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PRE FACE.

THIS Treat ise w as ske tch ed for the first t ime atSt . Wilfrid’s in th e summer of 1847, more th anten years ago . I t has

,h ow ev er

,b een se v eral t imes

rev ised , and more than once ent irely recast . I t

was not, h ow ev er, final ly se t tled in its presentshap e un t i l th e Spring of 1855 ; for not t i ll th enw as the Au th or sat i sfied w i th th e consist ency of

our L ady’s p osi t i on through ou t

,nor w i th its adap

tation t o th e re q u irements of sch olast i c th eo logy .

Th e Au t hor has had th e comp l e t ed Trea t ise byhim for some t ime

,as th e stage of preparation in

w h ich his mat erials w ere for a w ork on th e Pa ssionrendered i t necessary for h im to ascert a in how

much of th at ground w ou ld b e occup i ed by th e

Dolors,and in w h a t manner; and it appeared

b e t t er t o compose th e present Treat ise, and e v enfin ish it for th e press

,b efore advanc ing his bo ok

on th e Passi on into ano th er stage of its preparat i ons

,in order tha t th e u l t imat e harmony be tw e en

th e tw o migh t be th e more comp l e t e . B ut,as th e

t ime was not come for th e publ icat i on of the

Dol ors in its prede t erm ined p lace in the seri es of

books w h ich th e Au th or has p lanned,i t w as la id

by'

un t i l its turn sh ould arri v e .

1 9;

VI PREFACE .

It is now tw el v e y ears since th e Au th or b ecamea t ert iary of th e anc i en t O rd er of th e Serv i tes

,

and so bound to ad vance , as much as h e‘

migh t beabl e t o d o so, th e Dev o t i on t o th e Sev en Dolors;and h e has always confe s s ed t o h ims elf th e obl igat i on . Wh en th e L ond on O ra tory w as founded in1849

,th e Rosary of the Se v en Do l ors w as adop ted

as one of its publ ic characterist ic prac t ices, and

oth er measures w ere t aken w i th succe ss t o propaga t e th e dev o t i on. There se ems some w arran t forb el i e v ing th a t graces and b l ess ings h av e aecom

panied th is humb l e apostolat e of tha t pract ice sodear to our B l essed Mo th er.

The Treat ise is now subm i t ted w i th much diffi

dcnce to t h o s e w ho l o v e our Lady’

s h onor,and

th e spread of all de v o t i on t o her,w i th a h ope that

th ey may feel l ess d isapp o intment in read ing i tthan th e Au thor has done in w ri t ing i t

,and may

not b e haunted, as h e has been through ou t,w i th

an id ea l w h ich h e cou ld not reach,and a v ex at i on

tha t,w h en h e h ad sa id al l h e cou ld in th e be s t w ay

h e could,i t sh ou ld a lw ays se em so li t tle to b e sa i d

ofMary, tha t i t almost appeared as if i t had be t ternot h av e b een sa id at a l l . The th ough t of th elo v e tha t promp ted th e endea v or is

, h ow e v er,some compensa t i on for th e imp erfect i on of its

success.

Tun Loxnox Ona'ronr,Feast ofSt.Thomas of Canterbury,

1867.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I .

THE MARTYRDOM OF MARY.

are .

I .—The Immensity of Our Lady

’s Dolors

I I. —Why God permit ted Our Lady’s Dolors

III .—The Fountains of Our Lady

’s Dolors

IV.—Th e Charac teristics of Our Lady

’s Dolors

V.-How Our Lady could rejoice in he r Dolors

VI .- The Way in which the Church pu ts Our Lady

’s Dolors

b efore us .

VII .— The Spirit of Devotion to OurLady’s I)olors

CHAPTER I I .

THE FIRST.

DOLOR .

Tun PROPHECY or Sr. SIME ON

CHAPTER III .

THE SE COND DOLOR .

THE FLIGHT INTO E GYPT

CHAPTER IV.

THE THIRD DOLOR.

THE THREE DAYS’Loss . .

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V .

rnn roun'

ra DOLOR.

LIBETING JESUS mru THE CRO SS

CHAPTER V I .

ran rIr'

rn DOLOR.

THE CRUCIFIXIONN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CHAPTER V II.

THE SIXTH DOLOR.

TE E TAKING DOWN FROM THE CROSSO Q O O O O O O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CHAPTER VIII .

THE SEVENTH DOLOR.

Tan B eam . or J e sus

v

CHAPTER IX .

THE COMPASSION OF MARY.

BBC.

I .— The Divine Purpose ofMary

’

s

I I .—The Nature of her Compassion

I II .—Th e Ac tual E ffe c ts ofHer

IV.— Our Compassion w ith

‘

Her CompassionV .—Tb e Passion and Compassion Compared

VI .—The Seeming E xcess of th e Compassion

(TIL—The M easures ofMary's

THE FOOT OF THE CROSS.

CHAPTER I .

THE M ARTYRDO M OF M ARY .

Tm: beauty of J esus i s inexhaust ibl e ; L ik e th e Visionof God i n heaven , i t i s ever d iv ersifi ed , yet alw ays thesame

,always cherished as an old and familiar joy, yet

ever surprising and refresh ing th e spiri t as being, in

truth,perpetually new . He is beaut i ful alw ays

,beauti ful

everyw here , in the d isfiguremen t of the Passion as w ellas in the splendor of the Resurrect ion

,amid the h er

rors of the Scourging as w el l as amid the indescribableattrac tions of Beth lehem . But above all th ings ourBlessed Lord i s beaut iful in His Mother . If we loveHim w e must lov e her . We must know her i n order toknow Him . As there i s no true devo tion to His SacredHumani ty

, wh ich i s not mindful of His Div ini ty , so therei s no adequate love of th e Son , wh i ch d i sjoins Him fromHis Mother

,and lays her aside as a mere instrumen t

,

w hom God chose as He might choose an inan imateth ing

, w i thou t regard to i ts sanct ity or moral fi tness .Now i t i s our daily task to love Jesus more and more .

Year follow s year ; th e old course of feasts comes round ;the w el l-know n d iv isions of th e Ch ristian year overtakeus,.mak e their impression u pon us , and go thei r way.

How w e have mul tipl i ed Chr istmases , and Holy Weeks,and VVh itsun tides, and there has been someth ing oro ther in each of them wh ich makes them lie l ike dates

2

14 run M ARTYRDO M or M ARY .

i n our mind ! We have spen t some of th em in one

place , and some in another , some under one set of ci rcumstances, and some under another

"

Some of them,

all thanks to God ! have been d i stinguished by remarkable Open ings of heart i n our interior l ife

,such as to

change or to intensify our devo tion ,and ma terially in~

fluence our secret rela t ion s w i th God . Th e founda t ionsof many build ings , wh ich d id not r ise above ground t i l llong afterward , have been laid almos t unconsciously inthose t imes . Ye t whatever may have been the changeswh i ch these feasts have brought or seen , they hav ealways found us busy a t one and the same w ork

,trying

to love Jesus more and more : and th rough al l thesechanges , and i n al l th i s perseverance at our one w ork ,

unerring experience has told us that w e never advancemore rapid ly in love of the Son than when w e travel byth e Mother

,and that w hat w e have buil t most sol idly in

J esus has been buil t w ith Mary . Th ere is no t ime los ti n seek ing Him

,if w e go a t once to Mary ; for He is

always there,always at home . Th e darkness in His

mysteries becomes l ight when w e hold i t to her l ight,wh ich i s His l ight as w el l . She i s the short road toHim . She has th e “ grand entry” to Him . She i s Hisi sth er

,and speedy and ful l are the answers to the pet i

t ion s wh i ch h er hand presents .Bu t Mary is a w orld , wh i ch we canno t take in all at

one glance . IVe must devote ourselves to part i cularmyst eries . IVe must set aside certain regions of th i sw orld of grace

,and concentrate ourselves upon them .

IVe must survey them and map them accurately,before

w e pass on to other regions , and then w e. shal l learnmuch

,wh i ch a general v iew would have omi tted to

not i ce, and s tore our soul s w ith spi ritual riches, ricne sboth of know ledge and of love , wh i ch w i l l d raw us evermore into communion w ith our dearest Lord . As G od ’sblessed w ill st il l persists i n keeping us al ive , and for Hisown gracious purposes detain ing us amid all th i s coldweariness and these deject i ng poss ib i l iti es of sin ,

let us

THE M ARTYRDO M O F M ARY. 15

at least determ ine to occupy ourselves w i th no th ing bu tGod ; for w e have long since learned that there i s trulyno o ther occupa tion wh i ch i s w or th our wh i le . He hasa thousand Edens s ti l l , even in the bleak expanse ofth is salt steppe of a world , where w e may work ,

to th esound o f running waters , not w i thou t colloqu ies w ithHim in the cool t ime of th e day ; and w e may wanderfrom Eden to Eden , either as the w eakne ss or thestrength of our love impels us . For the presen t let usshu t ourselves up in the garden of Mary’s sorrow s . I t i sone of God’s choi cest Edens , and w e cannot w ork thereo therw ise than under the shadow of His presence

, nor

w i thou t the love of Jesus taking a marv el lous possessionof our soul s . For love of Jesus i s i n th e very v iew lessair of the place , i n the smel l of th e up turned soil , inthe fragrance of the flow ers , i n the rustl ing of th e leaves,in th e songs of the bird s , in th e sh in ing of th e sun ,

inthe quiet tunes of th e w aterfal ls as they dash dow n i tsrocky places . Th ere for a wh i l e , for our Lord’s love , w ew i l l enclose ourselves as in a clois tered place

,and le t

the w orld , in wh ich w e are of no great importance, andwh i ch i s even of less impor tance to us than w e are to i t

,

m i ss u s for a season from our post .

Th e law of the Incarnat ion is a law of suffering . OurBlessed Lord was the man of sorrow s , and by sufferingHe redeemed th e world . His Passion was no t a mys terydetached from th e res t of His l ife, bu t only th e fi tt ingand ”congruous end of i t . Calvary was not unlike Bethlehem and Nazareth . I t exceeded them in degree ; i td id no t d i ffer from them in k ind . Th e whol e of theTh ree-and-Th irty Years was spen t i n consisten t suffering

,

though i t was of various k inds , and no t of un iform in

tensi ty . Th i s same law of suffering, wh ich belongs toJesus , touches all wh o come nigh Him ,

and i n pre port ion to their hol iness , envelops them ,

and claims themwholly for i tsel f. Th e Holy Innocents w ere

,i n th e

counsels of God,simply our Lord’s contemporari es

,but

that i s simil itude enough to plunge them in a sea of

16 THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY.

suffering, and for His sake their fresh l ives must bleedaway in their d istrac ted mother’s arms

,to be follow ed

by eternal crowns and palms : a happy merchand ise, ahuge fortune sw i ft ly made , and then so marvellouslysecured ! Th e same law w ound itsel f round each of th eapostles , upon w hom the indescribably blessed choice ofthe Incarnate “ford had fall en . I t was a cross to Peterand h i s brother, a. sw ord to Paul , hard stones to James ,th e {laying-knife to Bar tholomew , and th e boil ing o i land the long years of w earisome delay to John . But

,

i n whatever shape i t came ou twardly , inw ard ly i t wasalways suffering . I t w en t w i th them into al l land s . I tovershadow ed them in all v ici ss itudes . I t w alked w iththem along the Roman roads , as i f i t was their guard ianangel ; i t s trode by th e side of th ei r uneasy galleys onth e stormy w aters of th e Med iterranean . Th ey w ereap ostl es . They mus t be l ik e thei r Lord . They musten t er into th e cloud , and the darkness of the ecl ipsemust fall upon th em on the top of some Calvary or o ther,from Rome to Bactria

,from Spain to Hindostan . Th e

same law has env ironed th e mar tyrs of al l ages . Th eirpassions have been l iv ing shadow s of th e grea t Passion ,

and the blood they shed mingled i ts k indred streamw ith th e Precious Blood of their Redeemer , th e K ing ofMar tyrs . So w ith the saints . t ether th ey have beenbishops or doctors , v irgins or matrons , seculars or re

ligiou s, unusual love and unusual grace have alwaysreached them in th e shape of unusual trial and unu‘sualsuffering . They too must be draw n in to the cloud , andthey w i l l come ou t of i t w ith their faces sh in ing, becausethey have seen

,and seen closely , the Face of the Cruci

ficd . I t i s so i n its m easure w i th al l th e elec t . Theymust stand at l east w ith i n the fringes of the dark cloud.

or i t mus t overshadow them in transi t, perhaps moret h an once

,in order to secure the salvat ion of the ir souls

by giving them at l eas t an adequate l ikeness to theirLord . Wha t, then ,

must w e th i nk of H is Mo ther, wh ocame n ighest to Him of all ?

THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY . 17

I t can plainly be no wonder, i f sh e shall suffermorethan any one bu t Himself. Th e immensi ty of hersorrow s w i l l nei ther be a d istress nor a surprise to us

,

but rather th e obvious conclusion from all we know ofthe grand mystery of the Incarna tion . Th e amountof her suffer ings w i l l be the index of th e magnificenceo f His love for her . Th e dep th of her pains w i ll cometh e nearest of al l th ings to fathom the abyss of h er lovefor Him . Her far-rol ling sea of sorrow w i l l measure th egrandeur of her hol iness . Th e loft iness of h er d iv ineMaterni ty w i l l raise her dolors close up to His graciousPassion . Her sinlessness w i l l almos t seem to enclose itw i th in the same l ife-gi ving law of expiat ion . Her unionw i th Him w i l l render her Compassion inseparable fromHis Passion , even wh i l e for a thousand reasons i t i s somanifestly d is tinguishable from i t . Th e Woman clo thedw ith th e Sun w i ll be w rapped round and round w ithth e brigh t darkness of that same terrible dest iny , wh ichHe vouchsafed fi rst to appoin t and then to accep t as thegreat law of His Incarnation . We mus t be prepared tofind Mary’s dolors beyond the reach of our imaginat ion ,above the possib i l i ty of our descr ip tion . We can onlygaze upon them w i th such instruments as fai th and lovesupply

,and note e beauty and the strangeness of many

phenomena wh ich w e can only imperfectly comprehend .

Especially can w e thus increase our devo tion to the Passion

,many unknow n regions of w h i ch are momentarily

l ighted up for us by the contac t of her dolors , just as inthe occultat ion o f Jupi ter, the luminous, tearl ik e planet,as i t touches th e dark port ion of the moon . scatters amomentary line of l ight along the unseen edge, l ike arevelat ion ,

and th en by i ts d i sappearance proves th ereal ity of that wh ich w e canno t see .

But,before we ask St . John th e Evangel ist to hold us

by th e hand ,and go

’

down w i th us into the dep ths ofthat broken heart, wh ich he, the saint of the SacredHear t

,knew better than o thers, w e must take a general

v iew of our Blessed Lady’s dolors, just as we familiarizeB 2*

18 THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY .

ourselves w i th the general outl ines of the geographyof a coun try before w e endeavor to master its de tails .There are seven poin ts

, on w h ich i t is necessary for usto have some information , before we can s tudy w ithadvantage the separate mysteries of her surpassingsorrow . We must know ,

a s far a t l east as l ies in ourpower, the immensi ty of her dolors , why God permi ttedthem , wha t were th e foun tain s of them , and what thei rcharacteri st ics, h ow i t was that sh e could rejoice i nth em, in What way the Church pu ts them before us

,and

w hat should be the spir i t of our devo tion to them .

These are quest ions wh i ch need answ ering ; and th e

answers to them , how ever imperfec t, w i l l serv e as a sor to f introduct ion to th e subj ect.

SECTION I .

THE IMMENSITY O F OUR LADY’S DOLORS .

When we th ink b eware can best descr ibe our Lady’s

dolors,i t gradual ly dawns upon us that they are i n fac t

i ndescribable . We see bu t the outs ide show of them,

and there are no adequate figures by wh i ch even tha tcan be represen ted . He wh o look s over th e w ide Atlan t i c sees a was te of Water s w ith a wh i te hori zon onevery side ; bu t that w aste of waters tell s no th ing eitherof th e mult itud inous manifold l i fe wh i ch i t containsw i th in i ts bosom , nor of the fairy-l ik e ocean-gardens o fv iv id

,painted w eeds, i ts wood s of purple, deep th i ckets

of most golden green,grottoes of fan tas t i c rock w i th

tufted palml ik e yel low trees overhanging, and th e bluewater flow ing al l round , parkl ike v i stas of glossy, spo tted ,arborescen t herbs

,or leagues on leagues of rose- colored

forests teeming w i th strange, beaut i ful , heretofore un

imaginable l ife . So is i t w i th the sea of sorrow s wh i chrolls over the secret dep th s of the Immaculate Heartof th e Mother of God . What we see i s amazing , yet i thardly ind icates what i s below . How then shal l we say


what h er woes are l ik e ? Holy men have tr ied to do so,

and they have done i t by cal ling her th e co-redemp tressof th e world, and speak ing of her sorrow s as they blendedw i th the Precious Blood , and the two made bu t onesacrifice for the sins of the world . There i s a deept ru th , and a most substant ial one, h idden under thesegreat words , and yet they may easily be understood ina sense in w h ich they would no t be true . They are theexpressions of an excel len t devot ion

,str iv ing to assi st

the feebleness of our understand ings to a true concept ion of Mary ’s grandeurs . Th ey are accuracies

,not

exaggerations . Ye t they need cautious w ord ing andcareful explanat ion . We shal l consider them in th e

n inth chapter ; and i n the res t of th e treat i se w e shal ltravel to our end by some other road , no t only becauseWe dare no t trus t ourselves to such a method of procedure, but also because i t i s against our habits and pred il ec tions, and in matters of devo t ion what does no t comenatural i s no t persuas ive . We w i l l prefer therefore toapproximate to our subj ect, i nev i tably fall ing short,rather than to overshoo t i t

,making th ings ind ist in ct

by too strong a l ight,and d i ssat i sfying by a feeling of

unreal i ty l ike a sunset i n th e hands of an unski lfulpainter . W e shal l come at last to the same end , in amanner wh i ch i s no t only most fi tted to our own ih

firmity, bu t also most cal culated to w in the confidenceof our readers .Th e fi rs t th ing

,then

, wh i ch s tr ikes us abou t ourLady’s dolors i s the ir immensi ty, no t i n i ts l i teralmeaning, but i n th e sense in wh i ch w e commonly usei t w i th reference to created th ings . I t i s to her sorrow sthat th e Church appl ies those w ords of Jeremias,* 0 al lye that pass by the way,

attend,and see if there be any

‘sorrow l ik e to my sorrow . To what shal l I compare thee,

jand to what shall I l iken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem ?To what shall 1 eq ual thee, that I may comfort thee, O

Lament . i. and n.

20 THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY

v i rgin daugh ter of Sion ? for grea t as the sea i s thy brokenheartedness : wh o shal l heal the e ? Mary’s love is spokenof as tha t wh i ch many waters could no t quench . In l ikemanner the sain ts and doctors of the Church have spokeno f th e grea tness of her sorrow s . S t . Anselm* says

,VVhat~

ever cruel ty was exerci sed upon the bod ies of th emartyrswas l ight

,or rather i t was as no th ing; compared to the

cruel ty of Mary’s passion . St . Bernard ine of Sienaj' saystha t so great was the dolor of the Blessed V i rgin thati f i t was subd iv ided and parcel led ou t among al l creatures capabl e of suffering, th ey would perish i nstantly .

An angel i revealed to S t . Bridget that i f our Lord hadno t miraculously suppor ted His Mother, i t would not

hav e been poss ibl e for h er to l iv e th rough her martyrdom . I t w ould be easy to multiply s imilar passages

,

both from the revelat ions of the saints and th e w r i tingsof th e doctors of the Ch u rch .

B u t the immensi ty of Mary’s dolors i s especiallyshow n in th i s , that they exceeded al l martyrdom . No tonly was there never any martyr, however prolongedand complicated h i s tor tu res may have been , who

equal led her i n suffering ; bu t th e un ited agonies o fal l the mar tyrs

,vari ety and intensi ty al l duly al low ed

for,d id no t approach to the anguish of h er martyrdom .

No thoughtful man w i l l ever speak l ightly of the mystery of bod i ly pain . Possibly i n that respec t h is ownexperience may hav e shamed h im in to w i sdom . I t wasin a great measure th rough bod i ly pain that th e w orldwas redeemed ; and i s i t no t mainly by th e same process tha t w e ourselves are being sanct ified a t th i s hour ?I t i s the unerring justi ce of God wh i ch places on th eheads of the mar tyrs that pecul iar crown wh ich belongsto those who, in th e h eroism of physi cal endurance

,

have laid down their l ives for Chr i s t . Bu t even i n

De e xce ll. Virg . cap . 5 .

1' Ap Novatum i. 3 59. Also Sinischalch i, Preface to h is Dolori di Maria,

1 In eermone angelico ap Revelat . S. Birgit ta , c. 17.

THE M ARTYRDO M OF M ARY . 21

respec t of corporeal anguish Mary exceeded the mar

tyrs . Her whole being was drenched w i th bi tterness .Th e sword s in her soul reached to every nerve and fibrei n her frame

,and w e can hard ly doub t bu t that her sin

l ess body, w ith i ts exqu isi te p erfec tion s , was del icately

framed for suffering beyond al l o thers bu t that of herSon . Moreover

,i n th e case of the mar tyrs

,they had

long looked at thei r flesh as their enemy and thei r h inderance on th e heavenward road . They had punishedi t

,mort ified i t

,cruel ly kep t i t under

,un ti l they had

come to regard i t w i th a kind of holy hatred . Hers wass inless. I t was the marve l lous mine, the purest, sublim e st matter that the w orld knew , ou t of wh i ch ourLord’s Sacred Flesh and Precious Blood had been oh

tained,and she could know no th ing of that exult-ing re

venge w i th w h i ch h ero i c sanct i ty tr iumphs in th e sufferings of the flesh . But w ha t i s the grand suppor t of themar tyrs i n thei r tor tures ? I t i s that thei r minds are fullof l ight and rad iance . It i s tha t th eir inw ard eye i sben t on Jesus

,by whose beauty and glory they are forti

fied . I t is th i s w h i ch pu ts ou t the fi res,or makes them

pleasan t as the flapping of the w arm w ind i n spring . I ti s th i s wh i ch makes the scourges fal l so soft and smooth

,

and causes th e lash to cheer l ik e w ine . I t i s th i s w h ichmak e s the sharpness of th e steel so dull to the d iv idedflesh and wounded fibres . What i s w i th in them isstronger than that wh i ch i s w i thou t them . I t i s no tthat their agonies are no t real , bu t tha t they are tempered , coun terac ted , almost metamorphosed , by the succors wh i ch thei r soul suppl ies, from the influx of graceand love w herew ith thei r generous Master i s a t thatmoment fi ll ing them to overflow ing . But Where i sMary to look

, w i th her soul’s eye,for consolation ?

Nay , her soul’s eye must look where her body’s eye i sfixed already . I t i s ben t on Jesus ; and i t i s that verysigh t wh i ch i s her torture . She sees His Human Nature ; and sh e i s the mother , th e mo ther beyond allothermo thers , lov ing as never mother loved before , as


al l mothers together could no t l ove, i f they m igh tcompac t their myriad loves in to one intensest nameless ac t . He i s her Son , and such a Son , and i n somarvel lous a way her Son . He is her treasure andher all . t at a fund of mystery— keen

,quick , deadly,

unequalled— was there in that s ight ! And yet th erewas far more than that . Th ere was His Div ineNature .

lVe talk of mo thers mak ing idols of their sons ; tha ti s, worsh ipping them ,

turn ing them from creatures in tocreators , regard ing them as truly their last end and truebeat i tude

,so giv ing their h ear ts to them as they have

no r i ght to giv e them to any one bu t God . Th i s Marycould no t do , and ye t i n ano ther sense might w el l do .

For J esu s could be no idol , and yet mus t of necessi ty beworsh ipped as the Eternal God . None saw th i s as Maryd id . No angel worsh ipped Him w i th such sublimelyabj ec t adoration as she d id . No sain t, not even thedear Magdalen , ever hung over His feet w i th suchmortal yearn ing, w i th such human fondness . Ye s ! Hei s God

,— she saw that through the darkness of th e

ecl ipse. Bu t th en the blood ,— the sp i ttings , the earths tains

,the unseemly scars

,the l iv id

,many- colored

bruises ,—what d id al l that mean on a Person only andeternal ly d iv ine ? I t i s vain to th ink of giv ing a nameto such misery as then flooded her soul . Jesus

,th e joy

of the mar tyrs, i s the execu tioner ofHis mo ther . Tw i ceover, to say th e least , i f no t a th ird t ime also, d id Hecrucify her : once by His Human Nature , once by HisDiv ine, i f i ndeed Body and Soul d id no t make two eru

cifixions from the Human Nature only. No martyrdomwas ever l ike to th i s . No given number of martyrdomsapproach to a comparison w ith i t . I t i s a sum of sorrowwh ich material un i ts

,ever so many added together , ever

so often mul t ipl ied ,do not go to form . I t i s a question

of k ind as w el l as of degree ; and hers was a kind ofsorrow wh ich has only certain aflinities to any o therk ind s of sorrow , and is s imply w i thou t a name, except

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then must that sorrow have been wh i ch was proport ionedto her greatness , to the greatness of the Mother of God,to her vast strength to bear

,to h er man ifold capabi l i ty

of suffering ? If w e pause and th ink , w e shal l se e howl i ttl e our th ink ing come s to .

But h er dolors must have been proport ioned also toher sanct ity . Th e tr ial s of th e sain ts have always ananalogy w i th th eir hol iness

,and match i t in degree as

w el l as adap t themselves to i t in i ts k ind . If Mary’ssorrow w as the work of God , and was to do w ork forHim — if i t was meri torious, 1 1 i t closely resembled ou r

Lord’s , i f i t hung to His , subord inately , ye t in separably ,i f i t was populous w i th supernatural act ions , i f i t mult i~pl ied her gracex— then must i t have been sui tabl e to theexcel len ces of h er soul , and proport ioned to her sanct ity . Bu t that ari t hmet i c of Mary

’

s merits has longbeen a. bew i ldering quest ion ; bew i ldering . no t because ashadow of doubt hangs over , bu t for th e w an t of ciphersto w ri te i t down in—O f factors w hereby to w ork th egigant ic multipl icat i on . Th e holiness of the Moth er ofGod was not absolute ly i l limitable ; and th i s i s th elow est th ing wh i ch can be said abou t i t . I f then w e

cast the most cursory glance over the number of h ergraces , their k ind s , and their degrees , i f s tar t ing at theImmacula te Concept i on w e make a sort of reckoning upto th e. Incarnat ion ,

using angels’ fiou re s because mens'

have fai led us long ago ; an d then i f w e th ink , how everbriefly

,of the wav i n w h i c h a t th e moment of the Incar

nat ion our figure s fel l over into th e infinite, or someth ing ve rv l ike i t ; and then i f w e con templa t e , stup idl yand w i ld ly as w e. must do . t he veloci ty of indefinablegrace during tln'

e e -andth irtv v ears‘

, al l th i ckly strew nw ith i nfin ite mvste rie s. w e may form some idea . not ofth e amoun t of sanc t i ty ready to bear its proport iona t eamoun t of sorrow at the foot of the Cross , b u t of the impossibil i ty of our formin g au v clear idea of such a sanetitv at all. So that w e go aw av w i th a most overwhelm~

mg impression , bu t i t. is an impress ion l ike a fai th , ofth e


enormous w eight of suffering wh i ch such a sanct ity re

quired,in order to engross i t, to match i t, to acce lerate

i t, to complete i t, to crown i t, and to augment i t byanother infinity .

Nei ther can w e doub t that her sorrow s w ere proportione d to her enlightenment . Know l edge always put san edge on grief. Sensibi l i ty gives i t add i t ional acuteness . For the most par t, w hen w e suffer w e hardlyknow half our ac tual misfor tune

,because w e hardly

u nderstand more than half of i t . Neither are w e generally in ful l possession of ourselves . Some part of us i sdeadened and dulled by the blow w h i ch has been deal tus, and al l that por tion of our soul is a refuge to us fromth e sensit iveness and vigi lance of the rest . A ch i ldw eeps w hen h is mother d ies ; bu t alas ! h ow many along year i t takes to teach both boy and man w hat amother’s loss really means ! Now

,our Lady’s whole

being was flooded w i th l ight . No t only did a reasonand inte ll igence of the most consummate perfect ioni l luminate every facul ty

,and secure the u tmost excel

l ence in the exerci se of i t,bu t she l ived w ith in herse l f

i n a very atmosphere of supernatural air and l ight . Inher dolors th i s l ight was a tor ture to her . We mayw ell suppose that no one , excep t our Blessed Lord Himself

,ever ful ly understood th e Passion , or grasped all i ts

horrors in t he i r terr ible and repulsiv e completeness .Ye t Mary’s know ledge of it i s the only one wh i ch cameat al l near to His

,and simply because of the excess of

heavenly l ight w h ich shone u nse ttingly upon her sinlesssoul . w e have bu t narrow ideas of the l igh t w h i ch Godcan pour into the spacious intell igences of the angels ,much less into the vast ampli tude and serene capaci tyof His Blessed Mo ther . Hence i t i s that w e find thetheolo g y of the Beatific V i s ion so s ingularly d iffi cul t.What bl indness i s to th e bl ind , and deafness to thedeaf, that i s ignorance to us . We canno t compreh endits oppos ite . \Ve make guesses , and draw the mosterroneous p ictures . Ou r way l ies through darkness, and

3


th e tw i l ight i s th e utmos t our w eak sight can bear.

Light i s painful to us , and puzzles us , and troubles ou rthoughts , and makes us p recipi tate . Even w i th thesaints , sudden ligh t l et i n upon them acts as w ith us , andpart ial ly bl inds them

,unt i l they learn h ow to suffer the

k een ecstat i c O perat ions of grace . I t brings to mindwhat a devou t w ri ter on th e Passion has said of ourLord

,fol low ing probably some rev e lat ion , that after h e

had been v iolently struck by the gauntl eted hand of thesold ier His eyes w e re so affe ct-cd that He could not bearthe l ight

,so that the sunsh ine caused exquisite suffer

ing, and He w en t abou t through the streets from shameto shame

,from v iolence to v iol ence , l ike one dazed ,

andtha t can only imperfec tly see h i s way. Ignorance i s so

completely our atmosphere, that w e can conceive less ofan excess of spi ri tual l ight, an inte l lectual effulgence,than of any th ing else . So here again the extent of ourLady ’s sorrow s escapes us , as w e have no means of measuring the supernatural enl ightenmen t to w h i ch th eyw ere proport ioned ,

or wh i ch perhaps rendered them cc

extensiv e w ith i tsel f.Their mul titude i s equally beyond our pow ers of mea

suremen t . Every look at Jesus drove the swords deeperinto her soul . Every sound of His dear voi ce , w h i le i tl ifted her far up on the w ings of maternal transpor t,brought w ith i t its own bitterness , wh ich pi erced al l th edeeper and the keener for the joy that w en t along w i thi t . Every act ion of His came to her w i th a mul ti tudeo f pains

,i n wh i ch pas t and future blended in one terri

ble prevision wh i ch was always ac tual to h er blessedsoul . Every supernatural ac t wh i ch rose up w i th in herh eart, and such acts w ere forever r i sing there , was a

n ew dolor ; for ei ther i t taugh t her someth ing n ew ofJesus , or i t was a response to some fresh love of His , ori t was a grow th of n ew love in her

,or i t drew her in to

closer un ion w ith Him,or i t i l luminated h e r mind , or i t

rav ish ed h er affec tions,or i t intensified h e r w orsh i p ;

and in al l these th ings the dearer and th e more pre


cious our blessed Lord became to h er , the more unut~te rab le w ere th e hear t- rend ing w oes of the cruel andignominious Passion . Thus

,full as her l ife was of great

e vents,'rap idly succeed ing each o ther, the multitu de of

her sorrow s was being swollen every hour by the mereh idden l ife of grace in her heart . They came togetherl ike the streams of people in a huge c i ty

,sw ell ing the

crow d from every side,and swaying i t to and fro . They

w ere independen t of external events, w hose necessary

sequence , w i th the time and room they occupy,keeps

the intolerable fulness of human l ife w ith in l im its . I twas more l ik e a perpetual creat ion . They createdthemselves, only i t was not ou t of noth ing : i t was ou t

of her own exceed ing hol iness,and sti ll more ou t of the

exceed ing beau ty of her Son . If the number of herwoes i s beyond our pow er o f coun ting, w hat must theirpressure hav e been ,

w hen they concentra ted themse lvesas one w eight upon one poin t of her affect ions

, and

then ever and anon d i s tractedly d i spersed themselvesall over her soul w i th an amazing universal ity of suffering,

wh i ch i t i s no t easy to picture to ourse lves ? We

need no t fear for her . She w h o was as tranqui l asthough she had been d iv ine

,i n th e momen t of the In

carnation , can forfe i t her peace for not-h ing el se : bu t,oh

,how bitter must her peace have been ! In pace

amaritudo mea amarissima !There was also ano ther very true sense in wh i ch th e

sorrow s of Mary w ere immense, in that they w erebeyond the pow er of human endurance . They w en tb eyond th e measure of the natural strength of l ife . I ti s th e unan imous v erd i ct of the devou t w riters on ourBlessed Lady

,suppor ted by th e reve lat ions of the sain ts

,

and indeed founded upon those reve lations,th at sh e

was miraculously kep t alive under the pressure of herintolerable suffer ings . In th is

,as in so many other

th ings,sh e par ti cipated i n the gifts of our Blessed Lord

during His Passion . But th is i s true of our Lady , not.only during the horrors of Calvary, bu t th roughou t her


whol e l ife . Her prev is ion of al l her sorrow s , a t l eastfrom the momen t of St . Simeon’s prophecy , was so v iv idand real

,t ha t

,w ithout a pecul ia r succor from the omni

po tence'

of God , i t mus t have separated her soul andbody . She could no t have l ived under so dense ashadow . Sh e

'

could no t have breathed in so th i ck adarkness . She must have been suffocated in the deepw aters in w h i ch her soul was cont inually sink ing . Itwas impossible in so perfec t a creature that her r easonshould be perturbed . I t was impossible th a t peaceshould ever be d i slodged from a h eart in such transcend en tly close union w ith God . B ut her beaut iful l ifemight have been ,

nay , w ould have been , ext inguishedby excess of sorrow , unless God had w orked a perpetualmiracle to h inder th i s effect, just as th rough h er whol el i fe she was always on th e poin t of dying from excess oflove

,and when H is appointed momen t came

,and He

w ithdrew His extraord inary succor , she d id in fact. d i eo f simple love . t at then must that sorrow have been

,

wh i ch required a stand ing miracle not to force body andsoul asunder ; and th is, too , in a sinless soul

,w here

remorse could never come,where doubt never harassed

th e judgmen t , unless i t w ere once during the ThreeDays’ Loss , and where perpetual peace reigned amid thequi etness and subordinat ion of all the passions ?Our Lady’s dolors also w en t i n thei r reality beyond

the measure of most human real it ies,and th is both i n

reason and sense . In our sorrow s there is generally a.great deal of exaggeration . “r

e fancy almos t as muchmore as w e hav e really to bear . I f our suffering comesfrom others, w e d ress i t up in circumstances of unkindness

,w h i ch never had any existence . W

'

e impute motive s, w h i ch never crossed the mind to w h ich w e imputethem . We throw a strong . unequal , and unfair l ight onl ittle triv ial occurrences , w h ich are probably altogetherd isconnected from the matter . Or if i t is some le ss w eare undergoing , w e pic ture consequences far beyond thesober truth, and bearing abou t as much proport ion to


th e real in conveniences impli ed in our loss , as a boy w i tha lantern bears to th e prod igious tall shadow s h e i s allthe wh i l e unconsciously casting on the opposi te w all .Th e combined w eakness and act iv i ty of our imag inationsenvelop our sorrow in a cloud of unreality , w h ich i s st i l lfurther increased by a k ind of fool ish w i lfulness , lead ingus to refuse comfor t

,and turn a deaf ear to reason , to

give way to culpable indolence and brood ing , and toin terrup t the cont inu i ty of our ord inary dut ies andresponsibi l i t i es . Now in all th i s w ilfulness and w eakness th er e i s a sort of pleasure, w h i ch i s a great condescension to endurance . Bu t w i th our Blessed Lady allwas thorough ly true . Her sorrow s w en t up in to regionsof sublimity

, of w h i ch w e can form only the vaguestconcep tions . They w ent dow n in to profound dep ths ofthe soul , wh i ch w e cannot explore because they have noparal le l in ourselv es . They w ere h eightened by th e unapprec iable perfect-ion of her nature, by the exuberan tabundance of h er grace , by the exceed ing beau ty ofJesus

,and above all by H is Div in ity . Each of these

enhancemen ts of her griefs carries them out of sight ofour limited capac it i es . But to h er

,in th e midst of the

most serene self—col lect ion , each was perfectly real ,thorough ly comprehended in all i ts bearings

,and heroi c

ally embraced w i th full intel l igence of al l that was eitheractual or involved in i t . Her physical nature

,free from

all the ru in of d isease , exemp t from th e d i sorgani zationconsequent on sin ,

was full of the keenest v ital ity,of

th e most del icate susceptib il i ties , of th e most tender andl ively sensi t iv eness

,and endow ed w ith a most fine and

amazing capabil i ty of sufferin o. Hence there was no

th ing, either in reason or sense, to deaden a single blow .

Use d id no t make her sorrow s more tolerable . Continu ity d id not confuse their d ist inctness . No t one ofth em was local ; they w ere felt al l th rough ,

w ith a sw i ftcirculation and a fiery sharpness w h i ch exempted nopart of her body or soul from i ts piercing anguish , norgave so much as a transient d ispensat ion to th is or that

3 0 TIIE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY .

parti cular faculty . Tranqu il hersel f w ith tha t unutterable tranquil i ty of hers

,there was no repose in h e r

sorrow s . They n ever left her . They never slept . Theygave her no truce . Day and night w as the i r uproarheard round th e walls of th e city of her soul . Dav andn ight. thei r flaming shafts fel l in show ers al l over hermos t sacred shrines . There was not one , a j ot of w hosemal i ce was lost upon her . Sh e missed none of thebi tterness . Sh e knew the i r full value

,and had none

of those surprise s w h i ch somet imes force us suddenlyacross great trials w e hard ly know how . There was nosuccession i n them

,because th e v all stuck in her, l ik e

Sebast ian ’s arrow s,and the i r poisoned barbs w ere al l

rankl ing there a t once . I t i s terrific,th i s real ity of

Mary ’

s sorrow s . It is a feature of them wh ich must no tbe forgo t ten w hen w e cease to speak of it

,else w e shal l

understand but very imperfectly w hat has vet. to follow .

Truly th is is an immense real ity , such as could no t befound anywhere out of Jesus and Mary, another part i c ipat iou in the depth s of th e Passion .

But these sorrow s of hers had some sort of share i nth e redempt ion of th e w orld ; and th is gives them apeculiar immensi ty of the ir own . Th i s

,how ever

,i s a

matter to be examined hereafter,and at l ength . I t i s

sufficien t then to sav now that by the ord inance of God,

Mary was mixed up w ith the Passion,that her dolors

w ere added to our Lord ’

s sufferings,not w i thou t a

purpose , but , as i s the case w ith al l d iv ine th ings , w itha most real and mysterious purpose

,and tha t as th e

Mother and th e Son can in no w ise be separated a t anyoth er poin t i n the '

l‘

h irty—Th ree Years

,least of all can

they be separated on Calvary,where God has j oined

them so marked ly . and almost unexpected ly .

Of the d iv ersified romance and ar t ist i c beauty ofMary ’s dolors w e need not speak . Such th ings belongof right to al l d iv ine works . IIe r compassion was par tof the great epic of crea t ion , a pathos and a plaint iveness not to be d isjoined from the sublimities and terrors

3 2 THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY .

who was sinless and had noth ing in hersel f to expiateby penance , and w hose tears w ere in no way needful tothe Precious Blood wh i ch was of its sole self the re

dempt ion of the world ? Such reasons as w e see on thesurface of the matter are these . I t was because of Hislove for her . VVllfl t can love give , wh i ch i s better thanse l f ? But

,w ith Him

,se lf was suffering . Even in th e

matte r of earth ly greatness h igh destin ies are dest iniesof glorious pai n and more than common tr ial . Andhow human and earth ly , even w hen mos t h eavenly is

all in th e Th ree- and-Th i rty Years ! Th e same law wh lch

l i es round Him must also lie round her . She could nothave a more passiona te w i sh than th i s in her tranqui lsoul . B ut th e law i s a law of suffering, of sacrifice , ofexpiat ion

,of ignominy

,of abject-ion almos t touch ing on

ann ih i lat ion . She w ould have been a mere instrumen tra ther than a Mo ther had she been d isj oined from al lth is , had she lain l ike a quiet low -lying landscape w ithth e sun on i t , away from the storm -enveloped glory o fthose heights of Calvary

,more terribl e by far than the

ledges of ancien t Sinai . I s i t no t even now, even to

those far off from Him compared w ith the nearness ofH is Mother

,i s i t no t th e fash ion of His love to show

itsel f in crosses ? He left h eaven because pain was sucha parad ise for Him , and i t was an exclusively te rrestr ialparad ise ; and i f He loved i t so , He may w el l expec tthat those who lov e Him shall love i t also . Grea t gracesare the mountain - chains th row n up by th e subterraneanh eavings of pain . Martyrdoms have crow ns belongingto them of right . Was Mary to be uncrowned ? W'

ouldnot th e excess of His love for her h e l ik ew ise an excessof suffering ? But w hv waste many w ogds, when i t i senough to appeal to our own Christ ian in s tincts ? Wh atw ould an unsuffering Mary be l ike ? Th e idea impliesnoth ing less than th e d isappearance of tho Madonnafrom th e Church . An impassibl e Incarnat ion w ouldhav e b rough t‘in i ts train an un su ffering Mother ; b u t th epassible Babe of Beth l ehem has swathed His Mo ther in

THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY . 3 3

the same bands of suffering w h i ch compass Himsel f.Th e keenness of her mar tyrdom is the perfect ion of Hisfil ial piety .

Th e augmentation of her mer it s i s another reason of

her dolors ; and nowhere has the force of meri t su chvelocity as in suffering . Her being the Mother of Godw ill no t raise her h igh in heaven , apar t from the sanc tifying grace preced ing and follow ing th e d ign ity of t heDiv ine Matern i ty . Th e greatness of her d igni ty is anargumen t w i th us for the greatness of her grace

,because

in the purposes of God the two th ings are in separable ;and thus the d ignity w h ich w e see is an index to us ofthe grace wh i ch w e do no t se e . Her exaltati on must depend upon her merits , and her mer its must be acquiredby lifelong suffering . 0 11 , w h o shall tell the crow ds ofnam eless raptures th i s day in h eaven

,and w ith in her

soul,i n w h ich our Blessed Mother recogn ises the d i sa

t in c t rew ards of each separate suffering , th e specialcrow n of each supernatural act ? And in al l these

,d i s

Cerning i t even th rough the amazing excess of th e re

compense,she beholds a congruity

,a sui tableness

,to the

sorrow s rewarded, nay,

even a sor t of natural grow th of

them,though i n a supernatural way. For grace i s not a

d ifferen t th ing from glory . I t i s only glory i n exil e,wh i l e glory i s bu t grace at home . Grace is the sol idtreasure ; glory i s only its exultat ion and success . Sotha t huge Compassion of Mary’s has come to be gloryby th e ord inary and law ful pro cesse s of th e k ingdom ofheaven . Six ty- three years of ecstat i c j oys w ould n ever,under th e presen t d i spensat ion of th ings , have raisedthat Maternal Throne in such ex traord inary v i cin ity toGod . Th e queen of heaven must of necess ity be trainedas a queen ,

tha t sh e might queen i t th e more lawfullyand the more supremely w hen the dav of her accessioncame . Th e buoyancy of the A ssumpt ion was due to thebitterness of th e Compassion .

There i s alwavs a look of cruel ty in h igh dest i nies .Fortune drags i ts favor ites th rough draw n sw ords .

C

3 4 rm; MARTYRDO M or MARY.

Mary’s h igh destiny i s not w ithout th is look of crue lty;and that w h ich seems so crue l i s the Div ine Nature ofh er Son . I t i s the resul t of the i nfinite perfection ofGod tha t He must necessarily seek Himse lf, and be Hisown end . I t i s thus that He is th e las t end of all creatures

,and tha t there i s no true end i n the w orld bu t

Himself. Hence i t i s par t of His magn ifi cence,par t

of His deep love, tha t al l th ings w ere made for H im,

and that His glory i s paramoun t over al l th ings else.His greatest mercy to His creatures i s to al low them tocon tribute to His glory , and to permi t them to do i ti ntelligen tly and volun tarily. R ightly considered

,the

creatu re can have no blessedness so grea t as that ofincreasing th e glory of h is Creator . I t i s th e only truesat isfact ion both of h i s understand ing and h i s will

,the

only th ing wh ich can be to h im an everlast ing rest.Here then i s ano ther reason for the d iv ine permissionof our Lady’s dolors . They w ere permi tted i n orderthat God migh t rece ive from h er more glory than fromany other creature whatsoever

, or from al l creaturestaken together, always except ing th e created nature ofour Blessed Lord . They were permi tted that sh e migh thave th e surpassing priv ilege of being equal to the whol eCreat ion in herself

,nay

,absolutely and transcendently

surpassing i t,in the praise and w orship

,th e glory and

adorat ion, wh i ch she paid to the Creator . Terrible as

the heights Were wh i ch sh e had to cl imb,far removed

beyond all sympathy and inte ll igence of th e saints , deepas w ere the ton ents of blood and tears through w hoserocky channels she had to make h e 1 way, exacting asw ere th e mighty graces which claimed so wonderful 3corre spondence , th e 1 e was not a gi ft that Jesus cver

gave h er wh i ch she pri zed so h igh ly as her stern Gemz

passion . Oh , not for w orlds would she have been excusedone leas t exaggerat ing c ircumstance of her sorrow ! Inthe v ery excess of the mos t intolerable of h er afflict ions ,she enj oyed in th e sp iri t of deep w orsh ip th e inexorablesovereign ty of God . I t was God who hung upon the

THE MARTYRDOM or MARY. 3 5

Cross . Her Son was God . I t was the Cru cified,pale

and fain t and feeble and bleed ing, whose glory was

more i l limi table than the w orld—girdl ing ocean,and was

feed ing i tself w ith unimaginable complacence on thestreams of supernatural beau ty and consummate hol i~ness , wh i ch the deeply piercing swords of her grief w eredraw ing from the caverns of her immaculate hear t . Sh eas i t w ere suppl ied for al l that th e saints owed Him for

His Pas sion but could nev er pay . A t the foo t of th eCross she was the w orld’s w orsh ip ; for what else in theworld was worsh ipp ing Him i n His abasemen t at thathour ? And al l th i s cruel ty of God’s avaricious glory

,

th i s insatiab leness of His th i rst for creatures,was to her

the perfection o f d elight,the supremest exerc ise of h er

royal ty , wh ile’

it was on the par t of her Div ine S0 11 byfan the most inconceivable ou tpoui ing of His love wh i chsh e had received since the midnight of the Incarnat ion .

Th e Church would be a d iffe i en tc

th ing from what i t i s,i f the sea of Mary’s Worsh ip in her dolors w ere not pa1 tof i ts beauty

,i ts treasures

,and i ts pow ers before God .

We can th ink less uneas ily,less despond ingly , of th e

unrequited Passion of our dearest Lord ,when w e re s

member th e sorrow,l ike no other sorrow but His own ,

w i th wh i ch His Mo ther worsh ipped Him .

We too make our appearance in the matter . Shemust suffer for our sakes as w el l as for His. For is shenot to be the mo ther of consolat ion, the comfort of theaffl i cted ? And for th i s end sh e must go dow n into th edep th s of every sorrow wh i ch th e human heart can feel .As far as a simple creature can do so

,sh e must fathom

them all,and experience them in her own self, wi thou t

eVen except ing sorrow for sin,though i t canno t be for

sin of h er own , bu t in fact for ours . Sh e must knowthe w eight of our burdens , and th e k ind of miserywh i ch each brings along w ith i t . I t must b e a scienceto her to be sure of the measure of consolation wh i chour w eak hear ts requ ire in th eir various tr ial s

,and w hat

soo thes and allev iates our suffering in all its man ia

3 6 m s M ARTYRDOM or M ARY.

fold . unequal , and d issimilar circumstances . Our BlessedLord d id no t save us from our sins by a golden apparit ion in the heavens , by a transien t v is ion of th e Crossshow n in the far-seen glory from th e green dome o fTabor

,or by an absolut ion once for al l pronounced over

the outspread w est from seaw ard- look ing Carmel . I twas no t His w i l l tha t redempt ion should have th efacil ity of creat ion , fac i l i ty to Him a t least . for to usthe faci l it ie s are wonderful enough . He ac compl ishedc ur salvat ion in long years , w ith infinite t oilsome suffe rings, ou t of abysses of shame, w ith the shedd i ng ofHis Blood

,and w ith unu tterabl e b i tterness of soul . He

earned i t,merited i t, struggl ed for i t, and only mastered

i t by the prod igi es of H is Passion . A l l th i s need no thav e been so. A w ord , a tear , a look , might have donei t , nay , an act o f w i l l , w ith or w ithou t an Incarnat ion .

Bu t i t was not His good pleasure that i t should be so .

In His infin ite w i sdom He chose no t to lean on Hisinfinite pow er alone , bu t took another way. So is i tw ith Mary . She is no t a t once created moth er of th eaffli cted , as by a sudden paten t of nobil i ty . She doesno t become the consolat ion of mourners by a mereappointmen t emanat ing from th e w i l l of the Div ineMaj esty . I t might have been so

,bu t i t i s not so . Her

chice of our Mother i s a long and painful conclusionw orked ou t from her Div ine Materni ty . She has toiledfor i t

,suffered for i t

,borne herculean burdens of sorrow

i n order to meri t i t,and has mastered i t at last on

Calvary . No t tha t sh e could strictly meri t such anoffice , as Jesus merited the salvat ion of th e w orld : nay,rather her mo therly office to us was par t of th e salvat ionwh ich H e merited . Ye t, nevertheless , accord ing to a.creature’s capac ity , sh e came nigh to meriting i t, andmet God ’s gratuitous advances to her 0 11 the way. How

needful then was i t for us that God should permi t h erdolors t at w ould th e sea of human sorrow s be w ith‘ou t Mary ’s moonlight on i t ? Th e ocean ,

w i th the dark ,heavy

,overspread clouds lowering upon i t, does not

THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY . 3 7

d iffer more w idely from the si lvery plain of green andwh i tely flash ing waters , exulting i n the su nl ight , thanthe w eary expanse of l ife’s successive cares

,w i thou t the

so ftening and almost al luring light wh i ch falls upon itfrom Mary’s love, d iffers from l ife as i t now l ies beforeus beneath her maternal throne . How many a tear hassh e not already w iped away from our eyes How manybi tter tears has sh e not made sweet in the shedd ing !And there is age , and th e yearly narrow ing circle ofthose w e lov e , and si ckness , and death , al l yet to come ;and to w hat amoun t may w e no t have to draw upon thetreasure of consolat ions in her s inless hear t ? Oh

,i t was

w el l for u s, and i t was most en ti rely to her heart’s conten t, that God pe rmi tted h e r dolors , that she might beso much the more real ly the mo ther of the affl i cted for

the heav iness of her sorrow s i s daily the l ighten ing ofOurs ; and h ow l i ttl e i t is that w e can bear , and how

great th e load wh i ch she could bear, and how royallyshe bore i t IO ur Blessed Lord was at once our atonemen t and our

example . He redeemed the w orld solely by His Pre~c ions Blood . By His meri ts alone are w e saved . Hisprerogativ es as our Redeemer are simply unshared byany one . His Mother had to be redeemed as w el l as th erest of us , though i n a d ifferent and far h igher way, bypreven tion

,not by restoration

,by the unmated grace of

the Immaculate Concep t ion , not by regenerat ion froma fallen state . Ye t i t wasHis w i l l that His Mother, heroffice

,her consen t, her graces , her sufferings , should be

so mixed up w i th th e scheme of redempt ion that w ecanno t separate them from i t . I t was His ord inancethat her Compassion should l ie close by His Passion , andthat His Passion w ithou t h er Compass ion would be ad ifferen t Passion from what i t ac tually was. Thus Heseems to draw her almos t w i th in the same law of expiat ion w h i ch surrounded Himself, so that i t should b etru e that there

‘

are many senses in wh i ch she may besaid to have taken par t in the redemp tion of the world .

4

3 8 m s M ARTYRDO M or M ARY.

But i f th is i s t rue o f Christ as our atonemen t, wh ere theunion of the Div i ne Nature w i th the Human was needful to the infinite sat isfact ion of th e w ork , much moreis i t true of Ch rist as our exampl e . Th i s was an officewh i ch she was more nearly competen t , through His owngrace

,to share w ith Him ; and one wh ich th e fac t of h er

being simply a creature, and altogether h uman , wouldbr ing more touch ingly home to us . Thus w e may perhaps venture to suppose that God permitted the dolorsof Mary

,in order that she might be al l the more excel

len tly our example . Sorrow i s more or less th e charac teristie of al l human l ife ; and i t i s one wh i ch , wh i l ei t contains w i th i n itsel f special capabil i t ies of unionw i th God ,

also deranges and perturbs our relations w i thHim more than any th ing else . I t assaults our confi

dence in Him,and confidence i s th e only true worsh ip .

I t engenders temp tations agains t the fa ith , or fi nds someth ing congenial i n them when they come . I t leads toa certain kind of peev ishness and petulance w i th God,wh i ch comes from the very dep ths of our nature

,from

the same dep th s as love and adorat ion , and wh i ch , wh il ei t i s secretly al ien to both of these

,often succeed s i n

destroy ing both , and usurping their vacan t places . Thatth i s petulance i s a true phenomenon of th e creature’snature is shown by the surpr ising manner in wh ich Godj ust ifies the petulance of J ob , and finds sin that neededexpiat ion in the cri t i ci sm of h i s fr i end s upon h im

,

wh i le He , the Searcher of hearts, d iscerns in Job’s boldquerulousness noth ing that damages th e integrity of h i spat ience , and much that i s i n harmony both w ithreverence and lov e . Th e endurance of sorrow i s perhaps the h ighest and most arduous w ork w e have to do

,

and i t i s for th e most par t God’s ord inance that theamoun t of sorrow to be endured should i ncrease w i ththe amoun t of hol iness enabl ing us to bear it. We mustbear i t naturally even wh i le w e are bearing i t supernaturally . There i s no sancti ty in unfeelingness , or inth e blun ting of the soul, even wh en rel igious interests


i nvent i veness of d ivine love,His training of th e saints,

I l is guidance of the Church ,His inward walk w i t h the

souls that seek l Ii1n,— all these th ings are w ri t ten upon

Mary l ike h ieroglyph i cal inscript ions , easi ly to be dec iphered by the l ight of faith and the intell igen t sur~m ises of devo t ion . So

,by h e r dolors , H e has hung abou t

her a comple t e revela t ion of the grea t my st ery of suffering . He has i l luminated i n her tha t pregnan t doctrine,that. suffering is th e only true conclusion to be d raw nfrom love , w here d iv ine th ings are concerned . She hadno sin of her ow n for w h i ch to suffer . She had nopenalty to pay for the fall of Eve . She was not includedin the law of sin . She was

,in the order of heaven ’s

purposes,foreseen before the decree permi tt ing sin . She

also had no w orld to redeem . A l l her dear blood , th e

sw eet fountain and w el l-head of the Precious Blood , couldno t have w ashed away one venial si n , nor saved the soulof one new - born babe who had no actual sin at al l toexpiate . She was simply immersed i n an unspeakablesea of love , and therefore th e deluge of sorrow passedover her soul , and in to i t, by right , j us t as the grea tturbulen t r ivers run down unques tioned into the sea .

H er sufferings close the mou th of complain t forever .lVith sw ee t constrain t and unansw erable persuasivenessthey impose si lence on all the suffer ing ch i ldren of ourh eavenly Father . Th e saints can doubt no longer thatsuffering is th e one grand s imil itude of Christ . lVe tooin our extreme low ness , whose pat ience i s of so th in atexture that i t was threadbare almost when it was new

,

l earn , no t to be silen t only , bu t to bear w i th gentl eness ,and even w istfully to th ink th e t ime may come whenw e shall actually love , that suffer ing wh ich seems to b ethe golden coin in wh ich love repays our love


SECTION II I .

THE FOUNTAINS or OUR LADv’s DOLORS .

We may now proceed to our th i rd inquiry : t at w erethe founta in s of our Lady ’s dolors ? By fountains w e donot exactly mean causes

,bu t rather the peculiar sources

of feel ing in her hear t,wh i ch gave to h e r sorrow s thei r

d i st inguish ing bitte rness . t e n 9. mo ther loses heronly son , the loss is of i tse lf bitterness enough ; but acharacter and in tensi ty are given to i t by circumstanceswh i ch aw aken parti cular feelings w ith in her b reast .E ither he was so beau tiful that the loss seems al l themore intolerable , or h e was so fu l l of moral or inte lle ctual promise , or he was taken so young , or there wassometh ing wh ich ,

humanl y speak ing,might have been

so easi ly preven te d in th e ac tual cause of h i s death,or

th ere was a special combinat ion of family circumstancesw h i ch j ust a t that t ime made h i s death a greater blowthan at any other date i t w ould have been : these, andsimilar th ings wh i ch might be indefinitely multip l ied

,

are centres of peculiar bi tterness round wh i ch sorrowgathers

,deepen ing

,broadening, magnifying , embittering

i t,far beyond the measure of the real affl ic tion . Ye t all

these th ings are to the mourner th e most s tern real i ti es,

and by no means imaginary or merely sent imen tal aggravations. In th e case of our Blessed Lady noth ingcould go beyond th e real affl ict ion , because of Himwhose suffer ings w er e the cause of hers . On th e contrary,

human sorrow,even Mary ’s sorrow , could no t

equal the real cause of grief. Neverth e less , there w erecen tres also i n her heart round w h i ch he r sorrow sgathered more th i ck ly

,and ached more cruelly , and

th robbed more vehemently th an elsew here . I t i s thescentres wh i ch w e mu st now consider , these special fountains of perennial bi tterness , premising th at of coursethe perfec t-i ons of Mary’s heart are so far beyond our

44;


understand ing , tha t th ere w ere doubtl ess many sourcesof k een suffering to h e r wh i ch w e cannot appreciate,perhaps no t even imagine

,and tha t wh i le w e traverse

the ground wh i ch i s known to us w e must not forget allth e regions w h ich l i e beyond i t s ti ll und i scovered , th eexploring of wh ich may perhaps be one of the manydelightful occupat ion s l eft for heaven .

Th e firs t of these fountains was i n th e thou gh t thatsh e could no t d i e w i th Jesus . There i s hard ly any

mother wh o w ould no t under such circumstances havelonged to d i e . Death i s better than l ife to a brokenh ear t ; and where death i s not a separat ion , bu t anunbroken companionsh i p , only a companionsh ip transferred from th e desolate earth to th e bosom of ourHeavenly Father

,to what stri cken mother w ould i t

no t have been a boon beyond all worlds ? How incom

parab ly such to Mary ! Never was son so much to earth lymoth er as Jesus was to her ; never was any son so goodand beaut i ful and dear a son , never any so much a son .

Th e r ights of both father and mo ther cen tred i n th eone h ear t of th e V i rgin Mo ther ; so that He was tw i ceh er Son ,

double h er Son . Who can tel l th e attractionsof H is Sacred Humani ty, or h ow the lov e of Him tookroo t in that deep maternal hear t ? Then He was Godbeside

,and for three—andth irty years had been l iv ing

in obed i ence to her,i n a un ion of love so transporting

tha t i t w ould have taken her l i fe a thousand times i fHe had no t h indered i t

,and that

,not by tempering th e

sw ee t vehemence of love,bu t by strengthening her hear t

w i th I l is omnipotence . He was going . His sun was

sink ing in a red sea of blood , among the w i ldest cloudsof shame . She could never forget . Calvary w ould bein her heart to the last . I t w ould be one of those rem embrance s wh i ch time could never soften , one of thosehorrors w h ich grow more horrible in the d i stance, whenw e can take them in and not be confused by thepresence of their excess . But even i f i t w ere not so

,

Jesus wou ld be gone, and why should she l ive ? What

THE M ARTYRDO M O F M ARY . 43

vas there to l ive for ? Th e sunsh ine was pu t out . I t .

was more of an end than the end of the world could be .

I t was a darkn ess inconce ivable,nay,m'm igh t appear a

downright impossibi l ity : for h ow was the w orld to go onw i thou t Jesus ? Wri th the closing of His eyes

,i t might

appear as if all bened i ct ion w ere w i thdraw n from th eearth

,and a cold freezing shade come over all i ts bright

ness . When His sw eet accents w ere h eard no more,surely all nature w ould keep an unbroken si lence, unless those awful cries of the maddened people w ere togo on mul tiplying and reverberat ing th rough al l spaceforever . Th e earth was to have Pe ter ; Mary was tohav e John . One was to b e th e apostle of th e world , theo ther the apostle of the Mo ther . But Jesus was to go .

But i t i s not only why should she l ive , but how couldshe l iv e ? VVa-s th ere a possib il ity of l iv ing w i thou tJesus ? None

,dearest Mother

,except by the h elp of

His omnipotence ! Oh,h ow w onderful must have been

h er love to accep t His w i l l on Calvary , His w i l l that theyshould par t

,His w i l l that sh e should l inger on th rough

fi fteen mortal years of un imaginable martyrdom ! Sh easked once for w ater to be turned into w ine , and He saidHis time was no t yet come ; nevertheless at h er w i l l themiracle was w rough t

,w i thou t h er ask ing tw ice . She

could hard ly have forgotten that on Calvary . Thesefifteen years w ere His w i l l , bu t w hat i f sh e for a momentshow s her w i ll that i t should not be so ? w i l l the Motherhave to plead long w i th th e dying SO 11 ? A w ord , a look ,

w ere possibly enough . How i s i t that she i s st il l ? Is i ttha t she loves Him better now than at Cana of Gal i l ee ?An d i t i s a h igher love to stay and do His w i ll , than togo w i th Him and enjoy His beau ty . I s she hol i er nowthan she was then ? For hol iness

,as i t ri ses

,loses more

and more i ts ind i v idual w i l l in the w i l l of God . Bothare doubtless true

,and both fac ts are in no sl ight

measure ow ing to her dolors . Bu t i s i t no t rather perhaps that sh e

,l ike h er Son ,

has gone down into thedepths of suffering

,and has become as i t were enchan ted


.w ith i t, and as He th i rsts for more suffering, in d iv inestd isconten t even w i th the excesses o f Calvary

,so she too

th i rsts to suffe r more , and He give s to her, what His

Father grants no t to Himself,another passion of a hun

d red and e ighty w ax ing and waning moons ? I t mus tbe remembe red also tha t there was a pecul iar grief toour Lady in no t dying w ith Jesus

,wh ich w e canno t

appreciate,bu t only contemplate far off. Union w ith

Jesus was so habitual to h e r, and union of so close andv i tal a nature , tha t i t had become he r l ife ; and now , in

th e most importan t ac t o f al l , sh e was not to be unitedw ith Him . She was to d iffer when sh e most longed toresemble Him . Nay , i t was a wan t of un ion wh ich wasto involve ac tual separat ion . Who can est imate whatth is absence of union w as to her ? Ye t h er love hadth i s prerogat ive

,to suffer longer than our Lord

, and

to outl ive H im by w elln igh hal f H is l ife in suffering .

Deep down in very deep sanct i ty indeed w e find , thatnever scarcely was sh e more in timately united w i th Himthan w hen sh e let Il im go w i thou t her .

Another fountain , wh i ch yielded add it ional bitternessto Mary 's sorrow s

,was th e know l edge that her dolors

increased the sufferings of Jesus , nay, that they w ereactual ly among the w orst agon ies He had to endure .

Th ere was no t one pain wh i ch she would no t have givenw orld s to allev iate . There was no t one fresh ind igni tyoffered to Him

,w h ich d id no t pierce her soul , and make

h e r blood inw ardly . A s blow s and blasphemies , insults ,deri sion , and rude hand l ings w ere mult ipl ied , i t seemedat. each n ew v iolence as if she could bear no more , as ifthe sea of sorrow needed bu t another drop to break i nupon the fountains of her l ife and wash them away inone terrifi c i nunda tion . And yet sh e had to feel thatth e sigh t of her broken hear t, ever before Him ,

was

more d readful to our Blessed Lord than th e scourging,th e crown ing, the sp i tting , or the buffet-ing . She wasmade as i t w ere execut ioner in ch ief of h er own belovedSon . Th e more tenderly sh e loved Him , th e more


fondly she clung to Him,th e more w i llingly sh e bore

her gri efs , so much the deeper the iron of them enteredinto the Soul of Jesus . She knew al l th is ; and ye t hergrief was not beneath her own control . Her very hol iness increased i t a thousand fold . I t was i n vain sh e

strove to repress i t . Th e very effort was anguish,and

no calmness o f face, no firmness of att i tude,no tearless

ness of eye, could have h idden from Jesus th e secretabysses of her immaculate hear t . Who shal l tel l th etorture of al l th i s to h er u nselfish devo tion ? Oh theseeming cruelty of that exceed ing great love wh ich hadac tually insi sted on her being an in tegral and prominentpar t of H is b i tter Passion ! How w ell He knew theplenitude of grace that was i n her ! How thorough lyHe trusted th e immensi ty of her hol iness ! Life had no tbeen w i thou t j oys to Him

,not even w ithout ear th ly j oys .

His Mo ther had been a w hol e w orld of sw eetness to theMan of sorrow s ; and now, in His love of God ,

i n H islove of her

,in Hi s love of us , He turns all those sw eet

waters to an ocean of sal test bi tterness for Himse lf, andkeeps slak ing His th irst from i t i nce ssantly all throughth e various myster ies of His tremendous Passion . Hekn ew her lov e so w ell

,and calculated i ts forti tude so

truly,that He hesitated not to lay upon her a cross so

nearly the w e igh t of His own . But what al l th is was,i n

spite of the eag er conformity of h er w i l l ing hear t, whatintensi ty of misery

,what unparall el ed kind of w oe it

brough t along w i th i t,i t i s beyond our pow er to say . I t

i s very deep sea close to shore, w her e Mary’s dolors areconcerned .

But i s she then to be simply passive ? If i t is His w i l lthat she should be par t of H is Passion , may she notth ink that th e fondness of her lov e w i l l really be someallev iation of His pain s ? She has been too near theIncarnate “r

ord no t to comprehend th at strange un ionof i ntense st pain .w i th int ensest j oy, wh i ch was thenormal state of His blessed Soul on ear th ; and deepdown ,

deeper than the foun tains of grief, might no t h er

46 Tm: M ARTYRDO M or MARY

love be a w el lspring of gladness i n H is heart ? Th e

ncro ic d evotedness of the Mother must. sure lv be a mostpa thet i c conten tmen t to th e Son . Ye t w e ven ture t osuppose tha t i t was no t so . Th e analogies of th e Passionseem all to poin t th e other way. H e shu t off from Hislow er nature the sensible beat itude of the unbrokenV ision of God . H e stripped Himself by an amazing detae hm e nt of al l tha t could have consoled Him . Th e

derel i c t ion of His Father was an abyss into w h i ch Hepurposed to descend . He can hard ly have al low ed HisMother ’s love to have been a consolat ion and support toH im . H e can hard ly have k ept to sh ine u pon Him inHis darkness the greates t earthly j oy His Sacred Hu

man ity had ever known . It would be ou t of k eepingw ith th e Pass ion

,w ith that completeness of bleak deso

lat ion w h ich H e spread around Himself,the vastest

,

d i rest w ilderness of soul that ever man h ad know n ,

w orse round Him,th e sinl ess Sav iour, than was the

homeless earth th at lay outstretched,w i th al l its haun t

ing shapes and shadow s of terror , before th e bloodstained

,impenitently remorseful Cain ! No ! Mary migh t

no t th ink tha t i n that hour her love could sooth e HisSacred Heart . But w ere there no maternal offices wh i chshe might fi l l toward Him ? A las ! only such offi ce asth e mother of the Maccabees had fi lled of old . Slow lyand incommod iously th e blood from the thorns was

tr ickling in to His eyes ; bu t sh e could no t reach to w ipeaw ay the blood from Him

,w hose special office i t i s to

w ipe away tears from al l eyes forever . His l ips areparched w ith th i rst

,w h ite

,blood less

,cracking ; bu t sh e

may not damp them for one momen t w ith h e r moistenedvei l , though His blood shal l henceforth dai ly damp th efi res of purgatory for a thousand souls . His poor un

pillow ed head , tha t beaut iful head ,to her th e most

beau tiful of created th ings ,— ifHe lean s back th e thornsare dr iven in,

if He leans forward His whole body dragsfrom the nai ls,— may sh e no t hold i t in her Motherlyhands , and le t Him rest so for a l i ttle wh i le unt i l He

4S rnr. mam vunon or .namr.

betwe en th e dear Ch ild who was b e ing taken from h er.

and the all-holy God who was infli c t ing th is blow uponher . ‘ He r grief and h er re l igion did no t full two d iffere nt. wavs . The su tfcring Ch i ld and t he all-holy Godwere one and th e s ame . Th is was th e overpow e ringuni ty o f her dolors . Sh e must go for t h t he refore . and

follow th e footsteps of J esus . and w e t h e r fee t. i n th e

bloo d He has le ft b eh ind l l im . She must. l is t e n to th efi erce s inging of th e. scourges as th e y cleave. th e air, andcoun t th e stripe s

,and take in t o h e r heart. th e var iety of

dead ly s icken ing sound s th ey made. as they l i t . on t h isor that part o f His Sacred B ody . She mus t se e th e

mock k ing of Jews and G en t il es . as Pilate . hal f in w or thless pi ty. and hal f in merci le ss deris ion . e xposed Him to

th e crowd , and sh e alone. adored His royal majestyalmost out. of th e ve ry ann ih i lat ion of hersel f by t hev iol ence of grie f. Sh e. must hear th e dull hammeringo f th o nails on Calvary . whose sounds . muffle d by thesoft flesh of H is Hand s and Fee t . pierced h e r

soulth rough and through . Sh e must. l ist en to th e sevenbe au t i ful w ords upon th e. Cros s . as i f He Himse l f w eresinging h is own dirgc ,

w i t h such melanch oly swee tnessas was enough to have drawn her l iv ing soul ou t of herw eak . w orn . and ach ing body . A ll th i s was terribl e .

Ye t sh e was a t rue mothe r. No t for one ins tan t w ouldsh e have conse n t ed to have. i t. othe rw ise . It. was aport ion of the royal t y of h e r hear t . Neve rthe less , i t,was an unspeakable aggrava t ion of her suffe ring . It

was tru e that th e whol e of it had lain be fore he r i ncleares t provision . at. least since th e hour of Sime on

'sprophecy . Bu t sense is some t h ing more than p rev ision ,

smuc th ing ditib re n t from i t The. son cs“ be t ray the

su ccors wh ich r ason giv es . Th ey in t e rrupt that in torior tranqui ll i t y in wh i ch t he darkes t

'

v isions may possessth e soul . w i th ou t d is turbing i t. Sight. in te rferes w i t htha t se l f-co l lec t ion . w h i ch is our a t t i tude o f s t re ng t h inth e endurance of in terior pains . I t t h row s the soul otfits guard , or el i ci ts from it a painfu l s train of inward

II;

‘I‘I-IR MARTYRDOM or M ARY . 4-9

fort-d ude in order to preserv e its guard Moreove r, th esenses tw o special t h ings of the ir o w n i n Sigh is an d

sounds and t ouches oi g‘1 iot ; and they pierce, th e. fle sh ,

causing it to t remb l e w i t h ch i lly pains,torturing the

ne rves,freez ing

,and tiring th e b lood by turns

,stabb ing.y

the brain like daggers , and fl ip ping t he convulsed het 'u t;as if i t. w e re w i th in 11 11 h on v ice . i t was th is eye-w i tnessing of th e Passion , wh ich made. Mary '

s martyrdom to b ein h e r bod y as w e l l as 111 her soul

,and wh ich was some,

th ing more t han th e ach ing physi cal e xhaus t ion in

wh ich excess o i 1-

zu e u t 1l eli'o t t leaves th e frame,because

it laid each l imb upon the. rook,and made. eve ry pulse 11

bea t ing instrumen t of pain .

Ano ther fountain of so rrow is to be found in her clearv iew and ap prcoiat ion of sin . l

'

Ve canno t doub t that,

i ndepende n t of her own si nlessness and of th e magnilicence of h e r reason

,our lilossod Lord al low ed her to

partic ipmto in some d egree. in that superna tural percept ion ofsin ,

of its exceed ing malice and ofG od 's adorableha tred of it , wh i ch d ist ingu ishe d l l i 11 ac tuallygave i t s charac t er t o th e suffering of the Passion . It.

was th e v iew of si n wh ich cruoifie d I l is soul in th e

garde n of G e thst-z-smane . I t was th e w e ight of sin wh ichpresse d l‘l ini down t o t he grou nd . I t was the chal i ceo fHis Fathe r's ange r

,w h i ch l i e so plain t i ve ly d esi red

migh t pass from th in . We read of St . Ca the rine ofG enoa fain t ing away ,

when i t pleased God t o show her111 v is ion th e real horror e v e n of 11 venial sin . The recould be no fain t ing w i th Mary . She was too s t rong ,

t oo perfe c t , t oo comp le t e ,for w e aknesses like those .

l l er u se of reason wh i ch had begun at the 111 41 111 121 11 t ofh e r l 111 11 1 11oul i te t

C oncep t ion , and had n e ver been in t errup te d tor ono ins tant. since

,could no t d ecorously be

suspcnt‘

lod by any t rance or fain tin U - lit . Bu t we, mustnecessa ri ly suppose t hat , wha t ever su perna tural gift ofinsight in to s in was gran t ed to St . Ca th e rine of G enoa orany o ther sain t s , our Lady

’

s gift of tha t. so r t must havetinsp e a lt ably t ranscended the i rs . inde e d, when we con

D 6


s ider on th e one hand th e par t wh ich His deep view ofsin played in our Blessed Saviour’s Passion , and on th eothe r the “

commun ication of a ttributes ,” so to cal l i t,

which passed betw een His Passion and h e r Compassi on ,w e cannot bu t suppose that our dear Lady was gi ftedw i th no incons iderabl e por t i on of His amazing and overwhelming insigh t into s in . None estimated as she didth e spo t less innocen ce of th e v i c tim . None so trulyapprec iated the beau ty and subl imi ty of His goodness .None so fathomed th e ingrati tude of those w hom Hehad taugh t , and fed , and healed , and comforted , w i thsuch unselfish patience and such considerate affect ion .

None fel t more acutely th e barbarous excesses of thosecruel h ours of Thursday n igh t and Friday morn ing .

W'

hen al l these thoughts rush ed i nto one , w hat a v iewi t was w h ich broke upon her of th e amount , var iety ,

intensity , malign i ty , of s in wh ich there was i n th e Passion ! . But sh e saw more than that. She saw , h ideous,appal l ing , mountai nous v ision ! th e sins of th e w hol eworld on the stooping shoulders of Her bl e ssed Son . But

ye t more : sh e saw up to th e heights of His Di vin ity ;she saw th at i t was truly God whom al l th i s s in reached

,

assai led , defiled , and murdered ; and then such a l igh t,as from another universe of d iv in er th ings, broke inupon the sin of th e Pass ion that non e but Je sus andhersel f could have confronted and endured . Oh thatw e could better tel l what th i s pain of sharp l igh t wasl ik e ! But i t i s far from us . Could w e l ive i f God show edus our real selves ? “r

e have need to be immortal beforeour hour of judgmen t comes . But the sins of the whol ew orld , th e con cen trated si n of th e Passion , -Mary saw

i t al l,and di ed a thousand inward death s i n the agony

it made her bear .I t i s n ot easy to say what was th e h ighest poin t

, or

what made the deepes t w ound , i n th e Pass ion . Th einstruments o f th e Passion w ere not material on ly .

There w ere i nv is ibl e lances , and nail s , and hammers,and thorns

,and stripes . They w ere i ntel lectual and


moral , as wel l as phys ical . And in al l th ese th ree ole

partments th e implements of torture w ere bo th numerous and divers ified . Each of them w ent to th e quick .

None of th em deserve to be considered subordin ate orin feri or . Each had i ts pre- eminence in its own way.

All ran up higher than our eye can fol low th em . Bu t

i t i s not easy t o say wh ich of th em , i f any of them ,

reached h igher heigh ts in Him than others d id . ThePassi on was an excess of excesses . Every th ing belonging to i t was i n excess . I t i s th is in great measurewh ich h inders i t from being low ered in to a mere ep icof human suffering, even i ndependently of th e considera t ion of His Div in i ty . But there are some th ingswh ich w e can concei ve of as being sharper than others ,or w ounding in more tender places . There i s on e ofthese

,a par tic ipation in which w i l l furn ish us w i th a

sixth fountain of Mary’s sorrow . I t i s th e foreseeningratitude of the fai th fu l for the Passion of our dearestLord . The Mo ther of th e Church , the queen of theap os t les , sees i t a l l i n h er h eart . Such a scroll i s unrol led before her eyes of carelessness about forgiven sin

,

of relapses into deadly s in,of aston ish ing prol ific broods

of ven ial s in s,sw arming in hordes al l over th e sou l

and lay ing w aste that paradise of God , of cold-heartednegl igences

,of unbecoming imperfections , of immorti

fie d ,consc iously immortified l ives , of d istaste for sp iri tual

th ings,of careless freedom w i th great sacraments that

cost h er Son so dear, of narrow , j ealous , suspic i oustempers

,of th e si ckening lukew arm w ays of conce ited

human prudence,an d of al l that d ismal infinite of

pusi l lan imi ty,out of wh ich here and there a saint stands

up but half distinguishably , l ik e a palm i n the sand-fogof th e w i lderness . Ne ither was i t al togeth er a v ision ofth e future . Where was Peter ? Was h e w eeping in somegrotto ou t side th e w al ls in th e luxury of h is new - foundgrace ? Where was Andrew ,

wh o was to be th e modelof al l lovers of th e Cross ? Where was James , i n w hosed iocese h i s Master was at that moment cruc ified ? There

52 THE M ARTYRDO M O F M ARY.

was th e passionate Magdal en,there was th e beaut i ful

h eart of J ohn , there was hersel f, to represen t the w orldon Calvary . Alas ! i f from that day for th every bap t i zedsoul was to be a sain t as h igh as an apos t le

,how fearful

w ould the Pass ion have been,and h ow sadly unrequi t ed

too ! Bu t i f th is was not to be , surely those wh o loveJesus should l ove Him w el l . All th e saved should besaints

,saints before th ey reach h eaven , sain t s that n eed

no t an exodus th rough the sea of fi re beneath th eear th

,saints even w h i le on earth . Half- hearted creatures

hanging on to God by an occasiona l sacramen t,clinging

to th e Church by a j ubi lee , balancing in s i l ly indec is ion ,l ik e w ayward

,stupid an imals, between th e sh epherd

and th e h i rel ing , giv ing the ir love of love to th e w orld ,and now and then thei r love of fear to God when Hethunders

,enj oying l ife and time and earth uncommon ly

,

and mak ing a clu t ch at etern ity and h eaven upon thei rdeathbeds, —i s the Cru cified to be th e own Father ofsuch as these ? Oh , to th e generous , h eroi c h eart ofMary th is was a s igh t that was equal to a w hole Passionin i tsel f ! She saw h ow th e dear Heart beneath that

wh i te b lood - seamed side upon the Cross was s icken ingover that very v is ion , and her heart. yearned over i t alsow i th indescribabl e faintness and repugnance .

But what shal l w e say of the sigh t of th ose wh o

sh ould be lost ? Think of th e value of each drop ofblood ! But why talk of drops ? She i s sl ipping in i t .I t has tri ck led al l over h er h ands as she c lasped th e

Cross . I t l i es l ik e a red l i n e be tween th e foo t of th eCross and the p i l lar of th e scourging . The gnarledroots of th e ol ives on Geth seman e are ruddy w i th i t inmore spots than one . Look up at th e coun t l ess stars ,strew i ng l ik e luminous dust th e purple concave of midn igh t . One stripe w ould have redeemed them all, i fal l had fallen a thousand t imes . And i f there w ere s i xthousand stripes ! t at a calculation of th e infin iti esof redemption And all th at blood and al l th ose stripes

given for each sou l, each soul to have unshared for its

THE MARTYRDO M or M ARY . 3

own self all th ose infin i te salvat ions , and yet to be loste ternal ly ! Chris t to pay that pri ce

,and th en to b e

defrauded of i t s value ! I f one sou l,for whom al l that

Passi on has been thinkingly and in ten tionally undergone , and then w i th such solemni t i es as crea t i on neversaw before

,and w i th such in conce ivab le pri es thood

,

offered by God to God ,— if one soul should perish everlast ingly , shou ld tr iumph by i ts gui l t over i t s Sav iour’slove , should dry up the ocean s of His Blood by thefi ery hea ts of hell, —what an anguish to t h e Sacred Heartof Jesus ! I t migh t have w rung from Him a w orse crythan l eaped ou t of th e passi ona t e

,broken heart of Jacob

when Joseph ’s many- colored coat,w i th blood—stains on

i t, was held up before hi s eyes . But if not one sou lon ly , but m il l ions , and m il l ions of mil l ion s, should belost, w hat th en ? Nay , i f i t should have to be a doubt,of wh ich w e might not be su re even w h i le w e bel i evedi t

,wheth er as many adul t be l i evers are saved as are lost

,

w hat then ? “fel l ! He did not repent of th e Cross,as

He hung upon i t . That i s al l w e can say . But He hadanothe r c rucifixion , that was inv is ible , far w orse thanthat on e of w ood , and i ron , and red blood , and a mockti t l e

,w hi ch w e see . I t was the cru cifixion of a Heart

already crucifi ed , because of th e though t of th e coun tless mul t i tudes w ho w ould fall fromHim and be los tand be no more members ofHim , but turn from Himth rough th e triumphan t envy and rage of Satan w i thc ruel sundering , w i th helpless , i rremed iable d ismembermen t . They “ brak e not His bones ; bu t the bones ofHis Soul w e re al l b roken by th i s cruel inw ard Passion .

And in th i s dark agony , i n th is spec ial ch al i ce apart,Mary also had h er share ; and if in that momen t shecould distinguish betw een w hat th is though t mad e hersuffer because sh e so loved Jesus , and w hat i t madeh er suffer because sh e so loved souls , th en did sh e seetw o separate , most frigh tful abysses , i n to w h i ch , hal fsuffoca t ed w i th angu ish

,sh e must en ter w i th shrink ing

ye t unreluctan t horror .


These w ere th e seven fountains of Mary ’s dol ors,beneath w h ich

,and underly ing al l of them ,

was theg 'and paren t sourc e of all, th e i ncomparable d iv in eb eau tv of our dearest Lord Himself. I t was th is whi chgave th e v i tal i ty and keenness t o every pain . I t wasth is which aggrava t ed eve ry thnw

,bu t could exaggerat e

n o th ing,because i t could magn ify no thing t o a greater

si ze than i tself. Even she d id no t know al l that beau ty .

it was i ncomprehensible , absolu tely i n i t sel f incompreh ensib le . Bu t w hat she d id know i s i ncomprehens ibleto us

,it i s so far above us and beyond us . Ye t w e c an

speak grea t w ords of our Savi our’s beauty,and think

though t s of i t far grea t er than any w ords,and

,w hen

even th ough t s fai l , w e can w eep , w eep tears of h eavenlyfee l ing . we can burn aw ay w i th love , and di e of Hisbeau ty ; yet , th ough thus w e shal l reach M ary ’s home

,

w e shal l no t at tain to her comprehension of th e exceeding lovel iness of J esus . There was an ocean of i t i n th elow est

,most un fathomabl e caverns of her heart

, wh ichever and anon brok e upward in other seas that ro l ledabove

,and made them bitter beyond endurance .

SECTION IV .

THE CHARACTERISTICS O F O UR LADY’S DOLORS.

The charac teri sti cs of our Lady’s dolors are,as m igh t

be expected , closely conn ected w i th th e fountains outof wh i ch they spring , and th ese must now be the subj ectof inqu iry . Al though th ey w i l l come out strongly andcl early as w e consider th e differen t dol ors i n succession

,

yet a gen eral v iew of them is n ecessary i n order to atrue idea. of her martyrdom as a w hole . “7 11 0 11 w e haveon ce seen i t as a un i ty , w e shal l th e better understandthe marvellous detai l s w h ich a nearer inspec t i on w i l ld isc lose to us . The fi rs t characteri sti c o f h er sorrow swas that they w ere l ifelong or nearly so . I t i s general lyagreed that our Blessed Lady d i d not know sh e was to


giv e way before strong sunshin e , even though i t be butfor a w h il e . The m isfortune , wh ich occasional ly dogs aman al l through l i fe , at t imes seems to grow w eary of i t schase

,and turns backw ard

,as i f i t had forsak en i ts prey ,

or at l east al low ed h im breath ing- t ime . But Mary ’ssubj ec t ion to sorrow was r ive t ed u pon her as i f w i th i ron .

I t never relaxed . I t n ever grew milder . I t gave herno respite . I t was in he r l ife , and on ly by laying dow nher l i fe could sh e extri cat e hersel f from i t s inseparabl ecompan ionship . The Passi on was not a. dark end to abrigh t l i fe

,or an obscure sunse t after a checkered day

of l igh t and gloom , or an i solated tragedy i n sixty-th reevears of common human v ic i ss i tudes . I t was part of a.whol e , w i th cons is ten t an tecedents , a deepen ing cer tain lyof th e darkness , but a portion of a l i felong darkness ,wh ich for years had know n ,

i n th is respect at l eas t , nol igh t . WVe must bear th is i n mind throughou t , i f w ew ould understand her sorrow s righ tly . . They w ere notso much separa t e even ts ; th ey w ere the going on of acharmed l ife , round w h ich heaven had w rapped a singular law of sorrow , only w i th a stronger l igh t cast uponsome of i ts abysses than upon others .But her sorrow s w ere not on ly l i felong ; th ey w erecon t i nual ly increasing . The more sh e became famil iarize d w i th th e v is i on of them , th e more also sh e real i zedthem , and the more terribl e th ev seemed . This grow thof them does not appear incompa t ib le w i th the immensi tyof her science , or do any d ish onor t o i t . They gave upn ew features , n ew pains , n ew dep ths . n ew possibi l i t i es t oh e r con t inual medita t i on , j ust as in a far low er degreeth ey do s t i l l to ours . The more w e occupy our mindsw i th th e mysteries of th e In ca rna t i on , th e more do w el earn abou t th em . The hori zon grow s w ider the higherw e cl imb . W

'

h en our eye ge t s used to the pe cul ia r soft.darkn ess

,th e more unfathomable do w e percei ve the

dep th of the abvss t o be .

'

\Vhat then must al l th ishave been to her, w hose penetra t ing steadfas t gaze wasso unl ike our cursory dis t racted med i tation , w hose med i

THE MARTYRDOM or M ARY . 57

tation was unbroken for years , and w hose ow n heartwas so deeply in terested in th e subj ect ? Moreover

,as

they came nearer, th ey n aturally became more terrible .They threw a deeper shadow . They insp ired grea terfear . The fi rs t breath s of th e storm began t o blow coldUpon her heart . She clung to Jesus . He seemed morebeautiful th an ev er . Bu t there was no hope . The w idesea was around her, w i thou t a harbor . Sh e had no

home but th e great deep . I t was th e w i l l of God .

Meanwh i l e Jesus w axed more beaut ifu l . day by day .

The first tw elv e vears ran ou t , l eav ing results of h eaven lyl ovel iness and love beyond our pow er of summ ing .

Then th e next e igh teen , w hen every w ord,and every

l ook , and every meek subj ec t i on w ere thi ck w i th mysteries of heaven . Her l i fe had almost p assed ou t of herinto Him , so exceed ingly had He become her light , andl ife , and love , and al l . Then came the th ree years’

mini stry , and i t seemed as i f th e Babe of Be th lehem ,or

th e Boy of Nazareth , had been no th i ng to the Preacherof love , w hose w ords , and w orks , and mirac les appearedto charge the world w i th more of superna tural beau ty thani t cou ld bear

,so that men rose up madly to pu t out th e

l igh t whi ch hurt them by i ts strong sh in ing . As th i slovel iness in creased , lier lov e increased , and w i th herlove her agony ; and al l three w ere con t inually in creasing,wi th majes ty and w i th veloci ty . The transcendentbeauty of th e th ree years’Minis t ry seemed to make i timpossib le for her to endure th e Passion ; and did i t notseem to show as i f by the beau ty of His preach ing alon e,an d by His human tears , and His v igi l s on th e mountains

,and His footsore j ourneys, and His hunger, and

th i rs t,and sw eet pati ence , and the persuasiveness of His

miracles,and the w ondrous en t i c ing w i sdom of His

parables,th e w orld migh t be redeemed , and Calvary be

spared ? I t i s a short w ord to say , bu t th ere are volumesin i t : Jesus had become a habi t to her ; could He betorn from her and she surv ive ? And so one motiv egrew to anoth er , and one though t quick ened anoth er,

58 rm; M ARTYRDO M or M ARY ;

and one affect ion i ntensified anoth er , and thus h erdolors grew

,quicker than the gourds grow in summer,

and al l the qui cker as the t ime grew near .I t was also a characte ri s t i c of h er sorrow s that they

were in her soul,ra th er than in her body . Not that

h er body was w i thout i ts fearful and appropriat e sufferings . We have seen that al ready . Bu t th ey w erenoth ing t o th e sorrow s of her soul . The on e bore n opropor t ion to th e other . Physical pain is h ard to hear,so hard that when i t comes to a certai n poin t i t seemsunbearable . I t lays h ands upon our l ife, wh ich sh r inksaw ay at th e touch ; No one can th ink l igh tly of bodi lypain . Yet h ow l igh t i s i t compared w i th mental sufa

fe ring ! Even to us th e agon ies of the soul are far moredreadful th an th e tortures of the body . Yet we aregross an d material , compared to ou r Blessed Lady , almost as i f w e w ere creatu res of another spec ies . Themore refined and del i cate th e soul , the more e x crucia

ating i s i ts agony . What then must have been th e pain sof a soul wh ich was such an immaculate vesse l of graceas hers was !

‘We have no standards by wh ich to mea

sure w hat sh e fel t. Her pow ers of suffering are beyondour comprehens ion . Al l w e know i s that they trans

scended all human experience , and that th e two Heartsof Jesus and Mary w ere raised in to a w orld of sufferingof thei r own ,

where n o other h earts of flesh can fol lowthem . Her pain s w ere martyrdom reversed ; for th eseat of th e anguish was i n th e soul

,and flowed over

,bl is

tering and burn ing,on th e sympatheti c flesh ; w h i l e

wi th th e martyrs th e soul poured sw eet balm into th ewounded flesh

,and th e h eav en w i th in burn ed more

brightly th an th e l ighted fi re or th e w i ld beast’s eyew i thout . In th i s also sh e was d is t inguished in somerespec t even from Jesus . His Sou l was crucifi ed inGe thsemane

,His Body upon Calvary . On her body not

a wound was made ; from h e r vein s no t a d rop of bloodWas draw n . His Bodv and His Blood had come fromhers, and i t was enough th at Hi s should suffer for th em

THE M ARTYRD‘

OM‘

or MARY. 59

both . Th is perfectly inter ior character of her dolors,so

often independent of ex ternal circumstances, and re s

quiring in order to i ts j ust appreciat ion a sp i ri tual d iss

ce rnment, must not be lost s igh t of as one of th ei r mostd i stinguish ing characteri sti cs .If w e may make hold to th ink for a moment of wh at

theology call s th e Circuminsession of th e Th ree Divi nePerson s

,th e way i n wh ich Each l ies in th e lap of th e

Others,i t w i l l carry us far beyond any prerogatives of

Mary , pu tting a simply infin i te di stance betw een th eCreator and th e creature . Never theless

,the idea of that

eminen t un ity wi l l draw us out of our low thoughtsmore nearly to a just appreciation of th e un ion betw eenJe sus and His M othe r .’ The Heart of each seemed tolie i n th e Heart of th e oth er . Th is was especi al ly trueof Mary . His beauty drew h er out of h erself. Shel ived in His Heart rath er th an her own . His in terestswere he rs . His disposi tions became h ers . She though tw i th Him ,

fel t w i th Him,and

,as far as m igh t be

,idem

tified herself w i th Him . She l ived only for Him . He r

l i fe was His i nstrument, to be done w i th w hat Hew i l led . I n th is un ion sometimes she was th e M oth er,w ith her whol e h eart poured out upon her Son , re

joicing i n al l sh e was, i n al l sh e had , i n al l sh e coulddo or suffer

,s imply as so much mater ial to sacrifice for

Him . Sometimes i t Was almost as i f sh e w ere the ch i ldand He the Father , sh e so l eaned upon Him , andobeyed Him, and had not a though t w h ich was notHis , hardly a though t even for Him . I t was for Himto th ink and to d ispose ; sh e would follow ,

minister,

sympath i ze,agree , w orsh ip Him w i th h er love . We

read w onderful things of th e saints , and of thei r un ionw i th God ; but th ere never was any to compare w i thth is un ion of Jesus and M ary . I t stood alone in de‘

gree ; i t stood alone in k ind . I t was l ik e itsel f, and i twas l ik e no oth er un ion , except that wh ich i t d istantly,and yet so softly and so truly , shadow ed , th e Un i ty ofth e Most Holy Trin ity . Now , she l i ved far more v i tal ly

60 m s M ARTYRDO M or M ARY.

in th i s outw ard l ife than in h er inw ard l ife ; or , to speakmore j us t ly

,th i s ou tward l ife

,th i s l i fe in Jesus , was

more inw ard,more really h er own l i fe , than the o ther ;

and i t was one of the charac teri s t i cs of h e r dol ors thatthey w ere no t so much in h erse l f as in H im whom sheloved far more than sel f. There are some human sorrow s w h ich have fain t paral lels to thi s . Shadow s of i thave crossed w idow ed mo t hers’ hearts , when thei r firstborn stood glorious on manhood’s th reshold , and deathpu t ou t his l ight and drew h im under . But none havefel t as Mary fel t, for n one h ave l i ved i n such un ion w i ththe obj ec t of the ir l ove , and non e h ave had such anobj ect at once d iv in e , and human , and thei r own ,

w h ichthey migh t so dare to love , w i th a l ove which th ey neednot be at the pains to d ist inguish from absolute w orsh ip.Ano ther characteri s t i c of our Lady’s sorrows i s th eunion of th ei r great vari ety w i th the fac t of thei r be ingin terior

,that is, of th ei r being un i tedly fel t i n on e

place,her h eart. I ndeed , th i s fol lows from the fact of

thei r being interior, and i s th e cause of a very pecul iark ind of suffering . IVh en th e instruments of torturewen t from one l imb of th e martyr to anoth er, th ere wasalmost a rel i ef in th e v ic iss i tude . We most of us knowwhat th e concen trated pressu re of pain upon one nervei s l ike

,espec ial ly when that pressure i s k ept t igh t for

h ours,or days

,or even w eeks . I t i s qu i te a d ifferen t

sort of agony from flying,sh ifting pain s , or even from

th e fie ry shoot ing pains w h ich are so hard to bear . Butwhen w e tran sfer th is un iform pressure from a l imb or anerve to th e heart , th e resul t of suffering must be in calculable . The var ie ty of her sorrow s was almost infin i te .Both His Natures

,human and d i vine , suppl ied coun t~

l ess d ivers i ti es of gr ief,multipl ied i ts motives , i n tensified

i ts b ittern ess . The bodi ly pains of th e Passion , themental sufferings , th e deep abasements , th e cries , thefaces

,th e very v isibl e thoughts of th e mul ti tudes

around,w ere so many differen t k inds of pai n to her .

And then the complete un i ty of her und iv ided affec

THE MARTYRDO M or MARY . 61

tions added immensely to them al l . She loved onlyOne . The cau ses of her martyrdom w ere all centredi n one . There was no other obj ect in he r heart to cal loff some portion of her grie f and distract i t from itsoverwhelming fixi ty . How sw eet are the ch i ld’s criesto the fresh w idow ’s h ear t ! what an eloquen t d i straetion , better than if an ange l spoke ! Oh , that cry is l ikea great grace from heaven , s t rong—shouldered to bear somuch of the dark burden ! B ut. Mary had no diversionto h er woes . Innumerable as th ey w ere , th ey ran upinto one supernatural , many- headed poin t

,and pierced

w i th al l thei r might th e very cen t r e of her l ife, th ebeautiful sanctuary of her loving heart .But th i s was not al l . Not on ly was she w ithout oth erobj ects

,o ther duti es , other loves , -t-o dis tract her i n her

misery ; but actually that wh ich should naturally haveal l ev iated her sorrow s only embittered and poisonedthem . What should hav e been l igh t was w orse thanEgyptian darkness . What ough t to have given l ife wasin her case enough to k i ll . The goodness of our BlessedLord put a special barb of its own on eve ry shaft thatp ierced her heart . I t was His hol iness that made Hisdeath so aw ful . H i s lov e of h er

, wh ich in its own

nature was more than a consolati on to h er , nay , wasposi tively her l i fe, was th e grand cruelty of her Compassion . Had she loved Him less , or had He loved herless

,her dolors w ould not have so far transcended all

human parallel . The exqu isi teness of each torture waspreci sely i n her love . But H is Div inity ! th e secret gloryof His brigh t impassibl e Nature

,might sh e not p i l low

her w eary head thereon ? O dearest of al l the dogmasof th e fai th ! h ow many an ach ing heart and outwornspir i t and tempest- troubl ed soul , when al l the world hadgon e to sh ipw reck round i t

,has lain down upon thy soft

and w elcome bed,and tasted peace w hen al l was trouble

above and beneath, w i th in and w i thout ! To how many

thousands has that doctrine been l ike an angel i c v isi tan t,biddi ng the storms cease

,and smooth ing even the bed

,

6


of death ! And shal l i t be noth ing to her who has moreto do w i th . it than any other of God’s creatures ?Noth ing ? Oh ,

far from that ; i t shal l b e to her a n ew

abyss,unknown h i therto

,of human sorrow

,i n w hich

sh e shal l s ink immeasurabl e dep th s and yet find n oend . I t shall so sw a the her in suffering that sh e shalll i e to al l appearance helpless on a vas t sea of sorrow .

Every th ing w en t by th e rule of con t raries i n h er martyrdom . The very th ings which of th emselves wouldlighten her load w ere li k e murderous hands th at h eldher under th e dark waters w i th cruel force . And becausesh e was too strong to suffocate , she suffered th e moreterribly . Th is als o i s not w i thout paral le l i n humansorrow

,though none such ever came n igh to h ers .

But a sorrow w i thou t a sympath y i s a rare phenomenon

,even on th i s unk indly earth . Yet where shal l

sh e find sympathy w it-h hers ? There i s bu t one in th ewhole w orl d wh o can understand her, an d i t i s He wh o,by His sufferings

,i s infl i c ting al l th i s suffering upon her .

She w i l l gi ve al l h er sympathy to H im rather than seeki t from Him . Sh e must bear in secret . St . Josephknew her w el l , but h e never knew her fully . Her h earti s a mystery even to St . John , although h e had beenin i t iate d into th e secrets of th e Sacred Heart . An dth at cl ear apostl e h imsel f n eeds her lov e to keep h imuprigh t beneath h i s Master’s Cross . Even in the eigh teenyears i t i s n ot easy to th ink that Jesus and Mary talkedmuch of thei r future sorrow s , or sough t sympathy ineach other’s l ov e . To me i t seems more probable thatthey never Spok e of th e matter at al l . Besides wh ich ,h e r s ympathy w i th Him was s imply w orsh ip ; i t was lov ei ndeed

,true

,fond

,matern al love

,yet i t was w orship al so

,

and unl ik e al l common sympathy w i th grief. Whensh e slow ly walked aw ay from th e garden - tomb on Fridayn igh t

,sh e re -en tered a w orld where not one soul could

understand her,not even th e holy passionate Magdalen .

I t was darkness w ith out one gl eam of l igh t , a w i lderness

all terrors, a l i fe w i thout one poin t of att raction, one


Ye t not a ruffl e passed on h er tranqu il l i ty . I ler peacew i thin was as un t roubled as th e cav i t i es of th e oceanwhen the surface i s w i ld ly rock ing in th e storm . Neverth e le ss

, th is t ranqu i l l i ty was no pro t ec t i on to her againstthe intens i ty of suffering . I t ra ther enab led her tosuffer more . I t al low ed the grie f t o penetra t e moreunres i s ted ly in to eve ry par t of her . Ye t there was now i ldness , n o loud sighs , n o brok en sobs , no ou tspokenwords of complain t . S t i l l l ess— the though t i s on ewh i ch w ould never have crossed the mind of an in telligent l over of M ary , i f care less , untheological p i ctureshad not i ndecorously brough t i t before so many of us— s t i l l less w ere there au v veh emen t at t i tudes o f gri ef

,

anv con tor t ions of th e venerable beauty of her face,any

w oman ish w ringing of th e hands , any n egl igen ce ofd i shevell ed hai r , any pros t ration s on th e g round as ofone. overcome w i th mor ta l anguish , leas t of al l anyfainting aw ay

,any need of a suppor t i ng arm around

her,w he the r i t w ere that of John or Magdalen

,any

suspension of th at glorious reason wh ich sleep even hadno t in t errupted in i t s magn ificen t ex ercises si nce th every fi rs t momen t of th e Immaculate Concep t ion . Le t

us in indignan t love give t o th e flames these ignoran t,

dishonorable represen tat i ons,and drive out of ourselves

th e od ious images wh ich th e i r sk i l l and beauty mayhave l eft upon our m inds . Mary “

stood” benea th the

Cross : that i s th e s imple grandeur of th e scrip tural

p i c ture , which represen ted th e actu al t ruth , and whosearti st was her own Spouse , t h e Holy Ghost . And i t wason th e pi c ture of that calm standing w oman on wh i chher fond ch i ld , St . Bernard , gazed in admiring love .

This too i s th e a t trac t iveness of our Lady ’s apparit ionsin th e revela t ions of Mary of Agreda , compared w i thher por t ra i t i n the v is ions of Si s ter Emmeri ch . Thein s t incts of the Span ish nun w ere more true than thoseeven of the arti s t i c soul of th e ecstat i c German . Neverthen must w e pu t aw ay from ourse lves th e thought ofth is modera tion of Mary in her w oes . There was noth ing

THE MARTYRDO M or M ARY. 65

Wi ld, noth ing u nset tl ed , noth ing dramatic , not-h ing passionate , noth ing demon strat ive, nothing excessive ; butsh e stood in calmest, queen l i est d i gn i ty , qu iet, not as asweet even in g landscape , or a noontide summer sea , ora green w ood at daw n , or a moon li t moun tain - top

,or as

any oth er image in th e poe try of nature,but qui e t

,i n

h er measure and degree , as th e Div in e Nature of ourLord whi le th e tumult of the Passion was tramplingHis Human Nature to death . He r tranqui l l i ty was th eimage of that t ranqu i l l i ty . I t was on e of many partic ipations in Himself which Jesus gave to her in thosedark hours .

SECTION V .

HOW OUR LADY COULD RE J O ICE IN HER DOLORS.

Having thus considered th e characteri stics of ourLady’s dolors , w e mus t now pass to a pecul iari ty ofth em wh i ch it i s n ecessary always to bear in m ind,namely , the i r un ion w i th th e intensest j oy . That herd olors w ere accompan ied throughout w i th floods ofheaven ly joy , sh e herself re vealed to St . Bridget. Bu t

indeed i t cou ld not be otherw i se . Can w e suppose i tpossible tha t a sin less

,rational creature can ever be

otherw i se than bathed in j oy ? Beati tude i s th e l ife ofGod , and it i s ou t of that l ife that torrents of gladnessinundate Hi s whole creation . I t i s s in only that bringssorrow

,and if th e sin s of oth ers can make the s inless

grieve,th ey can never in terfere w i th that ab iding glad

ness deep down ,w h ich un ion w ith God must of necess ity

produce . Moreover , th ere i s no meri t where there i s n olove . I f our Lady ’s dolors had not risen out of h e rlove and been animated by i t , they w ould no t have beenmeri torious . But in truth love was th e very cause ofth em . Out of th e excess o f love came th e excess ofsorrow . Now ,

i t i s unden iable that love cannot ex istw ithout delectation . Love i s of i tse lf essential ly a j oy

E N”

66 rm: M ARTYRDO M or MARY.

and in proport ion to th e eminence of our Mother’s l ovemust also be the eminence of h er celestial j oy . Tosorrow and rej oice at once i s possible even for us

,whose

inw ard l i fe si n has distracted,and made i rregu lar and

uncompact . \Ve have al l of us done so,even though

our sens i t ive nature is a battl e-fie ld w here the strugglesare quick ly over , and one or oth er of the contendingpassions i s l eft master of th e fi el d . But i t i s i n Jesusand Mary that th i s perfect un ion of the uttermos t ofj oy and sorrow has taken place , and been an abid ing,l i fe long , normal state . I t i s on e of th e most remarkab lephenomena of th e Incarnation , and has seemed , i n ourLord ’s low er Nature

,t o be a sort of adumbration of Hi s

un ion of Two Natures i n on e Person . I t i s al so one ofH is characteri st i cs i n wh ich He has given His Motherlargely to parti cipat e . I n Hi s Passion He res t rained HisDiv in i ty , and would not let i t sensib ly pen etrat e llis

Human Nature w i th i ts l ight and glory . Nay , He ev enlaid His hand upon that Beatific Vision

, wh i ch was d ueto His Sacred Human i ty

,and whi ch was unclouded ly

before His Soul from the fi rst moment of His In carnation , and w ould not al low i t to in clude w i th in i tssphere o f gladness His sen si t ive n ature

,lest i t sh ould

b lunt His suffering and quench th e fire of His greatagony . So, i n h er measure, our Blessed Lady i n th edep ths of h er soul was fi l l ed w i th gladness b ecause ofh er intimate un ion w i th God

,and yet th e gladness had

a sph ere of its own,and was not al low ed to break out

w i th i ts vast w orld of l igh t,so at least as to ban ish al l

sorrow from the heart . As was said before , h er j oy , sofar from allev iating her sufferings , probably made hersuffer more . But once again w e must remember i t wasnot w i th h er as w i th th e martyrs . They sang amongth e fi res and exul ted am ong the panthers

,because the ir

soul was al l whol e and j oyous, w h i l e the i r flesh was tornand th ei r bones broken . But w i th h er th e sou l was th ech ief sufferer ; and j oy and sorrow div ided i t againstitse lf. Th i s was nearer to a mystery . Indeed , i t was a

THE M ARTYRDO M or M ARY. 67

true parti cipation in th e ch aracteri sti cs of Jesus,a cleav

ing asunder of th e soul w i thout d isturbing its simpl ici ty,

a div ision w i thout sed ition , a w ound wh i ch was a n ew

l ife,a battl e wh il e al l was harmony and peace . 0

Mother ! w e cannot tel l h ow i t was, only tha t so i t was !Thou w ert al l j oy , and , being so near God , h ow couldstthou help but be so ? Thou w ert al l sorrow , and w hatelse couldst th ou be in those dark abysses of th e Passion ?And thy sorrow had no pow er over thy joy ; but th y j oyhad pow er over thy sorrow

,and gave i t a brisker ac id

,

a more volat i l e and pervasive bitterness l Glad creature !sorrow crush ed thee , and then a j oy , l ike that of heaven ,sat upon thy burden

,and made i t tenfold more hard to

bear !Yet w e are hardly doing j ust ice to her sorrow s, w hen

w e say that th ey had no influence u pon her j oys .Doubtless they increased them , and w ere to her thefoun tain s of n ew j oys wh i ch sh e had never had before

,or

of n ew degrees of old accustom ed joys. I t i s not as ifher j oy and sorrow w ere tw o oceans i n her soul , w hichhad no mutual inle ts

,and d id not commingl e w i th each

oth er , or ebb and flow i n sympathy . So far from that,there is a sense in wh ich w e migh t say that h er sorrowand h er j oy w ere almost iden tical ; for her j oys w eresorrow s

,and h er sorrow s j oys . They migh t be th e one

or the oth er , accord ing to th e double l i fe that was i nth em . Truly i n her sorrow s w ere many reasons for j oysuch as the grandest and happies t archangel of heavenhas not in h imsel f. I f w e look long at th e darkness ofCalvary

,a beau t iful ligh t break s out of its gloomiest

cen tre . What is i t al l but a magn ificent reparation ofthe Divin e Honor ?

“

Not M i chael,when flushed w i th

triumphan t sanctity he drove usurping Lucifer out ofheaven , so rej oi ced in the honor of God , as Mary did .

She,who had been allow ed to fathom sin so deeply , and

wh o in the sp i ri t of Geth semane had tasted somewhatof th e Fa ther ’s anger , could exu l t in th e sati sfac t i on ofHis j ust ice as ne ith er angel nor sain t could do . She,

68 THE armrranon or M ARY .

who had l ived th i rty-th ree years w i th Jesus and had

caught from Him His passionate yearn ing for HisFa ther ’s honor , could find depths of bl issful congratulat ion i n th e res toring of tha t honor

,wh ich not al l crea

tures toge ther could d iscover . Some t imes th ere hasbeen a minutest d rop of that jov i n our hearts , and w e

know wha t i t was l ik e , but could not tel l even i f w ew ould . Oh for that land where i t w i l l be an uncheckered

,

eternal habi t !There was j oy too th rough al l th e immense w i sdom

w i th w h ich God had endow ed her,because of th e d iv ine

w i sdom wh i ch was apparen t. to h er in th e w hole sch emeof our redemp t ion . There was not a cavern of sh ame,but i t was i l luminated bv several of th e d iv in e p e rfe ct ions

,shedding over i t a perfect blaze of beau t i fu l

splendor . There was not a physi ca l h orror in th ePassi on

,from w hi ch an unloving fai th shrinks back in

vulgar fast id iousness , but was clothed w i th a strangelovel iness ou t of th e treasures of th e divi n e mind andw i l l . The science of the In carnat ion n ever came out,even to h er

,i n such amazing , fasc inat in g clearness as

i t d id in her Compassion ,w i th al l i t s reasons , poss ibi l i t i es ,

adaptat ions,an d conven i ences . The s igh t sh e saw w ould

rave been enough to feed th e w orsh ip of th e n ine choi rso f angels forever .There was j oy also i n her foresigh t of the exaltat i onof Jesus . She saw Him al ready at th e Righ t Hand ofthe Fa ther

,His Sacred Human i ty enth roned there as

an obj ec t of h ighest w orsh i p forever . To her eyes thebrigh t clouds of Ascen sion Day w ere strangely i nterlaced w i th the darkness of th e dun ecl ipse on Calvary .

She saw th e feet that w ere dropping blood , as i f th eyw ere rising up in the sunny ai r, each w i th its glorifieds t igma gleaming l ike a roseate sun . She almost saw th eangels i n the i r gl i sten ing wh ite , moving abou t amid th ehorses of those ruth les s foreign centurion s . The darkness of th e dep th set off the brightness of th e exal tation .

as i f i t were a background of storm throw ing forward


the brigh t th ings in fron t of i t w it-h viv id,l i fel ike l ight

.

There Was j oy also in her participation at the time in theinterior j oy of Jesus . For th at fai l ing Heart upon th eCross had a very ocean of gladness w i th in itself

,a glad

ness non e on earth but His Moth er knew,a gladness

none else could share,because none else could under

s tand i t . If h er share of i t w ere parted among th enumberle ss el ect , w e should each have more than w e

could bear . I t was a j oy also,of a peculiar k ind

,to see

Him paying then and th ere for th e glorious preroga t i vesHe had given her . t en th e blood moistened h erhand and stained its wh iten ess , sh e recogn ised andworsh ipped i t as th e price of h er Immaculate Conception .

Could s h e see that, and then not love Him ten thousandtimes more than sh e had loved Him hith erto ? Andw i th th e rush of love must n eeds come a rush of joy asw el l .I t i s impossible al so not to rej oi ce in th e O perations of

grace w ith in our soul s . Each augmentation of grace i sa mission of a Di v in e Person , a contact w i th God , amore i n timate and exquisite un ion w i th Him . If w ew ere slow er , graver , less occupi ed , and less precipi tate inour spi ri tual l ife

,w e should feel th i s more than w e do .

How greatly th en must sh e have rej oi ced in th e m agn ificent supernatural acts wh ich h e r sorrow s w ere causingh er to el ici t al l th e wh i l e ! Such fai th , such hope , suchlove

,such for t i tude

,such Con formity , such love of suffer

ing,such spi ri t of sacrifice, such intel ligen t worsh ip,

such in comparabl e un ion ! Mill ion s of saints couldhave been made out of each of these royal magn ificen e es,and yet have l eft a marvel lous am oun t to spare . Therewas j oy too , w h o candisbel i eve i t ? i n h er though t thather Compassion shou ld be so ri ch a boon to us , that i tsh ou ld w in us so many graces , give us so many examples,excite so much devo t i on , l ead us so much nearer Jesus,and fi l l us w i th a w 1ser sp i1 it of more profound adoration .

Here are seven j oys , w h ich came out of h er very sorrow sThey migh t be mul t ip li ed indefinitely ; but these are


enough for love,and more than enough for our compre

h ension i n thei r fulness .

SECTION VI .

THE WAY IN lVII ICH THE CHURCH PUTS OUR LADY’S DO LO RS

B E FORE US.

Such 1s a general descript ion of th e dol ors of Mary.

The Church puts them before us as part of the gospel ,as one of th e facts of the gospel , and as an obj ect ofspecial devo t i on . March ese

,i n h i s Diario d i Maria

,

mention s an old t radi t ion ,wh ich w ould carry devotion

to the sorrow s of our Blessed Lady up to apostol i c t imes .Some years afte r h er death ,

wh il e St . John the Evangel ist was s t i l l griev ing over h is loss and l onging to see h erface again

,i t pleased our Blessed Lord to appear to h im

in a v ision , ac compan ied by His Mother . The sorrow sof M ary , together w i th h er frequent V i sits to th e holyplaces of th e Passion

,w ere naturally a constan t subj ect

of devou t contempla t i on to th e Evangel i st,who had

watch ed ove r the last fi fteen years of h er l i fe ; and ,as i f

i t w ere in response to th ese continual medi tat ion s,h e

heard her ask Jesus to gran t some especial favor to th osewho should keep her dolors in remembrance . Our Lordrepl i ed that He w ould grant four parti cular graces to al lthose wh o should prac ti se th is devot ion . The firs t wasa perfect contri t i on of al l th ei r si ns some time beforedeath ; th e second was a parti cular protec t ion in th e

hour of death ; the th ird was to have th e mysteri es ofth e Passion deeply imprinted i n th e ir m inds ; and thefourth a par t i cu lar pow e r of impetrat i on gran ted toMary ’s prayers on th ei r behal f. St . Bridget relates inthe seven th book of her revelat ion s that sh e saw i n av ision , i n the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore at Rome,th e immense pri ce wh i ch was set .in h eaven upon thedolors of Mary. To th e Blessed Benvenuta

,the Domi


chalch i'

s Marti ri o d el Cuore d i Maria : th e fi rst w ri terwas an Ora torian and the second a Jesu i t .

This devo t i on has recei ved the h ighes t sanc t ion of th eChurch . for i t en ters bo th in to the Missal and the Breviary. Two dis t in c t feas t s are appoin t ed in hon or ofthese sorrow s ; one fal ls in Sep t ember , and the o ther onthe Friday in Passi on \Ve ek . The Rosary of the SevenDolors

,as w el l as several o ther devo t i ons

,have been

rich ly indulgenced . Among these may be men t ion edthe Hymn Sad/at .Ualrr. an hou r at auv t ime of the yearspen t in med i ta t i on on the Dolors , an exerci se i n h onorof h er sorrow i ng heart

,seven Aves w i th the Sancla Illater

istucl agas ,an other exerci se for the last t en da y s of th e

carn ival,and an hour or half an hour’s prayer 0 11 Good

Friday and o ther Fridays . No th ing , therefore , i s wan ting to the san c t ion of th is devoti on , nor has the Churchspared any means to a tt ract h er ch ild ren to it.She has

,how ever , espec ial ly selec ted seven of Marv

’

ssorrow s for our more pecu liar d evo t i on . Sh e has embedded th em bv means of an t iphons in the d iv ine ofiice ,and sh e has made them the seven 1nvste ries of theRosar y of th e Dolors . Th ey are , S in1 co 11

’s prophecy,

th e Fl igh t i n to Eg y pt , the Three Days’ Loss . the M ee t ing

J e sus w i th the Cross , the Crucifixion , th e Takin g downfrom th e Cross , th e Burial of J esus . Thus . i n one wavof d ivid ing them . three belong to our Lord

'

s I nfan c y,

and four to His Passion . Or , aga in . one cove rs l l i s w holel i fe . tw o His Infan cy . and four l l is Passi on . Or

,again

,

one pu t s before us all the'

l‘hirtv-Tl1re e Years

, tw o theCh ild Jesus . tw o Jesus Sufferin g . and tw o J esus Dead .

These seven are mvste 1 IO US samples of her 11'1u ltitud inouso ther sorrow s. and w e shall find . perhaps , tha t th e v aretypes of all human sorrow w ha tsoeve r . The seven chapters . therefore . fivh ie h follow w i l l con side r one by on ethese seven dolors , observing the same simple and easyme thod in the inves t igat ion of all of them . Each dolorw i l l presen t four poin ts fo r our considera t i on : fi rs t , thecircums tances of the mys t ery i tse l f, secondly , i t s p ecu

THE M AR TYRDO M or M ARY. 7 3

liarities, th i rdl y , our Lady’s dispos i tions i n it,and

fourth ly, i ts lessons to ourselves . A nin th chapter w i l lbe added on the Compass ion of Mary

,in order t o ex

p lain th e relat ion ih whi ch i t stands to th e Passion,

w he ther i t had any share in th e redempt ion of thew orld , and what the true mean ing is of those puzzl ingexpressions , co- redemptress, and the like , wh ich aresometimes found in approved w r iters on the grandeursof Mary .

SECTION VI I .

THE SPIRIT or DE VO TION TO OUR LADY’s DOLORS.

Before conclud ing th is introductory chap t er,how ever

,

i t seems necessary to say some th ing on the sp iri t of th isbeau t i ful and popular devoti on . I t produces i n ourminds an extreme t enderness tow ard our blessed Lord

,

uni ted w i th the profoundest reverence . Jesus demandsfrom us our w orsh ip as God . He cla ims our undoub t ingfai th i n His goodness and in th e abun dance of His redeeming grace . He expects from us a rat ional conviet ion tha t our onlv trust i s in Him ,

and that w e shou ldconsequently di scharge our du t i es to H im and obe y Hiscommandmen ts as our necessary and reasonabl e serv ice .

Bu t He w an t s far more than this . He has some thingmuch nearer His hear t . He desi res our t enderness . He

w i shes t o see us w i th ou r hear t s alw ays in our hands forHim . He w ou ld fain w in us to Himself, and unit-e usw i th Himself in the bonds of th e most famil iar and intima te affec t i on . He w ould have us iden t i fy our in te restsw i th His, and concen tra t e our sympa th i es i n Him . Thethough t of Him should fi l l ou r eyes w i th t ears , andk indle our hearts w i th love . His name shou ld be thesw ee t es t musi c that w e know ; H is w ords th e law s of allour l i fe . He w ishes us , as i t w ere , to forget th e preciseamoun t of our ac tual obl iga t i ons to Him . I ndeed , w ha tis the use of

“

r emembering them when we know that i t7

I4 rm: M ARTYRDO M or M ARY .

i s beyond our pow e r to fulfi l th em ? He w ould have usd eal w i th Him promp tly , generously , abundan t ly , w i ththe ins t i ncts of love

,and no t as i f the l i fe of fai th w ere a

spi ri t of commerce,the balan ce of j us t i ce , the duty of

grati tude,or the w i se cal culat i on s of an intel l igen t se lf

in teres t . w e should cl ing to Him as a ch i ld cl ings toits mo ther . lVe should hang about I l im as a friendwhose absence w e cannot bear . lVe should keep Himfondly in our th oughts

,as m e n somet imes do w i th a

sw ee t gr i ef, wh ich has become to them the soft and rest

ful light of th ei r w hole l i ves . Now , th e way i n wh ichour Lady’s dolors k eep His Pass ion con t inual ly before ushas a spec ial v i rtue to produce th is tenderness i n us .We l ove Him ,

wh o i s i nfi n i tely to be loved in al l ways ,in a pecul iar manner w hen He i s reflected in Hi sMother’s heart ; and al though i t i s absolutely necessaryfor us perpetually to contemplate His Passion in al l th enakedness of i ts h arrow in g c i rcumstances and revoltingshame

,for else w e sh al l never have a true idea of th e

sinfulness of s in,yet the re i s someth ing in th e Passion ,

seen th rough Mary,w h i ch makes us forget oursel ves

,and

t ranqui l ly engrosses u s i n th e most melting tendernessand endearing sympathy toward our Blessed Lord . Theemo t ions w h ich are aw akened by th e Passion in i tsel f areman ifold and ex e iting,

'

wh ercas th e sp iri t of t endernessp resides over Mary’s sorrow s w i th one exc lusive , constrain ing presence .

B u t out of th is tenderness comes also a great hatredof sin . I f God w ere to let us choose wh i ch of the greatand extraordinary g ifts that He has gi ven to Hi s Sain tssh ould be conferred upon ourselves, w e could not dobetter than ask for that pierc ing and overwhelmingh atred of sin which some have h ad . I t i s a gi ft whi chl ies at the roo t of al l perfecti on

,and is th e supernatural

v igor of al l perseverance . I t i s at once th e safest andth e most O perative of al l singular graces . Devotion toour Lady’s dolors i s a great help both to acqu iring th ehatred of s in as a hab i t, and t o meriting i t as a grace .


The desol at ion w rought by sin in th e h eart of th e si n~

l ess Mo ther , and the reflection that her so rrow s w erenot, l ike those of Jesus , the redemp ti on of th e w orld ,fi l l us w i th horror , w it-h pi ty , w i th indigna t ion , w i th se lfreproach; There i s n o th ing to d is trac t us from th i sthought, as there i s i n the sacrifice of our Lord h

w ho was

thus accompl ish ing His own great w ork,sa t i sfyi ng th e

j usti ce of His Fa ther, earn ing th e exaltat i on of HisSacred Human ity , and becoming the Father Himself ofa countless multi tude of th e elect . The Mother’s heartbleeds , simply because sh e i s His Mother ; and i t i s ou rsins which are making i t bleed so cruel ly . We are ourselves part of th e shadow of that ecl i pse wh ich is passing so dark ly over h er spot less l ife . We can never helpth inking of sin , so long as w e see th e se seven sw ords,springing, l ik e a dreadful sheaf, from th e very inmostsan ctuary of her b roken heart .Yet th ere is something also in th e dolors

,and even in

th is abhorrence of sin,to make us forget ourse lves

,

w i thout at al l peri l l ing our safe humili ty . We rise upfrom th e contemplation of them w i th a yearn ing for theconv ers ion of sinners . As i f because th ey w ere thetravail of the queen of th e apostles

,th ey fi l l our minds

ful l of apostol i c instincts . Wheth er th is i s a h iddengrace w h ich

‘th ey commun icate, or w hether i t fol low snaturally from th e subj ect of meditation , i t i s certai nthat th i s i s a favori te devotion w i th al l m issionarysouls .* The fearfulness of losing Jesus

,th e unbearable

anguish of ever so short a separation from Him,th e

darkness and the dreariness wh ich come wh ere He i sn ot

,th ese are notable figures in each of th e seven pro

cessions of those mysteri ous w oes . And how far fromJ esus are sinners , misbel i evers, heathens ! How far outof sigh t of Cal vary have th ey w andered ! How many innumber

,and i n so many w ays h ow dear , are th e wan

de re rs ! How unfath omable a m isery is sin ! And to us

See th e Auth or’s Essay an Catholic Home Missions, p . 3 .

76 THE M ARTYRDOM or M ARY .

what a m ise ry those merry voices and brigh t faces thatcare not for the m isery

, bu t go singing 0 11 the ir way to a

dark etern ity , as though they w ere w end ing gal lant ly toa bridal feast ! t o can see so great a w retchedness,and not long to cure i t ? Then

,again , s in caused al l

that Pass ion,al l these sorrow s . Perhaps one heart in

th e heat of love forgets i tsel f, and th inks for themoment that by h indering s in i t can spare our dearestLord some pain . Yet is th is al together a mistak e ? i s i tqu ite an unreal i ty ? Anyhow

,i t w i l l busy i tself w i th

reparation,and there i s no reparation l ike th e conver

sion of a sinner . And th e los t sheep shal l be laid atMary ’s feet

,and sh e shal l gen t ly ra ise th em and lay

th em in the outstretched arms of the happy Shepherd ;and w e w i l l s i t dow n and w eep for j oy that w e havebeen al low ed to do some thing for Jesus and Mary ; andwe w i l l ask no graces for ourselves , but only seek gloryand l ove and praise for th em .

He who i s grow ing i n devotion to th e Mother ofGod i s grow ing i n al l good th ings . H i s time cannot b ebetter spen t ; h is eternity canno t be more infal libly secured . But devoti on i s , on the whol e , more a grow thof love than of reverence , though never detached fromreveren ce . And there i s noth ing about our Lady w hichstimulates our love more effec tual ly than her dolors .I n del igh t and fear w e shade our eyes when th e brigh tl igh t of her Immaculate Concep tion bursts upon us i ni ts heavenly effulgence. We fathom w i th aw e andwonder th e depths of her Div ine Matern i ty . The vastness of her sc i ence , th e sublimi t i es of her hol iness, th es ingulari ty of her p rerogati ves, fi l l u s w i th j oyful admiration united w i th reveren tial fear . I t i s aj ub ile e tous that al l these th ings belong to our own Mo ther

,

whose fondness for u s know s no bounds . But someh ow w e get tired of always look ing up in to th e brigh tface of heaven . The very si lver l in ings of th e cloudsmak e our eyes ache, and they look down for rest andfind i t in the green grass o f the earth . The moon is

THE MARTYRDOM or MARY. 77

beautiful , gi ld ing w i th rosy gold h er own purple regionof the sky, but her l ight is more beautiful to our homesi ck hearts w hen i t i s rain ing over field

,and tree

,and

l apsing stream , and th e great undulating ocean . Forearth , after all , i s a home for which on e may be si ck .

So , when th eology has been teach ing us our Mother’s

grandeurs in those lofty unshared mysteri es,our de

votion, because of i ts very infi rmity , i s conscious to

i tse lf of a k ind of strain . 0 11 , h ow ,after long meditation

on the Immaculate Conception , l ove gushes out of everypore of our hearts w hen w e th ink of th at almost morethan morta l queen , heart-broken , and w i th blood- stainson her han d

,beneath the Cross ! 0 M other ! w e have

been craving for more human thoughts of thee ; w e

have w anted to fee l thee nearer to us ; w e can w eep forj oy at the greatness of thy th ron e

,b u t ft h ey are not such

tears as w e can shed w i th thee on Calvary ; they do notres t us so . But w hen once more w e see thy sw eet, sadface of maternal sorrow , the tears streaming dow n thycheeks

,th e qui etness of thy great w oe , and th e blue

man t le w e have known so long , i t seems as i f w e hadfound thee after losing th ee

,and that thou wert another

Mary from that glori ous porten t in th e heavens , or atleast a fi tter mo ther for us on th e low summit of Calvary

,th an scal ing those unapproachable mountain

heights of h eaven ! See how the chi ldren’

s affectionsbreak out w i th new love from undiscovered recesses inthei r h earts

,and run round the ir n ew ly-w idow ed

mother l ik e a river , as if to supply her inexhaustiblyw i th tears , and div ide h er off w i th a great broad frontier of love from th e assaul t of any fresh calamity .

The house of sorrow i s alwavs a house of love . This i swhat takes place in us regard ing Mary ’s dolors . Oneof the th ousand ends of the Incarnation was God

’

scondescending to meet and gratify th e w eakness ofhuman i ty , fcre ver fal l ing into idolatry because i t was

so h ard to be alway s look ing upward , alw ays gazingfixed ly into inaccessible furnaces of l ight. 80 are

78 THE MARrYRDOM or M ARY

Mary ’s dolors to her grandeurs . The new s trength offai th and devo t ion

,whi ch w e have gained in con tem

pla t ing her celes t ial splendors,furn ishes us w i th new

capab i l i t i es of loving ; and al l our loves , the new andth e. old as w el l , ral ly round her in her agony a t the footof th e Cross of Jesus . Love for her grow s quick estthere . I t i s our bi r thplace . “

fi

e became her ch i ld renth ere . She suffered al l that because of us . Sinlessnessi s no t common to our M o ther and to us . But sorrow i s .I t i s th e one thing w e share , the one common thing b etw i xt us . \Ve w i l l s i t w i th h er th erefore

,and sorrow

w i th her,and grow more ful l of love

,not forge t ting

her grandeurs,— oh , surely n ever —but pressing t o our

h ear t s w i th fondest predi lection th e memory of her exce eding mar tyrdom .

'

\Vhat i s the “95 0 l i fe bu t that wh ich i s for evermorel iv ing over again the Th irty-Three Years of Jesus ?t at i s al l el se but a w aste of time , a cumbering of th ew orld , a tak ing up room on earth wh ich men have n origh t to ? \Ve should ever be i n attendance upon someone or oth er of th e mysteri es of Jesus , steep ing ou rthough ts i n i t

,ac ting i n the sp iri t of i t . Our blessed

Lord ’s in terior d i spos it ion s are th e grand practi calsc i ence of l i fe , and the sol e scien ce whi ch w i l l carryaw ay any of time ’s products i nto etern i ty . The way i nwh ich w e should both learn and exerci se th is sc iencei s by ponder ing on the mysteries of Jesus

,or indeed by

fai th personally assi s t i ng at th em in th e spi ri t of M ary .

This imitation of Mary must be the l i felong a t ti tude ofChris t ians . She read off ou r Lord ’s Sacred Heart continually. Sh e saw hab itually , as in a glass before h er,al l I l i s inward di sposi t i ons , wh eth er th ey regarded HisFather , hersel f, or us . There w ere t imes w hen He drewa v ei l over i t ; but , ordinari ly speak ing , that v i sion wasab id ingly before h er . So say th e Agre dan revelati ons .But even i f th is w ere not so , w ho can doubt th at Maryunderstood Jesus as no one el se cou ld do

, and was i nc loser and more real union w ith Him than any sai n t

80 rm: M ARTYRDO M or M ARY.

sorrow s or h er j oys . Now ,i n h er j oys , as St . Sephrotiius

says, our Lady i s s imply a debtor to her Son , w hereas inh e r sorrow s He i s i n some sen se a debtor to her. St.

Me thod ius , th e marty r, teaches th e same doctrin e .

Hence,i f w e may dare to use w ords w h i ch holy w riters

have used before,by her dolors sh e has la id our blessed

Lord under a k ind of obl igation,w hich gives her a r igh t

and pow er o f impetration into wh ich someth ing of j ust i ce even enters . Yet w hen w e th ink of th e SacredHeart of Jesus

,of the immensi ty of His love for Mary,

an d of the great part of the Passion wh ich i t was to Himto see her suffer , w e cannot for a moment doubt, w i thou t th i nk ing of obligation , the extreme persuasiven essto Him of devoti on to her dolors, a devotion w hi ch HeHimself began , a devotion wh ich was actually a sol idpart of His ever-blessed Passi on . “r

e d raw Him tow ardus the momen t w e begin to th ink of H is Mo ther ’s sor~

row s . He i s beforehand , says S t. Anselm ,w i th those

who meditate His Mother ’s w oes . And do w e not standin need of pow er in heaven ? \Vhat a great w ork w ehave to do i n our souls

,and how l i ttl e of i t is al ready

done ! How sl ight i s th e impression w e have made yeton our rul ing passion

,on our beset t ing s i n I How super

ficial i s our sp iri t of prayer, how ch i ld i sh ly t imid oursp iri t of penance

,how trans i tory our moments of un ion

w i th God ! \Ve w ant v igor , determination , consistency ,sol idi ty , and a more v enturous aspiration . In short, ourspi ri tual l ife wants pow er . And here is a devotion sosol id and effi cac ious

,th at i t i s em inently calculated to

giv e u s th i s pow er, as w ell by i ts mascul in e products i nth e soul as by its actual influ enc e over th e Hear t of ou rBlessed Lord . “I bo, that l ooks w el l at th e saints , andsee s w hat i t has done for them , but w i l l do h is best tocu lt ivate th is devotion in h imself ?In the affai rs of th is w orld steadiness comes w i th age .

But who has not fel t that i t i s no t so in spi ri tual th ingsAlas ! fervor i s steadiness there , and that i s too often bu tfor a. w h i le ; when w e have held on upon our way for

THE MARTYRDOM or MARY. 81

some years , w e grow ti red . Famil iari ty brings w i th i tth e spi ri t of dispensation. Our habi t s become disj oin ted

,

as if the teeth of th e w heels w ere w orn down and w ouldnot b i te . Our l ife gets uneven and un true

,l ike a

mach in e ou t of order ; So w e find that the longer w epersevere , the more

‘

w e stand in need of s teadiness . For

behold ! when w e had trus ted to the doc trin e of habi t,and dreamed that age w ou ld bring ma turi ty in i ts ownrigh t, th e very opposi t e has been the case . In easy ways,and low at tainmen ts , and unwor thy co

‘

ndescensions,and

the faci l i ty of self-dispens ing indulgence,i n a w

,0 1d i n“:

all things, that are second ‘best , th e pow e1 of h abi t i sstrong enough , indeed altoge ther to be depended on i

Bu t in w hat is best , i n effor t, in c l imbing , in figh t ing,i n

enduring , in pe rs is t ing , w e seem to grow more unce i tain ,

Sfitful, capi icious irregu lar , feeble , than w e w ere before .A w orse w eakness than that of youth is coming back toas,—w orse because i t has less hop e iu lne ss abou t i t, w orse

because time Was to h av e cured th e old w eakness,and

now i t i s time whi ch 18 bringing th isWeeakn ess on ,—worse

because i t makes us less anxious , for w e hav e hardenedourselves to tln‘nk w

that We at t empted too much when w ew ere young

,and that prudence indi cates a low level

,

where the air i s mi lder and better f0 1 our respiration .Then do not some of us fee l that. th e w orld grow s moreattractiv e to us as w e grow older? It should not be so ;bu t so i t i s ! This comes of lukew‘armness . Age unlearnsmany th ings bu t Woe betide i t ‘

When it unlearns v igor,

when i t un learns hope ! Rest i s a great th ing . I t i s thegrand w ant of age . But w e must not l ie down beforeour time . Ah ! how often has fervent you th made th eworld i ts be d in middle l ife ! and Wh en at last th e w orldslipp ed from under i t , whither did i t fal l ? I f w e l i v eonly i n the enerva t i ng ring of dome s t i c lov e, much morein the v e rte x of th e world ,

w e must l iv e w i th Jesus lnith e sp i ri t of Mary , or w e are lost . Let us learn th is i nincreased devo t i on to her dolors . When w e l ie dow n tot est, w e persuade ourselv es i t i s but for amoment, and

F

82 arm: M ARTYRDO M or M ARY.

that w e shal l not go to sl eep . Bu t only le t th is most

p athet i c romance wh ich the dest in ies of humani ty haveev er brought before men sound i n our ears and knockat the doors o f our hearts , and it w i l l b ecome in us aconti nual ly-flow ing fountain of supreme unw orldl in ess .Torpor w i l l become impossible . Obl iv ion of super‘natural th ings w i l l be unknown . We shal l feel thatrest w ould be pl easan t for a whi le ; but w e shal l di sdainthe temptation . Mary w i l l teach us to stand beneaththe Cross.

THE PROPHECY or an SIMEON. 83

CHAPTER 11.

fiiigt (firstmit t .THE PROPHECY OF ST. SI M EO N .

NOWHE RE in th e Old Testamen t do w e seem to comeso n ear to God as i n th e book of Job . Nowh ere i s Hemore aw fu l ly enshrouded in mystery, or more terribl ein His counsels regarding th e ch i ldren of men ; andyet nowhere i s He more plainly or more

.

tenderly ourFather . I t i s because th e mys tery of suffering i s dep ioted therein . Because i t i s al l so human , i t seems tolead us so far i nto th e d iv ine . Because i t i s th e uttermost trial of the creature , he l i es th e more completelyin th e Creator’s arms . The calam iti es of Job are to th eOld Testament what the Passi on of our Lord i s to th eNew , and the one was an inte ntional foreshadow ingof th e oth er . When w e come to speak of our Lady’sdolors, w e remember th e touch ing picture of Job’sfri ends

, when they h eard of h is affl i c t ion s and cameto v is it h im .

"‘VVh en they had l i fted up th ei r eyes afaroff, th ey knew h im not, and cry ing ou t th ey w ept , andrending th ei r garments, they sprinkl ed dust upon thei rh eads toward heaven .

,And th ey sat w i th h im on the

ground seven days and seven n igh ts,and no man spoke

to h im a w ord ; for th ey saw that h is gri ef was verygreat .” They knew th at si l en ce was th e best consolation . There was noth ing wh ich could so touch th eheart of th e mourne r

,as th e fact that h is fri ends appre ~

ciated th ei

ex cess of h is bereavement . When at las tthey spoke, then th ey i rri tated . The charm of thei rsweet si len t p resence was gone . Sympathy degenerated

84 rm: FIRST DOLOR.

into an argument . An‘

unconv incing argument couldend only i n reproach . They , more than Job h imsel f,“w rapped up sentences i n unski l ful w ords .” But st i l lmore w onderful than th is s i l en ce of th e fri ends of Jobwas th e s i l ence of Jesus on the Cross , deeply sufferinga di s t in c t inward martyrdom because of th e so rrow sof His Mother . He spoke no w ord to her, but that onewhereby He made h er over to St . John . No maximful l of cel estial w i sdom , no t one of fi l ial endearment , noacknow ledgmen t that He saw and fel t h e r sufferings

,

no blessing full of grace and for t i tude , fel l on her earas He hung upon the Cross . In truth , sh e n eeded noneof them . She saw His Heart . She understood her Son .

She w as by th i s t ime marvel lously accus tomed to th eways of God . Si len ce was His devotion to her sorrow s

,

just as si lence was the magn ifi cen ce of her suffering .

Si len ce was in t ru th a wonderful th ing w ith Jesus andMary . Indeed , i t was almost th e colloquy they had heldtoge ther for Three-and-Thi rty Years . But H is si l encewas the si l en ce of a ful l h eart ; and i t i s somew hatof that fulness wh i ch we must ask of Him when w e

meditate on His Mother’s sorrow s . We cannot th inkrigh tly of them , un less He vouchsafes to help us to th et ruth . All w e ask i s one spark of what burned in Himduring those si len t h ours : one spark would be enought o se t our hearts on fi re , and consume us w i th keenestlove for th e remainder of our mortal years . He mustbe our model i n sympathy w it-h Mary , as He i s i n all

th ings else . Like al l the res t of sancti ty , i t i s He Him~

self who taugh t devotion to our Lady, both by preceptand exampl e .

Forty days had gone s in ce th e angel s sang at m id»nigh t . Mary and Joseph had been deep down al l th ewh i l e i n d iv ine myster ies . The shepherds had wor~

sh ipped th e new -born Bab e . The three k ings had laidthei r myst i c offerings at His feet , and th e new star hadmelt ed away in th e purple of th e nocturnal sk ies . The

world had gone upon its road as usual. Eve ry morn ing

THE OF ST. SI M EON. 85

there was po l i t i cal n ew s in Rome, every mornlng ph i losophical discussion s in the school s of Athens . Th e

caravans w en t in and out of the gates of the wh iteDamascus , and the sun shone on the bend of theOron tes at An tioch . Th e imperial offic ials made upthei r books and li sts at Be th lehem,

and Joseph andMary w ere i tems in th e account of the provi ncial taxat ion . In the common course of things

,and according

to th e law , on th e fi rs t of January Jesus for th e firstt ime had shed His b lood . How much had passed sincethe tw en ty-fifth of December ! Since that day the Creatorhad been v is ibl e in H is own crea t ion

,though i t was

almost under ground , i n a k ind of grotto , or naturalstable for k in e . Now the second of February was

come . Joseph and Mary , w i th the Ch i ld,leave th e

spot where th ose Forty Days have fied as sw iftly as aheaven ly vis ion . They w ind round the sk ir t of thenarrow hi l l whe reon the ci ty i s bui l t . The prunedvineyards on th e steeps have scarcely yet begun toweepth ei r vernal tears w here th e kn ife has wounded them.

But th e cornfields w here Ruth gleaned are green , and thec l ear sunsh i n e of early spring is on the gray rocks by Rac hel’s tomb . The roofs of the Holy City are in sigh t , w i thth e glor ious temple sh in ing above al l . To that temple,His own temple , th e vi sib le Infant God was now going .

Mary had spent tw elve years of h er sinless l i fe in thec ourts of th e temple . I t was th ere that sh e had outwardly de dicated h er v irgin i ty to G od , wh ich she hadvow ed in th e fi rst moment of h er Immaculate Concept ion . I t was there sh e med i tated over the ancien tscriptures

,and learned th e secrets of th e Messi-as . She

Was coming back to i t again ,st i l l v irgin , yet, mystery

of grace ! a moth er w i th a ch i ld . Sh e came to be pur ified ,

wh o was purer than the untrodden snow on Lebanon . She came to present h er Ch i ld to God , and do forth e Creator what no creature but h erself could do , g1veHim a gift ful ly equal to Himsel f. When the secondtemple was bu i lt, the anc ients of th e peopl e l ifted up

"

8

86 THE F IRST DOLOR .

the ir voices and w ept, because i ts glory was not equalt o th e glory o f th e fi rst ; but th e fi rst temple had neverseen such a day as that wh ich was now dawning on thetemple of Herod . The glory of the Holy of Hol ies wasbut a symbol of th e real glory , wh ich Mary was now

bearing th i therward i n h er arms . But sh e had two

offerings w i th h er . She bore one, and J oseph the othe r.She bore her Ch i ld , and h e the pai r of turtle-doves, ortwo young p igeons , for her purification . Many saw them

p ass . But th ere was noth ing singular i n th em ,noth ing

espec ial ly attract ive to the eyes of th e beholders . So i talways i s where God i s . Now th at He i s v is ible , He i sin truth , except to fai th and love , j ust as i nv is ible as Heever was.

Others, too , w ere draw ing toward th e temple for th emorn ing sacrifices . There was th e aged Simeon . Th e

blossoms of the grave w ere clustered th ickly on h i sh ead . He had outl ived h is OWn '

day, w i th i ts men andth ings , i ts sympath ies and assoc iations . He was notm ixed up w i th the Sp ir i t o f th e times. He was abovei ts pol i ti cs . He kept apar t from the confl i cts of i ts d i spu tatious Pharisees and Sadducees . The w orld seem edto h im to be grow i ng more and more i ntolerab lyw i cked , and less and less a place for h im , l ess and l essa home at al l possibl e for w eary souls . But there wasone th ing h e had longed to see . He was w i l l ing heavensh ould be put ofi

“

, i f only h e m igh t see that sigh t onearth , The Christ ! God had prom ised him that so i tsh ould be . He had received an answ er from th e

Holy Ghost,that h e should not see death b efore he had

seen th e Christ of the Lord .

” He was coming that dayto th e morn ing sacrifi ce , whether w i th clear v i ew s, orany spi ri tual present iments, or an unw onted fi re in h i sheart, who can tel l ? There was another, also, thatmorning in th e temple

,a w i dow of fourscore years and

fou r,the daughter of Phanuel

,of th e tribe o f Ase r

,

from the ol ive-spotted plai n of A cre and the mi ld in letsof the western sea . The sp ir i t of prophecy dwel t w i th in

88 THE FIRST DOLoR.

h andl ing th e Lord 's Christ .” O blessed priest !worn down w i th age ,

w ea ried w i th thy long years ofwai t ing for the consola t i on of I srael

,kept al ive i n

davs w hi ch w ere ou t of harmony w i th thy spi ri t,even

as St. John the Evangel i s t was afte r thee,surely He

who made thee , Ile w ho i s so soon to judge thee , Hetvliom thou ar t fold ing so fondly in th in e arms

,must

have sen t the streng th of His omnipotence into thyheart , el se thou w oulds t never h ave been able to bearth e flood of stron g gladness which at that momen tbrok e in upon thy spi ri t ! Look at Him again . Seethose red l ips so soon to speak thy sen tence of ete rnall i fe . Ligh t thy h eart a t the fi re of those l i t t le eye s.I t i s the Christ ! Oh , h ow much prophecy i s fulfi l led !The h istory of th e w orld i s finding i t s accompl ishment.The crow n i s be ing put upon creation . The long secular yearn i

'

ngs of patriarch s , and k ings , and prophetsth ey w ere al l after th e beauty of that Infan t Face .Thou hast seen the Chr is t . Every th ing i s i n thativord . The s igh t was h eaven . Earth has nothing moreto do w i th th ee . I t had best ro l l i t sel f away from

under thy fee t as q uick ly as possible , and l et thee dropinto the infinite Bosom of thy Father

,th e beauty of

whose Son may k i l l thee by the gen t-lest and most beautiful of death s .I t i s h ard for h im to part w i th th at sweet burden

from hi s arms . In that extreme old age the vents ofsong h ave been opened in h is soul , and in th e si lenceof th e temple h e sings h is il un c d imi t ti s , even asZ ach ary sang h is Bened i c tus , and Mary h er Magnificat .

Age after age shal l tak e Up th e strain . Al l th e poetryof Christ ian w eariness i s in i t . I t gives a voi ce to th eh eavenly detachment and unw orld l iness of countlesssaints . I t is th e heart’s even ing l ight , aft er th e w orking hours of th e day , to mil l i on s and m i ll ions of b e e

lieve rs. The very last compl in e that th e Church shallsing, before th e midn ig h t when the doom begins andthe Lord breaks out upon th e darkness from the reful

THE PROPHECY or sr. SI M EO N . 89

gen t east, shal l overflow w i th th e melodious sweetnessof Simeon ’s path eti c song . Joseph was w rapt eventhen in an ecstasy of holy admiration . Even Mary“w ondered” at th e w ords , so deep , so beautiful , so true ;for sh e knew , as n o oth ers knew ,

how marvel lously herBabe was of a truth the ligh t of al l the w orld . Andwhen , i n her humi l i ty , she knel t for th e blessing of th eaged pri es t, had h e Jesus in h is arms sti l l w hen heblessed h er

,and did h e wave th e Chi ld above her in

the sign of th e cross , l ik e a Chri st i an Benedi ction , orhad she Jesus i n her arms , holding Him at His own

creature ’s fee t to ge t a blessing ? Either way, how won

derful th e mystery ! But what a strange bl essing forth ee

,happy s in less Mother ! There i s oth er poetry i n

Simeon than those strain s of l ight wh i ch flashedfrom h im but a wh i l e ago . There i s other musi c nowfor Mary’s ear , th e terribl e musi c o f dark prophecywh ich th e Holy Ghost utters from His sanctuary inth e old pri est’s h eart ; and w e wou ld fain th ink thatSimeon held Jesus in h is arms when h e uttered i t,by the very way i n whi ch h e begins . “ Behold , th i sCh ild i s set fo r th e fal l , and for th e resurrec t ion ofmany in I srael ; and for a sign w h i ch sh al l be contrad i cted . And thy own sou l a sw ord shal l p ierce , thatou t ofmany heart s thoughts may be revealed .

”

Simeon was si len t . But over Mary’s soul there camean inexpl icab le change . Perhaps sh e learned now whatsh e had not know n before . But more probably i t on lycame to her then in anoth er way. Yet i t was a change ,an operation of grace , a new sanctifieation , an immensew ork of God . A clear and detai l ed v i sion of al l hersorrow s

,especial ly of th e whole Passion , was w ith i ts

m inu test ci rcumstances i nstan taneously impressed uponh er soul ; and her immaculate h eart was deluged w i th asea of sorrow

,w h ich was supernatural both i n its k ind

and i ts inten si ty . It seemed as . i f the v is ion came fromth e very face of Jesus

,as i f H i s eyes looked i t into h er

and engraved i t th ere . Sh e saw His ownHeart all unSE

90 THE FIRST DOLOR.

ve i led , w ith al l its inward d i sposi t ions . I t was as if th eIn carnation had come upon h er again

,and i n a d ifferen t

.way. She was raised to fresh heigh ts of hol iness . Sh eentered upon another vast region of her appanage asth e Moth e r of God . Sh e was th e same Mary

,and yet

a d ifferen t on e , who but a wh i l e ago had entered th et emple . But th ere was no surpri se w i th th i s portentouschange . No starting , no w eak tremor, no fluttering ofth e spi ri t . Her un shaken peace grew more peaceful

,

because of th e world of b i tterness that had gone dow ninto i t . The Ligh t of th eWorld had flash ed up on h ighin Simeon’s arms , in Simeon’s song , and th ere follow eddarkn ess

,deeper, th icker, more palpable , than th at of

Egypt . Suddenly ou t of th e sunsh in e of Beth leh em ,

sh e found h ersel f in the h eart of the ecl ipse on Calvary ;an d sh e was calm as before , w i th unaston ish ed digni ty,w i th th e tranqui l l i ty of unutterabl e love , w i th th e

strength of d iv inest un ion,and w i th th e sw ord r igh t

th rough h er broken heart, wh ich should r emain th erefor eigh t-and- forty years , and then , when Jesus shouldd raw i t out of th e wound, sh e would bl eed t o death w i thlove .

She heard Anna come into th e temple, and acknowl edge Jesus as her God . Sh e h eard th e words th e agedprophetess spoke about Him to th e se th ere wh o “ lookedfor the redempti on of Israel .” She was care ful that thel east things wh ich th e law ordained should be obed ien tlyfulfi l l ed ; and th en , w i th Joseph and th e Chi ld, sh ew ended h er way back to th e green h ol low of Gal i lee, toth e steep sloping streets of th e sequestered Nazareth ,w i th th e sword ,

th at sharp sw ord of th e Holy Ghost,w i thin her heart . Since sh e left h er home in December,h ow much has passed ! But th e sunse t looks on Nazareth ,gild i ng its w h i te cottages , as though al l th ings had goneon th e same from th e beginn ing . Oh , h ow c ruel nuehanging nature looks to a heart that has been changedin i t s own desp i te !Such i s the mystery of our Lady

’s first dolor . Let us

THE PROPHE CY or sr . SI M EON . 91

now pass to th e consideration of its pecul iari ties . Th e

t ime a t wh ich i t came , the acti on in wh ich i t found herengaged

,are remark able . She had just gi ven to God a

gift equal to Himself. There never h ad been such anoffering made to Him s ince creation began . Therenever can be such anoth er

,only repetit ion s of th e same .

She had thus su rpassed all ange lic w orsh ip ; and shew el l knew th at i n giv ing Jesus back to God she wasgiv ing Him aw ay from herself. Her rew ard was immediate : i t was an unutterable l ifelong sorrow . Such i sth e way of God . Th is fi rst dolor discloses to us on e ofth e most un iversal supernatu ral principles , w h i ch characteriz e His deal ings w i th Hi s saints . Earth ly sorrow s areth e roots of heaven ly j oys . A cross i s a crow n begun .

Suffering i s dearer to th e Saints than happin ess ; for th es imili tude of Chri st has passed upon them . They haveHis tastes

,His in cl ination s . They th i rst for suffering,

because th ere i s someth ing in i t w h ich i s favorable tounion w i th God . I t puts out th e decei tful l igh ts of thew orld ; and darkness i s th e l igh t by w hich w e can mostsp i ri tually d iscern God . Moreover, the immensity ofth e sorrow

,and the instantaneous manner in w hich i t

fol low ed upon her oblation , i l lustrate th e surpassingh ol iness of our Blessed Moth er . God preportion ed h e rcross to h er pow ers of bearing i t . Nor was there anyreason for delay . She needed no preparation , no gradualprocess of inferior graces

,no ascending scal e of lesser

crosses . A w hole w orld of sorrow migh t fall at onceu pon her . She was ready for i t , more immovable thanth e hi l ls which stood around Jerusalem . Oh , wh o w ouldever have dreamed that human forti tude could havebeen so l ik e di v in e omn ipoten ce ?Henceforth ev ery action b ecame a suffering , every source

of j oy a fountain of b i ttern ess . Th ere was no h iding-placei n her soul

,Wh i th er th e b i tterness d id not penetrate .

Every look at Jesus,every movemen t that Hemade , every

w ord He uttered,— al l st i rred , qu i ck ened , diffused , th e

bi tterness that was in her . Th e very lapse of time i tself

92 THE F IRST DOLOR .

wasb itterness , for she saw Gethseman e and Calvary com ingdow n the stream tow ard h er . Postures and atti tudes, inwh ich sh e saw her beloved Son ,

no matter how naturalthey w ere , or , as w e should speak , acc idental , had somestart l ing l ikeness i n th em to someth ing w h ich was tohappen in th e Passion . He was a constan t s tudy to h erfor the Passi on

,a model w h ich sh e had always before

h er . \Vhen a carpenter’s tool p ressed against th e palmof His hand

,sh e saw th e w ound of th e nai l th ere . Th e

wh ite brow of boyhood often seemed as i f i t had a coronal o f rosy spots around where th e th orn s should be .The prick ly pears , th at made garden -hedges for th e vil

lagers of Nazareth , always reminded her of th e crow n ofthorn s . The Passion had become an inevitabl e v ision toher . I t was always before her eyes . She could not lookaway . She cou ld not see e i th er to th e righ t or th e leftof that apparit ion

,w h ich l ik e a blood-red sunset occu

p ied th e whole fi eld of sigh t . Never was there such astrange alchemy of l i fe . Every th ing about i t was commuted into b i tterness . The brigh test j oys made th emost rigorous b itters ; and the process w en t on th e mostsuccessful ly , when th e sun was sh in ing brigh test , andth e moth er’s heart expanded to i ts genial l igh t and heat.lVe could n ot bear so much as five minutes of th e suffering sh e then endured : and hers was l ifel ong . Sh ebelonged to sorrow . I t h ad draw n h er l i fe under i tsdark w aters . Her l ife was h idden in th e Heart of Jesus

,

amid gl oomy forms,appall ing shadow s , dread insigh ts

into horrib le gul fs of s in , thunders and l ightn ings ofd i vin e w rath ,

fren zies of law less demon s, excesses ofhuman cruelty , and a very liv ing show of instrumentsof th e Passi on .

But common l ife was sti l l to go on ; common dut ieshad st i l l to be performed . No truce was g iven h er, nod i spensat ion . I t i s not often that extreme poverty cangrant a dispensation even to th e extremest grief. Andin her l i fe the hardsh ips of poverty w ere carried to th euttermost. Whenever she had augh t to spare, i t w en t

THE PROPHECY or sr. SI M EON . 9 3

straigh tw ay to th e poor . Joseph and herself had toearn th ei r l ivel ihood , and Jesus must share the taskwhen He is old enough .

-Now l e t us th ink of th is .When grief h as come and fastened i ts burden upon ourbacks , w hen th e wh ite- faced dead is lying in a si lentroom upstairs , w e have tri ed to move abou t the house asusual , and to giv e our orders , and to take an interest, orto seem to do so

,i n a vari ety of th ings

,and to appear

calm . And did i t succeed ? Was i t not just th e mostheart-break ing th ing of al l ? Oh

,yes ! w e should have

rested . The planet should have stopped whi rl ing eas tward for a w hi le

,and al l th e w orl d ’s duties s tood sti l l

in a dead calm , t i l l w e had lain dow n and w ept,and

then got up agai n to go abou t our w ork . Yet w e neverhad more than th e touch of God ’s l i ttl e finger u pon us

,

wh il e both His Hands , heav ier than a thousand w orlds,h eld Mary down in th e dust . Neverth el ess , no dutysaw her absen t . No common th ing missed at he r handsth e same degree of zeal and attent iven ess w h ich th egreatest could requi re . She seemed busy everywhere ,engrossed in every th ing, w i th a mind al l free and ather own disposal . She w en t and drew w ater from th ewel l . She c leaned th e house , and prepared th e food ,and spun th e flax . Every th ing was a t i ts righ t t imeand in i ts p re per place . But th e sword was th ere , i n th every quick of h er heart . I t sti rred at each step , ti l l i tmade every n erv e sh rink ,

and h er whole being th ri l lw i th agony . And th is did not last a w eek , unti l h erdead was buried , and the green grass of th e gravemound

waved above i t, and time w en t by shak ing heal ing off

i t s w ings on th e soul whi ch sorrow had parched anddried . Oh , no ! He r dead was n ever buried . There Hewas

,l iv ing before her

,and i t was His very l ife that to

her was continual death . What a l i fe ,— to w ork , to beactive

,to be col lected

,to be unselfi sh , under such an

overw helming burden Her grief was al l i n teri or . She

was obl iged to deny i t th e sat i sfaction of an outlet. She

would have seemed bes ide herself, and w ould have been

94 THE FIRST DO LO R .

treated accord ingl y,had sh e allow ed i t to appear . Her

very though t s w ere poisoned w i th w ormw ood : bu t sh emus t no t speak . \Vho w ould have unders tood h er, i fshe had spoken ? She mus t no t w eep , or on ly in secretand at dead of n igh t ; for w hy should sh e w eep w i thoutv isible cause for i t ? Sh e had food , she had raimen t , shehad Joseph for a husband , Jesus for a son . Summercame

,and fi l led the h ol low val ley w i th greenness and

w i th pl enty . Away from th e great roads , peace andtranqui l l i ty w ere roun d Nazare th . \Vhy sh ould sh emourn ? Never has the ear th seen a grief l ike thi s,n ever a grief l ike i t in magnitude , n ever a grief of l ikekind w i th this .Time brough t n o rel i ef. Th e v is ion was always there

w i th a terrible fidel i t y . And i t was th e same v ision,too .

There was not even the cheerless comfort of a v ic iss i tudeof sorrow . I t belonged to the greatn ess of h er mindthat she could cal l be fore her at auv momen t al l theimpressi on s wh ich had ever been made upon he r

,that

they should con t i nual ly be presen t to her inw ard eve i nmul t i tudes

,and that there sh ould be in her as l i t t le

successi on of ideas as compor t s w i th th e imperfec t i onof a created mind . Thus th e past was one presen t toh e r, and the future was a second presen t , and the presen twas a thi rd presen t . The greatness of h er sci ence wass imply conver ted into an incalculable pow er of suffering .

The c learness of h er percep t i on s was as kn ives in fleshand soul . There was some thing dreadful in th e immu tabi l i ty of the vis ion . M oreover , there was some th inginfin i t e in t he v i sion . For cus tom d id not fami l iar i zei t to he r : on the contrary , i t became fresh er, i t s edgesgrew sharpe r , i t w en t in deeper. There was a perpetualnovel ty abou t i ts monotonous images . Depths of sigu ificance kept O pening out i n i t , l ik e th e in terlacings andunfold ings of an unw i eldy thunder-cl oud ; and eachof these depths pushed the boundaries of h er possib i l i tyo f suffering far furthe r . than they w ere befo re . “Th o

can th ink of any al lev iat ion sh e could have had ? Can

96 THE riasr DOLon.

round of t he four season s , such a sw i ft sl ow ness of t ime ,every thing so l ong in comin g . and th en coming beforei ts t ime ! And to her pow e rs of soul l i fe w as so muc h‘

broader , so much deeper, so much longe r, so much morevi tal ! And her l ife was a hear t -broken l ife . Wh at i s abroken heart ? Hear t s do no t often break . But w e cantel l w hat an ach ing h ear t i s

,or a w ounded h eart . Nay ,

w e have l i ved on ,w hen ou r heart go t crush ed once

I t was only a mome ntarv crush . The w heel of l i fe w en tover i t . Then i t was over . Yet th e surv iv ing it seemeda mirac le . But w hat i s a broken heart ? And then al ife , w i th a hear t broken al l the wh i l e , almost from thefi rst ! 0 Marv ! thou w er t the Mo ther of God

,and there

fore thou know es t !But i f we look at ten t i vely at th is fi rst dolor , w e shal l

see that i t contains five d i s t in ct d olo rs , five separa t ewounds i n i tse l f. Firs t of all , i n the offering she hadmade t o God

,she had offered J esus of her own free w i l l

to dea th . S t range frui t of the greatness of a mo ther 'slove ! Yet i t was out of lov e that she had made th eoffering , ou t of th e hol i est , pures t, most d isin terest e dl ov e of God . For He who was her Son w as also God ,

and He w ho was God was the v ic t im likew i se . But couldsh e have foreseen al l tha t was i nvolved in this ? Oh

,yes !

e ve rv thin" No thing had escaped her . No th ing couldbe more in tell igen t, no thi ng more matu re, than theoffe ri n g sh e had made . And w hen long years of oppress ive sorrow had come to lav th ei r added w eigh t supon her broken hear t , the v er y thou ght of re t rea t ingw ould have seemed w orse than Calvary ; for it w ouldhave been an infidel i ty t o Him whom she so lov inglyadored . Bu t she had given Him aw ay ; sh e had givenHim t o dea th . For n ine mon th s sh e had possessedHim . Never was creature so rich , n ever c rea t ure sosu preni clv blessed . Even then almost h e r fi rs t though thad been t o bear Him over the h i l l- count ry of Juda toEli zabe th and John . the w hi le she had been longing t o se e His Face

,and behold the l ight i n His eyes, to

J E PROPHECY or sr. SI M EON . 97

hear th e tone of His infant in e voice , to th row her armsaround Him and press Him , her treasure, the w orld

’streasure

,the Fath e r’s treasure , to h er bosom . She was

His human Mother , and her heart was human , ex

q uisite ly human . She w ok e from her ecstasy , and He

was ly ing on her robe upon the ground on Christmasnigh t

,stretch ing out His l i t tl e hands to her

,as i f her

arms w ere H is home , as they w ere . She had on ly hadHim for ty days . Her maternal l ove had not begun tosa t i sfy i tself

,though i t had been feeding al l th e w h i l e

on His perfect ions . Nay , i t was further from beingsa t i sfi ed than w hen she fi rst saw Him . Forty days

,not

a thousand hours ; and now she was giv ing Him aw ay,

g iving Him to death , and the sw ord of Simeon had gonedeep in to h er heart to show her what a gulf henceforth lay betw een herself and Him . She could have nomore qu iet possession of Him . She could not forbidHis Passion . He belonged to sinners . He belonged tothe anger of H is Fa ther . He was a vi ct im

,w hom she

was to guard unti l th e hour of sacrifi ce was come . Whatan offi ce for a mo ther to hold ! This i s what came ofbeing th e Mother of God .

But,i f she had thus made Him over to the cruel ty of

Hi s d iv i ne office,sh e could the less bear th e con tradic

t ions of o thers to His honor , His happiness, or His doctrine . Simeon had spoken of con tradict ions . What !would no t th e w hole w orld be at His fee t ? Even i f Hewas to d i e , because by the d iv ine ordinance w i thou tshedding of blood there i s no remissi on of sin

,surely

till then men w i l l h ang upon His l i ps , w i l l fol low Himwhereve r He goes , to feed on His ce lestial w ords . Sinners w i l l eve rvw h e re be converted . The days of th esai nts w i l l come back agai n to th e chosen peopl e andthe promised land . And w hen He has d ied upon th eCross , the whol e w orld w i l l hasten to confess Hisroyal ty

,and w i l l th rong into the Church wh ich He has

founded . No ! i t was not t o be so . She knew i t wasnot to be so . But what was there to con tradic t abou t

G 9

98 THE FIRST DO LOR .

Him ? He was beauty , He was t ruth , He was l ove , Hewas gen t leness i tse l f. W

'

ho could be rude to Him ? Whocould contradic t t ruth , eterna l t ruth ? But she saw h owit

'

was al l to be . He show ed i t to h er i n Himsel f, w henHe unvei led to h er th e secrets of H is soul . There wasnot a dark look ever cast on His venerable face , therewas not a cold w ord , or a w i lful m isunderstanding , or ape tulant retort

,or an unbeseeming l iber ty , or an irre ve

ren t taunt,or a d ire impreca t ion , or a ch il l ing blas

p h emy,from that hour to th e day of doom

,wh ich d id

not go in to her heart w i th excrucia t ing d istress . Thehow l ing cries of those multi tudes at Jerusalem

,raven

i ng for His Blood , echoed day and n igh t w i th i n her 111 3 /ternal h eart . This then was t o be the firstvfruits of thatmagn ificen t obla t ion , in order to make w hi ch grace hadto rai se her almost to heights

,cer tain ly to n eighbor

hoods,divi ne ! Men w ould not appreciate her offering .

They w ould n ot understand i t . They w ould scout i t,

mock i t,con trad ic t it, be cruel to i t . No one ye t has

eve r unders tood i t, ei ther i n heaven or earth , save theEternal Fa ther to wh om she made i t . He alone knewth e w orth of w hat sh e gave, the w orth of Jesus , of th eIn carnate “7 0 rd . Do w e know i t ? Impossible ; for , i fw e did , our l i ves w ould not be what th ey are . There i sa know l edge wh ich brings practi ce along w i th i t : i t i sth e know l edge by w h i ch san cti ty know s

,not the mere

know l edge of th e understand ing .

Alas ! poor Mother ! Her heart i s al l w ounds , one

O pen ing into ano ther, l i felong w ounds , wh ich , l ik e th estigmata of the Saints , bleed , but never u lcerate . Atl east those who contradic t Him shal l l earn at las t to seeth e greatness of thei r e rror . They shal l come back toHim l ike w anderers . They shal l one day become themsel ves t riumphs of His redeeming grac e . Out of H imflow grace

,and sw ee tness , and attraction , and h eal ing .

His beauty,confessed at las t

,shal l w ind i tse lf around

th em as a spel l . Thus the grief of al l th is contrad i c t i onmay be endurabl e . But, no ! th e sword of Simeon , l i ke

THE PROPHE CY or ST . SI M EO N . 99

th e sw ord of th e Cherubim that guards the en trance ofth e earth ly paradi se

,

“ flames and turn s every way.

Positus i n ruinam mu ltorum ,se t for the fal l of many

,

th ei r utter fal l , thei r ruin , the i r i rreparabl e ruin ! I sJesus to lose forever some of His own creatures ? Nay

,

i s He to dri ve them from Himsel f by the very brightn ess of His l igh t

,by the very heavenl iness of His

beauty ? Are th ere to be sou ls for w hom i t w ould havebeen. better had He never come ? Oh ,

crue l th ough t,

cruel lest of al l ! For th e more Mary mused upon th ePassion

,and th e longer sh e had i t al l before h er eyes

,

al l th e more avari ciously she coveted souls,the more

sh e hungered and th i rsted after th e harvest of the Pass ion

,and became the M other of sinn ers because she was

th e M o ther of th e Savior, th e M other wh o gave Himaw ay to death w hen sh e had possessed Him but fortydays in Beth lehem . The countless mul ti tudes of thosew h o w ere to be saved w ere th e n earest approach to anal lev iati on of her i nconsolab le sorr ow . Bu t even uponth i s semblance of a consola t i on she was not to lean .

Oh , i t was a fearfu l th ought to th ink of her beauti fu lCh i ld

,that He was to be in some sense a des troyer .

Not altogether a Savior , but a law of l i fe w h ich was tobe a sen tence of death to some

,nay , to many . Things

had become very grave now betw een God and Hisw orld . Jesus w ould be a touchstone . Men must taketh ei r s ides now ,

more defin itely , more in tel l igen t ly .

God was w eary of th ei r sin s , w eary of w ai ting for thei rre turn . The very greatness of thi s last long- prophesiedmercy made the rej ect ion of i t th e more fatal and irretrie vab le . The salvati on of men w ould now be in somerespects more l ike that of the angels . Their probationwas becoming more d iv in e , and therefore more de

cisive . To rej ect Jesus was to be lo st eternally , andye t th e “ Rej ected of men” was one of th e v ery namesw hi ch Scripture gave Him . I f any th ing could havebeen hard to M ary’s fai th

,i t w ould have been that Jesus

was to be th e ru in of many sou ls ; and fai th’s he ro ic

1 00 THE FIRST DO LOR .

acceptance of th is w orsh ipfu l t ruth only made the edgeof i t keener

,and the poin t sharper

,to go down i nto her

heart .I t i s part o f our imperfect ion that one impression

upon our mind dul ls another . “re cannot at tend t o

many th ings at once . Even sorrow s , w hen they comethick ly

,i n some measure neutral i ze each other . Great

sorrow s absorb us, and then l itt le on es fal l upon us , andwe hardly feel them more than the drops of a thundershow er . lVe are consc ious of them : b ut th e sufferingthey cause i s hardly dis ti nct . But i t was not so i n ourLady

,w i th the perfections of her unfallen nature . Her

self- collection was complete , and embraced ev ery thi ng .

There was no confusion i n her mind from want ofbalance . I t receiv ed , apprec iated , and thoughtful lyh anded on to her exqu is ite sensib i l i t ies of pain

,every

sl ightest aggravation of any one of her mul t ipl i ed sorrow s . So i t was now . The curse i ncurred by her nativ eland , because of th e rej ect i on of Jesus , was a dis t inc t andbi t ter gr ief. All th e glori es of i ts past h istory , from theExodus to th e Maccabees , rose up before her mind .

Her heart sw el led over th e v ici ss i tudes,now sad , now

glorious , of h er people . She thought of th e Tombs ofthe saints and prophets sca ttered among the h i l ls . Hereye traversed th e battl e-fields, where the sword of manhad so often avenged th e maj esty of God . I t was th eland of promise

,v ery various

,v ery beau t i ful . I t had

w hat no other land had upon i t,th e golden l igh t of

God’s 1nvste rious choice . I t was th e h oly East advanci ng

to the w ate r'

s edge,and confronting that grand lVe st

w h ich i t was fi rst to convert,and then civ i l i z e

,and last

of al l to glorify . I t was not a mere feel ing of patriot i sm

wh ich sti rred w i th i n her . That land had been theear thly h ome of h e aven ly t ruth , w hen th e res t of th eworld lay i n th e cold shadow of spi ri t ual darkness . I t

was more lik e a sanc tuary than a regi on of the earth ’sgeography . There was hardly a mountain w hich hadnot seen some miracle , hard ly a hol low to which some

THE PROPHE CY or sr . SI M EO N . 101

promise was not attach ed . The banks of i ts riv er, th eshores of i ts in land sea, w ere overhung w i th clouds ofsacred poetry . A very netw ork of prophecy lay over th eWhole land , over al l th e local i t i es

‘of the separate tribes .Their v i rtues and their faults had to do w i th the geography of th e regions allo t ted for thei r dw ell ing . Thepeculiar scenery of the cou ntry was the imagery of theScriptures ; and i t was soon to be someth ing more , b ecause of the teach ing of her Son . Then there was Jerusalem . Even the great God had loved that city

,almost

as i f He w ere a man , w i th a human affection . He hadcherished i t i n His h eart as fondly and as w i stfu lly asany Hebrew wh o mused upon i t beneath the w i l low s byth e w aters of Baby lon . Jesus Himself w ept ove r i t, as ifH is heart w ould break

,from the tOp of Oliv et . Poor

ci ty ! fai r ci ty ! i t was the trophy of so many mercies, ofso much div ine tenderness , of so many V i ctori es of div in elove . I t was th e tabernacl e of the v isib le glory of th eMost High . The sw eet savor of sacrifi c e rose from i tevermore . And now th e adorab le b lood of Jesus was t olay it al l desolate , and the Roman fi re , and then th e

ru in of ages,w ere to l i ck up almost th e vestiges of i ts

holy places ! What made Jesus w eep , w hat made Himfeel l ik e a mother who w ould fain shel ter her young b enea th her w ings

,must needs have been to M ary th e in

tensest misery . And Simeon ’s sw ord had not forgotteneven this ! Sw eet Mother ! Thy Son and thyse lf mustru in Judah , the ch osen , th e long- endured

,th e del igh tful

of th e w orld . Fain as thou art to be no th i ng but theglad channel of God ’s l ove to earth

,thou mu st be con

tent to be an in strument of His w rath as w ell . Thou ,too , M oth er of mercy art not thou thyself

,even to th is

day , set for th e fal l of many , both in th e o ld Israeland in th e n ew ? Sw eet i s th e w i l l of God , evenwhen i t i s terrible i n i t s counsels over th e ch i ldren cfmenTh i s was not altogeth er such a pi cture of Jesus , an d.

of the consequences of His coming,as a mother ’s h eart


w ould have desi red ,i t

”

nature had been bidden to painti t . The sun should have been w i thout clouds . Theshadows tha t darkened the landscape w ere t oo manyand t oo heavy . Around th e Infan t Jesus w ha t shouldthere be b u t l igh t and j oy , unmingled ~m crcy, unbrokenpeace

,al l n igh t and the rel i cs of n igh t passed awav and

glori ously mel ted dow n to gold i n the sunrise He camew i th the sole i n t en t i on of love , and lo ‘. the immediateconsequence of His coming is con t radic t i on , ending w i thth e everlas t ing ru in of many souls

,and the l ay ing w ast e

of His ear th ly coun t ry , and the d ispers i on of Hi s chosenpeople . B ut th e blood of th e Holy Innocents w ouldhave been a lesson to Mary , i f she had n eeded t each ing ,of w ha t th ose are t o expec t, and in what mysteriousdark law s they are i nvolved

,w ho come very n ear to

Jesus . Now ,at l eas t if His coming shal l not exclus ively

accumulate p rai se and w orsh ip for the singl e atttribute

of th e d iv in e clemency , th e ju stice of God shal l find i tsglory there in . All things , a t any rate , shal l b e for th egreat

,the greate r

,th e greatest glory of God . Yes , they

shal l i n t ruth ; but not al toge ther as m igh t have beenexpected . The m i ss ion of Jesus was an infin i te possib i l i ty of gl ory for God . But w hat was infin ite i n i trested -at the possib i l i ty . God was not to have one t ith eof th e glory w h ich was due to Him for the sending of HisSon . The w i l l s of men shou ld contri ve to frustrate i t ate ve ry turn . To such an exten t should thei r mal i ce succccd , that th ere should actual ly be an appearance offai lure over the w hole schem e of redemption . I t shouldbe possible , i n t ime t o come , for th eologian s to speak asi f th e redemp t ion of M ary i n th e Immacu lat e Concept ion w ere the grand , almost suffi c ien t, w ork of redeeming grace . The very sw eetn ess , and humi l ity , and forgiv ingness of J esus should act as stumbli ng-blocks in th eway of H is Fa th er

’s glory . Nay , th e v ery things w h ich ,because they w ere so d iv in e

,should have fru c tified most

to th e glory of God , shal l furn ish occasions and oppor

tunities for greater outrage against th e Div in e Majesty

104 THE FIRST DOLOR .

of j ust i ce o r of goodness,w here He i s concerned . The

essence of sanct ity l ies in th e enthusiast i c acknowledgment of th is sovereign ty . Our prerogat i ve i s in ourrespons ibi l i ty . I t i s by th is that we come to have royalh ear t s toward God . I t i s comparat ively easy to say th is ,when the sun shines , and even to fancy that w e bel iev ei t . But when darkness cl oses in , and sorrow s giv e us norespite

,and th e doors of h eaven seem barred to prayer

,

and human injust i ce makes us i ts v i c t im,and human

unkindness t ramples on u s when w e are fal l en , andhuman love betrays us , and God

’s face i s turned th eoth er way

’

, then i t i s hard ,w ith whol e-h earted since ri ty

and royal equan imity , to con fess th e absolute , irrespons ible

,maj es t i c sove reign ty of God ,

w i th no desi re to tearth e vei l from off its mysterious reason s , w i th no shadowof desi re t o turn ever so l i t t l e th e o th er way th e W

’i l lthat seems rid ing us dow n so fiercely . lve hold al l fromGod . Who does n ot know that ? All good comes fromHim . All good must go to Him . His glory i s th e solesign ificance of al l good . His w i l l i s law , and th e sole law .

All law s that are eternal are onlv so becauseHe i s eternalfrom w hom th ey flew . They are man i festat ions of Him

,

notHis obl igat i on s . I t cannot be oth erw i se ; for the natureof th in gs , as w e speak ,

w hat is i t bu t th e charac ter of God ?

All th i s i s v ery clear when th e sun sh in es on i t . Happyth ey w hose natu res are such that al l through l i fe th erei s a fixed sunbeam on th i s grand t ruth of God ’s sovere ign ty ! But l isten to th e cri es of angu ish from Job ,w hich mak e th e rock s of Edom ring again , t i l l the wholew orld hears . By the side of h is magn ifi cen t pat ien c ewhose cl amorous submission God has h idd en to pass i n toa proverb of sancti ty , place th e si len t enduran ce of th eMother of God , her heart quel l ed , b eau tified , madegl orious

,w el ln igh b eatified

,by th e exulting sense of

God ’s supreme sovereignty . There can b e n o magn ificence among creatures equal to th e perfection ofobedien ce . God -made-man w as so enamored of th elovel in ess of obed i ence

,that He c lung to i t for thirtv

tuna psore scr or Sr. S'IMEON . 105

years , and l eft Himsel f barely th ree w herei n to save th eWorld , and , in order even to do that , only changed th eOutw ard form of Hi s obed ience . And th is old wi ckedvvorld , why i s i t rock ing to and fro

,and get t ing

“

Wearyof i t se lf, bu t for th e Want of th at spiri t of subj ec t i on in

wh ich alone terrestrial beat i tude consi sts ?Furthermore in th i s dolor our B lessed Lady entered

perfec t ly in to al l th e d i spos i tions of God about Jesus ,h erself, and us . W’e are often told in spiri tua l booksthat We ought to enter into th e di sposi t i on s of Godabout

“

us , 0 1 conform ou i se lves to the in terior disposif

tions of Jesus . SinCe th e seven teenth centu i y suchlanguage has become universal among spi ri tual wri ters

,

expressing an old t ruth i n a new way, a Way adaptedto th e change wh ich has come over the modern m ind .

Let us try to affix a defin i te meaning to th is language .

Everybody h as a e e 1 tain Way of looking at th ings , espe=

eially th ings wh i ch con cern himsel f. He has a poin t ofV i ew pecul ia1 to h imsel f. This is th e 1 eason men can

so seldom agree perfectly about th e commonest th ings ,hardly indeed about mattei s of fact ; and thi s show show i n timate to a man i s thi s p i ivate point of v i ew , h ow

much of himse lf is impl i cated in i t , h ow i t h elps to fixand stereotype h is character . Now , th i s poin t of v iewari ses from a vari ety of causes , a m an

’s o'

wn dispos i tion,

th e d i spositi ons of h i s pai ents , his earl y associ at i on s , th ec ircumstances and local i ti es of h i s youth , and , above allhi s educat ion. Nearly every fam ily and household h avemental pecu liariti es of the i r own,

wh ich others recogn i seand appreci ate far more d istin ctly than themselves . Th esame i s true of religious commun i t i es , of large citi es ,and final ly of nat ions th emselves . I n this pecul iarityw e sh all for the most part find that th e w eak nesses andunw orth in esses of our character i ntrench th emsel ves .There i s a “necessi ty of l ittl en ess i n al l p ecul i ar spir i t,wheth er i t be fam ily spi ri t , party sp i ri t , communi tyspiri t

,or national spi ri t . I n th e case of the individual

there is a necessi ty of se lfishness. I t i s from our own

1 06 m s rmsr not es .

0

p oin t of v iew tha t w e are abl e to tak e magn ified v i ewsof se lf : i t i s that w hich supports ou r van i ty , and makesi t seem reasonable and true ; i t i s that w hich is th estandard w hereby w e j udge others ; i t i s that out ofwh ich al l m isunderstand ings come . I t i s plain th erefore that

,i n th e w ork of th e spi ri tual l i fe , th is st rong

hold has,i f n ot to be des t royed , -and destruc t i on i s a

"are w ork in hol iness,—at least to be taken , sack ed, and

garrisoned afresh . How i s th is to be done ?

Let us turn from ourselves to God . God al so has Hispoint of v i ew . In Him i t i s essen tial ly true . He hasHis v iew of th e w orld , of th e v ic i ss i tudes of th e Church,of certain max ims of l i fe , of voca t ions , of dut ies , of sin s .He i ntends each of us for a parti cular w ork and givesus the number and th e k ind of graces requisi te to fi t usfor that w ork . He gives us l igh t up to a given point andno furth er

,grace in certain quan t i ty and not beyond,

and of one sort, not of another . He has disposi tion sabout us

,both w i th referen ce to our natural characters

,

and to our supernatural correspondence to His grace .He has certa in d isposi t ion s w i th regard to our sanct ity.This i s th e foundati on upon wh ich al l sp iri tual d irect ionrests . I t i s of immense importance to u s to know w hatGod

’

s particu lar d isposi tion s are about ourselves ; andth ese are ch iefly d iscern ib le i n th e operations of gracein our souls . But w e ourselves cannot see these opera~t ions

,nor pass any safe judgmen t upon them , at l east

in th e long-run , because of the di sturbing force of sel f~

l o’

ve . Hence w e put ourselves under the gu idance ofothers

,of men w ho have a part i cular gi ft i n them

because of th ei r priestly character, and w hose prayersforl igh t God w i l l answ er very special ly , i n reward of ourobed ience and i n aid of their responsibi l i t ies .W’hen w e come to know God ’s d isposi t i ons about us,and many of them , th e, most important , w e may knowat on ce , because th ey are general , and fol low from Hisbeing God ,

then the nex t step i s to enter into them , thati s

,to ban ish from our minds our own correspond ing d is‘

108 rm: rmsr DOLOB

inigh t almost venture to cal l unnatural , b ecause , notonly of the rel a t ion in wh i ch i t placed th e Mo ther tothe Son , but also of the free w i l l o f th e Mo ther i n th ematter . I nto these d isposi t i ons , and w i th th e mostpert

'

eet intel ligence of them which a creature couldhave , she entered heroi cal ly . A sh ip could not sai l i ntoharbor w i th more calm d ign i ty or more i rresi s t ib le grace

,

than she gl ided out of nature , ear th , and se lf, i n to th edeep bosom of her Heavenly Fat-her .The thi rd d isposi t ion w e shal l noti ce i s h er generosity

in the acceptan ce of th is dolor . W i th us, generos ity insp i ri tual th ings i s often to be measured by th e degree ofstruggle and reluctance th rough wh ich the vir tue forcedits way. But i t was not so w ith our Blessed Lady . It

was w ith her supernatural generosi ty as i t i s w i th ournatural generosi ty . I ts gracefulness was i n th e absenceof effort . I t was born w i th ou t th e pain s of b i rth , outof th e abundance of her h eart . I t leaped forth spon ta

ne ously. I t w aited to make n o rh e u lations. I t fough tno battle . What had i t to figh t w i th i n a nature so

subj ected to grace i n its i nmost recesses , as hers was?From the grea tness of h er grace what was supernaturalcame as obv iously to her as what i s natural comes to usand i t i s i n th is in stantaneous , almost unconsciousalacrity , that th e att ractiveness of generosi ty consists inus . Suffering and reluc tan ce are two d ifferen t ideas .Sh e suffered in ten sely ; but there was no rebel lion i n herlower nature . There was no confl i c t in her w i l l . Therecould have been , but there was not . I t was i nconsisten tw i th the grandeur of her un ion w i th God . t at tookplace in our Lord in the garden of Geth semane had noparal lel in His Mother. She had no chal i ce of si n tod rink , no chal i ce of th e .Fath er

’

s anger ; but a cup ofsimple bitterness wh ich J esus Himself was forever holding to her l i ps . Could sh e hav e struggled against I l imever so l i t t le ? Could th e s l ightest rippl e pass over h erconformity to His w i l l , wh en He Himself was her cupbearer ? I n th e aAgony in the Garden we hav e to sup

THE PROPHECY or s‘

r. SIMEO N . 109

pose our Lord’s Divin e Nature mysteriously cl o istered

off, so far as regarded many of i ts principal e ffects , fromth e human nature to wh ich i t was united . Na y , morethan this , we have to suppose a mi raculous desertion ofthe low er par t of His human nature even by the h igherhuman faculti es

,i n order to arrive at that stupendous

confl i c t in His al l-holy Sou l , th at momentary andapparent , yet in tensely mysterious, insurgency of Hislow er w i l l against Hi s h igher . But surely th i s i s a.special ty to Him . I t i s part of the w orld’s salvation . It

i s a subl im ity i n Him of wh ich she i s not capable, w i th

ou t being low ered . I t has to do w i th si n and w ith th eangry j usti ce of the Fa the r . I t was the revol t of H i spuri ty against the loathsomen ess of th e man ifold 1m

q u ity i n wh ich He was to c loth e Himself. I t was theculminating-po in t of the magnifi cence of His sacrifi ce .I n Mary i t w ould simply be th e transient failure of h erc onsummate hol iness , w i th out the necessi ty or th e

dign i ty of redemption . We cannot therefore adm i t i tfor one momen t. I t w ould have broken her tranqui l l i ty.I t w ould hav e

.

l oosen ed th e compactness of her perfectnature . I t w ould have exaggerated the womanly elemen t in th e e xalte d Mo ther of God . I t w ou ld havebrough t h er dow n to a low e r level . I t w ould havemade h e r more l ik e on e of the sain ts . For on e momenther w i l l was v i sib le in th e mystery of the Annunciation

,

and then i t sank down in to the deep w i l l of God,and

was never seen again . Far out at sea, i n th e w ide calma w ave w i l l r i se up from th e h eaving plain of w aters ,c rest i tself w i th si lver

,catch th e l igh t, and fall back

again al l noiselessly in to the huge deep,and l eave n o

traces,no w ake , beh ind . So was i t w i th our Lady’s w i l l .

G od cal led i t up i n the Annunci ation . I t shone for th emoment

,and w i thdrew i tsel f agai n into His, and was

seen no more . She wh o often saw God , sh e wh o was souni ted w i th Him as never saint or angel was, she whohad more grace than al l th e world bes ide

,sh e who was

more glorious than the bless ed in thgiro'lory, who

10

1 10 THE FIRST DOLOR.

have no w i l l apart from the w i l l o f God ,—'could i t b eo therw i se w i th h er ? No ! th e generosi ty of our BlessedMothe r was i n the spontaneous alacri ty and untroubledcalm of her conformi ty to th e sw eet w i l l of God . Sh e,who had given wi th out struggle al l that God had askedo f h er in the Incarnat ion,

ga’

ve also without struggle al lthat fol low ed from that fi rst consen t .Bu t l et u s now consider th e l esson s wh ich th is fi rs t

dolor teaches to ourse lves . I t was a l i felong unhappin ess . Unhappiness i s not w i th out mystery even in a.fallen world . By rights there should be no unhappinessat al l . For i s not the whol e w orld ful l of God everywhere , and can there be unhappiness i n th e n eighborh ood of God ? How much goodness and k indness isthere in every one around us , i f w e only tak e a k indlyv iew of them oursel ves ! Sin i s easi ly forgiven to thosewho are in earnest . Grace i s prodigal ly bestow ed .

There i s an almost incredibl e amount of actual enj oymen t, and pain and suffering th emsel ves are qu ick l yturned to san cti ty . Yet for al l th i s th e unhappinessof th e w orld i s real . Almost every heart on ear th i sa san ctuary of secret sorrow . W i th some the grief i sfresh . W i th others i t i s old . W i th immense numbersth e unh appiness i s l i teral ly l i felong, one ou t of w h i chthere i s no possible escape excep t th rough the singl edoor of death . W i th some i t ar i ses from having chosenan unfi t lot in l ife from the fi rst . W i th oth ers i t i s fromth e unkindness, mi sconduct, or misunderstanding ofthose they love . In some cases m en have to suffer forthei r rel igion, and its consequences are made by th ecruel ty of others to last to the end of th eir days . Notunfrequently i t comes from men’s characters

,or from

thei r sins , or from some consequences of these . Nowand then i t i s the burden of a broken heart , a h eartwh ich has been overweighted , and so has snapped , andthus lost i ts elastici ty and th e power of throw ing off i tssorrow . To such suffering time brings no heal ing . Th e

b roken heart l ies bleed ing in th e hand of i ts Heavenly

112 rm; rmsr DOLOR.

e ven i f we have no t a l i fe long sorrow,have a guardian

angel o f th is descrip t i on . Our sorrow s may no t be one ,bu t man y . They may come on guard , l ike sen t i ne ls,Dne fol low ing the oth e r as each w a tch of th is earth lyn igh t i s done . Unhappin ess i s l ik e a secret , sub te ro

ranean w orld . we are perpetual ly walk ing over i t w i thOu t know in g i t, and so seeming unk ind and though tl ess on e to another when i n our hear ts w e are notreal ly so . What. a consola t ion , th en , i t i s to us to reflectthat th e l ives both of Jesus and Mary w ere l ives of oneincessant

,secre t unhappiness ! IVith confidence , th ere

fore,may w e se ek th e Moth er of sorrows , and ask her to

be th e Mo th er of ou r sorrow . Jesus has a Special lovefor th e unhappy . The longes t day has i ts evening , th ehardes t w ork i t s end ing , and th e sharpest pain its cona

t ented and eve rlas t ing rest .Another l esson w h ich w e leai 11 from th i s fi rs t se i rowof Marv 1s , that the hi gh est use of God

’s gi fts 1s to gi vethem back to Him agai n . Noth ing i s i n real i ty ourown ,

except our sin . God 1s j ealous Of any th ing l ike ap 1'op1 1eta1 v feel ing , even i n th e g i fts of natui e ; but inrespect Of th e gift s of grace th is j ealousy is i ncreased athousandfold . We must make Him th e depositary ofHis own gift s , because w e do not know h ow to use th emrigh t ly . we must be li k e ch i ldren wh o bid th ei r fatherk eep th e l i t t l e t reasures wh ich h e h imsel f has given .

SO w i th the g ifts of God . They are more ours when inH is keeping than i n our own . Every thing w h ich inc reases our feel in g of dependen ce upon Him i s sw eet

,

and safe,an d true

,and righ t , and th e best th ing . B e

s ides w h ich ,God is th e end for whi ch all th ings w ere

given . No th ing good i s meant t o stay w i th us . I t‘

would n ot keep good. I t Would spoi l . Every creatureis a channel , th rough which th ings find thei r way backto God as surely as blood finds i ts way back to th e heart,throu e h endless turn ings , and has done its w ork , not indelay ing anywhere , -wh ich w ou ld be d isease ,— but in

passing on , and in passing sw i ftly , k ind l ing and mak ing

THE PROPHECY or sr. s'

IME ON. 11 3

al ive as i t w en t along . Moreover , our hum i l i ty is a1~w ays in peri l i f w e detain a gift of God , even i f i t werefor no longer than to look i t in th e face , and lo ve i t, andth en th ink Of i t w i th complacency w hen i t i s gone . lVe

must refer every th ing to God . I t is th e secret of beingholy . Grace comes

,an d temptation s gi ve way, and

great th ings are done , and love is al l i n a j ubi lee, andthen self begins to sing an unders-ong ; but w e aremaking such a noi se w i th praising God that w e do nothear , and sh e i s w ounded , and holds her tongue . andwe know nothing of i t . Could w e not ke ep up thatbeauti ful no ise fo reve r ? Oh , yes ! for graces are alw ayscoming ; l ik e the peopl e in the s t reets , th ere i s n o endto them ,

—sometimes a thinn ing , never a break . SO w e

could be alw ays prais ing God , alw ays sending back toH im ,

when w e have h umbly k i ssed them , the gi ft s andgraces He has sen t us . Besid es whi ch , God and Hisgifts are two very d ifferen t th ings . Sometimes Hefeigns as i f He w ould overreach us , i n o rder to try ourlove . He sends us some very h eaven ly gift, and th enwatch es to see i f w e w i l l take i t for Himself, and rest ini t, not as i f i t. w ere our ow n , yet not as i f i t w ere H is,but as i f it w ere Himse lf. But th e soul that loves trulycan never fal l i nto th i s m istake . I t no more th inks Oflying down on one Of God ’s best gi fts to rest i tself thanw e should dream of lying on th e green , yi eld ing b i l low sof th e sea to sl eep . I t must reach God , no th ing sh ortof God . I t k eeps giving back His gifts , as i f in constan t protest that , needful as they are , they are notHimse lf

,and cannot stand in His stead .

Another lesson to be l earned is , th at in th i s w orld sor

row i s th e recompense Of san c ti ty . I t i s to the elect 0 11earth what th e B eatific Vis ion i s to th e sain ts i n heave n .

I t i s God’s presen ce , His manifestation O f Himself,His

unfail ing rew ard . We must not be amazed,th erefore

,

i f new efforts to serve God bring new sorrow s in the i rtra in . By the supernatural principles Of th e spi ri tuallife they ought to do so. I f we are able to bear th em,

H 1013

1 14 THE FIRST DOLOR .

‘

these sorrow s w i l l come at on ce . The i r delay is only th ei ndex of God’s est imation of our w eakness . Yet w en eed not fear that th ey w i l l be d isproportioned to ours trength . God

’s blow s are not deal t ou t at random .

Our crosses are poised to a n icety by d iv ine w i sdom , andth en div in e love planes them ,

i n order to make them atonce smoother and l igh ter . But we can have no realcomfor t i n devotion i f w e are w i thout trials . We haven o proof that God accepts us, no securi ty agains t delusion . \Ve know that the stars are in thei r old places i nth e sky ; but in d ifferen t states of . the atmosph ere th eyseem much farth er off than at other times

,or again much

nearer,l ik e tear-drops of ligh t on the very poin t of fal l

ing to th e earth . So i s i t w i th God . Joy makes Himseem far off, whi l e sorrow brings Him near, almost dow ninto our bosom . When sorrow s come , w e feel inst in cti vely the i r connection w i th th e graces wh ich h av e gonebefore, j ust as temptation s so often hav e an odor abou tth em of past v i ctories . They come up one after anoth er

,

deal ing thei r several b low s upon our p oor hearts, w i th$0 011 a modest heaven ly significancy upon thei r faces,that i t i s easy to recogn i se angels beneath th e th in d i sgu ise . As w e touch them , even wh i le th e th ri ll goesth rough us, we feel th at we are almost hand ling w i thour hands our own final perseverance

,such sol id e vi

deuces are they of our adoption , so full of substantialgraces in thei r presence, and leav ing such a legacy ofblessings wh en they go . A heart w i thout sorrow s i s l ikea w orld w i th out a revelation . I t has noth ing but a twil igh t of God about i t .Furthermore , our sorrow must be our own . We must

n ot expect any one else to understand i t . I t i s on e ofth e cond it ion s of true sorrow that i t sh ould be m isunderstood . Sorrow i s the most individual th ing in th e whol ew orld . \Ve must not expect, therefore , to meet w i thsympathy at al l adequate to what w e are suffering . I tw i l l be a great th ing i f i t be su i table , even though i t i s

imp e rfect. I t i s a very desolate th ing to have l eaned on

1 16 THE FIRST DOLOR

cl oak,and w e n ever suspected i t . So again when a se r

row has become calm ,and th e freshness of i ts s t ing

seems w orn offby t ime,by enduran ce

,or by th e distrae

tion of our du t i es,a j oy comes to us

,makes us smile as

i t enters our souls,but, w hen th ere , goes at once to th e

fountain of sorrow,w akes up the sl umbering w aters

,

d igs th e source deeper,and sh akes th e earth around t o

make th e sp ring flow more abundantl y . There are fewwh o have not experi en ced th i s k indl in g and en l iven ingof grief by th e advent of gladness . But , i n t ruth , i n aw orld w here w e can sin , i n a s trife where w e so oftenl ose s igh t of God ,

in a dwell ing w h ich i s rather an exi l ethan a home , al l j oys are ak in to sorrow s , nay, arealmost sorrow s in hol iday att i re . Joy i s l i fe look ingl ike wha t i t i s not . Sorrow i s l ife w i th an hones t face .

I t i s l i fe look ing l ik e w hat i t i s . Never theless, th ere i sth e truest

,th e heavenl i est of al l j oys in sorrow , because

i t de taches us from th e w orld , and d raw s us w i th suchquiet , persuasive , i rresi s t ibl e authori ty to God . Thesunrise of grace w i thin th e soul i s ful l of c loud , anddoub t, and un cer tain presages , even amid th e flash ingsof beau t i ful l igh t w h ich are painting th e t roubled skyeveryw here . But w hen th e orb h as moun ted to th e topof i t s noonday tow er , al l c louds w i l l have mel t ed awayin to th e blue , no one know s how . For to turn j oys intosorrow s i s the sw eet

,safe task of earth : to turn sorrow s

into j oys i s th e t rue w ork of heaven , and of that h eigh tof grac e w h ich i s h eaven on ear th al ready .

There i s s ti l l another lesson to be learned . We mustal l en ter i nto th is dolor i n some way o r oth er in life .

The characteri st i c of Mary ’s sorrow i s that Jesus causedi t . Bu t th is i s n ot pecul iar to h er affl i c t i on . He w i l l b ea cause of blessed sorrow to every one of us. There arevery many happy earth ly th ings w h ich w e must sacrificefor Him ; or i f w e have ,

not th e heart to do so,He w i l l

h ave th e k ind cruel ty to take them from us . Pe rse cu

t ion i s a w ord of many mean ings , a th ing of coun t lessshapes . I t must come infal libly to every one who loves

THE PROPHE CY or sr . SI M EON . 1 17

our dearest Lord . I t may come through th e hardtongues of th e w orldly , or in th e susp ic ions

,and j ea

lousie s,and j udgments of those w e love . I n th e peace

of fami ly love and domes t i c un ion i t often comes fromhands wh ich make i t hard to be endured and

,because

of rel igion,there is keen misery where the casual v i s itor

sees no th ing but the ed ifi ca t ion of mutual love . Wh owas ev er le t alon e to serve Jesus as he w i sh ed ? I t i si dl e to expect i t . The husband’s love rises against i t i nthe w i fe . The mother w i l l tear her ch i ldren from th eSav ior’s arms . The father looks w i th susp ic ion on theclaims of God , and j ealousy of th e Crea tor w i l l makeh im harsh to a ch i ld wh o has never given h im an hourof trouble i n l ife beside

,and to w hom he never h as been

harsh before . The broth er w i l l forego th e man liness offraternal affecti on , and bring th e bi ttern ess of th ew orld ’s j udgments i nto the sacred ci rcle of home

,i f

Jesus dares to lay a finger on h is si ster . Oh ,poor

,poor

w orld ! And i t i s alw ays the good w ho are th e w ors t i nthis respect . Let th i s b e l aid to h eart and pondered .

Outside of us,besi de th i s i nev i tab le persecu tion , our

Lord w i l l bring t rial s and crosses round us,at on ce t o

preserve our grace and to augmen t i t . The more w e

l ove Him the thi ck er th ey w i l l be . Nay , our love ofHim often gets us i nto trouble w e hardly know h ow .

I t"

almost leads us into faul ts , in to imprudences to berepen ted of. Suddenly , especi al ly w hen w e are fervent,th e ground gives way under our feet, and w e sink into a

p it , and in the retrospec t our fal l seems inexcusable ,and yet h ow did i t al l come to pass ? How also is i tw i th in th e soul ? Are there not such th ings as th e pain sof love ? Are th ey not more common than i ts j oys ?

Then there i s th e w orse pain of not feel ing our love , ofseeming to lose our love , of its forever sl ipping aw ayfrom us . There are also in terior tri als , by wh ich selfl eve ' i s put to a painful death , and a cleansing of our in

most sou l by fi re which i s exceeding agony . Then thereare the di stresses into wh ich th e love of Jesus entraps us .I t pe rsuades us to g ive up th is w orld, to put out all th e


l ights w herew i th ear th had made our h earts gay , tobreak ties

,to esch ew loves

,t o commi t ourselves to hard ,

dul l l i ves,and then i t l eaves us . God hides His coun te

nance from us . All vicw '

of the o th er w orld i s shu t offfrom us . Just as i t i s at sundow n ,

no sooner has the las trim sunk below the h ori zon

,than

,as i f evoked by a

spel l,from river- s ide

,from w oody hol low

,from pas tures

w here th e k in e are feeding , from meadow s w i th th e

haycocks stand ing , th ere r ises up a cold , w h ite , bli nd ingm is t ; so i s i t in the soul : no sooner is God

’

s Face gone ,than past sins

,ghas t ly things

,break up from the graves

in whi ch absolu t i on laid them ,and presen t imp e rfe c

ti ons,and unknown temptati on s

,and ch i l l ing imp ossi

b ilitics of perseveran ce , al l rise up togeth e r, and involveth e soul i n the coldes t

,gloomiest desol at ion , through

wh ich no star can p ierce, and i t i s much i f a si ck lyw h i teness te l l s us tha t there i s a moon somewhere . Wh o

does no t know these th ings ? I t i s no use shudderin g .

They are not on us now ; bu t th ey w i l l come back aga in ,be su re

,when thei r hour arri ves . Thus Jesus is in us a

cause of sorrow,i n us He i s a sign to be contrad icted , i n

us is He set for th e rise and fal l of many .

These are the lessons w h ich the fi rst dolor teach es us,and they are l i felong lessons

,as i ts sorrow was. Let us

now go home to Nazare th w i th Mary . Angels aecompany her s teps

,ful l of aston i shmen t and reverence at

h er grief. Perhaps i t i s thei r fi rs t l esson in th e profound sc i ence of th e Passion . So sh e w en t her waythrough th e streets of Sion ,

and over th e h i l l s , an dth rough the glens by the w ater-courses , unt i l sh e cameto the green basin of Nazareth

,the M o ther bearing her

Ch i ld ! And th ey w ere al l i n al l to each o ther . Andw ho shal l t el l w hat mute language they spok e , as theChi ld ’s Heart bea t against the Mo ther’s h eart in sorrowand in love ? And each was dearer to th e o th er thanbefore

,and w e also perhaps w ere dearer to them than

an hour ago ; for th e sh adow of'

Calvary had alreadyfall en , bo th on th e Mo ther and the Son ; and th ey lovedth e shadow ,

and i t was we wh o cast i t .

120 THE SECOND DO LOR .

I f there is not peace i n sequestered \ azare th ,where

shal l w e find i t ? Can th e e ve ofj ealous pow er, quickened by th e acute d i scernmen t of selfish fear

,find out

th e Holy Chi ld amid the many ch i l dren of that re ti redvi l lage ? Th e ev i l one w i l l see to tha t , w e mav be sure .

Peace i s n ot the i nheri tance ei ther of Jesus or M ary .

I t i s t rue tha t he i s the Prince of Peace,bu t not of such

peace as ear th dreams of. M ary has bu t lately reachedher home . Her h ear t i s b roken . She needs res t . I tshal l come t o her i n th e t ime of res t , but oth erw i s ethan m igh t have been expec t ed . I n the dead of n igh tthe Lord appeared i n sleep to Joseph , th e keeper ofh eaven ’s bes t t reasures on earth , and bade h im rise ,and tak e the Chi ld and His M o ther , and fly intoEgypt . The th ree k ings had gone back to th e eastw i thout l etting Herod know wh e ther they had foundth e n ew -born king

,and wh o He was. Herod had

bidden them re turn to h im ; but Scripture does n ott el l us tha t th e v had promised to do so ; or i f they had ,th e commandment of God wh ich came to th em in ad ream , superseded th e promise they had made . Tyranny was no t , how eve r, to be so balk ed , and , l est i tsh ould miss i t s aim , in volved al l Be th lehem in blood byth e massacre of the Inn ocents . Oh , M ary ! see what astern sis ter thou has t been to those poor m o thers ofBe th lehem

,who saw thee on Chris tmas Eve wandering

h omel ess through thei r st reets . th e y perhaps fondlingthei r l i t tle on es at th ei r doors ! Y

t at a con course ofwailin z sounds rose to h eaven from that narrow h i l ltop w h i‘e th e gu t ters of the steep s t ree t s ran dow nw i th b lood ' I t w as the law of the In carna t i on , th elaw tha t h as round th e gen t le Jesus , w hi ch w as beginn ing t o w ork . Deares t. Lord ! l l i s grea t l ove of us hadalre adv brok en i l is M o ther

’

s h ear t . I t was now desolatin 'r th e happ y hear ths o f Be thleh em . and stain in g i t sinhospi tabl e do orpost s w i th blood . And all to k e ep l l imrel f for Calvarv ,

w here ll e w as t o shed w i th a. thousandfold more cruel sunlf '

e i ing His Prec ious Blood for us !

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT . 1 21

The n igh t was dark and tranqu i l over th e l ittl e townof Nazare th

,w hen Joseph w en t for th . No command

men t of God ever found such promptitude in h ighestsain t or read ies t angel as thi s one had found in Mary .

She heard Joseph ’s w ords , and sh e sm iled on him insi l ence as h e spoke . There was no per turbation , nohurry

,al though th ere was al l a mother’s fear . She took

up her t reasu re,as He sl ept , and w en t forth w i th Joseph

in to the cold starl ight ; for poverty has few preparationsto make . She was leav ing hom e again . Terror andhardsh ip

,th e w i lderness and h eathendom ,

w ere beforeh er ; and she confronted al l w i th the calm anguish of anal ready broken hear t . Here and there th e n igh t-w indstirre d in the leafless fig- t rees

,making thei r bare branches

nod again st th e brigh t sky , and now and then a w a t chdog ayed

,not because i t heard them

,bu t from th e

mere noc turnal res t lessn ess of animals . Bu t as Jesushad come lik e God . so He w en t l ik e God ,

unnoti ced andunmissed . No one i s ever l ess missed on earth than Heon w hom it al l depends .The pa th they took was not th e on e w hi ch humanprudence w ould hav e poin t ed ou t t o them . They re

turn ed upon the J erusalem road they had so late lyt rodden . Bu t

,avoid ing th e Holy Ci ty , they passed near

Be th lehem , as i f His neighborhood should give a blessing to those unconsci ou s Babes that w ere s t i l l n es t l ingwarmly in thei r mo thers’ arms . Thus they fel l in to th eroad wh ich leads into the w i lderness , and , Joseph goingbefore , l ik e the shadow of the E ternal Fa ther, th eycrossed th e fron tie r of th e promised land far on unti lth ey were los t to the eye , l ik e specks on th e deser t sand .

Two creatures had carried the Creator in to th e w i lderness , and w ere taking care of Him there amid th e stonysands of the unwatered gul li es . Sunrise and sunset, thegl i t t ering noon and the purple midnigh t

,th e round

moon and the colored haze,came t o them in the desert

for many a day . S t i l l they t ravel led on . They had

cold to bear by n ight, and a sun from wh ich there was1 1

1 22 THE SECO ND DO LOR .

no escape by day . They had scan ty food ,and frequent

th i rs t . They kn ew whom they w ere carry ing,and looked

not for mi racles to l igh t en the load they bore .

Old t rad i t ion said that one n igh t they rested in a.

robber'

s cave . They w ere received there w i th rough bu tk ind hospi tal i ty by th e w ife of the cap taiifof th e band .

Perhaps i t was her sorrow tha t made her k ind ; for i t i soften so w i th w omen . Her sorrow was a grea t one . Sh e

had a fai r ch i ld , the l ife Ofth er soul,th e one gentle

,

spotless thing amid al l th e law lessn ess and savage l ifea round . Alas ! it was too fai r to look a t ; for i t wasw h ite w i th leprosy . But sh e loved i t th e more

,and

pressed i t th e more fond ly to her bosom,as mothers are

wont to do . I t was more than ever her l ife and ligh t

now ,because of i ts m i sfortun e . Mary and Jesus

,th e

robber’s w ife and the lep rous ch ild,together in the cave

at n igh t fal l ! h ow fi t t ing a place for the Redeemer !How sw ee t a type of th e Church wh i ch He has founded !Mary asked for w a te r , that she migh t w ash our BlessedLord

, and the robber'

s w i fe brough t i t t o h er,and Jesus

was washed there in . K i ndness,w hen i t opens the heart

,

O pens th e eyes of th e mind l ik ew i se . Th e’

robb e r’s

w i fe perceived someth ing remarkable abou t h er guests .Whe ther i t was th at th ere was a l igh t round the headof Jesus

,or that th e Holy Spi rit spoke in the ton es of

Mary,or that th e mere v ic in ity of so much hol iness

st rangely affected her, w e know not : but, i n much loveand w i th some sort of fai th , th e mother

’s h ear t div in ed ;—earth know s that mate rnal d ivinati on w e l l . She tookaway th e w ater Mary had used i n washing J e sus

,and

washed her l i tt l e l eprous Dimas i n i t , and straightwayh is flesh became rosy and beau t i fu l as mo ther ’s eyecou ld long t o se e i t . Long years passed . The ch i ld outgrew i ts mo ther ’s arms . I t d id feats of boy i sh daringO n the sands of the w i lderness . A t last Dimas was O ldenough to j oin th e band ; and though i t seems he hadto the last somewha t of h i s mother ’s heart about h im ,

he led a l ife of v iolence and crime , and at length Jeru«

124 THE SECOND D OLO R .

interfered so v is ibly , or for so l ong a t ime together, infavor of His creatu res . The w hole camp , w i th i ts c loudand fire , i t s cruci form march ,

w i th Ephraim , Benjamin ,and Manasses

,bearing th e reli cs o f J oseph , i t s moving

chu rch b eau titied w i th the spoi l s of Egyp t , was a s tand ingm irac le . I n Sinai God had thundered from the heigh t s

,

pouring th rough that w andering IIebrew people overthe w hol e w orld the glorious l igh t and transcendingfai th of the Un i ty of God , a doc t rine tha t came t o th ew orld mos t fitly from the austere grandeur of a w i ldern ess . There had those commandments of h eaven lymoral i ty been given , unde r wh i ch w e are li v i ng at thepresen t day

,and w h ich shal l be men ’s rule of li fe un t i l

th e doom,th e Judge ’s rule in fixing the doom of each .

In our' Chris t ian ch i ldhood w e have w andered w i th the

Jew s over that si len t w i lderness , learn ing th e fear ofGod . I n thei r pi lgrimage w e have seen a type of ourown . I n thei r v i c issi tudes w e seemed almos t t o takepart ourselves . The very names of th e w ell s and hal t ingplaces sound lik e old songs in ou r ears , songs so earlylearned that they can n eve r be forgo tten . Here nowwas th e very Creator Himsel f, in the real i ty of humanch ildhood

,w andering ove r tha t h istori c w i ldern ess

, re

versing th e Exodus , going to mak e Egypt His h ome ,d riven out of th e delectable land of th e old Canaan i t esby th e very peopl e w hom He had led th ither by a pi llarof l igh t

, whose bat t l es He had fough t , w hose v i c toriesHe had gained

, and whose tribes He had establ i shed ,each in i t s characteri s t i c and sui tab le al lo tment . Therewas Mary w i th her Magn ifi cat , ins t ead of Miriam andh er glori ous sea-s id e song ; and ano ther Joseph ,

greaterand dearer far than that saintly pa t riarch of old

,wh o

had saved th e l ives o f men by husbanding th e breadof Egypt

,wh ereas th i s n ew Joseph was to guard i n the

same E v yp t th e l iv ing Bread of everlasting l i fe . Andthat very w i ldern ess bo th the Josephs had crossed .

How w onderful mus t have been the thoughts of Jesusand Mary as th ey wandered over those scene s of God

’

s

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT . 125

past merc i es, past j udgments , past grandeurs ! W e mayreveren t ly fol low them in our medi ta t i ons , but it. w ouldbe hardly reveren t to w rit e our guesses dow n . I t was aj ourney of hardsh ip and fatigue . At last they reachedth e shores of the Red Sea, and saw th e w aters that laybe tw een E gypt and themselves . We can hardly con.

e e ive that they did no t as i t w ere reconsecrate by theirpresence th e exac t scene !of the Exodus

,wherever i t was.

Thence it w ould be most l ikely that they w ould followth e coast

,and round the gulf by Suez , and so pass on to

Hel iopol is , now truly , for some years to come , to be th eCi ty of the Sun . Trad i t i on speaks of trees that bow eddow n thei r l eafy heads , in c lin ing th ei r branch less stems ,to shade w i th thei r fan l ike plumes the Mo th er and theChi ld . I t speaks also of th e u ncou th images of th eheathen gods whi ch tumbled , l ik e Dagon , from th ei rpedestals

,w hen the True God w en t by . There , on the

banks of that O ld ri ver w here Moses w rough t his miracles,amid crow ds of benighted idolate rs , and in al l the straitnes ses of poverty , th e Hebrew strangers dw elt , for sevenyears , for five years , or for two years and a half, as differe n t au thori t i es m aintain . Joseph pursued h is t rade ofcarpen ter

,and Mary doubtless con t ribu t ed to th e sup

port of th e modest household , w hi l e Jesus unfolded Hisi nfan t in e beau t i es day after day , more del ica te and

. lovely a thousand times in His human lovel iness thanth e fairest snowy lotus that was ever cradled on thebosom of th e Ni le .

Durin g those years that Egyptian ci ty was th e cen t reof th e w orld . The garden of Eden was as noth ing to iti n beau ty or in gifts . Th i ther w ere the angels ga th eredin mul t i tudes t o w onder and adore . Thi ther , thoughmen knew i t not

,w en t al l the w orld ’s prayers

,i t s s ighs

,

i t s secre t expec ta t i ons . Thi ther also w en t the voi ces ofpain and sorrow i n Hel iopol i s i t self

,in to God ’s ear, and

tha t a human ear,in the nex t street o r in th e selfsame

house . Supernatural acti ons of consummate sanc t i ty ,and of infinite value , w ere pouring forth day and n ight

i i.-r

126 THE SECOND DOLOR .

from th e Human Soul of Jesus i n more abundan tvolume than th e Ni l e -flood a t i t s h igh es t

,meri t ing

graces w hi ch should carry fert i l i ty over th e w hol ew i ld e rn ess of a. fal len w orld . Beau t i fu l al so was theh ear t of Mary during those years . He r hol in ess wasr isin g perpe tually , h e r un ion w i th God ,

th e closen ess ofwhich was al ready far beyond w ha t anv t echn ical t ermin mys t i cal theology can express

,grew closer an d closer ;

so tha t the M o ther seemed t o be w el ln igh iden t ifiedw i th th e Son , in spi te of tha t w hol e infin i ty w h ic halw ays lav be tw een them , as betw een th e Crea tor andth e c rea ture . IIe r sorrow s grew as w el l . Th e re, was

s t i l l the l ifelong sorrow of the fi rst dolor at “art ;and t o th is w ere superadded th e many in t ow sw h ich thi s second dolor

,this Fl i gh t in to Egyp t , h ad of

necessi ty brough t w i th i t . Did dark Egyp t know of thegrea t l igh t which was sh in ing on the banks o f i t s famousr ive r ? Did the pries t s , i n spi te of themselves , ott

‘

ersacrifi ce to th e sun w i th less fa i th

,now tha t He was cl os e

a t hand , smell ing the sacrifi c ial O dors , and in hearin g ofth e w i ld w orsh i p , w ho i nven t ed th e sun , cal led i t ou t ofnoth ing , gifted i t w i th all i t s occul t i nfluences

, se t i t upas a hear th at wh i ch th e golden e ther should k indl ei tsel f i n to heat and l ight , and made i t th e ce n t re ofsuch vas t outly ing regions of l ife and such magn ifi cen t.far- stretch ing phenomena , righ t aw ay beyond s t i l l und iscove red planets

,and all ou t of His own unimagin able w is

dom ? Did no misgivings come across th e more though tful in th e mul t i tude , when th eyjoined i n the undignifiedr ites of th ei r d ebasing an imal -w orshi p

,now that th e

E ternal had assumed a crea t ed nature , and was to beseen and heard in thei r land ? Some t ru th

,some sw ee t

gracious t roubl e i n many souls , must su rely have stolenl ik e an i n fec t i on from the n earness of J e su s and Mary .

For are th ey ever n ear , and some bened ic t i on does notfol low ? But al l these thing s , all th e se crets of thisEgyp t ian l ife . are h idden in d iv ine con cealmen t .

So the appoin t ed years ran out ; and, when Herod was


most c ommonly accepted t ime among th e fai thfu l .This dolor presents three d iffe ren t objec t s of devo t i onto us : th e Fl igh t , w i th al l i t s fears , i t s hardsh ips , an dfa t igues , the Sojourn , w i th i t s sen se of ex i le and i t s com

pan ionsh ip w i th the idola t ers , and the Re turn,w i th

those pecul iari t i es w h ich fol low ed from the increasedage and si ze o f Jesus . Some w ri t ers dw el l on one oro ther of th ese in preferen ce to th e rest . Pious con tem

plation may sh ift from one to ano ther according to i t smood . Bu t to comprehend the dolor in i ts unity

,w e

must consider i t as a d rama in th ree acts,the Fl igh t

,

th e Soj ourn , and the Return , by which , as w e shal l seepresen t ly , i t i s made a double dolor .lve may now therefore pass from the narrative of th e

mys tery to a consideration of th e pecul iari t i es of thi sdolor .The fi rst th ing to be not iced i s

,th at as Simeon was

th e in strumen t of th e fi rs t dolor, so Joseph was th e

i ns trumen t of thi s . There was much in this to theloving h eart of Mary . There i s a cer tai n appearan ceof cruel ty i n sending sorrow th rough th ose w e love .

Shaksp eare says that th e fi rs t bri nger of unw elcomen ew s has bu t a losing office . Thus i t was at once asorrow to Joseph to convey fresh sadness to Mary

,an d

to h er to receive i t from h im . Th e w orld has oftenbeen glorified by h eroi c examples of conj ugal affec t i on .

Many have been reco rded in h i story as no tabl e phenomena , w h ich w ere too precious for th e w i sdom and th e

solace of mankind to be forgot t en . In the deeperdep ths of p rivate

'

life i t i s a pure fi re w h ich i s burn ingevermore . But neve r d id marriage throw i ts d i vin esancti on s round a conjugal love so pu re

,so t ru e

,so ih

t ense as that wh ich exis t ed be tw een Joseph and Mary .

Never was there such on eness, such identi t y , such l iv ingou t of selfand i n each o ther . as was i n them . I t. wasthe ve ry perfec t i on of natural lov e . Nex t to h er na tu rallov e for J esus , earth has never seen such ano ther loveas that between Joseph and herse lf, unless i t were also

ranmafia tare Berra.

Jeseph’s l ove for the Holy Chi ld . But added to th is

natural l ove there was so‘

much that was superna tural ;and supernatural love is not only deeper, bu t moretender than natu ral love . I t brings ou t the capabi l i t i esand depth s of th e. human heart far more than na turalaffection can do . Joseph was to Mary the shadow ofth e E ternal Father , the represen tat iv e of h er Heaven lySpouse

,th e Holy Ghos t . In h im sh e saw wi th aw fu l

clearness and most reveren t ia l tende rness two Personsof the Mos t Holy Trin ity . l 'Vh en sh e saw Jesus in h is

arms,i t Was a mystery to her too deep for words . Tears

on ly could express i t . Then the exceeding sancti ty ofJ oseph was cont i nual ly before her , and sh e was privy tooperat ion s “

of grace w i thin h i s soul , wh ich probably sur u

passed those of any o ther sain t . For th ey”

were th e

graces of h im wh o was th e mas ter of God ’s household .

Wh i le then i t was an“

exe rci se. of obedi ence to h im asher appointed mas t er, i t was also no sl igh t aggravat i onof Mary’s sorrow , that th i s time i t should come to h erthrough Joseph .

There was a fu i th er aggravat ion in th e fact that h ersuffering seemed to come less d irec t ly from God , andmore from th e w ick edness ‘of

‘

men , than was the casein th e fi rst dolor . There i t Was pr'oph

‘

ecy , God ’s d iscl osure of the fu ture , and His infusion of a v iv id v isi onof i t to be h e r perpe tual compan ion . But now the handof si nful man Was actual ly upon her Sh e was in con tac t“

w i th the vi olen ce of whi ch Jesus Was to be th e vi c t im.

Here was the first touch of Calv ary ; and i t ch i l l ed h erto th e h eart : Iii ou1 own l im ited sphere of endurance

,

We must surely al l hav e fel t that th ere i s an add it i onaldi ffi cu l ty in l e ce ivi

'

ng a cross'

wh en it comes to us , notdirec t ly fromGod ,

bu t th rough the hands of our fellowe i eatu i es. Bu t not on ly i s it an addi tional difficultyi t often seems to be th e pecu l iar diffi culty . We fan c y ,doubtl ess not unfrequen tly deceiving ourselv es , that w ecould -have borne i t patiently and cheerfully if i t hadcom e at Once from Him. But th ere i s some th ing Wh ich

1 3 0 THE srcoxn

d ish onors th e cross i n i ts transmission th rough th e

hands of othe rs . Thus it i s a t rial , not to our patienceonly , but also t o our humi l i ty. There i s noth ing ; humbling in having the w eigh t of God ’s omnipotence simplylaid upon us by Himself

,w i th th e i nte rventi on only of

inan imate secondary causes . There i s n oth ing humiliating i n th e death of a dear ch i ld ,

or th e tak ing aw ayof a be loved siste r, or in the breaking up of a h ouseholdby dea th , or in th e desolat i on of h ome by some terrifi cacciden t . Humili ty i s not exactly or immediately th ev i rtue wh ich d ivin e catastrophes el i c i t from the soul .But w hen God puni sh es u s th rough the inj usti ce of men

,

th rough the base j ealousies of o thers,through the un

w or thy suspi cions o f unbel iev ing friends,th rough th e

ingrat i tude of those w e have benefi ted , or through un

requited l ove of any sort , then th e braves t na tures w i l lsh rink back and decl in e th e cross i f th ey can . I t i st ru e that reason tel l s them God i s real ly the fountainof sorrow . I t comes from Him , even though i t flow sth rough oth ers . But no thing except an unusual h um ility w i l l mak e th i s d ictate of reason a pract i cal convic tion . Even w i th inan imate causes there i s somethingof th is reluctan ce i n submission to sorrow . I f a motherh ears of the death of her son , her soul i s ful l of bi tteraness

,ye t

,i f sh e be a real Christ i an , ful l of resignation

too . But fuller t idings come . I t was a mere acc iden t .The sl igh test change in th e ci rcumstances , and he w ouldhave been saved . I f i t had not happened when i t d id andwhere i t d id , i t could not h ave happened at al l . Takeaw ay a l i t t l e in culpable n egl igence , or imagine th e leastl i tt l e common foresight

,and her son m ight th is hour

have been in h er arms in th e flush of you th . His deathwas so except ion al , that c i rcumstances rare ly ever combine as th ey combin ed then . They seem to have combinod , l ik e. a fa t e , on purpose to destroy h im . A11 ! and

is not th is ve i l th in enough for a Ch ri st ian eye to d iscernou r heavenly Fath er through i t ? Does i t n ot giv e a

soften ing sw eetness x “

: th e dea th , that i twas brough t.

a

13 2 THE SECOND DOLOR.

(l ow s , and to appearance inexhaustibl e . There is thesame d ifference between our feel ings i n m isfortunescoming s t raigh t from God and misfor tunes that come

th rough men that the re i s betw een the feel ings of anunpopular c riminal h earing th e w i ld ye lls of th e mul t i~tude that seek h i s blood through the th ick wall s of hi sprison , wh ich he know s t o be impregnable , and h isterror w hen h e i s exposed to th e peopl e in the s t reet,wi th thei r fierce eyes glaring on h im , and a feeble guardthat must give way a t the fi rst onset . I n the one caseh e has to confron t th e considerate t ranqui l l i ty ofj ustice ,in the othe r to face th e indefinite barbari ty of savages .Even Dav id , w hose h eart was after God

’s own heart, fe l tth i s deeply . Vt’h en God gives h im h is choice o f pun i sh ~ments , afte r h e had numbe i ed th e peopl e, h e answ ers,I am in a great strai t : but it i s better that I should fallinto th e hands of th e Lord , for His merc ies m e many ,than in to th e hands o f men . And so h e chose th e pestilence . Who i s there that does not feel that th e immutable God i s more easy to persuade than the hearts offlesh i n our fel low - sinners ? He w i l l change His purposesooner than a man . t en God stands between us andth e unk ind w orld

,w e feel secure and gri eve quietly , our

h ead lean ing on His feet even wh i le w e si t desolate uponth e ground . B ut when the merci less w orld i tse lf i sdown upon us , no shorn sheep on the w ide tree less w old ,w i th th e i cy north w ind sw eeping ove r it, i s i n morepi tiab l e pl igh t than w e . Th i s was w hat Mary fel t . Thep art i t i on was w earing away . The w al l was s ink ingthat h ad stood betw een th e wor ld ’s actual rudenessand h e r broken heart . Her martyrdom grow s moregrievous as i t grow s le ss placi d , notw i thstanding thatthe current of h er i nw ard tranqui l l i ty flow s unqu ickenedsti l l .So much for th e manne r in wh ich th is dol or came toher . But St . Joseph ’s share i n i t i s by n o means e x

hausted th ere . He is a new ingredien t throughout al lth e years over wh ich th is sorrow extends He was old,

'

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT . 1 3 3

an d. h is years had need of rest . I-Ie dw el t forever in an“

atmosph ere of calmness , wh ich seemed to sui t his gracesbes t

,and in which they developed freely , l ik e the mag

n ifice n t fol iage w e read of in almost w indless is lands.His li fe had been a l ife of outw ard t ranqui l l i ty as w ell asinward . Has te , precipi ta t ion , and unse t t lemen t w erefore ign to him . He combined virginal meekness w i ththe most ferven t l ove . He was s imple l ike Jacob , medi~tative l ik e Isaac, l iv ing a deep l i fe o f fa i th , far beneathth e surface of the soul ’s s torms , l ike Abraham . He was

l ike ,~ —at leas t th e though t comes na tural ,— l ik e the gen t legifted Adam , ful l of soft sanc t i t i es and placid fami l iarityw i th God , before h e fel l . He seemed rather a flow e r toblossom somewhere j ust ou tside the earth , o r to bec aught up and planted inside that old h idden Eden ofman ’s innocen ce. Oh , how Mary

’s heart w as pouredout i n love and admirat ion upon this trophy of God’ssw eetest , gen t lest graces ! Bu t sh e w as to drag h im out

into th e s torm . She was to th row him into l ife ’s rude,

rough , sw ift, j ostl ing , inconsidera te crowd , and see h ismeek sp i ri t b ruised . w ounded , and outw orn w i th th es truggl e . A t his age h ow unbecoming the cold and h eat,th e w ind and w e t, of that houseless w i lderness ! How

h is eye shrank from the w i ld fi ery faces of th e Arabsand the dark expression of those keen Egyptians, andh ow strangely h is voice sounded as i t mixed w i th thei rs !Mary felt i n her heart every one of these th ings , andmany more , many worse , of wh ich w e know nothing , butmay surmise much . I t was only the sigh t of Jesus , onlyth e though t of the Chi ld ’s peri l , w h ich enabled her tobear i t . And then, l ik e a transplan ted flow er i n a n ewc l imate , Joseph gav e out such new l ight , such fresh fragranee

,such altered blossoms, such differen t frui ts . His

soul was more beautifu l than ever , and wi th the brigh tness of its beauty grew th e in tensi ty of Mary’s l ove , and ,w i th that love

,each trial , each grief, each in commod ity

of hi s w inn ing old age , was a keener sorrow and a

deep er gri ef than i t was before .1 2

13 4 THE SECOND DOLOR .

Bu t sh e was posi tiv ely enci rcl ed w i th objects of sorrow ,

From Joseph she l ooked to Jesus . Her nearness to Himbecame a supernatural habi t ful l of con sequences to hersoul . I t brough t w i th i t sw ift grow ths of san cti ty .

.I t

adorned her w i th extraordinary perfections . I t was a.

perpetual process of what th e hard styl e of mysti caltheology cal l s de ific transformati on . We can form no

just idea of w hat i t was. But there are moments wh enw e get a transien t gl impse in our own soul s of what th ehabitual nearness of th e Blessed Sacrament has done forus . We percei ve that i t has not on ly done someth ing toe ach v i rtue and grace God may have g iven us

,but that

i t has changed us , th at i t has done a w ork in our nature ,th at i t has impregnated us w i th feel ings and inst inctswhi ch are not o f th is w orld , and that i t has cal ledu p or created new facul t ies to wh ich w e cannot give a

name or define thei r func tion s . The way in w h ich a.

pries t says offi ce,or th e strange sw i ftness of h i s mass

,i s

a puzzl e to those wh o are outsid e th e Church . They arequite unabl e to unders tand th e real i ty of th e v iew ofGod wh i ch a Cathol i c gets from the Blessed Sacramen t

,

and how th at to h im slow n ess, and manner, and effect,whether they be to tel l on oth ers or admon i sh sel f, are,in fact , a simpl e forgetfulness of God , and th e man ifestun rigkledness of a creature wh o has for th e moment forgotte n Him

,and Hi s terrible nearness on th e al tar .

From th is experience w e may obtain an ind i st in ct conc ep tion of what th e nearness of Jesus had done in Mary .

How much more sensi t i ve, therefore, did sh e becomeabout His sufferings ! The change w h ich His presen ce

wrough t i n herself w ould be dai ly adding new suscep ti

b ilities to her sorrow . She saw trial s to Him in l i ttl eth ings

, wh ich yesterday , perhaps , sh e had scarcely di scern ed . For if h er love grew , her discernment musthave grown al so ; in d iv ine th ings l igh t and love arecoequal and inseparable . Just as i n our smal l measure

ou r t ende rness and pe rcep tion abou t the offended maj es tyof God grow w i th our advance in hol iness and our more

186 THE SECO ND Dot oa.

finite th e value of His man ifold daily acti ons , so infiniteth e sa t i sfac t ion of each of His least sufferings , that inth is on e dolor Mary had w hat w i th so many infinitie smay w el l b e cal led three etern i t i e s in which t o learn Hisl ovel in ess and raise h er own love to the mark of h erl earn ing . There was fi rst th e Wi lderness

,and then

Egyp t,and then the w i ld erness agai n . And all these

accumula ted l igh ts , sens ib i l i t ies, beau t i es, graces , attracA

t i ons,inc remen t s of love , w ere but so many fresh edges

put on Simeon ’s sw ord . The resul t of each , th e resul tof all

,the product of thei r combination

,was s imply an

immensity ‘of sorrow.

There are two ways of doing battl e ivith gri ef. One

i s in the privacy of our own homes , in th e secrecy ofour suffering hear t s , w i th th e undis t racted presen ce ofGod round abou t us . But under the mos t favorablec i rcums tan ces i t i s n o easy task . Th e common roundof indoor du t i es i s heavy and irk some ; and somehow ,

though i f sorrow had chosen its ow n accidents i t w ouldnot have made itse lf more endurable , the c ross seemsalways as i f i t never fi tted , as i f there w ere pecul iaraggravation s i n our own case to j us t i fy a t l eas t somemeasure of impa t i ence . But th e fight i s much harde rwhen w e have to go for th to meet th e enemy , not onlybefo re the faces and am

'

ong the voi ces‘

of men in an

u nsparing publici ty , but t o rece i ve our sorrow at th ei rhands

,and to feel th e pressure of th ei r unk indliness

Upon us.Tn th i s case i t i s not that external w ork is

an unw elcome distrac t ion to ou r sorrow ; i t i s n ot merelythat grief gives us a feel ing of righ t to be dispensedfrom the actual confl i c t of w ork ; but our very ex ternalwork i s our sorrow .

”

We go out to sorrow. IVe passfrom the sh el te r of home on purpose to meet our griefWe do our best to let suffering take us at a d isadvantage

,

and off our guard , amid a multip licitv of th ings to do,and having to look many ways at on ce . Nei ther i sth i s our ow n choice . I t i s s imple necessi ty . Of the twobattles w i th sorrow, th is i s far th e harde st to fight, and

I nE FLIGHT I NTO EGYPT . 18

th e“

un l ik e l i est to w in . I n passing from the fi rst dolorto th e second ,

our Lady’

s sorrow sh ifted from the easierba t t le t o the harder one , i t

“

ba tt le i s a righ t word t o useof such a supreme t ranqui l l i ty as hers . Her new sorrowcal led fo r ac tual ou tw ard O bed ien ce , not th e mere assen tof an inw ard generosi ty . She had suffe red in the san ctuary of her ow n sou l before ; now persona l toi l , ext ernal privat i on

,rough w ork , en t er in to her sorrow .

They w ho apprecia t e righ t ly the shyness of ex t remesan c t i ty w i l l have some ide a of what th is change

,i n

i tself,and considered apart from o ther aggravating ci r

cumstances, infl i c ted upon the del i ca te na ture of our

Blessed M o ther .I t not un frequently happens that persons beginn ing

in holiness feel , almos t i n spit e of th emselves , a k ind ofd ises teem for th e ou tw ard O bservances of re l igion . Theymay be too w ell i ns t ruc ted to fal l into any erroneousopin ion on the subj ec t ; bu t for al l tha t , the feel ing i supon them

,and w i l l show i t se lf for a wh i l e in many

l i t t l e ways . Habi t s of in teri or piety are compara t i ve lyn ew to th em , and ,

w i th the fresh feel ing of how l i t t leoutward devo t ion i s w or th w i thout the inw ard , theyexaggerate the impor tan ce of in terior things

,and look

a t them in t oo exclusi ve a l igh t . There i s someth ingso del ici ous— there i s n o o ther w ord for it— ia the fi rstexperiences of commun ing w i th our Blessed Lmd downin our own hear t s , th at fai th ,

for w an t of prac t i ce,does

not see Him , as it w i l l on e day,in th e commonest

ord inances and most formal ceremonies of the Church .

But,as the soul grow s in ho lin ess , a reverse process goes

on . Vocal p rayer reassumes its proper impor tan ce .

Sacraments are seen to be interior th ings . The calendarof th e Chu rch l eaves a deeper impress on our devo t i on .

Beads , scapulars , indu lgen ces , and con fraterni t ies w orkasce t i cal ly i n our souls ,— a deep w ork

,an in te rio r w ork .

At last , t o h igh sanc t i ty outw ard things are simply th ebrimming vases i n w h ich J esus has turned th e waterinto w ine, and out ofwh ich He is pour ing i t continually

13 8 THE SECOND DO LOR .

into th e soul . To a sain t a single rubri c has li fe enoughin i t to th row h im into an ecstasy

,or to transform h im by

a sol i tary touch into a h igher k ind of sain t th an h e i snow .

* To an inexperienced beginner there i s noth ingperhaps i n S t . Teresa less i n tel l ig ible th an her devotionto holy water . They can understand her doctrine ofth e prayer of qu ie t more readi ly than h er con tinualreferen ce to holy w ater, and th e great things sh e saysof i t . From al l th is i t comes to pass that th ere was on epecul iari ty of th is dolor of our Lady

,i n to w h ich non e

can enter fully bu t a sain t,indeed even a sain t not ful ly ;

for w e must remember that i t i s of Mary w e are speak in g .

Th is was th e deprivation of sp i ritual advantages in th ew i ldern ess and i n Egypt. There was no temple

,pro

bably n o synagogue . There w ere no sacrifices but suchas w ere abomination s and horrors to h er soul . Therewas not th e nameless atmosphere of th e true rel igionround about h er , but on the contrary th e repulsi vedarkness and th e depressing assoc i ations of th e mostabandoned m isbel i ef and degrading w orsh ip of th e inferior an imal s . To h er th i s was a fearfu l d esolation .

Her heigh t of san cti ty d id not lead her to d ispense w i thth e commonest assi stances of grace

,but on th e con trary

to cl ing to them w i th a more intel l i gen t appreciat ion .

I t d id not teac h her to stand and w alk merely restingor guid ing herself by outward ord inance s

,but rather to

l ean her w hole w eigh t upon them more than ever . Sh efel t l ess abl e to d ispense w i th l i t tl e th ings

,because sh e

was so r i ch ly endow ed w i th great th ings . She hadreach ed to that w ide v iew of sain tly minds, and to h er i twas w ider and more d i stin ct, that in spi ri tual th ings on egrace never supersedes anoth er

,n ever does th e w ork

of another,never stands i n th e stead of an other . Less

intel l igen t pi e ty m istakes succeeding for superseding,and so loses i n reveren ce , w h i le i t m isses what is d iv ine .

As the loft i est con templation w ork s its way back again

We may instance th e conduct ofSt.Andrew Avellino inHolyWeek.

13 8 THE SECOND DO LOR .

into th e soul . To a sain t a single rubri c has l i fe enoughin i t to th row h im into an ecstasy

,or to transform him by

a sol itary touch i nto a h igher k ind of sai n t th an h e i snow .

* To an inexperienced beginner there i s nothingperhaps in St . Teresa l ess i n tel l ig ib le than her devot ionto holy water . They can understand her doctrin e ofth e prayer of qui e t more read ily than h er con t inualreference to h oly w ater, and th e great th ings she saysof i t . From al l th i s i t comes to pass that th ere was on e

p ecul iari ty of th is dolor of our Lady , i nto w h ich n on ecan enter fully but a sain t, indeed even a sain t no t ful ly ;for we must remember that i t i s of Mary w e are speak ing .

Th is was the deprivat ion of sp i ritual advantages i n th ew i lderness and i n Egypt . There was no temple , probably n o synagogue . There w ere no sacrifices but suchas w ere abomination s and horrors t o her sou l . Therewas not th e nameless atmosphere of th e true rel igi onround abou t h er, but on the contrary th e repul si vedarkness and th e depressing association s of th e mostabandoned m i sbel ief and degrading w orsh ip of th e infer ie r an imal s . To her th i s was a fearful desolation .

Her heigh t of san cti ty d id not lead h er to d ispense w i thth e commonest assi stances of grace

,but on th e con trary

to cl ing to them w i th a more i ntel l igen t appreciat ion .

I t d id not teach her to stand and w alk merely restingor guid ing hersel f by outward ord i nance s , but rather t ol ean her whol e w eigh t upon them more than ever . Sh efel t l ess able to d ispense w i th l i t tl e th ings

,because sh e

was so ri ch ly endow ed w i th great things . She hadreached to that w id e V i ew of sain tly minds , and to h er i twas w id er and more di stinct, that in sp i ri tual th ings onegrace never supersedes another, n ever does th e w orkof another, never s tands in the stead of another . Lessintel l igen t pi ety m istak es succeeding for superseding ,and so loses i n reveren ce , w h i l e i t m isses. what i s d iv in e .As the loft-i est contemplation w orks its way back again

0 We may instance th e conduct ofSt.Andrew Avellino inHolyWeek.


th rough th e accumulated paraph ernal ia of medi tationalmos t to th e ind is t i n ct simpli ci ty of the kneel ingch i ld ’s fi rs t prayer

,so i s i t w onderful i n al l th ings else

to see h ow the sain ts i n th ei r subl imi ties are foreverreturn ing to the w i s e l i t t l eness and ch i ldl ike commonp laces of thei r fi rst beginn ings . The puzzles of spir ituality are on ly the symp toms of imperfec t ion . We arefording th e river to reach Canaan . The w at er is shallowwhen w e fi rs t begin ; i t deepens as w e advance ; but i tgets shallow again near to the o th er side , and shelvesquite gen t ly up to th e heaven ly shore . Hence i t wasdoub t less a k een suffering to M ary to be depri ved of th eou tw ard ord inan ces of her re l ig ion . Her spi r i t pinedfo r the cour t s of the t emple

,w i th i t s crowds of w or

sh ippers,for the old feasts as they came round

,for th e

st i rring and the sooth ing show of th e ceremonial of th elaw ,

and for th e sound of th e old Hebrew Scripturesfrom th e read er ’s desk w i th in th e synagogue . Th epresence of Jesus , in stead of being to her i n l i eu ofth ese things and superseding th em , w ould only makeh er crave for al l th ose sacred th ings , which He , longyears before He was her Babe , had Himself d evised andordered from out of Sinai . \Ve shal l not do justice toth is pecul iar grief of hers ; but w e mu s t remember i t .W e shal l no t do j usti ce to i t , because w e have n o suchacu t e sensib i l i ties

,no such excessiv e hunger for th e

things of God,no such vi s ibl e presence of Jesus to turn

that hunger into downrigh t fam ine .I t happened once to a travel ler who had been long

among the sights and sounds of Asiatic l i fe,i n w hose

ears th e musical w ai l i ng of th e muezzin ’s voic e from thegall ery of the minare t over th e n igh tly c i ty or amid th ebus t le of th e day had almost effaced th e remembranceof Christian bells , th at from the Black Sea h e passed upthe Danube and landed now here ti l l h e reached thefron tier of Transy lvan ia . He landed in a s traggl in gv i l lage , and heard th e bells j angli ng w i th a sound ofstrange famil iari ty and very barbarous s inging ; and. h e


saw a cleric , w i th a Crucifix gl i ttering in the sun , andsome rude banners , and girls i n white w i th tapers , and apleasan t rabbl e of Ch ris t ian - faced boys

,w i th boughs of

haw thorn or some whi te -flow ering tree in the i r hands ;and then a priest , i n poorest Cope and under humblestcanopy , bearing Jesus w i th h im ,

to bless th e v i l lagestree t s on Corpus Ch rist i . And there came a ligh t , anda fe e lin" and an agi ta t i on , and a mos t keen , mos t sw ee tpain in the t ravelle r ’s hear t , wh i ch gave h im a surmisefar off from the real tru th— but s t i l l a surmise —of whatMary fel t in Egypt . Such to h im was th e fi rst sigh t ofh oly things a t th e gate of Chri stendom w hen h e passedout of the influence of the strange imagery of th e Mohammedan law . He on ly saw what h e had lost ; shereal i zed wha t sh e was losing .

But i t was not on ly her own rel ig ious feel ings whichw ere w ounded by the false and loath some w orshipround h er . Sh e mourned for the souls i t was destroying ; souls that knew no w iser w i sdom , and so thei rignoran ce a t l east was i nnocen t, but i n w hom i t wasdeaden ing th e moral sen se

,v i tiating the consc ience

,

making its judgmen ts false , and corrupting i ts in tegri ty .

I t was a system of w i ld enchantment, w hich held thatancient peopl e as in a net, entangl ing them in i t s in i

q u ities so that they could not escape . I t was a vast,

complete,na t i onal organ i zation . They w ere going dow n

upon th e si len t sw eep of its s tream into everlas t ingdarkness as irre sistingly as a log goes dow n th e Ni le .

Oh,how much glorious understanding gleamed out of

th e dark faces of manv of them ! What h idden sweetn ess

,w hat possibi l i t ies of gentleness and goodness

, al

most. trembled in the voi ces of. many ! And sh e al l th ewh i l e h old ing Jesus i n h e r arms on the river- side

, th e

Savior of the w orld,th e fondest lover of sou ls

,w ho w ould

have drunk th e whol e river of souls dry if they w ou ldh av e l e t Him ! Why should He not preach to themat once

,He w hose mind knew no grow th but th e know

ing, by acquisi tion, what He knew oth erw ise before ?

142 THE SECOND DO LO R .

carry i t . I t i s only because th e so il i s more mercifulthan men tha t a fore ign land does not fl ing the al i enand the mendi can t impat i en t ly from i t s corn -bearingfi elds . There was some thing also inexpressibly d ismali n Marv

'

s u t ter lonel iness amid her own s ex . She w asfar more lon e lv i n the crowds of Hel iopol i s than thepen i t en t Tha is or M ary of Egypt could have been in thesavages-t seques trat ion of the voiceless Thebaid . Andshe , t oo , so frai l , so h elpless , so unknow n ; such a gi rl ishmo ther, such a del i cate flow er, that the rude w ind ough thard ly to b low upon ! I t i s fearfu l to th ink of. ButGod was w i th her . Yes ! bu t look at Him ; less thanHi s young mother , more hel pless even than hersel f.And Joseph ; his v ery meek ness was against h im , and

so old,so infirm

,so u ne omp lain imr w ha t pro tec t ion

was he again s t the pressure of those w i ld - faced Egyptians ? The prophe t w ept over the v in eyard of Sion

,

because i t s h edge was broken dow n . Bu t what Eden sw ere these tha t w ere l eft unsheltered in Egypt

,and so

unsh el te red IBut w e must pass on to greater th ings . There seemsno t h i ng contrary to our Blessed Lady ’s perfec t ion s tosuppose that in th is dolor th e fear w h ich belongs tohuman nature

,and w h ich even our Lord fel t in His

most holy Soul,was allow ed to exerc ise sw ay ove r her .

I f such w ere not th e case,w e should th en have to put

h er before ou rsel ves as a creature apart , not belonging toth e angel i c family on the one hand

,nor to th e human

fami ly on the o ther,but as a glory of God , not s ingular

on ly , as i n h er offic e and h er sanc t i ty sh e t ruly is , butremoved also from th e sphere of human i ty . lVe shouldhave to imag in e that he r gi ft s d id for her w hat HisDivin e Na ture even d id not do for ou r Lord

,that th ey

shou ld mak e h e r cease to be w oman ,w h i l e i t l eft Him

true Man . She w ould then be. no example to us , and theidea of sorrow in her w ould be so strange and unsphereda th ing

,that i t w ould seem fi ct i t ious and unreal , a

merely symbolical doctrine, or a beaut iful al legory of th e


Incarnation . There can , therefore , be l i ttle doubt butth at fear was on e of th e ch i ef sufferings of th i s Fl igh tinto Egypt . There is perhaps hardly a pass ion w h i chexerc ises a more tyrann ical sway over the sou l than fear,or any men tal impression more closely connected w i thphysical pain . I t comes over us l ike a spi ri t from w i thou t

,leap ing upon us from some unsuspected cavern w e

know not where or h ow . We cannot prepare for i tscoming

,for w e know not when to expect i t . we cannot

resist i t when i t comes , for i ts touch is possession , andits mere advent is al ready v i ctory . I t brings a shadowover sk ies where there are no clouds , and turns th e verysunsh ine into beams of frost . I t brea thes through usl ik e a w i nd

,search ing everyw here , and ch i l l ing our most

v i tal facul t i es . I t goes near to paralyzing our pow ers ofaction

,so that w e are l ik e men wh o can see and hear

w i thout being able e i ther to speak or move . I f i t w erenot eminently a transi en t passion , ever flow ing by th e

law of i ts own restlessness, w e should los e fi rst of al l thefreedom of our w i l l , and then the l igh t of our reason .

Meanw h i l e i ts presence i n th e sou l i s accompan i ed , on ew h i le by a disquiet-ude which i s w orse than suffering , andth e con tinuance of w h ich i t seems to us w ould be incompat ible w ith l i fe

,and then another wh i le by a sharpness

of anguish w hich i s alw ays on th e very poin t of be ingl it eral ly unendurable . I t i s not pain ,

i t i s torture . How

seldom have w e ever found the reali ty of an ev il so insufferab le as th e terrifi ed expectati on w h i ch preceded i t !Ear th does not grow a sorrow , human just ic e has not dev ised a pun ishment , of w hi ch th is i s n ot t rue .

Now ,w e have to imagine th e operation of th is passion

amon g the indescribab le sens ib i l i t i es of our Lady’s soul

,

and at the same t ime i n the midst of her incomparabl e,

hol iness . There i s ever th e union w i th God unbroken ;there i s ever the tranqui ll i ty w hich comes of that un ion

undisturbed . The sanctuary is assai led,but i t i s no t

desecrated . Fear dw el ls w i th i n th e prec incts , but theC lo ister is not forced . Sh e knew ful l we ll that Calvary

144 rnr. srcoxn noron.

was to come . and sh e knew h ow far off i t w as . Hen ce ,

she could have n o doub t that h er Ch i ld was no t now t operish b v th e h and of l le rod . Ye t fear . w i thou t obscu ring her men tal v is i on . migh t des t re r her fe chn e of securitv . For though t s in fear may b e Jus t and j udi c ious i nthemselves . bu t th ev dw ell alon e : th e y are barre n th e v

have n o conclusions . Is no t th is j us t w ha t th e book o fsa y s of frarfi"tha t i t i s “ no thing e lse bu t-a vic ld

in '7 up of th e succ ors from though t . and ,w h il e th ere is

l ess expec ta t i on from w i th in . th e greater do th it coun tth e ignoran ce of that cause wh ich brin g e th th e tormen t ” ? Besides , our Lord mav have v e il ed l l i s H e artfrom h er then . True . He was not t o di e : bu t whato th er abvsse s of m iscrv mi g h t not be vaw ning in v is iblyat h e r ve rr fee t ? There are man y th ings short of dea thvh ich are w ors e than dea th . Possible sufferings are ine xhaus t ible . even w i thin the limi ted lo t of man . Shemigh t be separat ed from l l im . Herod mi gh t give Himto an othe r t o nurs e , under h is ow n e ve .

“

Wha t. Eg y p t iandarkne ss w ould be l ik e tha t ? The ecl ipse on Calvaryw ould h e comfor t and sunshin e i n the face of such avso

f

nl se .ara‘ion as that . I l er fo resight did n o t cover

e ve rv h in g: w it h i ts w ide fi e ld 0 vis i on . or, if i t d id ,

a i l t‘ nr -rh t ne t h e sure tha t i t d id . There migh t b e( ze u th s w hich she had to come it .on unaw ares , l ik et he Three Davs Loss . M igh t size no t be coming onome nowWh a t w e re th e e x tremit e s t o w h i ch a sanc t i t y l ik ehers coul d suffer pan i c ? “fou ld she s ‘a r t a t the formsof robbers , as the v scoured th e w i lderness ?

When the un ea-v ni gh t -w ind aw ol-t o sudde n’

y i n them u t tering palm - tops , or in th e t resses of the pensileacacia. l ik e indist in z u islzab le human w hispers. was sh eafraid ? Did the dark eyes o f the Egvp t ians fri frh te n licriwhen thei r gaze was fixed i nq u i ‘ing ly upon th e Ch ild ?

Did fear spur h er foo t steps , deceive h er eyesigh t , play

7

Cap . xvii


But they w ere to th emselves more grievous than th e

Bu t the most grievous part of th is dolor remains to betold , and there i s n o on e w h o can tel l i t as i t sh ould betold . W

'

e should understand i t, «if we had a revelationof Mary ’s heart ; but even then w e could not t ranslatei t in to w ords . I t was a m ixture of sharpest pain

,

w ounded feel ing , distress so great as t o seem unexpected ,h orror that yearn ed to d isbel ieve w hat i t saw ,

a cruelc rush ing togeth er of al l th e loves of h er immaculateh eart . I t arose from th e v i sion of men ’s hatred ofJesus

,made v isibl e in th i s dolor . Beautifu l Chi ld !

w onderful ly sh eath ing th e keen grandeurs of th e Godhead in th at scabbard of true infan t’s flesh ! Was thereever any th in e so w i nn ing, ever any th ing so h ateless , asthat b lessed Ch ild ? Why should men turn again st Himthus ? t y should th e eyes of kings pi erce the sh roudsof His innocuous obscu ri ty , l ik e w i ld lynxes , and whyth i rst for the l i tt l e shallow stream of His b lood , as i f Hew ere a tempti ng prey for savage n atures ? Harmless

,

h elpless , s i len t, pl ead ing , beauti ful ! and men drive Himfrom th ei r h aunts as i f He w ere a monster

,heartless

,

tyrann ical,blood- stai ned ,

w i th all th e repu lsion of greati n iqu ity and dark secre t crime about Him ! -And sher

knew how beauti ful He was, and therefore how unutterabl e was th e sacri lege of that cruel exi l e, of that

murderous pursui t, wh ich only ended in exi l e, becauseGod w ould not le t i t go furth er , and balked feroci ty ofits vic t im . Sh e knew too that He was God , th e Creatorcome among His creatures ; and although He has noti n terfered w i th th em yet, has not even spoken to th em ,

but has only l ooked at th em w i th His sw eet Face,they

are tormented w i th res t l essness , fee l Him a burden,

th ough she who carri ed Him al l over th e desert cantestify that He i s ligh ter than a feather , or at least seemsso to her maternal love, and finally make Him fly before

Wisd, cap . xvii. 13 - 20.


them even before He can w alk . Th is was th e. w elcomeGod has been w ai ting for , now these four thousandyears ! Merciful h eaven s ! i s not Div in e Love a th ingsimply in cred ible ?All th e loves i n her heart w ere crush ed . Jesus washated . Had men simply avoided Him and got ou t ofHis way, i t w ould have been an in tolerable sorrow . Hadthey gone by Him w i th indifferen ce as i f He was noconcern of thei rs

,but j ust a l iv ing man

,as thei r senses

told th em,wh o in creased by one the population of th e

w orld ,and was otherw i se poor and commonplace ,

even that w ould have been acutes t gri ef. For men toignore

,to m

'

i sapprehend , to di sappreciate Jesus w ouldhave been a l i felong thorn in her heart

,w h ich noth ing

could have extrac ted . But He was hated . And thereHe was fl i t t i ng l ike a speck ove r the w i lderness out ofs igh t of th e people

,w hom He l oved the most of al l

th ose He came to save . She loved Him w i th manyloves

,because by many righ ts , and under many t i t les .

She was w ounded separately and bi tterly i n every oneof these loves . She was His creature and His mother .She loved Him w i th the i n t en sest natural affecti on ashaving borne. Him . Her love was marvellously grow nw i th His grow ing beauty and her increasing exper ienceof Him . She loved Him w i th supernatural love becauseof His hol iness , and her own w h ich was attracted byHis . Sh e loved Him as th e Savi or and Redeemer oft h e w orld . She loved w i th perfect adora-ti on H is Divin eNature

,and th e Person of th e E ternal Word . Beyond

thi s , wh ere could love go ? t i th er could i t reach ?But sh e l oved al so

,and w i th an en thusiasm w hich was

l ik e a second l ife to her , th e glory of God ,His exalt-a

t-ion by His creatures,and th e h onor of th e Div in e.

Maj esty . Sh e loved th e Most Holy Trin i ty w i th all th eloves th e sain ts h ave ever kn own

, w ith complacency,congratul a t i on , desi re , condolen ce , im i tation , esteem .

New Jesus was th e very end at wh ich al l these glori es ofGod aimed, th e very monumen t on wh ich they were all


h ung, the very fountai n ou t of wh ich th ey al l came, th every food by wh ich alon e th ey w ere al l to be sati sfi ed

,

th e very pric e wh ich was equal to thei r value , th e verymeans

,the only means

,by w hich Mary could love them

as she desi red . There was not one thing about w h ichGod i s t ender

,wh ich was not outraged and w ounded in

th is attempt upon th e l i fe of Jesus,i n th i s hatred of His

Son w hom He had sen t. And fearfully, lik e stigmata

u pon the saints , upon Mary’s ardent love passed th e

many w ounds of th e Eternal Obj ec t of h er l ove .This was not al l . She loved men . The ir own w i vesand moth ers n ever loved th em as sh e d id . No missionary ever burned for souls as sh e burned . She had al lthe i r in terests at h eart, and th e in terests of every oneof them . She would have died to save th e l ow est ofth em

,i f th e l im i ted sacrifice of a mere creature could

have meri ted th e i r sal vation . She w ould h ave sufferedtortures to h inder any of them from a single sin

,fo r

thei r own sak e as w el l as God ’s . But what n eedof more w ords ? She was going to give th em Jesus .She h ad made up her mind to i t . Nay , v i rtual lysh e had done it . Oh , h ow men w ounded h er now i nthis love of hers

,unrequi ted , disdained , as i t were

th row n back upon her ! Sh e shuddered at th e abyssesof darkness

,th e capabi l i ti es of separat ion from God

,

wh ich th is hatred of Jesus d i sclosed ; and a sor t ofsacred horror passed upon her, when sh e percei ved i n i tsuch a terrible man ifestati on of th e pow er and mal i ce ofth e evi l spi ri ts . They did not yet kn ow that Jesus wasGod , but thei r in st in cts d rew them round His grace andhol iness by a sor t of attrac tion w h ich th ey d id notunderstand , but w h ich nevertheless rendered th emfurious . And men , men w hose nature the Word hadassumed , men for w hom Jesus was to die , men whosemother sh e was to be , even the chosen tribes of Israe l ,were almost possessed by these evi l spi ri ts

,w ere fol low

ing th ei r l eading, doing th ei r bidding , w ithou t know i nghow terr ible were th e th ings that th ey were do ing. Oh,

150 THE SECO ND DOLOR .

for loving Him , and ceasel ess augmen tat ion s o f th e oldl ove ; and al l th is heigh tened the pangs she was en

during . Moreover , sh e and He w ere now upon the roadto Calvary ; thei r faces turned righ t toward i t . Can th atthough t. eve r have le ft her th rough the w hole Return ?And on the fron t i ers of the Holy Land fe ar met th emagain

,and turned them aw ay from Sion , and sen t them

back t o the seclusi on of Nazare th . Scri p ture says,

“ There i s no peace for th e w i ck e t .

” Alas ! w hen w e

look a t the w orld w e are temp ted t o cry out that i t i sra ther for th e good that there i s n o peace !From these

,pecul iari t ies o f the second dolor w e may

now pass to the disposi t ions w i th wh i ch our BlessedLady endured i t . Much may be gathered from w hathas been al ready said . But there are th ree poin ts t owh ich our a t ten t i on should be especial ly d i rec t ed . Th efi rs t i s

,h er unselfish absorp t ion i n th e sufferings of

o ther" . I t i s as if h er h ear t was pu t ou t i nto th eh eart s of others

,i n order to feel , t o love , to suffer , to be

tor tured . As w e pass i n rev iew the in c iden ts of th i sdolor

,i t n ever comes to us for a momen t to th ink how

cold sh e often w as,how hungry , how w i nd-burn t

,h ow

sl eepless, how foo tsore , h ow harassed in m ind, h ow

great her bod ily fa t igue , as if these w ere th e el ementsof h er own sorrow . They w ere sufferings wh i ch w e ,

hersons

,do no t forget , and as sufferings they w ere part o f

h er endurance . But as subj ects upon wh ich sh e dw el t,

orwh i ch sh e bew ai led , or wh ich she even much ad

v erted to,w e shou ld feel that w e w ere d ishon oring h er

i f w e put th em in th e reckon ing . He r sorrow ful sym

path ies w ere al l abroad . They w ere lav i shed onJoseph

,or they w ere cen tred in Jesus . They covered

th e whole maj esty of God w i th thei r h umbl est condol ence

,or they w en t ou t l ik e a deluge over the en ti re

earth,bath ing all the souls of men i n every genera

tion w i th h e r mourn fu l pity and efiicacious compassion . They w ere everyw here bu t in her own m i seri es . They were for every one except hersel f. There


seemed to be no effort about i t . I t was h er way. I tcame na tural to her , because she behaved w i th grace asi f i t real ly was a nature to her . As the moon reflec t sth e l ight of the sun w i thout th e leas t trouble to i tself,and b eau tifie s th e earth w i thout any exer t ion , so M aryreflects God , and gives l igh t , and sh ines , wi thou t effort,almost unconsciously , as i f i t was simply her business tobe luminous and beau t ifu l , and that there was no wonder in i t at al l .Ano ther d ispos i t ion in th i s dolor was her keen sensi

tiv eness about the interes ts of God defrauded . by sin .

This i s th e n ew sense developed in th e soul by sancti t-y ; and the more w e grow i n hol iness th e more keendoes th is sense become . The range of i ts v is ion isw ider , w hi l e , at the same t ime , i ts percep t i ons are moreaccurate and minu te . I ts ardor in creases w i th theincrease of grace

,and

,by a natural consequence , its

pow ers of making us suffer increase l i kew i se . In th ecase of very great sain t s i t becomes comple tely a passion

,and , at last , possesses i tself of the whole l i fe .

There can,how ever , be hard ly a compari son be tw een

th is sens i tiven ess , as developed in th e h ighes t sain ts ,and the same feel ing as i t existed in the Mo ther of God .

Sh e was draw n in side a divi ne ring , and l i ved a d iv inel ife . She had a sor t of un i ty w i th the Divin e Maj estya sp i ri tual un i ty— w hi ch gave her a righ t to share inthe con cern s of God ; a righ t to be in terested only inHis in teres ts ; a sort of ac tual parti cipation in th e sensib ilities of His glory , such as can belong to no othercreatu re w hatsoever . She i s one of the household ,and . th erefore , feels d ifferently from one outside, h owever dear a friend

,how ever near a neighbor . He r

prayer i s n ot mere - i n tercessi on : there is in i t a permit ted j uri sd ict ion over the Sacred Heart and th e “Ti l lof God , w h ich renders i t a differen t th ing from theint ercession of the sain ts . All th e ele ct w ork togetherw i th Jesus in mul t i plying the fru i t of

‘

His Passion ; butthere i s al low ed to h er an indefinab le co- opera t i on in


th e redempt ion Of th e w orld , to wh ich th e co-Op eratior.

of th e sain t s bears th e same relation as th e i r sympathyw i th our Lord

’s Passion bears to our Lady’s Compass ion . I f th e sufferings O f St . Paul in h i s flesh* “ fi l l edup those th ings that are want ing Of th e sufferings OfChris t for His Body

,w hich i s th e Church

,

”what must

be said Of Mary ’s dolors ? These consideration s, i f theycannot help our spi ri tual obtuseness to an adequate conc ep tion Of our Lady ’s sensit iveness for th e gl ory ofGod

,w i l l at l east enabl e us , when w e are aston ished at

th e subl im ity Of th is inst in c t in th e saints , to rememberthat h ers was so much h igher as to be out Of sigh t ofth eirs .Even to us

,down i n th e deep val l eys where th e merci

ful inquis i t i ven ess Of grace has found us out , there i ssome th ing inexpressibly mournful in_ . the way i n w h ichGod is excluded from His ow n c reation . We are considering now the mystery Of th e Creator’s fl igh t fromHis creatures . I s there not also someth ing quite asdreadful i n the fl igh t ofth e creatures from thei r Creator,w hich w e see going on al l day ? “7hen faith has O penedour eyes , w ha t a scene the w orld presents ! Everyw hereGod . w i th His omn ipresen t love , i s pursuing His crea~

tures , His gui l ty creatures ; but i t i s to save them , not topun ish them . There i s not a recess Of the w orld , not are t irement Of pover ty , not a haunt of sin , not an un

l ikely or unbeseeming place for so vast a Majesty , w hereHe i s not follow ing His creatures and trying almost toforce His great gifts upon them . Sw ifter than thel ightning , stronger than th e ocean , more un iversal thanthe ai r , i s His gloriou s , many- s ided compassion pouredout over th e w orld wh ich he has made . Everyw hereare men flying from this generous

,th i s merc iful

,th is

tender pursui t . I t seems as if th e grand Obj ect Of theirl ives was to avo id God , as i f t ime

‘

w ere a resp ite from'

th e necessi ty of God’s presence in e tern i ty, which it is

Coloss. i. 24.

154 THE SE COND DOLOR.

Him , th an this . I n the sp i ritual trop ics, where theangels dwell

,He may perhaps be w elcome . But not

here . Th is i s th e North Pole Of His universe . He shedHis l ife’s b lood upon i t

, and i t w ould not thaw . I t isunmanageable

,unnavigable

,un inhabitable ,- for Him . He

can do noth ing at al l w i th i t, but le t Hi s sun makeresplenden t colored l igh ts i n th e icebergs , or bid th emoon sh in e w i th a w armer l ovel iness than elsewh ere , orfi l l th e long-nigh t sky w i th the streamers Of th e Aurora,which even th e Esqu imaux , burrow ing i n h i s hu t, w i l lnot go out to see . The only differen ce i s that th ematerial pol e understands i ts business

,w h ich i s to mak e

ice i n al l imaginable shapes ; whereas we men are soused to our own coldness , that we do no t know h ow coldw e are , and imagin e ourselves to be the temperate zoneOf God’s creat ion .

I f God get s i nto His w orld , matters are not muchmended . It i s d ismal to th ink—w ould that i t w ere alsoincred ible !— how much Of th e w orld i s tied u p fromHim,

so as to render almost a miracl e n ece ssary in order toi nsinuate grace into the soul . Look at whole region s offair beginnings , Of good wi shes, holy desires , struggl ingearnestness , posi tive yearn ings , and see h ow

‘

tyrann i callyth e prov ision s of l ife deal w i th al l these interests of God .

Here are soul s ti ed up from God by family arrangements .They have to l ive aw ay from the means Of grace , or theyare throw n among bad examples , or th ey are forced i ntou ncongen ial d issipation , or th ey are put into the alternativ e O f ei ther j udging th ei r paren ts or b lunting theirperceptions Of God , or they are en tangl ed in unsuitablemarriages

,or they are forced into th e ambitious temp

tat-ion s Of w orldly positi ons , or th eir rel igious vocation sare rough-ridden . God is not to h ave His own way w i thth em

,and w i l l not have i t . He

,

on His s id e w i l l n otw ork miracles , and soul s are lost . How much again i st ied up by money arrangements ! The rel igion of orphansi s endangered by execu tors w ho have not th e faith . Fortunes are left under cond it ions

, wh ich, wi thout h ero ic

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 155

grace , p reclude conversion . Place Of abode i s d ictatedby strai tened ci rcumstances

,and i t so happens that

spir i tual disab i li t i es come along w i th i t . Q uestions ofeducation are unfavorably decided On pecun iary grounds,as also are th e choices of profession . Wan t of money i sa bar to the l iberty O f many souls , wh o, as far as w e canj udge

,w ould use that l iber ty for God . Even local ar

rangements t i e up soul s from God . There i s a sort ofnecessi ty of l iv ing for part Of th e year where regularsacraments are not to be had , or where men mus t m ixvery much w i th people Of another creed , or must laythemselves out for pol i t i cal influence , or where youngpeopl e must break Off habits of w orks of mercy onlyimperfectly formed i n th e great ci ty , w h ich after al l i s atruer sanc tuary of God th an the green , innocen t country .

How many also , w i thout fau l t of thei r own , or faul t ofany one

,are tied up from God by th e temporal conse

q u ence s of some m isfortune ! Homes are broken up .

Souls are imprisoned in unsu itable occupat ions,and

in unfavorable places ; and a host Of rel igious in conveniences follow

,from w h ich th ere is l iteral ly no escape .

I t may be said that,after al l

, th e excell en ce Of rel igionis interi or. But to h ow many i s th i s in teri or spiri t given ?Surely i t is not on e Of God’s ord inary graces . And h owfew real ly i nterior persons are there

,who are not v i sibly

de teriorated when thei r publ i c suppli es Of grace areimpoverished ! Others again are ti ed up from God bysome irre trievabl e step s wh ich th ey th emselves hav etaken , culpably or inculpably . I t i s as i f an eternalfix ity had insinuated i tsel f i n to some temporal decis ion .

And now soul s are help less . They cannot be all forGod , i f they w ould , unless He communicates to th emsome of the extraord

i

nary grace s‘

of the mysti cal sain ts .We have O ften. need here to remember for our comfort

,

that, i f steps are i rretr ievab le , noth ing in th e sp i ri tuallife is i rremediable . Who could bel ieve the O pposi tedoctrin e, and then l ive ? I t i s fearful th e pow er wh ichmen have to ti e their fel low -men up from God . What

156 THE SECOND DOLOR.

an exercise i t i s for a hot temper,w ith a keen sense of

injus t i ce , and an honest heartiness of love for God andsouls , to have to w ork for soul s under th e pressure ofth e great publ i c system

,organ i zat ions

,and in st i tuti ons

of a country w hich has not th e fa ith ! TO w atch a soulp eri lously balan c ing on th e brink Of th e grand eternalquestion , and to see plain ly that th e most ord inary fai rn ess or th e ch eapest k indness w ould save i t, and not beable to command e ither,—it i s a w ork of kn ives i n one

’s

flesh , smarting unbearably . We have no righ t to demand th e fairness : i ndeed , th e fai rn ess i s perhaps on lyvi sible from our own poin t of v i ew . We are more l ikelyto get j ust i ce i f w e ask for

’

i t under th e ti tl e of priv i legeand by the name of k indn ess . For th e sak e Of Christ’spoor , l et us insi st upon God

’s multiplying and prol onging our patience ! Thus , al l th e w orld over, i n all

classes,especial ly th e upper classes

,creation i s t i ed up

as i t w ere from God , and His goodness has not fai r p layw i th i t, unl ess He w i l l break His own l aw s, and throwHimself Simply on H is omn ipoten ce . There i s a tyrannyOf ci rcumstan ces, w h i ch does n ot seem far Short of anecessi ty of s in . I t n eeds a defin it ion of th e faith toassure us that such a necessi ty i s happily an impossi~b ility. W e feel al l th is . I t cuts us to th e quick . Now

i t depresses, now i t provokes , accord ingly as i t acts on

the inequ al i ties of our l i ttle grace . Mul tiply i t t i l l thesum i s be},ond figures

,magni fy i t ti l l i ts bulk fil l s space

and hangs out beyond,and then w e shal l have our

Lady’s sensi ti veness about th e honor of God’s maj esty .

There i s sti l l anoth er d isposi tion i n our Lady to wh i chour atten tion must be cal l ed . Her ch ari ty for sinners

Was proportioned to her horror of sin . Whi l e on th e onehand Sh e mourned overth e sl igh ted love OfGod and thescan t h arvest Of His glory , sh e had no feel ing of bi ttern ess against Sinners . She was not angry w i th th e i r

gui lt , but u nhappy for th ei r sak es , because of the cou se

q uences Of their gui l t . I t was not in her heart to con

demn them,only to p i ty them . TO h er eyes Sin came


p ecul iar than the v i ew wh ich a holy"

heart takes of sinners. I t testifi es more unerringly than any th ing el seto secret communion w i th Jesus , to deep , tender unionw i th God , and to the righ t apprehension as w el l as thehappy infec t ion of the Sacred Heart . I t i s alw ays thecontempla t i ve sain ts who have loved sinners best, evenmore than the activ e saints wh o w ere w earing out the irliv es to convert th em . I s th is th e reason w hy the contemp lative elemen t is an essential ingredient in a com

ple te apostle ?But th is dolor contai ns also many lesson s for ou r

selves . I n fact, th e Residence i n Egypt i s a completep icture of the way i n wh ich God, our Blessed Lord, th eBlessed Sacrament , th e fai th , and the saints , are in th eworld . There i s th e l ife of common th ings made wond erful by an interior spi ri t . There i s th e company ofMary an d Joseph . There are th e three evangeli cals i sters

,labor

,poverty, and detachment . There i s th e

mysteri ous h iddenness , w i th apparently noth ing to h ideunder . There i s the exi le , and an Egyp t ian ex i le .There i s th e love of God in supreme sovere ignty . Andfinal ly

,there i s our Lord in the w orld as a l i ttl e Ch i ld ;

and so is the inv is ible God , desp i te th e blaze of H is perfe ctions, i n His own creation ; and so is our Lord also

still , i n His Church and Holy See , despi te of al l itst riumphs ; and so i s th e Blessed Sacrament, notwithstanding al l th e luminous theology which has beenw ri t ten about i t ; and so i s th e faith , i n th e j ostl ing i nt erests and grandeurs of modern c iv i l i zation

,desp i te of i ts

o ld h istori c conquests and i ts present dai ly p ropagati onand so are th e saints

,down i n th e hol low s of li fe

,wh ere

publ i ci ty cann ot find th em out, despi te the miracles th eyw ork . They are al l in th e w orld as l i ttl e ch i ldren . W e ,

too , are part of th e p icture . There is th e migh ty Ni le ,“ lapsing th rough old hushed Egypt l ik e a dream .

”

There are th e pyramids , th e monum ents of pagan great~

ness . There are the sandy w i lds , th e r i ch loamy fi elds,wh ich th e inundation annual ly renews, the palm—groves,

THE FLIGHT mro EGYPT . 159

and the many- colored l i fe of th e Oriental bazaar,and

Jesus , Mary , Joseph , somewh e re . Th e al legory is com

ple te . Such is the w orld , such i s our nat ive land , to us .God i s h idden in i t . All i s awkw ard and foreign to us

,

though i t i s native ; for grace has made al i ens of us aft-era strange fash ion . Patiently w e wait to do God ’s w ork

,

coun t ing the years . One w i l l come wh ich w i l l be th elast . I t w i l l bear us home , and drop us at His feet ;and as w e have been al l for God in our exi l e

,so God

w i l l be al l to us i n our eternal home . Bl essed be Hismercy ! i t was u nlov ing to say that ; for i s He not al l tous already ?But , besides th e lesson which th e all egory i tself contains , there are others w h ich w e must lay to heart . We

must learn fi rs t of al l to sympath ize w i th Jesus,espe

cially in the sufferings which we ourse lves haVe causedHim . Rel igion i s a personal love of God , th e sinceri tyof which i s at tested by our obedi en ce . I t i s th e lovewh ich i s th e soul , th e value , th e significance of i t al l .To be truly rel igious , our souls must l iv e in a peculiaratmosphere of the i r own , a charmed atmosphere, w h i chth e World canno t breath e i n and therefore cannot breakthrough . We must be unable to breathe out of an at

mosph ere of prayer . The soul must have a world ofhopes and fears of its own , i ts own set of tastes and sympath i cs

,instin cts and forebodings of its own, its own

grav itations and repu lsions . I t w i l l not do merely tobel ieve a number of doctrines, or to keep certain commandments. These th ings are essent ial ; but they donot make up the w hol e . They are th e fl esh and theblood

,but the soul i s love . Now , th e ch ief Way i n whi ch

we create th is charmed atmosphere around ourse lves i sby devotion to the mysteries ofour Blessed Lord . Marysanct ifi ed herse lf in this dolor by sympathy w i th Jesus .The venerab l e Joanna of Jesus and Mary, a Franci seaness

,w hen she was meditating on our Lord

’

s Fligh tinto Egypt

,suddenly heard a great noise , l ik e the run

ning and clash ing of armed men pursu ing some one, and

160 THE SECO ND not es .

p resently she saw a beauti ful l i ttl e boy , panting w i thfa t igue

,and runn ing up to her at th e top of h i s speed,

crying, 0 Joanna ! help Me and h ide Me . I am Jesus

of Nazare th,flying from sinners , w h o w i sh to ki ll Me ,

and who persecu t e Me as Herod did ; I beseech you,save M e ! The grand th ing a t wh ich w e must a im i s t obring i t to pass that our Lord’s mysteries , His Passionand Childhood espec ial ly , should b e con t i nual ly in ourthoughts . They should not be i n th e l eas t l ike somepast h istory

,abou t wh ich We may feel poe t i cal or sen ti

men tal, or have favori te v iew s . But th ey should be as i f

th ey w ere l i v ing,con temporaneous , going on perpetual ly

before our eyes,and i n w hich w e ourse lves are ac tors .

Thi s i s th e d ifi‘e rene e betw een the mysteries of th e In~

carnate W'

ord i n th e New Testamen t. and th e glori ousmani festat ion s of God i n the Old Testament . Theselas t are our lessons th e fi rs t are our l i fe . They do notsimplj.r remain w ri t ten there and sh ine . They l i ve

,they

pu t for th a t trac t ions , th ey give pow er , th ey hold grace ,they transform . The v ital i ty of the Incarna t i on hasgone into them . Here i s th e secret reason of the preferen ce of the Old Testamen t over th e New ,

w h ich i s socongen ial to the temper of h eresy . They , who have noBlessed Sacrament

,and have dethroned Mary

,have lost

th e meanin rr of th e In carnation. The Gospels are beauti ful h is tory to th em

,and l i t t l e else. Bu t the Exodus i s

far more romant ic , more sti rr ing , more glorious , and soi s the conquest of Canaan , and the reign of David , andth e lofty pa t rioti sm of th e Prophets . Hence , th e enthu‘

siasm w h ich Cathol ics fee l for th e Gospel in c iden ts h eret i cs fee l in th e Old Testamen t h istory . But w i th theformer i t i s more than enthusiasm . I t i s the l i fe ofthei r rel igion

,the b reath of thei r san ctity

,th e endless

Presence and Vi sion of thei r Beloved . So by assiduousmeditat i on , by sorrow ing love or by rej oi c ing love , mustw e wear our w ay in to th e mysteries of Jesus, assimi latingthem to ourselv es , l i v ing in them , feel i ng w i th them ,

unti l the ir mere character of h istory has added to i tse lf

162 THE SECOND DOLOB .

terribl e say ings and experiences , w e are to w el come suffer»ing from God as be t ter than hours of prayer

,or th e daily

sac rifices, or heaven ly sacramen t s . \Ve mav look backw i s t ful ly upon those th ings, but not unconformedly . I t i sa hard lesson t o learn . “h e does no t remember the fi rs tt ime h e had t o learn it ? How disqu ie t ing i t seemed !Common th ings looked unintel l i gibl e . Con sci ence hadto rearrange i t sel f on a great number of ques t ion s .Never was more sp ir i tual d irecti on w anted than now

,

w hen l eas t of i t was t o be had . Say ou r suffering wasil lness . How much d id pain dispense u s from

,and w hat

pain was great enough to d ispen se us from any thing ?

There w ere more. t r ials , more demands upon u s,because

of our sufferin o and apparen tlv l es s means of grace t ok eep up the in t erior supply . A great many thingswh ich had seemed fair and strong in heal th w ere now

t r i ed in us , stretch ed and l et go again , and proved in avarie tv of w avs . Not -a few of th em brok e dow n al toge ther . I t was a hard t ime . Sorrow s alw a y s rush upona sorrow fu l man , l ik e cow ardly beasts w h o dare nota tt ack thei r prey t i l l i t i s w ounded . So w e had more tobear then

,when w e had l ess strength to bear i t . I t w as

a vexat ious l esson , l earn ed in dread and i nsecurity,

frui tful of anno y ance and t ears . But for the t ime i twas l earned ; and , i f the remembrance now i s al l blo t t edand blurred bv th e tiresome venial s ins w hich disfigurei t al l over

,neverthel ess sel f-d i strus t was deepened ; w e

go t nearer t o God ; w e had grow n in th e inner man ; w e

w ere more real , because w e w ere more interior ; and w ew ere conscious of addi t i onal pow er, because grace w asmore at home in us .Our Ladv ’

s conduct i n th i s dol or teaches us th e add itional l esson tha t w e must aim most at compass ion forothers , w hen w e are suffering mos t ourselves . Th is i sthe way to gain the pecul iar gracesof suffering . Graceand na ture are almost always at cross-purposes . BecauseMoses had th e hasti est of t empers

,h e became the

meek es t of men .So sorrow naturally shuts us up in

THE FLIGHT I NTO EGYPT . 163

oursel ves , and con centrates us upon itsel f, wh i l e graceforces us to become more considerate because w e are

suffering , and to go out of ourse lv es , and to pour outupon others , as a l ibation before God , al l that tendernessand pi ty which nature w ould make us lav ish upon ourselves . There i s someth ing i n d iver ting ou rselves fromoursel ves w hen we are i n gr ief, which has a pecul iareffect of en larging th e h eart , and sw el l ing the dim en

s ion s of th e whole ch aracte r , and someth ing also soparti cularly pleasing to God , th at , when i t i s done froma supern atural motiv e and in imitation of our Lord

,He

seems to recompense i t instan tly by th e most magnificen tgraces . To si t by th e bedside of a poor inval id , w henw e are ourselves inw ardly prostrated by i l lness

,and ou r

pulses are th robb ing , and our h ead beats al l over , andthrough pain our w ords a l i tt le w ander , as if w e w erein a ttentiv e

,—or again to l i sten by the hour to th e l i ttl e

complaint s of a heart i l l at ease,wh i l e w e oursel ves are

secretly groani ng under a st i l l h eavier load,—or to

th row out j oy and l igh t by tones-by look ,by manner

,

by smile , ove r a c i rcl e dependen t upon us , w hen uneasycares are secre t ly gnaw ing at our hearts , and comfortlessexpecta t ion s

,and perturbin g foresights , and suspi cion s

are haun t in g us l ike ghos ts— these are the grandventures i n the commerce of grace . These bring th egal l eons from th e heaven ly Indies safe into port w i thun told w eal th and foreign rari t i es . One hour of suchw ork as that is often w orth a month of prayer ; and wh odoes not know th e enormous value of a month ofprayer ? M oreover

,i t i s th e w an t of th is forcible nu

se lfishness wh ich makes sorrow general ly so much lesssanc t i fy ing than Chri stian prin cipl es w ould lead us toexpect . We almost look upon suffering as a sort of dis

p ensation from chari ty . We deem it to be a time w henwe may law fully love ourselves . By th e very touch ofaffl i c t ion God draw s us

,as w e suppose

,for a wh i l e out of

the cal ls upon our brotherly affec t ion w h ich surround uson every side . “Te are to rece iv e now,

rather than to


give . But in reality.th e re i s n o t ime when w e may law

fu lly love ourselves ; for , as S t . Paul says ,“ Ch ri st pleased

not Himself.” I f there be a moment in wh ich i t migh tbe law ful to feel n o love for others , i t w ould be th e actof dying , because i n that momen t al l our l ove i s due toGod . Sel f has no place anywhere i n love . When lov etouch es sel f, i t e i th er becomes a du ty , or i s an unw orth i

n ess . I t i s true also that sorrow draw s us in to sol i tude ,but not an uncharitab le

,selfish sol itude . I t guides us

gent ly aw ay from th e w orld as a th eatre of w orld l in ess,

but n ot from the w orl d as a fi eld of mutual and sel fsacrificing l ove . Wh en the sain ts k eep th ei r sorrow ssecre t, i t i s n o doub t main ly because love i s fond ofsecrets , w h ich none but i ts obj ect and i tsel f shal l k now ,

and divine love i s th e shyest,the most secret- l ov ing , of

al l loves . The sain t s fear les t God should not prize w hatoth ers know

,because of His dear j eal ousy

,and lest the

sympathy of othe rs should take off that heavenly bloomw h i ch a sorrow keeps only so l ong as i t i s un told . But,besides th is

,w e may be sure that unse lfishne ss was an

o th er reason for th ei r sec recy . They w ould not spreadsorrow i n th e w orld . Th e re was too much of i t al ready .

They w ould not sw el l th e contagion . If suffering was

harder to bear untold th an told , w ere they not ambitiousto love suffering ? “Anyhow , i f they could help i t, the i rpart i cular gri efs sh ou ld ne ver u nw rea the a singl e smi lefrom any face on earth . The tired pedes t rian sigh sw hen h e sees asteep and rugged h il l to cl imb , and he i sa l ready fi t to fain t from w eariness : so i s i t w i th the poormourner , ben t beneath h i s burden , w h en he i s shownJesus and M ary i n th ei r w oes, and i s told that as theysorrow ed

,so must h e . But how else can i t be ? O ur

sorrow must be measured by our sympathy w i th oth ers .Our act iv e

,ch eerful , quiet , unobtrusive min istries t o

oth ers must be the invariable i ndex of th e keenness ofour martyrdom .

We l earn also from th e Fligh t in to Egypt th at wemust not quest ion the ways of God, e ither in our own


but n ot i f i t i s His act , done w i th ou t con sul t ing th em .

Or at. leas t th ey w i l l sa t i sfy nature,by dign itie dlv com

plain ing to God of w hat He has done , and in s is t ingsomewhat freely and un t imorously on the addi t ion algraces by w h ich He i s to compensa te them for th i sn ew burden . I n fact, th ey ques t i on th e ways of God ,and so l ose th e ch ild lik e spi ri t of sanct i ty . M en maynot assail God , even w i th th e impe tuosi ty of theirprayers : thei r business i s to adore . O therw i se , thegracefulness of submiss ion i s gone . The righ t to morein t imate un ion w i th God i s forfei ted . The w a t ers o f

grace'

in th ei r soul become shallow ,and thei r spi r i t of

prayer th in,peev i sh

,vexed

,and w ail ing . All th is i s

because,i n thei r prayer

,th ey have had th e habi t of

being someth ing before God,i nstead of being n o thing .

I t. i s m elancholy to see h ow apt Spiri tual persons are tobe impertinen t to God . Perhaps th e fewness of thesaint s i s att ributabl e to th is .But there is comfort even here . God know s our

weakness . “re th i nk no on e can en ter into i t as w e do .

But He know s i t infinitely be t ter . He pract i ses th emost in credibl e forbearance tow ard us . He makes th emost unimaginabl e al low ances . ‘Voe unto u s i f w eshould venture to make excuses for ourselves , i f i tw ere but th e thousandth part of the excuses He makesfor us ! But w e have yet anoth er lesson to learn . We

spend th e most of our l ives in th e Holy Land,i n quiet

ness and at home . Either w e are in th e Holy Ci ty , w i thth e courts of th e temple conven ien tly at hand , or in th eunw orld ly sequestration of Nazareth , or by th e bluew ater flapping on the shore of th e calm G enne sare th .

But sometimes w e have to go dow n into Egypt to buythe wholesome corn of tribulati on , the best sustenanceof our soul s . Sometimes w e have to fly th ith er frombefore the face of men or the mach inations of th edevi ls . Now , th e lesson i s that, w hatever and w hereve rw e are , w e alw ays have Jesus w ith us . No time i s incon

venient for Him , no place unlikely . There i s no dark

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT 167

ness but He i s the l igh t, no l igh t but i ts best l ight is He .

Alas that a truth so sw eet to be remembered should soeasi ly be forgot ten ! Yet who does not forget i t ? Whoi s not always forgetting i t ? Could Mary forget Himwhen she bore Him in her arms ? Why sh ould w e ?

Why distract ourse lves from such a compan ion ? How

be so near Him,yet so seldom advert to Him ? There

are many heavy w eigh ts wh ich the thought of Himwould make l ighter . There i s a se lf—w i l led l iberty

,

wh ich d isp leases se lf and leaves dej ection after i t, which

would be sw ee t ly taken captive i f His arms w ere fel ttw i ning round our necks . There are ch i ll s i n theh eart, wh ich / w e should not feel i f He w ere nes t l ingwarmly against i t. There i s a lonel iness wh ich beckonstemptation to com e and people its w i lderness, which thecompany of Jesus w ould turn in to blamele ss talk , andsong , and gladness . I t i s easy to leave Jesus , i f w e le tHim run by our s ide over th e sands , and forget Hispresence ; but i f w e carry Him i n our arms, as love andMary do , i t requires much evi l courage to lay our Burdendow n u pon th e sand and w i lful ly w alk aw ay . He i sever w i th us ; and He is w i th us ever as a Chi ld : par t lythat th e burden may be l igh ter , par t ly that love maycome more easi ly

,partly because His l i tt leness better

suits our own . There i s but on e true symbol of theChris tian soul . We must never pain t i t oth e e ise beforeour mind ’s eye . In the dark and in the brigh t

,by dear

Jordan or by dark Nile,i t i s truly

,and forever

,a Ma

donna and Chi ld .

Such i s th e second dolor,th e Fligh t into Egyp t. Who

has not been devote d to i t from h is ch i ldhood upw ard ?W ith h ow many early pious imagin ings has i t n ot beeninterw oven I t has been a type of l ife to us . I t was apoetry w i th prayer i n it

,— a prayer w hose real i ty was

enhanced by i ts poetry . Ah ! i t w ak es old years,and

old tears as w el l ; for i t seems to w ake those wh o havelong been dead . Chi ldish memor1es

,—early beginnings

of wh ich God has taken care ,—flowers, that hav e borne


fru its in grace,a d ivi ne love

,sometimes obscured but

n ever lost,and d is t in c t steps taken i n th e know l edge

of Jesus ,— al l these th ings , w i th the soft l igh t of an un

remorseful ch i ldhood over them , come sw ee t ly out ofth is beau ti ful mystery of Jesus and Mary . Times comeback when i t looks , i n the d is tance , as i f He and w e

had been but one then , and His Mo ther and our ownblend ind is t inc t ly in to one shape , and speak w i th on ek ind of voi ce . And there i s th e sunset i n th e w i ld ern ess

,th e great orb flash ing on the rim of the desert

hori zon , i ts l igh t reflected in Joseph’s eyes ; and th en

th ere i s Jesus sl eeping on His Mother’s lap , and theround moon a bove , and th e gl i t t ering w el l , and th ewh ispering palm ,

and n igh t breath ing heavi ly over theyel low sands . But the dead do not come back again .

There w ere figures i n th e pi cture once wh ich are missing now . The years rob us as they pass. One by one,men and th ings are m issing . God alone is never m issmg.

170 THE THIRD D O LO R .

Mary , i s one of th e greatest mysteries of th e Three -andThi r ty Years . W’

e , how ever , are merely concerned w i thit as i t regards Mary ’s sorrow .

The quiet l ife o f Nazare th was on ly interrupted by th edu t ies of re l igion , which brough t back fresh blessingsto the Holy House and augmented i ts tranqu i l l i ty .

According to the law , th e Jew s w ere obl iged to go upt o Jerusalem to w orshi p God , three t imes i n a year , unle ss they w ere legi timately h indered . The first t ime wasat th e Pasch , or feast of unleavened bread , in s t i tutedin remembrance of th e Exodus from Egypt

,and cor

responding to our Easter . This was th e greatest of themall. The second time was th e feast of w eeks , which wasPentecost or our \Vh itsun tide . The th i rd was th e feast oftabernac les . the feas t of l igh t-h ear tedness and gratitude,to be observed when “ th ey had gathered i n th e fruitso f th e barn -floor and th e w in e-press .” To al l thesefeasts Joseph w en t up yearly . The w omen w ere n otbound by thi s law ; and some contemplatives have saidthat

,whi le Joseph w en t up to Jerusalem three times a

year, Mary w en t up w i th Jesus on ce a year , at th e Pasch ,or feas t of unl eavened bread . F i ve years had now passeds ince the re turn from Egypt , and Jesus was tw elve yearsold. I n that year, as th e Gospel narrat i ve tel l s us , Hew en t up to Jerusalem at th e Pasch , w i th Mary andJoseph , and , according to th e trad it ion , He w en t on foot .I n the minds of al l th ree th ere could be but on ethought . I t i s probable th at S t. Joseph kn ew of th emyst eries of th e Passion , as w el l as our Blessed Lady ;and Jan e Mary of th e Cross te l ls us that i t was revealedto her , that, before h e died , h e was al low ed to feel allth e pains o f th e Passi on i n such measure as was fi t t i ng

,

j ust as w e read of o ther saints , some of whom havebeen permitted t o parti ci pate in some on e mystery of i t

,

and some of them to go th rough al l . Thus , as His lastPasch was always before our Lord , so was i t n ever forgotten ei ther by Mary or by Joseph . I t w ou ld be especially and v iv id ly before th em as th ey went up yearly

THE THREE DAYS’ LO SS. 1 71

to Jerusalem . As th ey journeyed upon thei r way,over

the hi l l s or through the glens,upon th e w ide road that

lay l ike a thread over the green uplands,Calvary w i th

its th ree Crosses rose ever against the sky as the realgoal to which they were tending . But al l th ings w erenot alw ays clear to our Lady . As our Lord at season sve i led th e operations of His Sacred Heart from hersight , so sometimes the future was not present to her,nor th e whol e mystery of the presen t unders tood . Shehung upon Jesus for everv th ing ; and i t was her joy thatevery thing was His , and no th ing was h e r ow n . For

what i s th e creature but the emp t in ess w hi ch th e Crea torfi l ls ? So

,according to His w i l l , our Blessed M o ther l i t tl e

deemed that , w hi l e His Calvary was st i l l years off, herswas close at hand .

How her love for Jesu s grew i n that j ourney to Jerusalem ! The th ought of His bi t te r Passion in h er heartun i ted i tsel f w i th th e sigh t of the Boy of tw elve beforeh er ou tw ard eyes

,and love rose in a flood . Each moment

He seemed to her so infini tely more precious than He

had done th e momen t before , that sh e though t she wasonly just beginn ing to love Him rightly , and yet th enext momen t dis tanced that love also . She knew w ell

,

sh e had know n i t al l along , that sh e never could love

Him as He deserved to be loved . A thousand Marys ,wh i ch seems to our minds l ike someth ing more than al lpossible creati ons

,could no t have loved IIim w orth i ly .

There was‘some th ing also in the Creator being a Boywh i ch was more than the Creator being a ch i ld . Thespeech lessness

,th e h elplessness

,of infan cy , the v i sibl e

palpable contradi ction betw een that state an d Hise ternal perfec t i on s

,stamped i t more comple t ely as a

myst ery . The Human Nature was tranqu i l , was passiv e,and the Divin e Nature h idden under i t . Th e action swh i ch w ere seen w ere the mere mech ani cal act ions ofhuman l i fe . They w ere i ts spontaneous vegetation . TheO perat i ons of th e perfec t reason , perfect w i th al l i tsungrow ing and unutterable p erfections from th e first

172 THE THIRD DOLOR .

moment of Concept ion , w ere inv i sible . I t was p lain i twas a mys tery , an d somehow th ings are l ess mys teriouswhen they open ly announce themselves as mysteries .But i n th e Boyhood there was more of the human w i l lapparen t . There were perhaps di sc losures of a par t i cularhuman charac t er . The mind gave a cogn i zab le expression to th e coun tenance . There was a gai t i n walk ing,a way of using th e hands , and many o ther things wh ichmake boyhood more defin i te , more ind iv idual , thanch i ldhood . By a mother’s heart none of these th ingsare e i ther unno t i ced or unvalued . They are th e al imentsof ma t ernal love , j ust when the in ci pien t independenceof boyhood i s a trial after th e sw ee t dependences ofinfancy . But w e must remember w hat al l these th ings

were i n Jesus, i n order to est imate fairly what they w eret o our Lady . \Vho can doub t that there was a spi ritualbeauty sh in ing i n al l He did ,

a celest ial gracefuln essbrea thing over every th ing, wh ich w ould take captiveevery hour by new surprises th e Mother ’s h ear t ? But,above al l

,these th ings brough t ou t w onderfully th e

Div ine Nature . I t seems a con t rad i c t ion to say so ; but,i f w e reflec t, w e must see that th e more the human w i l l

was man ifested , th e more developmen t, the more action ,there was about the l ow er nature , the more al so byv i rtue of th e Hypostati c Un ion must th e glory of th eDivin e Person have d isclosed i tself. \Vhen the mysterylay sti l l

,i n th e hush of ch i ldhood

,i t was w orshipped

as i n a san ctuary ; but when i t moved , and spoke , andw orked , and w i l led , i n th e coun t less daily acts andmovements of l i fe , i t came for th as i t w ere from i tssanctuary , and exh ib i ted i tsel f to men . I t flashed outof His eyes ; i t spoke from His l i ps ; i t s musi c escapedthrough His tone ; i t betrayed i tself in His w alk ; itmade His fingers d rop “

w i th th e choicest myrrhH is whol e outward l i fe was l igh t and fragran ce

,as His

ch i ldhood passed away , and th e day of His boyhoodbroke , and th e shadows reti red . All day long He wasacting, and H i s ac tions had on them th e stamp , or the

174 THE THIRD DO LOR .

of those hearts of Joseph and Mary . But how th e myste ry deepen s when be tw een J oseph and M ary kneel sdow n th e Everlas t ing God ,

l ie w i th th e unspeakabl eName , now j us t tw elve years old ,

human years coun tedby c i rc l ing seasons and th e fi l l ing and emp tying ofmoons ! \Vou ld the songs go on in heaven w hen th e

In carna t e \Verd prayed on ear th ? no t al l th eangels fold the i r w ings around th em , t imorously hush ed ,w hi l e th e prayer of the Coequal God rose up before th eThrone , cast ing far aw ay in t o invi s ible shades th e poorpermiss i on s of creature ’s w orsh ip ? And Mary andJoseph ceased to pray to th e Throne in heaven

,or to

th e presence beh ind th e Vei l , but i n prostrate ecstasyth ey adored the E terna l w ho w as be tw een them

,and

con fessed in mute thanksc iving the d read Div in i ty ofth e Boy whose w ords w ere almost stealing their soul s ou tof thei r ear thly tabernacl es . Was ever t emple cou sec rated w i th such a consecrati on ? W

'

as i t no t s t rangetha t ear th should go on rol ling through space th e sameas ever , and the sun ri se and shine and say noth ing , an dthe moon ge t up beh ind th e h i l ls , and si lver th e w hol el andscape

,and float down again to th e opposi te hori zon

,

w i thou t so much as a smi le of con sciousn ess ? \Vas i tn ot more st range th at J erusalem w en t about its w ork ,and d id not in s t in c t i vely feel that someth ing had happened to i t more w onderful than David ’s triumph s orth e dazzling court of Solomon ? A Son of Davi d ,greate r than Solomon

,

” older than th e day of Abraham ,

was among the crowds , one w h o could des t roy th etemple and build i t up again i n th ree days , a Boy oftw elve , fai r to l ook upon , bu t to Jerusalem only ason e o f many b ovs w hom many mothers had brough tto th e feast w i th in i ts an cien t wal l s and in its h istori csan ctuary .

But the w eek of unl eavened bread came to a close .

Mul t i tudes,as usual

,had th ronged th e Hol y Ci ty , l ik e a

modern Roman Eas ter . Every tribe had sen t i t s w orsh ippers . They had come who dwel t i n th e sou thern

THE THREE DAYs’ LOSS. 175

most v il lages ofSimeon , or i n th e l ot of Reuben beyondth e mountains of Abarim ,

or from M anasses beyond th eriver , or from the shores of Aser , or from w here Lebanon looks down on Naph thali. Accord ing to cus tom , th emulti tudes w ere told off i n separate th rongs , leav in gJerusalem at differen t times, the men toge ther and thew omen togeth er . They left i n th e afternoon , the menby one gate

,the w omen by another , to reun ite at th e

h al ting-place of th e fi rst n igh t . By th is means confusion w as avoided . The ci ty w as emp t ied w i thou tscen es whi ch w ould hard ly be appropriate to so solemna season and w ould be especi al ly undesi rab le after th erel igious occupation s of th e past w eek . The roads

,also

,

w ou ld no t be crowd ed al l at once,but tha t huge mul t i

tude w ould thaw quie tly aw ay in order and tranqui ll i ty .

Thus i t was that M ary and Joseph w e re separa ted duringth e fi rs t day

’

s journey,w hich was in real i ty but th e jour

ney of an afternoon . An opportu n i ty was also thus presen ted to our Blessed Lord to separate from them unp e

e e ived . So w hen th e w omen to whose caravan Marybelonged w ere mus tered at thei r proper gate

,Jesus was

not there . Bu t ch i ldren migh t go ei ther w i th th e

fa ther or th e mother . He was, th erefore , doubtless w i thJoseph . Mary m i ssed Him ; but i t was sw ee t t o thinkh ow He was al l the w h i l e fi l l ing Joseph ’s h eart w i thtides of j oy and l ove . She mus t learn to b e unselfi shw i th Him be t imes ; for the day w ould come w hen He

w ould be taken from her . Alas ! i t was come , anoth erday that sh e h ad not suspec ted

,and He was gone . She

w en t upon her j ourney ; and , as the revela t i on s of th esain ts tel l us

,wha t

,i ndeed , God

’s ordinary ways w ou ldlead us to expect, the Holy Ghost flooded her soul w i thunusual sw eetness , th e common prel iminary to unusualtri al . Her thoughts w ere gen t ly d iverted from theabsence of Jesus . She was absorbed in God , and t rodth e groun d , and kept th e pa th ,

and answ ered questionson ly mechan i cally . Her soul was being annealed again


in th e furnace of d iv ine love , t o enabl e h er to p assth rough the ordeal that was coming .

The shades of even ing had fallen on th e earth beforeth e two bands of men and women met a t th e accustomedhal t ing- place . Joseph was w ai t ing for Mary , but Jesuswas not w i th him . Mary ’s hear t sank w i th in her beforesh e spok e . Joseph knew nothing . His unw orth inesswould have fel t surprise i f Jesus had accompan ied Himrather th an His Mo ther . He had supposed He was w i thMary

,and had not been disqu ieted . The bustle of th e

hal t,th e cries of th e crowd , th e preparat ions for th e

even ing meal, th e un load ing an d w atering of th e beasts

of burden,al l d ied out of the ir ears . They w ere sud

denly alon e , alon e amidst th e multi tude , more lonelythan two hearts had ever been s ince th e sun set onAdam and E ve , flush ing th e mountains of parad ise ,wh ich to them w ere as cloisters th ey migh t cross n omore . Joseph was crush ed to th e very earth . Theli ght w en t out i n Mary ’s soul , and a more terrifi c sp ir itual desolat ion fol low ed than any of th e sain ts haveeve r known . What could i t mean ? Jesus was gon e .I t was a h arder idea for h er to real i ze th an th e mysteryof th e I ncarnat ion had been . I f th e rol l ing un iversehad stepp ed , i t w ould have been less of a su rpr ise . I fth e trumpets of doom had blown , her heart w ould n oth ave quai led as now . They w ould ask among the i rk insfolk and acquain tance i f He was w i th th em ; asmany of th em loved th e Boy exceedingly , w i th yearnings of h eart w h i ch th ey w h o fe l t th em could n ot comprehend . They w ould ask ,

but Mary knew i t w ould beal l i n vai n . Sh e knew Him too w el l n ot t o be certainthat i f He had been in th e company He w ould longs ince have j oined h e r. No such ord inary occurren cewould have been al low ed to b reak th e un ion betw eenh er h eart

,

and His . She fel t th at th e depth of hermi se ry was not going to be so shall ow as th is . An abysshad opened , and a cold w i nd was rush ing out. of i t wh ichfroze every san ctuary w i th in her soul . They made the ir

178 THE THIRD DOLOR.

seen al l i ts mysteries , read al l i ts secrets , l i ved almostperpetual ly i n i ts l i fe ? lVas sh e unw orthy of Him ?She knew sh e was. Had He, therefore , left her ? I twas not l ik e Him . But she did not see things as before,and it migh t be so . Had He gone back to His Father

,

l eav ing unredeemed th e world w h ich d id not wantH im ? No ! that was impossible . He had not paid th eprice of h er Immacula te Conception yet . Tyrants se ldom slumber . Had Arch elaus w a t ched h i s Opportuni ty,and se ized Him ? Herod migh t have l eft h i s son thatcharge as a legacy of state-craft. Had sh e perhaps misa

taken the date of Calvary , and was i t t o come now ?

W'

as th e Boy hanging on a cross that moment, i n th edarkness , on some moun t outside th e gates ? Oh , th ebew i ld ering agony of th i s unusual darkness ! She hasseen al l the Passion before i n her sp i ri t. How did i tgo ? lVas sh e not there ? She canno t remember . Sh ecan recover noth ing . lVith in , there i s n othing butdarkness

,covering every th ing . I s He ac tual ly dead

w i thout her, His Blood sh ed , and sh e not th ere ?

Agony ! Has He gone to death , purposely w i thout te l la

ing her,out of k indness ? Oh , no ! so cruel a k indness

would have been contrary to th e un ion of the i r h earts .But th is

,th i s very separati on , w i thout a w ord , and then

th is interior darkness, i n wh ich He has w rapped hersoul

, h ow do these comport w i th that un ion of theirhearts ? Ah ! then there i s not certain ty to go upon,except th e certain ty tha t He is God . This very sorrowsh ow s h er that sh e i s not to argue from what has gonebefore . The past

,i t seems, did n ot necessari ly p ro

ph esy th e future . Not to understand i t, tha t i s suchsuffering . Sudden darkness after excessi ve l igh t isl i ke a blow . Her soul wants t o see . But i t i s h ooded .

A baffl ing bl indness has come on . She has noth ing lefth er now ,

bu t that w h ich n eve r was dislodged from thedepth s of her soul , th e gift of peace . Oh , h ow th ewate rs o f bi tterne ss rose si lently out of th e endlesscaverns of that peace

,the subterranean b i tt erness wh ich

THE THREE DAYS’ LOSS. 179

“ who does not know th at has once fel t i t — l eaves itstaste for l ifePerhaps He had gone into th e w i lderness to j oin that

marvel of eremi ti cal san cti ty , th e boy John , th e son ofZ acharias

,hereafter to be cal led th e Bapti st . He was

making hi s nov i tiate of years, in that tender age, amongthe w i ld beasts , lon ely , hunger- smi tten , th e prey of heatand cold , of w ind and w e t , preparing for h is mission ,wh i ch was to forerun the preach ing of Jesus . Has herBoy gone to j oi n h im

,gon e to share i n that novi tiate ?

Sh e w ould have know n i t was not so i f sh e could haveseen as u sual . But i t was th e misery of her i nw arddarkness that sh e no longer seemed to understandJesus . I t was th e on ly l igh t sh e w an ted . All th ew orld beside migh t have been dark to h er

,and sh e

could have borne th e burden ligh tly . But not tounderstand Jesus was a variety of mar tyrdom sh e hadnever dreamed of. Ye t do not most mo thers taste i tsomewhat as thei r ch i ldren

,now in n ew trial s and un

proved spheres , and so needing most th e old uni ty w i thth e mother’s h eart

,out-grow th ei r ch i ld l ike confidence

,

and l ive dow n in thei r own h earts , and have mysteri esWri tten on thei r brows ? There are hearts to whom thi si s sharp . But they are far off from th e woe of Marywhen th e Boy of Nazareth fi rst began to look un l ik e th eBabe of Bethlehem . Perhaps He had gon e to Bethlehem , on a v is i t to Hi s own sanctuary . Bu t could Hehave any wo rk th ere

,connected w i th the redemption

of the w orld ? An d i f He had only gone because Heloved to go , was that l ike Him ? Mary Was perplexed .

A whi l e since sh e would have answ ered,No ! w i th th e

utmost confidence . Now sh e Was not so sure ; and evenher humil i ty made her less sure than her darkness byi tself w ould have done . All th is was so unl ike Him !He m igh t do any th ing now . Whatever He did w ould ,of course , be holy . But He might do any th ing , so faras h er understanding Him w ent . B ut i f He had goneonly ou t of devout p leasure, H is p leasure wou ld have

180 THE mmn DOLOR.

been so much greater i f they had been w ith H im . Be~

sides that,w ou ld He have gone for pl easure w i thout

tel l ing them,w hen He knew how aw ful th e pain of

missing Him w ould be to them ? Mary could not b esu re He w ould not ; for why did He do w hat He haddone ? t y give th is pain at al l ? Has He eman

cipated Himself ? But He i s only tw elve ! Again : ifHe had done so

, w ould he not have spoken ? Sh e

cannot tel l . She can tel l n oth ing . She know s noth ing . Only He i s God . Her brui sed heart must kneeland bleed

,and bleed and kneel . She i s crucified in

th e darkness,as He w i l l on e day be . He has aban

doued her, as His Father w il l , one day, abandon Him .

Go on,w eary

,forlorn

,forsaken Mother ! th e daybreak

i s catch ing th e tow ers of Sion : th ith er drag th i s . inex

pli cable load of gri ef,thou wonderful daughter of th e

Most High !

Meanwh i l e where i s our Blessed Lord ? In Jerusal em .

Of w hat He has been doing w e know somewhat . Scri pture tell s us the strangest part ; th e revelation s of th esain ts d isc lose what w e migh t have d iv ined as likely .

He prayed long prayers in the temple . He has gone toth e meetings of the doctors an d elders ; and there Hefinds how they strive

‘

to face th e oracl es of ancien t pro

ph e cy, and make out a glorious, w arl ik e , tr iumphan tstatesman Messias, who shall effect a pol i ti cal del iveran ce for Hi s oppressed people . Here He beholds th egrand obstacle to th e recepti on of Hi s doctrine and toth e mystery of th e Incarna t i on . Th is must be removed .

Those at least wh o have ears to hear must be allow ed toh ear th e truth . I t i s His h eaven ly Father’s w ork . SoHe modestly puts H imself forward , as if to ask quest ions . His sw eetn ess w ins al l hearts . The graves tdoctors hang upon His words . He puts H is obj ectionsgen t ly , suggests w onderful mean ings t o deep prophecies,leads th em to see that the ir own v iew i s n ot tenabl e

,

and el ic i ts from them th e spi ri tual truth as if i t was th elesson He Himsel f was rece iv ing, not a new wisdom He

1 82 THE THIRD DO LOR .

l uck to see Him . O thers too raised hopes , w hi ch w ereas soon to si nk agai n . On the t0 p of Mary

's sorrowcame now a w orld of good advi ce

,w h ich made the load

no l igh t e r . t y did sh e no t seek Him here ? t y

did she n ot seek Him there ? K i nd soul s ! she hadsough t Him everyw here . She had sough t Him asmo thers w i l l seek missing ch i ldren ; and many spo t s arenot overlook ed in such a search as that . Then someon e had given an alms to a boy , w h o was no t nu

l i ke th e descript ion,and w hose lovel in ess and manner

had left an impression beh ind . But sh e could sayn oth ing further . How ever

, it was a gl eam of l igh tto Mary . There w ere clearly n ot. two boys i n the w orldwho w ould answ er to h er description . Then anotherw oman ,

w hen sh e O pen ed h e r house i n th e morn ing, hadseen a boy lying on th e ground u nder the eaves . Sheonly saw Him for a moment, but He was fai r—hai red andbeauti ful . Another had seen a boy , not un l ike th edescript ion

,break ing a loaf betw een tw o beggars in th e

street ; but he had not w a t ch ed wh i ch way He w en t .He had th en been in Jerusal em yesterday , i f He wasnot there to-day. But another had seen Him th at morning by the s ide of a si ck person . Here was more l igh t .Mary could be shown w here th e sick person l ived . Sh esaw h er and spok e w i th h er . She heard the poorsufferer describe th e w inn ing w ays of th e boy-nurse , Hisvoic e

,His eyes

,His h oly w ords w h ich had brough t th e

tears into h er eyes,and th e strange presence of God

wh ich He h ad left behind Him in her soul . Mary ’sh eart burn ed . She drank in every word . I t was Jesus .I t could be non e else . But w here had He come from ?wh ither was He gon e ? The inval id could not say . Sh eknew no th ing . He had come and gone . t i l e He wasw i th her , sh e was so engrossed w i th Him , sh e had notth ought of ask ing H im any quest-ion s . And the sunsloped w estw ard

,and w en t down

,and the shades fe l l

,

and the quie t o f n igh t came upon busy Jerusalem ; butJesus was not found I t had b e en a weary day . Ne ither

THE THREE DAYS’

Le ss. 183

Mary nor Joseph had broken th ei r fas t al l day . Theyw ere hunger-smitten for th e Ch i ld . A broken heartwants sleep and food less than o thers . The

’

n igh t outs ide was dark , but th e n igh t of Mary

’s sou l was darker .Whether i t was after t-h 1 ee fu l l days , during w hi chMa1y was left as it w ere en tombed in thi s h ideous darkness

,or whether i t Was on the th i1 d morn ing , so i t was

th at Mal y and Joseph w ent up to the temple to lay th ei rsorrow s again before the Lord . They w en t i n by th eeastern gate . New, close to th i s gate there was a spac iousroom,a sort of Academy , i n w hich the i nterpre ters ofth e law sat, and answ ered ques t ions , and resolved doubts,and modera ted in disputa t ion s . S t . Paul speaks of thi splace in h i s defen ce before Fel ix , w h en h e says tha t hewas not foun d di spu t i ng in the temple . I t w as th erealso

,at Gamal iel ’s fee t , th at th e great Apos t l e of the

Gen ti les learned th e tradi t ions of the law . By th e

open ing into th i s academy Joseph and M ary h ad to pass .It was n ot a likely place for th em to enter . But th eMo th er’s ear has caugh t a sound , in wh i ch i t

“

was impos

s ible that sh e should be mi staken . I t i s the voic e ofJesus . They enter . The doctors are look ing on Himwi th a mix ture of aw e and pl easure . There has

“

n everbeen such a doctor in that Academy before . Josephand Mary also w ondered . She had never heard quitethat tone of voice before . She had h e re 1 seen that l igh tin His eye before . He i so

'

ul wmsh ipp ed in His presen ce . But sh e h ad r ights o

‘

ve r tha t Boy,

“

wh o was

aston ish ing th e w i se e lde i s of th e nation . She Wouldfain have knel t before Him , but sh e knew that was notthe place; nor th e time . Bu t sh e came forward

,and

said to Him ,Son , why hast Thou done so to us ? Behold

,

Thy father and I have sought Thee , sorrow in g . Hecould see that, w i thout h er say ing i t . He. could see th erav ag es w h i ch grief had made in her countenan ce . He

could hear i t in h er Voice w eak and trembl ing . Hecould se e i t i n th e feebl eness wh ich was l ett ing th e flush

ofjoy almost overpower her . Bu t He had no need so to

L84 THE THIRD DO LO R.

e c and h ear it. He had never been aw ay from h er.

He had been lyin" i n h er h eart th e whol e w h i le . Heh ad been met ing ou t to her j ust those su ppl i es both ofphysi ca l s t reng th and of h e avenlv grace , wh i ch w ereneeded to enabl e h e r to endure . His own hear t h adbeen crucifi ed w i th hers . Bu t th e 1n vstcry was no t over .He said to them , I l ow i s i t th at you sough t Me ? Did

you not kn ow tha t I mus t be about M y Fa ther’s busi~

n ess ? He has tak en out Simeon ’s sw ord , and thrust i nHis ow n . W

'

hy had M ary sought I l im ? Oh,th ink of

Beth leh em , th e w i ldern ess , Egypt , and Nazare th ! W’

hyhad she sough t Him ? Poor Mo ther ! could sh e haved one o therw i se than se ek Him ? How could sh e havel i ved w i thout Him ? There w ere a th ousand reasonswhy sh e should have sough t Him . Does He deny herrigh t s ? I s He abou t to take them from her

,and j ust

,

too,i n th e j oy of finding Him ? R igh t s ! They w ere

His ow n gift . He could take them back i f He pleased .

But Hi s Fl esh , His blood , His beating Heart , w ere notthese in some sense hers ? No ! rather h ers w ere Hi s .B u t the righ t to love Him , can even th e Creator takethat aw ay from th e creatu re ? No ! th at righ t is inalie nabl e . Creat ion mus t be uncreated before tha t righ t canbe forfe ited . If He i s going to part w i th her now at thatvcrv eastern gate of the templ e , w h ich was a type ofh e rse l f, n everth eless sh e w ill love Him as before , and

not only as before , but a thousand tim es more . Thatl ook

,that tone , wh en He was among th e doctors— t h ey

have gon e deep into h er soul . To h er,they w ere abso

lu t e revel ati on s of God .

Is th e dark ness gone ? Far from it ! For th e momentHe has th ick ened i t by His w ords . They understoodnot th e w ord that He had spok en unto them .

” ButHe i s not gain" to leave h er . He has been abou t Hish eavenl y Fa th er’s busin ess in Jerusalem . Now

,th e

same busin ess tak es Him back to Nazare th . And He,

so much more l ovely : and she , so much more h ol y ; andloseph . nigher to God than ev er, and more l ike th e


anv th ing, and i t appeared as i f h er soul and bodywould be torn asunder . She was compel led , therefore,to cal l on our Lady to help h e r ; for sh e could no longerendure i t . At the end of Three Days

,our Lady ap

peared to h er, w i th h er Son in her arms,and sa id ,

You asked for a taste o f that sorrow wh ich I sufferedin the loss of Jesus ; and i t i s but a taste w h i ch youhave had . B u t do not ask such th ings again , becausev our w eakness cou ld no t l ive under such an agony ofgrief !* Th e seventh dolor , th e Buri al of Jesus , alon eapproaches to th is th i rd dolor i n severi ty . But formany reasons i t was much less severe . Both of th eminvolved separation from Jesus ; but i n the case of th eBurial sh e knew that He could suffe r no more . Sheunderstood the mystery . She t riumphed in the aecom

p lishmen t of th e great work of th e w orld’s redemption .

Sh e could coun t the hours to th e momen t of th e Resu rrection . . In th i s th i rd dolor sh e had los t Jesus

,an d

she kn ew not why, nor where He was, nor w hat Hemigh t be suffering . She was p lun

o ed in t o a densespi ri tual darkness , and God seemed altogeth er to hav eabandoned h e r. Hence , th e torture of her heart neverrose to a more intolerable h eigh t than during th eseThree Days , not even amidst the horrors of th e Passi on .

The loss of Jesus w ould have been,under any ci rcum

stan ces , a most fearful sorrow ; and one wh i ch i t. i s impossibl e for us , w i th our

“

l i tt l e grace and l ess love , toappre ciate at all adequately . “

T

e must have Mary’s

hear t t o fee l Mary’s grief. But th e pecul iar ci rcums tance of th e Three Days’ Loss , whi ch rendered th e losso f Jesus so d readful , was th e darkn ess in wh ich h er sou lwas cas t as in to a pi t . She , who hereto fore had been al lli gh t , was now al l darkn ess . She d id not k now w hatGod was doing w i t h h er . She h ad to act , and could no tunderstand th e c i rcumstances under wh ich sh e was ac t

Marchese, Diario, Ottobre 3 G.

THE THREE DAYS’ LO SS. 7

ing. I t was not only the con trast w i th th e past wh i chmade th e presen t so hard to bear . The n igh t th at hadcome dow n upon her was i n i tsel f i ntolerab le anguish .

She had eve r leaned on Jesus . She never knew ti l lnow h ow much sh e had l eaned upon Him . And He

had w i thdraw n Himself. She d id not see in to th efuture ; the past Was al l blurred toge ther, and gave nol igh t ; th e presen t was ful l of pe rplexity , accompaniedby in tense anguish of hear t and bi tterness of sp iri t .Sister Mary of Agreda says that the very angel s w i thheld th ei r col loquies from her

,lest they should give her

l igh t abou t the loss of Jesus . There can , of course , ben o doub t that th i s darkness of Mary was a d ivine operat ion .

'

We must look for parallels to i t i n those indescribabl e interior trials whi ch some of th e greatest sain tshave passed th rough ,

alw ays remembering , that i f theyw ere sen t to th e saints as c leansings of the spiri t , to h erImmaculate Heart th is trial could only be , as i t w ere,ano ther marvel lous san c t ification superadded to thosewhi ch had gone before . For i n her spi ri t there was

no thing to cleanse . The w ork , th e parallel to w h ich i nth e saints took long years to do

,migh t be accompl ished

in our Lady ’s soul i n th ree days , not on ly because of herperfec t ion s wh ich w ould en abl e grace to w ork morerapidly and w i th out th e shadow of an obstacle

,but al so

because the divi ne O peration s i n th e soul seem scarcelyto need th e lap se of time . Wh o does not know h ow i ndreams , in acc idents , i n momen ts of great suffering , t imeappears almost m iraculously compressed ? Long yearsof prev ious l ife pass i n d is t in ct

,orderly

,and cogni zabl e

array before the soul,wh ich seems i n tel l igently to com

ment on each of them ; and yet th e whole process hasoccupi e d only th e space of a l ightn ing-flash . I n th esame way,

w e have appari tion s of souls from purgatory ,com p l ain ing of th e l ong years i n w hi ch thei r fri endshave l eft th em in the flames w i th ou t mass or suffrage ,w hen the sun of the day on w hi ch they d ied i s not yet '

se t . We are taught to bel i eve that the parti cu lar j udg

188 THE rump DO LOR .

ment , wh ich awaits us at th e end of l i fe , w i l l occupybut a momen t of t ime . Again : one ac t ion w i l l somet imes appear to do the w o rk of years , even in respec t ofthe format i on of habi ts . Thi s i s espec ial ly th e case w i thh ero ic ac t i ons , such as Abraham

’s sac rifice . The samething may occur i n th e profession of a rel igious . Theremay be some thing ak i n to i t i n th e spec ia l grace of th edifferen t sacram ents . Are th ere any of us w h o do notremember experien cing some marvel lously sw i ft processes of grace , w h ich seemed hardly to requi re success ion of t ime , so instan taneous were th ey , and yet averi table procession and sequen ce of differen t s t ep s ? Soi n the perfect sou l of Mary

,already elevated by grace

and u n ion to so subl ime a height , th is d iv i ne darknessof th ree days may have w rough t th e most aston i sh ingeffects , w hi ch w e cannot describe , seeing that h erheigh t

,even before that , w as far abov e ou t of our sigh t .

Th is darkness i s a pecul iar i ty of th e th i rd dolor i nw h ich no o ther of our Blessed Lady ’s sufferings sharesi n the sl igh tes t degree .

I t i s n ot possib le for us to say w i th any certain ty

when thi s darkness c eased . But w e should be i ncl i nednot to refer to i t th e fact that Mary d id n ot unders tandth e w ords of Jesus in th e academy of the temp le .

Th is w e sh ould regard as rath e r a separate pecu l iari tyof th is th i rd dolor , referable to oth er causes , and anev idence of the ho ld w h ich th i s sorrow had taken uponh er na ture . Th e darkness may indeed have passed off

gradual ly,beginn ing w i th the fi rst sigh t of Jesus .

"

We

w ould venture , how ever, to conj ecture that i t passed awayen t i re ly the momen t sh e had found H im ,

wh i l e someof its consequences remained . I t may be also that th e

w eakn ess and w eariness w hi ch had been hard ly fel t , b ecause the darkness and the sorrow absorbed al l feel ing,now tol d u pon h er, and w ou ld even be brought out byth is sudden revulsion from grief to j oy , j us t as w e readof some of th e saints when long ecs tasies have passedaway . Var ious reasons have been assigned by theo

190 THE THIRD D O LOR.

world ,wh ich o th erw i se w ould not be before His th i rt ieth

year . So tha t,h e adds

,there was no “ priva t i ve igno

rance i n h er,bu t only the absen ce of know l edge of

some parti cula rs no t necessary to the perfec t ion of herscience . Bu t , w e re th is th e case , w e should be moreincl ined to refe r i t t o the con t inuance of tha t divinedarkness

,w i th wh ich God had v i si t ed her . S t . Ae lred ,

w i th o thers,in sis ts upon th e w ords being t aken by th e

figure synecdoch e , and so apply ing only t o S t . Joseph ,and no t to our Lady , j ust as the Evan g el i s t savs bothth e th ieves blasphemed upon th e cross

,w h ereas i n

real i ty,accordin g t o some commentators , on ly on e d id

5 0 . Thus , according to S t . Ae lred ,our Lady unders tood

the w ords , and lai d them up i n h er heart that sh e migh tteach them t o th e apos t l es aft erward . B u t i t may h erepl i ed that i t i s no t certain on ly on e of th e th ievesb lasphemed . On the con t rary , i t i s th e more commonO pin i on that th ey bo th did . Moreover , St . Ae lre d

’s in

t erpre tation seems to be tak ing a l iberty w i th the w ordsof the Gospel

,w hich w ould hard ly be w arran table w i th

ou t. much more au thority from trad i t i on . O thers th inkth e w ords “

they understood not” apply to th e aud ien cei n the academy , and not at all to our Lady and St . Joseph . Bu t th is does n ot recommend i tsel f. The sens e

of th e fai th ful has always found bo th difficul ty and

mys t ery in th e passage , w h i ch i t w ou ld not have don ei f that i nterpreta t ion had been obv ious or natural . Novatus th ink s that

,by a Speci al permission of God ,

M aryd id no t unde rs tand at on ce th e w ords w h i ch J e sus hadSpoken . bu t th at sh e came to th e understandin g of th emby ponder ing th em in her h eart . He finds th i s inter

pre tation most sui tabl e to th e words in the Gospel , an dh e d iscovers a paral lel to th e process in her mind

,in

th e wav i n w hi ch the sain ts, wh o have had th e gift ofproph ecy , often foresaw th e future , no t by d i rect pro

ph e tic l igh t , but by comparin g one l igh t w i th an o t h er,and so d raw ing fresh in fe rences from the compari son .

Yet i t does not ex actly appear what end is gained by

THE THREE DAYS, Loss. 191

th is supposi ti on . No one w ould deny that our Ladyhad al l the gifts w hich the sai nts have had ; but w hyshould w e gratuitously suppose that an y of th e imp e rfe ctions

,wh ich accompan ied th e exercise of th ese gift s i n

th e sain ts,should have adhered to her

,beyond those

w h i ch bel onged to her of necessi ty as a creature ?Let us ven ture to add another to th e number of con

j e ctu re s wh ich th eologian s have made upon the subj ect .I t may be supposed that every increase of san cti ty inour B l essed Lady was accompan ied by a propor t i on at eincrease in her sci ence . In a perfect and unfal len naturel i ke hers it “i s not easy to conceiv e of th e two processesbeing separate . I n th e case of one w h o has sinned ,hardness of h eart may be removed in degrees quite d isproporti on ed w i th th e removal of darkness of mind .

Ligh t and love , th ough always correlati ves , are not suchin sinners in th e perfec t way in w hich they are so to th einnocen t . Thus w e presume that th e mysti cal darkness ,whi ch God sen t as a spi ri tual tri al to ov erspread M ary ’ssoul

,gave rise to such h eroi c acts of love and un ion

,

that i t raised her to enormous h eights of hol in ess aboveth ose l ofty mountain - tops on whi ch sh e h ad stood before .W e presume that th ere was more difference of a supernatural k ind betw een th e M ary wh o left the temple-gateat th e end of th e w eek of unleavened bread and theMary wh o entered i t th e morn in g she found Jesus

,th an

th ere ever was betw een a sain t i n h is saintly youth andth e same sain t in h i s far more sain tly old age . Therecould

“

be no revolution s i n Mary , because th ere w as

noth ing to destroy , noth ing to overturn . All thatcou ld be don e was t o superadd . But th e sup eraddi

t ions might be so immense , or so sw i ftly accumulated ,or so in s tantan eously conferred , as to produce a changew h i ch in any case but hers w e sh ould call a revoluti on .

This i s surely what th eol ogian s mean ,w hen they speak

of h er fi rst sanctification , h er second sanctificat ion ,her

th i rd san ct ifi cation , and so on . They do not mean to

deny that she was always me r i ting and thus always


grow ing in grace ; but that th e Immacu late Conception ,th e In carnat ion , the Descen t of th e Holy Ghost , or herDeath , w ere , so to speak , crea t i ve h poch s i n h e r sanct ifi.

ca t ion . wh ich d id not fol low th e law s of common grow th .

lVe w ould regard the in t erior darkness o f th e ThreeDa y s ’ Loss as an epoch of th is d escrip t i on .

But. h ow does th is bear upon her not understandingth e w ords of Jesus ? lVe must moun t for a w h i le to theh i ghest region s of mvstical theolog y . There is a sc ienceso high that i t confines upon ignoran ce . I t i s w here th ehuman borders on th e d iv ine . I t i s a t an unspeakableheigh t , only no t unapproachable because some few sai nts ,and th e seraph im ,

have reach ed i t . Our Lady perhapsreached a h igher heigh t . There a re l im i t s to the possibilities of creatures . Our Lady reach ed th e ut termostof those l im its , and l ooked out on the Div in e Abysswhich lay beyond . There th e darkn ess i s excess ofl igh t , and the s ci en ce ign oran ce , not on ly because lan~guage has n o vessel s t o h old i t s defini t i on s thought n omoulds t o contain i t s ideas . but also because th e. eyes ofth e sou l are closed and God i s reached .

’

\Vhat th e spi ri tsees i s

,that i t doe s not know , that i t cannot know , that

i t. i s submerged , tha t i ts l igh t i s a marvellous indi s t i n ctdi s t in c tness , that know l edge has l os t i t sel f in love , andlove i s livin g h idden ly i n fruiti on . The same w ords w i l l

convev differen t. ideas t o d ifferen t minds . If w e say th emoon goes round th e ear th , th e coun t ryman unders tandsus . but th e sc i e n t ifi c man unders tands i t d ifferen tly , b ecause h e unders tands i t more w idely . An angel migh tunders tand i t differen t ly s t i l l . So the w ords w hi ch ourBlessed Lord spake in th e temple w ere n o t. understoodby th e

” doc tors,because th ey d id n ot know w ho His

'

fa ther was, or what was h is business , or why His fathersh ould n o t seek Him because He had stay ed aw ay to doH is father

’

s w ork . S t . Joseph did not unders tand them ,

because , though he doub t l ess knew that Jesus spoke ofHi s E ternal Fa ther , and of the redempti on of the w orldwh ich was His Fa ther’s business, he did not know what

104 THE THIRD DOLO R .

speaks th em to th e soul Himsel f, are substant ial, andc rea t i ve

,and effec t w ha t th ey u t te r, and effec t. i t bv th e

s imp l e u t te rance . Thus there i s some th ing ex t remelyaw ful in th e immed ia t e ac t ion of th e Creator on th ec rea ture ’s sou l . I t i s a d iv in e touch ,

pressing on usw i thout any medium, n ot even sheath ing i tself i n th every flesh belonging to the sou l i t touches ; i t i s a k een ,spi ri tual operation , l ik e no o ther . Hence the d i rectac t ion of God on the souls of th e sain t s i s in efi

'

ab ly moresanc t i fying than th e persecut ion s of crea tures , or th epain of austeri t i es , or the pressure of God

'

s own extern alp rov idence . It has also the same charac t er is t i c wh ichbelongs to th e h ighest c lass of mi racles , i n being ihstan tan eous i n i t s effec t s . W

'

hen,therefore

,the in ten

t ion of God ’s immediate act ion is to cause suffering , i tmust a t tain its end i n a manner wh ich w e tremble toth i nk of. I t i s fearful to contemplate a created thingwh ich has been cal l ed out of no thingness by omn ipo

t ence for n o oth er end than to i nfl i c t torture . Such i sthe fi re of hel l

,and th e mysterious ac t i on of that fi re on

d isembodi ed soul s both in he l l and purga tory . “rho canth ink of i t w ithou t shuddering ? No benefi cen t officedoes i t fi ll . There are no ind i rec t resul t s in t o w hich itsbeing w anders

,and , as i t w ere , res t s . I t was c rea t ed to

torture . I t i s n o elemen t turned to ano ther end . I thas an end . I t keeps to i t . Th rough ete rn i ty i t w i l ln ever flag . Mul t iply , deepen ,

broaden,condense the

mass i t has to ac t upon , and i t i s ready to w ork uponthat mass , und i verted , uns t retch ed , unw eakened . I tkn ow s what it has to do , and i t does i t w i th terrifi ct ru th ,

w i th unblamabl e success . Yet th is fi re i s b u t asecondary cause . \Vhat mus t the touch of God Himselfbe , a touch , too , w h ich i s lov ingly bent on infl i c t i ngpain ? Oh , th ere w ere many mar tyrdoms i n on e in th eThree Days’ Loss ! We are no t w orthy to tel l or to con~

ce ive th em . Let creatures stand aside,or ra ther le t

them li e prostrate near,w h i le God does wh at He w i l l s

Wi th H is Mother’s seul. Yet creat ion has some th ing to

THE THREE DAYS , Loss.

1

195

do w i th i t : for th e n atu ral M o ther was crucifi ed in h e rheart by th e Son whom she had born e . Bo th His

Na tures had fas te ned on her to make h er su ti'

e r . Th e

fai rness of His Face , the ligh t i n His Eyes , the a t t 1

uo

t ions of H is Human Hear t , racked h er w i th anguish assh e though t upon her loss ; w h i l e , as God , He was v is i tin g her v i th those appall ing in terio r t1 ials n h 1ch w e

have seen te rmed the ch ief par t of th e third dolor .I t i s useless to talk of seas of su i ie ring here ; infinitie sw ould bett er express our inabi li ty to speak of themat al l .VV

'

h e n Marygc row s i nto her righ t place 111 our minds

,

there are man y things wh ich h ave a differen t mean ingin her from w hat they Would hav e 111 on e or th e sain t s .The ide a of M ary w h i ch the Gospels

,as i n t erpre t ed by

catholi c theology,convey to our m inds , i s n o t merely

in tellectual v iew . Al though i t i s i n one sense a th e ological con clu s ion . ye t i t is someth ing much more thanthat . I t is a produc t of fai th and of love , w orn in bvhabi ts of prayer . Thus , over and above th e kn ow led geof the Gospel 1nvste rie s, th ere i s in the soul of th e pi ousbel i ever an appreciation , an ap prehens ion . an in s t in c t ive ,almos t in tu i t i ve , real i zat ion of Jesus and M ary

,wh i ch

has i ts ow n cer tain t i es , i t s own associati ons, i t s ow n p e rc e p t ions, i t s own analogies . I t i s true that. th e i nd iv idual m ind g i ves some color and consistence to theseth in g s : ve t. when , i n th e populari ty of farious w ri t i ngs ,in the, spi ri t. of devo tions

,i n th e contemplations of th e

sain t s , and i n o ther w ays,such ideas a t tai n a k ind of

u 11 1ve 1 salitv , th ev become th e sense of th e fai thful , andexpress t 1 0 t rue ca thol i c idea . The cul t i va t i on of righ tins t in c ts a.l 1o 1 i t ou r Blessed Lord and His M o ther i sobv iously a matter of great impor tance

,because of its

neces s ary connecti on w i th sanc t i ty , and of the influencewh ich i t exerc ises over our w orship of th e

'

Blessed Sacramen t over vari ous o ther devotions , and over th e spi ri ti n w h ich w e observe th e great feasts o f th e C liu i eh .

Now , when w e have a clear and consi stent idea of Mary

196 THE 1

11

111 111) DOLOR .

in our minds , certain th ings w e hear or read w i l l startleus and st rik e us as unl ik ely . I f th e v do not. res t uponthe au thori ty of the fai th , but are simply th e v iew ofsome preacher

,or the teach ing of a book , or th e con t-em

plation of some single sai nt, w e put th em away as un

sui table,because w e have more confi dence , and righ t ly ,

in that v i ew of our Lady wh ich has become part of oursp iri tual l i fe , than i n the preach er, the book ,

or th esi ngl e sain t . W e do not condemn them , perhaps do noteven l ik e to d iffer from them ; w e simply pu t th em

aw ay . But i f what startl es u s comes to us on th e auth ori ty of th e Church , then ei ther w e must reform th e ideain our minds

,or w e must expec t t o find so me deep

and unusual sign ificance in that w h ich surpri ses us .Now ,

there are one or two such th i ngs i n th is thirddolor ; and these must be enumerated among i t s p e culiaritie s.

First of al l,i t st rikes us as unl ik e our Blessed Lady

th at she should have al low ed h er sorrow t o w ring fromher any outward demonst rat ions of grief. She not on lyshow e’d h er sorrow i n h er outward deportmen t , but sh etold Jesus that Joseph and herse l f had sough t Him sorrow in g . She told it Him almost re proachfullv. Now

th e sai nts have born e th e greatest sorrow s i n complete,

h eroi c,and supernatural si len ce . I t h as always been

th ei r characteri st i c t o do so . They have w i sh ed nonebut God to know the i r sorrow s . Was our Lady i nferiorto any of th e sain ts i n th i s gi ft of s i len ce ? 0 11 th e contrary,

her s i len ce was one of the most remarkable ofher graces . Traditi on says that th e th ree hard ly everspoke i n th e Holy House a t Nazare th . The sw eet;heaven ly col loqui es whi ch w e should h ave pi ctured toourselv e s as a mai n part of th e l ife of th e Holy Fami lyare in ou r own imagination . They d id no t exis t . Adeeper si l en ce than that of a Carmel i t e deser t reignedthere

,or a Carthusian h ouse w here th e Alpin e w in ds

moan i n th e corridors and shake th e easemen ts,and al l

e lse is s i len t as th e tomb . The Words of Jesus were

198 THE THIRD Donon.

moun tain s of si l en ce , too ll l"ll for any voi ce to reach ,

almos t to o h igh for earth'

s fai ntes t ech oes t o soundthere . l ie did n o t n eed t eachin g as the mul t i tude did ,

from the green mound . o r on th e plain ,or by the shore

of the in land sea. liven in the da y s of His Min i s t r y ,w h i ch was the “ t ime t o speak . as th e Hidden Li fe w asthe t ime. to keep si len ce

,

” our Lord was ve ry si l en t .I l ow remarkabl y th is i s h in t ed a t th e close. of S t . John ’sGospel , the d isciple o f th e Sacred Heart ! The tex ti tself sounds as i f i t w ou ld be less of an exagg erat i on i fi t. spok e of w ords ins t ead of w ork s . B u t th ere are al somany o ther th ings whi ch Jesus d id ; w l'ic h . i f they w erew ri t ten e v e rv on e . the. w orld i tself, I th ink ,

w ould n otb e. abl e. t o con tain th e books tha t sh ould be w ri t ten .

”

“i

s : h e speak ine of the Thi rt y -Three Years ? or was he

endin g h is G o spe l . as he had begun i t , w i th the e ternaldoings of the Vv'ord ?

Bu t i s i t. not. th en all the more surpris ing that ourLady should have i ndulged in th is ou tward ,

almost re

proachfu l demons t ra t ion of her grief ? I t i s i ndeedmos t m y s ter ious . lVe know , from t he book of J ob ,

i nw ha t. boldn ess of complain t , i n w ha t seeming pe tulan ceof fami lia ri ty and l ove , God al low s His crea tures . He

seems even to take. a pleasure,and t o find a w orship , i n

the t ru thful u t t eran ce wh i ch comes up from the verydepths of the n ature He Himsel f has fash ioned . Thi si s th e mourner

'

s consola t i on ,w h en h e th inks of God .

But n o th ing of al l th i s w i l l ap ply to M arv . W'

as it ah eroi c ac t of humil i ty . byw hich sh e expressed Joseph

’ssorrow , and cou pled h ersel f w i th h im ? It may havebe e n . I t w ould b e l i k e h e r. Bu t there i s such anin t en se t ru thfulness i n the G ospel w ords that. w e do no tl ik e t o relax t he st ri c tness of the i r mean in g by suchin terpre tat i ons as th is . unless compel l ed b v obviousn ecess i t y . lve have but few of her w ords . l‘Ve w ouldra ther those. few should have mean ings in them aboutherself. “Hi s it m e ant to convey to us the exqui si tesuffering of th is dolor w i thout imply ing any need or

THE THREE DAYS’ Loss. 199

satisfaction of her ow n i n mak ing th e complain t ? Th eGospel sometimes does so ; and on ce , w hen our Lordprayed and a Voice came from heav en , He said to Hisdisciples that i t was for thei r sakes that He had prayedHis Father to glori fy Him . B ut th is in terpre tati onlabors under th e same diffi cul t-y as th e last . Therewas i ndeed humi li ty in our Lady ’s w ords . B ut it was

in coupl ing th e great bu t far inferior sorrow of Josephw i th her own . The w ords do indeed reveal to us these veritv of her affl i c t i on ,

bu t i t i s by their own tru thfu ln ess

,and in their l i teral accepta t i on . i t was the excess

of he r anguish wh ich w rung from her , not in the exci t emen t of a sudden revu ls ion of feel in g but w i th al l t ranquil l i ty and unbroken se lf—possess ion , those marvel lousw ords . Neith er was there any imperfec t i on in this .The idea of imperfec t ion only comes in w i th the ideaof d isproportion . W e complai n because of our w eakness . O ur sorrow i s out of proport ion w i th our s t rength ,and so w i thout shadow of blame we ut ter a complain t

,

and our complain t i s a faul tless imperfec t ion . Thesain ts suffer and do not complain , because thei r inw ardstrength i s proportioned to thei r sorrow , and th ei rs i lence i s a perfec t i on . But there is a step beyondth is . Speech

,i n th e creature’s extremi ty , i s its n e ce s

sary resort t o th e Creato r . Complain t to creatures i scomplain t ; but complai n t to God is adora t i on . Thesorrow s of th e sain t s have n ever been coextensive w i thth e possib i l i t i es of their natures . \Ve presume Mary’ssuffering in th is dolor to have been so . I t w en t notonly beyond the pow er , but beyond th e righ t, of si lence .

I t drove her nature to i ts ou te rmost l im i t of endurance ,magnifi cen t and w orsh ipful as that nature was. I t exac ted of her that w hich was proporti on ed to it, th e ul timate resor t of th e c rea ture , the perfect unbosomingof i tself to th e Creator . Our Lord ’s perfection in HisHuman Nature culmin ated in a w ord . His s i len ce wasindeed a most adorable perfection ; but i t was a h igherheigh t, wh en He broke out into that cry,

“ My God,


My God ,why hast Thou forsak en me ?

” Then i t wasthat His Passion had reached to the w hole bread th ofH i s Humani ty , and had cove red i t. Thus i t was thatour deares t Mo ther had her Passion at the end of theI nfancy ; and h e r Compassion , toge ther w i th His Passion , at the end of the Min istry . The darkness of th isth i rd dolo r was the Ge thsemane ; th e loss of J esus wasthe c rucifixion of her sou l ; her complain t was her cryupon the Cross , j ust w hen th e tormen t of th e Cross wasending . I t was w i th her now as i t was to be w i th Himhereafte r .There i s yet an oth er th ing wh ich strikes us as unl ik eour Lady in this th i rd dolor . I t i s h er ven turing t oques t ion our Blessed Lord as to th e reason s of His conduct . In the midst of her love of Jesus, th e though talways uppermost i n her mind , th e memory t hat n ev erw en t to sleep , th e fai th wh ich was h e r l i fe , th e factwhi ch was her w orship , was His Divin i ty . Indeed , th egreatness of h e r l ove arose from th is v ery thing . I tseems most probabl e that our Lord had actually show nh er His Div ine Nature . But at al l events sh e saw i talw ays by faith . I t was th e prominen t th ing wh ichsh e saw i n Him incessan tly . Hence i t w ould seem im

possible for h er to ques t i on H im . Her humil i ty and

her i nte l l igence w ould al ike forb id i t . Sh e had askeda question for one momen t, j ust before consen ting toth e Incarnation . But i t was of an angel , not of God ;and , moreove r , th ose days w ere passed . How i s i t th entha t sh e thus seems to cal l u pon Him , and in publ i calso , to expl ain and jus t i fy Himsel f for what He haddon e ? I n all th e Gospel s her w ords are w i thout anyparal le l . They stand out by th emselves , inv i t ing no t i ce ,and yet ful l of mystery . Her spi ri t was not troubled bythe in terior darkn ess of h er soul . I t n ever had beentroubled by it . Troubl e i s not th e w ord . Besides, th edarkness had gon e at th e fi rst s igh t of Jesus . I t wasnot in th e flush of j oy , wh i ch at that i nstan t wascrowd ing i n at all th e in lets of her soul , that sh e spoke,

202 rm: ramp DOLOR.

St . Joseph to enabl e His hum ilitv to govern and command l l i s God ,

so now d id it requ i re immense grace inMary thus to asse rt h e r righ t s ove r Jesus . But she d idi t i n th e same calm simpl ic i ty w i th wh ich sh e had cons

sen ted t o th e Incarna t i on ; and that momen t sh e stoodonce more on ano ther moun tain , h igh er than that whi cha momen t since had been th e pedes tal of her w onderfulgrace . The glory of obedien ce , th e t riumph of humil ity ,th e magn ificen ce of w orship , al l these w ere i n th e boldques t i on of the Blessed Mother .I t s hould be ment ioned also as a pecul i ari ty of th is

dol or, th at i t was one of the ch ief sufferings of our

Blessed Lord ; Perhaps more than the ch ief. I n th eseventeen th century there was a nun of th e order ofth e Visi tat ion at Turin , wh o l i ved i n a state of th emost unusual un ion w i th our Blessed Lord . Her namewas Jeanne-Bénignc Gojos. She had a special devo t i onto the Sacred Human i ty , and the pecul iar form of herspi ri tual i ty was th e offering up of al l her ac t ions to th eE terna l Father i n un ion w i th those of Jesus . I t hadbeen revealed to h er that th i s was th e part icular devo=

t ion of Marv and Joseph on earth , an“aI HOi’OUS inven

’

s

t ion ,” (so sh e cal l ed it,)by w h ich th ey th emselves hadgain ed en ormous graces . I n passing over in her mindth e vari ous mys teri es of our Lord ’s Th irty-Three Years

,

sh e fel t h erse lf supernatural ly attracted to un i te h e‘

r

soul w i th Himi n the mystery of th e Three Days’ Loss iThis became her interior occupat i on,

un ti l at las t i tp leased our Lord to reveal to h er some of th e secretsof His Sacred Heart about i t . He told h er tha t it hadcost Him more suffering than al l th e o ther pains of Hisl i fe . For then in His Mo ther’s grief

,caused by the

separati on , He beheld al l that grief in cluded , whichwas to be h er marty rdom on Calvary , and th at as thereh er body and soul would have been sundered by an

agony of grie f unless He had kept th em togeth er byIl i s omn ipoten ce , so during the Three Days

’ Loss Hisalmighty love had kept bot-h Mary and Joseph un ited

THE ram : DAYS’Less. 203

to Him , and that th e cruel ty of th e pain was so greatthat w i thou t th is secret assistan ce they could nei therof th em have surv i ved . He added moreover that thei rsorrow was s imply in compreh ensible , and that nonecou ld unders tand i t bu t Himself.* Let us medi tate onth is

,w i thou t daring to add to i t .

The heights of mysti cal theology, i n to w h ich th isdol or has led us

,must not

,how ever

,make us omi t some

other consideration s , w h ich come more nearly to our

ow n l eve l . There i s no need to seek for a cl imax i ndivin e th ings . Littl e th ings are not dw arfed by the s ideof great ones , w hen the presence of God i s seen in bo th .

We may th erefore remark this pecul iari ty of th e ThreeDays’ Loss . I f we may say so , i t enabled Mary better tounderstand the w re tchedness of those wh o are i n sin .

She was to be the mother of mercy and the refuge of

s inners . Sh e was to love them as n ever mother lovedfaultl ess ch i ld . Sh e was to be a sanctuary so fortified bylove

,th at hardly omn ipotence i tse lf should tear from i t

th e vic t ims due to jus t i ce . I t was not th en enough forher to hav e a m arvel lous v isi on of s in . Sh e must knowh ow th ey felt w h o unhappi ly had sinned . But h ow was

th is to be ? What had sin to do w i th her ? It had atonce to make her ch i ldl ess

,and to give h er mul ti tudes

of chi ldren . I ts shadow had fall en from th e fi rs t uponth e j oy of h er heart

,th e l iv ing j oy outside her that

moved about th e house of Nazare th , and th e j oy w i th i nh er wh ich was her l ife . Otherw i se , w i thin her , s in hadnothing to do . I t n ever passed there . The decree inwh i ch i t was foreseen d id not concern h er . Sh e wasdecreed before . Sh e can see th e mal i ce of sin Wellenough , when sh e looks on Jesus , and know s that i t w i l ls lay Him . But h ow i s she to d i v ine the feel ings of poorsinners , and sti l l keep her own sou l i nv iola te ? I t i s bymeans of th i s third dolor . Sin i s the loss of Jesus . Sh eknow s now the misery of that . Sin i s the loss of Jesus

a Vie, p . 453 .

204 THE mmn DOLOR .

w h en w e have once possessed Him . She k now s th ata lso ; for there was th e s t i ng . The uncertainty to w h ichsh e was a prey , wh i le the supernatural darkness res tedon her soul , and wh ich made her doubt i f h er own nu

w or thiness had repel led J esus from her,gav e her an

approach at least to the d ismay of one who has forfei tedgrace , and los t our Lord by h i s own fau l t . A t l east i tenabl ed her to know th e kind of pain . But to lose Jesusafter hav ing on ce possessed Him , an d not to feel th e loss,nay, to be posi t i vely indifferen t to i t, to acknow ledge i t,and yet not care for it, —th is, after what sh e had fe l t,most piteously d isclosed to her th e w orst unhappin ess

,

th e direst n eed of th e luck less sinner ! Henceforth , i fshe measures sin by Calvary , sh e w i l l measure her love ofs inners by th e dolor of the Th ree Days’ Loss ; and havewe not said al ready that i t was th e greates t of them al l ?But there was s t i l l anoth er peculiari ty in . th is dolor .I t d id w hat beforehand could never have been expec ted .

I t brought forth i n Mary ’s heart a new love of Jesus , th elove of w hat w e have lost and mourned , and th en gotback again . Affec t ion h as no greater consecrati on thanth is . I t i s a flow e r w hi ch grow s ve ry commonly onhuman sorrow s , but i t i s surpassingly beau t i ful in al l i tsvarieties . Mothers have ben t ove r th e beds of thei rdying ch ildren

,as though thei r h ear t s w ould burst.

They w ould not stay God’s hand , even if they could .

Th ei r w i l l i s w i th H is . Bu t thei r hearts ! Oh , th is v eryconfo rmity of th ei r w i l l sends al l th e sorrow rush ing toth e h ear t. The flow e r w i th ers . They see i t w i theringbefore th e i r eyes h our by hour . Human sk il l has cer t ified now to th e absenc e of h Op e . I t should h ave saidrath er to th e absen ce of trus t i n i tsel f. I t i s u selesst o Speak of n o h ope to a mo th er . I t i s a language sh e

does not understand . The bi tte rness of death i s i n h ersoul ; but she h Op es. She has mad e he r sacrifi ce to God ;but st i l l sh e hopes . Nobody else hopes , but sh e hopes .

Hope holds he r h eart toge th er, but on ly j ust h olds i t.But a change comes over the face of her ch ild . It seems

206 rm: THIRD not es .

only happen on ce in creat ion , and to one creature , th eelected Mo ther of God . She yearned for Jesus , becausesh e was His Mother . She yearned for His sensible pres

sen ce,for His v isible beau ty . She yearned for them th e

more intensely,because her th oughts w ere not habi

tuated to separate th e Eternal from the Chi ld . Whyshould she stay h er devotion , or unsimpl ify her w orsh ip ,by d isun i t ing in thought what God had un i t ed , and

un i ted by such rivets as those of th e Hyposta t i c Union ?But wh i le sh e yearned w i th such ardor, sh e did so w i thperfect conformity to th e w i l l of God . She practi sedth e hard v irtue of detachment in the most h eroicdegree ever known ; and sh e was detached brokenh eartedly

,not coldly . But for God Himsel f, for th e

Divine Nature of Jesus , sh e yearned w i thout any detachment whateve r . Detachmen t i s from crea tures , anddetachmen t from th e created gifts of God i s a h igherv i rtue sti l l . But detachment from God is a horror,belonging only to impen i tence and hel l . Next to Maryand Joseph

,perhaps also w e shou ld name th e Baptist,

St . Peter probably loved our Blessed Lord more thanany other creature

,even th e burn ing seraphim , and n ext

to h im St . John, th e disciple w hom Jesus loved . Butth ere was someth ing in th e love of th e apostl es , deep ,arden t

,glorious as i t was, wh ich was not altogeth er per

feet . Some d ross of earth adhered to i t . I t was “expe

d i en t that He should go aw ay .

” I t was necessary forthei r compl ete sanctification that Hi s dear sensible presence should be subtracted from th em . Now th e operations of grace cleanse away imperfection s , not merelyby expell i ng them from th e soul , but by fi l l ing up theirroom w i th some gre at gi ft or pecul iar p resen ce of God .

Th is gi ft wh ich they leave , and by w h ich th ey effect acl eansing of th e soul

,i s qu i te separable from th e

cleansing operat ion ; even though . as a matter of fact,th ey always go together in the sain ts . O ur Lady hadnoth ing to cleanse . She had no merely n atural tenderness for Jesus, wh ich was not already absorbed in th e

rm; mass mrs’Lose . 20?

supernatural , and canon i zed by i t . Noth ing earth ly,no th ing un '

worthy , clung to her love of Him . But th esub t raction of His sens ibl e presence migh t give her thesame gift i t gave th e apostles , w i thout the cleansingvi r tue which sh e d id not need ; an d i t m igh t give i t toher i n an eminen t degree above the i r gift because in pro

portion to her eminence . Thus , as in th e th i rd dolorshe had found a new l ove of Jesus , th e grace of i t m igh tbe to rai se her whol e love of our Lord immensely h igher,more nearly equal to His w e rth ,

to wh ich at best i t mustremain infin i t ely unequal . Bu t so i t i s wi th many ofour Lady ’s

,

grace s . They s t rike across the track lessdesert of th e infin ite . They can li e -ve r reach th e othersid e ; for it has none . Ye t somehow they gain a neare rv icin i ty to God .

We have already noti ced anoth er of her d ispos i tions,namely , her ex treme humil i ty in the temple . Indeed ,every moment of th e Thre e Days was draw ing for thfrom her the most astoni sh ing acts of h umil i ty . Hert ranqu i l l i ty in the mi dst of that perturbing darknessWh ich came dow n l ik e deep n igh t upon her soul , andyet perturbed her not

,Was th e effect of her in ten se

humi l i ty . Th e doubt as to whe ther Jesus had not le fther because of her Unworth iness was al so th e offspringof that lenvli

‘

ne ss wh i ch , by th ink ing exaggerated evi l ofitself, comes h igh to div i ne truthfulness . Bu t above al lha s h e r humi l i ty tr ied and tr iumphant in th e pub licassertion of her righ ts over Jesus

,whom sh e was l onging

to fal l down and Worsh ip as th e Second Person of th eMost.Holy Trini ty

, an act‘w

’

h ich Mary of Agreda tel ls ussh e did do as soon as sh e h ad got outside th e gates of Jerusalem and beyond th e sigh t of men . Her si lence , also ,wh en His answer came — whi ch was in real ity n o answ erto h er ques t i on

,but sounded l ik e reproof

, the morestrang e from the mouth of a Boy of tw elve ,—Was

‘

the

Conti nuance of the same mar‘vel lous humil i ty . All th i sis l ik e our deares t Mo ther . All thi s i s w hat w e expectand recogn ise . The p icture grows fami liar again . “he

208 THE THIRD not on.

l 'reath e more freely than when a wh il e ago w e weres train ing up those h igh h i l ls , wh i ch w ere no t meant forsuch as w e are . Mary s t i l l aston i shes us . There aresw ee t surprises i n her commonest graces , because thei rbeau ty i s a t once so heroi c and so gen t le . I t i s far heyond us

,bu t i t does not look so . I t tempts us on . I t

seems a t tainable . At leas t it draw s u s tow ard i tsel f, andi t i s th e best road for us to be on . How s trange i t i sthat finding God always humbles, even whi le i t rav ishes,even w h i le i t e levates ! Humi li ty i s th e perfume of God .

I t i s th e fragrance wh i ch He leaves b eh ind,wh o cannot

be humble Himself,because He i s God . I t i s the odor,

th e stai n,th e t oken the Crea tor leaves upon the creature

when He has pressed upon i t for a moment . I t must b ea law of th e w o

'

rld of grace , because w e find i t i n Mary,in th e sain ts , and i n the fai n test , most nearly indistingu ishab le way i n ourse lves . Perhaps i t i s some thing ihseparable from God . we trace th e M ost High , th e Incommunicab le

,by i t i n th e Old Testamen t . W'

e t raceJ e sus by i t in the New . Th e glory of humi l i ty i s i n th eHuman Na t ure of our Lord , on wh ich the mysteriouspressure of th e Div in e Na t ure res ted for evermore . I ti s this in ev i table perfume that God leaves beh ind Himwh ich h inders His altogether h id ing H is t races fromus . I t i s “ th e myrrh

,and stacte , and cassia from His

i vory houses .” Mary has found Him now ,and she has

l ai n down to rest i n t h e low l iest , most flow e ry vall ey ofhumi li ty , and the fragran ce of God has perfumed her garm en t s , h e r “ gi lded clo thing , surrounded w i th varie ty .

”

Another of our Blessed Lady’s d isposi t i ons i n thisdolor was the resignat ion by wh ich sh e simplified

,as i t

w ere , w i th one enduran ce such mul t i form and man ifoldsorrow s as w ere i nvolved in it . Altogeth er

,there i s no

disposi t i on of the soul , no gift, no grace , for hearing misfortune

,w h ich i s a t al l to be compared w i th simpl i city .

It brings along w i th i t singleness of h ear t and eye . I t i sn ot amazed . I t i s not prec ipitate. I t does not dist racti tse l f w i th many th ings . I t has a sort of unconsci ous


breath from sel f, r ippled ever so indist inctly th e si lverleve l of th e w aters . Th i s came of her simpl icity . It

w rough t many w onders in her Three-and -Sixty Years .But, except at th e momen t of the Incarnation ,

'

it neverw rough t a w onder l ik e to th e lov ing s ti lln ess o f h erh eart during th e Three Days’Loss . I t looked ,—ofcoursei t could be but a look

,-as i f the loss of th e Son had

made her sink down more deeply in th e Bosom of th eFa ther .Although th is dolor for th e mos t part k eeps up amongthe h igh h i l ls , wh ich do not belong to us , i t i s n e verth el ess so ful l of lessons for ourse lves

,that i t i s d i ffi cul t t o

sel ec t from them . I t te aches us,first of all , th at th e

loss of J esus, how ever brief, i s th e greatest of al l ev i ls .I t was th is wh ich was almos t unbearable even to ourLady , and Jesus is n ot more n eedful to us than to her,because to al l c reatures He i s absolutely needful ; on lyto us He i s a more pressing necessi ty , because of ourw eakness and our sin . The greatn ess of Mary ’s sorrowi s to us a vis ible measure of the magni tude of the ev i l .Yet alas ! how l i t t l e w e feel i t ! How happy can menhe , who yet have los t Jesus , often unconscious almost ofthei r loss

,more often indiffe ren t to i t w h en they know

i t ! We should h ave though t th e loss of Jesus was i nitself so fearful an ev i l , th at noth ing could hav e aggravated i t ; and yet our w an t of perception of th e greatnessof our loss i s a token of s ti l l deeper misery . I t i s sadindeed when th e voice of th e w orld i s more musical i nour ears than th e voi ce of our Lord . I t i s j ust th e very

w retch edness, th e very hatefulness of th e w orld , that i thas no Jesus . He does not belong to i t . He refused to

p ray for i t . He pronounced i ts fri endsh ip to be on our

part a simple declarat ion of war upon Himself. I tmakes our hearts s ink to look ou t upon th e w orld , andto know that i t has no part i n Him . I t i s l ik e gaz ingupon a cheerless and d isconsolate v i ew of barren moorsor d reary swamp . No sunsh in e can gi ld i t . I t i s d i smal on the brightest day . Nay , i t i s ugl i est when th e

THE THREE DAYS’ LOSS. 2 11

sun sh in es upon i t . So i t i s w i th th e world , becausei t has n o Jesus . So does i t become w i th us i n proportion as w e are friends w i th the w orld , or even atpeace w i th the w orld . He and i t are incompa t ib le .Are w e not afraid ? Pleasure , gayety , fash ion , expense ,dare w e

,even in our thoughts

,put these th ings into th e

Heart of Jesus ? Would He smi le w hen w orldly th ingsw ere said ? Would He w i sh to please people roundHim , who are tak ing no pains w hatever to p lease HisFa ther ? WVou ld He seek to be popular i n soci ety , tostand w el l w i th those wh o have not at heart th e onlyon e in teres t wh ich He has at His, to k eep ou t of sigh tHis prin ciples

,not simply through si lence and reserve

,

b ut l es t th ey should ruffl e others and in terfere w ith thatsmoothness of social in tercourse wh ich takes th e placeof chari ty ? Alas ! s in is bad excess of p leasure is bad ;giving God the second place i s bad ; w orsh ipping th er i ch is bad ; harden ing our Chri stian feel ings to becomeaccustomed to w o rldly frivol i ties and very sl igh t ly un

char i table con versa t i on i s bad . B u t th ese at least areev i ls w hi ch w ear no masks . “Te know what w e areabout. \Ve give up Jesus w i th the ful l unders tandingof the sacrifi ce w e are making . Xve are tak ing our s ide,choosing our lo t

,and w e know i t . But w i sh i ng to

p lease — th is ' i s th e danger to a sp i ri tual person . Totalseparation from Christ i s al ready impli ed in th e veryidea .

”

What i s i t w e w i sh to please ? The w orld , wh ichi s the enemy of Jesus . \Vh om do w e w i sh to please ?Those w h o are not caring to please God , and in w homJesus takes no pleasu re . Wherein do w e w i sh to please ?I n th ings

,conversat ions

,and pursu i ts , w h ich have no

reference to God , no savor of Christ , no tendency tow ardre l igion . When do w e w i sh to please ? At times w henw e are do ing least for Christ

,when prayer and fai th and

hope and love and ab iding sorrow for sin w ould be th emost unseasonable . Where do w e W ish to pl ease ? Inhaunts wh ere th ere is l ess ev idence of God than else

where, where every circumstance, every appurtenance,


flash es th e world ’s image back upon us as from a lustre .Ye t w e see no ev i l . We w ant smoo thness

,pol i sh , inof

fensiveness, discree t k eeping back of God . He said thatHe and Mammon w ould n ot dwel l togeth er . But tosome exten t w e w i l l force Him so to dw el l . He sh al l atl east k eep th e peace w ith th e w orld

,and learn to revolve

alongside of i t i n His ow n sph ere,w i thout encroach ing,

w i thout j arring . Dreadful ! I s there not hel l al ready inth e mere a t tempt ? Yet how l i ttl e men suspect i t ! I tl ik e someth ing nox ious gett ing i nto th e ai r

,and not

at fi rst affec t ing th e lungs . But th e l ights burn d im ,

th en on e by one th ey go ou t,and w e are left in the

darkness,unabl e to escape

,because lethargy and suffoca

tiOn have already begun w i th in ourselves . In other w ords,h igh principles gently low er th emselves , or are kept forstate occasion s

,such as Len t, or a priest

’s company .

Then w e begin to be keenly al i ve to th e annoyancewhi ch comes to us from th e conversation of uncompromising Christ ian s , an d w e pronounce th em ind iscreet,and by tha t ceremony th ey are d i sposed of to our greatcomfort

,and w e praise them more than ever, because by

th at reserve w e have got rid of w hat fidgeted us i n th em ,

and w e l ul l to res t th e remaining uneasiness of con~

sc i ence by th i s greater p rompti tude of a praise wh ichw e have fi rst made valuel ess by counterw eigh ting i t .Then i t daw n s upon us that i t i s a duty to keep w el lw i th th e w orld even for God’s sake . Then keeping w el ledges on to being friends w i th th e w orld . Then therebegin to be symptoms of two dist inc t li ves going to bel ived by us ; but w e do not see th ese symptoms ourselves.Then uncomfortable feel ings r ise in us

,tak ing aw ay our

rel i sh for certain persons,certain th ings , certai n books,

certai n conversations . We rouse ourselves , and take av i ew

,an intel lectual v i ew of th e rightness of bei ng

smooth,and not offend i ng , and getting on w el l w i th th e

w orld . The view comforts us , and w e are al l righ t again .

Then God ’s blessings,His spi ritual b le ssings , very gradu

al ly and almost imperceptibly, begin to evaporate from


and in prayer . .Hc i s n ever among our k insfolk ; He

never h ides i n the blameless softn ess of a k ind hom e .Thi s i s a hard sav ing ; but th is dolor savs i t . All thesea re th e cond i t ions o f a successful search . I t w as soMary sough t I l im ; i t was so she found Him . we mu s tbe of good cheer . Every th ing has its remedy . Evenw orldl iness i s curabl e , and i t i s by far th e nearest toincurable of any of our d iseases . I f ou r w hol e l i fe hasbeen but a desi re to please , i f every thought . w ord

,

acti on,look

,and omiss ion has got that poi son at th e

bottom of it, w e must not be cast down . To changeth e hab i t i s too difficu l t . “r

e w i l l chan ge th e object .I t shal l be Jesus instead of th e w orld . \Vho ever knewpeople more thorough ly al l for God than some w h o

w ere once notab ly al l for th e w orld ? nay,i t would seem

th e more n o tably for th e w orld , th e more thoroughly forHim .

iVe must, hew ever,— so also thi s dolor teaches us,— b e0 11 our guard against a temptat ion w hich i s l ik ely toassai l u s i n our search . \Ve soon lose th e feel ing ofgui l t in th e fe el ing of beg inn ing to be good again . I ti s part of th e shal lowness of our n eatur . W

'

e shal l nothave gone far on our road 111 search of Jesu s before w eshal l be draw n to attribute th e loss of H im ,

not so muchto our own fau l t as to some mysterious sup e rnnatura lt rial wh i ch God is sending us

,and th e coming of which

i s i tsel f an index of our goodness . lVe feel our heartssorrow fully burn in g after our Lord . They cannotsurely be th e same hearts wh ich w e th ough t bu t awh i l e ago w ere l i v ing conten tedly w i thout Him . Thechange of feel ing has not been sudden or marked

,

th erefore i t canno t be n ew . 8 0 w e ar g ue . Alas ! th etru th is , our own changeableness i s so greeat tha t i t i sincredible even to oursel ves , except at th e momen t ofthe turn ,

wh en w e see i t w i th our eyes . Let us not takeany grand vi ew s of supernatural chast isemen t s . Theyare rare , and they are n ot for such as w e are . Simplywe have s inned, and we are be ing pun ished for i t. It is

THE THREE DAYS” LOSS. 215

our pun ishment to have to search for Him , wh o oncedwel t w i th us , and only left us re luc tantly . Let us besure that every th ing about us i s v ery commonplace .We have los t Jesus , not i n a mystical darkness of soul ,b u t i n the w eakness of a worldly heart ; w e shal l tmdHi

'

m, not i n a vi s ion or in any masterfu l i nterior Opera

tion of grace,but in the resumption of our old prayers ,

i n the frequen tat ion of th e old sacraments . I t i s he reth e Evi l On e deludes many . They look out for a morestriking app earance of our Lord than they had before .

So they com e up to Him ,do not know Him , and go past

H im . I t i s not often men turn back upon a search .

Bu t i f th ese soul s do not do so , cannot every one seethat they have a w i lderness before th em , i n which th eymay di e

,bu t w hich they w i l l assured ly never cross ?

Mary migh t have though t her loss of Jesus a supernatural trial , and sh e w ould have thought truly . Bu t

she though t i t was her own fault, and so sh e reached afar h igher truthfulness .I t i s true , th ere i s a loss of Jesus wh ich i s not al to

gether our fault, wh ich i s half trial , as w el l as h al fpun ishment . I t i s n ot so much a loss of Him as a ve i li ng of His Face . W e on ly th ink w e have lost Himbecause w e do not see Him . This happens to us againand again in our spi ri tual l i fe ; and , i f w e w atch attentive ly, w e shal l be sure to detect th e action of some lawi n these disappearances . We shal l come to know th eci rcumstan ces under w hi ch they happen , wh ich regulatethei r durati on , and which accompany His reappearan ce .

For He does noth ing , except in order , w eigh t, and mea

sure , —more so , i f i t w ere possibl e , i n th e w orld of soulsthan in th e w orld

‘

of matter . God has His own wayw i th each one of us, and it i s of consequen ce w e shouldknow His way w i th ourselves . But

,w i th al l

,His way i s

a svstem . I t has i ts law s and i ts peri ods,and i s j us t as

regular in its deflections , and as punctual in i ts catastroph es, as i t i s i n i ts peace , i ts sequence , i ts un iform i ty .

There is , p erhap s, no infal l ible way of know ing when


th i s d isappearance of Jesus i s ou r own faul t . Perhaps i ti s always , i n some measure, our own faul t . I f i t w ereonly a trial

,i t w ould cease to be a very efiicacious one,

w ere w e sure i t was bu t a tria l , and no faul t of ours .Even then w e mus t not be passive ,— e vcn then w e mustsorrow ,

— even then w e mus t search . w e must not wai tfor H im to come back t o us ; w e must go and find ou twhere He i s . But, ti l l w e find Him

,do not let us seek

for con solat i on e ith er from our gu ides or from ourse lves,l east of al l from

.

th e sympathy of cre atures o r th e comforts of earth : He i s our onlv true consolat ion . I tw ou ld b e t h e saddes t of th ings i f w e w ere consoled byany th ing but th e fi nding of Him ! All th is the th i rddolor teach es us ; for i t m irrors on i t s surface , w i thoutbeingdisturbed by the deep things under i t , al l the relations of the soul w i th i t s Sav ior and its Lord .

There i s some thi ng almost selfi sh in th e feelings w i thwh ich w e turn away from th e dea th -bed when the grimw ork i s over . There i s a sense of calm and of repose ,wh i ch , for the moment , seems as i f i t w ere an enj oymen t of our own . Bu t i t i s n ot so , or no t more so thanto our nature i s unavoidable . I t was angui sh to seeon e w e l oved suffer so terribly ; to w a t ch h im struggl ing w i th th e dark en emv , and to be unabl e to assi s t

h im except. by prayers w e w ere too di st rac t ed to pray,on ly that the mourner’s unselfish w i l l i s i t se lf praye rw i th God . So much hung upon the st ruggle ; such inte rcsts w ere on th e bal an ce ; w e w ere si ck t o th ink ofthem , bu t s i ck er s t i l l to see th en1 ,— now uppermos t , andnow undermos t ,— ln th at tremendous hour . Now al l i so scr ; as far as w e can se e

,w ell over , happi ly ove r, e t er

11 Li ly right . His bodv i s harmless ; his soul i s accep ted .

There i s no th ing t o annoy our love of him becauseth ere is no thing to affl i ct and harass h im . I t IS a beau‘ifnl chan ge to h im , a soo th ing change to u s . Ourh ear t s are full to overflow i ng w i th tha t expansion w h ichbelongs to t rue repose . Such i s our feel in g as w ewatch Jesus and Mary, on the th reshold of the hou se

218 THE rouam D OLO R .

CHAPTER V .

‘Jilge ginning Q atar.

M EET NG J ESUS TVITH THE CRO SS.

YVE have passed into a new w orld since th e last dolor .Beth l ehem and Nazareth are l eft behind . We havebidden farewel l to the scenes of th e Sacred Infan cy , th eBoyhood

,and the Hidden Life . The Th ree Years’

Minis t ry has passed . I t i s tw en ty- one years since th eThree Days’ Loss . The Immacula t e Heart of Mary hast raversed a w orld of ni vste rie s s in ce then , alwa y s insu pernatu ral j oy , but always w i th h e r l i felong sorrowly ing on her soul . Henceforth w e remain in Jerusalem ,

wh ich i s the scene of her four last dolors , as i t has beenalso of two or three preced in g . w e have come to th emorn ing of Good Friday, to ner mee t in g Jesus w i th th eCross

,wh i ch i s reckon ed as her fourth dolor .

But,i n order to understand th e myste ry righ tly, w e

must make a retrospect of th e las t tw enty- one years .Mary i s cont inually changing, th ough i t i s only in oned i recti on . Her l i fe i s an endless h eavenw ard ascension .

She is always increasing in hol iness , because she i salw ays increasing in love . She i s always increas ing i nlove

,because Jesus i s alw ays i ncreasing i n beauty . Thus

each dolor found her at once less prepared and bette rprepared : l ess p repared ,

because sh e loved Jesus more,and i t was i n Him that she suffered ; more prepared ,

because s t ronger sancti ty can carry h eavier crosses . We

saw before h ow the augmenta t i ons of her love , from theReturn from Egypt to h ef entry into th e gates of Jeru

salem when they w en t up to our Lord’s twel fth pasch ,

M EET ING J ESUS “71TH THE CROSS. 219

had increased h er capabi l i ti es of suffering . So now th emarvel of sanc t i ty , whom w e le ft w i th h er recoveredJesus i n the house of Nazareth , i s v ery difi

'

eren t fromthat heart w h ich w e are now to accompany along th eWay of the Cross . Th is four th dolor was not in i t selfequal to th e th ird

,but i t fe l l upon greater capab i l i ties

of suffe ring .

The beauty of the earth ly paradise wh ich God plante dw i th His own hand

,and w h ither He came at th e hour

of th e even ing breeze to converse w i th His unfallencreatures , was a poor shadow of th e lovel in ess of theHoly House during th e eighteen years of the HiddenLi fe . We cannot guess at al l th e mysteri es wh ich w e r eenacted w i th i n that celestial cloi ster . The w ords w erefew ,

yet in eigh teen years they we re w hat w e , i n ourhuman way,

shou ld cal l countless . Th e very si lenceeven was a fountain of grace . There w ere te ns ofthousands of beaut iful act ions

,each one of w hich had

such infinite w or th that i t might have redeemed th ew orld . During those eigh teen years an immeasurabl eun iverse was glorify ing God al l day and n igh t . Thebeauty of th e t rack less h eaven s

,sw ayed by th ei r majes

ti c law s,vast un peopled orbs w i th th ei r processes of

inan imate matter or thei r seemingly interm inable epoch sof ir rati onal l i fe

,earth w i th al l its inhabitan ts , the wor

shippars of th e true God , amid whatever darkness , i n al li ts region s

,th e ch osen flow ers of th e by-gone genera

tion s in Abraham’s bosom in th e limbus of th e fathers,

th e l i tt le chi ldren,a multi tudinous throng of spi ri ts , in

th eir ow n recep tacl e beneath the surface of the earth ,th e souls w orsh ipping amid the fi res of purgatory ,al l w ere sw ell in g as i n one concourse of creati on theglory of th e M ost High . The w id e creati on of angels,above all

,peopl ing th e immeasurabl e capaci t ies of space ,

sen t u p to God evermore , th e God w hom th ey beheldcl early w i th th e eyes of thei r intel ligence

,a w orship of

th e most. exqui si te perfec tion . But th e ent-i re creat ionwas as noth ing to th e Holy

'House of Nazareth . One

220 THE FO URTH DOLOR .

hour of that l ife outw eighed ages of al l the rest,and

not on ly outweigh ed i t on a compari son,bu t out

w eigh ed i t by a s imple i nfin ity . There was the centreof al l c reation , sp ir i tual or ma terial , innearly the mos tsequestered v i l lage of that obscure Gal i lee . t y shouldth e cen tre be there ? Who does not see that God’scentres i n al l th ings baffle th e calculation of the sci encesof men ?There was a sense , too , in which Mary seemed to b e

the centre of th i s central poin t of al l creation . For,i f

Jesus was th e centre to Joseph and hersel f and th ecountless ranks of w ondering and adoring angels round

,

i t appeared as i f sh e was th e cen tre of Jesus, w hi ch was

h igher sti l l . He had come to redeem a whole w orld,

and had al lotted Himself but Three- and-Th irty Yearsfor th e giganti c w ork . Twelve had been given to Mary .

Some sh eph erds had knel t before Him , th ree Easternk ings had k issed His feet , Simeon had held Him in h isarms

,Anne had blessed Him

,some Egyptian infidel s

had w ondered at Him ,th e townsfolk of Nazareth

th ough t Him no common Ch i ld . Otherw i se th e w orldknew noth ing of Him . He was on e among many Gal ilean ch i ldren . He had given Himself to Mary . Thetwelve years ran out, an d ended in th e strangest myster yof gri ef. I t seemed as i f i t w ere a sort of in itiation forMary into some exalted regions of nameless sancti ty .

From that mystery th ere starts a period of eigh teenyears

,during w h ich our Blessed Lord appears to devote

Himself exclusively to M ary and Joseph . I t i s as i f Hew ere her novi ce-master, and she in a long nov i ti ate, tobe professed on Calvary . I t could not be w aste of time .

I t could not be ou t of proportion w ith th e w ork of HisPubli c Ministry

,or w i th the suffering of Hi s Passion .

I t was in harmony w i th His w i sdom , which was infini te .

Just as th e Three Years’Min istry was th e Jew s’ time,and the Passion our t ime

,the Eighteen Years w ere

Mary ’s time .

Wou ld i t not be a hop eless task to make any calcu la

222 THE FOURTH DO LOR .

could i l l part w i th Jesus a t th e gate ti f- J erusalemeigh teen years ago ,

h ow w i l l this n ew universe of tenthousand d ili

'

cre nt kinds of love of Him ,w hich sh e

h olds i n h e r hear t , allow h er to part w i th Him now ?

Th is i s th e on e sense i n w h ich each dolor ou t s t rips i t spredecessor, that it has more love to tor ture , and therefore more pow er of infli c t ing pain . So much pow er i thas, tha t omnipo tence mus t s tan d by t o hold the l i fe i ntha t dear hear t , wh ich i s dearer t o H im than al l theworld beside .

The Eigh teen Years come to an end,and th e Three

Years ’ M in is t ry begins . I t i s not cl ear to what exten tour Blessed Lady was w i th J esus during His Publi cMini s try . Most p robab lv sh e was neve r long separatedfrom Him . But Scripture affords us no decis iv e t est imony on the point

,and con temp lativ e saints hav e dif

fere d upon the subj ect . I t seems most l ikely i t was notan ac tual separati on from Him . I f sh e was al low ed tofollow Him through His Passion

,w e can hardly suppose

sh e was ever far removed from Him during Hi s m in i s try . He began His mi racles at her in t ercession atCana in Gali lee , and w hen ,

on one occas ion in th e Gospel , sh e comes to seek Him , as i t w ere , w i th a M o ther

’srights , the ton e of the narrative w ould lead u s to suppose that

, on th e on e hand , sh e was not continually w i thHim

, and on the other that , al though i t was no commonth ing her j oin ing Him at times , sh e d id so on occasions .Under any ci rcums tances, vh e th er in spi r i t or th roughth e revelations of the angels

,or by some human chan

nel,w e cannot but suppose that she was aw are of al l His

say in g s and do ings during those three vears. The w ordsof h er Son can hard ly be th e common and accessibl eproperty of all of us and not have been her por t ion alsoand a means of h e r fur ther sanctification .

To Mary the Three Years’Ministry w as l ik e a n ew re.

velat ion of Jesus . Sh e saw Him from many points ofview from wh ich sh e had never seen Him before . Everyvariety i n Him

,how ever apparen t ly triv ial

,could not b e

M EET ING J ESUS WITH T IIE caoss. 223

real ly trivial,and was fu l l of w onder

,ful l of beauty

,

ful l of grace . I t was fresh food for l ove . I t rung changeson the love whi ch i t drew from the Mo ther

’s heart. In

the Infancy she had seen Him,as i t w ere

,i n s t i l l l i fe

,

giv ing cu t heaven ly mysteries , as th e fountai n throbsout w ater

,w it-h a seeming passiveness , thou gh not un

consciously . In the Boyhood , the w onders of His ac

tivity had developed themselves . Her heart. was takencap t ive afresh by His gracefulness . But He was w iththose He knew , to whom He trusted Himself, whomHe loved unspeakably . He was at on ce th e subject an dth e superior in th e Holy House . Bu t His M i n i stry wasalmost a greater change upon His Hidden Li fe than HisHi dden Life had been upon His ch i ldhood . He hadnow to act out in the w orld , to be God , yet n ot to seemsingular

,to adapt Himsel f to numberless n ew posi t i ons

,

to address Himsel f to vari ous classes of h earers . A t on ewh ile He was gen tly maturing th e vocations of His apostles , at anoth er He was sway ing multitudes , at ano th ersoo th ing sorrow , at another rebuk ing si n . Now He was

unfold ing th e Scriptures , and un roll ing th e h idden foldsof His d eep parables to th e ch osen few ; now He was

quie tly and w i th easy w i sdom eluding the snares of Hisenemies

,Wh o had endeavored to entangle Him in His

talk . Every day brough t i ts changes , i ts at titudes , i tsposi tion s

,i ts vari eti es . Every side of His Human Nature

was brought out . Endless graces w ere e li ci ted . I t wasl ik e th ree years of h eaven ly music , ri sing and fall i ng ,changing and inte rw eav ing , hush ing and raising , w inding and unw i nd ing i t s beauti fu l sounds for evermore .

I t was an indescribable combinati on of sw eetness andpow er

,of w isdom and s implici ty , of accommoda t i on and

sancti ty,of human and div in e . There was not , th ere

could not be , a trai t, a tone , a gesture , a look , i n the b ehav ior of the In carnate Crea tor, w h i ch was not in i tsel fat once a revelat i on to Mary , and ,

i n a low er degree,to

the angels also , and at th e same time an unfathomabledep th wh ich His own eye alon e could sound . I t was

224 THE FOURTH DOLO R .

more beaut i ful than the Infan cy ; i t was more w onderfulthan the Hi dden Li fe . I t s effects upon Mary must havebeen aston ish ing .

“re shal l n ever approach to a true v iew of her i f w e

do not gi ve the Three Years’Ministry i ts due place i nthe stupendous process of h er sanctification . The epochsof her sane tification w ere more w onderful th an the dayso f creation

,and they are as d is t inc t ly marked . Th e

Immaculat e Concep t ion,w i th i t s fi fteen years of grow ing

meri ts,was th e fi rs t day . The Incarn at ion

,w i th th e

tw el ve years o f th e Ch i ldhood , occupi ed th e second .

The Three Days’ Loss , w i th the e ighteen years of th eHidden Life , fi l led th e thi rd . The Three Years’Ministry occupied th e fourth . The Passi on was th e fifth .

The For ty Days of th e R i sen Life , w i th the descen t ofth e Holy Ghost , engrossed th e six th . Then came th eseventh , our Lord

’

s Sabbath , when He had ascended in toheaven

,and sat down at His Fa ther ’s Righ t Hand , leav

ing the great w orld of Mary ’s sancti ty to go on for fi fteenyears , bu t , as in the case of the material w orld , not w i t hout His cease less in terferen ce

,and w atchfu l prov idence

,

and real presence,ye t w i thou t His Hands w ork ing at

i t as they d id before . Then comes its end , her gloriousdea th

,her sw eet doom

,her bl i ssfu l resurrection , and H is

secon d Advent w i th His angels to assume her into heav en .

IVe can never est imate the graces of our Blessed Motherif w e break up and disj oi n th ese sev en days of her sp ir i tual Genesis .W

’

e must therefore consider th e Three Years’Ministryas a most pecul iar t ime

,during wh ich , under th e influ

ence of the adorable changes of Jesus , her love was

grow ing,perhaps as i t had never grown before . I t seems

unreal to talk of n ew breadth and depth and h eigh t, tothat w hich was beyond al l , even angel i c , measurementsl ong ago . Years since , her love had gone up so near toGod

,that th e strong splendor of His v i c in i ty confused

i ts ou t l in es and propor t ion s to our ineffec tual eyes .Nevertheless

, w e must Speak so, hardly know ing what

226 THE FOURTH DOLOR.

certain point,know n to God

,fixed by Him , capable of

bearing a certa in w eight,of undergoing a given amount

of eleva t ing and sanc t i fy ing sorrow ; and at that poin t,as by the operati on of a law , one of the dolors comes,tak es up the grace and love of th e preced ing times , ofyears as i n th e ch i ldhood

,of days as in the sw i ft Passion ,

compresses them into th e most sol id and sublime hol i~

n ess,fl i es aw ay w i th the Moth er’s soul as i f i t had the

strength of al l th e angels , and places her upon some n ewhe igh t

,far away from w here sh e was before . Thus each

dolor i s a d istin c t san ct ificat ion to her,a renew al , a

transfiguration , anoth er degree of d iv ine un ion . Thenth e process begins again . Grace an d love accumulat eonce more , w i th an acceleration and a magn i tude inproport ion to h er n ew heigh t , unt i l once more , i n th ecounsels of God , th ey reach th e poin t where anotherdolor comes to do i ts magn ificen t w ork . Thus also w ehave two prin ciples of comparison , by w h ich w e cancontrast the dolors on e w i th an other . F i rs t of al l

,they

d iffer in themselves . Each has its pecul iar excess, l ik eour Lord’s sufferings i n th e Passi on ; and so each has i tsown perfect ion and i ts own pre—emin ence . They are al lequally perfec t, but i t i s w i th a d ifferen t and an appro

priate perfect ion . The k ind of excess in on e may bem ore affl ictive than th e k ind of excess in ano ther .Thus i t i s that w e cal l th e th i rd dolor th e greatest . Inth is sense th ey do n ot r ise by degrees

,each exceeding

i ts predecessor , and so culminating in a poin t . Butth ere i s a second sense i n w h i ch th ey do . Each dolor,as i t comes , fal l s upon greater love , and also upon lovetha t has suffered more, and therefore upon a greater

pab ility of suffering . I n th is w ay each i s w orse thani ts predecessor and they go on ris ing and r i sing in th eterribl e pow‘er of causing anguish , t i l l th e very last, t i l lth e Burial of Jesus , t i l l the poss ib i l i t i es of woe seem tobe exhausted , t i l l th e abysses of san cti fy ing sorrow contain ed in th e huge w orld of th e In carnati on have beend ri ed up by the abso rption of th e s ingle immaculate

MEETING J ESUS WITH THE CRO SS. 227'

heart of th e Mother of th e Incarnate Word . Th i s is th euni ty of th e dolors ; and each dolor reallv means, no twhat i t looks l ike by i tself, but what i t i s in the settingand order of th e Three-and-Thirty Years .The Passion may be said to begin on th e Thursday inHoly NVe ek i n th e hou se of Lazarus at Beth any . Mary ,as migh t h av e been expected

,opened th e long avenue

of sorrows,great epoch s i n substance , th ough brief i n

time . Jesus had en tered J e rusalem on Palm Sunday inth e modesty of His Wel l -know n tri umph . He had spentthat day teach ing in th e temple

,as w el l as th e fol low ing

Monday and Tuesday , return ing how ever to Bethany atniah ts, as no one in Je rusale in had th e courage to offerHim. hospi tal i ty ,

as th e rulers w ere incensed w i th Himbecause of th e recen t resurrec t ion of Lazarus

, and none‘

of those wh o had cried Hosanna on Sunday had th e

courage to put th emselves forward indiv idual ly and sodraw the resen tful noti ce of the ch ief priests upon them .

The Wednesday He is supposed to have spen t i n prayeron th e Mount of Oliv es

,and to have seen the elect of al l

ages of th e w orld pass before Him in procession , wh i l eHe prayed several ly for each . Judas meanwh i le wasarranging h is treach ery w i th the rulers . I t i s supposedalso that our Blessed Savi or spen t th e VVe

'

dne sday nigh tout of doors pray ing i n the recesses of th e h i l l . On theThursday morn ing He w en t to Beth any to b id His Mo~

ther farew el l,and to ob tain ~h e r consent t o His Pass ion

,

as He had before done to His Incarnation . Not that i twas necessary i n th e fi rst case as i t was in th e last

,but i t

was fi tting and conven i ent to th e pe rfecti on of His fi l i alobedience . Sister Mary of Ag reda in h er revel ation

‘sdescribes th e affecting scene

,how Jesus knel t to His

Moth er,'

and begged her blessing , h ow sh e re fused tobless h er God , and fel l upon h e r knees and w orsh ippedHim as her Creator

,h ow He persisted , how th ey both

remained upon thei r knees,and h ow at last sh e blessed

Him , and He blessed her . t 0 can doubt but that Healso enri ch ed w i th a special blessing His b eloved Magn

228 THE fouarn t otoa.

dalen,the first and most favored of al l th e daughters of

Marv ? He then w en t to Je rusalem ,wh ither His Mot-her

follow ed Him,together w i th Magdalen , i n order that sh e

migh t re cei ve th e Blessed Sacrament. The last Supper,th e Fi rs t Mass

,took place that n igh t , our Lord

’s fi rstunbloody Sacrifice

,t o b e follow ed on the morrow by that

d readful on e of b lood .

By a miraculou s grace sh e assists, in sp iri t, at th eAgony i n the Garden , sees our Lord

’s Heart unvei ledthroughout, and feel s i n herself, and according to h ermeasure

,a corresponding agony . She sees th e treachery

of Judas consummated,i n sp i te of her intense prayers

for that u nhappy soul . Then the curtain fal ls ; th evis ion grow s d im ; sh e i s l eft for a wh i l e t o the anguishof uncertain ty . W i th th e brave , gentl e Magdal en , sh egoes forth i nto th e streets . She tri es to gain admittan ce both to th e houses of Annas and Caiaphas , but i srepulsed

,as she

“

was at Beth lehem three-andth i rtyyears ago . Sh e h ears th e voice of Jesus ; she hears alsoth e blow given to her Bel oved . Jesus i s put in pr i sonfor th e n igh t ; and St . John comes forth , and leads ourB lessed Mother h ome to the house i n whi ch th e lastSupper had been eaten . At al l th e horrors of th emorning she i s presen t . Sh e h ears th e sound of th escourging , and sees Him at th e p i l lar , and th e people“around Him sprinkled with His B l ood. She hears th egentle murmurs

,th e almos t inaudible bleatings

, of h er

spotl ess Lamb ; sh e hears them , and Omnipoten ce cominands her sti l l to l ive . In sp iri t— if not in bodi ly presence— sh e has seen th e guards of Herod mock th eEverlasting . She has beh eld th e ruffians i n th e guardroom celebrat e th e crue l coronation of th e AlmightyK ing . She has seen the eyes of th e All -Seeing bandage d , and th e offscouring of the peopl e darin g to bendth e knee i n deris i on before Him who i s one day to pronounce th ei r end l ess doom . She has looked up to th e

steps of Pi late’s h all , and has beheld— beauti fu l i n Hisdisfigureme

'

nt- e—Him who was a worm and no man , so

23 0 THE FOURTH DOLOR .

not furth er apart than the Mother of yesterday and th eMother of to-day

,apart

,yet Cogn i zably the same . Sh e

has reach ed the poin t of the four th dolor . She is readynow to meet Jesus w i th th e Cross.S t . John , a t length ,

return s t o th e house w i th th e

n ew s of th e senten ce , and o ther in forma t ion . Ourd earest Mother , broken -h ear ted , yet beaming as w i thd iv i n e l igh t i n h er t ranqui l l i ty , prepares t o leave theh ouse w i th M agdal en and th e apos t l e . The la t ter, byhis know l edge of th e c it y , w i l l l ead h er to th e end ofa street

,w here she can meet Jesus on His road to 0a

vary . B u t has sh e strength for such am e e ting ? Notof h e r ow n ; but sh e has as much strength to meet Himas He has to travel by that road . For sh e has Himselfw i th in her

,th e unconsumed speci es of th e Blessed

Sacram en t . I t i s on ly w i th Jesus that w e can any of

Us meet Jesus . I t was so w i th h er . W e take Him inV iat i cum

,and then go to m eet Him as our Judge . She

took Him,i n a strange sense , in Viat i cum , and w en t to

meet Him as condemned , and on His way t o death . It

Was t hat uncon sumed Blessed Sacramen t, wh i ch had

carried her th rough the superhuman broken-heartednesso f th e las t tw elve or fi fteen hours . I f that marvellousconj ecture be true, as w e th ink i t i s n ot , that i t was atth e momen t when th e species of th e Blessed Sacramen tWere consumed i n Himsel f, that our Lord cried out, MyGod

,My God , why hast Thou forsaken Me ? w e can .

estimate th e strength that sw eet Sacrament was to h er

Everyw h ere th e st reets are th ronged w i th mult itudesse tt ing i n one t ide to Calvary . Heralds at. th e corners ofthe streets blow th e i r harsh trumpets

,and proclaim th e

sentence to the peopl e . Mary draw s h er vei l aroundh er . John and the Magdalen l ean th ei r broken heartson hers

,for th ey are fain t and s ick . What a j ourney

for a Mother ! She h ard ly takes note of th e streets , butw i th the ir shadow s they fl ing in to her soul dim memories

of th e Pasch twenty-one years ago, and the th ree bi tter

MEETING JESUS wrrn rnn cnoss. 23 1

days that fo l l ow ed i t . Sh e has taken h er place,s i len t

and sti l l . She does not even tremble . Some tears flowas i f spon taneously from her eyes . But h er cheeks arered ? Yes

,—her tears w ere blood . The procession comes

i n sigh t th e tal l h orse of the centurion show s fi rst,and

leads th e w ay. The trumpet sounds w i th a w ai l ingclangor . The w omen look from the lat t i ces above . Sh esees the th i eve s

,th e crosses

,every thing

,—and ye t on ly

one th i ng , Himself. As He draws nigh , the peace of h erheart grow s deeper . I t could not help i t ; God was ap =

proach ing,and peace w ent before Him . Never had

ma t ernal love sa t on such a throne as tha t one i n M ary ’sh eart . The angu ish was unu t terab le . God

,w h o know s

the number of th e sands of th e sea , know s i t . Now

Jesus h as come up to h er . He halts for a momen t . Hel i fts the one hand that i s free , and clears th e blood fromHis eyes . I s i t t o see her ? Rat-her , that she may se e

Him,His l ook of sadness , His look of love . Sh e ap

proach es to embrace Him . The soldi ers thrust herru dely back . Oh

,misery ! and sh e i s His Moth er too !

For a mcni en t sh e reeled w ith th e push ,and then again

was s t i l l , her eyes fixed on His , His eyes fixed on hers ;such a l ink

,such an embrace , such

‘

an ou tpouring of love ,such an overflow of sorrow ! Has h e less st rength thansh e ? See ! He staggers , i s overw eighed by th e burdenof the ponderous Cross

,and fall s w i th a dul l dead sound

upon th e stree t,l i k e th e Elank of fal ling w ood . Sh e

sees i t . The God of heaven and earth i s down . Men

su rround Him ,l ik e butchers round a fall en beast ; they

k ick Him,beat Him ,

swear horrib le oa ths at Him ,

.

dragHim up again w i th crue l feroc i ty . I t i s H is th i rd fal l ;Sh e sees i t . He is he r Babe of Beth lehem . Sh e is h elpless . She cannot get n ear . Omnipotence h el d h e r heartfas t . I n a peace far beyond man ’s understanding , sh efollow ed sl ow ly on to Calvary

,Magdalen and John b e

“

side th emselves w i th grief,but feeli ng as i f grace w en t

out from her b lue mantle enabl ing them also to l ive

23 2 THE FOURTH DOLOR.

w i th broken h earts . The fourth dolor i s accompl ish ed;but alas ! w e only see th e ou t s ide of t h ings .Al though thi s dolor seems to be but one step in th ePassion , i t has never theless s t rongly-marked pecul iari t i esof i ts own . The fac t of i t s hav ing been selec t ed by theChurch as one of the seven sorrow s of Mary implies tha tit has a significancy belonging to i t sel f. To our BlessedLady i t was the ac tual adven t of a long-dreaded evi l . I tWas the fulfi lment of a v ision w hi ch had been beforeh e r, sleeping and wak ing, for years . I t i s the fi rst of h erdolors wh ich stands clea r of th e myste ri es of th eI nfancy , and be longs to th e second cons tel la t ion of hergriefs , those of th e Pass ion. There i s a pecul iar suffering of i ts ow n i n the coming of a misfor tune w h ich w ehave long been expecting . There i s such a th ing asth e unpreparedness of extreme. prepara t ion . Vi e haveimagin ed every th ing beforehand .

'

\Ve have tri ed tofee l the very place wh ere w e were sure th e blow w ouldfal l , and to harden i t beforehand . W

r

o have placed th eci rcumstances al l round about th e

“

sorrow j ust in th eO rder and posi ti on wh ich i s our l ik ing . lVe havethough t over and ove r again w hat w e w ould th ink , what“

we w ould say , w hat w e w ould do . lVe have pract isedth e att i tude in w h ich we intend to rece ive the blow ;

”We have left noth ing un thought of, no th ing unprovidedfor . “re have made up our minds to i t . I t i s before usl i ke a pi ctu re

,and ,

though th ere h as been n o l i ttle suffering in th e an t i c i pation , famil i ari ty hasalmos t tak en thesting out of our sorrow before i t comes . And th en i tcomes . Oh ,

the cruel wavwardness of the ev i l ! I t hasnot observed a singl e one of our many rubri cs . It hascome by the w rong road , a t the w rong hour , w i th th e

w rong w eapon , s t ruck us in the wrong place , and borne nos imi lari ty

,not even a d is tant fam ily resemblance , t o the

roman ce of woe for w h ich We had prepared ourselves .I t has taken us unaw ares . I t has discon certed us u t terly .

We feel a lmost more w ronged by this, than by the evi lin i tse lf;

23 4 THE FOURTH DOLOR‘

to say from our own experience that th ere i s no sameness in sorrow ; Iik t ncsses there are , but n ot iden ti t i es .w e have never had two griefs al ike . Each had its owncharacter

,and i t was w i th i ts characte r that it hurt us

most. So i t was w ith our dearest Mother . Her sorrow s ,when they lay unborn in h er mind, w ere hard to bear ;but when they sprang to l ife, and leaped from her m ind ,and w i th Simeon ’s sw ord clove h er heart asunder , theyw ere differen t th ings , as d ifferen t as wak ing i s fromsleeping, or l ife from death .

There was anoth er aggravation of her grief i n th i sdolor i n th e know l edge that the sight of h er increasedour Lord ’s sufferings . In the preced ing dolor He h adbeen , as i t w ere , her executioner ; now sh e was His .Whi ch was th e h ardest to bear ? I s there any lov ingmother who w ould not rath er recei ve pain from her son ,th an cause i t to h im ? What mus t th is feel ing havebeen in Mary , who transcended al l maternal excellenc ein the fondness and devotedness of h er deep love ?What must i t h ave been to her whose Son was God ?Each outrage w h ich had been offered to Him , eachstripe wh ich had fal l en upon His Sacred Flesh , had beentortu re to her beyond compare . Sh e had been pen etrated w i th horror as sh e though t of th e cruelty and th esacri l ege of whi ch al l , pr iests , j udges , sold iers , ex e cu

tione rs, people , had been gui l ty who had taken part inthese atroci t ies . And behold ! sh e hersel f was on e of th enumber . She was add ing to His load . She was morethan doubl ing th e w eigh t of that h eavy cross He wascarrying . The sigh t of her face at the corner of thatstree t h ad been w orse a thousand t imes than the terrib lescourging at th e pi l lar . I t was her face wh i ch h ad throw nH im dow n upon the ground in that th ird fal l . t at

name can w e give to a sorrow such as th i s ? The recordsof human woe furni sh us w i th no paral le l to i t w h i chw ou ld not di shonor th e subjec t . Some have spoken ofth e meeting betw een Sir Thomas More and h is daughterin th e streets of London . But what is th e result of th e

MEETING J ESUS WITH THE CRO SS. 23 5

allusic‘

m Only to take th e beauty and th e pathos outor that touching Engl ish scene , w i thout reaching th eleve l or the sorrow w e are speaking of, or reach ing i ton ly to degrade i t . I t was part of th e n ecessi ty wh ichwas l aid on Mary . She was to be h er Son ’s executioner,and . i n th e pain sh e infl i c ted , the cruel lest of them al l .Th is four th dolor was the fi rst exercise of h er dreadfuloffice . I t was n ew to h er ; for sh e had never given Himpain b efore . But i t was th e W i l l o f God , that W i l lw h icn i s alw ays sw eet i n its extremest bi tterness , alw aysamiac ie when flesh and b lood and mind are sh rink ingaghast from the embrace i t i s throw ing round them . I twas th a t W i l l wh i ch headed th e procession to Calvary

,

that W i l l wh ich was w ai t ing on Calvary l ike a luminouscloud

,that

”Wi l l w hich was a crow n of thorn s round thebrow of Jesus

,and a Cross upon His shou lders

,and a

sword in His M o ther’s heart, and His Moth er’s heart a

sw ord in His . ,Had ever sain t such a Div ine W i l l to

conform to as Mary had ? Had ever sain t such conformi ty to any Divine “Ti l l h e ever en countered ? Sheis going up to Calvary , i n brave tranqui l l i ty, to help toslay th e Babe of Bethl ehem .

There was another grief also i n th is dolor, w h ich wasnew to her, and caused i n her heart in an in comparabledegree the acute pain wh ich the sigh t of sacri lege causesto the saints . Sh e saw Him i n th e hands of oth ers wh ocould touch Him and come near Him

,w h i l e sh e was

kept far off. How sh e longed to w ip e th e blood fromHis face w i th her vei l , to part His tangled hai r , to remove w i th l ightest touch that cruel crown

,to l i ft th e

Cross off His shoulders and see whether her brokenheart w ould not give her superhuman strength to carryi t for Him ! Oh , there w ere count-less min istri es in whicha mother’s hand was needed by that dear Victim of oursi ns ! And think of th e plen i tude of the righ ts sh e hadlove r Him , more th an any mo ther over any son sin ce theworld began ! He had acknow l edged them Himself.He had made her assert them openly in th e temple.

23 6 THE FOURTH DOLOR .

But th ese men kn ew no more of th e Moth er of Godthan poor h ere t i cs do . Moreover , they who had trampl ed

h er Son under foo t w ould have made but l i t t l e scrupl eof her rights . I n the t imes of Be th lehem and Eg y pti t had been her j oy to t ouch Him

,i n th e performance

of her maternal offi ce . Her love had ri sen so h igh,th at

i t could find no vent excep t i n breath less reverence,and

i t was th e touch of His Sacred Body wh ich hushed hersoul w i th that thri l l of reveren ce . Sain ts at th e al tarhave exulted w i th the Blessed Sacrament in their hands

,

ti l l they rose up from th e predel l a i n the l ig ht ai r, and.

swayed to and fro , l ik e a bough in summer , w i th th epalpi tations of th ei r ecstasy . How many t imes must w emul t ip ly that j oy to reach Mary’s ! Sh e had only notgrudged Joseph th e embraces of h er Ch i ld

,because she

loved h im w i th the h ol iest tran sports of conj ugal affe ct ion

,and best sat isfi ed her l ove by giving h im h is turn

w i th Jesus . The novel ty had never w orn off. The j oyhad never become th inner from use . The reverenceon ly grew more reverent from custom . The though t ofi t cam e back to h e r now , and th e w aves of grief beat upagain st h er heart as i f th ey would hav e w ashed i t aw ay .

She had seen th e fi l thy hands of th e publi c execut ion ergrasping His neck and shoulder . She had seen th em iry foot of some sin ful soldi er spurn ing His bru isedflesh . She had seen them brutally knock the w oodencross agains t His blessed head , and drive th e sp ikes ofthe thorns st i l l farther in . St . Ca th erine of Genoa hadto be supported by God

,lest she should di e w hen He

show ed her i n v is ion th e rea l mal i ce of a ven ia l s in .

What i f, w i th her eyes thus spiri tually couched ,sh e had

behold th e mal i ce wh i ch can trampl e th e Blessed Sacramen t under foot i n th e sew ers of th e street ? The loveof a whole Chri stian land w i l l r i se w i th one emotion tomake reparat ion for a sacri lege again st th e Blessed Sacramen t . They wh o have been but too ind ifferent to th ei rown s in s w i l l then affl i c t themsel ves w i th fast ing , andimpair the i r own comforts by abundant alms . I t i s th e

2 3 8 THE FOURTH DO LO R .

for i t as only a maddened populace can vel l . I t was av ery ven t of hel l , that voice of theirs , a concourse of themos t appal l ing sounds

,of rage

,and hate

,and murder

,

and blasphemy , and impreca t i on ,and of that torturing

fi re i n thei r ow n hear ts w hi ch those passion s had fiercelyl igh ted up . The s igh t s and sounds thril led th rough herw i th a g on ies of fear . Sh e w as al one

,unshel tered

,u n

compan ion ed . For sh e was th e compan ion to John andMagdalen ; they w ere n ot compan ions to her . Oh forthe lonel iness of th e desert

,and its invi s ible pan ic

,so

much be t ter to bear than th i s surging mul t i tude of possessed men ! They touch h er

,they speak to her

,they

j os t le he r . Vis ible by her blue man t le , sh e floats abouton th e bi l l ow s o f that tossi ng crowd

,l ik e a p iece of

w reck on the dark w eltering w at ers of a storm . Andsh e i s apart from Jesus . He i s perish ing in th e wavesof that tu rbulen t peop le . He i s engu lfed . She canstr etch out no hand to save Him . The Mother of th eMaccabees looked bravely on the fearfu l pomps and

c ruel pageants of th e legal inj usti ce wh ich was t o mak eher ch i ldless

,and her name j us t ly l iv es

,embalmed in

sacred h istory,and

,st i l l more

,i n Christ ian hearts . But

those faces and those cries,earth n ever saw

,never h eard

,

any th ing so terrible ; th e demon -maddened creaturesh ow l ing over th e i r conquered God ! And to Marv ithad such real i ty

,such sign ifi cance

,as i t could have t o

n o once else . Surely th e suffering of fear was nevermore inten sely fel t by any creature than i t was by heron tha t Friday ; and the many bi tter chal i ces sh e hadd runk during the preced ing n ight and al l that morn ingrendered her

,i n th e ord inary course of things

,less able

to bear up again st th is v iolen t assau l t of t error . Herfear w as not so much for hersel f ; i t was for Him . Herfear

,as w el l as h er love , w as i n H is Heart rather th an

in h e r own . The know l edge tha t He was God onlydeepen ed her terror . I t was jus t that very th ing wh ichmade th e horror of th e scene unsurpassed by any otherthe w orld had ever known , or ever could know again.

ME ETING J ESUS WITH THE caoss. 23 9

The day of doom w i l l be less terribl e than Good Fridaywas. Nay , i t i s the fearfu lness of Good Friday whi chw i l l make the pomp of th e last j udgment so endurable

,

so calm , so ful l of reveren t sw eetness . 0 Mother ! thatday w i l l pay thee back th e terror of tod ay ; for thouw i l t see thy Son in al l the placid grandeur ofHis humanglory

,w i th those beaming ‘Wounds i l lumin at ing th e

whole ci rc l e of the aston ished earth,and thou w i l t

re turn from th e vall ey of Josaphat w i th a fami ly ofoth er sons

,th at can be counted only by mil l i ons of mi l

l i ons , to be th in e eternal possession in heaven , won forth ee only by the dread mysteries of th is great Friday !As w e have sai d before

,i t belonged to th e perfection

of Mary ’s heart that one ingredient of h er sorrow didnot absorb or neutral i ze anoth er . She fel t each of th emas complete ly as i f i t w ere simply th e w hole sorrow . I tpossessed her w i th an undistracted possession . Eachfeature was as i f i t w ere th e ent-i re countenance, the ful lface

,of each dolor

,and i t looked in to her heart as i f i t

,

and it alon e,expressed the fulness of the mystery . Thus

her terror did not k i l l any oth er of th e affl i c ting ci rcumstances of th is fourth dolor . As i t d id not pertu rb herpeace, so nei ther d id i t confuse h er feel ings or blunt hersusceptibi l i t i es . This i s always one of th e pecul iari ti esof M ary’s griefs wh ich puts th em beyond the reach ofparallel s . Thus i t was an addi t ional sorrow to h er onthe presen t occasion th at , except St . John , th e apostl esw ere not follow i ng th eir Master to His end . The gracesof each one of them came upon her m ind . Sh e re

volved th e pecul iari ti es of the vocation of each , and al lthe minute tenderness and generous forbearance on th epart of Jesus to whi ch i t testified . She saw th e w ordsof eternal w i sdom pouring for th ose three years in tothei r souls , i n th e communication of th e subl imesttruth s , i n th e patheti c k indness of affectionate admon i

t ions . Sh e saw h ow omnipotence had placed i tsel f inth ei r hands i n th e gift of mi racles . They , l ik e her , onlyfor fewer years, had fed upon the beautifu l grace of

240 THE FOURTH DOLOR .

Jesu s . They kn ew th e marvell ous express ion s of H i svenerabl e face . The tones of His voice w ere famil ia r t oth em . The touch of His hands

,the look of His eye

,

th e very sign ifi cance of His loving si lence , al l was know nto them . They had been draw n w i thin th e ring of i t sattrac t i ons. It had been t o them a n ew bi rth , a n ew

l i fe , an an t i c i pat ed heaven . To use our Lord'

s ph rase,

they had gon e in t o the ir mo ther'

s w omb again , and hadbeen born anew of Mary , bro thers of J esus , resemblanceso f J esus . She knew tha t , nex t to the d ign i ty of beingthe Mo ther of God , the w orld could hav e n o voca t i on soh igh as that of being ap os t les of the Word . E ternalW i sdom had come t o earth

,and of al l i t s mi ll i ons He

was to choose but tw elv e , w h o should know His secre t s,wh o should reflect Him , perpetuate Him , hold Hi s

p ow ers i n vessels of flesh , and accompl ish the w ork Hehad begun . They w ere more than angels ; for no angelsever bore such messages to mankind , except th e secre tannunciat ion of Gabrie l t o th e Div in e Mo ther . Theyw ere k ings as n one ever w ere before for th ey w ere noton ly to c onquer th e ent i re ear th

,but th ei r thron s of

judgmen t are set up round His in h eaven . No blood ofmar tyrs was more prec ious in the i r Mast er 's s igh t thanth eirs . No doctors hav e ever attained to thei r sc i en ce .

l\'

o v irgin s h ave equall ed th ei r puri ty , whether i t w ereth e puri ty of innocen ce or th e purity of penance . Noconfessors have ever confessed as much , or confessed i tmore brav ely . No b ishops have u sed th e keys morel iberally

,more d iscreet ly

,more blamelessl y than they .

No sovere ign pon tiff w i l l let h imsel f b e cal led by Peter’sname

,because none else has w orn th e w orld ’s t iara so

,

gloriously or so meekly as h e . And these other Chri sts .gleaming w i th gifts

,enri ch ed w i th graces , th e w ide

world ’s special souls,the new paradise w h ich God had

plan ted,

— where w e re th ey now ? Peter was i n h is lurking-place on Ol i vet.

,w eeping b i tterly over h i s fal l . He

wen t to Calvary only i n h i s Mas ter’s heart and inMary ’s . His love was not l ike hers . He could not bear


that melanch oly pi lgrimage to Calvary ? A broken h eartli ke hers cou ld spare no love w h ich righ tly belonged toit ; and when th e l ove of Jesus toward h er was w ork ingbi t terness i n her sou l ra ther than consolation

,sh e could

th e l ess afford to do w i thout such lov e as w ould s implybe a j oy , a res t , a consola t ion . But sh e mus t not expec tit. I t i s her place to consol e , no t to be consoled . Her8 0 11 came to min ister, not to be m in i s t ered to . She mustpar t ic ipa te in the same sub l ime offi ce . She must emp tyh er own heart of consola t ion , and pour i t al l out uponthe res t

,keeping for hersel f w hat i s n ot on ly specia l ly

h er own,but what none else are able to receive — th e

un to ld w eigh t of her exceeding sorrow . I t w ould hav ebeen somewhat easie r t o have gon e up to Calvary w i ththe apos t les round her . And yet for the i r sakes she wascon ten t to have J ohn alone

,conten t th e o thers shou ld

be spared what i t would so overwhelm them to behold .

Bu t th e i r absence i nfl i cted yet a th i rd w ound upon h e rhear t

,i n th e love w h i ch she hersel f he re to the apos t les .

Thei r w eakness was a crue l sorrow t o h er love,and ve t

i t strove w i th th e sorrow that they should be suffering somuch as that ve ry W eakness impl ied . Sh e grieved

,also

,

because one day i t w ould so gri eve th em that they hadno t been w i th J esus to th e last . She mourned , l ik ew i se,because they lost so much in after- though t by not hav ingw i tnessed those appal l ing mys teri es . There was not

a vary ing sorrow in the h eart of any one of them w hi chsh e did n ot take into her own . For they h ad come toh er i n the place of Joseph , and sh e poured out on themth e love sh e had poured out on h im . He had been w i thh er in h er th ree fi rs t dolors ; w hy w ere they absen t fromher four th ? And a gush of marvel lous , unavai l ing lovet o

‘

her departed spouse broke from th e' foun tains of h er

heart as sh e asked herself the ques t ion . Oh , h ow w on

d erful are th e ingenui t i es o f suffering which lov e causesin the heart !But J udas was almost a dolor by h imsel f. We l earn ,from the revelat ions of th e saints, how she had str iven

MEET ING J ESUS WITH THE CROSS. 243

in prayer for that wretch ed soul . Sh e had lavi sh ed al lmann er of k indness on h im , as i f h e had been more toher than ei ther Pe t er or John . Sh e had w atched w i thunspeakable horror the gradual steps by w h ich he hadbeen led on to the consummation of h is t reach ery . Shehad seen how sensi t ively the Heart of Jesus shrankfrom th i s cruel sin

,and h ow many scourgings w ould

hav e gone to make up the sum of pai n w hi ch thetrait-or ’s singl e k iss had burned in upon His bl essed l ips .For a whi l e i t appeared as if Judas had been even moreto her than Jesus

,so had sh e occupied herself at that

aw ful season to rescue the fal ling apos t le , and to hinderthat tremendous si n . M oreover

,non e could know so

truly as herself th e immensity of that sin,and th e

whole region of God’s fair glory wh ich i t desolated . She

saw i t i n the Heart of Jesus . I t was as if she had beenan eye-w i tness of the fal l of Lucifer from the heigh tsof heaven to the incon ce ivab le lowness of that abysswh ich i s now hi s m iserable and accursed home . Terribl eas was th e though t that an apostle could betray her Son

,

i t seemed even ye t more injurious t o His honor that,

al though Judas should hav e s tained h imse lf w i th sob lack a crime

,he should ye t despai r of mercy and doubt

the infin i ty of h is Mas ter’s lov e . She had los t a soul .She had los t one of her l i t t le company . Jesus was notth e fi rst son sh e was to lose . Tha t grand apostol i c soul ,decked w i th gift-s l ike a whol e angel i c k ingdom

,crowned

w i th the splendors of ear th ’s mos t beau t i fu l voca t i on ,canoni zed by the espec ial choice and outpoured love ofJesus

,was gon e , gone down in th e 111 0 st frigl

'

1tful hopeless w reck . Even Mary had some th ings to learn . Th i swas her fi rs t lesson in th e l oss of souls . If w e w eremore l ik e sain ts , w e should know someth ing of w hati t mean t . The Passion began by losing an apostle

'

s soul,

and ended by saving the sou l of a poor ou tcast th i ef.Such are th e w ays in w hich God takes His com

p ensations.

But we have to add phys ical h orrors now to th e


agon ies of mind and heart . They begin in th i s dolor .and are among i ts most marked pecul iari ti es . Thereare few persons wh o have eve r read a book on th ePassion

,from whi ch th ey would no t w i sh someth ing to

be left out . Thi s i s not from the w eakness of th ei rfaith

,but from th e fast id iousness of a natural taste,

w h ich has not yet been ful ly refined by the supernaturallove

,w hose one obj ect St . Paul so si gn ifican t ly d iv ides

into two,Jesus Christ and Him Cru cified . Truly pen i

ten t love w ould not sh rink from th e contemplat ion ofthose d read real it i es which th e Son ofGod condescendedto undergo for us , and into th e horrors of wh i ch ourown s in s drove Him . t en adoration cannot swal lowup sentimental ity , or i nvest i t w i th a n ew ch aracter , i t i sa sign that w e are wanting in a true sense of sin as w el las a true love of our Blessed Lord . I t i s n ot w el l w i th asoul wh en i t averts i ts inw ard eye from th e crucifixion

,

and fixes i t on th e secret mental agony of Gethsemane ,because th e th ree hours of th e one are free from th efrigh tfu l atroc i t ies of th e three h ours of the other .Reverence w i l l not al low us to deal thus ei ther w ith ourSav ior’s Passi on or w i th our Lady ’s dolors . He r brokenh eart was su rfei ted w i th physica l h orrors . I t w as partof h er sanctification . She pressed h er way th roughth em al l th at day steel ing h er sh rink ing nature . Shewou ld not have m i ssed one of th em for al l the w orld .

I t was a d readful th ing for a mother to w alk th estreets over h er ow n son’s blood . I t was fearful to haveher own feet redden ed bv th e Precious Blood , and th eloss of Judas fresh in h er affl i cted soul . Sh e saw th e

crimson t rack w h i ch Jesus h ad left beh ind . Th e mul t itude w ere mixing i t up w i th th e mud

,wh ich i t t in ged

wi th a dul l hu e . I t was on thei r shoes , and upon their

garments . I t w en t up th e steps of th ei r doorways . I t

splash ed up the le crs of th e cen turion’s h orse . No one

ca red for i t . No heart was t ouched . None su spected

th e heaven ly m y stery , at wh ich angel s w ere gazing i n

si l en t stupor . Mary too must tread upon i t. I t was


stri cken by th e though t of Him ,th e gentl e blamel ess

O ne , again st w hom al l this was con cen t rat ed . She. wasp ierced also bv the sharpest anguish from th e l ove of th eve rv s inners themselves . She would no t have cal led thed ow n from heaven

, as James and John w ere fain to doupon th e Samari tan v i l lage . Sh e craved no t for j udgmen t s . She w ould have depreca t ed w i th al l t he migh tof h e r h ol i es t impe t ra t ions th e adven t of a des t ro y ingan e e l . She must have those souls . She has lost Judas .She cla ims consola t ion . I n to those dark minds the l ightof fai th shal l be poured . Ove r those b lood - s tained soulsmore Blood

,more of the same Blood , shall flow , bu t i t

sh al l be i n gen t l es t fer t i l i zing absolut ion s . On th e se

blaspheming tongues the Blessed Sacrament shal l l i e .She w i l l t rava i l i n pain w i th them til l th ey are born againi n Ch rist . So sh e too goes up to Calvary w i th a w ork todo . Look w e l l a t h e r h eart ! Sh e w i l l accompl ish i t .There are few th in g s th e san cti ty of human sorrow cannot do . God seems to trea t it as a pow er almos t coequalw i th Himsel f. But here i n our Blessed Mo ther , w hatsanc t i ty ! w hat sorrow !Then , as i f the very contrast had cal l ed i t forth ,

th ererose u p before her th e most v iv id v i si on of th e beau t i fu lInfan cy . I t was t rue that from th e very first h er l i fe hadbeen d isman t led by an enduring sorrow . Neverthelessh ow peacefu l and h ow sw ee t seemed the old days atNazare th , and even the cool even ing ai rs on th e bri nkof the dis tan t Nil e

,compared w i th the v iol ence and

noise and bloodshed of th is fearful Passion ! Then,w hen

h er a rms w ere round Him,sh e, h ad pressed at once her

sorrow and h er love to h er bosom . Sh e had held qui etcol loqu ies w i th Him . He belonged on ly to her , fo rJoseph w as most truly a second self. Now she had givenHim awav, not i n though t on ly , n ot i n th e tranqui l l i tyof a hero i c inten t ion

,but in reah tv. He w as no t only

in the hands of o thers,bu t. He was tak en from hers .

Any one could come near Him , except h ersel f. Shealone had lost h er rights . Every acti on of the Holy

MEETING J ESUS WITH THE caoss. 247

Ch i ldhood came before h er,and found i ts b i tte r con trast

in the scene that was then enac t ing in the s tree ts of Jerusalem . She th ough t how sh e had w ashed Him , clo thedHim , given Him food , nursed Him to sleep , and knel tdow n and w orsh ipped Him when He was asleep , th oughshe knew w ell He could see her even then . Every oneof those things found thei r O pposites w i th dreadful accuracy in th e Way of the Cross . Ear th ,

and blood , andshameful spi t t i ngs defi l ed His face and hands and fee t.His hai r

,from w hich handfuls had been pulled , was

clo t ted , e n tangledfand deranged . His tuni c c lung painful ly to th e half—congealed b lood of His w ounds . Alasfor those bath s ofHis ch i ldhood and the reveren t ministri es of His loving M o ther ! shal l come to th emagain i n the six th dolor

,and then h ow changed the

ci rcumstances ! They have on ce torn His garmentsfrom th e w ounds , and made them bleed afresh . They

w i l l do so again at th e top of Calvary . I t was not thu sshe had undressed Him in the quie t sanctuary of Nazare th . He had had no food but the s in s of men ,

and avery feast of ignomin y , sin ce th e evening before . Hewas w orn w i th wan t of sleep

,but w i l l n ever sl eep again

now . She thought of tears whi ch ran si l en t ly dow n Hischeeks in th e days of His Ch i ldhood . W

'

hy should theynot hav e redeemed the w orld , and w ashed al l s in aw ay ,seeing thei r w orth was infini te ? Oh

,how busy memory

was in that h our w i th i ts comparisons and i ts contrasts !and there was not on e w h i ch did not h eigh ten th e

misery of the presen t . Could sh e be a mere mor tal togo up to Calvary w i th a w i l l nest l ing so tranqu i l ly alongside of th e w i l l of God

,w i th a heart broken to pieces

,

yet out of whose rents not one breath of her peacefulnesshad been al low ed to escape ? Yes ! she w as mortal

,but

sh e was also th e Mother of the Ete rnal,and loving hearts

alon e know h ow those tw o th ings contradict each other,

and ye t are true toge ther .Such was th e four th dolor . Let us now examine th e

d isposi tion s in wh ich sh e endured i t . Fi rst of al l, there

248 THE FO URTH DOLOR .

was the unret racted generosi ty of th e oblati on sh e hadmade . Amid th e mul t i t ude of though t s

,wh ich in al l

h er sorrow s passed th rough h er mind,her w i l l lay st i l l

So comple tely was sh e clo thed in hol iness from head tofoot , that i t neve r so much as occurred to her to thin kthat the load migh t be l igh t ened , or the pangs mitiga t ed ,or th e c i rcums tances be more tolerably d isposed . Whenw e hav e commi tted ourse lves to God , w e have commit tedourse lves to more than w e know . John had not reckonod on th e lon g years o f w eary w aiting i n the ex i le ofl i fe , w hen he said he could d rink h i s Master

’s cup . Soi s i t w i th al l of us . We find t hat w hat God real ly exactsfrom us i s more than w e seemed to be prom ising . Th emore He loves us , th e more exacting does He become .

He treats us as i f w e w ere more royal - h earted than w eare , and by His grace He makes us so . Our Lady knewmore of the leng th and bread th and depth of h e r ob lat ion than any one el se had ever done . I t was th is w hi chmade h er l ifelong sorrow so much more real and i n tensethan the mere foresigh t of a p roph et or a sain t . Neverth e less, even sh e probably , though she knew all , did notreal i ze a l l . Probably sh e could not compress in t o av ision

,no matter h ow piercingly clear , that slow pressure

w h ich th e lapse of time lays upon a sorrow ing h eart .Thus i n its total i ty , in th e dispos i t i on of i ts c ircumstan ces,i n the combinati on of i ts pecul iarit i es

,in thei r un i ted

pressure,and in th e long years of thei r enduran ce

,as

w el l as the actual impressions of th e senses, h er sorrowwas not more than she mean t to prom ise , because sh emeant to promise al l

,sh e mean t h erself t o be a h olocaust

,

a whole burn t - offeri ng to th e Lord , but i t migh t be m ore

than she real i zed a t th e momen t tha t sh e promised . Sh e

was a creature . lve need to be reminded of that, b e

cause th e magnificence of her san cti ty so often makes usalmost forge t i t . St . D enys said h e should hardly haveknow n h e r to be a mere creature , i f h e had not been

told .

Now,th is cons iderat ion renders sti l l more wonderful


lVe must observe also th e fi rm hand wh ich our

Blessed Lady kept upon her gri ef. Amid th e j ost lingof the crowd

,sh e seemed as i f sh e w ere impassible .

There was not a ges ture or a movemen t whi ch be t rayedth e sl igh tes t i n terior emot ion . When they repulsedh er from Jesus

,and barbarously in terposed be tween

the embrace of th e Mother and th e Son , there was n oimpa t ien ce i n h er manner , no resen tmen t on h er coun~tenance ,

no expostulat ion on her l ips . Sh e possessedh er sou l perfectly . The movements of th e Blessed i nth e v isibl e p resence of God in heaven could no t be more

regulated than w ere hers . St . Ambrose has dwel t atlength upon th i s excellence of hers . Yet w e mu s t n otcon ce iv e of our Blessed Mother

,as of a coldly graceful

statue , never descendin g from her pedestal because sh ewas heaven ly marbl e

,and not flesh and b lood . Statues

h ave n ot broken heart s . Th is calm imperturbabi l i ty ofh er demeanor arose from th e subl imity of h er hol iness,whi ch i tsel f arose in no sl i gh t degree from th e in ten si tyof her sorrow . The excesses of h er suffering w erecommuted into excesses of tranqui l l ity , wh ich lookedsuperhuman only b ecause what is completely and per:

fec tly and exclu sively human i s seen nowh ere but i nh er . Th is i s th e pi cture w e must always draw of ourBlessed Lady . Sh e i s w oman ,

t rue w oman , but n otmere w oman . We shal l sadly degrade h er i n our ownminds

,i f for th e sake of fac i l ity or effec t w e venture

to exaggerate th e femin ine elemen t beyond wh at w efind i t i n th e Gospels . I t i s easy to d istort th e imageof Jesus .

“When men speak of His compassi on to sinners , th ey often th row a sentimental i ty ove r th e nar

rative whi ch i s far removed from the calm g en tl ene ssof Scripture . They th ink th ey bri ng Him nearer tous by making Him as l ik e ourselves as doc t rin e w i l lal l ow them , and all th e wh i l e th ey are excavating an

impassable gulf betw een Him and us , and cas t ing Himleagues and l eagues aw'

av from us . Unfortunately th i slowe ring process i s yet more easy wi th Mary, for sh e

MEETING JESUS WITH THE enoss. 251

h as no d ivini ty to save her in th e lon g run . A merelyfemin ine Mary i s not the M ary of the Bibl e . Nei theragain i s sh e a simple shadow of our Lord , or her my5 a

teries a repe t i t ion of H is . I f w e endeavor to e stabl ishany par i ty,

even a proportionate one , betw een h er an dour Lord

,w e on ly meddle w i th Him w itliou t real ly

el evating her . She had not two Na tures ; her PersonWas not div in e ; sh e was not th e Redeemer of th e w orld ;sh e was not clo thed i n our sin s ; th e anger of the Fathernever directly rested u pon h er ; her i nnocence was notHi s s in lessn ess ; her Compassion was not His Passion ;h er Assumption was not His Ascension . She standsby h erse lf. She has her own meaning, h er appropriatesignificancy. She i s a .d is t in ct vastness i n God’s creat ion . She i s Wi thout a paral lel . Jesus i s not a parall e lto h er

,nor sh e to Him . She fil ls up th e room of a huge

world in th e un iverse of God , but th e room sh e fi l ls i snot th e room of th e Sacred Human i ty of Jesus , noreven l ike to i t . Sh e i s Mary . She i s the Mother ofGod . Sh e i s h erse lf. Near to God yet every w hi t acreature

,sin less yet wholly human

,human in person ,

an d not d ivi n e,— in nature human on ly , and not div in e

also . They wh o represent her as a pal e shadowy counterpart of our Blessed Lord , changing th e sex andlow ering th e real i t i es

,miss th e real grandeur of Mary

as much as th ey miss th e pecul iar magnificence of theIn carnation . Thus i t comes to pass that i f, i n order to

pain t h er sorrow s in more str ik ing colors , w e exaggeratewhat i s feminin e about her , w e obtai n th e same resul tw i th those wh o i nsi st i n finding in her al l manner ofunequal equal i ti es w i th her Son

,namely

,an unw or thy

v iew of her as w el l as an untru e one . She i s more l ik ethe inv isib le God than l ike th e Incarnat e God . She i smore accurately to be paral leled w i th wha t i s purelydiv ine th an w i th w hat is human and divin e togeth er .She i s a creature cl oth ed w i th th e e ternal sun , as S t.Joh n saw h er in the Apocalypse

,the most perfect

c reated transcri p t of the Creator . As the Hypostatic

252 ms roman DOLOR.

Union l inks Creator and creature l i tera l ly together, 5 0Mary , th e div in ely perfect , pure creature , i s th e neckwh i ch j oin s on th e whole body of c reatures t o thei rDi v in e Incarnate Head . She has h er own place i n th esystem of c rea t ion , and h er own mean ing . She i s l ik eno one . No one i s l i ke h er . t at sh e i s mos t l ike i sthe In comprehens ible Creator . Thus , of th e three elemen t s i n to which the idea of Mary resolves i tse lf i nour minds, th e femin ine e lemen t, th e elemen t of th eHypos ta t i c Union , and the d ivi n e elemen t, i t i s th i slast w hi ch seems to con trol th e rest

,whi l e al l th ree are

so inextr i cably commingl ed that we can detach non e ofth em w i thou t inj ury to truth .

We must also not omi t to mention here th e un ion ofMary’s sorrow s wi th our Lord ’s . We have spoken of itbefore ; but a new and very sign ifican t feature in th isd isposi ti on of h ers comes to v iew i n th e fourth dolor .There i s such a grac ious un i ty vouchsafed to us betw eenour Blessed Lord and ourselves , —betw een the Redeemerand the Redeemed , - that we may , not in mere imaginat ion or as an intel lectual process of fai th , unite our suffe rings to His, and so make them meri torious of eternall i fe . I t i s ch iefly th e more excel len t attainment of th is

union wh ich distinguish es th e saints from ourselves .Theologians have said that th e great d ifference betw eenth e serv ice of th e Blessed in heaven and the serv ice ofth e

“

elect on earth i s, that on earth the soul un i tes i tse lfto God by the exercise of a varie ty of v i rtues , w hereas inheaven Jesus Christ i s th e on e v i rtue of th e Blessed , thel ink wh ich j oin s them to th e Father . Some sai nts havebeen al lowed , i n a certain measure and by a ve ry p e cwl iar g ift, to an ti cipate on earth th is h eaven ly particu

larity, and to be clothed in an unusual way w i th th eVery spi ri t of Jesus . Card inal d e Berul le was even saidto have th e gift of commun icat ing th i s Spi ri t in a subord inate degree to th e soul s wh ich h e directed . Ofcourse no sain t , nor al l th e saints put togeth er, ever posse ssed the sp i r i t of Jesus so nearly to identi ty as His


h eavily upon h er , fi l led in , as w e migh t have supposedi t w ould have been , w i th a mul t i tude of figures , sh e sawnothing in the poin t of her soul but God on ly . I n thatl igh t

,al l secondary causes van ish ed . They w ere sub

merged in her single view of the Fi rst Cause . Therewas no Pilate , no Herod , no Annas , no Caiaphas ; bu ton ly God

,w i th His i rresistibly sw ee t w i l l s treaming out

of Him , and fi l l ing up every nook and corner where elseperhaps some human agency migh t have been v is ible .I f th e secondary causes were there at all , th ey w ere farin th e background , wi th th e soft golden haze of God

’smerci ful i n tent ions upon them , or e lse beh ind th e mistwh i ch His l igh t and heat always raise when they beatful l upon the earth . I t i s th is grand singlen ess ofvi s ion after wh ich the sain ts are perpetual ly s triv ing ,and to wh i ch they h ardly attain , even amid the manyw onders of thei r hol iness , at the end of a long l i fe ofasceti c strain ing and supern atural t rial . I t was a gracewh ich Mary started w i th , and. had alw ays exerci sed ;and ,

i n th is fourth dol or, i t underw en t an especia ltrial

,because th e sorrow had so much more of an ex

ternal l i fe,and was produced by such a far greater

crowd of out-w ard agents and ci rcumstan ces than anyof h er oth ers had been. I f al l exerc ises of al l v i rtuesw ere hero i c in her , th ere w ere many t imes i n w h i chth ey w en t beyond hero ic , and w ere godl ik e . So now ,

i nth is single v is ion of God only, there was a shadow ofHis blessed and eternal o ccupation w i th Himsel f, wh ichbelongs to Him who can h ave no end bu t His own

adorable Sel f. What wonder so much sw eetness , somuch gentl en ess

,so much pat ien ce , so much con formity ,

so much tender love of si nners , so much inexpl i cabl e outpouring of l ov e upon Jesus , came from a grace wh i ch hadi ts root so deep down and so h igh up i n the moun tain ofGod Himself 1This fourth dolor gi ves us al so many l esson s for our

selves . All th e dolors have l ed us th rough strangereal i ties ; for i t is the way

'

of sorrow,above al l o ther

MEET ING Jusns WITH Tins caoss . 255

th ings i n human l i fe , even more than love , to mak e th eth ings w hich l i e around i t pecul iarly sol id . But in th i sdolor our real i ties grow more real . They gain a new

real ity from being inte gral parts of that las t tremendousdrama in w h ich th e salvation of th e world was aecom

plish ed at an incalculab l e cos t of pain , and shame , andagony . The three fountains of th e Sacred HumanityWere draw n dry by th e exact-i on s of mos t merc i ful j ust i cefor th e sin s of men . I n His Body th e abyss o f pain wasemp t i ed

,i n His M i nd al l the possib i l i ti es of shame

,i n

His Sou l th e dep ths of i ntel lectual and moral agony .

lVe have seen' Mary’s sufferings almost pass into His,

and His revert to her. Have w e no parti c ipation in th i sreal ity ? Yes ! on e , out of wh ich th e hot springs of de

votion ough t to be flowing altvays. We ourselves w ere

part o f our M other’s dolors , because w e w ere an actual

par t of our Savior’s Passion . Thus th ey cease to bemere matters of h i story to us . They are not simple de~ °

votions,w h ich attract us because th ey are so touching .

They are not only a beauti ful scriptu ral pathos, en

hancing at every turn th e lovely mysteries of th e Incarnat ion

,and clo th ing w i th fresh in terest th a t wh ich

already k indles our fai th and fascin ates our l ove . We

ou rselves are part of th em . We made ourse lves fel t i nthem . IVe

‘

w ere agents then , not simply spectators

now . There i s gui l t attach ing to us ; and the sorrowwh i ch comes of gui l t and shame is another th ing fromt i at w hich comes of gratui tous pi ty or affectionate com~

pass ion . I t tel l s d ifferently on our inte rcourse wi th ourBlessed Mother. I t changes our posi t i on . I t makes ourdevotion part of our penan ce , ins tead of a free s en t ia

ment of our own rel igious choi ce or p ious fancv . There

are some devotions i n to w h ich taste may lead us wh i l ew e worsh ip ; bu t th i s i s on e i n wh i ch justi ce is con

cerned, and i n to w hi ch du t i es flow . Forgiven l ove

know s w hat i t has to do . The dear Magdalen standsup forever i n th e Ch urch to tel l u s th at w e must love

much to whom much has been forgiven . WVe w ere

256 THE FOURTH DOLOR;

c ruel to our Moth er ; an d , wh en w e had wounded her,and the w eapon was ye t i n our hands, sh e press ed us toh e r bosom . Unmel ted , w e w reaked w roxw aft er w rongupon her

,and sh e paid us back love— fresh love

, ai

ways love— for eve ry unkindly w rong . Seven t imes w ew en t i n t o her hear t to hurt her . Seven t imes w e tookpar t in h er chi ef mys t eries of grief. Seven t imes w eturned agains t her , when she was lov ing us as n evermo ther loved before . Bu t seventy-t imes seven w ouldnot nearly express the sum of graces w h ich she has ohfain ed for our barren and thank less souls . Ah ! ifw ehave been real i t i es to her in those days of her dolors

,i s

it not the leas t w e can do to le t h er dolors now be rea l ia

t i es to us ?Every morn ing of l i fe w e begin anew . W e go forth

from our doors to e ncounter a n ew day on its passage toe tern i ty . I t has much to say to us , and w e t o i t ; and itcarries i t s tal e to God a t sunse t, and i t s w ord i s bel i eved ,and i t s mess age remembered t i l l th e doom . W

'

ould i tnot be an unproduc t i v e day in w hich w e did n ot mee tour Lord ? For i s not that th e very mean ing of ourl i ve s ? I f th e day i s meant for th e sun to sh ine

,i t i s but

half a day,or rathe r i t i s n igh t , i f on ly th e material sun

shal l sh ine,and th e Sun of j usti ce also ri se not on us

wi th h eal th upon His w ings . We go ou t to mee t Jesusi n every ac t i on of the day ; but w e requi re th i s four thdolor to admonish us th at w e must rarely expec t to mee tHim except w i th a Cross , and that a n ew one . “Thenw e are i n sorrow, He Himself

“ draw s near and goesw i th” us

,as He did w i th the d isc ip les on th e road to

Emmaus . That i s the priv i lege of sorrow . I t i s anat t raction to our dearest Lord w h ich He can seldom re

s is t . Prov ided we se ek not oth er comfort,He is sure to

draw near and comfort us H imsel f. Oh , i f unwary soul sd id bu t know t he graces w hi ch they m i ss by tel li ngth e i r griefs and l et t ing thei r fel low - creatures consol ethem

,h ow saints w ou ld multiply i n th e Church of God !

IV e read th e l iv es of holy persons, and w onder how ever

2 3 8 THE rovaru DOLOR .

th e cross , and have w ept ou t l oud w hen He pers isted .

Some fol low i n th e sul l enn ess o f serv i l e obedi en ce,and

drag thei r cross , and i t j ol t s upon the stones , and hurt sthem all th e more , and they fal l , but thei r fal ls are noti n un ion w i th those th ree of His upon the o ld I'vay ofth e Cross . Few kneel down w i th th e alacri ty of a gladsurprise

,and k iss Hi s fee t, and tak e th e cross off His

back ,and shou lder i t almost playfully

,and w alk by His

s ide,s inging psalms w i th H im

,and smil ing w hen th ey

totter beneath th e load . But oh ! th e beauty of thatday’s sunset to such as th ese ! They constrain Him

,

saying , Stay w ith us , because i t i s tow ard even ing and th eday i s now far spen t . And He goes i n w i th them .

” Thisi s what w e should do . Can w e do i t ? No ! but w e can

t ry , and then He w i l l do i t i n us . But He meets us w i ththe Cross . Th is impl ie s much . I t impl ies that w e mustturn back from our own road

,and that al l th e way w e

w en t t i l l w e met Him was but w aste of streng th andfrui t less t rav el l ing . lVe can only carry our crosses oneway,

and that i s h eavenw ard . They keep our faces i nthat d i rect ion . They push us up h i l l ; dow n h i l l theyw ou ld prostrat e us, and fal l h eavi ly upon us, and k i l l u s .All th e faces of cross- carriers are turned on e way. Theend

,wh i ch i s meant to go in to th e earth , poin t s t o th e

ear th : th e cross of th e cross l ooks ov er our sh ouldersi n to heaven

,and righ ts i tself there , however unsteady

w e may be , l ik e th e n eedl e always trembling in reveren tfidel i ty toward th e Pol e . So let us not miss our opportunity,

but tak e up our cross at on ce , and turn roundand fol low Him ; for so on ly shal l w e fal l into the Procession of th e Predestinate .

B ut th is dol or tel l s us more sti l l . I t teach es u s th atlong rest i s the groun d in fron t of great crosses . Un

usual crosses fol low unusual qu iet . The greater th epeace now,th e greater th e cross presently . Th is i s on eof th e se l essons w h ich every one know s and no on e re

members . Out of three- and- th i r ty years, tw en ty- one ran

ou t betw een the last dolor and th e Passion . How often

M EET ING J ESUS VY'

I TI-I THE CRO SS.

does th e same th ing happen to ourselves ! Partly i t isthat God gives us a brea th ing- t ime that w e may makethe most of our past graces

,and so gai n new s treng th

nd col lec t ourse lves for h igher ach ievemen ts . Par t lyi t i s that the past graces

,i n wh i ch l i e prophecies and

prepara t ions of grace ye t to come , requi re time to deve lop themselves and become establ ished i n the soulPar t ly also th e cross comes at the end of these quiett imes in order to consol idate th ei r graces

,to acqui re a

permanen t possession of them for the sou l,and to crown

them w i th the cross, whi ch i s the only rew ard on thi s s ide

the grave . A grace uncompressed,unfix ed

,unmatured

by sorrow seems hard ly yet our own ,b u t a trans i tory

th ing which may or may not be real i zed . At bes t i t i sbut i ncome and not cap i tal . The refinement of sorrowi s th e last process of grace . Afte r that i t b ecomes gloryby th e mere keeping . He who forge t s tha t th e cross i scom ing w astes h is quie t . He misses th e ends for wh ichthe calm was sent him , and renders h imsel f l ess ab le tobear the cross w hen it comes than h e w ould have beenif he h ad prepared for i t . I t i s i n these long seasons ofqu i e t that most of those serious mistakes in the sp iri tuall i fe are made w hich have consequences almost i rreparable . Some t imes w e th ink w e hav e at tained thelevel of our in tended grace , and therefore w e persist i nkeeping upon it in sp i te of insp i ra t i ons to h igher th ings

,

re sistin o th ese as i f th ey w ere temptations to evi l, not

a ttract-i on s to good . we may thus mar th e whol escheme of our sanctification . Sometimes w e imagin eour tranqui l l i ty to arise from dulness

, w eariness , andw ant of fervor . We overlook the operations of gracew h ich are going on in our souls beneath the surface ofth e apparen t calm

,and extri cate ourse lves by a fatal

effort from the groove in w hi ch w e w ere in tended to ru n,

and ade p t a Spiri tual l i fe after a type and fash ion of ourown . I t i s less unsafe to be w i thou t spi ri tual di rectionin times of grow th , and trouble , and change , than inthese long seasons of comparati vely untempted peace .


There could b e. no lukewarmness,no sel f- trus t, no fall

ing back , no idle l oi t ering , i f only w e remembered thatthe seeming qu ie t was merely the hush before th ecoming of a greater cross . I t w ould then be to us atonce a period of res t i n God

,an d yet o f ardent , tremu

lous,ac t iv e prepara t ion fo r a n ew and differen t manife s

ta t ie n ofHim,w hi ch w e know w i l l b reak upon us l ike

a storm,and be a seri ous t rial of our w orth .

Th is dolor also prepares us for another t rial,w h ich i s

by no means i nfrequen t i n th e experience of th e cross .\Ve never seem to need our Blessed Lord ’s consol ing

presen ce and k ind w ords more than when He has j ustloaded us w i th another cross . Nature groans under theburden

,and becomes fain t . I f at th e same momen t our

supernatural l i fe becomes a cross to u s also,h ow shal l w e

bear it ? Yet there are few of us wh o have not e xp erie nced th is col li s ion of an outw ard w i th an i nw ard cross .\Ve meet Jesus . He gives us ou r n ew cross w i thout aw ord

,even

,so i t seems

,w i th ou t a b lessi ng . Often th e

express ion of Hi s Face says noth in O. \Ve are l ik e ser

vants w i th a master . We have s imply to do His w i l l,

w i thout any further direction s than a sign . No confidencei s imparted to us . No cheerful w ords of encouragemen tare u t t ered . There i s n o token that He i s pleased ord ispleased w i th us , no tok en that w e are doing Him aservi c e i n accep t in g th i s n ew c ross

,no token that He i s

other than indifferen t w he ther w e carry i t or not ."

We

have simply th e material obedience to p erform . Hecould not treat us oth e rm se i f w e w ere mere mach ines .Then w hen th i s cold dry ceremony of imposing th e newcross upon us i s performed , some t imes He w alks by ours ides w ithout look ing at us or speaking a single w ord

,as

i f w e w ere slaves carry ing His burden for Him and b eneath His notic e . Ei ther He i s occupi ed w i th His ownth oughts

,or He considers that any th in or l ik e commun i

cativeness w i l l i nflate us , and make us forget ourselves .But sometime s th e tri al i s worse than th is . He makesover H is load to us, and then , l ike an unburdened man,


uprigh t . Sometimes th ere is a storm of crosses d rivin grigh t in our faces l ike vehemen t. slan t ing hai l

, p clting sop i t i lessly that w e can hardly make any way at al l , or atleast w e have al l the miserable feel ing of making n on e .

Some t imes th e v come upon us from beh ind ,and i f w e

are walk ing carel ess ly w e stumble and fai l ; and , alas !who does not know that a fal l w i th a cross on our shoulde rs

,th ough i t seems so much more pardonable , always

hur t s us far more grievously than a fal l w i thout one ?

I t i s th e cruell es t law of th e spi ri tual l i fe .

Some men hav e on e l i felong c ross to carry,and oth er

c rosses do not appear to be added to i t . But even theni t i s much the same as i f th ere w ere new crosses ; for th eburden i s not equabl e . Sometimes th e road is roughersometimes the day i s hotter ; some t imes w e are ourselvesunw el l

,and t imorous

,and w eak ; some t imes also th e

cross, by a sort of mi racle , causelessly so far as w e canj udge

,grow s far h eav ier , and galls us as i t neve r d id b e

fore,and

,the reason being h idden

,the remedy i s h idden

also . Th is l i felong cross , even when mos t equabl e , andunaccompan ied by o th er crosses

,i s th e hardes t of al l

tr ials to bear . There i s so much mu tabi l i ty inour nature

,that even a change of pun i shmen t from Sharp to

$11 9. p e r i s i n effect a relaxa t ion . The sa t i sfac t i on of th echange i s a greater good to our human i ty than the ihcreased severi ty of the pain i s an ev i l . The dreadfu lth ing t o na ture i s to be t ied dow n to a persevering uniformity . I t i s i n thi s that th e secret h eroi sm of vow sresides . t o has no t fel t rel ie f in i l lness , w hen the pai nhas changed from on e l imb to another ? So i s i t , andsti l l more , w i th th e sufferings of the soul . He w ho

carri es on e cross for years , and carries i t t o h is grave,mus t e i ther be one of God ’s h idden sain ts . or must li e inlow attainmen ts as n ear to lukewarmness as i s compa t ib l ew i th th e salvat i on of h i s soul .But somet imes the on e l i felong cross remain s alwavs

upon our shoulders,only as th e ab id ing foundat i on of a

very ed ifice of crosses, w h ich God is foreve r bui ld ing up,

MEETING J ESUS WITH THE.

caoss. 263

and pul l ing down ,and bui ld ing up again , upon the old

enduring cross, w i thout ever sh ifting that . There are

some sou ls God seems alwavs to be experimenting upon ,and only experimenting

,and experimen ting to the last ;

but i t i s real work . Th is un i tes th e two sufferings ofmonotony and chan ge togeth er . All th e epoch s of l i feare variously represented by the transi tory h eaps ofcrosses

, w hi l e th e abid ing cross i s th e deep undertone ofthe whole of l ife . Such men w alk th e world , not merely

as memorial s to be w ondered at, but as l iv ing fountain sof devotion to al l wh o see them . They are men ofpow er ; for i t i s to the secret in tercessi on s of such sou lsthat al l spi ri tual renew als on th e ear th are ow ing . Notunfrequen t ly they carry for a whi l e th e whol e Churchupon th e top of th ei r cross . They are monuments ofGod ’s love ; for i n them w e see in ful les t revelation thegrand truth

,wh ich i s true also i n i ts measure of th e

very low est of oursel ves , that the cross i s n ever only achasti semen t

,but alw ays a rew ard as w el l , and th e

plent i fulness of God’s love to each created soul i smeasured by the abundance of i ts crosses .There i s one more lesson yet to be learned from th i s

dolor . Jesus and Mary are both going on e way : cou ldi t be any other way than the road to heaven ? Yet th eread they w ere travel ling led over Calvary . Hen ce w enfe r th at no one ’s face is tow ard heaven w hen i t i s nottow ard Calvary . In l i fe

,w hether w e know i t or not

,

w e are always travel l ing to a sorrow . At the next turnof th e road stands an unforeseen death of some onewhom w e love , or th e break ing up of a c i rc l e i n w h i chi t seems as i f our very exi stence w ere bound up

,or some

di sgrace whi ch w e never reckoned on . We l ook on tosometh ing n ext summer , and i t i s a j oy to us to th ink ofth e good and happy w ork w e then shal l do , and there i sa bed of s i ckness lurking in th e way,

and th e summer ’ssun w i l l on ly sh ine upon our useless and queru lous convalese ence . The long n igh ts of w i n ter are to find Us at,

an occupat ion wh ich w e on ly regret we have de layed“

so

204 THE rounrn DOLO R .

long , because i t i s so good ,so ful l of God

'

s gl or y , so fullo f ou r own sanc tifieation . Bu t before th e short es t dayhas come

,al l l i fe has sh i ft ed . Ci rcums tan ces are

chanced . The good w ould be good no longer , or t h emeans of doing i t have sl i pped from our hand s . Theloss of the oppor tun i ty i s an unhappiness t o us ; th e

dclav bv wh ich w e los t i t i s grea t er s t i l l . A good w hichcan be done now can neve r be don e. aft erw ard . I f i tw i l l be good to -morrow , then be su re it i s n o t. good today . God changes thin g s w h en He changes t imes . Th isis th e reason w hy unpunc tual , pre crastinatin o men are .

never holy , seldom affec t iona te , always selfish . 8 0 l i fesl ips by , and w e manufactu re our own sorrow s bv th e

wan t of promp t itude . Devo t ion onlv mean s one thingin theology , and that one thin e is promp t i tude .

Somet imes , how ever , w e do see the sorrow towardwh ich w e are t ravell i ng . Perhaps th is i s th e mostcommon case of th e tw o. know tha t. an i l lness i salmos t su re t o re turn at a part i cular season of the vear .Or w e. have an inevi tabl e w ork to do and th e experienceof th e past assu res us that th e suffering

,w h ich w i l l come

of i t , i s as in ev i tabl e as th e w ork i t sel f. Or w e are bending over a si s t er or a ch i ld . in w hom in sid ious consumpt i on is w e ari l y eating i ts fa tal w ay . A l oss w e cannotbear to th ink of is thus con t inual ly impendin g . I t ma yb e nex t spu n ", or i t may be n ext sprin g vear . Or i tmav be when the leaf fal l s th i s y ear , or when i t fal lstw o years h en ce . Or a sharp fros t may nip the flow e rth i s w i n t er

,or th e b loodvesse l may break in sleep to

n igh t . A son perhaps has w ound h i s wh ol e manl in essaround an aged w idow ed mo ther : or a daugh t er so

cl in g s to a fai l ing fa ther , that sh e has n ever in h e r wholel ife, been abl e to undomest i ca t e h erself from the h ear thof h er ch ildhood

, and t o th e las t has remained more(lau gh t er than w i fe , n ore daughter than mo th er . In

bo th cases th e son and th e daugh ter have before thema n in ev i table sorrow ,

i n evi table i f they li v e th emselves ,i n ev i table i n th e course of nature . I t i s on l y a w ork of

266 THE FIFTH D OLOR .

CHAPTER VI .

are gnarl agar.

THE CRUC IF IX IO N .

THE world i s a mystery . Life,t ime

,death , doubt,

good an d ev i l , and th e uncerta in ty w hich hangs aboutour e ternal lo t, are al l mysteries . They l i e burn ing on

th e heart a t t imes . But the Crucifix is the mean ing ofth em , th e solut ion of th emal l . I t puts the ques t i on ,and answ ers i t as wel l . I t i s the read ing of al l riddles

,

th e cer tain ty of al l doubts , and th e centre of al l fai ths,th e foun tain of al l hopes

,th e symbol of al l l oves . I t

reveal s man to h imsel f, and God to man . I t holds al igh t to t ime that i t may look i nto etern ity and bereassu red . I t i s a sw eet sigh t to look u pon in our timesof j oy ; for i t makes the j oy tender w i thout reprovingi t

,and elevates w i thou t s t rai n ing i t . In sorrow there i s

n o sigh t l ike i t. I t d raw s forth our tears , and makesth em fal l faster

,and so softly that they become sw eeter

than very smiles . I t g ives l igh t in the darkness, andth e si len ce of its preach ing i s always el oquent, anddeath i s life in th e face of th at grave earn est of eternall i fe . Th e Crucifix i s alw ays th e same , yet ever vary ingi ts expression so as to be to us in al l our moods j ustwhat w e most w an t an d i t i s best for us to have . Now onder saints have hung over th ei r Crucifixes i n su chtran ces of con tented l ove But Mary i s a part of th ereal i ty of th i s symbol . The Mother and the Apostlestand

,as i t w ere

,through all ages at th e foo t of th e

Crucifix,symbols th emselves of th e great mystery , of

th e sole true relig ion , of what God has done for th e

THE CRUC IFIX ION . 267

w orld wh i ch He created . As w e cannot th ink of th eChi ld a t Be thlehem w i thout His M o ther, so n ei ther w i l lthe Gospel le t us picture to ourselves the M an on Calvary w i thout His M oth er also . Jesus and Mary w erealw ays one ; but th ere was a pecu liar un ion be tw ee nthem on Calvary . I t i s to th i s union w e now come ,Mary ’s fi fth dolor

,th e Crucifixion .

The Way of th e Cross was ended , and th e summitof th e moun t has been attain ed a l itt le before th e hourof noon . I f tradition speaks truly , i t was a memorialplace even then , fi t to h e a w orld

’s sanc tuary ; for i t wassaid to be the si te of Adam ’s grave

,th e spot where he

rested when th e mercy of God accepted an d closed ' h is

nin e hundred years of heroi c penance . Close by was

th e c i ty of David,wh ich w as rather th e ci ty of God , th e

cen t re of so much w onderfu l h i story , th e obj ect of somuch pathe t i c d iv in e love . The scene wh i ch was now

to be enac ted th ere w ould uncrow n th e qu eenly c i ty ;bu t only to crown ,

w i th a far more glorious crown ofl igh t

,and hope

,and truth , and beau ty , every ci ty of th e

w orld w here Ch rist Crucified should be preached andthe Blessed Sacramen t should dw el l . I t was but a l i t t l ewh il e , an hour perhaps , sin ce th e l ast dolor ; so thatonly four hours have elapsed betw een th e fourth dolorand th e consummation of th e fifth . Yet in sorrow and

i n sanctification i t i s a longer epoch th an the eigh teenyears of Nazareth . I n no th ing i s i t more true

,than in

our sanc tification , that w i th God a thousand years arebut one day . These hou rs w ere fi l led w i th mysteries sod ivine , w i th real i ties so thri l l ing , that th e lapse of timei s hardly an elemen t in the agony of Mary ’

s sou l . Sh ecomes to th e Crucifixion a greater marvel of grace

,a

greater mirac le of suffering , th an w hen an hour agosh e had met th e cross- laden Jesus at th e corn er of th estreet .They have stripped Him of His vestmen ts , from th e

sh am e of wh ich stripping His Human Nature shrankinexpress ibly . To His Mother the indigni ty was a

268 THE FIFTH DOLOR .

torture in i tsel f,and the unve il ed s igh t of Her Son’s

Heart th e whi l e was a horror and a woe w ords cannottel l . Th ey have la id Him on the Cross , a harder bedthan th e Crib of Beth lehem in w hi ch He fi rst was la id .

He gives Himsel f in to the i r hands w i th as much doc i l ityas a w eary chi ld whom h is mother i s gen t ly preparingfor h i s rest . I t seems , an d i t real ly was so , as i f i t wasHis own w i l l

,rather than thei rs , wh ich was being fu l

fi l led . Beauti ful in Hi s d isfiguremen t,venerab le in

H is shame,th e Everlasting God lay upon the Cross

,

w i th His eyes gent ly fixed on h eaven . Never,Mary

th ough t, had H e looked more w orsh ipful , more man ifestly God , than now w hen he lay outs t retch ed there,a pow erl ess but w i l l i ng v ic t im ; and sh e w orsh ippedHim w i th profoundest adorat ion . The executioners

now l ay His righ t arm and hand out upon th e Cross .The y apply th e rough nai l to th e palm of His Hand ,th e Hand out of w hi ch th e w orld ’s graces flow , and th efi rs t dul l k nock of th e hammer i s heard in th e si len ce .

The t rembling of excessiv e pain passes over His sacredl imbs

,but does not d islodge th e sw eet expressi on from

His eyes . New ,blow follow s bl ow , and i s echoed fain tl y

from somew h ere . The Magdalen and John hold thei rears ; for th e sound is unendurable : i t i s w orse than i fth e i ron h ammer w ere fal l i ng on th e i r l i v ing hearts .Mary h ea rs i t al l . The hammer i s fal l ing upon herl iv ing h eart ; for her love had l ong sin ce been dead toself

,and only l ived in Him . She looked u pw ard to

heaven . She could no t speak . W’ords w ould have sai dn o th ing . The Fa ther alon e understood the offe ring oftha t h eart

,now broken so many t imes . To h er th e

Nai l ing was not one ac t ion . Each knock was a separatemar tyrdom . The hammer played upon her heart asth e hand of th e music ian changefully presses th e keysof h is instrumen t .The Righ t Hand i s nai l ed to th e Cross . The Left

w i l l not reach . Either they have miscalculated in th e

hole th ey have dr il led to fac i l i tate th e passage of th e

270°

THE FIFTH DOLOR .

round His w ai s t w i th such cruel t ightn es s th a t i t wasac tuallv h idden i n the flesh ,

to h inder His Body fromde tach ing i tse l f from th e Cross . So one h orror outs t rips ano ther , search ing out w i th fiery thril ls, l ik e thev ib ra t ion s of an ear thquake

,all th e supernatural capa

b ilities of suffering , whi ch lay l ik e abysses i n th eMo ther ’s ruined heart . Let us not compare h e r w oe

t o any o ther . I t s tands by i t sel f. lVe may look a t i tand w eep over i t i n love , i n l ove w h ich i s suffering asw el l . Bu t w e dare not make any commen tary on it .Sorrow ful Mo ther ! Blessed be th e Most Holy Trin i tyfor th e mi racl es of grace w rough t i n thee at th at trem endous hour !Earth trembled to i ts very centre . Inan imate th ings

shuddered as i f th ey had intel l igen ce . The rocks w erespl i t around , precip ices cl oven al l along th e most di stan tshores of th e Medi terranean , and the mys t i cal vei l ofth e temple ren t i n tw ain by th e agitat i on of th e earth

,

as i f a hand had don e i t . At that momen t— se one revel at ion tel l s u s— there rose up from th e temple- courts along wai l ing blast of t rumpe t s

,t o mark the offer in g of

th e noonday sacrifi ce , and th ey tha t blewthe trumpetskn ew not h ow ,

that day,they rang i n heaven as th e

noonday t rumpets n ever rang before . Darkness b egant o creep over th e ear th ; for the satel l i te of earth migh twel l e clipse th e ma t erial sun , w hen the earth i tself wasthus ecl ipsing th e Sun of just i c e , th e E ternal Ligh t ofth e Fa ther . The an imals sough t cover t s w h ere th eymigh t h ide . Th e songs of th e bi rds w ere hush ed in th egardens ben eath . Horror came over th e souls of m en ,

and the beginn ings of grace , l ik e th e fi rst uncertain ad

vances of th e stealthy dawn , came in to many hear t s ou tof that sympa the t i c dark ness . A moment was an age

when men w ere env i ron ed by such mysteries as these .

The fi rst h our of th e th ree begins— th e th ree h ou rsthat w ere such paral l el s to the three day s when sh e wasseek ing h e r .lost Boy . I n th e darkn ess sh e has comeclose tip to the Cross ; for others fel l away, as the pan ic

THE CRUC IFIX IO N . 271

simul taneousl y infect-ed them . There i s a faith i n th eJew s, upon wh i ch th is fear can readily graft i tsel f. Bu t

the execu t i oners are hardened,and the Roman sold iers

w ere not w on t to tremble i n the darkness . Near to theCross

,by the gl immering l igh t, they are d ice ing for His

garments . Their coarse w ords and rude j ests p iercedth e Moth er ’s h eart ; for , as w e have said before , i t b el onged to h er perfection that h er gri ef absorbed noth ing . Every th ing told upon her . Every thing madei ts own w ound

,and occupied h e r, as if i tself w ere th e

sole suffering , the exclusiv ely aggrava t ing c i rcumstan ce .

She saw th ose garments— those reli cs , w hi ch w ere h e

yond al l pr ice the w orld could give— in th e hands ofm i serab le sinners , w ho w ould sacri legiously clothe themselves th erew i th : For th irty years they had grown w i thour Lord ’s grow th

,and had no t been worn by use

,— re

n ewq

ing that mi racle wh ich Moses mentions in Deu teronomy, that, th rough al l th e for ty years of th e deser t ,th e garmen t-s of th e Jew s w ere not “

w orn out, n e i ther

th e shoes of thei r feet consumed w i th age .

” Now s inners w ere to w ear them , and to carry th em i n to u n

known haun t s of drunkenness and sin . Ye t w hat w asi t but a type ? The w hole of an unc lean w orld was tocloth e i tsel f in the beautiful ju stice of h er Son . Sinn ers w ere to w ear His v ir tues

,to meri t by His meri ts

,

to sat i sfy“in His sa t i sfact i on s , and to draw ,

at w i l l , fromthe w el ls of His Preci ous Blood . As Jacob had beenblessed in Esau ’s c lothing

,so shou ld al l mankind be

blessed in the garments of thei r elder Brother .Th e rn th e re was the seam less tuni c sh e herself had

Wrought for Him . The uni ty of His Church was

figured there . She saw them cast lots for i t . Shemark ed to whom i t had fallen . One of her fi rst lovingdu ties to th e Church w i l l be to recover i t for th e fai thfu l as a re lic . Then i t was th at the h istory of th eChurch rose before her . Every sch ism

, which e vershould affl i ct th e mysti cal Body of h er Son

,was l ik e a

new ren t in her suffering heart . Every heresy,every

272 THE FrFTH DO LOR .

quarre l,every unseemly s in agains t un i ty , came to her

w i th keenes t angu ish , there on Calvary , w i th the li vingSacrifice being actual ly offered , and th e un i ty of HisChurch b e imY bough t w i th so terrible a pri ce . All thi sb i t t ern ess fi l led her soul , w i thout d istrac t ing her fromJesus for a s ingle momen t . As holy pont if’fs , w i thhearts broken bv th e w rongs and d istresses of th eChurch

,have been al l engrossed by them , ye t n ever for

an i ns tan t lost th e i r in terior un ion w i th Jesus , so muchmore was i t w i th Hi s Mo ther now . I t was on Calvarysh e fel t al l th is w i th an espec ial feel ing, as i t i s in Len t,and Passiont ide

,and i n devotion to the Passi on , that we

l earn to love th e Church w i th such sensi t iv e loyal ty .

Fresh fountain s of grief w ere opened to h er in th efixing of th e t i tle to the Cross . I t had come fromPila t e

, and a ladder was se t up against the Cross , andthe t i tl e nai led above our Sav ior 's Head . Every blowof th e hammer was unu t t erable torture to Him , torturew h ich had a fearful echo also i n the Mo ther’s h eart .Nor was the t i t le i tse lf w i thout pow er to extend androuse h er sufferin g . The sigh t of th e Holy Nameblazon ed there i n shame to al l the v.' orld

,—th e Name

,

wh ich to her was sw ee ter than any music , more fragran tthan any perfume

,— th is was i n itse lf a sorrow . The

name of Nazareth,also

, h ow i t brough t back th e past,surrounding th e Cross

,i n that d im ai r

,w i th beau t i fu l

associa t i ons and marvel lous con tras t s . Everywhere inth e Passi on Be thlehem and Nazareth w ere makingth emse lves fel t, and seen , and heard , an d alw ays e li c i ting n ew sorrow from the inexhaus t ibl e dep t h s of theMo ther ’s heart . I f He was a k ing , i t was a stran c eth rone on whi ch His people had placed Him . \Vhy d idth ey not acknow ledge Him to be thei r k ing ? “fliy d i dth ey wai t for a Roman s t ran g er to t el l i t them as i f i nscorn ? t y did they not let Him rul e i n the i rheart s ? Ah ! poor p e e ple ! how much happier w ould i tbe for themselves , how many sins w ould be h indered ,h ow many souls sav ed, how much glory gained for God !

274 THE FIFTH DOLOR.

God has gi ven h er to see th e w ork of grace beginn ing in

th e hear t of one of them . Does th i s con ten t h er ? Yes !w i th that pecul iar con tentmen t which comes of answ eredprayer, that i s to say , sh e became more cove tous b ecause of what sh e had not . She counted that on ly for abeginn ing . Sh e pleaded , she insis t ed . One w ou ld hav ethough t such prayer at such a time resistless . I t i s notHeaven that resi sts . Graces descend from above l ikefl ights of angel s to th e heart of th e impen iten t th i ef.They flutte red there . They sang for entran ce . Theywai ted . They p e eke d at th e heart of flesh . They madei t bleed w i th pain , w i th terror , w i th remorse . But i t wasi ts own master . I t w ould not Open . So near Jesu s, andto be lost ! I t migh t w ell be incredible to Mary ! Yet soi t was. The th ief matched h is hardness against h ersw ee tness , and

'

p revailed . Mary may not be queen ofany heart w here Jesus i s no t al ready k ing . But, oh , th eunutterable angu ish to her of thi s impen i tence ! Hisface so near the Face of J esus

,th e sighs of th e spotless

v i ctim dwel ling i n h i s ear as si lence dw el ls in the mounatains

,th e very Breath of th e Incarnate God reach ing to

h im,th e Preciou s Blood strewn al l around h im , like an

overflow of w aste water,as i f there was more than men

kn ew what to do w i th , and in the midst of al l th i s to bedamned , to commute the hot strangl ing throes of thatc rucifixion for everlast i ng fi re

,to be de tached by h is own

w i l l from th e v ery s ide of th e Crucifix , and the nextmomen t to become a part of hopel ess hel l ! Mary sawh is eterni ty before her as i n a v ista . She took in at aglance th e pecul iar horror of his case . There came as igh out of h er heart at the loss of th i s poor w re t chedson , w h ich had sorrow en ough in i t to repair th e cu te

raged maj esty of God,but no t enough to soften th e

sin ner’s heart .Such were th e outw ard

,or rath er let u s cal l th em th e

offi c ial,occupati ons of Mary dur ing the fi rs t hour upon

th e Cross . Her inmost occupa t ion,and yet outw ard

al so, was that wh ich was abov e her, overshadowing h er

rm: cancmxm . 275

in the darkness,and fel t more v iv idly even than if i t had

been clearly seen ,— Jesus hanging upon the Cross ! As

ou r guardian angels are ever by our sides,engrossed

wi th a thousand inv is ible min i stri es of love , and yet al lth e whi le see God , and in that one bea t ify ing sigh t areutterly immersed

,so was i t w i th Mary upon Calvary .

Wh i le she seemed an attenti v e w i tness and li stener ofth e men div iding our Lord’s garmen ts among them ,

and of th e nailimr of th e t i t le to the Cross , or appearedto be occupied w i th the conversion of the th ieves

,sh e

did al l th ose things,as the sain ts do th ings

,i n ecstasy,

w i th perfect at ten t i on and faultl ess accuracy , and ye t far“

w i thdraw n in to th e presence of God and hidden in Hisl igh t . A whole hour w ent by . Jesus was s i lent . HisBlood was on fi re w i th pain . His Body began to dependfrom the Cross

,as i f the nai ls barely held i t . The Blood

was tri ck l ing dow n the w ood al l the wh i l e . He wasgrow ing wh i t-e r and whi ter . Every moment of th atagony Was an ac t of w orsh ip fully w orthy of God Himself. He was holding ineffable communion w i th th eFather . Mysteries

,exceed ing al l mys t eries that had

ever been on earth,w ere going on i n His Heart

,w hi ch

was alternate ly contracted and di lated w i th agony tooaw ful for human ity to bear w i thout miraculous support .I t had d iv ine support ; but d iv ine consolat ion was carefu l ly k ept apart . The interior of that Heart was clearlydi sclosed to the Moth er’s i nw ard eye, and her heart participated i n its su tfe rings. She, too, needed a miracle to

p rolong her l i fe, and the miracle was w orked . Bu t w i th

th e same pecul iarity . From h er, also, al l con solation waskept aw ay . And so one hour passed , and grace hadcreated many w orlds of sancti ty , as the laden m inute

'sw en t slow ly by, one by one , then slow er and slow er,l ike th e pulses of a clock at midn igh t w hen w e are i l l,beating sensibly slow er to reproach us for our impat i en tl is ten ing .

The second hour began . The darkness deepened , and

there w ere few er persons round th e Cross. No diceing

276 m s FIFTH De t on.

now, no d i sturbance of nail ing th e t i tl e to the Cross. Al l

was as s i l en t as a sanctuary . Then Jesus spoke . I tseemed as i f He had been holding secre t converse w i thth e Fa ther, and He had come to a poin t w hen He couldkeep s i lence no longer . I t sounded as if He had beenpleading for s inners , and the Father had said that thesin of His Crucifixion was too great to be forgiven . Toour human ears the w ord has that sign ifi cance . I t certainly came out of some dep th , ou t of some th ing w h ichhad been going on before , e i ther His own th oughts , orthe in tensi ty of h is pain

,or a col loquy w i th th e Fa ther.

Father ! forgive them ; for th ey know not what th eydo !” Beauti ful , unending prayer , true of al l s ins and ofal l sinners i n every time ! They know not what they do .No on e know s w hat he does w hen h e si ns . I t is h i s veryknow ledge th at th e mal ic e of sin i s past h is compreh ension w h ich i s a great part of th e mal i ce of h i s s in .

Beautiful prayer al so , because i t d isc loses th e characteristic d evotion of our deares t Lord ! When He breaksth e s i lence , i t i s n ot about H i s Mother, or th e apostl es,or a w ord of comfort to th at affectionate forlorn Magdalen

,w hom He loved so fondly . I t is for s inners , for

the w orst of th em ,for H is personal en emies , for those

wh o crucified Him ,for those wh o had been yell ing after

Him in the streets,and load ing Him w i th th e uttermost

indign i ties . I t i s as if at Nazareth He m igh t seem to

love Hi s Mother more than all th e w orld beside , but thatnow on Calvary , when h is agony had brough t out thed eepest real i ties and the last d i sclosures of His SacredHeart

,i t was found that His ch ief devotion was to si n

ners . Was Mary hurt by th i s appearance ? Was i t afresh dolor that He had not th ough t first of her ? Oh , no !Mary had no se lf on Calvary . I t could not hav e l iv edthere. Had her h eart cri ed out at th e same momen t

w i th our Lord'

s,i t w ould have u ttered th e same prayer,

and in l ik e w ords w ould have unburdened i tself of thatof w hich i t was most ful l . But th e w ord did draw forthnew floods of sorrow . The very sound of His vo ice

278 firm: FI FTH Dot on.

gotten ones . She inte rpreted th em by oth ers, and

others again by them , and so th ey gave ou t man ifoldnew meanings . Besides w h ich , she saw th e i nter io rfrom wh ich they came , and therefore th ey w ere deepert o her . But th e grow i ng beauty of Jesus had been con.

sisten tly a more and more copious fountain of sorrowal l th rough the Three-and-Thi rty Years . I t was notl ikely that law w ou ld be abrogated upon Calvary .

And was there not someth ing perfectly aw ful , even toMary ’s eye

,i n th e way in w h ich His d i v i ne beauty was

masteri ng every th ing and beginn ing to sh in e out inth at ecl i pse ? I t s eemed as i f th e G odhead w ere goingto lay Itsel f bare among th e ve ry ru in s of th e SacredHumanity , as His bones were show ing th emselvesth rough His flesh . I t was unspeakabl e . Mary l ifted uph er whol e soul to i ts uttermost h eigh t to reach th e pointof adoration due to Him

,and tranqu i l ly acknow ledged

that i t was beyond h er pow er . Her adoration san‘

kdown in to profuse st l ove , and h er l ove condensed underth e ch il l shadow i n to an intens i ty of sorrow

,wh ich fel t

its pain intolerably everywhere as th e low pul sation s ofHis c lear gentle v oice rang and undulated th rough h erinmost soul .The though t w h i ch was nearest t o our Blessed Sav ior’sHeart

,if w e may reveren tly ven ture to speak thus of

Him , was the glory of H is Fath er . We can hard lydoub t that after that, ch i ef among th e affection s of th ecreated nature w h i ch He had condescended to assume

,

stood th e love of His Immaculat e Moth er . Among Hisseven w ords th ere w i l l b e on e , a word follow ing Hisabsoluti on of the th ief at Mary’s prayer, a double w ord ,both t o her and of h er . That also shal l be l ike a creativew ord , creat iv e for Mary , s t i l l more c reative for H i sChurch . He spok e ou t of an unfathomable love , andyet in such mysteri ous guise as was fi tted st i l l more todeepen His Moth er’s grief. He s tyles h er “ Woman

,

”as

i f He had al ready put off th e fil i al character . He substitutes John for H imself, and final ly appears to transfer

“

rm; CRUCIFIXtoN. 279

to John His own right to call Mary Mother . How

many th ings w ere there here to overw helm our Blessed

!Lady w i th fresh affl i ct ion ! She w ell knew th e mean in gof th e mystery . Sh e understood that by th i s seemingtransfer she had been solemnly instal led in her offi ce ofsecond Eve , th e mother of al l mank ind . She was aw arethat now Jesus had drawn her sti l l more closely to Himse lf

,had l ikened her to H imself more than eve r

,and

had made thei r un ion more comple te . The two re

lation s of Mother and Son w ere two no longer ; th ey hadmelted in to one . She knew that n ever had He lovedher more than now ,

and never shown h e r a morepalpable proof of His l ove , of Wh ich ,

how ever , no proofWas wanting . But each fresh in stance of His love was anew sorrow to h er ; for i t call ed up more love in her,and w ith more love ,

“

as Usual , more sorrow.

Bu t wha t a strange Annunciation i t was , th i s proclas

mati on to her of th e Materni ty ofmen,compared w it h

the Annunciation of her Div ine M aterni ty ! The m ida

nigh t h our , th e si lent room , the ecstati c prayer, th e low lyp rompti tude of th e consent , th e si

'

vi'

ft marvel of th ead0 1ab le myster ‘ —

y,—a.l l th ese wme now exchanged for

th e top of Calvary ln th e dun l igh t of th e ecl ipse , w i thhe 1 Son hanging b leed ing on th e Cross . Oh ,

what su re

passing j oy w en t w i th th etD

first Motherhood ,w hat intole

rable anguish w i th th e second ! Yet Wh i l e God sen t Hi sange l to mak e th e fi1 st Annunc iation

,He Himself

,w i th

His sw eet Human voice, condescended to make thesecond. Bu t in Mal y ’s soul the1 e was th e same tran‘qui l l i ty

,1n her w i l l th e same alacri ty o

‘

t devout consen t .”

Wh en w e are in deep sorrow , ev ery acti on , wh i ch w e

are constrained to do , seems to exci te and mul tiply ourgrief. Even th e very movements of body d isturb th est i l lness of th e soul . An interruption , an external noise ,th e scene th at mee ts th e upl ifted eye , these are suffi c i en tto burs t th e bounds , and th row the mass of b i tter w aterson ce more over th e soul. So w henMary’s whole naturerose to meet th i s Word of Jesus

,and threw i tself in to

280 m s rirrn DOLOR .

th e consen t sh e gave,and turned her forc ibly as i t Were

from Jesus to John,i t was as i f the w hole anguish of th e

Crucifixion gained a n ew l i fe , a fresh ac t iv i ty , a morepoten t bi t terness

,a more desolat ing pow e r . The thought

of Him,w hi le i t was th e mos t terribl e of al l h e r

thoughts,was also th e most endurable . Sh e fel t most,

w hen o ther th ough t s usurped the place of that . “th o

has no t fe l t th i s i n t imes of mourn ing ? He whom w e

have lost i s our most terribl e though t . Yet th ere i s asoftness

,a repose, i n th ink ing of h im . The though t

susta ins our grief. But t o th ink of o ther peopl e , ofother th ings

,brings w i th i t a raw ness

,a d isquietude , an

i rri tabl e d issati sfact ion , an in opportune d iversion , w h ichmakes our grief in tolerabl e . So now Jesus Himsel fbrought sinners uppermost in Mary’s m ind . He turnedher though t s from Himself to th e Church , to His en e‘

mies,His persecutors

,His murderers . He un sphered

h e r, so to speak , from the sweet c i rcl e of h er M othera

hood , and placed her i n th e n ew centre of her ofiice andofficial relat i on to mankind . For , even w h en He spoketo her and of her

,i t was s t i l l ra ther sinners than herse lf,

wh i ch seemed to be uppermost i n His affection s . Thesuffe ring of al l th is was immense

,w orse than any other

woe w hich th at prol ifi c m orn ing had brough t her yet .So th e second hour upon the Cross e lapsed , an age ofw onders wh i ch ages of angel i cal sc ience and seraph i ccontemplation cannot adequate ly fathom . Jesus sti l ll ived ; th e Blood was s t i l l flow i ng ; th e Body sti l l grow .

in g. w hi ter in th e ecl ipse ; th e si l en ce tingl ing all around ,except when His beauti ful w ords t rembled l ight ly on

th e ai r , deepen ing, as i t seemed , both th e darkn ess andth e si len tness .The third h our began

,th e th i rd epoch in wh i ch th i s

l ong dolor was w ork ing at the grand w orld of Mary’sheart . His fi rst word in th i s last h our was w orse thanSimeon’s sw ord to our dearest Mother . He sai d

,

“ Ith irs t .” WVe ll migh tHe th i rs t . Since th e bl essed chal iceof His own Blood the n igh t before, noth ing had crossed

282 rm: rrrrH DOLOR

knew i t, to appeal t o th e cruel men that w ere scat teredabout the moun t . For a cup of cold water to those l ips

,

th rough w hat new scenes of sorrow w ould sh e no t beeager to pass ! But i t m igh t no t be . She remembe redh ow He had once looked down into th e cold spark l ingwate r of Jacob’s w el l , and longed in His fatigue and

th irst for on e draugh t of that e lemen t whi ch He Himsel f had created , and then h ow He had forgotten both

’

th irs t and w eariness i n His l ov ing labor of convertingthat poor Samaritan w oman . But now— and i t was anoverwhelming though t—water was as far from th e l ipsof th e dying Savior as i t was from th ose of Dives in theendless fi res out of wh ich h e had appealed i f i t w erebu t for a singl e drop . No Her deares t Son must beari t . He has at last complained of His physical tortures

.

But of what use was i t except to break His Moth er’sHeart agai n , and to cal l forth th e love and adorat ionof coun t less souls th rough ages and ages of His Church ?To Him i t brough t no rel i ef. I t was for our sakes thatHe complained , that, even at th e expense of more agonyto Mary , w e migh t have one add i t i onal motiv e to loveour Crucified Brother .But th i s was not th e only thi rst th at w ord was

‘

in

tended to convey . His Sou l th i rsted as feverish ly fo rsoul s as His Body did for th e w ater of th e w el l . Hebrooded over al l coming ages , and yearned to mul tiplyth e multitudes of th e redeemed . Alas ! w e have approximations by wh ich w e can measure His tormentof physical th i rst ; but w e have n o shadow even bywh i ch w e can guess of th e reali ti es of that torment i nHis Soul . I f the love , wh i ch th e Creator has for creatures . w hom He has cal led ou t of nothing, i s unl ik eany other l ove eith er of angels or of men , i f i t s k ind i sw i thout paral lel

,and i ts degree an excess out of th e

reach of our conception , so also i s th e spi ri tual love ofsoul s i n th e Soul of th e Savi or of th e w orld . Savinglove i s w i thout simi l i tude , as w el l a s creative love . Asall the loves of earth are but sp arks of creative love ,

THE caucrrrxron. 283

so al l apostol i c inst incts , al l missionary zeal , al l promptitude of martyrdom , al l i n tercessory pen ance , and all

con templative intercess ion , are bu t l i tt l e sparks of thatsaving love of whi ch Calvary i s at once the symbol andthe real i ty . The tormen t of th i s th irstWas incomparablybeyond that of th e other th irst . Mary saw i t ; and no

sooner had she seen i t,than the very sight translated

her,as i t w ere

,in to a fresh , unexplored world of sorrow .

Sh e saw that th is th irst w ould be almost as l i tt le sati sfi e das th e oth e r . She saw h ow Jesus at that momen t wasbeholding in 'His Sou l th e endless procession of m en ,

unbroken dai ly from dawn to dawn,bearing w i th them

in to hel l th e characte ro f baptism and the seal of HisPrec ious Blood . See ! even now ,

w h il e th e Sav ior i sdying of thi rst , th e impen i ten t thief w i l l not gi ve Himeven h is on e pol luted sou l to drink ! So w as i t goingto be evermore . Mary saw i t al l . Why had He everleft Nazareth ? Why had He gon e through al l th i sw orld of unn ecessary suffe ring , only to succeed so ihadequately at l ast ? Was God’s glory , after all , th e endof Calvary , rath er th an th e sal vation of men ? Yes !and yet al so No ! Mary

,l ik e Jesus Himself, grudged

not one pang , one lash ,

“

one least drop of Blood thatbeaded His crow ned brow . She too th i rsted for souls ,as He d id , an d h er heart sank w hen sh e saw th at Hewas not to have His fi l l . Oh , poor , miserab le ch i ld renth at w e are ! h ow much of our own soul s have w e notkept back , w hi ch w ould have somewhat cheered bothth e Mother and the Son that day !But Jesus had to go dow n into an abyss of His Passion

deeper than any w h i ch He had sounded h i therto . In tothat deep M ary must go dow n also . Not merely foruswas th e w ord He was now to u tter . I t i s beyond us .I t comes l ike a mysterious far-off cry out of the depth sof spi ri tual angui sh , to w hi ch even mysti cal th eologycan give n o name . I t i s God abandoned of God ,— th ecrea ture rej ected of th e Creator , althou gh uni ted toHim by a Hypostati c Union , - th e Sacred Humanity

284 THE FI FTII DOLOR .

abandon ed by the Div in e Natu re to wh ich i t i s inseparapbly assumed ,

-a Human Na ture l eft Pe rsonless, becauseth e Di vi ne Person

,w ho neve r can w i thd raw Himself

,

has w i thdrawn ,— thc Second Person of the Holy Trin i ty

deser t ed by the O ther Two ! W’hat w i l d w ords areth ese ? c know they cannot b e , s imply canno t. Yetwhen w e pu t th e derel i c t ion of Jesus in to w ords , th eseare th e impossib le expressions i n w hi ch w e become entan g l ed .

“ M y God ! My God ! w hy hast Thou forsaken Me ? ” \Vas there ever a more truly created cry ?Yet He who uttered i t was Himself th e Creator . Not

merely for us , then , could such a w ord b e spoken . I twas w rung from Him by the very sp i ri t of adoration inth e extremi ty of Hi s torture . Some have conj ec turedthat i t was at that momen t that the h i therto uncon

sumed species of th e Blessed Sacramen t was con sumed,

and so that myst erious un ion of Himself w i th Himselfw i thdrawn . But th i s does n ot recommend itself t o us .Why should He deriv e comfort an d strength from Hisown sacramen tal Flesh an d Blood , when He was expos ing both Flesh and Blood to unheard -of torments ?“Thy deri ve comfor t at all , w hen He was s tudiously

mak ing al l th ings round Him , even His Mo th er’s

h eart,fresh in struments of torture ? Why should His

Divin e Natu re i n th e Blessed Sacramen t be a sw ee t~

n ess and restorat i ve to H im , th e loss of w hich extracted such a cry, when even i n th e Hypostati c Un ion ,wh ich was an in comparably c loser un ion than that ofth e Blessed Sacramen t, He was cutt ing off th e suppl i esof His Divine Nature from His Human , excepting th esingle communication of H is Omnipoten ce to enableHim to l i ve

,i n order that He migh t suffer more ? The

sense of the fai thful— that instin c t w hich so seldomerrs— points w i th ou t hesitation to th e E ternal Father

,

as the cause of that suffering , and as addressed i n thatw ord .

But i s th ere cruel ty i n God ? No ! Infin ite j ust i ce

is as far removed from cruel ty as infin i te love can be.

286 THE rrrrn DO LOR .

row— pu re , sh eer, sharp , fie r y sorrow— was fl esh ,and

blood , and bone . and soul , and al l to h er . All else wasgone in to the Hear t of Jesus , w h i ch thereupon sen tfor th upon her an ou tpouring of love

,wh ich deluged

her w i th a fresh ocean of overwhelming woe . And byOn e miracle they bo th li ved s t i l l .Now ,

Blessed Mo ther , tha t thou standest on such incred ible h eigh t s of detachmen t, the end may come ! I twas finished . Al l was fin ished . Ch ie fly creation ,

I t hadfound a home at th e grave of the Fi rst Adam under th eCross of the Second . The Fa ther had left Him . Hemust go to th e Father . I t i s impossibl e They shouldbe d isun i ted . Creatures had done what they could .

They had fi l l ed to th e brim the Savior’s cup of suffe ring,

and He ,w i th pit iab le l ove

,had drained i t to th e dregs .

But there w as one created pun ishment s t ill left, creat edra ther by the creature than

,the Creator

,crea ted ch iefly

by a w oman . I t was the pun ishmen t of dea th , theeldest-born ch i ld of the fi rst Eve . But could dea th holdsway over the l iving Life of e tern i ty ? Could Eve punishGod ? He to inh eri t the b i t t er l egacy of th e sw eetParadise ? How could it be ? How could He die ?

“Y

hat could death be l ik e to Him ? Mary ’s h eart mustbe l ifted t o the h eigh t of this dread hour . High as it

i s,i t must b e raised h igher s t i l l , t o the l evel of th is

d i vin est. mystery . The Three-and-Th irty Years are ending . A n ew epoch in th e w orld ’s h i story is to O pen .

Th e most magn ifi cen t of al l its epochs i s c losing .

Wh at w i l l d ea th be l ike to Him ? Ah ! w e may askalso

,w hat w i l l l i fe be l ik e t o her w hen He is dead ?

”

What w i l l Mary hersel f be l ik e w i thout. Jesus ? Shewas not look ing up , but she knew His ev e was now resting on her .

‘What strange pow er i s the re in th e eyeso f th e d y in g that th ey oft en turn round the avertedfaces that are th ere , and attrac t them to th emselves,that love may see th e last o f i ts love ? His eye wasrest ing on the same obj ec t on w hi ch i t rested th emoment He was born , when He lay suddenly on a fold


of her robe upon th e ground wh i le sh e knel t i n prayer,

and when He smiled , and l ifted up His l i ttl e hands tobe taken up into h e r arms, and folded to her b osom .

His arms w ere oth erw i se l i fted up now , inv iting us toc l imb up in to them

,l ik e fond ch i ld ren , and see w hat

the embrace of a Savior’s love is l ik e . She fel t His eye,

and she looked up in to His face . Never did two suchfaces look in to each other

,and speak such unutterab le

love as thi s . The Father h eld Mary up in His arms,lest she shou ld perish under the load of love ; and theloud cry w en t out from th e h i l l- top , hush ing Mary

’ssou l into an agony of si lence , and th e Head droopedtoward her, and the eye c lo se d , and the Soul passedh er, l ik e a flash , and sank into th e earth , and a w indarose

,and stirred th e mantl e of darkness, and th e sun

cleared i tse l f of the moon ’s shadow , and the roofs ofth e c ity gl immered w h i te , and the bi rds began to sing,but on ly as i f th ey w ere half reassured , and M ary stoodbeneath the Cross a ch i ld less Mother . The th i rd hourwas gone .

Such was the fi fth dolor , w i th i ts creative peri ods ofsan ct i ty and sorrow . She had stood th rough i t al l , notw i thstand ing th e agon i zing yesterday , th e sleepl ess n igh t,the long morning crowded w i th i ts terribl e phenomena .

I n the streng th of her unfai l ing w eariness sh e hadstood through i t al l , and Scripture is careful to markthe posture , as if th i s mi racl e of endurance was of itse lfa revelat ion of the greatn ess of th e Moth er’s heart. I ti s

,as i t w ere , a reward for her dolor , that w e cannot

preach Chris t Crucified u nless Mary be in s igh t . I t i ssometh ing else w e preach— not th at— unl ess sh e bestanding there . And now sh e stands on Calvary alon e

,

I t i s three hours past noon of the most aw ful day th eworld sh al l ever see .

Someth ing sti l l remains to be said of th e pe cul iaritiesof th i s dol or , notw i thstanding that so much has beenunavoidably anti c ipated in the narrati ve . Above al lth ings, th e Cruc ifix ion has th i s pecul iari ty , that i t was

288 rm: FIFTH DOLOR .

th e o riginal fountain of al l th e other dolors,excep t th e

th i rd . Tha t stands apa r t . I t i s Mary 5 own Crucifixion,

h e r Ge thsemane and h er Calvary . Bu t the tw o dolorswh ich came ou t of th e I nfancy , and th e four wh ichrepresen t th e Passion , have the Cruc ifixion for thei rcen t re . The Three Days

’ Loss does not belong t o thelnfancv, and th e shadow of th e Pass ion i s n o more

th rown over i t than i t was over th e w hol e l ife of M arv .

l t was the. ac t of J esus Himse lf. wh i ch seemingly had anespecial relat i on t o H is Mo th er . The thi rd dolor, wh ich

p refaces th e Eigh teen Years at Nazare th ,was to he r

sorrow s what th e Eighteen Years we re to h e r l i fe. generally , some th ing betw een Jesus and hersel f, a myste rvof a differen t sphere from those in w h ich both He andsh e w ere concerned i n th e fulfi lmen t of th e world ’sr edemption . Bu t th e sw ord i n Simeon ’s proph ecy wasth e “ Crucifixion . The Fligh t in t o Egypt was t o h inde rth e cruel ty of Herod from an t i c ipa t ing the momen t ofour Savior’s dea th . The Mee t i ng w i th the Cross wasth e road to Calvary . Th e Tak ing dow n from the Cross

,

and th e Burial , w ere sorrow s w h ich flowed na tural ly ou tof th e Crucifixion , and w ere in unbroken uni ty w i th i t.The Crucifixion was therefore the real i za t i on of her l i felong woe . The foun tai n was reached . She had t rackedi t up to Cal var y . “

l

hat remained was the w aste wa ter,

or ra th er th e w a t er and blood ,w hi ch flow ed down from

the moun t,and sank in at th e th reshold of th e Garden

Tomb . C ompared w i th the Cruc ifixion , th e o ther dolors ,th e th i rd alwavs excep t ed ,

w ere almost rel i efs and dist rac t ion s st irrin g on the fixed dep ths of her un fa thomable woe . The Crucifixion was a sorrow by i tself, w i thout. name or l ik eness . I t was th e centre of the systemof h er dolors , w h i l e th e independence of her th ird dolor

betoken s the exi s tence of tha t vas t world wh ich Mar y i si n h e r own self, a c reat ion apart, brigh t er than thisw orld of ours , and more dear to Jesu s . It i s a mys terious

orb al l ow ed t o come in sigh t of th is o ther syst em ,where

we are , -a d isclosure of al l that w orld of ph enomena

290 THE FIFTH DO LOR .

h er feet th e whol e w eary w h i l e,l ean ing on no one

,and

no t so much as an aud ib l e sigh accompan ied her si len ttears . I t i s d ifiicu lt t o take this though t in . We canon ly take i t i n by prayer , not by hearing or reading .

I t was also a pecul iari ty of th e Cruc ifixion tha t i t wasa h eroi c t ria l of h er incomparable fai th . Pret ty nearlyth e fai th of the whole w orld was i n h er w hen she s tood

,

w i th John and Magdalen , at the foot of th e Cross .There was hardly a par t i c l e of her bel ief wh ich was nott ried to th e uttermos t in that amazing scene . Naturallyspeak ing , our Lord

'

s Div in i ty was never so obscured .

Supern a tural ly speak ing , i t never was so man i fes t . Couldi t b e possible tha t the In carnate “ford should be subjectto th e excesses of such unparal lel ed i ndign iti es ? wasth e l igh t w i th in Him never to gleam ou t once ? Was

th e W'

i sdom of the Fat he r to be w i th b lasphemous r id icul e muffled in a w hi te sack , and pul led abou t i n absurd ,undign ified helpl essness by the b uffooning guards of aninces tuous k ing ? TVas there not a poin t

,or rath er w ere

th ere n ot many points , i n th e Pass ion ,wh en th e l im i t

of what was venerable and fi t t ing was overs t epped ? Eveni n th e reserved narra t i v e of th e Gospel s

,h ow many

th ings there are w hi ch th e min d cannot dw el l on w i thout bein g shocked and repul sed , as w ell as asto nished !Even at th is d i stan ce of time do they not try our faithby thei r v ery horror , make our blood run cold by thei rmurderous atroci ty , and tempt our devoti on to w i thdraw ,

s i ck and fastid ious , from th e affect ion ate con templa t i onof the very prodigies of disgraceful cruel ty , by w h ichour own s ecret sins and shames w ere w i th such publ i cshame most l ov ingly expi ated ? Is not devotion to th ePassion to th i s day th e touchston e of feebl e fai th

,of

lukew arm love , and of self- indulgen t penance ? AndMary

,more del icate and more fastid ious far than w e

,

d rank al l th ese th ings w i th h er eyes , and understoodth e horror of th em in h er soul

,as w e can never under

stand it . Th ink w hat fai th was hers .The D iv ine Pe rfections also suffered a strange eclipse


in th e Passion . Sin was triumphan t . Justi ce was con

d emned . Hol iness was abandoned even by the All-holy .

Providence seemed to have w i thdraw n , as i f under cons t rain t . God was trodden ou t, and creatures had crea~

tion to th emselves ; nay , more than that, they h ad theCreator in thei r pow er . There w as no d iv in e in t erference

,j ust w hen i t appeared most needed and most

natural . I f men could have thei r ow n way then. su relythey could have i t always . One w hi l e. God looked passive

,anoth er w hi le cruel . Oh , i t requ i red angel i c theo

logy to recon cil e th e providence of tha t day w i th th eattribu tes of th e Most High ! Then th e angel s th emselves might be a

“

trial of h er fai th . lVere there suchth ings , su ch beings , as angels ? She had seen th em sooften she could not doub t i t . She had seen St . M i ch aelbu t th e n igh t before

,bending i n adora ti on by the side of

Jesus i n His agony , a glorious being , fi t for th at strangeexcept i onal m iss ion of consol ing th e Son of God in Hisin consolabl e d istress . But -w h ere was th eir zeal for th eIncarnate “ford

,that. grand grace by wh ich they had al l

been establ i shed in th ei r final perseverance ? W’herew ere th e doubl e- edged ch erubic sw ords th at guarded th eentran ce i nto Eden from al l bu t Henoch and Elias ? Ah !there w ere legions of them pressing forw ard , yet everbeaten back

,l ik e a storm- cloud s t ri ving to plough i ts

way up against th e w ind , eage r and burn ing , ye t w i thd ifficu l t obedi ence bending backward before the meek

,

admon isning eye of Jesus . Then,again ,

wh o couldh ave bel i eved ,

when th ey saw th e beauty of Jesus andfathomed th e dep th of His prayer , as M ary on ly coul dsee the on e or fa thom the oth er, that div in e grace reallyhad pow er to conver t human hearts ? He was th e verybeauty of hol iness . During His . Pass ion men th emselvestore away every vei l wh ich humil i ty an d reserve couldh ang about His sanc t ity . His humil i ty , His sw eetness ,His patien ce , His modest-y, al l stood di sclosed w ith th eful lest l igh t upon th em , exercised openly and heroical lyin the m idst ofth e grossest outrage . And ye t men wer

292 THE F IFTH DO LOR .

not won to H im ! There w ere the guards who had fall enbackw ard in th e garden the n igh t before . There w erethose who had stood neares t to Him during the scourging

,

those wh o had talked w i th Him as Pi la t e had,those who

had taken Him to Herod and brough t Him back again .

There was the impen i ten t th i ef c lose by His sid e . G racewas going ou t from I l im every moment . Il i s effectualp rayer was i ncessan t . Mary ’s i n tercession itse lf wasbusi ly engaged . Yet, w h en th e sun se t on Friday , h owl i tt le v i s ib le harves t had al l that grace gath ered into itsgarn ers ! Never d id any one so w alk by fai th

,s imple

,

naked faith,as Mary did that day . There was faith

enough to save a w hole w orld in h er singl e h eart .Ano ther pecul i ari ty of th i s fi fth dolor i s t o be found

in the seven w ords w h ich our Lord uttered from theCross . They w ere as seven sharp thri l l s in Mary

’s h eart,

reach ing depths of th e human soul to w h ich our griefsneve r attain . I t was not on ly the w el l-know n accentsof h er dying Son

,w i th thei r associat ion inconceivably

heightened by th e ci rcumstances i n w hich they brok eupon the st i l lness . I t was not only th e exceedin gbeauty of th e w ords themselves , disclos ing , as dea thsometimes does w i th men

,an unexpec t ed in terior

beauty i n th e soul . I t was not only that , l ik e th e un

u t tered musi c of poetry i n a k indred soul , they w akedup i n her th e remembrances of oth er w ords of His

,and

gave l igh t to many mysteri es i n her mind,and played

sk i lfully upon the many keys and w i th the various s topsof her w onderfu l affect ion-s, say ing , as they did t o her,what they do n ot say to us , and w hat w e cannot so muchas guess . But th ey w ere the w ords of God ,

such w ordsas are spoken of i n th e Epistle to the He brews

/

a" l iving

an d effectual, and more p iercing than any two-edged

sw ord,reach ing unto th e d iv is ion of th e soul and the

spi ri t,of th e j oints also and the marrow

,and d i scerning

th e thoughts and in tents of the heart .” Such was th ei r

0 iv. 12

294 THE FIFTI—I b oron.

recei ved into her heart , w i th th e most supernatu ral enlig h te nm e n t as to th e mal ice of sin

,the mos t k een per~

c e p tion of th e p i t iab l e case and helpless m isery of sin.

n ers , the cl eares t foresi gh t of th e successful resistancew h i ch thei r free w i l l w ould make to grac e ,

and the mostp rofound apprecia t i on of the horrors of thei r e t ernalexi le amids t the darkness and the flames o f pun ishmen t . Our Lord

'

s w ord effec ted what i t. said . I t mad eh er the M o ther of men , th erefore , not merely by anou tw ard offi c ia l proclama t i on . bu t in the real i ty of herh eart . He O pened up there n ew fountai n s (if inc

hau stible lovc . He caused her to love men as I l e lovedth em , as nearly as h e r h eart could come to I l is . He . as i tw ere , mul t i pl i ed Himsel f in the souls of sinn ers m i l l i onsof mill i on s of t imes , and gave her love enou gh for all .And such love ! so cons tan t

,so burn ing

,so eloquent , so

far above al l ear thly ma t ernal love , bo th i n hopefulness ,tenderness

,and perseverance ! And w hat was th is new

l ove bu t a new pow er of sorrow ?'

\Ve cannot righ t lyunderstand Mary

'

s sorrow at the Crucifi x ion under anyci rcums tances

,Simply because i t i s above us . Bu t w e

shal l al toge ther miss of those just con cep t ions w h ich w e

mav a t tai n to un less w e bear in mind that sh e becameour Mo ther at th e foo t of th e Cross , no t merely by a declaration of her appointmen t , bu t by a veri table crea t i onthrough the effec tual w ord of God ,

w hi ch at th e momen ten larged her broken heart

,and fi tted i t w i th new and

ample affections,causing thereby an immeasurable in

c rease of h er pains . I t w as t ruly i n labor tha t sh e t rav ai led w i th us w hen w e came to the bi r th . The bi t t ern ess of Eve ’s curse env i ron ed her spo t less sou l unu t t erably in tha t hour of our sp iri tual nativitv .

We mus t no t omi t t o reckon al so among th e p e'

cu

liaritie s of th is dolor that w h ich it shares w i th th efour th dolor , and i n whi ch i t s tands i n such st rik ingcon t ras t t o the s ix th

,— her inabi l i t y t o reach Jesus i n

order to exercise h er maternal oflices toward Him . Sochangefu l can sorrow be in th e human heart that th e

THE CRUCIFIX ION. 295

very thing w h ich w i l l m in ister sorrow to her by th efu l ness of its presen ce i n the Taking dow n from theCross i s a sorrow to h er here by i ts absen ce . Bu t. theyhave mourned li t t le , too l i t t l e fo r the ir own good

,w ho

have not long since learned to unders tand thi s con tradiction . I t i s hard for a mo ther t o k eep herself qui etby the d eath -bed of h e r son . Gri ef must be doing something . The w ants of the sufferer are the luxuri es ofthe mourner . The p il low s mus t be smoo thed again

,the

h ai r taken out of th e eyes , th ose beads of death w ipedfrom the clammy brow

,those bloodless l ips perpetual ly

moistened,that whi te hand gen tly chafed

,that curtai n

put back to give more ai r, th e w eak eyes sh ie lded fromthe l igh t , th e bed - clothes pressed ou t of th e way of h i sd iffi cul t breath ing . Even w hen it is plain that thesoftest touch , th e very gen t l es t of these dear min is t ries ,i s fresh pain to th e sufferer, th e mother

'

s hand canscarcely res t-rain itse lf ; for her heart i s in every finger .To be q u ie t

‘is desola tion to her soul . She th inks i t i s

not th e sk i l l o r th e experience of the nurse w hi ch d ictates her d i rect-i ons

,bu t h er hard -h ear tedness , because

sh e i s n ot th at fai r boy ’s mo ther ; and therefore sherebels i n h er heart again st h er au thori ty , even i f th echan ces of being cruel do in fact res train her h ands .Surely tha t foam must be ga thered from the mou th

,

su rely that long look of hai r must tease h im hangingacross h i s eye and div id ing h i s s ight, surely tha t i cyhand should h ave th e blood gen tly , most gen t ly , broughtback again . She forgets tha t the eye i s glazed and seesno more

,that th e blood has gone to the heart , and even

th e mother ’s hand canno t conjure i t back again . And

so she si t-s mu rmuring , her sorrow al l condensed in hercompulsory s t i l ln ess . Th ink ,

~th en,w ha t M ary suffered

those three long hours benea th the Cross ! Was everdeath -bed so uneasy

,so comfort less , as that rough—hewn

wood ? Was ever posture more torturing than to hangby nai ls i n th e hands , dragging , dragging down as th edead weight of the Body exerted i t self more and more ?

296 m s frrm DOLOR .

W’

here was th e pi l low for His Head ? I f i t st rove to resti t sel f again s t th e Ti t le o r the Cross , th e c rown of thorn sd rove i t back again ; i f i t sank dow n upon His Breas t,it could no t qui te reach i t

,and i t s w eigh t drew the Body

from th e nai l s . Slow s t reams of Blood crep t abou t Hisw ounded Body

,making Him t remble under thei r touch

w i th the mos t painful exc i t emen t and uneasin ess . Hiseyes w ere t eased w i th Blood , l iquid or half congealed .

His Mou th , quivering w i th th i rst , was al so caked w i thBlood , w h ich His brea th seemed less and less tomois t en . There was not a l imb wh ich w as not callingout for the Mo ther 's tender hand , and i t might n otreach so far . There w ere mu l t i tudes of pain s wh ichh er touch w ould h ave sooth ed . O mothers ! have youa name by which w e may cal l that i n tolerable longingwh i ch Mary had , to smoo th that hai r, t o c leanse thoseeyes , t o mois ten those dear l ips wh i ch had jus t beenspeak ing such beau t i ful w ords

,t o pi ll ow t hat blessed

Head upon her arm , t o ease those throbbing hands andhold up for a whi l e th e soles of those crush ed and

l acera ted feet ? I t was not granted to her ; and yetsh e stood there in tranqui ll i ty

,mo t i onl ess as a s ta tue ,

n ot. a s tatue of i nd iffe rence, nor yet of s tupor an damazemen t

,bu t i n that attitude of reveren t adoring

m isery w h ich was becoming to a broken -h earted creaturew h o fe l t th e very arms of th e E t ernal Fa ther round her

,

hold ing her up to l iv e , to love , t o suffer , and to be s t i l l .'

\Ve must also remember that th e abandonmen t ofJesus by His Fa ther was someth ing to h er wh ich itcanno t be to us . I n religious mys t eri es w e are continually obli ged to take w ords for th ings . “fe speakof the Eternal Genera t i on of the Son and of th e E ternalProcession of the Holy Spi ri t , bu t w e cannot embraceth e w i sdom , the brigh tn ess , the love , th e tendern ess ,th e pa thos

,i f .w e may ven ture on th e w ord

,w hich

th e se ac t s of th e Divin e Life imply . Consequen t ly thew ords do not cal l ou t i n us an in tel l igen t vari e ty offeelings and sent iments and emot ions : we mee t them

298 THE FIFTH DOLOR.

to h er. At least sh e saw i n i t what no one else , noteven an angel , could see. Hence , w hi le i t cal led out i nher a varie ty of the mos t v iv id emo t i on s and mos tsens i t i ve affec t ion s , i t also plunged her in to fresh sorrow ,

by transferring al l a t once th e Passion of Jesus in toano ther and more terrific sphere .Th e universal i ty of her suffering i s also another p e cu

liarity of th e fi fth dolor, and in th i s i t was a sor t ofshadow of the Passion . Wh o can number th e varietyof the pains w h ich those three hours con tained ? t at

p or t i on of her sinless nature Was not covered w i th i tsappropriate suffering ? There was no spo t whereon asorrow could be grafted where th e hand of God had notin ser t ed one . She was as comple tely submerged in

grief as a fi sh i s submerged in the great deep sea . Thevery omnipresence of God round about her was t o her

‘

an omnipresence of suffering . As the fires that pun i shs i n are so dreadfu l ly effi caci ous, because God in tendedthei r nature to be penal , so th e supernatural sorrow s ofour Blessed Mo ther on Calvary w ere fearful ly efficaci ous,because they w ere in tended to carry suffe ring to th eu tmost l imit wh ich the crea ture could bear, tha t so h erhol iness, her me ri ts , and her exaltat ion might exceedthose of al l o th er c reatures put together , except th ecreated nature of her Son . There was not an in let ofany one of th e senses down w hi ch pain was not flow ingmasterfully , l ik e clash ing tides in a n arrow gulf. Therewas not a faculty of her mind wh ich was not illumia

na-ted , or ra ther scorch ed , by a l igh t w hich hurt natureand gave i t pain . Her affections had been cruel ly immolated at the foot of tha t altar on Calvary , one afterano ther , and the zealous Priest had not spared His vict ims . Her w i l l was s trained up to th e heigh t of th emost unh eard-c f consen ts , wh ich the devouring justi ceofGod had demanded of her . Her sou l was crucified ;Her bodv was the shrinking prey of her men tal agony .

Her fee t were w eary w i th s tanding , her hands w e t w i thHis Blood, her eyes fi l led w i th her own .

“ How hath

rm: caucrrrxrcs. 299‘

th e Lord covered w i th obscur ity th e daughter of Sion lWeeping , sh e hath w ep t i n th e n ight

,and her t ears are

on her cheeks . There i s n one to comfort he r am ongal l of them that w ere cl ear to her . From above He

hath sen t fi re into my bones,and hath chastised me ;

He.

hath spread a net for my feet ; He hath turned meback ; He ha th made me desolate , w asted w i th sorrowal l th e day long . The Lord ha th taken al l my migh tymen out of th e midst of me . He hath proclaimedagainst me a t ime , to destroy my chosen men . TheLord h a th trodden the w inepre ss for the v i rgi n daugh a

t-e r of Juda , Therefore do I Weep, and my eyes run

down w i th w a ter , because th e Comforter, the rel i ef ofmy soul , i s far from me . My ch i ldren are desolate,because the enemy hat-h prevai led . My heart i s turnedw i th i n me , for I am ful l of bitterness . Abroad thesw ord des troye th ; and at home there is death al ike .0 , al l ye that pass by the way ! attend , and see i f th e r ebe any sorrow l ik e to my sorrow ; for He hath made aV i ntage of me

, as th e Lord spoke i n the day of Hisfierce anger I” *

Last of al l,there was h er i nabi l ity to d ie w i th Him .

Many a time,to d ie wi th th e dead w ould be th e only

true consolat ion of th e bereaved . One h eart has beenthe light of l ife

,the unsetting l igh t of long years of

various fortun e,brigh t i n th e blue sky of prosperi ty,

brighter s ti l l i n th e black clouds of adversi ty . Now

that l igh t is pu t out by death . Why should w e surv i ve ? Henceforth

,what sign ificance can there be to

as in l i fe ? That cold heart was th e end of al l ouravenues . Every

“

prospect terminated there . We valuedno past w here that heart was not . We saw no futurei n wh ich i t d id not play i ts part . Al l our plan s endedth ere . The w eigh t of our expectation s was coneentrated on that one poin t , and now it has given way,

and w e are fall ing through , w e know not wh i th er . Ah !

Lamentations i.

3 00 trim n rrn b oron.

th i s loss i s t ruly th e end of l i fe , more truly far thanthe mere physical dissolut ion of soul and body . Theapos t les—especial ly th e quick , affec t i onate Thomasw i shed to go and die w i th Laza rus

,s imply because

Jesus loved h im so . Oh , surely w e can al l rememberdays w hich w ere the w orld ’s end to us,

—days wh ich i tseemed impossible shou ld have a morrow ! There wasa bed— laden w ith a sad w eigh t , w i th a beau t iful terror- wh i ch was t o u s th e end of time , th e edge of th ew orld , th e thresh old of eternity . I t had been longlooked for

,and yet w ords w ould not tel l how cruelly

unexpected i t came at last . Al l ou r h opes , and fears ,and loves w ere gathered up , as i f th e Judge w erecoming then to se t t l e them . Common th ings could notgo on after that . Daily dut ies must not recur. Habitswere run out . I t was an end , an end of so much ,— so

much so cruel ly ended . I t was as fearful t o have n oprospect as i t i s to have n o hope ; and therefore w el onged to l i e dow n and di e , on th e same bed , and b eburied in th e same grave, though it -seemed strange thatany one shou ld remain beh ind to bury us , so completelyd id i t seem a un iversa l end . Th is i s a w i l d ext remityof human grief. Our Lady ’s dolor was someth ing elsethan th is . The end of th e Th irty -Three Years was notl ike any oth er end . Her Son was God . It al l l i es inthat. Think , after that, of the unutterable m iseryof th e Mother’s l ife protracted , when His was done .I t w i l l not bear explai ning . I t cannot be explained .

But w e can feel i t , below th e w orld from w h ich w ordscome ; w e can see it , —a l igh t beyond th e region wh erethough t can grasp th ings ,— that ac tual sundering ofJesus and Mary

,th e d issolu t i on of that un i on w h ich

h ad been th e w orld ’s d iv ine mystery for al l those w on

de rful and w onder—peopl ed years ! \Vh ich of us can tel lwhat grief is l ike , w hen i t has gone beyond the poin t atwh ich i t would ki l l us , and w e only l iv e by a m i racleex ternal to ourselves ? Such grief was our Mother

’s whenour Lord breathed out H is Soul into H i s Father’s hands.

503 rm: 15111 11 11 13 0 11 0 111.

doing i t j ust ice . Mary i s one of those d iv ine v isionswhi ch expands before expanding hol iness

,and

,even

l ike the Bl issful Vision i tse lf, exci tes hunger in th eb eh older, even wh i l e i t i s sat i sfy ing h i s soul unutterab ly.

Bu t there i s another reason al so of th i s d iffi cul ty,which bears espec ially upon her dolors . I t i s th e com~

prehended real i ty of the present . lve must explain ourmean ing . I t hardly ever happens to us , e i ther i n sorrowor in j oy , fully to take i n th e presen t at once . lVe reali ze ou r sorrow s and our j oys p iecemeal . lVe are constantly finding new features in them

, and coming acrosspecul iar i ties which d id not strike us at the fi rst . In

every thing wh ich happen s to us there is always far moreimplied than i s expressed . Th is i s w hat w e mean whenwe speak of a grow ing sorrow . I t i s not th e sorrow thatgrow s : i t i s ou r own apprec ia t ion of i t . It b e l ongs to th eimperfection of our minds that th i s p rocess sh ould begradual . All that years unfold , apply , bring h ome to us,was in the transien t act, whether death , m isfortune , ord isgrace , when i t was present ; only w e were unab le toembrace i t . Hence i t i s that w e often seem more heroi cin sorrow th an w e real ly are . we bear no more of ourburden than what w e see, and w e see bu t a portion of i t .Our heaven ly Father lets i t dow n gradual ly upon us

,

d iv id ing th e w eight b etw een Hi s own hand and oursh oulders

,t i l l use enables us to bear th e full pressure

w i thou t being crush ed . We commit ourselves to Him ,

engaging ou rsel ves to what i s impl i ed , wh i l e our eyesare fixed upon what i s expressed . Our ven ture succeedsno t so much by our own courage as by His grace . I teven somet imes happens that w e l ose a fri end , w hosedeath affects i1s very moderately . Somehow th e l igh t of

l i fe i s not thrown on the chasm that h e has made in leaving . Years pass on , and c ircumstan ces change . Al l at

once ,'

or by degrees , w e miss h im . We cannot do w i thout h im . He is a want wh ich , j ust at th is particular

moment, must be suppl ied , and cannot be suppl ied . Th e

T’HE cafictrrxmn‘ . 803

less is irreparable , and i s now fast becoming in tolerabl e.it seems as if someth ing w hi ch had to be gone throughCannot be gone through , simply because h e was the partof our li fe n eedful to the going through w i th i t , and now

!he i s not h ere . A false , a cruel , a suspect ing friend w e‘

lose before he dies . But w e never miss him . I t neverComes out that h e is w anted . He i s foun d to have beenalw ays i n real i ty outside of our l ives ; and he i s d ismissed from our minds w i th -a sad sort of rel i ef that w ehave done w i th h im , and the p ious consolat ion thatafter al l n o love i s ever w asted wh ich at any time

,or for

any obj ect , has been mixed up w i th God . B ut i t i s notSo w i th a true friend . The loss of h im is n ever over ; i ti s con tinual ly reappearing , and making our hearts asstrangely tender as if h is spi ri t Were touching them atth e momen t . All th is comes of the presen t being toomuch sw ollen w i th real i t i es, so that We cannot get intoour souls a t once . Thus w e are alw ays beh indhandWi th l ife

, unders tanding ourse lves and o thers , and ,most

of all , God , w hen i t i s too lat e . We cannot keep upw i th the presen t by in tel l igence or sentiment . We canon ly keep up w i th it by a spi ri tual quickness w hichpromp ts us to ac t , to suffer, and , above al l , to comprom ise ourselves

,at th e b idding of th e ins t incts of grace .

Thus it i s that sorrows are mos t ly less hard to bear thanthey seem ; for w e are almost unconsci ously bearing th emby degre es . Now . i t Was not so w i th our Lady . Shetook in th e presen t in i ts fulness ; she embraced i t i nth e tranquil l ity of her vast comprehension . A sorrowrevealed itsel f to her i n i ts comp le teness

,and thus

pressed wi th al l i ts Weight upon her soul at on ce . Thush e r sorrow s are grea ter than they seem . They growupon us , but they d id n ot grow upon her . Th is i s verymuch t o be remembered w hen w e speak of her dispos ition s in h er sufferings . Her endurance Was of ano therki nd from ours , because of

'

h e r complete real i zati on ofth e presen t ; and hence her disposi t ions , w hi l e th e

poverty of language Compels us to cal l them by the same

804 THE mrtrn Dow n.

names , must be magn ifi ed and multipl i ed into someth ingqu i t e d ifferen t from w hat th ev w ere before .

Hav ing premised th is , w e must look fi rs t of all, as

we have had to do in th e o ther dolors , a t our BlessedMo ther ’s t ranqui l l i ty . If w e pass i n rev iew the man ifold horrors o f the Cruc ifix ion

,nd see th e variou s

assaul t s of grief of w h ich h er soul was the cen t re,i t

w i l l seem as i f t ranqui l l i ty was j ust tha t grace th e e x ers

c ise of w h ich w ould be impossib le . I f we d id not knowthat God was everlas t i ng peace , th ere Would appearSome th ing almost in congruous and ou t of k eeping w i thth e scene

,i n a holiness w h ich was stayed in th e deepest

calm at such a t ime . \Vi th us dep th of feel ing i s for th emost part accompan ied by agita t ion ,

w hi ch makes i t d i fficul t for us to conce ive th e union of th e l iv el i es t. sorrowand the most del i cate sensi t iveness w i th a tranqu il l i tywh ich looks as if i t w ere impassible . Among men , calmness in gri ef i s but a token of insensib i l i ty. Our Lady ’speace is l ike tha t of God , undis turbed amid th e soundsof ten mi l l ion w orlds , unruffle d by the por ten tous revol to f sin , and se lf-possessed in the very profusest ou tpouring of in t ense and burn ing love . No th ing di scloses tous more as ton i sh ingly her un ion w i th God than thi s nubroken calm . \Vh e re God is there can be n o troub le ;and there was not. a recess in our Lady ’s na ture w hereGod was not , and w hich He did no t possess w i th themos t undiv ided sovereign ty . Hence , w h il e horror follow ed horror, there was no amazemen t i n her soul

,no

s tupefac t ion,no bew i ldermen t . As the mystery un

folded s t rangest depth s of suffering , even the counsel sof God did no t seem to take h is chosen creature by surprise . In w ha t an abiding presence of God mus t hersoul have dwel t ! How t rained must each facul ty of them i nd have been to fal l in w i th t he wavs ’

ofGod as it metthem , and w i th such unquestion ing promp t i tude

,w i th

such uns tar t led d ign i ty ! In what subord ina t i on muste ve rv affec t i on have been to the instantaneous dominionof grace, a subord ina t ion whi ch w ould so increase thei r

3 06 mm rrrrn DOLOR.

bu t one w i l l to g ive away to God , and h en h e has g iveni t i rrevocably , w hat further oblat ion is l e ft ? Al l gen erosity then i s but a perseveran ce in th e fi rst grand generosity, and , i f perseveran ce i s a grander th ing than theac t o r d i spos i t i on i n wh i ch w e persevere . i t is so on ly ini ts completen ess , and not i n each of i ts separate stages .Yet i t seemed as i f Mary had endless w i l ls to give toGod , and as i f they came as fast as He cou l d cal l forthem . The Div in e Wi l l t r i ed her everywhere

,and

everywhere i t found the most enti re conformitv. Therewas n o fai lure , n o lagging beh ind , noth ing unequ able .

There was a strain , certain ly . How shal l th e c reaturenot strain w ho has to k eep up w i th God , especial ly whenI l i s aw ful j ust i ce was urging i ts chario t-wheels throughth e Red Sea of th e Passion ? But i t was a stra in of th emos t h eavenly peace , of the most gracefu l adoration .

When God w en t qu ick er,sh e w en t quicker . He r w i l l

actually entered more promptly into H is w i l l,i n p ro

port ion as it exacted more from h er. Her soul seemedt o become more inexhaustib le th e more i t was exhansted

,l ik e th e souls of th e Blessed , endlessly l oving,

endlessly adoring, as th ey sink deeper st i l l and deeperi n th e V ision of th e Holy Trin i ty .

But th e very though t of these imposs ib i l i ties of Mary’sgenerosi ty turns us from h er disposi tion s to the lesson s

wh i ch th i s fi fth d olor teach es to ourselves . The lastdolor taugh t us how to carry our crosses, th is one h owto s tand by th em . We must not leave th e Cross . We

must not come down from Calvary unti l w e are crucified ,and th en the Cross and ourselves w i l l have become ihseparable . But Calva ry i s a great place for impat i en ce .Many have th e courage to march u p th e h i l l , shouldering th ei r c ross w i th decen t manfulness . But w hen th eyget there

,th ey l ay thei r cross on the ground , and go

down again into th e c i ty to keep th e remainder of th efeas t. w i th th e people . Some are st ripped and thenleave

,refusing to be nail ed . Some are nailed , but un

fasten themselves before th e Elevat ion . Some stand th e

m s cauerrrxron. 3 07

sh ock. of the el evation , and th en come down from th ecross

,before the three hours are ou t, some in th e fi rst

hour,some in th e second , some , alas ! w hen even th e

th i rd hour i s d raw ing to its close . Alas ! the w orld i sful l of deserters from Jalvary, so full that pol i t i c ordi sdainful grace seems to take no trouble to arres t them .

For grace cru cifies no one against h is w i l l . I t l eavesth a t work to th e w orld , and treacherously and tyrann ically does the w orld do i t . Men appear to bel i eve thatto breathe th e fresh ai r on th e top of Calvary for half aminu t e is to act upon them like a charm . Crucifixion ,l ik e a plunge in the cold sea

,the briefer it i s , w i l l have

th e heal th ier glow and th e more sen sible react ion . Butunfor tuna t ely i t i s no t so . Sorrow i s a s low w orkman ,and crucifixion a long business . A tree takes root i n ane w ground qu icker than the cross in a n ew hear t . But

al l this i s by no means agreeabl e to rap id , impulsiv enature . I t w i l l al low san ctification to be l ik e an operation

,sharp b ut soon over . I t cannot w ai t if i t comes i n

th e shape of a gradual cure . Yet w ho i s there that hasever tried to k i l l self in any one of its least departments

,

and has no t almost despai ringly w ondered at i ts amazingand provok ing v i tal ity ? How many great minds arethere , w ho have t ravelled far al ong the road of san cti ty ,before th ey are ou t of sigh t of personal feel ing andw ounded sensib i l i ty ! Oh

,then

,for the grace to remain

our three ful l hours on th e top of Calvary ! Can therebe a sadder sigh t on earth th an that w hi ch tel l s howoften and how easi ly great heigh ts i n heaven are missed

,

th ose hal f- cru cifie d souls w e meet in al l compan ies,so

strangely out of place , such mournful monuments of th eimpat i ence o f na ture and th e Jealousy of grace ?God i s very exact-ing . They w h o love fi rm can sayso w i thout loving Him l ess . Nay

,to th em the very

though t is an addi t i onal degree of love . He is not conten t w i th our remaining on Calvary our th ree ful l hours .“Then w e are not nai l ed to our cross, w e must stand .

There must be no s i tting,no lying down , no leaning on

3 08 THE FIFTH DOLOR .

our c ross , as i f forsooth that was meant for ou r supportwhich i s w ai t in g there on ly to c ruci fy . Indeed , and th isi s s ignifi can t en ough , kne e lin fr is not so good as standi ng . l‘v

'

e go there to suffe r , not to w orsh ip . O ur sufi’

er

i ng w i l l turn into w orsh i p . are no t t o adore ourcross

,or say fine w ords about i t , or pu t ourselves into

sentimental a t t i tudes before it. YVe are to do th ecommonplace th in g of stand ing by i t , wh i ch i s th epos ture of men . Stand ing i s w hat th e ceremonial ofCalvary prescribes . Here again w hat sad sights w e see !I t i s w el l i f w e do not. play a part i n th em oursel ves .There are soul s wh ose W

'

ay of th e Cross i s ful l of prom i se , and yet wh o spoi l every thing on the top ofCalvary . Perhaps i f th ey had been cruc ified at on ceth ey m i gh t have

‘

done w el l . But that was not God’s

W’i l l . lVaiting has unmanned th em . Their courageh as oozed out among the ugly skull s th at strew th efaded herbage of the moun t . They have sa t dow n

,

because th e delay was l ong . Or th ev have knel t to p raythat th e cross might pass from them . Fool ish souls !that belongs to Ge thsemane , not to Calvary . \Ve mustn o t put our beginn ings where our end shoul d h e . Orth e preparation s frighten th em ,

th e d igging of th e fosse,

th e measuring of th e b readth from hand to hand,don e

so carelessly as i t seems to be , and ye t a matter i n w hi chth e l east carel essness may be infinite torture

,th e re

poi nt ing of those b lun t nai ls , and then th ose cruelunnecessary flourish es of th e hammer . Some sh rinkfrom s t ripping i n th e col d ai r, and have to be str i ppedalmost by force . Some are terrified by th e ecli pse , wh i chh ides fri ends’ faces and th e consolat ion s of c reatures .Some. cry out and j ump up wh en th e col d i ron touch esth e palm of th e fi rst hand . Most fai l th en l Is i t notbetter to go down from Calvary , i n th e honest confessi onof our cow ardi ce , than to behave so w eak ly on th esummi t of that sacred h i l l ? Oh , no ! i t i s bett er far tostay . Better a reluctan t crucifixion than none at al l .Let us stand

,if we can ; i f we cannot, let us be rol led

810 THE F IFTH DO LOR .

hardly rest th ere , excep t to admi re th e magnifi cen ce of

th e vi ew , because th e brea thing is so d if ficul t . I t i svery hard t o pu t away al l consola t i on from ourselves .Sympa thy seems often to be j ust that wh ich makesour pain endurable . c l!

, then ,l e t us go down a s tep

low e r . Le t us not put i t away ; bu t. do no t le t us ask it .Let it find us out w i thou t our seek ing . As the w orldgoes

,w e shal l n ot grea tly peri l w hat i s d iv in e in our

sorrow s by be ing simply pass i ve about sympathy . Buteven th is passi veness i s hard . How should i t be any

th ing else bu t hard ,w hen it i s part o f our c rucifixion ?

I t i s Cal vary ’s hardes t lesson . Let us take i t to ourselves

,al though we fear i t ; nei ther l e t us be cas t dow n

because we fear . t o ever d id any thing w el l w hichhe had not. fi rst feared t o do ? t at i s there uponear th that is w orth doing , wh ich i s n ot w or th fearingalso ?

Bu t th ere i s a true consol at ion—deeply h idden , indeed

,ye t near at h and— in th i s pu t t ing aw ay of human

consolation . I t i s in the dark ness o f na ture tha t w ereal i ze th e v ic in i ty of J esus . I t i s i n the absence ofcrea tures tha t w e are held up in th e sen sible embraceof the Crea tor . Creatures

,bring obscuri ty w i th them

,

wherever th ey in trude . They are forever in our way, in

t ercep t in g graces , h idin v God , defraud ing us of spi ri tualconsola t ions

,mak ing us languid and i rri table . They so

fi l l ou r senses tha t the inner sen ses of our souls areunable to ac t . lVe often w i sh our l i ves w ere more

d iv ine . Bu t th ey are , in fac t , much more div ine thanWe bel ieve . I t i s sorrow whi ch reveals th i s to us . I tcomes l ik e a sh roud around us . By degrees our hori zonnarrow s i n , and our great w orld becomes a li t tle w orld .

Onw ard s t i l l i t c reeps : fi rs t one obj ec t disappears,and

then ano ther . we are grow ing less and . less d istracted . O ur i nw ard l ife i s m ore aw ake . O ur sou lge ts s t rong . Now the l in e of darkness has touchedJerusalem i tse lf. Even the consola t ions of th e sp i ri tualc i ty h ave d isapp eared . The helmets of th e Roman

THE CRUCIFIX ION . 3 1 1

sold iers catch the l ight for a momen t above th e level ofthe cloud

,as i f th ey w ere floa t ing aw ay on a dark cur

ren t . The greenness of the mount grow s b lack . For

a momen t i t bl inds us ; then , by degrees, the w h i teFigure of Jesu s comes ou t in th e d im obscuri ty . “T

e

fee l the w arm Blood on our hands as w e grasp th eCross . I t is n o appari t i on : i t i s l i fe . “T

e are w i thGod

,w i th our Crea tor, w i th our Savior . He is al l our

own . The w i thdraw al of creatur es has made Him so .

But He has not come . He was always th ere , alw aysthus w i th in our souls—only He was overpow ered w i ththe false brigh tness of crea tures . He comes ou t i n th edark li k e the s tars . The w hi te moon of noonday doesnot al lu re us by its beau ty ; i t enchan t-s us on ly i n th en igh t : so i t i s the darknessof a sp i ri tual Cal v ary w hichcovers our soul s w i th the soft sh in ing of our beau t i fu lSav ior .Bu t the couch ing of our sp ir itual s igh t i s not the

on ly opera t ion w hich th e sen ses of our soul undergo onCalvary . All souls are hard of h earing w i th respect toth e sounds of th e inv is ib le w orld . The inn er ear isopened upon Calvar y . The sounds of Jerusalem travelup to us th rough the darkness , and perhaps th e

sounds of labor i n th e gardens n ear . But they r iseup as admon i t ions rather than as d i strac t i ons . Theycome to us soft ly and indist in ctly , and do not j arw i th th e s i lence of ou r endurance , or the low w h isperings of prayer . Leas t of al l do they muffl e th e clearness of our Savior ’s w ords w hen He vouchsafes toSpeak . Down below ,

h ow the w orld deafened us by i tstumultuous n oises , and j aded our sp i ri ts w i th i t s mult i

plicity of sounds ! We knew that Jesus was at ours ides , and ye t w e could not converse w i th Him . I twas l ike trying to l isten when the loud w heels arerattl ing harsh ly along the streets

,w hen listen ing i s no

b etter than an u nsuccessful s t rain,or a perp lexed mis

understanding . The mere n oise th e w orld makes i nits go ing so amazes us that i t h inders our feet upon th e

812 THE rirrn DOLOR .

road to h eaven . i t i s only on Calvarv that ea rth i s subdued enough to make music w i th h eaven ; for i t i s thereonlv tha t G od i s h eard d istinc tlv , whi l e the low -l y ingworl dmurmurs l ik e a w i nd

,a sound wh i ch is d iscordan t

nowh ere , because i t i s ra ther the accompan imen t of asound than a sound i t se lf.

see bu t tw o th in gs on Calvarv ,Jesus and M ary ;

and from each w e l earn a l esson , one abou t our own

dea ths , and one about the dea ths of o thers . Jesusvouchsafes t o teach us how to d ie . I f He in His grea thour w ou ld have H is Mo ther by Him

, h ow shall w edare to d i e w i thou t her ? in al l things mus t w e imi ta t eJ esus , al though i t be in a sphere so in fin i t ely belowHim . Bu t mos t of al l , i t i s o f impor tance to us toimi ta t e Him i n Hi s d eath . I f i t had been w ell

,He

w ould have l oved t o spare her tha t t errific scen e,

thou e h sh e perhaps w ould hav e accoun ted h e r absencea c ruel mercy . It. was there , at tha t dea th -bed

,that

she became our Mo ther . There i s surely no t on e of usin to w hose mou th fai th does not. man y t imes a dav puttha t un iversal prayer , th e prave r of the pope and thepeasan t

,of the doct or and th e sch olar , of the rich and

t he poor,of the rel igi ous and th e secular , tha t th e

Mother of God ma y ass is t us in th e. hour of death . Butw e mus t imbe d th is pe t i t i on in to al l ou r pra y ers . Le tus leave t o God ,

w i thou t di c ta t i on or even w i sh . th et ime

,and place , and manner of ou r death , so on ly that

i t. be n o t an unprovided d eath , and above all things n o tunprovided w i th Mary . The hour of death is a thi rstyt ime

, and exhaus t s area . graces . Unsuspec ted chasmsopen sud den lv i n the. sou l , and swal low up pas t years ,old habi t s

, and a thousand o ther things w e can i l l sparethen . The devi l reserves h is w ors t w eapons for th e las t .I t. i s very t e rrible no t t o be abl e t o di e tw i ce ,

lost thenove ltv w e t th e be t te r o f us th e fi rs t t ime — and i t i s at remendou s s tak e . There are areat sacramen t s for thathour, bu t. no t grea ter than are n eeded lVate h a dyingman ! See how absolu tions sink swi ft ly into h is dry

3 14 THE FIFTH DO LOR .

tarily fix ing thei r ete rn i ty i n death,when w e cal l to

mind the long train of graces which sh e has brough t toevery on e of them , and consequently th e yearn ing ofh er ma ternal h eart for the i r final perseverance andeverlast ing sal vat ion ,

w e may form some idea of th egra t efulness of th is devotion to her . The dea th-bed i sone of her pecul iar spheres . She seems to exerc ise quitea par t i cu lar jurisd ic t ion over i t . I t i s there that she sov is ibly co- O perates w i th Jesu s i n th e redemption ofmankind . But sh e seeks for us to co-O perate w i th heralso . She w ould fain d raw our hearts w i th hers

,our

prayers to h ers . I s sh e not th e one M other of us al l ?Are not th e dying our brothers and our s isters in. th esweet motherh ood of Mary ? The family i s con cerned .

W'

e must not coldly absen t ourselves . We must assisti n sp iri t at every death that i s d ied th e w hole w orldover, death s of hereti cs and h eath ens as w el l as Chri stian s . For th ey, too , are our brothers and si sters ; theyh ave souls ; they have etern i ties at stak e ; Mary has aninteres t. i n th em . And thei r etern i ty i s i n more thandouble danger . How much more must th ey needprayers

,who have no sacraments ! How much darker

must th ei r closing scen e be, where th e ful l l igh t of faithsh in es not ! How mu

'

ch more earn est must be th eprayers

,w hen not ordinary grace, but a mi rac le of

grace,must be impetrated for th em ! Alas ! th ey w i l l

have none of our other gifts a t l east, and affec tionatelyin thei r own desp ite, they shal l h ave our prayers . We

must remember also th at w e too have to d ie . lve sh al lon e day l i e in the same strai t, and need unspeakablythe same chari table prayers . The measure wh ich w e

mete to others shal l b e measured to u s again . Th is i sth e d iv ine rul e of retribution . Noth ing w i l l p reparea smoother death~bed for oursel ves th an a l i fe long dai lydevotion to those who are dai ly dying . Mary assi stedher Son to d i e in many mysterious ways . By Hi s w i l l ,and i n th e satisfacti on of h er own maternal love, sh ehas now assi sted at th e death -beds of many m i l l i ons .

THE CRUCIFI X ION 3 1 5

She has great exper ien ce by th is t ime,i f w e m i gh t so

speak,and i s w onderful ly ski l l ed i n th e sc ience of th e

last hour . By prayerfu l thoughts , by p iou s practi ces ,by frequen t ej aculations

,by the usages th e Church h as

indulgen ced,l et us w in a brigh t and gentle end for our

se lves,by fol low i ng Mary everywhere to the death -beds

sh e a t tends .Such are the lessons w e l earn from the fi fth dolor .The Crucifixion can never be rightly understood w i thout M ary

,because w i thou t h er i t i s n ot truthful ly

represen t ed .

”

What a pi c ture i t i s , th e High M ass of.th e w orld ’s redemp t i on

,offered by Jesus to the Eternal

Father, wh i le the countless angels are the audience andth e spectators ! When th e Host i s el evated , the w holeframe of in an imate nature trembles w i th terror and

adorat i on,and ear th darkens its elf

, w h ich i s to be arubri c i t i s to observe in the presen ce of Jesus for al lages . But what i s Mary ’s part ? Her ImmaculateHeart i s th e l iv ing Altar- ston e on w h ich th e Sacrificei s offered i t is the Server

,th e beatings of whose broken

h ear t are the responses of th e li turgy ; i t i s th e Thurib le ,in wh ich th e w orld ’s fai th , the w orld

’s hope , the w orld’s

love,th e w orld’s w orship

,are being burn t l ike incense

before th e slai n Lamb that taketh away th e s ins of th ew orld ; and , finally , the same Immaculate Heart i s theChoi r, the more than angel i c Choi r, of that tremendousMass ; for d id not th e si len ce of h e r beautiful sufferingssing unutterabl e , voi celess songs int-0 the rav ish ed earof th e Bleeding Host ?

3 16 THE SIXTH DOLOR.

CHAPTER vn .

fil l” sn ug

THE TAK ING DOWN FRO M THE CROSS.

Tm: darkness of th e ecl ipse had passed aw ay, and th e

true shades of even ing w ere beginn ing to fall . The Crosss tood bare on Calvary agains t th e ligh t w hich the se t t ingsun had left beh ind i t i n th e w est . The spectacle of theday was ove r , and the mul t i tudes of the c ity w ere al l gone,and the curren t of the i r thoughts divert ed elsewhere .A few persons moved abou t on th e top of th e moun t,who had been concerned w i th th e tak ing dow n of Jesusfrom the Cross , or w ere bringing spi ces from th e ci ty toembalm Him . Mary sat at th e foot of th e Cross . w i thth e dead Body of h er Son ly ing across h er l ap . I s Bethlehem come back to thee , my Mother, and the days ofth e beautiful Ch i ldhood ?There are many vari eti es of human sorrow . I t i s ditficul t to compare th em on e w i th another ; because eachh as i ts pecul iari ty

,and each peculiarity has an eminence

of suffering bel onging to i t,i n wh i ch no oth er sorrow

shares . Thus i t may easi ly happen that a sorrow w hichin i tsel f l ook s l ess th an another may in real i ty be greater

,

because of th e time at w h ich i t comes , or the c i rcumstan ces under whi ch i t occurs

,or th e posi ti on w h ich i t

occupies in a series of other griefs . This i s th e case w i thth e sixth dolor

, th e Tak ing dow n from th e Cross . I t i sth e grief of an accomplished sorrow

,and in th is respec t

d iffers at once from the strain of a d istressing an ti c ipa t ion ,or th e active struggl e of a presen t m isery ac tually aecom

plish ing i tsel f. Th i s d ifference cannot be unknown to

818 THE SIXTH DO LOR .

Th ings hav e changed places i n our m inds . Easy th ingsare n ew hard ,

because of th is ve ry novel ty . Yet l i fe i sinexorable . I t must go on ,

and under the old law s , l ik ea ru th less mach ine w h i ch canno t feel

,and therefore

canno t make al lowances . New perhaps i s a greater t rialo f our w or t h than w hen w e w ere enduring t h e blow swh ich m isfortun e was dealing upon us . Th is i s th e accoun tof the six th dolor ; th is i s the place i t occupies i n th esorrow s of our deares t Mo ther . Th in k of the Crucifix ion ,

and al l tha t i t involved,and i s not th e reac t i on

after th at l ik ely to be someth ing w hi ch it i s qu i te b eyond our pow er adequately to conceiv e ? Immense as i sth e hol iness of her Immaculate Hear t , sorrow can s t i l lfind w ork to do

,and can bu i ld th e edifice h igher

,as w el l

as embel l i sh what i s bui l t a l ready .

Th e Sou l of Jesus passed in to the earth at th e foot ofth e Cross , and descended to th e l imbus of th e fath ers .Mary was s t i l l at th e foot of the Cross . She compreh ended in its comple teness the vast mystery of th e sepa~

ration of tha t Body and Soul , th e dea th of th e Son ofGod . The Soul has left her , but sh e has th e Body st i l l .I n th e nex t dolor that w i l l go also , and then th e Mo therw i l l b e indeed alone . For th e most part i t i s n ot God ’sWay to w i thdraw Himsel f al l at on ce . He spares th eweakness of th e soul , and passes from i t a lmost insensibly

,after spec ial favors and more i ntimate un ion

,as th e

perfume gradual ly exhales out of a j ar w here i t has beenkept . The two th ieves are s t i l l i n th ei r agony close toth e dead Body of Jesus . To one of them i t i s l ik e th esooth ing presen ce of the Blessed Sacramen t , wh i ch w eal l o f us i n troubl e know so w ell , because i t i s un l ik e anyoth er feel ing . To th e oth er there is n o consola t i on now .

There is t ime fo r h im stil l . Marv s t i l l prays,for she

n ever ceases wh i l e th e fondest hope has anv foothold leftt o wh i ch i t can cling . The li ving Jesus is not so far offbu t He can hear h im i f h e cries . But h e has made h is.choice

,and keeps to i t . The l i fe that remains i n h im is

every momen t desecrating Calvary.

THE TAK ING DOWN FRO M THE (moss. 819

Crucifixion i s a slow death , and i n cludes many sortsof pain . Among these i s to be reckoned the break ingof the legs of th e sufferers , ei th er to add to the tor tureal ready infl i cted , now that i ts duration has becomew ear isome and w i t hou t i nterest to the min isters of vindictive j ust ic e, or , by a sort of fierce mercy , to hastenits termination . The execu t ion ers , therefore , approachth e top of Calvary thus to consummat e the pun ishmentof th e three whom they h ad crucified , armed w i th astrong hammer or heavy bar of i ron

,of such w eight as

speedi ly to frac ture th e l imbs wh en they are struck . I twas a fearful sound for M ary to hear ; the dul l crash ingof the fl esh and bone

,and the agon i z ing cries of the

miserabl e sufferers,one of th em , too, the son of her

se cond motherhood , the first-born of h er prayers . Butw ords w i l l n ot te ll the anguish w i th w h ich she saw

them approach the Body of J esus . Earth held noth ingone-half so sacred . Dead as i t was

,i t was j oined to

th e Divin i ty,and therefore was en t i tled to th e ful les t

honors of divi ne w orsh ip . One rude touch of i t w erean appal l ing sacri l ege ; but to crush th e l imbs , tobreak the bones , was a profaneness too horrible evenfor thought to dwel l upon . The thought was an intense grief to h er re l igion . But her l ove , was not i talso con cern ed ? I t i s t rue

,l i fe was gone ; but was

th e l ifeless Form less an obj ect of h er love than whenbeauti ful l i fe had fi l led i t ? Let th e hearts of th osewh o have mourned thei r dead reply . Never does lovepour i tself out i n more soft sadness over eyes brigh tw i th l ife th an over th ose that are cl osed i n death .

To th e eye of love th e pale face has become doublybeautiful . The graces of old years have passed uponi t . The intensi ty of i ts unmean ing qui et has a charmof i ts own . The compressed l ips speak w i th a dumbeloquence wh i ch belongs to th em . The cold body hasto sa t i sfy two claims of love

,—i ts own claim

,and th e

soul’s ; and it. sat isfies them wel l . We w i l l cal l i t“ him

,

” not it,” because to fond love i t is so really th e

3 20 THE SIXTH DO LOR .

person,th e sel f, w hom w e are l oving . So moth ers

have w ept over sons , from whose ca resses the d ign i tyof grea t. manhood has separa ted them for . years ; butnow the old t imes have come back , and the famil iari ti eso f ch i ldhood

,w i th more than i t s passive h elplessn ess.

have come back,and perhaps th e o ld ch i ld i sh look as

wel l,and grief feeds i t se l f sw ee t ly out o f th e marble

beauty of i ts dead . XVh o does not know th is ? Buti f w e common mourners , whose grief i s so soon d is~

tracted,can fee l al l th is w i th such in tensity , what

must have been th e unspeakable love of Mary for th eBody of h er Son

,—her Son

,wh o was God as w ell !

She spok e n ot . Her voice b roke not th e s i l en ce , mingled not w i th th e moans of th e dying th i eves ; but th es i lence of h er prayer was l oud in heaven . The rudemen saw that J esus was dead , and desist-e d from thei rpurpose .

“ These th ings w ere done,that the Scrip

ture migh t be fulfi l led,You shal l n ot break a bone of

But there was anoth er Scripture al so to be fulfil led .

“ They shal l look on Him w hom they pierced .

”

Mary ’s prayer shal l cause th e fi rst Scripture to be fulfi l led

,but no t that any sorrow may spare th e Mo ther’s

Heart . I t shal l accompl ish th e w ord of God ; but i tsh al l not spare th e sacri l ege . Truly thi s second Scrip=

ture shal l be on e of Simeon’s swords . Whether itw ere from doub t of our Lord’s be ing really dead , orwhether i t w ere i n th e mere w antonness of au thorityl i tt le used to gi ve accoun t of i tse lf i n such times andplaces , one of th e soldi ers drew near, and drove h i sspear into our Lord 's righ t s ide

,across His Body

,and

through His Sacred Heart, and immedi a tely therei ssued forth from the sac ri legious w ound bo th Bloodand Water , some of wh ich , i t i s said , sp rang upon thel imbs of th e pen i ten t th ief as i f it w ere an outwardbap t i sm or a v i s ible absolu t i on w here inw ard grace hadal ready accompl ished i ts h eavenly w ork . I t w ere longto tel l of how much pathetic love th is wound in our

3 22 THE stx'

rn vot es .

bu t suggest sacri l ege . I t w ou ld bu t stimulate th e

rufiian nature of those w i th whom she had to deal .B u t there it hung upon the Cross

,—anybody’s righ t

,

anybody ’s proper ty , ra ther than hers , ou t of whosesw ee t blood the Holy Ghost had made i t . Two

w re tch ed criminals w ere w ri th ing in thei r last agon ieson ei th er side . The ci ty was keepi ng feast below

,an d

preparin g t o commence i ts Sabba th-rest . That VictimBody had begun its Sabbath already . I ts pai n had

ceased , and it was rest ing . The executioners are re

turn ing . The Roman sold iers ride up and dow n th emount. Th e rel ics of the execution must be clearedawav before the Sabbath begin s . That Body does notbelong to th e Cross . I t belongs to an un imaginabl esupernal th rone

,at th e R ight Hand of the Eternal

Fa ther . No one i s here w ho k now s i t but th e si len tMother ; and sh e i s s i lent , because sh e has n o righ t tospeak , and because h er speak ing w ould do harm . Oh ,h ow often i n th e w orld does God frigh ten us by th i sseem ing abandonmen t of H imself and of al l He holdsmost dear ! And i t appears as i f i t w ere the verystrength of our love w hich made our fai th so w eak .

“re fear most t imorously for that wh ich w e l ove most

tenderly .

Th e love of God brings many n ew inst incts into th eheart . Heavenly and noble as they are , they bear n oresemblance to what men w ou ld cal l th e finer and moreheroic developments of character . A spir i tual d iscern=

ment i s necessary to thei r ri gh t ap preciation . They areso unl ike th e grow th s of earth ,

that th ey must expectto meet on earth w i th on ly suspicion , misunderstandin g,and disl ike . It is not easy to defend them from a controve rsial point of v i ew ; for our controversy i s obl igedto begin by begging th e quest ion , o r else i t Would be u na

abl e so much as to stat e i ts case . The axioms of th ew orld pass current in th e w orld , th e axioms of the gospel do not. Hence th e w orld has it s own way. I t talk sus down . I t tri es us before tribunals where our com

THE TAKING DOWN FRO M THE stre ss. 3 2?

demnation i s secured beforehand . I t appeal s to pri ncip le s . w h ich are fundamen tal w i th most men but areheresi es w i th us . Hence i ts audien ce takes part w i th i tagainst us . \Ve are foreigners , and must pay th e penal tyof being so . I f w e are mi sunderstood

,w e had no righ t

to reckon on any th ing else, being , as w e are , out ofour own count ry . We are made to be laughed at .W'

e shall be understood in heaven . W'

oe to those easy~

going Christi ans whom th e World can understand,and

w i l l to lerate,because i t sees they have a m ind to com

promise IThe love of souls i s on e of these instin cts wh ich th e

l ove. of Jesus bri ngs into our h earts . To th e w orld i t i sp rosel y t i sm , the mere w i sh to add to a faction , one ofthe selfi sh developments of p ar ty spi ri t. One whi le th estain of lax moral i ty i s affixed to it , anoth er w hi le th ereproach of ph afisaie s tri c tness ! For what th e w orldseems to suspect l eas t of al l i n rel igion i s consistency .

But th e love of souls , how ever apos tol i c , i s alw ays subord ina t e to love of Jesus . I

'Ve l ove souls because ofJesus

,not Jesus because of souls . Thus there are times

and places when w e pass from th is inst in ct of d ivine lov eto another

,from the lov e of sou ls to th e hatred of heresy .

Th is last i s pecul iarly offens iv e to th e w orld . So especially opposed i s i t to th e spir i t of the w orld , that , evenin good

,bel i ev ing hearts , every remnan t of w orldl iness

rises in arms again st th is h atred of heresy,embi t tering

the very gen t lest . of charac ters,and spoi l ing many a

glorious Work of grace . Many a convert, i n w hose soulGod w ould have done grand things

,goes to h is grave a

spi ri tual fai lure , because he w ould not hate h eresy . Thheart w hich feels th e sl igh test susp i cion again st th eh a t red of heresy is not yet converted . God is far fromreigning over i t yet w i th an undivided sovereignty . Th epaths of h igher sancti ty are absolutely barred against i t.I n th e j udgment of th e w orld

,and of w orld ly Ch ristians,

th is ha t red of heresy i s exaggerated,bi tter

,con trary

to modera t ion , ind i screet, unreasonable , aiming at too

3 24 THE srxrn

much , bigote d ,i n toleran t

,narrow

,stup id , and immoral ;

Wh at can w e say t o defend i t ? Noth ing wh ich they canunderstand . We had , therefore , be tter h old our peace .If w e understand God

,and He understands us , i t i s not

so very hard to go through l i fe suspected , misunders tood , and unpopular . The m ild sel f- opin ionatednesso f the gen t l e

,undiscern ing good w i l l also take th e

w orld ’s v i ew and condemn us ; for there i s a meek - l ooking posi t i veness about t imid goodness wh ich is far fromGod , and th e i nst in cts of whose chari ty i s more tow ardthose wh o are less for God

,wh i le i t s t imid i ty i s daring

enough for a harsh judgmen t . There are conversion swhere three-quarte rs of th e heart s top ou t s ide th eChurch and only a quarter en ters

,and h eresy can only

he hated by an undi vi ded hear t . But if i t i s hard, i t hasto be borne . A man can hardly h ave the fu l l u se of h issenses who i s ben t on prov ing to th e world ,God

’

s enemy,that a thorough -going cathol i c h atred of h eresy i s a righ tframe of mind . We might as w el l force a bl ind man toj udge on a quest ion of color . Divin e l ove inspheres us ina d ifferen t c i rcl e of l ife

,motive

,and prin ciple , wh ich i s

not on ly not that of th e w orld,but in direct enmity

w i th i t . From a world ly point of v iew ,the craters in

th e moon are more expl i cabl e th ings than w e Chris tiansw i th our supernatural i nstin cts . From the hatred ofheresy w e get to anoth er of these inst incts, th e horroro f sacri lege . Th e d istress caused by profane w ordsseems to the w orl d but an exaggerated sentimental i ty .

The pen i tential sp iri t of reparation w h ich pervades th ewhole Church i s

,on its v i ew , e i ther a supers t i t i on or an

unreal i ty . Th e perfec t m isery wh ich an unhal low edtouch of th e Blessed Sacramen t causes to th e servantsof God provokes e i th er the w orld ’s anger or i ts deris ion . Men consider i t e ith er al together absurd in i tself,or at any rate out of al l p roportion ; and , i f o therw i s ethey h ave proofs of our common sen se

,they are incl ined

to put down ou r unhapp iness to sheer hypocr isy . The

very fact that they do not bel ieve as we believe removes

3 26 THE SIXTH DO LOR .

l ove of God i s wanting i n keenness , our perception s ofd ivi ne th ings i n fineness . lve cann o t do more thanmak e approaches

,and they are t errible enough .

“r

e have spoken al ready of mo thers w at ch ing th edeath -beds of thei r sons . I t i s th e form of human woew h i ch °comes most natural ly to us w hen w e are w i thMary upon Calvary . W

'hen th e l ong stru cgle i s at last

over,and th e break ing h eart has acknow l edged at leas t

a k ind of rel ief in th e fac t th at th e obj ec t of her lovehas n o more to suffer , when that same hear t has takenqu ie t possessi on of th e beauti ful dead form before i t, asi f i t w ere a san ctuary

,almost a refuge from gri ef itsel f,

w ould not th e l east roughness , th e l east in con siderateness

,th e most tri vial d ish onor to th e dead body , be a.

new and fearful sorrow to th e mother ? I s there an e th er on earth wh o could bear to see w i th h er owneyes even th e k indly hand of sc ience , which sh e hash erself invoked , endeavoring to d iscover in w hat recessit was tha t th e mysterious a ilment l odged i t self w h ichhas now made h er ch i ld less ? lVou ld i t n ot be as i f sh esaw a hal low ed obj ect cle se erated before h er eyes ? I nth e di re n ecessi ti es of th e pest i l en ce , w i th i t s sw i ftbu rial and rough m in isters and horr ible dead- car t andqu ickl ime-pi t

, h ow much more terrible w ould th e outrag e be ! Sh e sti ll fi l ls th e l ifel ess figure w i th th e l ifeof h e r own love , and before sh e has drunk her fi l l ofl ove by gazing on i t

,before th e red blood has had time

to curd l e or the l imbs to grow cold,i t i s torn from her

,

as i f it was not hers , by some stern office rs, —not th et ende rest of th ei r k ind

,for th ei r offi ce i s the rudest,

rude even in th e w i se mercy i t fulfils,— and i s flung upon

the dead- cart, w i th a h eap of other pest- stri ck en vic

tims , and so born e onward t o a dishonorable grave , a

p romiscuous charn el -house . And fresh grief i s so tender,so raw , can so l i tt l e bear hand ling ! Is i t n ot fearful toth ink of ? Yet i t i s as n oth ing to our Lady ’s agonyw hen th e B ody of Jesus was outraged by th e spear . I tis an immeasurably le ss sorrow in itself, and falls upon

rm: mama nowN FRO M ran caoss. 3 2?

a heart which , how ever sw ee t and meek and lov ing , isimmeasurably less capable of suffering th an Mary’s was.

But i t i s an approach to Mary’s sorrow

,and a shadow

of i t .Let us r ise h igher sti ll . A saint i s at th e altar

,over

wh elmed w i th th e dread action whi ch h e i s performing.His heart i s fi t to break for love of God

,of th at incarna t e

God w ho l i es before h im on th e corporal . Wi ld andsinful men break in Upon h im

,w h eth er in popular

tumul t or from o ther cause . He is driven off in hi ssacred ves tments w i th v iol ence

,wh il e h e i s cl inging to

th e al tar as an animal cl ings to i ts young when th eyare be ing torn from i t . He sees th e Blessed Sacramentflung Upon the ground , th e Precious Blood streamingover the al tar- steps , and both th e Body and th e Bloodtrodden w i th scorn and blasph emy beneath th e feet ofth e ruffian invaders . Because he i s a sain t

,th e sight

w ould k i l l h im,did not God miraculotisly support h im .

But th e accumulated sorrow s of a long l ife are noth ingto th i s . Th e v ision of th t h ear has been burn ed in

upon h is soul as by a fi ery b l and . Noth ing of i t w i l lever be forgott en. No excesses of p enance w i l l be sufficien t to sat i s fy hi s yearn ing appe t i te for reparation .

Years after,h e w i l l shudder in h is prayer , and the tears

course sw i ft ly down hi s ch eeks, as h e calls to mind theboundless horro r of that appal l ing sin. I t i s a sort of

,

gri ef beyond common griefs , a gri ef in a sh rin e , ofwh ich holy and chosen sou ls only may part i cipate . Yet“

what is i t to M ary ’s sori ow when she saw th e speartouch the dead side , and th e l i fel ik e movement th eBody made as th e Heai t was p 1

° 1 oed , and the pulsel iketh robbsing wi th wh ich th e Blood and Wa ter fol low edth e lance as i t w i thdrew ? As far as th e saint i s belowMary in sanct ity, so far is h is gr ief i nfer ior to h ers .An ange l told St . Bridget th at so tremendous was theshock to her, that she would have di ed in stantly . bu t

for a miracl e . A sw ord in her own heart woul d havebeen a thousand t imes less dreadful .

828 THE sixTH Dow n.

I t i s st range how cl ose to grea t sin s great graces w i lloften l i e . Longinus had s inned i n ignorance of th atwh ich pecul iarly aggravated the horror of h is a ct .Neverth eless

,i t. was a cruel ac t i on , and the more cruel

i f h e knew that th e mo ther was standing by . “fantem

ness too was th e l ess excusable in h im ,u pon w hom , i f

trad i t ion speaks truly , th e hand of God was la id not

l ightly . He i s said to have been suffering from some

disease of th e eyes , wh ich threatened to tal bli ndness ;and i t may have been that h is imperfec t sight d id n otal low h im to be cer tain of the death of Jesus , and th aton that accoun t he w en t beyon d his commission , and

p i erced th e body v i th h i s lance . Some dreps of th eBlood fel l upon hi s face , and t radit ion tel ls th at noton ly was th e d isease i n h is eyes instantaneously aredand th e ful l use of h i s s ight restored to h im ,

but al so,a s t i l l more wonderful m iracle , th e v is ion of h i s sou l

was made brigh t and clear, and h e at once confessedth e Divin ity of Him w hose Body he had thus dared to

‘

i nsul t at th e ri sk of becoming i n h is own person th emurderer of our le ssed Lord . For

,i f he doubted of

His death , he ran no less a risk than th at of slayingHim h imself. No on e w i l l w onder w hen Mary ofAgreda tel l s th em that

,as wi th th e peni ten t th ief, so

w i th Longinus , th e grace of convers ionwas the answer“

to‘

Mary ’s prayer . The very fact of h is hav ing been an

instrument t o increase her sorrows w ould g ive h im aspecial claim u pon her prayers ;Anoth er smal l body of men i s n ew approach ing th e

summit of Calvary,and from th ei r fixed looks i t i s

plai n that Jesus i s th e . obj e C t of the ir coming . Is i tsome fresh ou t rage

,some n ew sorrow for Mary ? I t

i s a new sorrow for M ary,bu t no fresh outrage . I t

i s Joseph of Arimathea and Ni codemus,together w i th

th e i r servants . Both of th em w ere d iscipl es of our

Blessed Lord but secretly ; for th ey w ere timid men .

Joseph was a counsel lor,a good and j ust man ,

”who

had not“ consen ted to the coun sel and doings" of the

3 3 0 THE SIXTH DO LOR .

th e t imid are unexpectedly bold . These two di sc iples .

who had been afra id to confess th ei r Master op en lywhen He l i ved

, are new braving publ i ci ty when evenapostle s remain w i th in the shel ter .e f th ei r h id ing-place .

Happy two ! w i th what sweet fami l iari t i es and p reciousnearn ess to Himsel f i s n o t Jesus re cemp ensmg th ei rp i ous serv i ce at th i s n our i n h eaven !Wi th gentl e hand , t rembl ingly bold , as i f h i s naturalt im id ity had devel oped into supernatural r everen ce

,

Joseph touches th e crow n of thorns , and del i catelyloosens i t from th e head on w h ich i t was fixed , d isentangl es i t from th e matted hai r, and ,

w i th out daring tok iss i t

,passes i t t o Nicodemus , wh o reaches i t to John ,

from w hom Mary, sink ing on h er knees , r eceives i t w i thsuch d evot ion as n o h eart but hers cou ld hold . Everyblood - stained sp ik e seemed instin ct w i th l ife , and w en tin to he r h eart

,t ipped as i t w ere w i th th e Blood of h er

Se n , inocu lating h er more and more deeply w ith th espi ri t of His Passion . Wh o can describe w i th whatreverent ial touch , wh i l e th e cold Body was a furnace ofh eaven ly love burn ing against h i s h eart, Joseph loosenedth e nai ls , so as not to crush or mutilat e th e blessed Handsand Feet whi ch th ey had p i erced ? I t was so hard a taskthat w e are fai n to bel i eve angel s h elped h im in i t . Eachnai l was s i len tly passed down to Mary . They w erestrange graces

,these wh ich w ere new flow ing to her

through the hands of h er new son yet, after al l , not sounli ke th e gifts wh ich Jesus had Himself been giv ingh er th ese th ree-andth i rty years . Never yet had earthseen such a w orsh ip of sorrow as that w i th wh i ch th eMo ther bent over those mute rel i cs

,as th ey came dow n

to her from th e Cross, crusted too as they w ere , perhapsw e t, w ith that Preci ous Blood , wh ich sh e adored in itsu nbrok en un ion w i th th e Pe rson of th e Eternal Word .

But w i t h w hat agony was al l th i s w orsh ip accompan ied,

w hat fresh wounds d id not al l th ese ins t ruments of th ePassion mak e i n her hear t

, what old ones d id they notre op en !

THE TAKING DOWN FRO M THE caoss. 3 3 1

But a greater grief was yet to come . The Body wasdetached from the Cross . More and more th ick ly theangels gathered round

,wh i l e th ri l ls of love p ierced w i th

ecstati c bl iss th ei r grand in tel l igences . Mary is kneel ingon the ground . Her fingers are stained w i th Blood .

She stre tches the clean l inen cloth over h er arms andholds them out to receiv e h er Son , her Prodigal comeback to her again

,and come back thus ! And was

He not a Prodigal ? Had He not w i l fu l ly gone ou t

from h e r quie t home in to the w i ldest and rudest ofworlds , l eagues and leagues d istant from the puri ty andlove of her spo t less h eart ? Had He not spent al l H issubstance on companions

, w orthless and despicable ?Was i t n ot a r iotous spending, a rio t of some eighteenhours’

“

duration ? Had He not been prodigal of HisPrecious Blood

,of His beauty

,His innocence

,His l i fe,

His grace , His very Div in i ty ? And now He was comingb ack to her thus ! Can such a sorrow ,

such an accumu

lation of concen tring sorrow s , have any name ? Canshe bear the w eigh t ? Wh ich w eigh t ? The sorrow orth e Body ? I t matters n ot . She can bear th em both .

From above , th e Body i s slow ly descending . She re

members th e midn igh t-hour w hen th e Holy Ghost overshadow ed her at Nazareth , Now i t i s th e Eternal Sonwh o i s so s trangely overshadow ing His kneel ing Mother.Joseph trembled under th e w eigh t

,even wh i le Nico

demus helped him . Perhaps also i t was not the weigh ton ly w h ich made h im tremble . Wonderful ly must gracehave held h im up to do what h e did . Now i t i s lowenough for John to touch th e sacred Head

,and recei ve

it i n h i s arms , that i t m igh t no t droop in th at helplessri gid way ; and Magdalen i s hold ing up the Feet . I t i sh er old post . I t is he r post in heaven now

,highest of

pen itents , most beautiful of pardoned sp ir its For onemoment Mary prostrates hersel f i n an agony of speechless adorat ion , and th e next instan t sh e has received th eBody on her extended arms . The Babe of Beth leh em isback again in H is Mother’s lap . What a meeting ! What


a. restorat i on For a. w hi l e sh e remains kneel ing, wh il e

John and Magdalen,Joseph and N icodemus

,and the

devou t w omen,adore . Then she passes from the atti tude

of the pri est to th e at t i tude of the mo ther . Sh e r isesfrom h e r knees

,st i l l bea ring th e burden as l ightly as

w hen she fled w i th Him into Egypt , and sit s down uponth e gr

,ass w i t h Jesus extended on her lap .

ith minutes t fondness she smooths His hai r . Shedoes n ot w ash th e Blood from off His Body . I t i s tooprecious .and soon He w i l l w an t i t al l

,as w el l as that

wh ich i s on men ’s shoes, and th e pavemen t of Jerusalem ,

and th e ol i ve- roots of Geth semane . But sh e closes everyw ound , every mark of th e lash , every puncture of th ethorns

,w i th a m ixture of myrrh and aloes

,w h ich Nico

demus has b rough t . There was no t a feature of Hisb lessed Countcnancc

,not a mark upon His Sacred Flesh

,

wh i ch was not at on ce a sorrow to h er,and a very volume

of profoundest medi tat ion s . Her sou l w en t through th ePassion upon His Body

,as men t race the i r t ravel s on a

map . Th e v ery qu ietness of h er occupat ion,the very

concent1 .iion of h er und istracted th oughts,seemed t o

enabl e h er to go deeper and deeper dow n into His sufferings, and to compassi onate th em w i th a more interiorb i ttern ess than before . I n none of th e earl ier sta g es ofh er sorrow had there been more demand upon h er tocon trol th e common gestures an d outbursts of gri ef

,th an

w hen sh e sat i n th e l igh t of that spring even ing w i thh er Son ’s d ead Body on h er lap

,smooth ing

,an ointing

,

and composing th e coun tless prints of shame and sutfe 1

i n g w h ich had b een w orn so deeply in to i t . In vai n forh er w ere th e b i rds t ri l l i ng thei r even - son o th e w eigh tof th e ecl i pse bei ng taken off th ei r bl i th e l it tl e h earts .In vain for h er were th e perfumes of th e tender fig- l eavesri s ing up i n the cool air , and th e buds bu 1 st1ng §1 e enly,and the tender shoots ful l of ve i nal beau ty . He r g1 ief

was past nature’s sooth ing . For h e r Flow er h ad beencruelly gath ered

,and l ay w ith ered th ere upon her

Knee .


she p ierced her own heart th rough and th rough w i ththe same hand w i th which sh e h id His Face . But, 0

Mary ! thou sees t that Face now,and ar t d ri nk ing thy

fi l l of i t s beau ty , and thou w i l t do so for evermore , andn ever be sati sfied

,even when always satisfied

,happy

,

blessed Mother !t en w e pass from the narrative of . th e sixth dolorto treat of i ts pecul iari t i es , w e are struck at th e outsetby a characterist i c w hich runs al l through i t . I t surrounds u s perpetual ly w i th images of the Sacred Infan cy and of the Blessed Sacramen t . The Passi onseems to s ink out of v iew , as i f i t w ere a foundati ononly ; the superstructu re i s carved al l over w i th symbol s of Beth leh em and th e A ltar . There is scarce ly anacti on or atti tude of Mary in al l th e dolor

,w hi ch does

not bring to mind at once ei th er the old days of th eMother and th e Chi ld , or th e coming days of the Pri est

and th e Host . t en sh e kneels to receiv e th e Body ,and remains kneel ing w i th i t i n h er arms for th eoth ers to adore , w hen sh e min isters to i t and w i thtender rev eren ce man ipulates i t, when care and respan

sib ility for th e Lord’s Body i s th e anxiety of h er h eart

,

and her grief comes from th e fear of sacri l ege,w e can

not avoid hav ing th e Blessed Sacramen t continuallybefore us . Her outward demeanor appears as i f i t

were th e model from w h ich th e Church had d raw n i tsrubri cs for mass , benedict ion, or procession . Her inward temper seems the ideal of those i nterior di sposi~

t ions w h ich should belong to al l good priests i n v i r tueof thei r being custodians of the Blessed Sacramen t .I n i ts measure

,th e same prophetical forth shadew ing of

th e w orsh ip of the Blessed Sacrament i s v isib le in theactions and gestures of Joseph and Nicodemus, of Johnand Magdalen . Thus an entirely n ew set of ideascomes in w i th th i s dolor . Wh i l e i t looks as i f i t w erebu t the complemen t of th e Crucifixion , and divisibl efrom i t on ly by an imaginary l ine , w e find i ts inw ardsp ir i t, i ts examples, al l usions, doc trine, and figures

,to

THE TAK ING DOWN FROM THE caoss. 3 3 5

belong to an entirely d ifferent region from that of th ePass ion . Th is reveals to us the real d is t i n ction there i sbetw een th is dolo r and the two wh ich have preceded i t .The mystical connec tion of the Blessed Sacramen t w i thth e Sacred Infan cy has been dw el t upon at length elsewhere .

* The Blessed Sacramen t i s as i t w ere the realperpetuation of His Infancy in memory of His Passion .

Thus,i n the si xth dolor

,i t appears as i f our Lord had

no -sooner consummated th e w ork of His Pass ion thanHe at once began to shadow forth that s tate i nwh ich i t was His sw eet w i l l to abide w i th His Churchforever i n th e Sacramen t of th e Al tar . From thatinstan t

,the old imag es of Beth lehem rose up again , as

if th ey had been kept dow n by force for a whi le , andthey return more determinately and plainly i n theshape of forebodings of th e Blessed Sacramen t. Th isi s not so much a separate pecul iari ty of th i s do lor, as i tsvery sou l and sign ificance

,running through every fea

ture of i t,t incturing Mary’s d isposit ion s under i t , and

giving a spec ial character to the lessons whi ch i t con veysto ourselves .There is a pecul iari ty of th is dolor, wh i ch i t i s impossible for us ful ly to understand , but w h ich must beborne i n mind th roughout , because i t i ndicates th e

gre atest depth of sorrow wh i ch th is mystery reached inth e sou l of our Blessed Mother . I t was the w i thd raw alof th e l ife of Jesus . She hersel f

,perhaps

,did not

know t i l l now h ow much i t had supported her,nor h ow

many offices i t had fulfi l led toward her . For th reeand- th i rty years sh e had l ived upon His l i fe . I t h adbeen her atmosphere . There had been a k ind of un i tyof l i fe b etw een th em . Her heart had beaten in HisHeart . She had seen w i th His eyes , and had heardw i th His ears, and had almost spoken w i th His l ipsand th ough t w i th His thoughts

,as sh e had done when

sh e composed and sang th e M agn ificat . Mother and

B lessed Sacrament, book second.


son had never before been so fused in to each oth er .

Two l i ves had n ever seemed so inseparably one l i fe as

these two had done . And how shal l one of them,and

that th e w eaker and i n fe rio r, now s tand alone ? Th esundering of body and sou l looks a. l ess effec tual separa t i on than the d iv id ing of the l i fe of Mary from th e

life of J esus . Perhaps i t was on this accoun t , to supp lyth i s mys terious w an t of the Human Life of Jesus

,that

th e spec ies of the Blessed Sacramen t remai ned incorrup t w i thin

,her during th e remainder of her l ife

,from

one commun ion to ano ther . lVe have some t imes seenmo thers and son s approxima t e to th is un i ty of l i fe ,espec ial ly w hen the son has been an only ch ild

,and

th e mo th er a w i dow . I t has been also i n thesecases

,as w i th our Lady , that i t i s th e mo ther

’s l i fewhi ch i s draw n into th e son

'

s , not the son ’s in to th emo ther ’s . The sigh t of such a mo ther and son i s oneof the most pa the t i c w h ich ear th can show ; pa the t i c ,because i t s roots have alw ays been , no t i n th e pal

pab le sunshine of overflow i ng happiness , but in the unw i tnessed dep th of dom esd c sorrow . The grandeur ofi ts b eau tv has been in proport i on t o the fiery hea t oftha t fu rnace of agonv in wh ich th e two l ives havebeen mel ted into on e . But , w hen w e looked , w e havet rembled to t hink how the inev i table separa t i on ofdea th w ould ever be endured . Ye t how fain t a shadowof Jesus and Marv are these fi l ia l and ma ternal un i t i eson ear th !In order

,th en , to understand the intolerabl e suffering

wh i ch th e w iilfl rawal of th e l ife of Jesus caused in th ehear t of M ary

,w e must know w ha t His l i fe had been to

hers th rou ghou t . Bu t th i s is no t w i thin the reach ofour comprehension . lVe can but guess at it and calcu

la t e it and th en be sure tha t th e real ity has ar ou t runour boldes t calcu la t i ons . Ye t here , also . th e annals ofhuman sorrow h el p u s bv comparison . has notknow n instances of that perfec t i on of conjugal love

when husband and w i fe have so l ived in to each oth er

3 3 8 THE SIXTH DOLOR .

th is ? Bu t w e do not mourn over it. I t i s best anccomple test as i t i s . Here , also , w e have but a partiash adow of th e un ion of Jesus an d Mary ; yet i t helpsus t o see what an overwhelming sorrow to her sen si t i veheart mus t have been th e cessa t i on of th e l i fe of J esus .I t was the deepes t dep th to which th e s ix th dolorreached .

Ano ther pecul iari ty of th is dolo r i s th e reappearanceof responsib i l i ty

,w h ich formed so w e ighty a part of th e

th ird,but had not come to v iew at al l during the four th

or fi fth . I t i s M ary ’s feel ing of responsibi l i ty abou t HisSacred Body

, now that i t had rever ted to more than th eoriginal h elplessness of chi ldhood . No on e unders andsth e adorableness o f that Body as sh e does . IVho i s tocare’ for i t bu t h ersel f ? And sh e also i s helpless . I t i sth e same feel ing w h ich pervades th e w hol e Church w i thregard to th e Blessed Sacram ent . In th e Church , i f i t i sa feel ing of anxiety

,i t i s also a feel ing of amazing j oy .

But w i th M ary i t w as a man ifold sorrow . I n the midstof sorrow respons ibi l ity is i tself a n ew sorrow . Yet i ti s on e of the providen t ial law s of grief that i t almostalways brings n ew responsib i l i t i es to v i ew ,

and just whenw e seem least capabl e of rightly d ischarging them .

Grie f i s one of those th ings wh ich concentrate,yet do

not simpl i fy , as mos t concentrations do . I t i s a per

p lex ity rath er than a l igh t . I t gives us more to dora ther than less to do . A man in great grief h as lessl e isure than any other man on earth . Nothing th i ckensl i fe so much as sorrow . Noth ing precipi tates th e greatwork of experi ence as i t does . Noth ing endow s our nature w i th more magnifi cen t accession s of pow er . A l i feo f j oy i s

,for th e most part, th in and shal low . Few hero

i sms can be manufactu red out of gladness , th ough italso has i ts sunn y dep ths w h ich are ful l of God . Butsorrow i s th e mak ing of sai nts, th e v ery process of th etransmutation of drossy ear th into pures t h eaven . Thisi s w hyGod seems to h ear so hard upon us in sorrow . H

wisdom makes H1s lov e cruel . These unendurabl e new

0

THE TAK ING DOWN FRO M THE caoss. 3 0 9

responsib i l i ti es,whose apparen tly inopportune adven t in

season s of grief i s so depressing , are almost His choices tgift s . There is a cri si s of l ife , perhaps , in every one ofthem . But our Lady

’s responsi b i l i ty for our Lord ’s Bodywas al so a grief to her because of the ci rcumstances ofth e t ime and place . Violence and cruel ty reigned eu~

preme . Savage execut ioners and rufi an sold iers w erethe k ings of Calvary . The chances of ou t rag e and defile ?

men t w e re hardly chances . To human calcula t i on theywere inev i table n ecessi t i es . The break ing of the legs ,the spear of Longinus , th e hurry t o get every th ingcleared aw ay for the beginn ing of th e Sabbath

,th e

mali ce of th e Jew s,the way_

i n w hich Pi lat e hadtruckled to them

,the ordinary lot of th e bod i es of

th ose whom j us t i c e h ad put to death , th e very convenie nce of th e Golgo th a where the c rosses w ereerec t ed

,the fact tha t there w ere three bodies to dis

pose of, and not one only ,— a.l l these th ing s w ere so

many t errifi c risks whi ch the ‘i nv iolate safe ty of thatadorabl e Deposi t wh ich was in Mary ’s care had now to

run . Fur thermore , her responsib i l i ty was i n a th i rd waya gri ef

,because of the sense of utter h elplessness w hi ch

came along w i th i t . What could she do ? How was i tin her pow er to stave off, or ev en to d ivert into anotherchannel

,any one of these numerous , i l l-bod ing couse

q uenc e s w h ich we re pressing upon her ? And yet th econsequences of a fai lure w ere too appal l ing to con template . Even to our though ts in qu iet med itation thereis someth ing almost more shockin g in the idea of theDead Body of Jesus i n the pol luted hands of thosefierce men than the dear and l iving Lord Himself. Vife

. Z i udd e r at th e possib i l ity . What, then , must have b eenthe agony of M ary’s adoring heart

,to w hi ch th ese hor

rors w ere v isib le and imminent,w i th th e feel ing that th e

care was hers,and the know l edge that sh e was hel pless

as th e merest mo ther of an od ious crim inal could b e,

nay, al l things cor sidered , even more helpless , for her

296 m s FIFTH DOLOR .

XVh ere was th e pil low for His Head ? I f i t strove to res ti t se l f again s t the Ti t le o r the Cross

,the c row n of thorns

drove i t back again ; i f i t sank dow n upon I l i s ireast,

it could no t qui te reach i t,and i t s w e igh t drew th e Body

from th e nai ls . Slow s treams of Blood crep t abou t l l i sw ounded Bodv,

making l Iim t remble under th ei r touchw i th th e mos t pain ful exci t emen t and uneasin ess. Hiseyes w ere t eased w i th Blood , l iqu id or h alf congealed .

l l i s Mou th , quivering w i th th i rs t , was also caked w i thBlood

,w hich l l is brea th seemed less and less t o

mois t en . There was not a l imb wh ich was not call ingout for th e Mother

'

s tender hand , and i t might notreach so far . There w ere mu l t i tudes of pain s w h ichh e r touch w ould h ave soothed . O mo thers ! have vou

a name by w hich w e may cal l that intolerable long ingwh i ch Mary had , t o smoo th tha t hai r, t o cleanse thoseeyes

,t o mois ten those dear l ips wh i ch had jus t been

speak in g such beaut i fu l w ords , to pi ll ow t hat blessedHead upon h er arm , to ease those throbbing hands andhold up for a w hi le th e soles of those crush ed and

lacera t ed feet ? I t was not gran ted t o h e r ; and ye tsh e stood there i n tranqui ll i ty

,mo t ionless as a s tatue

,

not. a s tatue of ind ifference , nor y et of s tupor an damazemen t

,but in tha t a t t i tude of reveren t adoring

m isery w hi ch was becoming to a broken -hear t ed creaturew h o fe l t the very arms of the E t ernal Fa ther round h er,hold ing h er up to l iv e , to love , to suffer , and to be s t i l l .

‘

We must also remember that th e abandonment ofJesus by His Father was someth ing to h er which i tcanno t be to us . In re ligious mys t eries w e are continually obliged to tak e w ords for th ings . \Ve speakof the E ternal Genera t ion of the Son and of th e EternalProcession of the Holy Spi ri t , bu t w e cannot embraceth e w i sdom , the brigh tness , the love , the tend ern ess,th e pa thos , i f .w e may v en ture on the. w ord

,w hich

those ac t s o f the Di vin e Life imply . Consequen t ly thew ords do n o t cal l ou t i n us an in te l l igen t varie ty offeel ings and sent iments and emot ions : we mee t them

298 rm: FIFTH DOLOR.

to h er . At least sh e saw i n i t what n o one else , noteven an angel , could se e ; Hence , whi le i t cal led out i nher a varie ty of th e mos t v iv id emo t i on s and mos tsens i t i ve atl

'

e c tions , it also p l unged her in to fresh sorrow ,

by t ransfe rring al l at once th e Passion of Jesus in toano ther and more t errifi c sphere .The universal i ty of her suffering i s al so ano ther p e cu

liarity of the fifth dolor, and in this i t was a sor t ofshadow of the Passion . t o can number th e varietyof the pains w h ich th ose three hours con tained ? t at

por t i on of her sinless nature was not covered w i th i ts

appropriate suffering ? There was no spot whereon a

sorrow could be grafted where th e hand of God had notin serted one . She was as completely submerged in

grief as a fi sh i s submerged in the great deep sea . Thevery omn ipresence of God round about her was to h er

‘

an omnipresence of suffering . As the fi res that pun i shs i n are so dreadful ly effi cac i ous , because God in tendedthei r nature to be penal , so th e supernatu ral sorrow s ofour Blessed M o ther on Calvary were fearful ly effi cac ious

,

because they w ere i n tended to carry suffering to th eutmos t l imi t w h ich the creature could bear , tha t so h erholiness, her meri ts , and her exaltat ion might exceedthose of al l o ther crea tures put together

,except th e

created nature of her Son . There was not an in le t ofany on e of th e senses dow n wh ich pain was not flow ingmasterfully, l ik e clash ing tides in a narrow gulf. Therewas not a faculty of her mind wh ich was not illumis

mated , or ra ther scorched , by a ligh t w hi ch hurt natureand gave i t pain . Her affections had been cruel ly immolated at th e foot of that al tar on Calvary , one afteran o ther , and th e zealous Priest had not spared His vi ctims . Her w i l l was s trained up to th e heigh t of th emost unh eard-b f consents , w h ich the devouri ng j usti ceof God had demanded of her . Her soul was crucified ;Her bodv was the shrinking prey of her mental agony.

l l e r fee t were w eary w i th standing,her hands w e t w i th

His Blood, her eyes fi l led w i th h er own .“

. Iow hath

rm: cancmxtos. 299

th e Lord covered w i th obscuri ty th e daughter of Sion !Weeping , sh e ha th w ep t i n the n ight, and her te ars areon her cheeks . There i s n one to comfort her amongal l of th em t hat w ere dear to her . From above He

ha th sent fi re into my bones,and hath chastised me ;

He.

hath spread a net for my feet ; He hath turned meback ; He ha th made me desolate , w asted w i th sorrowal l the day long . The Lord hath taken al l my m igh tymen out of the midst of me . He hath proclaimedagainst me a t ime , to destroy my chosen men . Th eLord ha th trodden the w inepress for the v irgi n daugh é

ter o f Juda ; Therefore do I weep,and my eyes run

down w i th w ater , because th e Comforter, the reli ef ofmy soul , i s far from me . My ch i ldren are desolate,because the enemy hath prevai led . My heart i s turn edw i thin me , for I am ful l of bit terness . Abroad thesw ord destroye th ; and at home there i s dea th alike .

0 ,al l ye that pass by the way ! attend,

and see i f the r ebe any sorrow l ik e to my sorrow ; for He hath made avintage of me

,as th e Lord spoke in the day of His

fierce anger l” *

Last of al l,there was her inabi l ity to die w i th Him .

Many a time,to d ie wi th the dead w ould be th e only

true consolati on of th e bereaved . One heart has beenth e ligh t of l ife

,the unsetting l igh t of long years of

various fortun e,brigh t i n th e blue sky of prosperi ty,

bright-e r s til l i n th e black clouds of advers i ty . Now

that l igh t i s pu t out by death . t y should w e surv ive ? Henceforth

,w hat sign ifi cance can there be to

Us in l i fe ? That cold heart was the end of al l ouravenues . Every prospect terminated there . We valuedno past w here that heart was not . We saw no futurein wh ich i t d id not play i ts part . All our plan s endedth ere . The w eigh t of our expectation s was coneentrated on that one poin t , and now i t has given way,

and w e are fall in g through , w e know not Whi th er . Ah !

Lamentations i;

3 00 Tim FIFTH Dow n.

th is l oss i s t ruly the end of l i fe , more truly far thanthe mere phys i cal d issolu t ion of soul and body . Theapos t les—especial ly the quick , affec t i onate Thomasw i shed t o go and die w i th Laza rus

,s imply because

Jesus loved h im so . Oh , surely w e can all rememberdavs w hich w ere th e w orld ’s end to us,

—days w h ich itseemed impossible shou ld have a morrow ! There wasa bed— laden w i th a sad w eigh t , w i th a beau t iful terror— w hi ch was t o u s the end - of time , th e edge of th ew orld , th e threshold of eternity . I t h ad been longlooked for, and ye t w ords w ould not tel l how cruel lyunexpected it came at last . Al l ou r h opes, and fears ,and loves w ere gathered up , as i f th e Judge w erecoming then t o se t t le them . Common th ings could notgo on afte r that . Daily dut ies mus t not recur . Habitswere run out . I t was an end , an end of so much ,— so

much so cruel ly ended . I t was as fearful to hav e noprospec t as i t i s to have n o h Op e ; and therefore w el onged to l i e dow n and die , on th e same bed , and b eburied in the same grave, though it -seemed strange thatany one shou ld remain beh ind to bury us , so completelyd id i t seem a universal end . Th is i s a w i ld extrem ityof human gri ef. Our Lady ’s dolor was some thing elsethan th is . The end of the Th irty-Three Years w as not

l ik e any oth er end . Her Son was God . I t al l l i es i nthat . Think , after that, of th e unutterable m iseryof th e Mother’s l i fe protracted , when His was done .I t w i l l not bear exp lain ing . I t cann ot be explained .

But w e can feel i t , below th e w orld from w h i ch w ordscome ; w e can see it , -a l igh t beyond th e region wherethough t can grasp th ings , -that ac tual sundering ofJesus and Mary , th e d isso lution of that un ion w h ichhad been th e w orld ’s d i v in e mystery for al l those wonderful and w onder-peopled years ! t i ch of us can tel lwhat grief i s l ik e , w hen i t has gone beyond the poin t atwhi ch it w ould ki l l us

,and w e only l ive by a mi racle

ex ternal to ourselves ? Such grief was our Mother’s whenour Lord breathed out H is Soul into Hi s Father’s hands.

502 rm: rxrrn nonoa.

doing i t j ust ice . Mary is one of those d i v ine v isionsw h ich expands before expanding hol iness

,and , even

l ike the Bl issful Vision i tsel f,exci tes hunger i n th e

beh older,even wh i le i t i s sati sfy ing h is soul unut

t e l'ab ly.

But there i s anoth er reason al so of th i s d iffi cul ty,which bears espec ially upon her dolors . I t i s th e comprehended real i ty of the present . \Ve must explain ourmean ing . I t hardly eve r happens to us , e i th er in sorrowor in j oy

,fully to take i n th e presen t at once . lVe real

i ze ou r sorrow s and our j oys p iecemeal . “’e are con~

stan tly finding new features i n them, and coming across

pecul iar i t i es which d id not strike us at the fi rst . In

every thing wh i ch happens to us there i s always far moreimplied than i s expressed . Th is i s what w e mean whenw e speak of a grow ing sorrow . I t i s not the sorrow thatgrow s : i t i s ou r own apprecia t ion of i t. It b e l ongs to theimperfect ion of our minds that th i s p rocess sh ould begradual . All that years unfold , apply , bring h ome to us,was i n th e transien t ac t, whether dea th , m isfortune , or

"

d isgrace,wh en i t was present ; only w e were unab le to

embrace i t . Hence i t i s that w e often seem more heroi ci n sorrow th an w e real ly are . we bear no more of ourburden than w hat w e see, and w e see bu t a portion of i t .Our heaven ly Father lets i t dow n gradual ly upon us,d iv id ing th e w eight betw een Hi s own hand and ourshoulders

,t i l l use enables us to bear th e full pressure

w i thou t being crush ed . We commit ourselves to Him ,

engaging ou rselves to what i s impl i ed,w hi l e our eyes

are fixed upon what i s expressed . Our v en ture succeedsnot so much by our ow n courage as by His grace . I teven some t imes h appens that w e l ose a fri end , w hosedeath atte cts us very moderate ly . Somehow th e l igh t ofl ife i s not thrown on the chasm that h e has made i n l eaving . Years pass on ,

and c ircumstan ces change . Al l aton ce

,or by degrees , w e miss h im . We cannot do w i th

ou t h im . He is a want w h ich , j ust at th is par t i cularmomen t, must be suppl i ed , and cannot be supp l i ed . The

rm; 0111113 1e 1011 . 3 03

le ss is irreparable , and i s now fast becoming in tol erabl e.It seems as if someth ing w hi ch had to be gone through"

can not be gone through , simply because he was the partof our li fe needful to the going through w i th i t

,and now

!he i s not here . A false , a cruel , a suspec t ing friend w elose before he d ies . But w e never miss him . I t neverComes out that h e i s w anted . He i s foun d to have beenalwavs i n reali ty outside of our l ives ; and he i s d ism 1ssed from our minds w i th a sad sort of rel i ef that w ehave done w i th h im , and th e pious consolat ion thatafter al l no love i s ever w as ted wh i ch at any time

,or for

any obj ect, has!

been mixed up w i th God . But i t i s notso w i th a. true fr iend . The loss of h im is n ever over ; i ti s con tinual ly reappearing , and making our hearts asstrangely tender as i f h is spi ri t Were touching th em atth e moment . All th i s comes of th e presen t being too‘

much sw ol len w i th reali t i es , so that We cannot ge t i ntoour souls a t once . Thus w e are alw ays beh indhandWi th li fe , understanding ourse lves and o thers , and , mostof all

,God

,when i t i s too late . VV’e can not keep up

wi th th e present by intel l igence or sen timent . We canon ly keep up w i th i t by a sp i ri tual quickness w hich

p rompts us t o ac t , to suffer, and , above al l , to compromise ourselves

,a t th e b idding of th e ins t incts of grace .

Thus i t i s that sorrow s are mos t ly less hard to bear thanthey seem ; for w e are almost unconsciously bearing themby degrees . Now . i t was not so w i th our Lady . Shetook i n th e presen t in i ts fulness ; sh e embraced i t i nth e tranquil lity of her vast comprehension. A sorrowreveal ed i tsel f to h er i n i ts comp leteness

,and thus

pressed wi th al l i ts Weigh t upon her soul at on ce . Thusher sorrow s are grea te r than they seem . They growupon us , but they d id not grow upon h er . Th is i s verymuch to be remembered w hen w e speak of her dispositi ons in her sufferings . Her endurance was of ano therki nd from ours , because of her complete real izati on ofth e present ; and hence her di spos i t ions , w hi l e th e

poverty of language compels us to cal l them by the same

3 04 THE ri sm Dow n.

names , must be magn ifi ed and multipl i ed into someth ingqui t e d iffe ren t from wha t th ev w ere before .

Having premised th is,w e must look fi rs t of al l , as

w e have had to do in the o ther dolors , a t our BlessedMo ther‘s t ranqui l l i ty . I f we pass i n rev iew th e man ifold horrors o f the Cruc ifixion , and see the variou sassaul t s o f grief of w h ich h er soul was t he cen t re , i tw i l l seem as i f tranq u illitv was j us t tha t grace the e x e rs

c ise of w h ich w ould be imposs ib le . I f w e did not knowtha t God w as everlas t i ng peace , th ere would appearsometh in g almost i ncon g ruous and out of keeping w i thth e scene

,i n a hol iness w h i ch was stayed in th e deepest

calm at such a t ime . W'

i th us depth of feel ing i s for th emost part accompan ied by agita t i on ,

w h i ch makes i t d i fficu lt for us to conce ive th e union of th e l i vel iest sorrowand the most del i cate sen si t i veness w i th a tranqui ll i tywhich looks as i f i t w ere impassible . Among men , calmness in gri e f i s bu t a token of insensib i l i ty . Our Lady ’speace is l ike tha t of God

,und is turbed amid th e sounds

of t en mil li on w orlds,unrufiie d by the por ten tous revolt

o f sin,and sel f-possessed in the v ery profusest outpour

ing of in tense and burn ing love . No th ing di scloses t ous more astonisn ingly her un ion w i th God than th i s unbroken calm . t ere God i s there can be n o troubleand there was no t a recess in our Lady ’s na ture w hereGod w as not , and w hich He did no t possess w i th th emost undiv ided sovereign ty . Hence , w h il e horror follow ed horror , there was no amazemen t i n her soul , nos tupefac t i on , no bew i ldermen t . As the mystery um

folded s t ranges t dep ths of sufi'

e ring, even the counselsof God did not seem to take h is ch osen creature by surprise . In w hat an abiding presence of God must hersou l have dwel t ! How t rai ned mus t each facul ty of them i nd have been to fall in w i th the ways

'

ofGod as i t metthem , and w i th such unquestion ing promp t i tude

,w i th

SUCll uns tar t led d ign ity ! In what subord ina t i on muste ve rv at

'

l'

cc tion have been to th e i ns tantaneous dominionof grace, a subord ina t i on which w ould so increase thei r

3 06 THE FIFTH DOLOR.

bu t one w i l l to gi ve away to God , and n h en h e has giveni t i rrevocably , w hat further obla t ion is l eft ? Al l gen erosity then i s but a perseverance in th e fi rst grand generosity, and , i f perseverance i s a grander th ing than theact o r d isposi t i on in w h i ch w e persevere . i t is s o onlv i ni t s completen ess , and not in e ach of i ts separate s tages .Yet i t seemed as i f Mary had endless w i l l s to gi ve toGod ,

and as i f they came as fas t as He could cal l forthem . The Div in e W i l l t ri ed h er everywhere

,and

everywhere i t found the most enti re conform itv . Therewas n o fai l ure , n o lagging beh ind , noth ing unequable .

There was a strain , certain ly . How shal l the creaturenot strain wh o has to k eep up w i th God , especial ly wh enHis aw ful j ust i ce was urging i ts chariot~wh e e ls throughth e Red Sea of th e Passion ? But i t was a strain of themost h eavenly peace , of th e most graceful adoration .

When God w en t quicker,sh e w en t quicker . Her w i l l

actually entered more promptly i nto H is w i ll,i n pro

porti on as it exacted more from h er. Her soul seemedto become more inexhaustible th e more i t was exhansted

,l ik e th e souls of th e Blessed , endlessly l oving,

e ndlessly adoring, as th ey sink deeper st i l l and deeperi n th e Vision of th e Holy Trin i ty .

But th e very though t of these impossib i l i ties of Mary’sgenerosi ty turn s us from h er d i sposit ion s to th e lesson swh i ch th i s fifth dolor teach es to ourselves . The lastdolor taugh t Us h ow to carry our crosses , th is one h owto s tand by them . We must not leave th e Cross . We

must no t come down from Calvary unti l w e are crucified,

and th en th e Cross and ourselves w i l l h ave become inseparable . But Calvary is a great place for impa t i en ce .

Many have th e courage to march up the h i l l , shouldering th ei r c ross w i th d ecen t manfuln ess . But w hen theyget there

,th ey lay their cross on th e ground , and go

down again in to th e c ity to keep th e remainder of th efeas t w i th th e peopl e . Some are stripped and thenleave

,refusing to be nail ed . Some are nai led , but un

fasten themselves before th e Elevat ion . Some stand th e

THE caucrrixron. 3 07

shock. of th e elevation , and then come dow n from thecross, before the three hours are ou t , some in th e fi rsthour

,some in th e second

,some , alas ! w hen even th e

th i rd hour i s d raw ing to its c lose . Alas ! the w orld i sful l of deserters from Calvary , so ful l that pol i t i c ordi sdainful grace seems to take no trouble to arres t th em .

For grace cru cifie s no one against h is w i l l . I t l eavestha t w ork to th e world

,and treacherously and tyrann i

cally does the w orld do i t . Men appear to bel i eve thatto breath e the fresh ai r on th e top of Calvary for h alf aminu te is to act upon them like a charm . Crucifixion ,l ik e a plunge in the cold sea, the briefer i t i s , w i l l haveth e heal th ier glow and the more sen sible reaction . Butunfortunat ely i t i s not so . Sorrow i s a slow w orkman ,and crucifixion a long business . A tree takes root i n an ew ground quicker than the cross in a n ew hear t. Butal l this i s by no means agreeabl e to rapid , impulsiv enature . I t w i l l al low sanctification to be l ik e an opera»

tion,sharp but soon over . I t cannot w ai t if i t comes i n

th e shape of a gradual cure . Yet w ho i s there that hasever tried t o k i l l self i n any one of i ts leas t departments

,

and has no t almost despai ringly w ondered at i t s amazingand provok ing v i tal ity ? How many great minds arethere , w h o have t ravelled far al ong the road of san ctity ,before th ey are out of sigh t of personal feel ing andw ounded sensib i l i ty ! Oh , then , for the grace to remainour three ful l hours on th e top of Calvary ! Can therebe a sadder sigh t on earth th an that w hi ch tel l s h owoften and how easi ly great h eigh ts i n heaven are missed

,

those hal f- crucifi ed souls w e meet i n al l companies,so

strangely out of place , such mournful monuments of th eimpat i ence o f na tu re and th e Jealousy of grac e ?

God i s very exacting . They w h o love Him can sayso w i th out l ov ing Him less . Nay

,to them the very

th ough t i s an additi onal degree of love . He i s not conten t. w i th our remaining on Calvary our th ree ful l hours .“rhen w e are not nai l ed to our cross , w e must stand .

There must be no si tting,no lying down , no leaning on

3 08 rm: FIFTH DOLOR .

our cross , as i f forsooth that was mean t for our supportwh ich i s w ai t ing there on ly to crucifv. Indeed , and th isi s s ignifican t en ough , kneel ing i s not so good as standin tr “re go there to suffe r , not to w orsh ip . O ur sufferi ng w i l l turn in to w orsh ip .

-

'

e are not to adore ourcross, or say fin e w ords abou t i t

,or pu t ourselves into

sentimen tal a t t i tudes before it. are t o do th ecommonplace th ing of stand ing by i t, whi ch i s th epos ture o f men . Standing i s w hat th e c eremonial o fCalvary prescribes . Here aga in what sad sights w e see !I t i s w el l i f w e do not play a part i n them ourselv es .There are soul s whose lVay of th e Cross i s ful l of prom i s e , and yet w h o spoi l every th ing on the top ofCalvary . Perhaps i f th ey had been crucified at on ceth ey l

‘fl l f'll t have

'

done w el l . But that was not God ’s“l i l l . lVaiting has unmann ed th em . Their couragehas oozed out among the ugly skul ls th at strew th e

faded herbage of the moun t . They h ave sa t down ,because th e delay was l ong . Or th ey have kn el t to p raythat th e cross migh t pass from them . Fooli sh soul s !th at belongs to Gethsemane

,not to Calvary . \Ve must

n ot put our beginn ings where our end shou l d be . Orth e preparati on s frighten th em , the d igging of th e fosse ,th e measuring of th e bread th from hand to hand

,don e

so carelessly as i t seems to be , and yet a matter in w hichth e l eas t carelessn ess may be infin i te torture

,th e re

p oint ing of those blun t nai ls , and then th ose cruelunnecessary flourishes of th e hammer . Some shrinkfrom s t ripping i n th e cold ai r , and have to be st ri ppedalmost by force . Some are terrifi ed by th e eclipse , w h i chh ides friends’ faces and th e consol a t ion s of creatures .Some cry out and jump up wh en th e cold i ron touchesthe palm of th e fi rst hand . Most fai l th enl Is i t n otbetter to go down from Calvary , in th e hones t con fessi onof our cow ardi ce

,than to behave so w eak ly on th e

summi t of that sacred h i l l ? Oh , no ! i t i s bet t er far tostay . Better a reluctan t crucifixion than non e at al l .Let us stand

,i f w e can ; i f we cannot, le t us b e ro i led

810 THE ri rrn DO LOR .

hardly res t th ere , except to admi re th e ma gnifi cen ce of

th e vi ew , because th e brea th ing is so d iffi cul t . It i sv ery hard to pu t away al l consolat i on from ourselves .Sympa thy seems often t o be jus t that wh ich makesour pain emlurab le . then

,le t us go down a s tep

l ow e r . Le t. us not pu t i t away ; bu t do no t le t us ask it .Le t i t find us out w i thou t our seek ing . As the w orldgoes

,w e shal l n ot grea t ly peri l w ha t i s d iv ine i n our

sorrow s by being s impl y pass ive about sympathy . Buteven th i s passiveness i s hard . How should it be anyth ing el se but hard

,when i t i s part of our cru cifi xion ?

I t i s C?t ylvar’s harde st lesson . Le t us take i t to our

selves,al though w e fear it ; neith er le t us be cas t dow n

because w e fear . t o ever d id any th ing w el l w hichhe had not fi rst feared to do ? Wha t i s there uponear th that is w orth doing , wh ich i s n o t w or th fearingalso ?

But th ere i s a true consola t ion—deeply h idden,in

deed, vc t near at hand— in th i s pu t t ing aw u

'

ay of huin ancon sol ation . I t i s in the dark ness of na ture tha t w ereal i ze th e v ic in ity of J esus . I t i s i n th e absen ce ofcrea tures tha t w e are held up in th e sensib le embraceof the Creator . Creatures

,bring obscuri ty w i th them

,

wherever they in trude . They are forever in our way, ln

te rce p ting graces , h iding God , defrauding us of spi ri tualconsola t i ons

,mak ing us languid and i rri table . They so

fi l l ou r senses that the inner senses of our souls are

unable to ac t . we often w i sh our l i ves w ere more

d iv i ne . Bu t th ey are , in fac t , much more d iv in e thanWe bel ieve . I t i s sorrow wh ich reveals th i s to us . I tcomes l ik e a sh roud around us . By degrees our hori zonnarrow s in , and our great w orld becomes a l i t tl e w orld .

Onward s t i l l i t creeps fi rst one obj ec t disappears,and

th en ano ther . we w e grow ing less and less d istracted . O ur inw ard l i fe i s more aw ake . O ur soulgets s t rong . Now the l in e of darkness has touchedJerusalem i tsel f. Even th e consolat ions of the sp i ri tualc i ty h ave d isappeared . The helme t-s of th e Roman

THE CRUCIFIX IO N . 3 1 1

sold iers catch the l igh t for a momen t above th e level ofthe cloud

, as i f th ey w ere floa t ing aw ay on a dark curren t . The greenness of the mount grow s b lack . Fora momen t i t bl inds us ; then , by degrees , the wh i teF igure of Jesu s comes out i n th e d im obscuri ty . lVe

fee l th e warm Blood on our hands as w e grasp th eCross . I t is no apparit ion : i t i s l i fe . lVe are w i thGod

,w i th our Crea tor, w i th our Savior . He i s al l our

ow n . The w i thdrawal of creatur es has made Him so .

But He has not come . He was always there , —alwaysthus w i th in our souls

,—onl

'

y He was overpowered w i thth e fal se brightness of crea tures . He com es out in th edark l i k e the stars . The w hi te moon of noonday doesnot al lure us by its beau ty ; i t enchan ts us on ly in thenigh t : so i t i s the darknessof a sp i ri tual Cal v ary whi chcovers our souls w i th the soft sh in ing of our beau t i fulSav ior .But th e couching of our sp i ritual s igh t i s not the

on ly opera t ion w hich.

th e senses of our soul undergo onCalvary . All souls are hard of h earing w i th respect toth e sounds of th e inv isibl e w orld . The inner ear i sopened upon Calvary . The sounds of Jerusalem t ravelup to us through th e darkness, and perhaps th esounds of labor i n th e gardens n ear . Bu t th ey r iseup as admon itions rather than as d i stractions . Theycome to us soft ly and indistin ctly

,and do not jar

w i th the si len ce of ou r endurance,or th e low wh isper

ings of prayer . Least of al l do they muffl e th e clearness of our Savior’s w ords when He vouchsafes toSpeak . Down below ,

h ow th e w orld deafened us by i tstumultuous noises

,and j aded our spi ri ts w i th i ts multi

plicity of sounds ! lVe knew that Jesus was at ours ides , and ye t w e could not converse w i th Him . I twas l ik e trying to l i sten w hen the loud w heels arerattl ing harsh ly along the streets

,w hen li sten ing is n o

b etter than an unsuccessful strain,or a perplexed mis

understanding . The mere noise. the w orld makes i nits go ing so amazes us that i t h inde rs our feet upon th e

3 12 THE rrr'

rn DOLOR .

road t o h eaven . i t i s on ly on Calvarv tha t earth is su edued enough to mak e musi c w i th heaven ; for i t i s thereonlv tha t G od is heard d istinctlv ,

w hi l e th e low - lv ingw orl dmurmurs l ik e a w i nd

,a sound wh i ch is d iscordan t

now h ere , because 1t i s ra ther th e accompan imen t of asound than a sound i tself.

see bu t tw o th ing s on Calvarv ,Jesus and Mary ;

and from each w e l earn a l esson , one abou t our own

dea ths , and one about th e dea ths of o thers . Jesusv ouchsafes t o teach us how to d i e . I f He in His grea thour w ou ld hav e H is Mo ther by Him , how shal l w edare t o d ie w i thou t her ? I n al l things mus t w e imi tat eJ esus

,al though i t be in a sph ere so infin i tely below

Him . Bu t mos t of al l , i t i s o f impor tance t o us toimi ta t e H im in His dea th . I f it had been w ell

,He

w ould have l oved t o spare h er tha t t errific scene ,

though she perhaps w ould have accoun ted her absen cea c ruel m e rcy. It. was th e re , at tha t dea th -b ed

, thatshe became our Mo ther . There i s surely no t on e of usin to w hose mou th fai th does no t. man y t imes a day puttha t uni versal pray er , th e prave r of th e pope and th e

peasan t,of t h e doct or and the sch olar , of th e ri ch and

the poor,of th e rel igi ous and the secular , tha t th e

Mother of God ma y assi s t us in th e hour of death . Butw e mus t. imbed th is pe t i t i on in to al l our pravers . Letus leave t o God , w i thou t di c ta t i on or even w i sh . thet ime

,and place

,and manner of ou r death , so on ly that

i t. h e no t an unprovided d eath , and above al l things n o tunprovided w i th Mary . The hour of dea th is a th i rs tyt ime

,an d exhaus t s g rea t graces . Unsuspec ted chasms

O pen suddcn lv i n the sou l , and swal low u p pas t y ears ,old habi t s

,and a thousand o ther thin g s w e can i l l spare

then . The devi l reserves h i s w ors t w eapons for th e las t .I t i s ve rv terribl e no t t o b e able t o (l i e tw i ce , l es t the,novel ty fre t th e be t te r of us th e fi rst t im e , and it i s atremendous s take . There are g rea t sac ramen t s for thathour

, bu t no t grea ter than are needed Wat ch a. d y i ngman ! Se e how absolu t ions s ink sw ift ly in to h is dry

3 14 THE FIFTH DOLOR .

tarily fix ing the i r etern i ty i n death, when w e cal l to

m ind the long trai n of graces which sh e has brought toevery one of them , and consequen t ly th e yearn ing ofher maternal h eart fo r the i r final perseverance andeverlas ting sal va t ion ,

w e may form some idea of thegra tefulness of th is devo t ion to her . The death-bed i sone of her pecul iar spheres . She seems to exerc ise qui te ‘

a parti cular jur isd ic t ion over i t. I t i s there that she sov isibly cc -operates w i th Jesu s i n th e redempti on ofmankind . But sh e seeks for u s to co- O perate w i th heralso . She w ould fain d raw our hearts w i th hers

,our

prayers t o h ers . I s sh e no t th e one Mo ther of u s al l ?Are not th e dying our brothe rs and our s isters in th esweet motherh ood of Mary ? The family i s con cerned .

lVe must n ot coldly absen t ourse lves . we must assi stin sp i ri t at every dea th that i s d ied th e w hole w orldover , death s of hereti cs and h eath ens as w el l as Chri st ians . For th ey , too , are our brothers and si sters ; theyh ave souls ; they have etern it i es at stak e ; Mary has anin teres t i n them . And thei r etern ity i s in more thandouble danger . How much more must they n eedprayers

,who have no sacraments ! How much darker

must th e i r closing scene b e , w here th e ful l l igh t of fai thsh ines not ! How much more earn est must be th eprayers

,when not ord inary grace, but a mi racl e of

grace,must be impetrated for th em ! Alas ! th ey w i l l

have none of our other gifts at l east , and affecti onatelyin thei r own desp ite , they shal l h ave our prayers . We

must remember also that w e t oo have to d i e . lVe sh al lon e day h e i n the same strai t, and need unspeakablythe same charitab le prayers . The measure wh ich we

mete to others shal l be measured to us again . Th is i sth e d iv ine rule of retribut ion . Noth ing w i l l preparea smoother death-bed for oursel ves than a l ifelong dai lydevotion to those wh o are dai ly dying . Mary assi s tedher Son to d i e in many mysterious w ays . By Hi s w i l l ,and i n the satisfacti on of her own maternal love, sh ehas now assisted at the death-beds of many mil l i ons.

THE CRUC IF IX IO N . 3 1 5

She has great experience by th i s t ime,i f w e migh t so

speak,and i s w onderfully ski l led i n th e sc ience of th e

last hour . By prayerfu l th oughts , by piou s practi ces ,by frequen t ej aculations

,by the usages th e Ch urch has

indulgen ced,l et us w in a brigh t and gen tle end for our

sel ves , by followmg Mary'

e verywh e re to the death -bedssh e at tends .Such are th e lesson s w e l earn from th e fi fth dol or .The Crucifixion can never be rightly understood w i thout M ary

,because w i thou t h er it i s not truthfully

represen ted . What a pi cture i t i s , th e High M ass o f.th e w orld ’s redemp t i on

,offered by Jesus to the E t ernal

Father,wh i le the coun t less angels are the audience and

th e spectators ! When th e Host i s e levated , th e w holeframe of inan imate natu re trembles w i th terror andadorat ion , and earth darken s i tself, whi ch is to be arubri c i t i s to observe i n the presen ce of Jesus for al lages . But what i s Mary ’s part ? Her ImmaculateHeart i s th e l i v ing Altar- ston e on wh i ch th e Sacr ificei s offered i t i s th e Server

,th e beatings of whose broken

h eart are th e responses of th e li turgy ; i t i s th e Thurible ,i n wh ich th e w orld ’s faith

,th e w orld’s hope , the w orld

’slove , th e w orld

’s w orsh ip , are being burn t l i ke i ncensebefore th e slain Lamb that t-ak e th aw ay th e sins of th ew orld ; and , finally , the same Immaculate Heart i s theChoi r, th e more than ange lic Choi r, of that tremendousMass ; for d id not the si len ce of h er beauti ful sufferingssing unutterabl e , voiceless songs into th e rav ished earof the Bleed ing Host ?

3 16 THE SIXTH DOLOR.

CHAPTER vu .

fli lgr S ixthTHE TAK I NG DOWN FRO M THE CROSS.

THE darkness of th e ecl ipse had passed aw ay,and th e

true shades of evening w ere beginn ing to fall . The Crossstood bare on Calvary against th e l igh t wh ich the se t tingsun had le ft beh ind i t i n the w est . The spectacl e of theday was ove r, and the mul t i tudes of th e ci ty w ere al l gone,and the curren t of thei r thoughts di ver t-ed elsewhere .A few persons moved abou t on th e tOp of th e moun t,wh o had been concerned w i th th e tak ing dow n of Jesusfrom the Cross

,or w ere bringing spices from th e ci ty to

embalm Him . Mary sat at th e foot of th e Cross , w i thth e dead Body of her Son ly ing across h e r l ap . I s Beth e

l eh em come back to thee , my Mother, and the days ofth e beautiful Ch i ldhood ?

There are many vari eti es of human sorrow . I t i s difii~cul t t o compare th em one w i th another ; because eachhas i ts pecul iar i ty

,and each pecul iari ty has an eminence

of suffering belonging to i t , i n w h i ch no oth er sorrowshares . Thus i t may easi ly h appen that a sorrow w hichin i tsel f look s l ess than another may in real i ty be greater,because of th e time at w h ich i t comes , or the ci rcumstan ces under wh i ch i t occurs

,or th e posit i on w h ich i t

o ccupies in a seri es of other griefs . Thi s i s th e ease w i thth e s ixth dolor , th e Tak ing d own from the Cross . I t i sth e gri ef of an accomplished sorrow

, and i n th i s respectdiffers at once from the strain of a d istressing an tic i pa t i on,or th e active struggl e of a present misery ac tual ly aecom

plish ing i tsel f. Th i s difference cannot be unknown to

818 THE SIXTH DO LO R.

Th ings hav e changed places i n our m inds . Easy th ingsare now hard , because of thi s ve ry novel ty . Yet l i fe i sinexorabl e . I t mus t go on ,

and under th e old law s,l ik e

a ru th less mach in e wh i ch can not feel , and thereforecanno t make al lowances . Now perhaps is a greater t ria lo f ou r w or th than w hen w e w e re enduring th e blow sw h ich misfortune was dealing upon us . This i s the accoun tof th e s ix th dolor ; th is i s the place i t occupies i n th esorrow s of ou r deares t Mother . Th ink of th e Cruc ifix ion ,

and al l tha t i t i nvolved , and i s not th e reac t i onafter th at l ik ely to b e someth ing wh i ch it i s qu i te b eyond our pow er adequately to conceiv e ? Immense as i sth e hol iness of h er Immaculate Hear t

,sorrow can s t i l l

find w ork to do , and can bu i ld the edifice h igher, as w el las embel l i sh w hat i s bui l t a l ready .

Th e Sou l of Jesus passed into th e earth at th e foot ofth e Cross , and descended to th e l imbus of th e fa thers .Mary was s ti l l a t th e foot of th e Cross . Sh e compreh ended in its completeness the vast mystery of th e separation of that Body and Soul , th e death of the Son ofGod . The Soul has left h er , but sh e has th e Body s t i l l .I n th e next dolor that w i l l go also , and then th e M o therw i l l be indeed alone . For the most part i t i s not God’sway to w i thdraw Himse lf al l at on ce . He spares th ew eakness of th e soul , and passes from i t a lmost insensil ily

,aft er spec i al favors and more intimate un ion

,as th e

perfume gradual ly exh ales out of a j ar w here i t has beenkept . The two th ieves are st i l l i n th ei r agony close toth e dead Body o f Jesus . To one of them i t i s l ik e th esooth in g presen ce of th e Blessed Sacramen t , wh ich w eal l o f us in troubl e kn ow so w el l , because i t i s un l ik e anyoth er feeling . To th e. oth er there is n o consola t i on now .

Th ere is time for h im sti l l . Marv sti l l prays,for she

n eve r ceases w hi le th e fondest hope has any foothold leftto wh i ch i t can c l ing . The l iv ing Jesus i s n ot so far offbu t He can hear h im i f h e cries . But h e has made h ischo ice

,and keeps to i t . The l i fe that remains i n h im is

every momen t desecrating Calvary.

THE TAK ING DOWN FRO M THE cnoss. 819

Crucifixion. i s a slow death , and includes many sortsof pain . Among these i s to be reckoned th e break ingof the legs of th e sufferers , ei ther to add to th e tor tureal ready infli cted

, now that i ts duration has becomew eari some and w i thou t interest to th e ministers of vindictive j ust ice , or , by a sort of fierce m ercy , to hasteni ts terminat ion . The execution e rs , therefore , approachth e top of Calvary thu s to consummate th e punishmentof th e three whom they h ad crucified , armed w i th astrong h ammer or heavy bar of i ron

,of such w eigh t as

speedi ly to fracture th e l imbs wh en they are struck . I twas a fearful sound for M ary to hear ; the dul l crash ingof th e flesh and bone

,and the agon i z ing cri es of the

miserable sufferers, one of them ,

too, the son of hersecond mo therhood

,the first-born of h er prayers . But

w ords w i l l not te l l the anguish w i th w h ich sh e saw

th em approach the Body of Jesus . Earth held no th ingone -half so sacred . Dead as i t was

,i t was j oin ed to

th e Div in i ty , and therefore was en ti t led to th e ful les thonors of divi ne w orsh ip . One rude touch of i t w erean appal l ing sacri l ege ; but to crush th e l imbs , tobreak the bones , was a profaneness too horrible evenfor though t to dwel l upon . The th ough t was an in

ten se grief to h er re l ig ion . But her love,was not i t

also con cern ed ? I t i s tru e,l i fe was gone ; but was

th e l ifeless Form less an obj ect of her love than whenbeauti fu l l ife had fi l led i t ? Let th e hearts of th osewh o have mourned thei r dead reply . Never does lovepour i tself out i n more soft sadness over eyes brigh tw i th l ife than over those that are cl osed in death .

To the eye of love th e pale face has become doublybeauti fu l . The graces of old years have passed uponi t . The intensity of i ts unmean ing qui et has a charmof i ts own . The compressed l ips speak w i th a dumbeloquence wh i ch belongs to th em . The cold body hasto sati sfy two claims of love

,— i ts own claim

,and th e

soul ’s ; and i t sat i sfies th em wel l . We w i l l cal l i t“ him,

” not “ it,” because to fend love i t i s so real ly th e

3 20 THE stx rn DOLOR .

person,th e sel f, w hom w e are l ov ing . So mothers

hav e w ept ove r sons , from whose caresses th e d ign i tyof grea t manhood has separated them for . years ; bu tnow the old t imes have come back ,

and th e famil iari t i esof ch i ldhood

,w i t h more than i ts passive h elplessn ess .

have come back,and perhaps th e old ch i ld i sh look as

wel l , and grief feeds i t self sw ee t ly out o f the marblebeauty of i ts dead . “711 0 does not know th i s ? Buti f w e common mourners , whose gr ief i s so soon d is‘

tracted,can feel al l th i s w i th such in ten sity , what

must have been th e unspeakable love of Mary for th eBody of h er Son

,—~ her Son

,w h o was God as w el l !

She spok e n ot . Her voice broke not th e s i l en ce , mingl ed not w i th th e moans of the dying th i eves ; but th esi len ce of her prayer was l oud in h eaven . The rudemen saw that Jesus was dead , and desis ted from thei r

purpose .

“ These th ings w ere done,that th e Scrip

ture migh t be fulfi l led, You shal l n ot break a bone ofHim .

”

But there was anoth er Scripture al so to be fulfi l l ed“ They shal l look on Him w hom they pierced .

Mary ’s prayer shal l cause the fi rst Scrip ture to be fulfi l led , but no t that any sorrow may spare the Mo ther

’sHeart . I t shal l accompl ish th e w ord of God ; but i tsh al l n ot spare the sac ri lege . Truly th is second Scrip=

ture sh al l be one of Simeon’s swords . Whether itw ere from doub t of our Lord ’s b eing real ly dead

,or

wheth er i t w ere i n the mere w antonness of au thori tyl i t t l e used to give accoun t of itsel f i n such times andplaces

,one of th e sold iers drew near, and drove h is

spear into our Lord ’s righ t s ide,across His Body

,and

through His Sacred Heart,and immedia tely there

i ssued forth from the sacri legious w ound bo th Bloodand “Tater , some of w h ich , i t i s said , sprang upon thel imbs of the pen i ten t th i ef as i f i t w ere an ou tw ardbap t i sm or a vi si ble absolution where inward grace hadal ready accompl ished its h eavenly w ork . I t w ere longto te l l of h ew much pathetic love th is wound i n our

3 22 THE SIXTH DoLoR.

bu t suggest sacril ege . I t w ould bu t stimulate th e

ruffi an na ture of t hose w i th w hom she had to deal sBu t there i t hung upon the Cross

,— anybody ’s righ t

,

anybody ’s proper ty , ra ther than hers , ou t of whosesw ee t blood the Holy Ghos t had made i t . Two

w re t ched criminals w ere w ri th ing in thei r last agon ieson ei ther s ide . The ci ty was keeping feast below

,and

preparing to commence i ts Sabbath- rest . That Vic t imBody had begun i t s Sabbath alreadv. I ts pai n hadceased , and i t was rest ing . The executioners are re

turn ing . The Roman sold iers r ide up and down th emount. The rel ics o f th e execution must be clearedawav before th e Sabbath begins . That Body does notbelong to the Cross . I t b e longs to an un imaginabl eup ernal throne , at th e R igh t Hand of th e EternalFa ther . No one i s here w h o k now s i t but th e si len tMother ; and sh e i s s i l ent , because sh e has no righ t toSpeak , and because h er speak ing w ould do harm . Oh ,h ow often i n th e world does God frighten us by th i sseem ing abandonment of H imself and of al l He holdsmos t dear ! And i t appears as i f i t w ere the verystrength of our love w h ich made our fai th so w eak .

we fear most t imorously for that wh i ch w e l ove mosttenderly .

The love of God brings many n ew instincts into th eheart . Heavenly and noble as they are, they bear noresemblan ce to w hat men w ould cal l th e finer and moreheroic developments o f character . A sp ir i tual discerna

ment i s necessary to th e i r righ t apprec ia t i on . They areso unl ike th e grow th s of earth , that they mus t expectto meet on earth w i th only suspic ion , misunderstanding,and disl ike . It is not easy to defend th em from a controve rsial point of V i ew ; for ou

r controversy i s obl igedt o begi n by begging th e quest ion , or else it w ould be u na

abl e so much as to state i ts case . The axioms of th ew orld pass curren t in th e w orld

,th e ax ioms of th e gos

pel do not. Hen ce th e w orld has its own way. I t talksus down . I t tri es u s before tribunal s where our com

THE TAKING Dorm FRO M THE eaoss. 3 23

d-emnation i s secured beforehand . I t appeals to pri nciples wh ich are fundamenta l w i th most men bu t areh eresi es w i th us . Hence i ts audien ce takes part W i th i tagainst us . We are foreigners , and must pay th e penal tyof being so . I f w e are misunderstood

,w e had no righ t

to reckon on any th ing else , being , as w e are, out ofour own country . We are made to be laughed at .w e shal l be understood in heaven . “foe to those easy~

going Chri stian s w hom the World can understand,and

w i l l to lerate,because i t sees they have a m ind to com

promise IThe love of soul s i s one of th ese instincts wh ich th e

love of Jesus brin g s into our h earts . To the w orld i t i sp roselytism

,th e mere Wi sh t o add to a faction

,on e of

th e selfi sh dev elopments of par ty spi ri t. One wh i le thestain of lax moral i ty is affixed to i t

,anoth er whi le th e

reproach of ph afisaic stri ct-ness ! For what th e w orldseems to suspec t leas t of al l i n rel igion i s consi stency .

B ut th e love of souls , how ever apos tol i c , i s alw a y s subordinate to love of Jesus . We l ove souls because ofJesus

,not Jesus because of souls . Thus there are times

and places when w e pass from th is inst in ct of div ine lov eto another

,from th e lov e of sou ls to the hatred of heresy.

Th is last i s pecul iarly offens ive to th e w orld . So especially O pposed i s i t to th e sp ir i t of the w orld , that , evenin good

,bel i ev ing hearts

,every remnan t of w orldl iness

rises in arms again st th i s h atred of heresy,embit tering

th e very gen t le st . of characters,an d spoi l ing many a

glori ous Work of grace . Many a convert,i n whose soul

God w ould h ave done grand th ings,goes to h is grave a

Spi ri tual fai lure , because h e w ould not hate heresy . Thheart whi ch feels th e sl ightest susp i cion again st th eh atred of heresy is not yet converted . God is far fromre igning over i t yet w i th an undivided sovereign ty . Th epaths of h ighe r san ctity are absolutely barred against i t.I n th e judgment of th e w orld

,and of w orldly Ch ris tians,

th is hatred of heresy i s exaggerat ed,b i tter

,con trary

to modera t ion , i ndiscreet, unreasonab le , aiming at too

3 24 THE SIXTH Dow n.

much , bigoted , i ntoleran t , narrow ,stup id

,and immoral .

\Vhat can w e say t o defend i t ? No thing wh ich th ey canunders tand . We had

,therefore

,better hold our peace .

I f w e understand God , and He understan ds us, i t i s notso ve ry hard to go through l ife suspected

, m isunder

s tood , and unpopular . The m ild sel f-Opin iona tednesso f the gen t le , undiscern ing good w i l l a lso take th eworld ’s V i ew and condemn us ; for there i s a meek - looking posi tiven ess about t imid goodness wh ich i s far fromGod , and th e instin cts of whose charity i s more tow ardthose wh o are less for God

,wh i le i ts t imidi ty i s daring

enough for a harsh j udgmen t . There are conversion swhere three -quarters of th e heart s top outside th eChurch and only a quarter en te rs

,and h eresy can on ly

be hated by an undi vi ded hear t. But if i t i s h ard ,i t has

to be borne . A man can hardly h ave th e ful l use of h issenses wh o i s ben t on prov ing to th e world ,God

’s enemy,

th at a thorough -going cathol i c h atred of h eresy i s a r igh tframe of mind . We migh t as w el l force a bl ind man toj udge on a question of color . Divin e l ove inspheres us ina d ifferen t c i rc le of l ife

,motive

,and princip le

, wh ich i snot only not that of th e w or ld

,but i n di rect enmity

w i th i t . From a world ly poin t of V iew,the craters in

th e moon are more expl icabl e th ings than w e Christiansw i th our supernatural i nstin cts . From the hatred ofheresy w e get to anoth er of these in stin cts

,th e horror

o f sacri lege . Th e di stress caused by profane wordsseems to the w orld but an exaggerated sen timental i ty .

The pen i tential sp iri t of reparation wh ich pervades th ewhole Church is , on its v i ew , e i ther a supersti ti on or anunreal i ty . Th e perfect m isery wh ich an unhal low edtouch of th e Blessed Sacramen t causes to th e servantsof God provokes e i th er th e w orld ’s anger or i ts deris ion . Men consider i t ei th er al togeth er absurd in i tsel f,or at any rate out of al l p roportion ; and , i f oth erw i s ethey have proofs of our common sen se

,th ey are incl in ed

to put dow n our unhappiness to sheer hypocr isy . Th e

very fact that they do not bel ieve as we beli eve removes

3 26 THE SIXTH DOLOR .

l ove of God is wanting in keenness , our perception s ofdivine th ings i n fineness . “7 0 cann o t do more thanmake approaches

,and they are terribl e enough .

Vt’

e have spoken al ready of mothers watch ing th edeath -beds of the i r sons . I t i s the form of human woew h ich ‘comes most natural ly to us w hen w e are w i thMarv upon Calvary . t en th e l ong struggl e i s at lastover and the break ing heart has acknow l edged at leasta k ind of rel i ef i n th e fac t that th e obj ect of her lovehas no more to suffer , when that same h eart has takenquiet possessi on of th e beau t i fu l dead form before i t, asi f i t w e re a san ctuary , almost a refuge from grief itsel f,would not th e l east roughness , th e least in consideraten ess

,th e most triv ial d ishonor to th e dead body , be a

new and fearful sorrow t o th e mother ? I s there a.moth er on earth wh o could bear to se e w i th h er owneyes even th e k indl y hand of sci ence , whi ch sh e hash ersel f invoked , endeavoring to discover in what recessit was that th e mysteri ous a ilment l odged i t sel f wh ichhas now made h er ch i ld less ? lVould i t not be as i f sh esaw a hal low ed obj ec t desecrated before h er eyes ? I nth e di re necessi ti es of th e pest i l en ce , w i th i ts sw i ftbu rial and rough m in isters and horr ible dead- cart andqui cklime-pi t, h ow much more terrible w ould th e outrag e be ! She sti ll fi l l s th e l ifeless figure w i th the l i feof her ow n love , and before sh e has drunk her fi l l oflove b y gazin g on i t , before th e red blood has had timeto curd le or the l imbs to g row cold ,

i t i s torn from her,

as i f it was not hers,by some stern office rs — not th e

tenderest of th ei r k ind , for th ei r office i s th e rudes t,rude even in th e w i se mercy i t fulfils

,— and i s flung upon

th e dead- cart, w i th a h eap of oth er pest- s tricken vic

t ims , and so born e onw ard to a di shonorabl e grave , a

p romiscuous charn el -house . And fresh gri ef i s so t ender,so raw , can so l i tt l e bear handling ! I s i t n ot fearful toth ink of ? Yet i t i s as noth ing to our Lady ’s agonyw hen th e Body of Jesus was outraged by th e spear . I tis an immeasu rab ly le ss sorrow in itself, and falls upon

rm: meme DOWN mom rm: caoss. 3 27

a heart which , how ever swee t and meek and lov ing, isimmeasurably less capable of suffe ring than Mary’s was.

But i t i s an approach to M ary ’s sorrow ,and a shadow

of i t .Let us rise h igher sti l l . A saint i s at th e al tar

,over

whelmed wi th th e dread action wh i ch he i s performing.His heart i s fi t to break for love ofGod

,of that Incarnate

God who l i es before h im on th e corporal . Wi ld andsinful men break in upon h im

,wh ether i n popular

tumul t or fre ni other cause . He is dri ven off in h i ssacred vestments w i th v iolence , Wh il e h e i s cl inging tothe altar as an animal cl ings to i ts young when theyare be ing torn from i t . He sees th e Blessed Sacramentflung

‘

upon th e ground , th e Precious Blood streamingover the al tar- steps , and both th e Body and the Bloodtrodden w i th scorn and blasph emy benea th the feet ofth e ruf’fian invaders . Because he i s a sain t

,th e sight

w ould k i l l h im, did not God miraculously support h im .

But th e accumul ated sorrow s of a long li fe are n oth ingto thi s . Th e V ision of that hour has been burn ed inupon h is soul as by a fi ery brand . Nothing of i t w i l le ver be forgo tten. No excesses of penance w i l l be sufficient to sati sfy h i s yearning appe t i te for reparation .

Years after,h e w i l l shudder in h is prayer

,and the tears

course sw i ftly down hi s ch eeks,as he cal ls to mind th e

boundless h orro r of that appal l ing sin. I t i s a sort of,

gri ef beyond common gri efs , a gri ef in a shrin e , ofwh ich holy and chosen souls only may parti c ipate . Yetwhat IS i t to Mary ’s sorrow wh en she saw th e spea rtouch the dead s ide , and th e l i fel ike movement th eBody made as th e Heart was pierced , and th e pulsel iketh robbing wi th wh ich th e Blood and Water fol low edth e lance as i t wi thdrew ? As far as th e saint i s belowMary in san cti ty, so far is h is grief i nfer ior to hers .An angel told St . Bridget th at so tremendou s was theshock to her, that sh e would have di ed in stantly . bu t

for a miracle . A sw ord in her own heart would havebeen a thousand t imes less dreadful .

3 28 THE SIXTH DOLoit .

I t i s strange h ow cl ose to grea t sin s great graces w i l lo ften l ie . Longinus had s inned i n ignorance of thatwh ich pecul iarly aggrava ted th e horror of h is act .Neverth eless

,it was a cruel ac t i on , and the more cruel

i f h e knew tha t th e mo ther w as s tanding by . W'

antonness too was th e less excusable i n h im,

u pon w hom , i ftrad i t ion speaks truly

,th e hand of God was laid not

l ightly . ll c i s said to h av e been suffering from somedisease of th e eyes , wh ich threatened total bl indness ;and i t may have been

“

that h is imperfec t sigh t d id notallow h im to be cer tain of th e death of Jesus , and th aton that accoun t h e w en t beyond h i s commission , and

p i erced th e body w i th h i s lance . Some drop s of th eBlood fel l upon h is face , and t rad i t i on tel l s that n oton ly was th e d isease in h is eyes instantaneously curedand th e ful l use of h is s ight restored to h im

,but also ,

a st i l l more wonderfu l m i racle , th e v i sion of h i s sou lvas made brigh t and clear , and h e at once confessedth e Divin i ty of Him whose Body h e had thus dared to‘

i nsul t at th e r isk of becoming i n hi s own person th emurderer of ou r le sse d Lord . For

,i f he doubted of

His death , he ran no less a risk than that of slayingHim h imself. No on e w i l l w onder when Mary ofAgreda tel l s th em tha t

,as Wi th th e peni ten t th ief, so

w i th Longinus , th e grace of conversion was th e an swerto

‘

Mary ’s prayer . The very fact of h is having been an

instrument t o increase h er sorrows w ould give h im aspec ial claim u pon her prayers ;Ano ther smal l body of men i s now approach ing th e

summit of Calvary,and from “th ei r fixed looks i t i s

pl ain that Jesus i s th e . obj e e t of th e ir coming . Is i tsome fresh ou t rage

,some new sorrow for Mary ? I t

i s a new sorrow for Mary,bu t no fresh outrage . I t

i s Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus,togeth er w i th

th e i r servants . Bo th of them w ere d isciples of ourBlessed Lord , but secre t ly ; for th ey w ere timid men .

Joseph was“ a counsel lor

,a good and j ust man

,

”who

had not “ consen ted to the counsel and doings" of th e


th e t imid are unexpectedly bold . These two di sc iples.

who had been afraid to confess th e i r Master op en lywhen He l i ved , are now braving publ i ci ty when evenapostles remain w i th in the sh elter .of th eir h id ing-place .

Happy two ! w i th w hat sw eet famil iari ties and p rec iousnearn ess to Himsel f i s n ot Jesus re comp ensmg thei rp i ous serv i ce at th i s n our i n h eaven !Wi th gen tl e hand ,

t rembl ingly bold , as i f h is naturalt im id ity had devel oped in to supernatural reveren ce ,Joscph touch es th e crow n of th orns , and del i catelyloosen s i t from the head on wh ich i t was fixed , disen

tangles i t from th e matted hai r, and , w i th out daring tok i ss i t

,passes i t to Nicodemus , who reaches i t to John ,

from whom Mary, s ink ing on h er knees , rece ives i t w i thsuch d evotion as n o h eart bu t hers cOu ld hold . Everyblood - stained sp ik e seemed instinct w i th l ife , and w en tin to her h eart

, t ipped as i t w ere w ith th e Blood of h erSon

,inocu lat ing h er more and more deeply w i th th e

sp i r i t o f His Passion . Who can describe w i th whatreverential touch

, wh i l e th e cold Body was a furnace ofh eaven ly love burning against h i s heart, Joseph loosenedth e nai ls

,so as not to crush or mutilate th e blessed Hands

and Feet wh i ch th ey had pi erced ? I t was so h ard a taskthat w e are fain to bel i eve angel s helped h im in i t . Eachnai l was s i l ently passed down to Mary . They w erestrange graces

,these wh ich w ere now flow ing to h er

through the h ands of h er n ew son yet, after all , not sounli ke th e gifts whi ch Jesus had Himself been giv in gh er th ese th ree-andth ir ty years . Never yet had earthse en su ch a w orsh ip of sorrow as that w i th wh i ch th eMo ther bent over those mute rel i cs

,as th ey came dow n

to her from th e Cross,crusted too as th ey w ere

,perhaps

w e t,w i th that Precious Blood

, wh ich she adored in i tsu nbrok en un ion w i th th e Person of th e Eternal Word .

But w i th w hat agony was al l th i s w orsh ip accompan ied ,w ha t fresh wounds d id no t al l th ese instruments of th ePass ion mak e in her hear t

, what old ones d id they not.reop en !

THE TAKING DOWN FRO M THE caoss. 83 1

But a greater grief was ye t to come . The Body wasdetached from the Cross . More and more th ick ly theangels gathered round

, w h i l e th ri l ls of love p ierced w i thecstati c bl i ss thei r grand in tel l igences . Mary i s kneel ingon the ground . Her fingers are stained wi th Blood .

She stre tch es th e clean l in en cloth ove r her arms andholds them out to receiv e h er Son , her Prodigal comeback to her again

,and come back thus ! And was

He not a Prodigal ? Had He not w i lfu l ly gone outfrom her quiet home into th e Wi ldest and rudest ofworlds , l eagues and leagues d istant from the puri ty andlove o f h er spotless heart ? Had He not spen t al l Hissubstance on companions

,w orth less and despicable ?

was i t not a r iotous spending,a rio t of some eigh teen

hours’~dura t i o n ? Had He not been prodigal of His

Precious Blood, of His beauty , His innocence , His l ife,His grace

,His very Div in ity ? And now He was coming

b ack to h er thus ! Can such a sorrow,such an accumu

lati on of con cen tring sorrow s , have any name ? Canshe bear the w eigh t ? Wh ich w eigh t ? The sorrow orth e Body ? I t matters not . She can h ear th em both .

From above,th e Body i s slow ly descending . She re

members the midn igh t-hour w h en th e Holy Ghost oversh adow ed her at Nazareth , Now i t i s th e Eternal Sonwh o i s so strangely oversh adow ing His kneel ing Mother.Joseph trembled under th e w eigh t

,even wh i le Ni co

demus helped h im . Perhaps also i t was not the we igh ton ly wh ich made h im tremble . Wonderfully must gracehave h eld h im up to do what h e did . Now i t i s lowenough for John to touch th e sacred Head

,and recei ve

i t i n h is arms,that i t m igh t not droop in that helpless

rigid way ; and Magdalen i s hold ing up the Feet . I t i sher old post . I t i s h er post in heaven now

,h ighest of

pen i ten ts , most beauti ful of pardoned spi r i ts For onemomen t Mary prostrates herse l f in an agony of speechless adoration , and the next instan t sh e has recei ved th eBody on her extended arms . The Babe of Beth leh em isback again in His Mother’s lap . What a meeting ! What


a restorat i on 3 For a whi l e sh e remai ns kneel ing, wh il eJohn and Magdalen , Joseph and N icodemus , and thedevou t w omen , adore . Then she passes from the att i tudeof th e priest to th e at t i tud e of the mo ther . Sh e r isesfrom her knees , st i l l bearing th e burden as l ightly asw h e n she fled w i th Him into Egyp t, and sits dow n uponthe grass

,w i th Jesus extended 0 11 her l ap .

i th m inutest fondness she smooths His hai r . Shedoes not w ash th e Blood from off Hi s Body . I t i s toopreci ous ; .and soon He w i l l w ant i t al l

,as w el l as that

wh ich i s on men ’s shoes,and the pavemen t of Jerusal em

,

and th e ol i ve- roots of Geth semane . But sh e closes everyw ound

,every mark of th e lash

,every puncture of th e

thorns , w i th a m ixture of myrrh and aloes, w h ich Nicod emus h as b rough t . There was not a feature of Hi sb lessed Countenance

,not a mark upon His Sacred Flesh

,

wh i ch was not at on ce a sorrow to h er , and a ve ry volumeof profoundest meditat ions . Her sou l w en t through th ePass i on upon His Body

,as men trace the i r travels on a

map . The very qui etness o f h er occupat ion,th e very

concent1 .iion of h er und istracted thoughts , seemed toenabl e h er to go deeper and deeper dow n into H is sufferings, and to compassi onate th em w i th a more interiorb i tterness than before . In n one of th e earl i er stages ofh er sorrow had there been more demand upon h er t ocon trol th e common gesturesand outbursts of gri ef

,th an

w h en sh e sat i n th e l igh t of that sp ring evening w i thh er Son ’s dead Body on her lap , smooth ing, an ointing,and composing th e coun tless p rints of sh ame and suffering w h i ch had b een w orn so deeply into i t . In vain forh er w ere th e bi rds tri l l ing th ei r even - son g th e w e igh tof th e ecl i pse be i ng tak en ‘

off th ei r bl i th e l i ttl e h earts .In vain for h er were th e perfumes of th e tender fig- l eavesing up in th e cool ai r, and th e buds burst ing green ly ,

and th e tender shoots ful l of vernal beauty . Her grief

was past nature’s sooth ing . For h er Flower had beencruelly gath ered, and lay w i th ered there upon herKne e .


shc p ierced her own heart th rough and th rough w i ththe same hand w i th which sh e h id Il i s Face . B ut , 0

Mary ! thou se c st that Face now,and ar t d rink ing thy

fi l l of i ts beauty , and thou w i l t do so for eve rmore , andn ever be sati sfied , even w hen always sat i sfied

,happy

,

blessed Mother !W'

hen w e pass from the narrative of . th e six th dolorto treat of i ts pecul iari ti es

,w e are struck at the outse t

by a characterist i c w h ich runs al l th rough i t . I t surrounds us perpetual ly w i th images of the Sacred Infancy and of th e Blessed Sacramen t . The Passionseems to sink out of V i ew , as i f i t w ere a founda ti ononly ; the supers tructu re i s carved al l over w i th symbol s of Beth lehem and th e Altar . There i s scarce ly anaction or att i tude of M ary i n al l th e dolor

,which does

n ot b ring to mind at once ei th er the old days of th eMother and the Chi ld , or th e coming days of the Priest.

and th e Host . XVh en sh e kneels to recei ve th e Body,

and remains kneel ing w i th i t i n her arms for th eoth ers to adore , w hen sh e min isters to i t and w i thtender reverence man ipulates i t, when care and respan

sib ility for th e Lord’s Body is th e anxi ety of her heart

,

and her grief comes from th e fear of sacri l ege,w e can

not avoid hav ing th e Blessed Sacramen t con t i nual lybefore us . Her outward demeanor appears as i f i t

were th e model from w h i ch th e Church had draw n itsrubrics for mass , benedi cti on, or procession . Her inward temper seems the ideal of those i nterior disposiq

t ion s w hich should belong to al l good pr iests in v i r tueof the ir be ing custodians of the Blessed Sacramen t .In i ts measure , th e same propheti cal forth shadow ing ofthe w orshi p of th e Blessed Sacrament i s v isib le in theact ion s and gestures of Joseph and Nicodemus

,of John

and Magdalen . Thus an enti rely n ew set of ideascomes in w i th th i s dolor . Wh i le i t looks as i f i t werebu t th e complemen t of the Crucifixion , and div isiblefrom i t on ly by an imaginary l in e

,w e find i ts i nward

sp iri t, i ts examples, al l usions, doctrine, and figures, to

THE TAK ING DOWN FROM THE caoss. 3 3 5

belong to an entirely d ifferen t region from that of th ePass ion . This reveals to us th e real d is t i n ction th ere i sbetw een th is dolo r and th e two wh ich have preceded i t .The mysti cal connec tion of the Blessed Sacrament w i thth e Sacred Infancy has been dwel t upon at length elsewhere .* The Blessed Sacramen t i s as i t w ere the realperpetuation of His Infancy in memory of His Passion .

Thus,in the six th dolor , i t appears as i f our Lord had

no - sooner consummated the w ork of His Passion thanHe at once began to shadow forth that s tate i nwh ich i t was His sweet w i l l to abide w i th His Churchforever i n th e Sacrament of th e Altar . From thatinstan t

,the old images of Beth leh em rose up again , as

i f th ey had been kep t dow n by force for a wh i l e,and

th ey return more determinately and plainly i n theshape of forebodings of the Blessed Sacramen t . Th isi s not so much a separate pecul iari ty of th i s dolor

, as i tsv ery sou l and sign ificance

,runn ing th rough e verv fea

ture of i t,tincturing Mary’s d isposi t ion s under i t , and

giv ing a spec ial character to the lessons wh ich i t con veysto ourselves .There is a pecul iari ty of th i s dolor , w h i ch i t i s im

possible for us ful ly to understand,but w h ich must be

borne in mind th roughout, because i t i ndicates th e

gre atest depth of sorrow wh ich th is mystery reached inth e soul of our Blessed Mother . I t was the w i thd rawalof th e l ife of Jesu s . Sh e hersel f

,perhaps

,did not

kn ow ti l l now h ow much i t had supported her,nor h ow

many offi ces i t had fulfi l led tow ard her . For th reeand- th i rty years sh e had l ived upon His l ife . I t hadbeen her atmosphere . There h ad been a k ind of un i tyof l i fe betw een them . Her heart had beaten in HisHeart . She had seen w i th His eyes , and had heardw i th His ears, and had almost spoken w it-h His l ipsand though t w i th His thoughts

,as sh e had done when

sh e composed and sang th e Magnificat , Mother and

Blessed Sacrament, book second.

3 3 6 rm: srxrn DO LOR .

son had never before been so fused in to each oth er .Two l i ves had n ever seemed so i nseparably on e l i fe as

these two had done . And how shall one of them,and

that the w eaker and inferi or, now s tand alone ? The

sundering of body and sou l looks a less effec tual scpa~ra t i on than the d ivid ing of th e l i fe of Mary from th el i fe of J esus . Perhaps i t was on th is account , to supp lyth i s mysterious w an t of the Human Li fe of Jesus

,that

th e spec ies of the Blessed Sacramen t remai ned incorrupt w i thin h er during th e remainder of h er l i fe

,from

one communion to ano ther . We have some t imes seenmothers and son s approximate to th is un i ty of l i fe,espec ia l ly w hen th e son has been an only ch i ld

,and

th e mo ther a w i dow . I t has been also i n thesecases

,as w i th our Lady, that it i s the mo ther

’s l ifew hich i s draw n into th e son ’s , not the son ’s in to th emo ther’s . The sigh t of such a mo ther and son i s oneof th e most pa the t i c w h ich ear th can show ; path e ti

because i t s root s hav e alw ays been , no t i n th e pal~

pah l e sunsh i ne of ov erflow i ng happiness , bu t in the unw i tnessed dep th of domes t i c sorrow . The grandeur ofi t s b eau tv has been i n propor t i on t o th e fiery heat ofthat furnace of agonv i n wh i ch th e two l ives havebeen mel t ed into one . But , w hen w e looked ,

w e hav et rembled t o thi nk how the inev i table s epara t i on ofdea th w ould ever be endured . Ye t how faint a shadowof Jesus and Mar y are these fil ia l and ma ternal un i t i eson ear th !I n order

,th en

,to understand the intolerabl e suffering

wh i ch th e w itld rawal of th e l ife o f Jesus caused in th eheart of Mary

,w e must know w hat His l i fe had been to

hers th roughou t . But th i s i s no t w i thin the reach ofour comprehen s ion . We can but gue ss at i t , and caleulate it , and th en be sure tha t th e real i ty has far ou t run .

our boldest cal cu lat ions . Ye t h e re , _also . th e annals of

human sorrow h el p u s by comparison . t o has notknow n ins tan ces of that perfec t i on of conjugal love

when husband and w i fe have so l ived in to each o th er


th is ? Bu t; w e do not mourn ove r i t . I t i s best anccomple tes t as i t i s . Here , also , w e have but a partiashadow of th e union of Jesus an d Mary ; yet i t helpsus to se e w hat an overwhelming so rrow to her sensi t i veheart mus t have been th e cessa t i on of the l ife of Jesus .I t was th e deepes t depth to wh ich th e s ix th dolorreached .

Ano ther pecul iari t y of th is dolor is th e reappearanceof responsib i l i t y

,w hi ch formed so w eighty a part of th e

t h ird,but had not come to v iew at al l during the fourth

o r fi fth . I t i s Mary ’s fee l ing of responsibi l i ty about HisSacred Body , now that i t had reverted to more than th eorig inal h elplessness of ch i ldhood . No on e understandsth e adorablen ess of that Body as sh e does . t o i s tocare

‘for i t bu t h ersel f ? And she also i s helpless . I t i sth e same feel ing w h ich pervades th e w hol e Church w i thregard to th e Blessed Sacrament . In th e Church ,

i f i t i sa feel ing of anx iety , i t i s also a feel ing of amazi ng j oy .

But w i th Mary i t was a man i fold sorrow . I n th e m idsto f sorrow responsibi l i ty i s i tself a n ew sorrow . Yet i ti s on e of th e providen t ial l aw s of grief that i t almost:always brings n ew responsib i l it ies to v iew , and just w henw e seem least capable of righ tly di scharging them .

Grief i s on e of th ose th ings wh i ch concentrate,yet do

not simpl ify , as mos t con cen trations do . I t i s a per

plex ity rath er than a l igh t . I t gives us more to dorather than less to do . A man in great gri ef has l essl e isure th an any other man on earth . Nothing th ickensl i fe so much as sorrow . Noth ing precipi tates th e grea tw ork of experi ence as i t does . Noth ing endow s ou r nature w i th more magn ifi cen t accession s of pow er . A l i feof j oy i s

,for th e most part

,th i n and shal low . Few hero

i sms can be manufactu red out of gladness , th ough italso has i ts sunny depths w h ich are ful l of God . Bu t

sorrow i s th e mak ing of sain ts, th e very process of th etransmutat ion of drossy earth into pures t h eaven . Thi si s w hyGod seems to bear so hard upon us i n sorrow . H

wisdom makes His love cruel . These unendurablc new

( 5

THE TAK ING DOWN FRO M THE cnoss. 3 a9

responsibi l it ies,whose apparen tly inopportune adven t in

seasonsI

of grief i s so depressing , are almost His choi cestgift s . There i s a cris i s of l ife , perhaps , in every one ofthem . Bu t our Lady ’s responsibi l i ty for our Lord ’s Bodywas also a grief to her because of th e circums tances ofthe t ime and place . Violence an d cruel ty reign ed su

preme . Savag e execut ioners and ruffian so ld iers w erethe k ings of Calvary . The chances of outrage and defile,

men t w ere hardly ch ances . To human calculat ion theyw e re in evi table n ecessi t i es . The break ing of the legs ,th e spear of Longinus

,th e hurry t o get every th ing

cleared aw ay for the beginn ing of the Sabbath,the

mal ice of the Jew s,the way.

i n w hich Pi lat e hadtruck led to th em

,the ordinary lot of the bodi es of

th ose whom justi ce had put to death,th e very con

ve nie nce of th e Golgotha where th e crosses w ereerected

,the fact th a t there w ere three bodies to dis

pose of, and not one only , al l these th ings w ere so

many terrifi c risks w hi ch the 'inv iola-te safe ty of thatadorabl e Deposi t wh ich was i n Mary ’s care had now to

run . Furthermore , h er responsib i l i ty was i n a th i rd waya grief

,because of the sen se of utter h elplessness w hi ch

came along w i th i t . “That could sh e do ? How was i tin h er pow er to stave off

,or ev en to d ivert into ano ther

channel,any one of these numerous , i l l -bod ing conse

q uence s w h ich w ere pressing upon her ? And yet th econsequences of a fai lure w ere too appall ing to con template . Even to our thoughts in qui et medi ta t i on thereis some thing almost more shocking in the idea of th eDead Body of Jesus i n th e pol luted hands of thosefierce men than the dear and l iv ing Lord Himsel f. W

'

e

. Z i udde r at the poss ibi l i ty . What , then , mu st have b eenthe agony of M ary’s adoring heart

,to whi ch th ese h or

rors were v isib le and imminent,w i th th e feel ing that th e

care was hers , and the know l edge that sh e was hel plessas th e merest mo ther of an odious criminal could b e ,nay, al l th ings cons idered , even more help less, for her

3 40 THE SIXTH DOLOR .

claims would have provoked insul t w here th ose of th ecommon mo ther w ould have el ic i ted compassion .

Out of th i s responsibi l ity came agai n th e misery ofterror . I t was a new k ind of te rror , th e d read of sacril ege . No obse rvan t person— and love makes al l of usobservant— can avoid being struck w ith th e part wh ichterro r pl ays i n th e dolors of our Blessed Mo ther . I t

comes out strongly as almost a un iversal characteri s t i cof them . I n trea t ing of th e second dolor w e have seenwhat a huge aggravation of sorrow fear alw ays i s . Letu s try now to conjecture why i t i s th at fear fulfi ls so prominent an office in Mary’s griefs . I n th e fi rst place , i tmay have been as an especi al tr ial to that w h ich was herespecial grace

,t ranquil l i ty . This tranqui lli ty , as w e

have al ready seen,i s an essential el emen t in th e t rue

idea of Mary . I t i s not p erhaps so much a distin c tgrace , as the firmaman t, most rightly named a firma

men t , i n w h i ch h er puri ty humil i ty,and generosi ty

w ere set to sh ine . I n each of her sorrow s— and the sameremark is appl icabl e to her j oys as w el l— there was alwayssomething pecul iarly t ry ing to her t ranqui l l i ty , from theAnnuncia t ion t o th e Descen t of th e Holy Ghost

,some

thing , whi ch by i ts suddenness , or its vehemence , or itsh orror, or i ts exul tation , or i ts stra in upon humannature , was especial ly l ikely to disturb her i nw ard peace ,and to ruffle and arrest for a momen t th e calm onwardmaj esty of her queen l ike repose . Bu t fear is , of al lth ings

,th e most opposed t o tranqui l l i ty ; and hence

those variet i es of t error, wh ich w e have d iscovered in

her dolors,sometimes looming in th e distan ce

,some

t imes frown ing close at h and,now v is ible upon th e

surface , now w orking undernea th in th e recesses of herh ear t, may have been sen t to t ry , and by t rying to perfeet and enhan ce

,h er h eaven l y tranqui l l i ty . In the

second place,i t was necessary that such immense sanc

t i ty as that of our Blessed Lady shou ld be tested bytrial s i n prop 0 1 tion to i ts grandeur . Now several d istin ct worlds of th e most gr ievous temp tat ions were im

842 m s SIXTH DOLOR .

ness , and th ey are not th ere . IZ ve rv momen t a freshw an t knocks a t th e grave. of some thing w hich has longbeen bu ried , and the hear t s inks a t th e hollow e choesw hi ch th e knock ing wakes. And al l this i s th e w orseto her. because i t i s so deep dow n in the unpeopledh ol low s of the soul . e are. alon e . The f.e t is O ld andfamil iar ; but. th e feel ing i s n ew and terrible . Thus lon e

lin ess was part of th is s ix th dolor . I t was not ut t erlonel iness ve t . That poin t had to be reached in th eseven th sorrow . Bu t i t began in this . “h e ll th e Soulof Jesus left h e r, th e w orld seemed a most aw ful sol i~

tude . He r feel in g Of respons ibi l i t y abou t. His Bodydeepened th is sense of lonel in ess unti l i t ached . Deeperdow n , and w i th more angu ish . i t pen e t rat ed toge therw i th h e r sen se Of h e lplessn e s , an d deeper st i l l v as i tcarri ed , as b y sw i ft p i ercing shaft s , by h er terror lestsome sacri l ege shou ld be commi t ted . She was fearful l yalone , and yet had to diff use h erself into those aroundh er to b e th ei r comfort and stq ) .port As th e l i fe ofJesus had been her l ife

,so was h ers now th e l i fe OfMag

dalen and John . But sh e was not u t terly alon e . Sh ehad th e Body s t i l l . Dead as i t was, it "

as m arvel louscompan ionsh ip . Dead as it was, i t. was l ik e n o otherBody , for i t w as sti l l un ited to a l iv ing and eternalPerson . I t w as not a rel i c , such as love c lings to andw eeps over . I t was a sanc titv for w orsh ip and adorat ion .

The lonel i ness therefore could n ot yet b e desola t i on .

But , such as i t was, i t w as a w eigh t of grief w h ich nosoul bu t Marv ’s could have borne .

I t w as also a pecu l iari t y of the suffering Of th i s dolor,that. i t consisted i n prostration ra ther than in agony . Itfol low ed immedia tel y upon th e exhausti ng scenes Of th ePassion . It came upon a na ture , wh i ch Of i tsel f w as onth e poin t of d y ing from th e cx cr iciating severitv of itsmar t y rdom . and w hose mi raculous support n ever allow editself to be felt in th e. shape of refreshmen t or sensibl econso la t i on . The Hand tha t. held her u p was a h iddensupport

, lik e th at w hich the Div ine Nature m in istered

I!:

THE TAK I NG DOWN FRO M T a ; cnoss. 843

to th e Human in our Blessed Lord during th e Passion .

Thus,na tural ly

,Mary fel t every momen t as if sh e had

reached the ul timate term of endurance . t had w ornh er soul through

,and the nex t pressure would be death .

She fel t in h er soul th e un res t ful ach ing w h ich everfatigue produces in th e body . Her spi ri t was fa t i gued todea th

,not in a figure O f speech

,b u t i n l i teral t ru th .

Life was become a sen sible burden ,as i f i t. w e re external

to hersel f. She suppor ted it ; i t d id not suppor t her .This exhaus t i on was more. harassing than pain ,

n ored is tressing than sharp suffering w ould have b e e . I twas a col lapse after the rack , bringing no re l i ef, becauseth e cessa t i on of pain is n ot sensible whe n on e i s u t t erlycrush ed . we have go t what is l ike a n ew bein g ,

capableof suffering qui te in a d ifferen t way. Ye t th is trial alsoh e r tranquil l i ty bore unshaken . I t d id not becomestupid , passive , in ert , as the v ic tims O f cruel ty sometimes are under tor ture . I t. did not perform th e du t i eswh ich came to i t w i th the feverish energy and impa t i en tprecipi tation common to fat igue . I t was a brokenhear t ed peace

,but al so gen tle

,col l ec ted , considerate ,

unselfi sh,fu l l of maj esty , and w orking w i th the noise

l ess promp t i tude and slow assidu i ty w h ich always b etokens the presen ce Of God w i th in the soul . As at th eCruc ifixion she stood three hours ben eath the Cross

,so

now she knel t and h eld the heavy Burden on her outstretched arms

,w i th the same becoming and u nfofward

bravery . Never was any sou l so prostrate as Mary ’s i nth is sixth dolor, never was any so upright i n its prostra~

tion . Bu t do w e not s tand cold and trembl ing on th e

shores of such an i cy sea O f sorrow ?

In such a stat e kindness was unkind , not i n i ts imtention

,but i n i t s effi c t . Thus , w hen Joseph and Nico

demus , John and Magdalen , gathered qui et ly roundh er , as sh e was composing and embalming th e Body ,th ei r v ery k indness somehow brough t ou t the loss ofthe compassion of Jesus . When she stood under th eCross, sh e had not though t about herself. She was

3 44 m m SIXTH DOLOR .

compassionating Him . She considered only the sorrowh er sorrow was t o Him , not th e compassi on tow ardh ersel f w hich i t was causing in His Soul . But sh ed iscovered now how great a support that compass ionhad been to her al l the wh i le . Like al l d i vin e operat ions

,sh e saw i t more plainly now tha t i t was past ;

and i t. rose u p i n g ush ing memories w h ich w ere ful l asmuch k ind lings of sorrow as of j oy . He w as gon e w hoal on e could understand h er h ear t. He Himsel f hadoverwhelmed h er w i th grief by the impl ied comparisonbe tween Himself and John w hen He had given herth e apostl e for h er son in His stead . And now th egentle sw eetness

,th e graceful tenderness o f lov ing so r

row and fi l ial compassion , w h ich John was show i n g,wh i le i t fi l led her h eart w i th love of h i s v i rgin soul,aw ok e memories against i t s w i l l , and in s t i tu t ed comparisons

,in spi t e of i t self, wh ich fi l led her w i th sadness

,

and w i th that sorrow ful feel ing wh ich i s regret in us,but w hich could not be so i n her, because there i ssome thing in th e hol i est regret w h ich does no t altoge ther square w i th the w i l l of God . Besides w h ich

,

th e past reflec ted i tself i n all th ose k ind faces round .

John was i n th e place of Jesus, and h e was l ik eHim

,too

,as t rue fri ends alw ays are to th ei r friends .

Jesus was mirrored in th e eyes of th e sorrowful en

thu siast Magdalen,and Mary saw Him there . None

could be so h igh i n grace as that seraph i c pen iten t,and not resemble , even in thei r l in eaments , th eBr idegroom

.

of thei r souls . Joseph had come to li feagai n i n h im of Arimath ea, and was standing w hereJoseph had so often stood , cl ose by the lap on w h ichJesus la y , look ing, as Joseph looked , at Him ,

and notat her . Nicodemus, too ,

w i th h is myrrh and aloes,had

renew ed the offering of th e Three K ings,no longer in

prophecy , but w hen the sp ices w ere n eeded for His burial .An d, wh i le Mary hersel f anointed Him

,sh e did not

forge t h ow M agdalen had anoin ted His Feet al ready“against th e day of His burial.” And i n the midst of

'

3 46 Th e stx'rit some .

was stand ing by . Tlmse maternal m in ist r ies were allsuch as beseemed a ch ild i n i t s uncomp lain ing helpl essness . There was th e old gracefulness of the M0 4

th er’

s ways,as sh e parted His h ai r, and smoo thed His

l imbs,and swathed Him again in His las t swaddlihg

clo thes . He r sorrow now was the counterpar t of th eold j oys ; nay , ra ther i t was the continuation andcomple t ion of the old sorrow s . I n Be th lehem , i nEgyp t

,at Nazare th

,sh e had long foreseen this hour .

And now i t. was come . Sh e Was down in u n~

fa thomable depth s of woe,Where th e eye can hard ly

reach h e r ; but i t is vi sibly the same M other, i ndus

bitab ly th e same Ch i ld . Th is is h er paymen t for the o ldnursing . S t range paymen t ! but i t i s God ’s way,

’

and she,i f any one

,understands i t w el l . Alas ! to us th e beauty

of the sorrow almost di stracts us from i t s b i tterness !Such w ere the pecul iari ti es of th e s ixth dolor P0 1 6 *

mos t among th e disposi tions of Mary’s soul in herendurance of i t we must reckon the calm clea1 11 e ss

w i th w hich sh e saw and fol low ed th e w i l l of Godth rough th e darkness of h er sorrow . G i ie f indulgedti oub le s the v is ion of fai th . It i s because w e giveway to th e tenderness of nature that w e are so backw ard in disce i ning the h ill of God , and so s tupi d inint/e i pre ting i ts meaning . When a mourner cal l s God ’sways inscrutabl e in h is affli ct ion , i t i s th e resul t of apardonable d imming of h is fai th’s lustre . Pardonabl e,because w e are so w eak , and non e know s our w eaknessso w el l as God . God’s w ays are , for th e most part,inscrutabl e in joy ; i nscrutabl e above al l to us , whoknow what w e m e

, and what we deserve . Bu t th eyare seldom insmu tab le i n sorrow. Sorrow i s God’s

plainest tith e . Never are th e clouds wh ich cu rtain Histhrone pu t so far back as they are then . A grief

,

qu ie tly considered , i s generally a‘revelat ion . But to“

th e mos t m oderat e sel f-know l edge h ow can i t be amystery ? We are alw ays star t-led afresh w i th th ewonders of th e Passion , though we have known th em

THE TAKING DOWN FROMTHE 0110 5 8 . 3 457

from our ch i ldhood . But M ary found not-h ing strangeeven in th e tremendous real i ti es present to her andalmost crush ing the l ife ou t of her . Her eye was si ngle . I t l ooked ou t on ly for God ’s w i l l ; and that w i l lalw ays came at the ri ght time and in th e righ t place .I t i s fai th’s pecul iar hab i t to see w hat w e may cal l th enaturalness of God’s w i l l . To fai th i t alw ays seems sofi t t ing , w e cannot conceive wh at else could su i tablyr

have happened,except the very thing which has hap

pened . I t almost seems strange that w e did not pro

p h e sy i t beforehand . life See all th is w onderful lyi ll us t rated in th e l ives of many of the sai nts , butnever so w onderful ly as i n our Blessed Lady . The

most exacting, the most uncommon , th e most apa

parently unseasonable, w i l l of God alw ays finds herprepared , j us t as i f i t was an orbi t traced by a lawwhich she knew beforehand , so th at sh e had noth ingto do but to gl ide i n i t l ike a star i n i ts pre perheaven . This was th e reason why no time was l ost,no grace un corre sponded - to , no grace to whi ch th ecorrespondence was not generous and prompt . Th e

Wi l l of God was her sol e mysti cal theol ogy . It was hercom pendious way to that perfec t ion for which the ahstruse st mysti cal th eology can find no name .

Anoth er dispos i tion,wh i ch was admirably exh ibi ted

in th is dol or,was her un ion of reveren ce w i th famil iari ty .

There i s n o truer index of un ion w i th God than th is .It can only come out of great hol iness . No rules canb e l aid down‘ for i t

,j ust as no precise ru les can be laid

down for good manners . I t i s an instin‘ct, or what w e

cal l breed ing, or an inborn del icacy ,Whi ch enab les a manto comport h imself faul tl essly . So i s i t heavenly breed=

ing, an instin ct of th e Holy Ghost , a refin ement of h ighand unusual grace, w hi ch enables a man to un ite fam ia

liarity and reverence in His dealings w i th th e Most High .

I t canno t be learned . Th e utmost w hich can be taught isto avoid a’ fami l iari t y to which in our low estate We haveno r ight . We must b e lo ng conversan t w i th God

’s love

3 48 m 1: stxm noroa.

and long conversan t w ith our own noth irgness, beforethe fi rs t ind ica t i on s of th i s ch oice and be au t i ful gracew i l l be d iscerned upon the surface of our conduct . But

wha t a model of i t i s our Blessed Mo ther embalming th eBody of her Son ! lVe can tel l how dear t o her is thatBody

,even though she gives way to no ou tw ard ges ture

of endearment . lVe can t el l h ow sacred i t i s , thoughthere i s n o visibl e d isplay of w orsh ip . lVe could almostd ivin e i t was th e Body of God from th e very undemon

strative sel f-col lec t i on of her demeanor , so compl etely“does i t blend tha t famil iari ty and reveren ce wh i ch belongon ly to an obj ect of adoration . See her face , w atch herfingers

,sound h er heart : i t i s al l one grace playing every

w here ! Ye t there are few l esson s i n the world of theI ncarnati on deeper than these ,—’ that Mary knew thatJesus was God , and

“

yet dared to use th e rights of mater

nal tenderness t'oward Him , and that sh e l ived w i th Himas her Son for Three-ah d -Thirty Years in the mest amazingin tercourse of famil iar love , and ye t never for one mo :men t e i ther forgot that He was God or forge t w hat w asdue to H im as God . Out of these two truth s alon e mustw e perforce bui ld a pedestal for our Lady , whose topshal l be far above out of our sigh t ; and where th en shallsh e be w h o i s to b e rai sed thereonWe must note also her sp i ri t of s tudious ,

m inute, and

special reparation . Not the l ove o f al l possible w orldsw ould be enough to pay Jesus back for th e least pain Hesuffe red for us

,or for one single drop of th e ce p ious

streams of Blood wh i ch He vouchsafed to shed . As God ,th e least of His humi liat ions i s u tterly be yond the reachof our compensations . The saints in al l ages have marvel»

lou sly loved and adored His Passion , and by supernaturalpenances and i n mysti cal conformiti es have imi tated i tsdread mysteries . Yet al l the i r love together came notso n igh ajust reparat ion to Him , as th e w orsh ip of M arywh i l e sh e prepared Him for the grave . The near sigh tof w hat He had really endured was someth ing qu ite d i fferent from her presence at th e Pass ion , wh i l e i ts var ious

3 50 THE SIXTH Dow n.

comp la in t , or v irtuous ind igna t i on , or l oud ap peal s todivine justice , w ould have come in oth ers , th ere came inMary a busy

,s i l en t, tende r reparat ion . 0 11

,i t i s a j oy

to th ink that, i f our s in s w ere i n th e lash es of th e scourgeand the spikes of the thorny crown

,our hands also were

i n our Mother ’s hands,composing and embalming the

\Body of our Savior,and fi l l ing i n as i f w i th posthumous

h eal ing those deep-red h ieroglyph ics wh ich s in had leftthereon\.Ve have al ready spoken of th e perseveran ce of our

Lady ’s tranqui ll i ty through th e varying phases of h ermartyrdom . But w e must n ot om it to enumerate i t h ereamong th e h ero i c d isposi t ions i n w h ich sh e endured hers ixth dolor . I t i s by far th e most w onderful th ing aboutth e i nterior l i fe o f h er soul , so far at l east as we are

al low ed to see i n to i t . There seems to be n o h eigh tof h ol iness w h i ch may not be predicate d of such a marve llous t ranquil l i ty . I t i s a token

,not so much of a

p rocess of sanctification st i l l going on , as of th e de ificat ion of a human soul completed . I t comes neares t of al lgraces to th e den ial of created imperfect ion s . I nequal ity,surprise , mutab il i ty , inconsi sten cy, hesitat ion , doub t,vaci l l at ion

,fai lure

, aston isl1m en t ,— th ese are al l w hatm igh t be call ed in geologi cal l anguage th e faults increated sancti ty . They are th e imprints wh i ch humaninfirmity has left u pon th e w ork before i t was se t andhardened . They a re t h e marks of catastrophe , wh ich i si tsel f a mark of feeblen ess . From al l th ese , so far as w ecan see , our Lad y

’s incomparabl e tranqu il l i ty preservedh er . To h er th ere seems to h ave been commun icatedsome portion of th at peace of God w h ich Scripture savssurpasse th al l un derstand ing,

”and w hose spec ial office

tow ard ourse lve s i s “ to k eep Our h earts and minds i nChrist Jesus .” No one th ing explain s so much of our

B lessed Lady’s grandeur as th i s h eavenly calm . Apparen t exaggeration s find thei r place

,th ei r mean ing , and

thei r connect i on,wh en th ev are v iew ed i n th e l igh t of

th i s tran qui l l ity . Graces, wh ich sound imposs ible when

rim n ame 13 0v 11 110 114 rm: eaoss. 851

stated by th emsel ves , sett l e dow n i n th i s tranqu i l l i ty ,di sc losed dis t in c t ly by its l igh t

,and at the same t ime

soft ened and made natural by its beauty . The Heart ofJesus alon e can read th e riddl e of Mary arigh t but th i sdovel ike peace , th i s almost di vin ely pacifi c spi ri t, i s th enearest 1 eading of th e r iddle of her immense h ol iness to“whi ch w e can attain. I t i s as i f God had cloth ed herWi th His attribute of mercy fo1 ou i

“

sakes,and w ith His

att1 ibu te of peace for h er own .

We l ea1 n two l essons for ou1 sel 1‘

es i n th i s sixth dolor .Our Lady is at once a. model to us of devoti on to th eBlessed Sacrament

,and a model also of behavi or in

time of grief. We have already seen h ow allusions toth e Blessed Sac rament fli t before tis con t inually in th i sdolor . From Mary’s demeanor We may now gath erwh at our own devoti on to that dread mystery ough t tobe . For th e six th dol or i s as i t w ere. perpetuated in th eChu rch un til th e end of time . As o ur Bl essed Lord i sdai ly offered i n th e M ass

, and th e sel fsame sac rifice ofCalvary cont inued and renewed wi th ou t in termi ssionday and ni gh t around th e w orld , so are Mary

’s min i stri esto Hi s mu t e yet adorab le Body going on u nceasinglytipon thousands of Chri st ian altars and by the hands ofthousands of Christian priests . Yet, as i s e ver th e casewi th those th ings wh ich We have from Jesus and Mary,What was intense b i ttern ess to her , to us i s exul tation ,priv i lege , and love . When sh e had gently laid asideth e e i own and nai l s , as p i e cious reli cs , w ith what profou nd reve 1 ence did sh e knee l to recei ve the Body ofher Son ! I t Was not the atti tude of a mo ther tow arda son,

b i t rather of th e c1 eature toward th e C1 eator.

Sh e adored i t Wi th d iv ine w orsh ip . She held i t i n h erarms unti l th e rest had ad0 1 ed i t also . Her righ ts asa Moth er were merged in h er se ivice as a e i eatur .e

Yet th e Blessed Samam ent i s th e l iv ing Jesus , Soul asWel l as Body , Godhead as w ell as Human i ty . lVorsh ipful as was His dead Body

,because of i ts unbroken

anionw i th the Person of th e Eternal Wor ,d th e Blessed


Sa cramen t, i f i t w ere possible , demands of us a worsh ipmore ful l and d read

,more self-abasing , more profound .

have n o mo ther ’s righ ts . are no t , l ik e Josephof Arima thea,

doing Jesus a servi ce by min i s tering t oI l is Body . The obl igation i s al l on our side .

' He hascome down again from h eaven

ato us . “’

e are no t goneu p to the Cross t o take Him down . lVith what immensereverence

,th en

,ough t w e not to w orsh ip thi s div in e

Sacramen t ! Our preparat ion for Communion shouldbe fu l l of th e grand spi ri t of ado 1 a t i on . Our ac t ofreceiv ing should be a s i len t ac t of holy eager fear andbrea th less w orsh ip . I n our thanksgiv ing w e ough t tobe lost i n th e grandeurs o f H is condescension

,and not

too soon begin to ask for graces,unti l w e have pros

trated ourse lves before that l ivin g Incarnat e God wh o

at that moment has so wonderful ly ensh ri ned Himselfw i th in us . lve should behave a t Mass as

,Wi th al l our

presen t fai th and know l edge , w e should have behavedon Calvary . At Benedic tion , and when praying beforethe Tabernacle

,th e Blessed Sacrament should breed in

us con tinual ly a Spi ri t of un resting adora t i on,unrest-in g

as that in cessan t cry wh ich th e aston ished Seraph imand Cherubim are conti nual ly uttering at th e sigh t ofth e un imaginable h ol i ness of God .

To th is reverence we must add t ranquil l i ty,or

,rath er

,

out of th is rev eren ce wi l l come tranqui ll ity . The spi ri tof w orsh ip i s a spir i t of quietness . lVe must not d isquie t ou rselves i n order to deepen our rev erence . l -

‘

Ve

must not di sturb ourselves by mak ing efforts . lVe mustgently submi t ourselves to be overruled , constrained ,and gradual ly calmed by the presen t majesty of God .

Nei ther must w e l ook into our own souls to see i f w eare w orshipping . nor mak e any other reflex acts uponthe processes w h i ch are going on w i th in us . Under th epreten ce of keeping up our a t ten tion

,al l th is i s but so

much occupation w i th sel f,and so much di straction

from the presen ce of Jesus . Hence i t i s that so manyCommun ions bring forth so li ttle frui t; I t i s from th e

3 54 THE SIXTH DOLOR ;

I t i s out o f peace th at. l ove w i l l come,such burn ing

yet such humble love as becomes th e w orsh ip of th eBlessed Sacramen t . Our reverence cannot have beenrigh t at th e fi rs t i f love does not follow . t en fear ,and sh rink ing , and avoidance come to soul s w i th regardt o the Blessed Sacramen t , i t i s not so much th e wan t oflove to w h ich w e must look as th e w an t of reverence .Reveren ce in fall ibly provides for love . Bu t th e love o fthe Blessed Sacrament must be a grow th of i nward peaceand spi ritual tranqui ll i ty . Very often w e love less thanwe should l ove i f w e made less effort to love . O ur fai thtel ls us su ch overwhelming th ings of th is d iv ine mystery

,

that i t. seems a shame,almost a s in

,that we are not

burn ing w i th sensible love al l th e day long . Jesus Him ~

sel f so n ear , so accessibl e, so int imately un it ing Himse lfto u s, Beth leh em,

Nazareth,Calvary actually h ere

,and

w e so cold, so moderate , so commonplace ! Surely w e

ough t to be burn t up as w ith th e fi res of the Seraph im .

I t i s t rue . Ye t for al l that w e cannot force ourselves .I t i s better to turn our v exat ion into se l f-hatred ands elf- contempt than to try to c reate an interior vehemen ce

,

which,after al l

,i s a d ifferen t th ing from .d i vin e love .

Th e love of th e Blessed Sacramen t i s dai ly and l ifelong .

Surely i t i s not l ikely that such a love should be always,

or even most often ,sensible . Do w e go to Mass on w eek

days at our own i n con ven ience ? Are w e punctual andreverential i n our daily v i s i t to th e Blessed Sacrament ?Do w e hear Mass w it h devout attent ion ? Are our pr e

parations for Communion and our thanksgivings after i tamong th e se action s wh i ch w e practi cally con fess to rankas th e most importan t of our l ives ? Do w e give up exorc ise

,pleasure

,v i sit in g

,study

,and th e l ike , or at least in~

te rrup t them ,to go to Benedicti on when i t i s i n our pow er ?

These are better proofs of an acceptabl e love of th eBlessed Sacrament than the w armest transports or th emos t glow ing h eat i n our h earts . Perseverance i s th ereal d ivine h eat i n our hearts .But out of lov e cmst come fam i l iar ity . Ye t, as th e

THE TAK ING DOWN FRO M THE caoss. 3 55

love i tsel f comes out of reveren ce, th e famil iari ty mustbe of a pecul iar and noticeable k ind . I t must hav eno thing in i t of forwardness, of presumption , of carelessness

,of indifferen ce , 0 1° even of freedom . I t impl ies

a sp i ri t ac customed to the d iv ine v isi tat ion s , and , therefore

,not taken unawares by them ,

nor flurrie d,nor

exci ted,

“ nor discomposed , nor forge tfu l of propri eti es .Some eccles ias ti cs are w el l v ersed in th e sw eet sci enceof the rubrics and ceremon ial of the Church , so that, i fth ey are sudden ly called upon to take part i n some greatfunc t i on , they are not confused or obl iv ious . Th ey knowwhat to do . They fal l into thei r p laces natural ly . Theyare parts of a w hole

,and do no t cause disturbance on

e i ther side of them by ignorance or precip i tation . Theyare slow and ye t ready , calm and yet i nteres ted , dign ifi edand yet bashful . Thei r grea tes t praise i s that they goth rough the ceremonial in such a na tural and unaffectedway,

that men for the most p art do no t notic e h ow w ellth ey have fulfi l led th ei r offi ce, and h ow completely theyare a t home in th e rubri cs of the funct ion . Th is i s ani llustra t i on of spi ri tual fami liari ty ; I t i s at h ome w i thGod

,not in the sense of ease an d freedom

,but i n the

sense of unders tanding i ts part,of rece iv ing Him w it-h

th e proper honors,of calmly and mindfully fulfi l l i ng

al l th e ceremonial wh ich His presence requires,and so

practi cal ly of forgett ing self, because there is n o needto remember i t, and of being occupied reveren t-ly,

andlovingly

,and tranqui l ly w i th Him on ly . This i s th e true

idea of holy fami l iarity ; and w hen w e cons ider h ow frequen t and h ow common M ass , Communion , Benedi ction ,and Vis i t ‘are , w e shall see at once h ow essen tial an ele~

ment i t i s in our devotion to th e Blessed Sacrament .Mary was never but once at th e deposi tion from th e

Cross ; and yet w i th wh at beautiful famil iari ty did al l he rmin istries to the Sacred Body take th ei r place

,as i f they

w ere dai ly occurrences among the maternal offi ces ofBe thl ehem and Nazare th lThen , last of al l, a continual sp i r i t of reparation must

3 56 TIIE SIXTH DO LO R .

preside over al l ou r devotion,a reparati on wh ich i s th e

immediate grow th of fami l iari ty,or ra ther which is th e

l oving fami l iari ty i tse l f,w i th i ts eye res t ing on the re ve

rence out of wh ich al l our devo t ion springs . To thedevou t mind Jesus habi tuall y presen ts Himself as onewho has not got His righ ts . He i s inj ured an d w rongedw i th every heigh ten ing ci rcumstance of patheti c injust i ec . There i s no t ime w hen love pours i tself out fromth e deepest and pures t fountains of th e h eart w i th moresel f- abandonmen t than wh en the obj ec t of our love hasbeen w ronged . The very though t i s so p i tiabl e that i tcreates n ew love

,such love as w e never fe l t before

,and

the spi ri t of self-sacrifice beats i n i t l ik e a heart . I t i sno longer a mere privat e j oy of our own , a luxury ofsen timen t

,a romance of feel ing , wh ich , wh i l e i t enve

l oped the obj ect of our love , reflected also no l i ttleradiance back upon ourselves . Self i s more at homei n love than in any other of th e affections . I t i s an humbling and unpoetical truth

,but neverth eless a truth

Now,the posi t ion of being w ronged invests th e obj ect

o f our love w i th a k ind of san c t i ty . Affection assumessometh ing of th e nature of w orsh ip , and then self canl i ve th ere no longer

,because w orsh ip is th e on ly real in

compatibi l ity w i th sel f. Hence it i s that th e lov e of re

paration i s a pure , and unselfi sh , and d isi nterested love .B ut th is i s n ot al l . Jesus not only h ab i tual ly present-sHimsel f to us as one who i s suffering , because He is de~

frauded of His rights , but also of one wh o i s i n somemysteri ous way dependen t u pon our compassion to console Him

, and upon ou r reparation to make good Hislosses . Th is adds tenfol d more tenderness to our love,and sel f re turns again , but on ly i n th e shape of sacrifice , of gen erosi ty , of w ork , of sorrow , of abandonment .The spi ri t of reparati on i s a beauti ful spi ri t, a spiri tof human beauty fi t to w ait on th e Human i ty of ourdeares t Lord . I t i s th e true Mary ’s l ap w i th in our souls ,in which th e Blessed Sacramen t sh ould ever l i e, th epure white corporal of our most d i s in terested love !

858 THE SIXTH DOLOR .

make no way at all. W'

h ereas to indul g e our gr ief, togive way u nre se rved lv t o th e readv i nunda t ion of comfortab le tears

,to complain

,— e spe c iallv i f w e bring in a

1 e in of rch vgion

,l ik e a v e in of poetry , i n to ou r com

p l 1111 1 11«r - 1 li e : e th ings bring w i th th em the rel ieving

sensa t ion o f going dow n h i l l . Of a tru th i t. i s the mostear thward process throug h w h i ch a h eart can w el l go .Thus , a tender hearted man ough t to be as much on h is

guar ed gai nst s0 1 r0 1 1 as an in temp e i ate man sh ou ld beagains t w in e . There i s a fasc ina t ion in i t wh ich may ,

easi ly become h i s ru in . t at makes th e tempta t i onmore dangerou s i s

,th at th e w orld applauds the in

d ulgence as i f i t w ere a moral l ovel iness , and looks shy

at the restrain t,as i f i t w ere hardness and insensib i l i ty ;

and to be suspec ted of coldness and indifference. i salmost more than a tender—hearted

‘

man can bear.There i s n o n eed to do phys ical violence to ourse lves toh inder tears . The effort w i l l m ake us i l l , w i thou t bringing any profi t e i ther t o body or soul . God does not d isl ik e to se e His creatures w e e p in

cr. “

Y

e creatures evenl ike to se e those w e love w eeping sometimes . All w hi chour Ladv

’

s example counsels i s moderation . Let us re

l ieve our hearts. I t w i l l make us les s selfi sh . But . le tu s not foster

,embrace

,rek indle

,and indulge our gri ef.

For then our sorrow i s a selfi sh and luxurious fi c t ion , aground i n w h ich the Holy Spiri t w i l l not dig ; for h eknow s there i s n o gold u nderneath .

Nei ther is the indulgence of grief con ten t to stop inthe mere l uxury of sen t imen t . I t goes on to do posi t i veev i l . I t promp t s us to dispense ourselves from th e du t i e swh ich our hand fi nds to do . I t seems hard to w orkwhen w e are gri ev ing ; but i t is j ust th is hardn ess wh ichrenders th e w ork so heavenly . ( e th ink that sorrowmakes us priv i l eged p erson s , forget t i ng that our pri v il eges are only an increase of our responsibi l i ti es . Theyth ink deepest and mos t truly of thei r responsibi l i t i eswho most habi tually regard them as privi leges . The

world’s w ork is not to stop for our sorrow . lve are bu t

THE TAKING DOWN FRO M THE cnoss. 3 59

u ni ts in a mul t i tude . W e must roll round from w es t toeast w i th our fel low s ; w e must meet l ife as l i fe meetsus ; w e must take j oy and sorrow as they come ; th eymos t ly com e bo th together ; both are at w ork at once,bo th un resting

,both unimportan t ; b u t both he upon

our road to the on ly th ing which i s of importance , andthat i s God . Self- importance i s the canker-w orm ofChristian sorrow . w e must not mak e too much of ourselv es ; yet th i s i s w hat th e w orld ’s stupid consolation stry to do w i th those who are i n grief. Dispensations arealw ays low ering

,but th ere i s nothing w h ich th ey low er

so much as suffering and sorrow . Our gr ief i s part ofth e w orld ’s rol l ing , because it i s part of our own way toGod . I t i s a going on ,

‘ not a standing sti l l , a quicken ingof l ife ’s time

,not a letting the clock run down and stop .

For th e great clock goes w hi le ours stands,so that w e

gain nothing,bu t lose much . We pu ll dow n the bl inds,

and strew the streets , and muffle the bel ls , and go slow ly ,and -tread - l igh tly

,wh en sickness i s i n th e house ; but le t

us take care n ot to do so to sorrow i n our own souls .For sorrow i s by no means a si ckness of the soul ; i t i sits heal th , and strength , and v igor . Sin s of omissionmay be more ven ial in times of sorrow , but th ey noneth e less unj ewel our crown , and intercept th e generos i tyof God .

Sorrow i s a sanctuary , so long as self i s kept outside .Self i s th e desecrating principl e . I f a t ime of sorrow i snot the harvest- time of grace, i t i s sure to be th e harvestt ime of sel f. Hence , w hen w e find peopl e. i ndulging inthe sent imental i ty of th eir sorrow

,w e are almost certain

to find th em inconsiderate tow ard others . They are th ecen tres round w hi ch every th ing is to move . Every th ingi s to be subordinate to thei r mourn ing . Thus they payno atten tion to hours . They disturb the arrangementsof th e h ousehold . They make the servants carry partof the burden of th e ir w retch edn ess . They d iffuse ana tmosphere of gloom around them . They accept th eserv i ce of others ungraceful ly

,sometimes as i f i t was

3 60 THE SIXTH DOLO R .

th ei r r igh t,because they are in grief, sometimes as if th e

k indness w ere almos t an i n t rusion ,w hi ch po li teness on ly

cons t rai n s th em to endure . I f this goes on , so rapidi s th e process of corrup t ion when self has tain tedsorrow , ch ildhood w orks up again to th e surface i nm iddle l i fe or age , and w e have i l l - temper , peevishness ,petulance , quick w ords , ch ild ish repar tee , sel f-deploringfooli shness , grandi loquen t e xarm e rations, at t i tudes andges tures of despai r : i n shor t , the long-ban ish ed ghostsof th e nursery come back again , i n propor t i on as sorroww i th li teral t ruth i s al lowed to unman us . A Ch ri st ianmourner n otes th e l east acts of though t fulness

,and i s

ful l of gra t i tude for them . He feels more than everthat h e deserves noth ing , and i s surpri sed at th e k ind‘ness wh ich h e receives . He i s forever thinking of theothers in the h ouse , and legislating for them , and contriving tha t th e w eight of h i s cross shal l be concentredUpon h imsel f. He smi les th rough h i s tears , takes th esorrow carefully out of th e tone of h is voi ce , and makeso thers almos t gay w h il e h i s ow n hear t i s b roken . Asain t ’s sorrow i s n ever i n th e wav . To o th ers i t i s asoftness

,a sw eetn ess

,a gentlen ess

,a beau ty ; i t. i s a cross

onl y t o h imsel f.W'

e must b e careful also not to demand sympathyfrom o thers , and ,

i f possibl e . not even t o crave for it our~

sel ves . t at i s i t w orth . i f i t comes w hen w e have demanded i t ? Surely th e preciousn ess of svmpathy i s i ni t s be ing spon taneous . There i s no balm in i t , w hen i ti s paid as a tax . No t that. i t i s w ron g to hunger for sympath y w hen w e are in sorrow . lVe are not speak ing somuch of righ t and w rong , as of fi t t es t and bes t , of w hatGod loves mos t . of what. makes our sorrow heaven l ies t .Th e more consolat i on from crea tures th e less from God .

Thi s i s th e invariable rul e . God i s shy . He loves t ocome t o lon ely hearts , wh ich o ther loves do no t fi l l .This i s w hy bereaved heart s , outraged hear ts, h eart s m is~

understood,hear t s that have broken w i th ki th and kin

and nat i ve place and the grave of fath er and mother,

3 02 THE SIXTH D O LO R .

u nk indness or n eglect o f human agents . Nobody i s infaul t b at God , and God cannot be in faul t : thereforethere is n o faul t a t a l l ; there i s on ly th e d iv ine w i l l .Fai th must se e noth ing else . I t mus t i gnore secondarycauses . I t takes i ts c rosses on ly from Jesus , and straigh tfrom Him . I t sees , hears , feels , recogn ises no one butGod . The soul and i ts Fathe r h ave the world t o themselves . Oh ,

what a hercul ean pow er of endurance thereis in th is subl ime simpl i c i ty of fai th ! But al l th ese arehard lessons ; and sorrow ,

i f i t i s not pecul i arly teachable , .

i s the most unteachabl e of al l th ings . Yet w e couldhardly expec t Mary ’s l esson s to be easy ones , least of al lwh en she gives them from the top of Calvary .

Let us gaze at h er on ce more , as sh e sw athes th e Bodyin the w inding- sh eet . How l ik e a pri est sh e seems !How l i k e a mo ther ! And are not al l mo th ers pries ts ?For, righ t ly considered , al l matern it ies are priesthoods .Ah , Mary ! thy matern i ty was su ch a priesthood as th eworld had never seen before !

THE BUR IAL or J ESUS. 3 63

CHAPTER VIII .

fiilge 3313 11121111}

THE BURIAL O F J ESUS.

shades of even ing fal l fast and si len tly roundth at Mother , si tting at the foot of th e Cross w i th th e

covered Head of h e r dead Son upon her lap . Th e veryear th i s w eary w i th the w eight of that even tfu l day .

The an imal s w ere fa t igued after the pan ic of the ecl ipse,

whose darkn ess they had m istaken for th e n i ght,so

tha t the beasts slunk to their lairs , th e b irds to th ei rroosts , and

'

the l i zards w en t to rest in the crev ices ofth e rock s . Men themselves w ere ou tw orn w i th sin andth e impetuous activ ity of th ei r own ev i l passion s , wh il eth e sca ttered few who composed th e Church w erew eary w i th shame , and fear , and sorrow , and th e agi tat ion of accumulated thoughts . Th e w el l -know n soundsof n igh t begin to succeed to th e sharpe r and morefrequ en t noises of th e dav . There is a divin e l igh t i nth e heart of M ary

,more golden than that las t l ingering

rim of departed sunset, that su n wh ich seemed so gladto set after th e burden of such a day , and she i s res t in gon i t for a moment

,before sh e girdsu p her whole nature

to meet h er seventh sorrow and her l as t .I t was a strange station for a Moth er to choose for

h e r repose , j us t at th e foot of th e cruel tree on wh i chh e r Son had died , and w h ich was yet bedew ed wi th HisPrec ious Blood . Ye t i t i s al so just th e very spot w here,w i th Marry- l ik e ins tin ct

,th e mourners of e ighteen

cen turi es have come to rest , and have found peace

th e re, when the re was no p eace, at least for them, in

3 64 THE SEV ENTH DOLOR .

any oth er corner of th e earth . I t i s a place of spe l ls,sin ce Jesus hung th ere and sin ce Mary sat th ere . Heretears have been dri ed wh ich i t had seemed would n evercease to flow . Here hearts have consen ted to l iv e wh i cha wh i l e ago w ere fain to d ie . Here the w i dow has found

another and a heaven ly Husband . Th e mother has hadher l ost ch i ldren restored t o h er . The orphans havegon e th ere i n th e dark , and

,w hen they w ere done

sobb in tr they found th e arms of thei r n ew Mother Maryround them . Here thousands of hearts have d i scoveredh ow good a th in g i t was to h av e been broken ; forth rough the ren t of the i r own h earts th ey saw God .

\Vhen Mary sat on that h il l- top , and enth roned theDead Chris t upon her knee

,sh e left an inexhaustible

l egacy of bl essings beh ind her to al l generations , w i ththe cond i t ion of residence on th e t0p of Calvary attachedt o th ei r enj oymen t .I t was not therefore for h ersel f, but for us , that sh e

sat th ere,and rested for a momen t . But th e t ime has

now come , and sh e s ign ifies w i th calm sel f- coll ection toth e discipl es round t o form the procession t o th e tomb .

There was Joseph of Arimath ea and N icodemus , Johnand M agdalen

,the devou t w omen who had come up to

th e C ross,som e of th e trusted servan ts of Joseph an d

N icodemus , and to th ese was now added th e conver tedcen tu rion

,w ho at th e moment of our Lord

’s d eath hadconfessed tha t He was th e Son of God . Perhaps alsosome of the apostl es and other d i sciples may by th i st ime , as some of th e sa ints have conj ec tured , have beenga thered to the Cross . I t seemed sad t o break u p sofa i r a scen e of beauti ful sorrow ; but i t was t ime tofulfi l th e Scri pture . lVith calm heroism ,

yet not w i thou t the d ires t martyrdom , Mary gav e up the treasurew hich lay across h er lap . Wh o had any righ t to touchHim bu t hersel f ? Ah , M oth er ! thou know est w e haveal l of us ge t those righ ts now . He has become t } eproper ty of th e w orld ,

th e inh eri tance of s inners,and

thou thyself too art the universal Mot-her. What the

3 66 THE SEVENTH DOLOR.

was brood ing over i tsel f, l ik e a d iscon solate bi rd over itsrobbed n est . The ve rv t rumpets of Titus w ere almost ini t s ears , and m igh t have been heard by pre p h e tic l istening . Poor Jerusal em ! God has loved th ee long . andl oved th ee w i th a mys terious fondness ; bu t to-day

’sd islovaltv has fi l l ed up th y measu re , and thy doom has

received its orders,and i s now upon i t s way. From th e

top of that h i l l , brown i n th e dul tw i l igh t, th ey arecarrying to His tomb th e Body of thy rej ect ed K in g !Vv

’

hat aw ful shapes and shadow s,of h i story

,of pro‘

ph e cy, of d im d ivin e decrees , gather l ik e w aving bann ersin the darkness

,round that sacred procession ! Has

creat ion come to th i s,that a few fai thful creatures are

h earing th e Dead Creator to a tomb in th e rock ,and

that a mor tal M o ther , w ho numbers less than fi fty years,i s ch ief mourn er th ere as th e ver i tab le M oth er of th eE ternal ? The songless angels are marshalled round inse rri ed phalanxes . Thei r sci en ce almost makes themafraid

,so overwhelm ing i s the mys tery . Now th ey have

passed over the grave of Adam,th e F i rst Man

,i n wh i ch

th e Cross had been set up . The Soul of Jesu s h ad al readygon e to Adam to give h im th e B eatific Visi on . Now

h is descendants w ere t reading on h is grave . Hi s daughter M ary

,th e second Eve

,had been si t t ing there a w hi l e

ago w i th the second Adam on her lap . The bones andsku ll s of malefactors

,luck less tok en s of th e fall , strew ed

th ei ’ path,half bedded in th e tuft s of faded grass

,or

lying loose upon th e smoo th h erbage w h i ch th e goatshad cropped . They are descendin g now in to a garden ,another Eden

,to plan t a tree th ere in the rock , bette r

in comparably than al l th e trees of that old Paradi se,bet ter even than the tree of l ife , and w h ich shouldb loom in three days w i th an in con cei vabl e b looming . I twas a garden where th e v in es grew and the ol i ve- t reesd ropped fatness . But th is t ree sh ould give forth w incmore gladden ing to th e h eart of man than any w h ich ;

ever b led in th e w i n epress from th e vine , w ere i t fromthe rarest clusters of Engaddi. I t should y ie ld oi l, as no

THE BURIAL or J ESUS. 3 67

al ive ever yi elded i t , an oi l to h eal all w ounds , and to beth e inexh austibl e balsam of the w orld . There w ere noflow ers on earth l ik e that w i thered one upon the bier,none to compare w i th i t for beau ty or for fragran ce , nonethat should have so vernal a spring as He sh ould havewhen but ano ther sun was set . 8 0 they w en t onw ardto the garden , a w hole cloud of div ine-st mysteries,accomplish ed types

,fulfi l led prophecies , h istori cal con

summat i on s,resting On them as th e v w en t ; and over al l

was poured the soft l igh t of the paschal moon ,hanging

low i n th e w estern heavens , as if i t w ere the l igh tescaped from Mary

’s h eart w hich was making al l th escen e so deeply sad

,so sadly beau t i ful !

Slow ly they w en t, and in si lence. as soft as th e foot ofm idnigh t i t self. I f they had sung psalms, th e res t lessc i ty migh t have heard . But i n t ruth what psalms w ereth ere wh ich they could sing ? Not even the insp i redharp of Dav id could have shed sw eet sounds fi t for ad i rge for such a funeral . No one spoke in al l that company . What should th ey say ? “That w ords could haveexpressed th eir though t s ? “ Out of th e abundance ofthe heart th e mouth speake th .

” “

But there are t imesw hen the h eart i s over- full

,and th en i t cannot speak .

So w as i t w i th that procession . A deepe r shadow ofsorrow had never fal len upon m en , than the gloomwh ich fel l on those w h o now w ere w ending from the topof Calvary to the garden - tomb . There was gri ef enoughto have darkened a whole w orld in M ary ’s single hear t .Human suffering is n ot i nfini te ; but i t i s n ear upon i t,and sh e had come now to i ts very u ttermost ex tremity .

There was only one sacrifi ce sh e could make now,and

sh e was i n th e very act of mak ing i t . She . was going toput aw ay from hersel f and out of her ow n pow er

,to

h ide in a rocky tomb and let Roman sold iers come andkeep w atch over i t, that Body wh ich though i t w as deadwas more than l i fe to h er . Then ,

indeed,sh e w ould

stand upon the h ighest pinnac le of evangel i cal poverty,to wh i ch God had promised such mighty th ings . Sh e


w ould only k eep for hersel f th at wh ich sh e could not

part w i th , and would no t have parted w i th i f sh e cou ld ,

a broken heart u ttcrlv submerged i n such w aters o fbi t terness as had n ever flowed round any l iving creatureheretofore . There n ever w ould have been j oy on th i splanet again , i f h er accumula t ed woe had been di videdinto l i t t le parcels

,and distributed to each ch i ld of

Adam as he comes in to th e w orld . Men look w i th eyeso f admiring w onde r at adventurous travel lers and th esuccessful explorers of unknow n lands . Look now atMary

,as sh e closes th e funeral procession . That w oman

i s a creature of th e Mos t H igh more exal ted than anyangel i n heaven . The th rone that aw ai ts h er i s on e ofth e marvel s o f th e heaven ly court . She is as sin less asth e sunbeam , and her empi re i s over al l c rea t ion . TheThree Person s of th e Undiv ided Trin i ty w i l l themselvesperform her corona t i on . But sh e has expl ored now al lthe vast realms of pain . She has sounded the depths ofevery heart-ach e man can know . She has traversed vastregions of sutfe ring wh ich none ever traversed beforeher

,and w h i ther non e can fol low her . She has been

w i th the Incarnate lVord i n abysses of His Passionwh ich theology has n ever named

,because not even

sain ts have ever imagined thei r exis ten ce . She hasexhausted al l th e poss ibi l it i es of mortal angui sh . Herdolors have outreached the tal l sc i en ce of th e angels .Th ey are know n to non e but Jesus and h erself. At

th is presen t moment sh e i s d raw ing n ear to th e term ofthat w h ich is so nearlv infini te . The mysti cal border isclose at hand . The ou t side of possibl e suffering , l ik eth e end of space , i s i ncon ceivabl e . A few more feetsteps, and sh e w i l l have reached that indescribable poin tof human l i fe . W’

h o w ould h ave d reamed of such apossible sufferin g as the Dead Body of th e Liv ing God ?Th ere i s only one suffering beyond i t : i t i s the partingw i th that Body

,and going back into the w orld alone

,in

such a sol itude as n ever creature know before .

But now th e garden - tomb i s re ached,th e new Eden

870 THE snvsxm DOLOR;

has ever come n igh th is . I t stands al one , a g ri ef wi th~

out a paral le l ; because sh e w ho mourned and Hewhom she mourned w ere al ike incomparable . Perhapsin none of her dolors was there any single iso lat edmomen t tha t for accumulated and intense woe couldbe reckoned along w i th th i s . She was w idowed and or

phane d as none else were before . She sank dow n indepths of w idowhood and orphanhood w hich had n everO pened to any on e else . But w hat are father and mo therand husband and ch i ld to an Incarnate God ? To befatherle ss, motherless , husbandl ess , and ch i ld le ss , h owl i t tl e a measure of grief do th ese d ismal w ords represen tcompared w i th that for w hich th ere i s no real w ord !For a sou l to be Ch rist less i s s imply heathen ism andhel l . For Mary, His own Mother , to be Christless , and0 11 the n igh t of such a day , -oh

,th e sorrow l i es out dark

before us,l ike th e sea at nigh t, and w e know no more !

Al l w h o w ere presen t at the burial genufle cted beforeth e Body , and adored profoundly , and then turned aw ay,as though they w ere tearing th emselves from a strongattracti on , and departed in si lence . Joseph , as St . Mat=

thew tel l s us, ro ll ed a great ston e to th e door of th emonument , and then w en t h is way al so . Mary , w ith

Joh n and Magdalen , return slow ly over th e summit ofCalvary . She w i l l n eed repose after th e terrifi c agonyof that momen t in th e tomb . But repose i s far awayfrom that broken - hearted Mother ye t. Her soul , shat-1

te red by that last assaul t o f suffering , has yet to passth rough a fearful ordeal before sh e reaches th e house ofJohn in Jerusalem . Aft er that , there i s to be no resp i teto th e anguish of h er desolati on for three days

,three

scriptural days , from th is Friday even ing t i l l the daw nof Sunday ’s sun , th e au

'

rora of th e Resu rrec t i on ;The Cross l ies i n th ei r path across Calvary . Th e fatal

tree is st i ll di scern ibl e in th e darkness,for the l igh t of th e

low moon creeps up over the ear th and l igh ts obj ectsfrom below . But i ts d imensi on s look larger and moreswollen than before . Mary rests awh i l e

,and fal ls down

ma“ ”

Em i r. 0 15‘JESUS. 9171

upon her knees to adore th e blood- sta ined Cross . She

k isses the w ood , par t ly as i f i t w ere i n Sign of re concilial

t ion w i th i t after i ts cruel yet blessed offi ce of th e day,

and partly as if it we re the most preci ous obj ect sh e

could touch now that th e Body , wh i ch had hung on i t,was l aid in the tomb , and par t ly also in Sign of love andw orsh ip of the Precious Blood . When Sh e rose up , herl ips w ere stained w i th i t . Dreadful seal of love w hi chthe Son has printed on His Mother’s mouth an d ch e ck ,

from those l ips of His wh ich wer e “ as l i l i es droppingchoice myrrh !” 0 M other ! “ thy cheeks are as th ebark of a pomegranate

,beside what i s h idden w i thi n

thee O Blood- s tain ed mouth,giv ing v oice to that

h eavenly soul,h ow much has passed Si nce thou didst

sing that w onderful Magnificat ! Thy silence now i s ase loquent before God as thy song was thenShe turns from the Cross . Below her l i es th e gui l tyci ty

,magnified and indist in ct in th e murky ai r , w it-h

a few re s t less ligh ts glancing here and th ere , and th e

irregularbroken “

sounds of n igh t ris ing up into th e ai r .There w ere no w ords of reproach upon h er l ips , no lookof reproach i n h er eyes . Sh e ‘ took it all in

, from th e

stately temple to th e outer gateways of th e c ity. Sh e

saw the host of Ti tus beleaguering its w al l s , and th e: mo

th ers that sl ew th ei r l i t t l e on es for food . Sh e saw th e

old pred ilec ti on of God w i thdraw i ng from H i s an cien tSion

,as a golden cloud fol low s the sunset under th e

h ori zon . But she yearned over Jerusal em . Not a w eekhad passed since He Wh Om she had j us t bu r ied had shedtears of vexed love and l ingering fondness ove r thatchosen city of th e God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob .

Sin ce th en ,how had i t don e penance ? Alas ! i t had

crucifi ed Him who w ept,Him w hom its l ittl e ones out

of the i r pu'

re‘h earts had greeted w i th Hosannas . PoorJerusalem ! Sh e knew th at i t Was doomed . But th erewas room in her brok en heart for th e gui l ty ci ty as wel las for th e slaughtered Son . A cloud of beautiful h istoryrests over i ts dreary sanctuaries to th is day, even i n its

3 72 THE SEVENTH not es.

d ishonor ; and Mary’s entrance into i t th at nigh t , next

to the t ears o f J esus , i s on e of the most path e t i c of it smemorial s . l lalf buried in i ts ruins

,no ci ty upon ear th

i s so dear to th e beli eve r’s h eart,a ci t y h e w i l l assu red ly

one day se e ,w hen he goes t o m eet His Sav ior

,whom it

sl ew , come to j udge th e tribes of men in the val ley ofJosaphat hard by . Through th e same ga t e , by w h i chsh e had le ft th e c ity i n th e morn ing , sh e re -entered i tthat n igh t . As men count t ime , some t en h ours or sohad passed ; but i n th e purposes of God , i n th e annal sof grace , in th e ch ron ic les of that broken heart, i t was al ong secular epoch , longer than th e years that had fleds ince Abraham ’s day. I t was th at Friday w h i ch w e

name The Good , partly to veil th e bad deed i t h eld , andpartly because ou t of that inj ust i ce comes to us an infin ity of mercy .

ln order to understand the agony wh ich ou r BlessedMoth er had now to suffer , w e must tak e several ci rcumstan ces into considerati on . The re was too much of th esat i ety of bittern ess in her soul to al low her to feel senSib ly th e pain of hunger . She had not don e so duringth e Three Days ’ Loss . But her l ong fast told gri evouslyupon her strength . No food had crossed her l ips sin ceth e evening before . No s leep had v i s i ted her eyel ids onth e Thursday n igh t, and there was l i tt le hope of h ersleep ing now wh i l e Jesus lay in th e tomb . Moreover,th e tw enty-four hours had been fi l led w i th th e mostaston ish ing events , giganti c mysteries fol low ing eachoth er in almost indistinguishably rapid succession . Her

Soul had been on th e rack of extremest torture theWhol e w h i l e . Her mind , se ren e and capacious as i t was,had been stretched and fa t i gued incessant ly by th e verycomprehension of what was going on around her . Her

nature had been shaken to i ts centre by terror . Sh eh as w orn out by th e bod ily fat igue of standing so manyhours . The very i ntensity of h er sustained adorationhad preyed upon th e suppl ies of h er l ife . That indescr ibable moment in th e tomb had been ecl ip se and

871 THE sw um DOLOR ;

Veri ly Hi s Blood was on them and on thei r ch i ld ren now.

It was an aw ful p i lgrimage,and her heart bled w ithin her

as she made i t . I t i s always a great t rial to lov e to rev is i tscenes of deep sorrow . Even w hen t ime has closed th ew ound

,i t i s a b i tter pai n to bear, bi t-te r although ou r

l ove may drive us to seek i t of ourselves . Eyes w eepthen that have not w ept fo r years . Strong men sob as !i f th ey w ere w eak women

,and are righ tly not ashamed

of i t . Hearts are broken afresh wh ich patien t , dutifu lendurance had pieced together as w e l l as m ight be .Fountains of bi t terness from underneath , l ong closedand almost unsuspected now ,

break up, and flow , andi nundate the soul w ith gal l . All th is, too , tak es placewhen use has blunted th e edge of gri ef, so that i t cannotcut as deeply or as fierily as i t d i d before . But what i sth i s compared w i th Mary’s backw ard way of the Cross,th e second she had made that day ? The pecul iar horror of th e mysteries

,th e incomparable sharpness of th e

anguish,th e crush ed and broken heart of the sufferer

,

h er intense bodi ly fa t igue and fain ting lassi tude,and the

rawness of th e recen t Passion , bear her sorrow far b eyond th e‘ l im i ts of al l comparison .

I n such u nutterabl e w oeful pligh t i t was that th estreets of Jerusalem beheld thei r unknow n queen thatn igh t w end ing her w eary way to the house of John .

Th is was th e home she had receiv ed i n exchange for theHouse of Nazareth . John i s h er son now instead ofJesus . He is th e man and sh e th e w oman . But hemust lean on her , not she on h im . He w ho last n igh tp i l low ed h i s ti red head on th e Sacred Heart o f Jesusmust now ,

i n spi ri t at l east, find h is repose upon theImmaculate Heart of the sorrow ing Mother. The doorclosed upon her . She was now at home . Home ! surelyth e Word was mockery . I t was l ess of a h ome to herthan the chance cav e i s to th e w ounded w i ld beast.How could sh e have a home except where Jesus was ?Beth lehem had been a home , and distan t, fore ign Hel io

p ol is,’

and sequestered Nazareth , and the open h i l l- top

D

THE“

BU’

RIAL or‘

Jnsus. 3 70

ofCalvary , and th e inside of th e garden - tomb . TheyWerehomes, because Jesus made a h ome for her wherever Hetvas. I t was when

“

sh e left the tomb that h er t rue homelessn ess began . The fi rs t s t ep from that sad second Edenwas the beginn ing of her exi le . And John ’s house , too ,—had i t no dreadfu l assoc iations wh ich w ould w eigh theav i ly and haunt dark ly a broken heart ? ¥Vho doesnot know how ,

i n th e ex tremi ty of sorrow , th e eye andthe mind

.busy themselves

,not in despi t e of us , but to

our comple te unconsci ousness , w i th all the minutest de s

tai l s of the p lace i n which we are ? The furn i ture , theposi t ion in w h ich it stands

,th e pic tu res on the wall , the

pa t tern of the carpet,the exac t folds of th e curtains , th e

l ines across the cei l ing,the mou ldings of the corn i ce;

l i t t le th ings that are crooked and aw ry or out of place ,are al l indel ibly transferred to our souls , never to be for?

gott en,and each detai l

,each ou t l ine

,can hereafter b e

come a w el l of dark assoc ia t i ons, repleni sh ing forever th efountains of our tears . So Was i t w i th M ary . In thatroom

,w i th h e r sp i ri t at Gethsemane , sh e had spen t th e

th ree hours of th e agony ; and th e look of th e roombrough t i t a l l babk to he r , l iv ing , and real

,and unbears

able . From th at room she had gone for th w i th Johnand Magdalen to try to gain admi t tance to the house ofth e h igh -priest . To that room sh e had returned w henJesus was th row n into th e dungeon for the nigh t . I n

“

that room she had spent such a vigi l as no oth er motherCould hav e spent w i thout forfei ting ei ther her reason or

h er l ife . And now sh e had cem‘

e‘ back to i t again th emost bereaved , th e; most desolate among al l th e countless creatures of our heaven ly Fa th er

,and al l th i s be;

cause sh e was nearest to Him , and His bes t -beloved .

There , wi th th e s i len t companionship of John and

Magdalen deepening th e utte r sol i tude , she abode fo rmore than four-and - twen ty hours . Her gri ef mean-1

wh il e remained pretern aturally at i ts h eigh t, becausei t i '

as beyond the reach of use and time an d calm .

None could assuage i t bu t God ; and His time was not

fur: snvmm DoLOti.

come ye t. I n fact , i t rather grew than otherw ise . Likeal l d ivine w orks

,i ts d imensi on s w ere i n such exquisi te

p ropor t ion that it l ook ed l ess than i t real ly was. I tsvas tness , wh ich was h idden fro m th e eye

,man i fes t ed

itsel f to experi en ce . The. s torm also grew and th ickenedin her soul w i thou t flash o

'

i sound ; ye t a true and fearful storm i t was, l igh tening invi s ibly in the ve l y cen treof her fixed t ianq u illity, an imprison ed storm , but painful and desolat e exceed ingly . It kept up the sr.iftne ss,energy , and vi tal ity of her sor1 o

'

w,th at i t m igh t pene~

t rate th e more p ie rcin lg y i n to every part of her nature .It settl ed down into th e depths of her soul

,fi ll in g up

eve1 y void , commu t in g to i tse l f, absmb ing, and t ransfo1 111 111g, al l othe r th ings wh ich it. found the 1 e . So thath e r ffai th became an agonv,

h er l ove an agonv ,and even

her hope an agony .

D

Eve ry faculty of her mind was onth e rack . He r reason was deep suffering . Her 1magina~

t ion b 1 ough t wi th its exercise acutest pain . He rmemorythronged into the avenues of every one of h er senses

,

filling

c

th em up w i th fi re and b itte 1n e ss and ten or . Her

w i l l,w eighted w i th all th ese niyste 1 ious dolors h ung

suspended as on a sort of rack , in th e most aagoni zingtensi on , ye t calm and brave , uttering n o cry, l e t ting nos ign of torture pass on its features , but peaceably and

passive ly abid ing al l for God . I t is not imposs ible alsothat th e outward divin e abandonmen t i n w hich sh eivas migh t haVe i ts fearfu l inw ard counterpart, as wasth e case during th e Three Days’ Loss , of which thi sseventh dolor i s i n many Ways i tsel f th e counterpart.It was a complete possession of sorrow ,

a miracu l oustransfiguration of a human life , grander and broaderthan other human l ives, into a l iving impersona t ion ofunutterab l e grie f.Such was th e mystery of th e seventh dolor , or rather

'

of those few ou t sk irts of it w hi ch escape from th e

Secrecy of Mary ’s hear t and come w i th in th e range'

of our l im i ted v is ion . I f i t has been hard to tel l th estory, i t w i l l b e harder st i l l to sp eci fy the pecul iari ties;

3 78 THE SEVENTH Dow n.

suffering i s l ik e wh en th e h eart has go t beyond l i fe’spossib i l i ty of suffering , and th e v ic tim i s k ept al iv e bypow er external to h imself, not pow er wh i ch m i t igatesth e pain or elevat es the capabi l i ty of endurance byal lev iating and consoling , but sh eer pow er of miracle .W

'

c have seen th is even i n her earl i er sorrow s . Now ,

h ere, in l ike manner, w e cannot tel l what grief i s wheni t h as outrun al l th e actual experien ce of th e griefsof men , and attain ed th e sol i tary term beyond wh ich

gri ef cannot go . All possib i l i ti es are fini te ; th e possibilities of gri ef therefore among the rest . He on ly i struly infini te wh o i s n ot a possibi l i ty

,but an E ternal

Simple Act . But what can w e know of th e uttermostterri tori es of possible sorrow ? Only as a mys teriouspl ace w here th e Mother of God has been

,and where sh e

was when sh e kn el t to mak e her las t adoration of th eBody in th e tomb . We cal l i t th e seven th dolor

,and

w e can cal l i t n oth ing else . So far as our i n tel l igen cegoes

,h er th i rd dolor was her greatest . But her seven th

dolor i s beyond our intel ligence,both in k i nd and in

d egree , and th erefore was her greatest in anoth er sen se .The ci rcumstan ces wh i ch formed the material of th esorrow w ere w i th out paral lel on earth . They havehappened on ly once

,and th e u nassi sted sci en ce of th e

w i ses t angel w ould never have dreamed that. such th ingscould hav e happened at al l in the bosom of God’screati on , rife as i t i s w i th unexpected w onders . Mary’sheart also was an in strument unparall el ed on earth

,

now that th e Sacred Heart was cold and motion less inth e tomb . Even when i t l i ved and beat, i ts union w i thth e Div in e Person took i t out of th e parallel . Mary ’sstate at th e close of th is vas t system of dolor , throughwh i ch she had revolved , was al so qui te w i thout paral lel,both in respect of h ol iness

,of pow ers of suffering

, and

of th e m iraculous h olding together of her sha ttered li fe .

Thus every th ing about th i s dolor i s w i thout parallel .We can but shadow forth i n our sp i ri ts some nameless

THE B URIAL or J ESUS. 3 79

immensi ty of grief, and say i t was th e seven th whichour M o ther bore .

Ano ther peculi ari ty of th is dolor,and immediately

connec ted w i th what has been sai d,consi s t ed in its

be ing beyond the reach of consola ti on . I t was th iswh ich kep t i ts b i tter and tempestuous w aves unnatu

ral ly poised in th e ai r during those four-and- tw en tyh ou rs in th e house of John . I t could no t be assuaged .

I t had no pow er of i tse lf to eb b . I t was beyond th elaw s of grief’s common tides . I t had not-hing to dow i th crea tures , and therefore creatures could not min i ster consola t i on to i t . The cruel ty of men and th e rageof devi ls reached to th e dea th upon the Cross . In th efi fth dolor

,therefore

,they found the ir term . Human

agency could not reach th e seventh dolo r . I t struggledfeebly and fain t ly , or at least compara t ively so , i n th esixth ; i t reflected i tself, depi c ted i tse lf, there ; i t fai ledand d i ed out before th e seven th , and fel l sh or t of thatmomen t at th e tomb . Like the th i rd dolor , i ts afflicti on was al toge ther d ivi ne . We may guess th e proportions of a sorrow coming express from God , and fromHim to a creature such as M ary , when compared w i ththe sorrow s men or d evi ls can infli ct . But here

,again

,

w e do not know what i t i s to be beyond the reach ofhuman consola t i ons . Men tel l us , w i th th e usual flattery of comfort or th e mon itory commonplaces of edification ,

that our griefs are beyond human consolation .

But i t i s not really so . Time consoles us inevi tably ,even though i t may do its w ork tardi ly . K i ndness consoles us

,even while i t i r ritates us . Li fe consoles us by

th e ve ry importun i ty of i ts distract-i on s . B ut M ary wasfur th er removed even than this . She was beyond theconsolations , not on ly of common grace , but of that prod igiou s grace wh ich she h erse lf brough t down from thetop of Calvary . What i s a creature li ke who i s beyondthe consola t i ons bo th of nature and of an unparal le ledgrace , and whom God Himself can alone console by immediate un ion w i th H imse l f ?

3 80 THE SEVENTH DOLOR .

We think of those wh o l i e on th e bl eak confines ofc reat ion

,i n eternal exi le from thei r Father . Oh , w oe

i s thei r unut terable and yet i neradicabl e l ife ! Yetthere th e m igh ty cloud of an unansw erable j us t i ce castssometh ing soft en ing and tolerabl e over the i r endlesssol itude of pa in

,by th e v ery fact that i t renders it

even to th ei r black ened sp ir it s so confessedly reasonable . But Mary was beyond consolat ion , even whensh e was merit ing more d iv i ne sw eetnesses than al l th eangels and th e sain ts togeth er . So that sh e i s not tobe paral le led for woe of that k ind , even w i th the lost .Moreover

,i f w e may so dare to speak , l ove i s i n some

sense a more energeti c agen t than justice . Thus therei s a sense in wh ich an inconsolab le desolat ion preparedby eternal love to i nfl ic t suffering must be a more penetrative and overwh elming th ing than an inconsolabl edesolat ion prepared by eternal j usti ce for th e pun ishmen t of sin . Nay , the Blood of Jesus somew hat quel l sth e fierceness of the flames of hel l ; whereas i t was thatv ery Blood w h ich was k indling th e flames i n Mary ’ssoul and h eating th e furnace of her heart sevenfoldhotter than i t was before . So that even th e desolat ionof th e l os t may not compare i ts el f i n i ts excess w i ththat mysti cal i nconsolab l e affl i ct i on wh i ch was God ’slast trial o f His Mo ther’s h eart . Even He , so seemed i t,had no more proofs whereby unutterab le sancti ty m igh tbe estab l ished .

But there are some l esser pecul iar i ti es,ly ing on th e

outside of th i s s eventh dolor,wh ich w e must n ot omi t

to notice . we saw that th e loneli ness of th e six thdolor had not yet reached the poin t of desolation

,b e

cause Mary st i l l had th e compani onsh ip of th e Body .

I t became desolation w hen the great stone was rol ledto the door of th e monumen t and she w en t forth fromthe garden of H is sepul t-ure . This has been a w el lknown moment i n the gri ef of al l of us . All was notover when death was over . lVe spoke of th e l i felessframe in the mascul ine or fem in in e

, as i f th e body was

882 THE SE VENTH DO LOR .

fold fountain of sorrow , bo th i n thei r con trasts andthe i r simi li tudes . I l i s imprisonmen t in the tomb wasan image t o her of the n ine mon ths He had spen t i nh er blessed w o mb . B u t she had borne l l im then herse l f ovcr the h il l - coun t ry of J udea , w i th sw i ftes t exu ltation ,

whi l e each though t was a M agn ifi ca t w i th inh er sou l . Joseph of Arimathea reminded her of h imw ho was chosen of al l men by the E ternal Fa ther to beth e foster- father of J esus . Bu t h e had gone to sleeppeaceably

,w i th h i s head on th e bosom of Jesus ; w hi l e

Joseph of Arima thea was j us t re versing th e pleasan tsadness of that olde r mystery . l 'Vh en she laid Jesus i nth e tomb , and arranged the w i nding- shee t , sh e remem~

bered the crib of th e manger,w here i n she had laid

IIim at Be th lehem . But be tw een the crib and th e

tomb there was all th e vast interval whi ch l ie s b etw een the poles of Ch ristian devo t i on

,Chri s tmas and

Passion - tide . The two mys teries w ere so al ike , and

ye t so d ifferen t ! He was more helpless now thanever He was th en . \Yb e t was l ove l i est obedi encethen is rigid passiven ess now . His s i lence was volun

tary then ; so i s i t now , but w i th a d ifferen t k ind ofw i l l . He had noti ced her then ; He takes no not icenow . Wh en He slep t as a Babe , and His eyes w ereclosed

,sh e knew that He was th inking , l oving , wor

sh ipping,al l the w h i l e ; and His Sl eep was i n i t self a

beau ty and a charm . But now th e Hear t was coldand mo t i onless ; w orsh ipful , because of i ts un ion w i ththe Godhead

,but not beating w i th consci ous love of

her . They had had on e strange un ion sin ce Hisdeath . I t was when sh e had knel t w i th Him e x

tended on her arms, and they two toge ther had madeth e figure of one Crucifix , and i t was nei ther al togetherJesus w ho was crucifi ed , nor altogeth er Mary , but God

’son e v ict im ou t of two l i ves . That was a figure, w i th as t rong d iv in e l igh t upon i t, n ever to be forgot ten ,though w e should soon s ink ou t of our depth in its

th eo logy of love .

THE BURIAL or J ESUS. 83

Yet th e Passi on was there as we l l as th e Infancy .

They met upon that ground . That marble Body , m anystreaked w i th intertw i sted red and l ivid blue, was nomonumen t of Bethleh em . The whole Passion was

elaborately w ri tten out upon His l imbs ; nay , i t i s gor

ge ously i l luminated on H is Hands and Feet and Sideth is hour i n h eaven . Those instruments of th e Passion ,too

,th e se prec ious rel i cs wh ich are deposi ted in th e

tomb,tel l not of Beth lehem and Nazareth

,but of Jeru

salem and Calvary,of the Praetorium and of Golgotha .

Others touch ing,handling

,carrying Him rather than

hersel f,— th is painful characteri sti c of the Passion ,

w h ichhad ou t so deep into her soul in the fourth dolor , wasrenew ed in th e six th and seventh . I t was a sort oftoken of th e presen ce of th e Passi on . B ut tokens w erehardly needed

,and

,i f presen t

,w ere scarcely perceptib l e

in a myste ry w h i ch breathed th e aromati c bi tter of th ePassion i n al l i ts beari ngs and i n each minutest in ciden t .I n the Sacred I nfancy Sh e had none to lean thei r w eigh ton her w eariness and w eakness ; for sh e and Josephboth l eaned on Jesus

,and rest

,and peace , and j oy are

al l one abid ing th ing to those wh o l ean on Him . Butsh e had to carry th e Church in her heart at the Passion ,

When Jesus died,Peter

,the Rock , l ean ed h i s repentan t

faith and love on hers . She uph eld by her gen tl ebravery both John and Magdalen . Joseph and Nicodemus w ould scarcely have had n erv e to detach theBody from th e Cross i f sh e had not been there to ihspi re them w ith her own tender fort i tude . Yet th i sl ean ing of oth ers made h er hear t ache . I t was a freshsorrow of i tself. I t multipl i ed th e number of dearhearts in wh ich sh e had to sufi

’er, whi le i t was also a

strain upon her own . The Passi on reached i ts heigh t inMary , not when the Soul of Jesus sank th rough th egreensw ard at the foot of th e Cross

,but during that

final moment at th e tomb .

Her e also the Three Days’ Loss , that mystery wh ichsh in es apart, finds some thing like its fellow . Th e

3 84 THE sE‘

ENTH DOLOR .

essen ce of th e sorrow i s th e same in both cases . I t i sthe loss of J esus . Th e t ime which th e loss endures ismys teriously the same . There i s the same absence ofhuman agency and secondary causes . The occupa t ionsof th e abs en t J esus are no t al ik e in both cases . In th e

fi rs t h e was i l lum ina t ing the doc tors of i l i s na t i on . In

the second l ie was giv ing bea t if‘ic ligh t. i n th e l imbus ofthe Fa thers , the older d oc t ors of l lis peopl e . Therewas a J oseph t o sorrow w i th M ary a t the t omb

,as there

had been a Joseph t o so rrow w i th h e r i n the templ e ;and bo th Josephs w ere th e ch orce of God Himself. Th e

na ture of the suffe ring was the same in bo th cases , b ecause it came fro m a d iv in e abandonmen t . Desola t i onwas equally the form of sorrow then and now . She hadlos t l l im bo th t imes in the same place , j us t ou t s ide th ega t es of J erusalem . There can b e l i t t l e doubt tha t theThree Davs

'

Loss w as a prophe t i cal foreshadow i ng of th epresen t separa t i on . Bu t the ; e was on e no tab le excep t i onto all these s imi l i tudes . The darkn ess i n th e seven thdolor arose from th e ot

'

consola t ion . Th e

darkness in tne third was a myszc rious ordeal of superna tural w n e rane e . Here sh e knew every th ing . Shehad wa t c h ed th e Pass ion t o i t s c lose w i th hero ic fidel i ty .

Sh e had embalmed l l im herself. She had helped t o layl im in the tomb . She kn ew w here l ie was and how Hehad been los t , and she knew o . the Resurre c t i on thatwas t o come on E ast er morn in g Bu t as on e deepcal le t h to another i n the ways of God , so , doub t less ,th e th i rd dolor cal l s t o t he seventh , an d th e echoe sansw er t o the ca ll . The vo ices o f bo th agree in t el l in gus tha t th e v bo th have ab vsse s which w e canno t sound ,

.nd tha t b e vond th e deep places , in wh ich w e haven ear-iv l os t ourselves , there are deeper p laces s t i l l , w hichw e suspec t no t .Bu t. th e seven th dolor has a prerogat ive of it s own .

The llvpostatic Un ion had l on g bee n an obj ec t of bl iss

fu l con templat i on to M ary , jus t as i t was th e w ork of Godinto which th e del ighte d sc ience of th e angels most de

3 86 THE SEVENTH

and Mary m inistered to both th e mysteries . The grie fwh ich th is appal l ing separat ion caused in Mary ’s h eartmust have resembled in i t s pai n th e d i sruption w hi chcaused i t , and i t i s one of those th ings w hich have tos tand alone , because God w i l led that they should bemysteries w i thou t mates in His vast crea t i on .

Thus i t appears that this seven th dolor was a sort ofcen tre

,or a harbor , in w hi ch al l th e tariou s l in es of

'

mys teries of the Th i rty-Three Years converged . Be thlehem and Calva ry , Nazareth and Jerusalem ,

th e I n fan cyand the Passion , th e Boyhood and the Mini stry , w ereal l represen t ed here .

’

The possib i l i t i es o f so rrow w ereexhausted . Simeon ’s last sw ord i s sh eathed i n th e

Mo ther ’s heart . I f n on e can tell the sorrow th at sh ebore

,so non e can tel l th e h oliness she reached . Th e

fren zy of man ’s si n and the pressure of divine just ic ehad separated the Body and Sou l of Jesus . Bo th ofth em combined could do n o more ; and so the Passionended . Mary ’s w oes hav e been moun t ing , various i nthei r cruelty , i nven ti v e i n thei r ru thles s tortures , andw i th her too separa t i on i s th e las t . She is separa tedfrom Jesus

,from His Soul first o f al l i n the fi fth dolor

,

and from His Body now . He r las t separat i on i s fromthat wh ich sh e herself gav e Him , His Sacred Flesh .

Man ’s si n and the ever-blessed cruel ty of d ivin e lov eh ave forced th e Mother and th e Son asunder, thoughfor i~hre e ~and~ thirty years th eir un ion had been secondto none in creati on , save that of the Hypostati c Union .

Jesus was w ithout Mary , and Mary was w i thout Jesus ,that dark est o f al l desolation s wh i ch th e ev i l on e andheresy can imagin e i n order to rob a poor perish ingworld of th e Precious Blood . Ah

,venerable Simeon !

thy last sw ord i s indeed sheath ed in th e Mo ther’s heartThou hast departed in peace

,accord ing to thy prayer .

Thou art gladden ing thysel f now i n th e l ight of Jesus .Yet thy peace beyond th e grave i s n ot more glor iousthan that peace of hers

, wh ich for th ese so many yearsthy prophecy has turned into inexpressibl e bi tterness !

THE BURIAL or J ESU S 3 87

From these pecul iari t i es of th e seven th dolor w e mayturn now to th e disposi t i on s i n w hi ch our BlessedMo ther suffered it . I t was the characteristi c of ourLady ’s hol iness that i t consisted i n a perfect

,corre

Sp ondence to grace . All'

h olin e ss i s of course simply acorrespondence to grace ; bu t w i th ordinary men ,

an deven w i th the saints

,there is a great deal of failure

,of

fluctuat i on , of fal l ing and then rising again , and conse

quen t ly of imperfect corresponden ce to grace . Self-w i l ld iver ts grace from its l egi t imate channel , and impressesi t s ow n charac t er even upon i t s d iv in e action . Sin alsol eaves i ts prin t s and vest iges even upon our h ol iness .Temper and disposi t ion too are clearly cogni zable i nth e struc ture when i t i s completed . Thus th ere i s someth ing human

,some th ing special

,some t-h ing strongly

savoring of thei r na tural ben t and indiv idual character,

in th e hol iness of the sain ts . By i t w e dis t inguish onesaint from

_

an other . I t i s an a ttract ion to our devotion ,a s t imulus to exci t e us

,a model to copy . Th is ari ses

from thei r san c ti ty no t being merely a correspondenceto g race

,but a. resul t of struggle , of tempta t i on s , revolu

t ion s,catas t rophes

,and ev en ruinous acc idents . I t i s

a. divin e w ork,but i nextri cably m ixed up w it-h w hat i s

human . I t i s almost a beauty in our eyes that i t sh oul dbe so . Our Ladv’s hol iness was of quite a differen tcha ‘ac ter . I t was a s imple , unmixed , unthw arted ,

perfe c tlv accompl ished tran smutation of grace into hol in ess

,w i thou t delay

,as th e fresh grace came . Hen ce i t

i s al togeth er a d ivin e w ork , sustained by a human w i l l .Sin has l eft no t race there . There i s no vestige ofcatas t roph e

,bu t only the beauti ful un iformi ty of calm

and equable law acting w i th resi s t less pow er u pon themost glorious theatre i n unspeakable pacifi c maj es ty .

There is no alloy w i th the pure gold,and

,as far as our

dim eves can see,bu t l i t t l e indiv idual character . Not

th at she was w i thout ch aracter of her ow n,and doub t-l ess

a v ery mark ed one . But i t i s too near God for us to se ei t . I t i s h idden in th e vi cin i ty of the into lerable l ight,

3 88 THE SEV ENTH DO LO R .

as a planet would be i f i t l ay close to th e shores of th esun . I t i s th i s d iv in e purity of her hol iness wh ich

,

when w e reflect maturely upon i t, i s far more w onderfulthan i ts colossal prepor t ions , and dist inguish es h er w itha more nearly i nfini te d ist inc t ion from the saints .A s ingl e grace from God i s a marvel lous th ing .

Theologians have said that one commun ion is enoughto make a sain t . Even i n th e very commonest gracese xperience sometimes enables us to di scover th e mostmanifold capabi l i ti es

,the most in credible power of

duration,the most extraordinary empire over th e soul .

I t seems occasi onal ly as i f a single grace was some t imesa fountain of sp iri tual m iracles w i th in us

,or had pow er

e nough of i tse lf to turn th e helm of our whole l ives,and to contain al l heaven and the w id th of etern ityw i th in i ts own compass . A sai nt perhaps correspondsto a thousand th part of His grace , w e to much l ess . So

far i s our meanness, even w hen i t strives , from matchingth e free magn ificen ce of God . But a grace correspondedto instan t ly brings anoth er grace, and that anoth er , andso on th rough an endless serie s r i sing i n number , i nmul t i tude

,i n beauty

,and in effi cacy . Thus the i rre

sistible sw i ftness of the process of sanctification dawnsu pon u s almost as a th ing to fear . The possib i l i t i es ofsanc t i ty cannot be thought of w i thout trembl ing . Theholiness of creatures dazzl es us , w hi l e the hol iness ofth e Creator seems ever remov ing and removing furtheroff from us, at th e very t ime i t i s d raw ing us onwardtoward itsel f i n breath less adorat i on . But our imperfeet correspondence frustrates th e w ork . lVe t i e up th el iberal i ty of God . We squander, corrupt , di lute Hisgrace

,even w hen w e use i t, and w e delay as i f w e w i sh ed

to let it stand and evaporate and lose i ts pecul iar celestial freshness before w e tak e h eart to use i t . Thus , ifw e may reveren tly say i t

,God w i th His grace in men’s

soul s i s l ik e a man whose though ts are el oquent andbeautiful , but who has not the gift o f speech , and cannot u tter them, or on ly in a stammer ing way wh ich both

3 90 THE SE V ENTH DOLOR.

on tow ard h er and happy i s h e whose l ove for h e r isever grow ing . He i s enj oy ing in t ime one of the choi ces tbl isses of e t ern i ty .

This v iew of M arv ’s hol iness , that i t i s a purely d ivinew ork , because i t. i s snnp ly God

’

s own grace real i zed,and

real i zed t o the u tmost , by correspondence , no t onlygives us th e t rue h eigh t. of h e r san c t i ty

,and show s that

i t s w orld -w id e d imensions are no t magnifi ed by anym is t s of affec t i ona t e exaggerat ion , and tha t all tha t. eve rhas been said of her by Bernard

,Bernardine

,and th e

rest , i s far below th e l evel of her t remendous grandeur,but it also expla ins to us the d iffi culty w e have in ge t t ingany c l ea r con cep t i ons of h er in terio r disposi t ion s . In

th e fi rst place , w e are obl iged to use the same w ords toexpress correspondence to d ifferen t graces . lVe speakof her conformi ty t o the w i l l of God ,

or her generosi ty,

o r her fort i tude , or her un ion ,w hen the change of

c ircumstances and the vary ing refinements of grace havecaused th e w ords really t o mean differen t things atd iffe ren t t imes . “r

e have not keenness or sub tle tv ofspiri tual di scernmen t to d istinguish betw een these n ice~

t i es of grace,these Shad ings of h eaven ly beau ty . Yet

w e know them to be so real , that one Shade of one ofMar y ’s graces w ou ld produce a differen t k ind of sain tfrom ano th er shade of th e same grace ; and w e knowthem also to be so great and pow erful , that each singl eshade of any one of h e r graces could fil l w i th col or andsplendor th e souls of a mul t itude of saints , or the sp i ri t sof a h ierarchy of angels . But there i s such a th ing asan eloquen t stamme rin o w hen w e are d iscoursin g onth e th ings of God : and w e mus t speak , even thoughwhat w e sav i s far below w ha t w e mean , and what w emean i s bu t a w avering l ik eness of the real i t y which w esee bl indedly i n th e burning fi res of th e majesty of

In th e second place i f Mary ’s hol iness consi sts i ntranqu il

,adequate

,congen ial correspondence to grace

,

i t is that correspondence which must give th e'

name and

THE B URIAL or J ESUS. 891

ch aracter to her di sposi tion s . But, i f th e graces are farout of our sigh t

,i f thei r abysses are n ot regis t ered in our

theology, (and w h o can l ay dow n soundings for th e un

fa thomable ?) then must h er correspondence also be farou t of our s igh t

,and w i th i t th ose conceivable dis~

posi tion s wh ich form her i nteri or lovel in ess and grandeur . We can do n o more than hazard guesses , and

imagin e shad ow s , which shal l stand for those i nvi siblereal it i es . \Ve can but mak e calculat i ons , and th enallow for errors from our know l edge of the superlativ eexcel lence of th e Mother of God , and then le t the sumstand

,not as an accuracy

,but as a mere help to gett ing

an idea . Each succeeding dolor the diffi cul ty of speaking of her disposi t i on s has been greater ; and ye t w ecould no t be si lent

,because her disposi t ions w ere th e

graces of h er sorrow s i n b lossom , passing on to the fru itof sol id h ol iness . For M ary was no mere monumen t ofmarvels

,upon wh ich God had hung external d ign i t i es

,

and end less banners,and figurat iv e emblems , and the

external spoi l s of a redeemed w orld . The bew i lderingglory outs ide— and truly i t was bew i ldering— was asnoth ing compared to that wh ich was w i thin . M ary was acrea ture , a w oman , a moth er, a suffe re r ; and by stu p endous corr espondence to them sh e had made God ’s gift sh er own . They are at th i s momen t not mere ornamen t s

,

or priv i leges,or decorations , or offi ces con ferred , or

preroga t ives communicated , or even inal i enable j ew elsn ei ther are they simple attributes

,or perfections referred

to her , or glories separable from her , or w onders p red icated of h er , or meri ts impu te d t o her ; i n heaven theyare Mary’s own sel f, h er own human ,

maternal,charac

te ristie , lov ing , quie t sel f ; a self w h ich i s in glory w hatGod made i t tw ice ove r , i n natu re and in grace . Oh ,

i ti s sw ee t to th ink that our Heaven ly Fathe r has such adaugh t er , to be ever at His fee t w orsh ipping Him w i thth e l i t t l e grea tness of h er lov e !Of al l th e in terior d isposi t ion s of th e saints

,that

Wh ich strik es us as the most magn ificen t,more magn i

THE SEVENTH DO LO R .

ficent than th e Spi ri t of mart y rdom , i s that of perseve rance i n a complete sacrifice . Perseverance i s in i tsel fth e most uncreature like of graces . I t i s as if th e immu

tab ility of the Creator had dropped l ik e a man t l e uponth e creature , and became h im w ell . There i s someth ingat once more graceful i n its movements and more heroi ci n i t s d emeanor than characteri zed the beaut iful fervorin w h ich th e soul i rrevocably commi tted itself to thefi rs t generous sacrifi ce . There i s more of heaven in i t sstatel ine ss , wh i l e there i s also more of a man

’s own i nthe courage of th e sustained effort . But th e glory ofpersev eran ce i s greatly increased when i t i s i n a com

p le te sacrifice . There is a comple teness and un i ty aboutthe w hol e w ork

,which seems to render i t an offerin g

w orthy of th e d iv ine compassi on . Strange to say , wh i lemany souls fai l under the effort wh i l e th e sacrifice i s ye ti ncomplete

,there are not a few wh o dishonor i t i n i ts

completeness . Nature gives way an d seeks repose ,w hen

i t has attain ed th e summi t th at was before i t ; and i tseldom happens on ear th that the re i s n ot some th ingignoble and unw or thy abou t repose . O thers look backon what th ey have done almos t w i th coward ly regret ;for i t i s rarely th e case that any sacrifice i s s t ri c t ly speaking complete in i tself. A man has commit ted h imself byit to some thing fur ther , som e th in cY h igh er . All effortsin the spi ri tual l i fe , properly speaking , have to be sus~tained t i l l th e end . The diffi cul ty , and therefore th ecostl iness , of perseve ran ce , consi s t s in i t s tensi on neverbeing relaxed . I t i s on th is accoun t. that perseverancei s an uncreature lik e grace , a supernatural s imil i tude ofGod . O thers again do not

,regre t th e efforts expended

or the sacrifices made ; but they look a t once for th ei rrew ard . Th ev l ow er th e n obi l i ty of w hat th ev havedon e by a wan t of d i si nterestedness . ‘Ve are n otoffended w h en li t t l e serv i ces look for the i r rew ard . Butgreat servi ces remind us of God

,and do not l ook so

palpab ly unw orthy of Him , and therefore they offend usby the mention of. the ir recomp ense . So i t i s , that in

3 94 mm: ss Nrn bot ort;

other graces i t finds a place that fi ts i t . Ye t saints,who have l oved such suffering as creatures cou ld infl i c t upon them ,

have sh runk from t hose processes ofsufferi ng which God Himself immedia tely imposes onthe sou l . Many

,w ho have w i l l i ngly par ted w i th th e

l igh t o f th e ear th , have draw n back trembling fromthe darkness of heaven , w hen it threaten ed to descend upon them

,and have aver ted i t by the energy

of th ei r prayers . There h ave been sain t s , who for

th e love of God w ould forego His sp iri tual swee tnesses an d consolat ions , wh o yet could not bear tohave His blessed Sel f laid upon them as a dreadinstrument of mysterious pain . The cloudy sol i tudesof d ivine abandonmen t have been trodden by veryfew ,

and they for th e most part, when they had ens

te red i n to th e obscurity , le t us know h ow far th ey hadadvanced by the cri es of anguish w hich escaped fromthem , as from w ounded eagles , i n thei r torture . JesusH imse lf had cri ed aloud as He sank dow n in to thatappal l ing death . Mary , i n th i s dolor, was al low ed totry th is per i l ous descen t

,and to share s t i l l fur ther

than sh e had don e beneath th e Cross th e derel ic t i onof our Blessed Lord . As th is came u pon Him at theend of His Passion , as th e crow n ing sorrow ,

j ustwhen i t was l east possible for nature to endure i t, soh ers came on her at th e end of her Compassion , asth e crown ing dolor, when suffering had left naturebut as a w reck amid th e abounding w aters of d ivinestgrace . The two sorrow s , His and hers , ended i n th esame

“

mysteri ous d iv in e affl i c t i on,w h i ther w e cannot

reach , bu t w here w e know that out of speech less woeth ere rose unut terabl e beau ti ful l igh t from out the irsouls , which w orsh ipped God w i th th e perfection of ore

“

ti t-cd w orsh ip , carry ing , as on some mighty resi st-lesswave , th e offer ing of human lov e far beyond th e h ighest

poin t w hich th e t ide of angel i cal in tell igence was eve rknow n to reach.

There are also two grow th s of hero ic sorrow wh i ch

eras swam or JESUS. 895

We must riot forget to noti ce , and wh ich we may assuredly reckon among h er d isposi t i ons in thi s dolor,th e sp iri t of intercess ion and the sp iri t of thanks

giv ing . The products of grace are not unfrequentlyth e contradict-ories of nature , even wh i le they aregrafted upon them . .t w ould seem as if th e naturalresul t of sorrow w ere to mak e us selfish , by forc iblyoccupying Us w i th ourselves , and concen trating our attention upon our sufferings . Yet w e know that th eproper grace of sorrow i s unselfishness . I t i s as i fthe ve ry

'multitud e of th ings w e had to bear madel arge room in our hearts , and caused a le isurelytran qui l l i ty th ere

,wh ich enabled us to th ink of

oth ers,and to leg islate w i th th e most minute and

foreseeing con siderati on for th e ir comfort . The spi ri tof in tercession i s part of th e unse lfishn ess wh ichcomes from th e sanctification of sorrow . Our kindli‘

ness tow ard othe rs takes espec ial ly a re ligi ous andsupernatural form, because w e are bearing our sorrowin th e presence , of God , and our whol e being i s soft=

ened by i t, and draw n in to deeper and more h earven ly relations w i th Him . The sp iri t of intercessi onbelongs to h earts , w hi ch are v i ctims

,— v i ctims

,volan

tary or involuntary, of God’s lov ing justi ce . Every

Christian wh o i s i n sorrow i s so far forth a l ivingcopy of Chri st Crucified , and the spi r i t of expiat ion i san i nev i table element in h i s grace . Moreover , humanagen ts are general ly more or l ess concerned w i th ourgr iefs , and , for th e most part, not innocently or unin ten tional ly so; and our though ts, i n being occupiedw i th ourselves, are necessari ly occupi ed w i th th em .

Thus Jesus prayed for His murderers upon the Cross.Thu s th e martyrs prayed for the ir tormentors . Thus ,also , to w rong a saint h as general ly been th e royalroad to h is choi cest prayers . Who can doubt, therefore , and especial ly i n those cr i t i cal circumstan ces ofth e world and ou t of the ‘ very abysses of th e myste ries of redeeming grace, that Mary

’s soul, the more

3 96 THE SEVENTH Dome .

i t. was overwhelmed w i th th e w aters of b itterness,w i th al l the more quie t i n tensi ty poured i tsel f out ono thers ? and inasmuch as her p rayers w ere h er t reasures

,treasures that could enri ch th e w orl d far be

yond i ts own suspi cion or bel i ef, i t w ould n e ce ssa

ri ly be i n in tercession that th e largeness and exuberance of he r lov e found ven t, espec ially when th i ssp i r i t of in tercession was, at the same t ime , th e mos tefficac ious repara t ion to Jesus for th e w rongs He hadsus tained .

Bu t, wh il e san ctified sorrow melts the h eart in k indline ss tow ard o thers , much more does it

.

absolu te lyl iquefy i t , to use the favori te w ord of mysti cal w ri ters,i n k ind lin ess toward God ; and th i s, in the same spi ri tof con trad ict ion to nature , takes the form of thanks.

giv ing . On natural princ iples , th e times of sorrow arethe t imes w hen w e have least to thank God for ; butto an en ligh tened and d i scern ing fai th they are th et imes in to whi ch blessings are mi raculously com

pressed,miraculously bo th for number and for great

n ess . Yet even here there i s some th ing also wh ich i sdeeply natu ral . When a friend has w ounded us inany way, hi s change of conduct somehow brings outh is lov e for us i n our hearts, and the past i s brigh tlymagn ifi ed from beh ind the presen t cloud . Thus inour relat ions w i th God , sorrow makes u s feel our ownunw orthi ness more deeply

,so that th e contemplation

of past merc i es fi l ls u s w i th an humble aston ishment,whose on ly voice i s wonder ing praise and the thanksgiv ing of happy tears . This i s that glori fyi ng of Godi n the fi res, wh ich i s one of th e magnificence s oftri ed souls . As w e c rush th e aromati c leaves of th ecypress and the bay to extract the i r fragrance fromthem

,so God presses our hearts t i l l they bleed , th at

th ey may w orsh i p H im w i th th e perfume of the irgrati tude , and draw Him closer to themsel ves w i ththe new del igh t and l ove Wi th wh ich they insp ireHis compassion and H is tendern ess. Who can doubt


righ t and best and mos t beaut i ful , because i t is from H im .

His w ord i s d eare r t o us than know ledge , eas ie r to readthan proof, and nes t les deeper i n our h earts than a convic tion . Ye t neve r was fai th exercised under such ci r~

cumstance s as by Mary in th is dolor, never was fai thgreat er

,nor ever fai th more tranqu i l . The fa i th of th e

whole. of th e l i t t l e sca t tered Church was in h er ; and therei s no t more fai th to day in the w hole of th e huge w orld »

wid e Church Mi l i tant than was i n her single heart thatnigh t .All th is gi ves us but a fain t idea of th e inw ard beauty

of our Blessed Lady in th e endurance of th is seven thdolor . Unknow n graces w ere accompani ed by unknowndispos i ti on s . The heigh ts wh ich sh e h ad reached areinaccessibl e to our mysti cal th eol ogy . God on ly can tel lhow beau t i ful sh e was w i th in , and in to w hat new un ion sw i th Himself sh e had by th is last sorrow been permit t edto enter . I t i s enough for us to know th at, nex t to theBody of Jesus , her immaculate heart was the most wonderfu l th ing on earth that n igh t .The seventh dolor contains al so many le ssons for our

selves, which are quite wi th in the scope of those wh o areendeavoring to serve God i n an ord inary way,

whi le at th esame t ime , l ik e a l l th e o ther sorrow s of our B lessed MO

ther, i t call s us to serv e H im w i th a h igher , more detached ,and more d isi n terested l ov e than w e have ever don ebefo re . We learn from th e prompti tude wi th whi chsh e left th e tomb to do h er work , and to fulfi l in h ercheerless desol ation th e w i l l of God , how w e oursel v esshould put du ty before al l oth e r considerat ion s , and , in

compari son w i th i t , estimate as noth ing th e h ighestsp i ri tual consolati on s . Now , as i f Providen ce arrangedit so on purpose , duty seem

‘

s often to lead from the sensibl e enjoyment of Jesus . , Even in common domesticl i fe th e unse lfishness of dai ly chari ty w i l l l ead us tosacrifi ce w hat l ooks l ik e a rel igious advantage , to forfei twhat it i s hard not to pe rsuade ourselves i s a spi ri tualimprovement, for an agreeablen ess wh i ch others do not

ram“

st em: or ”3 50 8 . 2399

particularly value , and w hich ap pears to be only a grow thof acqui red po li ten ess o r of natura l k indl iness

,and not

at al l an obedience to a superna tural bidd ing of grace .I t i s hard at al l times to persuade ourselves tha t there isno spi ri tual advan tage to be compared to th e giv ing upof our own w i l l , and that pet ty mortifications, w hichcon cern our own pri vate w ays

,and the use of our time ,

and‘

hab its even of devo t i on , are , so long as they are

lpainfu l to us , among the h ighest methods of sanctificas

t i on . I t i s necessary to add, so long as they are p ainful to

as, for, unl ike oth er mortifications, when they cease tobe pain ful they cease to be mor t ifi cations

,and become

symptoms of th e w orld having got th e better of us,and

then unfortunately there i s no discre t i on left us but th eapparently selfi sh rudeness of those w h o have real causeto be afraid about the i r souls . If the ordinary ci vi l i ti esof soc iety may often c laim our time and attention at th eseeming sacr ifice of sp i ri tual sweetness and commun ionw i th our Lord

,much more impera t i ve i s the j urisdi c tion

Whi ch charity may law fu l ly exercise ove r us i n th isrespect . Unfor tunately sp i ri tual i ty tends to be se lfish .

Our nature i s so bad that good th ings acquire ev i l proo

p e nsitie s from the ir un ion w i th us , and i t i s the bestth ings Which have the w ors t p ropensi ties . So even th elove of ourBlessed Lord , w hen discretion does not guidei t

,may interfere w i th our love of oth e rs, and so come at

last to be an untrue love of Him . Un true , because merelysen t imen tal ; for there i s no div in e love wh ich is not atthe same time self-denying . To have to give up our ownw ays to those of oth ers

,to have our times of prayer at

hours wh ich w e disl ik e , to accommodate our hab i ts of

pi e ty to the habi ts of oth ers , i s certainly a del icate andperi lous process

, one need ing great d iscre tion , safe d is‘

creti on , and an ab iding fear of w orldl iness . Ne v erth e

l ess , it i s often a most needfu l means of sanctification ,

e special ly to th ose w hose dut ies,heal th , or posi tion do

not al low th em to lead mort ifi ed and penitential l i ves .The use of time, whe th er we conside r th e annoying

400 THE SEVENTH Dot ofi .

w earin ess of punctual i ty and the supernatural captivityof regular hours

,or whe ther w e look at the unwelcome

in te rrup t ion s and somewhat excessi ve demands upon i tmade b y th e in consideraten ess and importun i ty of o thers ,i s a mos t copious source of v igo rous and brac ing mortifi~

ca t ion for those w h o are t ry i ng to love God purely amidth e i nev i table fol l ies and mul t i fari ous d istrac t i ons of th ew orld . I t i s the especial mortification of pri es ts . But,i f manners and chari ty may law fully d raw us from th esensible enj oyment of Jesus , i t w ould be s imply unlaw fulto deny the c la ims of du ty to compel such an act of sel f‘

den ial . Ye t it i s a poin t i n wh i ch pious people , espe*

c ially beginners , almos t in variab ly fai l . There are fewhouseho lds or neighborhoods i n wh i ch th e sp i ri tual l i fehas go t an unj us t ly bad name

,w here the misch ief has

not been caused by th e i ndiscret ion of an i l l - regulatedpie ty in th is respect

, and ,w hi l e i t i s to be hoped that w e

l ook upon such households or neighborhoods w i th anen t i rely unsympathe t i c co ldness , i t i s n ot the less sadtha t the ev i l should be there, because it i s n ot the lesst rue that our Blessed Lord i s the sufferer Beginnerscannot easi ly persuade th emselves that Jesus can bemore real ly anywhere than in th e sensible enj oymentsof i n tercourse w i th H im . The more advanced soulsknow w el l that Jesus unfel t i s a greater grace than Jesusfel t , i n a mul t i tude of in stan ces ; ye t even with themprac t i ce fall s below know l edge

,because nature rebels to

the very last against whatever l imi t s the prerogat ives ofsense.I f M ary sou gh t for n o consolat ion i n th e h ouse ofJohn, bu t abandoned hersel f the re to her desolation t il lEaste r morning

,does i t not seem as i f th ere was some

k ind of j us t ifica t i on fo r those w h o cher ish th ei r griefand brood over it ? “r

e must d istinguish . Gri ef ind ivin e th ings so far d iffers from grief arising fromear th ly losses and bereavements

,that w e have no righ t

to pu t i t away from ourse lves , or to seek consolat ion,un t i l the impulses of grace b id us do so . The suffering

402 THE SEVENTH DOLOR .

darkness would not be more w elcome far than ligh t.But the darkness of the absence of Jesus i s

,as i t w e re , a

par t i c i pa t ion i n the most gri evous pain of hel l . I f i t i sby our own faul t

,then i t i s the greates t o f sorrow s . I f

i t i s a tria l from God,then i t i s th e grea t est of suffer

ings . In either case w e must not let the l igh t of th eworld tempt us out of th e darkness . I n such a gloom i ti s i ndeed dreadfu l to ab ide ; but th e consequences o fleav ing i t by our own se lf-w i l l are more dread ful

'

s t i l l .I t i s not safe th ere to th ink of creatures . “We mustth i nk of God only . I t i s the san ctuary of “ God Alon e,

”

the motto of th e saints and of the saintly . YVe mustdeal on ly w i th the supernatural

,and leave Him who

brough t us there,wh eth er for chast i semen t or fervor, to

take us out when it shal l be His w i l l . Meanwh i le w eshould uni te ourselves to th e disposi tion s in whi ch Maryendured h er seven th dolor

,and th i s w i l l bring us i nto

closer un ion w i th God .

One more lesson sti l l sh e teaches . Sh e did her w ork inth e w orld , as i t w ere w i th al l her heart ; and yet her h eartwas not there , but ln th e tomb w i th Jesus . This i s th egrand w ork wh ich sorrow does for al l of us . I t entombsus in th e w i l l of God . I t buries our love, together w i thour sorrow , in th e Blessed Sacrament . Sorrow i s, as i tw ere, the miss ionary of th e Divin e w i l l . I t i s th e pri nceof the apostl es . The Church i s bui l t upon i t . Thegates of hel l shal l n ot prevai l against i t . Our Lord i sw i th i t always to th e end . I t i s sorrow that di gs th egrave of sel f

,and blesses i t, and burns in cense in i t, and

buries self th erein , and fi l ls i t up , and makes th e flow ersgrow upon th e tomb . The great secret of hol in ess i sn ever to have our hearts i n our own breasts , but l iv ingand beating in th e Heart of Jesus ; and th i s can rarelybe accompl ished excep t through th e operation ofsano~tified sorrow. Happy , th erefore, i s he who has a sorrowat all hours to sanc tify !We have now brough t our Blessed Mot-her to th e

th re shold of those myster ious fi fte en years wh ich fol

THE BUR IAL or J ESUS. 403

low ed her dolors and the Ascension of our Lord . Sh e

began w i th fi fteen years w i thout Him , and so in l ik emanner Sh e ended w i th fifteen years w i thout Him . Only

as i n the first fiftee n years th e image of the M essias wasengraven upon her heart

,and th e shadow of His coming

lay over al l her grow ths in hol iness , so in the last fi fteenyears h e dw el t bod i ly w i th in her i n th e unconsumedBlessed Sacrament

,from Commun ion to Communion ,

and was th e l iv i ng fountain of al l th ose nameless andunimaginable grow ths i n hol iness w hi ch

,during that

t ime,w ent on w i thin h er soul . The destiny of the

Mother of God was a destiny of unutterabl e sorrow,ex

h austing at on ce th e possibi l i ti es of woe and the capab ilitie s of the creature . This m igh t be expected , Sin cei t was by sorrow ,

Shame,and the Passion that the Incar

nate God came to save th e world . The dolors of ourBlessed Lady , therefore , are inseparable from her div ineMatern i ty . They are not acc iden t s of her l i fe , one wayout of many w ays i n wh ich God might hav e chosen tosanctify her . They w ere inev i tab le to h er as Mother ofGod

,of God who took flesh to suffer and to d ie . Thus,

righ t ly considered,Mary’s dolors are M ary’s self. Her

fi rst fifteen years,commencing w i th the Immaculate

Concep t i on,w ere a prepara t ion for h er dolors . He r

las t fifteen years,commencing w ith the descen t of th e

Holy Ghost,w ere th e ma turi ty of her dolors . During

them her sea“

of sorrow se t tled ti l l i t became a clear,profound , translucen t dep th of unmingled love , whoselas t act of taking the tranqui l p lenitude of possessionof i ts glorious v ict im was th e di slodging of her sou l fromhe r body

,by the most marvellous and beautiful death

wh ich creature could ever di e . Such an edifice of sorrowas th e Div in e

'

M otherhood was to bring along w i th i tcould no t rest on foundations less broad and deep thanthe immeasurable graces of her fi rst fi fteen years . t at

,

then , m ust have been the grandeur of the graces w h i chcame upon that edifice when i t was comple ted , andwe re i ts domes, and towers, and p innacles ? We have

404 THE SEVENTH DO LOR .

often w ondered what could be done to Mary , in th e wayof sanc t ifi cat i on , at th e descent of the Holy Ghost.t at was l eft t o do ? I n what d i rec t i on was sh e togrow ? The mere fac t of the delay ing of the Assumptionmean t someth ing ; and what could i t have meant bu ti ncrease of h ol iness and mul t ipl i cation of grace ? I fsh e was kep t on earth to nurse the Infan t Church , asSh e had nursed the Infant Sav ior, t o be h erse lf a l iv ingBe th lehem

,w i th th e Blessed Sacramen t forever i n her

,

and her queen sh ip of th e apostl es an external m inistryof Be thlehem to th e ch i ldhood of th e Church ,

sti l l,

untold and in calculable augmen t. .tions of grace andmeri t are impl ied i n th e very offi ce

,as w el l as in the

fact that i t was God’s Mother wh o fulfi l led th e offi ce .It was her dolors w h ich opened out i n her sou l freshabysses for eager grace to fi l l . I t was the dolors w h ichrendered her capable of that oth e r

'

n ew c reation ofgrace i n th e descen t of th e Holy Ghost . His gracesare absolutely i nexhaustibl e : her capaci ti es of gracea re practical ly i nexhaus t ible

,to our l imi ted compre

h ension . The grace wh i ch prepared her for the Div in eMa tern i ty prepared her also for her singular and l i felong martyrdom . Her m artyrdom prepared her forthose i neffable augmentati on s of grace and meri t wh ichw ere compressed into her las t fifteen years . Thus herdolors are , as i t were , th e centre of her hol iness . Theyreveal Mary to u s as Sh e was i n hersel f more than anyoth er of her mysteries . Indeed

,they are hardly t o be

cal led mysteri es ; they are more than that : they areher l ife

,h er se lf

,her matern ity . They enabl e us to

understand her h oliness . They help us to see that w hattheol ogians say of th e momentary accumulation of hermeri t s i s n ot so incred ibl e as i t often seems to those w hohave n ot l oved and med itated th ei r way i nto Mary

’sgreat-ness . There i s n othing about Mary w hich unitesin itsel f so much of Mary ’s part in th e Incarna t ion , ofh er own peculiar personal hol iness

,and of her simi li tude

to God , as th e system of her dolors . They are at once

THE CO M PASSION or MARY .

CHAPTER IX .

THE CO M PASSION or M ARY .

A r fi rst w e s tood on the shore of Mary’s sorrow s andgazed upon them as one vast ocean . lVe then sounded

,

one aft er ano ther,the seven abysses of that ocean ,

wh i ch the Church selec t ed and presen t ed to us . Now

w e look a t her dolors agai n as on e , bu t pouring thei rwa ters th rough the s t rai t of Ca lvary in to the migh t ie ro cean of th e Precious Blood . Th is pecul i ar poin t of

vi ew i s cal led the Compassion of M ary,the righ t under

s tand ing of w hi ch involves several grave th eologi calques t i ons

,and ye t i s most n ecessary t o make our de

vo tion to the dolors rea l and profound . There are , infac t

,seven ques t i on s for us t o consider : th e divin e pur

pose of her Compassion ,i t s nature and charac teri s t i cs

,

wha t i t actually effe cted , th e rela t ion i n w h i ch i t s tandsto our own compassion w i th her , a compari son of thePassion w i th Mary ’s Compass ion

,the seeming excess of

th e Compassi on over the Passi on ,and

,last ly

,the m ea

sures and d imensions of h er Compass ion .

SECTION I .

THE DIV INE PURPO SE O F MARY’S COMPASSION .

Firs t of al l , th en ,w e have to consider th e d iv ine pur

pose of her Compassion . I t i s very ques t i onable whother w e migh t ever say of any th ing in God

’s w orks thati t w as merely ornamental . There i s some th ing in th eidea of mere ornamen t wh ich seems at variance w i ththe actual i ty of God

,w i th the magn ifi cence of His sim

T IIE CO M PASSIO N OF MARY . 407

p licity, w i th His adorable real i ty . To suppose'

ourLady ’s dolors to be so much ornamental pathos addedto the Incarnation even for th e holy end of excitingsome addi t ional degrees of love

,w ould involve sti l l

further ques t ions regard ing th e character and p e rfe cn -rd His creatures

,and

.ere i s in every painI t is n ot easy

.

to seeV i ew of our Blessedd from the h ighestzit b laSph e iny. GodHe has a purpose i nu t His purpose iii so! carnation as th e 11 1

Mother of God must.agnitude of th e mys;t~e ry of w hi ch i t i s asimple pa thos . GodHis creatures only toatense real i ti es of Cal.

merely a lesson to us .not only in imi table byal so incompreh en siblelnding. I t i s true

,ere i s teach ing in al llrent th ing from God ’smystery than that i t

ther can i t have been

gh no doubt th is was

td become the Moth er

Inced ; and they w ere a

nit-y, not a preparation

jide ed , they w ere in anof one w h o,

being sinLe sain ts have been

,by

rd temptation . But i tru p m .v - v al l studiously and b e

l iev e that th ei r purpose ended here . We c rave a.

406 THE compAssxox or M ARY .

THE CO )

A r fi rst w e stood ogazed upon them asone afte r ano ther,wh ich the Churchw e l ook at he r dowa ters th rough th e sti

ocean of th e Prec iousvi ew i s cal led the Comps tan ding of w h ich in

'

|questions

,and ye t i s l

votion to the dolorsfac t

,seven ques t i on s

pose of her Compassionw ha t i t actually effectedto our own compassionPass ion w i th Mary ’s Corth e Compassi on over tisures and d imensions of

THE DIV INE PURPC

Firs t of al l , th en ,w e i

pose of her Compassi onther w e migh t ever say 0i t was merely ornam en

idea of mere ornam en

the ac tual i ty of God , w i th the magn ifi cence of His Sim

Q} lso la Art C o . New York, IN !

EASTERTIDE

408 THE comrAssmx or M ARY .

d e e per and d iv iner purpose , and one more cl osely kn i tt o the w hole sch eme of the Incarna t i on ; and w e may b esure tha t such a one exis t s

,even though i t may be b e

yond our di scover y .

I f, then ,w e rej ec t all th e view s men t i on ed above

,as

un real and unw o r th y . and clearly a t varian ce w i th thephenomena t o be explain ed , are w e ,

on the o th er hand,

to suppose tha t our Lady'

s Compassion was part of th ere d em p t i on of the w orld , that the salvation of soul s wasmeri ted by i t , and that si n was expia t ed by i t ? Manyw ri te rs have used lan o uage w hi ch seems to imply asmuch as th is . Sain t s and doctors have uni ted in cal ling our Blessed Lady co- redemptress of the w orld .

There i s n o ques t i on of th e l aw fu lness of using suchlanguage , because there i s such ove rwh e lmin or au thorityfor i t . The questi on i s as t o i t s mean in g . Is i t merelyth e hyperbole of panegyric , th e affec t ionate exagge ra

t ion of devo t ion , the inevitab le lan guag e of a trueunde rstandin cr of Mary ,

w h ich finds common lan e uage

i nadequa t e t o convey the whol e t ru th ? Or i s i t l i t eral ly t rue

,w i th an acknow l edged and recogni sed theo

logi cal accuracy a t tached to i t ? Th is i s a que s t i onw h i ch has presen ted i tsel f t o mos t m i nds in connectionw i th devo t i on t o our Blessed Mot i i e r, and there arefew ques t i ons to wh ich more vav ue and unsa t i sfactoryansw ers have been made , than to this . On the oneh and ,

i t seems rash to assert of language used bo th bysa i n t s and d o c t ors , tha t i t i s on ly exaggera t i on andh vp erbole ,

flow e rv phraseolog y in t e nded t o s tar t le , bu tw i thou t any real meaning h idden benea th i t . On theo ther hand

,w h o can dou b t tha t our mos t Bie ssed Lord

i s th e sol e Re deemer of the w orld ,His Precious Blood

th e sol e ransom from sin ,and tha t Mary herself

,

though in a di fferen t way, needed redemp t ion as muchas w e do , and recei ved i t in a more copious manner andafter a more ma gnifi cen t k ind in the mys tery of th eImmacula t e Concep t i on ? Thus , so far as th e l i teralmeaning of the word is concerned, i t would appear th a t

THE CO M PASSIO N or M ARY . 409

th e term co- redemptress i s n ot theologi cal ly true , or , atl east

,does no t express the t ru th i t cer tain ly contains

w i th theologi cal accuracy . are dis t racted be tw eent h e desi re t o magn ify our Blessed M o ther , the au thori tyof the saints and doc tors , and th e supremely sovere ign requi remen ts of a sound theology . We certain lyshrink from asserting tha t th e language of th e saintshas no meaning

,or is inadv i sable ; and , at the same

time,w e hav e no doubt that our Blessed Lady i s not

th e cc - redemp t ress of th e w orld in the stri c t sense ofbeing redemp tress , i n the unshared sense in w hichou r Lord i s Redeemer of th e w orld , but sh e i s co

redemptress i n the accurate sense of that compoundw ord . But these are not times in which i t i s des irabl e to use w ords the real mean ing of w hich w e

have no t d i s t i n c t ly ascer tained . Hence , w hi l e i t w ouldbe sad indeed for any one to attemp t to deprive M aryof a t i t le whi ch sain ts and doctors have conferredupon h em—for w e. are l iv ing in days when the grow th ofdevo t i on to our le sse d M o ther i s our surest augury ofa bet t er fu ture—at th e same time i t i s of importan ce ,even in a devo t ional poin t of v iew

,for us to know what

w e mean by a ti t le w h ich cer tai n ly conveys a real truthand a t ru th wh ich could not very easi ly be o therw i se expressed . The fol low in g conclusi on s may perhaps b etak en as t rue , find i ng truth in th e mean ,

and avoid ingbo th th e somew hat

'

v i olen t al ternat iv es of censuringth e sain ts

,or of infringing on the preroga t ives of our

Blessed Lord1 . Our Blessed Lord is th e sole Redeemer of th e w orl d

in th e t rue and proper sense of the w ord,and in this

sen se h e creature what soever shares the honor w i thHim nei th er can i t be said of Him w i th out impiety thatHe i s co- redeemer w i th Mary .

2 . In a secondary dependen t sen se , and by part icipati on , al l th e e lec t co- operate w i th our Lord i n the

redemp t i on of the w orld .

3 . I n th e same sense, but in a degree to wh ich no

3 5

4 10 THE CO M PASSIO N or MAM .

o thers approach , our Blessed Lady cc -op erated w i th H imin the. redemp t ion of the w orld .

4 . Bes ides this , and independen t of her dol ors , sh eco-opera t ed in i t. i n a sense , and a fter a manner, i n whichno o ther crea tures d id or could .

5 . Fur thermore , by her dolors , sh e cc -operated i n th eredem p t ion of th e w orld i n a separa t e and pecul iar way,se para t e and pecul iar no t only as regards the eo- operat ion of the e le c t , but also as regards her own other coO pera t ion ,

independen t ly of the dolors .These five proposi t ion s seem to place th e whole ques

ti on i n a tolcrab lv clear l igh t . I t does no t appear to bene e e ssarv to say any th ing about th e fi rs t. I t i s of fai ththa t our Blessed Lord alone redeemed the w orld . Thee le c t co ~ opera t e w i th Him in th is w ork as His members .Th ey have become His members by redeeming grace ,tha t i s , by the appl icat ion to thei r souls of His so leredemp t i on . By His meri t s they have acqui red th eab ilitv o f meri t ing . Thei r w ork s can sat i sfy for sin , th esin s of o thers as w el l as thei r own , by thei r un ion w i thHis. Thus , to u se St . Paul

’s langu age , by the i r san ctifiedsuffe ri ngs o r by th ei r volun tary penances th ey “ fi l l upi n thei r bod i es that wh ich i s lack ing of the sufferingsof Christ

,for His Bodv’s sak e , w hi ch i s the Church .

”

Thus by th e commun ion of the saints i n thei r Head,

Jesus Chris t,th e w ork of redemption i s perpetual ly

going on by the accompl ishmen t and appl icat i on of th eredemption effected on th e Cross by our Blessed Lord .

I t i s n ot a figurati ve and symboli ca l , bu t a real and substan tial

, co-opera t ion of the elect w i th ou r Blessed Re

deemer . There is a true secondary sense in whi ch theelect merit the salva t i on of th e soul s o f others

,and i n

w h ich th ev expiate sin and avert its j udgm ents. But iti s by permiss ion , by div ine adoption , by part i cipa t i on ,and i n subord inat ion to the on e sole and complete redemp t ion of Jesus Christ . But th e h ol iness o f al l th esain t s together does not even approximate to th e hol iness of Mary . Her meri ts have a sort o f infin i ty as

412 THE CO M PASSION or M ARY .

ou t i t ou r Lord w ould not have been born wh en and as

h e was ; He w ould n o t h ave had tha t Body to suffe r in ;th e whole series of the d ivin e purposes w ould have beenturned asid e , and e i ther frustra ted , or d iverted i n toano the r channel . It was through th e free w i l l an db l issful consen t of M ary that th ey flow ed as God w ouldhave them flow . Be thlehem ,

and Nazareth , and Calvary ,cam e out of h er consen t

,a con sen t wh i ch God d id i n

no w is e const rain . But no t on ly i s th e cc -Operat ion ofth e saints no t ind ispensable of i tsel f, but no one saint byh imsel f i s i nd i spensabl e to tha t cc -operati on . Ano therapos t l e m igh t have fall en ,

hal f th e martyrs migh t havesac rificed t o idols

,th e saints i n each cen tury migh t

have been a th i rd few er in number than they w ere,

and yet th e‘

cc -O perat ion of th e sain ts w ould riot havebeen des t royed

, though i ts magn ificen ce w ould haveb een impai red . I ts exi stence depends on th e body, noton the separate i ndividuals. No on e sain t wh o can benamed , un l ess perhaps i t w ere i n some sense St. Pete r,was necessary to th e w ork , so n ecessary that w i thouth im the w ork could n ot have been accompl ished . Butin th i s cc - operation of Mary sh e h ersel f was i nd ispensable . I t depended upon h eri ndiv idual ly . “Wi thouth er th e w ork could n ot have been accompl i sh ed . Lastly,i t was a coc p e ration of a total ly d ifferent k ind fromthat of th e sain ts . Theirs was but th e cont inuationand appl i cat i on of a suffi ci en t redemption al ready accompl i shed , wh i l e h ers was a cond i tion requis i te to th eaccompl ishmen t of that redempti on . One was a mereconsequence of an even t which th e o th er actual lysecured , and w h ich only became an even t by means ofi t . Hence i t was more real

,more presen t

,more in timate

,

more personal,and w i th somewhat of th e nature of a cause

in i t, w hi ch cannot in any way be pred icated of the cc -opera t i on of th e saints . And al l th i s i s t rue of th e co-Op e

ra t i on of Mary , w i th out any reference to the dolors at al l .But h er dolors w ere of themselves another cc—Opera~

tion sti l l more pe culiar. The I n carnation migh t have

THE CO M PASSION or M ARY . 41 3

ak en place w i th out its sorrow ful mysteries . Indeed,if there had been n o sin , it w ould have taken place inglorious and impass ible F lesh , and of the same M o th erw i th a d ifferen t des t iny , a des t iny of j oy as marvellousan d in expl icable as was in fact h er des t i ny of sorrow .

The j oys of M ary are l ike flashes from some o ther se tof div ine decrees , w hich was not w hol ly ove rlaid by th epresent dispensation . Th is i s the i r peculiari ty . Theyare token s of a myste ry exi s t ing i n th e mind of God ,but w h ich to us i s no more than a possib le w orld , orra th er a w orld wh ich our si n w ould n ot al low to real i zei tsel f. Thus i t i s impossible to separate th e dolors ofM ary from her d iv ine M a tern i ty . They foll ow from i tin the way of consequence as n ecessari ly a s i n the freed ivine counsels th e Incarnation of shame and sufferingfollowed from the necessi ty of expia t i ng sin . He r

sorrow s w ere caused by and in extri cably commingl ed

w i th His sorrow-s. They came from th e same source ;th ey led in to th e same depths ; th ey w ere connectedw i th the same circumstances . The two sorrow s w erebut one sorrow affl ic t ing two hearts . Besid es thi s

,as

w e shal l see aft erw ard , there w ere many pecul iar poin tsn ot on ly of strik ing resemblance , but of actual un ion ,betw een her dolors and His. Yet , though w e cannotseparate h er dolors from her Matern i ty in fact

,her

Materni ty is qu i te concei vable w i thou t her dolors , andi ts pecul iar co - operation w i th our Lord in th e red emption of th e

—

w orld depends on other th ings than th edolors

,th ings to w h ich th e dolors are by no means

ind ispensabl e . So in l ike manner, or rather as a conse

q u ence ,th e co~ operati on of her dolors was a d istin ct

co-operation from th at of her Matern i ty , an d has acharac ter of i ts own .

Thus,Mary has three d istinct r ights to the titl e of co~

redemptress . She h as a righ t to i t , fi rst of al l , becauseof her cc - operat ion w i th our Lord in th e same sense asthe saints

,bu t in a singular and superla t i ve degree . She

has a second righ t to i t, which i s pecul i. r to hersel f,

414 THE conm sstou or M ARY .

because of th e ind ispensabl e co- opera t i on of her Mater»

u l lr. She has a thi rd righ t t o i t , because of h e r dolors ,for reasons w e shal l se e presen t l y . These las t tw o righ t sare unshared by any o th er crea tu re , or by al l c rea turescol lec t ively . They belong t o th e incomparable magnifi

~

ce ne e ot'

the M o ther of G od .

I t has been our priv i lege , more than once during th ecourse of thi s inqu iry in to our Lady ’s dolors , t o aseensome fresh heigh t from w hi ch a n ew v iew of h e r grandeur has presen ted i tsel f to u s . Like the great summi tsi n the moun tain - ranges of Alps , Andes , or Himalaya,each new aspe ct o f M ary ’s glory look s grander thanth e oth ers . In tru th , it i s w i th her grea tness as w i thth e grea tn ess of sublime moun tain~se ene ry z w e cannotcarry i t s magn i tude away w i th us i n our m i nds . We se e

i t,and apprecia t e i t

,whil e w e are ac tually gazing on i t

b u t w hen w e turn aw ay , the image of i t i n our mindsis less than th e real i ty . So , when w e see th e moun tai nagain

,from wh ichever side w e get the v iew , i t look s

larger than i t did before,because it i s larger than our

remembrance of i t . So i s it w i th our Blessed Lady .

The momen t w e cease t o rest our eye upon h er i n deepmedi tat ion

,our idea of her i s less than i t ough t to be .

we neve r do h er j us t ic e except when w e gaze upon her .Perhaps i t i s so w i th al l God ’s great es t w orks

,as w e

know i t i s w i th God Himself. Hen ce i t is tha t w e soo ften h ea r obj ec t ion s to statements about th e. glory ofMary

,com in g even from pious bel i eve rs . Thei r eye i s

n o t on h er,and th erefore w hat i s said i s in cred ibl e to

th em . Nay , th ey are th e more convinced that the s ta temen t s are exaggera t ed , becau se th ey so far t ranscend th eimage of M ary wh i ch i s impressed upon thei r m inds .The y bel i eve more of her , and th ey bel ieve i t morereadi l y , as h er feas ts come round , for th en th ei r eye ison her

,and th ey con cei ve more j us t ly of h er vastn ess .

l n nothing i s sh e more l ik e God than in hav ing t o bethus learned in order to be understood , and in having to

b e kep t before us i n v ision , because our memory is ne t

416 Ti m conm ssron or M ARY.

cien t redemption as Mar y 's cc -operat i on li es . her co -opera t i on s tands alone an d aloof from al l the cc -operat ionof the elec t of God . Th is , l ik e some o ther preroga t i vesof our Blessed Lad y , canno t have j ustic e done i t bv th e

mere men t ion of i t . mus t make i t our ow n bym e d ita ticn before w e can und ers tand al l tha t i t in volves .Bu t nei ther the Immacula t e Concep t i on nor the Assumpt ion w i l l gi ve us a h igher idea of Mary ’s exal ta t ion thanthis t i t l e of co- redemp t ress , when w e have theological lyas ce r tain e d i ts s i gn ificance . Marv is vas t on every side

,

and , as our know ledge and apprec ia t i on of God grow, so

al s o w i l l grow our know ledge and apprecia t i on of he ri l i s chosen creature . No on e th inks unw orth ily of M ary

,

exce p t because he th inks unw or thi ly of God . Devo t i onto the A t t ribu tes of God i s the best school in w hich to

learn the theology of Mary ; and th e rew ard of ours tudy of Marv l i es in a thousand n e w vie as that areO pen ed t o us in th e Divine Perfec t ions , in to w hichexcept from her heights w e never could have seen a t al l .W

'

ha t th en i s the place w h ich our Lad y ’s Compass ionholds i n the purposes of God ? This grandeur of co

opera t ion in a grea t measure answ ers the ques t i on . Herdolors w ere not n ecessary fo r th e redemp t i on of th ew orld ,

bu t i n th e counsels of God they w ere inseparablefrom it . They belong to th e in tegri ty of the divin eplan ; and they doub t less perform many func t ion s in itw hi ch w e. are unable to apprehend , and w hi ch perhapsw e do not so much as suspec t . Accord ing to God ’s o rd inance

,w i thou t sh edd ing of b lood there i s n o remission

for s in . One of our Lord'

s infan t in e tears had enoughin i t of w or th , of humil i at ion , of meri t , and of sat i sfac t ion

,to redeem th e sins of all possible w orlds . Yet

as a matt er of fact w e w ere not redeemed b v His t ears,

bu t onlv by His blood . Hence Be th lehem w as notnecessar y for our salva t i on , nor th e w orsh ip of th e threek ings , nor th e pre sentati on in th e temple , nor th e fl igh tinto Egypt , nor th e d ispu t ing w i th the doc tors . Nazareth was not n ecessary for our salvat ion , w i th al l the

THE corirassrou or M ARY . 41?

beauti ful mysteries of th ose eighteen y ears of h iddenl ife . The publi c m in is t r y , w i th i t s three years of mi racles ,parables , sermons , conversion s , and vocat i ons of apos t les,was not necessary to our salvation . Indeed , our Lordmigh t have suffered as a Chi ld

,or He migh t have come

ful l-grown l ike Adam , and simply suffered dea th at once ;His Blood was all that w as absolutely necessary . ButBe thlehem and Nazareth and Gal i l ee belonged to th ein tegr ity of th e d ivine plan . They w ere n ot on ly con-s

gruous, and beau t iful , and sign ifi cant , and ful l of teach é

i ng ; but there are deeper mys teries i n them ,and a

d iv iner real i ty , s imply because God planned i t so . AllHis w orks par tak e in th ei r degree of His perfec t ions : i nw hat degree then must th e mys te ries of the Thi rtyThree Years partake of His perfec t ion s ? The crea t i onof th e w orld was as noth ing compared to th e spi ri tualcosmogony of those Th irty-Three Years , excep t tha t i twas th e root of them . No on e w ould dream of th inkingl igh tly of th e mysteries of , our Blessed Lord ’s SacredInfancy because w e w ere not redeemed by them . Theyare part of a whol e

,a d ivin e w hole . IVe do not know

w hat w ould have happened , or what w e sh ould have lost,and w hat eternal consequences migh t have come , i f theyhad no t been there . So i t i s w i th our Lady’s dolors .Her M atern i ty was i ndispensabl e to the Passion . Herdolors do not appear to be so . But they w ere an inev i~

table consequence of h er Matern ity under th e ci rcumstances of th e Fall . They take thei r place among th eGospel mysteries . They rank w i th th e mysteri es ofBe thlehem and Naz areth , not perhaps i n th eir intrin si cimportan ce, but in the relati on i n w h ich th ey stand toth e redemp tion of th e w orld . Indeed , w e may be allow edto sav that even in th ei r in trinsi c importance they migh tbe. compared w i th some of our Lord ’s own mysteries .For i s i t qu i te clear that His mysteries and hers can b ediv ided on

“

i n thi s way ? Are not her mys t eries His,and H is myster ies h ers ? I s n ot th e Immaculate Con=

ception a glory of His redeeming grace ? I s not h e ?

4l8 Tm; Conrxssiou or user.

Purificat ion as much His mystery as His own Presents;t ion ? And in the case of the dolors the un ion of theMo ther and Son is grea t er than any o ther m

’

ys tery . Hei s Himsel f he r one dolor seven t imes repea ted , sevent imes chan ged , seven t imes magn ified . I n our bel i ef,the dolors of our Blessed Lady rank very h igh indeed

among th e d ivin e mysteries , and have a more pr iv i legedprecedence there than i s commonly suspec t ed . Bu t , atany ra t e

,so fa r as th ei r relation to the redemp t ion of the

world i s concerned , they are n o t fur ther off from i t thanth e unblood y m y s teries of Jest , and perhaps nearer,because of th e immed i ateness of the i r connec t ion . Th e

t ru th appears to be , that all th e m y st eri es of Jesus andMary w ere in God ’s design as one mystery . lVe cannotbreak i t up

,and div ide and parcel i t out , and class ify

the impor tance of its various glori es . Th is i s‘

a taskbeyond our sci ence . “rho can doubt tha t i t i s true tosav tha t many , w h o now are saved w ould have been l ostexcept for Mary’s dolors,4 wh ile ye t her dolors do notbear the same relat ion to us as the Passion of our BlessedLord

,even in th ei r subord inate degree ? The w hole of

th e Three-and -Thi rty Years , and th e Hearts of Jesusand M ary i n all th e mysteries of those Years , are

t in ctured w i th th e Passion ; ye t outside th e Pass ioni tse lf, w here are th e colors deeper , and th e traits morel i fel ike , than in the Mo th er’s dolors ? Mary’s Com

passion Was th e Passion of Jesus as i t was fel t andreal i zed in His Mo ther’s Heart .I s thi s then th e whole account of th e matter , that th ePassion was n ecessary , and th e Compassion unnecessary ?t o w ould venture to say so ? Wh o w ould dare to saythat th e Hidden Life of Nazare th was unnecessary ?There i s surely a very grave sens e i n w hi ch al l th e com~

ponen t parts of a divin e work are necessary for God i sno t such an artificer as man . I f w e are to rest simply onth e doc t rin e that i t was preci sely blood- sh edding bywhi ch our redemp t i on was accompl ish ed

,then in th e

Pass ion itsel f were t

h e re not many th ings wh ich w ere by

420 m s CO M PASSION or M ARY.

SECTION I I .

THE NATURE O F HE R COMPASSION.

Havin g thus considered th e d ivi n e purpose of Mary'

s

Compass ion,as far as i t i s i n our pow er to do so , w e may

now pass to our second ques t i on , th e nature and characteristics of h e r Compassi on . What do w e mean by the w ordCompassi on ? All sorrow for our Lord ’s Passion i s compassi on w i th Him . The contemplation s of th e saints , thei rpain ful ecs tasies

,the s t igmata and thorny crowns, th e en

grav ing of th e emblems of th e Passion on th e flesh of thei rh ear t s

,and th e mi racul ous inw ard sympa th ies w i th th e

Passion in th ei r souls, are al l bu t so many forms of Com

passion . i n th e th eologi cal sense of the w ord . I n l ik emanner

,the tears and prayers and devout medita t i on s of

common Christ ians , the penances of Holy “leek bothamong seculars and rel igious , the frequency of mak ingthe S tations or joining in o ther devo t ions to th e Passion ,are also Compass ion , i n th e same stri c t sen se . Hence i tw ould appear that al l sorrow of w h ich th e Passion is th ecause

,al l sorrow wh ich i s th e echo of th e Pass ion i n our

hearts,no matter whether th is sorrow tak es th e form of

prayer,of penance , or of merciful deeds to others, is

what w e mean by Compassion . I t i s a great part, andtruly an ind ispensable part

,of th e deep inw ard l i fe of

every bel i ever . The more holy th e heart i n wh i ch itexists

,th e closer i s i ts un ion w i th th e l ife-giving Pass ion

of our Lord . The int imacy and mysti cal beauty of th isun ion depend on the vigor of th e O pera t i ons of grace , onth e in ten si ty of th e w i l l i n iden ti fy ing i tsel f w i th th e

w i l l of our Savi or , on th e absence of al l si n and self- seeking to mar the completeness of th e un ion or retard th eprocesses of grace

,and final ly on th e tenderness ofhear t

and the sel f- obliv ion of ecstati c love wh ich accompany i t .Now ,

i n al l th ese respects our Lady’s Compassi on i s b e'

yond al l comparison w i th th e Compassion of the saints,so far beyond i t that w e may use th e word Compassion

THE centrasston or MARY. 421

of h er companionsh ip i n th e Passi on , and use other andcommoner w ords for the un ion of the sain t-s w i th thesufferi ngs of our Lord .

Bu t, as in the matte r of co- Operation , our Lady noton ly co ~opera t ed w i th Jesus in the same sense as th esain t s

,on ly in a superla t i ve degree , but also co- operated

more in t im ately w i th Him i n w avs the sai nts could not

share,so is i t w i th her Compassion . I t w as actual ly con

temporaneous w i th the Pass ion , and took place i n thepresence of th e Passion . Indeed , i t i s remarkable thatl l our Lady ’s dolors are compressed w i th in th e Thi rty‘a ree Year s . None fe ll in the fi fte en years before , nonefell i n the fi fteen years afte r . They came from the pre~

sen ce of J esus . They w e re the ve ry con tact of His Heartw ith hers . The ac tual p res ence of our Lady

'

s Compassion a t th e t ime and place of the Passion gives it a un iontherew i th w hich no o ther sorrow fo r our Lord can share.I t w as par t of the l iving mys t ery i t se lf. I t was no t thegradual resu l t of long medi tation . I t was not a sorrowfel t i n th e calm sec lusi on of th e undistracted C loister

,

or a pious emo t i on roused by the “

marvellous ceremonialof a be l i eving Church . It did not come from l i terature

,

or ri tual,or h i s tory , or pri vate revelati on ,

or mysti cism,

or art,or poe try , but from the sigh ts an d sounds of th e

very Passion,i n w hi ch i t w as immersed , and of w h ich i t

formed an in tegral portion . I t was part of ou r BlessedMo ther’s l ife . I t was a series of even ts wh ich happenedto hersel f, outw ard sorrow s of h er own making th eseinw ard w ounds . She had distin ct rights , by wh ich shewas enti t led to share in th e Passion . I t n eeded not tob e transferred to h er by grace , or love , or partic ipation ,or the pow er of faith . It was hers already as a mother.Sh e suffered i t. i n al l th e raw

'

ness and dishonor of i tsexist ing real i ty . Sh e was in th e crow d ; she was j ostl edin i t

,and derided by i t ; sh e was dis t racted by the

tumul t ; her i nw ard tranquil l i ty was assai l ed by the ag itat ie n and horror of the senses . All th is i s true of h erCompassion , and of hers only .

3 6

422 m s CO M PASSIO N or timer.

Moreove r,h e r Compassion was part of th e Passion i t!

the sense of h aving ac tual ly increased the Passion .

Wi th Judas,and Annas , and Caiaphas , w i th Pila te and

I l e rod,w i th th e Roman sold iers and th e Jew i sh rab

blt,w e must reck on Mary among those w ho w rung ou r

Sai io i’s Heart w i th sorr .ow Excep t the dere l ic t i on of

His Fa ther, w e may w el l suppose that there was no

pain in all I l i s Pass ion equa l to that wh ich the v isionof His Mo the r’s b roken heart suppl i ed . Thus her Compassion was an in t egral part of His sufferings . Beaut i ful as it was, and exceed ingly holy , a very w orsh ip i ni t sel f

,and a very grow th of heaven , t o l l im i t was

simple anguish . Int e‘nsely as He loved each soul ofman

,and there fore loved al l soul s col lec t iv ely w i th an

amoun t of burn ing desi re w hi ch bew i lders our con

j e e tures, th e s ingl e soul of His Mother was w i th IIiman obj ec t of amazing love far beyond what He fel t fo ral l other c reatures togeth e 'r. To see h er, th erefore,tempest-tossed on a dark ocean of unutterabl e woe , was,of i tse lf

,a fearfu l torture to Him ; but th at woe was

caused by Himsel f ; i t was being poured out of Hi ssoul into hers each separate moment , at each separateshame

,pain , outrage , and indign i ty . I t was He w ho

was st retch ing her on th e r ,ack —He who was turn ingth e ins t rumen t s of her torture perpetually beyond th el imits of human endurance,—He who was th icken ingth e in consolabl e darkness round abou t h er . I t wasHe only who was doing al l th i s . W i thout Him sh e

w ould have had no dolors . I t was her embrace of

Him that. was her agony . He was a fi ery , sharp—edgedcross t o th e h eart He loved best of al l . Then al l th eincalculabl e bi ttern ess that He had poured out ofH imsel f in to h er, He took back in to Himsel f w i thouttak ing i t away from her . I t re-entered His SacredHear t as ano ther separa te Passi on

,another great crea~

tion of sorrow by i tse lf, and overwhelmed Him w i th a

very de luge of tempes tuous grief. Thus her Com

passion came out of the Passion , and wen t into i t again ,

424 THE compAsston or M ARY.

words wh i ch Jesus uttered on th e Cross . His loud

cry at the end was h eard tw i ce in heaven , th e secondt ime as it echoed thi ther ou t of Mary

’

s heart . Thus ,during those hours of the Passi on ,

each obla t ion was adouble one ; the otfe rin e of Jesus and the offering ofMarv w ere tied i n one . They k ep t pace toge ther ; theyw e re made. of th e same 111ate rials ; they w ere perfumedw i th k ind red fragrance ; they w ere l igh ted w i th th esame fi re ; they w ere offered w i th k indred d ispos i t i on s .Thus there i s a sacrificial and expia tory charac ter inMary ’s Compas s ion w hi ch i s pecul iar to i t se lf. Th eworld w as rede emed by the Passion of ou r Lord .

Bu t th ere n ever was, i n th e ordinance of God , such athing as a Passion of Jesus disj oi ned from the Com~

passi on of Mary . The two th ings w ere one simu lta

ne ous oblat ion ,in terwoven each moment th rough th e

thi ckly- c rowded mysteries of tha t dread t ime , un to th eE ternal Father

,ou t of two s inless Hearts , tha t w ere the

Hear t s of Son and M o ther, for th e sin s of a gui l ty worldwhich fel l on them con t rary to thei r meri ts , but accord~

in g to thei r o ivn free w i l l ; Neve r Was any san ctifi edsorrow of creatures so confused and commingled w i thth e w orld- redeeming sorrow of Jesus as was the Com.

passion of His Mo ther .Fur thermore , th e Compassion of Mary was an exam

ple to the whole Church . I t i s par t of th e teach ing ofthe four Gospels . - It performs a function for al l agesof the world . I t i s a continual source of holiness i nth e m idst of each genera t i on of th e fai thful . I t i s al iving, grace -di ffusing pow er among the ch i ldren ofGod . I t actual ly l eads mul t i tudes of soul s to Jesus.I t break s th e bonds of sin and ev i l habits . I t meltscold hearts , and st imulates the luk ew arm affection s ofthe torpid and th e w orld ly . I t pours l igh t and tendern ess , and a spi rit of prayer, and a love of suffering,an d a th irst for penance

,into countless souls

,be tw een

the sunrise and sunset of each day,and in th e whole

breadth of th e world from pol e to pole . I t models

THE CO MPASSIO N or M ARY . 425

saints ; i t ani'

mates religi ous orders ; i t is th e type of aspecial spiri tual l i fe to i ndividua l souls . I t ri ses up toheaven l ik e an endless an gel i c song . Everyw here inthe Church there i s a sound of i t . Out of seven (le ep

places 1t echoes everlas t in gly . Time and space haveno thing to do w i th i t . Simeon s t i l l p rophesies , andw e h e ar i t

,and a li felong sadness run s thenceforth

alongside of our perseverance in th e Ways of grace .

sen M ary fl i es w i th Jesus into Egypt , and dw ell sthere

,and the N i l e lap ses by, and the shadow s in our

souls are the substances of grace . S t i l l for threedays does the cln ldle ss Mo th er wander with dark en edspi ri t

,seeking fo r her Chi ld ,

and finding Him,at last ,

in th e temple . St i l l i s sh e me e tin fr Him, again and

again, w i th th e h eavy Cross upon His shoulders , and

w e th e wh il e mee t ing Him i n h er . S t i l l i s sh e at th efoot of th e C ross , al luring al l h er child ren to her . Sti lli s sh e a t th e Deposition from the Cross , and at th eBurial

,ac t ing over

,again and agai n , those path e t i c mys

te rie s in t 1 . e new hear t s w h i ch th e ch i ldren. of eachgenerat ion give her . Thus , her compassion is not merelyh er own . I t au th oritative lv and au th en t i cal ly repre

sen ted th e w hole Church on Calvary . She w as presen ta t th e Passi on , as i t w ere official ly . and i n a doubl e capacfiy, as co-O pera t ing w i th the Redeemer , and as represen t ing th e redeemed .

The Compassion of our Lady may also be regarded ina tw ofold poin t of v iew , accord ing as w e consider ourLord as God or as Man . As God , His Divin e Nature wasfearful ly out raged bv th e Passion . No t al l th e si n s of

th e w orld pu t toge ther so d readful ly and sacri l egiouslyv iol a ted the glory of God as that par t i cular sin out ofwh ich He w orked the redemp t ion of the w orld . Neverd id th e d isloyal t y of a rebell i ous creation make so deepan impression upon the Divin e honor , or seem so inex

pre ssib ly to endan g er the sovereign ty of God . Th is i s aV i ew of th e Passi on whi ch w e must never lose sight of.It needed another Passion to exp iate i tself. I t needed

426 THE compassion or M ARY .

a second Passion to make reparat ion to God for th e fi rs tMary

'

s Compassion O cCUplGS th i s p lace . The sin produce d a double Pass ion , on e i n Jesus and one in Mary ;but i t produced i t w ith out doubl e si n . So that h er Com

passion needed n o expiat ion , th ough , had i t done so,th ere was expiat ion enough in the Passion t o sa t i sfy fori tse l f and for h er Compassion . But sh e stood at th e footo f th e Cross as th e min ister of God ’s gl ory . Her sorrow s,even wh i le th ey are fresh sorrow s to Him ,

w ere also th eneares t approach to a perfec t reparation wh ich creaturescould make . “’

e have seen i n th e preceding chap tersthat reparation i s an essent ia l el emen t i n al l h ol iness .Now ,

if th e col lective sancti ty of al l th e apostles , martyrs

,confessors

,and v i rgi n s th rough al l t ime h ad dedi

cated i tsel f on th e earth , unt i l th e day ofjudgmen t to th esolo w ork of making reparation for His Passion , —and ,righ tly considered , the whole action of His Church i s , i neffe c t

,r eparat i on for the Passi on ,— it could n ot by th e

end of th e w orld have produced a reparation any thingl ike so complete as th e Compassion of Mary . I t exce eded in efficaci ous hol iness al l other reparation . I twas offered to our Lord’s Div ine Nature instantaneously ,indeed s imultaneously w i th th e outrage , and almostcoextensively w i th i ts excess . I t came from His ownMother

, wh ich added to i t an incomparable acceptableness . I t fi tted His Passion in k ind , fash ion , meth od ,

and degree as noth ing el se could fi t i t . Lastly , i t drewits efficacy not merely or so much from its own in tri nsi cw orth as from its real and v ital un ion w i th its Passion .

Mary’s Compassion was th e reparation she made to herSon as God .

I f Mary at th e foot of the Cross was th e min i s ter ofour Lord ’s gl ory as God

,sh e was no less th e min ister of

Hi s Sacred Human i ty . I n a merely human poin t ofv i ew

, w e migh t be surprised at Mary’s presence upon

Calvary . I t was not the fi tting place for a mother , th escaffold of h er Son ; and h er Son w e migh t h ave ex

p e cted w ould have sp ared h er the agony . But sh e was

428 THE conrassron or M ARY.

ministry to Him . He r M atern i ty was not to H im a

mere means , occasi on , i ns t rument , or access , but an en

during min i st ry unde r w hi ch His obed ience was consummated . M ary

'

s Matern i ty was her Compassion at

Be th lehem ; Mary’

s Compass ion was her Ma t ern ity atCalva ry .

SECTION I I I .

THE ACTUAL E FFECTS OF HER COMPASSION.

are now i n a condit ion to inqui re , th i rdly, i ntothe act ual effec t s of Mary ’s Compassion . Th ese may bec lassed under three heads

,inasmuch as h er Compassion

was i t se l f part of th e Passion , as i t fi tted her for h eroflice i n th e Church , and as i t regarded her co-opera t ioni n th e w ork of redemp t ion . Ye t , al th ough these threethings may be con ce ived of as separate , th ey are, inreal i ty

,so i ntertw in ed th at

,i n classi fying th em apart

,w e

run the ri sk of fall ing i nto some repe t i t ion a risk, how

ever, wh ich , fcr th e sak e of clearn ess , i t 1s wor th wh i le

to i ncur .As i t was a part of our Lord’s Passion, Mary

’s Compass ion has a share i n the effects wh i ch th e Passion produccd

,i n th e same. sense , th ough , of course , i n a far

l ow er degree,i n w h ich His derel i ct ion by th e Father

ass isted in producing th e results of th e Pass ion . Th is i sbut a materi al co- operati on ; yet, as i t i s a fact, i t servest o show the real i ty of th e Compassi on , and th e exi stenceof a purpose i n i t as part of th e div in e plan . It s effectsu pon our Blessed Lord w ere so terrible

,that i t seems

p robable th e agony i t caused Him w ould have put anend to His l ife i f H is Div in i ty had not m iraculously susfain ed Him , i n orde r that He migh t suffer more . OurLady re vealed to St. Bridge t that , when Jesus saw th eb i t terness of h er gri ef

,He was so affected by i t Him sel f

,

that He became comparat ively in sens ible to th e pain ofal l H i s wounds, because of th e much greater pain wh i ch


th e sigh t of her sorrow caused Himfit St . Bernard call sHis vi si on of her grief “

an in expli cable w oe ,an ineffable

reciproca t i on of holy love .

” Thus her Compassion w as

no t only an intrinsi c par t of th e Passion,but among its

ch ief and most effi cacious elements . Moreove r,her

dolors alone approached,after th e Father ’s abandon~

men t,to satisfy that th i rst of suffering w h i ch the im

mense love of Jesus sti l l felt,even w hi l e He was hanging

on the Cross , and th i s was i n itsel f on e of thei r most remarkable functi on s . All th is i s very obvious . Neverth e less, w e hardly do

“

our Lady ’s dolors j usti ce,as div in e

myster ies , from our habi t of regarding them too exclusive ly as h er sorr-ow s, and not as His sorrow s also , andperhaps more Hi s th an h ers . IVe hav e al ready ex

p ressed a doubt w heth er w e can,w i th ou t peri l of inac

curacy and misapprehension,div ide ou r Lady ’s myste

ri es from our Lord s . For th e w hole sp ir i t of the Gospelnarra t ive , as w el l as th e action of w hat i s apparently agreat law of the Incarnation , seems to bring Jesus andMary toge ther and make th em inseparable . Now ,

i f w edetach her myster i es from His , or look at her for amomen t as apart from Him

,and possess ing any th ing

i ndependently of Him ,w e run one of two ri sk s : e i ther

w e sh rink from th e language and v iew s of th e greatsain ts and doctors of th e Church

,because w e have

already,i n our own minds , made M ary in to some k ind

of giganti c sain t,i nstead of the Divine Mother

,th e

“70 111 2111 cloth ed w i th the Sun” i n th e Apocalypse

,and

so , l ook ing at her standing by h erse lf, w e dare no t useof h er th e almost godlike w ords w hich are common w i ththe sain t s ; or the au thority of th e saint s overrules us touse th ei r language

,and to force ourselves into the i r b e

l iefs w ith out understanding them,and so w e may come

to attribute to our Lady by herse lf what only belongs toour Lord

,and t hus w e disturb the analogy of th e fai th

,

and bring devo t i on to our Blessed M other i nto discredi t

Rev. 1. i. c. vi.

43 0 THE eonm ssron or M ARY.

by what i s man i fes t ly an exaggeration , as w el l as an ihfring ing o i

'

t he hon or of our Lord .

In a ce rtain sense , the sain t s may stand alon e , w i ththe i r own i nd ividual charac te rs . M ary canno t do so .

She i s t oo near God to do so . If there be. a pecul iark ind of sa in t . w i th a marked charac ter and a recogn izab le i nd iv idual i ty of her own ,

whose n ame is Mary,

h idden under the Divin e M at ern i ty , lu rk ing , as i t

w ere,at the bo t tom of the mys teri es of Be th lehem ,

Na z are th,and Cal var y

,i t i s a t l eas t ind is t inguishabl e

to us, becaus e of t he excess of that l ig ht of theE ternal Sun in w h ich sh e i s al l arrayed . I t i s not i no ur pow e r t o de tach i t from the Divine Ma terni ty .

I t n eve r w orks i t s way to th e surface . I f i t exists,

i t i s k nown t o God only . I f w e are ever to know i t,i t

must be by th e l igh t of the B eatific Vision , and noth ere or now . To us

,sh e must be s imply th e Mo

ther of God ; not more l ike John than she w as l ik ePete r

,not bearing a greate r resemblance to S t . Fran ci s

than to St . Domini c , t o St . Teresa than to S t . Ca therineof Si ena

,to St . Ph i l ip than to St . Ignatius . w e canno t

l ook at her both as a sai n t and as th e Mother ofGod . I f w e at t empt to do so , on e or other of th etwo characters w i l l suffer . The in evi tabl e resul t w i l lbe a low ering of h er from the heigh t s upon wh ichth e great doctors o f th e Church w ere w ont to contempla t e her grandeu r , —a grandeur w h ich i s no t onlysol i tary , but i n comparable and in commun icable . Th ev

n ever looked a t her as apart from Jesus . To thei reyes sh e was blended w i th Him ; and w hat sh e possessed sh e possessed in common w i th Him . Sh ewas fi l led w i th His l igh t , cloth ed w i th His inagn ifi ce n ce , and ,

as i t w ere,imbedded i n th e mystery

of the In carnat ion . The very th ing whi ch star t les usabout her

,and w hi ch made St. Denys say he doubted

for a moment i f sh e was not a God,i s tha t s imi lari ty

to God wh ich sh e appears to receive from the Div in eNature of her Son , i n re turn fo r that Human Nature

3 2 ar: contrassmx or M ARY .

h e r offi ces of Mo ther of Men, Q ueen of mercy

, an d

{e l'

uge oi'

S nnc rs . As w e have sa id in the firs tchap t er

,she acqui red w ha t l ook li ke righ t s by her

dolors . T hey w ere volun tary heroi c sac rifices,over

an ! abo ve the absolu te lv i nd i s pen sable sacrilic es whichth e. i ). vin o Mat ern i ty en tai l ed upon her . J esus wasas it w e re i ndeb ted t o her for them .

'

I t w as i nthem tha t the glo rious empi re over the Sacred Heartwh ich sh e. e xerc ises this day i n h eaven was elu rt ire d and took deepes t roo t . i t was in them thath e r almo s t i den t i ty w i th J esus at tained i t s h ighestpoin t and mos t i nd is t ingu ishable umon . Nei ther canw e doub t t hat h er endurance of such fearful and at

th e same t im e such varied sorrow en larged her hear t ,and rendered h e r more capable than sh e w ouldO therw i se have bee n of sympa thi zing w i th th e sor~

row s of hu man i ty . Th e sa in t s l earn much fro m si n .

Apost ol i c zeal and chari ty have roo ts in the experi enceof sin as w el l as in the pure love of God . From al lsuch learn in g our B lessed Mo ther was absolu t ely precluded . Sorrow

,therefore , had to t each her wha t.

sin was no t allo w ed to t each . No scien ce of th e

mal i ce of sin, or of the necessi ty of grace

,could

make h e r feel tha t loss of J esus , wh ich i s sin’

s

! tin i es t unhappin ess . as th e Thre e Davs’ Loss taugh t

it. to h e r. He r in t e ix e ssic n a lso derive s an immense

p ow e r o .

’

im p e t ra t i on . as w el l as a more -'

e

rea li ty ,ti on : h e r x p cricne e of sorrow , and th e un ion

or‘

her sorrow s w i th those of J esu s . liven if w e

lo ok a t la r dolors simply as eno r mous accumula t ion sof merit t h e v assume a conside rab le imporzan ce i nre tu r n t o h e r ofnce s tow ard us . There. can hardlyb e a shade of hun an sorrow w hi ch is no t fami l ia r t oher heart . The man ifold inven t ions of grief are

know n t o h e r. The se cre ts of i t s a l l iance w i th graceas w el l as i t s t endenci es t o conspi re w i th the unw orthyw eakn esses of our na tu re , a re no secre t s to her . Sh e,wh o i s t o be the prophe tess of a sorrow ing race, i s by

THE CO M PASSION or M ARY . 4 3 3

her own experi en ce th e grand doctress i n the scienceof sorrow . Her Compassi on also gives to h er yearning to increase th e harvest of the Passion an ln

tensi ty,l ik e to th e blessed excesses of th e Sacred

Heart for souls , wh i ch perhaps she could not havehad w i thout i t . Indeed

,her sorrow s upon Calvary

w ere th e very bi rth- throes i n w hich al l men w ereborn as M ary’s ch i ld ren

,and thus her Compassion

was not merely a fi tness to be our Mother , but h ervery del ivery of us as her ch i ldren . In l ik e manner,as i t was i n h er Compassion that w e w ere born toher

,so i n her Compassion do w e reach that w ide

and deep foundation on w h ich our fi l ial confidencemay be bui lt . Were our deares t Mother only th ebrigh t

,glad marvel sh e w ould be w i th her Immacu

l ate Concepti on,her Div ine Matern ity , and h er glo

rious Assumption , w e should not trust h er as w etrust th e broken -h earted Mother beneath th e Cross .She w ould seem farth er off from us . We shouldfeel tow ard h er w i th feel ings ak in to those w i th

wh ich w e regard th e angel s , —ful l of love and w orsh ip ,of tenderness an d reveren ce, of w onder and congratulat ion s

,of holy envy and des ire of un ion w i th

them . We should not feel,as w e do now ,

that sh ebelongs to us

,i s near to us

,and i s our real Mother .

I t i s th e Compassion wh ich throw s th is fi l ial character over ou r devotion to th e mighty Mother ofGod . But th is i s n ot al l . As i t was in her Compassion that w e w ere born to her, as i t i s in herCompass ion that w e find our moti ves for fi l ial confidence i n her during l ife, so i t was i n h er Com

pass ion that w e gained our r igh t t o di e i n her maternal arms . For i t was then that sh e h ersel f receivedth e r igh t of th e patronage of death -beds

,because of

her at tendance at th e death -bed of our Lord ; andher mi n istry to us

,as to Him

,in th e hour of death i s

part of her office u pon wh ich th e Church dwel l s moststrongly by naming i t in the Ave Maria. Thus i s h er

2 0 3 7

43 4 THE CO M PASSIO N or M ARY .

Compassi on inseparably bound up i n th e man ifoldoffices of mercy wh ich

,by th e ord inance of God ,

Maryd i scharges to us .The thi rd efl

’

c ct of Mary ’

s Compassion i s her co-O perat ion w i th Jesus i n th e redemption of th e w orld . We

have al ready spoken of th is , but somewhat more yetremains to be said . The co—operation of Marv hassund r y ch arac teri s ti cs of w h ich w e must not l ose sigh ti n conside ring th e ques t ion . I t was th e co—opera t i on ofa sin less creature w i th th e In carnate Creator i n redeeming th e w orld from sin . Sh e had no si n of h er own ,

and yet sh e suffered , and moreove r suffered for s in .

This at on ce d is t i ngu ish es h er co- opera t i on from th atof th e sain ts, w ho had sin ned , and the angel s , wh o cou ldno t suffe r . I t i s pecul iar t o h erse l f. Besid es th is, herCompassi on was, as w e have said , one simul t an eous andind eed iden t i cal sacrifice w i th His ; so that on e of th eolder theolo g ians has said

,

“ The w i l l of Chri s t and

Mary was al togeth er on e,and thei r h olocaust on e ; both

offered al ik e to God,He i n th e Blood of His Fl esh , sh e

i n the blood of lzcr h eart . Hembe her sati sfact ionshave a place w it-h His i n th e t reasury of th e Church ,wh i ch does no t bel ong to th e sati sfaction s of th e sain ts .They are more Chri st l ike

,as w el l as more abundant an d

more prec ious . When w e offer our Blessed Lord to th eFa ther

,w e are offering what i s n ot in any proper sense

ours to offer . I t i s on ly ours by th e ar t ifi ces of graceand the ingenu iti es of th e communion of saints . Theymake i t real ly ours i n a Chri s t i an sen se , a supernaturalsense . But Jesus belonged to Mary , and was obed ien tt o h e r, i n qui te a d ifferen t sense . She had a righ t tooffer Him

,i n whi ch w e cannot sh are .

”Wh i l e ourspi ri tual ofierings cost us noth in cr

, h ers cos t her abroken h eart . She impoveri sh ed hersel f to enrich us .Moreover, by offerin g Jesus to th e Fath er , sh e d id morethan al l creat ion put together could do to mak e repara

‘F Arnold Carnot ap . Novatum i. 3 80.

43 6 THE CO MPASSION or M ARY.

SECTION IV .

OUR COMPASSION WITH HER COMPASSION .

We have now to Speak of our compass ion w i th Maryas an im itat ion of her Compassion w i th Jesus , or, inother w ords , of our compassi on w i th h er as i tself a w orsh ip of Jesus and a true compassion w i th Him . Firs tof all

,devotion to th e dolors of our Blessed Lady i s

most acceptabl e to our Lord Himself. YVe quoted in

the fi rst chap ter His revelation to th e Blessed Veron icaof Binasco

,i n wh i ch He told her that tears sh ed over

His Mother’s sorrow s w ere more prec ious in His sigh tthan tears sh ed i n memory of His own . We may perhaps ven ture to explain th i s as teach ing us

,what appears

to be certai n ly true i n itself, that devotion to the sevendolors brings w i th i t by a k ind of necessi ty devotion tothe Passion

,whereas devotion to th e Passion does no t

seem so necessari ly to i nclude devo t ion to th e dolors .Devoti on to th e Passion , i n w hich th e r igh t place andparticipation are not assigned to Mary, i s not a scripturaldevotion ; and in many ways, wh ich i t would be out ofplace to en ter upon here

,i t betokens an imperfect and

unwor thy V i ew of th e Passion i tself. Yet i t i s n ot uncommon to meet w i th th i s partial devotion , and i t rathertends to keep devotion to th e dolors at arms’- lengththan to lead to i t . I t i s based upon that untheologicalmistak e

,wh i ch some dece ive themselves into th ink ing

a th eological n icety and a con troversial fel i c i ty , namely,a sort of j ealous

,ign oran t accuracy in k eeping Jesus

and Mary apart,and not letting on e intrude on the

Sphere of the oth er , as i f to speak as s l ight ingly as theydare of th e Moth er of God w oul d mak e truth moreattractive i n th e eyes of a misbel i ev ing w orld , to whichth e i ncredible abasemen t of Jesus i n H is Sacramenti s al ready a far greater s tumbl ing-block than th e incred ibl e exaltation of H i s Mother. On th e o ther hand,

THE CO M PASSIO N or M ARY . 4 3 7

w e see that devotion to th e dolors brings w i th i t as i tsinvari abl e practi cal result a deep , tender, accurate,minute , and reveren tial devotion to th e Passion . Again

,

w e may venture to read i n our Lord ’s w ords a l ovingin ten t to have reparation made to M ary for her Compassion

,just as h er Compassion was the grand reparation

of His Passion . By in spi ring saints and religi ous ordersw i th thi s devotion

,and sending forth His m ighty grace

and efficac ious blessing to accompany i t,He repays h er

for the beautiful r °

epa1 ation of h er Compassion . Bu t

n hate ver other mean ings th e1 e may be i n th i s revelation to th e Blessed Veron i ca

,and although i ts force as

a 1 e ve lation was,as in al l p 1 ivate revelation s , in tended

for hersel f,i t proves at l east as much as th is , that th e

devotion to our Lady’s dolors i s on e of pecul iar acceptableness i n th e eyes of our Blessed Sav ior .Th is devotion has also a remarkabl e connection w i th

great interi or hol iness . This i s proved by experience .

Neither is i t to be w ondered at . For i t i s a devotionwh ich n atural ly makes us unworld ly , because w e l iv eand breath e in an atmosphere of sorrow . I t brings outth e u nreal ity of w orldly j oys . I t sobers our thoughts .

I t keeps th em close to Jesus Chris t, an d to Him crucifi ed .

I t communicates to our souls the sp iri t of th e Cross ; andth e enviable gift of love of suffering ful l often begins ina prayerful famil iari ty w i th the sorrow s of o ur BlessedMother . More than most devotions i t tends to supernatural i ze th e mind , because i t k eeps us i n a sphere ofheavenly beauty

,w hose look and odor gradually pass

upon ourselv es . I t i s a sphere i n whi ch the mos twonderfu l d ivin e O perati on s m ingle w i th th e commonw oes and sorrow s of a suffering w orld , and so i t expressesthat un ion of self- abasement and self- obl iv ion in wh i chal l th e greater graces of th e sp i ri tual l i fe take root .Moreover

,the prevai l ing ideas to whi ch i t w eds our

m inds are j ust those whi ch are the most sol id and essential i n any persevering endeavors after hol in ess . For i tun ites us to an ab iding sorrow for sin

,s in wh ich caused

43 8 THE compassrox or M ARY .

Mary'

s sorrow , s in w h i ch caused th e sorrow over whi chMary sorrow e d, s in of our own w hich was actual ly presen t an d influen t ia l i n l_ )0 th those sorrow s , w ronging atonce the M o the '

and th e Son . I t equal ly un i tes us toth e perpe tual sen se of need ing grace , of absolute de

p e nd e n e e upon grace , and of that ready abundance ofgrace on w h i ch ou r fil ial

-

confidence reposes . I t i s al ls tain ed w i th the Pre c ious Blood ; and thus i t puts us intoth e very dep ths of our Savior ’s Sac red Heart . Thereis no soul w hi ch w orldl iness finds i t harder to attackthan one wh ich i s entrenched w i th in th e dolors of ourBlessed Lady . There i s no thing wh icli the w orld cangraft i tsel f upon i n that devotion . There i s noth ingcongen ial to th e spi ri t and way of the w orld i n i t,no th ing even w hich th e w orld can falsi fy for its own

ends o r fraudulen t ly d ivert for i t s own purposes . Moreove r , i t was i n th e dolors th at the grandeurs of Mary

’ssan c t i t y w ere fabri cated , and fabricated out of material sw h ich 1 11 thei r degree are common to every on e of ush er sons and daugh ters . I t i s hard to l ive i n th e bosomof great examples and be un influenced by them . Thel essons wh ich th e dolors teach us are w anted at almostevery turn of l i fe

,and are most appropriate to th e very

season s when grace i s w ont to be most active in us ; andth ey are imparted w i th such lov in g tenderness, w ithsuch path eti c simpl i ci ty

,and in th e midst of such count~

less simi l i tudes betw een our si nless Mother and our si nful selves , that i t i s d i ffi cul t to conce ive of a sch ool i nwh ich so much heaven ly w i sdom is taugh t so w inn inglyas in th e Compassion of Mary .

Furth ermore, thi s devotion to the dolors of Mary i sreckoned by theologian s among the sign s of predestin ation . Certainly a speci al attrac tion of grace i s asw eet prophecy of our final perseverance ; and i t i s bya spec ial att ract i on of grace that we add i c t ourselves t oth is devotion . Perhaps our Lord 's revel ation to St . Johnthe Evangel ist, c i ted i n th e fi rst chapter, of th e fourgraces wh ich i t was His blessed wi l l to attach to th i s de

440 THE CO M PASSIO N or M ARY .

in prayer . But wh en w e are tempted , w e grow s i len tand w hen to our t emptat ion i s added spi ri tual dryness ,querulousn ess and peevi shn ess are added to our s i len ce .

\Ve are soon p ros t rated ; and w e l earn thereby th e goodl esson of our own real i nward misery and helplessness .

Bu t i f dryness and temptation bring such changes, w hat

w i l l (l ea th bring ? I t w i l l bring such an unutterable;speech less

, t errifi ed , agon i z ing necessi ty of grace as i ti s appal l ing to th i nk of w hen w e bend our though tsseriously to i t .

"

What w i l l a devotion be worth to us,then

, wh ich has two speci al death -bed promises attachedt o i t ! Gold and pearls could not reckon i ts pri ce . Bu t

th e devotion must have been a l i fet ime devotion in orderlegal ly to inheri t th e death -bed promises .I t i s unnecessary to speak of the author ity of th eChurch

,of th e l iberal ity of her indulgences

,of the ex

amples of the saints , or of th e records of numberlessconve rsions, . all attest ing th e pow er and acceptableness of th i s devotion . They have al ready occup ied ourattention in th e fi rst chapter . Bu t w e must not

forget that our Blessed Lady has a spec i al c laim uponour devot ion to her dolors . I t i s part of th e duty ofsons to thei r mot-her to compassionate h er i n her trial sand sorrow s

,of whatever nature they may be, or

from whatever cause they may spr ing . But th i s i svery far short of our duty toward the sorrow s ofMary .

”

We ourselves w ere part of them . We w ereth e causes of h er suffering . I t was not only for ourgood that sh e suffered , but i t was by our ev i l thatsh e suffered . Hence there i s no devotion to h er towh ich w e are so bound as to her dolors . There i sn o expression of our l ove more fi tting

,and i ndeed

more imperat ive upon us , than compassion w i th h erCompassion . I t i s th e most i nclusi ve of al l devotion s to her . I t comprehends th e greatest numberof h er mysteri es . I t k eeps closest to her wh en she i si n th e closest un ion w i th Jesus . I t goes deepest dow ninto h er immaculate h eart . I t th rows th e strongest

THE CO MPASSION or MARY. 441

ligh t on the summits of her Div ine Matern ity , and at

the same time i t i s the special devotion of her Motherhood of us . I t best sati sfies our obl igation s to her

,

wh i le i t i s mos t v iv id ly k indl ing our lov e . I t at oncebefi ts the necessi t ies of our low l in ess and the splendorsof h er magnifi cen ce .

Let us add to i ts perfection as a devotion to Maryi ts perfection also as a devotion to Jesus , and th ep i cture i s complete . The h ighest devotion to ourBl essed Lord i s to possess ourselv es of His spir i t, toappreciate i t

,to w elcome i t, to feel in i t, to ac t in i t

,

to suffer i n it .

'

Th e more we can do and suffer all

th ings i n un ion w i th Him ,th e more excel len tly are

we His disc iples . YVe have to become Christian s . I tis th e busin ess of grace to multip ly al l over the w orldcop ies and l ikenesses of the Incarnate Word . Un ionw i th Jesus i s the shortes t defin i tion of hol in ess , andone w hi ch i s equal ly appl i cabl e to al l i ts numberlessvarieti es . New ,

Mary i s our mode l of th is . Th e

special grace of al l devotions to Mary i s un ion w i thJesus. Th i s i s what they all teach . They not onlyteach i t as a lesson , but they are th e veh icl e by wh ichi t i s conveyed into our soul s as a real p redominantsp ir i t, a substan tial transform ing grace . She i s inseparable from Jesus . Her spi ri t i s th e greates t poss ibl e commun ication of H is . He i s h er mean ing

, h er

sign ificance , her motive , h er aim ,her l ife . The action

of Jesus and Mary i s as nearly one action as a

twofold action can be one . Jesus i s our model ; bu tw e must copy Him as Mary cop ied Him . I t i s h eroffice to teach us th is , to be our model of

'

im i tation .

We must do al l th ings in un ion w i th Mary , and th enshal l w e best do th em all in union w i th Jesus . But

devotion to h er dolors leads us most d i rectly,most

speedi ly , and most un iversal ly, to do al l th ings inunion w i th h er . For her sorrow s w ere l ifelong ;th ey were the most constan t of al l h er d isposi tions ;th ey were the d ispos i t ions in wh ich sh e was th e most

442 THE CO M PASSION or MARY .

clos ely un ited w i th Jesus , and follow ed Him w i th th emost minu te and changeful fidel i ty th rough the myste ries of the Three-and-Th ir ty Years . Thus i t comes

to pass that devo t io n to her dolors leads us mostd irec t l y

,most speed i ly

,and mos t un iversal ly to do al l

th ings i n un ion w i th Jesus ; and , th erefore , i t. i s theh ighes t devo t ion to Him , the perfec t i on of devo t i on t oJesus , as w el l as th e perfec t i on of devot ion to M ary .

Thus our compass ion w i th Mary partakes of th e

beau ty,pow er

,and blessing of her Compassion w i th

Jesus,and is part of h ers , as by hers i t i s won to

Jesus, and by hers closed i n His lov ing embrace , w i thth e tenderest un ion of which w e are capab le

,w i th our

unspeakably tender and lov ing Lord .

SECTION V .

THE PASSION AND COMPASSION COMPARED.

Our fi fth point was t o compare th e Compassion andth e Passion toge ther . But a great deal of this hasal ready been done by impl i cation i n the course of th epreced ing inqu iri es . The fi rs t poin t of sim i l i tude i si n i ts interior character. The mental sufferings ofth e Passion w en t far beyond i ts bodi ly tortures

,not

merely because anguish of hear t i s w orse to bear thanpain of body, but also because they w ere of a far moreaw ful descript ion , and because they w ere of longerduration . The inw ard agony, by w hich th e shame andguil t of s in w ere expiated

, was far more terrifi c thanthe b low s

,and w ounds

,and d iversified atroci t i es

w h ich th e crue ltv of s inners could infl ict upon th eBody of Jesus . His inw ard pains w ere more numerous , more vari ous, more vehemen t, burned deeper,and lasted longer . The abandonment of the Fatherand the w eigh t of His angry j ust i c e w ere , of course,t he most intolerabl e sufferings of th e Passion

,and

both those w ere inter ior. Next to th em we must

444 THE CO M PASSION or M ARY.

s ion in His Mo ther’s h eart,making i t large enough by

break ing i t . I t was not only that each pai n of the Pass ion was represen ted i n her Compass ion . I t i s mostl ikely that she real ly fe l t i t al l

,j us t as i t was

,not i n al l

i t s i ntole rable real ity,but i n su ch dread real i ty at leas t

as was accord ing to th e measure of h er immense capab ilities of suffering . The saints have felt i t so , i n the i rl esser measure

,great i n our eyes as that l esser measure

was. They have been inv i sibly stigmati zed , and theyhave been led i n horribl e inw ard un imaginable torturesth rough al l the myste ri es of th e Passion

,miraculous

pow er often being needed to preven t th e separation ofbody and soul . Can w e imagine that th is inw ard realcompassion was granted to them , and that she was w i thou t it ? I t i s also anoth er simi l i tude between th e Compassion and the Pass ion

,that j ust as saints have been

al low ed i n mysti ca l w ays to fee l th e sufferings of ourBlessed Lord

,so have they al so been al low ed mysti cal ly

to participate i n th e sorrow s of Mary . Both th e Compassion and th e Pass ion h av e been recogn ised fountainsout of wh ich have flowed some of th e most s ingular andat the same t ime the best -accred i ted ph enomena of mystical th eology .

SECTION VI .

THE SE EKING E XCESS OF THE COMPASSION.

But there i s anoth er poin t i n th e resemblance betw eenth e Passion of Jesus and th e Compassi on of Mary , wh i chmust not b e omitted . I t i s th e seeming excess of h ersorrow s over h is . We cal l i t seeming, because no one inh i s senses w ould dream of saying that Mary’s sufferingsequal led those of our Blessed Sav ior . But her Compass ion , as w e have seen , i s a d iv ine work , a d ivine mystery,and

,inasmuch as thi s semblance i s an undeniab le fea

ture of i t, i t must have been i nten tional . Every th ingin a div ine w ork i s notabl e

,and w e l earn from i t by th e

mere noting of i t, e ven where i t i s beyond our p owers


of explanation . I t was in th e j oint mystery of. th e Compassion and Passi on that the Mot-her and th e Son sadd en e d each other . Now , i n proportion as His beautyexceeded hers

,His power t o i ncrease h er sorrow ex

c e eded her pow er to augment h is . I t was a more terr ib le th ing for th e Mo th er t o see th e Son expiring on theCross

,than for th e Son to see h is mo t-her broken -hearte d

at the foot of th e Cross . But w hen w e remember thatHe was God , and that her whol e love of Him was w hati t was because He was God , s t i l l more disproportionedw i l l her suffering appear to H is , and she too the w eakervesse l

,the less capable of enduring such h igh ly-w rough t

agony as th at on Calvary . IVe must bear i n mind alsotha t i nward pain is grea ter than outw ard pain

,and that

as she had 110 v is ible Passion to compare w i th His,th e

sor row ,whi ch each ou tward pain and ou t rage of His

caused in her,must have been inward also . His bodi ly

Pass ion produced a mental coun terpart i n her . She wasi nwardly scourged , inwardly crowned w i th thorns

,in

wardly stripped , i nw ardly nai led to the Cross, and sh ed ied inw ardly . All that was outward in Him was obligedto be inw ard in her . So also , when the Passion ended ,th e Compassion had at least th ree hours

,perhaps six

,

of agony crowded w i th dreadful mysteries,yet to run .

The fear of His l imbs being broken,the w ound of th e

lan ce,th e taking down from the Cross

,th e embalming

,

the burial , and the desolation , al l th ese sorrow s w erecrucify ing Mary’s woe -w eary heart whi le He was flash ingl igh t and beauty and glory th rough th e caverns of Limbus and being w orsh ipped by the congratulations of al lthe patr iarchs , k ings , and proph e ts of th e olden time .Moreover , sh e was l eft beh ind to mourn for fi fteen years,and what was that delay but a prolongati on of al l thatwas hardest to bear i n each of her seven dolors th roughmore than tw i ce seven years ? Th e w ords are easi lyw ri t ten , but wh at h idden w orlds of h ero ic enduranceand desperate heart-w orn l ife do they not imply ! Andthere was one thought through al l that scene on Calvary

3 8

446 THE CO M PASSIO N O F M ARY .

wh ich sh e alon e could have , and wh ich must h avereigned sup remely over h e r mind , i nspi ring her w i th anincred ible ha t red of sin

,and throw ing a pecu l iar l igh t

upon th e Passion , wh ich i t i s no t. easy for us t o con ce ive .I t was the know ledge that Jesus w as a t that momen t

pan ng th e price o f her Immaculate Concep t i on ,— that

l lis Passi on was for h er redemp t ion , and so principal lyfor hers

,— that it was more for h ers than for that of th e

res t of the w orld toge ther . Who then shal l say whatthe Passion looked l i ke to Mary

’

s eye ?

SECTION VI I .

TnE MEASURE S or MARY’

S COMPASSION .

Lastly, w e must say a few w ords of th e measures and

dimen sions of her Compassion . IVe have d rawn such ap ic ture of i t as w e are abl e . I t not on ly falls far bel owthe t ru th

,but i t sensibly fal ls far below th e real ima ge

o f it i n our own minds . A thousand unexpressedth ou e h ts are t easing u s at th is moment , but th e difficult y i s h ow to express th em fitlv . Words do not seemt o be measures for them . They are thoughts of love ;and love does not speak ; i t bu rns . Moreover , theremust be l imits to al l th ings except l ov in ". There aren o l imi ts there . Love i s an eternal w ork . Love alon ecan measure th e Compassion of Mary . Th ink of th esuffer ings of Jesus . They open at our fee t l ike a hugeabyss . Can w e fathom thei r d readful depth s ? Or dow e not ra ther Sh rink in consc ious noth ingness from atask so h opeless and so rash ? Yet Mary ’s Compassioncontains that w orld-w ide abyss

,measures i t

,and holds i t

m iraculously w i th in i t s own d imensions . e l f w e speakof the beau ty of Jesus , st raigh tw ay th e visi on of a shorel ess sea

,wh ich no hori zon bounds

,over w hi ch th e sun i s

r i sing and se t t ing at th e same momen t,th e hal f d isk

sunken i n the w est already rising i n th e east, and th e

waters ro ll ing on and on for ev ermore . Yet as are th e

448 THE CO M PASSIO N or M ARY .

go w rong ; and such a w ork i s Mary’s Compassi on . Our

task is ended,and love w i l l g iv e our poor though t s a

t ru th of its own wh ich w i l l make them good for souls .I t i s a beauti ful and a dread sigh t to see al l th e sor

row s of fal len earth resumed i n th e broken h eart of ourow n M o ther . Has i t m oved us ? Then why not for th erest of l i fe

,i n sober pan i c at th e w orld and w orld l iness

,

go and s i t at our Mo ther ’s feet and meditat e her griefs ?I s there a fi tter w ork for prodigal s come back to the i rHeavenly Fath er ? Compassion w i th h er i s al ready compassi on w i th Jesus ; and w e may say that compass ionw i th th e Inv is ible Creator Himself i s th e devo t i on alfeel ing ou t of wh i ch w e sha l l serve Him most gen erously,and real i ze Him most tenderly as our Eternal Fa ther

,

eternal because He has been— b lessed be h is Maj es ty Ifrom al l etern ity , and e ternal because w e shal l b eblessed be His compassion I— w i th Him

,His happy son s

,

l l i s pardoned , son s to al l etern i ty . Truly Mary lays usevermore in th e lap of God . Truly by some celesti al

logic of th ei r own , all Chris t i an th ings , be they doctri neso r (le votions, come out at l as t i n that one. compendious.

melod i ous . alone-suflicing w ord , Eternal Fa th er

THE END.

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