holding "the Christ of the Lord" in his arms, called Him "the
_salvation_ which Thou hast prepared; a light to the revelation of the
Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel." And while His father and
mother were wondering at these things which were spoken concerning Him,
Simeon addressed himself to "Mary His Mother," and spoke in no hidden
language of the Passion; and the sword pierced her soul, for though she
knew it all, it was the first time she had heard it from the lips of
another. It was the first of the _Seven Dolours_. She heard that her
Child was to be:--
1. "... _for the fall of many_": that is, the _ruin_ of many. What a
lifelong sorrow for the heart of Mary to know that for many her Son's
Passion would be in vain--that He was to be the "touchstone," with the
result that, in many cases, He would be "rejected of men"!
2. "... _for a sign which shall be contradicted_." War was to be waged
against Him in all places, and that to the end of time. This was the
treatment He, Who had come to be the Saviour and the Light of the World,
was to receive.
And then Simeon added: "_Thy own soul a sword shall pierce_." He
identified Mary with her Son, and spoke not only of His Passion but of
her Compassion. The Queen of Sorrows was now on her throne; there was no
longer any doubt about it. GOD had accepted her sacrifice. JESUS was the
Victim, and she was His Mother--the Mater Dolorosa.
But Simeon's prophecy was not the last word that Mary was to hear before
she left the Temple courts, which she loved so well. GOD, Who in His
love had permitted the wound, had provided also some balm to be poured
into it. A little act of courtesy was waiting for Mary to do before she
was free to ponder over all that had happened in the Temple, and
especially over the new revelation which had stabbed her to the quick.
Well did old Anna, the Prophetess, know the maiden whose happy childhood
had been spent in the Temple! How gladly Mary went up to her and renewed
her friendship with her! How proud she was to show her little Son to
her! Mary was wondering how much Anna knew; but she did not speak, she
revealed nothing. Soon she found out that the holy old woman had been
rewarded for her fasting and prayers and vigils, by a special
revelation, in consequence of which she "confessed to the Lord and spoke
of Him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel." And Mary heard,
and balm was poured into that first sword-wound.
Can I, sweet Mother of Sorrows, pour balm into that terrible wound? I
cannot bear to think of thee going home, pressing thy Babe against thy
aching heart. Let me accompany thee; I will keep close to thee, and I
will speak continually of thy Child. Never will I speak against Him--to
me, at least, He shall not be a contradiction, but a resurrection from
all from which He has come to save me.
_Colloquy_ with Mary, about the _Fourth Joyful Mystery_, and
the _First Dolour_.
_Resolution._ To throw in my lot with JESUS and Mary.
_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Ecce adsum."
Wise Men and Babes
"_Thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged when the strength of
the Gentiles shall come to Thee._" (Isaias lx. 5.)
_1st Prelude._ A picture of the Wise Men.
_2nd Prelude._ Grace to understand that nearness to JESUS and
Mary means the Cross.
_Point I._--THE WISE MEN
Mary had much to meditate about as she turned her steps homewards to
Bethlehem. She knew, for the Angels had said so at His birth, that her
Son was to be the Saviour for "all the people"; but Simeon in his song
of praise had gone further, and said that He was to be for "all
peoples," emphasising the fact that He was to be "a light to the
revelation of the _Gentiles_." And so the subjects to ponder over were
ever increasing, and Mary's heart was ever enlarging. She had now to
pray for the great world outside, as well as for GOD'S chosen people.
Thus was her heart being prepared to receive the next worshippers at the
shrine of the Infant GOD, and it may be that when they arrived--perhaps
soon after the first anniversary of her Son's birth--it was no surprise
to her that they were _Gentiles_. "Gentiles shall walk in Thy light, and
kings in the brightness of Thy rising; they shall come from afar,
bringing gold and frankincense and showing forth praise to the Lord."
(Isaias lx. 3-6.) All this was fulfilled in the little house at
Bethlehem. The Wise Men, firstfruits of the Gentile world, had had faith
enough to overcome every obstacle, and during their journey of, perhaps,
some months, had had but one idea--namely, to follow the star which GOD
had put in the heavens for them, and by its means to find the new King,
Who was to be their Saviour. Mary's prayers had no doubt helped them to
make light of their many difficulties, and when their star had brought
them right to the house which they sought, "they entered in and found
the Child with Mary, His Mother." They were quite at home at once; their
faith was so strong, that the unexpected surroundings and the poverty
did not strike them as incongruous. They had found what they sought, and
their joy and satisfaction were complete. As soon as they were in the
Real Presence their conversion was an accomplished fact. Mary showed
them her Child, "and falling down they adored Him." It was to _Mary_
that they offered their gifts out of gratitude for all that the Holy
Child, to Whom they felt that they now belonged, had done for them. It
was _Mary_ whom they thanked for her gracious hospitality. It was _Mary_
who guided the little Hand to bless them ere they took their departure.
It was to _Mary_ that they explained that from henceforth their lives
would be devoted to the service of the new King and the spreading of His
kingdom among the Gentiles. It was _Mary_, the Mother of the Way, who
bade them Godspeed on their journey. How interested she was in those
first great converts from the Gentiles! How their visit widened her
outlook, and enlarged her maternal heart!
She is not less interested now in converts than she was then. She has
been praying for them ever since. "Mary's prayers shall bring them
back." Let us remember this when we are dealing with them; we are not
working alone. Mary, the great advocate, is pleading with Her Son. Let
us bring them, as often as we can, into the Real Presence--they may be
all unconscious, but _He_ is not. He will act upon them. Virtue will go
out of Him to them: they will not go empty away, for it is impossible
for them to be under the direct rays of His Presence without being
influenced.
_Point II._--THE BABY MARTYRS
Their visit over, the three Kings took leave of the Holy Child and His
Mother, and, warned by GOD not to go and give their good news to Herod,
they returned to their country by another way. This so exasperated Herod
that he gave an order which plunged not only Bethlehem but all the
neighbourhood into the most profound grief and desolation. How the heart
of Mary went out in sympathy to the bereaved mothers! How big her heart
felt as it dilated to take them all in! She understood now what it meant
to be the Mother of Sorrows, and that only by having this title could
she have the other--_Consolatrix afflictorum_ (Consoler of the
afflicted). How quickly Simeon's prophecy was being fulfilled! Her Son
was already a sign being contradicted, in those Hebrew mothers and their
innocent babes. Each mother was sacrificing her babe that Mary might not
have to sacrifice hers. Each babe was giving its life to save the life
of JESUS. Their sufferings were all because of JESUS and Mary. How the
sword pierced Mary's heart as she heard the bitter cries of mothers and
children! "Poor banished children of Eve," born to sorrow and trouble!
But from henceforth their cause will be espoused by a "most gracious
Advocate," who will take a special interest in all troubles and
sufferings that come to her children on account of the sacrifices that
they make for her Son, or which are caused by their nearness to Him. At
that moment of anguish the Jewish mothers _were_ making a sacrifice,
though it was an unwilling one and made in ignorance. GOD, in His mercy,
rewards even such. Had their children lived, they might have been among
the murderers of JESUS; now they are saved from all sin, they escape
Purgatory, and, the first to give their lives for Him, they will follow
the Lamb for ever. Happy little Innocents! Happy those who have the
honour to be their mothers! Happy all those who make the least sacrifice
for Him! And happy, thrice happy, the Queen of Martyrs, who is now
entering into the possession of her new kingdom!
The more closely I am identified with JESUS and Mary, the more I must
expect suffering. The training for the kingdom is the same, whether for
Wise Men or Babes. The Wise Men learnt from the child on Mary's knee to
view suffering in a new light, and they went back to their country
prepared to sacrifice all for the Child and His Mother, shrinking from
nothing till they laid down their lives for Him Whose star they had so
diligently followed. So Simeon's sword is piercing; the Cross is already
showing that the followers of the Babe are to be victims too--all is
getting clearer and clearer to Mary, and as she wonders her heart is
enlarged.
_Colloquy_ with Mary.
_Resolution._ To follow the generosity of the Wise Men and
the Babes.
_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Mater Dolorosa, Consolatrix
afflictorum, Regina Martyrum, ora pro nobis."
Egypt
"_That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spake by the
prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called My Son._" (St
Matt. ii. 15.)
_1st Prelude._ Picture of JESUS, Mary, and Joseph.
_2nd Prelude._ Grace to believe that no circumstances in
which GOD has placed me can hinder my spiritual life.
_Point I._--THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
Only one child escaped the cruel sword of Herod, and that one was Mary's
Son. He was safe in the arms of His Mother, who was fleeing with Him
into Egypt, with an anguish of heart so great that it constituted the
_Second Dolour_. But no design of Herod, however powerful and clever,
could touch that life before His hour was come. The child knew it, and
His Mother knew it--yet they fled from those who sought His life; for in
all things Mary's Son must be made like unto His brethren. He could have
protected Himself, had He so wished, without giving so much trouble and
anxiety to His parents. He heard "Rachel bewailing her children"; He
heard the cry of each one of those little Innocents, who was giving his
life for Him--yet He did not raise a finger to prevent all the misery,
because He had come to do His Father's Will, and He left all in His
Hands; and also because He is our model, and He was showing us how to
act. He wants us to have a perfect acquiescence in GOD'S Will, a
boundless confidence, a profound peace, and even _joy_, in the midst of
the most trying and perplexing circumstances. He wants us to lie quiet
in GOD'S arms, as He lay in His Mother's, content to know nothing except
that GOD'S will is being done.
He who knew least about it all, and yet had apparently to take the chief
part and bear all the anxiety, was Joseph. He it was who received the
warning message from the Angel; he it was who had to break the news to
Mary that the Child's life was in danger and that they must fly
immediately--even in the middle of the night. He it was who took the
Child and His Mother into Egypt, in accordance with what to anyone else
but Joseph would have seemed a very arbitrary and unreasonable command.
But those who live their lives close to JESUS and Mary do not criticise
GOD'S dealings: such an idea never occurs to them; they have only one
thing to do--to obey. When a criticising, discontented spirit comes over
me, I shall find that the reason is always the same--I have not been
keeping close to JESUS and Mary.
How much Mary suffers during that long journey across the
desert--anxiety, fatigue, hunger, thirst, want of shelter! But it is all
on account of her Son; the sword is piercing her heart every day, but
the Babe is pressed against the wounds. Angels are following and longing
to help their Queen, but they cannot without a permission from their
little Master, and the permission will not be given, for He and His
Mother have made their sacrifice--they have laid themselves on the Altar
as victims and are already being consumed; and the desert is rejoicing
and flourishing like the lily, (Isaias xxxv. 1), because Mary with her
child is passing through it. O Mary, look upon thy children who are
crossing the desert of this world. The wilderness has lost all its
terrors since thou with thy Son didst pass through it. Thou knowest its
difficulties and its hardships; "turn, then, thine eyes of mercy towards
us, and after this our exile show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb,
JESUS."
_Point II._--THE LAND OF EGYPT
Mary now finds herself in a heathen land, and her interest in the
Gentiles must have greatly increased. But her heart is also enlarged in
another direction--namely, towards the Jews of the Dispersion. Legend
tells us that it was at Heliopolis, one of the cities where the Egyptian
Jews lived and where they had built a Temple, that the Holy Family took
up their abode while they stayed in Egypt. What a blessing and a joy to
those faithful souls to have the Holy Family living amongst them! How it
must have stirred up their zeal and courage! It may have been Mary's
influence on many a mother's heart, and the influence of JESUS on many a
little playmate, which produced in after years some of the great
preachers to the Gentiles who came from amongst the Jews of the
Dispersion.
It was not for nothing that Mary and her Son were sent into Egypt. GOD
has His reasons, though He does not often reveal them, because He loves
to have our confidence.
Now, for a time--_perhaps_ only for a few months, for Herod died soon
after the slaughter of the Innocents--Egypt was the centre of the world;
nobody guessed it, but the Angels were there worshipping, adoring,
wondering. It is a true picture of the Blessed Sacrament, hidden away in
so many Tabernacles, surrounded by people who do not suspect Its
presence. It is nothing to thousands who pass by. But what is It to
those who know? What was JESUS to Mary in the land of her exile? He was
her all--_with Him_ exile was no exile; _with Him_ GOD'S Will was easy,
GOD'S arrangements the best; _with Him_ it was impossible to complain,
impossible to have any regrets about the past, or impatient wonderings
about the future. She was absorbed in the present, because she had JESUS
with her. He had to be taken care of, fed, taught, thought about, worked
for, lived for. What a lesson for those who are inclined to look upon
their surroundings as _Egypt_, who say too readily: "How shall we sing
the song of the Lord in a strange land?" (Ps. cxxxvi. 4.) How can I do
this or that _here_?
It was in Egypt that the Child grew, and it was there that Mary heard
His first words, watched His first tottering steps, and taught Him His
first (vocal) prayers. And while her Child grew in wisdom and age, Mary
was growing too--growing in grace and virtue; imbibing more and more of
the spirit of her Son from the services she rendered to Him; making
great progress in her new school, the school of the Cross; getting daily
more food for meditation and prayer; enlarging her heart and preparing
herself to be a second Eve--the Mother of all living.
It _is_ possible, then, to grow in Egypt! And not only is it _possible_,
but if GOD sends me there, it is the soil most suitable for my growth at
that particular epoch of my life. How many of GOD'S children have had to
live in uncongenial surroundings, and with those who have no sympathy
with their faith, from the earliest confessors and martyrs to the
present-day converts to the Faith! If JESUS had spent all His lifetime
in the Holy Land, such might have been tempted to say: "He is my Model,
but He was never in my circumstances!" But no, JESUS spent some time
with His Mother in Egypt, and He _grew_ there.
Let me learn the lesson that GOD is with me wherever I am and in
whatever circumstances; and let me try to copy Mary in being so absorbed
by Him, and by all that I have to do for Him, in the person of His
"least brethren," that my surroundings matter little.
_Point III._--THE RETURN FROM EGYPT
"Be thou there until I shall tell thee," was the only order given to
Joseph--there was no hint of how long the time would be; and so Mary
said her _Fiat_ each day, ready either to stay in Egypt or to go back to
her own land--both were the same to her as long as they were the
expression of GOD'S Will. At last the Angel came again with a message:
"Arise and take the Child and His Mother, and go into the land of
Israel; for they are dead that sought the life of the Child." Their own
dear land, then, was no longer dangerous to them. GOD gave His reasons
this time--but when He does not, what then? Then my faith must be strong
enough to believe that the fair land, which looks as if it would be so
congenial, holds dangers for me which Egypt does not; there are enemies
there who seek after my soul to destroy it, and whom I can only escape
by the hard discipline of Egypt. Then I will be thankful for Egypt as
long as it lasts, and thankful, too, that my life--every detail of
it--is arranged for me by one who _knows_.
And so the faces of Mary and JESUS were set towards the land of
Israel--and to them both it meant Calvary. Mary would doubtless have
preferred to take her Son back to Bethlehem, and bring Him up near the
Temple, but again the warning voice told them that it was not GOD'S
will. And so they "retired into the quarters of Galilee," and Mary found
herself back again in Nazareth--the city of so many memories; and two
more of the prophecies concerning her Son have been fulfilled: "Out of
Egypt have I called my Son," and, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
_Colloquy._ O Mary, get thy child grace to learn some of the
precious lessons that Egypt has to teach--that blind
obedience and submission which bring perfect rest; that
waiting for GOD'S orders without any complaining, or
impatience, or suggestions of something else; that quiet
uniting of all sufferings with those of JESUS; that entire
acquiescence in all His plans for me.
_Resolution._ To put no obstacle in the way of GOD'S
direction of me to-day.
_Spiritual Bouquet._ "Fly into Egypt, and be there until I
shall tell thee."
Mary's Fifth Word
"_And His Mother said to Him: Son, why hast Thou done so to
us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing._"
(St Luke ii. 48.)
_1st Prelude._ A picture of Mary and Joseph finding JESUS in
the Temple.
_2nd Prelude._ Grace to seek JESUS as Our Lady sought Him.
_Point I._--THE LOSS OF HER SON
Once more the Holy Family has come up to the Temple; and it is here that
Mary speaks her next recorded word. Her Son was not yet born when she
spoke her last. Since then He has been her constant companion through
infancy and boyhood, in trouble and in joy, at Bethlehem, in Egypt, and
at Nazareth. He is twelve years old now, and counts under the law as a
man; it is time to decide His calling in life. He is old enough to go
with His parents to the Passover Feast at Jerusalem. So once again the
real Passover Lamb goes up to His Temple; and we can think of Mary and
Joseph praying there to the Child Who is kneeling between them, Mary
pondering over her last visit to the Temple with Him, when she presented
Him to the Lord as a little baby and when the sword pierced her soul for
the first time.
When it was all over, the Child JESUS "remained in Jerusalem," without
saying anything to His parents! It was only when they halted for the
night that Mary and Joseph would find out their loss, for the men and
women left the Temple by different gates, and the children might go with
either group. Mary had lost her Child! It was the third of the _Seven
Dolours_, and it has been revealed to the Saints that her spiritual
desolation was greater than that ever experienced by any of GOD'S
children. Not only was she suffering intense desolation, but her grief
was enhanced by the fear that He had left her because she had done
something of which He did not approve. She also had to bear the sight
of her dearly loved spouse "sorrowing," perhaps blaming himself for his
want of care, and in any case not so well able as she to bear the
anxiety and grief. Mary shows us how to act in our times of desolation.
Diligently she searched for Him during those three days, "in the company
among their kinsfolks and acquaintance," and in all the places where He
had been. Then they retraced their steps to Jerusalem. No time was lost,
no pains were spared; they sought Him sorrowing for His loss, and for
any fault that might be theirs. How JESUS loves to be sought thus! It is
one of His reasons for hiding Himself, to force us back to the company
where we enjoyed His presence, to the places where we had Him with us,
and to everything that reminds us of what He said to us and what we said
to Him. He is not far from the souls that thus seek Him.
_Point II._--THEY FOUND HIM IN THE TEMPLE
It was the most natural place to find Him. Do I in my times of
desolation turn instinctively to His House, where I know that He is
hidden? Do I feel that I must spend all the time I possibly can close to
the Tabernacle, that my body, at any rate, may be near to Him, while my
spirit is calling out in its distress: "Oh, that I knew where I might
find Him!"
Who can measure what must have been Mary's joy and relief when she saw
her Son sitting in the midst of the doctors, listening to their
teaching! She "wondered"; she was perplexed; and then it was that she
uttered her fifth word. It was a word of reproach rather than of joy,
though it was joy that caused it, and the reproach was full of
tenderness. St Bernardine calls this word, _flamma amoris saporantis_,
"a flame of savouring or relishing love," because, he says, it belongs
to love to "distinguish and discern, and, as it were, taste the divine
effects and qualities of that which is loved." It was her love which
made Mary _savour_ the intense pain caused by the absence of her Son
and by the anxiety of her spouse. The flame of love within her enabled
her to _relish_ both the love and the pain. Mary does not try to conceal
her pain--that is not the outcome of true love. She says straight out
what she is feeling, with that holy familiarity to which her love gives
her a right: "Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I
have sought Thee sorrowing." Why? None knew better than He what the
agony of those three days had been to His Mother, and He could have
prevented it. Why, then, has He done so? Because He was beginning the
principle which He carried out all through. He was the "Man of Sorrows,"
and she was the "Mother of Sorrows," and He would not spare her one drop
in the cup of suffering. He knew its value too well, and His love for
her was too great.
When we have to undergo suffering that seems so unnecessary and that
could (perhaps we think) with a little forethought have been so easily
avoided, instead of allowing ourselves to give way to discontent, and
regrets, and even rebellion, how much better it would be to say: Yes, it
is quite true, JESUS could have prevented this, but He is treating me in
some degree as He treated His Blessed Mother, not saving me the pain and
trouble and inconvenience, but letting me have the opportunity of
sanctifying my soul and of gaining greater merit. "Why hast Thou done
so?" And He answers: "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's
business?" By His answer He prepares His Mother for the future; He
raises her above the human in Him to the Divine; He announces Himself,
though obscurely, to the Doctors as the Messias; He teaches the great
lesson of detachment, and shows that even our best natural affections
must be supernaturalised. "My Father's business"--that must ever come
first. "For this came I into the world," (St John xviii. 37), and I
_must_ be about it, even if by so doing I give pain to those dearest to
me.