvary.

The Circumcision of her Son means much to Mary; she sees Him suffer; she hears His cry of pain; she sees the Blood flow; and she understands that to be the Mother of GOD means being the _Mater Dolorosa_; and now she has fresh matter for her Meditations. Her Son is to be the Victim for sin, and she unites her sacrifice to His.

The rite of Circumcision was to the Jew a sign of the Covenant that GOD had made with his nation--it marked him out as one of GOD'S own people; it was a mark of his dependence on GOD, and also of his slavery to sin till GOD set him free.

"Circumcision is that of the heart," St Paul tells us, "in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of GOD." (Rom. ii. 29.) By assisting with Mary at the Circumcision of her Son, I mean that I want to understand something of this circumcision of the _heart_--understand, that is, that GOD has made a covenant with me, that I belong to Him, and am dependent on Him; I mean that I am ready with the knife of mortification to cut away all that prevents me from being a good servant, ready to "resist unto blood," if need be, but, at any rate, ready to make myself a victim with JESUS, as Mary did, willing to suffer anything which He calls upon me to suffer.

_Point II._--HIS NAME--JESUS

His Name was chosen by His Heavenly Father, and revealed both to Mary and Joseph before His birth--to Mary by the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation, and to Joseph by the Angel who was sent to allay his suspicions about his wife. JESUS--the "name which is above every name"! GOD gave it Him because "He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death--even the death of the cross." (Phil. ii. 8.) He earned His Name by the Cross, and it was given Him at the moment when He shed the first drops of His Precious Blood. He could have allowed this first shedding of His Blood to redeem the world, had He so willed. He could have made it the _redeeming_ Blood, but it was not yet His Will; His time had not yet come; He wished to live and to suffer long years on earth before He shed the Blood which He intended to be efficacious for the Redemption of the world. "Thou shalt call His Name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins." (St Matt. i. 21.) And when at length He did shed His redeeming Blood on Calvary, there was a title nailed to the Cross, proclaiming His Name to all: "This is JESUS," the Saviour. He is saving His people from their sins.

It cost Him much to be the Saviour, and it cost Mary much to be the Mother of the Saviour; but both cheerfully made the sacrifice in advance--both entered into GOD'S plan for my salvation. JESUS had come to do His Father's will--He was content to do it--and His Mother was content to be identified in everything with her Son, and to say her _Fiat_. If my salvation cost JESUS and Mary so much, ought it not to cost me something too? Would it be fair if all were easy and smooth for me? Surely not. Surely, if I have a part in the Saviour, I ought to have a part in His Cross. Let the thought of the Holy Babe shedding His first drops of Blood on His Mother's knee brace me up to meet suffering, of whatever kind GOD chooses for me; let it hush my murmurs and my discontent; let it make me not only willing but anxious to suffer, and thus to have an opportunity of being like Him, Who was in such a hurry to shed His Blood, that it seemed as though it were too long for Him to wait till Calvary. He must make the sacrifice in advance, and offer at any rate the firstfruits of His Blood to His Father.

_Colloquy_ with Mary, who is identifying herself with the
sufferings, intentions, and desires of her Son. Teach me, my
Mother, not only to expect but to appreciate suffering. How
can I be like JESUS, and a child of thine without it? I want
to look upon it always as a sign of love, as a sign that I am
recognised as one of the Holy Family.

_Resolution._ To understand that my very existence on earth
means suffering, and that my identification with JESUS and
Mary means suffering willingly and cheerfully.

_Spiritual Bouquet._ "I come to do Thy Will, O my GOD."

Her Purification

"_They carried Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord._"

_1st Prelude._ JESUS, Mary, and Joseph going to the Temple.

_2nd Prelude._ Grace to go too, and learn the lessons.

_Point I._--MARY'S PURIFICATION

It is the fortieth day after the birth of her Son, the day when it is Mary's turn to keep the legal observances, and so to identify herself in all things with her Son. There is no need for her to be purified, before she is allowed to enter GOD'S Temple; neither is there any need for her to present her Firstborn in the Temple and pay the ransom money for Him, for His Name is Saviour and He is Himself the Ransom for His people. There is no _need_; but Mary gladly does both, that she may enter more closely into the spirit of her Son, Who had undergone the rite of circumcision.

How many unnecessary humiliations and unpleasant duties do I undertake just for the sake of identifying myself with JESUS and Mary, and sharing their spirit?

We may imagine the Holy Family quietly setting out for their two hours' walk to the Temple, attracting no more notice than was usually attached to an event so common. Passing remarks were probably made as to its being the first time she was out; as to the disparity in their age; as to their poverty, for Joseph was carrying two doves, the offering of the poor, to be offered by Mary for her Purification.

Ah, how little the world sees! Extraordinary things are going on, though they are hidden, as is ever GOD'S wont, under things most ordinary. Mary, the purest of creatures, the Virgin of virgins, the Queen of Heaven, of Angels and of men, is bearing in her arms the Lord of glory, Who is on His way to visit His Temple for the first time, and thus to fill it with a greater glory than ever Solomon's Temple had possessed. Angels are worshipping and adoring at every step of that journey, and presently they will throw open wide the gate of the Temple to let the King of Glory in. And the humble and silent Joseph is playing a part which no Jew before or since has ever played; for though the verdict of the world is that he is too poor to afford to take a lamb, in reality he is too rich to need one, for is he not bringing to the Temple the Lamb of GOD--an offering which no one has ever been rich enough to make before? Let us try to see things and judge them from GOD'S point of view--not from the world's.

_Point II._--THE PRESENTATION OF HER SON

This involved three sacrifices.

(1) The sacrifice made by JESUS. _Ecce Venio._ "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O my GOD." He has come to the Temple to offer Himself as a sweet-smelling sacrifice to His Father. This is the morning sacrifice--the evening sacrifice will be on Calvary. This is like the _Offertory_ at Mass, when the Priest offers to GOD the Bread and Wine which He will use presently to accomplish the sacrifice at the Consecration. He is the "Firstborn amongst many brethren," (Rom. viii. 29), that is why He must be presented in the Temple. He is our Elder Brother. He represents us all, and answers to GOD for all those who are united to Him. He offers Himself as a Ransom that all the rest of the family may go free.